Israel has killed the head of a Gaza terrorist group involved in rocket attacks and a terrorist infiltration last year.

In a joint IDF and Shabak (General Security Service) activity in the Jabaliya area of Gaza, “the IDF targeted and identified hitting Ibrahim Alba, the head of the Democratic Front [For the Liberation of Palestine] in northern Gaza,” according to the IDF Spokesman.

An Air Force-fired missile hit the 42-year-old terror commander as he was getting out of his vehicle near Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza region. Arab sources said three others were wounded. The strike took place shortly after three Kassam rockets were fired toward Jewish towns.

The strike took place amidst relativelyheavy shelling of Israeli communities from Gaza; 12 shells have hit Israel since the morning hours, causing no damage.

Alba was involved in numerous infiltration attempts from the areas of the former Jewish communities in northern Gaza - destroyed during the 2005 Disengagement - towards the remaining Jewish towns across the border with Israel.

“Alba was involved in the infiltration of two terrorists armed with explosive devices and dressed in uniforms to Netiv Haasarah on August 25th, 2007,” the IDF says. “Three IDF soldiers were lightly wounded during exchanges of fire with the terrorists. The two terrorists were killed."

“Alba has since then continued attempting to execute terror attacks against Israel,” the IDF added, noting that Alba has also been involved with the launching of rockets into Israel, indicating the group’s cooperation with the Hamas-run groups coordinating the rocket offensive.

The Shabak became aware that Alba was planning another terror attack in the coming days.

Rocket Cell Struck
IDF troops shot toward a southern Gaza terrorist cell preparing to launch a Kassam rocket toward Jewish communities in the western Negev Tuesday morning. An exchange of gunfire ensued between the armed men and the elite Givati Brigade and Armored Corps.

Terrorists fired rockets and mortar shells at soldiers in Tuesday’s early hours but did not wound anyone.

Lebanese Army Claims IDF Crossed Border
The Lebanese army claimed that five IDF soldiers crossed the border near the Har Dov (Sheba’a Farms) area Sunday evening. The soldiers allegedly remained in the area for 10 minutes before returning.

The Lebanese army called the move "a blatant and repeated breach of Lebanese sovereignty" and informed the United Nations Interim Forces (UNIFIL), which is investigating. Tensions have risen along the northern border since the assassination of Hizbullah senior terrorist Imad Mughniyeh in February.

As of press time, the IDF had not issued a comment on the incident.

Report: Hamas Plans Attack on Egyptians at Rafiah
Hamas has completed plans for breaching the Rafiah border barrier and is prepared to attack Egyptian soldiers, according to the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram.

The plan calls for a three-stage attack, beginning with mortar shelling and then rifle fire. The last step in the attempt to break down the barrier and reach the Egyptian side of Rafiah would include using smuggling tunnels, which have been mined to explode at Egyptian positions.

Hamas destroyed the border barrier several months ago, allowing hundreds of thousands to cross the border to buy supplies and permitting terrorists to infiltrate into the Sinai Peninsula.

Israeli-Arab Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi has made known his anti-Israel sentiments once again, arousing the strong opposition of many Knesset Members.

A leading member of the Israeli legislature and the head of an Israeli-Arab political party, Tibi was actually listed at this week's Doha Forum in Qatar as representing none other than "Palestine."  Tibi headed a Palestinian Authority delegation numbering six representatives, including a PA minister, deputy minister, and legislator. His place of work was listed on the list of participants as "Israeli Knesset."

The Israeli delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, numbered 23 participants.  A total of 537 official representatives took part in the Forum.

Tibi, who was a special advisor to arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat for many years, took the opportunity to tell the participants at Doha that Israel was not a democracy.  He further accused Israel of running an apartheid regime.  Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni responded by saying that his very ability to say those things publicly proves the opposite.
 
MKs Attack Tibi
Tibi was attacked for his stance from both right and center, and the Yisrael Beiteinu party of Avigdor Lieberman is planning to demand his ouster as Deputy Speaker of the Knesset.  Lieberman told Army Radio, "Any self-respecting parliament in the world would not allow this to happen. Tibi uses every international forum to malign Israel's reputation and status."

When reminded that Tibi had been elected to the Knesset democraticall , Lieberman responded, "So were Hamas and Hitler." 

Lieberman said he has requested a special mid-recess Knesset session after Passover for the purpose of deposing Tibi as Deputy Speaker.  "Tibi is a fifth-column [agent] in the full sense of the word," Lieberman said.  "He belongs in the parliament in Ramallah, and not Israel."

In response, Tibi called Lieberman, who made Aliyah to Israel from the former Soviet Union, a "fascist immigrant."

Whbee, Too
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Majalli Whbee, of the Druze village of Beit Jann, has also registered his disgust with Tibi, calling on the Knesset Ethics Committee to punish him.  "Tibi must decide which state he represents," the Kadima MK said on Israel Radio.  "He can't be a legislator in one country and represent another one at the same time."

Tibi recently made other headlines when he flew to Lebanon, in violation of Israeli law.  MK Yuval Shteinitz (Likud) called at the time for a law that would automatically end an MK's membership in the Knesset for unauthorized travel to an enemy state.  Other MKs are working on legislation to prevent such persons from being elected to the Knesset.

While America was leading the effort to impose sanctions on a defiant Iran intent on continuing its uranium enrichment nuclear development program, the US and Iran was meeting unofficially to maintain dialogue between the two nations.

According to a report published in the British newspaper, The Independent, a group of former diplomats, foreign policy experts and academics from both countries has been meeting on a regular basis over the past five years. None of the meetings, which have taken place in various places around the world, were ever held in the US or Iran.

The back channel group was the brainchild of the United Nations Association of the United States and facilitated by a think-tank called the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The organization is chaired by former chief UN weapons inspector Rolf Ekeus, who created the outside-of-the-box  group  as  another way of putting the Islamic Republic’s feet to the fire on limiting its development of nuclear power.

News of the meetings was leaked finally by former US Undersecretary of State Thomas Pickering, who told the paper, “Some of the Iranians were connected to official institutions inside Iran.”

According to the report, Pickering said, “We discussed what’s going on domestically in both countries and wide-ranging issues.”  Restricting his own description of the group’s agenda to broad statements on its activities, Pickering added simply that “each side kept their officials informed” but said little else.

The group has maintained relations despite sanctions, threats, saber-rattling and all other statements made by either side to the contrary. It is not clear why information about its existence was leaked to the media at this time; nor is it clear whether to parties will continue to meet in the wake of the report.

What is clear is that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has not at all abandoned his intention to wipe the State of Israel off the world map -- and most probably will use his rapidly developing nuclear capabilities to do it.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am-Ta'al) clashed on Monday during the Eighth Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade. Earlier, Minister Livni addressed the conference in Qatar on behalf of the State of Israel.

In remarks following the Foreign Minister's speech, MK Tibi called Israel "an apartheid state" and criticized Livni for
Tibi himself is proof that Israel can be both Jewish and democratic, she explained.
referring to Israeli democracy. "How can you talk about democracy when you talk about a Jewish state?" he challenged.

Foreign Minister Livni responded by reminding Tibi that he had no objections to the definition of a Palestinian Authority state as "Palestinian." Tibi himself is proof that Israel can be both Jewish and democratic, she explained. "The fact that you are a Member of Knesset in Israel who represents 20 percent of the public and can say whatever you please is proof that Israel is a democratic state," she said.

Livni, who arrived in the Gulf Emirate on Sunday, took part in the Doha Forum opening ceremony and, on Monday, delivered a wide-ranging speech on Israeli democracy and the current negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

'We Are All in the Same Camp'
"The road to peaceful relations - just like the road to genuine democracy - begins with dialogue, mutual recognition and the free exchange of ideas," Foreign Minister Livni told the assembled delegates. After defining democracy as promoting "diversity, freedom of worship and freedom of speech," Livni went on to describe "the extremists, who not only reject the genuine values of democracy, but also fight to deprive others of their rights and use violence as a legitimate tool in their battle."

Placing Israel and the Arab states represented at the conference on the same side of "the greatest conflict today," Livni said, "We, the moderates of the region, are all members of the same camp, facing the same challenges posed by the extremists."

According to the Foreign Minister, "It is quite clear now that Israel poses no threat to the stability and the peace of the region. It is equally clear now that the threat comes from the radicals, who refuse to recognize our democratic rights. When I say 'our,' I mean the rights of Israelis, moderate Palestinians, moderate Arab and pragmatic Moslem regimes alike."

Livni went on to note that the forces she termed as "extremists" also make use of the rules of democracy to further their own agenda. "This is true for both Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority," she said, in which the political process has been infiltrated."

She then called the ongoing captivity of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, held hostage by the Hizbullah, and of Gilad Shalit, held by Hamas, "another breach of democracy." Their release, she said, "is a matter of human rights, not politics."

Turning to the Israel-Palestinian Authority negotiations, Foreign Minister Livni called Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas and his government "pragmatic" and reiterated the Olmert government's position that "Israel is committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state, as a nation state for the Palestinian people and a peaceful neighbor to Israel."

In addition, Livni confirmed, "Everything is on the table, yet nothing is agreed until everything is agreed." She also declared that "any future agreement is subject to full implementation of the first stage of the Road Map, for we cannot afford an additional terror state in our region." In Hamas-controlled Gaza, she noted, "instead of coexistence, we have received terror in return. Gaza is not just an Israeli problem. It has become an obstacle to the formation of a Palestinian state."

Beyond the PA, Livni told the Doha Forum, "The hearts and minds of the entire region must be prepared for this historical process."

Iranian, Lebanese VIPs Cancel Participation
Not all in the region are ready, it would seem, as several Iranian and Lebanese figures canceled their planned participation in the Doha Forum because of the presence of the Israeli Foreign Minister. Among those who dropped out were the Speaker of Lebanon's parliament, Nabih Berri, former Iranian President Muhammad Khatami and
Livni met with her counterpart from the Gulf Emirate of Oman in what was hailed as a first-of-its-kind public encounter.
former Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Saluh.

On the other hand, Foreign Minister Livni's visit to Qatar was her first to an Arab country that does not have diplomatic relations with the Israel. In addition to being a keynote speaker at the conference, Livni was also invited to dine with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Khamood Ben Jassem.

In the context of the forum, Foreign Minister Livni met with her counterpart from the Gulf Emirate of Oman in what was hailed as a first-of-its-kind public encounter. Omani government officials, however, played down the meeting. An aide to Oman's Foreign Minister Yousef bin Abdullah said it was "not meant to have a result," but merely to allow Foreign Minister Livni and her counterpart to exchange views, according to the French news agency AFP.

Oman and Israel have maintained low-level diplomatic and trade relations, although the oil-rich state backs Hamas. The Omani Foreign Minister ruled out the possibility of re-opening Israeli trade office in his country, closed after the beginning of the Oslo War in 2000, until the PA is constituted as a state.

Something about Israel's latest advertising campaign irked the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), and the latter told Israel to change it.  Without protest or investigation, Israel did so. 

The theme of the Israeli ad campaign - in Britain and elsewhere - is, "It takes six hours to cross Israel. Imagine what you can experience in seven days."  This motto appeared on the backdrop of various photos of Israeli scenes, one of which was the Qumran Caves - where the Dead Sea Scrolls, including chapters from the Book of Isaiah, were found in the 1940's.

Qumran is situated near Kibbutz Kalya, near the northwest corner of the Dead Sea, in a region liberated by Israel in the Six Day War in 1967.  However, it is not controlled by the Palestinian Authority in any way.

Despite this, ASA told Israel's Tourism Ministry to remove the photo, claiming that it misleads readers "into thinking that Qumran Caves are located within the Green Line, while they are actually located in the Palestinian territories."

As stated above, Qumran is not in the Palestinian territories.  Nevertheless, the relevant Israeli Tourism Ministry authorities decided to remove the photo first and carry out an investigation later.  The photo has been replaced by one of Masada, 50 kilometers to the south.

Asked why the photo was removed given the fact that Qumran and environs are under full Israeli control, Tourism Ministry Spokeswoman Shira Kazeh was unable to provide an explanation, saying only, "The decision was made, and hopefully within a few days the investigation will be completed."

The British ASA is an independent organization founded by advertisers "in order to keep advertising truthful." 

Moshe Feiglin, head of the Likud's Jewish Leadership faction, responded with sarcasm to the British stance.  "They’re right," he said. "After all, everyone knows that the famous hidden 'Palestinian' scrolls were found in those caves." 

Feiglin added that "not far away, in Masada, the heroic battle took place between the 'Palestinian' zealots and the Roman Legion.  In addition, the Western Wall is of course nothing more than a remnant of the 'Palestinian' Holy Temple that was destroyed 2,000 years ago."

A senior Israeli tourism official told Ynet on Sunday that ASA continues to demonstrate the anti-Israeli approach displayed in Britain over the past few months. "Representatives of the Palestinian Tourism Ministry feature a map of Palestine which shows all of Israel's regions, including Ben-Gurion Airport, as Palestine's major airport, but the British never complained about that," he said.

It's official.  The Halamish brothers of eastern Gush Etzion will not have to enter prison before Passover.  So ruled the Supreme Court on Monday morning.
 
The two brothers, Danny and Itzik Halamish, who claim total innocence of the charges on which they were convicted, were to have begun their 7- and 8-month prison terms, respectively, this past Thursday.  However, Jerusalem District Court Judge Moshe Ravid issued a temporary stay against their incarceration, explaining that he did not understand why their request for same had been turned down in lower courts with no explanation.

Today (Monday), the Supreme Court gave more weight to the temporary orders, ruling that the prison sentence need not begin until President Peres replies to their request for a pardon.  The State has been given 15 days to respond to the ruling.

The Committee for the Release of Itzik and Danny issued a statement wishing "the Halamish family, all the activists and the entire Nation of Israel a happy Pesach. This is obviously not the end of the story, but Itzik and Danny will at least be home with their family for Pesach, please G-d. Stay tuned for more updates."

The Case
The two brothers, members of the emergency security team of the community of Maaleh Rechavam, were convicted of shooting at Arabs who infiltrated the town's fields.  They have maintained all along that they did not shoot at all, even though the Arabs attacked them.

The incident occurred in February 2004.  When the Arab gang entered the fields, the local security officer called two members of the local fast-response security team - Danny Halamish, 35, and his brother Yitzchak, 28 - and the three went out to banish the Arabs from the fields where Jewish children play.  The mob attacked the three with rocks and sticks, and then surrounded them.  The security officer shot at the ground in front of the Arabs, and then he and the Halamish brothers retreated. 

"The next thing we knew," Danny Halamish told Arutz-7, "the police came to arrest us - after the Arabs claimed that we had attacked them!... I have nothing to confess, since we did not shoot.  But even more importantly: I have no intention of apologizing for having gone out to protect Jews.  Even if I have to sit in prison for a few months, I will not say that it is wrong to do what I did.  What do we have a State for, if not to protect ourselves?  The State has lost its way..."

Danny, married with two children, says that though his legal position is solid, "the courts have taken the strange position that because we didn't make certain claims at the right time, our conviction stands. This is unheard of..."  In addition, the police fired the guns afterwards, thereby neutralizing the brothers' claim that the guns had not been fired.

For more details, see these Arutz-7 stories:
Two Brothers on Their Way to Jail for Protecting Jewish Town
Activist Groups Unite to Thwart Halamish Jailing

Magen David Adom emergency workers tested out a new underground shelter in Haifa during a nationwide emergency response drill last week.  The shelter, one of the most advanced in the country, can house dozens of emergency workers for two weeks in case of attack, allowing workers to continue to provide vital services.

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Can't see above video?  Click here.

MDA’s deputy director in Haifa, Gilad Avila, explained that the shelter was built following the Second Lebanon War as part of Israel’s efforts to learn from the war and increase national preparedness.

In the above video, MDA personnel put the new shelter to use during a simulated attack.

Less than a week after Palestinian Authority terrorists murdered two workers at the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, Israel has decided to allow deliveries of fuel into Gaza to resume through the crossing.  Gas for cars is not included.

Barring any unforeseen security problems – such as last week's barrage of 20 mortar shells that was rained upon Kibbutz Nahal Oz and the Nahal Oz Crossing, under cover of which four terrorists infiltrated the terminal and murdered two workers – the depot will re-open on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the decision came in response to a request by Egypt to allow cooking gas and diesel fuel for the Gaza power station. Barak noted that security concerns might cause delays in the procedures.

Despite last week’s attack, Israel has continued to allow hundreds of trucks to trundle through the Gaza crossings bearing humanitarian aid into the region.

On Monday, 123 trucks through the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni Crossings with medication, medical equipment, electrical equipment, oil, wood for greenhouses, pumps and drip irrigation system supplies, cleaning products, food staples, meat and dairy products.

A Foreign Ministry statement pointed out that the PA terrorists in Gaza tend to attack sites that cause the most damage to civilian life on both sides of the security barrier.

The statement read, “Terrorist organizations carry out terrorist attacks at civilian sites that contribute greatly to the welfare of the Palestinian population, such as crossings, while taking advantage of easing of restrictions on the Palestinian population, in order to sabotage the normal Palestinian daily life and any co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians.”