JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.
IDF Eliminates Terrorists Near Syrian Border-IDF soldiers shoot and hit two terrorists who tried to infiltrate into Israel in the Golan Heights.By Elad Benari, Canada-First Publish: 3/28/2014, 11:35 PM-Israelnationalnews
IDF soldiers were able to prevent two terrorists from infiltrating into Israel in the Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, on Friday night.According to the IDF, the soldiers identified two suspects tampering with the security fence along the border. It is believed they also tried to place an explosive device. The troops open fired, hitting the two terrorists."The IDF will continue to protect the border and prevent attacks,” said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit in a statement quoted by Channel 2 News.Friday’s incident comes only one day after the IDF Northern Command announced that it was changing its orders regarding opening fire in areas along the Golan border fence. Anyone from the Syrian side who comes near the fence should expect to be shot, the IDF said.Previously, soldiers would fire in the air to warn off and ward off suspicious figures. As per the new orders, soldiers will immediately open fire in the direction of suspicious looking characters. There have been heightened tensions along the Israel-Syria border in recent weeks. Last week, an explosive device went off on the Golan Heights, as an IDF jeep was passing by.Three soldiers were wounded in the attack and were taken to the Rambam Hospital in Haifa. One of them sustained serious injuries in the explosion.The Israel Air Force (IAF) retaliated several hours later, striking several targets on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights which had aided and abetted the attack against the soldiers.Two weeks ago, also on a Friday night, an explosive device went off as IDF soldiers patrolled near the Lebanese border. No one was injured in that incident, although three soldiers were treated for shock at Ziv Hospital in Tzfat.The following day, Saturday, IDF soldiers identified several individuals approaching the border in a suspected attempt to set another explosive. The soldiers fired on the suspects, who fled.(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Netanyahu told Kerry gov’t could fall if prisoners released’-US urged Abbas in vain to extend talks, telling him Israel fears coalition will disintegrate over Arab Israeli inmates, PA sources say-By Yifa Yaakov and AFP March 29, 2014, 10:44 am 18-The Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US Secretary of State John Kerry that he fears his coalition could fall apart if Israel frees a fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners who were slated for release this weekend — among them 14 Israeli Arabs.Citing sources in the Palestinian Authority, the London-based pan-Arab al-Hayat newspaper reported Saturday that US negotiators had told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Netanyahu feared his coalition, which includes the right-wing Jewish Home and Yisrael Beytenu parties, might disintegrate over the prisoner release.Kerry and US special Middle East envoy Martin Indyk relayed Netanyahu’s fears to Abbas in order to convince him to accept the postponement of the prisoner release, the sources said. The US negotiators reportedly urged Abbas to agree to extend peace negotiations beyond the April 29 deadline before the 30 prisoners are released. Netanyahu has insisted agreement be reached for extending the talks before the prisoners can go free, and has ruled out releasing Israeli Arab inmates.However, Abbas refused, insisting that the prisoners must be released before the Palestinian Authority can discuss prolonging the talks.Meanwhile Saturday, a senior Palestinian official said the release by Israel of Arab prisoners would not go ahead on Saturday as envisaged but he hoped there would only be a short delay.“Today the prisoners will not be released… maybe in the coming days,” Issa Qaraqae, the minister of prisoner affairs, told AFP.“We have told the families of the prisoners that they will not be released today,” he added.”“There are efforts to solve the crisis and I believe that in 24 hours everything will be clearer.”Under the deal that relaunched peace talks last July, Israel agreed to release 104 Arabs held since before the 1993 Oslo peace accords in exchange for the Palestinians not pressing their statehood claims at the United Nations.So far, Israel has freed 78 prisoners in three batches but ministers had warned they would block the final release, which had been anticipated for Saturday, if the Palestinians refused to extend the talks beyond their April 29 deadline.There has been no official Israeli update on the last batch of prisoners, which the Palestinians want to include Arab Israeli citizens, a demand hotly opposed by Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners and by hardliners within his own Likud party.The cabinet convenes on Sunday morning for its weekly meeting. A special ministerial panel needs to approve any releases 48 hours before they go ahead, to leave time for petitions against the releases to the Supreme Court. Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub, a member of Fatah’s central committee, told AFP Friday that “the Israeli government has informed us through the American mediator that it will not abide with its commitment to release the fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday 29.”The peace talks have been teetering on the brink of collapse, with Washington fighting an uphill battle to get the two sides to agree to a framework for continued negotiations until the end of the year.Kerry met Abbas in Amman on Wednesday in a bid to salvage the talks, with US special envoy Martin Indyk meeting the Palestinian leader in Ramallah a day later.State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Friday denied reports that negotiations had already collapsed.“Any reports that suggest the talks are off are inaccurate,” she told journalists covering a visit to Saudi Arabia by Kerry and President Barack Obama.“Ambassador Indyk and the negotiating team remain closely engaged with both parties on the ground and will continue to work over the coming days to help them bridge the gaps and determine the path forward.”Israeli media say Netanyahu could give a green light to the prisoner release if the US frees Jonathan Pollard, who was arrested in Washington in 1985 and condemned to life imprisonment for spying on the United States for Israel.Israel is not commenting on such reports, with Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev saying only that in general the spy’s fate is “often raised at high-level meetings between Israelis and Americans.”On Wednesday, Psaki said “there are currently no plans to release Jonathan Pollard.”
PA: Israel Will Regret Not Releasing the Terrorists-Fatah official says the international community will hold Israel responsible for hurting the peace process by not releasing terrorists.-By Elad Benari, Canada-First Publish: 3/28/2014, 10:55 PM-Israelnationalnews
The Palestinian Authority (PA) said Friday that Israel would regret its decision not to go through with the release of the fourth batch of terrorists it undertook to release as a “gesture” to the PA.Fatah official Hazem Abu Shanab told the PA-based Ma’an news agency that the release of the final group of terrorists would be pivotal in determining the future of Israeli-PA relations.He added that the international community will be inclined to hold Israel responsible for hindering the peace process."The release of prisoners is a legitimate, lawful, and human right. Their freedom should not be linked to concessions regarding extending or continuing the diplomatic process," Abu Shanab told Ma'an.Earlier, Israel announced it would not go through with the fourth and final batch of terrorist releases, which was scheduled for Saturday night.PA official Jibril Rajoub told the AFP news agency that Israel had informed the PA through American mediator Martin Indyk that it will not release the fourth batch of terrorists, adding that the move was a "slap in the face of the U.S. administration and its efforts." Nevertheless, the United States later denied that the peace effort it has led between Israel and the PA had failed."Any reports that suggest the talks are off are inaccurate," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told journalists."Ambassador Indyk and the negotiating team remain closely engaged with both parties on the ground and will continue to work over the coming days to help them bridge the gaps and determine the path forward," she added.The release, intended as a "gesture" to promote the stalled peace talks, has been widely protested in Israel. Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon threatened to resign if the move went through. So far Israel has released 78 of the promised 104 terrorists; many of the terrorists were convicted of murdering Israeli citizens.Much of the objection to the fourth release came after the PA chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, admitted earlier this month that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was staying in talks solely for the sake of the terrorist releases.Abbas has set the terrorist release, as well as a construction freeze in Judea and Samaria, as a condition for continued talks. Rajoub on Friday reiterated PA threats to take unilateral moves for recognition at the UN next week, in breach of conditions of the peace talks, due to the release not occurring."Not releasing the prisoners will mark the beginning of the efforts in the international community to challenge the legality of the occupation," he stated.(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Erdogan’s fight against a shadow enemy-The Turkish PM suspects his nemesis, a 73-year-old cleric, of running a ‘deep state’ from rural Pennsylvania-By Philippe ALFROY March 29, 2014, 2:29 pm-The Times of Israel
ISTANBUL (AFP) — Embroiled in political turmoil, Turkey’s leader has declared war on a shadowy enemy, a Muslim cleric he accuses of running a parallel “deep state” from faraway rural Pennsylvania.Out on the campaign trail ahead of Sunday’s local elections, there are few doubts about who Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has in mind when he vows to “liquidate” his foes.
His declared nemesis is the moustachioed 73-year-old imam Fethullah Gulen, an estranged former ally turned alleged puppet-master plotting the strongman’s downfall.For months, Erdogan has faced the worst crisis of his much lauded 11-year-rule, weathering massive street protests, an explosive corruption scandal and a stuttering economy.His Islamic-leaning government has endured a barrage of damaging online leaks, with tales of sleaze and graft going viral on Twitter, Facebook and Erdogan has responded by lashing out at “traitors” and “terrorists”, while alienating Western allies with draconian curbs on social media.As he faces the first ballot-box test since the crisis started in June, he has bitterly vowed to pursue his adversaries “into their caves”.Erdogan and Gulen were once close allies who transformed a political landscape that had for decades been the domain of secularists and coup-happy generals.With a strong popular appeal among conservative Muslims tired of the era of “military tutelage,” Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) took power in 2002 and has won every election since.Both faithful and pro-business, the AKP presided over a building boom and dynamic economy as Turkey earned plaudits abroad as a model Muslim democracy and emerging global player.If the AKP delivered stunning ballot-box muscle, Gulen provided the technocrats for the bureaucracy, tapping into what is part religious movement, part business empire.Gulenists, known for their piety and business acumen, say their faith seeks to merge a “civil Islam” with modernity, science and Turkish nationalism.Gulen fled to the US in 1999 to escape charges of “anti-secular” activities. He now heads a foundation which runs a range of media outlets, cultural centres and schools.Its Hizmet (Service) educational network operates schools in 150 countries, encouraging civility and diligence and promoting a modern and tolerant Islam.In Turkey it runs pre-university cram schools called Dershanes, whose loyal alumni have been prominently placed in the police and justice apparatus.“We don’t prepare for exams only, we prepare them for life,” said spokesman Faruk Akdic. Students, he said, learn “kindness, universal law, not to be corrupt, not to steal … to become role models”.Many point to the opaque nature of the tight-knit movement.“Nothing is transparent,” said Sinan Ulgen of the Edam research centre. “We do not know who takes orders from whom. They have infiltrated the entire system, both in the executive and in justice and law enforcement.”Erdogan, a former semi-pro footballer and Istanbul mayor, is dubbed admiringly the “tall man” or “sultan” by his loyal followers, but critics accuse him of having drifted toward “one-man rule”.When police cracked down on protesters in June in clashes that left eight people dead and thousands wounded, Gulen newspapers provided comprehensive coverage.The Gulen-linked Journalists and Writers Foundation warned that Turkey risks losing “its character as a state governed by the rule of law”.Its vice president Cemal Usak told AFP that claims the “respected doctor” Gulen is pulling strings are false, stressing that “we’ve never done and never will do politics”.In an escalating feud, Erdogan in November threatened to close down Gulenist cram schools, gloating that “they are going to lose $1 billion annual income,” a move parliament approved this month.The massive corruption scandal that erupted in December was, most Turks believe, payback time.Dozens of the premier’s political and business allies were detained. The allegations, backed by a spate of online leaks, ranged from bribery to gold smuggling and illicit trade with Iran.Erdogan responded by purging thousands of police and prosecutors, while the government tightened controls over the judiciary and the Internet.Gulen, who rarely gives interviews, charged in a comment piece in the Financial Times this month that “a small group within the government’s executive branch is holding to ransom the entire country’s progress”.In the past week, the gloves truly came off, when a clandestine recording appeared on YouTube of a high-level security meeting debating possible military action in Syria.The dust is unlikely to settle any time soon. With parliamentary and presidential elections on the horizon, Erdogan faces a long season of campaigning even after Sunday’s local elections, and rumous are flying of more leaks on the way. The battle for control in Turkey is far from over
Dempsey to meet with Ya’alon in Jerusalem-Amid spat between defense minister and Obama administration, US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman to visit Israel-By Times of Israel staff March 29, 2014, 12:58 pm 0
US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey is due to visit Israel next week amid ongoing tensions caused by Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s disparaging comments towards the Obama administration.On Sunday, Dempsey will arrive in Jerusalem, where he will meet with Ya’alon in person, Reuters reported.As of Saturday, the US was still waiting for a formal apology from Ya’alon for comments he made last week, in which he accused the Obama administration of being weak on Iran.State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters more than a week ago that the US was “disappointed with the lack of apology” from Ya’alon, despite the fact that he spoke with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and issued a statement indicating regret over his statements.“We still have remaining concerns about Ya’alon’s pattern of behavior,” she said. “I think we clearly expressed our displeasure by his offensive comments and an apology would be a natural next step.”Israel’s Channel 2 last week quoted a senior, unnamed American source complaining about Ya’alon’s “insulting and disappointing” comments about figures in the administration.The same report suggested that the Obama administration, in keeping the dispute alive, was trying to “delegitimize” Ya’alon, who holds hawkish positions on dealing with the Palestinians. The defense minister said in a TV interview earlier this month that Mahmoud Abbas was “not a partner” for a viable permanent accord and that he did not expect to see peace in his lifetime.According to a statement issued by Ya’alon’s office, he told Hagel that he had no intention of harming the US or ties with it. The ostensible apology was Ya’alon’s second in two months for remarks knocking the Obama administration.“In my statements, there was no antagonism or criticism or intent to harm the United States or [Israel’s] relations with it,” he said. “The strategic relationship between the two countries as well as the personal relationship and mutual interests are of utmost importance. I value the relationship at all levels, between Israel and the United States in general and the security establishment in particular.”Ya’alon 12 days ago had questioned the US administration’s commitment to Israel’s security, saying Israel would have to act alone to thwart Tehran’s nuclear drive.The statements, delivered in a closed event at a university but promptly leaked, provoked a harsh response from the US, with Secretary of State John Kerry calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest.“It is certainly confusing to us why Defense Minister Ya’alon would continue his pattern of making comments that don’t accurately represent the scope of our close partnership on a range of security issues and on the enduring partnership between the United States and Israel,” Psaki had told reporters.According to the defense minister’s statement, Ya’alon told Hagel, “I have a very deep appreciation for the relationship between [Israel and the US] and for you personally. I greatly admired these relations even as Chief of Staff and I appreciate them to this day as defense minister, and I am aware of their full depth and significance. I have a total commitment to these relations and to [advancing] the cooperation between Israel and the United States in every way.”Hagel was said to have been empathetic in talking to Ya’alon, and suggested that some of his remarks might have been taken out of context, Israel’s Channel 2 news reported. However, a statement issued by the US Defense Department stopped short of referring to Ya’alon’s call as an apology, instead saying that Hagel thanked the defense minister for his clarification.Two months ago, Ya’alon was also forced to issue an apology to Kerry over private comments in which the minister blasted the top American diplomat, among other critiques, for his “inexplicably obsessive” and “messianic” efforts to produce an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
IDF Eliminates Terrorists Near Syrian Border-IDF soldiers shoot and hit two terrorists who tried to infiltrate into Israel in the Golan Heights.By Elad Benari, Canada-First Publish: 3/28/2014, 11:35 PM-Israelnationalnews
IDF soldiers were able to prevent two terrorists from infiltrating into Israel in the Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, on Friday night.According to the IDF, the soldiers identified two suspects tampering with the security fence along the border. It is believed they also tried to place an explosive device. The troops open fired, hitting the two terrorists."The IDF will continue to protect the border and prevent attacks,” said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit in a statement quoted by Channel 2 News.Friday’s incident comes only one day after the IDF Northern Command announced that it was changing its orders regarding opening fire in areas along the Golan border fence. Anyone from the Syrian side who comes near the fence should expect to be shot, the IDF said.Previously, soldiers would fire in the air to warn off and ward off suspicious figures. As per the new orders, soldiers will immediately open fire in the direction of suspicious looking characters. There have been heightened tensions along the Israel-Syria border in recent weeks. Last week, an explosive device went off on the Golan Heights, as an IDF jeep was passing by.Three soldiers were wounded in the attack and were taken to the Rambam Hospital in Haifa. One of them sustained serious injuries in the explosion.The Israel Air Force (IAF) retaliated several hours later, striking several targets on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights which had aided and abetted the attack against the soldiers.Two weeks ago, also on a Friday night, an explosive device went off as IDF soldiers patrolled near the Lebanese border. No one was injured in that incident, although three soldiers were treated for shock at Ziv Hospital in Tzfat.The following day, Saturday, IDF soldiers identified several individuals approaching the border in a suspected attempt to set another explosive. The soldiers fired on the suspects, who fled.(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Netanyahu told Kerry gov’t could fall if prisoners released’-US urged Abbas in vain to extend talks, telling him Israel fears coalition will disintegrate over Arab Israeli inmates, PA sources say-By Yifa Yaakov and AFP March 29, 2014, 10:44 am 18-The Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US Secretary of State John Kerry that he fears his coalition could fall apart if Israel frees a fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners who were slated for release this weekend — among them 14 Israeli Arabs.Citing sources in the Palestinian Authority, the London-based pan-Arab al-Hayat newspaper reported Saturday that US negotiators had told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Netanyahu feared his coalition, which includes the right-wing Jewish Home and Yisrael Beytenu parties, might disintegrate over the prisoner release.Kerry and US special Middle East envoy Martin Indyk relayed Netanyahu’s fears to Abbas in order to convince him to accept the postponement of the prisoner release, the sources said. The US negotiators reportedly urged Abbas to agree to extend peace negotiations beyond the April 29 deadline before the 30 prisoners are released. Netanyahu has insisted agreement be reached for extending the talks before the prisoners can go free, and has ruled out releasing Israeli Arab inmates.However, Abbas refused, insisting that the prisoners must be released before the Palestinian Authority can discuss prolonging the talks.Meanwhile Saturday, a senior Palestinian official said the release by Israel of Arab prisoners would not go ahead on Saturday as envisaged but he hoped there would only be a short delay.“Today the prisoners will not be released… maybe in the coming days,” Issa Qaraqae, the minister of prisoner affairs, told AFP.“We have told the families of the prisoners that they will not be released today,” he added.”“There are efforts to solve the crisis and I believe that in 24 hours everything will be clearer.”Under the deal that relaunched peace talks last July, Israel agreed to release 104 Arabs held since before the 1993 Oslo peace accords in exchange for the Palestinians not pressing their statehood claims at the United Nations.So far, Israel has freed 78 prisoners in three batches but ministers had warned they would block the final release, which had been anticipated for Saturday, if the Palestinians refused to extend the talks beyond their April 29 deadline.There has been no official Israeli update on the last batch of prisoners, which the Palestinians want to include Arab Israeli citizens, a demand hotly opposed by Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners and by hardliners within his own Likud party.The cabinet convenes on Sunday morning for its weekly meeting. A special ministerial panel needs to approve any releases 48 hours before they go ahead, to leave time for petitions against the releases to the Supreme Court. Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub, a member of Fatah’s central committee, told AFP Friday that “the Israeli government has informed us through the American mediator that it will not abide with its commitment to release the fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday 29.”The peace talks have been teetering on the brink of collapse, with Washington fighting an uphill battle to get the two sides to agree to a framework for continued negotiations until the end of the year.Kerry met Abbas in Amman on Wednesday in a bid to salvage the talks, with US special envoy Martin Indyk meeting the Palestinian leader in Ramallah a day later.State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Friday denied reports that negotiations had already collapsed.“Any reports that suggest the talks are off are inaccurate,” she told journalists covering a visit to Saudi Arabia by Kerry and President Barack Obama.“Ambassador Indyk and the negotiating team remain closely engaged with both parties on the ground and will continue to work over the coming days to help them bridge the gaps and determine the path forward.”Israeli media say Netanyahu could give a green light to the prisoner release if the US frees Jonathan Pollard, who was arrested in Washington in 1985 and condemned to life imprisonment for spying on the United States for Israel.Israel is not commenting on such reports, with Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev saying only that in general the spy’s fate is “often raised at high-level meetings between Israelis and Americans.”On Wednesday, Psaki said “there are currently no plans to release Jonathan Pollard.”
PA: Israel Will Regret Not Releasing the Terrorists-Fatah official says the international community will hold Israel responsible for hurting the peace process by not releasing terrorists.-By Elad Benari, Canada-First Publish: 3/28/2014, 10:55 PM-Israelnationalnews
The Palestinian Authority (PA) said Friday that Israel would regret its decision not to go through with the release of the fourth batch of terrorists it undertook to release as a “gesture” to the PA.Fatah official Hazem Abu Shanab told the PA-based Ma’an news agency that the release of the final group of terrorists would be pivotal in determining the future of Israeli-PA relations.He added that the international community will be inclined to hold Israel responsible for hindering the peace process."The release of prisoners is a legitimate, lawful, and human right. Their freedom should not be linked to concessions regarding extending or continuing the diplomatic process," Abu Shanab told Ma'an.Earlier, Israel announced it would not go through with the fourth and final batch of terrorist releases, which was scheduled for Saturday night.PA official Jibril Rajoub told the AFP news agency that Israel had informed the PA through American mediator Martin Indyk that it will not release the fourth batch of terrorists, adding that the move was a "slap in the face of the U.S. administration and its efforts." Nevertheless, the United States later denied that the peace effort it has led between Israel and the PA had failed."Any reports that suggest the talks are off are inaccurate," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told journalists."Ambassador Indyk and the negotiating team remain closely engaged with both parties on the ground and will continue to work over the coming days to help them bridge the gaps and determine the path forward," she added.The release, intended as a "gesture" to promote the stalled peace talks, has been widely protested in Israel. Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon threatened to resign if the move went through. So far Israel has released 78 of the promised 104 terrorists; many of the terrorists were convicted of murdering Israeli citizens.Much of the objection to the fourth release came after the PA chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, admitted earlier this month that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was staying in talks solely for the sake of the terrorist releases.Abbas has set the terrorist release, as well as a construction freeze in Judea and Samaria, as a condition for continued talks. Rajoub on Friday reiterated PA threats to take unilateral moves for recognition at the UN next week, in breach of conditions of the peace talks, due to the release not occurring."Not releasing the prisoners will mark the beginning of the efforts in the international community to challenge the legality of the occupation," he stated.(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Erdogan’s fight against a shadow enemy-The Turkish PM suspects his nemesis, a 73-year-old cleric, of running a ‘deep state’ from rural Pennsylvania-By Philippe ALFROY March 29, 2014, 2:29 pm-The Times of Israel
ISTANBUL (AFP) — Embroiled in political turmoil, Turkey’s leader has declared war on a shadowy enemy, a Muslim cleric he accuses of running a parallel “deep state” from faraway rural Pennsylvania.Out on the campaign trail ahead of Sunday’s local elections, there are few doubts about who Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has in mind when he vows to “liquidate” his foes.
His declared nemesis is the moustachioed 73-year-old imam Fethullah Gulen, an estranged former ally turned alleged puppet-master plotting the strongman’s downfall.For months, Erdogan has faced the worst crisis of his much lauded 11-year-rule, weathering massive street protests, an explosive corruption scandal and a stuttering economy.His Islamic-leaning government has endured a barrage of damaging online leaks, with tales of sleaze and graft going viral on Twitter, Facebook and Erdogan has responded by lashing out at “traitors” and “terrorists”, while alienating Western allies with draconian curbs on social media.As he faces the first ballot-box test since the crisis started in June, he has bitterly vowed to pursue his adversaries “into their caves”.Erdogan and Gulen were once close allies who transformed a political landscape that had for decades been the domain of secularists and coup-happy generals.With a strong popular appeal among conservative Muslims tired of the era of “military tutelage,” Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) took power in 2002 and has won every election since.Both faithful and pro-business, the AKP presided over a building boom and dynamic economy as Turkey earned plaudits abroad as a model Muslim democracy and emerging global player.If the AKP delivered stunning ballot-box muscle, Gulen provided the technocrats for the bureaucracy, tapping into what is part religious movement, part business empire.Gulenists, known for their piety and business acumen, say their faith seeks to merge a “civil Islam” with modernity, science and Turkish nationalism.Gulen fled to the US in 1999 to escape charges of “anti-secular” activities. He now heads a foundation which runs a range of media outlets, cultural centres and schools.Its Hizmet (Service) educational network operates schools in 150 countries, encouraging civility and diligence and promoting a modern and tolerant Islam.In Turkey it runs pre-university cram schools called Dershanes, whose loyal alumni have been prominently placed in the police and justice apparatus.“We don’t prepare for exams only, we prepare them for life,” said spokesman Faruk Akdic. Students, he said, learn “kindness, universal law, not to be corrupt, not to steal … to become role models”.Many point to the opaque nature of the tight-knit movement.“Nothing is transparent,” said Sinan Ulgen of the Edam research centre. “We do not know who takes orders from whom. They have infiltrated the entire system, both in the executive and in justice and law enforcement.”Erdogan, a former semi-pro footballer and Istanbul mayor, is dubbed admiringly the “tall man” or “sultan” by his loyal followers, but critics accuse him of having drifted toward “one-man rule”.When police cracked down on protesters in June in clashes that left eight people dead and thousands wounded, Gulen newspapers provided comprehensive coverage.The Gulen-linked Journalists and Writers Foundation warned that Turkey risks losing “its character as a state governed by the rule of law”.Its vice president Cemal Usak told AFP that claims the “respected doctor” Gulen is pulling strings are false, stressing that “we’ve never done and never will do politics”.In an escalating feud, Erdogan in November threatened to close down Gulenist cram schools, gloating that “they are going to lose $1 billion annual income,” a move parliament approved this month.The massive corruption scandal that erupted in December was, most Turks believe, payback time.Dozens of the premier’s political and business allies were detained. The allegations, backed by a spate of online leaks, ranged from bribery to gold smuggling and illicit trade with Iran.Erdogan responded by purging thousands of police and prosecutors, while the government tightened controls over the judiciary and the Internet.Gulen, who rarely gives interviews, charged in a comment piece in the Financial Times this month that “a small group within the government’s executive branch is holding to ransom the entire country’s progress”.In the past week, the gloves truly came off, when a clandestine recording appeared on YouTube of a high-level security meeting debating possible military action in Syria.The dust is unlikely to settle any time soon. With parliamentary and presidential elections on the horizon, Erdogan faces a long season of campaigning even after Sunday’s local elections, and rumous are flying of more leaks on the way. The battle for control in Turkey is far from over
Dempsey to meet with Ya’alon in Jerusalem-Amid spat between defense minister and Obama administration, US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman to visit Israel-By Times of Israel staff March 29, 2014, 12:58 pm 0
US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey is due to visit Israel next week amid ongoing tensions caused by Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s disparaging comments towards the Obama administration.On Sunday, Dempsey will arrive in Jerusalem, where he will meet with Ya’alon in person, Reuters reported.As of Saturday, the US was still waiting for a formal apology from Ya’alon for comments he made last week, in which he accused the Obama administration of being weak on Iran.State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters more than a week ago that the US was “disappointed with the lack of apology” from Ya’alon, despite the fact that he spoke with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and issued a statement indicating regret over his statements.“We still have remaining concerns about Ya’alon’s pattern of behavior,” she said. “I think we clearly expressed our displeasure by his offensive comments and an apology would be a natural next step.”Israel’s Channel 2 last week quoted a senior, unnamed American source complaining about Ya’alon’s “insulting and disappointing” comments about figures in the administration.The same report suggested that the Obama administration, in keeping the dispute alive, was trying to “delegitimize” Ya’alon, who holds hawkish positions on dealing with the Palestinians. The defense minister said in a TV interview earlier this month that Mahmoud Abbas was “not a partner” for a viable permanent accord and that he did not expect to see peace in his lifetime.According to a statement issued by Ya’alon’s office, he told Hagel that he had no intention of harming the US or ties with it. The ostensible apology was Ya’alon’s second in two months for remarks knocking the Obama administration.“In my statements, there was no antagonism or criticism or intent to harm the United States or [Israel’s] relations with it,” he said. “The strategic relationship between the two countries as well as the personal relationship and mutual interests are of utmost importance. I value the relationship at all levels, between Israel and the United States in general and the security establishment in particular.”Ya’alon 12 days ago had questioned the US administration’s commitment to Israel’s security, saying Israel would have to act alone to thwart Tehran’s nuclear drive.The statements, delivered in a closed event at a university but promptly leaked, provoked a harsh response from the US, with Secretary of State John Kerry calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest.“It is certainly confusing to us why Defense Minister Ya’alon would continue his pattern of making comments that don’t accurately represent the scope of our close partnership on a range of security issues and on the enduring partnership between the United States and Israel,” Psaki had told reporters.According to the defense minister’s statement, Ya’alon told Hagel, “I have a very deep appreciation for the relationship between [Israel and the US] and for you personally. I greatly admired these relations even as Chief of Staff and I appreciate them to this day as defense minister, and I am aware of their full depth and significance. I have a total commitment to these relations and to [advancing] the cooperation between Israel and the United States in every way.”Hagel was said to have been empathetic in talking to Ya’alon, and suggested that some of his remarks might have been taken out of context, Israel’s Channel 2 news reported. However, a statement issued by the US Defense Department stopped short of referring to Ya’alon’s call as an apology, instead saying that Hagel thanked the defense minister for his clarification.Two months ago, Ya’alon was also forced to issue an apology to Kerry over private comments in which the minister blasted the top American diplomat, among other critiques, for his “inexplicably obsessive” and “messianic” efforts to produce an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
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