By AMY TEIBEL
JERUSALEM (Sept. 9) - Under threat from Romans ransacking Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, many of the city's Jewish residents crowded into an underground drainage channel to hide and later flee the chaos through Jerusalem's southern end unnoticed.  
Muhammed Muheisen, AP The channel is estimated to be six-tenths of a mile long, stretching from the Shiloah Pool to the disputed site known to Jews as Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Al Aqsa Mosque, above. Source: AP
The ancient tunnel was recently discovered buried beneath rubble, a monument to one of the great dramatic scenes of the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 A.D.
The channel was dug beneath what would become the main road of Jerusalem, the archaeology dig's directors, Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa and Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said Sunday. Shukron said excavators looking for the road happened upon a small drainage channel that led them to the discovery of the massive tunnel two weeks ago.
"We were looking for the road and suddenly we discovered it," Shukron said. "And the first thing we said was, 'Wow.'"
The walls of the tunnel - made of ...   more »

"Top [Syrian] political and military men are examining a series of potential responses. The results will come soon enough," Syrian Vice President Farouk a-Shara said Saturday evening, referring to the alleged IAF foray into Syrian airspace undertaken, so Syria claims, Wednesday overnight.
A-Shara, speaking to the Italian La Republica, revealed no other details, saying the matter was of "top national security."
Earlier Saturday, a Syrian government newspaper accused the US of encouraging Israel's reported violation of Syrian airspace by remaining silent on the issue.
"This new Israeli hostile operation was carried out in coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv," the Tishrin newspaper said in a front-page editorial. US silence can only be interpreted as an "overt and scandalous encouragement of Israel," it said.
Damascus has said that Israeli jets broke the sound barrier flying over northern Syria before dawn Thursday, then "dropped munitions" onto deserted areas after being shot at by Syria's air defenses.
It is still unclear exactly what happened, and Syria has stopped short of accusing Israel of purposely bombing its territory. An Israeli spokesman has said he could not comment on military operations.
"How could a superpower call for the establishment of peace and send invitations to ...   more »

Quoting anonymous Israeli official, Al-Arabiya news channel says Israeli aircraft that entered Syrian airspace on Thursday were sent to destroy Russian-made missile systems recently acquired by Damascus
Roee Nahmias and AP
Israeli aircraft that reportedly flew over Syrian territory two days ago were sent on a mission to destroy Russian-made missile systems recently acquired by Damascus, the Al-Arabiya news channel reported on Saturday.
The satellite channel attributed its report to an Israeli official who did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. 
A Hizbullah representative in the Lebanese parliament, said the purpose of the Israeli overflights was aimed at exerting military pressure on Iran over its controversial nuclear program.
"The aim of the infiltration of Syrian airspace was to identify a aggressive aerial passage to pressure Iran and members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ahead of discussions of Iran's nuclear program in the organization," Lebanese MP Mohammad Ra'ad.
"This in addition to sending aggressive messages to Syria after it was declared that it will not take part in the international peace conference to defend Israel. It is an attempt to alienate Syrian from all the diplomatic channels," he added. 
On Thursday, the Syrian ...   more »

An unnamed Turkish official demanded explanations from Israel, Saturday, after fuel tanks allegedly dropped by Israel F-151 planes who were conducting a foray into Syrian airspace Wednesday overnight, were found on the Turkish Syrian border.
Syrian claims of the incident remained unconfirmed in Israel, which remained absolutely mum on the incident.
Earlier Saturday, the Syrian government mouthpiece Tishrin accused the US of encouraging Israel by keeping in line with its media silence and refusing to issue its own statement on the issue.
The Turkish paper Hurriyet published blurry photos of what it claimed were detachable fuel tanks of the Israeli planes. The tanks were found near the Turkey-Syria border.
Reportedly Turkey was demanding whether the Israeli planes also passed over its own airspace.
It should be noted that IAF jets regularly practice in Turkish airspace with Turkish consent, and that the Turkish air force conducts joint drills with the IAF and the American Air Force (USAF) on a regular basis.
Earlier Saturday, Tzahi Hanegbi, chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee told Israel Radio that "Israel and Syria don't have an interest in conflict, and the United States, along with Arab countries, are making sure not to cause ...   more »

Israeli police announced on Sunday the arrest of a gang of alleged neo-Nazis, all immigrants from the former Soviet Union, accused of waging attacks on foreigners and religious Jews, in a case that has deeply shocked the Jewish state.
The eight men, aged 16 to 21 and including the suspected leader of the group, were arrested after a year-long investigation, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.
One of the members of the group has left the country and remains at large, he said, adding that the first suspect was arrested on July 23 and the last on September 6 when he returned to the country from a trip abroad.
A court in Ramle ordered seven of the suspects to be held for another 48 hours pending a review of the police evidence against them, and was to rule on the eighth suspect on Monday, judicial sources said.
"We want them to be charged with being involved in neo-Nazi activities," Rosenfeld said.
The youths are suspected of carrying out "attacks on religious Jews, Asians and foreigners" and having contacts with neo-Nazi groups abroad, Rosenfeld said.
"It is difficult to believe that Nazi ideology sympathisers can exist in Israel, but it is ...   more »

by Diane Faber Veitzer
Having just turned 43, never married, no kids, I was having a tough time getting up the enthusiasm to pray for these same things once again
Two years ago, I approached the High Holidays with a certain sense of "here we go again." Having just turned 43, never married, no kids, I was having a tough time getting up the enthusiasm to pray for these same things. How many times can you ask for the same thing, and get the same answer?
In shul Rosh Hashanah morning, I saw that two of the young women in our community were standing up throughout the repetition of the Musaf service. These two girls, Sara and Tova, were the daughters of close friends my age. Both about 18 or 19, they were each just back from a post-high-school year studying in Jerusalem, and now, according to our community's custom, "ready to get married." I knew that these girls would be praying fervently to find their basherts (soul mates) quickly and easily.
I had some understanding of why they stood through Musaf. It is an especially long prayer service, and one is not required to stand throughout, but it is ...   more »