Iranian government spokesperson Gholam-Hossein Elham tells press conference ‘dismantling of nuclear arms in Middle East must begin with Zionist entity’; adds: Ban to use weapons of mass destruction should be imposed globally
Iranian government spokesperson Gholam-Hossein Elham told a press conference Tuesday that “the dismantling of nuclear arms in the Middle East must begin with the Zionist entity.”  
The spokesperson added that Iran was ‘ideologically opposed’ to the use of nuclear arms.
Israel’s Viewpoint   
Gillerman: N. Korea test precedent to West's dealing with Iran  / Yitzhak Benhorin  
Israel's ambassador to the UN tells Ynet that South Korea's Ban could be good for Israel, says treatment of N. Korea to serve as precedent to Iran      
However, North Korea’s nuclear test has prompted Iran to call on the International Atomic Energy Agency to brace itself for the possibility that all countries would seek nuclear energy for “peaceful purposes.”  
Elham said the ban to use weapons of mass destruction should be imposed globally.  
“A just balance would remove these (nuclear) threats, and the conquering regime from Jerusalem should be the first in the region to disarm,” he said.  
Turning his attention to the North Korean nuclear ...   more »

Synagogue Planned For Temple Mount, Hashemites to Add Minaret  
The synagogue would be build upon the Temple Mount, but in an area that is indisputably not within the areas that require immersion and other preparations, according to Jewish law.
Ariel says that the synagogue would not change the Muslim status quo on the mount, which is home to the Al-Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
“This is not a new idea,” Ariel stressed, “it has been brought up and considered countless times since the [1967] Six Day War [during which the Temple Mount was liberated from Jordanian occupation –ed.].”
The plan will be submitted to the Jerusalem municipality and the Committee for Design and Construction for approval. Ariel says that every aspect of the plan will be submitted to leading Torah scholars for approval.
The National Union MK, who visited the Temple Mount himself Monday, said that such a plan was an opportunity for the Muslim world to prove it is capable of rising above the violence and intolerance that have surfaced in the past year as a result of papal remarks and political cartoon portraying Islam’s founder Muhammad. Referring to Ariel's visit to the holy site, ...   more »

ISTANBUL - Turkey`s EU membership is not only for the best interests of Europe and Turkey but also contribute to global peace, said Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Hosting a fast breaking dinner in honor of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Istanbul, Erdogan said, "lack of dialogue among different cultures and religions are being misused by extremists. In such days, we, the politicians and religious leaders should contribute to global peace with our remarks and behaviors, not to exclude each other. My Spanish counterpart Zapatero and I have launched the Alliance of Civilizations Initiative in these hard days when violence and clashes have spread. And, we are walking towards the same goal with Germany. The Dialogue Among Cultures Initiative, promoted by our foreign ministers in September, is significant."
Erdogan noted that the target of EU project is to make Europe a strong and efficient global actor.
"Turkey has the capabilities to contribute to this goal. Turkey`s EU membership will show the entire world that it is possible to harmonize different religious beliefs and traditions with global values and principles. This unity will be a concrete example of the alliance of civilizations," he stressed.
On the other hand, German Chancellor Merkel ...   more »