By Steven Emerson
| Israel has undertaken an incredibly wrongheaded prisoner exchange with the terrorist group Hezbollah. It's just the latest move in a troubling trend of unequal deals between the Jewish state and its declared enemies.
The swap, approved overwhelmingly by the Israeli cabinet, has the Israelis handing over five Lebanese prisoners, including the notorious terrorist Samir Kuntar, plus the bodies of 199 Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists. In exchange, it received the bodies of two soldiers captured by Hezbollah in the summer of 2006 plus an 80-page Hezbollah report on captured Israeli airman Ron Arad.
But at least Israel is received something in return. Consider another deal with terrorists — Israel's "truce" with the Hamas rulers of Gaza. Since the "truce" took effect on June 19, Israel has been hit by least 20 rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza.
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American Jewish community concerned with many issues on eve of 2008 election, but Israel is apparently low on this list. More popular issues include medical insurance, environmental concerns; most Jews also in favor of ceding Golan
Yitzhak Benhorin
WASHINGTON – Environmental concerns before Israel? Jews in the United States have traditionally taken the role of Israel’s number one backer in Washington, but a new survey published Wednesday shows otherwise: Israel is just seventh on the list of American Jews' concerns on the eve of the US presidential elections, far below other matters such as medical insurance and environmental issues.
The survey was conducted by political strategist Jim Gerstein for the liberal organization J STREET, a pro-Israel, pro-peace movement. He was aiming to prove that the Jewish-American community supports the peace process and does not hold right-wing stances as been presented over the years by Jewish organizations and leaders.
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
(IsraelNN.com) Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton has sharply criticized the Bush administration for failing to back an Israeli attack on Iran's developing nuclear facility. In an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Bolton wrote that although a strike on Iran may not be able to wipe out the underground reactor, it will enable Israel and the Western world "to buy time" before it is too late to act at all.
"The Bush administration's last six months [of] pursuing its limp diplomatic efforts, plus six months of a new president getting his national security team and policies together" will give Tehran another year "to proceed unhindered to 'the point of no return,'" according to Bolton.
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By Barak Ravid
The United States intends to station diplomats in Iran for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution which saw a severence of ties between the two countries, The Guardian reported on Thursday.
The move would be a step in the direction of setting up a full embassy in Iran, a dramatic political shift for the Bush administration, which has spent the last few years guiding international pressure on Tehran over its contentious nuclear program.
The Guardian report comes a day after the U.S. announced plans to send a senior envoy to meet with a senior Iranian representative to discuss Iran's nuclear program, an announcement met with concern in Israel. 
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By Amos Harel, Yoav Stern and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents  
Tags: Hezbollah, IDF, prisoner swap  
Israel and Hezbollah completed the prisoner swap Wednesday: Hezbollah returned the bodies of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, while Israel handed over terrorist Samir Kuntar and four Hezbollah militants, as well as 197 bodies.
Now that the exchange has taken place, the Israeli defense establishment is worried that Hezbollah may seek a calculated escalation along the Lebanese border, and try to disrupt Israel Air Force flyovers in Lebanese airspace.
Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah ended his public reclusion for a few minutes Wednesday, appearing in person at the Beirut celebration for the freed prisoners. Nasrallah took the stage at the stadium in the city's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. Appearing alongside Samir Kuntar, he declared that his organization would now try to free the Lebanese land still occupied by Israel. 
"Our worry now is to free the rest of our lands ... protect our water and our sovereignty and our honor," he said, calling the prisoner release a victory for the resistance.
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By Cara Matthews and Matthew Daneman, USA TODAY
A growing number of states on the borders with Canada and Mexico are establishing or considering enhanced driver's licenses designed to give residents a more convenient identification option for border crossings.
In February, Washington became the first state to establish the new licenses. To receive a license labeled "enhanced," applicants are required to show proof of U.S. citizenship in addition to the other identification documents required for obtaining traditional licenses.
Since then, 21,000 Washington residents have received the licenses, which allow them to get back into the USA through any border crossing or seaport without a passport, according to Department of Licensing spokeswoman Gigi Zenk.
New York and Vermont will follow in coming months. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano has proposed the idea for residents there, and Michigan is working toward a plan.
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Christians will face prison for speaking out against homosexuality if Brazil's Senate passes a bill approved unanimously by its House of Representatives.
The measure is considered the country's newest attempt to promote homosexuality, disguised as an act to combat discrimination, the Catholic News Agency reports.
If anyone prevents actions of "homosexual affection" in public or private locations open to the public, they could face up to five years in prison for doing so, the Association of the Defense of Life reports.
The bill also seeks to penalize private and public school administrators with up to three years in prison if they refuse to hire openly "gay" teachers.
According to the CNA, the measure will force prison time for any "moral, ethical, philosophical or psychological expression that questions homosexual practices."
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MOSCOW (AFP) - Saudi Arabia has offered to buy Russian arms worth 2.4 billion dollars (1.5 billion euros) if Moscow stops supporting Iran, a Russian newspaper reported Tuesday, citing diplomatic sources. 
"The kingdom's government advised Moscow to cut back its cooperation with Tehran, and in exchange it held out the prospect of profitable contracts with Saudi Arabia," the daily business newspaper Kommersant wrote.
A spokesman for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin denied the report.
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Texas to World Court: Execution still on!
Father of victim says U.N. body's order 'don't mean diddly'
Jose Medellin
Texas is refusing to bow to yesterday's World Court order to stay the Aug. 5 lethal injection of convicted rapist-killer and illegal alien Jose Medellin.
The highest U.N. court insisted that five scheduled executions of Mexicans be immediately halted until the cases undergo further review. Mexico's government filed a petition with the court last month because it said the men had been deprived of assistance from their consulates following their arrests.
According to Geneva Convention rules, illegal aliens must have access to their national consulates once they have been detained.
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By Dick Morris
After almost six weeks of a constant Obama lead, generally in the five to seven-point range, Scott Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll records two consecutive days of a tie race (July 12-13) and a one-point Obama lead on July 14. What happened to the Democrat’s lead?
Part of the slippage is Obama’s fault and part is McCain’s gain.
Obama has carried flip-flopping to new heights. In the space of a month and a half, this candidate - who we don’t really yet know very well - reversed or sharply modified his positions on at least eight key issues:
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While the government now talks the talk of national preparedness, it has yet to set priorities and devote the resources necessary to make the country better able to cope with and recover from significant disasters of any kind. Resources are being provided to state and local authorities, but vague guidance leaves too little accountability. There is not enough emphasis on general sustainment capabilities.
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By Stephen Brown
Nearly seven years after the 9-11 attacks, the Bush administration is finally reconsidering its opposition to one of the most effective counterterrorism weapons at its disposal. In the months ahead, FBI agents may be able to profile potential terrorists on the basis of suspicious traits and activities, including their ethnic and religious backgrounds. Those most likely to commit acts of Islamic terrorism will no longer be able to hide in plain sight.
It is a modest step. The Justice Department insists that the “FBI is not going to open an investigation simply on the basis of race, ethnicity, or religion.” Still, the fact these factors can now be taken into consideration at all represents significant progress. Contrary to what one may hear from its opponents, profiling has a record of proven success on the counterterrorism front.
Consider the case of Maher “Mike” Hawash. Outwardly, Hawash was an immigrant any country would want. Young and educated, a successful engineer and family man, the Palestinian-born Hawash had arrived in America in 1984, at age 20, and appeared well integrated into his new country’s society.
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