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Netanyahu: Way to Peace Is Through Negotiations, Not Unilateral Steps
 Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu told the Saban Forum on Sunday:
"Last week, in Washington, I spoke about Israel’s commitment to peace with the Palestinians. I said that I want to begin peace negotiations immediately and that these negotiations should be a good faith effort to reach a final peace agreement. Let me be clear: I am not interested in negotiations for negotiations sake. We are interested in reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians, and we are prepared to make generous concessions in exchange for a genuine peace that ends the conflict between us and our neighbors, and one that protects Israel's security. The way to achieve peace is through negotiations, cooperation and the
agreement of both sides....There is no substitute for negotiations
between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and any unilateral
attempt outside that framework will unravel the existing agreements
between us, and could entail unilateral steps by Israel." (Prime Minister's Office)
Israel and Hamas Inch toward Completion of Shalit Swap
by Amos Harel
 It seems that in the coming days negotiations over
Gilad Shalit's release are again reaching a crucial juncture. The reports by
the foreign media, along with mounting tension among political
officials, show that negotiations may be close to a resolution. If indeed the parties can bridge the last remaining significant
gaps, according to the Arabic-language press, the deal may be even
closer than we think. A few times this year, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas seemed to be coming closer. But one significant component of the picture has
changed: the involvement of the German intermediary last spring, around
when Netanyahu was forming his cabinet. (Ha'aretz)
Inspectors Fear Iran Is Hiding Nuclear Plants
by David E. Sanger and William J. Broad
 International
inspectors who gained access to Iran's newly revealed underground
nuclear enrichment plant voiced strong suspicions in a report on Monday
that the country was concealing other atomic facilities.
In unusually tough language, the International Atomic Energy Agency
appeared highly skeptical that Iran would have built the enrichment
plant without also constructing a variety of other facilities that
would give it an alternative way to produce nuclear fuel if its main
centers were bombed. The inspectors confirmed American and European intelligence reports
that the site had been built to house about 3,000 centrifuges, enough
to produce enough material for one or two nuclear weapons a year. (New York Times)
MASA Launches ‘Go Green in Israel' Campaign
 MASA Israel Journey recently launched ‘Go Green in Israel,’ an initiative to highlight opportunities for young adults in North America to study, intern or volunteer in the “green” or environmental sector in the Jewish state. MASA offers programs ranging from environmental studies at Ben-Gurion University and the Arava Institute, to internships at renewable energy startups, to volunteering on an eco-farm. MASA launched a microsite for these programs at www.gogreeninisrael.org. “Israel is a world leader in innovation in fields like sustainable development, water conservation, and renewable energy, and a great place for young adults from North America to prepare for cutting-edge careers in the green sector, while also connecting to their Jewish roots,” says Avi Rubel, North American director of MASA Israel Journey. (Ynet News)
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Obama Calls Israeli Settlement Building in East Jerusalem 'Dangerous'
 Referring to Israeli plans to add 900 new apartments in the Jerusalem
neighborhood of Gilo, President Obama told Fox News Wednesday: "I think
that additional settlement building does not contribute to Israel's
security. I think it makes it harder for them to make peace with their
neighbors. I think it embitters the Palestinians in a way that could
end up being very dangerous." (Fox News)
IDF: Gaza Humanitarian Aid Up 900 Percent
by Yaakov Katz
Humanitarian aid
to Gaza has increased by close to 900% in 2009 compared to the previous
year, the head of the IDF's Gaza Coordination and Liaison
Administration, Col. Moshe Levi, said Monday. In the first half of 2008, international organizations transferred
606 trucks into Gaza, while in the first half of 2009, the number of
aid trucks jumped to 5,300. In addition, since the beginning of the year, the IDF has issued
over 18,500 permits for Palestinians to leave Gaza and enter Israel or
travel overseas. (Jerusalem Post)
Tel Aviv University Develops New Wound Dressing with Antibiotics
 About 70% of all
people with severe burns die from related infections. But a
revolutionary new wound dressing developed at Tel Aviv University could
cut that number dramatically. Prof. Meital Zilberman of TAU's Department of Biomedical
Engineering has developed a new wound dressing based on fibers she
engineered that can be loaded with drugs like antibiotics to speed up
the healing process. (Medical News)
See also Israeli Invention Allows for Early Detection of Cancerous Skin Tumors by Dan Even 
A new Israeli invention allows cancerous tumors on the skin to be
detected and examined before they become visible to the naked eye,
Ben-Gurion University announced. The developer of the new instrument, Ofir Aharon, a doctoral
student at the electrophysiological department at Ben-Gurion
University, said the technology "allows manipulation of different light
frequencies and adjustments to electric fields to examine skin lesions." (Ha'aretz)
Yuri Foreman Becomes First Israeli World Boxing Champion
by Kevin Baxter
  Rabbinical student
Yuri Foreman became the first Israeli fighter to win a world boxing
championship when he scored a shocking and one-sided decision over
Puerto Rican Daniel Santos in a WBA super-welterweight title fight
Saturday in Las Vegas.
(Los Angeles Times)
NBA: Israeli Omri Casspi Scales Rookie Ranks by Jeremy Last
Omri Casspi has moved up to seventh position in an NBA ranking of the best rookies of the season.  "There's nothing like the passion of a rookie, wrote writer Drew Packham last week. "And from what
I've seen, there are few rookies as passionate as Sacramento's Omri
Casspi," The 21-year-old Yavne native has averaged 9.4 ppg this season
and is proving himself to be a significant bench player for Paul
Westhal's Kings. (Jerusalem Post)
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