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The Media Line Daily News Focus

1. U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUES FIRST-EVER CONDEMNATION OF HIZBULLAH… Under intense pressure from the United States, the United Nations Security Council has, for the first time, issued a condemnation of Hizbullah’s actions. Following Monday’s cross-border attack in which Hizbullah tried to kidnap Israeli soldiers and the ensuing day-long exchange of rockets and artillery that left eleven Israelis injured, the Security Council voted on Wednesday night to condemn the Lebanon-based terrorist organization’s “acts of hatred.” The resolution called on the Lebanese government to impose order in southern Lebanon and to prevent Hizbullah operations there. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton initiated the resolution that condemned the attacks that “were initiated by Hezbollah from the Lebanese side, and which quickly spread along the entire Blue Line.”

2. PENTAGON-COMMISSIONED REPORT CALLS ON ISRAEL TO INITIATE NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT IN REGION… According to a report commissioned and paid for by the Pentagon that deals with issues stemming from Iran completing its nuclear program, the way to bring about stability in the Middle East is to encourage “Israel to set the pace of nuclear restraint in the region by freezing its large reactor at Dimona, and calling on all other states that have large nuclear reactors to follow suit.” The report, entitled “Getting Ready for a Nuclear Iran” was prepared by the U.S. Army War College and edited by a nuclear nonproliferation expert and an expert on Iran. Their conclusion is that Iran has all of the technology, know-how and materials necessary to complete its nuclear program and create a nuclear bomb within twelve to forty-eight months. They dismiss the possibility that any of the military or diplomatic options currently being discussed to derail the Iranian nuclear program are viable and argue that the best alternative is an Israeli-led regional disarmament.

3. PALESTINIAN POLLING SHOWS SUPPORT FOR FINAL STATUS TALKS WITH ISRAEL… A new survey released by a Palestinian polling organization shows a majority (59.5%) of Palestinians favoring a resumption of negotiations with Israel leading to “the Final Settlement.” The Palestinian Center for Public Opinion also reports that a large majority (76%) of Palestinians is planning to vote in January’s parliamentary elections and that support for Hamas in that election has dropped 4.4% since the previous survey that was taken in August.

4. ISRAELI PARAGLIDER BLOWN INTO LEBANON ESCAPES HIZBULLAH, BUT NOT ISRAELI POLICE WRATH… 26-year-old Adam Wexler’s adventure began on Wednesday when he jumped-off for a spin in his paraglider near the Israel-Lebanese border. Realizing that strong winds had blown him across the border into Lebanon, Wexler landed and used his cellphone to call his partner, who, along with the manager of the restaurant at the jump-off site, notified the army and headed for the border themselves. Before Wexler could reach the border fence, armed Hizbullah gunmen appeared. His friends instructed Wexler, whom they described as “hysterical” at that point, to hide under a bush. Israeli soldiers arrived at the border fence and engaged the Hizbullah gunmen in a firefight to divert their attention while Wexler crawled to the fence and a soldier crawled toward him to open a gate in the fence. Although he escaped Hizbullah with his life, Wexler’s problems weren’t over. Israeli police, enraged that Wexler had jumped without army permission only two days after an all-day confrontation with Hizbullah shackled him for lengthy interrogation.