Excerpts: Israel deploys Iron Dome on Lebanon border. 'Settler' arson attack
condemned. Egypt-Saudi pact re military ties July 31, 2015

+++SOURCE:Naharnet(Lebanon) 31 July ’15:”Israel Deploys Iron Dome on Lebanon
Border after Nuclear Deal:, Naharnet Newsdesk
SUBJECT:Israel deploys Iron Dome on Lebanon border

FULL TEXT:Israel has deployed the Iron Dome defense system to the north on
the border with Lebanon, likely amid fears that Hizbullah could get an
infusion of cash and weapons from Iran after the nuclear deal.

In an exclusive interview with FoxNews.com, the commander of Israel’s Active
Defense Air Wing, Col. Yoni Saada Marom, said that the military drills were
not a direct reaction to recent events, but made clear that Hizbullah and
other groups close to Israel's borders presented a potentially heightened
threat.

“We are dealing with the challenges and scenarios that we think the enemies
from the north will bring,” Maron said.

The unique defense system locks onto the co-ordinates of incoming missiles
targeting population centers and destroys them in mid-air before they can
reach their intended target, said FoxNews.

Asked whether he thought Hizbullah is imminently planning to attack Israel,
Marom said: “As a military commander I cannot deal with their intentions.”

“They can do whatever they choose to do, and I, as a defender, need to be
ready for that. I cannot control his mind, but I can defend my country and
defend our sovereignty,” he added.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last week that Iranian
officials have reiterated that the country's stances towards the party would
not changeHe thanked Tehran “for all the moral and financial support.”

Critics argue that the nuclear deal with Iran would essentially legitimize
the country as a nuclear threshold state. And because it would lift economic
sanctions on Tehran, including unfreezing at least $50 billion in foreign
reserves, the regime would become flush with cash that could be used to beef
up its conventional weapons stockpiles, influence proxies like Hizbullah,
and support strongman Bashar Assad in Syria.

+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon)31 July ’15:”Palestinian Toddler Burned to
Death in’Settler’ Arson attack”, Agence France Presse
SUBJECT:’Settler’ arson attack condemned

QUOTE:”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the firebombing in
the village of Duma near the northern city of Nablus “an act of terrorism in
every respect” and ordered security forces to hunt down the perpetrators”

EXCERPTS::A Palestinian toddler was burned to death and four family members
injured in an arson attack by suspected Jewish settlers on two homes in the
occupied West Bank on Friday[31 July].

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the firebombing in the
village of Duma near the northern city of Nablus "an act of terrorism in
every respect" and ordered security forces to hunt down the perpetrators.

The attack further stoked tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, two
days after Netanyahu controversially approved 300 new settler homes in the
West Bank.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation said it held Netanyahu's government
"fully responsible" for the death of 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha, arguing
it was "a direct consequence of decades of impunity given by the Israeli
government to settler terrorism."

According to Palestinian security officials, four assailants believed to be
Jewish settlers set a house on fire at the entrance to the village and
scrawled graffiti on a wall before fleeing to a nearby Jewish settlement.

The Israeli military said two homes had been set ablaze, and a child killed
and four family members wounded. It added that the graffiti had been written
in Hebrew.

Palestinian sources said those wounded included the toddler's parents and
another child.

Local media reported that the graffiti said "revenge" and "long live the
Messiah" and that the attackers threw firebombs inside the two homes, one of
which was empty.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said such attacks would not be
tolerated, adding "we will not allow terrorists to take the lives of
Palestinians."



+++SOURCE:Jordan Times 31 July ’15:”Egypt,Saudi Arabia sign pact to boost
military ties”,Agence France Presse

SUBJECT:Egypt,Saudi pact re military ties

QUOTE:”The new Cairo-Riyadh pact also backs building a new joint military
force to fight terrorism in the region”

FULL TEXT:CAIRO — Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed a pact in Cairo Thursday[30
July] aimed at boosting military and economic ties between the two Arab
allies.

Relations have warmed since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed
Morsi, with Saudi Arabia offering billions in aid to Egypt and Cairo
participating in a Saudi-led bombing campaign against Iran-backed rebels in
Yemen.

On Thursday[30 July], a Saudi delegation led by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed
Bin Salman visited Cairo and signed the "Cairo Declaration", also attending
a military parade with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

"The two sides stressed the need to exert all efforts to boost security and
stability in the region, and to work together to protect Arab national
security," Sisi's office said after the signing.

Riyadh has emerged as a key supporter of Sisi since the then army chief
ousted Morsi two years ago, offering $4 billion (3.7 billion euros) to help
kick-start an economy battered by years of political turmoil.

And Egypt has backed Riyadh's air campaign against Shiite rebels in Yemen,
regularly saying it shares a common vision with Riyadh on tackling the
crisis there.Cairo had previously said it would also be prepared to commit
ground troops if required.

The new Cairo-Riyadh pact also backs building a new joint Arab military
force to fight terrorism in the region.On August 27, Arab defence and
foreign ministers are to gather in Cairo to discuss the modalities of the
force.Sisi has strongly advocated such a force to fight jihadists in the
region after the Daesh terror group claimed in February the beheading in
Libya of 21 Coptic Christians, all but one of them Egyptian.

Sue Lerner -Associate, IMRA