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Jerusalem (CNN) — As Jamal al-Durrah washes his son Mohammad’s tombstone in a Gaza graveyard, he fears that the boy’s spirit rests uneasy.

The image of the father shielding his 12-year-old son in a hail of bullets, under the glare of a camera, became the symbol of the second Palestinian uprising, or Intifada.

Thirteen years later, the controversy behind those pictures is still alive.

An Israeli government committee concluded in a report presented Sunday that the story, which was broadcast by France 2 in 2000, cannot be substantiated by the pictures.

Children of the conflict: Innocence interrupted by war

The news report aired by France 2 stated: “Here Jamal and his son Mohammad are the target of fire coming from the Israeli position. … But, a new round of fire, Mohammad is dead and his father badly hurt.”

However, the Israeli government committee report states: “There is no evidence that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) was in any way responsible for causing any of the alleged injuries to Jamal or the boy.”

It’s a statement that pains a still-grieving father. But Jamal al-Durrah is prepared to have his son’s remains exhumed to demonstrate that he was killed by Israeli bullets, as reported in 2000.

“I would like to show the world the truth, and I am sitting in front of my son’s grave and ready to accept an international independent investigation commission including Arabs,” he said. “If Israel agrees, I am ready to open the grave.”

The head of the Israeli government review committee, Yossi Kuperwasser, said he does not know what happened to Mohammad al-Durrah.

Showing the raw material provided by France 2 to CNN, he said, “See, he was supposed to be dead. He was declared dead a moment ago, understand, he was declared dead when he was lying (there.) That’s where he cut it. He said the boy is dead. But a second later, he (Mohammad al-Durrah) raises his hand.”

Analysis: Conflict shifts balance of power in the Middle East

Israel places the implications of the Mohammad al-Durrah story in a much wider context.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “It is important to focus on this incident, which has slandered Israel’s reputation. This is a manifestation of the ongoing, mendacious campaign to delegitimize Israel.

“There is only one way to counter lies, and that is through the truth. Only the truth can prevail over lies.”

The search for that truth has been conducted in courthouses, human rights reports and media investigations.

Cameraman Talal Abu Rahma, who filmed the event for France 2, and also works for CNN, has been at the center of trying to understand what happened on that fateful day.

Thirteen years later, he points to the camera that recorded the event as his most solid source, saying: “My witness is (my) camera. … I am sorry this camera does not talk, but really this camera recorded that footage.”

Mohammad al-Durrah’s story has become an important symbol in the Palestinian struggle for statehood. The image of his final moments is shown on stamps in Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran and Morocco.

Israel says that the false narrative of al-Durrah’s death has been used to justify terrorist attacks against Israel and worldwide anti-Semitism.

It is perhaps the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians over the righteousness of their narrative that will not let this image be forgotten.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/21/world/meast/israel-palestinians-disputed-video/index.html?eref=edition

Jerusalem (CNN) — As Jamal al-Durrah washes his son Mohammad’s tombstone in a Gaza graveyard, he fears that the boy’s spirit rests uneasy.

The image of the father shielding his 12-year-old son in a hail of bullets, under the glare of a camera, became the symbol of the second Palestinian uprising, or Intifada.

Thirteen years later, the controversy behind those pictures is still alive.

An Israeli government committee concluded in a report presented Sunday that the story, which was broadcast by France 2 in 2000, cannot be substantiated by the pictures.

Children of the conflict: Innocence interrupted by war

The news report aired by France 2 stated: “Here Jamal and his son Mohammad are the target of fire coming from the Israeli position. … But, a new round of fire, Mohammad is dead and his father badly hurt.”

However, the Israeli government committee report states: “There is no evidence that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) was in any way responsible for causing any of the alleged injuries to Jamal or the boy.”

It’s a statement that pains a still-grieving father. But Jamal al-Durrah is prepared to have his son’s remains exhumed to demonstrate that he was killed by Israeli bullets, as reported in 2000.

“I would like to show the world the truth, and I am sitting in front of my son’s grave and ready to accept an international independent investigation commission including Arabs,” he said. “If Israel agrees, I am ready to open the grave.”

The head of the Israeli government review committee, Yossi Kuperwasser, said he does not know what happened to Mohammad al-Durrah.

Showing the raw material provided by France 2 to CNN, he said, “See, he was supposed to be dead. He was declared dead a moment ago, understand, he was declared dead when he was lying (there.) That’s where he cut it. He said the boy is dead. But a second later, he (Mohammad al-Durrah) raises his hand.”

Analysis: Conflict shifts balance of power in the Middle East

Israel places the implications of the Mohammad al-Durrah story in a much wider context.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “It is important to focus on this incident, which has slandered Israel’s reputation. This is a manifestation of the ongoing, mendacious campaign to delegitimize Israel.

“There is only one way to counter lies, and that is through the truth. Only the truth can prevail over lies.”

The search for that truth has been conducted in courthouses, human rights reports and media investigations.

Cameraman Talal Abu Rahma, who filmed the event for France 2, and also works for CNN, has been at the center of trying to understand what happened on that fateful day.

Thirteen years later, he points to the camera that recorded the event as his most solid source, saying: “My witness is (my) camera. … I am sorry this camera does not talk, but really this camera recorded that footage.”

Mohammad al-Durrah’s story has become an important symbol in the Palestinian struggle for statehood. The image of his final moments is shown on stamps in Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran and Morocco.

Israel says that the false narrative of al-Durrah’s death has been used to justify terrorist attacks against Israel and worldwide anti-Semitism.

It is perhaps the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians over the righteousness of their narrative that will not let this image be forgotten.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/21/world/meast/israel-palestinians-disputed-video/index.html?eref=edition

Jerusalem (CNN) — As Jamal al-Durrah washes his son Mohammad’s tombstone in a Gaza graveyard, he fears that the boy’s spirit rests uneasy.

The image of the father shielding his 12-year-old son in a hail of bullets, under the glare of a camera, became the symbol of the second Palestinian uprising, or Intifada.

Thirteen years later, the controversy behind those pictures is still alive.

An Israeli government committee concluded in a report presented Sunday that the story, which was broadcast by France 2 in 2000, cannot be substantiated by the pictures.

Children of the conflict: Innocence interrupted by war

The news report aired by France 2 stated: “Here Jamal and his son Mohammad are the target of fire coming from the Israeli position. … But, a new round of fire, Mohammad is dead and his father badly hurt.”

However, the Israeli government committee report states: “There is no evidence that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) was in any way responsible for causing any of the alleged injuries to Jamal or the boy.”

It’s a statement that pains a still-grieving father. But Jamal al-Durrah is prepared to have his son’s remains exhumed to demonstrate that he was killed by Israeli bullets, as reported in 2000.

“I would like to show the world the truth, and I am sitting in front of my son’s grave and ready to accept an international independent investigation commission including Arabs,” he said. “If Israel agrees, I am ready to open the grave.”

The head of the Israeli government review committee, Yossi Kuperwasser, said he does not know what happened to Mohammad al-Durrah.

Showing the raw material provided by France 2 to CNN, he said, “See, he was supposed to be dead. He was declared dead a moment ago, understand, he was declared dead when he was lying (there.) That’s where he cut it. He said the boy is dead. But a second later, he (Mohammad al-Durrah) raises his hand.”

Analysis: Conflict shifts balance of power in the Middle East

Israel places the implications of the Mohammad al-Durrah story in a much wider context.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “It is important to focus on this incident, which has slandered Israel’s reputation. This is a manifestation of the ongoing, mendacious campaign to delegitimize Israel.

“There is only one way to counter lies, and that is through the truth. Only the truth can prevail over lies.”

The search for that truth has been conducted in courthouses, human rights reports and media investigations.

Cameraman Talal Abu Rahma, who filmed the event for France 2, and also works for CNN, has been at the center of trying to understand what happened on that fateful day.

Thirteen years later, he points to the camera that recorded the event as his most solid source, saying: “My witness is (my) camera. … I am sorry this camera does not talk, but really this camera recorded that footage.”

Mohammad al-Durrah’s story has become an important symbol in the Palestinian struggle for statehood. The image of his final moments is shown on stamps in Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran and Morocco.

Israel says that the false narrative of al-Durrah’s death has been used to justify terrorist attacks against Israel and worldwide anti-Semitism.

It is perhaps the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians over the righteousness of their narrative that will not let this image be forgotten.

Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/oQRK-oyvViU/index.html

Jerusalem (CNN) — As Jamal al-Durrah washes his son Mohammad’s tombstone in a Gaza graveyard, he fears that the boy’s spirit rests uneasy.

The image of the father shielding his 12-year-old son in a hail of bullets, under the glare of a camera, became the symbol of the second Palestinian uprising, or Intifada.

Thirteen years later, the controversy behind those pictures is still alive.

An Israeli government committee concluded in a report presented Sunday that the story, which was broadcast by France 2 in 2000, cannot be substantiated by the pictures.

Children of the conflict: Innocence interrupted by war

The news report aired by France 2 stated: “Here Jamal and his son Mohammad are the target of fire coming from the Israeli position. … But, a new round of fire, Mohammad is dead and his father badly hurt.”

However, the Israeli government committee report states: “There is no evidence that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) was in any way responsible for causing any of the alleged injuries to Jamal or the boy.”

It’s a statement that pains a still-grieving father. But Jamal al-Durrah is prepared to have his son’s remains exhumed to demonstrate that he was killed by Israeli bullets, as reported in 2000.

“I would like to show the world the truth, and I am sitting in front of my son’s grave and ready to accept an international independent investigation commission including Arabs,” he said. “If Israel agrees, I am ready to open the grave.”

The head of the Israeli government review committee, Yossi Kuperwasser, said he does not know what happened to Mohammad al-Durrah.

Showing the raw material provided by France 2 to CNN, he said, “See, he was supposed to be dead. He was declared dead a moment ago, understand, he was declared dead when he was lying (there.) That’s where he cut it. He said the boy is dead. But a second later, he (Mohammad al-Durrah) raises his hand.”

Analysis: Conflict shifts balance of power in the Middle East

Israel places the implications of the Mohammad al-Durrah story in a much wider context.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “It is important to focus on this incident, which has slandered Israel’s reputation. This is a manifestation of the ongoing, mendacious campaign to delegitimize Israel.

“There is only one way to counter lies, and that is through the truth. Only the truth can prevail over lies.”

The search for that truth has been conducted in courthouses, human rights reports and media investigations.

Cameraman Talal Abu Rahma, who filmed the event for France 2, and also works for CNN, has been at the center of trying to understand what happened on that fateful day.

Thirteen years later, he points to the camera that recorded the event as his most solid source, saying: “My witness is (my) camera. … I am sorry this camera does not talk, but really this camera recorded that footage.”

Mohammad al-Durrah’s story has become an important symbol in the Palestinian struggle for statehood. The image of his final moments is shown on stamps in Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran and Morocco.

Israel says that the false narrative of al-Durrah’s death has been used to justify terrorist attacks against Israel and worldwide anti-Semitism.

It is perhaps the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians over the righteousness of their narrative that will not let this image be forgotten.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/21/world/meast/israel-palestinians-disputed-video/index.html?eref=edition

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The island of Thira, colloquially known as Santorini, lies off the southeast tip of Greece and is known for its sunsets. See more images from around Greece on CNN iReport.

Photographer Antonina Reshef is on a mission to revisit the former USSR towns of her youth. See more of her photos from the isolated Kamchatka peninsula in eastern Russia on CNN iReport.

Tracy Bond captured an orange sunrise that engulfed the morning sky while on vacation in Destin, Florida.

While spending a day of solitude in northern Israel, Joel Camaya captured this wondrous image of two rock badgers basking in the sun.

A little girl waits for her playmate in the vibrant streets of Havana, Cuba.

While visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Michael Pagedas noticed a unique view of a mosque situated next to the iconic mausoleum. He photographed the mosque through the Taj Mahal’s craved marble screen.

The giant trees of Sequoia National Park overwhelm a building. “At times, you lose perspective of their size,” said Pat Kessler. “Occasionally seeing a human or a building nears the trees brings their awesomeness back into focus.” See more photos on CNN iReport.

Water mills stand in the historic town of Huanglongxi. “I felt like I was back to the olden days,” said Ter Chieng Chuan. “The unique infrastructure really impressed me.”

Hot air balloons float over the otherworldly valleys of Cappadocia at dawn.

Flowers spill from the window boxes of ancient buildings in La Alberca, about an hour from Salamanca in western Spain.

“The town of Saint-Louis…is teeming with bold colors,” says Lauren Levine, who shot this photo. “Walls are saturated in reds, yellows and greens.” See more of her colorful images on CNN iReport.

The Tidal Basin reflects the Washington Monument. Surrounding it are the famed cherry trees, a 1912 gift to the United States from Japan, in full bloom.

A shell rests on the shoreline of Tonga’s Pangaimotu Beach in the South Pacific.

Farmers and monks process in a blessing of the crops in mountainous Tibet, north of Lhasa. “Incense is being burned in the large pot at the front. Prayers and the parade are the bulk of this ceremony and all traffic must halt for the holy procession to pass,” says Lee Gunderson, who shot this photo.

London’s Tower Bridge is reflected in the Thames at dawn.

“As far as exotic yet relatively inexpensive vacations go, you will be surprised by this place,” says Erich Ludwig. He and his wife took a day trip to the Phi Phi Islands on one of these boats while vacationing in Phuket, Thailand.

Kite skiers and cross-country skiers enjoy frozen Portage Lake near Anchorage, Alaska.

Egyptian tour guide Khaled Mohamed ElSamman captured this woman in an early morning moment of quiet contemplation in Cairo’s Mosque of Mohammed Ali. “As a tour guide, I have the chance to see some very unique moments, and this is one of them,” he said.

The Sydney Opera House, opened in 1973, is an architectural icon. See photos of the inside on CNN iReport.

The village of Hallstatt sits amongst the gorgeous mountains and lakes of Austria. See more stunning views of the town on CNN iReport.

Horses pose in their pasture in front of the snow-capped Tetons.

Geishas stand among a few of Japan’s famed cherry trees during peak cherry blossom season.

People live in ancient cave dwellings in Maymand. “I think Americans should see the real side of Iran — not the political side,” said Holly Yazdani, who shot this photo. See more images on CNN iReport.

A performer wears a brightly colored costume at the 2013 Sinulog Festival, which celebrates the Philippines’ religious history. See more photos on CNN iReport.

A surfer enjoys the sun on Swami’s Beach before swimming out to sea.

Neuschwanstein Castle sits on a hill just outside of Fussen, Germany. Though it looks ancient, the castle was built in the second half of the 19th century as a tribute to composer Richard Wagner.

The morning sun casts a glow over the sand dunes of Namibia.

“I think anyone who wants to see a place like this should go while they can,” says Daniel Surette, who shot this photo with an underwater camera. “All I heard…from the locals was how we should have seen the reef when it ‘was really something.’”

Temples and pagodas fill the peaks and valleys of Myanmar. This image was captured from the top of Shwesandaw Pagoda.

“Exploding” bursts of colorful wildflowers fill the Arizona desert in spring, says Andrew Pielage. See more photos on CNN iReport.

This photo of Machu Picchu (at left) and its surrounding peaks was taken from Huayna Picchu, which towers over the ancient Incan site.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque — commonly called the “blue mosque” because of its vibrant blue tiles — is silhouetted against the evening sky. See more photos from around Istanbul on CNN iReport.

Jon Tjader captured this photo as the sun set in Antarctica. “I have been to over 60 different countries, and Antarctica hands down takes the cake as the most spectacular landscape on the planet,” he said.

Joshua Rubin waited on the beach for half an hour before getting this perfect shot of two laughing gulls.

Pink blossoms surround the Summer Palace in Beijing. “We had no idea how absolutely beautiful China would be in spring, or any time for that matter,” said Kim Jativa.

Durham Cathedral dates to the 11th century. See other landmarks from around the northern English city on CNN iReport.

This stunning rock formation stands in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada’s oldest and largest state park.

Steam rises from food stalls in Jemaa el-Fna, a popular outdoor market in Marrakech.

Snow geese migrate over Missouri. “They were impossible to miss based on the sheer quantity,” said Bill Tiepelman, who thinks there must have been thousands.

The Milky Way galaxy shines in the sky above the desert outside Abu Dhabi.

A family of cheetahs enjoys the early morning light in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro crater.

The sun sets behind Detroit’s skyline in this lovely shot from the riverfront. See more images on CNN iReport.

The beautiful beaches of Caramoan have been a favorite of the “Survivor” franchise. Maritess Garcia-Reyes, who shot this photo, describes them as “untouched and serene.”

A dusting of snow rests on Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock. See other sites from around the Old City in the snow on CNN iReport.

Snow covers the central highlands region of Afghanistan. Iqbal Ahmad Oruzgani captured this and other stunning views from a plane.

Even in the middle of winter, “a walk on the beach at the national seashore is always something to look forward to,” says Marie Sager, who shot this photo. See another view of the dunes on CNN iReport.

In a traditional Chinese method, a fisherman uses a cormorant to catch fish. Learn how man and bird work together on CNN iReport.

On her way to the Black Sea coastal town of Balchik, Bulgaria, Nora de Angelli snapped a collection of photos from this field covered in bright red poppy flowers.

“Auckland is called ‘City of Sails’ because of the terribly disproportionate number of boats to people,” says Roberto Victoriano, a design engineer in Auckland, New Zealand. Auckland is said to have more boats per capita than any other city in the world.

The Indre River runs through Azay-le-Rideau, serving as a natural moat for its chateau.

Ketan Tirodkar captured this photo while feeding the monkeys at sunset in Matheran.

The Mreznica river, known for its many waterfalls, flows through Croatia. See more photos on CNN iReport.

Camels walk through the Gobi Desert. See more photos on CNN iReport.

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, fill the sky with color above Iceland.

Venice celebrates Carnival, a festival held before the Christian period of Lent. Parties are held in the streets, and “the atmosphere is mysterious and romantic, but also jovial,” said Nicholas Lloyd, who shot this photo. See all his images on CNN iReport.

“In Cartagena, I felt like I stepped back in time,” said Monika Dudek, who shot this photo. “The buildings are so old, yet many of them are so well preserved. It was a treat just to walk the city’s streets.”

“This beach is one of the hidden gems of the Big Island of Hawaii,” said Jessica Garcia of Wailea Bay. “The water was the most beautiful turquoise I’d ever seen.”

Evening light flatters the majestic Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque. “People were starting to gather around the mosque for evening prayers…It was very humbling,” said Christopher Foss, who shot this photo.

Snow and fog blanket Yosemite National Park in this stunning view from the Merced River.

An abandoned boat sits amongst the trees of Hlawga National Park.

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(CNN) — Each day, CNN producers select a user-submitted photo to be our Travel Photo of the Day. Click through the gallery above to see stunning shots from around the world, and be sure to come back every day for a new image. Have a gorgeous travel photo of your own to share? Submit it for the gallery at CNN iReport!

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/05/travel/travel-photo-of-day/index.html?eref=edition

(CNN) — A decision by world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking not to attend a conference in Israel in support of an academic boycott of the country has sparked controversy in Israel and a vitriolic debate online.

Hawking, who’s a professor at Britain’s Cambridge University, had initially accepted an invitation to the high-profile Israeli Presidential Conference, taking place in Jerusalem in June.

His change of heart this week appears to be the result of pressure from Palestinian academics to abide by a boycott set up in protest over Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.

“A letter was sent on Friday to the Israeli president’s office from Stephen Hawking regarding his decision not to attend the Presidential Conference, based on advice from Palestinian academics that he should respect the boycott,” a Cambridge University spokesman told CNN on Thursday.

Obama: Palestinians deserve own state

Gaza war: Both sides accused of crimes

Hawking is also unable currently to fly for health reasons, the spokesman said.

Cambridge University initially said Hawking’s poor health was the reason he was no longer attending, according to local media reports. Hawking, who is quadriplegic as a result of an incurable degenerative disease, has had repeated health problems.

Hawking’s letter said he had first accepted the invitation “to express my opinion on the prospects for a peace settlement but also because it would allow me to lecture on the West Bank,” the conference organizers said.

His decision to boycott the conference, hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres, a Nobel peace laureate, has prompted a “Twitterstorm.”

Some tweeters accuse him of anti-Semitism or comment on his physical disabilities, while others applaud his support for the Palestinian academics.

One tweeter, Ali Abunimah, observes: “Amazing how many Israelis on Facebook want Stephen Hawking dead, electrocuted or made to suffer in other nasty ways.”

Haaretz writer Chemi Shalev, who describes himself as a “political junkie, proud father, concerned Israeli, veteran journalist,” tweets: “My take: Stephen #Hawking is now the academic boycott movement’s unlikely poster boy.”

‘Outrageous and improper’

Israel Maimon, chairman of the Presidential Conference, said Hawking’s decision to pull out of the event was wrong.

“The academic boycott against Israel is in our view outrageous and improper, certainly for someone for whom the spirit of liberty lies at the basis of his human and academic mission,” he said in a statement.

“Israel is a democracy in which all individuals are free to express their opinions, whatever they may be. The imposition of a boycott is incompatible with open, democratic dialogue.”

Some 5,000 people from around the world are expected to attend, Maimon said, to hear speakers who include global technology company executives, academics, Nobel laureates, artists and past and present world leaders.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Soviet-era President Mikhail Gorbachev and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair are all expected to attend, he added.

Hawking, who’s also a cosmologist, astronomer and mathematician, is the author of books including the best-seller, “A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.”

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement was established in 2005 by Palestinian civil society groups, which called for international groups and “people of conscience” to boycott or put pressure on Israel “until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights.”

Omar Barghouti, one of the founding members of the movement, told CNN: “Stephen Hawking is the most prominent academic today to respect the Palestinian boycott guidelines and to refuse to visit Israel. This reminds us of the moral weight of academics in the boycott of apartheid of South Africa.”

He said Hawking had been convinced by the “unanimous Palestinian voice” he heard from his contacts within the Palestinian community.

“There is deep appreciation among the Palestinians for Professor Hawking’s respecting the boycott, and we sincerely hope that we convince many hesitant academics to follow suit and to shoulder a moral responsibility of boycotting Israel until it complies with international law,” Barghouti said.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Hawking has visited Israel four times, most recently in 2006, when he lectured at Israeli and Palestinian universities.

West Bank housing

Israel’s government gave initial approval Wednesday to plans to build 296 housing units in the settlement of Bethel, near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas strongly condemned the decision, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Thursday.

Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, in a media statement quoted by WAFA, said the Israeli move would sabotage the peace process and efforts made by the U.S. administration to move it forward.

A U.N. Human Rights Council report in January said Israeli settlements had taken a “heavy toll” on the rights and sovereignty of Palestinians.

It outlined the consistent violation of Palestinians’ rights in what it called a “creeping annexation” by Israel in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Palestinians welcomed the report’s findings, but Israel, which considers the Human Right Council to be biased, said the report would hurt the peace process.

There are about 250 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the report said, all started since Israel seized the lands after the Six Day War in 1967.

Israel’s consistently growing presence in East Jerusalem and the West Bank has caused great tension between Israel and the Arab world, including Palestinians. Israel says its presence is needed for security.

CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Stephanie Halasz, Michael Schwartz and Saad Abedine contributed to this report.

Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/EPyD0UJHOiY/index.html

(CNN) — A decision by world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking not to attend a conference in Israel in support of an academic boycott of the country has sparked controversy in Israel and a vitriolic debate online.

Hawking, who’s a professor at Britain’s Cambridge University, had initially accepted an invitation to the high-profile Israeli Presidential Conference, taking place in Jerusalem in June.

His change of heart this week appears to be the result of pressure from Palestinian academics to abide by a boycott set up in protest over Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.

“A letter was sent on Friday to the Israeli president’s office from Stephen Hawking regarding his decision not to attend the Presidential Conference, based on advice from Palestinian academics that he should respect the boycott,” a Cambridge University spokesman told CNN on Thursday.

Obama: Palestinians deserve own state

Gaza war: Both sides accused of crimes

Hawking is also unable currently to fly for health reasons, the spokesman said.

Cambridge University initially said Hawking’s poor health was the reason he was no longer attending, according to local media reports. Hawking, who is quadriplegic as a result of an incurable degenerative disease, has had repeated health problems.

Hawking’s letter said he had first accepted the invitation “to express my opinion on the prospects for a peace settlement but also because it would allow me to lecture on the West Bank,” the conference organizers said.

His decision to boycott the conference, hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres, a Nobel peace laureate, has prompted a “Twitterstorm.”

Some tweeters accuse him of anti-Semitism or comment on his physical disabilities, while others applaud his support for the Palestinian academics.

One tweeter, Ali Abunimah, observes: “Amazing how many Israelis on Facebook want Stephen Hawking dead, electrocuted or made to suffer in other nasty ways.”

Haaretz writer Chemi Shalev, who describes himself as a “political junkie, proud father, concerned Israeli, veteran journalist,” tweets: “My take: Stephen #Hawking is now the academic boycott movement’s unlikely poster boy.”

‘Outrageous and improper’

Israel Maimon, chairman of the Presidential Conference, said Hawking’s decision to pull out of the event was wrong.

“The academic boycott against Israel is in our view outrageous and improper, certainly for someone for whom the spirit of liberty lies at the basis of his human and academic mission,” he said in a statement.

“Israel is a democracy in which all individuals are free to express their opinions, whatever they may be. The imposition of a boycott is incompatible with open, democratic dialogue.”

Some 5,000 people from around the world are expected to attend, Maimon said, to hear speakers who include global technology company executives, academics, Nobel laureates, artists and past and present world leaders.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Soviet-era President Mikhail Gorbachev and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair are all expected to attend, he added.

Hawking, who’s also a cosmologist, astronomer and mathematician, is the author of books including the best-seller, “A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.”

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement was established in 2005 by Palestinian civil society groups, which called for international groups and “people of conscience” to boycott or put pressure on Israel “until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights.”

Omar Barghouti, one of the founding members of the movement, told CNN: “Stephen Hawking is the most prominent academic today to respect the Palestinian boycott guidelines and to refuse to visit Israel. This reminds us of the moral weight of academics in the boycott of apartheid of South Africa.”

He said Hawking had been convinced by the “unanimous Palestinian voice” he heard from his contacts within the Palestinian community.

“There is deep appreciation among the Palestinians for Professor Hawking’s respecting the boycott, and we sincerely hope that we convince many hesitant academics to follow suit and to shoulder a moral responsibility of boycotting Israel until it complies with international law,” Barghouti said.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Hawking has visited Israel four times, most recently in 2006, when he lectured at Israeli and Palestinian universities.

West Bank housing

Israel’s government gave initial approval Wednesday to plans to build 296 housing units in the settlement of Bethel, near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas strongly condemned the decision, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Thursday.

Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, in a media statement quoted by WAFA, said the Israeli move would sabotage the peace process and efforts made by the U.S. administration to move it forward.

A U.N. Human Rights Council report in January said Israeli settlements had taken a “heavy toll” on the rights and sovereignty of Palestinians.

It outlined the consistent violation of Palestinians’ rights in what it called a “creeping annexation” by Israel in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Palestinians welcomed the report’s findings, but Israel, which considers the Human Right Council to be biased, said the report would hurt the peace process.

There are about 250 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the report said, all started since Israel seized the lands after the Six Day War in 1967.

Israel’s consistently growing presence in East Jerusalem and the West Bank has caused great tension between Israel and the Arab world, including Palestinians. Israel says its presence is needed for security.

CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Stephanie Halasz, Michael Schwartz and Saad Abedine contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/09/world/meast/israel-hawking-boycott-controversy/index.html?eref=edition

(CNN) — A decision by world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking not to attend a conference in Israel in support of an academic boycott of the country has sparked controversy in Israel and a vitriolic debate online.

Hawking, who’s a professor at Britain’s Cambridge University, had initially accepted an invitation to the high-profile Israeli Presidential Conference, taking place in Jerusalem in June.

His change of heart this week appears to be the result of pressure from Palestinian academics to abide by a boycott set up in protest over Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.

“A letter was sent on Friday to the Israeli president’s office from Stephen Hawking regarding his decision not to attend the Presidential Conference, based on advice from Palestinian academics that he should respect the boycott,” a Cambridge University spokesman told CNN on Thursday.

Obama: Palestinians deserve own state

Gaza war: Both sides accused of crimes

Hawking is also unable currently to fly for health reasons, the spokesman said.

Cambridge University initially said Hawking’s poor health was the reason he was no longer attending, according to local media reports. Hawking, who is quadriplegic as a result of an incurable degenerative disease, has had repeated health problems.

Hawking’s letter said he had first accepted the invitation “to express my opinion on the prospects for a peace settlement but also because it would allow me to lecture on the West Bank,” the conference organizers said.

His decision to boycott the conference, hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres, a Nobel peace laureate, has prompted a “Twitterstorm.”

Some tweeters accuse him of anti-Semitism or comment on his physical disabilities, while others applaud his support for the Palestinian academics.

One tweeter, Ali Abunimah, observes: “Amazing how many Israelis on Facebook want Stephen Hawking dead, electrocuted or made to suffer in other nasty ways.”

Haaretz writer Chemi Shalev, who describes himself as a “political junkie, proud father, concerned Israeli, veteran journalist,” tweets: “My take: Stephen #Hawking is now the academic boycott movement’s unlikely poster boy.”

‘Outrageous and improper’

Israel Maimon, chairman of the Presidential Conference, said Hawking’s decision to pull out of the event was wrong.

“The academic boycott against Israel is in our view outrageous and improper, certainly for someone for whom the spirit of liberty lies at the basis of his human and academic mission,” he said in a statement.

“Israel is a democracy in which all individuals are free to express their opinions, whatever they may be. The imposition of a boycott is incompatible with open, democratic dialogue.”

Some 5,000 people from around the world are expected to attend, Maimon said, to hear speakers who include global technology company executives, academics, Nobel laureates, artists and past and present world leaders.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Soviet-era President Mikhail Gorbachev and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair are all expected to attend, he added.

Hawking, who’s also a cosmologist, astronomer and mathematician, is the author of books including the best-seller, “A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.”

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement was established in 2005 by Palestinian civil society groups, which called for international groups and “people of conscience” to boycott or put pressure on Israel “until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights.”

Omar Barghouti, one of the founding members of the movement, told CNN: “Stephen Hawking is the most prominent academic today to respect the Palestinian boycott guidelines and to refuse to visit Israel. This reminds us of the moral weight of academics in the boycott of apartheid of South Africa.”

He said Hawking had been convinced by the “unanimous Palestinian voice” he heard from his contacts within the Palestinian community.

“There is deep appreciation among the Palestinians for Professor Hawking’s respecting the boycott, and we sincerely hope that we convince many hesitant academics to follow suit and to shoulder a moral responsibility of boycotting Israel until it complies with international law,” Barghouti said.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Hawking has visited Israel four times, most recently in 2006, when he lectured at Israeli and Palestinian universities.

West Bank housing

Israel’s government gave initial approval Wednesday to plans to build 296 housing units in the settlement of Bethel, near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas strongly condemned the decision, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Thursday.

Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, in a media statement quoted by WAFA, said the Israeli move would sabotage the peace process and efforts made by the U.S. administration to move it forward.

A U.N. Human Rights Council report in January said Israeli settlements had taken a “heavy toll” on the rights and sovereignty of Palestinians.

It outlined the consistent violation of Palestinians’ rights in what it called a “creeping annexation” by Israel in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Palestinians welcomed the report’s findings, but Israel, which considers the Human Right Council to be biased, said the report would hurt the peace process.

There are about 250 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the report said, all started since Israel seized the lands after the Six Day War in 1967.

Israel’s consistently growing presence in East Jerusalem and the West Bank has caused great tension between Israel and the Arab world, including Palestinians. Israel says its presence is needed for security.

CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Stephanie Halasz, Michael Schwartz and Saad Abedine contributed to this report.

Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/EPyD0UJHOiY/index.html

Beijing (CNN) — The Chinese government had stern words for Israel at the start of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s five-day visit to the country.

“We oppose the use of weapons. We believe the sovereignty of any country should be respected,” said Hua Chunying, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman on Monday, responding to reports that Israel carried out airstrikes against its neighbor Syria last weekend.

“China calls upon relevant parties to bear in mind peace and stability of the region, to exercise restraint and refrain from any actions that may escalate the tension,” she added.

Strangely, Netanyahu’s visit to China on Monday coincided with the arrival of the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.

Beijing said it would be willing to host a bilateral meeting between the two Middle Eastern leaders. But an Israeli government official told CNN there were no plans for secret talks in China between Netanyahu and Abbas.

Israel bolsters defense near Syria

Syria: More than just a civil war?

Obama: Palestinians deserve own state

“Don’t hold your breath for a summit in Beijing,” the Israeli official told CNN, on condition of anonymity.

The Israeli official said the Chinese had “never been involved in mediating or suggesting new ideas or making plans. They are the big silent giant.”

China has not traditionally played a mediation role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But this week the world’s second largest economy appeared to be flexing its diplomatic muscles in the Middle East, proposing a four-point peace plan and repeating its call for the establishment of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem.

“The issue, already lasting more than half a century, has brought deep suffering to the Palestinian people and remains an important reason of extended turbulence in the Middle East region,” said Chinese president Xi Jinping, during a meeting with Abbas on Monday, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.

Israel’s prime minister is visiting China’s commercial capital Shanghai on Tuesday. He is expected to travel on to Beijing on Wednesday.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman suggested Netanyahu may get a tough, unwelcome message from his Chinese hosts.

“On the current Syrian situation and Israel’s continuous air raid inside, I have already expounded China’s position,” Hua said on Tuesday. “And we will explicitly tell the Israeli side China’s position.”

China has a long history of expressing public support for the Palestinians.

The Chinese government has also used its veto in the United Nations Security Council to protect the Syrian government from facing Western-backed sanctions, throughout two years of bloody violence in Syria.

However, Beijing has also quietly established closer trade ties in recent years with Israel.

CNN’s Michael Schwartz in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/07/world/asia/china-israel-talks/index.html?eref=edition

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A photo released by the Syrian Arab News Agency shows destruction from what is said was bomb attack in the Al-Hama area of Damascus on Sunday, May 5. According to the Syrian government, Israel launched an attack on a research center in the Damascus suburbs early Sunday. Tensions in Syria first flared in March 2011 during the onset of the Arab Spring, eventually escalating into a civil war that still rages. This gallery contains the most compelling images taken since the start of the conflict.

People run for cover after what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s Raqqa province, on May 3.

People walk past a damaged building and multiple destroyed cars at the site of an explosion in Damascus where at least 13 were killed on April 30.

Cleaning takes place following another explosion in an upscale Damascus neightborhood on Monday, April 29. Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi survived the bombing targeting his motorcade.

A smoke cloud rises from shelling on the the al-Turkman mountains in Syria’s Latakia province on Thursday, April 25.

Searchers use a flashlight as they look for survivors among the rubble created by what activists say was a missile attack from the Syrian regime, in Raqqa province, Syria, on April 25.

A handout photograph from Syria’s national news agency SANA shows damage and debris from a mortar attack in the suburb of Jarmana near Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday, April 24. The attack killed seven and wounded more than 25, according to activists and state media. No group claimed responsibility for the mortar fire, which SANA said hit a municipality office and a school building.

A Kurdish fighter from the “Popular Protection Units” (YPG) takes position inside a building in the majority-Kurdish Sheikh Maqsood area of Aleppo, on Apri. 21.

People walk past destroyed houses in the northern Syrian town of Azaz on Sunday, April 21.

Free Syrian Army fighters take positions prior to an offensive against government forces in the Khan al-Assal area, near Aleppo on Saturday, April 20.

Men inspect damage at a house destroyed in an airstrike in Aleppo on April 15.

Syrian and Kurdish rebel fighters walk in the Sheikh Maqsud district of Aleppo on April 14.

A Syrian boy holds an AK-47 assault rifle in the streets of Aleppo on Sunday, April 14.

A female rebel monitors the movement of Syrian government forces in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood on April 11.

A rebel runs to avoid sniper fire from Syrian government forces in Aleppo on Thursday, April 11.

Syrian rebels observe the movement of Syrian government forces around Al-Kendi hospital in Aleppo on Wednesday, April 10.

Rescue teams and security forces check out the scene of a deadly car bomb explosion in Damascus on April 8.

The fighting has taken a toll on buildings in Aleppo’s Saladin district, seen here on April 8.

A Syrian rebel runs for cover in Deir ez-Zor on April 2.

A rebel checks for snipers across the street toward the Citadel in Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday, March 30, in this photo taken by iReporter Lee Harper.

A Free Syrian fighter mourns the death of a friend in Aleppo on March 30, in this photo taken by iReporter Lee Harper.

A Syrian opposition fighter runs for cover from Syrian army snipers in Aleppo on Wednesday, March 27.

A Syrian girl covers her face to protect herself from fumes as a street covered with uncollected garbage is fumigated in Aleppo on Sunday, March 24.

A Syrian man and his family drive past damaged buildings in Maarat al-Numan, on Wednesday, March 20.

Syrians carry the body of a Syrian army soldier during a funeral ceremony in Idlib province on Tuesday, March 19.

Syrian rebels take position in Aleppo, the largest city in the country, on March 11.

Syrian men search for their relatives amongst the bodies of civilians executed and dumped in the Quweiq River on March 11.

A Free Syrian Army fighter looks back as smoke rises during fighting between rebel fighters and forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad on the outskirts of Aleppo on Saturday, March 2.

Residents read Shaam News newspapers published by the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo on March 2.

A member of the Free Syrian Army reacts to the death of a comrade who was killed in fighting, at Bustan al Qasr cemetery in Aleppo on Friday, March 1.

A rebel fighter throws a home-made grenade at Syrian government forces in Aleppo on February 16.

A member of the Free Syrian Army stands with his weapon as he looks at a rainbow in Aleppo on February 16.

A Syrian woman looks through a bus window in Aleppo on February 14.

Free Syrian Army fighters walk through a dust-filled stairwell in Damascus on February 7.

A Syrian rebel gestures at comrades from inside a broken armored personnel carrier in Al-Yaqubia on February 6.

A rebel fighter throws a hand grenade inside a Syrian Army base in Damascus on February 3.

People stand in the dust of a building destroyed in an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria on February 3.

Free Syrian Army fighters run as they enter a Syrian Army base during heavy fighting in the Arabeen neighborhood of Damascus on February 3.

An unexploded mortar shell fired by the Syrian Army sits lodged in the ground in Damascus on January 25.

Fighters from Fateh al Sham unit of the Free Syrian Army fire on Syrian Army soldiers at a check point in Damascus on January 20.

A Free Syrian Army fighter walks between buildings damaged during Syrian Air Force strikes in Damascus on January 19.

A Syrian rebel fighter tries to locate a government jet fighter in Aleppo on January 18.

Syrian rebels launch a missile near the Abu Baker brigade in Albab on January 16.

A Syrian boy walks near rubbish next to tents at a refugee camp near the northern city of Azaz on the Syria-Turkey border, on January 8.

Syrians look for survivors amid the rubble of a building targeted by a missile in Aleppo on January 7.

A father reacts after hearing of a shelling by forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo on January 3.

A patient smokes a cigarette at Dar Al-Ajaza psychiatric hospital in Aleppo on December 18, 2012. The psychiatric ward, housing around 60 patients, has lacked the means to function properly since fighting broke out there in July.

Syrians mourn a fallen rebel fighter at a rebel base in the al-Fardos area of Aleppo on December 8.

Members of Liwa (Brigade) Salahadin, a Kurdish military unit fighting alongside rebel fighters, monitor the area in the besieged district of Karmel al-Jabl in Aleppo on December 6.

A member of Liwa Salahadin aims at a regime fighter in the besieged district of Karmel al-Jabl in Aleppo on December 6.

Two young boys sit underneath a washline in a refugee camp on the border between Syria and Turkey near Azaz on December 5.

The bodies of three children, who were allegedly killed in a mortar shell attack that landed close to a bakery in Aleppo, on December 2, are laid out for identification by family members at a makeshift hospital at an undisclosed location of the city.

Smoke rises in the Hanano and Bustan al-Basha districts in Aleppo on December 1 as fighting continues through the night.

Damaged houses in Aleppo are seen after an airstrike on November 29.

A Syrian rebel mourns the death of a comrade in Maraat al-Numan on November 20.

Syrians protesters stand on Assad’s portrait during an anti-regime demonstration in Aleppo on November 16.

A Syrian rebel takes cover during fighting against Syrian government forces in Aleppo on November 15.

Syrian opposition fighter Bazel Araj, 19, sleeps next to his pistol in Aleppo on November 11.

A rebel fighter fires at a Syrian government position in Aleppo on November 6.

A Syrian rebel leaps over debris left in the street while running across a “sniper alley” near the Salahudeen district in Aleppo on November 4.

Rebels hold their position in the midst of a battle on November 3 in Aleppo.

A man cries while being treated in a local hospital in a rebel-controlled area of Aleppo on October 31.

A man is treated for wounds after a government jet attacked the Karm al-Aser neighborhood in eastern Aleppo on October 31.

A Syrian rebel interrogates a handcuffed and blindfolded man suspected of being a pro-regime militiaman in Aleppo on October 26.

Smoke rises from a fuel station following a mortar attack as Syrian women walk on a rainy day in the Arqub neighborhood of Aleppo on October 25.

A Syrian rebel fires at an army position in the Karm al-Jabal district of Aleppo on October 22.

A wounded Syrian boy sits on the back of a truck carrying victims and wounded people to a hospital following an attack by regime forces in Aleppo on October 21.

A man lies on the ground after being shot by a sniper for a second time as he waits to be rescued by members of the Al-Baraa Bin Malek Battalion, part of the Free Syria Army’s Al-Fatah brigade, in Aleppo on October 20.

Syrian army soldiers run for cover during clashes with rebel fighters at Karam al-Jabal neighborhood of Aleppo on October 20.

Smoke rises after a Syrian Air Force fighter jet fired missiles at the suburbs of the northern province of Idlib on October 16.

A Syrian opposition fighter stands near a post in Aleppo on October 11.

A Syrian man mourns the death of his father, who was killed during a government attack in Aleppo on October 10.

A rebel fighter is carried by his friends and laid on a gurney to be treated for gunshot wounds sustained during heavy battles with government forces in Aleppo on October 1.

Syrian rebels help a wounded comrade to an Aleppo hospital after he was injured in a Syrian army strike on September 18.

Free Syria Army fighters are reflected in a mirror they use to see a Syrian Army post only 50 meters away in Aleppo on September 16.

A Syrian man carrying grocery bags tries to dodge sniper fire as he runs through an alley near a checkpoint manned by the Free Syria Army in Aleppo on September 14.

A woman walks past a destroyed building in Aleppo on September 13.

Free Syrian Army fighters battle during street fighting against Syrian army soldiers in Aleppo on September 8.

A Syrian man wounded by shelling sits on a chair outside a closed shop in Aleppo on September 4.

A woman sits in her wheelchair next to her house, damaged by a Syrian air raid, near Homs on August 26.

Members of the Free Syrian Army clash with Syrian army soliders in Aleppo’s Saif al-Dawla district on August 22.

A man mourns in front of a field hospital on August 21 in Aleppo.

Wounded civilians wait in a field hospital after an air strike on August 21 in Aleppo.

People pray during the funeral of a Free Syrian Army fighter, Amar Ali Amero, on August 21.

A man cries near the graves of his two children killed during a recent Syrian airstrike in Azaz on August 20.

A Syrian woman holds her dead baby as she screams upon seeing her husband’s body being covered following an airstrike by regime forces on the town of Azaz on August 15.

A Syrian rebel runs in a street of Selehattin during an attack on the municipal building on July 23.

Syrian rebels hunt for snipers after attacking the municipality building in the city center of Selehattin on July 23.

Members of the Free Syrian Army’s Mugaweer (commandos) Brigade pay their respects in a cemetery on May 12 in Qusayr.

Syrian rebels take position near Qusayr on May 10.

A Free Syrian Army member takes cover in underground caves in Sarmin on April 9.

Rebels prepare to engage government tanks that advanced into Saraquib on April 9.

Men say prayers during a ceremony in Binnish on April 9.

A young boy plays with a toy gun in Binnish on April 9.

A Free Syrian Army rebel mounts his horse in the Al-Shatouria village near the Turkish border in northwestern Syria on March 16, a year after the uprising began.

Syrian refugees walk across a field before crossing into Turkey on March 14.

A rebel takes position in Al-Qsair on January 27.

A protester in Homs throws a tear gas bomb back towards security forces, on December 27, 2011.

A man stands under a giant Syrian flag outside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on December 24, 2011.

A member of the Free Syrian Army looks out over a valley in the village of Ain al-Baida on December 15, 2011.

Members of the Free Syrian Army stand in an valley near the village of Ain al-Baida, close to the Turkish border, on December 15, 2011.

Displaced Syrian refugees walk through an orchard adjacent to Syria’s northern border with Turkey on June 14, 2011, near Khirbet al-Jouz.

A Syrian man holds up a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad during a rally to show support for the president in Damascus on April 30, 2011.

Syrians rally to show their support for President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on April 30, 2011.

A screen grab from YouTube shows thick smoke rising above as Syrian anti-government protesters demonstrate in Moaret Al-Noman on April 29, 2011.

A screen grab from YouTube shows Syrian anti-government protesters run for cover from tear gas fired by security forces in Damascus on April 29, 2011, during the “Day of Rage” demonstrations called by activists to put pressure on al-Assad.

Syrians wave their national flag and hold portraits of al-Assad during a rally to show their support for their leader in Damascus on March 29, 2011.

A woman sits by the hospital bed of a man allegedly injured when an armed group seized rooftops in Latakia on March 27, 2011, and opened fire at passers-by, citizens and security forces personnel according to official sources.

Syrian protesters chant slogans in support of al-Assad during a rally in Damascus on March 25, 2011.

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Damascus, Syria (CNN) — Concern about the possibility of broader war in the Middle East grew Monday after reported airstrikes on Syrian military installations.

The reported strikes killed 42 Syrian soldiers, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday, citing medical sources. It said 100 people remained missing.

The Syrian government warned Sunday’s apparent strikes — which followed one last week that Syria also blames on Israel — “opens the door wide for all the possibilities.”

Syrian ally Iran warned of a “crushing response” while Russia called reports of Israeli involvement “very worrying.”

But an Israeli general who commands forces on the Syrian border said “there are no winds of war,” according to the Israel Defense Forces website.

Will Israel, Syria go to war?

Explosions rock Damascus

Syrian official: Israel has declared war

 Map: Syria

Map: Syria

The heightened tensions come amid questions over possible chemical weapon use in Syria and international debate over how to respond to the country’s bloody civil war, in which more than 70,000 people have died in more than two years of fighting.

On Monday, a U.N. official spoke of strong suspicions that rebels, not Syrian government forces, have used chemical weapons.

Details of reported strikes

Syria claimed Israeli missiles struck at its military facilities on Sunday.

According to the state-run SANA news agency, Israeli missiles struck a research center in Jamraya, a facility in Maysaloun and what the news agency described as a “paragliding airport” near Damascus.

“The Israeli terrorist aggressions on the Syrian territories have left no room for hesitation, weakness, self-dissociation or silence as Syria would not forgive us all if we hesitated in defending it,” SANA reported Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi as saying.

The blasts prompted terrified residents nearby to run for cover.

“Everything kept exploding over and over again,” said Anna Deeb, whose family lives just over a mile away. “We could hear gunshots, we could hear people screaming. … We didn’t know what to do, and there was a problem with us breathing because the smoke was too much.”

Syria says the attack followed another Israeli airstrike late last week.

Israel has not confirmed or denied that its forces were involved in any attacks inside Syria, but a U.S. official told CNN’s Barbara Starr on Monday that Israeli forces conducted Sunday’s strike, as well as one last week.

Sunday’s strike targeted a research facility in a mountainous area near Damascus and weapons that were to be transferred to Hezbollah, according to the source.

The earlier strike, which U.S. officials had previously said happened Thursday or Friday, targeted Fateh 110 missiles stored at the Damascus airport, the source said.

SANA reported that the allegation of weapons transfers was false.

And Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad told CNN the attacks amount to a declaration of war by Israel.

“The details are not clear on what happened,” al-Mekdad told CNN. “Did they fire missiles? … It is not clear for me, because I don’t know how it happened, and of course it is worrying, but Israel will suffer the same.”

‘Watching everything’

While Israel has not acknowledged responsibility for the attacks, the country has long said it would target any transfer of weapons to Hezbollah or other terrorist groups.

Did Israel conduct airstrike on Syria?

Is U.S. in a quandary about Syria?

Israel won’t confirm, deny Syria attack

“We are watching everything when it comes to the movement of these types of weapons. We have the means to do that,” a senior Israeli defense official told CNN’s Sara Sidner on Sunday. The official is not authorized to speak to the media.

Shaul Mofaz, a lawmaker in Israel’s Knesset, told Israeli Army Radio on Sunday that Israel isn’t meddling with Syria’s civil war. But Israel must protect itself from Lebanese militants, he said.

“For Israel, it is very important that the front group for Iran, which is in Lebanon, needs to be stopped,” Mofaz said.

International response

Hezbollah did not immediately comment after Sunday’s claims.

Iran said it will stand by Syria, “and if there is need for training, we will provide them with necessary training,” Brig. Gen. Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan, commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, told reporters Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said he had no doubt Syria and its allies will “give a crushing response to the aggressions of the Zionists,” the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Russia also weighed in Monday, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman calling the reports of Israeli strikes “very worrying.”

“Any intensification of military confrontation greatly increases the risks of creating hotbeds of tension aside from Syria, in Lebanon, and also destabilizing the Israeli-Lebanese border, which has so far remained relatively calm,” ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Monday.

But Israeli Maj. Gen. Yair Golan indicated war is not imminent, according to the IDF’s website.

“There are no winds of war,” said Golan, who is in charge of the Northern Command.

Two rockets fired from inside Syria fell into the Golan Heights, the IDF said in a tweet. The military said the rockets were “fired erroneously as a byproduct of internal conflict in Syria.”

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters Monday that the alliance had no information on the reported airstrikes, but said the alliance remains concerned about the possibility that the conflict could spread beyond Syria’s borders.

“It’s not a new concern that for quite some time we have expressed concerned of the risk of spillover of this conflict,” he said.

Chemical weapons reports

The tensions have been worsened by conflicting reports on the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria.

On Monday, a U.N. official said evidence points to the use of the deadly nerve agent sarin by Syrian rebel forces.

Carla Del Ponte told an Italian-Swiss TV station that the findings come after interviews with doctors and Syrian victims now in neighboring countries.

Del Ponte, the commissioner of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Syria, said the notion isn’t surprising, given the infiltration of foreign fighters into the Syrian opposition.

Later, the commission issued a press release saying it “has not reached conclusive findings as to the use of chemical weapons in Syria by any parties to the conflict.”

Therefore, “the commission is not in a position to further comment on the allegations at this time,” the statement said.

The Syrian Coalition released a statement in response to Del Ponte’s comments, condemning the use of chemical weapons and stressing that it will continue to conduct its own investigations.

“The Syrian Coalition will take all necessary legal measures in case the investigation reveals parties other than Assad’s regime have used chemical weapons,” it said.

A U.S. State Department official told CNN that the United States does not have information suggesting that rebels have “either the capability or the intent to deploy or use such weapons.”

But, the source said, the “facts are not complete” and efforts to obtain more information are ongoing.

Rebel Free Syrian Army spokesman Louay Almokdad said rebels don’t have unconventional weapons, nor do they want any.

“In any case, we don’t have the mechanism to launch these kinds of weapons, which would need missiles that can carry chemical warheads, and we in the FSA do not possess these kind of capabilities,” Almokdad said.

“More importantly, we do not aspire to have (chemical weapons) because we view our battle with the regime as a battle for the establishment of a free democratic state. … We want to build a free democratic state that recognizes and abides by all international accords and agreements — and chemical and biological warfare is something forbidden legally and internationally.”

Intelligence claims

The claim of rebels using sarin gas comes after months of suspicions that the Syrian regime has used the same nerve agent against rebels.

Last week, the United States said its intelligence analysts had concluded “with varying degrees of confidence” that chemical weapons had been used in Syria and that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad was the likely culprit.

In April, the head of Israeli military’s intelligence research said the Syrian government is using chemical weapons against rebel forces.

“In all likelihood they used sarin gas,” Brig. Gen. Itai Brun said.

The Free Syrian Army’s chief of staff has also said the Syrian regime has used sarin in cities such as Homs, Aleppo and Otaiba, outside Damascus.

“We took some samples of the soil and of blood. The injured people were observed by doctors, and the samples were tested, and it was very clear that the regime used chemical weapons,” Gen. Salim Idriss told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour last month.

Sarin gas can be hard to detect because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless. But it can cause severe injuries to those exposed to it, including blurred vision, convulsions, paralysis and death.

Why Syria matters

The Syrian civil war has pitted rebel fighters against the regime run by al-Assad, whose family has ruled the country for four decades.

Syria matters to Iran because it is believed to be the main conduit to the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, the proxy through which Iran can threaten Israel with an arsenal of short-range missiles.

In 2009, the top U.S. diplomat in Damascus disclosed that Syria had begun delivery of ballistic missiles to Hezbollah, according to official cables leaked to and published by WikiLeaks.

The last thing Iran wants is a Sunni-dominated Syria — especially as the Syrian rebels’ main supporters are Iran’s Persian Gulf rivals: Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Hezbollah’s feared scenario is Israel on one side and a hostile Sunni-led Syria on the other.

CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen reported from Damascus; Sara Sidner reported from Jerusalem; and Hada Messia reported from Rome. CNN’s Schams Elwazer, Tim Lister, Holly Yan, Samira Said, Jill Dougherty, Hamdi Alkhshali and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/06/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?eref=edition