Free Republic

A major attack on a heavily-travelled Israeli highway linking Tel Aviv with the capital was foiled recently by Palestinian Authority security forces. According to a report Friday morning by Yediot Ahronot, a large explosive device was found by PA police close to Route 443 – a major roadway between Jerusalem and the coastal plain which passes by the central Israeli city of Modiin. The bomb, security experts say, was likely intended for Israeli military forces driving down the 443. The planned attack may have been meant to escalate tensions in the region with the hope of ending ceasefire talks between...

TEL AVIV // A mysterious arrest carried out recently by Israel’s security services has renewed condemnation from human rights groups about the country’s treatment of prisoners and its possible infringement of press freedoms. A report last week on the website of Israel’s biggest newspaper, Yediot Ahronot, said that a so-called “Mr X” is being held in complete seclusion at the maximum-security Ayalon prison, and his identity is being kept so closely under wraps that it is not even known to his prison guards or fellow inmates. The report cited an unidentified official at Israel’s penitentiary service as saying: “I don’t...