Middle East Inside Line: Syria-Turkey-Lebanon Condemn Israel, Netanyahu Map "Gap", Israel's Iron Dome System

Syria-Turkey-Lebanon Condemning Israel: Syria and its "greatest hope" Turkey again condemned Israel over its deadly intervention against the Freedom Flotilla on 31 May. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri were both present in Damascus as leaders called on the international community to add more pressure for an international probe and to urge Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza.

What Is "The Gap" Between Israel & Palestine?: Following the meeting this weekend between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said more work needs to be done to bridge the gap between Israel and the Palestinians before they can move to direct peace talks.

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What is that gap? According to the London-based A-Sharq al-Awsat, Netanyahu showed Mubarak a map outlining his vision for a final settlement with the Palestinians. The Egyptian President refused publication of this because it is far from the demands of Palestinians for a future state based on 1967 lines with agreed land swaps. Mubarak reportedly told Netanyahu to redraft the map.

Israel's Iron Dome Defense System & Its Cost: The "Iron Dome" short- and medium-range rocket-defense system successfully completed its last round of tests Monday, the Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces said.

There may be a longer-term issue with the system, however. Last week, the government took a decision to cut 2.7 billion shekels ($700 million) from the defense budget. Some IDF generals in IDF argue that it is better to focus on offense using air forces to hit strategic targets rather than deploying defense batteries, but Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised Monday that the Iron Dome batteries would soon be operational.

Currently, Israel has two batteries, each costing between 40 and 50 million shekels. Israel is soon going to receive a special aid package of $250 million from the US, a sum that is meant to cover the purchase of up to nine Iron Dome batteries. However, estimates speak of a need for at least 20 batteries to cover the Galilee and the Negev from missile threats from Lebanon and Gaza. Radar systems and interceptor missiles also have to be deployed.

Al-Qaeda Targets Arab League: The group's second man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, bombarded Arab leaders for having "surrendered" to Israel after their last summit in March. In the video, he said:

Arabs met in Sirte, (Libya), and they only came out with what they call strategic peace choice. What strategic peace choice, when they are sending a message of surrender to Israel that 'We have given up, so do whatever you like in Palestine'?

Gaza Latest: Israel's Flotilla Enquiry, Germans Ban Turkey's IHH, & Libyan Ship En Route to Gaza

Israel's Enquiry: Last week, the Israeli Government agreed to expand the powers of the civilian Turkel Commission to include the right to subpoena witnesses. However, this was not satisfactory for activist organization Gush Shalom who requested that the committee be given the power to investigate soldiers as well. The High Court's response was not to discuss the petition further unless the commission requests that it carry out such an investigation.

Meanwhile, the head of  the military committee, Maj.- Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, has presented the Israeli Chief of Staff, General Gabi Ashkenazi with a 100-page report detailing findings over into the military operation against the Freedom Flotilla's Mavi Marmara.

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The report says that there were only "operational mistakes" but no "operational failures" made in the planning stage of the operation. The committee criticized the Navy for not preparing a “Plan B” for the operation and said the commanders should have reconsidered putting commandos onto the Mavi Marmara’s upper deck after noticing from sea and air that there were several dozen activists on board prepared to violently resist.

The committee also said that military intelligence did not designate Turkey or the flotilla's organiser IHH as a target for gathering of information. Eiland described Turkey as "a friendly country up until 2010" and assessed the relationship with Israel as a "deteriorating" one.

Germany Bans IHH: On Monday, Germany banned the International Humanitarian Relief Organization (IHH), the organiser of the Freedom Flotilla. German Interior Minister De Maiziere said organizations that "directly or indirectly work against Israel's right to exist lose their right to be active in Germany." The first response came from the European Jewish Congress (EJC):

Over a month ago we called on front-groups like the IHH to be proscribed and banned from raising funds in Europe, we encourage the European Union to give this the highest priority. Now that Germany has shown the way, we hope that European Union and other European governments will officially ban the IHH.

It is vital that the European Union and European governments act quickly to ban organizations which pose as charities or humanitarian agencies from raising funds that assist terrorism, murder and militant activity.

Libyan Ship to Arrive Gaza on Wednesday?: The Libyan-backed aid ship, the Amalthea, is to arrive at Gaza on Wednesday, according to Agence France Presse.

The website of the charity funding the ship, headed by Saif al-Islam Gadaffi, son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddaffi, stated that "the crew on board the ship maintains a positive mood".

Haaretz reports military officials' statements that IDF is ready for forceful interception despite continuing criticisms.

UPDATED Gaza Latest: Ship Sent by Gadhafi's Son Breaking Israeli Blockade?

UPDATE 1315 GMT: Yousseuf Sawani, a director of the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, says there are no plans for the aid ship to dock at the Egyptian port of El-Arish.

"This is definitely a part of the campaign against the ship, a campaign of distortion, but we are definitely heading towards Gaza, because that is where aid should be heading to," he told Al Jazeera.
"This is a purely humane mission, it is neither provocative nor hostile," he said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman maintained that West Jerusalem will not compromise: "I say very clearly, no ship will arrive in Gaza. We will not permit our sovereignty to be harmed," Lieberman said on Army Radio.

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UPDATE 1030 GMT: The Libyan Government has told Greece that the aid ship will dock in el-Arish on the coast of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

"We confirmed their destination in talks with the Libyan ambassador and the ship's agent," Greek foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras told the Associated Press.

A Moldavan-flagged ship named "Amalthia", carrying aid from Libya, is departing from the Greek port of Lavrio, with 12 crew, 15 activists and supporters, and about 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid. The goods are supplied by the Gadhafi International Charity and Development Association, which is headed by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, the second-born son of the Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.

On Friday, Israeli ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev wrote to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon:

Israel calls upon the international community to exert its influence on the government of Libya to demonstrate responsibility and prevent the ship from departing to the Gaza Strip.

Israel reserves the right under international law to prevent this ship from violating the existing naval blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Reportedly having reached an agreement with both Greece and Moldova, Israeli Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that the captain of the ship changed the destination to Egypt's el-Arish port.

Later Saturday, Palestinian Legislative Council member Jamal Al-Khudari and Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am Ta'al) told the Palestinian news agency Ma'an that the aid ship will head to Gaza's port in the coming hours and will not be diverted.