15/09/2009 Israeli occupation army Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said on Tuesday that despite the Katyusha attacks on the occupied Palestinian territories over the weekend from southern Lebanon and what he called “evidence of ongoing Hezbollah efforts to rearm in possible preparation for a future confrontation with Israel,” the Galilee is safe and should be a preferred destination for Israeli vacationers adding that the military would be ready in the event that war breaks out along the Lebanese border.

"We are paying close attention to the events on the northern side of the border, and therefore responded to the launching of Katyushas immediately and proportionately," Ashkenazi said during a Rosh Hashana toast at the Northern Command headquarters, attended by military personnel as well as local municipality heads. "All the sides are interested in quiet, which has prevailed here since the Second Lebanon War (in 2006). If there is no quiet, they will find us ready," Ashkenazi said.

On Friday, two Katyusha rockets launched from southern Lebanon landed near Nahariya. The occupation army fired about 15 artillery shells at the source of the shooting immediately afterward.

"The Lebanese army and government are responsible for preventing such attacks. Everyone wants quiet, but we are prepared. We have our eyes open and are following the events in southern Lebanon. The explosion in the hidden weapons cache [in July] proved that Hezbollah is still in the process of rearming. I can't see an interest on their behalf to end the situation, so we won't be complacent," he assured.

A group said to be affiliated with al-Qaida claimed Monday morning that it had launched Friday's attack. A statement cited Israel's Gaza blockade and the restrictions on Muslims wishing to pray at the Temple Mount's Aksa Mosque. The statement was signed by the Ziad al-Jarrah division of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, and the statement's headline linked the organization to al-Qaida.

Israel reportedly called homes throughout Lebanon and warned residents that the Israeli army reserved the right to respond to Friday's attack.

SUSPECTED SPY: “I DON’T KNOW WHAT ASHKENAZI LOOKS LIKE”
Meanwhile, Tira resident Rawi Sultani, accused of spying on Ashkenazi at a Kfar Saba gym, denied the allegations against him as his trial opened Tuesday morning at the Petah Tikva District Court.

"It's all nonsense, and it will be proved in court. I don't even know what the chief of staff looks like," he said.

Sultani has been charged with handing information to the enemy, contacting a foreign agent and conspiring to commit a crime. During the first court hearing, held in front of a three-judge panel, the severe indictment filed against him was read out. The discussion was then postponed at the defense counsel's request, in order to allow Sultani's lawyers to review the evidence.

During a second hearing on the prosecution's request to keep the defendant in custody until the completion of all legal proceedings, his lawyers once against asked for a delay in order to review the evidence. The judge accepted, and the next discussions were delayed till October.

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21/09/2009 Israeli army chief of staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi said Monday that the military underwent significant improvements since the 2006 war against Lebanon and "has the answer" to any future conflict.
"Since the Second Lebanon War, we have done an all encompassing review of the possibility we may need to fight again in the North. We understand what we need to do next time and the army has the answer," Ashkenazi told Army Radio in a question and answer session. "It is a strong and high quality military, and I trust it," he stressed.

After claiming that his army has managed to gain effective deterrence in the north, Ashkenazi said that it was not in Hezbollah's interest to start a new conflict. "We are monitoring closely what is happening inside of Lebanon. Hezbollah continues to become stronger," he said.

"I think Hezbollah is not interested, at least at the moment, in renewing actions. But at the same time we are not complacent, we are following events," he added.

Turning to Iran, the Israeli General claimed the best way to deal with Tehran's nuclear program is sanctions. "If sanctions don't work, Israel has the right to defend itself, and all means can be used to achieve this," Ashkenazi threatened.

About a UN report on Israel's winter offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli chief of staff said the document was "biased and unbalanced."

Referring to Richard Goldstone, the South African prosecutor who wrote the report, the Israeli occupation military chief told Army Radio: "He ignored Hamas (rocket) fire. As the one who planned the operation, I say that we have a moral army; we did everything we could to lessen the harm to noncombatants."

http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=104091&language=en