Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 19 april 2018
Israeli PM issues veiled warning to Iran over Syria tensions

By ILAN BEN ZION tion.” “If we’re required to
Associated Press defend ourselves, we will
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli rise to the challenge and
Prime Minister Benjamin ensure Israel’s victory,” Ne-
Netanyahu on Wednesday tanyahu said.
issued a veiled warning to The government is cele-
Iran, saying in a Memorial brating the country’s many
Day speech that his coun- economic and cultural
try will defend itself against accomplishments, while
anyone that tries to harm it. Israelis spend the day with
The premier’s remarks on dancing, fireworks, parties
Israel’s national day of and barbecues.
mourning come amid ris- President Donald Trump
ing tensions between Israel tweeted congratulations to
and Iran over an alleged Is- “all of the people of Israel
raeli airstrike targeting a Syr- on the 70th Anniversary of
ian air force base last week your Great Independence.
that left at least four Iranian We have no better friends
military personnel dead. anywhere. Looking forward
Iran has threatened to re- to moving our Embassy to
taliate, casting a shadow Jerusalem next month!”
over Israel’s celebration of But this year’s festivities
its 70-year Independence have been tempered by
Day celebrations, which Israelis observe a minute of silence as a siren is heard during a ceremony marking Israel’s annual rising tensions along Israel’s
were to begin at sundown. Memorial Day for fallen soldiers, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, April 17, 2018. northern front with Syria
Netanyahu said Israel is Associated Press and on the southern border
“determined to stand neighboring Syria or trans- while destroying Syrian anti- pable of destroying Israel with the Gaza Strip.
strong” in the face of “con- fer strategic arms to the aircraft systems at the T4 air and “if you provide an ex- Palestinians in Gaza have
tinued incitement by our Shiite militant group Hez- base. cuse for Iran, Tel Aviv and demonstrated on the Israeli
neighbors, a great many bollah in Lebanon. Israel Last week, that same base Haifa will be razed to the border fence every Friday
of whom refuse to come to has carried out numerous was attacked in an air- ground.” Netanyahu spoke since March 30, and 28 Pal-
terms with our existence.” airstrikes in Syria, most be- strike that Syria, Iran and at ceremonies paying re- estinians have been killed
He warned that “anyone lieved to have targeted Russia all blamed on Israel. spects to fallen soldiers and and over 1,500 wounded
who raises a hand against suspected arms shipments The Israelis have not com- victims of terrorism at the by Israeli fire.
us won’t be spared.” bound for Hezbollah. But mented on the strike, which Mount Herzl cemetery in Je- The Hamas-led protests
Iran has been a major in recent weeks, Israel and killed at least four Iranian rusalem, hours before Israel are meant to draw at-
backer of Syrian President its archenemy Iran have military personnel, but Iran was to begin celebrating tention to a decade-long
Bashar Assad in the seven- moved closer toward open has vowed revenge. its 70th anniversary at sun- Israeli-Egyptian blockade
year Syrian civil war, provid- conflict. In February, Israel Earlier on Wednesday, Ira- down. Netanyahu doubled imposed on Gaza after
ing the Assad government shot down what it says was nian Supreme Leader Ali down on his defiant state- the Islamic militant group
with troops, arms and mili- an Iranian drone, launched Khamenei on Twitter called ment at an Independence seized power there. More
tiamen. from Syria, carrying explo- for “offensive plans against Day celebration ceremony protests are expected in
Israel has repeatedly sives aimed at an Israeli the enemy,” without spe- Wednesday night, saying the coming weeks, with
warned that it will take ac- target. Israel responded cifically naming Israel. Israel is “not deterred from Hamas signaling it may call
tion to prevent Iran from with airstrikes in Syria, with Earlier this week an aide to a struggle against those for a massive breach of the
entrenching its forces in one warplane shot down, Khamenei said Iran is ca- who strive for our annihila- border.q

Italy president taps Berlusconi ally to try to break impasse

ROME (AP) — Italy’s presi- The leader of the populist “with the same spirit of ser-
dent on Wednesday 5-Star Movement, Luigi Di vice” that she has given
tapped the Senate presi- Maio, has refused to be to heading up the Senate,
dent, a longtime supporter part of any government saying she’d quickly sched-
of ex-Premier Silvio Berlus- that includes Berlusconi ule consultations with the
coni, to explore possible al- and has tried to woo the various parties.
liances to create a govern- xenophobic League away Berlusconi emerged from
ing majority in Parliament, from Berlusconi’s Forza Ita- the consultations insisting
more than a month after It- lia. Berlusconi, whose Forza he had never imposed a
aly’s inconclusive elections. Italia remains a significant “veto” on a possible alli-
As leader of the Senate, power in the center-right ance with the 5-Stars, say-
Maria Elisabetta Casellati bloc that won 37 percent ing it was the 5-Stars’ Di
holds the second-highest of the vote, has called Di Maio who had vetoed For-
position in Italy’s govern- Maio’s 5-Stars undemocrat- za Italia.
ing institutions, making her ic. If Casellati fails to find a
the logical choice after Italian Senate President Maria Elisabetta Casellati leaves after Mattarella gave Casellati workable alliance, Mat-
two rounds of presidential- meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal until Friday to report back tarella could then tap
led consultations failed to Palace, in Rome, Wednesday, April 18, 2018. on any progress in break- the president of the lower
break an impasse. Associated Press ing the logjam. After meet- Chamber of Deputies, Ro-
But there was no indication Mattarella has failed. The have failed to find agree- ing for 45 minutes with the berto Fico of the 5-Stars, for
Casellati would succeed two leading political blocs ment or even meet one- president Wednesday, Ca- another exploratory round
where President Sergio after the March 4 vote on-one. sellati said she would work of consultations.q