The most important international factor that influences the Syrian crisis is the politics of the United States and Russia. In the eyes of the majority of the American observers, the primary factor for the continuing bloodshed in Syria is the diplomatic and military support rendered to Assad's regime by Russia.

Let's take a closer look at the main arguments of the powerful group of observers and experts who tend to blame exclusively Moscow for the endless bloodbath in Syria. Some of those arguments are absolutely correct. It is true that one of the main reasons for the Russian attitude is the traditional close relationship between Moscow and Damascus that has lasted for decades. It is also true that the loss of this connection will deprive Russia of its only remaining ally in the area. In case of a regime change, Russia is about to lose Tartus, which is the only base of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean.

Undoubtedly, given that in the eyes of President Putin the United States is the main geopolitical enemy of his country, he is determined not to allow an American victory in the Syrian confrontation. All this is true, and it fits the "blame Russia for Syria's calamity" school of interpretation. At the same time, however, there are some additional elements of the picture that as a rule are absent from Western analyses but which happen to be absolutely correct.

The most important among them is Moscow's stake in the future of bilateral relations with Syria and the Russian interest in finding a solution to the crisis that will preserve the secular system of government. This dimension of the Russian approach to the Syrian crisis has never been properly understood by Sec. Clinton. As far as the State Department bureaucracy is concerned, they also don't understand, or rather pretend not to understand, that a victory of the opposition will be nothing short of the establishment of an Islamic dictatorship over Syria....

Border between Israel, Egypt along Road 12 (Photo: REUTERS)

A growing number of countries are flocking to Israel to study border security as the Defense Ministry works to complete the construction of a physical and technological barrier along the Egyptian border.

In August, a delegation from India will arrive to study the various technologies used by the IDF to secure the borders with the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Egypt, and which could be implemented as part of India’s own fence with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The interest in Israeli border security has spiked since Israel began constructing a barrier along its border with Egypt to stem terrorism and infiltrations by illegal migrants. The Defense Ministry and IDF have so far completed about 150 km, of the fence; plans are to complete the remainder by the end of the year....

...Here are 7 fascinating things I learned there that are worth sharing:

1.) I had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of “Save a Child’s Heart,” an Israeli medical charity that performs pediatric heart surgery for non-Jewish children in desperate need of help, free of charge. Since its inception in 1995, the organization has literally saved the lives of 3,000 non-Jewish children, 50% of whom came from Gaza, the West Bank and Iraq.

When I heard these statistics I could not believe it. I asked a worker there if this amazing organization helps the image of Israel in the Palestinian territories, as “Save a Child’s Heart” certainly assists many families who despise the Jewish State. She responded: “We hope so.”

2.) There are two UN refugee agencies in the world: First is the United Nations Relief and Works Administrations (UNRWA) for 5 million Palestinian refugees (which includes the descendants of the original 500,000 Palestinian refugees from the Israeli War of Independence) which employs 30,000 workers. The UNRWA has resettled no Palestinians.

The second refugee agency is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which assists every other refugee in the world–including 100 million displaced people during the last 50 years–and employs 7,000 people. The UNHCR has resettled tens of millions of refugees....

...How is it possible that the only nation in the world whose borders are not arbitrary, and who has an ancient, unbroken connection to its land is accused of illegal occupation? It is a particularly bitter irony when young nations of the world, barely a hundred years old themselves, accuse the oldest nation of all of colonialism, and deny its right to exist within its ancient borders.

Modern-born countries, such as South Africa and others, arrogantly seek to label goods from the “occupied territories,” and yet they were not even a glimmer on the horizon of human history when there was already a Jewish state in the Land of Israel. Thousands of years before the United States, or Britain, even existed, ancient Israel was a thriving Jewish country with great cities such as Jerusalem, Shiloh and Hebron and many others which the world today classifies as the “West Bank” but which the Hebrew Bible calls Judea and Samaria. Since Joshua conquered the land about 3,300 years ago there have been three Jewish commonwealths and an unbroken Jewish presence in the Land of Israel.

The audacity of those who contest Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is historically bizarre and unconscionable. Three thousand years ago the great capitals of today did not even exist; there was no London, Paris, Washington or Moscow – but Jerusalem was a Jewish city, and it was the capital of the Jewish state. Since the Roman conquest of Israel about 2,000 years ago, Jews mention the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple at every wedding and funeral; we pray for their rebuilding in every prayer service and every time we say Grace after Meals. If Jerusalem is not the capital of the Jewish people and the Jewish state, then the very concept of a capital city has no meaning.

The Olympic Games officially open on the 27th of July. It is remarkable that on the Jewish calendar this date corresponds to Tisha Be’av – the very day which, more than any other, demonstrates the eternal Jewish connection to Jerusalem and Israel. It is the fast day on which we mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple some 2,500 years and then again, almost 2,000 years ago....

"A nation has the capacity to choose its own capital city, and Jerusalem is Israel's capital," Romney told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an interview set to air Monday. "I think it's long been the policy to ultimately have our embassy in the nation's capital of Jerusalem."

At a meeting with the Iraqi Government, the United Nations top official in the Middle Eastern country today urged the authorities to avoid violence in resolving the situation of more than 1,000 Iranian exiles currently located in a camp in Iraq.

With armed violence continuing unabated in parts of Syria, thousands of people are fleeing their homes on a daily basis and seeking refuge in schools, mosques and public buildings, as well as in neighbouring countries, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.

At a meeting with the Iraqi Government, the United Nations top official in the Middle Eastern country today urged the authorities to avoid violence in resolving the situation of more than 1,000 Iranian exiles currently located in a camp in Iraq.

UCI presents a video salute to Israel's 2012 Olympians and remembers the Olympians of 1972.

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UCI presents a video salute to Israel's 2012 Olympians and remembers the Olympians of 1972.

HELP UCI TAKE ACTION:

• If you haven't already, SEND OUT YOUR ACTION to CONGRESS saying: "Move The US Embassy Now!"

• Share this new UCI Olympics video NOW! (Copy and paste this link to Facebook & Twitter)