AIPAC Offices Closed for Rosh Hashanah Holiday

In observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, AIPAC offices will be closed through Friday, September 10. Offices will reopen and regular website updates will resume on Monday, September 13. In the meantime, check out the Issues page for concise analysis, feature coverage and links to special reports on key issues affecting the Middle East, Israel's security and the U.S.-Israel relationship. In addition, see below for recent news items.

U.S. Bans German-Based Iranian Bank

The Treasury Department blacklisted the Iranian-owned, German-based bank European-Iranian Trade Bank AG, citing its support for Iranian companies involved in weapons proliferation, The Wall Street Journal reported. The move bans the bank - known as EIH Bank for its German initials - from the American financial system, and makes it the first financial institution blacklisted by the United States since President Obama signed sweeping Iran sanctions legislation into law in early July. "As one of Iran's few remaining access points to the European financial system, EIH has facilitated a tremendous volume of transactions for Iranian banks previously [blacklisted] for proliferation" said Stuart Levey, the Treasury's top counter terrorism official. Click here to read AIPAC's statement on the U.S. action against Iran.

Abbas: I Won't 'Make Even One Concession'

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday said he would make no concessions on the right of return or the 1967 borders during negotiations with Israel, The Jerusalem Post reported. "If they demand concessions on the rights of the refugees or the 1967 borders, I will quit. I can't allow myself to make even one concession," he said. Abbas also said he would withdraw from the talks if Israel does not extend a 10-month moratorium settlement that expires at the end of September - a policy that Israel imposed on itself in an effort to jumpstart peace talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has called repeatedly for direct talks for more than a year, has said Israel is prepared to make painful concessions for peace with the Palestinians. Learn more about the key principles of the peace process.

IAEA: Iran Accelerating Nuclear Program

A new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report says that Iran has accelerated its nuclear program and currently possesses enough enriched uranium to make three nuclear devices, assuming it speeds up enrichment to 90 percent, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported on September 7. According to the findings, Iran currently has 22 kilograms of uranium enriched at levels of 20 percent, and a total of 2.8 tons of uranium enriched at 3.5 percent. The material is being supervised by IAEA inspectors and Iran cannot make use of it for military purposes without this being known to the international community. The report raises concerns, however, over what is described as Iran's consistent rejection of the IAEA decisions regarding the identity of the inspectors, and points out that in June, Iran prevented two inspectors it did not like from entering its nuclear sites.

Palestinian Terrorists Kill 4 Israeli Civilians

Four Israeli civilians were shot and killed outside of Hebron on August 31 by Palestinian terrorists, The Jerusalem Post reported. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. One of the victims was a pregnant woman. According to eyewitness reports, the terrorists succeeded in hitting the passengers in their initial fire but then approached the car and shot the occupants at close range. "When we arrived on the scene, all four doors of the car were open and four bodies were strewn on the road," Magen David Adom paramedic Guy Ronen said. "We saw that the vital organs had been struck by a very large number of bullets, and that there was no chance of saving their lives," he added. The incident comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas are set to resume direct talks for the first time in 18 months.