In the news: Israel and the Revived Roman Empire

Both Israel and the Roman Empire of our day dominated the news this morning.

The EU is going through an increasing crisis and as we've said before "Big Crisis = Big Change". Somehow, I believe we are in the early days of watching the EU transform into the 10 Kings stage:

Greece risks meltdown after bailout vote bombshell

The Greek government faced possible collapse on Tuesday as ruling party lawmakers demanded Prime Minister George Papandreou resign for throwing the nation's euro membership into jeopardy with a shock call for a referendum.

The euro and global stocks were pummeled on financial markets after the Greek move threw into question the survival of crucial efforts to contain the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis.

Greek government in chaos with debt deal in doubt

The Greek government teetered and stock markets around the world plummeted Tuesday after a hard-won European plan to save the Greek economy was suddenly thrown into doubt by the prospect of a public vote.

With several of his lawmakers rebelling, it was unclear whether Papandreou would have enough support to push the idea through. Although he had not set a specific question or date for the referendum, ministers indicated it would likely be held in January.

Greeks have been outraged by repeated rounds of tax increases and salary and pension cuts imposed as the government struggles to meet the conditions of a first, $153 billion bailout the country has been relying on since May 2010.

A Greek rejection of the second rescue package could cause bank failures in Europe and perhaps a new recession in Europe, the market for 20 percent of American exports. It could also cause Greece to leave the alliance of 17 nations that use the euro.

Greece Referendum Crisis Deepens

Europe was teetering on the edge of disaster last night as fears grew that the Greek government is about to collapse.

Markets nosedived around the world, with billions wiped off the value of Britain’s leading firms, as Athens announced extraordinary plans to sack its military leaders amid rampant speculation that it was trying to head off a coup d’etat.

‘It’s all over. The government is about to collapse,’ said one Greek official. Greece’s former deputy finance minister Petros Doukas agreed: ‘The **** has hit the fan.’

Global markets plunge with Greek government on brink of collapse

A crisis cabinet meeting was called in Athens on Tuesday amid demands for Prime Minister George Papandreou's resignation. Opponents of the Greek premier derided his calling a referendum as an "act of unprecedented irresponsibility". Mr Papandreou said his government would face a vote of confidence on Friday night.

Humiliated European leaders, led by Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, scrambled to prop up the Brussels agreement ahead of Thursday's G20 summit.

The German Chancellor and French President announced they were "determined" to "ensure the implementation without delay the decisions adopted at the eurozone summit of October 27, which are today more necessary than ever" and have summoned Mr Papandreou to a pre-G20 crisis meeting in Cannes on Wednesday.

Sarkozy, Merkel to meet Greeks on Wednesday

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold an emergency meeting with Greece on Wednesday to push for a quick implementation of Athens' bailout deal, the "only solution" to its debt crisis, Sarkozy said on Tuesday.

The meeting comes just before a Nov 3-4 gathering of G20 heads of states in Cannes and will attempt to reassure world powers that the euro zone can resolve its crisis.

And in Israel we see yet more rumors of war:

Will Israel Strike Iran? Speculation Fed by Looming Report on Iran's Nuclear Activities

The possibility of an Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities has become the subject of growing media speculation in Israel, fed in part by comments from some political leaders.

Similar conjecture has occurred in the past, but this time the reports are linked to the looming release of a new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's nuclear activities, which is expected to go further than previous such reports in hardening suspicions that the programs have a military dimension, despite Iran's consistent assertions to the contrary.

The report is due to be released by IAEA director-general Yukio Amano on Nov. 8, ahead of a meeting the following week of the 35-member IAEA governing board.

The Israeli media speculation began late last week with reports in the mass-circulation tabloid Yediot Ahronot saying that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are pushing for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. The Israeli cabinet was said to be divided on the matter.

Iran military head warns of 'heavy damage' after an Israeli attack

Iran's military chief warned Wednesday that an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear development sites will come at a heavy price, according to the Iranian ISNA news agency.

Responding to reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to gain a majority in the cabinet for an attack on Iran, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of Iran's armed forces, Hassan Firouzabadi, warned both Israel and the U.S. against such a move.

Senior ministers and diplomats said the International Atomic Energy Agency's report, due to be released on November 8, will have a decisive effect on the decisions Israel makes.

Israel Air Force conducts drills for long-range attacks

While the media and political sphere is abuzz with news on a potential attack on Iran's nuclear development facilities, the Israel Air Force continues conducting comprehensive drills on long-range attacks.

The last drill of this sort took place last week at the NATO base in Italy, in which six different types of air force squadrons participated. The drill was widely covered on websites around the world that specialize in aviation.

The drill included most of the aviation components that are likely to take part in future long-range attacking missions: combat squadrons, aerial refueling and air monitoring stations.

Netanyahu trying to persuade cabinet to support attack on Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are trying to muster a majority in the cabinet in favor of military action against Iran, a senior Israeli official has said. According to the official, there is a "small advantage" in the cabinet for the opponents of such an attack.

Netanyahu and Barak recently persuaded Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who previously objected to attacking Iran, to support such a move.

Leading ministers were publicly dropping hints on Tuesday that Israeli could attack Iran, although a member of the forum of eight senior ministers said no such decision had been taken.

According to Western experts' analyses, an attack on Iran in winter is almost impossible, because the thick clouds would obstruct the Israel Air Force's performance.

At the same time, we look over at Syria - another potential tipping point:

UN investigators find new signs of Syria-Pakistan nuke tie

U.N. investigators have identified a previously unknown complex in Syria that bolsters suspicions that the Syrian government worked with A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, to acquire technology that could make nuclear arms.

The buildings in northwest Syria closely match the design of a uranium enrichment plant provided to Libya when Moammar Gaddafi was trying to build nuclear weapons under Khan's guidance, officials told The Associated Press.

Details of the Syria-Khan connection were provided to the AP by a senior diplomat with knowledge of IAEA investigations and a former U.N. investigator. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Syria has reasons to seek a nuclear weapon. It has been in a Cold War for decades with Israel, a country believed to have a sizable nuclear arsenal.

"A nuclear weapon would give Syria at least a kind of parity with Israel and some status within the region," said Anthony Cordesman, a national security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Netanyahu Disregards Obama, Orders Building of 2,000 New Homes in East Jerusalem

Israel’s prime minister is ordering the building of 2,000 new housing units for Israelis, mainly in east Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the new construction includes settlements near Jerusalem that he believes would be part of Israel in a peace accord.

An Israeli official said the accelerated building in the part of Jerusalem the Palestinians claim is an answer to recent unilateral moves by the Palestinians. He was speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state and object to Jewish housing there. Palestinians demand an end to all construction in Israeli settlements before peace talks can resume. Israel rejects that as a precondition.

Netanyahu’s decision might also serve as a snub to the Obama administration after it publicly rebuked Israel for considering expanding settlements in east Jerusalem.