Israeli emergency personnel load the body of a Jewish Israeli man into an ambulance after he was shot dead near the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City June 21, 2013. (Reuters)

A security guard shot and killed an Israeli man on Friday at a public restroom at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, one of Judaism’s holiest sites. He opened fire after hearing the man shout "Allahu Akbar," which means "God is greatest" in Arabic. The guard said he fired his handgun because he thought the man was a Palestinian militant, Reuters quoted police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld as saying: "The fact he shouted Allahu Akbar, that seems to be why the security guard drew his weapon and fired a number of shots at him."

The victim, who was Jewish and in his mid-40s, was treated for his injuries by paramedics but died from his wounds, the Jerusalem Post reported. The victim of the shooting was a frequent visitor to the holy site, according to Israeli media. Those who knew him said he was a ‘strange person,’ slightly disconnected from reality, who came to the Western Wall to rant about government policies. Lately, he claimed that he had converted to Islam, witnesses said. The Arabic phrase "Allahu Akbar" – known as Takbir – is commonly used by Muslims in a variety of contexts, from formal prayer to casual expression of strong emotions like fear, surprise, triumph or defiance. The informal use may be compared to the Western phrase “Oh my God.” The shooting incident happened at the Western Wall, a place of regular mass worship for Jewish believers. The plaza adjoining the wall is located is next to the Temple Mount, which is revered by Jews as the place where two biblical temples once stood. It is also the site of Islam's third holiest mosque, Al-Aqsa.

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth (2nd L) stands near a police cordon at the site of a shooting incident near the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City June 21, 2013. (Reuters)

Israeli-Palestinian border talks are on hold, and each side is waging a war of words against the other. With acts of violence and ‘price tag’ attacks on the rise, some say Israel is building new walls “wherever there are Arabs.” Israel insists it is building separation walls to prevent terrorism and illegal immigration, both of which reportedly dropped 90 percent after the barriers were erected. “Our neighbors, next door, the Arabs, they making a lot of troubles for us,” Israeli Itay Nachon told RT. “There is people here that are farmers, they have land growing wheat or something else, and [the Palestinians] used to burn everything. They are selling drugs. They come to our houses and steal to pay for drugs they want.” The separation walls are also seen as a tool of self-defense: “Of course it saves lives… the fact is that Israel is defending itself and preparing itself for possible, future attacks towards the borders of Israel is a necessity,” terror analyst Yoram Schweitzer of the Institute for National Strategic Studies told RT. Jews and Arabs have lived side-by-side for generations in the Israeli city of Lod, a 20-minute drive from Tel Aviv. But in one part of the city, the two groups are now living on opposite sides of a concrete wall. Lod has the highest homicide rate in Israel, which police say is due to infighting among Arab families. The Palestinians deny this claim, and say the walls are aimed at keeping them under siege and annexing Palestinian land. “There is no reason to build this wall besides racism. They built it because we are Arabs. It bothers me, they did not leave us any room and they do not even own this land,” a Lod resident identified as Ashraf told RT. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that the only way to “end the negotiations for peace is to begin them," but the Palestinians have taken no concrete steps in this direction. "This conflict predates 1967 by almost half a century, it predates the settlements," Netanyahu said Thursday night at the closing panel of the President's Conference in Jerusalem. “Jews fear Arabs and wherever there are Arabs they build around them a wall … if there are no Arabs so they don’t build a wall,” Lod resident Abdullah told RT.

Israel more isolated by the day

“The walls became the name of the game of Israel. Virtual walls and real walls. The feeling is that the Israelis are more and more getting into their ghetto. Everything will be ‘solved’ by building a wall. And above all, the walls against us, let’s build a wall,” Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy wrote. Street violence against Arabs – such as ‘price tag’ attacks that often involving young Israelis – has also been on the rise in Israel. Earlier this month, Netanyahu went as far as decrying “racism against Israeli Arabs and acts of hooliganism against Palestinians.” ‘Price tag’ attacks are acts of violence and vandalism radical Israel settlers commit against both Palestinians and Israeli security forces in retribution for any actions viewed as antagonistic to the expansion of settlements. In one recent incident, assailants believed to be Jewish extremists slashed the tires of 28 cars, and left hateful slogans on homes of Arabs in the village of Abu Ghosh. Last week, the Israeli government decided against defining hate crimes perpetrated against Arabs as acts of terrorism, asserting that the assailants would instead be treated as members of illegal organizations. The decision makes the victims of such crimes ineligible for compensation from the state. And while those who possess comprehensive insurance may be reimbursed, the rest will have to cover the costs themselves. "The State of Israel must recognize victims of Jewish terrorism the same way it recognize victims of terrorism perpetrated by Arabs," said Gadi Gvaryahu, the founder of Tag Meir, an advocacy group for the victim of ‘price tag’ attacks.

Reuters / Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Reuters / Yannis Behrakis

"Palestinian children arrested by [Israeli] military and police are systematically subject to degrading treatment, and often to acts of torture, are interrogated in Hebrew, a language they did not understand, and sign confessions in Hebrew in order to be released," the report said. Children are fitted with leg chains and shackles to appear before military courts, and are often held in solitary confinement. The committee blames Israel’s “long-standing occupation” of Palestinian territory for the “severe and continuous violations of the rights of Palestinian children and their families."  Many Palestinian children are denied birth certificates, health care and education, as well as basic needs such as clean water. Israel – which disputes the international stance that its West Bank settlements are illegal – denied the accusations. The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused the UN report of “recycling old stuff” that carries “no importance.” "If someone simply wants to magnify their political bias and political bashing of Israel not based on a new report, on work on the ground, but simply recycling old stuff, there is no importance in that," Reuters quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor as saying. According to Palmor, officials from the ministry and the military cooperated with UNICEF in March for its work on the report. He claimed the effort was aimed at improving the treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli custody. "Israel will study the conclusions and will work to implement them through ongoing cooperation with UNICEF, whose work we value and respect," he said back then.

Centrifuges at Iran's Nantanz nuclear site.(AFP Photo / Press TV)

  Iran has confirmed it is prepared to halt its enrichment of 20-percent uranium, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, urging Western nations to end their sanctions against Tehran.

 “For the first time in many years, there are encouraging signs in the process of settlement of the situation with the Iranian nuclear program,” he said in the interview to Kuwait’s KUNA news agency, that was published on  Russian Foreign Ministry’s website. “Without going into details, the Iranians confirm the most important [point]: Their readiness to stop 20 percent uranium enrichment at its current levels,” Lavrov said.“This could become a breakthrough agreement, significantly alleviating existing problems, including concerns about the possibility of advanced uranium enrichment to a weapons-grade level.” Such a move “implies significant reciprocal steps by the Six,” the minister added, referring to the group of world powers seeking to peacefully resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program. “The international community must adequately respond to the constructive progress made by Iran, including gradual suspension and lifting of sanctions, both unilateral and those introduced by the UN Security Council. It would be a shame not to take advantage of this opportunity,” Lavrov concluded. News of Iran’s possible concessions over its nuclear program comports with promises made by Iranian President-elect Hassan Rowhani, who vowed to make the program more transparent. Still, the moderate cleric stressed on Monday that Tehran would not consider halting the country’s uranium enrichment activities entirely. Rowhani insisted that Iran’s nuclear activities are “within the framework of law,” and dubbed the international sanctions “baseless.” Despite numerous accusations by Israel and the US that it is secretly conducting military nuclear research, Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is only for civilian purposes. At his first media conference since winning the presidential elections, Rowhani – who previously headed Iran’s delegation during  nuclear talks with the six world powers – said that Tehran’s nuclear activities “are already transparent,” but “the only way to end the sanctions is to increase the transparency and trust” between Iran and the international community. Washington has been expecting changes in Iran’s hardline stance on the nuclear issue following the country’s presidential elections. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said Sunday on ‘Face the Nation’ that Washington is ready to work with the new administration in Tehran, "If he lives up to his obligations under the UN Security Council resolution to come clean on this illicit nuclear program.” But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained unconvinced: "The international community must not become caught up in wishes and be tempted to relax the pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear program,” he said. President-elect Rowhani will assume office in August. He believes that he can heal the “old wound” of troubled US-Iran relations if Washington stops interfering in Tehran’s internal affairs and permanently ends its “bullying” practices towards Iran.