­Israeli leaders have welcomed the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. What is interesting though, is that the Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says that half an hour before the operation was carried out, Israel was informed of its existence. Now not a lot has been made of this in either by the Israeli or the international media, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Certainly Lieberman makes the point that in no way did Israel contribute to the operation itself.

Yesterday Israel increased security around its main airport, Ben Gurion, and at American governmental offices here, but other than that, it hasn't increased general security alerts either within the country itself or abroad for Israeli citizens. Nonetheless, high-level security meetings are ongoing in order to assess the threats and implications of Osama's assassination.

One of the concerns Israel has is that militant organizations in Gaza affiliated with Al-Qaeda could now use his death as an excuse to launch attacks against Israel. News of Bin Laden's death attracted a difference of opinion amongst Palestinians themselves, although the Palestinian Authority publicly welcomed the killing. As can be expected, Hamas has vehemently criticized the murder, calling Bin Laden "a holy warrior".

Some of the questions which are being asked is why the Americans were able to capture him at this time and whether there is any significance in that timing. Another point that's been raised is whether this will give the USA an excuse to move their troops out of Afghanistan and perhaps concentrate them in Libya and elsewhere. These are some of the discussions taking place and the questions being asked at this point in time. What is certain, however, is that from the Israeli point of view, the assassination has been widely welcomed.

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