Jordanian officials have denounced the Israeli government’s decision to allow 230 radical Jews to break into Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday. The radicals were celebrating the Jewish festival of Purim and had called the day earlier to hold “carnival” festivities on this holiday, which is often celebrated with Jews wearing costumes …
Read More »Khamenie wants more uranium enrichment as Iran blocks IAEA inspectors
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday Iran might enrich uranium up to 60% purity if the country needed it and would never yield to U.S. pressure over its nuclear programme, state television reported. Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six powers, which it has been breaching since the United …
Read More »Biden makes long anticipated, long delayed Netanyahu call
U.S. President Joe Biden made a long-awaited first phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after a delay that had seen Washington deny it was snubbing Israel’s leader. There had been speculation that the Democratic president was signaling displeasure over Netanyahu’s close ties with former President Donald …
Read More »Israel not interested in including Biden in its Iran strategy
Israel held out the possibility on Tuesday that it would not engage with US President Joe Biden on strategy regarding the Iranian nuclear program, urging tougher sanctions and a “credible military threat” against its arch-enemy. The remarks by Israel’s envoy to Washington came at a touchy juncture for Prime Minister …
Read More »BREAKING NEWS – Syrian air defence intercept Israeli planes over Damascus
Syria’s army said on Monday the country’s air defences had intercepted “Israeli aggression” over the capital, Damascus, in the latest stepped-up bombing of Iranian targets inside the country over the last two months. The Israeli military, which just began a surprise air force combat drill along the country’s northern border, …
Read More »Israel defines US on Golan as UN expert supports ICC West Bank ruling
Israel will keep the Golan Heights forever, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced remarks that stopped short of recognizing the claim. In 2019, then-US President Donald Trump parted with other world powers by recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli. Israel occupied …
Read More »Blinken won’t condemn or endorse Israeli annexation of Golan Heights
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday stopped short of endorsing the Trump administration’s recognition of the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel, instead noting that the territory was important for Israel’s security. Former President Donald Trump officially granted U.S. recognition of the Golan as Israeli territory in …
Read More »Worried about Biden, Israel thinks of war with Iran
Israel is revising military options for a possible clash with Iran, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government braces for differences with the incoming U.S. administration on Iranian nuclear policy. U.S. President Donald Trump delighted Netanyahu by quitting the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and …
Read More »Iran preempts US and enriches uranium to 20%
Iran has resumed 20% uranium enrichment at an underground nuclear facility, the government said on Monday, breaching a 2015 nuclear pact with major powers and possibly complicating efforts by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal. Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Iran’s arch foe Israel, said the move was …
Read More »New Israeli election in bid to drop Gantz
Israel on Tuesday was on course for a fourth national election in two years after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main governing partner, Benny Gantz, failed to resolve a dispute over the budget. Parliament voted late on Monday against an attempt by both men to delay a deadline of …
Read More »US joint chiefs of staff, Israel discussing Iran military threat
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, on Friday to discuss regional threats, especially Iranian aggression. They also “discussed the ongoing military cooperation between the two countries and the opportunities that currently lie in the region,” Ofir Gendelman, the premier’s …
Read More »In reversal Abbas to resume security cooperation with Israel
The Palestinian Authority will resume civil and security cooperation with Israel suspended in May over a now-frozen Israeli plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian minister said on Tuesday. Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh wrote on Twitter that “the relationship with Israel will return to how …
Read More »US okays sale of stealth fighters to UAE
The U.S. State Department notified Congress it approved the sale of 50 Lockheed Martin Co LMT.N F-35 jets to the United Arab Emirates in a deal that could be worth $10 billion, sources said on Thursday, potentially setting up a showdown with lawmakers over the deal. The United States and …
Read More »Sudanese oppose normalisation as Israel envoy prepares visit
Prominent political factions in Sudan have rejected a deal brokered with the help of the United States to take steps to normalise ties with Israel. The agreement was sealed on Friday in a call between U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Sudanese transitional leaders. It would …
Read More »Israeli cabinet fails to resolve financial crisis as new official quits
Israel’s finance minister promised on Sunday the long awaited 2021 state budget would be ready in December amid accusations the government was dragging its heels for political reasons and after a third senior economic official quit in three months. Failure to pass last year’s budget was a big factor in …
Read More »Israel says no to Qatar having American-made F-35 jets
Israel would oppose any U.S. sale of advanced F-35 warplanes to Qatar, Israel’s intelligence minister said on Sunday, citing a need to maintain Israeli military superiority in the region. Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen made the comments in response to a Reuters report that Qatar – whose Iran links trouble Israel …
Read More »Bandar bin Sultan takes issue with Palestinian leadership over normalisation
Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, slammed the Palestinian leadership for criticizing the decision of some Gulf states to normalise ties with Israel. In an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television aired on Monday, the prince labelled the Palestinian …
Read More »Democratic crackdown leads to top-level COVID resignation in Israel
Israel’s tourism minister resigned on Friday in protest at a new law that curbed demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the measure left him without a “shred of trust” in the veteran leader. Azaf Zamir will be replaced by Orit Farkash Hacohen, a fellow member of the Blue and …
Read More »Israel to extend legislative crackdown on protestors under COVID pretext
Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated outside parliament on Tuesday against a government-backed bill likely to stifle protests near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home during the current coronavirus lockdown. The proposed law, which the government said was aimed at curbing COVID-19 infections, bans Israelis from holding street demonstrations more than one kilometre …
Read More »Sudan says no to blackmail over Israeli normalization
Sudan does not want to link its removal from a U.S. terrorism list that is hindering access to foreign funding for the country’s economy with a normalisation of relations with Israel, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on Saturday. Sources said this week that U.S. officials indicated in talks with a …
Read More »Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guards warn of dire consequence for Bahraini move
Bahrain’s minister of foreign affairs Abdullatif Al-Zayani and Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi held a phone call on Saturday, the Bahrain foreign ministry announced, after the normalization of relations the day before. The ministers stressed the need to move relations forward to promote peace and stability in the region, it said. …
Read More »Israeli Supreme Court finally decrees settlements as illegal in landmark case
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a cluster of homes in a Jewish settlement outpost in the occupied West Bank was built on privately owned Palestinian land and must therefore be removed. Accepting a petition by Palestinian plaintiffs, Israel’s top court overturned a 2018 District Court ruling which had …
Read More »Saudi insists Arab peace plan outweighs all other priorities
Saudi Arabia remains committed to peace with Israel on the basis of the longstanding Arab Peace Initiative, its foreign minister said on Wednesday in the first official comment since the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalise relations with Israel. Israel and the UAE said on Thursday they would normalise diplomatic …
Read More »Sudan ‘apparently’ follows UAE lead over Israel – UPDATE
Sudan on Tuesday confirmed having contacts with Israel, saying the United Arab Emirates’ decision to normalise relations with Israel is “a brave and bold step”, according to its foreign ministry spokesman. Under the U.S.-brokered deal announced last week, the UAE becomes the just third Arab country to forge full relations …
Read More »Normalisation formalised between UAE, Israel with Trump’s help – UPDATES
Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced on Thursday that they will normalise diplomatic ties and forge a broad new relationship, a move that reshapes the order of Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran. Under the accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker, …
Read More »UPDATES – Violence erupts on Lebanese-Israeli border
The Israeli military said a there has been a “security incident” on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon on Monday and ordered residents in the area to remain indoors. Israel’s N12 TV News reported an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and militants and said explosions were heard in the area. …
Read More »Vatican angry at US, Israel over annexation plan
The Vatican, in a highly unusual move, summoned both the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors to express the Holy See’s concern about Israel’s moves to extend its sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank. A Vatican statement on Wednesday said meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the …
Read More »Boris Johnson says please don’t annex West Bank
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cautioned Israel on Wednesday against annexation in the occupied West Bank, saying it would violate international law and harm its drive to improve relations with the Arab world. Israeli leaders decided in May that a cabinet debate on annexing parts of the West Bank, under …
Read More »EU must stand up to Israeli annexation, says UN investigator
A U.N. rights investigator urged the European Union on Friday to consider measures to prevent or punish any Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, a few days after over 1,000 European lawmakers made a similar call. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres added his voice to the matter …
Read More »Israeli peace activists protest annexation plan
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to extend sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank, de-facto annexation of land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Protesting in face masks and keeping their distance from each other under new coronavirus restrictions, the demonstrators …
Read More »UAE says no go on West Bank annexation
A senior United Arab Emirates official said on Monday that any unilateral move by Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank would be a serious setback for the Middle East peace process. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said cabinet discussions would begin on July 1 on his …
Read More »Prisoner exchange on agenda for Gaza-Israel
Israel called on Tuesday for the immediate resumption of indirect talks on the return of two Israeli civilians and the remains of two soldiers held for years in Gaza, but the territory’s Islamist rulers Hamas dismissed the overture. The Israeli appeal came in a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s …
Read More »Israel to spy on citizens with mobiles, for coronavirus
The Israeli government began deploying cellphone-monitoring technology against the coronavirus on Tuesday, and issued directives urging people not to leave home. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet approved emergency regulations that will enable the Shin Bet internal security service to tap into cellular data to retrace the movements of people infected …
Read More »Israel’s goal is to disarm the Palestinian people
By Dr. Aqel Salah* This study discusses the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and the continuing Israeli war by all means against Hamas. The study is based on a fundamental question: Is the war on Gaza aimed at rocket warheads or the head of Hamas? In order …
Read More »Trump bemoans Israeli democracy
U.S. President Donald Trump, voicing impatience with close ally Israel, said on Sunday he was not happy about electoral upheaval there and urged the Israelis to “get their act together.” Israeli lawmakers voted to dissolve parliament on Thursday, paving the way for a new election on Sept. 17 after veteran …
Read More »Legal deadlock forces Netanyahu back to the polls
Israeli lawmakers voted to dissolve parliament on Thursday, paving the way for a new election after veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government before a midnight deadline. Netanyahu preferred a new ballot, set for Sept. 17, to the alternative, under which Israeli President Reuven Rivlin could …
Read More »Netanyahu faces early election following Lieberman resignation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced calls on Thursday from his coalition partners to hold an early election, a day after the defense minister’s resignation left the government with a razor-thin majority. Avigdor Lieberman quit on Wednesday over what he described as the government’s too-soft policy on cross-border violence with …
Read More »The Woman Who Could Be Israel’s Next Leader
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fond of showing his visitors an ancient seal unearthed in Jerusalem, thought to date back more than 2,700 years. Its inscription is similar to the prime minister’s family name—proof of the historic bond between the Jewish people and their land, and perhaps (one might …
Read More »Netanyahu Deceives International Community by Dealing with New Settlements As Outskirts
Using all kinds of deception, Netanyahu cheats the International Community, and continues to build new settlements in the West Bank, and denies being old settlements, even though some of which are classified as random ones, and Netanyahu refuses to give them a town name fearing European and the international community’s …
Read More »Netanyahu’s Not-Quite-2-State Solution
Updated 8 a.m. ET Monday President Trump’s administration has begun pressing Israel to embrace the idea of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insisting on something less. Netanyahu spoke with NPR after Trump spoke in favor of a two-state solution while visiting the United Nations last week. …
Read More »Netanyahu receives visit from police over corruption allegations
Israeli police were questioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again Friday as part of an investigation into corruption allegations. Two police vehicles arrived at Netanyahu’s residence as protesters at the entrance waved a large banner reading “crime minister” and chanted slogans calling for justice. Netanyahu was to be questioned over a corruption …
Read More »Jewish nation state: Israel approves controversial bill
The “Jewish nation state” bill downgrades Arabic as an official language and says advancing Jewish settlement is a national interest. It also states that the “whole and united” Jerusalem is its capital. Israeli Arab MPs condemned the legislation but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised it as a “defining moment”. The …
Read More »Israel shoots down Syria drone; Netanyahu to meet Putin
Israel shot down a drone that flew in from Syria on Wednesday, the Israeli military said, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Moscow to for talks with Damascus’s biggest ally about a Syrian advance near the volatile frontier. A Patriot missile launched to intercept the drone, which set off …
Read More »The rapprochement between India and Israel
By Geoffrey Cook* The friendly ties between India and Israel are only about twenty years old whereas rapprochement started haltingly five years earlier in 1992. They have become most friendly with the rise of the Narendra Modi and his Islamophobic BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) during 2014. Today their ties …
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