First day of Knesset overshadowed by talk of elections
The Knesset opened its winter session on Monday amid speculation about when the parliament will be dispersed and when the next election will be initiated.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel warns Hamas of ‘painful’ strikes if protests go on
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday threatened ‘very painful blows’ against Gaza’s Hamas rulers if they don’t halt protests along the perimeter fence that have led to clashes with Israeli troops.
Netanyahu: Israel sparing no effort to avoid Gaza war
Israel is doing everything in its power to avoid a war with Hamas in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday at a press briefing.
Netanyahu: World ‘Must Recognize’ Israel’s Sovereignty in Golan, No Iranian Presence
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran is attempting to establish a military presence on the border with Israel along the Golan Heights.
INSS presents peace plan: Two-states, ‘separation’ from the Palestinians
The Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) will unveil a two-state peace framework on Monday that includes steps it says Israel can take to retain a strategic advantage even if there is no partner on the other side with whom to negotiate.
Netanyahu, Putin to meet for first time since crisis
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet shortly for the first time since relations were badly strained following last month’s Syrian downing of a Russian intelligence plane.
Trump envoy Greenblatt consults senators on Mideast peace plan
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Jason Greenblatt has spoken with a number of senators on both sides of the political aisle recently about the president’s plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Greenblatt tweeted Friday.
Israel can beat Russian-supplied S-300 air shield in Syria: minister
An Israeli official played down on Wednesday the Russian upgrading of Syria’s air defenses, saying the newly supplied S-300 missile system could be defeated by Israel’s stealth fighters and possibly destroyed on the ground.
Israeli official: S-300 delivery to Syria ‘a complex challenge’ for Israel
A senior Israeli official said that Russia’s decision to provide advanced anti-aircraft systems to Syria posed a serious challenge for the Jewish state, but added that Israel was working on ways to prevent the development from becoming a major threat to the country’s security.
Palestine files complaint over U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in World Court
The International Court of Justice on Friday said it has received a complaint from the ‘State of Palestine’ against the United States, arguing that the US government’s placement of its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem violates an international treaty and it should be removed.
Abbas tells UNGA ‘Jerusalem is not for sale’
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that Jerusalem ‘is not for sale’ while urging US President Donald Trump to rescind his decisions recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and cutting aid to the Palestinians, which he said had undermined the two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.
All eyes on Iran after Netanyahu’s bombshell revelation — but probably not for long
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bombshell speech at the UN Thursday, featuring revelations about a secret nuclear warehouse in the heart of Tehran, which included its precise location for people to look up at home, had everything you’d expect: It was rich on Biblical themes, included praise for Israel’s vibrant democracy, was marked by the scolding of European anti-Semitism, and contained outraged rebuttals of Palestinian accusations.
US removing some missile systems from Middle East
The United States is pulling some of its anti-aircraft and missile batteries out of the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing US military officials.
Trump: ‘Two states works best, but one state is fine’
A two state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict works best because it allows for people to govern themselves, US President Donald Trump told reporters at a new conference in New York.
Trump eagerly awaiting meeting with Netanyahu, U.S. envoy says
U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt on Monday refuted a report claiming that President Donald Trump was planning to rebuke Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week.
Netanyahu: We’ll keep hitting Iran in Syria even with S-300s
The IDF will continue to strike at Iranian targets in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, one day after Russia announced plans to bolster that country’s defenses by transferring the advanced S-300 anti-missile system there within two weeks.
‘Major mistake’: Israel, US warn Russia against giving S-300 missiles to Syria
Both Jerusalem and Washington warned Russia on Monday evening against its declared intention to provide the Syrian military with advanced surface-to-air missiles within two weeks, saying the move would further destabilize the region and increase already high tensions.
Abbas said planning UN event aimed at thwarting Trump’s peace plan
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will host a conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week to review ways to torpedo the Trump administration’s plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, Israeli television reported Monday.
IDF chief said to warn West Bank ripe for major violent outbreak
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot reportedly warned ministers this week that a major outbreak of violence was likely among Palestinians in the West Bank, due to PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ waning political influence and declining health.
Hezbollah chief warns Israel to stop Syria airstrikes
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, said Wednesday that Israel must stop its ‘intolerable’ attacks in Syria. His comments came after an Israeli airstrike on a Syrian base in Latakia, during which a Russian spy plane was accidentally shot down by soldiers loyal to President Bashar Assad.