Pope Francis warmly welcomed Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas on the latter’s visit to the Vatican today (Saturday). The Pope even went so far as to call Abbas “an angel of peace.”
Wasal Abu Yousef, a member of the PLO leadership, said Thursday that Palestinians would not return to the negotiation table with Israel unless a deadline for the end of the Israeli “occupation” is set.
“I will never give up on the hope for peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” said President Barack Obama, “Palestinians deserve an end to the occupation and the daily indignities that come with it. That’s why we’ve worked so hard over the years for a two-state solution and to develop innovative ways to address Israel’s security and Palestinian sovereignty needs.”
The Lebanese group Hezbollah has built up a massive arsenal of rockets and other advanced weapons in Shi’ite villages of southern Lebanon, a senior Israeli intelligence official said Wednesday, warning civilians would be at risk if war breaks out.
The Vatican officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty finalized Wednesday, immediately sparking Israeli ire and accusations that the move hurt peace prospects.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he looks to the incoming Israeli government and the Palestinians to show a “genuine commitment to a two-state solution” and asserted that an agreement will have to resolve the humanitarian conflict caused by last summer’s war in the Gaza Strip.
The fluid and rapidly changing dynamics of politics in the Middle East, where allegiances can shift dramatically, is impacting Palestinian politics and the biggest loser appears to be the Fatah-affiliated Palestinian Authority (PA) which is losing support amongst its followers and being sidelined by Hamas.
The Palestinian Authority leadership is under pressure from the international community to resume the peace talks with Israel, a Palestinian official was quoted on Saturday.
Less than two hours before his deadline was set to expire on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hammered out a deal with Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett, allowing him to inform President Reuven Rivlin that he had successfully cobbled together a 61-seat coalition — the narrowest of Knesset majorities.
Secretary of State John Kerry sought to calm Israeli worries over an emerging nuclear deal with Iran in an interview aired Sunday, dismissing some concerns as brought on by “hysteria” over the possible agreement.
Hours after an Israeli air strike on militants along the Syrian border, Arab news networks al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya reported a new Israeli attack in Syrian territory early Monday morning, targeting missile launchers held by Hezbollah and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The use of Israeli military force against Iran’s nuclear facilities would be an act of “last resort,” Israel’s air force commander said Thursday, but part of his role is to ensure that the air force has “the genuine capacity to get the job done” if ordered to do so.
President Barack Obama is making overtures to repair his long-strained relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the efforts have more to do with currying favor with pro-Israel members of Congress and American Jews than with the Jewish State, according to The New York Times.
A year after rival Palestinian nationalist movements Hamas and Fatah agreed to end their bitter divisions, the unity deal they signed appears to be on the brink of collapse, AFP reported.
France and Britain urged the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to set a framework for a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, as New Zealand announced it was working on a draft resolution to revive long-stalled peace talks.
President Reuven Rivlin formally granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu two more weeks to form a governing coalition Monday morning in a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Russia’s president to convey his displeasure over Russia’s decision to sell advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. Putin for his part told Netanyahu that the missiles had only defensive capabilities and “pose no threat” to Israel.
Senior Israeli officials warned on Monday evening that, over the last few weeks, Iran has considerably stepped up its operations to arm Hezbollah in order to prepare its terrorist proxy for a large-scale conflict with Israel.
Israel could destroy Iran’s electric network with a specially designed electromagnetic bomb in the event of a military conflict between the countries.
The French government has seen a window of opportunity, following recent elections in Israel, to get the United States on board for a renewed effort towards an Israeli-Palestinian settlement, and is preparing a draft UN Security Council resolution.