Boris Johnson: Israel’s planned annexation breaches international law
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank would “amount to a breach of international law.”
Israel
Archaeologists briefly pause Jerusalem dig in fear of damage to ancient road
The Israel Antiquities Authority briefly halted an underground excavation in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem due to fears of a structural collapse in the area, according to a Monday report in Haaretz. According to the report the authority made the decision after finding out the land around the dig was sinking.
Hezbollah: US sanctions will “starve” Syria and Lebanon
The leader of Lebanese terror group Hezbollah said Tuesday that new US sanctions are intended to “starve” both Syria and Lebanon, the Times of Israel (ToI) reports.
Israel’s Pangea offers digital health ‘passport’ to ease travel amid pandemic
Israeli firm Pangea, a maker of smart digital ID cards and border control software, is hoping to use its know-how to help airports reopen during the coronavirus pandemic to jumpstart travel and tourism.
US Democrats push letter to unify party behind anti-annexation message to Israel
House Democrats have put together a letter that they hope will unite their entire caucus in warning Israel against annexation of part of the West Bank.
Israel Builds New Road Linking Jewish Settlements in West Bank to Jerusalem
Israel has started construction of a major ring road that will connect Jewish settlements in the West Bank to Jerusalem, Reuters reported exclusively Monday. Israeli officials say the road will ease traffic congestion and will benefit Palestinian West Bank residents as well as Israelis. Palestinians have criticized the road as a hindrance to making East Jerusalem the capital of a future state and for cutting Palestinian neighborhoods off from each other.
EU urges US to join new Israeli-Palestinian peace push, rejects Trump plan
European Union foreign ministers on Monday urged the United States to join a new effort to breathe life into long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but they rejected US President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan as the basis for any international process.
IDF girds for West Bank annexation fallout, including possible new terror ‘war’
Just over two weeks before a possible Israeli annexation of some as-yet unspecified portion of the West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces is preparing for a wide range of scenarios for potential regional fallout — up to and including a large-scale wave of terror attacks — while still not being told exactly what the government has in mind.
US May Approve Unilateral Israeli Annexation of a Few Settlement Blocs in West Bank
Given Palestinian rejection of the Trump peace plan, the US may support Israel in the unilateral annexation of a few settlement blocs in the West Bank, World Israel News (WIN) reported Thursday. Under the Israeli coalition government agreement, Prime Minister Netanyahu can ask the Knesset to vote on annexation proposals starting July 1. However, the agreement stipulates that any such proposal must have US backing.
Israel High Court Strikes Down Law that Legalized Unlawful Settler Homes in West Bank
On Wednesday, Israel’s High Court of Justice struck down a law passed in 2017 to retroactively legalize settler houses built illegally on Palestinian-owned land in the West Bank, CBN News reports. The law was frozen from the time it passed in order for petitions against it to be heard.
Israel says It Will Pursue Annexation “Responsibly”
Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi said Wednesday that Israel will act “responsibly” in pursuing plans for annexing parts of the West Bank, Israel Hayom reported. Responding to German and EU concerns that unilateral annexation would jeopardize a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Ashkenazi said annexation plans would be carried out “in dialogue with our neighbors.” The statements were made at a press conference in Jerusalem with German foreign minister Heiko Maas.
Israel spy agency must stop virus phone tracking: committee
Israel’s government must stop using its domestic security agency to tackle the novel coronavirus by tracking mobile phone data, the head of a parliamentary committee said Wednesday.
Palestinian Authority Submits Counter-Plan for Demilitarized Statehood Along 1967 Borders
Having rejected outright the Trump Peace Plan presented in January, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has now sent a counter-proposal for statehood to the diplomatic Quartet (UN, US, Russia and EU) that is mediating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Times of Israel reports.
Palestinians To Declare State If Israel Annexes West Bank Part
The Palestinian prime minister says his government will declare a new Palestinian state, perhaps as early as next month, if Israel goes ahead with plans to annex parts of the West Bank.
Palestinian official warns Abbas willing ‘to let PA collapse’ to foil Israel’s sovereignty bid
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas plans to run his administration to the ground to prevent Israeli from pursuing its plan to apply sovereignty to large parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, a senior Palestinian official told The New York Times on Monday.
Israeli Lawmakers Debate Controversial COVID-19 Bill
As Israel sees a spike in COVID-19 cases following the easing of lockdown restrictions, government leaders began to debate a controversial new bill Tuesday that would give the executive branch wide-ranging emergency powers to manage the virus outbreak, CBN News reported. The bill must first be approved by a special COVID-19 government committee before going on to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation and to the Knesset for approval.
Netanyahu vows all settlements will be annexed July 1, but other lands may wait
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told settler leaders on Sunday that he still intends to annex all West Bank settlements on the July 1 date that is the earliest allowed by his coalition deals, but he acknowledged that annexing other lands allocated to Israel under the Trump peace plan will likely take more time, several participants in the meeting told The Times of Israel.
Pandemic driving broadest economic collapse in 150 years, World Bank says
The coronavirus pandemic inflicted a “swift and massive shock” that has caused the broadest collapse of the global economy since 1870 despite unprecedented government support, the World Bank said Monday.
Former Dubai Police Chief: Arab Nations Should Normalize Ties with Israel
A former police chief of Dubai has controversially called for all Arab states to normalize relations with Israel. On Twitter this weekend, Khalfan Tamim said: “Israel wants long-term peace and security. I support that.” Moreover, Tamim said: “From the moment that the Gulf States normalize their ties with Israel, Qatar’s job as a proxy state for terror organizations will end,” Israel Hayom reported.
Iran Closer Than Ever To Nuclear Weapon, U.N. Report Suggests
With much of the world in lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, Iran rushed to increase its stockpiles of enriched uranium and has come closer than ever to develop a nuclear weapon, findings by the United Nations watchdog showed.