Iraq, Lebanon to stay away from Mideast peace conference
An Iraqi foreign ministry spokesman says his government will stay away from a Mideast peace conference expected to take place in late June in the tiny Gulf Arab state of Bahrain.
Israel
After alleged Syria strike, PM says Israel acting against ‘enemy in vicinity’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said Israel was carrying out pre-emptive attacks to prevent its ‘enemy’ from establishing military bases ‘in our vicinity,’ in an apparent acknowledgment of a strike earlier in the day on alleged Hezbollah facilities across the border in Syria.
Israel Shuts Down 30 BDS Financial Accounts After Revealing Terror Ties
Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry said Monday it has been secretly targeting the financial accounts of organizations that promote the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the Jewish state by uncovering their links to terror networks.
US House to debate bill to purchase 2 Iron Dome anti-missile batteries
A US lawmaker has submitted a House bill to purchase two Israeli-developed Iron Dome batteries and deploy them to protect American soldiers.
Netanyahu: Iran’s foreign minister is lying
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Iranian foreign minister of ‘lying’ on Monday and said he would never ‘allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons that threaten our existence and endanger the entire world.’
Iran’s foreign minister: Netanyahu wants to destroy us, and we will respond
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned Monday that Tehran will not remain passive in response to what it says are threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to destroy Iran.
US said to mull further Iran sanctions targeting trade with Europe
The Trump administration is reportedly considering sanctions against an Iranian financial body set up to enable humanitarian trade with Europe, a measure that would likely end any possibility of European countries maintaining economic and humanitarian trade with Tehran.
Germany, Jordan say two states ‘only solution’ to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Germany and Jordan’s top diplomats on Sunday reaffirmed their countries’ support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ahead of a long-awaited US peace plan.
US hits Iran with new sanctions targeting petrochemicals
The Trump administration on Friday hit Iran with new sanctions that target its largest petrochemical company for providing support to the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
US, Russia blame each other in near-collision of warships
The US and Russia accused each other of unsafe actions on Friday after an American guided-missile cruiser and a Russian destroyer came within 165 feet (50 meters) of each other in the East China Sea.
Temple Mount Sifting Project reboots, aims to salvage ancient temple artifacts
Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Zeev Elkin played show and tell at the June 2 Cabinet meeting this week. To mark Jerusalem Day, a national holiday celebrating the 1967 reunification of Jerusalem, Elkin brought to the Prime Minister’s Office a rare 2,700-year-old First Temple clay sealing impression, fittingly inscribed with the name of a priestly family of Temple Mount political administrators.
US envoy says Israel has ‘right’ to annex West Bank land
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has said the Jewish has the right to annex at least ‘some’ of the West Bank, in comments likely to deepen Palestinian opposition to the long-awaited American peace plan.
Over 10,000 march in Jerusalem Pride Parade under heavy security
Chanting for equality and holding aloft brightly painted signs supporting LGBT rights, some 10,000-15,000 people marched in Jerusalem’s annual pride parade Thursday evening, with over 2,000 police securing the highly charged event four years after a deadly attack on participants.
Anti-aircraft missiles fired at Israel’s Hermon, fall inside Syria
Several anti-aircraft missiles were fired toward Mount Hermon from Syria on Thursday, the second such incident in under a week.
Archaeologists identify city gate from time of King David
A city gate from the time of King David was discovered after 32 years of excavation in the ancient city of Bethsaida in the Golan Heights’ Jordan Park, opening up a world of new possibilities, opinions and theories about the ancient landscape of the Land of Israel.
Israel said trying to block bipartisan Senate two-state resolution
Israeli diplomats in Washington have been working to prevent the Senate from passing a bipartisan resolution that would endorse a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a report published Wednesday.
UN: 2 million Somalis could die of famine this year
A United Nations emergency relief coordinator said Tuesday that more than two million men, women and children could die of starvation in Somalia by summer’s end if international aid is not sent quickly to the drought-stricken African country.
Iran Continues Quest for Nukes in Spite of International Agreements
The Iranian quest for nuclear weapons continues unabated, according to Olli Heinonen, former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that monitors nuclear developments worldwide.
Iran could make nuclear weapon in 6-8 months, says former IAEA deputy
A former deputy head of the UN’s atomic watchdog said Wednesday that Iran is capable of producing a nuclear bomb in six to eight months.
Former PM Ehud Barak poised to announce Labor leadership bid
Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak is close to making a final decision on whether he will run for the head of the Labour party.