EU promises to back Abbas’ demand for Jerusalem
The European Union pledged its support Monday for Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas’ vision of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Israel
Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript pieced together and deciphered
Israeli scholars have pieced together and deciphered one of two previously unread manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls more than half a century after their discovery, an Israeli university has said.
Jordan’s king says east Jerusalem must be capital of Palestinian state
In remarks during talks with US Vice Mike Pence in Amman, the king said the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a two-state one.
Abbas to ask European Union to recognize Palestinian state
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will ask the European Union to officially recognize the state of Palestine when he meets foreign ministers from the bloc on Monday, a senior official said Sunday.
Pence lands in Israel as PM stresses ‘no alternative’ to US as peace broker
US President Mike Pence arrived in Tel Aviv Sunday evening for a two-day visit to Israel amid unprecedented tensions with the Palestinians over President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last month.
US lawmakers aim to tighten terms of Iran nuclear deal
A bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives on Thursday aimed at tightening the terms of the Iran nuclear deal, despite Tehran’s rejection of changes to the accord.
Reports: Israel Attacked ‘Hezbollah Arms Depot’ in Syria’s Damascus
Syrian opposition sources claimed Israeli warplanes attacked the Almas military airport near Damascus early Wednesday morning. According to reports, a Hezbollah arms depot was the target of the attack.
Israeli officials: Trump considering ‘interim measures’ to speed up embassy move
Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday said the US is considering ‘interim measures’ that would allow for its embassy to be moved to Jerusalem within a year, clarifying comments made earlier by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that were subsequently rebuffed by US President Donald Trump.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Saudi Arabia Sides with Israel and U.S., A ‘Betrayal’ of 1.6 Billion Muslims
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused Saudi Arabia of double-crossing the Palestinians and betraying 1.6 billion Muslims by siding with the U.S. and Israel on regional affairs.
Abbas: Jerusalem at the gate of peace and war, Trump must choose
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday used fiery rhetoric to slam US President Donald Trump’s changes to American policy on Jerusalem, and an official confirmed that the Palestinians will not be meeting with Vice President Mike Pence when he visit the region next week.
Police expel Jewish group from Temple Mount, citing provocations
Israel Police and a group of Jewish worshipers clashed on Wednesday in the Temple Mount compound. Police said a group Jewish visitors violated the terms of the visit and created a provocation that caused a feud at the place. Videos of the incident show that Palestinians were also involved in the riots.
Tillerson says US troops to stay in Syria to counter Assad and Iran
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that US troops will remain in Syria not just to fight jihadists but also to counter the power of Bashar al-Assad and his ally Iran.
New scandal in Obama’s war against Netanyahu
Democrats in Washington have expressed outrage over still-unproved allegations the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to defeat their candidate, Hillary Clinton.
U.S. withholds $65 million in Palestinian aid after Trump threat
The United States on Tuesday said it would withhold about half the initial aid it planned to give a U.N. agency that serves the Palestinians, two weeks after President Donald Trump questioned the value of such funding.
IDF chief: Iranian nuclear threat ‘is not theoretical’
Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons has not been extinguished by the nuclear deal it signed with world powers, IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot said Tuesday.
Palestinian leaders vote to urge PLO to suspend recognition of Israel
Palestinian leaders voted on Monday to call for the suspension of recognition of Israel, and to suspend security coordination with Israel, as they met in response to US President Donald Trump’s acknowledgment of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
IDF destroys Hamas attack tunnel that penetrated Israel and Egypt
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday said it had destroyed a border-crossing Hamas attack tunnel, the third in recent months, that penetrated hundreds of meters into both Israeli and Egyptian territory from the Gaza Strip, in an airstrike in southern Gaza on Saturday night.
In compromise, US set to cut only some aid for UN Palestinian refugee agency
The Trump administration is preparing to withhold tens of millions of dollars from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, cutting the year’s first contribution by more than half or perhaps entirely, and making additional donations contingent on major changes to the organization, according to US officials.
PA security forces expose Hamas’ top terror architects in West Bank
The Palestinian Authority’s security forces revealed on Wednesday the identities of senior Hamas operatives behind efforts to rehabilitate the group’s terrorist infrastructure in Judea and Samaria, chief among them Maher Obeid, the organization’s newly appointed military commander in the West Bank.
Test Launch of Israel’s Arrow Defense System Canceled for 2nd Time in a Month
The Israeli Defense Ministry on Wednesday canceled a test launch for the Arrow 3 missile defense system, citing a problem with its ground control’s data systems.