Israel, Greece sign biggest ever defense deal
Israel and Greece have signed their biggest-ever defense procurement deal, which Israel said on Sunday would strengthen political and economic ties between the countries.
Israel
To avert 5th elections, block Lapid, right-wing parties float direct vote for PM
A new effort to reintroduce direct elections for prime minister is reportedly being advanced by right-wing party leaders in a bid to break the political logjam, block Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid’s path to the premiership, and prevent a fifth consecutive Knesset election.
In J Street speech, Abbas urges Biden to scrap US law deeming PLO a terror group
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday urged the Biden administration to revoke a US law that deems the Palestinian Liberation Organization and its affiliates a terror group.
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes southwestern Iran in area of nuclear site
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook southwestern Iran along the Persian Gulf on Sunday, followed by at least three moderate-strength aftershocks, state TV reported.
Syria to hold presidential election next month, second under shadow of civil war
Syria is to hold a presidential election on May 26, the parliament speaker announced Sunday, the country’s second in the shadow of civil war, seen as likely to keep President Bashar Assad in power.
70,000 Muslim worshipers flock to Jerusalem for 1st Friday prayers of Ramadan
Tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers attended the first Friday prayers of the holy month of Ramadan at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, in the largest such gathering since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Iranian official admits Israel swiped nuclear archive
An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel stole the country’s nuclear archive, in what appears to be the first public admission of the 2018 Mossad operation by an Iranian official.
Iran enriches uranium to 60%, a short step from weapons grade levels
Iranian scientists have successfully enriched uranium to 60 percent purity, its highest ever levels, senior Iranian officials declared on Friday.
Israel strikes Hamas targets after Gaza rocket fire
The Israeli military struck targets in the Gaza Strip early Friday, hours after Palestinian terrorists in the coastal enclave fired a rocket at southern Israel.
Iran and Turkey leaders discuss recent Israeli activity
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke on Wednesday to discuss “recent Israeli activities in the region,” and Israel’s normalization of relations with a number of Arab states last year, the Times of Israel said. According to Iranian media, Rouhani and Erdogan talked about regional and economic cooperation between their countries.
Israel celebrates Independence Day; PM: This year we discovered how strong we are
Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror came to an end on Wednesday evening with sadness giving way to joy in a state ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem to mark the start of the country’s Independence Day.
In strategic talks with Israel, US vows to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran
The Biden administration stressed its commitment to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran during a strategic meeting with Israeli officials on Tuesday, as Middle East tensions rose and Iran announced it was stepping up uranium enrichment to unprecedented levels.
Netanyahu hosts Bennett for second round of intensive government talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday hosted Yamina party chief Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem for the second day in a row, after the former interim Defense Minister said his faction would throw its support in forming a right-wing government with Likud.
Senior Iran official confirms ‘thousands of centrifuges damaged and destroyed’
A senior Iranian official confirmed Tuesday that the blast at the Natanz nuclear facility, which Tehran blames on Israel, destroyed or damaged thousands of centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
Iran says it will begin 60% uranium enrichment
The Iranian government has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it will begin 60% uranium enrichment, Axios reports. This will be the most serious Iranian violation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal since the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the agreement in 2018.
Biden to approve $23 billion sale of F-35s to UAE that followed Abraham Accords
The Biden administration has told Congress it will move ahead with a massive arms deal to the United Arab Emirates, including advanced F-35 aircraft, that was signed in the wake of Israel’s normalization deal with the Gulf nation, congressional aides told Reuters on Tuesday.
White House says U.S. wasn’t involved in attack on Iranian nuclear facility
The White House said Monday that the U.S. had no role in the attack on an Iranian nuclear facility that Tehran has blamed on Israel.
Iran blames Israel for Natanz attack, vows to ‘take revenge on the Zionists’
Iran’s foreign minister on Monday blamed Israel for a power failure that reportedly caused massive damage to the Natanz nuclear facility, vowing to “take revenge on the Zionists” and to replace damaged centrifuges at the site with even better ones.
Netanyahu to visiting US defense secretary: We won’t let Iran obtain nukes
Hosting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at his office in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel and the US agree on never allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.
South African COVID Variant Affects Vaccinated People More Than Unvaccinated People: Study
The South Africa variant affects those who have been vaccinated (around eight times higher) than those who have not received the vaccine — 5.4% to 0.7% according to a study from Tel Aviv University and Israel’s largest healthcare provider.