Israel's
New Weapons: July 2006: Doctors in Gaza are reporting horrific
injuries from unidentified Israeli weapons. Numerous reports of Israel using white
phosphorus, depleted uranium, and poison gas in Lebanon. More..
US-IRAN: Moving Again Toward Confrontation IPS WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (IPS) - Iran's announced intention to build 10 new nuclear enrichment plants has been deemed "unacceptable" by the administration of President Barack Obama, which warned Monday of increased pressure on Tehran if it does not soon accept Western proposals to curb its nuclear programme.
David Makovsky / Obama and Netanyahu: Lessons of 2009 Ha'aretz
30 Nov 2009 - WASHINGTON - The announcement of a moratorium on building in the settlements ends the first chapter of U.S.-Israel relations during the Obama era. There are lessons for all. ...
China’s backing on Iran followed dire predictions 11/26/2009 - Washington Post - Before Obama's visit, NSC warned leaders that Israel might attack Iran - Two weeks before President Obama visited China, two senior White House officials traveled to Beijing on a "special mission" to try to persuade China to pressure Iran to give up its alleged nuclear weapons program. If Beijing did not help the United States on this issue, the consequences could be severe, the visitors, Dennis Ross and Jeffrey Bader, both senior officials in the National Security Council, informed the Chinese. The Chinese were told that Israel regards Iran's nuclear program as an "existential issue and that countries that have an existential issue don't listen to other countries," according to a senior administration official. The implication was clear: Israel could bomb Iran, leading to a crisis in the Persian Gulf region and almost inevitably problems over the very oil China needs to fuel its economic. . . .
Israeli radio: Ramallah and Washington hinder the Shalit deal PIC
30 Nov 2009 - Israeli radio revealed on Saturday that the Palestinian Authority and Washington are hindering a prisoner exchange deal fearing that such a deal would raise Hamas's popularity amongst Palestinians.
[uruknet.info] Lebanon accepts' Hezbollah's weapons and Congress prepares its reply Uruknet November 27, 2009 - "It is the right of the Lebanese people, Army and the (Hezbollah led-) Resistance to liberate the Shebaa Farms, the Kfar Shuba Hills and the northern part of the village of Ghajar as well as to defend Lebanon and its territorial waters in the face of any enemy by all available and legal means." So reads...
Erekat: Palestinian leadership rejects 'dangerous' Israeli proposal 11/26/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian leaders reject Wednesday's unilateral decision by the Israeli Security Cabinet to delay some new construction in West Bank settlements excluding East Jerusalem for ten months, PLO leader Saeb Erekat announced Thursday. Saeb Erekat, the PLO head negotiator, called on Washington to compel Israel to freeze construction completely so it will be possible to renew peace talks. Late Wednesday night officials in Erekat's office called the Israeli plan a diversion, "What Israel is talking about is a slowdown - not a freeze," one PLO official said. The official noted that Netanyahu's definition of a settlement freeze, in which synagogues, schools, and public facilities expand unabated in the West Bank, was not even being offered in East Jerusalem. Earlier Wednesday, the Israeli prime minister told his political-security cabinet that East Jerusalem would. . .
Abbas in Argentina: Obama doing nothing to advance peace 11/25/2009 - Buenos Aires - Ma'an/Agencies - The US president Barak Obama is currently doing nothing to revive the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians, said President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday during a visit to Argentina. "For now he is doing nothing, but he has invited us to revive the peace process. I hope that in the future he can play a more important role," Abbas said in an interview with the Argentine daily Clarin. "The Palestinians expect the US to exert pressure on Israel to get it to show respect for international law and implement the Road Map plan,"ť he also said. "They can exert pressure on Israel so as to do two things; halting settlement activities, and withdrawal from the Palestinian territories they occupied in 1967,"ť Abbas explained. For her part, president of Argentina Cristina Fernandez on Tuesday criticized Washington for doing too little to. . .
Libya wants UN debate on settlements 11/25/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Libya will ask the UN Security Council to demand an end to Israel's expansion of illegal settlements on land taken from Palestinians, Tuesday news reports said. "We are discussing it with the Palestinians and other members of the Security Council. We are going to do that, yes," Libya's UN Ambassador Mohamed Shalgham told reporters about the plans, according to Agence France-Presse. Arab states could prepare a draft resolution by Friday, the Libyan official said. Text of a similar resolution was prepared in July 2008. At the time Libya, the only Arab country on the15-member council, was dissuaded from introducing the measure on account of the certainty of a US veto. According to AFP, the US deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Alejandro Wolff, indicated that Washington would again oppose any such resolution.
MIDEAST: Settlements "Moratorium" Still Short of Freeze IPS WASHINGTON, Nov 25 (IPS) - U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed an announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday that Israel will impose a 10-month "moratorium" on settlements, but warned that the move falls short of a freeze on...
Obama mourns Washington Wizards owner and AIPAC leader Abe Pollin Ha'aretz
25 Nov 2009 - U.S. President Barak Obama on Wednesday spoke of his sadness at the death of Abe Pollin, the Washington Wizards owner and leader of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, who died Tuesday at 85. ...
Catholics face questions over abortion that Jewish neocons never got for Iraq mess
Mondoweiss - 25 Nov 2009 - The other night Chris Matthews provided riveting television in an interview with Providence, R.I., Catholic bishop Thomas Tobin, who has said that Congressman Patrick Kennedy can no longer take communion at mass because he has supported legislation for abortion. Matthews is Catholic, and said that he...
Fatah forms elections commissariat 11/24/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Palestine's Fatah party established an elections commissariat for the first time in the movement's history, according to Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Al-Madani on Tuesday. The newly formed elections commissariat began a three-day tour of the West Bank, starting in Hebron, where they will prepare Palestinians for the upcoming legislative and presidential elections, Al-Madani said. The elections, initially called for 24 January, were postponed indefinitely by the Central Elections Committee in October. By preparing the population for elections, the official said, Fatah is showing its support for the democratic process. Al-Madani compared the party's commitment to Palestinian elections to the recent election of new members to Fatah's ruling bodies during the party's Sixth Congress in Bethlehem in August.
German government to give Israel warships for free: PROTEST DEMO 11/24/2009 - Palestine Think Tank - Jonas Feller for Campo Anti-Imperialista - Israel, which has recently been condemned by the UN Human Rights Council because of their war crimes (1), asks Germany to build them two new warships – for free. (2) After the German chancellor Merkel argued in front of the US congress that “whoever threatens Israel, threatens us” (3), it seems as if Israel will get what it wants. This wouldn’t, however, be anything new: At the turn of the millennium, Germany financed three submarines spending 560 Million Euros on them. In 2012, there will two additional submarines, this time German tax payers will have to pay 333 Million Euros. (4) If the German government is going to deliver weapons to Israel, they are therefore directly responsible for taking part in the Zionist terror against the Palestinians, the Lebanese and maybe against Syrians, Iranians next… While they are talking about peace and human. . . .
Palestinians looking to U.S.-style suburban housing, financing 11/23/2009 - Washington Post - The hills around this city have seen plenty of construction, often the distinctive red-roofed homes favored by Israeli settlers. But the bulldozers and laborers active here recently are laying foundations and building roads for a different type of development -- planned communities targeted to middle-income Palestinians, including one billed as the first "new city" for Palestinians in modern memory. These communities are patterned after American suburban development -- the new city, Rawabi, is specifically designed for upwardly mobile families of a sort that in the United States might gravitate to places such as Reston, Va. The developments are also relying on another American import, the home mortgage, including creation of a Fannie Mae-style institution for the West Bank. Though Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have stalled, Palestinian officials have put a focus on building the institutions of a future state. . . .
Obama must deal with important questions of the Mideast conflict Ha'aretz 21 Nov 2009 - For 41 years, Washington turned a blind eye. It protested a bit, scolded a bit, and mostly made do with periodically stating that its policy has not changed - it still opposes settlements in the territories and does not recognize the annexation of East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights. Suddenly, it gave us a resounding slap, but one of the frustrating kind that misses the cheek and flies through empty air. Because the American demand that we freeze construction in the settlements, that "strong message" containing a threat, has become a personal duel between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama, in place of a clear policy presented by the latter. ...
Iran: We'll hit Tel Aviv if attacked YNet News
21 Nov 2009 - Iranian cleric says ballistic missiles would be fired at heart of Tel Aviv should Israel strike Islamic republic; Iran army official charges Russian delay in supplying advanced missile system to Tehran result of pressure by 'Zionist lobby'
Obama says Israeli settlement building "dangerous" PNN
18 Nov 2009 - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama (http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/barackobama) put fresh pressure on Israel on Wednesday to curb its settlement projects, saying continued building could lead to a dangerous situation with embittered Palestinians. I think that additional settlement building does not contribute to Israel's security, I think it makes it harder for them to make peace with their neighbors, Obama told Fox News....
Letters: Feedback on Israel lobby inquiry The Guardian
19 Nov 2009 - David Cesarani ( A frisson of conspiracy , 18 November), is absolutely right that our investigation for Channel 4, Inside Britain's Israel Lobby , was followed by a deluge of pretty horrible antisemitic comment on a range of websites....
Antisemitism and the reported world | Jonathan Boyd The Guardian
18 Nov 2009 - C4's Dispatches on Britain's Israel lobby perpetuated the same old antisemitic myth and that has effects in the real world Apparently, according to Channel 4's Dispatches programme on Monday night , there are some wealthy Jews out...
Obama says Israeli settlement building "dangerous" PNN
18 Nov 2009 - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama (http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/barackobama) put fresh pressure on Israel on Wednesday to curb its settlement projects, saying continued building could lead to a dangerous situation with embittered Palestinians. I think that additional settlement building does not contribute to Israel's security, I think it makes it harder for them to make peace with their neighbors, Obama told Fox News....
Comment / Is the Israel lobby doing more harm than good? Ha'aretz
19 Nov 2009 - Three years ago I was invited, along with 30 other guests - mainly politicians and journalists - to a private dinner party given by one of Britain's richest Jews at a Jerusalem hotel. After a mediocre steak and some fantastic wine, we were addressed by our host. The British media were a disgrace, he told us, "real Goebbels-style." Their coverage of the Second Lebanon War had totally ruined his summer holiday. And the British politicians, many of whom he had donated to in the past, were with few exceptions "all pusillanimous hypocrites" who had criticized Israel's "disproportionate" response to Hezbollah's attacks. ...
Letters: Feedback on Israel lobby inquiry The Guardian
19 Nov 2009 - David Cesarani ( A frisson of conspiracy , 18 November), is absolutely right that our investigation for Channel 4, Inside Britain's Israel Lobby , was followed by a deluge of pretty horrible antisemitic comment on a range of websites....
Antisemitism and the reported world | Jonathan Boyd The Guardian
18 Nov 2009 - C4's Dispatches on Britain's Israel lobby perpetuated the same old antisemitic myth and that has effects in the real world Apparently, according to Channel 4's Dispatches programme on Monday night , there are some wealthy Jews out...
VIDEO - The Israel Lobby 4/2/2007 - Tegenlicht/YouTube - An episode of the Dutch documentary program "Tegenlicht" about the Israel lobby in the USA. - For many years now the American foreign policy has been characterized by the strong tie between the United States and Israel. Does the United States in fact keep Israel on its feet? And how long will it continue to do so? Is one allowed to question that reality, or is the pro-Israel lobby so strong, financially and politically, that the relationship with Israel is taboo and therefore unmentionable? And what happens to those who dare expose the unmentionable? In March 2006 the American political scientists John Mearsheimer (University of Chicago) and Steve Walt (Harvard) published the controversial article 'The Israel Lobby and US foreign policy'. In it they state that it is not, or no longer, expedient for the US to support and protect present-day Israel. -- Links: TegenlichtNew documentary says Israel lobby is UK’s most powerful 11/18/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A new documentary on the UK's Channel 4 television looks into the reach and influence of what the filmmakers say is Britain's most powerful political interest: the Israel lobby. Documentarians Peter Osborne and James Jones uncovered obscure funding patterns of British members of parliament by members of pro-Israel groups and also revealed the pressure the lobby exerts on the media. The show first aired on Monday evening. In a pamphlet published on the website OpenDemocracy Osborne explained that the concept was born out of a marked silence in the British media when exploring the extent of Israel's influence on Westminster, noting that, oftentimes, those who broche the subject or criticize Israel are accused of anti-Semitism. "Whether as a result of these pressures or for some other reason, mainstream political publishing. . . "
[uruknet.info] AIPAC Received Classified US Trade Docs from Israeli Embassy -- IRmep Uruknet November 18, 2009 - A FBI file reveals the Israeli embassy passed stolen classified US government information to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). In 1984 Israel and AIPAC jointly lobbied Congress to secure preferential Israeli access to the US market against widespread American industry opposition. The FBI file, kept secret for 25 years, was recently released to the...
Obama says Israeli settlement building "dangerous" PNN
18 Nov 2009 - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama (http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/barackobama) put fresh pressure on Israel on Wednesday to curb its settlement projects, saying continued building could lead to a dangerous situation with embittered Palestinians. I think that additional settlement building does not contribute to Israel's security, I think it makes it harder for them to make peace with their neighbors, Obama told Fox News....
Antisemitism and the reported world | Jonathan Boyd The Guardian
18 Nov 2009 - C4's Dispatches on Britain's Israel lobby perpetuated the same old antisemitic myth and that has effects in the real world Apparently, according to Channel 4's Dispatches programme on Monday night , there are some wealthy Jews out...
’White House baffled by Clinton’s gaffes’ 11/18/2009 - YNetNews - Sources close to US President Obama tell New Republic magazine secretary of state veered away from White House’s message on Middle East peace process in two different occasions - WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's zigzagging and slips of the tongue, mainly on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, have been causing anger in the Middle East and complicating the peace process, sources in the White House told the New Republic magazine on Tuesday. In May, Clinton revealed at a press conference that US President Barack Obama’s call for an Israeli settlement freeze included any “natural growth” within existing settlements. Two sources with detailed knowledge of the US-Israeli relationship told New Republic that the Obama team was not yet prepared to make public this departure from Bush-era policy. Rather than leave his secretary of state twisting in the wind, one of the sources said,
AIPAC Received Classified US Trade Docs from Israeli Embassy -- IRmep 11/16/2009 - CNBC.com - WASHINGTON, Nov 16, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- A FBI file reveals the Israeli embassy passed stolen classified US government information to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). In 1984 Israel and AIPAC jointly lobbied Congress to secure preferential Israeli access to the US market against widespread American industry opposition. The declassified FBI report may be downloaded from the Israel Lobby Archive at: http://www. irmep. org/ila/economy/03071986INTERVIEW. pdf The FBI file, kept secret for 25 years, was recently released to the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep) through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The declassified files, their historical context, and long term impact on jobs and exports are detailed in the new book "Spy Trade: How Israel's Lobby Undermines America's Economy. "
Britain’s pro-Israel lobby under the microscope 11/19/2009 - Redress - In a pamphlet accompanying British Channel 4 TV Dispatches team's ground-breaking programme "Inside Britain's Israel Lobby", first broadcast on 16 November 2009, James Jones and Peter Oborne investigate Britain's Israel lobby, which is working in support of the interests of the State of Israel and aims to shape the debate about Britain's relationship with Israel and future foreign policies relating to it. The pamphlet looks into how accountable, transparent and open to scrutiny the lobby is, particularly in regard to its funding and financial support of MPs. It also examines how the lobby operates from within parliament and the tactics it employs behind the scenes when engaging with print and broadcast media. -- Links: Read the pamphlet in full (PDF)US envoy demands halt to settlement growth in E. Jerusalem 11/17/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - US Special Envoy George Mitchell called on Israel to stop construction in the Israeli settlement of Gilo, in east Jerusalem, according to Israeli media on Tuesday. The demand was made during a meeting on Monday between George Mitchell and Yitzhak Molcho, an Israeli official with the country's envoy to Washington, concerning plans to build a new residential complex in Gilo that are currently awaiting authorization from Jerusalem municipality officials, according to the Israeli daily Ynet. The article further reported that Molcho refused Mitchell's request which elicited a response from the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Bureau stating that, "the neighborhood of Gilo is an integral part of Jerusalem, just as the neighborhoods Ramat Eshkol, Rehavia, French Hill and Pisgat Zeev are part of the united city, and there is no difference between construction. . .
[uruknet.info] Video - Dispatches: Inside Britain's Israel Lobby Uruknet November 17, 2009 - Dispatches investigates one of the most powerful and influential political lobbies in Britain, which is working in support of the interests of the State of Israel. Despite wielding great influence among the highest realms of British politics and media, little is known about the individuals and groups which collectively are known as the pro-Israel lobby. Political...
[uruknet.info] Exposing Britain's pro-Israel lobby: Channel 4 TV makes a bold start Uruknet November 17, 2009 - Last night Channel 4's 'Dispatches' programme set out to investigate the pro-Israel lobby in Britain, and to boldly go where no TV team had gone before. On the Dispatches website we were told that the lobby "aims to shape the debate about Britain's relationship with Israel and future foreign policies relating to it". So the programme...
[uruknet.info] Britain must de-Zionise Itself Immediately Uruknet November 17, 2009 - On Monday the British TV broadcaster, Channel 4 screened Inside Britain's Israel Lobby, a devastating expose of the Jewish lobby in the UK*. 'We couldn't find a conspiracy' affirmed Peter Oborne the Daily Mail's political commentator behind the film. He was right. After running the show for so many years, the Jewish lobby's purchasing of British...
Comment / Why Netanyahu really does want to advance peace Ha'aretz
17 Nov 2009 - I could hear the prime minister's familiar voice on the telephone. "I want to advance a peace agreement with the Palestinians. I am capable of achieving an agreement. I have the political will inside me," Benjamin Netanyahu told me. He repeated this message during his speeches at the conference of Jewish communities in Washington and at the Saban Forum in Jerusalem: great concessions, generosity of spirit, territorial compromise, let's start negotiations and surprise the world, he said. ...
US Politician Wants American Jews to Buy West Bank Homes 11/17/2009 - Political Theatrics - An influential Jewish community leader and Democratic State Assemblyman from New York is currently heading a mission of about 50 Americans through the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem to promote home purchases in the area and to protest U. S. President Barack Obama’s Middle East policy. “Our goal is to send a clear message to Washington and President Obama that Jews will continue to live in Judea and Samaria and the ultimate commitment American Jews can make is to actually come and buy property in these areas as this will ensure these communities” security and growth,” said Dov Hikind, 59, who has been representing Brooklyn’s 48th district since 1983. “People buy properties in different places, and I can’t think of any reason why people dedicated to the land of Israel shouldn’t own something here, whether they will use it or use it as an opportunity for young families to live in that
New Yorkers For Military Aid Cuts To Israel 11/17/2009 - Desert Peace - Commentary by Chippy Dee - The Brooklyn Law School Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Brooklyn for Peace, and Students for Public Interest sponsored a program at the Brooklyn Law School entitled, U. S. Military Aid to Israel…is it legal? Moral? Political? In 2007 the U. S. agreed to increase military aid to Israel to $30 billion over the next 10 years. Is this a worthwhile use of taxpayer dollars? The speaker was Josh Ruebner, the National Advocacy Director of the U. S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, a national coalition of more than 300 organizations working to change U. S. policy toward Israel/Palestine to support human rights, international law, and equality. He is a former Analyst in Middle East Affairs at Congressional Research Service, a federal government agency providing Members of Congress with policy research and analysis.
Jordan’s king rejects pro-Israeli’s anti-Iran plans 11/17/2009 - Press TV - Jordan's King Abdullah II has expressed his country's “rejection” of any anti-Iran measure, speaking to a visiting group of a major pro-Israeli lobby group in the US. The rare pro-Iran expression by the King of Jordan, which has formal diplomatic relations with Israel, unlike Iran which considers the entity as illegitimate, came during a meeting Monday with a delegation representing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a powerful pro-Israeli pressure group in the US that widely influences American foreign policy in the Middle East. In the meeting, King Abdullah called for "dialogue" as the only channel for resolving the dispute over Iran's nuclear case. His comment came after Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon rejected speculations that the warnings of any military attack on Iran are just a bluff, insisting that they are very real.
Israel angers U.S. by approving new WBank homes 11/17/2009 - Reuters - JERUSALEM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Israel triggered a fresh rift with Washington over settlement building on Tuesday by approving the building of 900 homes for Jews on West Bank land it occupied in a 1967 war and annexed to its Jerusalem municipality. The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said U. S. President Barack Obama's envoy, George Mitchell, had asked an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a meeting in London on Monday, to block the proposed construction at the settlement of Gilo. But a government planning commission approved the addition of 900 housing units at Gilo, where 40,000 Israelis already live. The Israeli decision drew an unusually sharply worded rebuke from the White House, which said it was "dismayed" and accused Israel of undermining Obama's efforts to resume peace talks with Palestinians stalled since December.
Jordan’s king urges US Jewish leaders to back two-state solution 11/16/2009 - Monsters and Critics - Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday appealed to the Jewish community in the United States to support the two-state vision, saying Israel should choose between peace and continuing to live with the 'fortress mentality. 'The monarch made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation representing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), currently on a visit to Jordan, according to a royal court statement. 'The king underscored the importance of support by all parties, including the US Jewish organizations, for current efforts aimed at accomplishing the two-state solution which represents the cornerstone for peace and guarantees the rights of all parties in the region,' the statement said. 'Israel should choose between peace that ensures its security and recognition in accordance with the Arab peace initiative and sticking to the fortress mentality in a region that faces
Thousands Protest Peres In Argentina
IMEMC
16 Nov 2009 - Tuesday November 17, 2009 - 01:16, Thousands protested in front of the Argentinean Congress building in Buenos Aires against the visit of Israel's President, Shimon Peres.
[uruknet.info] Channel 4 Dispatches investigates The pro-Israel lobby in Britain: FULL TEXT Uruknet November 16, 2009 - ... The Conservative Friends of Israel is beyond doubt the best connected, and probably the best funded, of all Westminster lobbying groups. Eighty percent of Conservative MPs are members. The leader of the Conservative Party is often expected to appear at their events, while the shadow foreign secretary and his team are subjected to persistent pressure by...
Friends in high places | Peter Oborne The Guardian
16 Nov 2009 - Britain's pro-Israel lobby needs to be far more open about how it is funded and what it does Every year a very grand lunch is given by the Conservative Friends of Israel at a central London...
[uruknet.info] Delusional Self Defense, Delusional Congressional Vote Uruknet November 14, 2009 - ...Thus, neither the facts nor the law support an Israeli self-defense claim. Rather than condemn Israel's act of aggression and its ongoing occupation and blockade of the Gaza Strip, Congress added its name to a pungent piece of manipulative delusion: that Israel's onslaught of Gaza constituted an act of self-defense. The House is now on record...
Bill Clinton: Don't be negative towards Obama YNet News 15 Nov 2009 - Former US President Bill Clinton reiterates that Washington is committed to Israel's security, says not to be negative towards Obama administration. He says US is far from accepting nuclear Iran, expresses concern for potential arms race in Middle East
The U.S. Jew whose Iran views rile Israel intelligence officials 11/14/2009 - Ha'aretz - WASHINGTON, D. C. - Hillary Mann Leverett and her partner and husband, Flynt Leverett, make the Iran desk staffers in the Israeli intelligence community see red. For the past two years the Leveretts, both of whom are former U. S. National Security Council and State Department officials, have preached relentlessly against using sanctions and threats against Iran. In late September, a harsh op-ed they wrote condemning the Obama administration appeared in The New York Times. In it they argued that the lofty talk of "openness" and the promise of "dialogue" with the Iranians are just empty rhetoric. On their Internet site, in lectures, in interviews and in their journal articles, they present assessments and proposals for action that are different from, and sometimes nearly the opposite of, those that politicians and experts in the West and in Israel present the public.
Netanyahu to visit Egypt’s Sharm Ash-Sheikh on Monday
Ma’an News Agency
5/10/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to head to Sharm Ash-Sheikh on Monday where he will meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. This will be Netanyahu’s first international visit since... more..e-mailUS aid to Israel to continue despite crisis
YNetNews
10 May 2009 - American administration asks Congress to approve security aid to Jewish state as part of 2010 budget. ’This is an expression of the ongoing US commitment to Israel’s security,’ says outgoing Ambassador Meridor... more..e-mailANALYSIS / Netanyahu is beginning to look worried
Ha’aretz
7 May 2009 - This week, for the first time since he took office, Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu has been looking worried. People who have spoken with him found him short-tempered, almost testy. The problems piling up on his desk... more..e-mailMousa: Netanyahu’s peace conditions unacceptable
Palestinian Information Center
8 May 2009 - Amr Mousa, the Arab League Secretary General, has lashed out at Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s conditions for peace during an AIPAC speech, describing them as "unacceptable... more..e-mailIsrael prevents Palestinian official from travelling to South Africa
Ma’an News Agency
5/7/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israel blocked a top Palestinian official from travelling to South Africa on Thursday where he intended to join celebrations for the election of African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma’s election... more..e-mailBlair promotes peace process in Bethlehem
Ma’an News Agency
5/7/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma’an - Quartet Envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair visited the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Thursday to promote his view that the peace process may be renewed soon. Blair reiterated remarks he... more..e-mailNetanyahu to meet Mubarak in Egypt on Monday
Ma’an News Agency
5/7/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israel’s right wing new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Egypt on Monday in his first trip abroad in his current term as head of government. Netanyahu will hold talks with... more..e-mailIsrael says security vital to peace
Al Jazeera
5 May 2009 - Government wants peace but will not compromise security, PM tells US Israeli lobby... more..e-mailSteve Bell on pro-Israeli group’s bid to halt policy shift
The Guardian
6 May 2009 - Aipac urges Congress members to sign letter to Barack Obama calling for Israel to set pace of negotiations with Palestinians... more..e-mailMousa: Netanyahu’s peace conditions unacceptable
Palestinian Information Center
7 May 2009 - Amr Mousa, the Arab League Secretary General, has lashed out at Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s conditions for peace during an AIPAC speech, describing them as "unacceptable... more..e-mailDeputy FM: Annapolis conference caused damage
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 4/2/2009
Day after Lieberman said Israel not obligated by Annapolis conference, Danny Ayalon tells Washington Times Netanyahu government supports two-state solution; Saban Center: Tensions between Obama administration, new Israeli regime are already brewing - WASHINGTON - Amid the uproar over Foreign Minister Avigdor... more..e-mailDeputy FM: Annapolis conference caused damage
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 4/2/2009
Day after Lieberman said Israel not obligated by Annapolis conference, Danny Ayalon tells Washington Times Netanyahu government supports two-state solution; Saban Center: Tensions between Obama administration, new Israeli regime are already brewing - WASHINGTON - Amid the uproar over Foreign Minister Avigdor... more..e-mailDeputy FM: Annapolis conference caused damage
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 4/2/2009
Day after Lieberman said Israel not obligated by Annapolis conference, Danny Ayalon tells Washington Times Netanyahu government supports two-state solution; Saban Center: Tensions between Obama administration, new Israeli regime are already brewing - WASHINGTON - Amid the uproar over Foreign Minister Avigdor... more..e-mailLieberman discards Annapolis declaration
The Daily Star, Daily Star 4/2/2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s new foreign minister angered Palestinians and raised the prospect of tensions with Washington by saying Wednesday that Israel was not bound by a deal to start negotiations on establishing a Palestinian state. On his first... more..e-mailU.S. Jews offer cautious support for Netanyahu government
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 4/2/2009
WASHINGTON - The American Jewish community, whose leaders had kept silent about the results of the Israeli elections, has begun to speak out, cautiously. The picture that emerged from talks with community leaders in Washington this week is that not everyone... more..e-mailThink tank urges US to adopt more pragmatic approach toward Hamas
Daily Star 3/31/2009
Analysis WASHINGTON: A new report from a New York-based think tank and delivered to US President Barack Obama by a signatory who is also an adviser recommends that Washington forcefully reinsert itself into the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, calling for "a... more..e-mailU.S. and Iran diplomats meet briefly in rare sign of thaw
Ha’aretz 4/1/2009
A senior U. S. diplomat met Iran’s delegate at an international conference in the Hague on Tuesday, in a sign of tentatively improving ties after decades of hostility between Washington and Tehran. In a rare diplomatic exchange, the... more..e-mailUK: Not the time to rush for more Iran sanctions
Reuters, YNetNews 3/31/2009
Foreign Secretary Miliband says world powers should refrain from imposing new sanctions due to ’Tehran’s chance to normalize ties with US’ -Big powers should not rush to impose new sanctions on Iran
at a time when... more..e-mailObama aide: Talk to Hamas
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 3/14/2009
Economic Advisor Volcker, nine former senior American officials urge Obama Administration to change stance on Hamas, engage in talks with organization, Boston Globe reports - WASHINGTON- Economic Recovery Adviser Paul A. Volcker and nine former senior American officials have urged President... more..e-mail’Israel lobby’ blamed as Obama’s choice for intelligence chief quits
Rupert Cornwell in Washington, The Independent 3/13/2009
Veteran diplomat attacks wilful distortions that ’plumb the depths of dishonour’ - Fears over the Jewish lobby’s excess influence on US foreign policy flared anew yesterday after a former diplomat and strong critic of Israel backed out... -- See also: Freeman's post-withdrawal statementmore..e-mailAnti-apartheid activists in Los Angeles set up mock checkpoint
Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center News 3/13/2009
Dozens of Los Angeles-area Jews, Palestinians and other activists erected a mock checkpoint at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual Valley Fundraiser. They said the checkpoint was meant to protest AIPAC’s attempt to steer... more..e-mailActivists set up checkpoint at AIPAC fundraiser
Stop The Wall 3/13/2009
Dozens of Los Angeles-area Jews, Palestinians and other allies erected a mock checkpoint at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual Valley Fundraiser in protest of AIPAC’s attempt to steer US policy makers to ignore... more..e-mailUS discontent over British Hezbollah contact
Middle East Online 3/13/2009
WASHINGTON - A senior US official said Thursday he was unhappy with a British decision to open low-level contact with Hezbollah and suggested London only indirectly informed the new administration ahead of time.
The remarks contrasted with those last week from... more..e-mailUS-MIDEAST: Even Mixed Signals Mark a Policy Shift
Analysis by Helena Cobban, Inter Press Service 3/13/2009
WASHINGTON, Mar 13(IPS) - The British government has announced it will hold talks with the political wing of Lebanon’s Hizbullah. The Barack Obama administration sent two envoys to Syria to discuss steps to improve relations. U. S. Secretary of State... more..e-mailClinton: U.S. Gaza aid tied to recognition of Israel
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 3/12/2009
Some $900 million pledged by the United States to the Palestinians will be withdrawn if the expected Palestinian Authority coalition government between Fatah and Hamas does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, Western and Israeli diplomats said Wednesday... more..e-mailWithdrawal of Obama’s top intel pick marks victory for pro-Israel lobby
Daniel Luban and Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service, Daily Star 3/12/2009
WASHINGTON: Ambassador Chas Freeman withdrew from consideration for a top intelligence post in the Obama administration on Tuesday, following a vitriolic battle that pitted Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel hardliners opposed to his appointment against liberals and members of the intelligence... -- See also: Freeman's post-withdrawal statementmore..e-mailU.S Secretary of State: A Palestinian government should recognize Israel
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 3/12/2009
U. S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, stated during a recent meeting in the region with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, that Washington would only fund a Palestinian government that recognizes Israel, Haaretz Israeli Daily newspaper reported. According to the paper... more..e-mailJustice campaigners say US urged Lebanon not to join International Criminal Court
Daily Star 3/12/2009
BEIRUT: The US government has demonstrated "intense opposition" to Lebanon joining the International Criminal Court (ICC) because the move could leave Israel liable to face war crimes accusations dating from the summer 2006 war, justice campaigners said on Wednesday. A... more..e-mailHezbollah: War with Israel unlikely in short term
Barak Ravid and Reuters, Ha’aretz 3/10/2009
Hezbollah Deputy leader Sheikh Naim Kassem said yesterday that there was little prospect of another conflict with Israel in the short term. But "in the distant future all things are possible," he warned. Hezbollah and Israel fought a 34-day... more..e-mailWorld takes dim view of Lieberman in FM post
Assaf Uni and Yoav Stern, Ha’aretz 3/9/2009
American and European officials have thus far declined to comment publicly on the expected appointment of Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister. Behind the scenes, however, many officials are asking whether this appointment is really necessary - and newspapers... more..e-mailAssad: Alleged nuclear site hit by IAF has been built over
Yoav Stern , and Agencies, Ha’aretz 3/9/2009
Syrian president Bashar Assad denounced U. S. claims that a Syrian site bombed by Israel two years ago was a nearly finished nuclear reactor, and said in comments published Monday that the location has been built over. Assad’s... more..e-mailHezbollah: War with Israel unlikely in near future
Barak Ravid , Haaretz Service and Reuters, Ha’aretz 3/9/2009
Hezbollah Deputy leader Sheikh Naim Kassem said on Monday that there was little prospect of another conflict with Israel in the near term. But he warned that, "In the distant future all things are possible. "Israel fought a 34-day... more..e-mailHebron municipal council leader speaks of city’s plight to EU congress of organizations
Ma’an News Agency 3/8/2009
Hebron – Ma’an – During a visit to France head of the Hebron municipal council Khalid Al-U’seili requested support for the city from the European Congress of Local and Regional Organizations, and pressure on Israel to halt settlement building in the West... more..e-mailFrench diplomat: Bush and Rice spoiled Sana’a agreement between Hamas and Fatah
Palestinian Information Center 3/8/2009
PARIS, (PIC)-- Noted French diplomat Yves Misoziyr revealed Thursday that ex-US president George Bush and his secretary of state Condoleezza Rice intervened to abort the reconciliation agreement reached in Sana’a between Hamas and Fatah in March last year... more..e-mailHaaretz: Fayyad’s resignation is a tactical move by the US
Palestinian Information Center 3/8/2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli Haaretz newspaper stated Sunday that the resignation of Salam Fayyad as premier of the Ramallah government was a deliberate tactical move by the US to portray him as a "yeanling" seeking the success of the... more..e-mailMI chief: Iran capable of creating bomb
Roni Sofer, YNetNews 3/8/2009
Following US army declaration that Tehran has enough nuclear material to make bomb, Major-General Amos Yadlin tells cabinet ministers Iranians have crossed technological threshold but have yet to change their strategy - Military Intelligence chief Major-General Amos Yadlin told the cabinet... more..e-mailTop US intelligence pick under fire for Saudi, China ties
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 3/7/2009
WASHINGTON: A veteran US diplomat and vocal Israel critic named to a top intelligence post faced a probe into his financial ties Thursday, as lawmakers raised concerns about links to China and Saudi Arabia. But US Director of National Intelligence... more..e-mailIsraeli envoy to U.S. announces resignation after Netanyahu snub
Natasha Mozgovaya and Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 3/6/2009
Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Sallai Meridor, announced his resignation yesterday, ending a two-and-a-half-year term on a tense note with the political leadership in Israel. Sources said Meridor wanted to be a politician, not a diplomat. The... more..e-mailMeridor: Israel-US ties will remain firm
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 3/6/2009
In Ynet interview, resigning envoy to Washington estimates relations with US will stay stable during Netanyahu era. ’It’s in the State’s best interest that the new government appoints its own person for this job,’... more..e-mailProposal in U.S. Congress: No Gilad Shalit, no Gaza aid
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 3/6/2009
WASHINGTON - U. S. congressmen are seeking to condition $900 million in aid for the Palestinians on ending Gazan rocket fire on Israel and the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. U. S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged the... more..e-mailUS Affairs: Losing the lobby on the Hill?
Hilary Leila Krieger, Jerusalem Post 3/5/2009
Last month, three members of Congress made an usual trip, visiting Gaza for the first time since both the 2003 killing of three American security personnel by Palestinian militants, and the 2007 takeover of the coastal strip by Hamas, that... more..e-mailUS envoys seek to reassure Lebanon
Middle East Online 3/6/2009
BEIRUT - Two senior US diplomatic envoys were meeting Lebanese leaders on Friday in a bid to reassure them of Washington’s continued support despite its recent rapprochement with former powerbroker Syria.
Jeffrey Feltman and Daniel Shapiro are in Beirut... more..e-mailAmerican initiative: 'Rebuilding Gaza in exchange for releasing Shalit'ť
Saed Bannoura & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 3/5/2009
Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported on Thursday that a new initiative by the US Congress aims at conditioning the US financial support to rebuild the Gaza Strip with the release of the Israeli Soldier, Gilad Shalit, captured by the Palestinian... more..e-mailProposal in Congress: No Gilad Shalit, no Gaza aid
Natasha Mozgovaya Haaretz U.S. Correspondent, Ha’aretz 3/5/2009
WASHINGTON - A new initiative by members of the United States Congress seeks to condition the transfer of the $900 million for the Palestinians on an end to rocket fire on Israel from Gaza, and the release of Israeli soldier Gilad... more..e-mailIsrael’s ambassador to U.S. says stepping down from post
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 3/5/2009
WASHINGTON - Israel’s ambassador to the United States Sallai Meridor announced this week his intention to step down from the top diplomatic post in the near future, it emerged Thursday. Meridor informed outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister... more..e-mailAmbassador to US quits
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 3/5/2009
Unexpected departure: Sallai Meridor announces that he will be leaving post soon - WASHINGTON - Surprising departure: Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Sallai Meridor, announced Thursday that he intends to quit his post soon and return to Israel. Meridor... more..e-mailItaly pulls out of Durban II over ’anti-Semitic’ draft
Barak Ravid , and The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 3/5/2009
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini announced Thursday that his country was pulling out of the Durban II United Nations conference on racism due to "aggressive and anti-Semitic statements" in the draft of the event’s final document. The move... more..e-mailReport: Israel won’t wait for diplomatic solution to Iran nukes impasse
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 3/5/2009
Iran is likely to obtain a nuclear weapon within a year as it already has access to enough fissionable material to manufacture 50 warheads, according to a report commissioned by a key U. S. [right-wing Zionist] think-tank. The report by... more..e-mailNew Iran report reeks of stale ideas
Kaveh L Afrasiabi, Asia Times 3/6/2009
United States President Barack Obama may be puzzled as to how to initiate dialogue with Iran, but there are a wealth of pro-Israel pundits advising him in Washingtonwho are crystal clear on the method, purpose and goals of such an... more..e-mailBritain’s PM calls on Iran to halt nuclear program
Ha’aretz 3/4/2009
In a formal address to Congress on Wednesday, Brown says the U. S. and Britain are ready for Iran to rejoin the world community after it stops threatening peace. He says the nations’ leaders will work tirelessley with the... more..e-mailClinton voices support for Israel
Al Jazeera 3/3/2009
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has said that Washington is committed to Israel’s security and demanded an end to Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. The former first lady made the remarks as she met... more..e-mailWorld Jewish leaders urge boycott of Durban conference
Ynetnews, YNetNews 3/3/2009
World Jewish Congress president lauds US’ decision to withdraw from anti-racism conference, which he says ignores ’plight of victims of true racism. ’ Head of European Jewish Congress calls on EU to boycott event as well - The president... more..e-mailClinton says missile shield to protect from Iran
Reuters, YNetNews 3/3/2009
At press conference in Jerusalem US secretary of state reiterates America’s intentions to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, says Washington shares Israel’s concerns on Iranian nuclear program. Israeli FM Tzipi Livni says Clinton good friend... more..e-mailObama: Restraining Iran will decrease need for missile shield
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 3/3/2009
While denying reported ’quid pro quo’ nature of letter sent to Russia’s Medvedev, US President Obama confirms his administration’s stance that need for much-contested missile defense array in Europe would decrease in proportion to... more..e-mailThe grand bargain with Tehran
Meir Javedanfar, The Guardian 3/3/2009
Peaceful resolution of Iran’s nuclear programme through negotiations would be the best outcome for Israel - On 4 May 2003, the Iranian government sent a proposal to Washington, in which Tehran offered the Bush administration direct talks over a... more..e-mailU.S. Attorney General: Protecting our friends from terror is top priority
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 3/2/2009
The new administration of U. S. President Barack Obama continued its close relations with the local Jewish community with U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder addressing the 2009 Jewish Council for Public Affairs Plenum in Washington, D. C. , on Monday... more..e-mailIsrael tells UN it will respond to rockets
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 3/2/2009
Official complaint letter says ’attacks hinder efforts to reach stable cease-fire, threaten Israel’s security’ - WASHINGTON -Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, filed an official complaint with the UN Security Council Monday regarding the... more..e-mailSources: Hariri murder tribunal could derail Israel-Syria talks
Shlomo Shamir, Ha’aretz 3/2/2009
Peace talks between Israel and Syria and the thawing of U. S. -Syria relations could be derailed if a landmark international tribunal calls senior Syrian officials suspected in the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, sources in Washington... more..e-mailOlmert to U.S. Jewish leaders: No reason to fear Netanyahu
Ha’aretz 2/27/2009
Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tried this week to allay the concerns of the American Jewish community regarding Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu. Whereas Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni explained her rejection of Netanyahu’s offers to join his cabinet by... more..e-mailLieberman: I back creation of Palestinian state
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 2/26/2009
In a toned-down message directed mainly at US administration, Yisrael Beiteinu leader rejects labeling of his ideas as ’far-right’: ’I want the State of Israel to remain a Zionist, Jewish and democratic state’ he writes in... more..e-mailSyrian ambassador to Washington meets with Feltman in another sign of thaw in ties
Agence France Presse - AFP and The Daily Star, Daily Star 2/27/2009
WASHINGTON: Syria’s ambassador to the US met Thursday with a senior US diplomat in the highest level contact between the two states since President Barack Obama took office, the State Department said. Ambassador Imad Mustafa and Jeffrey Feltman... more..e-mailUS and Syrian envoys hold talks
Al Jazeera 2/27/2009
US and Syrian diplomats have held talks in Washington in a bid to improve the strained ties between the two nations. Imad Moustapha, Syria’s ambassador to the US, met Jeffrey Feltman, the US state department’s top... more..e-mailHope springs eternal
Bassel Oudat, Al-Ahram Weekly 2/26/2009
Syrian officials were thrilled to hear that a US ambassador to Damascus will be coming. But Washington is not really rushing it, says Syrian officials believe that Obama’s administration will lift the sanctions on Syria soon, and may... more..e-mailClinton Warns Israel Over Delays in Gaza Aid
Barak Ravid, MIFTAH 2/26/2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has relayed messages to Israel in the past week expressing anger at obstacles Israel is placing to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. A leading political source in Jerusalem noted that senior... more..e-mailBibi against talks with a Hamas-PA gov’t
Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post 2/26/2009
Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to lobby Secretary of State Hillary Clinton next week against US recognition of a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas, top advisers to Netanyahu said Wednesday.
Zalman Shoval, one of Netanyahu’s five... more..e-mailU.S. Middle East Envoy Takes Second Trip to Region
Reuters, MIFTAH 2/26/2009
U. S. special Middle East envoy George Mitchell has embarked on his second trip to the region to further President Barack Obama’s pledge to work for Arab-Israeli peace, the State Department said on Tuesday. Mitchell was in London... more..e-mailQuartet Planning to Meet in Sharm Ahead of Gaza Donors’ Conference
Haaretz, MIFTAH 2/26/2009
Foreign ministers from the four powers heading a Middle East peace process may meet in the Egyptian town of Sharm el-Sheikh on March 1, RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russia’s foreign ministry as saying on Wednesday. The Quartet... more..e-mailClinton warns Israel over delays in Gaza aid
Barak Ravid and Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 2/25/2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has relayed messages to Israel in the past week expressing anger at obstacles Israel is placing to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. A leading political source in Jerusalem noted that senior... more..e-mailSyria denies significant amount of uranium found at bombed site
Reuters, Ha’aretz 2/25/2009
VIENNA - Syria said on Tuesday United Nations inspectors’ discovery of uranium traces at an alleged secret nuclear site was not "significant" as the UN maintains, suggesting the International Atomic Energy Agency’s analysis was faulty. Damascus also denied... more..e-mailErdogan: Iran asked Turkey to help mend US ties
Middle East Online 2/25/2009
LONDON - Iran has asked Ankara to help improve ties between Washington and Tehran, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview published Wednesday.
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper aboard his prime ministerial plane, Erdogan said the Iranian request... more..e-mailUS picks Ross as Gulf envoy in move some say aims to soothe Israeli fears
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 2/25/2009
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has named Dennis Ross to the post of special adviser to the Gulf and southwest Asia, effectively making him Washington’s pointman on Iran. Clinton "is pleased to announce the appointment" of... more..e-mail’Hamas letter’ not yet delivered to Obama
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 2/25/2009
WASHINGTON: A letter to President Barack Obama, reportedly from a top member of Hamas, is yet to be brought to the United States and is in the hands of US diplomats in Occupied Jerusalem, the White House said Monday. The... more..e-mailAhmad Yousef’s letter to President Obama not yet delivered
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 2/24/2009
Spokesperson of the White House in Washington stated yesterday that a letter sent by a former Hamas advisor, Ahmad Yousef, from Gaza to President Barak Obama, has not been delivered yet. The spokesperson confirmed that such a letter is still... more..e-mailUS to give ’$900m in Gaza aid’
Al Jazeera 2/24/2009
The US is set to offer more than $900m to help rebuild Gaza following Israel’s military assault on the Palestinian territory, officials say. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, is to formally announce the funding at a... more..e-mailBaird wants US to reassess aid to Israel
Hilary Leila Krieger, Jerusalem Post Correspondent, Jerusalem Post 2/23/2009
A US congressman plans to brief fellow members of Congress and the Obama administration about his recent trip to Gaza, saying the US should pressure Israel regarding border closures and reassess its military support for the Jewish state.
Rep. Brian... more..e-mailTurkish PM: Israel must recognize Palestine
Ynet, YNetNews 2/24/2009
Recep Tayyip Erdogan reveals to the Guardian newspaper that Tehran asked Ankara to help it out of the diplomatic mud with America; compares Netanyahu’s rejection of two-state solution as similar to Hamas’ refusal to recognize Israel - Turkish... more..e-mailUS to donate $900 million in aid to Gaza
Reuters, YNetNews 2/23/2009
State Department official says money for reconstruction of Strip will be transferred via UN; money meant to help strengthen Palestinian Authority, will not go to Hamas, official says -US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to announce a $900 million... more..e-mailMousa: We do not trust any Israeli government
Palestinian Information Center 2/23/2009
GAZA, (PIC)-- Amr Mousa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, said he does not trust any Israeli government, urging the international community to pressure Israel to respect the peace process. Before his departure for Washington on Sunday to participate in... more..e-mail’Israel must change 'counterproductive' Gaza policies’
Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post 2/22/2009
Banning lentils and pasta from Gaza does not help the cause of peace, two visiting congressmen told The Jerusalem Post on Friday morning, after making a rare visit to Gaza the previous day.
"When have lentil bombs been going off... more..e-mailUS lawmakers refuse to meet de facto officials on rare Gaza visit
Ma’an News Agency 2/19/2009
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Three US members of Congress made a rare visit to the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the first of its kind to Gaza in at least four years. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry arrived in the coastal enclave... more..e-mailUS lawmakers hear ’heart wrenching’ tales during visit to Gaza
Daily Star 2/20/2009
GAZA CITY: US Democratic representatives Brian Baird and Keith Ellison expressed shock at the plight of the war-shattered Gaza Strip during a rare visit to the Palestinian enclave on Thursday. "The amount of physical destruction and the depth of human... more..e-mailTwo US congressmen visiting Gaza
Middle East Online 2/19/2009
GAZA CITY - US congressmen Brian Baird and Keith Ellison, both Democrats, were in Gaza on Thursday, the first such visit since democratically elected Hamas seized power in the Palestinian territory in June 2007.
The two visited Izzbet Abed Rabbo, a... more..e-mailMitchell: Palestinians’ financial buildup cannot replace diplomatic route
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 2/19/2009
US special envoy to Mideast reiterates Obama administration’s commitment to Israel’s safety, two-state solution - WASHINGTON- George Mitchell, the US special envoy to Mideast said Thursday that while the development of the West Bank’s economy... more..e-mailUS-ISRAEL: Storm Clouds Ahead?
Analysis by Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service 2/19/2009
WASHINGTON, Feb 19(IPS) - After eight years of the closest possible relations, the United States and Israel may be headed for a period of increasing strain, particularly given the likelihood that whatever Israeli government emerges from last week’s... more..e-mailIndyk: Netanyahu may seek Syria deal to deflect U.S. pressure
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 2/20/2009
Former U. S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk said Thursday that he believes that should Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu become Israel’s next prime minister, he "will try to deflect American pressure by seeking a deal with Syrians" Indyk... more..e-mailKurtzer: Netanyahu-Lieberman is ’bad combination’ for U.S.
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 2/19/2009
WASHINGTON - Daniel Kurtzer, the former U. S. ambassador to Israel, said Tuesday that a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu that also included Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman would be a "bad combination for American interests. " "It would be much more... more..e-mailLittle Hope From New US Mediation
Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani, Inter Press Service 2/19/2009
CAIRO, Feb 19(IPS) - Egyptians seem at best only cautiously optimistic over the appointment of Senator George Mitchell as U. S. envoy to the Middle East. Mitchell is mandated chiefly with settling the Arab-Israeli dispute. "Mitchell’s prospects for... more..e-mailTerror victims sue U.S. oil companies for funding terror
Yossi Melman, Ha’aretz 2/19/2009
American and Israeli victims of terrorism have filed a precedent-setting suit against three U. S. oil companies and their directors, charging them that they indirectly assisted the funding of terrorist organizations. This is the first time that Israeli victims of... more..e-mailAnalysis: Amman Caught Between Hamas and Fatah
Brenda Gazzar, MIFTAH 2/19/2009
An expected move by Jordanian parliamentarians to file a petition with the International Criminal Court at The Hague accusing senior Israeli figures of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead does not reflect the kingdom’s official position, experts say... more..e-mailUS senator urges Syria to break with Iran
Middle East Online 2/19/2009
DAMASCUS - US Senator Benjamin Cardin called on Syria on Wednesday to end its three-decade alliance with Iran as Washington reviews its policies towards the Middle East.
After talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Cardin urged the Damascus government to seize... more..e-mailUS Congressional delegation holds talks with Assad
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 2/18/2009
DAMASCUS: A delegation of US senators led by Benjamin Cardin, a member of the foreign relations committee, arrived in Damascus Tuesday for talks with President Bashar Assad. Cardin’s talks with the president on Wednesday will focus on bilateral... more..e-mailMuch at stake for Lebanon in US opening to Syria
Ali Gharib, Inter Press Service, Daily Star 2/18/2009
WASHINGTON: This week, two high-level US Congressional delegations are setting out for Syria to meet with President Bashar Assad. The trips are seen as a precursor for engagement with Syria, but the extent of possible diplomatic deal-making is still in... more..e-mailOfficials: Israel may authorize terms for Shalit deal on Wednesday
Avi Issacharof Jack Khoury and Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 2/16/2009
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s security cabinet could approve as early as Wednesday a deal for the release of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, senior Israeli officials said on Monday. Olmert told a visiting U. S. congressional delegation... more..e-mailIsrael worried about U.S. delay in forging stance on Iran nukes
Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 2/15/2009
Israeli officials are putting together a position paper on talks between the United States and Iran for the new administration in Washington, Israeli officials say. The paper will include a list of reservations about the state of international efforts against... more..e-mailUS Congress hears urgent appeal for aid to Gaza
Daily Star 2/14/2009
WASHINGTON: While urgent humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is immediately required, the long-term consequences of the recent Gaza war depend on advancements in the peace process and a settlement freeze, Ziad J. Asali, president of the American... more..e-mailKey US lawmaker to visit Damascus
Middle East Online 2/13/2009
WASHINGTON - Democratic Senator John Kerry, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations committee, will visit Damascus next week as part of a five-stop trip to the Middle East, a spokesman said Thursday.
In Damascus, Kerry was to meet with Syrian President... more..e-mailIsrael, Iran liable to clash in 2009 over nukes, U.S. intel chief said
Amir Oren, Ha’aretz 2/13/2009
Israel and Iran are liable to enter into a confrontation or a crisis sometime this year due to Tehran’s progress in its nuclear weapons program and Jerusalem’s determination to thwart it, the head of U. S... more..e-mailAnti-Hamas Policies Stymie Gaza Recovery
Ali Gharib, Inter Press Service 2/9/2009
WASHINGTON, Feb 9(IPS) - Despite a desperate need to rebuild the Gaza Strip, viewed by many as a key ingredient to reuniting the Palestinian territories and building a two-state peace deal with Israel, it appears that the U. S. and... more..e-mailN.Y. rabbi aims to ease Jewish-Muslim tensions in Europe stoked by Gaza op
Shlomo Shamir and Reuters, Ha’aretz 2/9/2009
Rabbi Marc Schneier, a New York Jewish leader who has helped to build bridges with American Muslims, is planning to bring his campaign to Europe to help ease the anger fed by bloodshed in Gaza. "In the light of the... more..e-mailA Truce Too Big to Fail?
Analysis by Helena Cobban, Inter Press Service 2/8/2009
WASHINGTON, Feb 6(IPS) - The tandem un-negotiated ceasefires that Israel and Hamas announced Jan. 18 across the Gaza-Israel front line remain fragile. Local and international efforts to consolidate the truce have stalled, and officials and analysts around the world warn... more..e-mailPro-Palestinian lobby on facebook stimulates Australian Government to support Palestine
George Rishmawi, International Middle East Media Center News 2/7/2009
The Australian senate has approved $10 million USD aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The senate’s decision was stimulated by a group of activists on Facebook who called themsleves "The Pro-Palestinian Lobby on Facebook. " The... more..e-mailWorld Jewish Congress asks Venezuela to protect Jewish community
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 2/7/2009
An international Jewish group is urging Venezuela to protect its Jewish community after a recent attack on a synagogue and amid reports of increasing incidents of anti-Semitism. The Washington-based World Jewish Congress is also asking the government to refrain from... more..e-mailUS Congress introduces bill to punish UNRWA
Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center News 2/6/2009
A bill has been introduced in Congress criticizing the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza. The bill accuses the Agency of providing support to so-called ’terrorists’ in the Gaza Strip. Laila al Quttami... -- See also: URGENT: Act Now To Defend UNRWA In Gazamore..e-mailTop Iranian official: Iran won’t talk to ’Zionist’ Obama
News Agencies, Ha’aretz 2/5/2009
A representative of Iran’s supreme leader said the installation of U. S. President Barack Obama did not mean Tehran’s ties with Washington would change, the Fars news agency reported Wednesday. "The Zionists brought Obama to power... more..e-mailMitchell to press for talks between Lebanon and Israel - US officials
Daily Star 2/4/2009
BEIRUT: US Middle East envoy George Mitchell will visit Lebanon in the next two months carrying a request from Washington that Lebanon and Israel begin to engage directly in peace negotiations, regional media reported Tuesday. Quoting a senior Egyptian diplomat... -- See also: Barak: Syria-Hezbollah arms deal will prompt Israeli action in Lebanonmore..e-mailObama envoy to revisit Middle East
Al Jazeera 2/3/2009
George Mitchell, the US special envoy to the Middle East, is to return to the region within weeks to pursue peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said she would send Mitchell back... more..e-mailClinton wants to work with 'all sides,' but repeats conditions for Hamas talks
Ma’an News Agency 2/3/2009
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies –Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated the US’ conditions for dialogue with Hamas on Tuesday but said that the US is looking to work with all the parties in the conflict. "We are looking to work with... more..e-mailErdogan: The main reason for tensions in Gaza is the policy of isolating Hamas
Palestinian Information Center 2/2/2009
GAZA, (PIC)-- Turkish premier Recep Erdogan stated that the primary cause of the ongoing tensions in the Gaza Strip is the policy of isolating the Hamas Movement, highlighting the need to recognize the legitimacy of the Movement which was democratically... more..e-mailPalestinian rift deepened by regional rivalries
Middle East Online 2/3/2009
Syria on one side and Saudi Arabia and Egypt (pushed by the US) on the other could be hampering efforts to reconcile Mahmud Abbas and the democratically elected Hamas.
The Israel’s 22-day offensive killed more than 1,330... more..e-mailAl-Qaida: Islam’s enemy in Gaza is U.S. just as much as Israel
Reuters, Ha’aretz 2/3/2009
Al Qaida’s deputy leader on Tuesday dismissed U. S. President Barack Obama’s expression of concern over killings in Gaza as an empty gesture on Tuesday and said Washington remains a main enemy of Muslims. "I remind... more..e-mailUS envoy holds talks with Saudis
Al Jazeera 2/1/2009
The US Middle East envoy has arrived in the Saudi capital on the final leg of a regional tour aimed at reviving peace efforts, the Saudi official SPA news agency has reported. George Mitchell met Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi... more..e-mailUS media touted Israeli view of Gaza war - analysts
Daily Star 2/2/2009
WASHINGTON: US television coverage of the recent three-week conflict in the Gaza Strip failed to tell both sides of the story, according to a number of media analysts. The Israeli onslaught garnered some media attention, with an unusually large spike... more..e-mail60 US lawmakers urge Clinton to aid Gaza
Middle East Online 1/30/2009
WASHINGTON - Sixty US lawmakers have urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to give emergency funds to the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after its bombardment by Israel.
In a letter dated Tuesday, the... more..e-mailJordan`s king meets Mitchell, calls for immediate resumption of peace talks
Ha’aretz 2/1/2009
Jordan’s King Abdullah called for the immediate resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks following a meeting with President Barack Obama’s new Mideast peace envoy on Saturday. "It’s important not to lose time, and to move... more..e-mailMEDIA-US: Gaza Coverage Echoed Govt Support of Israel
Marina Litvinsky, Inter Press Service 2/1/2009
WASHINGTON, Jan 31(IPS) - U. S. television coverage of the recent three-week conflict in the Gaza Strip failed to tell both sides of the story, according to a number of media analysts. The most recent conflict between the Israel Defence... more..e-mailErdogan: Palestine an open-air prison
YNetNews 1/31/2009
Turkish PM, in exclusive interview with Washington Post, explains recent comments about Gaza operation, encourages engaging Hamas; says Turkey’s relationship with Israel not over, but that leaders must ’check themselves’, reassess actions regarding Palestinians. -After the... more..e-mailUS envoy meets Israeli intelligence officials
Middle East Online 1/30/2009
WASHINGTON - US envoy George Mitchell, who is touring the Middle East, met Israeli intelligence officials on Thursday in Jerusalem, the State Department said.
Mitchell had "productive meetings" with Mossad director Meir Dagan, Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin and Israeli army... more..e-mailMitchell rounds up Mideast tour in Saudi
AFP, YNetNews 2/1/2009
US President Obama’s special envoy meets with King Abdullah in Amman, Prince Saud al-Faisal in Riyadh on final leg of regional tour aimed at reviving peace process - US Middle East envoy George Mitchell flew in to the Saudi... more..e-mailUS denies drafting letter to Iran
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 1/30/2009
White House spokesman denies President Obama received letter from Iranian leader Ahmadinejad; State Department dismisses British report that US is working on response - WASHINGTON – Obama administration officials responded scornfully Thursday to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent demand for... more..e-mailReport: Top U.S. official met with Ahmadinejad aide to discuss Iran nuclear program
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 1/31/2009
Former U. S. Defense Secretary William J. Perry held a series of previously undisclosed meetings with a senior aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to a report published on Friday in The Washington Times. The Washington Times quoted an... more..e-mailStormy debate in Davos over Gaza
Al Jazeera 1/29/2009
The Turkish prime minister has stormed out of a heated debate at the World Economic Forum in Davos over Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip. Recep Tayyip Erdogan walked out of the televised debate on Thursday, after the... more..e-mailUS envoy for lasting Gaza peace
Al Jazeera 1/29/2009
George Mitchell, the US special envoy to the Middle East, has called for a durable ceasefire in Gaza and vowed Washington would sustain an "active commitment" to achieve lasting peace in the region. Mitchell met Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president... more..e-mailU.S. releases Iranian ship said taking arms to Gaza
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 1/29/2009
WASHINGTON - The U. S. navy was forced to release an Iranian boat detained in the Red Sea on suspicion of carrying arms to Hamas-ruled Gaza. Weapons of various kinds were found aboard the ship, which was flying the Cypriot flag... more..e-mailGaza ceasefire strained as Mitchell flies in
Donald Macintyre in Gaza, The Independent 1/28/2009
Washington’s newly appointed special envoy to the Middle East arrived in the region yesterday as the nine-day-old Gaza ceasefire came under its most serious strain yet after an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian died in border clashes. The... more..e-mailMitchell: end border closure, end smuggling in Gaza
Middle East Online 1/28/2009
TEL AVIV - US Middle East envoy George Mitchell said on Wednesday it was critical to consolidate a ceasefire in Gaza by ending hostilities, opening borders and ending smuggling into the enclave.
"The prime minister and I discussed the critical importance... more..e-mailTop U.S official: There’s no way to stop Iran’s nuclear program
Shlomo Shamir, Ha’aretz 1/29/2009
There’s no way and no chance to stop the Iranian nuclear program," Republican U. S. Congressman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra told the independent American news site Newsmax in an interview on Tuesday. The Congressman, who... more..e-mailAnalysis: Obama must treat Iran as key player
Middle East Online 1/28/2009
TEHRAN - New US President Barack Obama must view Iran as a strategic player if he wishes to achieve regional peace rather than limiting his policy to Tehran’s controversial nuclear drive, analysts said on Wednesday.
Both Washington and Tehran... more..e-mailReport: UNRWA ’pays terrorists’
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 1/28/2009
In sharply worded report, former legal advisor to UN agency says group must redefine oxymoronic labeling of Palestinians with Jordanian, Lebanese citizenship as refugees - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees employs and provides benefits for terrorists... more..e-mailWJC: We must finish off Hamas first before going to a two-state solution
Palestinian Information Center 1/27/2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The World Jewish Congress is holding its 13 th general meeting on Monday and Tuesday in the occupied city of Jerusalem, which indicates that the Israeli occupation government was intensifying judaization programs in the city. Around 400... more..e-mailU.S. releases Iranian ship believed to be carrying arms for Gaza
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 1/28/2009
The U. S. navy was forced to release an Iranian boat detained in the Red Sea on suspicion of carrying arms to Hamas-ruled Gaza. Weapons of various kinds were found aboard the ship, which was flying the Cypriot flag when... more..e-mailUS envoy to strengthen Abbas
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 1/27/2009
George Mitchell heads to meetings in Middle East, not intending to meet with Hamas, Syria; focus of visit appears to be delivering aid to Gaza - WASHINGTON - The United States’ new envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, will be... more..e-mailMitchell sent to Mideast to shore up Gaza truce
Middle East Online 1/26/2009
WASHINGTON - US envoy George Mitchell will leave Monday for Israel, the Palestinian West Bank and Arab states to bolster a truce in Gaza, respond to humanitarian problems and "reinvigorate the peace process," a spokesman said Monday.
Mitchell, representing an aggressive... more..e-mailMitchell to stop in Paris on way to Mideast
Associated Press, Jerusalem Post 1/26/2009
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet with the newly appointed US special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, before he flies to the region in his first bid to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
Sarkozy’s office says the...
Conference concludes: Gaza war legitimized equating Jews with Nazis
Cnaan Liphshiz, Ha’aretz 1/27/2009
The operation in Gaza put an end to the European taboo on equating Jews to Nazis. That message was one of the conclusions of the first international panel discussion on anti-Semitism following the Gaza invasion, which was held in Jerusalem... more..e-mailPeres blasts ’misrepresentation of facts’ on Gaza op
Greer Fay Cashman, Jerusalem Post 1/26/2009
Speaking on Monday at the opening session of the 13th plenary of the World Jewish Congress, President Shimon Peres sought to correct what he termed "misunderstandings" and the "misrepresentation of facts" about the disproportionate number of Palestinian casualties in Operation... more..e-mailHead of right-wing think tank: Settlements must be evacuated
Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 1/27/2009
In light of the failure of efforts to realize the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the unlikelihood of creating a binational state, the most effective way to deal with the conflict is through a "controlled management" of the... more..e-mailBBC chief defends Gaza appeal veto
Al Jazeera 1/26/2009
The director general of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has defended his decision not to air a Gaza charity appeal, saying it contravenes the channel’s position of impartiality. Mark Thompson said on Monday he would not reconsider the... more..e-mailSyria wants dialogue with US without preconditions
Roee Nahmias and AP, YNetNews 1/26/2009
Assad tells Lebanese TV new American administration has already sent officials to Damascus to start a dialogue, praises ’victory of the resistance in Gaza. ’ On peace talks with Israel: We won’t accept anything less than full... more..e-mail’In Venezuela, anti-Semitism is endorsed by the government’
Nir Hasson, Ha’aretz 1/27/2009
New Zionist disinformation campaign targets Venezuela - Ed. ] The president of the Jewish community in Venezuela on Monday accused Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez of promoting anti-Semitism and giving the phenomenon legitimacy. Speaking at the World Jewish Congress conference in Jerusalem on... -- See also: Chavez 'providing aid to Hamas and Hezbollah', says new bookmore..e-mailJordan’s King Abdullah fires intel chief over Hamas support
Yossi Melman, Ha’aretz 1/26/2009
King Abdullah of Jordan fired the head of the country’s intelligence service, Mohammed Dahabi, early in January. The dismissal had not been understood; however, analysts and experts following developments in the Hashemite Kingdom, now suggest that the move... more..e-mailChomsky sees no Mideast ‘change’ under Obama
Middle East Online 1/24/2009
PACIFICA – Noam Chomsky, the renowned professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for over half-a-century, and author of over a hundred books, including Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy, said he expected little... -- See also: Democracy Now!more..e-mailDruze, Bedouin diplomats wage PR war
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 1/22/2009
Reda Mansour, Ismail Khaldi defend Gaza op to CNN, Berkley faculty, and Muslim protestors in US - WASHINGTON -A Druze ambassador and a Bedouin deputy consul general have positioned themselves at the forefront of Israel’s PR battle in the... more..e-mailIsraeli officials: Obama a true friend
Roni Sofer, YNetNews 1/21/2009
Following historic day in Washington, officials in Jerusalem say they are not concerned about incoming US president, expect Israel to remain America’s "strategic, intimate partner’ during Obama era - Barack Obama is a "true friend of Israel" who... more..e-mailEx-envoys: Israel has nothing to worry about
Itamar Eichner, YNetNews 1/20/2009
Former ambassadors to Washington analyze Israel-US relations as Obama era begins - Obama’s inauguration as the American president will be a fundamental moment in the history of the United States, former Israeli Ambassador to Washington Daniel Ayalon said Monday... more..e-mailPrayer for Pollard’s release ahead of Obama inauguration
Sharon Roffe-Ofir, YNetNews 1/20/2009
Free Pollard Committee hopes US President Bush may choose to grant last-minute pardon to convicted Israeli spy -Esther Pollard, wife of convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, has been spending the last few hours of US President George W. Bush’s... more..e-mailGeorge Mitchell to be named special US envoy to Mideast
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 1/20/2009
Barack Obama said to appoint veteran senator, author of Mitchell Report on al-Aqsa Intifada as his emissary to region - WASHINGTON – One of Barack Obama’s first moves once he is sworn in as the 44th president of the United... more..e-mailWorld Jewish Congress to stand by Israel
Ynetnews, YNetNews 1/20/2009
Over 400 representatives of Jewish communities from all continents, international Jewish organizations expected to attend WJC’s 13th Plenary Assembly on January 26-27 in Jerusalem - The 13th Plenary Assembly of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), the leading international... more..e-mailIDF to conclude withdrawal today
Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 1/20/2009
Israel Defense Forces officers supervising the pullout of troops from Gaza yesterday were working to have the last Israeli soldier leave Gaza today before the Washington, D. C. , inauguration of United States President Barack Obama. The IDF is expected today... more..e-mailEgypt slams summit
Dina Ezzat, Al-Ahram Weekly 1/15/2009
This week, Egypt moved from the subtle to the upfront and officially expressed opposition to a request presented by Qatar for the convening of an emergency Arab summit on Gaza. The proposal was initially forwarded by Qatar to the Arab... more..e-mailU.S. Jewish Peace Lobby Isolated on Gaza
Daniel Luban, Inter Press Service 1/18/2009
WASHINGTON, Jan 17(IPS) - The three-week-old war in Gaza - halted Saturday by an Israeli ceasefire - has had a polarising effect on the U. S. Jewish community, resulting in a deeper and at times acrimonious split between dovish groups that are... more..e-mailObama and the Palestinians
Robert Dreyfuss, Middle East Online 1/17/2009
Chances are fair to middling that a ceasefire in Gaza, ending Israel’s three-week blitzkrieg there, will take hold before Barack Obama is sworn in as president on Tuesday. But, either way, the war has pushed the Palestine issue... more..e-mailMideast Awaits Signs of Obama’s Stance on Gaza
Helene Cooper, MIFTAH 1/17/2009
WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has promised that he will have plenty to say about the Israeli incursion into Gaza once he takes office next week, and expectations are high. But there is a growing consensus among the people who have... more..e-mailUS and Israel agree Gaza deal
Al Jazeera 1/17/2009
Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister and her US counterpart, Condoleezza Rice, have signed an agreement aimed at preventing arms smuggling into Gaza for the Palestinian group Hamas. Livni, who travelled to Washington DC, the US capital, on Friday for... more..e-mailUS backs deal to reopen Gaza-Egypt border
Chris McGreal in Jerusalem, The Guardian 1/17/2009
Key ceasefire demands of Hamas and Israel would be met under plan to stop crossings being used for weapons smuggling - The US agreed to provide technical and intelligence assistance on Egypt’s border with Gaza yesterday to prevent weapons... more..e-mailUS prepares deal ’to end Gaza assault’
Toni O'Loughlin in Jerusalem, Peter Walker and agencies, The Guardian 1/16/2009
Diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza intensified today as Israel and the US prepared to sign a deal intended to reassure the Israeli government that Hamas will not have a chance to rearm once the fighting stops. The... more..e-mailIsrael, United States sign anti-Gaza deal
Middle East Online 1/16/2009
WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni were Friday signed a US-Israeli deal.
"The MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that Foreign Minister Livni and I will sign should be thought of as one of the... more..e-mailHayden: ’Iran near nuke decision’
Associates Press Published, YNetNews 1/16/2009
Departing CIA chief says American intelligence agency Tehran appears to be nearing decision on whether to build nuclear warhead - The CIA has hampered al-Qaeda’s
free rein in the tribal region of western Pakistan, and Iran
appears to be... more..e-mailIsrael, US foil UN condemnation
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 1/15/2009
Diplomats work together to prevent Security Council statement slamming Jewish state for UNRWA building strike - WASHINGTON - Israel
and the US succeeded in preventing a United Nations announcement condemning the Jewish state for its strike
on a UN compound in Gaza... more..e-mailLivni to get US aid against smuggling
Roni Sofer, YNetNews 1/16/2009
Foreign minister to travel to Washington to secure international outlined agreement preventing Hamas from rearming itself - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
is scheduled to leave for Washington Thursday night in order to sum up an outlined agreement with the United States... more..e-mailMIDEAST: Coming Up to Crunch Time
Analysis by Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler, Inter Press Service 1/16/2009
JERUSALEM, Jan 15(IPS) - "The war isn’t yet over, but it’s the beginning of the final chapter," said Eytan Ben-Eliyahu, former Israeli air force chief, on Israel Television Wednesday night. "This is the crunch moment," he... more..e-mailAirstrike kills senior Hamas minister as Cairo talks inch towards ceasefire
Toni O'Loughlin in Jerusalem, The Guardian 1/16/2009
Israel struck at the heart of Hamas yesterday, killing one of its most senior leaders and pushing deeper into Gaza City, as moves towards a temporary ceasefire inched forward. Hamas reportedly told Egypt, which is brokering talks, that it would... more..e-mailLivni to set off for Washington for talks on Gaza cease-fire
Barak Ravid Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, and Reuters, Ha’aretz 1/16/2009
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will travel to Washington early Friday to discuss a cease-fire plan for Gaza, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday. "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert authorized this evening the trip of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to the United... more..e-mailPoll: Most Americans oppose Iran attack
Yitzhak Benhorin Published, YNetNews 1/15/2009
Survey conducted for Israel Project shows 79% of Americansthink hard work needed to stop Tehran from getting nuclear weapons, but most still oppose military action within Islamic Republic, 47% want increased diplomatic pressure on Iran - WASHINGTON - Seventy-nine percent of Americans... more..e-mailLivni will travel to Washington to discuss Gaza cease-fire
Associated Press, Jerusalem Post 1/15/2009
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is traveling to Washington to discuss a Gaza cease-fire.
A statement from the Israeli prime ministers office said Livni would be leaving for the United States Thursday night to discuss and Egyptian mediated cease-fire to end... more..e-mailRising Anger of British MPs over Gaza
Stuart Littlewood - London, Palestine Chronicle 1/14/2009
George Galloway: ’Stop selling British weapons to the mass-murderers. . ’After seeing American politicians pass resolutions giving unconditional support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza - the Senate unanimously and Congress by 390 to 5 - readers might like to... more..e-mailIsrael asks Security Council to condemn Hamas
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 1/15/2009
Israeli envoy to UN says Hamas targeting civilians, using Palestinian civilians as shields, asks UN to deplore organization - WASHINGTON - Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev asked the UN Security Council on Thursday to include a condemnation of... more..e-mailSettlements could cost $1b in U.S. guarantees
Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 1/15/2009
The United States administration plans to cut about $1 billion from the balance of its loan guarantees to Israel because of its investments in the settlements. The balance currently stands at $4. 6 billion. Washington has not officially informed Jerusalem... more..e-mailOlmert’s claims revive specter of 'Israel Lobby'
Daniel Luban, Electronic Intifada 1/14/2009
WASHINGTON (IPS) - The US State Department fiercely denied claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert about his influence over President George W. Bush, in an incident that has stirred up old debates about the role of the Israeli government... more..e-mailUS denies Olmert influenced UN vote
Al Jazeera 1/14/2009
The US has denied that a telephone call made by Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, to George Bush, the US president, led to the US abstaining in a UN vote on the Gaza war last week. In a speech... more..e-mailPoll: US ’supports Israel in Gaza op’
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 1/14/2009
Ipsos poll reveals 44% of Americans blame Hamas for conflict while only 14% blame Israel - WASHINGTON - The American public supports Israel in its military incursion into Gaza, according to a recent poll conducted by Ipsos.
The poll results published Tuesday... more..e-mailUS Congressman: Israel war violations ’deliberate’
Middle East Online 1/13/2009
PACIFICA – Israel must take the responsibility for its attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, said Congress member Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, during an interview with Democracy Now! on Monday.
"When you look at what the targets of the attacks have... more..e-mailClinton vows action on Middle East
Al Jazeera 1/14/2009
Hillary Clinton has vowed to make "every effort" to advance a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians as secretary of state in Barack Obama’s administration. Speaking on Tuesday at her senate confirmation hearing, Clinton said that the... more..e-mailPOLITICS-US: Olmert’s Claims Revive Spectre of 'Israel Lobby'
Daniel Luban, Inter Press Service 1/14/2009
WASHINGTON, Jan 13(IPS) - The U. S. State Department fiercely denied claims made by Ehud Olmert about his influence over President George W. Bush, in an incident that has stirred up old debates about the role of the Israeli government... more..e-mailU.S.: Clinton Stresses 'Cooperative Engagement', 'Smart Power'
Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service 1/14/2009
WASHINGTON, Jan 13(IPS) - In the first comprehensive statement of President-elect Barack Obama’s foreign policy priorities, his nominee for secretary of state, Sen. Hillary Clinton, said "cooperative engagement" backed up by what she called "smart power" will define... more..e-mailHundreds of thousands of people worldwide protest on day 15 of Israeli invasion of Gaza
Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center News 1/11/2009
All over the world, in hundreds of cities, protesters took to the streets on Saturday to call for an end to Israeli aggression in Gaza. Over 50,000 people gathered in below-freezing temperatures in London to march on the Israeli embassy... more..e-mailUS Senate Endorses Israel’s War on Gaza
Jeremy R. Hammond, Palestine Chronicle 1/9/2009
Kucinich was a lone voice in the Congress: ’Wake up America. ’ - The US Senate on Thursday passed a non-binding resolution promoted by the influential Israeli lobby AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee), effectively endorsing Israel’s... -- See also: Senate resolution and House resolution passed 1-9-2009more..e-mailLivni: Israel will not show restraint
YNetNews 1/10/2009
Foreign minister speaks with Washington Post, says Israel will not back down from Gaza offensive until operational objectives are met. ’We don’t ask the international community to fight with us. We ask it to give us some... more..e-mailBush ordered ceasefire retreat at UN
David Usborne in New York, The Independent 1/10/2009
Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, was forced to step back from voting in favour of the Gaza ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council after orders from Washington, diplomatic sources said yesterday. The US abstention on the resolution... more..e-mailIn Washington, All Roads Lead to Tehran
Daniel Luban, Inter Press Service 1/11/2009
WASHINGTON, Jan 9(IPS) - As the war in Gaza approaches its third week, a chorus of influential voices in the U. S. media has cast the conflict as a proxy war in which the real enemy is not Hamas but... more..e-mailTehran Opts for 'Moral Support' in Gaza War
Analysis by Kaveh Afrasiabi, Inter Press Service 1/11/2009
WASHINGTON, Jan 10(IPS) - Although the administration of U. S. President George W. Bush and Israeli leaders have depicted the ongoing crisis in Gaza as part of a larger struggle against Iran and its "proxies", Tehran’s involvement with... more..e-mailNew York Times: U.S. spurned Israel plan for Iran reactor attack
Reuters, Ha’aretz 1/11/2009
U. S. President George W. Bush deflected Israel’s secret request last year for bunker-busting bombs it wanted for an attack on Iran’s main nuclear complex, saying he had authorized covert action to sabotage Tehran’s... more..e-mailUS congress votes to back Israel
Al Jazeera 1/9/2009
The US House of Representatives has voted to endorse a resolution backing Israel in its offensive in Gaza, in which at least 780 Palestinians have been killed. The body passed Friday’s resolution "recognising Israel’s right to... more..e-mailUS abstention stuns security council
Julian Borger and Ian Black, The Guardian 1/10/2009
A UN resolution calling for an end to the fighting in Gaza was weakened at the last minute by a surprise US abstention, it emerged yesterday. Diplomatic sources said the US was closely involved in the drafting of the security... more..e-mailVIDEO - US abstains as UN backs Gaza ceasefire
The Guardian 1/9/2009
Security council passes resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza conflict, but Washington fails to add its voice to international criticism of Israeli offensive [end...
US Congressman calls for inquiry into illegal use of US weapons by Israel
Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center News 1/9/2009
After reports emerged from Gaza that Israel bombed a United Nations School on Tuesday, where people had sought refuge from Israeli military attacks, US Congressman Dennis Kucinich has called for an investigation into Israel’s possible illegal use of... more..e-mailVIDEO - WATCH: U.S. House passes landslide vote backing Israel in fight against Hamas
Reuters, Ha’aretz 1/10/2009
The U. S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a resolution "recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza" by a majority of 390-5. Lawmakers in Washington routinely pass nonbinding resolutions supporting Israel during Middle... more..e-mailAnalysts say Gaza conflict seen as boost to Hamas
Middle East Online 1/9/2009
PARIS - Israel’s military offensive in Gaza plays into the hands of Hams, experts said.
Targeted by Israel, democratically elected Hamas could well come out of the conflict with an elevated status in Arab public opinion even if it... more..e-mailRice admits Middle East deal this year is unlikely
Matthew Lee in Tel Aviv, The Independent 11/7/2008
The Bush administration conceded yesterday that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by a year-end deadline is no longer possible. "We do not think it is likely it will happen," Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, said in Washington, while Secretary of... more..e-mailRice, Livni meet in Herzliya
Roni Sofer, YNetNews 11/6/2008
US secretary of state kicks off round of diplomatic talks in meeting with Kadima chairwoman, says election of Barack Obama signals completion of African American integration into US government -
Speaking to reporters on Thursday after her arrival in Israel, US... more..e-mailObama’s choice for chief of staff puts ’Israel’s man in White House’
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 11/7/2008
CHICAGO: After the euphoria of his historic election win, Barack Obama got down Thursday to choosing a presidential team that faces a mountain of problems, not least the economic crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Democrat dodged the... more..e-mailU.S. Jews laud Obama pick of Rahm Emanuel for chief of staff
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 11/7/2008
America’s Jewish community welcomed U. S. President-elect Barack Obama’s pick of Rep. Rahm Emanuel for the post of Chief of Staff, saying that the choice demonstrates that Obama has learned from the mistakes of previous Democratic... more..e-mailObama, Rev. Jackson disclaim reported tirade against ’Zionists’
Ynet, YNetNews 10/15/2008
Democratic candidate’s campaign tries to distance itself from gaffe-prone civil rights leader Jesse Jackson after latter proclaims America under Obama ’will not longer be under the control of the Zionists. ’ McCain seizes on comments ahead of... more..e-mailU.S’s Rice: all possible efforts should be exerted for Palestinian-Israeli peace
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 10/15/2008
U. S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated yesterday that all possible efforts should be exerted for reaching a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal before the end of President George W. Bush’s term in office early next year. Rice’... more..e-mailAbbas lands in Damascus for talks; Fayyad in Washington
Ma’an News Agency 10/11/2008
Bethlehem - Ma’an - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Damascus on Saturday to meet with the Syria’s deputy minister of foreign affairs for talks on discussions underway in Cairo. Deputy Minister Faisel Meqdad welcomed the president at the airport... more..e-mailPalestinian Prime Minister begins official visit to the US
Ma’an News Agency 10/11/2008
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad began an official visit to the United States on Friday. During the visit, Fayyad is scheduled to take part in the Palestinian Business and Investment Forum to be held in Washington DC. The...
For U.S. Jewish groups, crisis means less in donations, more needy
Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz U.S. Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/12/2008
As the U. S. economic crisis mounts, American Jewish organizations face both a growing need for their services at home and declining contributions. The result is likely to be a sharp drop in donations to overseas projects, including in Israel... more..e-mailMore US ears in Israel
Ardeshir Ommani, Asia Times 10/8/2008
At a cost of US$89 million to the American taxpayers, the US Senate, with no hesitation, passed a bill that was attached by Republican Senator Joe Kyle, to the federal defense budget to deploy another sophisticated long-range radar system... more..e-mailHamas blames Jews for global crisis
Haviv Rettig, Jerusalem Post 10/7/2008
A Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip stated on Tuesday that the banking crisis rocking US and world financial markets was caused by "bad administrative and financial management and a bad banking system put into place and controlled by the... more..e-mailHamas blames US ’Jewish Lobby’ for financial crisis
AFP, YNetNews 10/7/2008
Islamist group spokesman Fawzi Barhum says crisis due to ’bad banking system put into place and controlled by Jewish lobby’ -The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip on Tuesday blamed what it called a "Jewish... more..e-mail’US considers lifting Syrian sanctions’
Jpost.com Staff, Jerusalem Post 10/5/2008
Washington is considering a change to its Syria policy in the near future that would entail lifting sanctions against the country but would not include returning the US ambassador to Damascus, Israel Radio quoted senior US officials as saying on... more..e-mailPresident Abbas to lay foundation stone for Palestinian Embassy in India
International Middle East Media Center News 10/5/2008
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will leave for India on a four-day visit on Monday, during which he will meet with Indian President Prathiba Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. [end...
Pentagon approves sale of F-35 fighter jets to Israel
Jerusalem Post 10/1/2008
The US Department of Defense has approved the sale of 25 F-35 stealth-enabled Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) to the Israeli Air Force (IAF), Israel Radio reported Tuesday evening.
According to the report, the deal is valued at $15. 2... more..e-mailU.S.: Brief Talks with Syria Spur Speculation
Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service 10/1/2008
WASHINGTON, Sep 30(IPS) - A series of meetings between U. S. and Syrian diplomats, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her counterpart, Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, at the United Nations over the past week is stirring speculation that Washington... more..e-mailMIDEAST: Final Hours Find Newly Conciliatory Olmert
Ali Gharib, Inter Press Service 10/1/2008
WASHINGTON, Sep 29(IPS) - In an interview with a newspaper on the eve of the Jewish holidays, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave a frank assessment of the concessions that Israel would have to give to achieve a lasting... more..e-mailIsrael to purchase 25 new Lockheed jets
Reuters, YNetNews 9/30/2008
US Government approves $15. 2 billion sale of Joint Strike Fighter aircrafts, with option for 50 more in coming years; pentagon explains deal is vital for US assistance in Israel’s development of ’strong self-defense capability’ -The... more..e-mailU.S. approves sale to Israel of 25 F-35 fighter jets
Reuters, Ha’aretz 10/1/2008
The U. S. government on Tuesday said it approved the sale to Israel of 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Corp and an option for 50 more in coming years - a deal valued at up... more..e-mailMcCain’s pander to Jewish voters
Richard Silverstein, The Guardian 9/30/2008
I swear that Howard Kohr, the executive director of Aipac, must have been briefing John McCain for the presidential debate against Barack Obama last week. The pro-Israel lobbying group has been shreying for years about the "existential threat" posed to... more..e-mailIran resolution shelved in rare defeat for 'Israel Lobby'
Jim Lobe, Electronic Intifada 9/29/2008
WASHINGTON (IPS) - In a significant and highly unusual defeat for the so-called "Israel Lobby," the Democratic leadership of the US House of Representatives has decided to shelve a long-pending, albeit non-binding, resolution that called for President George W. Bush to... more..e-mailANERA awarded $50 million USAID grant bringing major water and infrastructure program to the West Bank and Gaza
American Near East Refugee Aid - ANERA, ReliefWeb 9/29/2008
Jerusalem, Washington, Tel Aviv, September 29, 2008 - American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a "Cooperative Agreement", making ANERA responsible for implementing the Emergency Water and Sanitation and Other Infrastructure Program... more..e-mailOn Rosh Hashanah, Obama calls to achieve ’peace, security for Israel’
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 9/30/2008
WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday wished Jews around the world a happy new year ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown. "As Jews around the world celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I want to... more..e-mailMcCain campaign says Israel-Palestine peace ’not top priority’
Ma’an News Agency 9/26/2008
Bethlehem – Ma’an – United States presidential candidate John McCain will not promote the Middle East peace process if elected in November, two top aides said at an event last weekend near Washington, DC. Israeli news agencies reported that campaign... more..e-mailAbbas, in Washington, thanks Bush for supporting peace
Natasha Mozgovaya and The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 9/25/2008
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with U. S. President George W. Bush on Thursday at the White House in Washington, thanking the American leader for all his support in efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. "There is no... more..e-mailAbbas, Bush stress need for peace push
Hilary Leila Krieger, Jpost Correspondent In Washington, Jerusalem Post 9/25/2008
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and US President George W. Bush stressed the need to continue working for Israeli-Palestinian peace in comments made before a White House meeting Thursday but made no reference to a previous 2008 deadline for an... more..e-mailBush, Abbas try to keep peace talks moving
Reuters, YNetNews 9/25/2008
8217;I’m hopeful that the vision that you and I have worked on can come to pass,’ US president tells Palestinian leader in Washington. Abbas: We cannot live without hope -US President George W. Bush on Thursday... more..e-mailDiplomats: US asks IAEA for full Syria report
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/25/2008
US dissatisfied with brief oral report on status of probe into bombed Syrian site - The United States asked the UN nuclear monitoring agency Thursday for a fuller accounting of its probe of Syria’s alleged efforts to secretly develop... more..e-mailUS asks IAEA for full Syria report
Associated Press, Jerusalem Post 9/25/2008
The US is asking the chief UN nuclear inspector for a full written report on his efforts to probe allegations that Syria had a secret atomic program, diplomats said Thursday.
The diplomats suggested Washington’s move was prompted by... more..e-mailPOLITICS: Mideast Peace-Making Quartet Gets Flunking Grade
Ali Gharib, Inter Press Service 9/25/2008
WASHINGTON, Sep 25(IPS) - A new report from several international aid organisations blasts the Quartet, an international group assembled to facilitate the Middle East peace process, for failing to meet their goals in advancing a lasting peace between Israel and... more..e-mailU.S.: Bipartisan Group Urges Deeper Diplomacy with Muslim World
Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service 9/25/2008
WASHINGTON, Sep 24(IPS) - In an implicit indictment of President George W. Bush’s "global war on terror" and the hawkish pronouncements by Republican candidate John McCain, a bipartisan group of nearly three dozen U. S. leaders called here... more..e-mail’Russia’s move to pull out of Iran talks spells end of sanctions’
Allison Hoffman And Herb Keinon In New York, Jerusalem Post 9/24/2008
Objections from Moscow, angered by Washington’s criticism of its invasion of Georgia, have forced the cancellation of high-level talks on Iran that were scheduled for Thursday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, endangering a fourth round... more..e-mailGermany: Russia may shun Iran talks
Associated Press, YNetNews 9/24/2008
Berlin’s foreign minister says Moscow angered over US criticism of its invasion of Georgia, therefore may absent itself from six-nation talks on Tehran’s nuclear program -Germany’s foreign minister said Wednesday that recent tensions between... more..e-mailEiland: Two-state solution ’untenable’
Hilary Leila Krieger, Washington, Jerusalem Post 9/23/2008
Maj. -Gen. (res. ) Giora Eiland, former head of the National Security Council, warned in a new report that the current formulation of the two-state solution is untenable.
"Israel and the Palestinians do not truly desire the conventional two-state solution, and... more..e-mailAhmadinejad paints Washington as real threat to global stability
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 9/24/2008
UNITED NATIONS: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday accused the United States of encircling his country, and said Washington was the real threat to world stability. Ahead of a speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Iranian... more..e-mailPetition charges Ahmadinejad with inciting genocide
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 9/24/2008
While Iranian president speaks before UN General Assembly a coalition of legal experts, activists, diplomats signs petition in Washington calling on public to recognize him as war criminal rather than legitimate leader - WASHINGTON -As the UN General Assembly welcomes Iranian... more..e-mailSarah Palin - pro-Israel by default?
Yoav Sivan, Jerusalem Post 9/23/2008
During the fierce rivalry between Sen. Hilary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama over the Democratic nomination, at times it seemed the latter was the only Democratic candidate who could turn the bulk of Jewish voters away from the Democratic Party... more..e-mailSome protesters make U.S. anti-Ahmadinejad rallies into anti-Obama events
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 9/24/2008
Some protesters who took part in formally non-partisan rallies against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s scheduled Tuesday speech at the United Nations were vocally critical of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s support of dialogue with Tehran. Addressing a Monday... more..e-mailCharge Ahmadinejad with incitement to genocide, say former U.S., Israeli envoys to UN
Natasha Mozgovaya, Ha’aretz 9/24/2008
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s statements professing a desire to "wipe Israel off the map" are sufficient to serve as the basis for charges of incitement to genocide, two prominent former diplomats from the United States and Israel said... more..e-mailMubarak and Abdullah to discuss latest developments
Rami Almeghari & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 9/22/2008
Egyptian president Husni Mobarak and Jordanian Monarch, Abdullah II will holdl a meeting Tuesday in Cairo in which they are supposed to discuss the latest regional developments, including the Palestinian situation, Middle East News Agency reported. The agency quoted a... more..e-mailDoubts over Syria ’nuclear’ claim
Al Jazeera 9/21/2008
Partial analysis of samples from a Syrian site bombed by Israel do not back up US claims that the target was a secret nuclear facility, diplomats have said. While the results of tests carried out by the International Atomic Energy... more..e-mailObama, McCain: Military option in Iran relevant
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 9/22/2008
US presidential hopefuls address Iranian nuclear threat in two separate interviews. Democratic candidate says will consider strike in extreme case, McCain says will attack before being attacked - WASHINGTON - The two United States presidential hopefuls, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain...
New realities in the Strait of Hormuz
David Isenberg, Asia Times 9/23/2008
WASHINGTON - For decades, one of the reliable nightmare scenarios for the world has been the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In the Cold War era those charged with coming up with worst-case scenarios would conjure up a southward push... more..e-mailUS Congress endorses qualitative deal to supply weapons to Israel
Palestinian Information Center 9/14/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The US Congress has ratified the decision of the US administration of selling "qualitative" weapons to the Hebrew state, Zionist sources revealed. The deal includes sophisticated bombs, and updating the system of the anti-aircraft Patriot missiles and... more..e-mailFormer U.S. secretaries of state say they support talks with Iran
Natasha Mozgovaya and Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 9/16/2008
Five former U. S. secretaries of state on Monday stated their support for talks with Iran, with all five saying the United States should not wait to launch diplomatic engagements with the Islamic Republic. The former chief diplomats, Madeleine K... more..e-mailAbbas to Haaretz: Deal unlikely in ’08
Akiva Eldar and Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 9/12/2008
RAMALLAH - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas doubts that any peace agreement can be reached by the end of 2008, as not one of the six key issues in a final-status arrangement has yet been resolved. Speaking to Haaretz on the 15th... more..e-mailOlmert’s office denies Israel agreed to cede East Jerusalem to the Palestinians
Saed Bannoura & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 9/12/2008
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, was angered by the statements of the US Consul General, Jacob Walles, who said that Israel had agreed to withdraw from East Jerusalem in the current peace talks. Israeli officials in... more..e-mailAbbas: Peace agreement with Israel unlikely this year
Akiva Eldar and Avi Issacharoff, Ha’aretz 9/12/2008
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas doubts that any peace agreement can be reached by the end of 2008, as not one of the six key issues in a final-status arrangement has yet been resolved. Speaking to Haaretz on the 15th anniversary... more..e-mailAmbassador Meridor: Talks aimed at breaking up Syria-Iran alliance
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 9/11/2008
8217;First reason to engage with Syrians is to explore whether there is a chance for a strategic U-turn, and to have them separated from their special relationship with Iran,’ Israeli envoy tells The Washington Times, adding UN sanctions... more..e-mailPelosi reveals her father’s support for Bergson Group
Jerusalem Post 9/11/2008
The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has detailed her father’s support for a World War II-era rescue group that worked to save the Jews of Europe in a new book.
Pelosi’s father... more..e-mailSyria: US opposed to indirect Jerusalem-Damascus talks
Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 9/9/2008
FM Moallem tells Al-Jazeera ’we gathered from the Israelis themselves that the American administration is against the renewal of indirect talks’, adding that Syria agree to allow Turkish, French, Russian reps at negotiations -Syrian
Foreign Minister Walid Moallem... more..e-mailIsrael, US to hold first defense forum
Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post 9/7/2008
Israel and the United States will hold their first-ever joint High Technology Forum this week near Washington. It is aimed at easing regulations for exports to Israel on dual-use products that have both a military and civilian use.
The forum... more..e-mailReport: Russia considering increasing nuclear aid to Iran
Ynet, YNetNews 9/7/2008
Sunday Times reports Kremlin discussing sending teams of nuclear experts to Tehran, inviting Iranian nuclear scientists to Moscow for training, in response to US call for NATO expansion eastwards. ’Russia may respond by hitting America where it hurts most... more..e-mailAbbas ’doubtful’ peace deal viable by 09’ deadline
Ali Waked, YNetNews 9/6/2008
Palestinian president meets with Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, skeptical of Washington timetable for peace accord with Israel. ’Any settlement must address all core issues,’ says Abbas, including sovereignty over Jerusalem, refugees right of return - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas... more..e-mailQurie: Israel’s internal situation will be the block in successful negotiations
Ma’an News Agency 9/6/2008
Jerusalem – Ma’an – It is Israel that will block the establishment of a final status agreement before 2008, according to Palestinian Chief Negotiator Ahamad Qurie. Qurie’s statements came as he received former American Peace envoy Denis Ross, along with a delegation... more..e-mail’June 4, 1967 lines non-negotiable’
Jpost.com Staff, Jerusalem Post 9/5/2008
Israel’s withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 lines is non-negotiable and is the basis for the start of direct talks between Israel and Syria, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Friday.
Muallem told A-Sharq Alawsat that the next... more..e-mailObama: Nuclear Iran ’unacceptable’
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 9/5/2008
8217;Iran a major threat; I would never hesitate to use our military force in order to protect homeland, US interests, Democratic presidential candidate tells FOX’s ’The O’Reilly Factor’ - WASHINGTON -Iran
is a "major... more..e-mailANALYSIS / France elbows U.S. aside in Syria negotiations
Zvi Bar'el, Ha’aretz 9/4/2008
A senior diplomatic source close to the Turkish-mediated talks between Israel and Syria said the United States has been persuaded that it should take part in the talks, but that France has "pushed itself" into Syria; and French President Nicolas... more..e-mail
US-IRAN: Moving Again Toward Confrontation