Middle East

U.S. Official Freezes Over Question on Saudi Arabia

A high-ranking State Department official appeared to become flustered Tuesday after he was questioned about the U.S.’ support for Saudi Arabia, despite the oil-rich kingdom’s rejection of democratic ideals. Stuart Jones, who was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq by former President Barack Obama in 2014 before assuming the title of assistant secretary of state […]

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Middle East, USA

When Zbigniew Brzezinski almost became Iran’s foreign minister

My PhD committee advisor and National Security Advisor Zbig Brzezinski dies at 89. One of the sharpest minds of the past century, an absolute giant. I will never forget how he grilled me during my dissertation defense. Whenever I started to gain some ground against him, he changed the subject and started a new line

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International, Middle East, USA

Danish FM said to order review of funding to Palestinian groups

Netanyahu recently urged Copenhagen to stop donating to groups that promote boycotts, incite against Israel By Sue Surkes Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen (L) meeting in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 17, 2017. (Haim Zach/GPO) Under pressure from Israel, the Danish foreign minister has reportedly ordered a review of his government’s donations

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International, Middle East

Lebanon officially bans ‘Wonder Woman’ from theaters

If you live in Lebanon, “Wonder Woman” won’t be coming to a theater near you anytime soon. On Wednesday, the country officially banned the superhero film just hours before it was set to arrive in theaters. The ban followed an effort by a group called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel, which urged the Lebanese

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Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Flagship’ Palestinian city opens $450m plaza, hoping to attract young techies

Businessman Bashar Masri believes the lure of Armani and Calvin Klein can help turn Rawabi into a West Bank ‘Silicon Valley’ By Dov Lieber RAWABI, West Bank — For the Palestinian city of the future to achieve its destiny, it needs to attract the right residents, and now it has a vital component — a

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Middle East

IDF detains unarmed man who crossed into Israel from Syria

Security forces investigating why infiltrator broke through security fence in southern Golan Heights By Judah Ari Gross The Israeli-Syrian border on the Golan Heights (Moshe Shai/Flash90) IDF soldiers arrested a man who crossed into Israel from Syria on Tuesday afternoon, the army said. The man was unarmed when he breached the security fence in the

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Middle East

Beirut’s only public beach is about to be taken over by an exclusive private resort

For all its charm, Beirut can be a difficult place to live. The roads are often clogged with traffic, the sidewalks are narrow and it seems as though there’s a construction site on every corner. Most cities have outdoor places where residents can escape the noise and the chaos. But in Beirut, they’re in short

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Middle East, Travel and Food

Police nab East Jerusalem teens with bag of firebomb ingredients

Gasoline, bottles, funnel, cloth found in backpack of Jabel Mukaber residents who said they planned to attack cops By Judah Ari Gross Firebomb ingredients discovered in a backpack owned by two East Jerusalem teenagers who were arrested in the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood of the capital in May 2017. (Israel Police) Prosecutors were set to file

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Middle East

Israeli plane diverts to Slovakia over oxygen problem

IsraAir passengers describe fear and confusion as masks came down with no explanations from crew; company insists landing was not an emergency By Times of Israel staff Illustrative photo of an Israir plane on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport, August 3, 2013 (Moshe Shai/Flash90) A chartered Israir flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv was

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International, Middle East, Travel and Food

U.S. Cities Demand Trump Impeachment Investigation

Several cities from across the U.S. have joined a growing movement of local governments calling on Congress to investigate impeaching President Donald Trump. Last Thursday Brookline, Massachusetts, became the latest in a list of nearly a dozen American cities demanding the country’s top lawmakers examine whether the president is breaking government rules barring public officials

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International, Middle East, USA

Palestinians paid terrorists $1b in past 4 years, Knesset panel hears

Day after reports of Trump shouting at Abbas about incitement, former top official dismisses PA claims that it is making ‘social welfare’ payments, saying they are presented as ‘salaries’ in Palestinian budget documents By Times of Israel staff Mahmoud Abbas celebrates the return of Palestinian prisoners as part of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations in August 2013

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Middle East