By Jeremy Ben-Ami WASHINGTON, D.C — I was horrified by the chemical weapons assault in Syria several weeks ago on innocent civilians and children — the latest example of the Assad regime’s brutal war on its own people. We’ve all been considering the wisdom, effectiveness and propriety of the American retaliatory missile strike on a Syrian […]
J-Street: U.S. needs thought- out Syria policy Read More »
Middle East, USAPetitioners call for Taba Crossing to be reopened before end of Passover, citing Basic Law on human dignity and liberty By Times of Israel staff The Taba border crossing between Israel and Egypt (Yossi Zamir/Flash90) The High Court was set to convene on Sunday to hear a petition for the Taba crossing into Egypt to
High Court to rule on allowing Israelis into Sinai Read More »
Middle EastWith the deadline approaching, more than 1,300 candidates have registered to run for the presidency in Iran, according to local media . But there are two key players who are stealing all the headlines. Current president Hassan Rouhani, a moderate who is seeking is second four-year term, and hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi. The vote is
More than 1,000 register to run for presidency in Iran Read More »
Middle EastBeny Steinmetz’s mining company files a suit against the Jewish-American philanthropist, accusing him of trying to sabotage his mineral interests in Guinea By Times of Israel staff George Soros speaks at the Festival of Economics in Trento, Italy in 2012. (Wikimedia Commons, Niccolò Caranti, CC BY-SA 3.0) A mining company owned by one of Israel’s
Billionaire vs. billionaire: Israel’s Steinmetz sues Soros Read More »
International, Middle East, USADamascus (dpa) – At least 24 people were killed on Saturday in a car bombing near a convoy of buses carrying evacuees from two pro-regime villages in northern Syria, a monitor reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added that dozens of others were injured in the explosion on the western edge of the northern
Monitor: At least 24 killed in car bomb hitting evacuees in Syria Read More »
Middle EastIstanbul (dpa) – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aims to convene government officials to review the future of Turkey’s relationship with Europe following a key referendum on presidential powers this weekend. Erdogan told state-broadcaster TRT on Friday that Turkey, a candidate country to join the European Union, had been unduly left waiting outside the bloc. “Turkey
Erdogan says Turkey will review relations with Europe after vote Read More »
International, Middle EastBy Steve Kramer ALFEI MENASHE, Israel — I have heard the following platitude ad nauseam: “It is presumed that Israel will retain high Jewish population centers in the West Bank, known as the blocs, in any final status agreement for a two-state solution with the Palestinians.” Who says this? Nearly every Western diplomat, wire service,
Israel has no credible peace partner Read More »
Middle East, Steve KramerChina supports the establishment of a Palestinian state and urges the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Beijing on Thursday. In a news conference with his Palestinian counterpart Riad al-Malki following talks between the two, Wang said that seven decades after United Nations Resolution 181 was passed,
Wang meets Palestine’s foreign minister, affirms support for a two-state solution Read More »
International, Middle EastRussia has once again denounced what it called ‘an act of aggression’, after the US missile strike on a Syrian airbase in retaliation to a reported use of chemical weapons in Khan Sheikhoun. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the statement alongside his Iranian and Syrian counterparts at three-way talks in Moscow.The alliance supporting Syrian President
Russia, Iran, Syria denounce US ‘act of aggression’ Read More »
International, Middle East, USABeirut (dpa) – Thousands of people besieged by Syrian government forces and rebels began their exodus from four Syrian enclaves on Friday under a new evacuation deal coordinated by Iran and Qatar. Sixty buses have left rebel-held Sunni towns of Madaya and al-Zabadani near the border with Lebanon, while 45 left the pro-regime Shiite villages
Evacuation of besieged Syrian towns begins under swap deal Read More »
Middle EastIranian President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist who engineered the country’s landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, registered on Friday to run for a second four-year term in the May election, state television reported. “Once again, I am here for Iran, for Islam, for freedom and for more stability in this country. I am urging
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to run for second term Read More »
Middle EastPinchas Eliyahu Sadai was born in Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo, immigrated to Paris and then fell in love with Judaism. After studying and completing his conversion, he immigrated once again (to Israel), married and set up his home in the Old City. As if this is not unusual enough, Sadai, also
Will Congo’s next president be Jewish? Read More »
International, Middle EastTel Aviv (dpa) – Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has condemned a deadly knife attack on a British national in Jerusalem on Good Friday. “Terror will never destroy our lives here,” Rivlin said. The attack came as thousands of Christian and Jewish pilgrims thronged Jerusalem’s Old City to commemorate Easter and Passover. An Israeli-Arab man was
Israeli President condemns fatal knifing of Briton in Jerusalem Read More »
Middle EastThere are just two days to go until Turkey goes to the polls in a referendum that could give sweeping new powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He wants to replace Turkey’s parliamentary system with an executive presidency. It would mark the biggest change in Turkey’s political system in the nation’s modern history. After a
Turkey referendum: Polls give narrow lead for ‘yes’ Read More »
Middle East