By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — There is a lot of news hereabouts. The items may be threatening to individuals, but not, apparently, to the society. Indeed, some of them may help us clean a bit of the dirt that accumulates here, not all that different from other places. We’re still dealing with the soldier who
Israel has numerous running political stories Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
World leaders gathered on Friday in Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit to discuss the growing threat of nuclear terrorism. Noting the chilling possibility of a nuclear attack, US President Barack Obama remarked that Islamic State terrorists have already made use of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, and that there is evidence
Obama: ISIS plots nuclear attacks on West Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
Former Labor Party leader Shelly Yachimovich said Saturday that suspicions of misconduct plaguing current party chief Isaac Herzog were “a tough, burdensome end” to her week, adding that she hoped the probe would not take a heavy toll on the party. Yachimovich, who lost the party leadership to Herzog in 2013, and who is widely
Rival worries about “heavy toll” of Herzog probe Read More »
Middle East
Israel is to extend the distance off the Gaza Strip coast that some of the Palestinian territory’s fishermen are allowed to operate from Sunday, their trade union said Friday. Fishing boats working out of ports in the southern part of the Strip will be allowed up to nine nautical miles off the coast, the chairman
Israel extends fishing rights for Gazan fishermen Read More »
Middle East
An Arab Knesset member reportedly accused Israel Wednesday of being a terrorist state, saying the government is responsible for systematic discrimination against Israeli Arabs. Speaking during the main annual Land Day demonstration in the Bedouin town of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev desert, MK Taleb Abu Arar of the Arab Joint List said that Israel
Arab MK: Israel founded on ‘exploitation, racism, terrorism’ Read More »
Middle East
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu this week called for Israel and Indonesia to develop bilateral relations, but Indonesia has rejected the call. Netanyahu”s call came during a meeting on Monday with a delegation of senior Indonesian journalists. At the meeting, Netanyahu told the journalists that “the time has come for official relations between Indonesia and Israel.
Indonesia rejects Israel’s call for bilateral relations Read More »
International, Middle EastBelgium’s federal hotline for the extremist attacks in Brussels has fired an operator who told a Jewish caller that Israel does not exist and should be called Palestine instead. An unidentified Jewish man called the hotline, run by the Belgian Interior Ministry, telling the operator that he was a volunteer for the city of Antwerp’s
Belgium Terror Hotline Operator: Israel Doesn’t Exist Read More »
International, Middle EastWhen meeting with former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres on Wednesday, Vice-Premier Liu Yandong said “there is huge potential and great prospect for two-way cooperation in various fields, particularly in innovation cooperation”. At their meeting in Tel Aviv, Peres said both two countries value innovation, and he is delighted to see the outcomes in science
Vice-Premier meets Peres, eyes more cooperation Read More »
International, Middle EastThe Palestinian Authority president reached out to Israel on Thursday, saying he opposes near-daily Palestinian attacks on Israelis and suggesting the violence would stop if the defunct peace process were to resume. Israel has accused Mahmoud Abbas of failing to condemn the wave of Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces that erupted in
Despite everything, Abbas tells Israelis, peace is attainable Read More »
Middle East
This week is Israel Apartheid Week on campuses across the country. Some Jewish students have become inured to what has become a regular event; others are actively engaged in staging Peace Week — a grassroots initiative to counter anti-Israel propaganda with the simple message that Israel wants and has demonstrated its willingness to make sacrifices
Guest editorial: Fighting back Read More »
International, Middle East, USAPresident Obama pronounced the Iranian nuclear deal a “success” Friday as he met with leaders of the world’s major nuclear powers in Washington, amid bipartisan concern in Congress that the administration will allow Tehran to use the dollar in business transactions. “This deal has achieved a substantial success, and focused on the dangers of nuclear
The Palestinian Authority has joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – and the United States should respond by cutting funds to the body, note senior researchers Brett Schaefer and Steven Groves in The Daily Signal. The PA officially became the 197th party to the UNFCCC on March 17, 2016, 90 days
Obama urged to cut UNFCCC funding Read More »
International, Middle EastIsraeli Navy trains in Red Sea with Islamic State threat in mind (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) The Israeli Navy conducted a major training exercise off the coast of Eilat in the Red Sea on Wednesday, simulating several possible scenarios that could unfold on the high seas. Some of the scenarios the navy wants to
Middle East Roundup: April 1, 2016 Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM –Brussels International Airport remains closed a week after the attack, with pictures of extensive damage, and officials warning that the facility may remain closed “for months.” An article in The Economist laments the problems in airport check-in halls, entrances to the building, drop off points outside, and the greater problems in providing security
Airport security, Israeli style Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East