Tag: Israel

US withholds $65 million from UN agency for Palestinians

by Dave Clark Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States held back $65 million meant for the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians on Tuesday, two weeks after President Donald Trump threatened future payments. State Department officials insisted the decision was not taken to pressure Palestinian leaders, but because the US wants other countries to help fund a reformed UNRWA. But the call came after a behind-the-scenes tussle between hawks who want to cut […]

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Lebanon bans Spielberg film and Israeli adventurer biopic

by Khaled Soubeih Agence France-Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanese authorities have banned Steven Spielberg’s latest film, political thriller “The Post”, and Australian drama “Jungle” to comply with a boycott of Israel, an official told AFP Monday. “Screening of the film ‘The Post’ has been banned,” said the official from Lebanon’s General Security authority, speaking on condition of anonymity. Spielberg “is blacklisted by the Arab League’s boycott office, which Lebanon complies with”, the official explained. […]

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Palestinian leaders call for suspension of recognition of Israel

by Nasser Abu Bakr and Joe Dyke Agence France-Presse RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – Palestinian leaders voted on Monday to call for the suspension of recognition of Israel in a move with potentially deep implications as they met in response to US President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. While withdrawing the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s recognition of Israel could spark international backlash, it was unclear whether the vote was binding. A previous vote by the […]

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Netanyahu’s son under fire after ‘strip club’ tape

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son has been caught on tape seemingly drunk outside a strip club talking about a key natural gas deal, leading to political fallout on Tuesday. The audio recording of Yair Netanyahu, who has been the subject of controversy in the past, was aired by Israel’s Channel 2 television late Monday. On the recording, said to be from 2015, Yair Netanyahu, now 26, can be heard speaking with […]

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Palestinian shot dead in West Bank clashes with Israeli army: ministry

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories (AFP) — A Palestinian teenager was shot dead in clashes with the Israeli army on Wednesday near the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said. Musab Firas al-Tamimi, 17, was shot in the village of Deir Nizam north of Ramallah, it said. His death took to 14 the number of Palestinians killed in unrest since US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last month. […]

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Palestinians say Jerusalem ‘not for sale’ after Trump aid threat

  RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories (AFP) — Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s office said Wednesday Jerusalem is “not for sale” after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut annual aid of more than $300 million to force them to the negotiating table. “Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Palestine and it is not for sale for gold or billions,” Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP, referring to Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s […]

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No US pressure behind Guatemala embassy move to Jerusalem: FM

by Edgar Calderon Agence France-Presse GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — The United States did not pressure Guatemala into announcing it will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the Central American state’s foreign minister said Wednesday. “There wasn’t any pressure. There wasn’t any overture from the United States to make this happen. This was a decision by the government, the state and the foreign policy of Guatemala,” the minister, Sandra Jovel, told a news conference in Guatemala City. […]

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PHL mulling moving embassy to Israel, sources say

Asian country among “at least ten countries” Israel is reportedly  “in contact with” for the possible transfer (Jerusalem, Undefined) — The Philippines is considering transferring its embassy to Jerusalem, public radio citing diplomatic sources said, after the United States recognized the city as Israel’s capital. Apart from the Philippines, Honduras, Romania and South Sudan are reportedly among states considering such a move. Deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely said the four are among the “at least ten […]

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Defying Trump threat, UN rejects US decision on Jerusalem

by Carole Landry Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Defying President Donald Trump’s threat to cut off funding, the United Nations approved by a resounding vote on Thursday a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution by 128 to nine with 35 abstentions, in what Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour called a “massive setback” for the United States. An additional 21 countries did not turn […]

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Israel PM rejects Jerusalem vote at UN ‘house of lies’

JERUSALEM, Israel (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dubbed the United Nations a “house of lies” on Thursday, ahead of a General Assembly vote on a resolution rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The State of Israel rejects outright this vote, even before it passes,” he said at a ceremony in southern Israel. “The attitude to Israel of many nations in the world, in all the continents, is changing outside of the UN […]

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Austrian govt vows to deal with anti-semitism

VIENNA, Austria (AFP) — New Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday used his first post-election speech to vow to make “combating anti-Semitism in all its forms” a top priority. “We will determinedly fight anti-Semitism  in all its forms — those already existent but also imported into our country as an essential duty of our government,” said the youthful conservative whose coalition also contains the hard right Freedom Party. Kurz made his vow three days after neighboring Germany’s interior […]

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Trump warns ‘we’re watching’ on eve of UN Jerusalem vote

by Carole Landry with Jerome Cartillier in Washington Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States – President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to cut funding to countries that vote against the United States on a motion at the United Nations condemning Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The UN General Assembly will hold an emergency session Thursday to vote on a draft resolution that the United States vetoed at the Security Council after all other 14 countries backed […]

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