by Dave Clark Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Wednesday that Israel’s settlement building in the West Bank threatens both hope for peace with the Palestinians and the country’s own future as a democracy. In a major speech setting out his vision of a solution to the long-simmering conflict, Kerry sternly warned that Israel was on a course leading to a “perpetual occupation” of Palestinian-owned land. “Today, […]
Tag: Israel
Kerry to offer US vision of Israel-Palestinian peace Wednesday
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry will offer a “comprehensive vision” of how to revive the Israel-Palestinian peace process in a major speech on Wednesday. President Barack Obama’s administration, including Kerry, is to leave office in four weeks and last week gravely offended Israel by failing to veto a critical UN resolution. But US officials said they plan to keep pushing both Israel and the Palestinian leadership to take concrete […]
US led UN ‘gang-up’ on Israel settlement vote: ambassador
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House orchestrated a “gang-up” against Israel on last week’s UN settlement vote, its ambassador to Washington said Monday in the latest sign of anger between the longtime allies. Ambassador Ron Dermer said in an interview with CNN that the Israeli government plans to show evidence of the alleged US maneuvering in due time. “What is outrageous is that the United States was actually behind that gang-up. I think […]
U.S. abstains from UN vote to end Israeli settlement building
(Reuters) The United States on Friday allowed the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, defying heavy pressure from long-time ally Israel and President-elect Donald Trump for Washington to wield its veto. A U.S. abstention paved the way for the 15-member council to approve the resolution, with 14 votes in favor, prompting applause in the council chamber. The action by President Barack Obama’s administration follows growing U.S. […]
UN Security Council to vote on halting Israel settlements: diplomats
UNITED NATION, United States (AFP) — The UN Security Council will vote on Thursday on an Egyptian-drafted resolution demanding that Israel immediately halt its settlement activities in the Palestinian territories and east Jerusalem. A similar resolution was vetoed by the United States in 2011, and it remained uncertain if the measure would be adopted this time. Egypt circulated the draft late Wednesday and a vote was scheduled for 3 pm (2000 GMT) on Thursday. The […]
Kerry accuses Israeli right of sabotaging peace process
WASHINGTON,United States (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday accused right-wing Israelis of deliberately thwarting efforts to broker a peace deal with the Palestinians. In unusually stark terms, Washington’s top diplomat warned that Israeli settlement building was undermining any hope of an agreement to allow two states to live side-by-side. At the Saban Forum, an annual gathering of senior Israeli and US policymakers, Kerry said some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s […]
Israel orders more F-35 warplanes from US
JERUSALEM, Israel (AFP) — Israel will order 17 more US-made F-35 warplanes to take its fleet of stealthy Joint Strike Fighters to 50 over the next few years, the premier’s office said Sunday. A statement from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the green light for the order was given by the security cabinet. The Jewish state is due to take delivery of its first F-35s next month. US officials and industry executives insist the plane promises […]
Tens of thousands flee raging Israeli bushfires
HAIFA, Israel (AFP) – by Jonah Mandel Raging bushfires forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from parts of Israel’s third city Haifa on Thursday as firefighters struggled to control blazes across the country. Some residents were trapped in their homes as the army called up reservists to help cope with a third day of fires which authorities speculated could have been started deliberately. Haifa municipality spokeswoman Or Doron told AFP that 50,000 […]
Israel revives settlement plans after Trump win
JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) – by Joe Dyke Israel revived plans on Wednesday to build 500 new homes for Jewish settlers in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, an ominous sign for Palestinians wary of a Donald Trump presidency, an NGO said. “The political significance of this action is that it is the first plan to be promoted since the US elections,” Betty Herschman from the Ir Amim NGO said. The plan for 500 housing units in Ramat Shlomo, […]
Palestinian teen jailed 12 years for attack on Israelis
JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) – by Majeda El-Batsh An Israeli court sentenced a Palestinian teenager Monday to 12 years in prison for the stabbing of two Israelis, one of the most high-profile attacks in a recent wave of violence. Ahmed Manasra, 14, was earlier found guilty of the attempted murder of a 20-year-old and a 12-year-old boy in the Jewish settlement neighbourhood of Pisgat Zeev in annexed east Jerusalem. He was 13 at the time of […]
White House accuses Israel of betraying trust
by Andrew BEATTY Dave Clark WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House accused Israel of a betrayal of trust Wednesday, in an unusually sharp rebuke over its plans to build hundreds of new settlement homes deep in the West Bank. Days after Obama approved a $38 billion Israeli military aid package and attended former president Shimon Peres’s funeral in Jerusalem, the White House railed at the construction of 300 housing units on land “far […]
Obama arrives in Israel for funeral of Nobel laureate Peres
TEL AVIV, Israel (AFP) — US President Barack Obama arrived in Israel on Friday for the funeral of the last of its founding fathers, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres. Obama is among leaders from across the world arriving for Peres’s funeral at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl national cemetery, which begins at 9:00 am (0600 GMT). © 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse





