Examples of continuous Israeli harassment/murder of Palestinians

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13.05.2018 - US Politician Apologizes to Israelis for "Horrible Way Christians Treated Jews"
US Politician Apologizes to Israelis for 'Horrible Way Christians Treated Jews'

As the US moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this week, former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann visited Israel and made heartfelt apologies to Jews.

Republican Congresswoman Bachmann spoke at a Jewish-Christian Bible study session in Israel's parliament asking for forgiveness from the Jewish people.

"For the horrible and arrogant way Christians, I include myself among them, treated and regarded the Jewish people. I have stated things that should not have said and I apologize profoundly… for my statements that though said in ignorance have brought pain,” Bachmann said.

Although she didn’t specify which statements she was apologizing for, in 2015 the politician did allegedly call for Jews to convert to Christianity.

She said as she reads the Bible she is "learning more and more that it is all about Israel."

As US embassy is set for inauguration, members of a delegation led by President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, are holding a reception in Jerusalem on Sunday.

Dozens of foreign diplomats are expected to show up, although many ambassadors of European nations who oppose the move will not be attending the ceremony.

There were reports earlier in the day that a mass rally is expected this week on Israel’s border. Hospitals in the area are preparing to receive causalities that are expected during the protests.

Since late March, 42 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire and over 1,700 other wounded in border unrest. Tens of thousands could try to burst through into Israel during protests this week.


13.05.2018 - Arab and Jews Clash as Israel Celebrates Jerusalem Day (Photo - Video)
Arabs and Jews Clash as Israel Celebrates Jerusalem Day (PHOTO, VIDEO)

Just a day before the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, relocated from Tel Aviv and in coincidence with the 70th anniversary of the foundation of Israel, a violent conflict has erupted on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, the Haaretz newspaper reports.

Images and videos of violent clashes occurred on Sunday morning between Jews and Arabs were shared on social media, as up to a thousand Jews ascended Temple Mount in honor of Jerusalem Day, which marks 51 years since the Old City became a part of Israel.

According to the Jerusalem Waqf, the Muslim religious trust in charge of the current Islamic edifices in the Old City, these numbers are record high and will continue to grow, as hundreds more are waiting in a queue.

Haaretz reported that during the confrontation, a policeman slapped a young Palestinian, causing an escalation of the conflict. In order to ease the conflict, the police later shut down the Damascus Gate in the Old City.

According to the local police, as cited by the Jerusalem Post, many Arabs became anxious after three Jewish minors, including the son of right-wing lawmaker Bezalel Smotrich, raised an Israeli flag on the Temple Mount.

The young men, however, were swiftly interrupted by security and forced to leave the site. Smotrich shared the video of the incident on social media, approving the youth for "the courage and national honor" they had demonstrated.

Jerusalem Day is an Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967. The holiday often requires police attention, as conflicts between Arabs and Jews are usual, particularly at the Temple Mount, which is considered to be a sacred place in Christianity, Judaism and Islam.


12.05.2018 - Muslim States Protest US Embassy Transfer to Jerusalem (Video - Photo)
Muslim States Protest US Embassy Transfer to Jerusalem (PHOTO, VIDEO)

The US decision to relocate embassy to Jerusalem has been harshly criticized by many Muslim countries, as well as states, supporting the so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mass demonstrations took place on Friday in Turkey, Jordan, and Indonesia, condemning the relocation of the US embassy.

In the Turkish capital of Istanbul, several thousand protestors gathered carrying Palestinian and Turkish flags alongside signs reading “Palestine belongs to the Palestinians” and “al-Quds [Jerusalem] belongs to Muslims.”

In the Jordan Valley, almost 7,000 took to streets to voice their support for Palestine. In Indonesia, nearly 5,000 protesters staged a demonstration in Jakarta, carrying Palestinian and Indonesian flags.

The ceremony dedicated to the embassy's relocation is set to occur on May 14, the 70th anniversary of the creation of Israel.

In a tweet on Friday, Trump said next week would be a "big week," while Israeli media quoted the US ambassador as saying that the president would address the ceremony by video.

Following the announcement, the UN General Assembly called on UN members with a resolution to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.

Back in December, US President Donald Trump announced the decision to transfer the country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, prompting Muslim states' condemnation and mass protests in the Middle East and beyond. The countries, supporting the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including those in the EU, as well as Russia, have also criticized the move.


11.05.2018 - Not Even Half of Invited Diplomats Will Attend US Embassy Opening in Jerusalem
Not Even Half of Invited Diplomats Will Attend US Embassy Opening in Jerusalem

Fewer than half of the foreign leaders invited to the US embassy relocation ceremony in Jerusalem have actually accepted the invitation.

Some 30 foreign diplomats accepted the invitation to the US embassy's opening ceremony in Jerusalem, scheduled for Sunday. The invitation was issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry to diplomats from 86 foreign states. Four days before the ceremony, fewer than half of the recipients have RSVP'ed as "going."

"At the moment 30 of 86 ambassadors have responded positively [to the invitation]. A large number of ambassadors have yet to respond. We hope all the ambassadors will arrive," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon said May 9, according to the Times of Israel.

Twelve countries have already said they refused the invitation, either due to timing or other conflicts or out of principle, according to Haaretz. Among those to refuse are Australia, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Mexico, Portugal, Poland, Russia and Sweden.

Interestingly, three states commonly perceived as opposing the embassy move — Hungary, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria — accepted the invitation. Two countries who are seen as friendly to Israeli government policy — Romania and Austria — have yet to announce their decision.

The Foreign Ministry event will be attended by US President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump; her husband, fellow presidential adviser Jared Kushner; US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and other elected US officials.

On May 9, Hadashot TV reported that a number of EU states, including the UK, France and Germany, are going to boycott the event.

"It is a little strange to invite us to celebrate an event that we opposed and condemned. The Americans were more clever and knew in advance not to invite us to save themselves from embarrassment," the network quoted a diplomatic source as saying.

The ceremony will take place the evening before the day the new US embassy officially opens. Some 800 guests have been invited to the opening, including "religious and business leaders, journalists, academics and government representatives from the United States. We have also invited several Israeli government representatives and political leaders to attend. Given that the focus of the event is on US-Israeli relations, we did not extend an invitation to the foreign diplomatic corps," the official told the Times of Israel.


10.05.2018 - US Embassy "Moves" Twitter Account to Jerusalem to Reflect Upcoming Relocation
US Embassy "Moves" Twitter Account to Jerusalem to Reflect Upcoming Relocation - Sputnik International

On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump announced that he was formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the embassy from Tel Aviv.

The US embassy in Israel has changed its Twitter name from USEmbassyTelAviv to USEmbassyJerusalem to reflect the upcoming move next week.

The embassy posted a video clip of the changes being made to its official account with a message saying it was “still looking for a suitable header photo.”

On May 14 the official opening ceremony for the relocated embassy, which will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, will take place.

The building, which is currently a US consular space, is small in size and it will at first occupy part of the consular workstation while the planning and construction of a new embassy building is underway, according to the US State Department.

Some people expressed excitement over the news on Twitter. While many others were unhappy about the relocation of the embassy.

Trump’s unilateral decision thrilled Israelis and infuriated Palestinians, who saw the decision as ignoring their interests. The Palestinians want to make the eastern part of the city the capital of their future state. Jerusalem was captured by Israel in the 1967 war.

Nearly all countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Since Trump's announcement, Guatemala and Paraguay have announced that they too would like to move their embassies to Jerusalem.


Back-dated 07.12.2017 - Israeli Minister Calls on Russia to Follow US in Moving Embassy to Jerusalem
Israeli Minister Calls on Russia to Follow US in Moving Embassy to Jerusalem

After US President Donald Trump's recent decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv, Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs believes Moscow should follow suit.

"The time has come to consider moving the Russian Embassy to Jerusalem," Elkin said, adding that Russia has previously announced it recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Israeli Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Zeev Elkin said Thursday.

In April, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement on the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli crisis, reaffirming its commitment to the recognition of East Jerusalem as "the capital of the future Palestinian state," adding that it viewed West Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel.

Russian Ambassador in Israel Alexander Shein said earlier in the day that the Russian embassy could be moved to West Jerusalem "after the Palestinians and the Israelis agree on all issues of the final status of the Palestinian territories."

Trump pledged to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the US embassy to Jerusalem during his presidential campaign in 2016. Relations between Israel and Palestine have been shattered for decades. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital, including the eastern part of the city, seized from Jordan during the Six-Day War in 1967. The international community does not recognize the annexation of East Jerusalem, insisting that the status of the city should be determined on the basis of an agreement with the Palestinians, who claim the eastern part of Jerusalem to be their capital. For this reason, all foreign embassies in Israel are located in Tel Aviv.


Back-dated 07.12.2017 - Trumps Statement on Jerusalem Complicates Situation in Region - Kremlin
Trump's Statement on Jerusalem Complicates Situation in Region - Kremlin

On Wednesday, Trump has made a pivotal decision to designate Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv, which drew strong condemnation worldwide.

The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov has expressed concern over Trump's recent decision on the status of Jerusalem as it undermines prospects for a peaceful settlement and threatens to split the international community.

"What is to be done? We have to continue to search for a diplomatic solution, though, the situation definitely became complicated," Peskov added.

The spokesman also noted the degree of disapproval of Trump's gesture in the international arena, in particular among Palestinians.

US Recognizes Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel - Dec 7, 2017

(1:14 min.)

 

[Ca.]

‘Terrible massacre’: Israel kills 41, injures 1,700 Gaza protesters as US embassy opens in Jerusalem
Published time: 14 May, 2018 08:30 Edited time: 14 May, 2018 13:23

Protests against the US embassy move to Jerusalem and ahead of the 70th anniversary of Nakba at the Israel-Gaza border on May 14,
2018. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem / Reuters

https://twitter.com/x/status/996012421482459137

Florida Gov. Rick Scott

 

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Sun May 13, 2018 - Israel to Double Troop Numbers in Gaza, West Bank ahead of US Embassy Relocation
Farsnews

The Tel Aviv regime said it would almost double the number of troops surrounding the Gaza Strip and in the occupied West Bank ahead of Monday's controversial opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

An Israeli Army Spokesperson said three additional infantry brigades will be deployed ahead of the embassy's opening, two surrounding the Gaza Strip and one in the West Bank, adding that the fresh additions will be nearly twice as many as the number of troops currently deployed.

The Spokesperson noted that the number of troops in Jerusalem will not change, as responding to protests is the responsibility of the police.


Sun May 13, 2018 - Palestinians, Israelis Demonstrate against US Embassy Opening in Jerusalem, More Protests Expected
Farsnews

Hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis took to the streets of Jerusalem al-Quds to voice their anger over Washington's decision to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city on Monday.

The demonstration took place Saturday night, with participants chanting slogans such as "Jerusalem, don't give up, we will end the occupation". The protesters also called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down and demanded an end to "escalating tensions, spreading hatred, and provocations that undermine a chance for peace”.

Hundreds of people shouted "Netanyahu resign. Peace is worth more than you", "Don't set Jerusalem on fire", "You don't have any shame, there is no holiness in an occupied city".


Mon May 14, 2018 - Palestinian Government Calls for Declaring East Jerusalem as Capital ahead of US Embassy Relocation
Farsnews

The official Spokesman of the Palestinian government Yousef Al-Mahmoud called on the countries around the world that believe in freedom, peace and stability as well as those who do care of upholding the resolutions of international legitimacy to declare East Jerusalem the capital of the State of Palestine.

“This call came in the face of blatant ignorance of the legitimacy and international laws that has been made by the continuation of the occupation and US President Donald Trump’s decision regarding moving the US embassy to Jerusalem,” Mahmoud said in a statement Sunday.

He called for the rejection and condemnation of the US President’s decision to transfer his country’s embassy to the occupied Jerusalem on the 70th tragic anniversary of the Nakba of the Palestinian people and the Arab nation.

He slammed the US move as “the most bizarre act undertaken by world leaders throughout history”.

The Spokesman urged the international community to counter the US decision, stressing that the international community must address this disobedience and hostility carried out against the principles of international law by the US President.


Mon May 14, 2018 - PLO Slams US Decision to Relocate Embassy as Disastrous, Irresponsible
Farsnews

PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi called on the United States to rescind its "disastrous and irresponsible decision" to move the US embassy to occupied Jerusalem and to desist from further provocative and illegal decisions and moves aimed to preempt the outcome of permanent status issues.

“It is time for the US administration and members of Congress to end their practice of blackmail, extortion and threats against the Palestinian people and stop blaming an enslaved nation that is already living under a military occupation and suffering from deliberate and systematic acts of violence, colonialism and apartheid,” she said, WAFA reported.

She stressed that international condemnation is not enough, adding that we urge global leaders to respect international law and humanitarian values and principles and not participate in tomorrow's opening ceremony of the US Embassy in occupied Jerusalem; rather, they should assume an active stand against the unlawful measure and defend the global rule of law and justice by holding Israel to account with punitive measures and sanctions.

“We also continue to pay tribute to the victims of Israel's persistent policies of destruction and dehumanization. Despite American and Israeli efforts to violate the status quo and the legal status of occupied Jerusalem, we will remain steadfast and resilient in the face of the belligerent occupier and continue the nonviolent struggle for freedom, independence and dignity," Ashrawi stated.

Ashrawi said on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe), a grave historical injustice that continues today, the US will officially relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem, reneging on longstanding American commitments and policies and violating the most basic requisites of justice and legality.

For the past seven decades, Palestinians have been subjected to countless injustices and an ongoing cycle of destruction, displacement and dispossession, according to the statement.

“With blanket support from the United States, Israel has been given a free hand to persist in the total annexation and isolation of Palestinian Jerusalem and pursue the flagrant historical, political, cultural, demographic, and geographic transformation of the occupied city, erasing its Palestinian presence and identity,” she underlined.

By illegally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocating the embassy, thereby taking the issue of Jerusalem "off the table", US President Donald Trump and his administration are becoming complicit in Israeli lawlessness and war crimes and allowing the Nakba to continue unfettered, the PLO official stressed.

During the human tragedy of Nakba, Israel destroyed 531 Palestinian towns and villages and committed at least 33 massacres, and more than 800,000 Palestinians were uprooted and expelled to live as refugees at the mercy of others.

Today, more than six million Palestinian refugees reside in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in exile.

“Palestinian refugees have suffered for far too long, and the onus is on all members of the international community to recognize their plight and bring Israel to comply with international law and conventions, including the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948), the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948),” she said.

The US would do better to unfreeze funding to UNRWA and support the just cause of Palestine and Palestinian refugees rather than cruelly targeting the most vulnerable segment of the Palestinian people and deprive the refugees of the right to a dignified life, she added.


Mon May 14, 2018 - Hundreds of Israeli Settlers, Police Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of US Embassy Move
Farsnews

More than a thousand Israeli settlers under the tight protection of several groups of Israeli soldiers and special police forces stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of East Jerusalem al-Quds ahead of the US plan to officially open its Israeli embassy in the city.

Hundreds of settlers stormed the compound along with a large Israeli police force,” Firas al-Dibis, a Palestinian official with Jerusalem’s Islamic Waqf, which oversees the city's holy sites, said in a statement, adding that the situation started to get worse when the Israeli police opened al-Maghareba Gate to allow more settler break-ins.

Tensions have prevailed across the Old City as Jewish settlers celebrated the anniversary of Israel’s occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem. Police heavily deployed across the Old City neighborhood in the occupied city and imposed strict measures to protect the settlers.

Israeli police also assaulted a number of Islamic Waqf guards for attempting to fend off Israeli settlers' provocative tour inside al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The Israeli police attack resulted in the injury of a number of Waqf personnel in charge of running al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while the police also arrested a guard of the Islamic Waqf.

The Israeli aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy city of Jerusalem has increased after the United States recognition of the city as Israel’s capital.


Mon May 14, 2018 - Turkish President: Israel Pushing Middle East to War
Farsnews

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lambasted the Israeli regime for its use of “unnecessary aggression” in Syria following recent Israeli airstrikes in the war-torn Arab country, saying Tel Aviv is dragging the Middle East into war.

The Turkish President made the comments in an interview with BBC Arabic on Sunday, saying the occupying regime “is sowing fear and pushing” the Middle East “region to war”.

Erdogan also denounced the Israeli aerial aggression against the sovereignty of Syria, three days after Israeli warplanes attacked dozens of “targets” inside the Arab country in what was said to be the most extensive strike in Syria in decades.


Mon May 14, 2018 - 1,000s Gazans Start Huge Rally of "Great March of Return", Casualties Reported
Farsnews

Tens of thousands of Palestinian protesters began heading to the fence separating the besieged Gaza Strip from the occupied territories as demonstrators are preparing to cross the highly fortified fence under the "Great March of Return" movement.

A large number of protesters gathered along the Gaza border as the "Great March of Return" demonstrations entered a sensitive stage, as tens of Palestinians have been killed and thousands more wounded during the rallies in recent weeks, and officials expect that the rally would be much more violent than those of the previous weeks.

Tens of people have been wounded since Monday morning with the Israeli army firing live ammunition, as the Tel Aviv regime has ordered its soldiers to prevent protesters from crossing into Israel at any price.

The rally also coincided with the moving of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in line with the Washinton recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December, furthering stoking tensions and angering Palestinians.

Organizers of the Great March of Return stressed that they are expecting as many as one million people to join the demonstration and attempt to cross the fence with Israel from various points across the border.

The Israeli air force dropped leaflets over the Gaza Strip on Sunday, warning Palestinians not to approach the fence and threatening to target Hamas facilities in the besieged territory if they breach the barrier.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have launched the Great March of Return in the besieged Gaza Strip to demand their right of return to their villages and towns they were forcibly displaced.

The 46-day peaceful protests begun on March 30, which coincided with the 42nd anniversary of the Land Day, which marks the day Israeli forces killed six Palestinians during protests against land confiscation in 1976.

It continues until May 15, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe), in which over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes in 1948.

Since the start of the rallies, Nearly 50 Palestinians have been killed and over 8,000 injured along the fence in Gaza, with no reports of Israeli casualties, according to reports.

The United Nations top human rights official has strongly condemned Israel’s use of “excessive force” on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has stressed that Israel had to stop the practice and hold to account those responsible for the many deaths and injuries.


Mon May 14, 2018 - Palestinian Envoy: Relocation of US Embassy 'Gives Life' to Religious Conflict
Farsnews

Palestinian Ambassador to the United States Husam Zomlot stated that the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem “marks the end of an era” of Washington supporting two-state solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and instead escalates the religious conflict.

“Today’s move of the US embassy gives life to a religious conflict instead of a dignified peace... This move marks the end of an era when the United States led international efforts to supposedly achieve the two-state solution, ending Israel’s occupation that began in 1967 including East Jerusalem,” Zomlot said in a statement, Sputnik reported.

Moreover, Washington has abandoned its role of a peacemaker, further escalating “uncertainty” in Palestine, the ambassador added.

The US Embassy in Israel will officially open in Jerusalem later in the day after its controversial relocation from Tel Aviv that sparked widespread concern.


Mon May 14, 2018 - PUIC Chief: Palestine Should Turn into First Priority of Muslim World
Farsnews

Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states (PUIC) Mahmud Erol Kilic blasted the US decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem al-Quds, stressing the necessity for the Muslim states to prioritize the Palestinian issue.

Palestine should turn into a priority for the Muslim world and their legitimate rights should be supported," Kilic said addressing a meeting of the Permanent Committee on Palestine of PUIC in Tehran on Monday.
He underlined the need for the Islamic states to understand the dire situation of فاث Palestinians and confront the US decision to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Meantime, Rizwan al-Akhras, the Palestinian representative in the conference, warned that 65 percent of the West Bank has been occupied by Israel.

"In addition to building settlements, the Zionists have oppressed the Gaza people."

"We warn of the US-Zionist plot against the Gaza people and the world. They want to surround the Palestinian people so that they don’t survive and no one could help them," he added.

The extraordinary meeting of the PUIC Committee on Palestine in Tehran had also in a December meeting blasted the US decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital, stressing that the city was an indispensable part of the Palestinian territories.

"The US president's decision on Quds city is firmly denied and considered as non-negotiable and a blatant aggression against the Palestinian nation's undeniable rights," the PUIC Committee said in a final statement.

Stressing that Quds city is the indispensable part of the Palestinian territories, it warned that the US decision would further deepen the regional tensions and push the region into escalation of violence and chaos.


Mon May 14, 2018 - 90 Palestinians Killed since US President’s Jerusalem Recognition
Farsnews

Ninety Palestinians, including 12 children and a woman, have been killed by Israeli fire since US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel in December, according to medical sources.

The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that ninety people were killed by Israeli forces throughout occupied territories since Washinton’s recognition of Jerusalem.


Mon May 14, 2018 - Kremlin Fears US Decision to Move Embassy to Jerusalem Will Raise Regional Tensions
Farsnews

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow fears that the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem will raise regional tensions.

"Yes, we do have such concerns as we have already said," the Spokesman told reporters, TASS reported.

Top Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov has also said on Friday at a meeting with Nickolay Mladenov, UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, that Washington’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate the US Embassy there only intensifies the deadlock in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.

"We are very much concerned about the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. That’s the deadlock, and this deadlock is becoming deeper and deeper, especially in light of the well-known US decisions on Jerusalem," Lavrov said.

The top diplomat added that "all countries express profound concern over the explosive potential that has accumulated, which can detonate at any moment and which has already resulted in loss of life".

"Concurrently, disturbing attempts are being made to change the configuration of the entire geopolitical map of the Middle East and North Africa in such a way so as to put the Palestinian problem on the back burner," he stated.

"We are certain that this is a very dangerous path and that, given the importance and the severity of the crises in Syria, the situation in Yemen, around Iraq, Libya, in spite of the need for additional efforts to resolve these conflicts, we have no right to put off the Palestinian problem, which is very important from the standpoint of changing the overall atmosphere in the region for the better," the Russia’s top diplomat stressed.

Moscow is in favor of making the role played by the [Middle East] Quartet (Russia, the US, the UN and the EU) as active as possible, according to Lavrov.

"Unfortunately, this has not been observed so far. I hope to discuss with you what we can do to make sure that the Quartet as a universally recognized mediator in the Middle East processes and the UN decisions dedicated to the Palestinian-Israeli settlement do not sink into oblivion," Lavrov noted.


Mon May 14, 2018 - Deadliest Gaza Rally in Weeks: 55 Palestinians Martyred, +2,000 Wounded by Israeli Soldiers [+Photos]
Farsnews

Israeli army troops opened fire on Palestinians near the Gaza fence during another "Great March of Return" rally on Monday, killing at least 55 people, including children and woman, and wounding more than 2,000 others as tens of thousands of demonstrators are reportedly participating in the protest.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Monday that the death toll of the Palestinians matyred by Israeli fire in Gaza border clashes has risen to 55, while some 2,000 people, including children, women and journalists, have been injured by Tel Aviv regime's forces who are positioned along the fence.

"These are the biggest protests we have seen on the border with Gaza so far," Israeli Defence Forces Spokesman told Kann News.

The rally also coincided with the moving of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in line with the Washinton's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December, furthering stoking tensions and angering Palestinians.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have launched the Great March of Return in the besieged Gaza Strip to demand their right of return to their villages and towns they were forcibly displaced.

The 46-day peaceful protests began on March 30, which coincided with the 42nd anniversary of the Land Day, which marks the day Israeli forces killed six Palestinians during protests against land confiscation in 1976. It continues until May 15, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe), in which over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes in 1948.

Since the start of the rallies, over 105 Palestinians have been killed and at least 10,000 injured along the fence in Gaza, with no reports of Israeli casualties, according to reports.

The United Nations top human rights official has strongly condemned Israel’s use of “excessive force” on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has stressed that Israel had to stop the practice and hold to account those responsible for the many deaths and injuries.

Palestinian and foreign doctors have reported that the live fire used by Israeli troops has caused unusually severe injuries among protesters in the besieged Gaza Strip over the past month.

Multiple human rights organizations have come out in full condemnation of Israel’s violent raid on the massive unarmed civilian protests in the besieged sliver.


Mon May 14, 2018 - Diplomatic Vandalism: US Opens Embassy in Al-Quds Despite Global Condemnation
Farsnews

In a potentially explosive decision and against International Law, the Trump White House broke with years of precedent to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He even went further and relocated the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the Holy City on Monday, May 14, 2018.

Such a dangerous step has inflamed the passions of Muslims around the world due to the great status of Al-Quds and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Despite that, President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, was in Al-Quds to open the US embassy on Monday, a controversial move that is also guaranteed to stir further violence in the occupied Palestinian lands, who deem the Holy City as the future capital of Palestinian state.

Trump didn’t attend the opening ceremony, but his daughter was there with “great joy”. “We look forward to celebrating Israel’s 70th anniversary and the bright future ahead,” Ivanka said, as she attended the opening ceremony, exactly seven decades after the Tel Aviv regime forced out Palestinians from their land and declared existence – with a helping hand from the US and Britain – a day also known as Nakba.

However, most world countries declined to attend the event. Only 32 of the 86 foreign ambassadors in Israel accepted an invitation to attend the dinner. Interestingly, only four of those were European countries, namely Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria and Romania. This is for good reason:

1- The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to condemn Trump's decision to recognize Al-Quds as the capital of Israel despite threats from the US to pull funding from the world body. The vote came after US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley issued a direct threat, saying that the US will think twice about funding the world body if it voted to condemn Trump's decision.

2- Menaing, Washington will use every trick in the book to try and pressure other countries to move their embassies to the Holy City. Since the first UN resolution that condemned Trump’s decision is not binding, the world body should come up with another resolution that includes proper mechanisms and legal frameworks to protect its member states against Washington’s future retaliatory measures. After all, US Ambassador Nikki Haley says “the United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in this assembly."

3- It is true that Arab foreign ministers have called Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital a “dangerous violation of International Law” that has no legal impact and is “void”. But it is similarly true that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Palestinians should either accept peace proposals or "shut up." He has even said Israelis are entitled to their own land! Does this translate into the fact that Riyadh has already recognized the usurper regime and Palestinians are better off not counting on Saudi Arabia for any support?

4- Trump’s endorsement of Israel’s claim to all of Al-Quds as its capital goes against long-standing US policy that the city’s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want Al-Quds as the capital of their future state. Palestinians must be out of their minds to assume that there is still chance for peace with Israel through negotiations.

5- Millions of people took to the streets worldwide to condemn Washington’s diplomatic vandalism for the relocation of its embassy. The rallies culminated on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe), which marks the creation of Israel on Palestinians occupied lands on May 15, 1948. Rallies took place in Europe where Washington’s major European allies also skipped the event and only sent low-level representatives. If this is not international isolation for Washington, we don’t know what is.

Most of all, Trump’s decision to go ahead with a campaign promise to recognize Al-Quds as Israel’s capital and to move the US embassy there is an act of diplomatic vandalism.

It is the more curious for the likelihood that no one will benefit from it, not even Trump himself. The man who also withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal signed with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, has in the same way united almost everyone against him, including his closest NATO allies. For someone who prides himself on being the consummate deal maker it is odd that he should surrender this card, much less diminish America in the eyes of the world community.

 

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Monday May 14, 2018 - Russia worried over situation in Gaza Strip — Lavrov
Russia worried over situation in Gaza Strip — Lavrov

Protests erupted at the Gaza Strip border on Monday over the United States’ plans to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Moscow and Cairo are worried over the current situation in the Gaza Strip, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday after talks in the 2+2 format involving Russian and Egyptian foreign and defense ministers.

"We expressed common concern over the situation in the Palestinian territories, in particular, in the Gaza Strip," he said.

"We reiterated commitment to the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, to the principles of the Arab Peace Initiative. We, like Egypt, are worried over attempts to revise these major documents and the approaches that were approved by the world community," he stressed.

Protests erupted at the Gaza Strip border on Monday over the United States’ plans to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. According to the latest reports, at least 50 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,000 have been hurt in clashes with the Israeli military.


Monday May 14, 2018 - Lavrov: Russia views establishment of US embassy in Jerusalem negatively (Photo Gallery)
Lavrov: Russia views establishment of US embassy in Jerusalem negatively

Moscow views the establishment of the US embassy in Jerusalem negatively for it is a revision of international agreements, Russia’s Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"As for the establishment of the US embassy in Jerusalem, we have many times expressed our negative view of this decision," Lavrov told a press conference following consultations between the foreign and defense ministers of Russia and Egypt.

"We are confident that agreements enshrined in the global community’s decisions should be unilaterally revised in such a way," he added.

According to Lavrov, all issues concerning the Israeli-Palestine conflict can only be resolved through direct dialogue between the leaders of the opposing sides so Moscow has been "reaffirming this position in all contacts with the Israeli leadership." "As you know, Russia has many times suggested hosting a platform for such a dialogue. Our proposal is still on the table," Lavrov said.

The opening ceremony of the new US embassy is taking place in Jerusalem on Monday. The US delegation to the event is headed by Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. US President Donald Trump, who decided to move the country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on December 6, 2017, chose not to attend the ceremony.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the key issues concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict. Israel, who seized the eastern part of the city during the 1967 war, insists that Jerusalem is the single and indivisible capital of the country, while Palestinians wish to make the eastern part of the city the capital of their state.


May 14, 2018 - Abbas Condemns Israeli Massacres in Gaza, US “Settler Outpost” in Al-Quds
Abbas Condemns Israeli Massacres in Gaza, US “Settler Outpost” in Al-Quds

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas condemned Israeli massacres along the Gaza border after Israeli occupation forces killed 52 Palestinians during clashes and protests Monday coinciding with the opening of the US embassy in the occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Abbas, who declared three days of mourning, also said “the US is no longer a mediator in the Middle East,” and the new embassy was tantamount to “a new American settler outpost” in the occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The United States officially opened its Jerusalem embassy on Monday in a ceremony that included a video address by President Donald Trump.


May 14, 2018 - Kuwait Requests Emergency UN Council Talks on Gaza on Tuesday
Kuwait Requests Emergency UN Council Talks on Gaza on Tuesday

Kuwait has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, after dozens of Palestinian protesters were killed in clashes with Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza border, the country’s mission to the UN said Monday.

“We condemned what has happened,” the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United Nations, Mansour al-Otaibi, told journalists. Kuwait is a non-permanent council member.


May 14, 2018 - Israeli Snipers Target Protesters on Gaza ‘Day of Rage’
Israeli Snipers Target Protesters on Gaza ‘Day of Rage’

Israeli troops have opened fire on Palestinians who have gathered near a Gaza fence for the climax of a six-week demonstration coinciding with the inauguration of US embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds.

Clashes erupted along the fence Monday between Palestinians and Israeli forces as protesters converged on the site for a “day of rage”.

Gaza’s health ministry said 28 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli snipers who are positioned along the fence, facing the protesters.

The Israeli army is expecting about 100,000 demonstrators to gather at three main locations, coinciding with a gala in the afternoon to officially relocate US embassy to Jerusalem al-Quds.

Israeli troops have killed 45 Palestinians since the demonstrations began on March 30, according to Palestinian health officials, while no Israeli casualties have been reported.

The death toll has drawn international criticism, but the United States, which has drawn Muslim anger by relocating its embassy move, has supported Israel.

On Sunday, the Israeli air force dropped leaflets over the Gaza Strip warning Palestinians not to approach the fence and threatening to target Hamas facilities in the besieged territory if protesters breach the barrier.

Palestinian witnesses said Israeli aircraft also dropped flammable material on Monday to burn tires that protesters had stacked to set on fire. The Israelis also fired tear gas at people inside the tented encampments that have sprung up along the fence.

Hardline education minister Naftali Bennett told Israel Radio that the regime would treat the Gaza fence as an “Iron Wall” and anyone who approached it as a “terrorist”.

The rallies known as the “Great March of Return” are due to climax on Tuesday, the 70th anniversary of Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe) when Israel was created.


Monday 14 May 2018 - 'Burn them, shoot them, kill them': Israelis cheer in Jerusalem as Palestinians shot in Gaza
'Burn them, shoot them, kill them': Israelis cheer in Jerusalem as Palestinians shot in Gaza

While the US officially transferred its embassy to Jerusalem, Israeli forces killed scores of demonstrators in Gaza.

The contrast could not have been more jarring on Monday between Jerusalem and Gaza, even as a mere 75 kilometres separated the two.

As American and Israeli officials inaugurated the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem - an Israeli victory over the international community’s rejection of its claim to Jerusalem as its capital - Israeli forces gunned down Palestinian protesters in Gaza, the death toll rising inexorably throughout the day.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exuberantly hailed the embassy move as a “historic” moment.

"Friends, what a glorious day, remember this day,” the Israeli leader said in a triumphant address on Monday. “This is history. Mr Trump, by recognising history, you made history.

"All of us are deeply moved and grateful. The embassy of the most powerful nation on earth, the United States of America, opened here."

Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner also gave a speech at the ceremony, during which he hailed US support for Israel, seemingly casting aside concerns about the Israeli army’s actions in Gaza occurring at the same time as his speech.

"We stand with Israel because we both believe in human rights, democracy worth defending, and believe that we know that it is the right thing to do,” Kushner said.

Meanwhile, just outside the new embassy, Palestinian demonstrators in Jerusalem were brutally repressed by Israeli forces.

MEE witnessed dozens of unarmed Palestinians beaten and arrested by Israeli security forces outside the embassy, eliciting cheers from Israeli demonstrators who came out to support the embassy’s opening.

“Burn them”, “shoot them”, “kill them”, the Israelis chanted. Meanwhile, former Israeli army spokesman Peter Lerner complained on social media, implying Palestinian deaths in Gaza were an attempt to rain on Israel’s parade.


LTC (R) Peter Lerner

✔ @LTCPeterLerner

My feed is a mixture of people in Jerusalem celebrating the #EmbassyMove and people in #Gaza trying to ruin that celebration.
8:38 AM - May 14, 2018

But in Gaza, Palestinians expressed their deep anger and disbelief at the celebration occuring in Jerusalem as hundreds were indiscriminately shot by Israeli forces.

According to Gaza's health ministry, fifty-eight Palestinians had been killed and 2,410 had been wounded by Israeli forces in the bloody culmination of the six-week “Great March of Return” in Gaza which had already claimed 49 lives before Monday.

In total, 101 Palestinians have been killed during demonstrations in Gaza since 30 March.

The scenes in Gaza in the zone close to the fence separating the small Palestinian enclave from Israel were ones of chaos and blood since the morning, with numerous demonstrators shot in the head, neck or chest.

A number of bodies were trapped close to the fence, army fire too heavy for ambulances to reach them.

“A lot of Palestinians died today for the sake of Palestinians peacefully protesting, and we won’t give up on the blood they shed,” Wadee Masri, 52, told Middle East Eye. “I came here to participate in the march, to prove that I am a person that has a right to return to my land.

“Celebrations today in Jerusalem make me feel sad for what the US did against Palestinians,” he added. “There is no peace without Jerusalem. We will live and die fighting for Jerusalem.”

International groups decried the situation in Gaza as a “bloodbath”.

The policy of Israeli authorities to fire irrespective of whether there is an immediate threat to life on Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza, caged in for a decade and under occupation for half a century, has resulted in a bloodbath that anyone could have foreseen,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

Jamal Zahalka, a political leader for Palestinian citizens of Israel, told MEE that Israel and the US bore responsibility for the violence in Gaza.

"This is a violation of international law. Trump and the US are responsible for all the blood that has been shed since the US decision," Zahalka said.

"Those who are celebrating today [the US embassy inaguration] have blood on their hands."

But despite the trauma of the deadliest day in Gaza since the 2014 war, Samira Mohsen, a 27-year-old protester east of Gaza City, remained defiant despite the heavy toll of the day’s demonstrations.

“One day we will be celebrating in Jerusalem, we will pray there, no one will ban us,” she told MEE. “My dream is to see Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, and Trump and the USA cannot decide to give our land to Zionists.”


May, 14, 2018 - 55 Palestinians Killed, over 2700 Injured by Israel in Protests near Gaza Border (Photos)
55 Palestinians Killed, over 2700 Injured by Israel in Protests near Gaza Border - Tasnim News Agency

Israeli forces killed more than 55 Palestinians and wounded at least 2700 others along the Gaza border on Monday, media reports said, as demonstrators streamed to the frontier on the day the United States prepared to open its embassy in Jerusalem (al-Quds).

According to Palestine Al Yawm television network, at least 55 people were killed on Monday by Israeli forces near the Gaza border as protests intensified on the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding. Over 2700 people were reported wounded.

Several kids were among the dead, the report added.

The Israeli army said thousands Gazans were demonstrating in 10 different locations along the border. It said thousands more were located in gathering points several hundred meters from the fence.

The killings have drawn international criticism, but the United States, which has angered the Palestinians and Muslims by relocating its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, has echoed Israel in accusing Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement of instigating violence.

The protests are scheduled to culminate on Tuesday, the day Palestinians mourn as the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe” when, in 1948, hundreds of thousands of them were driven out of their homes.

The Israeli military claims its troops are defending the border and firing in accordance with the rules of engagement.

Palestinian witnesses said Israeli aircraft also dropped flammable material on Monday to burn tires that protesters had stacked in preparation for them to be set on fire and rolled at the fence.

The Israelis also fired tear gas at people inside the tented encampments that have sprung up along the border, witnesses said.


Monday 14 May 2018 - Gaza killings: The names of people shot dead by Israeli forces on Monday
Gaza killings: The names of people shot dead by Israeli forces on Monday

14-year-old Ezz Eldin Alsamaak is the youngest Palestinian killed in Gaza on deadliest day since Israeli assault on enclave in 2014.

Fifty-five people were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip on Monday as thousands of Palestinians demonstrated across the occupied territory to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nakba.

As of Monday afternoon, the Gaza Ministry of Health released the names of 43 Palestinians killed:

1. Ezz el-din Musa Mohamed Alsamaak, 14 years old

2. Wisaal Fadl Ezzat Alsheikh Khalil, 15 years old

3. Ahmed Adel Musa Alshaer, 16 years old

4. Saeed Mohamed Abu Alkheir, 16 years old

5. Ibrahim Ahmed Alzarqa, 18 years old

6. Eman Ali Sadiq Alsheikh, 19 years old

7. Zayid Mohamed Hasan Omar, 19 years old

8. Motassem Fawzy Abu Louley, 20 years old

9. Anas Hamdan Salim Qadeeh, 21 years old

10. Mohamed Abd Alsalam Harz, 21 years old

11. Yehia Ismail Rajab Aldaqoor, 22 years old

12. Mustafa Mohamed Samir Mahmoud Almasry, 22 years old

13. Ezz Eldeen Nahid Aloyutey, 23 years old

14. Mahmoud Mustafa Ahmed Assaf, 23 years old

15. Ahmed Fayez Harb Shahadah, 23 years old

16. Ahmed Awad Allah, 24 years old

17. Khalil Ismail Khalil Mansor, 25 years old

18. Mohamed Ashraf Abu Sitta, 26 years old

19. Bilal Ahmed Abu Diqah, 26 years old

20. Ahmed Majed Qaasim Ata Allah, 27 years old

21. Mahmoud Rabah Abu Maamar, 28 years old

22.Musab Yousef Abu Leilah, 28 years old

23. Ahmed Fawzy Altetr, 28 years old

24. Mohamed Abdelrahman Meqdad, 28 years old

25. Obaidah Salim Farhan, 30 years old

26. Jihad Mufid Al-Farra, 30 years old

27. Fadi Hassan Abu Salmi, 30 years old

28. Motaz Bassam Kamil Al-Nunu, 31 years old

29. Mohammed Riyad Abdulrahman Alamudi, 31 years old

30. Jihad Mohammed Othman Mousa, 31 years old

31. Shahir Mahmoud Mohammed Almadhoon, 32 years old

32. Mousa Jabr Abdulsalam Abu Hasnayn, 35 years old

33. Mohammed Mahmoud Abdulmoti Abdal’al, 39 years old

34. Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Hamdan, 27 years old

35. Ismail Khalil Ramadhan Aldaahuk, 30 years old

36. Ahmed Mahmoud Mohammed Alrantisi, 27 years old

37. Alaa Alnoor Ahmed Alkhatib, 28 years old

38. Mahmoud Yahya Abdawahab Hussain, 24 years old

39. Ahmed Abdullah Aladini, 30 years old

40. Saadi Said Fahmi Abu Salah, 16 years old

41. Ahmed Zahir Hamid Alshawa, 24 years old

42. Mohammed Hani Hosni Alnajjar, 33 years old

43. Fadl Mohamed Ata Habshy, 34 years old

 

[Voyageur]

Canada's, Laura Loomer (from the older Rebel Media out of Edmonton) decided to join George Galloway on his show talkRadio. Now it seems Ms. Loomer happened to be in Israel (sound like it) and then starts in on George and George vis versa. I was going to say this is unbelievable, yet it is not really from prior indicators:

Gaza: Watch George Galloway's incredible interview with Laura Loomer

talkRADIO
Published on May 15, 2018




Watch the incredible interview between George Galloway and Laura Loomer as they discuss the protests and deaths in Gaza following the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

 

[angelburst29]

14 May 2018 - IDF has ‘enough bullets for everyone,’ senior MK says of deadly Gaza clashes
IDF has ‘enough bullets for everyone,’ senior MK says of deadly Gaza clashes

Likud's Avi Dichter, chair of the Knesset defense committee, dismisses prospect of border breach, says Hamas trying to drag West Bank into fray.

As the Palestinian death toll in clashes with Israeli soldiers on the Gaza border mounted on Monday, senior lawmaker from the ruling Likud party said that he was unconcerned at the prospect of a border breach, because “the IDF has enough bullets for everyone.”

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said 52 Palestinians were killed and more than 2,400 were wounded in the violence, the largest riots by far in a weeks-long campaign of protests against Israel. It was also the deadliest day in Gaza since the 2014 war.

The army’s primary worry during the riots was that dozens or hundreds of Palestinians, including Hamas members, would manage to break through the Gaza security fence and wreak havoc on the other side, including attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. The IDF’s spokesman said later Monday that Hamas deployed 12 separate terrorist “cells” to try to breach the border at different locations, and that all were rebuffed.

In an interview by Hadashot TV news early Monday afternoon, when the death toll in Gaza stood at 18, MK Avi Dichter, who chairs the powerful Foreign Affairs and Defense committee, brushed aside a question about the prospect of the number of dead mounting and Palestinians storming the border.

“[Security forces] won’t let anyone put soldiers, and certainly not civilians, in danger,” he said. “The IDF has enough bullets for everyone. I think that ultimately, the means that the IDF prepared, whether non-lethal, or if needed, lethal, in cases where it’s justified by the open-fire regulations — there’s enough ammunition for everyone.”

Dichter assessed that the Hamas terror group, which rules the Gaza Strip, was stoking deadly violence, and that it was also seeking to provoke similar rioting in the West Bank.

The Israeli army said around 50,000 Gazans demonstrated in 12 locations along the border. It said thousands more were gathered at points several hundred meters from the fence. In addition to protesting the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Palestinians were also marking the 70th anniversary of what they call the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” of Israel’s creation in 1948. Leaders of Hamas, an Islamist terror group that seeks to destroy Israel, have said the ongoing border protests are ultimately designed to erase the border and liberate Palestine.

Dichter later repeated the assertion in a Hebrew post to his Facebook page, though he edited the quote to assert that “the IDF has enough bullets for all the terrorists.”

Gaza protesters set tires on fire, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the air at several spots along the border, while the military said protesters assaulted the border fence and hurled rocks at soldiers.

The army said three of those killed were trying to plant explosives at the border fence. In two separate incidents, IDF troops opened fire on gunmen who were trying to shoot them, Hadashot TV said. The military also launched a series of airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza.

Military sources said Hamas was determined to spark a major new, long-term uprising against Israel, extending to the West Bank.

Israel said ahead of Monday’s protests that Hamas was planning to breach the Gaza border fence and “massacre” Israelis, and that it would stop a possible border breach at all costs, warning protesters that they were putting their own lives in peril.


15 May 2018 - Haley to UN: ‘No country would act with more restraint than Israel’
Haley to UN: ‘No country would act with more restraint than Israel’

US ambassador says Gaza border clashes have no connection to embassy move, slams international community after Security Council holds minute silence for Palestinians killed.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Tuesday Israel had acted with exceptional “restraint” in clashes on the Gaza border a day earlier in which over 60 Palestinians were killed.

Haley was a rare voice slamming the Hamas terror group and speaking out in favor of Israel at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called over Monday’s deadly fighting.

After ambassadors joined in a rare moment of silence for those killed, Haley said Israel was facing Hamas extremists who incited people who lobbed flaming objects toward the Israeli side of the border fence and urged protest marchers to breach it.

“Make no mistake, Hamas is pleased with the results from yesterday,” she said.

Rejecting criticism of Israel voiced by other UN ambassadors, Haley said that none of their countries would have acted with the same moderation. “Who among us would accept this type of activity on your border?

No one would,” she charged. “No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has.”

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said that 60 Palestinians were killed and more than 2,700 were wounded the day before amid the biggest riots and rallies in a weeks-long campaign of protests against Israel, known collectively as the “March of Return.”

Tens of thousands of Palestinians attended Hamas-organized protests on the Gaza border and hundreds of others clashed with Israeli troops on the outskirts of Jerusalem and in other locations in the West Bank, marking the 70th anniversary of what they call the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” of Israel’s creation in 1948, as well as protesting the relocation of the US embassy to Israel’s capital on Monday afternoon.

Israel has said that Hamas was planning to use the border protests to breach the fence and carry out attacks in Israeli territory. It had warned that it would stop a possible border breach at all costs, telling protesters that they were putting their own lives in peril.

Haley insisted the violence had nothing to do with the opening of a US embassy in contested Jerusalem, saying that Gaza’s Hamas rulers have been inciting violence there for years. Palestinians condemned the embassy opening as taking Israel’s side in their conflict.

“Those who suggest the violence has anything to do with the embassy in Jerusalem is sorely mistaken,” she said, “rather it comes from people who will not accept Israel in any part of Israel.”

The protests, a day before the traditional Nakba Day, came as the US inaugurated its embassy in Jerusalem, a move that has drawn fierce Palestinian anger as well as international protests.

Speaking after a slew of envoys condemned Israel’s actions and called for an end to the bloodshed, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said the council needed to speak out against Hamas.

Every casualty on the border is a victim of Hamas’ war crimes, every death is a result of Hamas’ terror activity, and these casualties are solely Hamas’ responsibility,” Danon said.

“Hamas has committed war crimes not only against Israeli civilians but also against its own people – turning them into human shields for their own cynical gain. Every casualty that has resulted from the recent violence is a victim of Hamas’s war crimes,” he claimed.

In his response, the Palestinian UN envoy slammed the US for blocking the adoption of a Security Council statement that would have called for an independent probe of the deadly violence, said the Haley was “letting the Palestinian people down.”

“We have come to the Security Council many times to stop the Israeli oppression against our people, who are crushed by the Israeli occupation, our people who have been suffering for over 70 years,” Ambassador Riyad Mansour said.

In an apparent snub, Haley left the hall when Mansour began to speak.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley walks out of the chamber Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour begins to speak at a UN Security Council meeting concerning the violence at the border of Israel and the Gaza Strip, at United Nations headquarters, May 15, 2018 in New York City. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP)

The draft statement, obtained by The Associated Press, would have expressed “outrage and sorrow” at the killings, sought an “independent and transparent investigation,” and called on all sides to exercise restraint.

It also would have demanded that all countries comply with a decades-old Security Council resolution that called on them not to have embassies in contested Jerusalem.

“We have begged you to prevent another massacre by Israel, the occupying power. We only ask for one thing, a transparent investigation of what is going on on the ground,” Mansour said. “How many Palestinians have to die before you take action? … Why does the Security Council do nothing? Why are you paralyzed? How long are you going to follow this double standard?”

Kuwait’s envoy, who requested the meeting, said that Israel was violating international law and that the council needs to offer protection unarmed Palestinians.

“The Palestinian people are looking to the United Nations and the Security Council to activate what this organization has taken upon itself in order to achieve the maintenance of international peace and security,” said Kuwaiti Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi.

Despite the US’s position, several countries, including Britain, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium, have said they would support an independent investigation into the deaths.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the European Union have previously called for an independent probe, with 115 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since protests and clashes began on the Gaza border on March 30.

“The United Kingdom supports an independent investigation into what has happened,” Alistair Burt, British minister for Middle East affairs, told parliament.

He called for “greater restraint” in the use of live fire, while adding it was “deplorable but real that extremist elements have been exploiting these protests.”

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “violence of the Israeli armed forces against the protesters.”

 

[angelburst29]

Tue May 15, 2018 - UNRWA Calls for Investigation into Israeli Crimes in Gaza
Farsnews

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) on Tuesday called for an international investigation into the Israeli crimes committed against peaceful protesters in Gaza Monday.

The UNRWA said in a statement that it was dismayed by the killing and wounding of dozens of civilians and children in Gaza, adding that Monday's violence and loss of life will add yet another layer of trauma onto an already untenable situation, according to Palinfo.

The UN Agency unreservedly condemned the excessive use of force against demonstrators who have the right to peaceful protest and expression.

The statement stressed that the people of the Gaza Strip have been exposed to the consequences of repeated armed conflicts and a stifling blockade over the past decade.

"UNRWA is specifically alarmed by the impact the latest developments have had on Palestine refugees who constitute over 70% of Gaza's population," the statement noted.

The UNRWA called for investigations into these grave incidents in accordance with international standards to ensure accountability for violations of international law, and demanded collective international mobilization to prevent further loss of life and injury.

"Every additional casualty is a defeat for humanity," the agency stressed.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians launched the Great March of Return in the besieged Gaza Strip Monday to demand their right of return to their villages and towns they were forcibly displaced.

The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that the death toll of the Palestinians matyred by Israeli fire in Gaza border clashes has risen to 60, while more than 2,700 people, including children, women and journalists, have been injured by Tel Aviv regime's forces who are positioned along the fence.

The Monday's rally also coincided with the moving of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in line with the Washinton's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December, furthering stoking tensions and angering Palestinians.

The UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein on Monday condemned reckless killing of peaceful Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces, writing in a message carried on the UN human rights Twitter account that “shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by Israeli live fire in Gaza must stop now. The right to life must be respected”.

Al-Hussein also called for punishment of those behind killing of Palestinians saying that “those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account”.


Tue May 15, 2018 - Hamas Warns of Its Impatience, Response over Israeli Crimes in Gaza
Farsnews

The Hamas Movement warned of its impatience and response over Israel’s ongoing crimes against the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially after the massacre which the Tel Aviv regime committed during Monday’s protests.

“The patience of the resistance factions, spearheaded by Hamas and al-Qassam Brigades, will not be long over the occupation’s crimes against [the participants in] the March of Return,” member of Hamas’s political bureau Khalil al-Hayya told a news conference, Palinfo reported.

“The enemy and its followers should not test our patience,” Hayya added.

The Hamas official mourned the martyrs of the March of Return and said that “their blood washed away the shame of normalization and bargaining and was a response to everyone trying to make the Israeli occupation state part of the region”.


Tue May 15, 2018 - Gaza Hospital Overwhelmed with Casualties Hit by Israeli Snipers
Farsnews

The Gaza city's main hospital is bustling with patients as they have asked for medical treatment after Israeli soldiers killed 60 Palestinians and wounded more than 2,700 others during the rallies in the Gaza Strip on Monday.

Journalists and family members waited to honour the dead in Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital, where surgeons rushed to treat injured protestors in operating rooms, while others lined the corridors.

Ayman al-Sahabani, head of the emergency department in al-Shifa, told Al-Jazeera that at least 18 people died while waiting to receive medical attention on Monday evening.

"At one point, we had 500 cases arrive at once," al-Sahabani said, adding that "this is way more than what the hospital's capacity can take".

According to the department head, medical staff have responded to injuries to the best of their ability, despite the lack of medical supplies.

Describing the type of injuries, al-Sahabani stressed that most patients were hit in the lower body and limbs, while some were hit in the chest area.

The most urgent cases came as a result of live ammunition and explosives, al-Sahabani noted.

The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that the death toll of the Palestinians matyred by Israeli fire in Gaza border clashes has risen to 60, while more than 2,700 people, including children, women and journalists, have been injured by Tel Aviv regime's forces who are positioned along the fence.


15 May، 2018 - Death toll of Israeli massacre against Palestinians in Gaza rises to 60 martyrs
Death toll of Israeli massacre against Palestinians in Gaza rises to 60 martyrs – Syrian Arab News Agency

Occupied al-Quds, SANA- The death toll of the Israeli occupation forces’ massacre against the Palestinians who participated in the “Great Return March” on the borders between Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 rose to 60 martyrs including children. More than 2771 others were also injured.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had flocked from across Gaza Strip to the borders with the Palestinian territories to mark the 70th anniversary of Nakba Day, express rejection of the transfer of the US Embassy to the occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem), and to affirm their adherence to their right to return.

The Israeli occupation forces responded to the march by firing artillery shells, live ammo, and tear gas.

The Palestinians in different areas and cities staged a general strike on Tuesday in mourning of dozens of Palestinians martyred in Gaza.

 

[angelburst29]

Lindsey Graham: If You Got a Problem with US Embassy in Jerusalem "Take it Up with God"

Published on May 14, 2018

(0:41 min.)

 

[Ca.]

Lavrov slams statements about kids killed in Gaza being terrorists as outrageous
MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/.

Statements claiming that people recently killed in Gaza, including children, were terrorists, are outrageous, Russia’s Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"I cannot agree with statements saying that dozens of civilians, including babies, who were killed during these incidents, were terrorists," he said. "I believe these outrageous statements are aimed at avoiding an honest conversation," Lavrov added.

The Russian top diplomat stated that Moscow was ready to fully facilitate dialogue between Palestine and Israel on the Jerusalem issue. According to him, it cannot be resolved unilaterally so there is the need for discussion. "Direct dialogue between Palestinian and Israeli leaders needs to be established in order to find a solution," Lavrov added.
The May 14 opening ceremony of the new US embassy in Jerusalem sparked mass protests among Palestinians and caused clashes on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, which killed over 60 Palestinians and left around 3,000 injured.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the key issues concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict. Israel, who seized the eastern part of the city during the 1967 war, insists that Jerusalem is the single and indivisible capital of the country, while Palestinians wish to make the eastern part of the city the capital of their state.

Syriana Analysis Streamed live on May 14, 2018 / 32:49

Live chat with independent journalist Robert Inlakesh on U.S. Jerusalem move and the Gaza protests, where Israeli occupation forces.

 

[Oxajil]

"I cannot agree with statements saying that dozens of civilians, including babies, who were killed during these incidents, were terrorists," he said. "I believe these outrageous statements are aimed at avoiding an honest conversation," Lavrov added.

Well said by Lavrov!

Abby Martin tweeted a headline by the New York Times that says: Israelis Reflect: 'I hope at least that each bullet was justified'. Just crazy! How can someone even say that knowing that those bullets killed children!

 

[Martina]

The DNA results shows the Palestinians as Abraham's descendants

 

[angelburst29]

Wednesday 23 May, 2018 - US ambassador poses with poster showing Jewish Third Temple replacing Al-Aqsa
US ambassador poses with poster showing Jewish Third Temple replacing Al-Aqsa

US envoy to Israel David Friedman posed on Tuesday next to a poster of Jerusalem's skyline with a computer-generated rendition of the Third Jewish Temple placed over Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site.

Washington's embassy in Israel, which moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last week, said Friedman was not aware of the details of the poster when he was photographed.

"The US policy is absolutely clear: we support the status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount," the embassy said in a statement.

The photo was taken during a visit by Friedman to the Israeli city of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv organised by Achiya, an NGO that aids students with learning disabilities.

Achiya apologised for the poster, calling it a "cheap political act" by a staff member.

Israeli right-wing activists have long called for destroying Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock to make space for the Third Jewish Temple.

Oren Hazan, a suspended Knesset member from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, has pledged to demolish Al-Aqsa.

“It would not be responsible at this point in time to tell you how we would do it (destroying Al-Aqsa), but I will say it clear and loud, when I have the opportunity to do it, I will,” he was quoted as saying by Mondoweiss in 2016.

Washington's embassy in Israel, which moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last week, said Friedman was not aware of the details of the poster when he was photographed.

"The US policy is absolutely clear: we support the status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount," the embassy said in a statement.

The photo was taken during a visit by Friedman to the Israeli city of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv organised by Achiya, an NGO that aids students with learning disabilities.

Achiya apologised for the poster, calling it a "cheap political act" by a staff member.

Israeli right-wing activists have long called for destroying Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock to make space for the Third Jewish Temple.

Oren Hazan, a suspended Knesset member from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, has pledged to demolish Al-Aqsa.

“It would not be responsible at this point in time to tell you how we would do it (destroying Al-Aqsa), but I will say it clear and loud, when I have the opportunity to do it, I will,” he was quoted as saying by Mondoweiss in 2016.

https://twitter.com/x/status/998998899921649664

Friedman, a former lawyer for the Trump Organization, supports the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. He has repeatedly made provocative statements in favour of Israel, once even comparing liberal Jewish American group, J Street, to Nazi collaborators.

In a column published by Fox News on Sunday, Friedman accused US "liberal media" of siding with Hamas to undermine the "beautiful and uplifting event" of moving the embassy to Jerusalem.

The move was condemned internationally and rejected overwhelmingly by the UN General Assembly for violating the status of Jerusalem.

Commenting on the death of dozens of unarmed Palestinian protesters, including children and medics, who were shot by Israeli forces in Gaza, Friedman said Hamas is solely to blame.

"Some 60 Gazans, the overwhelming majority of whom were known Hamas terrorists, lost their lives because Hamas turned them into a collective suicide bomb," the ambassador wrote.

"They were neither heroes nor the peaceful protesters they were advertised to be."


Thursday 24 May 2018 - Israel announces plan to approve 2,500 new settler homes
Israel announces plan to approve 2,500 new settler homes

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Thursday that he would request approval from a planning committee for the building of 2,500 new homes in 30 West Bank settlements.

"The 2,500 new units we'll approve in the planning committee next week are for immediate construction in 2018," Lieberman said in a statement, adding he would also seek the committee's approval for a further 1,400 settlement units for later construction.

"We committed to advancing construction in Judaea and Samaria and we're keeping our word," Lieberman said, using the biblical terms for the West Bank.

"In the coming months, we will bring forward thousands more units for approval."

He also tweeted: "We will develop building all around Judaea and Samaria, from north to south, in small settlements and big ones. We will continue to settle and develop Judaea and Samaria by action."

Israel's West Bank settlements are considered illegal under international law and are bitterly opposed by Palestinians.

In a Tuesday appeal to the International Criminal Court, the Palestinian foreign ministry called Israeli settlements "the single most dangerous threat to Palestinian lives and livelihoods".

While Israel would expect to retain certain settlements in any two-state peace deal, longstanding international consensus has been that their status must be negotiated.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki asked prosecutors at the International Criminal Court on Tuesday to launch a full investigation into accusations of Israeli human rights abuses on Palestinian territory, saying the evidence was "insurmountable".

Maliki submitted a "referral" giving the prosecutor at the Hague-based court the legal basis to move beyond a preliminary inquiry started in January 2015.

He said the request would give prosecutors the authority to investigate alleged crimes starting in 2014 and beyond, including last week's deaths during protests in Gaza.

We believe there is ample and insurmountable evidence to that effect and we believe that proceeding with an investigation is the right and needed course of action," he said.
The International Criminal Court has the authority to hear cases of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the 123 countries that have signed up to it. Israel has not joined the court, but because the Palestinians have, Israelis could be targeted for crimes committed on Palestinian lands.

The decision by the Palestinians to join the court was opposed by major powers, who feared it could damage chances for peace talks.
"Through judicial referral we want. ..the office of the prosecutor to open without delay an investigation into all crimes," Maliki said after meeting with chief ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.

"Further delaying justice for Palestinian victims is also tantamount to denial of justice."


Thursday 24 May 2018 - Abbas illness sparks succession race for Palestinian presidency
Abbas illness sparks succession race for Palestinian presidency

RAMALLAH, Occupied West Bank - On record, Palestinian officials are keen to play down President Mahmoud Abbas’s admission to hospital for pneumonia, stressing it is business as usual in Ramallah's halls of power.

Behind the scenes, it's a different story. The 82-year-old’s condition now appears so serious, that those same Palestinian officials are scrambling to prepare for his succession.

Abbas is no stranger to hospitals – the chain-smoking octogenarian has been admitted for various ailments in recent years – but his latest illness is reportedly life threatening.

And it's not just pneumonia. Sources at the hospital in Ramallah told Middle East Eye Abbas needs treatment for various conditions, gravely affecting his ability to govern.

Now the question of his replacement, long a hot topic for Palestinians and the region, has become critical, as a number of candidates begin jockeying for power.

Medical sources told MEE that Abbas has received a number of Palestinian officials and ministers at the hospital, and held a 17-minute-long telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

However, in Palestinian politics, which is rife with divisions, competing and overlapping ruling bodies, and outsider influence, finding a replacement for the president is no simple task.

Since taking the presidency in 2005 after the death of longtime leader Yasser Arafat, Abbas has held a firm grip on the levers of power in several key Palestinian institutions.

As head of the Palestinian Authority, Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Fatah party, Abbas’s resignation would leave a huge vacuum at the top of three major ruling bodies, with no clear candidate to replace him.

Law no guide
According to Palestinian law, once a president leaves office for any reason, the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council replaces them for 60 days, during which time presidential elections must be held.

But as things stand, this scenario appears impossible, as a massive schism between Fatah and Hamas, the two major Palestinian parties, has paralysed the political system.

Bitter rivals, since the 2006 Palestinian elections Hamas and Fatah have split the PA – the Palestinian proto-state’s principal ruling body.

Fatah controls the PA government and rules the areas of the occupied West Bank under Palestinian control, while the Hamas movement holds the Gaza Strip.

The 2006 split also put an end to the PLC’s role as the PA’s parliament, as the election handed the majority of seats to Hamas.

Not only does Fatah no longer consider the PLC to be the parliamentary body representing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, the idea of its speaker, Hamas official Aziz Dweik, holding the powers of the presidency – however temporarily – is anathema to the party.

With the Fatah-Hamas schism standing squarely in the way of a presidential succession following the letter of the law, Palestinian officials are now looking at new ways to fill the role.

No hierarchy, no majority
In rejecting the PLC, the Fatah-controlled PLO has instead recognised the Palestinian National Council as the legitimate parliament.

The PNC served as a legislative body for all Palestinians within historic Palestine and the diaspora until the Oslo Accords set up the PLC in 1993 as part of attempts to create a Palestinian state.

One way for the PLO to circumvent the Dweik issue would be to recognise PNC Speaker Salim Zanoun in his stead, until Fatah agrees on its candidate to replace Abbas.

A consensus candidate may be out of reach for Fatah, however.

“It’s not easy for Fatah to agree on one candidate,” a PLO Executive Committee member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, told Middle East Eye.

“The problem is Fatah has no number two, everyone in the Central Committee considers himself number two.”

And when Fatah leaders do unite, they do so only in groups of two or three, creating a collection of coalitions that leaves the leadership with no majority and no visible hierarchy.

“When Arafat passed away, we had a speaker to replace him and we had a deputy to Arafat in the PLO, but now we have no system at all,” a PLO official told MEE, also speaking anonymously.

Hamdallah in prime position
Such a deadlock could open the door for Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah to rise to the presidency.

The prime minister could use the period of political vacuum to run the PA as de facto president and gradually win Fatah approval to replace Abbas.

Sources in the PLO told MEE this scenario is favoured by General Intelligence Service chief Majed Faraj and other leaders in the security services, who will support the prime minister to ensure immediate stability.

One of Hamdallah’s key strengths as prime minister is that he controls many of the PA’s resources.

This also makes him an attractive prospect for the security leaders, who need Hamdallah to open the purse strings to keep their forces and departments running smoothly.

However, according to the sources, Faraj and the security services heads also see backing Hamdallah as a way to block influential Fatah figure Jibril Rajoub, who heads the Palestinian Football Association and once led the PA’s Preventative Security force in the West Bank.

Faraj, a longtime confidante of Abbas and the only security chief with a political role, expects Rajoub to marginalise him if he comes to power, the sources said.

Israel's influence
Moves to begin placing Hamdallah into a position of strength have already begun, the sources told MEE, with some officials talking the premier up to Israel as the strongest candidate.

Israel is expected to have a key role in Abbas’ succession.

It has significant influence on the PA and hands the Palestinian body two thirds of its budget through tax clearances that Israel collects every month.

Winning Israel’s approval, therefore, would be a significant boon for Hamdallah.

According to Mohammed Younis, an analyst and commentator for pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat, Hamdallah met recently with Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and then-military coordinator Yoav Mordechai in an effort to sure up support for his succession.

“His message in these meetings was: ‘I can cooperate and stabilize the situation,’” Younis told MEE.

Power, patronage and animosity
Hamdallah’s succession to the presidency is no foregone conclusion, though.

Some expect Faraj, a prominent figure in negotiations with the US, Israel and Hamas, to replace Abbas with support from international and regional powers.

But sources in the PLO told MEE this is unlikely, as Faraj is not a member of the Fatah Central Committee, the movement’s top leadership body.

And while Israel is expected to play a key role in the succession, so too are Egypt and Jordan, who may have their own ideas of who should become president.

Younis said that Egypt, for example, doesn’t hide its support for former foreign minister Nasser al-Qidweh.

Qidweh, a former ally of Abbas’s arch-rival Mohammed Dahlan and Arafat’s nephew, is positioned in the middle ground of Palestinian politics, which some commentators see as highly advantageous.

An eruption of violence should not be ruled out either.

According to sources, some Fatah leaders are accumulating weapons and busy building alliances, wary of losing stature should a rival rise to prominence.

The animosity between many of Fatah’s top officials is no secret, and Younis warns that in the absence of strong leadership and a clear method for the transition of power, bloody battles could erupt in the wake of Abbas’ resignation.

And though Hamdallah may have strong backing in some quarters, Rajoub and former intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi are thought to be prepared to put their old rivalry aside to do anything possible to stop the prime minister’s accession.

“There is no way Rajoub and Tirawi would let Hamdallah take over,” Younis said.

 

[Ca.]

Quarter back sneak by FRANCE 24 English. And the Smering of Charles de Gaulle on Israel

on May 25, 2018

Assassination attempts
Charles de Gaulle - Wikipedia

The Day of the Jackal is Frederick Forsyth’s most celebrated work and also what he is most associated with. Forsyth wrote only after thoroughly researching the topics involved in his stories because of his own disappointment with the authors’ lack of knowledge in books he himself read. However the depth of research in The Day of the Jackal inspired at least one assassin and one would-be assassin:

A Hebrew translation of the novel was found in possession of Yigal Amir, the assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Police speculated that the book may have been used as a guide for the assassination by Amir.

Who is Carlos the Jackal? Is He Still Alive?

The best President ever and still is a true Israeli President who got killed because he wanted to bring Peace with the arabs

 

[angelburst29]

Yitzchak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Yitzhak Rabin

Rabin's strong response to Palestinian insurrections gained him enough political support to make another bid to be prime minister in 1992. His victory came on promises of ending the conflict with the Palestinians. Secret talks with Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat led to a conference in Oslo, Norway where an agreement was reached in 1993. In 1994, Rabin led negotiations with Jordan's King Hussein which led to peace between those two countries. In December 1994, Rabin was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, along with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO Chariman Yasser Arafat. On November 4, 1995, as he was departing a peace rally in Tel Aviv, Rabin was assassinated by a 27-year-old Jewish law student, Yigal Amir.

Further Reading
Robert Slater's Rabin of Israel (1993) is the most complete treatment of Rabin's life. A more personal perspective is offered in Rabin: Our Life, His Legacy (1997) by Leah Rabin, his wife. Rabin's own autobiography, The Rabin Memoirs (1979) and his book Yitzhak Rabin Talks with Leaders and Heads of State (1984) are the best sources of additional material. See also Bernard Reich, Israel: Land of Tradition and Conflict (1985).

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1001362273938616320

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The Palestinian Information Center
Published on : Monday 28/May/2018 08:40 PM

A Palestinian was killed and another injured on Monday evening when Israeli tanks opened fire at three resistance posts in Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman for Gaza's Ministry of Health, said that Mohammed al-Radei, 25, was killed while another young man suffered different wounds in the attack.

A security source told the PIC reporter that Israeli tanks stationed behind the border fence in northern Gaza fired several shells at three posts belonging to the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas movement.

The Qassam Brigades in a statement mourned Mohammed al-Radei and said that he is one of their fighters, stressing that the martyr's blood will not go in vain.

In a related context, the Hebrew website "0404" reported that the Israeli army on Monday arrested two of three Palestinians who attempted to sneak into the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories from northern Gaza.

The website claimed that a shooting attack was launched against Israeli forces as the third Palestinian was withdrawing from the area, adding that the Israeli tanks at the border responded by opening fire at nearby Hamas posts.

Three Islamic Jihad fighters were killed on Sunday in a similar artillery attack in southern Gaza.

With the death of al-Radei, the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza by the Israeli occupation forces since the start of the Great Return March protests has increased to 127. So far about 13,000 Palestinians have been injured, over 300 of whom are in critical conditions.

Read more at Gazan killed, another injured in Israeli artillery attack
@Copyright The Palestinian Information Center

Israel Intercepts Some of New Misseles From Gaza With Iron Dome - IDF
(updated 15:47 29.05.2018)
The barrage of 28 mortars was fired from the enclave earlier in the day, most of them were claimed to be intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, blamed the Hamas organization for the recent attacks, promising to respond "forcefully" to the barrage.

"Israel takes a grave view of the attacks on it and its communities by Hamas and Islamic Jihad from the Gaza Strip. The IDF will respond to these attacks forcefully," he said during a conference in northern Israel, referring to the Israel Defence Forces.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1001401175151915008

According to the IDF, following Netanyahu's statement, the Israeli air forces hit at least 36 targets at the positions of the Islamic Jihad movement in Southern Gaza, which Israel believed to be behind the attack.

"The IDF is currently operating in the Gaza Strip. The explosions heard are related to this activity," the IDF wrote on Twitter.

Later in the day, IDF reported, that air attack sirens were heard in Israel's city of Ashkelon. In response, the country triggered the Iron Dome air defense system.

After the activation of the system IDF reported aboiut new missile attacks from the Gaza Strip, which were intercepted with the Iron Dome.

Earlier the sirens had gone off on three occasions in the settlements along the border with the Gaza Strip because of machinegun fire from the territory of the Palestinian enclave.

READ MORE: Israeli Company Offers Insurance in Case of Missile Attack Amid Gaza Tensions

The situation on the border escalated on Monday, particularly after an Israeli tank attacked a militant observation post in response to an attempted violation of the border by two Palestinians.

The violent clashes between Palestinian protestors and IDF on the Gaza border Israel continue since the last March, when a full-scale demonstrations were organized by Hamas. Israel has justified its actions citing security reasons, saying it is defending its borders and blames Hamas for encouraging thousands of Palestinians to break through the border and attack Israelis.

Added Update:

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