Rep. DeSantis visits Israel, tours possible US embassy sites

While President Trump has backed away from moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a ranking Republican Congressman visited the country Sunday, pushing for the controversial move. Ron DeSantis, the chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and toured four possible sites for the embassy relocation, including the two current U.S. consulates in West Jerusalem.

Palestinian envoy warns against moving US embassy in Israel

The Palestinian’s top envoy to the United States is warning that moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem could disrupt efforts to secure peace in the Middle East. Maen Areikat says an “emotional decision” to shift the embassy’s location “is going to have very, very negative repercussions” and could seriously complicate and undermine any future efforts to resolve the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Trump still considering moving US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

Shortly before Donald Trump’s inauguration last month, Jerusalem’s mayor unveiled a video tribute to the incoming president for his much-touted campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. On Tuesday, on the eve of the first White House summit between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mayor Nir Barkat emphasized his support for the move during a conference in the city.

Netanyahu lands in Washington

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu landed on Monday night in Washington, ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday. A diplomatic source accompanying the prime minister’s entourage spoke of the visit on Monday night, saying, “We came to hear the new administration and not as much to be heard.

Senate panel books hearing for Trump Israel envoy pick this week

Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Israel will be grilled by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Thursday, when he will likely face questions from lawmakers on past controversial statements and his reported support for Israeli settlement building. The nomination hearing for David Friedman will place him among the first non-cabinet level nominees to commence the confirmation process.

PA intelligence chief meets American officials

The Palestinian Authority intelligence chief, Majed Faraj, has met with U.S. security officials in the first meetings between the PA and the Trump administration, an official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The official told the news agency that Faraj met with U.S. security and intelligence officials in Washington over the past two days.

U.S. tells Israel that West Bank settlements ‘may not be helpful’ to achieving peace

The White House on Thursday gently warned Israel that new or expanded settlements in the West Bank “may not be helpful” in achieving a Middle East peace, while insisting it has no “official position on settlement activity.” A statement issued by press secretary Sean Spicer said that although the administration does not believe settlements are “an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal.”

Rare Red Heifer Eligible for Third Temple Offering Found, And You Won’t Believe Where

A rabbi in a remote region of Mexico he went to a dairy farm to purchase milk, and was shocked when he saw a vital element of the Third Temple right in front of his eyes: a red heifer calmly chewing its cud under the Baja sun. “I’ve grown up with the stories, so I know how rare and valuable the red heifer is,” Rabbi Benny “Bentsion” Hershcovich told Breaking Israel News.

Krauthammer’s Take: Obama’s Cash to Palestinians – Was a Final Slap at Israel’ NR Staff 4 hours ago

Charles Krauthammer lambasted the outgoing Obama administration for feeding money to anti-Semitic groups through an “aid” package that will be used for propaganda, and he also offered his thoughts on Israel’s political interests regarding the proposed U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem: I think that was a final slap at Israel by Obama on the way out the door. It doesn’t compare with abandoning Israel at the United Nations on the vote at the Security Council a week before.

Emboldened by Trump, Israel Rapidly Expands Illegal Settlements

“The Trump administration is giving Israel the green light to entrench a separate and unequal one-state reality with more illegal settlements.” Emboldened by the new right-wing Trump administration, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a large settlement expansion-2,500 housing units-in the West Bank on Tuesday.

Emboldened by Trump, Israel Rapidly Expands Illegal Settlements

“The Trump administration is giving Israel the green light to entrench a separate and unequal one-state reality with more illegal settlements.” Emboldened by the new right-wing Trump administration, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a large settlement expansion-2,500 housing units-in the West Bank on Tuesday.

In Israel, marchers criticize talk of moving U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem

Standing in a chilly sea breeze, hundreds of American expatriate demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to protest what they described as President Trump’s slights against women and minorities. Demonstrators were careful to keep the focus local, though, singing Hebrew prayers for peace, protesting Trump’s promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and holding up signs critical of the new president’s emerging bromance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Jerusalem mayor praises ‘friend’ Trump and slams Obama

Nothing will rain on our parade! Triumphant Donald Trump promises a beautiful day as he tells his supporters: ‘I’m going to be cheering YOU’ Trump lays wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in somber Arlington Cemetery ceremony just one day before he becomes commander-in-chief Jerusalem mayor praises ‘friend’ Trump and slams Obama for ‘surrendering’ to radical Islam in video welcoming The Donald as President The mayor of Jerusalem has praised Donald Trump as a ‘friend’ while slamming outgoing U.S. president Barack Obama accusing him of ‘surrendering’ to radical Islam. Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat released a video on Thursday ahead of Trump’s inauguration urging people to welcome him when he is sworn in as president.

Haley supports moving US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

UN Ambassador-designate, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, arrives for a meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. WASHINGTON — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley declared her support for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a shift firmly endorsed by Donald Trump but one that could trigger increased violence in the Middle East.

Palestinian Envoy warns Trump govt: Don’t move embassy

The chief Palestinian representative to France said moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv would violate international law and adds that he does not think Donald Trump’s new administration will make such a decision. Salman Elherfi told The Associated Press that a Mideast peace conference Sunday in Paris sent a “very clear” message calling on everyone not to make any changes that would affect a final solution for the region, especially regarding the status of Jerusalem.

The Latest: Envoys urge Israel, Palestinians to back peace

More than 70 countries have called on Israel and the Palestinians to restate their commitment to a peace settlement and to refrain from unilateral actions. The closing statement at a Mideast peace conference in Paris on Sunday was meant to send a powerful message to Israel and the incoming Trump administration to keep hopes alive for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

More talk on Mideast peace

Sending a forceful message to Israel and the incoming Trump administration, more than 70 world diplomats gathered in Paris on Sunday to say they want peace in the Mideast – and that establishing a Palestinian state is the only way to achieve it. French President Francois Hollande said he was sounding an “alert” that peace talks should be revived for “the security of Israel, security of all the region” before violent extremists and Israeli settlements destroy any hope of a two-state solution.

World diplomats in Paris to urge renewed Mideast peace talks

Fearing a new eruption of violence in the Middle East, more than 70 world diplomats gathered in Paris on Sunday to push for renewed peace talks that would lead to a Palestinian state. The conference is meant to be a forceful message to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that much of the world wants peace and sees a two-state solution as the best way to achieve it in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian leader: Peace could suffer if US embassy moves

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned that peace could suffer if the incoming Trump administration goes ahead with plans to move the U.S. embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Abbas made the comments Saturday as he inaugurated the Palestinian embassy to the Holy See following an audience with Pope Francis.

Netanyahu’s top advisor: World will not boycott tech products for Palestinians

The international community’s desire for Israeli technology trumps its concern over the stalling peace process, the director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office said this week, arguing that the recent UN Security Council resolution condemning the settlements was merely a “blip” on the radar. “Countries are going to have to decide what’s in their best interest: to be with Israel, or without Israel,” Eli Groner told The Times of Israel in his Jerusalem office.

Palestinians seek weekend prayers to protest US Embassy move

In this March 17, 2003 file photo, an Israeli border policemen guards the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv as other Israelis line up for U.S. visas. The Palestinians and their Arab allies have been ringing alarm bells over Donald Trump’s plans to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to contested Jerusalem, increasingly fearful he will move swiftly once he takes office.

Jordan warns of – catastrophic repercussions’ should the US move its embassy to occupied Jerusalem

Trump promised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s undivided capital if he emerged triumphant in the US presidential election. Information Minister Mohammed Momani told The Associated Press on Thursday that such a move would be a “red line” for Jordan and would ” inflame the Islamic and Arab streets .”

French grocery store labels Israeli products as ‘settlement produce’

The first French supermarket has labeled Israeli products as “Made in Israeli Settlements.” This comes after the French Government instituted a policy of labeling Israeli produce grown in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights as “settlement products” two months ago The incident is known to the Israeli Embassy in France, who then turned to French Jewish organizations to ask the chain to take down the offending signs.

Letter: U.S. veto an insult to Israel

Letter: U.S. veto an insult to Israel President Obama did not just “rebuke” Israel, but metaphorically spit in the face of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Check out this story on northjersey.com: http://northjersy.news/2iKOS85 When the United States abstained on United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, President Barack Obama did not just “rebuke” Israel, but metaphorically spit in the face of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israelis and supporters of Israel everywhere.

Pushing back on Israel, Kerry defends Obama’s UN vote

Stepping into a raging diplomatic argument, Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday staunchly defended the Obama administration’s decision to allow the U.N. Security Council to declare Israeli settlements illegal and warned that Israel’s very future as a democracy is at stake. Kerry, pushing back on Israel’s fury at the U.S. abstention of the United Nations vote, questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s true commitment to Palestinian statehood, which has formed the basis for all serious peace talks for years.

Israeli ambassador backs Trump pledge to move U.S. embassy to Jerusalem

By Matt Spetalnick Reuters WASHINGTON – Israel’s ambassador to the United States issued an impassioned endorsement on Tuesday of President-elect Donald Trump’s… By Matt Spetalnick Reuters WASHINGTON – Israel’s ambassador to the United States issued an impassioned endorsement on Tuesday of President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to relocate the … (more)

Israeli envoy urges Trump to move US embassy to Jerusalem

The Israeli ambassador to the United States has urged the incoming Trump administration to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, telling guests at a Hanukkah reception at the Israeli embassy in Washington on Tuesday that the controversial move would be a “great step forward” for peace. Trump and his nominee for US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, have pledged to move the embassy.

Trump’s ambassador pick could drastically alter 2 of the…

President-elect Donald Trump tapped bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman to serve as the US ambassador to Israel on Thursday, raising questions about how Friedman’s far-right views will upend Washington’s longstanding approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Friedman, who has no diplomatic experience, is a fierce opponent of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine that would create two independent states on either side of the Jordan river.

Donald Trump picks pro-settlements lawyer as his Israel envoy

US president-elect Donald Trump has picked lawyer David Friedman, a supporter of Israeli settlements and other changes to Washington’s policies in the region, as his ambassador to the Jewish state. Mr Friedman said he looked forward to carrying out his duties from “the US embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem”, even though the embassy is in Tel Aviv.

Donald Trump picks pro-settlements lawyer as his Israel envoy

US president-elect Donald Trump has picked lawyer David Friedman, a supporter of Israeli settlements and other changes to Washington’s policies in the region, as his ambassador to the Jewish state. Mr Friedman said he looked forward to carrying out his duties from “the US embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem”, even though the embassy is in Tel Aviv.