DAMASCUS, Syria — Israeli warplanes fired several missiles toward central Syria early on Friday, killing a family of four — including two children — and wounding four other people, state media reported. Separately, the Israeli military said it downed a drone that had crossed into Israel from Lebanon. It did...
Israel Announces New Settler Homes, Risking Biden’s Anger
JERUSALEM — Israel on Monday advanced plans to build 800 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, a move that could strain ties with the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced the move, saying it would include 100 homes in a settlement where...
Israel Heads to New Elections as Government Collapses
JERUSALEM — Israel’s divided government collapsed early Wednesday, triggering the country’s fourth election in under two years and bringing an unprecedented threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lengthy grip on power. Netanyahu, who is used to labeling his opponents as weak leftists, finds himself confronted by a trio of disgruntled...
Israel Urges Citizens to Avoid Gulf, Cites Iran Threat
JERUSALEM — The Israeli government on Thursday urged its citizens to avoid travel to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, citing threats of Iranian attacks. Iran has been threatening to attack Israeli targets since its chief nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated last Friday near Tehran. It accuses Israel, which...
Israeli Lawmakers Take a Step Toward New National Elections
JERUSALEM — Israel took a major step toward plunging into its fourth national election in under two years on Wednesday as lawmakers — supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main coalition partner — passed a preliminary proposal to dissolve parliament. The 61-54 vote came just seven months after the coalition...
Reports: Israeli PM Flew to Saudi Arabia, Met Crown Prince
JERUSALEM — Israeli media reported Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia for a clandestine meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which would mark the first known encounter between senior Israeli and Saudi officials. The reported meeting was the latest move by the Trump Administration to...
Israel’s Settlements Could Test Ties With Biden
JERUSALEM — President-elect Joe Biden may never forget Ramat Shlomo. On a visit to Israel in 2010, Biden was caught off guard when authorities announced plans to build hundreds of new homes in the sprawling Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem. The incident embarrassed Biden and sparked a diplomatic rift with...
Israel, Bahrain Sign Deal Establishing Formal Ties
JERUSALEM — Israel and Bahrain on Sunday agreed to establish formal diplomatic relations, making the small Gulf country the fourth Arab state to normalize ties with Israel. The U.S.-brokered agreement capped a one-day visit by a high-level delegation of American and Israeli officials to Bahrain. Bahrain joined the United Arab...
Opinion: As World Appeases Turkey, Attacks on Armenians in Mountain State Continue
When thinking of “appeasement”, the natural connection is to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler when he used British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s lack of guts, spine and foresight to his advantage, ultimately rolling over Czechoslovakia, and then the entirety of Europe, including its Jewish population. Although the Hitler correlation occurs during...
Trump Camp Hopes Mideast Pacts Translate to Jewish Support
Jewish American voters have leaned Democratic for decades, but Republicans are hoping the recent steps toward normalized relations between Gulf states and Israel — which Trump vigorously touted earlier this month — bolster his appeal to Jewish voters. With battleground states like Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan collectively decided in 2016...