Tag Archives: Middle East

Netanyahu’s Opponents Seal Deal To Oust Him [VIDEO]

NBC News reports: It appears the magician has finally run out of tricks. The opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that they had reached an agreement to form a government and oust him from office, in all likelihood spelling the end of the veteran leader’s 12-year grip on power. Centrist lawmaker Yair Lapid said in a statement …

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Netanyahu’s Allies Take Page From MAGA Playbook

The Washington Post reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies on Monday worked furiously to keep opposition parties from forming a government that would displace him from Israel’s top political job for the first time in more than 12 years. Netanyahu supporters slammed right-wing parties planning to join the broad-based coalition as “traitors,” picketed their homes and issued …

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Israeli Opposition Parties Unify To Oust Netanyahu

The New York Times reports: An ultra-nationalist power-broker, Naftali Bennett [photo], said on Sunday that his political party was ready to join several other opposition parties in a coalition, opening the door to forming Israel’s first government since 2009 without Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in the country’s history. If the maneuvering, which followed two months of indecision by …

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Israel And Hamas Agree To Egypt-Brokered Ceasefire

The Wall Street Journal reports: Israel’s cabinet approved a cease-fire with Palestinian militant group Hamas late on Thursday, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office. The cabinet voted to accept an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire that will be bilateral and without any conditions, according to the statement. Hamas leader Osama Hamdan confirmed the cease-fire and said it would begin at …

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Netanyahu Rejects Biden’s Call For “De-Escalation”

The Insider reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that he’s “determined” to continue the offensive in Gaza, rebuffing President Joe Biden’s call for an immediate and significant “de-escalation” in the fighting. Netanyahu said the operation will continue “until its aim is met.” The Israeli prime minister thanked the US for its support, but said the offensive will …

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Netanyahu: That AP Tower Was A “Legitimate Target”

Mediaite reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on CBS’ Face the Nation today and defended the airstrike of a building that housed Associated Press and Al Jazeera offices. “Here’s the intelligence we had,” Netanyahu said. “It’s about an intelligence office for the Palestinian terrorist organization housed in that building that plots and organizes the terror attacks against Israeli civilians. …

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AP: We’re “Horrified” At Israeli Strike On Our Offices

From a statement issued by the Associated Press: We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations in Gaza. They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there. We received a warning that the building would be hit. We are seeking information …

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WH Expresses Concern To Israel Over Airstrike On Gaza Media Office Tower: Safety Of Journalists Is Paramount

The Hill reports: The White House said Saturday that it communicated its concerns to Israel over an airstrike launched in Gaza that destroyed a building that housed several news organizations, including The Associated Press. The Israeli military defended the strike on Twitter, saying it gave people in the building a warning to evacuate. The military said it was one of …

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Israeli Strike Destroys Offices Of Multiple Media Outlets

The Associated Press reports: An Israeli airstrike destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets on Saturday, the latest step by the military to silence reporting from the territory amid its battle with the militant group Hamas. The strike came nearly an hour after the military ordered people to evacuate …

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Netanyahu Fails To Form Government For Third Time

The Jerusalem Post reports: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a government for the third time in two years, as his mandate from President Reuven Rivlin ended on Tuesday night. Netanyahu had until midnight to ask Rivlin for an extension. Instead he released a statement three minutes before the deadline blaming Yamina leader Naftali Bennett. “Due to Bennett’s refusal …

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US Navy Fires Warning Shots At Iranian “Attack” Vessels

The Associated Press reports: An American warship fired warning shots when vessels of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard came too close to a patrol in the Persian Gulf, the U.S. Navy said Wednesday. The Navy released black-and-white footage of the encounter in international waters of the northern reaches of the Persian Gulf. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the incident. The Navy …

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Netanyahu Accused Of Attempting “Legal Coup”

Axios reports: An Israeli cabinet meeting exploded into a shouting match today after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to install a loyalist as justice minister despite the attorney general’s determination that such a move was illegal. The Israeli supreme court issued an injunction to block Netanyahu’s move on Tuesday night. The court will convene on Wednesday for a hearing on …

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Israel Lifts Mandate On Wearing Masks Outdoors

Haaretz reports: With the number of Israelis vaccinated against COVID-19 topping 5 million and the country experiencing fewer than 100 new daily cases, the government ended its outdoor mask mandate on Sunday, spurring widespread celebration and forcing people to change deeply ingrained habits formed by just over a year of mandatory virus precautions. While people are now allowed to walk …

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Egypt Seizes Ship For Cost For Blocking Suez Canal

The Washington Post reports: In the latest complication to the ill-fated voyage, Egypt has seized the Ever Given over its owners’ “failure to pay an amount of $900 million,” the state-run news outlet Ahram Gate reported. That amount represents the total compensation that Egypt says it is owed for the six-day blockage of the Suez Canal, including lost revenue from …

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All US Troops To Leave Afghanistan By September 11th

The New York Times reports: President Biden has decided to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 20 years after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon launched the country into its longest war, United States officials said Tuesday. The decision will keep more than 3,000 American troops on the ground in Afghanistan beyond …

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Traffic Resumes In Suez Canal After Ship Dislodged

Reuters reports: With the 400-metre-long (430-yard) Ever Given dislodged, 113 ships were expected to transit the canal in both directions by early Tuesday morning, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chairman Osama Rabie told reporters. He said a backlog of 422 ships could be cleared in 3 -1/2 days. The Ever Given had become jammed diagonally across a southern section of the …

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Suez Canal Ship Now Fully Freed And On The Move

The Wall Street Journal reports: The vast container ship that has been blocking the Suez Canal for six days has now been freed and is moving north to an anchor point, paving the way to open the critical waterway and end days of global supply delays. Engineers raced throughout Monday to finish the job of freeing the Ever Given after …

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Ship Stuck In Suez Canal Is Partially Refloated [VIDEO]

The New York Times reports: The mammoth cargo ship blocking one of the world’s most vital maritime arteries was wrenched from the shoreline and set partially afloat again early Monday, raising hopes that traffic could soon resume in the Suez Canal and limit the economic fallout of the disruption. Salvage teams, working on both land and water for five days …

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Kushner Hails Biden’s “Smart” Iran Policy In WSJ Op-Ed

Axios reports: Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner praised the Biden administration for its Iran strategy, writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Biden’s refusal to remove sanctions before Iran returns to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal is a “smart diplomatic move.” Kushner led Middle East peace talks on behalf of the Trump administration. Former President Trump …

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Israel’s Government Collapses, 4th Election Forced

The Washington Post reports: Israel’s fractious coalition government collapsed Tuesday night, forcing the country into its fourth round of national elections in less than two years. The immediate cause was the failure of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to pass an annual budget by a midnight deadline, one of many basic acts of lawmaking that have gone undone since right-wing and …

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