A senior Palestinian official on Tuesday said silence in US President Donald Trump’s administration over settlement growth and its failure to support the two-state solution encouraged “apartheid” Israeli policies. The criticism by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat came in a statement after the Palestinians had previously been careful not to antagonise the new US leader since … Read more
Israel has so far this year advanced its highest number of settlement projects since 1992, the defence minister said Sunday, despite warnings such plans will further cloud chances of a two-state solution. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman made the comments as Israel’s government faced mounting pressure from leaders of the settlement movement, who wield heavy influence … Read more
Israel has advanced plans for more than 3,000 homes in West Bank settlements this week, despite US President Donald Trump’s call to hold back on such projects as he seeks ways to restart peace efforts. Israel pushed forward with the plans as it also marked 50 years since the Six-Day War, fought from June 5-10, … Read more
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s spokesman said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vow to build across the occupied West Bank was a “challenge” to Donald Trump’s efforts to restart peace talks. Netanyahu told Israeli settlers Tuesday he would keep building across the West Bank, while Israeli authorities also advanced plans for some 1,500 settlement … Read more
Israeli authorities on Tuesday advanced plans for 1,500 settler homes in the occupied West Bank, including units for the first new official settlement in some 25 years, the Peace Now NGO said. A defence ministry committee advanced the plans and may do so for around 1,000 more on Wednesday, the NGO that tracks settlement building … Read more
US President Donald Trump is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories, as he continues his Middle East trip. He flies in from Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, where he gave a speech to Arab and Muslim leaders at a summit. Mr Trump will hold talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders during the course … Read more
The Palestinians and the United Nations on Friday condemned the Israeli cabinet’s approval of the first officially sanctioned new settlement in the occupied West Bank in more than 20 years. The security cabinet gave its unanimous backing to the new settlement late on Thursday as what is widely seen as the most right-wing government in … Read more
Israel and the United States concluded talks in Washington on advancing peace with the Palestinians, without agreeing on one of the thorniest issues — Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. The US delegation, led by President Donald Trump’s special representative Jason Greenblatt, reiterated the president’s “concerns regarding settlement activity,” a joint statement read of the … Read more
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he was in discussions with Donald Trump’s administration on ways to move ahead with settlement construction ahead of fresh talks with a top adviser to the US president. Netanyahu also reiterated he intended to build a new “community” for residents of a wildcat Jewish outpost in the occupied … Read more
US President Donald Trump’s administration waded into the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Tuesday as one of his top advisers held his first meeting with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. After five hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday night, Jason Greenblatt met Abbas in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. … Read more
US President Donald Trump’s administration waded into the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Tuesday with one of his top advisers set to hold his first meeting with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. After five hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday night, Jason Greenblatt was to meet Abbas in Ramallah in … Read more
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a plan to form a unity government with Israel’s opposition last year as part of a regional peace bid, but later backtracked, a newspaper reported Sunday. The plan centred on a document delivered to opposition leader Isaac Herzog in September, but Netanyahu later pulled back and talks collapsed in October, … Read more
A major international conference to try to kick-start peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians is being held in the French capital, Paris. Delegates from 70 nations are expected to reaffirm support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. Palestinians have welcomed the meeting but Israel – which is not attending – says the … Read more
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned as biased a speech by outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry on Israeli-Palestinian issues. Mr Kerry said the prospect of a peace deal based on a two-state solution was in grave jeopardy. Israeli settlement building on occupied land was a major problem, he said. Mr Netanyahu said he … Read more
US Secretary of State John Kerry has said the prospect of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal based on a two-state solution is in grave jeopardy. And he insisted UN condemnation of illegal Jewish settlements on occupied land was in line with American values. Israel’s PM said Mr Kerry’s speech was “obsessively focused” on settlements. Earlier, US … Read more
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a UN call to end illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land is “shameful”. He stressed that Israel would not abide by Friday’s vote at the 15-member UN Security Council. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ spokesman said the resolution was a “big blow to Israeli policy”. The document was passed … Read more
The United States and Israel have reached final agreement on a record new package of at least $38 billion in U. S. military aid and the 10-year pact is expected to be signed this week, sources close to the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The deal will represent the biggest pledge of U.S. military assistance … Read more