An Israeli soldier who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant was back in court on Wednesday, with his lawyers seeking to overturn his manslaughter conviction. The five-member panel of military judges is simultaneously hearing prosecutors’ appeal against Elor Azaria’s 18-month jail term, which they call “excessively lenient”. Israel’s Channel 10 TV posted video of him … Read more
President Donald Trump plunged into the Middle East peace process on Wednesday, receiving Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at the White House as part of a push to end the long-running conflict. After hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February, the self-styled deal-maker-in-chief will host Abbas for the first time since coming to office. “The … Read more
President Donald Trump will play peacemaker at the White House on Wednesday, meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas as part of an effort to end the long-running Palestinian-Israeli conflict. After hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February, the self-styled deal-maker-in-chief will meet with Abbas for the first time since coming to office. ‘The President’s … Read more
President Donald Trump will play peacemaker at the White House on Wednesday, meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas as part of an effort to end the long-running Palestinian-Israeli conflict. After hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February, the self-styled deal-maker-in-chief will host Abbas for the first time since coming to office. “The President’s ultimate … Read more
Israel showed off its new F-35 stealth fighter jets recently delivered from the United States on Tuesday as part of an air show marking its annual Independence Day celebrations. Three of Israel’s five stealth fighters took to the skies along the Mediterranean coast off Tel Aviv as thousands of people gathered at the waterfront to … Read more
US President Donald Trump meets Mahmud Abbas Wednesday for their first face-to-face talks, with the Palestinian leader hoping the billionaire businessman’s unpredictable approach can inject life into long-stalled peace efforts. Abbas makes the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, but hoping Trump can pressure Israel into concessions he believes are necessary to salvage … Read more
Israeli archaeologists working on a major Roman-era port city on Wednesday unveiled new discoveries including an altar dedicated to Augustus Caesar and a centuries-old mother-of-pearl tablet inscribed with a menorah. The finds at Caesarea, a complex on the Mediterranean coast 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Tel Aviv, were the result of ‘one of the … Read more
Israeli archaeologists working on a major Roman-era port city on Wednesday unveiled new discoveries including an altar dedicated to Augustus Caesar and a centuries-old mother-of-pearl tablet inscribed with a menorah. The finds at Caesarea, a complex on the Mediterranean coast 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Tel Aviv, were the result of “one of the … Read more
Dozens of artists including Roger Waters called Monday on Radiohead to cancel a concert in Israel, saying the band known for its left-wing politics should join Palestinian activists’ boycott calls. The English experimental rock icons are scheduled to play in Tel Aviv on July 19, closing a tour that includes premier festivals Coachella and Glastonbury. … Read more
Hundreds of Israelis gathered on a grassy hill overlooking parliament on Thursday to smoke marijuana in an act of communal defiance of current laws. Sitting in small groups on mats shaded by trees in the Rose Garden just across from the Knesset, participants lit up as the clock struck 4:20 pm for the local version … Read more
Israel’s opposition Labour party has postponed its July primaries by one day to avoid clashing with a Tel Aviv concert by US singer Britney Spears, a senior lawmaker said Wednesday. Former party leader and defence minister Amir Peretz said the Labour leadership fight had been scheduled for July 3 but had been pushed back to … Read more
Italy, Israel, Greece and Cyprus pledged Monday to move ahead with the world’s longest undersea gas pipeline from the eastern Mediterranean to southern Europe, with support from the European Union. If carried out as planned, the long-discussed $6.2 billion pipeline would take gas from Israel and Cyprus’s recently discovered offshore gas reserves to Europe and … Read more
British comedian Eddie Izzard on Thursday was banned from running in the Palestine Marathon, organisers said, after he refused to cancel a show in Israel. Izzard’s representative, however, denied he was banned and said he still planned to run in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Friday morning. Izzard, known for his rambling monologues … Read more
David Friedman, a Jewish American attorney close to President Donald Trump, and who is known for a hardline stand in favor of settlements in occupied territories, was sworn in on Wednesday as new US envoy to Israel. The Senate confirmed his nomination in a 52-46 vote. “One of the clearest signs of the president’s commitment … Read more
Arab leaders gathered for an annual summit in Jordan Wednesday looking to overcome divisions on regional crises including the devastating wars in Syria and Yemen. A show of unity was expected on the Israeli-Palestinian question, but on other issues analysts said any breakthrough was highly unlikely. As the summit of the 22-member Arab League opened … Read more
Just when it seemed there was nothing else left to divide Israelis and Palestinians, some Jewish hardliners have found a new one: beer. The recent decision by a trendy pub in the northern Israeli city of Haifa to make Shepherds beer available sparked the controversy. The problem: Shepherds is a Palestinian beer recently launched by … Read more
The US ambassador to the United Nations received a rapturous welcome Monday at Washington’s biggest pro-Israel forum, where she vowed never to allow “Israel-bashing” at the world body. Nikki Haley was addressing the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference for the first time since President Donald Trump named her Washington’s UN envoy. … Read more
Israel’s military chief said on Tuesday that Hezbollah’s military commander in Syria, reported dead last year, was killed by members of his own Lebanese Shiite group. Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, speaking to a security conference, said intelligence had led Israel to the conclusion and matched previous reports. Hezbollah itself has said Mustafa Badreddine, who … Read more
This proposal is the result of the enormous need to harness the huge talent pool of Ghanaian professionals in the diaspora to help in the critical task of nation building and the development of the key sectors of the economy. It is an attempt to get this pool of talent to participate both in government … Read more
Secretive British street artist Banksy’s hotel next to Israel’s separation wall welcomed its first guests on Monday, two weeks after its surprise launch. The Walled-Off Hotel in Bethlehem is only four metres (yards) from the controversial wall which cuts through the occupied West Bank, and all the rooms face it. The nine rooms, which Banksy … Read more