Free Republic

JERUSALEM – Israel's leader on Sunday dismissed a call from a key government partner to share the holy city of Jerusalem with the Palestinians, a reminder of the obstacles facing already troubled peacemaking efforts. Conflicting claims to east Jerusalem lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The dispute over the area, home to sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, has derailed past peace talks and spilled into violence. Palestinians claim the sector as the capital of their future state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reaffirmation of his intention to hold on to east Jerusalem drew criticism from the...

The United States could have killed a key United Nations resolution that condemned Israel for its West Bank settlements by voting against it rather than abstaining, former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Friday night, but he thinks President Barack Obama took the action to "box the incoming Trump administration in." "This was a stab in the back against the Israelis," Bolton told Fox News' "Hannity" show Friday night. "It was entirely predictable. I would say this for people in the pro-Israel community in the United States who defended Obama's Middle East policy over these last eight years: You should have...

US President Barack Obama warned in an interview broadcast Tuesday on Israel’s Channel 2 that “unfettered support” for Israel’s settlement policies would lead to a “worsening situation” over time between Israelis and Palestinians. The interview, filmed in Washington last week, appeared 10 days before Obama, who has been an outspoken critic of the Netanyahu government particularly concerning Israeli communities in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, hands over the reins to President-elect Donald Trump, who takes an entirely different approach to the Israeli-Arab conflict, among most other issues. “If the notion is that unfettered support for Israel or, more specifically, support...

....Mr. Flynn is the fourth Trump associate to be charged. He was accused of making false statements to F.B.I. agents about two discussions with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey I. Kislyak. Lying to the F.B.I. carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. While Mr. Trump can point to the court documents and say they show no evidence of collusion with Russia, the special counsel’s filings so far paint a damning portrait of Mr. Trump’s associates. His former campaign chairman, two other campaign aides, and his former national security advisers have now all been charged...

Amir tells of the Trump peace plan, Saudi-U.S. cooperation, the new attitude by the U.S. toward the Palestinians, and probable events in the future as foretold by prophecy. Special words to the Watchmen in the midst of world turmoil.

<p>There seems to be a general consensus in Washington that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ongoing purge of princes and businessmen — including the wealthiest of them all, the business mogul and Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal — is motivated by his determination to consolidate his power, well before his father, King Salman, passes from the scene. He is in this regard a latter-day Adonijah, who had himself crowned king while his father King David was alive. And, like Adonijah, Mohammed bin Salman has made some very powerful enemies in the process. Unlike that Biblical figure, however, he has his father’s support and has taken care to arrest anyone who might threaten his drive to preeminence.</p>

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that President Trump's decision to not recertify the Iran nuclear agreement was "brave" and "the right decision for the world." "I think the president was very courageous in saying, 'I'm not going to kick this can down the road. I'm not going to say, Well, it's going to be on somebody else's watch. I'm going to stop this from happening,'" Netanyahu said on "Face the Nation" Sunday.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday attacked “absurdities” in U.N. agencies’ treatment of Israel, invoking tennis legend John McEnroe, the Bible – and penguins – in a speech that was in turn deadly serious about Iran, upbeat about Israeli diplomatic breakthroughs, and thankful to the Trump administration for its outspoken support. Israeli leaders do not typically receive a warm reception at the annual U.N. General Assembly high-level session, but Netanyahu did generate some laughter when he suggested penguins are pro-Israel because they “have no difficulty recognizing that some things are black and white, are right and wrong.” “Unfortunately, when...

POLL: Which quote better sums up President Trump's speech to the United Nations? 'It was very dark and dangerous'- Hillary Clinton 'I never heard a bolder or more courageous speech' - Benjamin Netanyahu

Link only available here. Will post excerpt of text of speech

Netanyahu says that while Israel sees the Kurdish guerillas PKK as a terrorist organization, 'it supports the legitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to achieve their own state' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel supports the establishment of an independent Kurdish state. A few days ago Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said during a conference at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya that "Israel and countries of the West have a major interest in the establishment of the state of Kurdistan. I think that the time has come for the U.S. to support the process."

Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reports that Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit intends to indict Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for fraud involving goods worth NS 400,000 ($111,861).The charges stem from accusations made by the former chief caretaker of the prime minister’s residence, Meni Naftali. Naftali has been leading demonstrations in recent weeks in front of Mandelblit’s home in Petach Tiqva concerning various scandals involving the prime minister and his inner circle. The fraud in this case involves Mrs. Netanyahu ordering private meals from the residence chef, against regulations, and attempting to conceal the orders within inflated official...

Today it is clear that Trump is wrestling with how to proceed in governing, as the American elites openly seek his political and even personal destruction. One day he tacks to the establishment in the hopes of appeasing those who hate him, and the next day he embraces his supporters and repeats his campaign pledges to “drain the swamp.” The lessons of Netanyahu’s first term – and to a degree, his subsequent terms in office as well – are clear enough and Trump would do well to apply them. You cannot appease people who want to destroy you. And you...

Israel’s prime minister faced growing calls on Thursday to denounce President Donald Trump’s response to the racially charged violence and anti-Semitic displays in Charlottesville, Virginia, even at the risk of angering the American leader. Benjamin Netanyahu has remained largely silent during the unfolding crisis in Virginia. While issuing a terse condemnation of neo-Nazis and racists, he has said nothing about Trump’s apparent defense of the actions of white supremacists during last weekend’s deadly violence. […] Trump has acknowledged there were some “very bad people” at Saturday’s rally, where a woman was killed when a car slammed into a crowd of...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at his country's media for leading a campaign to oust him as he battles a series of corruption allegations. Netanyahu on Wednesday accused the media of being on "an obsessive, unprecedented hunt against me and my family to carry out a regime change" during a rally held by Israel's Likud party in support of the prime minister. Hundreds of supporters packed a Tel Aviv convention center holding signs and chanting "Bibi, King of Israel," using the prime minister's nickname. Netanyahu said that the "leftist" media is teaming up with the political opposition to...

Human rights groups have denounced attempts by the Israeli government to shutter Al-Jazeera’s operations in the country. Israeli officials have accused the Qatari-owned broadcaster of “supporting terrorism.” Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has criticized the Israeli government for attempting to shut down the Al-Jazeera bureau in Jerusalem. “This is a brazen attack on media freedom in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The move sends a chilling message that the Israeli authorities will not tolerate critical coverage,” Amnesty said in a statement on Monday. On Sunday, Israeli Communications Minister Ayoob Kara announced the government’s intention to shutter the Qatari-owned broadcaster’s...

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff Ari Harow on Friday signed a state’s witness deal with the Israel Police.Harow is expected to provide information to the police regarding cases 1000 (“the gifts affair”) and 2000 (“the Israel Hayom affair”).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught Wednesday by a live microphone railing against the European Union’s “crazy” insistence on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a precondition for closer ties. Netanyahu was meeting with leaders of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia at a regional summit. Netanyahu was discussing Iran, Syria, the Islamic State group, and EU-Israel relations when some of his comments — and those of other leaders at the meeting closed to the media — were accidentally broadcast to journalists in another room. Netanyahu also made a rare public admission that Israel has struck Iranian arms convoys...

An historic meeting was held in Budapest today, July 19, 2017. It was the culmination of a two-day state visit to Hungary by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first such visit by a sitting Israeli prime minister. The prime ministers for the Visegrad Four group of Central European nations (Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic) were also present. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán currently holds the rotating presidency for that group, and he was authorized to act on behalf of the other three in his discussions and negotiations with the Israeli prime minister. The results may be seen...

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped aboard the giant aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush on Monday for a tour of the ship as it lay off the port of Haifa. He took the opportunity to wish America well ahead of its 241st Independence Day before stressing the shared ideals of freedom and democracy that link the two countries. He opened his remarks by first congratulating the men and women who take the USS George H.W. Bush into harm’s way: “I stand on the deck of a mighty aircraft carrier of the United States of America, and a few miles...