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US Secretary of State John Kerry complains that Israeli economic prosperity stands as “an impediment to achieving peace in the region.” “On the one hand, it is a constant ‘in-your-face’ reminder to the Palestinians and their supporters that Jews are better off than they are,” Kerry explained. “It’s an insult that inspires a sense of grievance amongst the poorer Muslim and Arab communities.” “On the other hand, it serves as a persistent temptation,” Kerry added. “The idea of killing the Jews and taking their money and property becomes an irresistible urge. Killing and robbing a Jew seems less onerous than...

JERUSALEM (AP) — The United States and Israel raised hopes Thursday for a restart of the Middle East peace process, despite little tangible progress so far from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's two-month-old effort to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. As they met in Jerusalem, Kerry praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the "seriousness" with which he is looking at ways to revitalize peace hopes. Kerry expressed optimism without outlining any concrete strategy for ending a stalemate between the two sides that has seen them hardly negotiate one-on-one at all over the last 4½...

Paterson NJ has often been known as Paterstine due to the large Muslim settlements there and the connections to terrorism. Including the attacks of September 11. New Jersey’s Muslim settlements in Paterson and Jersey City have long been a security problem for New York City. And the collaboration of Jersey pols like Governor Christie and Bill Pascrell with Muslim terrorists is an ongoing problem. The raising of the terrorist flag over Paterson’s City Hall is another reminder of who really wields power in the state. The “Palestinian flag”, like everything else about the fake identity group deployed by a terrorist...

Steven Hawking, the world-renowned physicist and celebrity, has cancelled a planned trip to Israel to participate in a conference sponsored by Israeli President Shimon Peres. His explanation: "I have received a number of emails from Palestinian academics. They are unanimous that I should respect the boycott. In view of this, I must withdraw from the conference." It's an odd world isn't it? By what inverted moral calculus does someone of Hawking's stature find it morally problematic to set foot on the soil of the region's only democracy? One wonders how many other nations has Hawking declined to visit in order...

Ever heard of Al-Aqsa TV? You may think you haven’t, but if you’re a longtime HA reader I’ll bet you have. They’re responsible for the charming children’s characters Farfour, the Jew-hating mouse; Nahoul, the Jew-hating bee; and Assud, the Jew-eating rabbit. Apart from their stellar children’s programming, they’re known for Holocaust revisionism and various forms of pro-terrorist/anti-semitic propaganda. Per Philip Klein, the Treasury Department designated Al-Aqsa TV as an arm of Hamas three years ago and therefore subjected it to U.S. sanctions imposed on officially recognized terrorist groups. (“Treasury will not distinguish between a business financed and controlled by a...

Israel has no right to exist, a radical Muslim cleric visiting Gaza declared on Thursday, encouraging rocket attacks on the Jewish State. Yusuf al-Qaradawi warned that nobody was allowed to cede “any part of Palestine” during his visit to the Hamas-controlled region, according to AFP. “No one is allowed to give up any part of Palestine,” the Egyptian-born Qardawi said during a meeting with Gaza’s prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and members of the government. Qaradawi, who is a citizen of Qatar and close to the Muslim Brotherhood, was heading of a delegation of 50 clerics from 14 countries. “Palestine was...

Stephen Hawking's decision to boycott an Israeli conference in protest at the state's 46-year occupation of Palestine was derided as hypocritical by some, who pointed out that the celebrated scientist and author uses Israeli technology in the computer equipment that allows him to function. Hawking, 71, has suffered from motor neurone disease for the past 50 years, and relies on a computer-based system to communicate. According to Shurat HaDin, an Israel law centre which represents victims of terrorism, the equipment has been provided by the hi-tech firm, Intel, since 1997. "Hawking's decision to join the boycott of Israel is quite...

ROME (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday he would depart in two weeks on another trip to the Middle East to push peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Speaking to reporters alongside Israeli peace negotiator Tzipi Livni, Kerry said he'd depart on his fourth trip to the Jewish state as America's top diplomat around May 21 or 22. He will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "We are working through threshold questions," Kerry said, ahead of his private talks with Livni in Rome. "We're doing it with a seriousness of purpose that...

Two mortar shells struck Israel’s Golan Heights on Monday in the early evening local time. Though the IDF described the mortars as accidental spillover from fighting across the border in Syria, they are bound to deepen fears of escalating violence in the region. On Friday and Sunday Israel reportedly struck Iranian and Hezbollah assets based in Syria. The Israelis have subsequently made extensive efforts to dampen tensions – IAF jets had conducted the air strikes from Lebanese air space, staying out of Syria – but nonetheless Damascus has been signaling that it may escalate the situation. Most pointedly, Syrian state...

The upcoming visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to China is expected to further promote mutual political trust and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and science. Netanyahu is due to leave for China Sunday night for a five-day official visit, the first of its kind since 2007 when then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited China. Chinese Ambassador to Israel Gao Yanping told Xinhua in an interview that China and Israel have maintained close high-level contact in recent years, creating a good atmosphere for the growth of bilateral ties. Recent years have also witnessed increasingly closer exchanges...

Israel needs to reach peace with the Palestinians to avoid becoming a binational state, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. He stressed, however, that the core of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians was not territory, but rather a Palestinian unwillingness to recognize Israel’s legitimacy within any boundaries. Netanyahu’s comments at a meeting with top Foreign Ministry officials came amid signs of revived motion on the Palestinian track. He made similar comments during a meeting later in the day with five US congressmen, giving the impression that he was staking out a pre-negotiation position. “We’re engaged right now in an...

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will leave this afternoon for a five-day trip to China, where he will try to bring Israel’s perspectives on a slew of regional issues such as Iran, Syria and Egypt to the country’s new leadership. Netanyahu will be meeting with the new Chinese president, Xi Jinping, as well as with the country’s new prime minister, Li Keqiang, in an effort to shape their impressions of the Middle East as they begin what is expected to be a decade of rule. While two previous attempts to arrange a visit by Netanyahu failed to materialize, the trip is...

Internet giant takes UN lead to do away with the description ‘Palestinian Territories’ Occupied Jerusalem: Israel on Friday questioned internet giant Google’s decision to replace the term ‘Palestinian Territories’ with ‘Palestine’ on the Palestinian www.google.ps page, after last year’s United Nations decision to award Palestine observer status. “This change raises questions about the reasons behind this surprising involvement of what is basically a private internet company in international politics — and on the controversial side,” Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP. The change went into effect from May 1, Google spokesperson Nathan Tyler said in a statement. “We’re...

Google has recognised the Palestinians' upgraded UN status, placing the name "Palestine" on its search engine instead of "Palestinian Territories," a company spokesman said on Friday. The domain name www.google.ps, Google's search engine for the territories, now brings up a homepage with "Palestine" written underneath the Google logo. The change took effect on Wednesday, Google spokesman Nathan Tyler said in a statement. "We're changing the name 'Palestinian Territories' to 'Palestine' across our products. We consult a number of sources and authorities when naming countries. In this case, we are following the lead of the UN... and other international organisations,"...

ROME, April 30 (UPI) -- Israeli President Shimon Peres met with Pope Francis in the Vatican Tuesday, inviting him to Israel and seeking help restarting the Palestinian peace process. Peres told Francis he has a unique and potentially very helpful role in restarting the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians, Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. "The citizens of Israel see in you a leader of peace and good will," Peres said. "The sooner you visit the better, as in these days a new opportunity is being created for peace and your arrival could contribute significantly to increasing the trust and belief...

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — U.S. President Barack Obama is meeting Palestinian officials on the second day of his Mideast tour to emphasize the importance of reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, a message underscored Thursday when Palestinian militants in Gaza launched rockets into southern Israel. After a visit to Israel's national museum — where he inspected the Dead Sea Scrolls, which highlight the Jewish people's ancient connection to the land that is now Israel — Obama headed to the West Bank to tell the Palestinians that the creation of a Palestinian state remains a priority for his administration.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry met a group of senior Arab officials on Monday as he sought to build regional support for any fresh push for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Kerry has made no secret of his hope to revive peace talks, which broke down in 2010, but it remains unclear whether U.S. President Barack Obama will decide to back a major U.S. effort. In convening the group, Kerry is trying to ensure that a new peace process would have the backing of the Arab states, who, if they were to offer Israel a comprehensive peace, hold a powerful...

- FrontPage Magazine - http://frontpagemag.com - Kerry’s Shocking Demand to Israel: Free TerroristsPosted By P. David Hornik On April 26, 2013 @ 12:42 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | 7 Comments It may seem amazing, but in the wake of the Boston attack the Obama administration is pressuring Israel to free terrorists guilty of particularly heinous acts of murder.On Wednesday the Knesset “discussed America’s demand that Israel release terrorists as a good will gesture to the Palestinian Authority.” The demand is part of intensive efforts by Secretary of State John Kerry to revive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a peace settlement—efforts that are...

WASHINGTON, April 23 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday thanked the emir of Qatar for the "excellent relationship" between the two countries with respect to security and trade. "Qatar has been a center of innovation," Obama said after their bilateral meeting in the Oval Office. "We've seen enormous progress within the country on everything ranging from education to health care. And I think His Highness has shown extraordinary leadership over the last many years in helping to guide this country. "Obviously, Qatar is also an important country in the region, and has an influence that extends beyond its relatively...

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — In a step toward restoring ties, former allies Turkey and Israel agreed Monday on the "methods and principles" of working out compensation payments for the victims of a deadly 2010 Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Turkey's deputy prime minister said. Eight Turks and one Turkish-American were killed and several other pro-Palestinian activists were wounded when Israeli commandos stormed the ship Mavi Marmara while stopping an international flotilla trying to breach a blockade of the Gaza Strip. The incident, which also wounded seven Israeli soldiers, increased tensions between the once close allies and led to...

As Independence Day celebrations were winding down Tuesday night, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made a guest appearance on Channel 2's left-wing satire show Eretz Nehederet. One of the final questions that the show's host Eyal Kitzis asked the premier was how he would like to be remembered after he leaves office. Netanyahu thought a moment and said, "I'd like to be remembered as the leader who preserved Israel's security." On the face of it, Netanyahu's stated aspiration might seem dull. In a year he'll be the longest-serving prime minister in the state's history, and all he wants is to...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department is working out final details of $10 billion in sales of warplanes, transport aircraft and advanced missiles to Israel and two Arab nations amid concerns about the growing threat from Iran and its disputed nuclear weapons program, Pentagon and congressional officials said Friday. The U.S. has spent the past year negotiating with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the deals, which come ahead of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's visit to the Middle East starting Sunday. The officials said the United States will sell to Israel an undisclosed number of KC-135 aerial...

While the liberal media goes out of its way to steer clear from blaming Muslims for the Boston Marathon bombings, jihadists online are praying an Islamist is behind the blasts. SITE Institute reported, via Religion of Peace: Amidst ongoing media reports of two explosions in the American city of Boston, Massachusetts, near the finish line of the marathon race on April 15, 2013, jihadists expressed their joy and hoped the blasts are acts of jihadi terrorism. One forum member noted that over a week ago, a jihadist announced his desire to plan bombings in the United States, but was chastised...

Palestinian Authority officials joined a ceremony on Thursday to lay the cornerstone for a new museum of “Palestinian culture, history and society” in Bir Zeit near Ramallah, in yet another effort aimed at reconstructing history and attempting to strip the Jewish people from their rights to the Land of Israel. … Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas attempted to gain further legitimacy and international recognition by urging the United Nations in November to grant the PA an upgraded status of “non-member” observer state, which was ultimately approved by a vote of 138 to 9, with 41 abstentions. Upon hearing the results...

When Foreign Minister John Baird crossed the Green Line this week to meet with Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni in the mostly Arab sector of east Jerusalem, he broke with 46 years of Canadian government and Western policy. But was it by accident or design? snip “Either he’s ignorant of east Jerusalem being occupied territory, which is unforgivable in a foreign minister,” said Hanan Ashrawi, spokeswoman for the Palestine Liberation Organization that rules the West Bank, “or it’s a deliberate attempt to change the international consensus.” In either case, Ms. Ashrawi said, it sets “a very dangerous precedent.” snip Nabil...

(CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration on Wednesday renewed its request for Congress to let it restore funding to the first United Nations agency to grant full membership to “Palestine,” arguing that defunding runs contrary to U.S. interests. Complying with U.S. laws dating back more than a decade, the administration in late 2011 reluctantly cut funding to the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), depriving the Paris-based agency of 22 percent of its operating budget. UNESCO head Irina Bokova described the resulting financial crisis as the “worst ever” in the agency’s history, but rather than urge member-states to reconsider the...

After an unusually long break from rocket attacks and military responses from a five-month cease-fire, rockets again began shelling southern Israel from Gaza the last few days. Israel didn’t wait long to deliver a response, attacking “two extensive terror sites� with air attacks of their own. Gaza answered back with two more rocket launches, once again highlighting the fragile status quo: Israel will not sit back while Palestinian militants attack the south of the country from Gaza, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Wednesday, hours after the military retaliated for rocket fire for the first time since an eight-day exchange of...

It's easy to see why Obama relates so well to Hollywood celebrities, he's as vapid and stupid as they are when he goes off script.Take this latest doozy.

The Israeli Palestinian Conflict: 10 Myths Preventing Peace

The United States has quietly unblocked almost $500 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority which had been frozen by Congress for months, a top US official said Friday. The news that the funds had finally been freed up came after US President Barack Obama met top Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a landmark visit to Israel and the West Bank earlier this week.

President Barack Obama marveled at the sights of Jordan's ancient city of Petra on Saturday as he wrapped up a four-day Middle East tour by setting aside weighty diplomatic matters and playing tourist for a day. The visit's main concrete achievement was Obama's brokering of a rapprochement between Israel and Turkey. But the tour resulted in little more than symbolic gestures toward peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Before heading to Petra, Obama used a stop in Jordan to ratchet up criticism of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, stopping short of promising military aid to Syrian rebels in a two-year-old...

U.S. President Barack Obama addressed a young audience in Jerusalem Thursday afternoon with a message that some will see as inspiring, and others as incitement. He began by reassuring Israelis that they have the full support of the United States of America. "Those who reject Israel's right to exist," he said, "may as well reject the earth under their feet or the sky above, because Israel is not going anywhere. And today I want to tell you – particularly the young people – so long as there is a United States of America, atem lo levad. You are not alone."...

At a press conference today in Ramallah, President Barack Obama addressed the assembled journalists while standing under a Yasser Arafat banner:"Hope everyone saw presser. If not there, it was notable that Obama and Abbas spoke from under a banner bearing pictures of Arafat and Abbas. Also another big banner was hanging on wall nearby with Abbas kind of superimposed on Arafat," the White House pool reporter notes.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu indicated on Wednesday, at his press conference with President Barack Obama, that Israel is "fully committed" to resolving the decades-long conflict with the Arabs with a solution which involves two states for two peoples. During the joint news conference, Netanyahu said the U.S. president's historic visit presented "an opportunity to try and find a way to advance peace" with the Palestinian Authority. "My new government was sworn in two days ago. I know there have been questions regarding what the policy of the new government will be towards peace with the Palestinians,” said Netanyahu. “So let...

Full video of Netanyahu-Obama press conference and full text of U.S. President's statements. U.S. President Barack Obama announced Wednesday in a news conference with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he would take steps to ensure that U.S. funding for Iron Dome is not interrupted. snip This is the full text of Obama's remarks after meeting Netanyahu for almost three hours. snip

Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said they share the same goals, as the US leader makes his first visit to Israel as president. Speaking in Jerusalem, the two leaders said they agreed that Israel had the right to "defend itself by itself". Mr Obama said there was "not a lot of light" between the US and Israel in assessing Iran's nuclear programme. The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. snip Following talks in Jerusalem, Mr Netanyahu said the fact the US president had made Israel the first foreign visit...

The kid from Philly meets the kids from down the block this week. Remember when the kid from down the block was hailed as a hero for saving the little boy he had pushed into the pool himself just seconds earlier, after he looked around to make sure nobody was watching him? snip Fast forward to 2013, what if that type of kid was beginning his second term as the American President, and what if he was going to visit Israel? While the American President refused to sell the Democratic Israel F-16 fighter jets, he cut a deal with the...

American activist Rachel Corrie was killed in Gaza ten years ago today. The International Solidarity Movement write this message in her memory. Rachel, a 23 year old woman from Olympia, Washington, was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer on the 16th March 2003, whilst protesting non-violently against the demolition of a Palestinian house by Israeli forces. As an activist she spoke out about the injustices that she saw in Gaza. “I feel like I’m witnessing the systematic destruction of a people’s ability to survive. It’s horrifying… Sometimes I sit down to dinner with people and I realize there...

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday Washington was increasingly confident that weapons being sent to the Syrian opposition by other countries were going to moderate forces. Kerry, on his first overseas tour since taking office, told a news conference in Doha he had held talks with nations in the region about the kinds of arms being sent to the different Syrian opposition forces. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are widely believed to be providing weapons to the rebels, but the United States says it does not wish to send arms for fear they may find their way to...

On John Kerry’s first international trip as U.S. Secretary of State he made a gaffe worthy of Joe Biden. The headline of London’s Telegraph read “John Kerry invents country of Kyrzakhstan”and the Daily Mail asked “Where’s that exactly, Mr Secretary of State? John Kerry makes up new country ‘Kyrzakhstan.” But more than just fodder for the British press, Kerry’s blunder exposes the truth that he is not the expert on international affairs that the mainstream media, Obama Administration and J Street all vehemently claimed. And at this time, when Kerry created Kyrzakhstan out of thin air, there is no time...

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference next Monday, it has been confirmed. His speech comes just ahead of President Obama's anticipated visit to Israel later in the month and amid renewed concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program. The 2013 conference, which will be held March 3-5, in Washington, D.C., will also feature addresses by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, House of Representatives, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-TX), House of Representatives Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD),...

It could have been easy. January 22 was not a good day for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but it could have been far worse. The 2013 parliamentary elections meant that for the first time in his long political career, he would be leading the largest in the Knesset. Though his joint Likud-Beitenu list won only 31 seats — around 23% of the vote — Israel’s center-left was fractured and it always appeared certain that Bibi would keep his job. After all, despite his party’s underwhelming performance, there appeared to be two options for coalitions he could easily form. The...

On the eve of a Senate vote to confirm Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense, a 2009 report co-authored by Hagel has surfaced titled “A Last Chance For A Two-State Israel-Palestine Agreement.” It called for Israel to make “the hard compromises and painful concessions for peace” without asking anything comparable from the Palestinian side. Indeed, the report warned against “the Jewish-American and Christian Zionist groups that feel comfortable amplifying the positions of Israeli politicians hostile to hard compromise and painful concession.” One of Hagel’s principal co-signatories on the report was Zbigniew Brzezinski, who had advised Obama on foreign policy during...

Palestinians on Sunday called for an international investigation of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees after a 30-year-old prisoner died in custody and a hunger strike by four other inmates sparked a week of West Bank protests. The death of Arafat Jaradat set off more clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian stone-throwers in several areas of the West Bank on Sunday. In one incident, two Palestinians were wounded by army fire, including a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the chest, a Palestinian health official said. … Palestinian officials and the detainee’s family alleged Jaradat was mistreated by the Shin Bet,...

Officials in Jerusalem believe that U.S. President Barack Obama, who has announced he will visit Israel in mid-March, will arrive with a new peace plan and the demand for a breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Obama's itinerary, which includes stops in Ramallah and Amman, suggests that his administration may be preparing a new peace bid. Word of the coming trip followed calls by incoming U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday stressing the U.S. commitment to peacemaking. President Obama's associates have said in recent days that he plans to play a...

The White House's surprising, dramatic announcement this week that President Barack Obama will come to Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan has had an immediate impact on Israel's domestic political agenda and on the larger Middle Eastern political and diplomatic landscape. Following Barack Obama's re-election, analysts and commentators have been speculating on the policy he was likely to adopt with regard to Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some have argued that he was likely to re-engage in the effort to resolve the conflict that he had abandoned after a humiliating failure, and that he would probably assign the task to...

A report emanating from a UN human rights inquiry has called on Israel to remove all Jewish settlers from the West Bank and to immediately cease expansion. According to the report, the settlements violate international law and are merely an attempt to drive out Palestinians through intimidation. The report comes from an inquiry led by French judge Christine Chanet and was based on interviews with 50 Palestinians, describing land grabs, violence, and damages to livelihood, and reads, "Israel must, in compliance with article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, cease all settlement activities without preconditions.” The report further states that...

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice objected Wednesday to the Palestinians’ latest bid to capitalize on their upgraded U.N. status when their foreign minister spoke at the Security Council while seated behind a nameplate that read “State of Palestine.” It was the first Palestinian address to the Security Council since the U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Nov. 29 to upgrade the Palestinians from U.N. observer to non-voting member state. Rice said that the United States does not recognize the General Assembly vote in November “as bestowing Palestinian ‘statehood’ or recognition.” … Since winning recognition as a nonmember U.N. observer state, the...

The radical teachers group Rethinking Schools published an article in its Winter 2012-2013 magazine titled, “Books About Contemporary Palestine for Children,” EAGnews.org reported. Before you go any further, here’s a hint about the nature of these recommended books: The editors of Rethinking Schools are anti-Israel and see nothing wrong with Palestinian terrorist attacks against the people of that nation. The article’s author, San Jose State University Professor of Education Katharine Davies Samway, starts off by explaining how she volunteered to work in a booth at a recent local festival that was dedicated to drawing attention to “the impact of...

Who said this about a world leader: He's a "political coward -- an essentially unchallenged leader who nevertheless is unwilling to lead or spend political capital to advance the cause of compromise"? Was it perhaps John Boehner describing Barack Obama? No, though the shoe would certainly fit. It was Barack Obama describing Binyamin Netanyahu. This insight into Obama's views comes from an interview with the Atlantic Magazine's Jeffrey Goldberg. Let's pause for second to consider the gall. Mr. Obama knows full well that the United States confronts an unavoidable debt crisis if our government does not reform entitlements. Rather than...