By Deepali Mittal

Prime Minister&nbsp;Modi and Israeli PM Netanyahu have signed seven agreements to step-up cooperation in space, agriculture and water management as well as to fight terrorism.

The agreement on agriculture is one of the key deals <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/strategic-partnerships-in-water-agriculture-with-israel-aimed-at-doubling-farmer-incomes-jaishankar-17638">signed by the two countries as part of &nbsp;&quot;India-Israel development cooperation&quot;, </a>which is a three-year work programme in agriculture that will kick off in 2018&nbsp;till 2020.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/famous-indian-israelis-17594">Also Read: Meet&nbsp;Bezalel Eliahu Indian-Israeli floriculturist and agriculturist</a>

Israel&#39;s expertise in sustainable agricultural and rural development with limited water and natural resources has captured the imagination of the world.&nbsp;

However, this is not the first time the two nations have agreed to work together in the&nbsp;agricultural sector.&nbsp;In 2006, the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP) was signed between the two countries and has since been carried out in three phases from 2009-12, 2012-15 and 2015-18.

The implementing partners were NHM&ndash;The National Horticulture Mission under the Indian Ministry of Agriculture&nbsp;and MASHAV, Israel&rsquo;s Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

IIAP&#39;s key objectives was&nbsp;sustainable agriculture and diversification of India&#39;s&nbsp;food basket aimed at enlarging the supply of fruits and vegetables.&nbsp;

The project focused on building &quot;centres of excellence&quot;&nbsp;in various agricultural states of India, which needed to rapidly transfer knowledge and technology to the farmers. The centres&nbsp;addressed the concerns of both small and large farm holders, offering a wide range of agricultural practices&nbsp;from hi-tech poly houses and walking tunnels to net houses, which have resulted in good yields adaptable to local conditions.&nbsp;

India has so far sanctioned 26 centres of agriculture out of which 15 are functional in Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.&nbsp;

The scheme has been a huge success too, as MASHAV mentions in a report.&nbsp;The centres focusing on vegetables have been especially successful. The Gharaunda centre in Haryana has helped&nbsp;almost 20,000 farmers as&nbsp;the crop production has increased dramatically by 5 to 10 times as India has been able to&nbsp;utilise the plug-seedling technology introduced by Israel in which&nbsp;young&nbsp;plants are&nbsp;grown in small, ready-to-be-transplanted containers.

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Yields have dramatically increased by 5 to 10 times in Haryana by using Israeli technologies (Image Source: Mashav brochure of IIAP) (Others)
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The use of fertilisers and pesticides have noticeably decreased by more than half&nbsp;while water use has reduced by 65%.&nbsp;

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Use of pesticides and fertilizers reduced by more than 50% in Haryana (Image Source: Mashav brochure of IIAP) (Others)
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The Dapoli&nbsp;&quot;center of excellence&quot;&nbsp;has seen a similar improvement in crop production.&nbsp;

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20- to 60 year-old and over 12 meter high mango trees underwent a special process of rejuvenation in the Dapoli town of Maharashtra (Image Source: Mashav brochure of IIAP) (Others)
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As India deepens its relationship with Israel in the field of agriculture, farmers in India would be hoping for new technology and means to fight drought and water shortage.

India and Israel have worked towards sustainable agriculture ever since IIAP was initiated in 2009

By Deepali Mittal Prime Minister Modi and Israeli PM Netanyahu have signed seven agreements to step-up cooperation in space, agriculture and water management as well as to fight terrorism. The agreement on agriculture is one of the key deals signed by the two countries as part of "India-Israel development cooperation", which is a three-year work programme in agriculture that will kick off in 2018 till 2020. Also Read: Meet Bezalel Eliahu Indian-Israeli floriculturist and agriculturist Israel's expertise in sustainable agricultural and rural development with limited water and natural resources has captured the imagination of the world. However, this is not the first time the two nations have agreed to work together in the agricultural sector. In 2006, the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP) was signed between the two countries and has since been carried out in three phases from 2009-12, 2012-15 and 2015-18. The implementing partners were NHM–The National Horticulture Mission under the Indian Ministry of Agriculture and MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. IIAP's key objectives was sustainable agriculture and diversification of India's food basket aimed at enlarging the supply of fruits and vegetables. The project focused on building "centres of excellence" in various agricultural states of India, which needed to rapidly transfer knowledge and technology to the farmers. The centres addressed the concerns of both small and large farm holders, offering a wide range of agricultural practices from hi-tech poly houses and walking tunnels to net houses, which have resulted in good yields adaptable to local conditions. India has so far sanctioned 26 centres of agriculture out of which 15 are functional in Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The scheme has been a huge success too, as MASHAV mentions in a report. The centres focusing on vegetables have been especially successful. The Gharaunda centre in Haryana has helped almost 20,000 farmers as the crop production has increased dramatically by 5 to 10 times as India has been able to utilise the plug-seedling technology introduced by Israel in which young plants are grown in small, ready-to-be-transplanted containers. Yields have dramatically increased by 5 to 10 times in Haryana by using Israeli technologies (Image Source: Mashav brochure of IIAP) (Others) × The use of fertilisers and pesticides have noticeably decreased by more than half while water use has reduced by 65%. Use of pesticides and fertilizers reduced by more than 50% in Haryana (Image Source: Mashav brochure of IIAP) (Others) × The Dapoli "center of excellence" has seen a similar improvement in crop production. 20- to 60 year-old and over 12 meter high mango trees underwent a special process of rejuvenation in the Dapoli town of Maharashtra (Image Source: Mashav brochure of IIAP) (Others) × As India deepens its relationship with Israel in the field of agriculture, farmers in India would be hoping for new technology and means to fight drought and water shortage.

How Israel's plug-seedling technology has changed Indian agriculture

Indian and Israeli companies signed MoUs worth over five billion dollars and agreed to a five-year trade target of USD 20 billion during PM Modi&#39;s meeting with CEOs in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

 
PM Modi, who shared photographs from the event on Twitter, said he &quot;interacted with Indian and Israeli CEOs to discuss the immense opportunities in India and the wide scope of India-Israel economic cooperation.&quot;

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Interacted with Indian &amp; Israeli CEOs to discuss the immense opportunities in India and the wide scope of India-Israel economic cooperation. <a href="https://t.co/9a2Af8IEmJ">pic.twitter.com/9a2Af8IEmJ</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882957356752973825">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Indian PM added that the key focus areas of his Israel visit were start ups and technology.&nbsp;

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Some of the key focus areas of my Israel visit are start ups &amp; technology. Had the opportunity to visit an impressive technology exhibition. <a href="https://t.co/lusVK2VU9c">pic.twitter.com/lusVK2VU9c</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882959411366436864">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu attended the first meeting of India-Israel CEOs forum in Tel Aviv. <a href="https://t.co/qSjj5KtW4v">pic.twitter.com/qSjj5KtW4v</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/882956084159184897">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Tel Aviv: CEOs of India-Israel conclude MoUs worth over 5 bn $ on the sidelines of the visit <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaIsraelFriendship?src=hash">#IndiaIsraelFriendship</a> <a href="https://t.co/UNEVBPJuj5">pic.twitter.com/UNEVBPJuj5</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/882956891919233029">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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As many as 12 strategic pacts envisaging investments worth USD 4.3 billion were signed between Indian and Israeli companies, India&#39;s industrial body, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said.

&quot;The forum identified and stressed on the need to realise opportunities in focus sectors identified during the first meeting of the CEOs forum. There was a consensus that the current trade volume amounting to just over USD 4 billion has the potential to reach USD 20 billion in the next five years. To realise this goal, the forum underlined key recommendations to two heads of states,&quot; FICCI said in its statement.

CEOs from both sides also identified focus sectors for mutual collaboration in the spheres of agriculture, irrigation, water treatment, urban infrastructure, transport (including high speed railways and metro), pharma, life-sciences, digital technologies, Information Technology, start-ups and innovation and defence and homeland security.

Pankaj R Patel, Deputy President of India-Israel CEOs forum confirmed that 12 MoUS worth over 4.5 billion dollars have been signed between Israeli and Indian companies.

&quot;We expect a lot of business development between the two sides with an aim of reaching a business of 20 million dollars in the next five years,&quot; he added.

Shraga Brosh, President India-Israel CEOs forum said ahead of the meet, &quot;The goal of the CEO forum is to increase the cooperation between the Indian and the Israeli businesses. We have identified a few sectors like agriculture, water treatment, healthcare, medical devices and others that we are sure we can reach a goal of 20 billion dollar.&quot;

&quot;We have created six working groups dealing with each sector separately and experts from both sides will be part of this group,&quot; he added.

Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel.

Earlier in the day, the Indian PM and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu paid homage to Indian soldiers martyred during World War I at the Haifa Cemetery.

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At Haifa, paid tributes to the brave Indian soldiers who fought courageously in the First World War. <a href="https://t.co/2D7UYKhHwh">pic.twitter.com/2D7UYKhHwh</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882962473078239234">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Before his departure for Hamburg, Germany for the G20 summit, PM Modi also interacted with Indian students in&nbsp;Tel Aviv.

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It was great to meet Indian students studying in Israel. <a href="https://t.co/DBN4VRnxm0">pic.twitter.com/DBN4VRnxm0</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882960466678431745">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Indian prime minister, who was accompanied by his Israeli counterpart throughout, shared pictures from his visit, including one signed by Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Thank you my friend, PM <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu">@netanyahu</a> for the signed photo, your kind words, amazing hospitality &amp; passion towards <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaIsraelFriendship?src=hash">#IndiaIsraelFriendship</a>. <a href="https://t.co/1jUtMG3F85">pic.twitter.com/1jUtMG3F85</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882963178035978240">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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??? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ???. ????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ????-?????. <a href="https://t.co/ZeYS3eE4xk">pic.twitter.com/ZeYS3eE4xk</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882964808361951232">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I thank the people and Government of Israel for their hospitality. This successful visit will add more energy to India-Israel relations. <a href="https://t.co/sreMPExX9i">pic.twitter.com/sreMPExX9i</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882964885230854144">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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As many as 12 strategic pacts envisaging investments worth USD 4.3 billion were signed

Indian and Israeli companies signed MoUs worth over five billion dollars and agreed to a five-year trade target of USD 20 billion during PM Modi's meeting with CEOs in Tel Aviv on Thursday. PM Modi, who shared photographs from the event on Twitter, said he "interacted with Indian and Israeli CEOs to discuss the immense opportunities in India and the wide scope of India-Israel economic cooperation." Interacted with Indian & Israeli CEOs to discuss the immense opportunities in India and the wide scope of India-Israel economic cooperation. pic.twitter.com/9a2Af8IEmJ — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × The Indian PM added that the key focus areas of his Israel visit were start ups and technology. Some of the key focus areas of my Israel visit are start ups & technology. Had the opportunity to visit an impressive technology exhibition. pic.twitter.com/lusVK2VU9c — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu attended the first meeting of India-Israel CEOs forum in Tel Aviv. pic.twitter.com/qSjj5KtW4v — ANI (@ANI_news) July 6, 2017 × Tel Aviv: CEOs of India-Israel conclude MoUs worth over 5 bn $ on the sidelines of the visit #IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/UNEVBPJuj5 — ANI (@ANI_news) July 6, 2017 × As many as 12 strategic pacts envisaging investments worth USD 4.3 billion were signed between Indian and Israeli companies, India's industrial body, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said. "The forum identified and stressed on the need to realise opportunities in focus sectors identified during the first meeting of the CEOs forum. There was a consensus that the current trade volume amounting to just over USD 4 billion has the potential to reach USD 20 billion in the next five years. To realise this goal, the forum underlined key recommendations to two heads of states," FICCI said in its statement. CEOs from both sides also identified focus sectors for mutual collaboration in the spheres of agriculture, irrigation, water treatment, urban infrastructure, transport (including high speed railways and metro), pharma, life-sciences, digital technologies, Information Technology, start-ups and innovation and defence and homeland security. Pankaj R Patel, Deputy President of India-Israel CEOs forum confirmed that 12 MoUS worth over 4.5 billion dollars have been signed between Israeli and Indian companies. "We expect a lot of business development between the two sides with an aim of reaching a business of 20 million dollars in the next five years," he added. Shraga Brosh, President India-Israel CEOs forum said ahead of the meet, "The goal of the CEO forum is to increase the cooperation between the Indian and the Israeli businesses. We have identified a few sectors like agriculture, water treatment, healthcare, medical devices and others that we are sure we can reach a goal of 20 billion dollar." "We have created six working groups dealing with each sector separately and experts from both sides will be part of this group," he added. Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Earlier in the day, the Indian PM and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu paid homage to Indian soldiers martyred during World War I at the Haifa Cemetery. At Haifa, paid tributes to the brave Indian soldiers who fought courageously in the First World War. pic.twitter.com/2D7UYKhHwh — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × Before his departure for Hamburg, Germany for the G20 summit, PM Modi also interacted with Indian students in Tel Aviv. It was great to meet Indian students studying in Israel. pic.twitter.com/DBN4VRnxm0 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × The Indian prime minister, who was accompanied by his Israeli counterpart throughout, shared pictures from his visit, including one signed by Benjamin Netanyahu. Thank you my friend, PM @netanyahu for the signed photo, your kind words, amazing hospitality & passion towards #IndiaIsraelFriendship. pic.twitter.com/1jUtMG3F85 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × ??? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ???. ????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ????-?????. pic.twitter.com/ZeYS3eE4xk — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × I thank the people and Government of Israel for their hospitality. This successful visit will add more energy to India-Israel relations. pic.twitter.com/sreMPExX9i — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 ×

Indian, Israeli firms sign MoUs worth over $5 billion at Modi's meet with CEOs

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Wednesday with &quot;Baby&quot; Moshe in Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Moshe had lost his parents in the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai. He was two years of age at the time.&nbsp;

Moshe had been saved by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel.&nbsp;

Moshe is now 11 years old.&nbsp;

Modi met Moshe, his nanny -- who both live in Israel now -- and his grandparents at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Modi offered Moshe a long-term visa, saying he could come visit any time he liked.&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was accompanying Modi at the time, said to Moshe that he should accompany him when he visits India.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Modi had earlier invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to India. Netanyahu had accepted.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, I live there... Dear Mr Modi I love you and the people in India,&quot; Moshe had said to Modi.&nbsp;

'I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, I live there... Dear Mr Modi I love you and the people in India,' Moshe said.?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Wednesday with "Baby" Moshe in Jerusalem. Moshe had lost his parents in the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai. He was two years of age at the time. Moshe had been saved by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel. Moshe is now 11 years old. Modi met Moshe, his nanny -- who both live in Israel now -- and his grandparents at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Modi offered Moshe a long-term visa, saying he could come visit any time he liked. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was accompanying Modi at the time, said to Moshe that he should accompany him when he visits India. Prime Minister Modi had earlier invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to India. Netanyahu had accepted. "I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai and when I get older, I live there... Dear Mr Modi I love you and the people in India," Moshe had said to Modi.

Moshe says he hopes he can live in India when he gets older

By Deepali Mittal

Reena Pushkarna, the celebrity chef who has introduced Indian food to Israel by opening a chain called Tandoori, has been tasked with cooking for the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during his visit to&nbsp;Israel.

Exclusive footage inside the kitchen&nbsp;of Reena Pushkarna reveals what is on the menu for the&nbsp;prime minister.

He was introduced to her ginger tea, aka&nbsp;adrak ki chai, yesterday, July 4th, and Pushkarna prepared her special cup of tea for him today too.&nbsp;&quot;We have to have fresh ginger (adrak) all the time,&quot;&nbsp;she said.&nbsp;

Pushkarna selected all the vegetables for Modi&#39;s lunch today herself, saying she always gets fresh food to maintain hygiene and nutritional value of the food.

Pushkarna was born in New Delhi in 1958 to a Sikh father and Jewish mother. She married&nbsp;Vinod Pushkarna, a graduate of the Merchant Marine Officers Training Ship in Bombay Harbour. Vinod served as a seaman for nine years before he and Reena decided to settle down in Israel.

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She went on to say that PM Modi is a man of simple tastes who is satisfied with khichdi and adrak ki chaai (WION)
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The celebrity was born in New Delhi to a Sikh father and Jewish mother.

By Deepali Mittal Reena Pushkarna, the celebrity chef who has introduced Indian food to Israel by opening a chain called Tandoori, has been tasked with cooking for the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Israel. Exclusive footage inside the kitchen of Reena Pushkarna reveals what is on the menu for the prime minister. He was introduced to her ginger tea, aka adrak ki chai, yesterday, July 4th, and Pushkarna prepared her special cup of tea for him today too. "We have to have fresh ginger (adrak) all the time," she said. Pushkarna selected all the vegetables for Modi's lunch today herself, saying she always gets fresh food to maintain hygiene and nutritional value of the food. Pushkarna was born in New Delhi in 1958 to a Sikh father and Jewish mother. She married Vinod Pushkarna, a graduate of the Merchant Marine Officers Training Ship in Bombay Harbour. Vinod served as a seaman for nine years before he and Reena decided to settle down in Israel. She went on to say that PM Modi is a man of simple tastes who is satisfied with khichdi and adrak ki chaai (WION) ×

Reena Pushkarna: The chef cooking for Modi in Israel

India and Israel signed seven agreements on Wednesday after talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.&nbsp;

The agreements are on water conservation, agriculture, innovation, and space.&nbsp;

There were no agreements on defence.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaIsraelFriendship?src=hash">#IndiaIsraelFriendship</a>: Exploring New Realms of Cooperation - the two leaders witnessed the exchange of 7 agreements across sectors <a href="https://t.co/CrJDXascUd">pic.twitter.com/CrJDXascUd</a>
&mdash; Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/882566014088642560">July 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agriculture,&quot; said PM Modi at the joint statement the two leaders made.&nbsp;

The two countries also agreed to work together on combating terror.&nbsp;

&quot;We are being challenged by forces of terror. We have agreed to cooperate in this area,&quot; said PM Netanyahu

&quot;India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror, so has Israel,&quot; said PM Modi

&quot;The bonhomie that has been a feature of this visit continued.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a marriage made in heaven but we are implementing it here on earth,&quot; said PM Netanyahu &nbsp;

&quot;This is a deeply moving moment for me. We are making history,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Modi took on the tone of a global statesman.&nbsp;

&quot;Our talks focused on not just areas of bilateral opportunities but also how our cooperation can help cause of global peace and stability,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;

At a ministry of external affairs media briefing after the joint statement, Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar said Israel -- with its expertise in water management, agriculture, and innovation -- was the perfect country for India to partner with.&nbsp;

The Israelis, he said, were not only very good at developing new products but also at taking them to market.&nbsp;

Explaining the lack of defence deals -- India is one of the largest buyers of defence equipment from Israel -- Jaishankar said many of those are signed between companies, rather than between countries.&nbsp;

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India and Israel signed seven agreements on Wednesday after talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. The agreements are on water conservation, agriculture, innovation, and space. There were no agreements on defence. #IndiaIsraelFriendship: Exploring New Realms of Cooperation - the two leaders witnessed the exchange of 7 agreements across sectors pic.twitter.com/CrJDXascUd — Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017 × "Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agriculture," said PM Modi at the joint statement the two leaders made. The two countries also agreed to work together on combating terror. "We are being challenged by forces of terror. We have agreed to cooperate in this area," said PM Netanyahu "India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror, so has Israel," said PM Modi "The bonhomie that has been a feature of this visit continued. "This is a marriage made in heaven but we are implementing it here on earth," said PM Netanyahu "This is a deeply moving moment for me. We are making history," he added. Modi took on the tone of a global statesman. "Our talks focused on not just areas of bilateral opportunities but also how our cooperation can help cause of global peace and stability," Modi said. At a ministry of external affairs media briefing after the joint statement, Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar said Israel -- with its expertise in water management, agriculture, and innovation -- was the perfect country for India to partner with. The Israelis, he said, were not only very good at developing new products but also at taking them to market. Explaining the lack of defence deals -- India is one of the largest buyers of defence equipment from Israel -- Jaishankar said many of those are signed between companies, rather than between countries.

India & Israel sign 7 agreements on water, agriculture & innovation, none on defence

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Israel starting July 4, his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu has said cyber security is one of the key areas of cooperation to be discussed during Modi&rsquo;s visit. 
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&quot;Once it was a disadvantage to say that you are from Israel. Today when you talk about cyber or advanced technology, it is an advantage to say we are an Israeli company. The whole world wants us. The whole world is coming here,&quot; Netanyahu said at the Cyber Week 2017 conference in Tel Aviv University. 
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&quot;For example, there is going to be a visit of Prime Minister of India, one of the most important prime minister&#39;s of the world, with the third largest economy in the world growing very fast. He wants close cooperation with Israel in many fields -- water, agriculture, health and also in cyber. And he has a good reason to do so,&quot; PTI quoted the Israeli PM as saying. 
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Modi will be the first Indian PM to visit Israel.

Last week, one of Israel&rsquo;s leading business dailies described Modi as &ldquo;the most important PM of the world&rdquo;.

&quot;Wake up: the most important PM of the world is coming,&quot; business daily The Marker had said. 
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Netanyahu, speaking at the Cyber Week 2017 conference in Tel Aviv University, said Modi wants close cooperation with Israel in many fields including cyber security

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Israel starting July 4, his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu has said cyber security is one of the key areas of cooperation to be discussed during Modi’s visit. "Once it was a disadvantage to say that you are from Israel. Today when you talk about cyber or advanced technology, it is an advantage to say we are an Israeli company. The whole world wants us. The whole world is coming here," Netanyahu said at the Cyber Week 2017 conference in Tel Aviv University. "For example, there is going to be a visit of Prime Minister of India, one of the most important prime minister's of the world, with the third largest economy in the world growing very fast. He wants close cooperation with Israel in many fields -- water, agriculture, health and also in cyber. And he has a good reason to do so," PTI quoted the Israeli PM as saying. Modi will be the first Indian PM to visit Israel. Last week, one of Israel’s leading business dailies described Modi as “the most important PM of the world”. "Wake up: the most important PM of the world is coming," business daily The Marker had said.

India, Israel to discuss cooperation in cyber security during Modi's visit: Netanyahu

No Indian Prime Minister has ever visited Israel, but that is about to change when Narendra Modi touches down in Israel July 4.

For two days Modi will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss &quot;all matters of mutual interest&quot;, according to a <a href="http://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/28566/Visit_of_Prime_Minister_to_Israel_July_46_2017" target="_blank">press release</a> from India&#39;s Minister of External Affairs released on June 28.

The itinerary also includes meetings with members of Israel&#39;s Indian community in Tel Aviv, and a stop in a Haifa cemetry to honour Indian soldiers interred on the grounds.

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Military, business&nbsp;ties

This april, Israel signed a deal to supply Israel with&nbsp;air and missile defense system&nbsp;worth&nbsp;$2 billion, in what Israel called the &quot;largest defense contract deal&quot; in its history, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/29/asia/india-modi-israel/index.html" target="_blank">CNN </a>reports.

&quot;As India seeks to modernize and grow its defense capabilities, it could find an able ally in Israel. The two countries see themselves as bulwarks of democracy in a region rife with illiberal leaders,&quot; said the CNN New Delhi Bureau Chief, Ravi Agrawal.

Under Modi&#39;s &quot;Make in India&quot; program, the PM is looking for foreign companies to set up factories in India, and this trip will likely be a chance for Modi to encourage Israeli businesses to do the same, CNN adds.

Watch WION discuss India-Israel trade relations with the head of Israel&#39;s&nbsp;Chamber of Commerce, in this TV&nbsp;interview conducted in Tel Aviv, Israel.&nbsp;

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Head of India-Israel Chamber of Commerce speaks to WION (WION)
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In advance of this week&#39;s&nbsp;meeting, Israelis welcomed the Indian Prime Minister in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-israelis-learn-hindi-to-welcome-indian-pm-modi-to-the-country-17506" target="_blank">Hindi</a>.

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PM Modi is likely going to try to attract Israeli business to set up production in Israel under his 'Make in India' program

No Indian Prime Minister has ever visited Israel, but that is about to change when Narendra Modi touches down in Israel July 4. For two days Modi will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss "all matters of mutual interest", according to a press release from India's Minister of External Affairs released on June 28. The itinerary also includes meetings with members of Israel's Indian community in Tel Aviv, and a stop in a Haifa cemetry to honour Indian soldiers interred on the grounds. Military, business ties This april, Israel signed a deal to supply Israel with air and missile defense system worth $2 billion, in what Israel called the "largest defense contract deal" in its history, CNN reports. "As India seeks to modernize and grow its defense capabilities, it could find an able ally in Israel. The two countries see themselves as bulwarks of democracy in a region rife with illiberal leaders," said the CNN New Delhi Bureau Chief, Ravi Agrawal. Under Modi's "Make in India" program, the PM is looking for foreign companies to set up factories in India, and this trip will likely be a chance for Modi to encourage Israeli businesses to do the same, CNN adds. Watch WION discuss India-Israel trade relations with the head of Israel's Chamber of Commerce, in this TV interview conducted in Tel Aviv, Israel. Head of India-Israel Chamber of Commerce speaks to WION (WION) × In advance of this week's meeting, Israelis welcomed the Indian Prime Minister in Hindi.

Modi set to become first Indian PM to visit Israel with his trip this week

One of Israel&rsquo;s leading business dailies has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as &ldquo;the most important PM of the world&rdquo;.

&quot;Wake up: the most important PM of the world is coming,&quot; business daily The Marker said ahead of Modi&rsquo;s visit to the country from July 4-6.

The Marker, in a feature story on Indo-Israel relations, said the Indian Prime Minister deserves a lot of attention.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday stressed the importance of Modi&rsquo;s visit, hailing the visit as a &ldquo;historic step&rdquo;.

&quot;Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel. This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country&#39;s existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel&#39;s military, economic and diplomatic strength,&quot; Netanyahu had said.

&quot;This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries.&rdquo;

This will be the first ever visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Israel.

 
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'Wake up: the most important PM of the world is coming,' business daily 'The Marker' said ahead of Modi?s visit to the country from July 4-6

One of Israel’s leading business dailies has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “the most important PM of the world”. "Wake up: the most important PM of the world is coming," business daily The Marker said ahead of Modi’s visit to the country from July 4-6. The Marker, in a feature story on Indo-Israel relations, said the Indian Prime Minister deserves a lot of attention. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday stressed the importance of Modi’s visit, hailing the visit as a “historic step”. "Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel. This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country's existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel's military, economic and diplomatic strength," Netanyahu had said. "This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries.” This will be the first ever visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Israel.

Israeli daily says Modi 'most important PM of the world'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Jerusalem will always be the capital of the Jewish state, speaking ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump.

&quot;Tonight, I say to the whole world and in the clearest way possible, Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel,&quot; Netanyahu said in front of thousands of concert-goers.

&quot;The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty.&quot;

The Western Wall is the last remnant of the supporting wall of the second Jewish temple, built by King Herod and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

The holiest site where Jews can pray, it is in the Old City of east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community.

It is situated below the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam&#39;s third holiest site, referred to by Jews as the Temple Mount.

Trump is on Monday expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall.

Netanyahu was speaking at festivities marking the 50th anniversary of Israel&#39;s conquest of east Jerusalem in the Six-Day War.

Preparations for Trump&#39;s visit have led to criticism from Israeli right-wingers after US officials declined to say whether the Western Wall was part of Israel.

The legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem is one of the key points in the Middle East conflict.

Israel considers the entire city to be its eternal and indivisible capital, but the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

(AFP)

'Tonight, I say to the whole world and in the clearest way possible, Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel,' Netanyahu said in front of thousands of concert-goers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Jerusalem will always be the capital of the Jewish state, speaking ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump. "Tonight, I say to the whole world and in the clearest way possible, Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said in front of thousands of concert-goers. "The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty." The Western Wall is the last remnant of the supporting wall of the second Jewish temple, built by King Herod and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. The holiest site where Jews can pray, it is in the Old City of east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community. It is situated below the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, referred to by Jews as the Temple Mount. Trump is on Monday expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall. Netanyahu was speaking at festivities marking the 50th anniversary of Israel's conquest of east Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. Preparations for Trump's visit have led to criticism from Israeli right-wingers after US officials declined to say whether the Western Wall was part of Israel. The legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem is one of the key points in the Middle East conflict. Israel considers the entire city to be its eternal and indivisible capital, but the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. (AFP)

Jerusalem will always be Israel's capital: Benjamin Netanyahu

More than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails started a hunger strike on Monday&nbsp;Aprill 17, the Palestinian Prisoners Day, demanding better detention conditions. They request to be allowed&nbsp;more family visits, an&nbsp;end to to be put to both solitary confinement and&nbsp;the practice of detention without trial, and&nbsp;more access to healthcare and education.&nbsp;

One&nbsp;major issue&nbsp;facing&nbsp;Palestinian prisoners from Gaza and West Bank in jails located inside Israel&rsquo;s borders is that they don&#39;t get&nbsp;easy and regular access to their&nbsp;families. Due to security procedures, crossing the many checkpoints dividing Palestinian territories and Israel is not easy, or is&nbsp;refused altogether. At times it happens that family members who are willing to meet their relatives do not reach in time or are not allowed to cross, resulting in a senseless psychological stress both for them and the detainees. The human rights focused NGO Amnesty International recently issued a <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/04/israel-must-end-unlawful-and-cruel-policies-towards-palestinian-prisoners/" target="_blank">report </a>on this matter.

Shortly after the beginning of the hunger strike, thousands of Palestinian activists demonstrated in several cities to show their support to the inmates&rsquo; cause. The biggest solidarity demonstration was held in Ramallah, where some 2,000 people took to the street.

Palestinian inmates declared that the hunger strike won&rsquo;t end until the prisons&rsquo; management&nbsp;meets all their requests. Their protest is expected to involve more than 2,000 detainees.&nbsp;

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Palestinian political prisoners. (WION)
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The strike was called by&nbsp;Marwan Barghouti--a 58-year-old prominent member of Fatah&nbsp;who led the first and the second intifada and is currently serving five life sentences for murder.

Reuters reported that after the beginning of the strike, Barghouti was moved to another jail and held in solitary confinement. The New York Times informed that not only was he&nbsp;accused of&nbsp;leading&nbsp;the protest, he has also been accused of smuggling out a pamphlet which they decided to carry as an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/16/opinion/palestinian-hunger-strike-prisoners-call-for-justice.html?_r=0" target="_blank">opinion piece</a>. Barghouti&rsquo;s document explains his&nbsp;reasons behind the protest.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented scathingly on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, saying that&nbsp;&ldquo;calling Barghouti a &#39;political leader&#39; is like calling Assad a &#39;pediatrician&#39;. They are murderers and terrorists. We will never lose our sense of clarity because we are on the side of justice and they are on the side that is neither just nor moral&rdquo;.

The Israeli public security minister Gilad Erdan denied&nbsp;any allegation of mistreating&nbsp;prisoners, and declared that the hunger strike is &quot;prompted by internal Palestinian politics and therefore includes unreasonable demands.&rdquo;

Israel&rsquo;s foreign ministry went even further, stating that &quot;the Palestinian prisoners are not political prisoners. They are convicted terrorists and murderers. They were brought to justice and are treated properly under international law&rdquo;.

Under Israeli prison law, voluntarily refusing food is a punishable offence and a hunger strike is considered an illegal action. The Israeli outlet&nbsp;Haaretz published a statement&nbsp;by the country&rsquo;s prison service, saying: &ldquo;The Israel Prison Service has a great deal of experience in coping with hunger strikes, and it has the ways and the means to deal with them. It should be noted that the Prison Service does not conduct negotiations with prisoners.&rdquo;

The detainees&rsquo; political action comes at a critical time for Israel, which will witness the 50th anniversary of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip occupation in June. The&nbsp;Palestinian authority&nbsp;has said&nbsp;that&nbsp;the hunger strike is uniting prisoners from the two rival factions of Fatah and Hamas, which is currently governing the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian President and Hamas leader Mahmoud Abbas declared that his organisation has all the intention to support the prisoner&rsquo;s struggle, which is among their top priorities.

The inmates&rsquo; unity is most likely due to the high consideration&nbsp;Barghouti enjoys among the Palestinian population. Many see him as capable of dethroning the 82-year-old Mahmoud Abbas and running as the next presidential candidate. This strike could definitely help Barghouti to strengthen his position in order to gather consensus for the next election and end the Hamas-led government.

Given all the implications, the strike seems destined to last long.

(WION)

More than 1,000 inmates are on the strike called by Marwan Barghouti?who is serving 5 life sentences for murder?demanding better conditions

More than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails started a hunger strike on Monday Aprill 17, the Palestinian Prisoners Day, demanding better detention conditions. They request to be allowed more family visits, an end to to be put to both solitary confinement and the practice of detention without trial, and more access to healthcare and education. One major issue facing Palestinian prisoners from Gaza and West Bank in jails located inside Israel’s borders is that they don't get easy and regular access to their families. Due to security procedures, crossing the many checkpoints dividing Palestinian territories and Israel is not easy, or is refused altogether. At times it happens that family members who are willing to meet their relatives do not reach in time or are not allowed to cross, resulting in a senseless psychological stress both for them and the detainees. The human rights focused NGO Amnesty International recently issued a report on this matter. Shortly after the beginning of the hunger strike, thousands of Palestinian activists demonstrated in several cities to show their support to the inmates’ cause. The biggest solidarity demonstration was held in Ramallah, where some 2,000 people took to the street. Palestinian inmates declared that the hunger strike won’t end until the prisons’ management meets all their requests. Their protest is expected to involve more than 2,000 detainees. Palestinian political prisoners. (WION) × The strike was called by Marwan Barghouti--a 58-year-old prominent member of Fatah who led the first and the second intifada and is currently serving five life sentences for murder. Reuters reported that after the beginning of the strike, Barghouti was moved to another jail and held in solitary confinement. The New York Times informed that not only was he accused of leading the protest, he has also been accused of smuggling out a pamphlet which they decided to carry as an opinion piece. Barghouti’s document explains his reasons behind the protest. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented scathingly on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, saying that “calling Barghouti a 'political leader' is like calling Assad a 'pediatrician'. They are murderers and terrorists. We will never lose our sense of clarity because we are on the side of justice and they are on the side that is neither just nor moral”. The Israeli public security minister Gilad Erdan denied any allegation of mistreating prisoners, and declared that the hunger strike is "prompted by internal Palestinian politics and therefore includes unreasonable demands.” Israel’s foreign ministry went even further, stating that "the Palestinian prisoners are not political prisoners. They are convicted terrorists and murderers. They were brought to justice and are treated properly under international law”. Under Israeli prison law, voluntarily refusing food is a punishable offence and a hunger strike is considered an illegal action. The Israeli outlet Haaretz published a statement by the country’s prison service, saying: “The Israel Prison Service has a great deal of experience in coping with hunger strikes, and it has the ways and the means to deal with them. It should be noted that the Prison Service does not conduct negotiations with prisoners.” The detainees’ political action comes at a critical time for Israel, which will witness the 50th anniversary of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip occupation in June. The Palestinian authority has said that the hunger strike is uniting prisoners from the two rival factions of Fatah and Hamas, which is currently governing the Gaza Strip. Palestinian President and Hamas leader Mahmoud Abbas declared that his organisation has all the intention to support the prisoner’s struggle, which is among their top priorities. The inmates’ unity is most likely due to the high consideration Barghouti enjoys among the Palestinian population. Many see him as capable of dethroning the 82-year-old Mahmoud Abbas and running as the next presidential candidate. This strike could definitely help Barghouti to strengthen his position in order to gather consensus for the next election and end the Hamas-led government. Given all the implications, the strike seems destined to last long. (WION)

Palestinians in Israeli jails start hunger strike

The Palestinians reacted angrily on Friday after the Israeli cabinet approved the building of the first officially sanctioned new settlement in the occupied West Bank in more than 20 years.&nbsp;

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 Israeli history presses ahead with settlement expansion in defiance of international criticism.&nbsp;

Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said the move showed &quot;blatant disregard for Palestinian human rights&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Israel is more committed to appeasing its illegal settler population than to abiding by the requirements for stability and a just peace,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

The new settlement will be constructed near the former wildcat Jewish outpost known as Amona, which was razed in February in accordance with an Israeli High Court order.&nbsp;

It will be the first entirely new settlement that an Israeli government has approved in more than 20 years.

In recent years, construction had focused instead on expanding existing settlements.

The international community regards all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as illegal and the biggest obstacle to Middle East peace, and the former US administration of Barack Obama had put up serious opposition to their expansion.

But right-wing Israeli leaders have been emboldened by the far less critical stance of US President Donal Trump.

The anti-settlement NGO Peace Now said the announcement of the new settlement showed that the government was leading Israelis and Palestinians towards &quot;apartheid&quot;.&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in discussions with the Trump administration on how to move ahead with further settlement construction.&nbsp;

Trump has pledged unstinting support for Israel but has also urged Netanyahu to &quot;hold back on settlements for a little bit&quot; while his administration looks for ways to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks.&nbsp;

Netanyahu had previously pledged to build a new settlement for the Amona residents evicted in February.

&quot;I promised to create a new community and we are going to respect that commitment and create it today,&quot; he said ahead of Thursday`s security cabinet meeting.

(AFP)

Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said the move showed 'blatant disregard for Palestinian human rights'

The Palestinians reacted angrily on Friday after the Israeli cabinet approved the building 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 Israeli history presses ahead with settlement expansion in defiance of international criticism. Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said the move showed "blatant disregard for Palestinian human rights". "Israel is more committed to appeasing its illegal settler population than to abiding by the requirements for stability and a just peace," she said. The new settlement will be constructed near the former wildcat Jewish outpost known as Amona, which was razed in February in accordance with an Israeli High Court order. It will be the first entirely new settlement that an Israeli government has approved in more than 20 years. In recent years, construction had focused instead on expanding existing settlements. The international community regards all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as illegal and the biggest obstacle to Middle East peace, and the former US administration of Barack Obama had put up serious opposition to their expansion. But right-wing Israeli leaders have been emboldened by the far less critical stance of US President Donal Trump. The anti-settlement NGO Peace Now said the announcement of the new settlement showed that the government was leading Israelis and Palestinians towards "apartheid". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in discussions with the Trump administration on how to move ahead with further settlement construction. Trump has pledged unstinting support for Israel but has also urged Netanyahu to "hold back on settlements for a little bit" while his administration looks for ways to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks. Netanyahu had previously pledged to build a new settlement for the Amona residents evicted in February. "I promised to create a new community and we are going to respect that commitment and create it today," he said ahead of Thursday`s security cabinet meeting. (AFP)

Palestinians angry at Israel's new settlement plan in occupied West Bank

As his plane touched down in Washington on Valentine&rsquo;s Day for his first official meeting with President Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu would have had both an old flame and the possibilities of a budding romance on his mind.

After years of tension, the Obama-Netanyahu relationship ended on a bitter note when the US abstained on a UN Security Council motion demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, allowing it to pass.

The US has traditionally shielded Israel against similar moves by the UN with its powers of veto.

To many, it was a parting shot from a president who had pushed Israel on touchy issues like settlements harder than any US leader in recent memory.

But analysts say the personal rancour between the two leaders didn&rsquo;t change the essential dynamic of the longstanding alliance.

&ldquo;Despite all the very public furore between Obama and Netanyahu, key analysts recognise that the relationship between the US and Israel was stronger than ever before during the eight years of the Obama presidency. That was in all the ways that mattered: the amount of military aid, the consistency of protection at the United Nations and the certainty of US diplomatic support,&rdquo; said Phyllis Bennis from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.

Instead, the Trump administration could have a much greater impact on the shape of the US-Israel alliance in the long term.

Wednesday&rsquo;s White House joint press conference marked a major shift in US policy, with Donald Trump leaving the door open to a one-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking at two states and one state&hellip;I&rsquo;m very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one,&rdquo; said Trump.

The two-state solution has been at the centre of US foreign policy in the Middle East for decades.

Meanwhile Trump&rsquo;s pick for the new US Ambassador to Israel could also signal a change on another key issue: the location of the US embassy.

David Friedman has repeatedly called for the embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a decision that would send shockwaves through the Arab world.

In a statement after his selection was announced, Friedman said he wants to advance &ldquo;the cause of peace within the region, and look[s] forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel&rsquo;s eternal capital, Jerusalem.&quot;

Trump&rsquo;s comments in the joint press conference with Netanyahu show that he also backs his new envoy on this controversial stance.

&quot;As far as the embassy moving to Jerusalem, I&#39;d love to see that happen,&rdquo; he said.

The single moment of tension in what was otherwise a reaffirmation of close US-Israel ties came on the issue of settlements, with Trump asking his counterpart to &ldquo;hold back on settlements for a little bit&rdquo;.

Israel&rsquo;s government recently approved the construction of 6,000 controversial new settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

But even as Trump and Netanyahu shore up the old alliance, analysts in the US say the importance of the partnership could be diminishing in terms of the wider region.

&ldquo;The complications in the region have diminished the strategic value of Israel for US policy. In the context of the Arab Spring and the rise of much more complicated wars across the region, the US is not generally relying on Israel. It&rsquo;s making its own mistakes,&rdquo; said Phyllis Bennis from the Institute for Policy Studies.

For now, Trump says he will work hard to deliver a &ldquo;great&rdquo; peace deal between Israel and Palestine in one of the world&rsquo;s longest-running conflicts.

But as history shows, that is far, far easier said than done.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="532" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zW38NC0k-xo" width="945"></iframe>

(WION)

As Israel?s Prime Minister visits the US capital, Donald Trump is rewriting the rulebook on US foreign policy towards its close ally

As his plane touched down in Washington on Valentine’s Day for his first official meeting with President Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu would have had both an old flame and the possibilities of a budding romance on his mind. After years of tension, the Obama-Netanyahu relationship ended on a bitter note when the US abstained on a UN Security Council motion demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, allowing it to pass. The US has traditionally shielded Israel against similar moves by the UN with its powers of veto. To many, it was a parting shot from a president who had pushed Israel on touchy issues like settlements harder than any US leader in recent memory. But analysts say the personal rancour between the two leaders didn’t change the essential dynamic of the longstanding alliance. “Despite all the very public furore between Obama and Netanyahu, key analysts recognise that the relationship between the US and Israel was stronger than ever before during the eight years of the Obama presidency. That was in all the ways that mattered: the amount of military aid, the consistency of protection at the United Nations and the certainty of US diplomatic support,” said Phyllis Bennis from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. Instead, the Trump administration could have a much greater impact on the shape of the US-Israel alliance in the long term. Wednesday’s White House joint press conference marked a major shift in US policy, with Donald Trump leaving the door open to a one-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. “I’m looking at two states and one state…I’m very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one,” said Trump. The two-state solution has been at the centre of US foreign policy in the Middle East for decades. Meanwhile Trump’s pick for the new US Ambassador to Israel could also signal a change on another key issue: the location of the US embassy. David Friedman has repeatedly called for the embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a decision that would send shockwaves through the Arab world. In a statement after his selection was announced, Friedman said he wants to advance “the cause of peace within the region, and look[s] forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem." Trump’s comments in the joint press conference with Netanyahu show that he also backs his new envoy on this controversial stance. "As far as the embassy moving to Jerusalem, I'd love to see that happen,” he said. The single moment of tension in what was otherwise a reaffirmation of close US-Israel ties came on the issue of settlements, with Trump asking his counterpart to “hold back on settlements for a little bit”. Israel’s government recently approved the construction of 6,000 controversial new settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. But even as Trump and Netanyahu shore up the old alliance, analysts in the US say the importance of the partnership could be diminishing in terms of the wider region. “The complications in the region have diminished the strategic value of Israel for US policy. In the context of the Arab Spring and the rise of much more complicated wars across the region, the US is not generally relying on Israel. It’s making its own mistakes,” said Phyllis Bennis from the Institute for Policy Studies. For now, Trump says he will work hard to deliver a “great” peace deal between Israel and Palestine in one of the world’s longest-running conflicts. But as history shows, that is far, far easier said than done. (WION)

Netanyahu and Trump reset the US-Israel alliance after frosty Obama years

What started the problem?

On Sunday (January 29), a White House official, requesting anonymity, said Iran had conducted a ballistic missile test from a site east of Tehran.

But a United States defence official told CNN that the test failed and posed no immediate threat to the US or countries in the Middle East. The&nbsp;missile exploded after 630 miles (1,010 kms), the official said.

Iran&#39;s alleged violation of the nuclear deal signed by it and six world powers in 2015 has raised concerns around the world, especially in the Middle East and the US.

A United Nations resolution had barred Tehran from developing &quot;ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads&quot;.&nbsp;

That resolution ratified the July 2015 nuclear accord which aimed to scale down Tehran&#39;s nuclear activity.

In return, Iran won relief from debilitating economic sanctions.

International reaction

Iran&#39;s alleged contravention of Security Council Resolution 2231 has received widespread condemnation.

The United States, in particular, has come down hard on Tehran. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Iran&#39;s action is &quot;absolutely unacceptable&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The United States is not naive. We are not going to stand by. You will see us call them out as we said we would and you are also going to see us act accordingly,&quot; Haley said.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner dubbed Tehran&#39;s action as &quot;provocative&quot; and &quot;irresponsible&quot;.

French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Iran had breached the nuclear accord that was so painfully drawn up and agreed to by Tehran and the six world powers --&nbsp;United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France.

But he added that they were still in favour of the continuation of the nuclear deal and wants Tehran to avoid activities &quot;that could put the accord in jeopardy&quot;.

&quot;This deal has to be rigorously kept to,&quot; Ayrault said.

Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the missile test was a &quot;flagrant violation&quot; of the UN resolution. He also said he would raise the matter with the US later this month to impose stricter sanctions on Tehran. On his Facebook page, the Israeli premier said: &quot;Iranian aggression must not go unanswered.&quot;

Russia, however, has backed Iran, saying the missile test rumours were being circulated to &quot;heat up the situation&quot;.

&quot;Such actions, if they took place, do not breach the resolution,&quot; Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency,&nbsp;

What does Iran say?

Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied the missile test. But they have denied contravention of the nuclear accord.

Earlier, the country&#39;s foreign minister,&nbsp;Javad Zarif, said the missile&nbsp;was not a part of the nuclear accord&nbsp;and insisted that Iran &quot;will never use missiles produced in Iran to attack any other country&quot;.

&quot;No Iranian missiles have been produced to carry nuclear warheads,&quot; said Zarif, speaking at a joint news conference held with Ayrault in Tehran on Wednesday (February 1).

Zarif said the country&#39;s missiles are &quot;not designed for the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead&quot;. Instead, they were testing the missiles as part of a self-defence exercise.

Later in the day,&nbsp;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s defense minister said confirmed the Islamic Republic had tested a new missile, but added the test did not breach Tehran&#39;s nuclear accord.

&quot;The recent test was in line with our plans and we will not allow foreigners to interfere in our defense affairs,&quot; Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan said, according to Tasnim news agency.

&quot;The test did not violate the nuclear deal or the (UN) resolution 2231,&quot; he said.

So where does it all lead to?

Israel has been vocal about the alleged violation, mainly because it wants the US to renew sanctions on Iran. Other countries in the Middle East and Israel were up in arms when the previous US administration, under Barack Obama, had decided to lift the crippling sanctions that had been in place on the Shia-dominated country.

Israel&#39;s criticism, in particular, seems to be a subtle way of pushing the Donald Trump administration to act tough on Iran. The matter is expected to come up when the leaders of the two countries meet in a fortnight&#39;s time.

Trump&#39;s action against Iran will be his first litmus test, more so because the United States president has previously demonstrated his hawkish stance against Tehran.

During the poll campaign, Trump had said he would blow up Iranian vessels &quot;out of the water&quot; if they threatened US ships. But the problem is that Trump has long stated downscaling of US presence in the Middle East. What remains to be seen is whether Trump will reimpose strict sanctions on Tehran or get into a diplomatic loggerheads with them.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

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Tehran said it was not a breach of the accord it signed with 6 world powers in 2015. So what happens next?

What started the problem? On Sunday (January 29), a White House official, requesting anonymity, said Iran had conducted a ballistic missile test from a site east of Tehran. But a United States defence official told CNN that the test failed and posed no immediate threat to the US or countries in the Middle East. The missile exploded after 630 miles (1,010 kms), the official said. Iran's alleged violation of the nuclear deal signed by it and six world powers in 2015 has raised concerns around the world, especially in the Middle East and the US. A United Nations resolution had barred Tehran from developing "ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads". That resolution ratified the July 2015 nuclear accord which aimed to scale down Tehran's nuclear activity. In return, Iran won relief from debilitating economic sanctions. International reaction Iran's alleged contravention of Security Council Resolution 2231 has received widespread condemnation. The United States, in particular, has come down hard on Tehran. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Iran's action is "absolutely unacceptable". "The United States is not naive. We are not going to stand by. You will see us call them out as we said we would and you are also going to see us act accordingly," Haley said. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner dubbed Tehran's action as "provocative" and "irresponsible". French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Iran had breached the nuclear accord that was so painfully drawn up and agreed to by Tehran and the six world powers -- United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France. But he added that they were still in favour of the continuation of the nuclear deal and wants Tehran to avoid activities "that could put the accord in jeopardy". "This deal has to be rigorously kept to," Ayrault said. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the missile test was a "flagrant violation" of the UN resolution. He also said he would raise the matter with the US later this month to impose stricter sanctions on Tehran. On his Facebook page, the Israeli premier said: "Iranian aggression must not go unanswered." Russia, however, has backed Iran, saying the missile test rumours were being circulated to "heat up the situation". "Such actions, if they took place, do not breach the resolution," Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency, What does Iran say? Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied the missile test. But they have denied contravention of the nuclear accord. Earlier, the country's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said the missile was not a part of the nuclear accord and insisted that Iran "will never use missiles produced in Iran to attack any other country". "No Iranian missiles have been produced to carry nuclear warheads," said Zarif, speaking at a joint news conference held with Ayrault in Tehran on Wednesday (February 1). Zarif said the country's missiles are "not designed for the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead". Instead, they were testing the missiles as part of a self-defence exercise. Later in the day, Iran's defense minister said confirmed the Islamic Republic had tested a new missile, but added the test did not breach Tehran's nuclear accord. "The recent test was in line with our plans and we will not allow foreigners to interfere in our defense affairs," Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan said, according to Tasnim news agency. "The test did not violate the nuclear deal or the (UN) resolution 2231," he said. So where does it all lead to? Israel has been vocal about the alleged violation, mainly because it wants the US to renew sanctions on Iran. Other countries in the Middle East and Israel were up in arms when the previous US administration, under Barack Obama, had decided to lift the crippling sanctions that had been in place on the Shia-dominated country. Israel's criticism, in particular, seems to be a subtle way of pushing the Donald Trump administration to act tough on Iran. The matter is expected to come up when the leaders of the two countries meet in a fortnight's time. Trump's action against Iran will be his first litmus test, more so because the United States president has previously demonstrated his hawkish stance against Tehran. During the poll campaign, Trump had said he would blow up Iranian vessels "out of the water" if they threatened US ships. But the problem is that Trump has long stated downscaling of US presence in the Middle East. What remains to be seen is whether Trump will reimpose strict sanctions on Tehran or get into a diplomatic loggerheads with them. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Iran tests ballistic missile, sparks flutter and fury

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Monday of launching a ballistic missile in what he said constitutes a &quot;flagrant violation&quot; of a UN Security Council resolution.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Netanyahu said he intended to &quot;raise the renewal of sanctions against Iran in this context and in other contexts&quot; in his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The White House said on Monday that Trump will host Netanyahu on February 15.

Israel`s archfoe Iran has carried out a number of missile tests in recent months, which the United States and European governments have said are a breach of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Western powers say the missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads and therefore go against the deal, while Iran says its missile programme is &quot;non-negotiable&quot;.

Israel had opposed the deal between Iran and major powers, which lifted a wide range of international sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran`s nuclear programme.

&quot;Iranian aggression must not go unanswered,&quot; Netanyahu wrote on Monday.

(AFP)

Netanyahu, in a social media post, said he intended to bring up the issue of renewal of sanctions against Iran in his meeting with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Monday of launching a ballistic missile in what he said constitutes a "flagrant violation" of a UN Security Council resolution. In a statement on his Facebook page, Netanyahu said he intended to "raise the renewal of sanctions against Iran in this context and in other contexts" in his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump. The White House said on Monday that Trump will host Netanyahu on February 15. Israel`s archfoe Iran has carried out a number of missile tests in recent months, which the United States and European governments have said are a breach of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. Western powers say the missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads and therefore go against the deal, while Iran says its missile programme is "non-negotiable". Israel had opposed the deal between Iran and major powers, which lifted a wide range of international sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran`s nuclear programme. "Iranian aggression must not go unanswered," Netanyahu wrote on Monday. (AFP)

Israel's Netanyahu slams Iran for missile test, says will raise 'renewal of sanctions' in meeting with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called for US President Donald Trump to make good on his campaign pledge to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Departing from a long-standing US position, Trump promised he would recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and relocate the American mission there, a pledge that drew a fierce rebuke from Palestinian officials and concern from the European Union.

&quot;The US embassy must move here to Jerusalem,&quot; Netanyahu said after his weekly cabinet meeting.

&quot;Jerusalem is Israel&#39;s capital and it would be good if the American embassy wasn&#39;t the only one to move here... I think that with time the majority of embassies will move to Jerusalem,&quot; he was quoted as saying by his office.

The Palestinians regard east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel proclaims the entire city as its capital.

The city&#39;s status is one of the thorniest issues of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

(AFP)

'The US embassy must move here to Jerusalem,' Netanyahu said after his weekly cabinet meeting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called for US President Donald Trump to make good on his campaign pledge to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Departing from a long-standing US position, Trump promised he would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the American mission there, a pledge that drew a fierce rebuke from Palestinian officials and concern from the European Union. "The US embassy must move here to Jerusalem," Netanyahu said after his weekly cabinet meeting. "Jerusalem is Israel's capital and it would be good if the American embassy wasn't the only one to move here... I think that with time the majority of embassies will move to Jerusalem," he was quoted as saying by his office. The Palestinians regard east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel proclaims the entire city as its capital. The city's status is one of the thorniest issues of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. (AFP)

Israeli PM Netanyahu presses Trump on US embassy move

&nbsp;

Samsung Electronic&nbsp;Co Ltd&#39;s investigation into what caused some Galaxy Note 7s to catch fire has concluded that the battery was the main reason, a person familiar with the matter said.&nbsp;

The world&#39;s biggest smartphone maker will likely announce the results of the investigation on January 23, a day before it announces detailed fourth-quarter earnings results, said the person who was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter and declined to be identified.&nbsp;

The firm will also announce new measures it is taking to avoid a repeat of the product safety failures in its future devices, the person said.&nbsp;A Samsung spokesman declined to comment.

After one of the biggest product safety failures in tech history, the company is keen to reassure that its devices are safe ahead of the launch of flagship Galaxy S8 smartphones expected sometime in the first half of this year.&nbsp; 
Investors and analysts say it is critical for Samsung to provide a detailed, convincing explanation on what went wrong with the Note 7 phones and how it will prevent such problems from recurring.

The source said&nbsp;that Samsung was able to replicate the fires during its investigation and that the cause could not be explained by hardware design or software-related matters. Samsung was forced to scrap the Note 7 smartphones in October after failing to fix the problems following an initial recall, resulting in&nbsp;$5.2 billion&nbsp;blow to its operating profit over three quarters.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

A Reuters cameraman at Netanyahu's official residence, where the questioning took place, said investigators were on the scene for 3 hours

Samsung Electronic Co Ltd's investigation into what caused some Galaxy Note 7s to catch fire has concluded that the battery was the main reason, a person familiar with the matter said. The world's biggest smartphone maker will likely announce the results of the investigation on January 23, a day before it announces detailed fourth-quarter earnings results, said the person who was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter and declined to be identified. The firm will also announce new measures it is taking to avoid a repeat of the product safety failures in its future devices, the person said. A Samsung spokesman declined to comment. After one of the biggest product safety failures in tech history, the company is keen to reassure that its devices are safe ahead of the launch of flagship Galaxy S8 smartphones expected sometime in the first half of this year. Investors and analysts say it is critical for Samsung to provide a detailed, convincing explanation on what went wrong with the Note 7 phones and how it will prevent such problems from recurring. The source said that Samsung was able to replicate the fires during its investigation and that the cause could not be explained by hardware design or software-related matters. Samsung was forced to scrap the Note 7 smartphones in October after failing to fix the problems following an initial recall, resulting in $5.2 billion blow to its operating profit over three quarters. (Reuters)

Israeli police question Netanyahu for third time in criminal case

Israel approved hundreds of new settler homes in east Jerusalem Sunday, hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to speak to US President Donald Trump for the first time since his inauguration.

But a potentially explosive plan to annex a large West Bank Jewish settlement near Jerusalem unilaterally was shelved until after Netanyahu and Trump meet face-to-face.

&quot;This evening there will be a telephone conversation between President Trump and myself,&quot; Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

&quot;There are many issues between us, including the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the situation in Syria and the Iranian threat.&quot;

The White House confirmed that such a call was scheduled, but did not give further details.

Trump has pledged strong support for Israel and vowed during his campaign to recognise Jerusalem as the country&#39;s capital despite the city&#39;s contested status.

Israeli right-wing politicians have welcomed his election, with hardliners who oppose a Palestinian state hoping it will allow them to move forward with their long-held goal of annexing most of the West Bank.

The United States is Israel&#39;s most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion per year in defence aid, but former president Barack Obama grew frustrated with Israeli settlement building.

He declined to veto a December 23 UN Security Council resolution condemning settlements. Trump had called for the resolution to be vetoed.

&#39;We can finally build&#39;

In an initial move following Trump&#39;s inauguration, Israeli officials on Sunday approved building permits for 566 settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem.

&quot;The rules of the game have changed with Donald Trump&#39;s arrival as president,&quot; Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turjeman told AFP.

&quot;We no longer have our hands tied as in the time of Barack Obama. Now we can finally build.&quot;

The Palestinian presidency condemned the move, calling it a violation of the UN resolution.

A draft bill to annex the Maale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank had been on the agenda for approval by a ministerial committee legislation on Sunday.

Such a move could badly damage prospects for a two-state solution.

But the inner circle of senior ministers known as the security cabinet blocked it for the time being, a member said.

&quot;What was decided was to wait for the meeting which will certainly take place within a few weeks,&quot; Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israeli public radio.

&quot;Then we shall have another (ministerial) debate on the matter,&quot; he said.

Annexing Maale Adumim unilaterally would set off alarm bells globally, with many warning that it would be another step towards dividing the occupied West Bank between north and south, making a contiguous Palestinian state difficult to achieve.

But for some Israeli ministers who oppose a Palestinian state, that is precisely the point.

&quot;We have to tell the American administration what we want and not wait for orders from the administration,&quot; Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked told Israel&#39;s army radio.

&#39;Block east Jerusalem&#39;&nbsp;

Maale Adumim, in a strategic location east of Jerusalem, has some 37,000 residents.

Some peace proposals have envisioned it becoming part of Israel in land swaps agreed with the Palestinians, but not unilaterally.

It was unclear whether the annexation proposal would apply to another key area called E1, located between the settlement and east Jerusalem.

The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel views the entire city as its capital.

Settlements watchdog Ir Amim said &quot;the annexation of Maale Adumim and E1 will block east Jerusalem on its eastern side, swallow up its last development reserves and deepen the detachment from the West Bank.

&quot;Given Maale Adumim&#39;s critical location in the heart of the West Bank, the international community has for years been following with special concern all developments in this area, seen as a touchstone for the viability of a two-state solution.&quot;

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967, and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

Settlements in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem are viewed as illegal under international law.

Some 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, with another 200,000 in east Jerusalem. In comparison, around 2.9 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

(AFP)

The approval hours before Prime Minister Netanyahu was to speak to US President Trump for the first time since his inauguration

Israel approved hundreds of new settler homes in east Jerusalem Sunday, hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to speak to US President Donald Trump for the first time since his inauguration. But a potentially explosive plan to annex a large West Bank Jewish settlement near Jerusalem unilaterally was shelved until after Netanyahu and Trump meet face-to-face. "This evening there will be a telephone conversation between President Trump and myself," Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday. "There are many issues between us, including the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the situation in Syria and the Iranian threat." The White House confirmed that such a call was scheduled, but did not give further details. Trump has pledged strong support for Israel and vowed during his campaign to recognise Jerusalem as the country's capital despite the city's contested status. Israeli right-wing politicians have welcomed his election, with hardliners who oppose a Palestinian state hoping it will allow them to move forward with their long-held goal of annexing most of the West Bank. The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion per year in defence aid, but former president Barack Obama grew frustrated with Israeli settlement building. He declined to veto a December 23 UN Security Council resolution condemning settlements. Trump had called for the resolution to be vetoed. 'We can finally build' In an initial move following Trump's inauguration, Israeli officials on Sunday approved building permits for 566 settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem. "The rules of the game have changed with Donald Trump's arrival as president," Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turjeman told AFP. "We no longer have our hands tied as in the time of Barack Obama. Now we can finally build." The Palestinian presidency condemned the move, calling it a violation of the UN resolution. A draft bill to annex the Maale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank had been on the agenda for approval by a ministerial committee legislation on Sunday. Such a move could badly damage prospects for a two-state solution. But the inner circle of senior ministers known as the security cabinet blocked it for the time being, a member said. "What was decided was to wait for the meeting which will certainly take place within a few weeks," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israeli public radio. "Then we shall have another (ministerial) debate on the matter," he said. Annexing Maale Adumim unilaterally would set off alarm bells globally, with many warning that it would be another step towards dividing the occupied West Bank between north and south, making a contiguous Palestinian state difficult to achieve. But for some Israeli ministers who oppose a Palestinian state, that is precisely the point. "We have to tell the American administration what we want and not wait for orders from the administration," Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked told Israel's army radio. 'Block east Jerusalem' Maale Adumim, in a strategic location east of Jerusalem, has some 37,000 residents. Some peace proposals have envisioned it becoming part of Israel in land swaps agreed with the Palestinians, but not unilaterally. It was unclear whether the annexation proposal would apply to another key area called E1, located between the settlement and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel views the entire city as its capital. Settlements watchdog Ir Amim said "the annexation of Maale Adumim and E1 will block east Jerusalem on its eastern side, swallow up its last development reserves and deepen the detachment from the West Bank. "Given Maale Adumim's critical location in the heart of the West Bank, the international community has for years been following with special concern all developments in this area, seen as a touchstone for the viability of a two-state solution." Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967, and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. Settlements in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem are viewed as illegal under international law. Some 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, with another 200,000 in east Jerusalem. In comparison, around 2.9 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. (AFP)

Israel approves hundreds of new settler homes in east Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a Palestinian who rammed a truck into a group of soldiers on Sunday and killed four of them was a supporter of the Islamic State group.

&quot;We know the identity of the assailant, who according to all indications supported IS,&quot; Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office that provided no details on what led to the finding.

(AFP)

The statement from his office provided no details on what led to the finding

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a Palestinian who rammed a truck into a group of soldiers on Sunday and killed four of them was a supporter of the Islamic State group. "We know the identity of the assailant, who according to all indications supported IS," Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office that provided no details on what led to the finding. (AFP)

Jerusalem truck attacker was IS supporter: PM Netanyahu

In a move that showed bipartisan support for Israel, the US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to condemn the UN Security Council resolution that slammed Israel&#39;s illegal settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem.&nbsp;

The congressional measure passed 342 to 80, with broad bipartisan support.&nbsp;

It noted in particular that the US administration&#39;s refusal to veto the controversial Security Council measure &quot;undermined&quot; Washington&#39;s decades-long position of opposing anti-Israel action at the United Nations.

Incensed US lawmakers have assailed Barack Obama&#39;s outgoing administration for abstaining in the December 23 vote instead of vetoing the UN resolution, essentially clearing the way for its passage.

&quot;I am stunned at what happened last month. This government -- our government -- abandoned our ally Israel when she needed us the most,&quot; House Speaker Paul Ryan told the chamber shortly before the House vote.

&quot;It is time to repair the damage done by this misguided hit job at the UN,&quot; he added. &quot;It&#39;s time to rebuild our partnership&quot; with the Jewish state.

White House aides have said that while Obama is a firm supporter of Israel, he felt that after eight years he had simply run out of ways to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel building on Palestinian land is sabotaging hopes for peace.

The House measure, which is non-binding, calls for the UN resolution &quot;to be repealed or fundamentally altered so that... it is no longer one-sided and anti-Israel&quot; and allows all final status issues toward a two-state solution to be resolved through direct bilateral negotiation.

It also demands that the United States ensures that no action be taken at the Paris Conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict scheduled for January 15, that would impose an agreement on the two sides.

The French-organized talks, to be attended by around 70 countries -- but not by Israeli or Palestinian representatives -- are being held to reiterate international support for a two-state solution to the conflict.

Benjamin Netanyahu had asked his ambassadors to make sure that no further UN resolution that&#39;s critical of Israel&#39;s policies comes up in future especially in the wake of the Paris conference.

(AFP)

The congressional measure passed 342 to 80, with broad bipartisan support.?

In a move that showed bipartisan support for Israel, the US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to condemn the UN Security Council resolution that slammed Israel's illegal settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem. The congressional measure passed 342 to 80, with broad bipartisan support. It noted in particular that the US administration's refusal to veto the controversial Security Council measure "undermined" Washington's decades-long position of opposing anti-Israel action at the United Nations. Incensed US lawmakers have assailed Barack Obama's outgoing administration for abstaining in the December 23 vote instead of vetoing the UN resolution, essentially clearing the way for its passage. "I am stunned at what happened last month. This government -- our government -- abandoned our ally Israel when she needed us the most," House Speaker Paul Ryan told the chamber shortly before the House vote. "It is time to repair the damage done by this misguided hit job at the UN," he added. "It's time to rebuild our partnership" with the Jewish state. White House aides have said that while Obama is a firm supporter of Israel, he felt that after eight years he had simply run out of ways to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel building on Palestinian land is sabotaging hopes for peace. The House measure, which is non-binding, calls for the UN resolution "to be repealed or fundamentally altered so that... it is no longer one-sided and anti-Israel" and allows all final status issues toward a two-state solution to be resolved through direct bilateral negotiation. It also demands that the United States ensures that no action be taken at the Paris Conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict scheduled for January 15, that would impose an agreement on the two sides. The French-organized talks, to be attended by around 70 countries -- but not by Israeli or Palestinian representatives -- are being held to reiterate international support for a two-state solution to the conflict. Benjamin Netanyahu had asked his ambassadors to make sure that no further UN resolution that's critical of Israel's policies comes up in future especially in the wake of the Paris conference. (AFP)

US House votes to condemn UN resolution against Israel's settlements

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he hoped to stave off any possible moves at the UN Security Council against his government&#39;s policies following a Paris conference scheduled for later this month on Middle East peace.

The Security Council on December 23 adopted a resolution that demands an end to Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, despite heavy Israeli pressure against it.

France plans to convene some 70 countries on January 15 to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a conference Netanyahu has rejected in advance as &quot;futile&quot;.

&quot;There are signs that they will try to turn decisions made there into another decision in the Security Council,&quot; Netanyahu said during a meeting with Israeli ambassadors in Jerusalem.

&quot;Therefore our primary effort for now is to prevent another UN decision, another decision by the Security Council. And also to prevent a decision by the Quartet,&quot; he said, referring to the group of peace mediators that comprises the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union.

&quot;We are investing a great diplomatic effort in this,&quot; he said in broadcast remarks, without providing any details.

Netanyahu has said Israel will re-assess its ties with the United Nations following last month&#39;s resolution.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Netanyahu fears another UN decision after Paris conference scheduled later this month

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he hoped to stave off any possible moves at the UN Security Council against his government's policies following a Paris conference scheduled for later this month on Middle East peace. The Security Council on December 23 adopted a resolution that demands an end to Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, despite heavy Israeli pressure against it. France plans to convene some 70 countries on January 15 to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a conference Netanyahu has rejected in advance as "futile". "There are signs that they will try to turn decisions made there into another decision in the Security Council," Netanyahu said during a meeting with Israeli ambassadors in Jerusalem. "Therefore our primary effort for now is to prevent another UN decision, another decision by the Security Council. And also to prevent a decision by the Quartet," he said, referring to the group of peace mediators that comprises the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union. "We are investing a great diplomatic effort in this," he said in broadcast remarks, without providing any details. Netanyahu has said Israel will re-assess its ties with the United Nations following last month's resolution. (Reuters)

Netanyahu to envoys: Prevent another UN decision critical of Israel's policies

The police investigators have begun questioning the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over suspicions that he received gifts from businessmen, Reuters reported.

The decision came after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit conducted a prelimnary enquiry and was satisfied that there was enough evidence to question the prime minister.

Israeli newspaper <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.762629">Haaretz </a>reported that the police had deposed several witnesses in the case including Jewish American businessman Ron Lauder who is considered close to Netanyahu.

Israeli media said the questioning which started on Monday evening was expected to last several hours, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

Netanyahu asked his oppnents to &quot;wait with the celebrations, don&#39;t rush. I&#39;ve said it before and I&#39;ll say it once again: there will be nothing because there is nothing&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
Channel 2, a commercial network, said the investigation was one of two cases now open against the prime minister, although it said details of the second remained unclear, a report in the news agency Reuters stated.

Netanyahu is not the first prime minister to be questioned in a criminal case.&nbsp;

Ehud Olmert is currently serving a&nbsp;prison sentence on charges of breach of trust and bribery. Aerial Sharon was also questioned over allegations of bribery and corruption.&nbsp;

Netanyahu will become Israel&#39;s longest serving leader if he stays in office until the end of next year.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Netanyahu is suspected of receiving gifts from businessmen

The police investigators have begun questioning the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over suspicions that he received gifts from businessmen, Reuters reported. The decision came after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit conducted a prelimnary enquiry and was satisfied that there was enough evidence to question the prime minister. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the police had deposed several witnesses in the case including Jewish American businessman Ron Lauder who is considered close to Netanyahu. Israeli media said the questioning which started on Monday evening was expected to last several hours, reported Reuters. Netanyahu asked his oppnents to "wait with the celebrations, don't rush. I've said it before and I'll say it once again: there will be nothing because there is nothing". Channel 2, a commercial network, said the investigation was one of two cases now open against the prime minister, although it said details of the second remained unclear, a report in the news agency Reuters stated. Netanyahu is not the first prime minister to be questioned in a criminal case. Ehud Olmert is currently serving a prison sentence on charges of breach of trust and bribery. Aerial Sharon was also questioned over allegations of bribery and corruption. Netanyahu will become Israel's longest serving leader if he stays in office until the end of next year. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu questioned in graft probe

Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Jerusalem&#39;s city hall to delay a vote on new settlements for Israelis in East Jerusalem.&nbsp;

The decision was taken hours before US Secretary of State John Kerry is to make a speech outlining his&nbsp;plan to&nbsp;end&nbsp;the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. &nbsp;

A spokesman for Netanyahu had no immediate comment.

The pace at which Israel is building settlements in East Jerusalem has drawn sharp criticism from the international community, including US.&nbsp;

Jerusalem Planning and Housing Committee member Hanan Rubin said 492 permits for construction of homes for Israelis in the urban settlements of Ramot and Ramat Shlomo, in areas that Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed to Jerusalem, had been up for approval.

The United Nations Security Council recently passed a resolution condemning Israel for building settlements in East Jerusalem and West Bank. The US abstained from voting on the resolution, which angered the Israeli establishment.&nbsp;

Kerry is also expected to speak on the issue of abstention in his speech at the State Department.

Israel has for decades pursued a policy of building Jewish settlements on occupied territory Palestinians seek for a state.

Most countries view the settlements as an obstacle to peace. Israel disagrees, citing a biblical, historical and political connection to the land, as well as security interests. Washington considers the settlement activity illegitimate.

Some 570,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem among more than 2.6 million Palestinians.

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The decision was taken hours before US Secretary of State John Kerry is to make a speech outlining his plan to end the long-drawn conflict

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Jerusalem's city hall to delay a vote on new settlements for Israelis in East Jerusalem. The decision was taken hours before US Secretary of State John Kerry is to make a speech outlining his plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A spokesman for Netanyahu had no immediate comment. The pace at which Israel is building settlements in East Jerusalem has drawn sharp criticism from the international community, including US. Jerusalem Planning and Housing Committee member Hanan Rubin said 492 permits for construction of homes for Israelis in the urban settlements of Ramot and Ramat Shlomo, in areas that Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed to Jerusalem, had been up for approval. The United Nations Security Council recently passed a resolution condemning Israel for building settlements in East Jerusalem and West Bank. The US abstained from voting on the resolution, which angered the Israeli establishment. Kerry is also expected to speak on the issue of abstention in his speech at the State Department. Israel has for decades pursued a policy of building Jewish settlements on occupied territory Palestinians seek for a state. Most countries view the settlements as an obstacle to peace. Israel disagrees, citing a biblical, historical and political connection to the land, as well as security interests. Washington considers the settlement activity illegitimate. Some 570,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem among more than 2.6 million Palestinians. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Israel delays vote on new East Jerusalem settlements

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said he will consider Israel&#39;s ties with the United Nations following a resolution by the Security Council urging an end to the Israeli settlement building in Palestine.

The&nbsp;United States refrained from voting in a 15-member council vote on Friday breaking a long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and did not veto the council&#39;s resolution, a decision Netanyahu called &quot;shameful&quot;.

&quot;I instructed the Foreign Ministry to complete within a month a new evaluation of all our contacts with the UN, including the Israeli funding of UN institutions and the presence of UN representatives in Israel,&quot; Netanyahu said.

&quot;I already instructed to stop about 30 million shekels (US7.8 million dollars) in funding to five UN institutions, five bodies, that are especially hostile to Israel ... and there is more to come,&quot; he said.

No further details were offered by the Isreali leader.

The US abstained in the decision despite pressure from Israel and President-elect Donald Trump to use its veto. The resolution was adopted with 14 votes in favour.

Israel for decades has pursued a policy of constructing Jewish settlements on territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war with its Arab neighbours including the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, news agency Reuters said.

Hagai Elad, the Executive Director of B&#39;Tselem organisation (The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) said the resolution was &quot;not anti-Israeli&quot;.

&quot;The Security Council&#39;s resounding resolution reaffirms the international consensus on the settlements and their consequences with regards to the human rights of Palestinians. Contrary to (Israeli) government spin, this resolution is not an anti Israeli resolution. This is a resolution that is for the future of Israelis, for the future of Palestinians, rejecting the occupation and the settlements,&quot; he said, Reuters reported.

&quot;This is symbolically extremely important and mainly looking forward to additional international steps that will hopefully pull all of us, both Israelis and Palestinians, out of what is perceived as a status quo but in fact is not a status quo, but a continuous advancement -- all of the time, year in and year out, of the building of settlements and the displacement of Palestinians,&quot; Elad added.

The Israeli settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is seen by most countries as an impediment to peace.

Israel disagrees, citing a biblical connection to the land.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The UN had on Saturday demanded an end to all Israeli settlement building in Palestine

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said he will consider Israel's ties with the United Nations following a resolution by the Security Council urging an end to the Israeli settlement building in Palestine. The United States refrained from voting in a 15-member council vote on Friday breaking a long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and did not veto the council's resolution, a decision Netanyahu called "shameful". "I instructed the Foreign Ministry to complete within a month a new evaluation of all our contacts with the UN, including the Israeli funding of UN institutions and the presence of UN representatives in Israel," Netanyahu said. "I already instructed to stop about 30 million shekels (US7.8 million dollars) in funding to five UN institutions, five bodies, that are especially hostile to Israel ... and there is more to come," he said. No further details were offered by the Isreali leader. The US abstained in the decision despite pressure from Israel and President-elect Donald Trump to use its veto. The resolution was adopted with 14 votes in favour. Israel for decades has pursued a policy of constructing Jewish settlements on territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war with its Arab neighbours including the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, news agency Reuters said. Hagai Elad, the Executive Director of B'Tselem organisation (The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) said the resolution was "not anti-Israeli". "The Security Council's resounding resolution reaffirms the international consensus on the settlements and their consequences with regards to the human rights of Palestinians. Contrary to (Israeli) government spin, this resolution is not an anti Israeli resolution. This is a resolution that is for the future of Israelis, for the future of Palestinians, rejecting the occupation and the settlements," he said, Reuters reported. "This is symbolically extremely important and mainly looking forward to additional international steps that will hopefully pull all of us, both Israelis and Palestinians, out of what is perceived as a status quo but in fact is not a status quo, but a continuous advancement -- all of the time, year in and year out, of the building of settlements and the displacement of Palestinians," Elad added. The Israeli settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is seen by most countries as an impediment to peace. Israel disagrees, citing a biblical connection to the land. (With inputs from Reuters)

Israel to reassess UN ties after settlement resolution

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes US President-elect Donald Trump will be a good friend to Israel and hopes the two countries can work together to dismantle the international nuclear agreement with Iran.

&quot;I know Donald Trump,&quot; Netanyahu told CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes&quot; in an interview scheduled to air last night. &quot;And I think his attitude, his support for Israel is clear. He feels very warmly about the Jewish state, about the Jewish people. There&#39;s no question about that.&quot;

Netanyahu&#39;s remarks are significant in part because critics have accused Trump of tolerating anti-Semitism among some of his supporters.

While the two countries are close allies, relations were sometimes tense between Netanyahu and President Barack Obama because of their vastly different world views on the Iran deal and other issues. And there is sentiment in the nationalist Israeli right wing that

Trump&#39;s election could usher in a new era of relations with the United States. Netanyahu said in the interview he &quot;had differences of opinion&quot; with Obama and the &quot;most well-known, of course, is Iran&quot;.

The Israeli prime minister has been one of the fiercest critics of the nuclear deal. During the campaign, Trump also spoke harshly about it.

Iran has long backed armed groups committed to Israel&#39;s destruction and its leaders have called for it to be wiped off the map. Israel fears that Iran&#39;s nuclear program is designed to threaten its existence.

Netanyahu said there are &quot;various ways of undoing&quot; the 2015 deal, in which Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions on its oil industry and finances.

&quot;I have about five things in my mind,&quot; Netanyahu said, declining to go into further detail.

(PTI)

&nbsp;

Netanyahu's remarks are significant in part because critics have accused Trump of tolerating anti-Semitism among some of his supporters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes US President-elect Donald Trump will be a good friend to Israel and hopes the two countries can work together to dismantle the international nuclear agreement with Iran. "I know Donald Trump," Netanyahu told CBS's "60 Minutes" in an interview scheduled to air last night. "And I think his attitude, his support for Israel is clear. He feels very warmly about the Jewish state, about the Jewish people. There's no question about that." Netanyahu's remarks are significant in part because critics have accused Trump of tolerating anti-Semitism among some of his supporters. While the two countries are close allies, relations were sometimes tense between Netanyahu and President Barack Obama because of their vastly different world views on the Iran deal and other issues. And there is sentiment in the nationalist Israeli right wing that Trump's election could usher in a new era of relations with the United States. Netanyahu said in the interview he "had differences of opinion" with Obama and the "most well-known, of course, is Iran". The Israeli prime minister has been one of the fiercest critics of the nuclear deal. During the campaign, Trump also spoke harshly about it. Iran has long backed armed groups committed to Israel's destruction and its leaders have called for it to be wiped off the map. Israel fears that Iran's nuclear program is designed to threaten its existence. Netanyahu said there are "various ways of undoing" the 2015 deal, in which Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions on its oil industry and finances. "I have about five things in my mind," Netanyahu said, declining to go into further detail. (PTI)

Israeli PM says he hopes to work with Trump to undo Iran nuclear deal

It is 4:30 am and Mufeed Shawana is rushing to Al-Aqsa Mosque, as the first Muslim call to prayer of the day rings out across the Old City of east Jerusalem.

But he stops short when asked how he feels that the sound echoing from the minarets could soon be dampened.

&quot;It upsets me. The calls to prayer have happened for 1,400 years.&quot;

A bill backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ban mosques around Israel and annexed east Jerusalem from using loudspeakers to amplify late night and early morning azans, or calls to prayers, has been approved by a ministerial committee ahead of a parliamentary debate and voting.

It has been temporarily blocked but the government is still confident of pushing it through.

Shawana argues that nobody would deny Jews their own religious rituals, which are &quot;their right&quot;.

&quot;This is our right,&quot; he adds, before disappearing inside the mosque to pray.

The dispute around high-decibel minarets is not unique to Israel, which argues that other states, including in Europe and North Africa, have similar restrictions to those it is looking to implement.

But it has touched a raw nerve in Israel, where many in its minority Arab population -- around 17.5 per cent of the whole and overwhelmingly Muslim -- believe Netanyahu&#39;s rightwing government is systematically persecuting them.

They also worry that their connection to Al-Aqsa, the third holiest site in Islam, is under threat.

Large numbers of Israeli Jews view the azans as noise pollution, with the bill&#39;s sponsor Motti Yogev, of the far-right Jewish Home party, arguing they disturb the peace of hundreds of thousands of people.

He has also claimed that in some cases they are used by religious leaders to incite against Israel.

In its current draft, the law would prevent the summons to worshippers between 11:00 pm until 6:00 am from being relayed on loudspeakers.

Palestinians and Arab Israelis have organised protests against the ban, with an Arab Israeli MP performing the azan in Israel&#39;s parliament to the fury of some of his Jewish colleagues.

Government watchdogs call the bill a threat to religious freedom and the Arab League has termed it &quot;a very dangerous provocation&quot;.

Arab Israelis, who largely identify as Palestinians, are the descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

&#39;Terrible noise&#39;&nbsp;

Beit Safafa in southern Jerusalem is an Arab village flanked by Jewish neighbourhoods, including the area of Pat, a few hundred metres (yards) away.

In a passionate sermon at Beit Safafa&#39;s mosque, Najih Qiraat, a religious leader from Al-Aqsa visiting for the weekly Friday prayers, railed against the Israeli plans.

&quot;It is very clear the Israeli occupation with this law, or the attempt at this law, wants to Judaise the city. They don&#39;t want to hear Arabic prayers in the city, they don&#39;t want to see churches in the city,&quot; he later told AFP.

&quot;The prayers represent a racket but the Israeli Jewish celebrations, celebrations at night you hear until dawn, they don&#39;t represent a racket?&quot; he asked.

For Israelis in Pat, turning the volume down is only fair and they accuse the Palestinians of being unreasonable.

&quot;We are a Jewish neighbourhood next to an Arab village -- the noise is terrible. I have a little kid who cannot sleep,&quot; said Ayelet Sadeh, 42.

Just like Qiraat and Shawana, she sees calculated malice rather than cultural misunderstanding behind the actions of the other side.

She points to the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, when life in Israel grinds to a standstill for a day, as an example &nbsp;-- pointing out Muslim prayers also continue on that day.

&quot;Sometimes,&quot; she said, &quot;it feels like they are doing (it out of) spite.&quot;

Al-Aqsa

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism blocked the bill as he was worried it would silence the weekly siren alerting Jews to the start of the Sabbath, or holy day.

An Israeli official told AFP the authorities were confident they&#39;d find a way to pass the bill &quot;while protecting religious freedom for all and the right of all to be free from excessive noise&quot;.

There are more than 400 mosques in the country, including east Jerusalem, according to Israeli government figures, and implementing any law could be tough.

&quot;Forbidden fruit is sweet,&quot; Qiraat said, suggesting Muslims would organise loud prayer calls from homes.

&quot;If they ban the prayers, every house will become a prayer house -- every house will pray, every person,&quot; he said.

&quot;Day and night, until the occupation understands they cannot interfere in religious issues.&quot;

(AFP)

The move has caused Israel's minority Arab population to believe Netanyahu's rightwing government is systematically persecuting them

It is 4:30 am and Mufeed Shawana is rushing to Al-Aqsa Mosque, as the first Muslim call to prayer of the day rings out across the Old City of east Jerusalem. But he stops short when asked how he feels that the sound echoing from the minarets could soon be dampened. "It upsets me. The calls to prayer have happened for 1,400 years." A bill backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ban mosques around Israel and annexed east Jerusalem from using loudspeakers to amplify late night and early morning azans, or calls to prayers, has been approved by a ministerial committee ahead of a parliamentary debate and voting. It has been temporarily blocked but the government is still confident of pushing it through. Shawana argues that nobody would deny Jews their own religious rituals, which are "their right". "This is our right," he adds, before disappearing inside the mosque to pray. The dispute around high-decibel minarets is not unique to Israel, which argues that other states, including in Europe and North Africa, have similar restrictions to those it is looking to implement. But it has touched a raw nerve in Israel, where many in its minority Arab population -- around 17.5 per cent of the whole and overwhelmingly Muslim -- believe Netanyahu's rightwing government is systematically persecuting them. They also worry that their connection to Al-Aqsa, the third holiest site in Islam, is under threat. Large numbers of Israeli Jews view the azans as noise pollution, with the bill's sponsor Motti Yogev, of the far-right Jewish Home party, arguing they disturb the peace of hundreds of thousands of people. He has also claimed that in some cases they are used by religious leaders to incite against Israel. In its current draft, the law would prevent the summons to worshippers between 11:00 pm until 6:00 am from being relayed on loudspeakers. Palestinians and Arab Israelis have organised protests against the ban, with an Arab Israeli MP performing the azan in Israel's parliament to the fury of some of his Jewish colleagues. Government watchdogs call the bill a threat to religious freedom and the Arab League has termed it "a very dangerous provocation". Arab Israelis, who largely identify as Palestinians, are the descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. 'Terrible noise' Beit Safafa in southern Jerusalem is an Arab village flanked by Jewish neighbourhoods, including the area of Pat, a few hundred metres (yards) away. In a passionate sermon at Beit Safafa's mosque, Najih Qiraat, a religious leader from Al-Aqsa visiting for the weekly Friday prayers, railed against the Israeli plans. "It is very clear the Israeli occupation with this law, or the attempt at this law, wants to Judaise the city. They don't want to hear Arabic prayers in the city, they don't want to see churches in the city," he later told AFP. "The prayers represent a racket but the Israeli Jewish celebrations, celebrations at night you hear until dawn, they don't represent a racket?" he asked. For Israelis in Pat, turning the volume down is only fair and they accuse the Palestinians of being unreasonable. "We are a Jewish neighbourhood next to an Arab village -- the noise is terrible. I have a little kid who cannot sleep," said Ayelet Sadeh, 42. Just like Qiraat and Shawana, she sees calculated malice rather than cultural misunderstanding behind the actions of the other side. She points to the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, when life in Israel grinds to a standstill for a day, as an example -- pointing out Muslim prayers also continue on that day. "Sometimes," she said, "it feels like they are doing (it out of) spite." Al-Aqsa Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism blocked the bill as he was worried it would silence the weekly siren alerting Jews to the start of the Sabbath, or holy day. An Israeli official told AFP the authorities were confident they'd find a way to pass the bill "while protecting religious freedom for all and the right of all to be free from excessive noise". There are more than 400 mosques in the country, including east Jerusalem, according to Israeli government figures, and implementing any law could be tough. "Forbidden fruit is sweet," Qiraat said, suggesting Muslims would organise loud prayer calls from homes. "If they ban the prayers, every house will become a prayer house -- every house will pray, every person," he said. "Day and night, until the occupation understands they cannot interfere in religious issues." (AFP)

Bid to quieten Muslim call to prayer amplifies Israel tensions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he backed a bill limiting the volume of calls to prayer from mosques, a proposal government watchdogs have called a threat to religious freedom.

Netanyahu, who spoke as a ministerial committee was to discuss the draft bill later in the day, said he would support such a move that some have labelled unnecessarily divisive.

Israeli media reported that the bill would stop the use of public address systems for calls to prayer.

&quot;I cannot count the times -- they are simply too numerous -- that citizens have turned to me from all parts of Israeli society, from all religions, with complaints about the noise and suffering caused them by the excessive noise coming to them from the public address systems of houses of prayer,&quot; Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

While the draft bill applies to all houses of worship, it is seen as specifically targeting mosques.

Israel&#39;s population is roughly 17.5 per cent Arab, most of them Muslim, and they accuse the Jewish majority of badly discriminating against them.

East Jerusalem is also mainly Palestinian and traditional calls to prayer by muezzins through PA systems can be heard in the city.

The Israel Democracy Institute, a non-partisan think tank, has spoken out against the proposal.

Today, one of the watchdog&#39;s officials accused Israel&#39;s right-wing politicians of dangerously using the issue to gain political points under the guise of improving quality of life.

(AFP)

Israeli media reported that the bill would stop the use of public address systems for calls to prayer

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he backed a bill limiting the volume of calls to prayer from mosques, a proposal government watchdogs have called a threat to religious freedom. Netanyahu, who spoke as a ministerial committee was to discuss the draft bill later in the day, said he would support such a move that some have labelled unnecessarily divisive. Israeli media reported that the bill would stop the use of public address systems for calls to prayer. "I cannot count the times -- they are simply too numerous -- that citizens have turned to me from all parts of Israeli society, from all religions, with complaints about the noise and suffering caused them by the excessive noise coming to them from the public address systems of houses of prayer," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting. While the draft bill applies to all houses of worship, it is seen as specifically targeting mosques. Israel's population is roughly 17.5 per cent Arab, most of them Muslim, and they accuse the Jewish majority of badly discriminating against them. East Jerusalem is also mainly Palestinian and traditional calls to prayer by muezzins through PA systems can be heard in the city. The Israel Democracy Institute, a non-partisan think tank, has spoken out against the proposal. Today, one of the watchdog's officials accused Israel's right-wing politicians of dangerously using the issue to gain political points under the guise of improving quality of life. (AFP)

Israel PM backs bill to limit noise from mosques

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Sunday told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if elected, the United States would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the campaign said, marking a potential dramatic shift in US policy. 
 
During the meeting that lasted more than an hour at Trump Tower in New York, Trump told Netanyahu that under his administration, the United States would &quot;recognise Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel.&quot; 
 
While Israel calls Jerusalem its capital, few other countries accept that, including the United States. Most nations maintain embassies in Tel Aviv. 
 
The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in a 1967 war, as capital of the state they aim to establish alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 
 
Netanyahu held a separate meeting later on Sunday that lasted just under an hour with Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump&#39;s rival in the Nov. 8 U.S. election. 
 
Clinton emphasized her commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship and her plan to take the relationship to the next level, according to a statement from her campaign. 
 
She also talked about her commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict &quot;that guarantees Israel&rsquo;s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity,&quot; according to the statement. 
 
&quot;Secretary Clinton reaffirmed her opposition to any attempt by outside parties to impose a solution, including by the U.N. Security Council,&quot; the statement said. 
 
During the meeting with Trump, the Republican candidate&#39;s campaign said he agreed with Netanyahu that peace in the Middle East could only be achieved when &quot;the Palestinians renounce hatred and violence and accept Israel as a Jewish State.&quot; 
 
The Trump campaign said he and Netanyahu discussed &quot;at length&quot; Israel&#39;s border fence, cited by Trump in reference to his own controversial immigration policies, which include building a wall on the U.S.- Mexico border and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country. 
 
Other regional issues, including the fight against Islamic State, U.S. military assistance to Israel - &quot;an excellent investment&quot; - and the Iran nuclear deal, which both parties have criticized, were also discussed.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Israel captured the Arab eastern half of Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Most countries do not recognise the annexation

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Sunday told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if elected, the United States would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the campaign said, marking a potential dramatic shift in US policy. During the meeting that lasted more than an hour at Trump Tower in New York, Trump told Netanyahu that under his administration, the United States would "recognise Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel." While Israel calls Jerusalem its capital, few other countries accept that, including the United States. Most nations maintain embassies in Tel Aviv. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in a 1967 war, as capital of the state they aim to establish alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Netanyahu held a separate meeting later on Sunday that lasted just under an hour with Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump's rival in the Nov. 8 U.S. election. Clinton emphasized her commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship and her plan to take the relationship to the next level, according to a statement from her campaign. She also talked about her commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict "that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity," according to the statement. "Secretary Clinton reaffirmed her opposition to any attempt by outside parties to impose a solution, including by the U.N. Security Council," the statement said. During the meeting with Trump, the Republican candidate's campaign said he agreed with Netanyahu that peace in the Middle East could only be achieved when "the Palestinians renounce hatred and violence and accept Israel as a Jewish State." The Trump campaign said he and Netanyahu discussed "at length" Israel's border fence, cited by Trump in reference to his own controversial immigration policies, which include building a wall on the U.S.- Mexico border and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country. Other regional issues, including the fight against Islamic State, U.S. military assistance to Israel - "an excellent investment" - and the Iran nuclear deal, which both parties have criticized, were also discussed. (Reuters)

Trump tells Netanyahu he would recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital

The United States and Israel have agreed on a record $38 billion deal to provide Israel with military aid for 10 years from 2019, the US state department said Tuesday. 
 
Enshrining defence funding for Washington&rsquo;s closest Middle East ally, the countries will sign the memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, it said, that &quot;constitutes the single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in US history.&quot; 
 
Jacob Nagel,Israel&rsquo;s chief negotiator, and acting head of Netanyahu&rsquo;s national security council, arrived in Washington in preparation for the signing ceremony, and the White House also began briefing members of Congress on the deal. 
 
According to AFP, US military aid to Israel currently stands at $3.1 billion per year although officials did not share a figure.&nbsp; 
 
The deal also includes &nbsp;major concessions by granted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu including Israel&rsquo;s agreement not to seek additional funds from Congress beyond what will be guaranteed annually in the new package, Reuters reported today. 
 
The agreement also includes phasing out a special arrangement that has allowed Israel to spend part of its US aid on its own defence industry instead of on American-made weapons, the officials said.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;Mounting frustration&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Interestingly, the deal comes amid mounting frustration within US President Barack Obama&#39;s administration at Israel&#39;s policy of building settler homes on occupied Palestinian territory. 
 
Washington earlier warned that Netanyahu`s policies, along with Palestinian violence, are putting at risk hopes of an eventual peace deal. 
 
Nearly 10 months of drawn-out aid negotiations have also underscored continuing friction between Obama and Netanyahu over last year&#39;s US-led nuclear deal with Iran, an accord the Israeli leader opposed.&nbsp; 
 
But United States&#39; number one ally in the region remains a big customer for US arms exports.&nbsp; 
 
The 10-year package will help in maintaining Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;qualitative military edge&rdquo; in the region. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The funding for Washington?s closest Middle East ally will represent the biggest pledge of US military assistance made to any country

The United States and Israel have agreed on a record $38 billion deal to provide Israel with military aid for 10 years from 2019, the US state department said Tuesday. Enshrining defence funding for Washington’s closest Middle East ally, the countries will sign the memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, it said, that "constitutes the single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in US history." Jacob Nagel,Israel’s chief negotiator, and acting head of Netanyahu’s national security council, arrived in Washington in preparation for the signing ceremony, and the White House also began briefing members of Congress on the deal. According to AFP, US military aid to Israel currently stands at $3.1 billion per year although officials did not share a figure. The deal also includes major concessions by granted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu including Israel’s agreement not to seek additional funds from Congress beyond what will be guaranteed annually in the new package, Reuters reported today. The agreement also includes phasing out a special arrangement that has allowed Israel to spend part of its US aid on its own defence industry instead of on American-made weapons, the officials said. 'Mounting frustration' Interestingly, the deal comes amid mounting frustration within US President Barack Obama's administration at Israel's policy of building settler homes on occupied Palestinian territory. Washington earlier warned that Netanyahu`s policies, along with Palestinian violence, are putting at risk hopes of an eventual peace deal. Nearly 10 months of drawn-out aid negotiations have also underscored continuing friction between Obama and Netanyahu over last year's US-led nuclear deal with Iran, an accord the Israeli leader opposed. But United States' number one ally in the region remains a big customer for US arms exports. The 10-year package will help in maintaining Israel’s “qualitative military edge” in the region. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US to sign record $38 billion defence deal with Israel

Aircraft debris believed to have come from an EgyptAir crash in May has washed up on a beach near Tel Aviv, an official in the Israeli premier&#39;s office said Friday. 
 
&quot;Debris have been collected and there is a high probability that these originate from the Egyptian plane,&quot; the official in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s office said. 
 
Netanyahu has instructed that the plane parts found on a beach in the coastal town of Netanya on Thursday be handed over to Egypt, he said. 
 
Experts are still investigating the cause of the May 19 crash of the Airbus A320 which went down in the eastern Mediterranean on a flight from Paris to Cairo, killing all 66 people on board. 
 
Investigators have said the plane&#39;s wreckage showed signs of fire, while a data recorder has confirmed that smoke alarms had been activated. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Experts are still investigating the cause of the May 19 crash of the Airbus A320 which went down in the eastern Mediterranean

Aircraft debris believed to have come from an EgyptAir crash in May has washed up on a beach near Tel Aviv, an official in the Israeli premier's office said Friday. "Debris have been collected and there is a high probability that these originate from the Egyptian plane," the official in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. Netanyahu has instructed that the plane parts found on a beach in the coastal town of Netanya on Thursday be handed over to Egypt, he said. Experts are still investigating the cause of the May 19 crash of the Airbus A320 which went down in the eastern Mediterranean on a flight from Paris to Cairo, killing all 66 people on board. Investigators have said the plane's wreckage showed signs of fire, while a data recorder has confirmed that smoke alarms had been activated. (AFP)

Probable EgyptAir crash debris recovered on Israeli beach

Israel on Sunday barred the Hebron governor from entering its territory after he visited the family of a Palestinian who killed a US-Israeli teenage girl in her sleep, officials said. 
 
On Thursday, 19-year-old Mohammed Nasser Tarayra broke into the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank on the outskirts of Hebron and killed 13-year-old Israeli-American Hallel Yaffa Ariel before being shot dead by a security guard. 
 
The murder sparked outrage and prompted Israel to lock down Hebron, a flashpoint city in the occupied Palestinian territory.&nbsp; 
 
The decision to bar mayor Kamal Humeid from Israel was taken by the coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT), the Israeli defence ministry unit which manages civilian affairs for Palestinians in the West Bank and liaises with Gaza. 
 
A statement said Humeid had paid a condolence visit to Tarayra`s family and was therefore &quot;barred from entering Israel&quot; and that he had been stripped of &quot;his privileges&quot;, without elaborating. 
 
Humeid said on Facebook he does not enjoy any special privileges and has &quot;no business in Israel&quot; that would lead him to enter the Jewish state. 
 
A day after Thursday&#39;s attack, 48-year-old Israeli Michael Mark was killed after his car was fired on by a suspected Palestinian gunman south of Hebron. 
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet on Sunday that a series of measures had been taken &quot;including aggressive ones which had not been used in the past&quot; to respond to such attacks. 
 
&quot;This includes the lockdown of the entire Hebron district,&quot; home to 700,000 people, he said. 
 
Netanyahu said the army had also revoked the Israeli work permits of residents of Beni Naim, the home village of Palestinian assailants. 
 
Other measures, he said, include a &quot;massive&quot; bolstering of Israeli troops and an investigation into family members of Palestinian assailants &quot;and their arrest if they were involved&quot; in attacks. 
 
On Friday a relative of Tarayra, 27-year-old Sarah Tarayra, was shot dead after drawing a knife on Israeli forces in Hebron. 
 
Hebron has been one of the main focuses of a wave of deadly unrest that has rocked Israel and the Palestinian territories since October, with the army saying 80 of the attacks on Israelis were carried out by Palestinians from the Hebron area. 
 
Several hundred Jewish settlers live in a tightly guarded enclave in the heart of the city of more than 200,000 Palestinians, a persistent source of tensions. 
 
At least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed since October. 
 
(AFP)

Kamal Humeid visited the family of the slain 19-year-old Palestinian boy who killed a US-Israeli teenage girl.

Israel on Sunday barred the Hebron governor from entering its territory after he visited the family of a Palestinian who killed a US-Israeli teenage girl in her sleep, officials said. On Thursday, 19-year-old Mohammed Nasser Tarayra broke into the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank on the outskirts of Hebron and killed 13-year-old Israeli-American Hallel Yaffa Ariel before being shot dead by a security guard. The murder sparked outrage and prompted Israel to lock down Hebron, a flashpoint city in the occupied Palestinian territory. The decision to bar mayor Kamal Humeid from Israel was taken by the coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT), the Israeli defence ministry unit which manages civilian affairs for Palestinians in the West Bank and liaises with Gaza. A statement said Humeid had paid a condolence visit to Tarayra`s family and was therefore "barred from entering Israel" and that he had been stripped of "his privileges", without elaborating. Humeid said on Facebook he does not enjoy any special privileges and has "no business in Israel" that would lead him to enter the Jewish state. A day after Thursday's attack, 48-year-old Israeli Michael Mark was killed after his car was fired on by a suspected Palestinian gunman south of Hebron. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet on Sunday that a series of measures had been taken "including aggressive ones which had not been used in the past" to respond to such attacks. "This includes the lockdown of the entire Hebron district," home to 700,000 people, he said. Netanyahu said the army had also revoked the Israeli work permits of residents of Beni Naim, the home village of Palestinian assailants. Other measures, he said, include a "massive" bolstering of Israeli troops and an investigation into family members of Palestinian assailants "and their arrest if they were involved" in attacks. On Friday a relative of Tarayra, 27-year-old Sarah Tarayra, was shot dead after drawing a knife on Israeli forces in Hebron. Hebron has been one of the main focuses of a wave of deadly unrest that has rocked Israel and the Palestinian territories since October, with the army saying 80 of the attacks on Israelis were carried out by Palestinians from the Hebron area. Several hundred Jewish settlers live in a tightly guarded enclave in the heart of the city of more than 200,000 Palestinians, a persistent source of tensions. At least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed since October. (AFP)

Israel bars Hebron mayor over condolence visit

Israel has approved hundreds of new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, an official said Monday, in a move likely to further raise tensions following a series of Palestinian attacks. 
 
The approval comes days after a key international report warned that Israel&#39;s settlement expansion and land confiscation were eroding the possibility of a two-state solution to the conflict. 
 
The report from the diplomatic Quartet, the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia, also called on Palestinians to halt attacks and incitement to violence. 
 
Under the new approval granted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, planning for 560 new homes in the large Maale Adumim settlement east of Jerusalem will be allowed to move forward. 
 
The Maale Adumim mayor was informed of the decision on Sunday night, a spokesman for him told AFP. The settlement established in 1975 already includes a population of more than 37,000. 
 
Netanyahu also gave approval for the planning of 240 new homes in east Jerusalem settlement neighbourhoods, as well as for 600 units for Palestinians in the city&#39;s Beit Safafa district, media reported. 
 
The offices of Netanyahu and Lieberman refused to comment on the reports of the approvals for homes in east Jerusalem or Maale Adumim. 
 
The decision follows calls among Israelis for a harsh response to a spate of Palestinian attacks in recent days. 
 
On Thursday, 13-year-old Israeli-American Hallel Yaffa Ariel was fatally stabbed in the settlement of Kiryat Arba on the outskirts of the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron. 
 
Her 19-year-old Palestinian assailant was then shot dead by a security guard. 
 
A day later, Sarah Tarayra, 27, was shot dead after drawing a knife on Israeli forces in Hebron. She was a relative of the Kiryat Arba attacker, and both were from Bani Naim, a village just outside Hebron. 
 
Also on Friday, 48-year-old Israeli Michael Mark was killed after his car was fired on by suspected Palestinian gunmen south of Hebron. 
 
&#39;Aggressive measures&#39; 
 
Israel on Friday announced a lockdown in Hebron as it searched for the gunmen and a reduction in monthly tax payments to the Palestinian Authority after the attacks. 
 
The amount is to be cut by the equivalent of the fiscal support paid to militants&#39; families, Netanyahu&#39;s office said. 
 
Israel transfers around $127 million in customs duties levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through Israeli ports monthly. 
 
The measures, which also included increasing Israel&#39;s military presence in the West Bank, were described by the army as &quot;the most substantial&quot; in two years. 
 
&quot;We are using various means, including aggressive measures that we have not used in the past,&quot; Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday. 
 
&quot;This includes cordoning off the entire Hebron district -- 700,000 people,&quot; he said, referring to the city and surrounding area. 
 
Checkpoints and closures were still in place at entrances to the city on Monday. 
 
Hebron has long been a flashpoint in the conflict, with hundreds of Jewish settlers living under heavy military guard in the heart of the city among some 200,000 Palestinians. 
 
A wave of violence since October has killed at least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese. 
 
Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say. 
 
Others were shot dead by Israeli security forces during protests and clashes or killed in Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip. 
 
The violence had subsided in recent weeks, but a deadly shooting at a cafe in Tel Aviv by two Palestinians on June 8 and last week&#39;s series of attacks have raised concern. 
 
During a recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned Palestinian attacks as &quot;terrorism&quot; but also said Israel must act to address &quot;key underlying causes of violence.&quot; 
 
They included &quot;growing Palestinian anger, the paralysis of the peace process, the nearly a half-century of occupation,&quot; Ban said. 
 
Peace talks have been at a complete standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014. 
 
(AFP)

The decision follows calls among Israelis for a harsh response to a spate of Palestinian attacks in recent days

Israel has approved hundreds of new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, an official said Monday, in a move likely to further raise tensions following a series of Palestinian attacks. The approval comes days after a key international report warned that Israel's settlement expansion and land confiscation were eroding the possibility of a two-state solution to the conflict. The report from the diplomatic Quartet, the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia, also called on Palestinians to halt attacks and incitement to violence. Under the new approval granted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, planning for 560 new homes in the large Maale Adumim settlement east of Jerusalem will be allowed to move forward. The Maale Adumim mayor was informed of the decision on Sunday night, a spokesman for him told AFP. The settlement established in 1975 already includes a population of more than 37,000. Netanyahu also gave approval for the planning of 240 new homes in east Jerusalem settlement neighbourhoods, as well as for 600 units for Palestinians in the city's Beit Safafa district, media reported. The offices of Netanyahu and Lieberman refused to comment on the reports of the approvals for homes in east Jerusalem or Maale Adumim. The decision follows calls among Israelis for a harsh response to a spate of Palestinian attacks in recent days. On Thursday, 13-year-old Israeli-American Hallel Yaffa Ariel was fatally stabbed in the settlement of Kiryat Arba on the outskirts of the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron. Her 19-year-old Palestinian assailant was then shot dead by a security guard. A day later, Sarah Tarayra, 27, was shot dead after drawing a knife on Israeli forces in Hebron. She was a relative of the Kiryat Arba attacker, and both were from Bani Naim, a village just outside Hebron. Also on Friday, 48-year-old Israeli Michael Mark was killed after his car was fired on by suspected Palestinian gunmen south of Hebron. 'Aggressive measures' Israel on Friday announced a lockdown in Hebron as it searched for the gunmen and a reduction in monthly tax payments to the Palestinian Authority after the attacks. The amount is to be cut by the equivalent of the fiscal support paid to militants' families, Netanyahu's office said. Israel transfers around $127 million in customs duties levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through Israeli ports monthly. The measures, which also included increasing Israel's military presence in the West Bank, were described by the army as "the most substantial" in two years. "We are using various means, including aggressive measures that we have not used in the past," Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday. "This includes cordoning off the entire Hebron district -- 700,000 people," he said, referring to the city and surrounding area. Checkpoints and closures were still in place at entrances to the city on Monday. Hebron has long been a flashpoint in the conflict, with hundreds of Jewish settlers living under heavy military guard in the heart of the city among some 200,000 Palestinians. A wave of violence since October has killed at least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say. Others were shot dead by Israeli security forces during protests and clashes or killed in Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip. The violence had subsided in recent weeks, but a deadly shooting at a cafe in Tel Aviv by two Palestinians on June 8 and last week's series of attacks have raised concern. During a recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned Palestinian attacks as "terrorism" but also said Israel must act to address "key underlying causes of violence." They included "growing Palestinian anger, the paralysis of the peace process, the nearly a half-century of occupation," Ban said. Peace talks have been at a complete standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014. (AFP)

Israel approves hundreds of new settler homes after attacks