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)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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

Israel should stop building settlements, denying Palestinian development and designating land for exclusive Israeli use that Palestinians seek for a future state, the Middle East peace &quot;Quartet&quot; recommended today in a&nbsp;report.

The report by the&nbsp;Quartet&nbsp;entities sponsoring the stalled peace process - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - said the Israeli policy &quot;is steadily eroding the viability of the two-state solution&quot;.

&quot;This raises legitimate questions about Israel&#39;s long-term intentions, which are compounded by the statements of some Israeli ministers that there should never be a Palestinian state,&quot; according to the report.

The day before Israeli elections in March 2015, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would never be a Palestinian state on his watch, only to reverse himself days later and recommit to the objective of a two-state solution.

Diplomatic sources said the report carries significant political weight as it has the backing of close Israeli ally the United States, which has struggled to revive the peace talks amid tensions between Netanyahu and US&nbsp;President Barack Obama.

Relations between the rightist Israeli leader and the Democratic president have yet to recover from their feud over last year&#39;s US-led international nuclear deal with Israel&#39;s foe Iran.

The&nbsp;Quartet&nbsp;report said Israel had taken for its exclusive use some 70 per cent of Area C, which makes up 60 per cent of the occupied West Bank and includes the majority of agricultural lands, natural resources and land reserves.

&quot;The transfer of greater powers and responsibilities to Palestinian civil authority in Area C, contemplated by commitments in prior agreements, has effectively been stopped and in some ways reversed and should be resumed to advance the two state solution and prevent a one state reality from taking hold,&quot; the report said.

Palestinian leaders should condemn terrorism

The report said at least 570,000 Israelis are living in the settlements, which most countries deem illegal.

&quot;Israel should cease the policy of settlement construction and expansion, designating land for exclusive Israeli use and denying Palestinian development,&quot; the report recommends.

It said only one permit for Palestinian housing construction in Area C was reportedly approved in 2014, while there did not appear to have been any approved in 2015.

The Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas Israel captured in a 1967 war. The last round of peace talks broke down in April 2014 and Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged in recent months.

A Palestinian woman tried to knife an Israeli police trooper in the West Bank city of Hebron and was shot dead, police said. Since October, Palestinian street attacks that have killed 33 Israelis and two visiting Americans. Israel has killed at least 201 Palestinians, 136 of whom it said were assailants. Others were killed during clashes and protests.

&quot;Regrettably,&nbsp;Palestinian leaders have not consistently and clearly condemned specific terrorist attacks,&quot; the report said.

&quot;The Palestinian Authority should act decisively and take all steps within its capacity to cease incitement to violence and strengthen ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, including by clearly condemning all acts of terrorism,&quot; the&nbsp;Quartet&nbsp;report said.

The Palestinian Authority headed by President Mahmoud Abbas is based in the West Bank, while Islamist group Hamas has been in control of Gaza since 2007. The&nbsp;Quartet&nbsp;said Gaza and the West Bank &quot;should be reunified under a single, legitimate and democratic Palestinian authority.&quot;

UN&nbsp;Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov briefed the UN&nbsp;Security Council on Thursday on the&nbsp;Quartet&nbsp;report and said it would be up to the council and the international community to use the report to decide the way forward. 
 
(Reuters)

The report added that the Israeli policy of settlement expansion erodes the 'viability of the two-state solution'

Israel should stop building settlements, denying Palestinian development and designating land for exclusive Israeli use that Palestinians seek for a future state, the Middle East peace "Quartet" recommended today in a report. The report by the Quartet entities sponsoring the stalled peace process - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - said the Israeli policy "is steadily eroding the viability of the two-state solution". "This raises legitimate questions about Israel's long-term intentions, which are compounded by the statements of some Israeli ministers that there should never be a Palestinian state," according to the report. The day before Israeli elections in March 2015, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would never be a Palestinian state on his watch, only to reverse himself days later and recommit to the objective of a two-state solution. Diplomatic sources said the report carries significant political weight as it has the backing of close Israeli ally the United States, which has struggled to revive the peace talks amid tensions between Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama. Relations between the rightist Israeli leader and the Democratic president have yet to recover from their feud over last year's US-led international nuclear deal with Israel's foe Iran. The Quartet report said Israel had taken for its exclusive use some 70 per cent of Area C, which makes up 60 per cent of the occupied West Bank and includes the majority of agricultural lands, natural resources and land reserves. "The transfer of greater powers and responsibilities to Palestinian civil authority in Area C, contemplated by commitments in prior agreements, has effectively been stopped and in some ways reversed and should be resumed to advance the two state solution and prevent a one state reality from taking hold," the report said. Palestinian leaders should condemn terrorism The report said at least 570,000 Israelis are living in the settlements, which most countries deem illegal. "Israel should cease the policy of settlement construction and expansion, designating land for exclusive Israeli use and denying Palestinian development," the report recommends. It said only one permit for Palestinian housing construction in Area C was reportedly approved in 2014, while there did not appear to have been any approved in 2015. The Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas Israel captured in a 1967 war. The last round of peace talks broke down in April 2014 and Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged in recent months. A Palestinian woman tried to knife an Israeli police trooper in the West Bank city of Hebron and was shot dead, police said. Since October, Palestinian street attacks that have killed 33 Israelis and two visiting Americans. Israel has killed at least 201 Palestinians, 136 of whom it said were assailants. Others were killed during clashes and protests. "Regrettably, Palestinian leaders have not consistently and clearly condemned specific terrorist attacks," the report said. "The Palestinian Authority should act decisively and take all steps within its capacity to cease incitement to violence and strengthen ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, including by clearly condemning all acts of terrorism," the Quartet report said. The Palestinian Authority headed by President Mahmoud Abbas is based in the West Bank, while Islamist group Hamas has been in control of Gaza since 2007. The Quartet said Gaza and the West Bank "should be reunified under a single, legitimate and democratic Palestinian authority." UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov briefed the UN Security Council on Thursday on the Quartet report and said it would be up to the council and the international community to use the report to decide the way forward. (Reuters)

Israel should stop building settlements, denying Palestinian development, recommends Quartet report

Top US diplomat John Kerry will fly to Brussels and London on Monday for talks with Washington&#39;s key allies in the aftermath of Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union. 
 
US officials travelling to Rome with the secretary of state told reporters on the flight that two stops had been added to his European itinerary at the last moment. 
 
&quot;Tomorrow we&#39;ll go to Brussels and then on to London,&quot; one official said. 
 
Washington was dismayed last week when British voters chose to leave the European Union, a decision that triggered global economic uncertainty and fears other EU members will follow suit. 
 
President Barack Obama had made clear his concern about the Brexit referendum, and now US officials are scrambling to try to stop the political crisis harming Western unity. 
 
Kerry arrived in Rome today on a planned visit to have lunch with Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and a working dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 
 
But officials on his flight said that on Monday he would fly on to the EU headquarters in Brussels for crisis talks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. 
 
Mogherini had been expected to meet Kerry in Rome today, but she was busy dealing with the fallout of the dramatic vote, which stunned European and world leaders. 
 
From Brussels Kerry will continue to London to see Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and other officials from outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron`s government. 
 
The two senior diplomats are expected to hold a joint news conference before Kerry leaves to return to Washington. 
 
Obama and Kerry have been at pains to insist the vaunted &quot;special relationship&quot; between Washington and London will survive what US officials view as the Brexit debacle.But Washington foreign policy experts are all but unanimous in assessing that the White House will increasingly turn to core EU allies to defend its interests on the continent. 
 
Obama himself, on a visit to London last month, warned British voters that their nation would go &quot;to the back of the queue&quot; for a US trade deal if they voted &quot;out.&quot; 
 
US officials are also keen to help London`s divorce from Brussels go through smoothly without further inflicting further damage on skittish world financial markets. 
 
But they, like many EU capitals, are also concerned not to allow Brexit to serve as an inspiration for eurosceptic forces in other members such as Italy or The Netherlands. 
 
The London visit will be the first by a senior US official since Thursday`s dramatic referendum, when voters demanded Britain leave the world`s richest trading bloc.&nbsp; 
 
Kerry&#39;s trip had originally been planned as an opportunity to meet Netanyahu and discuss regional security and the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process. 
 
But US officials played down the chance of any concrete progress, insisting that the pair meet regularly and that no new initiative would be on the table.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

London visit will be the first by John Kerry after the referendum when voters demanded Britain leave the world's richest trading bloc

Top US diplomat John Kerry will fly to Brussels and London on Monday for talks with Washington's key allies in the aftermath of Britain's vote to leave the European Union. US officials travelling to Rome with the secretary of state told reporters on the flight that two stops had been added to his European itinerary at the last moment. "Tomorrow we'll go to Brussels and then on to London," one official said. Washington was dismayed last week when British voters chose to leave the European Union, a decision that triggered global economic uncertainty and fears other EU members will follow suit. President Barack Obama had made clear his concern about the Brexit referendum, and now US officials are scrambling to try to stop the political crisis harming Western unity. Kerry arrived in Rome today on a planned visit to have lunch with Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and a working dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But officials on his flight said that on Monday he would fly on to the EU headquarters in Brussels for crisis talks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Mogherini had been expected to meet Kerry in Rome today, but she was busy dealing with the fallout of the dramatic vote, which stunned European and world leaders. From Brussels Kerry will continue to London to see Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and other officials from outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron`s government. The two senior diplomats are expected to hold a joint news conference before Kerry leaves to return to Washington. Obama and Kerry have been at pains to insist the vaunted "special relationship" between Washington and London will survive what US officials view as the Brexit debacle.But Washington foreign policy experts are all but unanimous in assessing that the White House will increasingly turn to core EU allies to defend its interests on the continent. Obama himself, on a visit to London last month, warned British voters that their nation would go "to the back of the queue" for a US trade deal if they voted "out." US officials are also keen to help London`s divorce from Brussels go through smoothly without further inflicting further damage on skittish world financial markets. But they, like many EU capitals, are also concerned not to allow Brexit to serve as an inspiration for eurosceptic forces in other members such as Italy or The Netherlands. The London visit will be the first by a senior US official since Thursday`s dramatic referendum, when voters demanded Britain leave the world`s richest trading bloc. Kerry's trip had originally been planned as an opportunity to meet Netanyahu and discuss regional security and the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process. But US officials played down the chance of any concrete progress, insisting that the pair meet regularly and that no new initiative would be on the table. (AFP)

Top US envoy Kerry heads to Britain amid Brexit crisis