Sources: Abbas’ health issues force Fatah Revolutionary Council to seek replacement

While rumors are swirling that Abbas has cancer, his personal aides maintain that the Palestinian autocrat is in good health, despite his visits to hospitals and refusal to be photographed.

By i24NEWS

 

A source who was present at the Fatah revolutionary council meeting told i24NEWS that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is suffering from health issues, once again sparking questions over who will succeed the Palestinian leader, slated to turn 83 years old at the end of the month.

Sources revealed to i24NEWS that journalists were barred from filming last week’s convening of the Fatah Revolutionary Council due to the PA chief’s deteriorating health. Continue Reading »

Saudi crown prince meets Israeli officials on normalizing Israeli-Saudi ties

A London-based Arabic daily reported Wednesday that the Saudi Crown Prince discussed normalizing Israeli-Saudi ties and President Trump’s planned “deal of the century” with Israeli officials in Egypt.
• The Saudis reportedly also invited Israel to join in the unprecedented ‘mega-city venture’ in the Gulf of Aqaba.

By Israel Hayom Staff

 

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with senior Israeli officials during his visit to Egypt this week, the London-based Arab newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on Wednesday.

The report said the meeting focused on the normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and included Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the “deal of the century,” the Middle East peace plan being devised by U.S. Continue Reading »

Israel passes first hurdle in Knesset to legalize cannabis

Israel’s Minister of Public Security is spearheading effort to end criminal proceeding for the use of marijuana in private. With the bill having passed unanimously in its first reading in the Knesset, it’s highly likely, average citizens caught with grass will no longer be stigmatized as criminals.

By SHOSHANA KRANISH

 

A bill that would legalize the use of cannabis passed unanimously in its first reading in the Knesset on Wednesday.

Currently, the law prohibits the usage of cannabis.

The new bill focuses on public enforcement: those caught with cannabis in public are subject to various fines: on the first offense, 1000 NIS and 2000 NIS for the second offense. Continue Reading »

Knesset Caucus to Initiate Criminal Charges Against Senior Palestinian Official

With new proof of senior PA official’s incitement to kill Jews presented in a Knesset caucus, decision was taken to hold the Palestinian officials responsible, since they “cannot be allowed to promulgate incitement without legal proceedings being instituted against them.”

By Nitsan Keidar and Hezki Baruc

 

The Israel Victory Project together with the Knesset Israel Victory Caucus (KIVC) on Tuesday held a discussion on holding the Palestinian Authority, especially its senior officials, directly responsible for its murderous incitement.

During the caucus meeting, new evidence was presented against senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official Jibril Rajoub on incitement to murder. KIVC co-chairs MKs Oded Forer (Yisrael Beytenu) and Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid) introduced practical measures that Israel will take against the Palestinian Authority for their rejectionism and violent incitement. Continue Reading »

Asked about 2-State solution, Netanyahu answered,  “empirically…it doesn’t work”

Prime Minster Netanyahu tells reporters in Washington: ‘We don’t want to control the Palestinians, but Israel will not give up its security and the Palestinians are not capable of rooting out violence.’

By Nitsan Keidar

 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday sat down in Washington for a talk with 12 American reporters at Blair House, the official guest house of the White House.

The event was attended by reporters from the New York Times, the Washington Post and other local broadcast networks. Netanyahu refused to answer questions about Israeli politics and about his former adviser Nir Hefetz becoming a state witness. Continue Reading »

Iranians Say Modern New Mosque Looks Like a ‘Jewish Yarmulke’

Conservative Muslims, unable to accept the modern mosque design in Tehran, blame the Jews for the building lacking the traditional domes and minarets, accusing authorities of “treason” for approving the design.

By Israel Today Staff

 

The Jewish people were surprised to find themselves entangled in a heated debate over mosque design in Iran.

A massive new mosque being constructed in Tehran sports a sleek, minimalist design that architects say evokes the “austerity of early Islam.”

But more conservative Muslim voices have slammed the departure from the more traditional domes and minarets characteristic of mosques across the Middle East.

Continue Reading »

Report: Poland’s President & Prime Minister ‘persona non grata’ at White House

Because of Poland’s Holocaust Law, that criminalizes any blaming of Poland or its citizens for Nazi crimes, both President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will not be received by President Donald Trump or the White House should they visit the United States, according to a document by the Onet news site.

By JTA

 

A leading news site in Poland reported that it had obtained documents suggesting that the country’s highest officials are not welcome at the White House over a law limiting discourse on World War II.

Poland’s current political leaders – Photos: Wikimedia

The documents, which the news site Onet did not describe in its March 5 report, mean that President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will not be received by President Donald Trump or any other member of the administration in the United States at all, the report said. Continue Reading »

Israel’s PM Netanyahu declares at AIPAC, “we must stop Iran and we will stop Iran”

Israel’s Prime Minister tells AIPAC Conference “we must stop Iran and we will stop Iran,” while urging Palestinian Authority autocrat Mahmoud Abbas to “embrace peace” and to stop paying his people to murder Jews.
 – WATCH PM Netanyahu’s speech in its entirety.

By Ynet

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)’s annual Conference Tuesday, where he said that “we must stop Iran and we will stop Iran,” while urging Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to “embrace peace” and paying homage to the “beautiful alliance” between the US and Israel.

After delivering a presentation about Israel’s technological worth on the world stage and outlining his optimistic vision for his country’s ability to further “change the world,” the Israeli premier turned his attention to “the bad news.” Continue Reading »

HISTORIC: Saudi Arabia allows Air India direct flights to Israel over its airspace

Israel’s PM Netanyahu announced from Washington on Monday that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has granted Air India rights to overfly it en route to Israel, ending its decades long opposition.

By i24NEWS

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Monday that Saudi Arabia has given Air India permission to use its airspace on flights to Tel Aviv, confirming weeks of speculation and signaling a small but unprecedented step in thawing relations between Israel and some Arab states.

El Al destination Map – IridianD

Netanyahu revealed the news in a briefing with Israeli reporters in Washington DC shortly after his meeting with US President Donald Trump. Continue Reading »

IDF to replace 40 yr-old Sikorsky ‘Yasur’ helicopters with Boeing’s Chinook

Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook will have advanced design composite rotor blades, allowing for the maximum gross weight to increase from 50k pounds to 54k pounds and its payload to increase from 19,278 lb to 22,207 lb.

By ANNA AHRONHEIM

 

The IDF Ground Forces Command plans to recommend Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook tandem-rotor helicopter to the Israel Air Force as it modernizes its heavy-lift helicopter fleet, a senior officer has said.

Speaking to reporters during a briefing in central Israel last week, the senior officer said the command will recommend the Chinook over Lockheed Martin’s CH-53K King Stallion by Sikorsky, which is the main competition in the contract to replace Israel’s aging Yasur helicopters. Continue Reading »

Why Arabs hate Palestinians: Their ‘struggle’ has become a rewarding profession

Op-Ed — The Arab world, for all their reasons, has never really been adamant, or even keen about facilitating independence for the Palestinian Arabs, and the Palestinian Arabs don’t actually want a state of their own either (notice how every offer is either ‘unacceptable’, or ‘sabotaged’ by their leaders?), because that would kill the “refugee” goose that lays them ‘golden eggs.’

Why do the Arabs hate the Palestinians so?
By Dr. Mordechai Kedar

 

In Israel, and in much of the Western world, we tend to think that the Arab world is united in support of the Palestinians, that it  wants nothing so much as to solve the Palestinian problem by giving them a state, and that all the Arabs and Muslims love the Palestinians and hate Israel.   Continue Reading »

Coping with stomach cancer, Abbas’ replacement is named by Fatah

Should the Palestinian autocrat be incapacitated, Fatah officials appointed Mahmoud al-Aloul as “acting president of Palestine” for 90 days, until elections can be held.
• Fatah officials claim appointment of interim leader was prompted by ‘rumors’ of Abbas’ failing health.

By Daniel Siryoti & Israel Hayom Staff

 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will be replaced by his deputy, Mahmoud al-Aloul, if he becomes unable to fulfill his duties, Fatah’s Central Committee decided in Ramallah on Saturday.

According to Palestinian media outlets, Fatah’s Central Committee decided that should Abbas, 82, were unable to continue in his role, al-Aloul will be appointed “acting president of Palestine for a period of three months until elections can be held.” Continue Reading »

Fatah: Palestinian leader Abbas refused to meet Trump officials when last in U.S.

Fatah member boasts on Palestinian TV that just as Abbas refused a meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence during his mid-East visit, Abbas again rejected an invitation to meet with Trump administration officials after UN address.

By ADAM RASGON

 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected an offer to meet with Trump administration officials last month when he visited New York City, Fatah Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad said on Saturday.

Palestinian autocrat Abbas addresses UNGA – Screenshot UN YouTube

In February, Abbas spent a few days in New York City, where he delivered a speech to the United Nations Security Council. Continue Reading »

Guatemalan President, ‘It’s an honor to move our embassy to Jerusalem’

VIDEO: Discussing the next embassy move to Jerusalem, an appreciative PM Netanyahu personally thanks Guatemalan president in Washington, “Thank you for everything you’re doing, for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales in Washington DC Sunday afternoon.

Relations between Israel and Guatemala have been very warm. President Morales announced in December that he was in favor in relocating the Guatemalan embassy in Israel to Jerusalem following US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the start of the meeting Sunday: “Thank you for everything you’re doing, for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Continue Reading »

Former cyber security official arrested for framing Lebanese actor as Israeli spy

Lebanese actor Ziad Itani, who was arrested in November for spying for Israel, fell victim to a plot hatched by the former (now, herself arrested) Lebanese cyber security official, Maj. Susan Hajj Hobeiche.

By Ynet

 

Lebanese actor and director Ziad Itani was arrested in November on accusations of cooperating with and spying for Israel. It is now evident that Itani fell victim to a plot hatched by Major Susan Hajj Hobeiche, the former head of the Lebanese Anti-Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Bureau who was arrested Friday.

Itani was accused of being recruited by a female Israeli intelligence agent and that the two exchanged information. Continue Reading »