Israel/ Palestine

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s defence minister said Monday that negotiations with Palestinians on the situation in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank were pointless and that the country should act unilaterally. Avigdor Lieberman’s remarks came as Egypt and the United Nations were working to forge a lasting ceasefire between Gaza rulers Hamas and Israel […]

Venice (AFP) – Israeli director Amos Gitai lashed his country’s government Monday for trying to “turn culture into propaganda” and cosying up to the “worst anti-Semites in Europe”. He warned that Israel’s “open society” has been put at risk by Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government as he premiered two new documentaries at the Venice film festival. […]

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump’s swingeing cuts to aid for Palestinians will advance Israel’s interests but risk compromising a US-led peace push and raise tensions in the Middle East, analysts and diplomats said Saturday. The US administration announced Friday it would no longer provide any funding to the United Nations agency […]

Washington (AFP) – The United States announced it was halting funding for the United Nations’ agency for Palestinian refugees Friday after declaring the organization was “irredeemably flawed. Washington has long been the UN Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) largest donor but is “no longer willing to shoulder the very disproportionate share of the burden,” State […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – American singer Lana Del Rey said Friday she was postponing a performance in Israel after failing to set up a show “in Palestine.” The surprise cancellation came after a campaign by pro-Palestinian groups calling for a cultural boycott of Israel over its occupation of the West Bank. “It’s important to me to […]

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The United States Donald Trump administration will announce a suspension of funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and the rejection of the right of return for Palestinian refugees. According to Hebrew-language news outlets, the US administration is expected to announce its new policy early September, […]

London (Middle East Monitor) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told reporters accompanying him on his visit to Lithuania that he is seeking to divide the European Union and trying to prevent a consensus over Europe’s position on issues related to the Palestinians and Iran. Before leaving for a tour of the Baltic states, […]

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian officials of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) responded, on Saturday, to the United States Trump administration cutting more than $200 million of financial aid to the Palestinian people. PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi strongly criticized the US decision, stressing that “the US administration is demonstrating the use of cheap blackmail […]