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☆ Opinion | Netanyahu Is Making Israel Radioactive
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

With enemies like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran, Israel should be enjoying the sympathy of much of the world. No fair-minded person could deny Israel the right of self-defense after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 Israelis in one day. Women were sexually abused, and children were killed in front of their parents and parents in front of their children. Scores of abducted Israeli men, women, children and elderly people are still being held hostage in terrible conditions, now for more than 150 days. Urban warfare brings out the absolute worst in people, and that is certainly true for Israel in Gaza.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: West Bank Locations: Israel, Iran, Gaza, U.S

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a barrage of super PAC money, more than 20 progressive groups are coming together to forcefully counter pro-Israel groups’ efforts to primary challenge liberal members who've been critics of Israel's blistering military offensive in Gaza. The coalition, called Reject AIPAC, includes Jewish peace organizations and Arab American and Muslim groups that have been organizing in record numbers since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. That campaign has turned the otherwise safely Democratic districts into election battlegrounds. Israel’s air and ground offensive has also driven most Palestinians from their homes and pushed one-quarter of the population toward starvation. This comes as AIPAC shifted in its own strategy in the last several years, transitioning from strictly a lobbying organization to helping elect centrist, pro-Israel Democrats.

Persons: who've, ”, Usamah, Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Cori Bush of, ” Andrabi Organizations: WASHINGTON, Israel, Hamas, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Democratic, Justice Democrats, AIPAC, Democratic Party, Press, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Israel Democrats Locations: Gaza, Israel, Washington, New York, Minnesota, Cori Bush of Missouri

☆ Biden is changing his Israel-Gaza strategy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewAs bodies pile up in Gaza and "uncommitted" votes pile up in primary state after primary state, President Joe Biden appears to understand that he has a problem on his hands. "We're not waiting on the Israelis," a senior Biden administration official told reporters as they previewed the plan on Thursday, ahead of Biden's speech. AdvertisementPresident Biden: "I told him, Bibi, and don't repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting." And roughly half of those who voted for Biden in 2020 believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, according to recent polling. "I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel, my entire career," said Biden.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Biden, We're, he's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Bibi, Jesus ’, ”, KCgpbx4awf — Sawyer Hackett, Pramila Organizations: Service, State, Business, Biden, Democratic, Capitol Locations: Gaza, Israel, @SawyerHackett, Washington, State

☆ Biden knows Israel's war in Gaza is a problem for him — and he's changing his strategy to address it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAs bodies pile up in Gaza and "uncommitted" votes pile up in primary state after primary state, President Joe Biden appears to understand that he has a problem on his hands. AdvertisementPresident Biden: "I told him, Bibi, and don't repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting." One month ago, Biden described Israel's conduct in Gaza as "over the top." And roughly half of those who voted for Biden in 2020 believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, according to recent polling.

☆ Opinion: This election, Americans are shedding an ugly stereotype
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Increasingly, 2024 is becoming a foreign policy election. Even on domestic policy, one of the top issues is immigration, an area where foreign and domestic policy intersect. But foreign policy has still managed to emerge as a key concern. In 2013, when President Barack Obama launched his second term, I listened to his inaugural speech looking for clues about foreign policy. Americans worry about what’s happening in the world and about the role the United States will play in directing that trajectory.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Jim Hoge, ” It’s, Joe Biden’s, “, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Biden, disparages Putin, Pew, ”, Harris, Barack Obama, …, Bashar al, Assad Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Foreign Affairs, Democratic, Israel, Republican, NATO, Biden, Trump, Hamas, Gallup, Harvard, Islamic, ISIS, West Locations: Michigan, Russia, United States, Ukraine, Israel, China, Taiwan, Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan

☆ Rep. Ritchie Torres quietly leaves Progressive Caucus amid tensions over Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York is no longer a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) after months of tensions with colleagues over the Israel-Hamas war. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. It's also unclear whether Torres left the caucus voluntarily, with one senior progressive caucus member telling Business Insider that the New York Democrat "never showed up" for meetings. One fellow progressive member told Business Insider that he only found out about it via social media. AdvertisementIt's also not the first time Torres has left a progressive caucus.

Persons: Ritchie Torres, Torres, Rashida, Tlaib, Lois Frankel, Florida —, xuMZTw7wSw — Ritchie Torres, Pramila Jayapal, It's, Alexandria Ocasio, Joe Crowley Organizations: Congressional Progressive Caucus, CPC, New York Democrat, Business, Jewish, Democratic Locations: New York, Israel, Michigan, Jewish State, New York City, Alexandria

☆ Opinion | Only Biden and M.B.S. Can Redirect the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I understand why many in an Israeli society still traumatized by the Hamas surprise attack on Oct. 7 don’t want to hear talk of a Palestinian state, even in a demilitarized form. But for many Israelis that was true for years before the Gaza war. To continue ignoring the subject now would be a grave error. Israel needs to shape it, not ignore it. This will force Israel’s Arab allies to distance themselves from the Jewish state.

Persons: — Organizations: Israel, Israel reconnecting, West Bank Locations: Israel, America, Saudi Arabia, Palestinian, Gaza

The US said the attack lasted 30 minutes, hitting 85 targets across seven locations in Iraq and Syria. In 2016, the Iraqi parliament passed a bill recognizing the PMU as a government entity operating alongside the Iraqi military. A screengrab from a video, geolocated by CNN to the town of Qaim, Iraq, shows the aftermath of US military strikes in the area, according to the Iraqi Military. Iraq and Syria condemned the US attack as infringements on their sovereignty that risk fueling regional conflict. “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” Biden said in a statement Friday, following the strikes on Iraq and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, –, Biden, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Sanders, Matt Rourke, Qaim, Turki Al, John Kirby, Washington, ”, SANA, Kirby, Douglas Sims, “, Mike Johnson, ” Johnson, Jack Reed, Lloyd Austin, ” Biden, Charles Lister, ” Lister, Ebrahim Raisi Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Army, US Army, Dover Air Force Base, House, Hezbollah, Al, US National Security, Syrian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iraq’s Armed Forces, United Nations Charter, Republican, Senate Armed, US, Coalition Forces, Austin, Middle East Institute, Iraq Locations: United States, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Israel, Delaware, Iraqi, Al, ” Syria’s, Deir Ezzor, Gen, Qaim, ” Syria, Washington ,, Tehran

☆ Why Yemen’s Houthi rebels welcome conflict with the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Since mid-November the rebels have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab al-Mandab. The Red Sea is a vital waterway that connects to the Suez Canal, through which 10% to 15% of world trade passes. In its fight, the Houthi group has distracted from Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, shored up domestic and international support, and made its name known among those who knew little to nothing about the movement, they say. That narrative has taken hold among those who oppose the Gaza war the world over. Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when Houthi forces stormed the capital Sanaa and toppled the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.

Persons: Abdel Malek al, Houthi, ”, Allah, Thomas Juneau, ” Juneau, ’, Ahmed Nagi, Juneau, Israel, “, Biden, Netanyahu, ” Mohamed Ali al, Nagi, ” Nagi, ” Mohammed Ali Al, Yemen's Houthi, ” “ Houthis, Nadwa, Yemenis, ” Dawsari Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemeni, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa, Canada’s Department of National Defense, Yemeni Armed Forces, European Union, NATO, United, Crisis, UN, BBC, Political Council, Galaxy Leader, Getty, Middle East Institute Locations: Constantinople, Istanbul, United States, Saudi, Israel, Gaza, Bab, Suez, Iran, China, India, Tehran, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Red, Solidarity, Aden, Instagram, US, United Kingdom, Brussels, Saudi Arabia, tatters, Yemen's province, Hodeida, AFP, America, Washington ,

☆ The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Long Shadow of 1948
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Emily Bazelon | A Discussion Moderated Emily Bazelon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

In 1948, Jews realized their wildly improbable dream of a state, and Palestinians experienced the mass flight and expulsion called the Nakba, or catastrophe. It’s only in 1948 that the Arabs become Palestinians and the Jews become Israelis. Many Jews became lower-level officers during World War II, and they brought their new military expertise to the 1948 war. Zoltan Kluger/GPO, via Getty Images Palestinian bombers destroyed buildings on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem in March 1948. Bettmann/Getty Images A Palestinian refugee cut off from her home by the border established after the 1948 war.

Persons: Matson, —, Khalil Raad, Yaakov Ben Dov Delegates, Haj Amin al, Husseini, ”, It’s, Avraham Avinu, David, Fox, King David Hotel, David Ben, Gurion, “, Hitler, Hans Pinn, Abd al, Qadir al, Chalil, Zoltan Kluger, Ben Yehuda, Hugo H, Mendelsohn, John Phillips, Palestine ”, UNSCOP, Bettmann, Ruth Orkin, David Seymour, Jordan, Israel, Abdullah, Nadim, Leena Dallasheh, Abigail Jacobson, Moshe Naor, ” Derek Penslar, ” Itamar Rabinovich, Salim Tamari, Emily Bazelon, Herzl, Faisal Al, Hashemi, James Russell &, Bain, Jabotinsky, Abraham Pisarek, Weizmann, Heinrich Hoffmann Organizations: Congress, Institute for Palestine, Palestinian, . Institute for Palestine, Matson, Palestine, Getty, of Congress British, Peel, Zionist, Jewish, British Armed Forces, Allied, King, of Congress Women, Hulton, Biltmore, British, Agence France, Getty Images, Refugees, West Bank, Shutterstock, United Nations, League of Nations, United, United Nations Jewish, Madver, The, Palestine Studies, Columbia University, Columbia University , New York University, Rice University, Islamic, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Center for Jewish Studies, Harvard University, Tel Aviv University, Birzeit University, Institute for Palestine Studies, The New York Times Magazine, James Russell & Sons, of Congress, Israel, Ben, General Photographic Agency, Society, International Affairs Locations: Palestine, City, Jerusalem, Canadian American, Israel, British, Jaffa, Damascus, Old City, Hebron, Safed, Europe, Arab, North Africa, New York City, Middle Eastern, Haifa, Cyprus, Jenin, U.S, United Nations, Iraq, Tel Aviv’s Lod, Lebanon, Eyal, el Bared, Egypt, Syria, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Palestinian, United States, Qatar, Iran, Columbia University ,, Nazareth, Israeli, Husseini

☆ UNRWA Could Shut Down by End of February if Funding Does Not Resume
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA (Reuters) - The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said on Thursday that it will most likely be forced to shut down its operations in the Middle East, including in Gaza, by the end of the month if funding does not resume. A string of countries including the United States, Germany and Britain have paused their funding to the aid agency in the wake of allegations that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel. "The agency remains the largest aid organization in one of the most severe and complex humanitarian crises in the world," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement. "If the funding remains suspended, we will most likely be forced to shut down our operations by end of February not only in Gaza but also across the region." Israeli authorities have long called for the agency to be dismantled, arguing that its mission is obsolete and fosters anti-Israeli sentiment, something UNRWA has vigorously denied.

Persons: Philippe Lazzarini, defunding, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nidal Al, Jana Choukeir, Clauda Tanios, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Kevin Liffey Organizations: DOHA, Reuters, United Nations Palestinian, World Health Organization, WHO, UNRWA, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, General, West Bank Locations: Gaza, United States, Germany, Britain, Israel

☆ A Palestinian restaurant in New York hosted a free Shabbat dinner. Over 1,300 people showed up.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Owner Abdul Elenani hosted a Shabbat dinner to foster dialogue and thank those who stood by him. Fluffy pita was piled next to enormous loaves of challah bread, a traditional Jewish Shabbat dinner staple. Over 1,300 people showed up to Ayat's free community Shabbat dinner. A range of perspectivesAyat's Shabbat dinner attracted people from various backgrounds and perspectives who may not normally have shared a meal together. If Ayat's packed Shabbat dinner is any indication, people are hungry for such spaces now more than ever.

Persons: Abdul Elenani, —, pita, Ayat, Talia Lakritz, Yousef Munayyer, Elenani, we're, it's, I'm, Masoud, Paula Rackoff, Myriam Marques, Abby Stein, Ellen Lippmann Organizations: Service, Defamation League, Facebook, New York Post, Physicians for Human Rights, Racial, Economic Locations: Palestinian, NYC, Israel, Ditmas, New York City, Palestine

☆ She Issued a Call to ‘#MakeJewishBabies.’ Some Are Taking It Seriously.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Joseph Bernstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Marrying a Jewish man — and having Jewish children — wasn’t a top priority for Irina Barskaya. Despite pressure from her mother and her older sister, Ms. Barskaya, a 33-year-old hair and makeup artist from Brooklyn, said that in her search for Mr. Scrolling through social media between clients at the Midwood salon where she works, Ms. Barskaya found herself in tears at reports of the Hamas attacks on Israelis, in which about 1,200 people were killed, according to the authorities. As the scale of the killings became clear in the following days, Ms. Barskaya thought of her family and friends in Israel, and felt a new resolve to reproduce with another Jew. “There’s not a lot of us in the world,” Ms. Barskaya said.

Persons: — wasn’t, Irina Barskaya, Barskaya, “, “ There’s, Ms, ” Organizations: Washington , D.C, Israel Locations: Brooklyn, Israel, Washington ,, Gaza

☆ Opinion | Netanyahu’s Cynical Political Game
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Serge Schmemann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It has become clear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is not the leader for this critical moment. But Mr. Netanyahu blocks the way. As a majority of Israelis and their allies can see, Mr. Netanyahu and his insistence on “total victory” over Hamas, with no consideration of the consequences or costs, have become a part of the problem. He is playing a cynical game, using the war to serve his political ends, and Israelis, most of whom support the effort to wipe out Hamas, are getting tired of it. He has even managed to alienate Israel’s most important ally.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ”, Biden’s, Israel —, Netanyahu —, Israel’s, Biden Organizations: Israel, Mr Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States

☆ Why both South Africa and Israel are welcoming the UN court’s ruling in a landmark genocide case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abbas Allawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A historic ruling by the United Nations’ top court in a genocide case against Israel on Friday was welcomed by the three main parties it involved: Israel, South Africa and the Palestinians. The International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands, ordered Israel to “take all measures” to prevent genocide in Gaza after South Africa accused Israel of violating international laws on genocide in its war in the territory. It rejected Israel’s request for the case to be thrown out, but it also stopped short of ordering Israel to halt the war as South Africa has asked. “I would have wanted a ceasefire,” said South African foreign minister Naledi Pandor after the ruling in The Hague. Mohammed el-Kurd, a Palestinian activist from Jerusalem, said the ICJ failed on South Africa’s “most important request” to suspend the military operations.

Persons: “, Israel, ”, Naledi Pandor, Eylon Levi, ” Avi Mayer, ” Shelly Aviv Yeini, ” Robbie Sabel, Sabel, Yeini, didn’t, Mohammed el Organizations: CNN, United Nations ’, Israel, Court of Justice, Convention, Israel’s Haifa University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, ICJ Locations: Israel, South Africa, The Hague, Netherlands, Gaza, Palestinian, Jerusalem, “

☆ Top UN court says Israel must take ‘all measures’ to prevent genocide in Gaza but stops short of calling for ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The UN’s top court ordered Israel to “take all measures” to prevent genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for Israel to suspend its military campaign in the war-torn enclave. South Africa had accused Israel of violating international laws on genocide in its war in Gaza, and wanted the court to order a halt in fighting. Friday’s decision related only to South Africa’s request for emergency measures, which act like a restraining order while the Court considers the full merits of the full genocide case, which could take years. The Court also ordered Israel to “prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide,” as well as to “ensure the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” in Gaza. Netanyahu hails rulingApart from its call for a halt in fighting, the bulk of South Africa’s nine requests to the Court were met.

Persons: Israel, “, ”, Joan Donoghue, Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Janina Dill, Israel’s, ” Israel, Israel ” Organizations: CNN, Israel, International Court, Justice, Convention, Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics, Law, Genocide, Hamas Locations: Gaza, The Hague, Netherlands, Gaza . South Africa, Israel, South, South Africa, ”

☆ Explainer-What Is the Two-State Solution to the Israel-Palestinian Conflict?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +10 min

Obstacles have long impeded the two-state solution, which envisages Israeli and Palestinian states alongside each other. Advocates of the two-state solution have envisaged a Palestine in the Gaza Strip and West Bank linked by a corridor through Israel. As the two-state solution has floundered, talk of a one-state solution has risen. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a Jan. 23 speech, said the two-state solution remained the only way to address the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians. He criticised "clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government".

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Rabin, Bill Clinton, Arafat, Ehud Barak, Camp David, Jerusalem, Joe Biden, Abdel Fattah al, Abbas, Mahmoud Abbas, Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu, Abbas's Fatah, Biden, Osama Hamdan, General Antonio Guterres, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Maayan Lubell, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, Tom Perry, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, Arab League, Israel, West Bank, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Palestinian Authority, Israeli, Bank, Geneva Accord, Finance Locations: Washington, Gaza, Palestinian, Jordan, Jerusalem, Palestine, Europe, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, East Jerusalem, Egypt, U.S, Oslo, Israeli, West Bank, Jordanian, Oslo Accords, U.N

A key part of that lofty aspiration was the drafting of a convention that codified and committed nations to prevent and punish a new crime, sometimes called the crime of crimes: genocide. Now, in response to Israel's devastating military offensive in Gaza that was triggered by murders and atrocities perpetrated by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, South Africa has gone to the International Court of Justice and accused Israel of genocide. The ICC prosecutes individuals and is separate to the International Court of Justice, which rules in disputes between nations. At public hearings earlier this month and in its detailed written submission to the ICJ, South Africa cited comments by Israeli officials that it claimed demonstrate intent. Both Gambia and South Africa have filed ICJ cases in conflicts they are not directly involved in.

Persons: Reich, Mary Ellen O’Connell, Notre Dame University's, Israel, “, Joan E, Donoghue, ”, Marieke de Hoon, Said O’Connell, Malcolm Shaw, Serbia “, —, Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, Jean Paul Akayesu, Omar al, Bashir, Danica Kirka Organizations: —, United Nations, Nazi, Notre Dame, Notre Dame University's Kroc, International Court of, Criminal, ICC, International Court of Justice, University of Amsterdam, of Islamic Cooperation, Rwanda —, Yugoslav, Bosnian, Associated Locations: HAGUE, Netherlands, Nazi Germany, Germany, Eastern Europe, Russia, Gaza, South Africa, Israel, Pretoria, Africa, ”, Rome, Serbia, Srebrenica, Bosnian, Moscow, Ukraine, Gambia, Myanmar, That's, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Arusha, Tanzania, Darfur, Cambodia, Khmer Rouge, London

☆ John Fetterman and Joe Manchin decline to back resolution supporting a 2-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewOn Wednesday, Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii released an amendment to a forthcoming national security bill that affirms US support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. "What will determine the future of Israel and Palestine is whether or not there's hope," Schatz told reporters on Wednesday. "And the two-state solution has to be that hope." It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel's security needs were "irreconcilable with a Palestinian state." "My insistence is what has prevented — over the years — the establishment of a Palestinian state that would have constituted an existential danger to Israel," Netanyahu later said.

Persons: —, Democratic Sen, Brian Schatz, Schatz, John Fetterman of, Joe Manchin, Manchin, Fetterman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu Organizations: Service, Democratic, Hawaii, Business, Democratic Party —, Mr, Hawaii Democrat, Republican, Republicans Locations: Israel, Palestine, Sens, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Palestinian, Ukraine, Hawaii

☆ Iran-backed groups in the Middle East and major US military deployments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abbas Allawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The US has attacked Iranian-backed groups in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, while Iran-linked groups have targeted American personnel in Iraq and Syria. The US, having been trying to pivot away from the Middle East for years, finds itself drawn back into the region. And in some places, including Iraq and Syria, the US military presence overlaps that of Iran and its allies. The US has around 13,500 US forces in Kuwait, the largest American military presence in the region. The US this month quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence for another 10 years at the base.

Persons: Yemen’s, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Harakat, Sayyid, Al, Haq, Asad, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Ali, Dalton Williams Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, Islamic, Navy, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Institute for National Security, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, National Intelligence, Badr Organization, Asad Air Base, Erbil AB, Al, Force, Fatemiyoun, ISIS, Syria Security, Syrian Democratic Forces, Syrian Free Army, CNN, Gaza, US Air Force, Battalion, 163rd Cavalry Regiment, Ali Al Salem Air Base, U.S . Air Force, Washington, United Arab, US, Udeid, Base, Forward Headquarters, Combined Air Operations Centre, Prince Sultan Air Base, UAE, Al Dhafra, Al Dhafra Air Base, Gulf Air Warfare Center, US Naval Forces Central Command Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Iran, US, Iranian, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, Pakistan, Islamic Republic, Washington, Lebanon Lebanon, East, Lebanon, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Iraq Tehran, Baghdad, Al, Erbil, Syria Iran, Syrian, Pakistani, ”, Red, Saudi, Yemen’s, Kuwait, U.S, Palestinian, Arab, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Doha, Al Dhafra Air, Bahrain, Jordan, Incirlik

☆ Iran's ‘brazen’ strikes around the Middle East send a message to Israel and the U.S., analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Fayaz Aziz | ReutersIran's recent missile and drone strikes on targets in three countries — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — may not have been directly related to Israel's war in the Gaza Strip but they still revealed an intent to send a clear message, analysts told CNBC. Iraqi and Pakistani ministers vocally criticized the attacks, calling them a "violation" and vowing consequences. watch nowPakistan responded a day later, striking targets inside Iran that Iranian authorities say killed several people. They were also the first time Iran had deployed its military directly at any time since the Israel-Hamas war began. "There is an element of signaling to the United States and Israel by carrying out these strikes because they do showcase Iran's continued ballistic missile capabilities," Bohl told CNBC.

Persons: Fayaz Aziz, Ben Taleblu, we've, Ian Bremmer, Yemen's, Ryan Bohl, Bohl, Safin Hamid Organizations: Reuters, CNBC, ISIS, Foundation for Defense, Democracies, Washington D.C, Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Eurasia Group, Economic, Middle East, RANE Network, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, AFP, Getty Locations: Iran, Tehran, Israel, Peshawar, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Washington, Israeli, Iraq's Kurdistan, State, Iraqi, Davos, Lebanon, Hamas, Yemen, U.S, Red, United States, Kurdistan, Arbil

Washington CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday appeared to reject the idea of creating a Palestinian state, a statement that could contribute to growing tensions between Washington and Jerusalem. “This conflict is not about the absence of a (Palestinian) state but about the existence of a state, the Jewish state,” Netanyahu also said. American officials said Thursday they would not allow Netanyahu’s apparent rejection of an eventual Palestinian state to stop them from pressing the matter with their Israeli counterparts. “But they underscored that this can only come through a regional approach that includes a pathway to a Palestinian state,” Blinken said. And this is this is not a new comment by Prime Minister Netanyahu,” he said.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden, Biden, Netanyahu, ”, he’s, Israel, ” Biden, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, John Kirby, “ We’re Organizations: Washington CNN, Israeli, American, Israel, Biden, US National Security Council, Air Force Locations: Washington, Jerusalem, “, Israel, Jordan, Tel Aviv, Palestinian, Gaza

☆ Israel’s far-right wants to move Palestinians out of Gaza. Its ideas are gaining attention
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Mick Krever | Jomana Karadsheh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —The Israeli soldiers stand rifles in hand, arm over shoulder, speaking to the camera. “We must promote a solution to encourage the emigration of the residents of Gaza,” far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on January 1. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position in the Defense Ministry, says that Israel “will rule there. If Palestinians in Gaza are “post-Jihad, pro-Israel, and want to live that good life in that beautiful soil, there should be an opportunity for that,” he said. That color was adopted in 2004 and 2005 by the movement protesting Israel’s disengagement from Gaza.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, “, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel “, Antony Blinken, Dahlia Scheindlin, Itamar Ben Gvir, restoking, Netanyahu, ” Scheindlin, Diana Buttu, Netanyahu’s, ”, Ariel Sharon’s, Katif, Yishai Fleisher, ” Fleisher, we’ve, Fleisher, –, Jordan, ” Israel, Gush Katif, Hanan Ben Ari serenaded, Ben Gvir, Gila, Mahmoud Abbas, ” Omer Bartov, Buttu, ” Netanyahu, ” Tzvi, Melech, Ben Gvir’s Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Gaza . Social Media, ”, Likud, National, Defense Ministry, United, Haaretz, Israeli, National Security, Settler, West Bank, “, Israel, Norwegian Refugee Council, United Nations, International Court of Justice, Israel Defense Forces, Gush, Social Media, Oregon State University, City University of New, Brown University, Smotrich’s, Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power Party Locations: Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Ramallah, Authority, ”, United States, Palestinian, Qatar, “, Hebron, Turkey, South America, South Africa, The Hague, Jerusalem, Gush, Israeli, Nova Beach, City University of New York, Israel’s

☆ These 11 senators supported Bernie Sanders's resolution to force a State Department report on Israeli human rights violations in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewJust 11 senators on Tuesday evening supported advancing a resolution from Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have significantly escalated congressional oversight of US military aid to Israel. AdvertisementUnder a relatively obscure provision within US law, the resolution would have forced the State Department to provide Congress with a report on human rights violations by Israel. "We will be voting on a very simple question: do you support asking the State Department whether human rights violations may have occurred using US equipment or assistance in this war?" However, it would be highly unusual for the State Department to fail to respond to an oversight request from Congress. "This should be the beginning of a broader human rights oversight process," said Chappell.

Persons: —, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, — Sen, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, Israel, Gaza —, Chris Coons, Coons, John, Chappell, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Gaza Health Ministry, State Department, Israel, Senate Foreign Relations, Foreign Assistance, Department, Center for Civilians Locations: Israel, Gaza, Chris Coons of Delaware, Ukraine, Virginia, Maryland

☆ Senate to Vote on Forcing Human Rights Report as a Condition for Israel Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

More than 100 days later, that consensus on Capitol Hill shows signs of fraying, as left-wing Democrats alarmed by the rising human toll of the war in Gaza press to limit aid to Israel or impose strict conditions on it. The effort has divided Democrats and spurred an intensive lobbying countereffort by pro-Israel groups. It will reach a peak on Tuesday, when the Senate votes on a resolution that would freeze all U.S. security aid to Israel unless the State Department produces a report within 30 days examining whether the country committed human rights violations in its conduct of the war. If the Biden administration misses the deadline, the aid would be restored once Congress receives the report, or takes separate votes to ensure the assistance continues uninterrupted. “That with American military aid, children are starving to death, is to me — I mean, I just don’t know what adjectives I can use.

Persons: Biden, Bernie Sanders, Israel, Mr, Sanders, ” Organizations: Hamas, Israel, Capitol Hill, State Department, Republicans, Senate Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, Vermont, United

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