Israel

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The left wing Democratic Union Party of Kurds in Northeast Syria and its paramilitary, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), warmly welcomed President Trump’s about-face and decision to keep at least 200 US troops in Syria on Friday. A YPG militia commander said that this American step “will prevent the region […]

Holocaust

Outreach of Israel’s Netanyahu to Polish Right Roiled by Holocaust Assertion

AFP

Warsaw (AFP) – Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has cancelled a visit to Israel for a high-level summit, a government spokesperson told AFP on Sunday, after uproar in Poland over reported comments by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu about the Poles and the Holocaust. Netanyahu — who was initially quoted in Haaretz newspaper as saying that […]

Donald Trump

Netanyahu’s Likud Party uses Trump Photo in Israeli Election Billboard

Middle East Monitor

A giant billboard of a smiling Donald Trump shaking hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loomed over parts of Tel Aviv on Sunday, part of the Israeli leader’s re-election campaign. Trump is popular in Israel because of his tough policies towards the Palestinians and Iran and his transfer last May of the American Embassy from […]

Israel

Gantz Targets Netanyahu in Israeli Election: ‘Ridiculous’ for Indicted PM to Serve

AFP

By Laurent Lozano | – Jerusalem (AFP) – A picture taken on January 29, 2019, shows the podium where former Israeli chief of staff Benny Gantz delivered his first electoral speech Bullish on security, conservative in diplomacy — ending weeks of silence, retired Israeli general Benny Gantz has launched his campaign to become prime minister. […]

Far Right

Israel: Key Far-Right Faction to be Headed by even Farther-Right anti-Palestinian Ideologue

Middle East Monitor

(Middle East Monitor) – An extreme right-wing member of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, has been elected to lead a faction of the Jewish Home party. Bezalel Smotrich MK is renowned for his pro-settlement views. Smotrich, who currently serves as the Deputy Knesset Speaker, was elected yesterday to head the National Union, an extreme faction […]

Corporate Surveillance

Snowden: If Israel’s NSO had Refused Sale to Saudis, Khashoggi would be Alive

Middle East Monitor

US whistle-blower Edward Snowden has said that if Israeli spyware firm NSO Group had refused to sell its technology to Saudi Arabia, murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi would still be alive. In an exclusive interview with Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth published yesterday, Snowden stressed: “There is a real possibility that if NSO had refused to […]

Israel

Will Israeli PM Netanyahu be Defeated by the Far-Right Monster he Created?

Maan News Agency

By Ramzy Baroud | – “A historic mistake” is how Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu responded to calls for early elections last November. A few weeks later, he spoke, in exaggerated confidence of the “unanimous” agreement of his right-wing coalition that early elections must be held next April. So why the change of heart? Netanyahu […]

Foreign Policy

Pompeo Pledges continuing US Cooperation with Israel in Syria v. Iran

Middle East Monitor

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that the United States would continue to cooperate with Israel over Syria and in countering Iran in the Middle East, even as President Donald Trump plans to withdraw US troops from Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as he met with Pompeo in the Brazilian […]

Iraq

Israeli general sees possible threat from Iraq as Iran’s clout grows

Middle East Monitor

Iran could use its growing clout in Iraq to turn it into a springboard for attacks against Israel, the chief of Israeli military intelligence said on Monday, reports Reuters. Israel sees the spread of Tehran’s influence in the region as a growing threat and has carried out scores of air strikes in civil war-torn Syria […]