Seeking to overcome French and German objections reportedly linked to those countries’ fears that Hezbollah will target their interests, the U.S. government is continuing to push the European Union to blacklist the Iran-backed group Hezbollah as a terrorist organization: [Treasury Under Secretary David] Cohen said, “One, the designation of Hezbollah...
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The Arab League decided last week to allow its member states to arm the Syrian opposition. Theoretically, until that decision, the League had — at least publicly — limited its members to giving humanitarian aid to the rebels. This week’s decision may not fundamentally change the nature of the Syrian...
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All sides are maneuvering in anticipation of President Obama’s upcoming visit to Israel, where he will seek to improve the mood between the White House, Ramallah’s Muqata, and the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. Expect a lot of symbolic gestures without perhaps too much substance. The Syrian and Iranian portfolios,...
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The United Nations is expressing hopes that 21 Filipno U.N. peacekeepers captured this week by Syrian rebels will be released on Saturday. A bid to secure their release was aborted on Friday, and they are now set to be freed tomorrow during two-hour truce between the Syrian army and the...
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Israel last night hosted an evening of music in the hall of the United Nations General Assembly, designed to highlight Israeli diversity and to emphasize Israel’s desire for peace with its neighbors. The “Tunes for Peace Concert” program featured one of Israel’s most popular and acclaimed singers, Iranian-born Rita Yahan-Farouz,...
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Sanctions are not stopping Iran’s atomic program, the top U.S. general responsible for the Middle East told a Senate panel Wednesday, and if necessary, Israel has the intention and means to degrade the program without American help. The Times of Israel picked up what the paper described as a little-noticed...
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Al Qaeda-linked fighters in Syria are scouting and filming IDF patrols along Israel’s border with Syria, according to a boastful video uploaded by the jihadists: Members of the al-Furqan group — affiliated with the global al-Qaeda organization which has acted in Yemen and Iraq — were filmed close to Israel’s...
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Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor is stressing the need to enhance security along the Israeli-Syrian border, after three mortars launched from Syria landed deep inside Israeli territory this weekend. In a letter to the U.N. Security Council calling for action, Prosor stressed that Israel would be forced to take...
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Vice President Joe Biden brought a politician’s charm to the 2013 AIPAC Policy Conference Monday, but also a clear message to Iran and to the international community regarding the U.S. commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. There were age jokes, generous smiles, several variations of “great to be here,” and...
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Speaking yesterday to an estimated 13,000 delegates at AIPAC’s 2013 Policy Conference, U.S. Senator John Cornyn linked the bipartisan American consensus in favor of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship to common values shared between the two countries: Strong support for Israel on Capitol Hill reflects the strong support for Israel in...
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