Lebanon Mourns As Blasts Kills Dozens, Injures Thousands
Lebanon’s prime minister has declared a national day of mourning after his nation’s worst explosion in years devastated Beirut killing scores of people and injuring thousands.
Israel
Israel Mulls Imposing Another Lockdown to Fight Virus
Israeli leaders are considering reinstating a full lockdown in August as the country continues to battle a second wave of the coronavirus.
Israeli court upholds block on Palestinian Authority payments to terrorists
The Tel-Aviv District Court ruled in favor of an Israeli government crack-down on Palestinian Authority (PA) payments to convicted terrorists in prison, Israel Hayom reported.
IDF strikes Syrian military targets in response to attempted border attack
The Israeli military conducted a series of airstrikes on Syrian military targets late Monday night in response to an attempted attack on the border in the Golan Heights the night before, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Likud minister: If Gantz fails to back budget, we’ll form alternative government
Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis warned Monday that if the Blue and White party does not back a single-year budget as pushed by his Likud party, the latter will seek to replace the unity coalition with an alternative government of 61 MKs.
Netanyahu: West Bank annexation ‘not off the table’; issue ‘is in Washington’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told his Likud faction meeting that Israel’s planned annexation of West Bank land is not off the table, but is being held up by the US administration.
Justice Ginsburg waited 4 months to say her cancer had returned
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is perhaps the most forthcoming member of the Supreme Court when it comes to telling the public about her many health issues. But she waited more than four months to reveal that her cancer had returned and that she was undergoing chemotherapy.
In largest protest yet, over 10,000 rally against Netanyahu in Jerusalem
Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside his official residence in Jerusalem on Saturday evening, in the biggest rally to be held in the capital since the recent start of anti-government protests.
After rocket attack, Israel hits ‘underground’ Hamas targets in Gaza
Israeli warplanes hit several Hamas sites in central and southern Gaza Strip early Monday, the Israel Defense Forces said, hours after Palestinians fired a rocket into Israel from the coastal enclave.
Remarkable archaeology discovery in Jerusalem places Jews firmly in Jerusalem in Biblical times
A recent, outstanding archaeological discovery of a 2,700-year-old major administrative center in Jerusalem provides further compelling evidence that Jews lived in the area during Biblical times, the Jerusalem Post reported last week. Excavated by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), the site is believed to date back to the eras of Hezekiah and Manasseh, kings of Judah.
Another ancient church discovered in the Galilee
A 1,300 year-old church has been uncovered in the Galilee region of Israel, CBN News reported Wednesday. Working with the Kinneret Academic College, Israel’s Antiquity Authority discovered the church in the Circassian village of Kfar Kama.
As China, Cuba, Saudis Line Up For UN Human Rights Council Seats, Democrats Want to Rejoin Too
At a time when the Chinese Communist Party is eyeing another three-year term on the U.N. Human Rights Council, a pledge in the Democratic Party’s draft 2020 platform for the U.S. to return to a body plagued by the presence of rights-abusing regimes is drawing some criticism.
US is ‘Satan,’ Israel is its ‘Chained Dog,’ But Twitter Gives Ayatollah’s Tweets a Pass
Iran’s supreme leader, in a tweet Wednesday that was not flagged, restricted, or blocked by Twitter, called the United States “Satan” and labeled Israel America’s “chained dog,” drawing fresh attention to questions about the platform’s content policies.
1st half of 2020 sees near-record anti-Semitism in UK despite lockdown
Anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have dropped by 13 percent in 2020 compared to the year before, likely due to COVID-19 lockdown regulations, but the 789 events reported between January and June still represent the third-highest number on record for that period, according to a study by a British watchdog group.
Netanyahu and Pompeo say Trump peace plan remains on the table but give no timeline for Israeli annexation plans
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s peace plan was still on the table, although neither leader gave any indication as to when Israel would extend sovereignty to those parts of the West Bank the plan provides for, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Israel sends reinforcements to north, bracing for imminent attack
The Israel Defense Forces deployed additional reinforcements to the country’s Lebanese and Syrian borders on Tuesday, indicating it was bracing for more violence along the frontiers after an alleged attempted attack by the Hezbollah terror group the day before.
Israel, Hezbollah trade fire in ‘security incident’ near Lebanese border
The Israeli military confirmed on Monday there had been a “security incident” on the country’s northern border with Lebanon and said its forces were engaged in “ongoing combat” with Hezbollah militants.
New poll shows global lack of confidence in government handling of COVID-19
A new survey has shown that citizens around the world are losing confidence in their governments over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Yahoo News reports. Publishing their report on Saturday, Kekst CNC communications consultancy said: “In most countries this month, support for national governments is falling.” The survey came as officials reported over 280,000 daily new cases worldwide on both Thursday and Friday.
IDF strikes Syrian army targets near border after munitions fired at Israel
Israeli attack helicopters on Friday night struck several military targets in southern Syria belonging to the Syrian military, in response to munitions fired at Israel earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Iran moves mock US aircraft carrier to sea as tensions ratchet up
Iran has moved a mock aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the US, satellite photographs released Monday show, likely signaling the Islamic Republic soon plans to use it for live-fire drills.