Putin makes unannounced visit to the Middle East
Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Syria where he has held talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syrian state media and Russia’s Interfax said on Tuesday.
Israel
Report: Hezbollah will attack Israel if US responds to Iran attack
Hezbollah will attack Israel if the United States responds to missile attacks carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday night, according to the Iranian Tasnim news agency.
Nigerian church leader kidnapped, hostage video released
Islamic extremists kidnapped a leader of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria on January 2, a video appearing a few days later of the pastor expressing his faith in God and asking for release.
Red flag over Iranian Mosque at Soleimani funeral has eschatological overtones, means all-out war
An extremely portentous symbol was raised over one of Iran’s holiest mosques in the city of Qom Sunday for one of the myriad funeral rallies of fallen IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, says a researcher at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.
New envoy for Trump peace plan meets with Israeli leaders for first time
Avi Berkowitz, who replaced Jason Greenblatt as the US envoy for the Trump Administration’s “Deal of the Century,” met with leaders in Israel this week for the first time as officials in Jerusalem and Washington said the US may release its peace plan before third Israeli elections on March 2.
Honduras to designate Hezbollah as terrorist group
The office of Honduras’s President said Tuesday that the central American country will recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist group, following a recent decision by the German Bundestag to do the same.
For Israel, Iran strike could be back on the table
Iran’s dramatic announcement that it no longer intends to honor its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers could soon revive discussions in Israel over a possible military strike on Iranian targets.
Possible marketplace from the time of Jesus discovered near Pilgrimage Road
More evidence of a bustling marketplace was discovered in Jerusalem near the Pilgrimage Road that led to the Second Temple in Jesus’ time, rounding out the picture of an artery that connected to places like the Pool of Siloam.
Iron Dome defense system notes 85% success rate in 2019, IDF says
The Israeli military on Thursday released data on operational activity on all fronts in 2019, showing that its ‘campaign between the wars’ – an ongoing Israeli military and intelligence effort to disrupt the force buildup of the Iranian-Shiite axis throughout the Middle East – is nowhere near winding down.
Machete-wielding assailant from Hanukkah attack Orthodox Jews indicted
The perpetrator of a Dec. 28th attack on a rabbi’s Hanukkah party in New York was indicted on six counts of attempted murder Friday, up from the five counts he was charged with on the night of the incident.
Israel set to build advanced national communications satellite
Israel’s major aerospace and aviation manufacturer will develop and manufacture a national communications satellite that is expected to serve the country’s needs for at least 15 years.
US kills powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad airstrike
Qassem Soleimani, the powerful head of Iran’s Quds Force, was killed in an airstrike at Baghdad International Airport, Iraqi TV and three Iraqi officials said Friday.
Israel moving towards ‘calm’ agreement with Hamas
Israel made progress toward a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, in a two-hour meeting on Wednesday that ended without a vote.
Annual poverty report reveals 841,000 children in Israel live in poverty
The poverty rate in Israel has grown by a percent over the last year – with a bigger increase in the number of children under the line of poverty, according to the poverty report for 2018 published by the National Insurance Institute of Israel (NII) on Tuesday.
FBI data underscores rising threat to places of worship
When a machete-wielding attacker walked into a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, during Hanukkah and a gunman fired on worshipers at a Texas church 14 hours later, the two congregations in different regions of the country joined a growing list of faith communities that have come under attack in the US.
IDF unveils first-of-its-kind unit unifying pilots, tank drivers and more
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday created a new type of combat unit bringing together infantry, tanks, combat engineering and air power to serve as a proving ground for new fighting techniques and tactics.
Hundreds of troops deployed to Iraq to defend US embassy as Trump says peace with Iran not likely
The US is scheduled to deploy 750 new troops to defend the US embassy in Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday night, following protests by Iran-backed groups that marched on the compound in retaliation for US strikes Sunday that killed 25 Kataeb Hezbollah fighters.
Forced to give up portfolios, Netanyahu set to appoint new ministers
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to appoint three new cabinet ministers on Wednesday after being forced to drop all his ministerial posts due to the criminal charges against him.
Trump warns Iran of ‘BIG PRICE’ to pay for attacks on US
The US flew a rapid response team of Marines into Baghdad to reinforce its embassy on Tuesday after a mob of pro-Iranian demonstrators stormed the compound, setting fires and chanting ‘Death to America!’
Anti-Semitic graffiti in UK tails attacks on Jews in US during Hanukkah season
Jewish stars of David adjoined to the numbers “911” were discovered on an Israeli-style restaurant and on a synagogue in the predominantly Jewish areas of Hampstead and Belsize Park in north London in the UK Sunday.