Morocco, Israel Start ‘Great Light of Peace’
Israel and Morocco agreed Thursday to normalize relations in a U.S. brokered accord that Israel’s prime minister described as “another great light of peace.”
Israel
U.S. Bombers Fly Near Iran Amid Nuclear Standoff
The United States sends a warning to Iran on Thursday with two American bomber aircraft flying over a swath of the Middle East, officials confirmed.
Polls show Sa’ar at 15-18 seats, remaking map and possibly unseating Netanyahu
A day after he announced his departure from Likud and the formation of a new political party to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the country’s leadership, Gideon Sa’ar was off to an extraordinarily strong start Wednesday. Polls on Israel’s three major news networks forecast his nascent New Hope party getting between 15 and 18 seats if the country goes to elections — shaking up the political landscape and introducing several potential paths to coalitions that do not include Netanyahu, while seriously narrowing the premier’s path to leading the next government.
New parts of Herod’s palace unveiled, including 300-seat personal theater
Israeli authorities are set to unveil previously off-limits structures within King Herod’s palace-fortress Herodium, which the tyrannical Roman-era leader interred as his enormous burial plot.
Ministers approve draft of bill to enable adoption by same sex couples
Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn and Welfare Minister Itzik Shmuli on Wednesday approved the draft of a bill that will change a decades-old law permitting adoption only for heterosexual couples and allow same-sex couples to be equally eligible.
UN Chief urges Iran to stop violating nuclear deal
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is trying to persuade Iran to resume its obligations under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear arms deal, the Times of Israel reports. In a report to the Security Council published Tuesday, Antonio Guterres called on Iran to address concerns about its decision last year to begin, among other violations, the enrichment of uranium beyond the agreed limits.
Gideon Sa’ar quits Likud, ‘a tool for Netanyahu’s interests,’ to lead ‘New Hope’
Likud MK Gideon Sa’ar, long seen as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief rival within Likud, on Tuesday announced he was quitting Likud and will form his own right-wing party, to be called “New Hope,” and run for the premiership in the next election.
Hungary Soccer Club And Government Support Persecuted Christians
Hungary’s leading soccer club Ferencváros (FTC) and the conservative government have agreed to support persecuted Christians worldwide.
Saudi Prince says Palestinians are rotting in Israeli concentration camps
Leading Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal has described Israel as a Western colonizing power that is holding Palestinians in concentration camps, Ynet News reports. Formerly the Saudi ambassador to the US and the UK and head of Saudi intelligence, Prince Turki made his remarks Sunday at the Bahrain Security Conference.
Majority of Arab-Israelis support forming an Arab-Jewish party
Over 64% of Arab-Israelis support forming an Arab-Jewish party for the next Knesset elections, although the voter participation rate among Arab-Israelis is not expected to be high at just 55.6%, according to a new study by the Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University.
Israel to get first batch of Pfizer coronavirus vaccines on Thursday
The first delivery of Pfizer vaccines will arrive in Israel on Thursday, according to multiple Hebrew media reports on Monday evening.
Iran says ‘satellite-controlled machine gun’ killed top nuclear scientist
The killing of Iran’s top nuclear scientist last month was carried out remotely with artificial intelligence and a machine gun equipped with a “satellite-controlled smart system”, Tasnim news agency quoted a senior commander as saying.
Iranian journalist: Ayatollah Khamenei has transferred power to his son because of health concerns
A well-known Iranian journalist Momahad Ahwaze has said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has transferred his power to his son Mojtaba Khamenei because of increasing concerns about the state of his health, Newsweek reported on Saturday.
Iran tells atomic watchdog it’s adding more centrifuges at underground site
Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it plans to install several cascades, or clusters, of advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges at the Natanz plant in violation of its commitments under the nuclear deal, Reuters reported Friday.
61% of Israelis willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19
Some 61% of the Israeli public would be interested in being vaccinated for the coronavirus, a new survey has found. Some 18% would refuse to be vaccinated.
Direct conflict with Israel ‘could make Iran regional superpower’
Hardline Iranian daily Kayhan on Sunday called on Tehran not to delay in exacting vengeance for the assassination of the country’s nuclear mastermind last month.
‘Israel has tape of slain Iran nuke chief talking about building five warheads’
Israel intelligence managed to recruit an Iranian official close to the recently assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and recorded the nuclear scientist speaking about his efforts to produce “five warheads” on behalf of the Islamic Republic, according to a Friday report in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.
Hadassah research head raises questions about mRNA vaccine safety
Prof. Yossi Karko, director of the clinical research unit at Hadassah-University Medical Center, has warned that the data published by Moderna and Pfizer about their coronavirus vaccine candidates is limited.
Israel may get 4 million COVID shots this month, start vaccinating
Israel may receive up to four million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine by the end of this month — enough for two million people — and the Health Ministry is preparing health maintenance organizations for the possibility of inoculating some 80,000 Israelis every day, Israeli TV networks reported Thursday.
Biden to call for 100 days of mask-wearing, asks Fauci to stay on
Joe Biden said Thursday that he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks as one of his first acts as US president, stopping just short of the nationwide mandate he’s pushed before to stop the spread of the coronavirus.