Former housekeeper sues Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife for abusive behavior
February 29th, 20200 TEL AVIV — A former housekeeper for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's official residence is suing his wife, Sara, for pain and suffering allegedly caused during her employment there, the housekeeper's attorney said on Thursday. The attorney, Opheer Shimson, said his client is demanding $190,000 in damages for abuse...
‘The Donald Trump I know’: Abbas’ U.N. speech and the breakdown of Palestinian politics
February 25th, 20200 A precious moment has been squandered, as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had the chance to right a historical wrong by reinstating Palestinian national priorities at the United Nations Security Council on February 11, through a political discourse that is completely independent from Washington and its allies. For a long...
Netanyahu’s political campaign in trouble as corruption trial looms
February 21st, 20200 TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will spend the last days of his election campaign under the shadow of serious and damaging corruption charges, as Israeli courts announced Tuesday that his criminal trial will begin March 17. Netanyahu is expected to attend the initial hearing just two weeks after the March 2...
Senate rebukes Trump, votes to limit Iran war making ability
February 20th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Thursday to limit President Trump’s ability to wage war against Iran, rebuking him weeks after a strike against an Iranian military commander and Tehran’s retaliation raised fears of broader regional conflict. Eight of Trump’s fellow Republicans joined Democrats to pass...
Major League Baseball pulls advertising for Roger Waters’ concerts over support for BDS movement
February 11th, 20203 NEW YORK, NY — Major League Baseball will not schedule any more advertising on its various platforms for former Pink Floyd bassist and popular solo artist Roger Waters because of his ongoing support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a report from Billboard said. The action came after a letter was sent on...
The EU rejects Trump’s Middle East peace plan, Israeli annexation
February 7th, 20200 BRUSSELS – The European Union rejected parts of President Trump’s peace plan for the Middle East on Tuesday, prompting an angry response from Israel, which has strongly backed the U.S. proposal. The plan, announced by Trump last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side, was rejected outright by the...
At least two Palestinians killed, 16 Israelis hurt in violence over Trump plan
February 7th, 20200 RAMALLAH, West Bank – At least two Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank and 16 Israelis were hurt on Thursday in a surge of violence that erupted amid Palestinian anger at a U.S. peace plan. In Jerusalem, an Arab citizen of Israel was killed after he shot and slightly wounded an Israeli paramilitary border policeman at...
Crisis and opportunity: The ‘Deal of the Century’ challenge for Palestinians
February 5th, 20200 After several postponements, President Trump has finally revealed the details of his Middle East plan, dubbed “Deal of the Century”, in a press conference in Washington on January 28. Standing triumphantly beside Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must have surely understood that the timing of the announcement, only...
Metro Detroit Chaldeans make history with first museum in the world to preserve their heritage
January 26th, 20200 WEST BLOOMFIELD — While the Metro Detroit area is known nationally for its large Arab American population and its rich history, the region also is home to more than 160,000 Chaldeans according to the Chaldean Community Foundation. Chaldeans are an ethnic group from Iraq that traces their roots back more than 5,000 years to ancient...
Trump to release Mid East peace plan next week after meeting with both Netanyahu and Gantz
January 24th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House said in a statement on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the White House next Tuesday to meet with President Trump about Trump’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan. Trump confirmed the news, telling reporters on Air Force One that he will release the details of the...
The newly formed Lebanese cabinet deserves a chance
January 24th, 20200 By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz* A popular uprising forced the resignation of the Lebanese prime minister and his cabinet last October. But a strong self-serving government and a very unpopular parliament are still operating with full force. The uprising has a long way to go to achieve its aspirations for a radical change in the political...
Soleimani assassination adds new dangerous dimension to Iraq unrest
January 23rd, 20200 BAGHDAD — Iraqi Shi'a groups have exhorted Iraqis to turn out for a “million-strong” march on Friday aimed at whipping up anti-American sentiment as the United States’ struggle with Iran plays out on the streets of Baghdad. Those behind the rally have two goals in mind — to pressure Washington to pull its troops out of...
The jeopardy of media bias against Palestine
January 22nd, 20200 Jeopardy! is an American television game show that has been on the air for decades, with nearly 8,000 episodes to date. It is a trivia competition that quizzes contestants on general knowledge, and they receive cash rewards for each correct response. In a recently broadcasted episode recorded a few months ago, one question asked...
More U.S. troops leave Iraq over potential brain injuries as Trump downplays the damage
January 22nd, 20200 WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, President Trump said he did not consider the brain injuries suffered by 11 U.S. service members in Iran’s recent attack on a base in Iraq to be serious, as the American military moved more troops out of the region for potential injuries. In a statement on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said that more...
Lebanon forms new government with backing of major political parties
January 21st, 20200 BEIRUT — Lebanon formed a new government on Tuesday under Prime Minister Hassan Diab after the Hezbollah group and its allies agreed on a cabinet that must urgently address the economic crisis and ensuing protests that toppled its predecessor. The heavily indebted country has been without effective government since Saad al-Hariri......
Beirut shaken by crackdown on violent protests
January 16th, 20200 BEIRUT — An upsurge of violence in Lebanon’s protests against the ruling elite, with police meting out beatings and protesters hurling stones, has alarmed rights groups and whipped up public fury. After a brief lull in largely peaceful protests since October, people filled the streets again this week, angry at a political class that...
A third choice for the Lebanese crisis
January 16th, 20200 How did Lebanon end up on the brink of financial collapse? A country that many have called in the past the Switzerland of the Middle East and the birthplace of Khalil Gibran and Kamel Al-Sabbah. With the third largest shipping company (CMA-CGM) in the world belonging to a Lebanese family, the country benefits from one of the richest......
Washington rebuffs Iraqi request to pull out troops
January 10th, 20200 BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has rebuffed an Iraqi request on Friday to prepare to pull out its troops, amid heightened U.S.-Iranian tensions following the U.S. killing of an Iranian commander in Baghdad. Iraq looks set to bear the brunt of any further violence between its neighbor Iran and the United States, its...
Ukraine says Iran cooperating in plane crash probe, cautious on blaming missile
January 10th, 20200 KIEV — Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Friday that Iran was cooperating with an investigation into the crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane, and that Kiev was not ruling out any version yet of what might have happened. Canada and others have said the plane was brought down by an Iranian missile, probably by...
Gaza rocket sends Netanyahu to shelter during campaign rally
January 2nd, 20200 TEL AVIV — A rocket launched from the Gaza Strip at a southern Israeli city on Wednesday as it hosted a campaign rally by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prompted him to take shelter briefly before resuming the event, Israeli TV stations reported. The Israeli military confirmed the launch against Ashkelon, which is 12 km (7.5...
Ann Arbor city officials and anti-Israeli protesters sued in federal court
December 30th, 20190 ANN ARBOR — A civil suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on December 20 names as defendants members of the Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends as well as several Ann Arbor city officials. The plaintiff in the case, Marvin Gerber, is an Ann Arbor resident and a long time member of the Beth......
Newly named Lebanon PM vows to form government quickly
December 21st, 20190 BEIRUT — Lebanon’s newly named prime minister said on Thursday he would quickly form a government to pull the country out of economic crisis after he was designated with backing from the Hezbollah group, Amal Movement, Free Patriotic Movement and their allies. Hassan Diab, a little-known academic and former education minister who...
Singing all the way to the bank: Lebanese protesters fear for their savings
December 13th, 20190 BEIRUT — Protests in Lebanon took a musical turn on Thursday when a group of activists toured banks, performing songs voicing fears over the fate of savings locked up in the banking system, which has been caught up in a major economic crisis sweeping the country. In lyrics set to the scores of famous Lebanese songs, a half dozen......
Lebanon’s largest Christian political party says it won’t join government on Hariri’s terms
December 13th, 20190 BEIRUT — Lebanon’s largest Christian political party, Free Patriotic Movement, will not join a new government under the terms set by caretaker premier Saad al-Hariri, but will not obstruct the formation of a new cabinet, its leader said on Thursday. The position of the Free Patriotic Movement led by Gebran Bassil could ease the...
Israel bars Gaza’s Christians from visiting Bethlehem and Jerusalem at Christmas
December 13th, 20191 GAZA — Christians in the Gaza Strip will not be allowed to visit holy cities such as Bethlehem and Jerusalem to celebrate Christmas this year, Israeli authorities said on Thursday. Gazan Christians will be granted permits to travel abroad, but none will be allowed to go to Israel and the occupied West Bank, home to many sites holy......
