U.S., Israel to hold high-level talks on Iran at White House next week
March 21st, 20250 WASHINGTON — The United States and Israel will hold high-level talks on Iran's nuclear program at the White House early next week, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The planned meeting follows President Trump's letter to Iran's leadership earlier this month in which he warned Tehran it had the choice of either...
Trump nominates Lebanese American Michel Issa to be the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon
March 15th, 20250 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Michel Issa, a prominent Lebanese American businessman and financial investor, was nominated by President Trump on Friday, March 7, to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, replacing Lisa A. Johnson, who has held the position since early 2023. Johnson, a seasoned career diplomat with the rank of...
Trump reverses plan to displace Gaza residents; Israeli aggression on the strip resumes amid “second phase” talks
March 14th, 20250 The past week was filled with contrasting developments, some carrying serious dangers while others offered cautious optimism, shaped by the region’s ongoing conflicts and shifting diplomatic efforts. Gaza: the struggle of the second phase of the ceasefire As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government pushes...
Iran’s president tells Trump: “Do whatever the hell you want.”
March 14th, 20250 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected negotiations with the U.S. under threats, telling President Trump to "do whatever the hell you want," according to Iranian state media. He also criticized U.S. foreign policy, referencing the recent Oval Office clash between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "You...
Trump delays tariffs for goods under Mexico, Canada trade deal
March 7th, 20250 WASHINGTON, D.C – On Thursday, President Trump suspended the 25 percent tariffs he imposed this week on most goods from Canada and Mexico, the latest twist in a fluctuating trade policy that has whipsawed financial markets and fanned worries over inflation and a growth slowdown. The exemptions, covering...
Michigan Jewish delegation visits Damascus, receives warm reception and tours synagogues
March 7th, 20250 Michigan Rabbi affirms that the new Syrian government seeks to embrace all sects in Syria Rabbi Asher Lopatin, director of community relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, described his trip to Damascus, Syria, as part of a delegation of five American Jews as welcoming and acceptance by the Syrian people. The...
Israeli aggression escalates in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon amid regional tensions
March 7th, 20250 Israeli aggression continues to escalate in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, following a clear strategy that Israeli leadership has openly admitted aims to redraw the regional map of the Middle East. This aggressive policy is bolstered by strong U.S. support, further reinforced by President Trump’s threats against the residents of Gaza,...
Israel has shown “unprecedented disregard for human rights” in Gaza, U.N. human rights chief says
February 28th, 20250 On Wednesday, the U.N. Human Rights chief accused Israel of showing an unprecedented disregard for human rights in its military actions in Gaza and said Hamas had violated international law. "Nothing justifies the appalling manner in which Israel has conducted its military operations in Gaza, which consistently breached international...
Hezbollah stages show of strength at Nasrallah’s funeral, Palestinians strike in Haifa against Israeli aggression in West Bank
February 28th, 20250 Israel openly declares its continued occupation of south Lebanon and Syria with "American blessing" As Israel admitted to a "total failure" in preventing Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israeli settlements, and as its more than 14-month-long war on Gaza and South Lebanon has failed to achieve its objectives — rather...
Gaza preparing for second phase of ceasefire, Lebanon awaiting historic funeral for Nasrallah
February 21st, 20250 As the first phase of the “Gaza Agreement” continues to be implemented, Thursday witnessed Hamas handing over the bodies of four Israeli hostages. Meanwhile, Israel’s delays in initiating talks for the second phase appear to have ended. Several Arab countries are preparing to counter President Trump’s reconstruction plan, which...
Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee West Bank refugee camps
February 21st, 20250 Tens of thousands of Palestinians living in refugee camps in the occupied West Bank have left their homes as a weeks-long Israeli offensive has demolished houses and torn up vital infrastructure in the heavily built up townships, Palestinian authorities said. Israeli forces began their operation in the refugee camp in the northern...
What does Trump’s birthright citizenship order mean for immigrants?
February 14th, 20250 By Selen Ozturk The three weeks since President Trump’s inauguration has brought a regular slurry of executive orders — including one ending birthright citizenship. The order, issued on the first day of Trump’s presidency, January 20, argued that the policy granting automatic citizenship to babies born on U.S....
Governor Whitmer leads delegation of Michigan leaders on investment mission to the UAE and Bahrain
February 14th, 20250 DUBAI – In her first official visit to the Arab region, Michigan Governor Whitmer embarked on a trade and investment mission to the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain on Tuesday. The trip, scheduled to last until February 19, aims to strengthen Michigan’s foreign relations, attract investments and highlight the state’s...
Mediators succeed in preventing Gaza truce from collapsing, Trump pushes “transfer” plan and threatens Jordan and Egypt
February 14th, 20250 Washington Awaits Arab countries' plan for Gaza President Trump has openly escalated pressure on Egypt and Jordan to accept Palestinians he intends to expel from Gaza, as part of his vision to transform the war-ravaged strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East." His aggressive stance was evident during his meeting with King Abdullah II...
Ahmed al-Sharaa declared transitional president of Syria, consolidating his power
January 31st, 20250 DAMASCUS – Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was declared president for a transitional phase on Wednesday, tightening his hold on power less than two months after he led a campaign that toppled Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa was also empowered to form a temporary legislative council for a transitional period and the Syrian......
The massive return of Palestinians to Northern Gaza and of Lebanese Southerners: A blow to Israel and proof of its military failure
January 31st, 20252 The sight of hundreds of thousands of Gazans returning to the northern areas of the Strip, coupled with the return of southern Lebanese residents to their villages on Sunday, served as a double blow to the Israeli occupation. It was also a practical declaration of the failure of Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon, which the...
Palestinians’ return to northern Gaza complicates Netanyahu’s war aims
January 31st, 20250 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed 15 months ago that Israel would achieve “total victory” in the war in Gaza — by eradicating Hamas and freeing all the hostages. One week into a ceasefire with the militant group, many Israelis are dubious. Not only is Hamas still intact, there’s also no guarantee all of the hostages......
Residents leave homes in Jenin as Israeli West Bank raid continues
January 26th, 20250 RAMALLAH — Hundreds of Jenin residents left their homes on Thursday, prompted by messages from drones fitted with loudspeakers, witnesses said, as the military demolished a number of houses on the third day of a major operation in the West Bank city. The operation, involving large columns of vehicles...
Rights groups warn Trump executive order would restore Muslim “travel ban”
January 26th, 20250 Immigration activists rally against the Trump administration's new ban against travelers from six Muslim-majority nations, in Washington, U.S., March 7, 2017. - File Photo by Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. civil rights groups are warning that an executive order signed by President Trump on...
Who is Nawaf Salam, the new prime minister designate of Lebanon?
January 17th, 20250 Born on December 15, 1953, in Beirut, Nawaf Salam hails from a prominent political family. His father, Abdullah Salam, was one of the founders of Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national carrier, and represented the family on its board of directors between 1956 and 1983. Salam is married to Sahar Baassiri, a journalist and Lebanon’s...
Israel destroyed Gaza “for generations to come” and the world stayed silent
January 17th, 20250 The first official reference to Gaza becoming increasingly uninhabitable was made by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2012, when the population of the Gaza Strip was estimated at 1.8 million inhabitants. The intention of the report, “The Gaza Strip: The Economic Situation and the Prospects for......
Lebanon: A race on two fronts
January 17th, 20250 In Lebanon, citizens welcomed the election of a president after more than two years of vacancy. However, a political crisis emerged when the "Shi'a duo" — the Amal Movement and Hezbollah — felt an agreement had been breached regarding their support for President Joseph Aoun. The duo was taken aback when 88 parliamentarians designated...
Gazans may breathe the air of peace after 467 days of genocide
January 17th, 20251 Finally, on Wednesday, January 15, a detailed ceasefire agreement was announced, bringing a much-needed end to the suffering in Gaza after 467 days of brutal Israeli aggression. During this period, Israel employed all forms of killing and destruction, but Gaza’s resistance stood firm. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip endured unimaginable......
Ramping up criticism of Israel, Pope Francis calls situation in Gaza “shameful”
January 10th, 20250 VATICAN CITY – On Thursday, Pope Francis stepped up his recent criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and shameful." In a yearly address to diplomats delivered on his behalf by an aide, Francis appeared to reference deaths caused by winter cold in...
U.S. House votes to sanction International Criminal Court over Netanyahu and Gallant arrest warrants
January 10th, 20250 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court to protest its issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over Israel's campaign in Gaza. The vote was 243 to 140 in favor of the "Illegitimate Court......
