#ISRAEL: 21 Knesset Members Reject US House Resolution Calling For 2-State Solution

[world politics news]

Twenty-one right-wing Israeli lawmakers rebuffed a US House bill that had endorsed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while rejecting efforts to boycott the Jewish state.

In a letter addressed to U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider, Lee Zeldin, Jerry Nadler and Ann Wagner, the co-sponsors of the bill and staunch supporters of Israel, the Israeli lawmakers asserted that a Palestinian state is “far more dangerous to Israel” than the boycott movement against Israel.

A neighboring Palestinian State would “undoubtedly be a dysfunctional terrorist state” which would “undermine stability” in the region and “severely damage the national security of both Israel and the United States."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.
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#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Pres. Abbas Slams US Move To Remove "Occupied Territories" Label From Annual Human Rights Report

[world politics news]

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has criticized a US move to no longer refer to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights as "occupied territories" in its annual human rights report.

A spokesman called it "a continuation of the hostile approach of the American administration toward our Palestinian people and... contrary to all UN resolutions." In a statement carried by official Palestinian news agency WAFA, he said the change was part of Pres. Trump’s plan to "liquidate" the Palestinian cause.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Hamas Blamed For Attack On Media Headquarters In Gaza

[world politics news]

Armed men raided the headquarters of Palestinian Authority media in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Friday, station staff said, causing damage to equipment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident, though the staff and a PA official said they held Hamas responsible.

The organization is funded by the West Bank-based Palestinian government, which has a longstanding dispute with the Islamist Hamas movement, and the building houses offices for Palestine TV and the Voice of Palestine radio station.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#EGYPT: Cairo Talks Continue Between Two Palestinian Factions Over Control Of Gaza

[world politics news]

Delegations from the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas movements held separate meetings in Cairo to discuss reviving the Palestinian reconciliation process. While the Hamas delegation announced its approval of the latest Egyptian proposal to promote inter-Palestinian reconciliation, the Fatah delegation returned to the West Bank for consultations with President Mahmoud Abbas. Sources close to the talks in Cairo say Pres. Abbas wants a formula that guarantees the Palestinian Authority’s “full empowerment” in Gaza, something Hamas rejects.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Gov't Announces Doubling Aid To UN Agency Helping Palestinians

[world politics news]

The Spanish government will double its humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, following the United States' decision to pull funds from the UN agency that allocates material assistance to five million Palestinians. The announcement came from Spanish Foreign Minister José Borrell at a press conference in Madrid with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Maliki. Borrell said it is a, "symbolic gesture" because, "our contribution, going from one million to two million, is still very far from what the United States brought." Maliki said, "The United States have shown that they wish to be part of the problem, not the solution."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#IRELAND: Legislature Moves To Ban Israeli Goods Produced In The Palestinian Territories To Protest Israeli Occupation

[world politics news]

Ireland has moved a step closer towards banning Israeli products which are produced in the occupied West Bank Palestinian territories. Championed by independent Sen. Frances Black. the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill passed through the Irish parliament’s upper house (the Seanad) by 25 votes to 20, and will now advance to the committee stage. While other countries have issued condemnations or moved to label Israeli items produced in the occupied territories, this bill is believed to be the first which would ban the import of the goods altogether.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#INDIA: PM Modi Backs An Independent Palestine During Historic Ramallah Visit

[world politics news]

Indian PM Narendra Modi is visiting the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on a landmark visit - the first ever by an Indian prime minister. After holding talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Modi said India hoped to see an independent Palestinian state through dialogue.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Gaza, PA Gov't Unites To Form "Consensus Gov't" Brokered By Egypt

[world politics news]

Out of the sight of the world, the Palestinian Authority has taken over governing authority in the Gaza Strip from Hamas, in a deal brokered by Egypt. Gaza and the West Bank have been ruled separately since 2007. The Palestinian national consensus government is headed by PA Prime Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah, who says the government had already formed committees to oversee the administration of Gaza and, in accordance with the Cairo agreement. In his first visit to Gaza, he described Hamas’ decision to respond to Pres. Mahmoud Abbas’ call to dissolve its Administrative Committee as "an important step."

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Egyptian General Intelligence Minister Khaled Fawzi (left) and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah.

#ISRAEL: Knesset Legalizes West Bank Settlements In Symbolic Vote

[world politics news]

Israel’s parliament passed a law on Monday retroactively legalizing about 4,000 settler homes built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. The legislation is largely symbolic because the Supreme Court has ruled many of these settlements to be illegal. Opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog denounced the measure as "an acute danger to Israel" that could lead to prosecution at the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
[FULL STORY HERE]

#ISRAEL: PM Netanyahu Tells Cabinet: Restrain Public Comments Over Trump Win

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for cabinet ministers to refrain from comment on Donald Trump’s victory after right-wing politicians said he will put an end to a two-state solution with the Palestinians. While Netanyahu sent congratulations to Trump, other right-wing politicians have gone further, calling for the end of the idea of a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Palestinian PM Rejects Netanyahu's Call For Direct Talks

[world politics news]

Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah has dismissed an Israeli proposal for direct negotiations in place of a French multilateral peace initiative, calling it an attempt to "buy time." Hamdallah made the comments as he met French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who has held talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories this week to push Paris’s peace initiative. Netanyahu has rejected the plan and called for direct negotiations.

#ISRAEL: Appointment of "Radical" "Extremist" Avigdor Lieberman As Defense Min. Rattles Israelis

[world politics news]

The appointment of Avigdor Lieberman as Benjamin Netanyahu's defense minister has prompted calls of "fascism" and "extremism" from many in Israel. He once said Palestinian prisoners should be beheaded with axes, defended a soldier who murdered a Palestinian on the ground, and opposes a two-state solution. The appointment of Lieberman, who lives in a disputed squatter settlement on the West Bank, is seen as a radicalization of Netanyahu's government.

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Five Israeli Firms Banned From West Bank In Tit-For-Tat Trade War

[world politics news]

In retaliation for Israel barring five Palestinian dairy companies from selling its products in East Jerusalem and Israel proper, the Palestinian Authority banned five Israeli companies from selling its products in areas under its control. The Palestinians said the Israel ban on their products contravened economic agreements, while Israeli sources call it a public health decision due to the Palestinians' failure to maintain Israeli veterinary standards.

#GREECE: Parliament Votes To Recognize Palestinian Statehood

[world politics news]

Greece's parliament, led by the Left-leaning Syriza Party, has voted to recognize an independent Palestinian State, joining several other European Nations in the past year. It comes amid an official visit to Greece by the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Pres. Abbas Resigns From PLO Exec. Committee, Retains Presidency

[world politics news]

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has resigned as the chief of the Palestinian Liberation Organization along with over half of the 18-member PLO executive committee, but will retain his post as president of he Palestinian Authority. The move by the 80-year-old forces new elections for the ruling board, the first since 1996.

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Abbas Gov't Works With Israel To Arrest Over 100 Hamas Supporters

[world politics news]

In a sign of the Palestinian Authority's latest attempts to separate itself from Hamas, Pres. Mahmoud Abbas has ordered the arrest of Hamas leaders and sympathizers, arresting over 100 and charging them with "threatening the general security" and stability of the West Bank.

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: "No Place For Hamas" In New Gov't Says Pres. Abbas; Members Must "Recognize Israel"

[world politics news]

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that any new Palestinian unity government would not include Hamas. Abbas is building a new cabinet after the government collapsed this week amid a deepening rift with Hamas. Abbas reportedly said all government members must "recognize Israel" which would exclude Hamas.

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Abbas Gov't Set To Dissolve Unity Gov't Today; Hamas Keeping It From Governing In Gaza

[world politics news]

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the Authority's unity government will resign as the rival Hamas movement is not allowing it to operate in the Gaza Strip. A Hamas spokesman reportedly said that it has rejected any unilateral dissolution and was "surprised" by the announcement and have accused Abbas of acting like a "dictator."

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: #Vatican Formally Recognizes "Palestinian State" In New Treaty

[world politics news]

The Vatican has officially recognized a Palestinian state in a new treaty, which makes clear that it has switched its diplomatic relations from the Palestinian Liberation Organization to a "state of Palestine." The UN has recognized a Palestinian state, but this is the first legal document to do so.

Pictured: Pope Francis welcoming Palestinian Authority Pres. Mahmoud Abbas to the Vatican last June.

#PALESTINIANAUTHORITY: Pres. Abbas Says He'll Work With #Netanyahu; Slams Hamas For Refusing Reconciliation

[world politics news]

Palestinian Authority Pres. Mahmoud Abbas says he will work with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu as a peace partner, and slammed Hamas, accusing it of rejecting any possibility for reconciliation by its opposition to elections in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, where says Israel.