Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ threat to dismantle the P.A. would affect assistance to the Palestinians from Washington, the State Department said. “That type of extreme step would obviously have grave implications,” State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Monday. “A great deal of effort has gone into building Palestinian institutions by Palestinians as well…
Ukrainian separatists pledged to combat “zombie Zionists” in what appeared to be a promotional video for a newly-launched pro-Russian television channel. The video was one of the first materials shown by KPE TV, which was established on Sunday, the news website tvplus.dn.ua reported Monday. Coming amid a string of anti-Semitic attacks and incidents in Ukraine,…
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Israel Monday evening to protest the recent vandalism of a mosque in a largely Arab town. Protesters held signs denouncing anti-Arab “price tag” attacks as hate crimes, Haaretz reported. Police were on hand in force in the town of Umm al-Fahm, but there were no confrontations. Early Friday morning, assailants…
The Boy Scouts of America has severed ties with a Seattle church that has insisted on allowing a gay man to remain as a troop leader, the youth organization said on Monday. It is likely the first time the national organization has severed ties with a scout troop since a landmark vote last year allowed…
A baby was saved from a burning car outside a London synagogue when two men rushed out of a Passover service to rescue him moments before the vehicle turned into a fireball. The family of four was trapped inside their Peugeot when it caught fire on a street in north London’s Tottenham section Sunday, according…
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will visit bankrupt Detroit this week to highlight the Obama administration’s “continued commitment to the city’s revitalization and explore ways to promote job creation and economic growth,” according to an advisory his department released on Monday. Lew will meet with leaders from philanthropic foundations on Thursday to discuss economic development in…
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to weigh the constitutionality of a law that was designed to allow American citizens born in Jerusalem – the historic holy city claimed by Israelis and Palestinians – to have Israel listed as their birthplace on passports. The case concerns a long-standing U.S. foreign policy that the president…
Hollywood has embraced God in a big – and lucrative – way. The movie “Heaven is for Real,” which depicts the story of a young boy who claims to have visited heaven during a near death experience, is the fourth faith-based film this year to stir movie-going audiences with impressive box office numbers. Made for…
The most senior Islamic cleric in Jerusalem said on Sunday Israeli police hurled stun grenades into al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, to quell the latest in a string of Palestinian protests at the politically sensitive holy site. Israeli police denied the allegation, saying officers threw the non-lethal devices, which emit a loud noise, on…
Five rockets fired from the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel during the Jewish Passover holiday on Monday morning, wounding no one, the Israeli army said. Military officials said they had not responded to the salvo. But residents of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza said an Israeli helicopter opened fire there, though it was…
The Israeli Embassy in Bangkok asked local police to provide more security for tourists following a thwarted terrorist attack. The request reported Sunday in the Bangkok Post noted that the embassy made special mention of Israeli backpackers on popular routes. Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau Chief Kamronwit Thoopkrachang said his force would follow through and increase…
