Arab ministers to meet in Cairo to discuss financial aid for PA – report

The meeting comes ahead of a U.S.-led economic conference in Bahrain expected to call for a $50 billion global investment fund for the Palestinians, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. REUTERS June 22, 2019 23:36 Arab finance ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss helping the Palestinian Authority cope with a deepening […]

White House finally unveils ‘Peace to Prosperity’ economic plan for Palestinians

Ahead of June 25-26 Bahrain conference, Trump team releases proposal for $50 billion package that’s supposed to transform economy of West Bank, Gaza and surrounding nations By ERIC CORTELLESSA Today, 9:02 pm     The White House economic peace proposal unveiled on its web site on Saturday June 22, 2019 (Screencapture) WASHINGTON — Days before the US-sponsored […]

Iranian hackers step up cyber efforts, impersonate email from president’s office

Cybersecurity firms see surge in attempts to gain access to American government agencies, oil and gas sectors By TAMI ABDOLLAHToday, 4:19 pm     Illustrative: Stuart Davis, a director at one of FireEye’s subsidiaries speaks to journalists about the techniques of Iranian hacking, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) WASHINGTON (AP) […]

Kushner reveals peace plan to inject $50 billion into Middle East economies

In interview ahead of Bahrain conference, Trump son-in-law says US proposal would create a million jobs for Palestinians, drop unemployment by over 20% and half poverty rate By TOI STAFFToday, 7:29 pm     US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman claps as Senior White House Adviser Jared Kushner delivers a speech during the opening of the US […]

Trump says he will be Iran’s ‘best friend’ if it renounces nuclear arms

‘When they agree to that, they’re going to have a wealthy country,’ he tells reporters; says he’s not a hawk or a dove but ‘a man with common sense,’ military option still on table By AGENCIESToday, 7:04 pm  0 61shares President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Saturday, […]

No, Trump doesn’t call Mideast plan ‘deal of the century’

Despite widespread attribution in media reports, no record exists of US president or senior officials publicly using phrase By JOE DYKEToday, 3:05 pm   US President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump, left, and Vice President Mike Pence, right, and his wife Karen, speaks from the Truman Balcony of the White House during the annual Congressional […]

Trump’s Iran decision is a transformational moment

The decision not to strike was criticized for indecisiveness, and not projecting strength, but it could be a pivotal moment. Seth J. Frantzman June 22, 2019 15:55 US President Donald Trump held all the cards on Thursday when he sat with this advisors to decide what to do about Iran. A valuable US drone had […]

On eve of Bahrain summit, U.N. official warns of possible PA collapse

“The Palestinian Government is facing a very serious financial crisis which risks triggering a series of dangerous developments that will be difficult to mitigate and contain.” Tovah Lazaroff June 22, 2019 14:41 The Palestinian Authority is in danger of financial collapse as a result of its dispute with Israel over terrorist payments, the UN’s Special […]

Middle East analyst mentions World Refugee Day by mentioning the suffering of Yezidis

Middle East analyst mentions World Refugee Day by mentioning the suffering of Yezidis  Kenny Bryce   2 hours ago  0916 4 minutes UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres celebrated the International Day of Refugees in New York on Thursday, recalling some 70 million people forcibly displaced around the world. It is an unprecedented number. Recent years have witnessed record levels of human […]

Iran Summons UAE Representative Over Alleged Launch of US Spy Drone From its Territory – Reports

Iran downed US drone on 20 June, insisting that it had violated the country’s airspace in the southern Hormozgan Province, despite the US claims that it had flown above neutral waters of the Strait of Hormuz. The downing almost led to an American strike against Iran, which was abruptly stopped by the US Presidents minutes […]

British minister to visit Iran on Sunday for talks on tensions

Britain’s Middle East minister Andrew Murrison will visit Iran on Sunday for “frank and constructive” talks, the Foreign Office said, amid escalating tension between Tehran and Washington after the downing of an unmanned U.S. drone.   “At this time of increased regional tensions and at a crucial period for the future of the nuclear deal, […]

Iran says its airspace is fully safe and secure

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said on Saturday the country’s airspace was safe for airlines to fly through, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, amid heightened tension between Tehran and Washington.   “Iran-controlled airspace over the Persian Gulf and other flight routes are completely safe,” its spokesman, Reza Jafarzadeh, was quoted as saying.

Saudi official says Deal of Century leads to full Palestinian statehood

The official slammed Palestinian leadership as “irresponsible” for not even considering the Deal of the Century, which will bring 60 billion USD to their people. GLOBES June 22, 2019 13:46 “History and Allah brought a real opportunity,” a top-ranking Saudi diplomat told Israelis via an interview in Globes on Friday, “the blood conflict had lasted […]