Category: Middle East

Haley: If US Won’t Stop Iran’s Nuclear Program, Israel Should Take Action on Its Own

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said on July 17 that if the United States will not stop Iran’s nuclear program, then Israel should take unilateral action to do so. “Israel’s survival hangs in the balance. The ayatollahs have promised to destroy Israel—many times. We have to take them at their word,” she said at the…


About One-Third of People in Normal Weight Range Are Actually Obese: Study

Body fat percentage is a more reliable indicator of an individual’s general health than body mass index, according to a new study. Researchers at the School of Public Health at Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine analyzed the anthropometric data of 3,001 Israeli women and men, 20 to 95 years old, accumulated over several years, along…


Pence Touts American Strength, US–Israel Alliance on Eve of Herzog Visit

Former Vice President Mike Pence addressed a pro-Israel group on the eve of a controversial U.S. visit from Israeli President Isaac Herzog, pledging his continued support for the U.S. alliance with the Jewish state. “I will always be a defender of our most cherished ally, and if I have anything to say about it, if…


US Deploying Fighter Jets, Navy Destroyer to Gulf After Iran Attempts to Seize Oil Tankers

The United States is sending fighter jets as well as a Navy destroyer to the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman in order to bolster security and deter threats to commercial ships, the Defense Department announced on July 17. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a press briefing that the F-35 fighters and F-16…


Biden Talks With Netanyahu on Iran, Judicial Reform Days Before Israeli President’s Visit

U.S. President Joe Biden talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a wide range of issues—just days before Mr. Biden meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Mr. Biden “underscored his iron-clad, unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and condemned recent acts of terror against Israeli citizens,” according to a readout by the White House on…


Israel’s Netanyahu Discharged From Hospital After Overnight Stay Following Dizzy Spell

TEL AVIV, Israel—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was discharged on Sunday after an overnight hospital stay for check-ups and monitoring following a dizzy spell. Mr. Netanyahu, 73, was rushed to Sheba Medical Center on Saturday after feeling mild dizziness. His office said he had left the hospital around midday after stating earlier that his test…


Israel’s Netanyahu Hospitalized but Okay, His Office Says

JERUSALEM—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was undergoing medical assessments in an Israeli hospital on Saturday but was in good condition, his office said, with local media seeing no grounds for a handover of power. Mr. Netanyahu, 73, was fully conscious en route to Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer, and walked into the emergency room, Israel’s Channel…


Biden to Move Forward With Sale of F-16 Jets to Turkey After Erdogan Greenlights Sweden’s NATO Bid

The United States will move forward with its plan to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, the White House said on July 11, shortly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan withdrew his objection to Sweden joining NATO. “President [Joe] Biden has been clear and unequivocal for months that he supported the transfer of F-16s to Turkey,” U.S….


Russian, Turkish Ministers Talk After Turkey Sends Ukrainian Commanders Home

The foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey spoke by telephone on Sunday, a day after Ankara angered Moscow by sending five Ukrainian commanders home with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in what Russia called a violation of a prisoner exchange agreement. The Russian and Turkish foreign ministries said Sergei Lavrov and Hakan Fidan discussed the situation in…


Biden Criticizes Israeli Prime Minister’s Cabinet Over ‘Extremist’ Views

President Joe Biden criticized Israel in a recent interview, describing the Cabinet of the Jewish state’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as “extremist.” In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that aired on Sunday, Mr. Biden acknowledged that Mr. Netanyahu is dealing with the factions in his coalition, but the president also alluded to some members…