Page 2 - Israel

Netanyahu accuses Mamdani of fomenting hate, calls ICC charges bogus

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is "fomenting hate" by calling the prime minister a war criminal who should be arrested over the war in Gaza if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly. Netanyahu said he intends to be in New York in September to address the annual UN gathering of world leaders, despite the mayor's suggestion that he is not welcome. Mamdani said last week that while New York City does not have legal authority to execute an arrest warrant issued by the world's top war-crimes court, he encouraged the federal government to do so. "He's supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers - Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone," Netanyahu said on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo. "But he's trying to turn one group against the other." The prime minister has become an increasingly polarizing figure over Israel's war in Gaza, which was ignited by the Oct. 7, 2023, deadly attack on southern ..

Israel expects Indian tourist arrivals to reach pre-war levels by 2027

Israel expects tourist arrivals from India to return to pre-war levels by 2027, driven by stronger marketing, better air connectivity, streamlined visa process, and closer bilateral ties, a senior tourism official has said. Israel had witnessed one of its strongest tourism recoveries following the COVID-19 pandemic before the conflict interrupted its growth trajectory, Amruta Bangera, Director of Marketing, Israel Ministry of Tourism, told PTI in Panaji on Saturday. "Around 69,100 Indian visitors travelled to Israel in 2019, while nearly 44,000 visited between January and September 2023, before the (Israel-Gaza) war," she said. "Our recovery following the pandemic was among the strongest across our key source markets, and we were on track to match, or even surpass, pre-pandemic arrival levels," she noted. Had the conflict not interrupted this momentum, we believe Israel would have been well on its way to welcoming over 100,000 Indian visitors annually, Bangera commented. Israel, s

More than half of House Democrats vote to cut Israel aid in growing split

More than half the House Democrats have voted to strip USD 3.3 billion in US aid from Israel, the most substantial signal yet that once rock-solid bipartisan support for the country is disintegrating in the aftermath of its war in Gaza that has killed thousands of Palestinians. Wednesday's vote tally, 104-314, was not enough to attach the amendment to a broader national security spending bill, but stands as a stark accounting of the shifting attitudes that are dividing the Democratic Party and the nation over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war strategy, now approaching its third year. The House's Democratic leadership split over the issue in what was largely seen as a test vote ahead of the US midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. More than 100 Democrats voted for the amendment to strip the foreign military aid money, and almost as many voted against. Most Republicans voted to preserve the Israel aid. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who ...

Ex-army chief who lost son in Gaza war emerges as Netanyahu's main rival

Polls indicate that Eisenkot's new party Yashar - Hebrew for straightforward or honest - will get slightly more seats than Netanyahu's Likud in the Oct. 27 vote

US-Iran tensions flare up again: Is peace slipping away?

Just weeks after the US and Iran signed a ceasefire, fresh military strikes have pushed the agreement to the brink. The biggest flashpoint is the Strait of Hormuz,

Inside Israel's secret operation to cultivate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The yearslong effort to groom the former Iranian prez as an intelligence asset culminated in a dramatic effort to take him to an Israeli safe house in early days of the war. But the plan fell apart

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna briefly detained by Israeli settlers

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, a 2028 US Presidential aspirant, on Saturday said he was detained by gun-wielding Israeli settlers while on a visit to Palestine. Khanna, a Democrat from California, was visiting on Wednesday the ruins of Khirbet Zanuta, a Bedouin village in the southern West Bank that was abandoned after attacks from Israeli settlers when the incident took place. "Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4S, detained me and other Americans on my trip to Palestine. When the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) arrived, they sided with the settlers and continued our detention. They made a huge mistake," Khanna said in a post on X. Khanna's experience was reported by a photographer of The New York Times, who was accompanying the Congressman. "I felt powerless in that situation, which is not an easy thing, as I have a lot of privilege in life," the New York Times quoted Khanna as saying. The report said Khanna was eventually allowed to continue his journey after cal

Israel shares intel on alleged new Iranian plot to kill Trump: Report

The Israeli warning reportedly concerned a new and specific plot, as the US assesses fresh intelligence amid heightened tensions with Tehran

US-Iran conflict: Why have attacks resumed despite peace talk efforts?

A fresh exchange of strikes between the US and Iran has fuelled fears of a wider conflict and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Here's what led to the latest escalation

Have support from India: Netanyahu counters Vance's 'only ally' claim

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday cited support from India, countering American Vice President J D Vance's remarks that the US was its sole powerful ally "anywhere left in the entire world." Netanyahu told the 'Fox News Sunday Briefing' that Israel has the support of many other countries, including "a small country called India." "We have some other friends, like a small country called India, you know, it has 1.4 billion people and, boy, do we have tremendous support there," Netanyahu said. Last month, Vance told a briefing at the White House that Israel should respect the US-Iran peace talks. Asked about reports that Israeli leaders were unhappy with the US-Iran agreement and were criticising President Trump, Vance said, "If I was in the Cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world." Netanyahu said he was getting a lot of support from India on Facebook. "You know, I have this ..

'Fake news': Israel rejects report on alleged threat to Iranian negotiators

According to the NYT, cited by the Times of Israel, US officials allegedly warned Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf of possible Israeli assassination attempts

Hezbollah rejects US-brokered Israel-Lebanon security deal as 'surrender'

In the latest example of ongoing hostilities despite repeated ceasefires and agreements, Israel launched a drone strike in Lebanon's south on Saturday

India to prioritise Qatar, Bahrain FTAs over GCC trade agreement

New Delhi expects bilateral negotiations with Qatar and Bahrain to move faster than GCC-wide talks, while also preparing to revive trade negotiations with Israel

Israel weighs US listings for state-owned defence firms IAI and Rafael

Israeli officials and company representatives are set to visit the US in July to explore IPO options for state-owned defence companies IAI and Rafael as the govt considers selling up to 30% of stakes

Israel, Lebanon sign framework deal with US in 'first step' toward peace

Secretary of State Marco Rubio along with Israel and Lebanon's ambassadors announced a framework agreement Friday that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The officials did not share details on the agreement that was signed by Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, and Nada Hamadeh, ambassador of Lebanon to the United States.

Israel insists on troops in Lebanon; Rubio defends Iran deal in W Asia

Israel says troops will stay in southern Lebanon despite US-backed talks, complicating Iran-US peace efforts as disputes over nuclear inspections persist

Israel, Lebanon discuss plan for transfer of some land to Lebanese army

The Israeli officials said the Lebanese troops involved would undergo US training and vetting to ensure they are not linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah

At least five killed in Israeli strikes on south Lebanon despite ceasefire

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to the ceasefire on Friday following an escalation in hostilities in Lebanon

Israel and Hezbollah agree to ceasefire in Lebanon starting Friday

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire after renewed fighting threatened wider US-Iran efforts to secure a lasting West Asia peace deal