Jerusalem: US vetoes UN resolution rejecting Trump's declaration

The US has vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution rejecting President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

EU leaders reject Netanyahu's plea to back Trump on Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unsuccessfully urged the European Union on Monday to back the United States' new recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

‘Israel won’t be bullied into agreement by the United Nations’ : US envoy Haley

Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting, the American ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has said that "Israel will never be bullied into an agreement by the United Nations” or countries with a disregard for Israel’s security.

Trump tells Jordan's King Abdullah he will move US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

US President Donald Trump has contacted Jordan's King Abdullah to tell him he intends to proceed with a decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a Jordanian palace statement said.

Israel postpones settlement approval in bid to calm relations with U.S.

Israel postponed a vote Wednesday to authorize construction of additional Jewish settlement homes in East Jerusalem to avoid straining U.S.-Israeli relations, a local official said.

Israelis demand govt resignation after Jerusalem attack

Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated in west Jerusalem on Tuesday to demand the government's resignation in the wake of a deadly attack on a Jewish synagogue in which four Israelis were killed.

Israel will ‘never’ limit Jerusalem settlements (Avigdor Lieberman)

Israel will never agree to limit its construction activity in Occupied East Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday. “One thing should be clear: we will never accept the definition of building in Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem as settlement activity,” he said at a news conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Christians mark Holy Fire rite on eve of Easter Read more: Christians mark Holy Fire rite on eve of Easter

Thousands of Christian pilgrims thronged the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem’s Old City Saturday amid tight security to celebrate the Holy Fire ceremony on the eve of Easter.


Believers hold that a divine fire from heaven ignites a flame in the church, built on the site where Christians say Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected.

The flame is then passed between worshippers, candle to candle.

Proche-Orient: pessimisme ambiant avant une nouvelle mission de Kerry

La libération de 26 prisonniers palestiniens par Israël avant la nouvelle mission au Proche-Orient du secrétaire d'Etat John Kerry, la 10e depuis mars, n'a pas dissipé le pessimisme ambiant sur les chances de progrès dans les négociations de paix.

Ces libérations, survenues mardi avant l'aube, sont conformes aux engagements pris auprès des Etats-Unis et des Palestiniens par le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu de relâcher en quatre étapes un total de 104 détenus palestiniens afin de permettre la relance des négociations de paix qui ont repris fin juillet dernier.
Deux premiers contingents de prisonniers avaient été relâchés le 13 août et le 30 octobre. Le dernier groupe de Palestiniens doit être libéré en février.
Les festivités qui ont accompagné comme d'habitude la libération des prisonniers -considérés comme des "combattants héroïques" chez eux- ont été dénoncées en Israël.

Israel aprueba la anexión de los asentamientos del valle del Jordán

La Comisión de Asuntos Legislativos del Gobierno israelí aprobó hoy un proyecto de ley para la anexión de los asentamientos judíos en el valle del Jordán, territorio ocupado por Israel desde 1967.

La comisión, antesala a los proyectos de ley que el Gobierno presenta al parlamento, aprobó la propuesta por ocho votos a favor y tres en contra, los de los ministros Yair Lapid, Tzipi Livni y Yaacov Pery, informa la edición digital del diario 'Haaretz'.

Presentado por la diputada del Likud Miri Regev, del ala más derechista del partido Likud, que encabeza el primer ministro israelí, Benjamín Netanyahu, el proyecto busca aplicar la legislación israelí en todas las colonias israelíes y en las carreteras que conducen a ellos, lo que de facto se traduciría en la anexión del territorio.

UN chief Ban slams Israeli plans to advance east J'lem, West Bank construction....

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday blasted an Israeli announcement made earlier in the day to advance settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Ban condemned as "contrary to international law" the move announced by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in conjunction with Israel's release early Wednesday morning of 26 long-serving Palestinian prisoners.

He added that further Israeli building in areas over the Green Line constituted "an obstacle to peace".

However, Ban stated his appreciation for Israel's undertaking the "difficult step" of releasing the second batch of pre-Oslo prisoners amid "deep domestic opposition" as a gesture for continuing peace talks with the Palestinian Authority.