Pence to Delay Trip to Mideast Over Tax Bill
Vice President Mike Pence plans to delay his weekend departure for the Middle East as Congress nears completion of a tax overhaul, White House officials said Thursday.
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White House Says It’s Still Seeking Mideast Deal
The White House says President Donald Trump “remains as committed to peace as ever” after the Palestinians said they would no longer accept a U.S. role in the peace process with Israel.
Read moreFirm Denies Flynn Texted Its Director on US Sanctions
An investment firm that once hired Michael Flynn has denied he sent text messages during President Donald Trump’s inauguration indicating U.S. sanctions would be “ripped up” so a nuclear reactor project in the Middle East involving Russian interests could proceed.
Read moreProtests Across Palestinian Areas, Mideast after Trump Move
Clashes between hundreds of Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops erupted across the West Bank on Thursday while demonstrators in Gaza burned posters of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Israeli and U.S. flags.
Read moreMilitants Attack Convoy in Egypt’s Sinai, Kill 18 Police
Islamic State militants ambushed a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing 18 police and wounding seven others in one of the deadliest attacks this year in the restive region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip.
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White House Envoy Jared Kushner Begins Mideast Peace Push
White House adviser Jared Kushner on Thursday kicked off a renewed push by the Trump administration to restart Mideast peace talks amid signs of growing Palestinian impatience with a lack of progress so far.
Read moreTrump Adviser Kushner Leading US Delegation to Middle East
White House adviser Jared Kushner is leading a delegation to the Middle East on behalf of President Donald Trump to discuss the possibility of resuming the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
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DNA Samples Show Biblical Canaanites Escaped Extermination
DNA samples have shed light on the Canaanites, a mysterious and diverse group that created the first alphabet and who escaped extermination though God ordered it in the Old Testament.
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Despite Arab Anger, Qatar to Continue Support for Gaza
Qatar will continue to support development projects in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, a Qatari envoy said Tuesday, defying a boycott by powerful Arab neighbors imposed in part over its support for the Islamic militant group.
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Anti-Qatar Bloc Threatens Further Steps Against Gulf State
Four Arab countries isolating Qatar vowed Friday to take additional steps against the energy rich Gulf state after it refused to accept their demands over allegations that it supports extremist ideology.
Read moreHouse Committee Votes to Unwind President’s Power to Wage War
The House Appropriations Committee Thursday approved an amendment that would repeal a 2001 authorization that has given presidents a free hand in waging wars in the Middle East without congressional approval.
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Qatar Says Kuwait Trying to Mediate, Solve Gulf Crisis
Kuwait is trying to mediate a Gulf crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, which have severed ties with the energy-rich travel hub and moved to isolate it from the outside world, Qatar’s foreign minister said Tuesday.
Read moreTrump Presses Pause on Embassy Move to Jerusalem
President Trump pressed pause Thursday on his campaign promise to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by signing a six-month waiver that will keep it in Tel Aviv for now.
Read moreUAE’s Battle-Hardened Military Expands Into Africa, Mideast
The United Arab Emirates is better known for its skyscrapers and pampered luxuries, but its small size belies a quiet expansion of its battle-hardened military into Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East.
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Nonprofit Says DHS Botched Handling of Simple FOIA Request
A conservative nonprofit claims in federal court that the Department of Homeland Security has refused to disclose the criteria it uses to award grants as part of its Countering Violent Extremism program.
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Trump Administration Drops Human Rights in Bahrain F-16 Deal
The Trump administration has told Congress it plans to approve a multibillion-dollar sale of F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain without the human rights conditions imposed by the State Department under President Barack Obama.
Read moreParis Draft: 2-State Solution Best for Israel, Palestinians
In a strong message to Israel and the incoming Trump administration, dozens of countries are expected this weekend to reiterate their opposition to Israeli settlements and call for the establishment of a Palestinian state as “the only way” to ensure peace in the region.
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