Latest news with #TheJerusalemPost
Ammon
7 minutes ago
- Politics
- Ammon
US Middle East envoy Witkoff says Gaza talks going well
Ammon News - US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were going well on Wednesday. "We have some good news on Gaza and some other things that we are working on," Trump announced at a bill signing ceremony in Washington, while thanking Witkoff. Earlier, a meeting was held between the Israeli delegation and the Qatari and Egyptian delegations, during which Israel presented new maps reflecting additional flexibility on its part. A source involved in the negotiations told The Jerusalem Post: 'The focus now is no longer on the Morag Corridor; it's on the Israeli presence in the Rafah area. That's where the discussions are currently centered.' According to the source, the mediators are optimistic (not for the first time) and believe the new maps significantly advance the chances of reaching a deal soon. Trump hoped ceasefire talks would be 'straightened out' this week Trump said on Sunday he hoped talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would be "straightened out" this week. The US is backing a 60-day ceasefire with a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza, and talks to end the conflict. Trump told reporters, "We are talking and hopefully we're going to get that straightened out over the next week." The Jerusalem Post
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Taoiseach hits back after US ambassador to Israel says Irish have ‘fallen into a vat of Guinness' over Occupied Territories Bill
Yesterday, Mike Huckabee reposted on X an article from The Jerusalem Post that said the bill – which would ban imports of Israeli goods from occupied Palestine – 'could increase antisemitism and harm Jewish communities'. Mr Huckabee asked whether the Irish had 'fallen into a vat of Guinness', and said Ireland should call the Israeli Foreign Ministry and apologise. 'Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness and propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication?' Mr Huckabee wrote on X. 'It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis. Sober up, Ireland! Call @IsraelMFA and say you're sorry.' Micheál Martin rejected the remarks, adding that what was happening in Gaza was 'beyond any moral compass'. 'The situation is very serious in Gaza, including an appalling loss of human life. Terrible war crimes are being committed,' Mr Martin said. 'Ireland has consistently condemned Hamas, and we equally condemn Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. 'The slaughter of children must stop. The slaughter of innocent civilians queuing for food must stop. 'Ireland stands for peace and a political pathway forward.' Mr Martin was asked about the comments made by Mr Huckabee while speaking to reporters yesterday. He appeared to mistake the comments as coming from an Israeli representative. ADVERTISEMENT He strongly criticised the Israeli government, and said: 'Israel needs to focus on ending the war that is slaughtering innocent children and civilians. The Israeli ambassador, if that's who you're referring to, should concentrate on that, and should be apologising to the families of children who've been slaughtered. 'The time for this war to end is long past. We've condemned the behaviour of Hamas. I won't be subject to misinformation from the Israeli government or from the ambassador. It's not good enough.' Later, when clarification was sought on his comments, a statement from the Taoiseach was issued in which he said he rejected the comments made by Mr Huckabee. Mr Martin said the Government would not bow to pressure from the US to scrap the bill, which is currently undergoing scrutiny at the Foreign Affairs Committee. 'No, we are going ahead with the bill. I have said previously that there have been issues in terms of [also banning the import of] services, and the impact that might have on multinational companies based in Ireland, inadvertently,' Mr Martin said. 'We don't want companies that are based in Ireland, employing people, punished in any shape or form. 'That would be counterproductive in terms of the objective being to leverage pressure on Israel, not on Ireland.'
Roya News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
'Israeli' army to teach Arabic language, Islamic studies to intelligence personnel
The 'Israeli' military intelligence directorate (Aman) has mandated all its personnel to study the Arabic language and Islamic culture, fueled by the massive security and intelligence failures of Oct. 7. According to Hebrew media, this reform, ordered by Major General Shlomi Binder, the head of the 'Israeli' military intelligence, directs all intelligence staff, including those in technological roles, to receive this comprehensive training. Per 'The Jerusalem Post', 100% of personnel will have completed Islamic studies by next year, and 50% will have finished their Arabic language training. 'All IDF intelligence personnel will now undergo training…with a long-term goal of ensuring that every brigade and division-level intelligence officer becomes fluent in Arabic and gains a deep, working knowledge of Islam,' the report said. A new department for these studies will be established, which will also teach Houthi and Iraqi dialects to support 'Israeli' intelligence work. The 'Israeli' military is also reopening a program (dubbed TELEM) that was closed to budget cuts, to promote Arabic and Middle Eastern studies in 'Israeli' schools. "Until now, we haven't been good enough in the areas of culture, language, and Islam. We need to improve in these areas. We won't turn our intelligence officers and soldiers into Arab kids who grew up in a village, but through language and cultural studies, we can instill in them doubt and deep observation,' A senior 'Israeli' intelligence officer told Galei Tzahal, the 'Israeli' Army Radio.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN's corrupt aid 'mafia monopoly' preserves Hamas control of Gaza, GHF head tells 'Post'
As Hamas continues to terrorize innocent Gazans and aid workers alike, the UN insists on operating under broken systems that give Hamas a safety net, GHF director Johnnie Moore says. WASHINGTON, DC- 'Feeding people is the most Christian thing you can do.' That's how Johnnie Moore, the evangelical leader now overseeing the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, summed up his mission—one that has delivered over 1.2 million food boxes to Gazans in just five weeks, even as Hamas attacks, UN criticism, and a second regional war tried to derail it. In an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post, Moore pulled no punches, denouncing what he described as a corrupt and complicit international aid system that empowered Hamas for years. 'I've watched a broken system that professes to help people when very often it only helps itself,' Moore said. 'Hamas controlling aid isn't the exception—it's the rule.' The foundation he leads has become a flashpoint in Gaza. It operates large-scale distribution centers aimed at bypassing Hamas and getting food directly to civilians—a mechanism Moore claims is already serving roughly half the population of the Gaza Strip, or between 800,000 and 1 million people. 'The first day we opened, Gazans kept asking us: 'Is this really free?' They weren't used to that.' The mission, launched quietly with American support, now finds itself at the center of international controversy. According to Moore, Hamas is attempting to minimize the foundation's role in ongoing hostage talks in Doha—proof, he says, that the group feels threatened by the initiative. 'It's incredibly telling that the first thing Hamas wanted to negotiate was preserving the UN's monopoly on Gaza aid,' Moore said. The foundation has also faced physical threats. Moore confirmed that two American volunteers—both retired veterans—were injured last week when Hamas operatives threw Iranian-made grenades at one of the distribution centers. The IDF, he noted, evacuated the wounded. 'They threw Iranian grenades at American aid workers who were just feeding Gazans. The next day, we showed up and delivered millions more meals,' Moore said. Moore reserved some of his sharpest words for the United Nations and its leadership. 'To this day, the Secretary-General hasn't replied to my letter asking him to condemn Hamas's murder of our 12 local Gaza aid workers,' Moore said. 'And now they have the audacity to act like we are violating humanitarian law?' He accused UN agencies of maintaining a monopoly that, in practice, enabled Hamas to control nearly every food parcel that entered the Strip before the war. 'The UN has acted like a mafia when it comes to controlling the food in Gaza,' Moore said. 'They fueled a system for years that suppressed the people of Gaza. We're disrupting that.' Moore added that the foundation has evidence Hamas is now targeting aid recipients—stealing food from civilians after they collect it. 'We actually have video of Hamas terrorists intercepting aid beneficiaries and taking their food as they return home,' he said. 'But the scale of diversion is a fraction of what used to happen. This isn't theoretical. It's real. And it's working.' Moore says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is supported not only by the Trump administration and the State Department, but also quietly by staff within major aid organizations who are fed up with the system. 'We have a growing list of whistleblowers from the international aid community,' Moore said. 'They believe the entire sector is corrupt from the top down.' He recently met with EU leaders in Brussels and said the mood was mixed. 'Many admitted the old system empowered Hamas—but they're still too invested in it to change,' he said. Despite Hamas threats and international pressure, Moore insisted the foundation will continue operating. 'We're not a political organization. We're here to feed people. And we're here to stay,' he said. 'Whatever disinformation is spread, whatever politics are played, we'll keep delivering meals. That's the mission.' And in that mission, Moore said, is hope—not just for Gaza's civilians, but for what could come next. 'When people finally receive food without fear—when Hamas doesn't hand it to them—they start to feel something else: freedom.'
The South African
7 days ago
- Business
- The South African
Newspaper headlines from around the world - Thursday, 10 July 2025
Here are the stories that made headlines on the front pages of newspapers worldwide on Thursday, 10 July 2025. The New York Times front page reported that a Trump-era law threatens healthcare for 1.5 million people in New York. The Washington Post reported that Trump extended the tariff deadline. The Jerusalem Post's front page reported significant progress in hostage talks following a new Israeli proposal China Daily's front page reported that China remains a key driver of global growth. The Daily Mail's front page reported that there is evidence that work doesn't pay under Labour. The Guardian's front page reported that the Anglo-French migration deal hangs in the balance. If you wish to stay up-to-date – for FREE – on the latest international and South African news, then bookmark The South African website for all that plus the latest in the world of finance, sport, lifestyle – and more. Did we mention it was 100% free to read …?
