Current Events

Mideast: Abbas refuses to work with US on peace efforts

Dec. 22, 2017 - The U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution that denounced President Donald Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he'll no longer accept any U.S. plans for Mideast peace because of the Trump administration's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Source: Fox

Prophetic Significance of Peace

In First, Egypt's Sissi Meets With Leading American Evangelical Christian Activists

Nov. 1, 2017 -

The three-hour meeting - where they discussed Middle East peace, ISIS, and Christians in the region - signals Sissi's interest in forging a close relationship with one of the most influential religious denominations in the U.S.

Source: Haaretz

Arab & Israeli media provide inside details of President Sisi’s historic meeting with Evangelical Christian leaders in Cairo - Sisi wants to follow the example of earlier President Anwar Sadat, who signed a peace agreement with Israel in 1978 - Joel Rosenberg

Trump’s peace envoy conditions Palestinian reconciliation on disarming Hamas

Oct. 23, 2017 - US Middle East Peace Envoy Jason Greenblatt released a statement

any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognise the State of Israel... disarm terrorists – and commit to peaceful negotiations... If Hamas is to play any role in a Palestinian government, it must accept these basic requirements.

Source: Middle East Monitor

Why There Is No Peace in the Middle East

Oct. 14, 2017

Peace is not possible in the Middle East because values and goals other than peace are more important to Middle Easterners. ... loyalty to kin, clan, and cult, and the honour that is won by such loyalty.

Source: Phillip Carl Salzman - Gatestone Institute

The United States Withdraws From UNESCO

Oct. 12, 2017 - Thke U.S. Department of State has notified UNESCO that the U.S. will withdraw from the organization.

This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects U.S. concerns with... the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO.

Source: U.S. Department of State

Israel to join US in quitting UNESCO - BBC

Hamas, Fatah, sign full reconciliation agreement

Oct. 12, 2017 -

The Hamas terror organization and Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization signed an agreement Thursday on ending a decade-long split following talks mediated by Egypt in Cairo, with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas calling it a "final" accord.

Source: Israel National News

World View: Palestinian reconciliation talks ignore Hamas commitment to destroy Israel - Breitbart

Netanyahu: Fatah-Hamas accord makes peace harder to achieve - Israel National News

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Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah 'reach deal' in Cairo

The Palestinian group Hamas says it has reached an agreement with rival group Fatah, ending a decade-long rift.

Source: BBC

Egypt’s Sissi: Fatah-Hamas unity a prelude to Israeli-Palestinian peace - Times of Israel

During meeting with Netanyahu, Trump says there's a "good chance" for Middle East peace

Sept. 18, 2017 - President Trump raised hopes of a new Middle East peace agreement in the near future.

"It'd be a fantastic achievement. We are giving it an absolute go," Mr. Trump said during a meeting in New York with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I think there's a good chance that it could happen."

For his part, Netanyahu praised the President for supporting for Israel.

Source: CBS

Egypt's Sisi tells Netanyahu he wants to assist Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts - Jerusalem Post

Update 9/24/17 - Netanyahu Tells Cabinet Ministers: Trump Prepping Peace Plan, Determined to Make Progress - Haaretz

White House: Kushner, Abbas Meeting Aimed to Launch 'Substantive Peace Talks'

Aug. 25, 2017 - A White House memo said that the meeting between Jared Kushner's U.S. delegation and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was "productive." Both sides agreed to continue the process. The meeting...

..."focused on how to begin substantive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks" and that "both sides agreed to continue with the U.S.-led conversations as the best way to reach a comprehensive peace deal."

Source: Haaretz

Jared Kushner's Middle East Peace Push Met With Palestinian Skepticism - Time

Kushner arrives amid hazy hopes for effort to jump start peace talks - Times of Israel

President Trump Sends Jared Kushner to Israel to Help Broker a Peace Deal

Aug. 23, 2017 - President Trump is sending a delegation to the Middle East to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, extremism and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. His son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner will lead the team. They plan to meet with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Trump’s sending the delegation to try to take advantage of a period of relative calm following violent clashes last month over Israeli security arrangements at the Jerusalem shrine known to Jews as Temple Mount.

Source: Fortune

Trump's team arrives once again to reignite diplomatic process - Jerusalem Post

Israeli-Palestinian conflict may not be solvable, Kushner says on tape

Aug. 2, 2017 - President Donald Trump has often referred to an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord as the “ultimate deal.” His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was heard by congressional interns saying he was not sure that the Trump administration could solve the Israeli Palestinian conflict, but they would try to do so.

“There may be no solution, but it’s one of the problem sets that the president asked us to focus on. So we’re going to focus on it and try to come to the right conclusion in the near future.”

Source: Times of Israel

Middle East Quartet meets for first time in Trump’s presidency

July 13, 2017 - The "Middle East Quartet"--representatives of the US, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations-- met in Jerusalem today. They are worried about the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, and hope to help resolve the crisis.

Unlike the last meeting of the Quartet in September, there was no condemnation of Israel’s West Bank settlement construction, and the group did not issue a call for a two-state solution.

The four also agreed to keep meeting together and to include Israelis and Palestinians in their discussions.

Source: Times of Israel

White House Sends Jared Kushner into Israel to Kickstart Peace Efforts

Jun. 21, 2017 -

The Trump Administration begins an intensive round of Middle East peacemaking with the arrival in Jerusalem this week of President Trump’s personal envoys Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner, the first of what the White House says will be "many visits."

Source: Time

Kushner meets with Abbas in bid to renew peace process - Jerusalem Post

Bolton: No Chance for Trump to Secure Peace Deal Between Israel and Palestinians

May 30, 2017 - Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, told the Jerusalem Post that President Trump means well, but after 70 years of efforts to achieve a two-state solution, “You can’t put it back together again.” While they were meeting in Bethlehem, Trump told the Palestinian leader Abbas:

“You tricked me in D.C.! You talked there about your commitment to peace, but the Israelis showed me your involvement in incitement [against Israel],” ... according to Israel’s Channel 2 broadcaster.

Source: NewsMax

Ex-UN envoy Bolton to JPost: Trump has no chance at ultimate peace deal - Jerusalem Post

President Trump meets with Pope Francis at Vatican

May 24, 2017 - President Trump met with Pope Francis for 30 minutes at the Vatican. The two have disagreed on some things, like cllimate control and immigration policies, but they seemed cordial to one another. President Trump said it was "a very great honor" to meet the Pope. After the visit the President and some of his family toured the Sistine Chapel.

Trump’s visit to the Vatican is the third leg of his tour of the world’s three main monotheistic religions, coming after he visited the cradles of Islam and Judaism.

Source: Fox

Confirmed: President will visit Israel, Saudi Arabia & the Vatican this month. Trip designed to reach out to Jews, Muslims & Christians, strengthen U.S. alliances, advance peace.

May 5, 2017 - This month President Trump will promote peace during an international tour.

His first foreign trip will begin with stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican where he will meet with the Pope. From there, he will participate in a NATO Summit in Brussels, followed by the G-7 Summit.

Source: Joel Rosenberg

Trump, Sissi said to plan peace summit during their meeting

Apr. 5, 2017 - Recently US Special Envoy for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt met with Arab leaders.

At the Arab League Summit in Jordan last week, Greenblatt told Arab foreign ministers that Trump was committed to reaching a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians that would “reverberate” throughout the Middle East and the world.

Meanwhile, President Trump met Monday with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to discuss plans for an Israeli-Palestinian peace summit in Washington this summer.

Source: Times of Israel

Trump mulls Middle East peace conference

Mar. 12, 2017 - During a recent phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, President Trump said that he believes "peace is possible and that the time has come to make a deal."

Trump underscored that such a peace agreement must be negotiated directly between the two parties and that the United States will work closely with Palestinian and Israeli leadership to make progress toward that goal.

Source: YNet

Israeli PM to Trump envoy: Peace progress with all neighbors possible under new president - Times of Israel

Trump team weighs engaging Arabs allies to push Mideast peace — report

Feb. 9, 2017 - President Trump recently met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and had phone calls with top leaders in Egypt, Turkey and Abu Dhabi.

Determined to make the elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, US President Donald Trump is deliberating bringing in Arab states and embracing the “outside-in” approach to peacemaking that has been endorsed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,

Source: Times of Israel