President Obama has no new peace plan laid out for his impending visit to Israel, the White House said today. When asked by reporters if the president intended to propose a preconceived strategy while touring the Jewish state next month, spokesman Jay Carney told reporters there was no conditional plan on the agenda. “I'm sure a variety of issues will be discussed, as they always are when the president meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders. And that's certainly the case when he …More

As Israelis continue to wade through the coalition news pouring in today, US officials applauded the close of another democratically driven Israeli election. “Mazal tov to the Israeli people on their just completed elections! Always inspiring to see democracy in action!” US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro tweeted. He added: “United States looks forward to working closely with the next government of Israel.” “Fascinating election from a US perspective. Every democratic system is …More

The US has condemned recently reported comments from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who made headlines after a video showcased the leader calling Jews “descendants of apes and pigs.” Morsi has been under tight scrutiny in past months, as Israeli and US officials seek to determine whether the Muslim Brotherhood head will uphold the Egypt-Israeli peace treaty of 1979. Now, White House spokesman Jay Carney has commented on the anti-Semitic video, which was shot in 2010 but has just recently come to …More

France and Great Britain have summoned its ambassadors to Israel, in protest over the Jewish state’s move to build 3,000 housing sites in a settlement outside Jerusalem. Israel announced Friday its intention to expand settlement construction on a block of land that has been frozen since 2009. The news came just one day after Palestine successfully fought for elevated status within the United Nations. The UK said the construction places doubt on Israel’s “stated commitment to achieving peace …More

Today, a bomb exploded on a bus in Tel Aviv, injuring 21. None have yet officially taken responsibility for the terror attack, the city’s first in six years. The event recalls the intifadas for many, who remember dozens of such bombings claiming casualties in Israel’s major cities. The bus driver said he did not see the attacker, and could not even tell where the blast cam from. “I didn’t see anything. Suddenly there was an explosion,” the driver told reporters at Ichilov Medical …More

White House press secretary Jay Carney briefed media this morning on the situation in Gaza, indicating the US still backed Israel’s right to defense, blaming Hamas for the bulk of the unrest. He said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was speaking with Middle East leaders to help “achieve a de-escalation of the conflict that includes an end to rocket fire from Gaza.” He indicated that President Obama has been in continuous communication with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and receiving …More

The US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff armed forces does not want to be “complicit” in an Israeli attack on Iran. Gen. Martin Dempsey made the comment when speaking with reporters ahead of the Paralympic Games opening in London yesterday. He stated that an Israeli preemptive attack would "clearly delay but probably not destroy Iran's nuclear program," adding, "I don't want to be complicit if they choose to do it." Israel has long claimed that a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear …More

Israel’s ambassador to the US said his embassy was targeted by Iran last year, as he cautioned that a military strike might be imminent. A 2011 plot to assassinate Saudi Ambassador Abel Al-Jubeir included plans to bomb the Israeli embassy in Washington, said Michael Oren in a radio interview Wednesday. An official complaint against the man suspected of the plot, Manssor Arbabsiar, states he "discussed the possibility of attacks on a number of targets. These targets included government facilities …More

The Strategic Affairs Ministry presents data for the first time pertaining to Palestinian incitement against Jews over the past three years. [Israel Hayom] A Palestinian woman gave birth using sperm that was smuggled to her from her Hamas member husband, who has been in an Israeli prison for 15 years. [The Times of Israel] Four Israel Navy soldiers admit to having sexual relations with prostitutes during a joint military exercise in Greece last month. [The Times of Israel] A new report by the US Citizenship and …More

The question of Israel’s capital is still being talked about in White House press briefings, thanks to Mitt Romney’s highly publicized comments in Israel on Sunday. The GOP candidate shared his stance that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, a line that is in contrast with typical US policy. The statement came after White House press secretary Jay Carney took flat for dodging questions on the same subject last week. A reporter Monday referred to Romney’s capital comment, pointing out that the …More

Mitt Romney made headlines over the weekend, when he declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel during a visit to the Jewish state. The GOP candidate spoke in contrast to the official US line, which maintains that Israel’s capital will be determined through negotiations with Palestine. Likewise, the US, as well as many other nations, keeps its embassy in Tel Aviv. During his visit to the Holy City on Sunday, Romney stated publicly: “It is a deeply moving experience to be in Jerusalem, the capital …More

The White House has denied reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the sale military technology for use against Iran with American President Barack Obama during their recent meeting. “In meetings the president had there was no such agreement proposed or reached,” White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Obama and Netanyahu met in the Oval Office for two hours on Monday. The Maariv newspaper reported Thursday that Israel requested bunker-busting bombs and …More