Secretary of State John Kerry will travel the Middle East on one of his first diplomatic tours in his new post, but Israel won’t be on the schedule. The news came yesterday as Kerry’s itinerary was announced. The trip is set to commence February 24 and will include stops in Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. In announcing the trip, the state department indicated travel to Israel at this time was not ideal, as Benjamin Netanyahu is still …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

Turkey has blocked Israel’s participation in a NATO summit set for Chicago next month, due to a two-year long debate over Turkish citizens killed in an Israeli raid. “There will be no Israeli presence at the NATO meeting unless they issue a formal apology and pay compensation for the Turkish citizens their commandos killed in international waters,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during a NATO conference in Brussels last week. Turkey’s opposition to Israel’s presence …More

The US government is showing confusion on whether or not Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Following a snafu last week, in which the state department cited the Holy City and the Jewish state as being two separate places, the department has been drawn into the spotlight once more. An Associated Press news reporter squared off with Victoria Nuland, spokeswoman for the state department, during a press conference in Washington. He asked several times what city the US deems to be Israel’s capital, with Nuland …More

The Muslim Brotherhood has promised US officials that it will uphold the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, a US State Department spokeswoman said Thursday. Her statement effectively contradicted one made last week by a top Muslim Brotherhood official, who said his party was not bound by the 1979 treaty. Rashad al-Bayoumi, Muslim Brotherhood’s second in command, told the Al Hayat newspaper last week, "the Muslim Brotherhood will not recognize Israel under any circumstances and might put the peace treaty …More

"What happened in UNESCO is no simple matter and it has to be taken seriously," a diplomatic source told Ynet. "The implications of the change to the PA's status have to be explored, since it backs their unilateral move in the UN." On Monday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected the decision to admit Palestine as a full member to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In an irate statement, the ministry called the move a symbolic gesture that will only hinder the possibility of …More