From Ynet News
Report: Islamic State group executes Japanese hostage
President Abe vows to fight terrorist group after radical Islamist known as ‘Jihadi John’ threatens Japanese government for cooperating with US-led coalition, warns: ‘Let the nightmare for Japan begin.’
The Islamic State group executed Japanese hostage Kenji Goto Jogo, according to a new video distributed on Twitter late Saturday evening. According to SITE intelligence group, the minute-long video shows “Jihadi John” threaten Japanese President Abe with further violence.
“Let the nightmare for Japan begin,” warned the radical Islamist group’s executioner.
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Letter circulating among House Dems urges postponement of Netanyahu speech
WASHINGTON (JTA) — A letter urging Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, to postpone a planned March 3 speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is circulating among Democrats.
The letter, initiated by Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Keith Ellison(D-Minn.) notes that Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu was issued without coordination with the White House, comes two weeks before elections in Israel and is intended by Boehner to rebut President Barack Obama’s opposition to new Iran sanctions legislation while nuclear talks with Iran are underway.
“Our relationship with Israel is too important to use as a pawn in political gamesmanship,” says the letter, obtained by JTA. The letter was still circulating among Democrats for signatures on Friday and has yet to be sent.
“We strongly urge you to postpone this invitation until Israelis have cast their ballots and the deadline for diplomatic negotiations with Iran has passed,” it says. “When the Israeli prime minister visits us outside the specter of partisan politics, we will be delighted and honored to greet him or her on the Floor of the House.”
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From PressTV
Netanyahu censured over squandering $25k on alcoholic drinks
A senior Israeli politician has blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extravagant spending, saying he squanders more on alcohol than some Israelis earn per month.
“This week it was published that Netanyahu spent 100,000 shekels (USD 25,450) of public funds over two years on alcohol. Do you know how much that is in a month? 4,200 a month,” Hatnuah party leader Tzipi Livni said at a public event in the Israeli city of Rishon Letzion on Saturday.
“The price of the alcohol Netanyahu drinks in a month is like the monthly salary of nearly one million workers in Israel, but they use it for rent, city tax, water, electricity, education, and food,” Livni added.
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From PressTV
Israeli troops kill Palestinian man, injure another: Sources
Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian man and wounded another in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, Palestinian sources say.
Ahmad al-Najjar, 19, was shot dead by Israeli troops near the city of Nablus late on Saturday, the sources said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed that soldiers had opened live fire on two Palestinians, adding that one of them was wounded in the leg.
She further noted that the second Palestinian had been “hit”, without giving more details.
A day earlier, Israeli troops launched an assault on Palestinian demonstrators in several towns and villages across the West Bank, injuring two protesters.
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