From PressTV
Foreign secret service behind Syria chemical attack: Russia FM
Russia says it has “irrefutable” evidence that the recent chemical attack near the Syrian capital of Damascus was staged with the help of a foreign secret service.
“We have irrefutable evidence that this was another staged event, and that the secret services of a certain state that is now at the forefront of a Russophobic campaign was involved in this staged event,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a press conference with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok in Moscow on Friday.
The April 7 attack in the militant-held town of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta region left dozens dead and drew international condemnation from various countries and international bodies.
Immediately after the attack, the United States and its allies rushed to accuse the Syrian government of conducting it. However, in a statement, the Syrian government has denied the allegations, saying such claims were aimed at halting Syrian forces’ advances in the region and were made by the terrorists themselves.
“The chemical fabrications, which did not serve the terrorists and their sponsors in Aleppo and Eastern Ghouta, will not serve them today either, as the Syrian state is determined to end terrorism in every square inch of Syrian territory,” read the statement.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry also lambasted as “bogus” reports of the chemical gas attack allegedly conducted by the Syrian government in Eastern Ghouta, warning that any military intervention based on such “invented and fabricated excuses” could lead to severe consequences.
From PressTV
Hezbollah does not see all-out war over Syria: Deputy head
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement downplays threats of a military action against Syria, ruling out a potential direct confrontation between the US and Russia or a wider war in the Arab country.
“We rule out the situation developing into a direct American-Russian clash or a wide state of war,” Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem told Lebanese daily al-Joumhouria in an interview published on Friday.
“The conditions do not point to a total war happening … unless (US President Donald) Trump and (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu completely lose their minds,” he said.
Hezbollah, along with Russia and Iran, has been helping the Syrian army in its battles against terrorists.
The US and its allies have been threatening Damascus with military action since April 7, when a suspected chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, reportedly killed 60 people and injured hundreds more.
The possibility of an attack grew larger on Wednesday, after Trump warned Russia, one of Syria’s key supporters in the fight against foreign-backed militancy, to “get ready” to shoot down American missiles over Syria soon.
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From PressTV
War between Russia, US can’t be ruled out: Moscow
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia has called on the United States and its allies to drop plans for potential military intervention in Syria, warning he “cannot exclude” the possibility of direct military confrontation between Moscow and Washington in case the Arab country is attacked.
Speaking after a closed-door UN Security Council meeting over US President Donald Trump’s threats of an imminent military action against Syria over an alleged chemical attack, Nebenzia told reporters Thursday that the presence of Russian troops in the Middle Eastern country had made the situation even more dangerous.
“The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war,” Nebenzia said. “We hope there will be no point of no return.”
Asked whether by that he meant a war between Russia and the US, the Russian envoy said, “We cannot exclude any possibilities, unfortunately, because we saw messages that are coming from Washington. They were very bellicose.”
The US and its allies have been threatening Damascus with military action since April 7, when a suspected chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, reportedly killed 60 people and injured hundreds more.
The possibility of an attack grew larger on Wednesday, after Trump warned Russia, one of Syria’s key supporters in the fight against foreign-backed militancy, to “get ready” to shoot down American missiles over Syria soon.
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From PressTV
UK ‘war cabinet’ agrees on ‘need for action’ in Syria: Downing Street
British Prime Minister Theresa May has won backing from her “war cabinet” to take action with the United States and France in Syria to “deter the further use of chemical weapons,” according to a Downing Street statement.
May and her senior ministers discussed for more than two hours in Downing Street on Thursday whether Britain should participate in the potential US-led military intervention in Syria.
At the end, they agreed it was “highly likely” the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the recent alleged chemical weapons attack in the Arab country.
The ministers, who were called from their Easter holiday for the meeting, agreed with May that the use of chemical weapons must not “go unchallenged,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said in the statement.
The US and its Western allies have been threatening Damascus with military action since Saturday, the day a suspected chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, reportedly killed 60 people and injured hundreds more.
The possibility of an attack grew larger on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump warned Russia, one of Syria’s key supporter in the fight against foreign-backed militancy, to “get ready” to shoot down American missiles over Syria soon.
From PressTV
Seriously consider consequences of attack on Syria: Russia to West
Russia says threats by the US and France to launch a military aggression against Syria violate the UN Charter, calling on the West to “seriously consider” the consequences of such intimidation.
“At the highest level, the presidents of the United States and France threatened a tough reaction, with the use of force against Syria. I would like to note that the threat of using force against a UN member state is a gross violation of the charter of this organization,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
“We call upon… members of the international community to seriously consider the possible consequences of such accusations, threats and especially action (against Syria),” she added.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Syria in response to an alleged gas attack in the Arab country. France has also said it would join the military action.
Trump has, however, cast doubt on the timing of the possible military action, saying, “Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!”
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned the Western states against any military action on his homeland.
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Leading House members urge Iceland to back down on circumcision ban
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The leading Republican and Democrat in the House on foreign policy joined to urge Iceland to stand down from a proposed bill to ban circumcision.
“While Jewish and Muslim populations in Iceland may be small, your country’s ban could be exploited by those who stoke xenophobia and anti-Semitism in countries with more diverse populations,” said the letter sent April 5 to the embassy of Iceland in Washington, D.C., by Reps. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., its top Democrat.
“As a partner nation, we urge your government to stop this intolerant bill from advancing any further,” said the letter, which was released to the public on Thursday by the Orthodox Union, a group that has spoken out against the proposed ban.
“While Iceland’s Jewish community may be one of the smallest in the world, the legislation to ban male circumcision looms as a large assault upon Jewish – and Muslim – religious freedom and practice,” Nathan Diament, the OU’s Washington director, said in a statement.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Uganda considering Israeli request to take in 500 African migrants
African asylum seekers set up a mock slave auction as part of a protest outside the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, April 3, 2018. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
(JTA) — Uganda said it was considering a request from Israel to take in 500 African migrants that Israel would deport — the first time an African country confirmed that it was going along with the Israeli government’s controversial deportation plan.
Musa Ecweru, the Ugandan minister in charge of refugees, said the migrants would be thoroughly evaluated before their arrival, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.
Uganda was one of two countries that had surfaced in reports as a possible destination for some 38,000 African asylum seekers in Israel to be deported under a plan announced in January by the Israeli government. Under the plan, migrants who had chosen to leave by March 31 would receive a payment of $3,500 as well as free airfare and other incentives.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
30 Palestinians wounded on Gaza border as third week of protests begins
Palestinian protesters try to take down a section of barbed wire at the Gaza border fence with Israel, April 13, 2018. (Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images)
(JTA) — Palestinian authorities are reporting that Israeli fire wounded at least 30 protesters, one critically, in the latest round of protests on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of protesters amassed at the border for the third Friday in a row.
The Israeli army reported that there were several attempts to breach the border, Israel’s Reshet Bet radio reported, and that protesters threw bottles and in one case an explosive device. The army said its troops were observing legal open fire procedures.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Trump administration reportedly asked Israel to tamp down criticism of Polish Holocaust law
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Trump administration officials asked Israel’s government and opposition to tamp down criticism of a proposed Polish law that would criminalize blaming Poland for Nazi crimes, according to a report.
The report by Barak Ravid, the diplomatic correspondent for Israel’s Channel 10 News, quoted senior Israeli officials, who said that while the Americans found the law objectionable, they also sought to preserve relations with Poland, a critical ally.
Ravid posted his report on Twitter in Hebrew.
The pressure extended to Israel’s opposition, according to Ravid, when Vice President Mike Pence met Isaac Herzog, the parliamentary leader of the opposition Zionist Union faction. Both men spoke at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
South Carolina is set to become first state to define anti-Semitism by law
WASHINGTON (JTA) — South Carolina is set to become the first state to legislate a definition of anti-Semitism, with one controversial passage defining as anti-Semitic certain anti-Israel expressions.
The language is not permanent, the Charleston Post and Courier reported. It was included in an $8 billion budget bill the state Senate passed late Thursday, which means that it stands only until the next budget is passed next year.
The language is seen as likely to survive the reconciliation of the bill by Senate and House committees. Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican who has championed the language, is expected to sign the budget bill.
Efforts earlier this year to pass a permanent version of the law were frustrated when concerns about an impingement on free speech hindered its advance in the Senate.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Sen. Elizabeth Warren urges Israel to express restraint toward Gaza protesters
(JTA) — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called on the Israeli government to respect the rights of Palestinian protesters on the Gaza border.
Warren, D-Mass., made the call in a statement sent to The Intercept on Wednesday, the online news publication reported the following day.
“I am deeply concerned about the deaths and injuries in Gaza,” Warren said. “As additional protests are planned for the coming days, the Israel Defense Forces should exercise restraint and respect the rights of Palestinians to peacefully protest.”
In addition to Warren, who has been cited as a possible presidential candidate in 2020, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a Jewish lawmaker who ran in 2016 for the Democratic presidential nomination, late last month tweeted his criticism of Israel’s use of force during border demonstrations and called the killing of Gaza protesters “tragic.”
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From PressTV
Military attack on Syria will be devastating for Arab leaders: Lebanon parl. speaker
The Lebanese parliament speaker has warned against any military aggression against Syria, stressing that the outcome of any missile attack on the Arab country plagued with foreign-sponsored militancy will be “devastating for Arab leaders.”
“An attack on Syria will have severe repercussions. The first victims of such an action would be the stability and unity of the (Middle East) region. It will also lead to more bloodshed and destruction in Syria, and more displacement of Syrians,” Nabih Berri said on Thursday.
He further noted that “Arab leaders have to bear the costs of a military onslaught on Syria, and the spending money will be paid out of their own pockets.”
“The results will be definitely devastating and destructive for their future, and for the stability of their nations,” Berri pointed out.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has emphasized that Beirut will not allow the Lebanese airspace to be used for any strike on Syria.
“Lebanon opposes any aggression against any Arab country. The policy of dissociation from the Syrian conflict doesn’t mean following the Israeli suit, or letting the Lebanese airspace be used to attack Syria. It also doesn’t mean that we won’t counter terrorism,” Bassil said.
From PressTV
Israeli breach of airspace amounts to attack on Lebanon: Aoun
Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun says Israeli jets’ violation of the Lebanese airspace amounts to an attack on the country’s national sovereignty, noting that Beirut will lodge a complaint with the United Nations Security Council.
“Lebanon considered that the Israeli warplanes’ use of the Lebanese airspace is an attack on our sovereignty, and we will not accept any Israeli exploitation of our airspace,” Aoun said during a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
He was reacting to strikes carried out by Israeli F-15 warplanes via Lebanese air space on T-4 air base in Syria’s Homs Province on Monday. The air raids killed and wounded several people.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said the Israeli attack constitutes “an indirect response” to the Syrian army’s success in expelling terrorist groups from the outskirts of Damascus and other areas.
In two letters addressed to the UN chief and the Security Council chairman, the ministry stressed that the Israeli aggression would not have been possible without the US support.
Damascus further warned Israel of the “dangerous repercussions” of its assaults on Syria and its constant support for armed terror outfits.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Number of violent anti-Semitic attacks worldwide dropped in 2017, report finds
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Violent anti-Semitic attacks worldwide directed against Jewish communities, Jewish people and their property decreased by about 9 percent in 2017, according to an annual report.
There were 327 cases in 2017 compared to 361 in 2016, according to the annual “Antisemitism Worldwide” report by the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University.
The data were published Wednesday, on the eve of Israel’s national day of remembrance of the Holocaust. This year’s 103-page report is a global overview combining surveys from recognized watchdogs from dozens of countries, including nearly all European Union member states.
The figures for 2017 do not include some cases of extreme violence in France, including that of Sarah Halimi, a Jewish woman who was thrown out of her apartment window to her death. The incidents are still being studied, according to the report.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Pussy Riot cancels Israel concert — possibly not for BDS reasons
Nadya Tolokonnikova, left, and Maria Alyokhina of Pussy Riot at the Greenwich Film Festival in Connecticut, June 6, 2015. (Grant Lamos IV/Getty Images for Greenwich Film Festival 2015)
(JTA) — The political band Pussy Riot canceled a show in Israel without specifying why, and an Israeli paper reported that it could be for “technical issues.”
The Russian group, known for its anti-Putin performance art, announced the cancellation on Saturday. Members of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement had urged the band not to perform last month and earlier this month.
The band’s tweet and Facebook post did not give a reason for the cancellation. Israel Hayom reported that the Israeli promoter of the show said “technical issues” derailed the concert.
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