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US furious with Hamas: Witkoff cancels meeting with Hamas

miriw — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:00:11 +0000

President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, will not meet Wednesday with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya on the sidelines of peace talks in Turkey, according to American sources who spoke to Israel Hayom.

Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, addresses the United Nations Security Council, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019 (Photo: AP/Richard Drew) AP/Richard Drew

Washington is furious with the terror organization over its attempt to rally Arab support against the American proposal in a United Nations Security Council vote, effectively throwing a wrench into President Trump's efforts to advance to the next stage of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

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UN official ignites outrage after questioning Hamas' Oct. 7 sexual crimes

omrif — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:33:44 +0000

A storm broke out over the weekend after Reem Alsalem, the UN's special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, posted a series of statements on X that were interpreted as casting doubt on the sexual crimes carried out by the Hamas terrorist organization during the October 7 attack.

In her comments, Alsalem wrote that no independent investigation had been found that established rape took place on October 7 and also claimed that no Palestinian in Gaza applauded rape. The remarks stood in direct contradiction to the UN's own official findings published last year.

Alongside these posts, Alsalem published additional messages accusing Israel and referring to the Sde Teiman affair and investigations involving Israeli soldiers. In one post she wrote that the writing was on the wall and added that impunity for crimes against Palestinians had existed for decades. In another she argued that some people naively believed that an effective investigation in Israel would ever be carried out into sexual violence against Palestinians.

For those who naively believe that israelí perpetrators of sexual violence against Palestinians will ever get investigated and prosecuted, think again. The writing is on the wall and has been fir decades. Impunity for crimes committed against Palestinians is sanctioned by State… https://t.co/fHVZMoy301

— Reem Alsalem UNSR Violence Against Women and Girls (@UNSRVAW) November 14, 2025

The statements sparked sharp reactions in Israel. Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, responded harshly on X. He wrote that any UN representative who denies the rapes committed by Hamas should be removed from office. According to him, the remarks were a moral disgrace, an insult to the victims and their families, and a violation of every basic international standard. Danon added that Israel would not allow the laundering of Hamas' crimes, and he criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accusing him that your silence means partnership.

The backlash against Alsalem's remarks compelled her to respond. In a follow up statement, she wrote that her words had been taken out of context. She also pointed to an interview in which she said she had addressed the sexual assaults carried out on October 7 and additional information being examined by various bodies. Alsalem claimed she had sought to shed light on issues surrounding forensic evidence and disputes regarding independent investigations, but her clarification did little to calm the criticism.

As a reminder, the UN's special representative on sexual violence in conflict and UN under-secretary-general, Pramila Patten, published a comprehensive report in April 2024 that remains the UN's central institutional acknowledgment of the sexual atrocities committed by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7. That report relied heavily on the findings of a mission she led during her visit to Israel in January and February of that year, during which she was presented with testimonies and evidence of Hamas' war crimes.

Hamas terrorist on October 7 None

During her visit, Patten and her team reviewed more than 5,000 photos and roughly 50 hours of footage, toured key attack sites including the Nova music festival grounds, Route 232, Kibbutz Re'im, Kibbutz Be'eri and the Nahal Oz base, and held dozens of meetings with government officials, the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet security agency and police, as well as survivors, eyewitnesses, families of hostages and civil society organizations.

However, in August this year, Patten released the UN secretary-general's annual report on sexual violence in armed conflict worldwide. Political pressure was exerted to present Hamas and Israel in the same category in an effort to create a false impression of moral equivalence between the sides. Ultimately Israel was mentioned in the report under a warning ahead of possible inclusion in next year's blacklist, on the grounds of alleged systematic violations involving sexual violence against Palestinian detainees.

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Syria's UN rep says deal with Israel announcement could come at any moment

miriw — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:00:16 +0000

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani) is conducting a historic visit to Washington while Syria's UN Ambassador Ibrahim Olabi addressed security negotiations with Israel and claimed the agreement "could be published at any moment."

Olabi noted negotiations continue, and their nature remains primarily security-focused, based on the agreement signed after the Yom Kippur War. "The focus of the talks is mainly on border checkpoints, the number of forces on each side, and similar matters," the ambassador was quoted as saying by the Syrian news site Al-Watan.

Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa speaks during a meeting with the Russian president at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, 15 October 2025 (Photo: EPA/Alexander Zemlianichenko) EPA/Alexander Zemlianichenko

"The discussions address several issues and concerns of both sides. If Israel has security concerns, they can be addressed. If other issues are not security-related, they require a different approach," the ambassador said, apparently referring to the Druze issue in the Druze Mountain region, who were attacked by the Damascus regime.

The ambassador described Syrian President al-Sharaa's visit to Washington as a "historic opportunity" and stated that his country aims to establish "a space of peace, security, and stability on its southern border."

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Horror from space: Sudan's hidden massacre

ErezL — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 08:00:25 +0000

The massacre in Darfur has deepened, with gruesome imagery and eyewitness accounts emerging from El Fasher in eastern Sudan. Despite the RSF-imposed blackout, chilling details of mass killings have surfaced after more than a day of continuous bloodshed.

Yale University's School of Medicine analyzed satellite imagery revealing piles of bodies and massive pools of blood clearly visible from orbit. These findings came after experts told The Guardian that RSF agents executed more than 2,000 civilians following the group's capture of El Fasher from Sudanese army forces after an eight-month siege.

The massacre as seen from space (Social media)

"We saw many of our relatives being slaughtered," said a man who lost contact with his family in El Fasher, speaking to the BBC. He recounted how the militia gathered people together before shooting them one by one and said communication was completely cut off with all of North Darfur.

Rebel factions declared control of the Sudanese army's last position in western Darfur. Simultaneously, video evidence of men and women killed in gruesome scenes fueled global concerns about ethnic massacres across the region.

Sudan's civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between army forces under Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and RSF troops led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti"), has since killed tens of thousands, displaced twelve million, and left half the nation facing starvation – a tragedy the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

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The 47th president's super-mediator model is the only path

ErezL — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:07:52 +0000

In March 1996, amid the backdrop of the severe wave of terror attacks that the Hamas organization led against Israel, an international conference on combating terrorism convened in Sharm el-Sheikh, whose main sponsors were President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

However, beyond a pompous concluding statement that forcefully condemned the acts of terror and called for international cooperation to eradicate this violent and grave threat to Israel's security and regional stability, the wave of Hamas terror renewed with all its might and cruelty, sowing murder and destruction in Israel. Thus, the dream of the meeting's architects to cultivate a more reconciled and terror-free regional environment solely through rhetorical and declarative means vanished in fire and smoke.

Families of hostages propose to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in September 2025 (Gideon Markowicz)

Nearly three decades since that stinging and resounding failure, it brings up from the abyss of oblivion and forgetfulness the pathetic and naive attempt by Britain and France in 1928 to outlaw the use of war through a toothless document and enforcement mechanisms (the Kellogg-Briand Pact).

Sharm el-Sheikh once again became the focus of mediation efforts, designed to end the fighting in Gaza and ensure, with the help of tools and mechanisms to be established later on, that the same violent and extremist Hamas would be removed and excluded from the centers of control, influence, and the military infrastructure it established. And this time, it would be done effectively and long-term, unlike the failed initiative of 1996.

Indeed, while the 1996 Sharm el-Sheikh conference featured colorful scenery but yielded no results, this time the quiet contacts held in Sharm el-Sheikh produced a dramatic agreement for a ceasefire and the release of all the hostages (Phase A of President Donald Trump's settlement plan), which was signed on October 9, 2025, between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the US, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar.

A destroyed home in Be'eri, following the Oct. 7 atrocities (Moshe Shai)

The uniqueness of the agreement (even though it does not include agreements regarding all the patterns and details of the implementation of the next phases of the president's plan), which succeeded in bringing about a cessation of fire after two years of a difficult campaign, is rooted in the conduct and behavioral patterns of the American super-mediator, who demonstrated creative and resolute leadership, out-of-the-box thinking beyond traditional diplomatic frameworks, and a readiness to make optimal use, at the right time, of all the levers of pressure and influence at his disposal.

While the diplomatic virtuoso, Henry Kissinger, preferred to obscure or blur the final goal of his mediation efforts, and instead proceed using a slow and gradual method toward realizing his settlement vision, the 47th president Donald Trump presented the goal of ending the war (and not just achieving a ceasefire agreement) as his central objective from the outset.

Furthermore, in his diplomatic activity in the arena, the 47th president created a completely new model of a super-mediator, overshadowing even the legendary Henry Kissinger in his level of sophistication and originality. While the former US Secretary of State acted not only as an effective mediator but also as a factor that rewarded the parties during the mediation he led on the way to the interim agreement he achieved between Israel and Egypt in September 1975, Donald Trump demonstrated his full prowess last week by not settling for traditional and direct mediation, but by granting a package of incentives and perks to the sub-mediators.

Pressures on Hamas

He did not, therefore, limit himself to promising compensation (or issuing warnings, implied or explicit) to the warring parties themselves. This was to strengthen the motivation of these sub-mediators (mainly Turkey and Qatar) to exert heavy pressures on Hamas so that it would agree to soften its rigid positions.

Regarding Turkey, the American compensation appears particularly far-reaching. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was promised the supply of F-35 aircraft, which he so coveted to receive, and he is slated to become a legitimate player in the agreement's implementation process.

Thus, the White House managed to create a two-layered web of heavy-weight levers of influence on Hamas. The cumulative weight of these levers made it hard for the terror organization, at the current time, to reject his plan. (Regarding Israel, Donald Trump directly applied these levers, but with a completely different dosage). This created the necessary infrastructure for the entire deal, in which carrots and sticks were integrated based on the business principle of "give and take" from Donald Trump's business background.

Hamas' dependence on Turkey

Although Qatar has long been known for dancing not only with the US but also with the devil, the fact that Doha had not succeeded in its mediation efforts until now (especially following the failed Israeli attack against senior Hamas officials in Qatar) is what led the president to his unprecedented decision to turn to Ankara, to shower Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with words of praise and flattery, and exploited the Hamas movement's great dependence on Turkey to turn it into a central executive contractor for his plan.

People react as they celebrate following the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting, at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025 / AP / Emilio Morenatti

In this way, he also upgraded Turkey's security and political ties with Washington (in the hope that the price for strengthening Turkey and bringing it into the arena would not be too high for Israel, and that the American partner would provide Israel with appropriate security compensation for this).

Furthermore, in his activity as a super-mediator, Donald Trump revealed a deep understanding of the timing of his powerful entry onto the stage. The level of support for Israel around the world, and especially among the American public (including among the party's youth), has recently fallen to an unprecedented low (and also reflected on the status of the American superpower, Israel's loyal ally).

The fact that the Israeli action in Doha threatened to unravel the loose seams of the Abraham Accords and steer the Middle East down a path of chaos and instability, led the president to increase his activity. This was also in light of the growing criticism from wide sectors in Israeli society regarding what appeared to be a futile bogging down in the sands and alleys of Gaza.

Frustration in the White House

The growing frustration in the White House with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's promises of Hamas' total collapse, which did not materialize, and its sensitivity to the worsening condition of the hostages and the humanitarian distress in the strip, contributed to his decision that the time was ripe to throw his full weight into an increased effort to immediately bring about a cessation of the fighting (while also being ready to apply pressure on Israel not to resort to tactics of delay and postponement).

Tourists visit Peace Square, during preparations for an international summit on Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 11, 2025 (Reuters / Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

Thus, a window of opportunity was created by the president for the establishment of a ceasefire between Israel, isolated in the international arena and where growing signs of domestic fatigue and frustration are intensifying, and the terror organization, which has been significantly weakened and has lost most of its strongholds and centers of control. This was, of course, with the assistance of the sub-mediators, primarily Ankara, who mobilized for the mission of applying increased pressure on the terror organization.

If Europe was not mentioned at all in all the above, it is no coincidence. Apart from impractical plans that left no discernible mark, no trace remains of the unilateral and preposterous initiatives of French President (as of October 11) Emmanuel Macron, the European Union and the UN institutions. Is there a need for further proof of the leading status of the US as the sole superpower in the Donald Trump era, and the absolute marginality of Europe, which, apart from the background noise it created, contributed nothing to the advancement of the ceasefire?

And finally, the question of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was not awarded to the president on Friday. After the rumor already emerged from Oslo's halls that the win is contingent on a contribution to the establishment of a sustainable peace settlement, and not just the achievement of a ceasefire agreement, one can only hope and believe that if the process that Donald Trump created from scratch is indeed realized in practice and also leads to the expansion and upgrading of the Abraham Accords and the establishment of a new, more reconciled, and stable regional order, it will be difficult for the committee to object to his selection next year as the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

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How will Netanyahu respond at the UN?

omrif — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:07:19 +0000

Following Trump's speech, delivered in the spirit of a Nobel Peace Prize acceptance, and after the Saudi-French initiative and Trump's summit with Arab and Turkish leaders, Israeli eyes are now set on Netanyahu's Friday speech at the UN, his expected meeting with Trump on monday, and the looming question: will a deal with Syrian President al-Shara be finalized in the coming days?

Until the end of the holiday, Israel's rivals and enemies were largely left unchallenged diplomatically. The US was nearly the sole exception, forcefully recalling the atrocities of October 7, the prize handed to Hamas in the form of Palestinian state recognition, while most others struck blows, many cloaked in hypocrisy, at the Jewish state.

The UN has always been a hostile place for Israel. "Um-Shmum" was coined by David Ben-Gurion back in 1955. Abba Eban fought there with all his diplomatic skill, and Ambassador Chaim Herzog famously tore up the resolution equating Zionism with racism from the General Assembly podium.

French President Emmanuel Macron announces recognition of a Palestinian state. Photo: AFP AFP

Still, before Netanyahu even arrives in New York after the holiday, there have been statements that partially balanced the hostile atmosphere, not only from Trump. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto repeated his June declaration, first made alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Jakarta, that once Israel recognizes a Palestinian state, Indonesia will be ready to recognize Israel. He stressed that support for a two-state solution must ensure Israel's security, saying peace could only be achieved if Israel's safety was guaranteed. "Only then can we achieve real peace. Real peace. And no more hatred and suspicion. The only solution is this: the two-state solution."

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto at the UN General Assembly. Photo: Reuters

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas struck an unexpectedly critical tone toward Hamas, demanding the terrorist organization lay down its arms and promising any future Palestinian state would be demilitarized, with Hamas excluded from governance. His remarks appeared aimed at preempting Netanyahu's arguments that a Palestinian state poses a dire security threat to Israel.

But such remarks were exceptions. Netanyahu will arrive to counter them directly in his speech and in behind-the-scenes meetings, including with Trump. His central message will be a fierce condemnation of the countries recognizing a Palestinian state without conditioning it on Hamas's defeat and the hostages' return. He is expected to cite Hamas leaders openly thanking Western nations for this recognition, reiterating his longstanding argument that the October 7 attacks proved the dangers of Palestinian sovereignty next to Israel.

As in previous UN appearances, Netanyahu is expected to bring visual props, possibly including photos or fragments of rockets found near Ramallah and Tulkarem, to demonstrate the proximity of Palestinian threats to Israel's population centers. The plight of the hostages will take center stage, with Netanyahu bringing to New York representatives of hostage families and recently released hostages.

Rockets in Ramallah. Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

He is also expected to stress the strategic need to decisively defeat Hamas as justification for continuing the war, while highlighting humanitarian efforts in Gaza such as food distribution centers and safe zones. It is not yet clear if he will address postwar scenarios, who would govern Gaza, the extent of IDF deployment, or broader questions about expanding the Abraham Accords and relations with other Arab states.

According to Israeli officials, including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, these regional diplomatic tracks have slipped lower on the priority list. Netanyahu is expected to emphasize Iran, portraying Israel's war against the Islamic Republic as a battle waged on behalf of the entire world. He will call for extending sanctions, including the "snapback" mechanism, to prevent Iran from advancing toward nuclear weapons.

In his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu will seek a green light to continue Israel's military campaign in Gaza until Hamas is fully defeated. The two are likely to agree on the end of the calendar year as the deadline for concluding the war. For Trump, this fits into his narrative of wars he has ended, which he hopes will bolster his case for the Nobel Prize.

Trump and Netanyahu. Photo: AP

Looking beyond Gaza, there are reported disagreements with Washington over reconstruction plans involving regional cooperation toward a broader political and economic "mega-deal," including possible Saudi entry into the Abraham Accords. The two leaders will also coordinate positions on Iran, though Trump has already claimed full credit for the campaign against Tehran in June.

The most intriguing element may be the talks with Syria. According to multiple reports, Trump is pressuring Syrian President al-Shara to show flexibility and reach an agreement with Israel in the coming days. American officials admit the gaps remain significant, particularly concerning Israeli control in the Hermon and along the Golan Heights, as well as security guarantees for the Druze minority allied with Israel.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. Photo: Reuters Reuters

Another sticking point is Israel's demand for continued freedom of action in Syrian skies, including strikes against terrorist targets. If a deal is reached, it could stabilize multiple fronts, particularly Lebanon, and even improve ties with Gulf states currently backing al-Shara.

Lebanon itself will also feature in discussions. US diplomat Thomas Burke, overseeing contacts with Beirut, has hinted that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets complicate efforts to reach an agreement with the Shiite terrorist group. Netanyahu will be briefed on negotiations over disarming Hezbollah, a move the group rejects, claiming its arsenal is needed to defend Lebanon against Israeli aggression.

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Trump meets Arab and Muslim leaders on sidelines of UN Assembly

omrif — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:42:34 +0000

US President Donald Trump met Tuesday with Arab and Muslim leaders in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, including representatives from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. According to reports, Trump is expected to outline his vision for peace and present guiding principles for Gaza's future once the war ends.

Opening the meeting as he sat alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said: "This will be a very important meeting with leaders from a very important region. We want to end the war in Gaza. These leaders are held in great respect by me and by the White House. We want to bring the hostages home and return to normal life. We will speak with whoever we need to, including Bibi. The families of the hostages want them back, and this is the group capable of making that happen. No one else in the world can do it."

At the conclusion of the meeting, Trump remarked that it had been "a wonderful meeting with wonderful leaders." He also told the participants that this had been "the most important meeting I've had. I don't want to offend anyone, I've had 32 meetings." The president added that they were on the verge of ending something "that probably should never have started in the first place."

Jordan's King Abdullah II, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photos: EPA, AFP EPA, AFP

Earlier in the day, several of the largest Muslim countries — Qatar, Turkey, Jordan and Indonesia — slammed Israel from the UN podium. They accused Israel of "genocide" and of obstructing negotiations to end the war in Gaza.

Qatar went further, calling Israel's actions "terrorism" following its strike on a the Hamas delegation in Doha.

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Muslim leaders slam Israel at UN, with Indonesia breaking ranks

omrif — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:29:26 +0000

Qatar, Turkey and Jordan delivered fierce speeches against Israel at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, accusing it of "genocide" and of sabotaging negotiations to end the war in Gaza. Qatar's ruler even labeled Israel's strike in Doha a "terrorist act."

Yet, Indonesia's president, leader of the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, broke ranks and said Israel's security must also be guaranteed as part of a two-state solution.

A message of peace and recognition of the Kingdom of Israel from the largest Islamic country. Thank you very much. President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto pic.twitter.com/agjfALCXAF

— Abedalelah Almaala (@AbedAlmaala) September 23, 2025

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned Israel's strike on senior Hamas officials in Doha, calling it "a terrorist act." He said it was a "direct violation of our sovereignty and a breach of international law. We classified it as terrorism."

The Qatari Emiri and Syrian President at the UN Assembly. Photo: AFP

The emir claimed the attack was illegitimate, even if, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued, it was aimed at fighting terrorism. "It undermines every political effort, an attempt to kill negotiators while they were discussing the American proposal," he said. "If freeing Israeli hostages were truly the way to end the war, why does Israel's government reject it? Because its goal is not only to free hostages but to destroy Gaza, to erase its existence."

He accused Netanyahu of pursuing the vision of "Greater Israel," meaning endless fighting and occupation. He added that Israel's actions against Qatar showed its willingness "to intervene wherever and whenever it wishes" and warned that Israel had become a threat to its neighbors. "Its leaders boast of blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state and openly declare they will do everything to prevent it," he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened his address by lamenting that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was absent, blaming a US ban on his participation. "I call on all states that have not yet done so to recognize the State of Palestine," he said.

Erdogan accused Israel of carrying out a "continuing genocide" in Gaza for "more than 700 days." He held up photos of Gazan women queuing for food and a starving infant, declaring that "two- and three-year-old children without arms and legs are a common sight in Gaza. Children's limbs are being amputated without anesthesia. This is the greatest moral low point of humanity."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the UN General Assembly. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

He charged that Israel was expanding its aggression beyond Gaza, "attacking in Judea and Samaria, Syria, Iran and Yemen, threatening regional security." Referring again to the Doha strike, he said Israel had "recently attacked a delegation meeting in Qatar to discuss a ceasefire – Israel's leadership is utterly out of control." Erdogan accused Netanyahu of rejecting both peace and hostage releases, saying his government, "guided by the idea of Greater Israel, is threatening regional peace."

Jordan's King Abdullah II invoked the post-Holocaust vow of "never again," reminding the Assembly that it was founded 80 years ago with a commitment to learn from history. "The world swore: never again. And yet, almost throughout this time, Palestinians have lived in a cruel cycle of 'again and again,'" he said.

Describing the Palestinian reality, he said: "Bombarded indiscriminately… again and again. Killed, wounded, maimed… again and again. Displaced and dispossessed… again and again. Denied their rights, their dignity… their very humanity… again and again."

Jordan's King Abdullah II at the UN General Assembly. Photo: Reuters

He called the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "the world's longest unresolved conflict," denouncing it as "the illegal occupation of a defenseless people by a self-proclaimed 'democratic nation.'" He said the Gaza war represented "one of the darkest moments in the history of this institution."

Abdullah lashed out at the Israeli government's "provocative calls for what they term 'Greater Israel,' which could only be realized through blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors." He asked whether similar rhetoric from an Arab leader would have been met with "the same global indifference."

He said the international community must "end the illusion that this government is a viable partner for peace," charging that Israel's actions "are deliberately dismantling the very foundations on which peace could stand, burying the idea of a Palestinian state."

The king insisted that security could come "only when Palestine and Israel live side by side," calling for "a viable, independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside a secure Israel at peace with its neighbors."

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who had surprised observers in June when he said alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Jakarta that Indonesia would recognize Israel if it recognized a Palestinian state, repeated that message in his first speech to the Assembly since taking office.

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto at the UN General Assembly. Photo: Reuters

He said Indonesia "will never remain silent while Palestinians are denied justice and legitimacy in this very hall" and condemned Israel's actions in Gaza.

But in a striking departure from the line of other Muslim leaders, Subianto declared: "Palestine and Israel must both be free and independent, safe and secure from threats and terrorism. But we must also, also, recognize, respect and guarantee the security of Israel. Only then can we achieve real peace. Real peace. No more hatred and suspicion. The only solution is this one: the two-state solution."

He even offered to contribute "20,000 or more of our sons and daughters" to serve in a multinational force to help secure peace in Gaza or elsewhere in the Palestinian territories under a two-state arrangement. He closed his speech with the word "shalom" in Hebrew, along with greetings in other languages.

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Trump slams recognition of 'Palestine', declares 'America's power is back' at UN

omrif — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:05:25 +0000

For the first time since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly and condemned the wave of recognitions of a Palestinian state, saying these were gifts too great for Hamas in light of the atrocities it committed.

Confronting the Iranian delegation, he declared that during Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran's nuclear facilities were completely destroyed and many of Iran's former senior military officers were no longer alive.

Trump boasted that he had put an end to seven endless wars. He listed Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan. He added that it was unfortunate he had to do this in place of the UN, which, he said, had not even offered assistance in any of them.

Trump explained that he was working to advance a ceasefire in Gaza. Unfortunately, Hamas rejected reasonable offers for peace, he said, stressing that October 7 could not be forgotten.

Instead of surrendering to Hamas' demands, those who want peace must unite behind a single message: "Release the hostages now", Trump declared, drawing applause from the audience.

On the Iranian issue, he said: "My position is very simple. The world's number one state sponsor of terrorism must never be allowed to possess the most dangerous weapon."

Trump delivering his previous speech at the UN General Assembly. Photo: AP

'Reward for Hamas'

The speech comes at a particularly sensitive moment as a growing number of countries have recognized a Palestinian state, a move sharply opposed by both Washington and Jerusalem. The White House stressed that Trump views such recognition as "a reward for Hamas" following its October 7 attack, while failing to advance the release of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, called the recognition "divorced from reality" and insisted: "Israel will continue fighting until every hostage is home and Hamas is defeated."

A worker prepares "Israel" and "Palestine" signs ahead of a United Nations General Assembly debate. Photo: AP

Trump arrives at this year's assembly from a position of far greater strength than during his first term. Back then, his remarks drew laughter from diplomats. Today, leaders from around the world are eager to meet him and secure his favor. He has already scheduled meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Argentine President Javier Milei and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He will also convene a multilateral meeting with key Muslim leaders, including those of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, focusing on the war in Gaza.

Tradition dictates that Brazil speaks first at the UN General Assembly, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected to use his time at the podium to take a swipe at Trump amid worsening tensions between Washington and Brasília. Relations have soured over the conviction of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup.

In response, Trump imposed punitive measures on Brazil, including 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, which Lula dismissed as a political move to shield Trump's ideological ally.

A day earlier, in his address to a UN "two-state conference," Lula harshly criticized Israel, describing events in Gaza as "genocide." He said settlements in the West Bank amounted to "illegal occupation" and accused Israel of carrying out "ethnic cleansing in full view of the world." He argued that Israel's right to self-defense does not permit the killing of "tens of thousands of children" or the starvation of "hundreds of thousands."

Lula noted that Brazil is a party to the legal action brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice and announced expanded trade restrictions on settlement products, along with the continuation of Brazil's freeze on defense exports to Israel.

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Secret Service uncovers hidden cellular network near UN headquarters

omrif — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:07:29 +0000

The US Secret Service announced Tuesday that it had uncovered a covert cellular network in New York that could have disrupted communications near the UN headquarters, just as 150 global leaders arrived in the city for the opening of the high-level week of the General Assembly.

The caches of communications equipment were found within a roughly 35-mile radius of UN headquarters in Manhattan. They included more than 300 communication servers and 100,000 SIM cards. According to the Associated Press, investigators warned the system could have disabled cellular networks, disrupted emergency and counterterrorism responses, and interfered with daily life. Officials described it as one of the most serious communications threats ever detected in the US.

The United Nations General Assembly REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The hidden cellular network was uncovered as part of a broader Secret Service investigation into communications threats targeting government officials. Spread across multiple sites in the region, the servers were capable of mimicking regular mobile phones and operating them at scale: sending millions of calls and messages simultaneously, crashing local networks, and enabling criminal organizations, for example, to communicate in an encrypted, untraceable manner.

"This system's capabilities cannot be underestimated," said Matt McCall, the senior agent in charge of the Secret Service's New York office. "It can take down cell towers so people can no longer communicate… you won't be able to send text messages, you won't be able to use your phone. And if you combine that with some other incident tied to the UN gathering, let your imagination run, it could be catastrophic for the city."

The network is still under early investigation, but the Secret Service believes state actors used it to send encrypted messages to organized crime groups, cartels, and terrorist organizations, McCall said. Authorities have not yet identified any governments or criminal groups linked to it. Officials stressed they had found no evidence of a direct plot to disrupt the UN meetings and said there are no known credible threats to New York.

"We need to forensically investigate 100,000 cellphones—all the calls, all the texts, everything tied to communications, to see where those numbers lead," McCall said, adding that the process will take time. The system was capable of sending up to 30 million text messages per minute, he noted.

According to investigators, when agents entered the sites, they found rows of servers and shelves filled with SIM cards. More than 100,000 were already active, but large additional quantities were waiting to be brought online, a sign, McCall said, that the operators were preparing to double or even triple the network's size. He described it as a professionally organized, well-financed operation, costing millions of dollars in equipment and SIM cards alone.

"The Secret Service's role is prevention, and this investigation makes clear to anyone thinking of targeting the people we protect—we will find you, investigate you, and stop you immediately," said Secret Service Director Shawn Coren.

Officials also warned of the chaos the network could have caused had it remained active. McCall compared the potential disruption to the cellular outages that occurred after the September 11 attacks and after the Boston Marathon bombing, when networks collapsed under pressure. In this case, attackers could have forced such an outage at a time of their choosing.

"Could there be more networks like this?" McCall said. "It would be foolish to think none are being built in other US cities."

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