The United States and Israel raised hopes Thursday for a restart of the Middle East peace process, despite little tangible progress so far from US Secretary of State John Kerry’s two-month-old effort to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
As they met in Jerusalem, Kerry praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the “seriousness” with which he is looking at ways to revitalize peace hopes. Kerry expressed optimism without outlining any concrete strategy for ending a stalemate between the two sides that has seen them hardly negotiate one-on-one at all over the last 4½ years.
“I know this region well enough to know there is skepticism, in some quarters there is cynicism and there are reasons for it,” Kerry told reporters. “There have been bitter years of disappointment. It is our hope that by being methodical, careful, patient — but detailed and tenacious — that we can lay on a path ahead that can conceivably surprise people and certainly exhaust the possibilities of peace.”
“That’s what we’re working towards,” said Kerry, who was to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later Thursday in Ramallah.
Israel's Supreme Court, in Jerusalem (photo credit: Yossi Zamir/Flash90/File)
In what left- and right-wing groups are interpreting as a display of US pressure on Israel, an American diplomat appeared at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on Wednesday to listen to the government’s argument in favor of legalizing four unauthorized West Bank outposts.
Andrew Schut, a representative at the US Embassy in Tel Aviv , attended the session, during which the court debated a petition by the left-wing settlement watchdog Peace Now to evacuate Givat Assaf and five other outposts that they argue are illegal according to international law.
Schut’s appearance in court came less than a week after US Secretary of State John Kerry contacted Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren “to protest the planned legalization of four West Bank outposts,” including Givat Assaf, in the wake of the government’s announcement that it intended to legalize them.
Federal Reserves' Bernanke Sparks World Wide One-Day Stock Sell Off
Financial markets around the world were roiled Thursday after Japanese stocks suffered their biggest slide since the country was hit by a devastating tsunami more than two years ago.
Several reasons have been blamed for the 7.3 percent fall in the Nikkei index to 14,483.98, including a spike in Japanese government bond yields and unexpectedly weak Chinese manufacturing figures.
Mixed messages from the U.S. Federal Reserve about when it may start withdrawing some of its monetary stimulus have also contributed to Thursday's retreat.
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Another ‘Isaiah 5:20’ moment for Obama:
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
Jay Carney stated in his White House press briefing, May 22, 2013:
Make very clear that he [Obama] has zero tolerance for sexual assault in the military and that he believes that those who participate in it dishonor the uniform they wear, and that those who are victims of it and who wear the uniform should know that the Commander-in-Chief has their backs.
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Obama has had the lead role in LGBT and 'don't ask, don't tell:' Speaking of dishonoring the uniform
No earthly leader has done more to promote the immoral LGBT agenda than US President Barack Obama.
Obama’s slow-coming judgment continues picking up steam … Another ‘Isaiah 5:20’ moment for Obama ..... Is there a connection between US pressure on Israel, the Oklahoma City gay pride week and Sunday parade and a violent and massive record-setting tornado on Monday? .... Netanyahu’s very tough few weeks with major world powers and security concerns …. Putin taught Bibi a lesson ..... Significant insight into the IRS scandal ... Balancing Shia and Sunni radicalisms .... When government becomes a god
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