** IDF: All 6 rockets fired from Lebanon appear to have fallen short of northern border**

By JUDAH ARI GROSS

United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon vehicles watch as a fire burns following a pro-Palestinian rally by the border with Israel on May 14, 2021. (Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)

The Israel Defense Forces says six projectiles were fired toward northern Israel from Lebanon, but apparently landed within Lebanese territory.

No Israeli injuries are reported.

“In response, IDF artillery forces returned fire at the source of the launches,” the military says.

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** IDF chiefs: Fighting in Gaza will continue for at least two more days**

By JUDAH ARI GROSS

IDF Chief of staff Aviv Kohavi at a May 16, 2021 press conference (Screenshot)

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi tells the heads of local governments around the Gaza Strip that the fighting in the enclave will continue for at least the next two days, but will continue “as long as it must.”

“Hamas made a mistake when it conducted that launch eight days ago toward Jerusalem. They didn’t think what happened would happen,” Kohavi says.

“Hamas was surprised by our power and techniques and our achievements. They are being struck very hard. The operation will continue as long as it must,” the army chief says.

An hour ago, a diplomatic source familiar with Egypt’s negotiations to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza told ToI that “we’re close” and that it should be reached in “two days maximum.”

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14min ago

Police seen on the streets of the central city of Lod, May 12, 2021 (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Police have filed 116 indictments of suspects involved in the Arab-Jewish rioting in mainly “mixed” towns across the country, but none of them has been against Jews, Haaretz reports.

The violence tearing through the country over the past week-plus has featured Arab mobs attacking Jewish bystanders, but also Jewish mobs targeting Arabs, including the brutal beating of a victim in Bat Yam, which was even caught on camera.

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19min ago

By JUDAH ARI GROSS

The Israel Defense Forces says residents of Ashkelon have received fake messages from the military telling them to prepare to evacuate the city.

The military stresses that these messages are false and were not sent out by the IDF Home Front Command.

“Please stay up to date on all developments and all statements released by the IDF, Home Front Command, and local governments,” the military says.

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23min ago

By JACOB MAGID

The UN Security Council chambers in New York. (Norway Mission to the UN/Twitter)

NEW YORK — After the US blocked a joint statement from the Security Council calling for a ceasefire, the top UN body will convene yet again on Tuesday, for its fourth meeting in eight days, Norway’s Mission to the UN announces.

The emergency session will be closed, as the first two were.

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27min ago

By JACOB MAGID

Dani Dayan of the New Hope party at his home in Maaleh Shomron, February 8, 2021 (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)

New Hope party member Dani Dayan slams ex-MK Michael Ben Ari — a self-described disciple of the extremist rabbi Meir Kahane — for calling on residents of the Karnei Shomron settlement to boycott the Arab-owned pharmacy in their town.

“Due to the relationship between us, I tried to hold back and not respond to the last horrible tweets of Michael Ben Ari, but after this targeting of a dear individual, I could not hold back. I’m a customer of this pharmacy. The call to harm the livelihood (and perhaps other things beyond that) of a person who serves our community is unforgivable,” tweets Dayan, who recently served as Israel’s consul general in New York.

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36min ago

By JUDAH ARI GROSS

Incoming rocket sirens sound in the community of Misgav Am in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

This appears to be the latest in a number of attacks on northern Israel from Lebanon and Syria in recent days, in addition to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.

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38min ago

A fresh barrage of rockets has been fired from Gaza, with sirens going off in Ashkelon and over a dozen other border towns.

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39min ago

By JACOB MAGID

Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at a meeting at the White House in Washington, May 15, 2017. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone earlier today with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the US State Department says.

“The secretary and foreign minister discussed efforts to bring the current violence in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza to an end, and halt the tragic loss of civilian life,” according to the readout.

“The secretary highlighted the importance of the UAE’s contributions towards promoting a more peaceful Middle East,” it adds.

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44min ago

Israel will reportedly allow 24 trucks of fuel, food, and medicine into the Gaza Strip tomorrow through the Kerem Shalom goods crossing, the Kan public broadcaster reports, citing Palestinian sources.

The coastal enclave has been ravaged by IDF strikes that damaged the power-line, leaving Gaza with roughly six to eight hours of electricity a day, according to the UN.

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52min ago

Fresh rocket sirens sound in the Gaza border towns of Gavim, Sapir College, Bror Hayil, Kfar Azza, Sderot, Ibim, Mefalsim and Nir Am.

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59min ago

By JACOB MAGID

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks to reporters during a news conference at United Nations headquarters, March 1, 2021. (Mary Altaffer/AP)

NEW YORK — A Security Council diplomat tells The Times of Israel that the wording of the joint statement from the top UN body — which called for a ceasefire, but failed to condemn Hamas rocket fire — was not what led to the US mission’s decision to block the measure.

“They told us they could not support an expression from the council at this time,” the diplomat says.

After blocking the passage of a UN Security Council joint statement on the escalation in Gaza, an official at the US mission suggested to The Times of Israel that the UN’s statement would not have helped its own efforts to broker a ceasefire.

“As we have communicated consistently to council members over the last week, the US is engaging in intense diplomatic efforts at the highest levels to try to bring an end to this conflict. The US has a role in ensuring any council statement supports these efforts,” the official said earlier this evening.

“We are continuing to focus on crucial diplomatic efforts underway in the region, in Washington and in New York to develop a pathway to de-escalation and remain prepared to lend our support and good offices should the parties seek a ceasefire,” the official added.

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1hr ago

By JACOB MAGID

Rockets are launched towards Israel from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 14, 2021. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

A diplomatic source familiar with Egypt’s efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas tells The Times of Israel, “we’re close” and that it should be reached in “two days maximum.”

Channel 12 reports that Egypt told Hamas this evening that if it wants a ceasefire, it needs to stop firing at Israel. The network speculates that this may be the reason why Hamas has not made good on its promise to fire at Tel Aviv this evening.

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2hr ago

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the official state ceremony for Jerusalem Day on Ammunition Hill, May 10, 2021. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has directed the IDF to continue striking terror targets in Gaza.

“I just finished a situational assessment where I approved operational plans [for Gaza] with the defense minister, IDF chief of staff, the head of the National Security Council, the head of the Shin Bet, and the head of the Mossad.

“The directive is to continue to strike at terrorist targets. The IDF is doing well. Today, it eliminated another senior Islamic Jihad commander, hit a Hamas naval unit, and continues to strike at Hamas’s underground tunnel network along with other targets,” Netanyahu says in a statement.

“We will continue to act as necessary to restore peace and security to all residents of Israel,” he adds.

** Italy port workers said holding weapons shipment slated for Israel**

In this Aug. 19, 2019 file photo, Open Arms vessel with 107 migrants on board is anchored off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

Worker unions at ports in Livorno and Naples in Italy are holding up weapons shipments slated for Israel in protest of the IDF’s counterattacks in the Gaza Strip, Channel 12 reports.

Israel is currently working to get the shipments released as soon as possible, the network says, referring to the move by Italy as a form of “economic warfare.”

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2hr ago

By AARON BOXERMAN

According to Palestinian media reports, 18-year-old Obeida Akram Jawabrah was shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces tonight near al-Aroub Refugee Camp near Hebron.

The circumstances that led to Jawabrah’s death were not immediately clear. But it appeared to be related to an incident where Palestinians allegedly shot at Israeli troops close to a junction near the entrance to the refugee camp.

Some 22 West Bank Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since hostilities began between Israel and Hamas last Monday. The Israeli army said several were attempting to commit terror attacks, while others were shot by Israeli soldiers during violent clashes.

·

** Ashkenazi thanks Blinken for US thwarting of Security Council statement on Gaza**

By JACOB MAGID

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabi Ashkenazi talks to the media during a press conference after a meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of Cyprus, Greece, Israel and United Arab of Emirates in city of Paphos, Cyprus, Friday, April 16, 2021. (Iakovos Hatzistavrou Pool via AP)

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi speaks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, thanking him for the United States’ support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and for blocking a UN Security Council joint statement that would have called for an immediate ceasefire without condemning the Gaza terror group’s rocket fire, according to an Israeli readout.

Ashkenazi told Blinken that “Israel would continue to act against the Hamas terror organization until peace is restored to the communities in the south and center of the country.”

“The entire international community must condemn Hamas, which uses civilians as human shields,” he adds, according to his office.

“We thank our good friend, the United States, for her steadfast support for our side,” says Ashkenazi.

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2hr ago

By AFP

Members of Jordan's parliament rise to honor a Palestinian terrorist, March 24, 2019. (Screenshot: Twitter)

Jordanian lawmakers unanimously carry a motion urging the government to expel Israel’s ambassador to Amman in protest against Israeli “crimes” against Palestinians.

Speaker of Parliament Abdul Monem Odat announces the move live on television after a parliamentary session devoted to “the situation in Palestine and the crimes committed against them in Jerusalem and Gaza.”

During a six-hour long session, “the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador” was among the key recommendations carried, Odat says.

Lawmakers also demand the recall of Jordan’s ambassador from Tel Aviv.

“We have sent a memorandum to the government to that effect and it is now with the prime minister,” he adds.

Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh, who was present in parliament, said the government will examine all the options “and will rise to the challenge.”

Independent MP Khalil Attiyeh tells AFP that all parliament’s 130 deputies had signed the memorandum.

Jordan, which is bound by a peace treaty with neighboring Israel agreed in 1994, has for days seen protests in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Demonstrators have demanded the Israeli ambassador’s expulsion.

Around half of Jordan’s 10 million-strong population is of Palestinian origin, including some 2.2 million refugees registered with the United Nations.

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** Reiterating Israel’s right to defend itself, Blinken criticizes ‘false equivalence’ being made between Israel, Hamas**

By JACOB MAGID

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington, April 5, 2021. (Al Drago/Pool via AP)

In an interview with Norway’s TV2, US Secretary Antony Blinken says there’s a “false equivalence” being drawn between Hamas, a terrorist group indiscriminately attacking Israeli civilians, and Israel, a state defending itself.

He reiterates the US position that, “we believe strongly that Israel has a right to defend itself,” and then continues: “And this false equivalence between a terrorist group – Hamas – that is indiscriminately launching rockets at civilians and Israel, which is responding to those attacks, I think we have to be very, very wary of. That’s – it’s a false equivalence.

“And again, I’ll give you another concrete example. Israel has, I think by last count, launched about 2,000 attacks on terrorist targets in Gaza. There were more than 3,000 rockets launched by Hamas from Gaza into Israel.

“Having said that, I think Israel has an extra burden as a democracy to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, especially to look out for children, and of course to make sure that journalists, medical personnel, are not harmed. And so that’s vital,” he clarifies.

“And we also want to see this de-escalate. We want to see the violence stop. And we want to see the possibility of focusing on improving lives and improving Palestinian lives in a material way. People have to have hope for a better future, and we all need to work on that.”

Asked about efforts being made to help Palestinians, Blinken says the US is working to ensure that as well. “It is very, very difficult if you see no positive prospects. And I think we all have an obligation, a responsibility to do that.”

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3hr ago

By JACOB MAGID

An excavator clears the rubble of a destroyed building in Gaza City's Rimal residential district on May 16, 2021. (Mahmud Hams / AFP)

A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres tells reporters at a briefing that the UN has received reports of over 38,000 internally displaced people seeking protection in 48 schools run by UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) across the Gaza Strip and over 2,500 people who have been made homeless, due to the destruction of their homes.

Forty-one education facilities — including schools, two kindergartens, an UNRWA vocational center, and a higher education facility — have been damaged, according to our people on the ground, the spokesperson says.

“The power supply across Gaza has been reduced to six to eight hours per day, on average, with a number of feeder lines not functioning. That, in turn, disrupts the provision of healthcare and other basic services, including water, hygiene and sanitation,” the spokesperson says.

** US says it’s held over 60 calls with Middle East leaders aimed at deescalating Gaza violence**

By JACOB MAGID

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, March 5, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tells reporters at today’s press briefing that US officials have held over 60 calls with Middle East counterparts aimed at de-escalating the latest round of violence between Israel and terror groups in Gaza.

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3hr ago

Fresh rocket sirens go off in the Gaza border town of Kissufim after a roughly two hour lull.

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3hr ago

By AFP

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan says US President Joe Biden had “bloody hands” because of his support for Israel in the raging conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The Turkish president’s comments represent one of his strongest attacks on Biden since his arrival in the White House in January.

Erdogan has spent the past few months trying to mend relations with Washington and reaching out to other Western allies after a year of sharp disputes.

But he lashes out at Biden directly in a furious nationally televised address.

“You are writing history with your bloody hands,” Erdogan says in remarks addressed to the US president.

“You forced us to say this. Because we can not stay silent on this anymore.”

Erdogan has gained support across the Middle East by vocally championing the Palestinian cause during his 18-year rule.

He had accused Israel last week of waging “terrorism” and vowed to rally the world to Gaza’s defense.

“Today we saw Biden’s signature on weapons sales to Israel,” Erdogan says in reference to US media reports of a new arms shipment approved by the Biden administration.

“Palestinian territories are awash with persecution, suffering and blood, like many other territories that lost the peace with the end of the Ottomans. And you are supporting that,” Erdogan tells Biden.

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3hr ago

Left: US President Joe Biden speaks about Russia in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, April 15, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik); Right: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers at the Yad LeBanim House on the eve of Memorial Day, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (Debbie Hill/Pool Photo via AP)

US President Joe Biden says he would be talking Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the bloodshed in Israel.

“I will be speaking with the prime minister in an hour and I’ll be able to talk to you after that,” he tells reporters at the White House, when asked whether he would join other international calls for a ceasefire in Israel.

** IDF spokesman: 100% certain Gaza media tower was Hamas asset, will provide proof**

IDF Spokesman Hidai Zilberman insists the army is “100 percent certain” that the Al Jala building demolished by the IDF on Saturday held “military assets” used by Hamas.

The building housed the offices of several media organizations, including the Associated Press, which is demanding an independent investigation into the incident.

In a Channel 12 interview, Zilberman is asked why US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he has still not received promised Israeli evidence to that effect.

IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman (Israel Defense Forces)

“In the coming days, we will do everything we’ve been asked in order to make clear that it was appropriate to destroy this building,” he says.

He specifies that Hamas used it for R&D and intel purposes, and that it was used by the Islamic Jihad terror group as well.

Fire and smoke rises from the Jala Tower as it is destroyed in an Israeli airstrike after the IDF warned the occupants to leave, Gaza City, May 15, 2021 (MAHMUD HAMS / AFP)

Zilberman also says that the IDF’s ongoing bombardment of Hamas’s tunnel infrastructure is forcing key leaders of the terror group above ground, “where they can be targeted.”

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3hr ago

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone earlier today with Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi,” the former’s office says.

“The Secretary and the Foreign Minister expressed their concern about the violence in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza,” the readout adds. “Both agreed on the urgent need to restore calm and end the tragic loss of civilian life. The Secretary highlighted the importance of the strong bilateral partnership with Tunisia.”

福音派基督徒為以色列站起來，呼籲拜登也這樣做

為應對針對該國的火箭彈襲擊，預計將有數千萬的福音派基督徒在周日的教堂里為以色列祈禱。

通過MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN

2021年5月15日21:36

基督教基督教朝聖者和遊客在拿撒勒（Nazareth）2019年宗教靜修會上向天空飛翔

（照片來源：AMMAR AWAD / REUTERS）

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為應對哈馬斯和巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織發動的針對該國的火箭彈襲擊，預計將 有數千萬的福音派基督徒在周日的教堂中為以色列祈禱。

“像往常一樣，在一納秒內，數百萬福音派信徒從他們的領導人那裡被激活。”約翰尼·摩爾牧師在2016年協助組織了美國前總統唐納德·特朗普的福音派顧問委員會，對《耶路撒冷郵報》說。“福音派軍人為捍衛以色列和猶太人民免受哈馬斯恐怖分子及其伊朗支持者的生命而停頓下來。為了應對來自恐怖分子的虛假信息，我們的社區重新上線，他們痴迷地與政客聯繫，這個週末，成千上萬的人將在他們的教堂里為以色列祈禱。”

確實，在Twitter和Facebook上，可以找到數十位基督教領袖的文章，呼籲結束哈馬斯的侵略，並呼籲總統拜登（Joe Biden）表現出對以色列國的更多支持。

詹特森·富蘭克林牧師說：“以色列比以往任何時候都更需要基督徒的支持。” “今天不是看電視和搖頭的日子。今天是我們每個人盡一切力量為聖地帶來和平，安全與穩定的一天。我們必須記住祈禱中的力量，給予中的力量以及政治上的力量。”

許多福音派人士也向媒體傳播了新聞稿。

“作為基督徒，我們支持以色列人民，因為他們是上帝的揀選，”“我的信仰投票”首席執行官詹森·耶茨（Jason Yates）在一份新聞稿中寫道。“作為美國人，我們慶祝以色列國為盟友，是中東唯一的民主國家……我們呼籲拜登總統在不加模棱兩可的情況下公開與以色列站在一起，並明確表態–美國將不容忍任何形式的恐怖主義，無論是國內還是國外。”

同樣，全國西班牙裔基督教領袖會議主席塞繆爾·羅德里格斯（Samuel Rodriguez）牧師強調，“在加沙地帶的恐怖分子的行動與捍衛其公民的以色列民主國家之間沒有道義上的對等”白宮為雙方降級。

他在一封電子郵件中寫道：“拜登政府現在應該成為自由世界的領導人，並在道德上明確譴責這些極端主義團體的行動。各地的信仰者都需要知道，美國對這種令人髮指的侵犯人權行為並不冷漠。”

這位牧師表示，美國和拉丁美洲的40,000多個教堂正在“注視並等待”總統兌現他對猶太人民和社會正義的承諾，包括確保“以色列與美國之間沒有日光”狀態。”

“拜登總統可以證明承諾的一種方式是回應……40多名參議員的信，這些信要求他的政府立即中止與伊朗的所有談判。”

週四，共和黨43名參議員給總統寫了一封信。除了呼籲他停止談判外，他們還要求拜登因與德黑蘭的關係而停止對德黑蘭的製裁救濟。

“長期以來，對以色列的無黨派立場正在受到…左派勢力強大的，強大的社會主義政治家和文化力量的擠壓：像某些好萊塢名人，社會正義主義者和代表AOC [亞歷山大·奧卡西奧·科爾特斯]，伊爾罕一樣奧馬爾（Omar）和拉希達（Rashida Tlaib），”摩爾告訴《郵報》。

他說：“福音派教徒至少佔選民的三分之一。” “他們與猶太朋友一起，代表著強大的政治防火牆，可以使右翼和左翼的反猶太主義和反猶太復國主義保持在遙遠的邊緣，並將這些問題置於美國政治的最前沿，並且永遠是無黨派的。如果我們不能讓它保持無黨派的話，那麼至少，我們將爭取兩黨合作。”

Evangelical Christians stand up for Israel, call on Biden to do the same

Tens of millions of Evangelical Christians are expected to pray for Israel in their churches on Sunday in response to the barrage of rocket attacks aimed at the country.

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN

MAY 15, 2021 21:36

EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN pilgrims and tourists reach for the sky at a 2019 religious retreat in Nazareth

(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)

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Tens of millions of Evangelical Christians are expected to pray for Israel in their churches on Sunday in response to the barrage of rocket attacks aimed at the country by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

“Like usual, in a nanosecond, millions of Evangelicals activated, beginning with their leaders,” Rev. Johnnie Moore, who helped organize former US president Donald Trump’s Evangelical advisory board in 2016 told The Jerusalem Post. “Evangelicals pressed pause on their lives to defend the State of Israel and the Jewish people against Hamas terrorists and their Iranian backers. Our community pushed back online in response to the disinformation coming from the terrorists, reached out to politicians obsessively, and this weekend tens of millions will pray for Israel in their churches.”

Indeed, across Twitter and Facebook, scores of posts by Christian leaders could be found calling for an end to Hamas aggression and for President Joe Biden to demonstrate more vocal support for the State of Israel.

“Israel needs Christian support more than ever,” said Pastor Jentezen Franklin. “Today is not the day to watch our televisions and shake our heads. Today is the day for each of us to do everything in our power to bring peace, security and stability to the Holy Land. We have to remember the power we have in prayer, the power we have in giving, and the power we have politically.”

Many Evangelicals disseminated releases to the media, too.

“As Christians, we support the people of Israel because they are God’s chosen,” wrote Jason Yates, CEO of My Faith Votes, in a release. “As Americans, we celebrate the State of Israel as an ally and the only democracy in the Middle East… We call on President Biden to publicly stand with Israel without equivocation and make his position clear – the United States will not tolerate terrorism in any form, domestic or abroad.”

Similarly, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, stressed that “there is no moral equivalency between the actions of the terrorists in the Gaza Strip and the democratic State of Israel defending its citizens” in response to statements made by the White House for both sides to de-escalate.

He wrote in an email communication that, “it is time for the Biden administration to step up as a leader of the free world and condemn the actions of these extremist groups with moral clarity. People of faith everywhere need to know that the United States does not look with apathy at such heinous violations of human rights.”

The reverend said the more than 40,000 churches in the US and Latin America were “watching and waiting” for the president to make good on his commitment to the Jewish people and social justice, including ensuring that “there is no daylight between Israel and the United States.”

“One way President Biden can demonstrate that commitment is to respond to the letter issued… by over 40 senators demanding his administration immediately suspend all negotiations with Iran.”

On Thursday, 43 Republican senators sent a letter to the president. In addition to calling on him to cease negotiations, they asked Biden to halt sanctions reliefs on Tehran due to its ties with Hamas.

“The non-partisanship long taken for granted on Israel is being squeezed by… enormously powerful, socialist politicians and cultural forces on the progressive Left: like certain Hollywood celebrities, social justice activists and representatives AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib,” Moore told the Post.

“Evangelicals make up at least one-third of the electorate,” he said. ”They, with their Jewish friends, represent the great political firewall to keep far Right and leftist antisemitism and anti-Zionism on the margins and to keep these issues at the forefront of American politics and always nonpartisan. If we cannot keep it nonpartisan then, at least, we’ll settle for bipartisanship.”

在以色列和加沙沖突中，伊朗與中國的遊戲計劃是什麼？

中國外交部長王毅呼籲美國“調整”其在以色列與加沙沖突中的立場，聲稱美國“站在國際社會的另一側”。

由SETH J.FRANTZMAN

2021年5月17日14:33

外交大臣伊朗的穆罕默德·賈瓦德·扎里夫（Mohammad Javad Zarif）和中國的王毅（Wang Yi）在上個月在德黑蘭簽署的為期25年的合作協議的簽字儀式上碰了肘。

（照片來源：MAJID ASGARIPOUR / WANA / REUTERS）

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伊朗強調中國反對以色列和哈馬斯之間的當前衝突。中國外交部發言人華春瑩週五表示，美國“站在國際社會的另一側”。她的評論是關於聯合國為敦促結束以色列對加沙的罷工而進行的努力。他說：“我們能感覺到的是，美國一直在說它關心穆斯林的人權……但它無視巴勒斯坦人民的苦難。”

中國外交大臣王毅呼籲美國在周日“調整”其對以加衝突的立場。他在聯合國安理會講話。他說：“我們呼籲美國承擔起責任，調整立場。” 他說：“使用武力不能確保和平，暴力也不能帶來安寧。”以色列必須保持克制，遵守聯合國有關決議，制止對巴勒斯坦人的房屋拆除和對巴勒斯坦人民的驅逐，這是很重要的。

一方面，這些言論可能被視為中國試圖孤立美國，並回到美國接受最近的批評。但是，伊朗媒體強調了這一評論。伊朗和中國有一項新的為期25年的協議。儘管這應該通過中國的“一帶一路”倡議為伊朗乃至整個地區帶來穩定，但中國在加沙問題上採取了強硬路線。中國和以色列有著友好的關係，但存在爭議，因為美國希望以色列與中國保持距離。海法的港口協議和中國在以色列的其他入侵是華盛頓所關心的。

伊朗新聞電視台說，中國“外交大臣抨擊美國扼殺了聯合國安理會對以色列政權對巴勒斯坦人的野蠻行徑的任何批評。” 它詳盡地引用了王毅。王義在星期天的安理會緊急會議上說：“令人遺憾的是，僅僅因為一個國家的阻撓，安理會就無法一言不發。”

伊朗在這裡的論點似乎是在強調，中國在中東發揮著更大的領導作用。在某種程度上，中國在這裡的聲明是在破壞區域和國際上對美國的信心。副產品是中國顯得更加可靠和一貫。伊朗認為，它將在中國主導的體制下取勝。俄羅斯也與伊朗合作，希望看到美國的影響力減弱，因此已派遣俄羅斯副外交大臣謝爾蓋·韋希寧（Sergei Vershinin）批評以色列的行動。

What is Iran’s game plan with China amid Israel-Gaza conflict?

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the US to "adjust" its position on Israel-Gaza conflict, claiming that the US was "standing on the opposite side of the international community.”

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN

MAY 17, 2021 14:33

FOREIGN MINISTERS Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran and Wang Yi of China bump elbows during the signing ceremony of a 25-year cooperation agreement, in Tehran last month.

(photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA/REUTERS)

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Iran is emphasizing China’s opposition to the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Friday that the US was “standing on the opposite side of the international community.” Her comments were about efforts at the UN to press for an end to Israel’s strikes on Gaza. “What we can feel is that the US keeps saying that it cares about the human rights of Muslims… but it was ignoring the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Hua said.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the US to "adjust" its position on Israel-Gaza conflict on Sunday. He was speaking to the UN Security Council. "We call upon US to shoulder its responsibilities and adjust its position," he said. "The use of force cannot ensure peace, nor can violence bring tranquillity," he said, adding it is important that Israel exercises restraint and observe the relevant UN resolutions, stop the demolition of Palestinian homes, and the eviction of the Palestinian people.

On the one hand these statements could be seen as China trying to isolate the US and get back at the US for recent criticism. However Iran’s media has emphasized the comments. Iran and China have a new 25-year deal. While this should bring stability to Iran and possible the wider region through China’s “belt and road” initiative, China is taking a tough line on the Gaza issue. China and Israel have amicable relations but there are controversies because the US wants Israel to distance itself from China. A port deal in Haifa and other Chinese inroads in Israel are a concern to Washington.

Iran’s Press TV says that China’s “foreign minister blasts the United States for choking any criticism of the Israeli regime’s barbarity against the Palestinians at the United Nations Security Council.” It quotes Wang Yi at length. "Regrettably, simply because of the obstruction of one country, the Security Council hasn't been able to speak with one voice," Wang Yi told an emergency meeting of the Council on Sunday.

Iran’s point here appears to be to emphasize that China is playing a larger leading role in the Middle East. In a way China’s statements here are an attempt to undermine regional and international confidence in the US. The by-product is that China appears more reliable and consistent. Iran thinks it will win under this China-led system. Russia, which also works with Iran and wants to see the US influence reduced has sent Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin to critique Israel’s actions.

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