Nearly all US Senate Democrats back two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during the weekly Democratic Caucus lunch press conference at the US Capitol building in Washington on January 23, 2024. (REUTERS)
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Updated 25 January 2024
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Nearly all US Senate Democrats back two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians

  • Forty-nine of the 51 members of the Senate Democratic caucus backed an amendment supporting a negotiated solution to the conflict that results in Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side

WASHINGTON: An overwhelming majority of President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday backed a statement reiterating US support of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Forty-nine of the 51 members of the Senate Democratic caucus backed an amendment supporting a negotiated solution to the conflict that results in Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side, ensuring Israel’s survival as a secure, democratic, Jewish state and fulfilling the Palestinians’ “legitimate aspirations” for a state of their own.
Senator Brian Schatz introduced the measure as an amendment to an upcoming bill that would provide national security aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
“What will determine the future of Israel and Palestine is whether or not there’s hope. And the two-state solution has to be that hope,” Schatz told a news conference.
With war raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference this month that he objected to any Palestinian statehood that did not guarantee Israel’s security.
The statement provoked international concern, including from Israel’s biggest backer the United States. Washington maintains that the two-state solution is the only feasible way to bring lasting peace to the region.
The only two Democratic senators who did not sign onto the amendment were John Fetterman and Joe Manchin.
Fetterman has long supported a two-state solution, but he believed the measure should include language stipulating the destruction of Hamas as a precondition to peace, an aide said.
Manchin issued a statement, in which he said: “Once a Palestinian government with its peoples’ best interests at heart agrees that Israel should be a state, I will be the first one to sign on to a bipartisan amendment supporting that Israel recognize a Palestinian state.”
Many of Biden’s fellow Democrats in Congress have been pushing the administration to do more to address the steep toll on Palestinian civilians of Israel’s campaign against Hamas since the militant group’s deadly assault on Oct. 7.

 

 


Burkina Faso junta rallies supporters after claimed coup ‘plot’

Updated 5 sec ago
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Burkina Faso junta rallies supporters after claimed coup ‘plot’

  • On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a ‘major plot’ planned by masterminds in neighboring Ivory Coast
  • Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the anti-militant battle
ABIDJAN: Several thousand people rallied in support of Burkina Faso’s ruling junta Wednesday, days after the military authorities said they had uncovered a “plot” to overthrow the government.
Demonstrators carried giant posters of junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore and Burkinabe and Russian flags.
With placards bearing slogans such as: “Down with imperialism and its local lackeys” and “Full support for President Ibrahim Traore and the people of Burkina Faso,” they gathered in a central square in the capital Ouagadougou.
It was one of the biggest pro-junta demonstrations since Traore seized power in a September 2022 coup in the west African country, which has been battling jihadist attacks for a decade that have killed tens of thousands of people.
On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a “major plot” planned by masterminds in neighboring Ivory Coast, with the arrests of several top army officials.
Traore has regularly accused Ivory Coast of harboring his opponents, allegations its neighbor rejects.
Over more than a year, the junta has detained several dozen military officers, including former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, accusing them of plotting or of attempting to destabilize republican institutions.
Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the anti-militant battle.
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo addressed the rally which was also attended by several ministers and MPs and called by the National Coordination of the Civilian Vigil (CNAVC), a coalition of pro-junta civil society groups.
“We must stand up more than ever because when the people stand up, the imperialists tremble,” the prime minister told the crowd.
Rallies condemning the “hypocrisy” of former colonial powers also took place in Burkina’s second biggest city Bobo Dioulasso and in Boromo.
“We, peoples who love justice and sovereignty, affirm our unwavering solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Burkinabe people for their emancipation,” a CNAVC spokesman said.
“This mobilization is proof that the people are committed to their leaders,” Ghislain Some, CNAVC secretary general, said.
“The people are standing up, mobilized and united behind captain Ibrahim Traore. We will never be able to harm our president or destabilize our country. We are a shield,” Some said.
Adama Kima, one of the organizers, said on national television that the rally was also to denounce remarks attributed to US Africa Command chief General Michael Langley accusing Traore of using the country’s gold reserves for personal protection at the expense of the well-being of the people.
Like its neighbors Niger and Mali, Burkina Faso under Traore has turned away from its former colonial master France and moved closer to Russia.
All three of those Sahel states have been battling violence by militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group for a decade.
The three junta-led countries quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the beginning of the year, accusing the regional bloc of being subservient to France, and have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), originally set up as a defense pact in 2023 but which now seeks closer integration.

William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary

Updated 23 min 31 sec ago
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William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary

  • The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color
  • The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials

LONDON: Prince William and his wife Catherine marked their 14th anniversary by releasing a romantic photograph of themselves on the Scottish island of Mull, as the princess continues her cancer recovery.
The heir to the throne and Catherine, also known as Kate, were pictured looking out to sea on a shoreline with their arms around each other.
The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color.
The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials.

“Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull. Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome W & C,” it said.
The couple opted for a low-key anniversary celebration including a stay at a self-catering cottage on the secluded west coast island.
They married on April 29, 2011, at London’s Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched by tens of millions around the world.
During the two-day visit to the islands of Mull and Iona, William and Catherine spent time with members of the local communities “reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment” — two subjects close to both their hearts, according to their Kensington Palace office.
They previously visited Mull when they were students at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews where they met.
The island, Scotland’s fourth-largest, has a population of around 3,000 people, and is known for its fishing and farming communities.
Engagements included a visit to an artisan market in the Mull town of Tobermory and a local croft where they learned about sustainable farming and hospitality.
On Wednesday they joined children and parents at a woodland play group offering den building, nature trails and animal tracking.
The issue of childrens’ early years development has been described as mother-of-three Catherine’s life’s work by aides.
She has also stressed the healing role of nature in her own recovery following a cancer diagnosis last year.
Catherine, whose formal title is Princess of Wales, revealed in January she was “in remission,” having announced in March last year that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy.
She has since returned to frontline public duties but with a slimmed-down schedule and shorter engagements.
Her diagnosis came as William’s father King Charles III also battled cancer for which he is still undergoing treatment.
The royal couple were due to wrap up their trip later Wednesday with a visit by public ferry to the neighboring island of Iona.
Although Iona has a population of only around 170 people it receives around 130,000 visitors a year.


US backs Israel’s ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court

Updated 30 April 2025
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US backs Israel’s ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court

  • The US said Israel had the right to determine which organizations could provide basic needs to the population of the occupied Palestinian territories
  • The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the assault and had been fired

AMSTERDAM: Israel cannot be forced to allow the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA to operate in Gaza, the United States said on Wednesday at a World Court hearing in The Hague.
Israel last year passed a law that banned UNRWA from operating in the country, as it said the organization had employed members of Hamas who took part in the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the assault and had been fired. Another Hamas commander, confirmed by UNRWA as one of its employees, was killed in Gaza in October, according to Israel.
The United Nations General Assembly in December asked the UN’s top court to give an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid to Palestinians that is delivered by states and international groups, including the United Nations.
At the third day of hearings on the matter, the US said Israel had the right to determine which organizations could provide basic needs to the population of the occupied Palestinian territories.
“An occupational power retains a margin of appreciation concerning which relief schemes to permit,” US State Department legal adviser Joshua Simmons said.
“Even if an organization offering relief is an impartial humanitarian organization, and even if it is a major actor, occupation law does not compel an occupational power to allow and facilitate that specific actor’s relief operations.”
Simmons also stressed the “serious concerns” Israel has about UNRWA’s impartiality.
UN and Palestinian representatives at the opening of hearings on Monday had accused Israel of breaking international law by refusing to let aid into Gaza.
Since March 2, Israel has completely cut off all supplies to the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip, and food stockpiled during a ceasefire at the start of the year has all but run out.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in Jerusalem on Monday that Israel had submitted its position in writing to the hearings, which he described as a “circus.”


Man charged with ‘terrorism offense’ for Israeli embassy incident: UK police

Updated 30 April 2025
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Man charged with ‘terrorism offense’ for Israeli embassy incident: UK police

  • Police said they had arrested a suspect attempting to gain unauthorized access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel

LONDON: UK police charged a man with “a terrorism offense” Wednesday as Israel’s embassy in London said a knifeman had tried to carry out an attack at the site earlier this week.
Police said they had arrested a suspect “attempting to gain unauthorized access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel” late on Monday.
Officers said they prevented him from entering the grounds of the embassy in southwest London.
Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 33, has been charged with the “preparation of terrorist acts” and two counts of possessing a blade.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Israeli embassy in London said there was “an attempted terror attack from an armed man with a knife who tried to penetrate the embassy.”
“No injuries occurred and all embassy staff and visitors are safe,” it said.
Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We are not seeking anyone else in connection with this matter and we do not believe there is any wider threat to the public.”
Albadri was to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London later on Wednesday.


Cardinals thank Cardinal Becciu for stepping back from conclave

Updated 30 April 2025
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Cardinals thank Cardinal Becciu for stepping back from conclave

  • The Vatican’s criminal court convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu in 2023 of embezzlement and other finance-related charges
  • Pope Francis in 2020 forced his resignation as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and forced him to renounce the rights of the cardinalate

VATICAN CITY: Catholic cardinals acknowledged Wednesday the definitive word is still out about the Vatican trial that convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu of financial crimes, in the latest twist to a drama that has dominated conversations leading up to the May 7 conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor.
Becciu, 76, is the once-powerful Italian cardinal who formally withdrew his participation in the conclave on Tuesday, after days of uncertainty about his status.
The Vatican’s criminal court convicted Becciu in 2023 of embezzlement and other finance-related charges at the end of the so-called “trial of the century.”
But the convictions are being appealed and there are lingering questions about the integrity of the trial, which the College of Cardinals appeared to refer to in a statement Wednesday. As in Italy, convictions in the Vatican criminal court are not considered definitive until all appeals are exhausted.
In their statement Wednesday, the college thanked Becciu for withdrawing and for “contributing to the communion and serenity of the conclave.”
“The Congregation of Cardinals expresses its appreciation for the gesture he has made and hopes that the competent organs of justice will be able to definitively ascertain the facts,” said a statement from the cardinals who are meeting in pre-conclave discussions.
Francis in 2020 forced Becciu’s resignation as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and forced him to renounce the rights of the cardinalate after receiving allegations of financial misconduct against him.
Becciu denied wrongdoing but said at the time that he wouldn’t be able to vote in a future conclave. After Francis died April 21, Becciu had asserted his right to participate. But he backed down Tuesday after being presented with letters from Francis, penned before his death, saying he couldn’t take part.
Questions around the trial
During the trial, defense lawyers discovered that Francis had secretly issued four decrees during the investigation to benefit prosecutors, allowing them to conduct intercepts and detain suspects without a judge’s warrant. Defense lawyers argued such interference by an absolute monarch in a legal system where the pope exercises supreme legislative, executive and judicial power violated their clients’ fundamental rights and robbed them of a fair trial.
Also during the trial, it emerged that the prosecution’s prime witness against Becciu was coached, threatened and manipulated by outsiders to persuade him to turn on the cardinal.
The tribunal rejected the defense objections at the time and the trial went ahead. But in recent weeks even more evidence has emerged about the outside manipulation of the witness and apparent collusion with Vatican prosecutors and gendarmes to target Becciu. The Domani newspaper has published previously redacted WhatsApp chats and an audio suggesting that Vatican gendarmes and prosecutors were involved indirectly in coaching the witness, Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, to turn on Becciu.
Becciu has responded to the reports with outrage, saying they prove that his prosecution was manipulated from the start.
“From the very first moment I spoke of a machination against me: an investigation built on falsehoods, which five years ago unjustly devastated my life and exposed me to a pillory of worldwide proportions,” he said in a statement April 14, when the first chats were published.
The appeal is scheduled to begin in September.