Israeli occupation forces suppressed a prayer protest against home demolitions in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan on Friday.

The sit-in took place in the Al-Bustan area of Silwan. Palestinian sources said that Israeli troops fired rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades, and skunk water against the locals. 

Israeli occupation authorities recently notified Nidal Al-Rajabi from the Al-Bustan area that his home would be demolished, as part of a broader policy of forced displacement against Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem.

A number of citizens were injured by live bullets, rubber-coated bullets, and suffocation, during clashes that erupted with the occupation forces in the West Bank governorates, today, Friday.

Local sources said that a number of citizens suffocated from tear gas today, Friday, during clashes with the occupation in the village of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus, and Beita, in the south.

In Qalqilya, three civilians were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens suffocated by toxic tear gas, during clashes with the Israeli occupation forces, following the start of the weekly Kafr Qaddum anti-settlement march, east of Qalqilya.

Local sources said that the occupation army fired rubber-coated metal bullets, stun grenades and poisonous gas massively at the participants in the march, which led to the injury of three of them, and dozens of them suffocated. They were treated in the field.

In Ramallah, two civilians were wounded by live bullets in the head and abdomen, and they arrived at the Istishari Hospital in Um Safa village, and their injuries were described as serious.

The United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People organized its fifth annual conference on Jerusalem.

This year's conference, held in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, focused on the impact of Israeli settlement policies on the Palestinian population of Jerusalem.

The conference discussed the demographic changes resulting from the expansion of Israeli settlements and how they affect the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, as well as the legal and human rights implications of Israel's settlement policy - including the impact on property rights, the discriminatory division of municipal land and freedom of movement.

The conference, which was held virtually via the Internet, served as a platform for Palestinian and international experts to present their views to the international community, interact with member states and other parties, and discuss possible solutions and strategies to challenge such policies.

The committee chair, Ambassador Cheikh Niang, said the conference reviewed the impact of Israeli settlements on East Jerusalem, including the institutional, social and economic challenges facing the Palestinian population.

It also discussed recommendations regarding actions related to the United Nations database of companies facilitating the work of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, compiled by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Ambassador Niang said that Israeli policies aimed at bringing about demographic change, particularly through the establishment of settlements, forced displacement, and ongoing home demolitions in East Jerusalem, in addition to the tight control over Palestinian movements and daily business, make Palestinians feel trapped in isolated enclaves and excluded from the rest of the West Bank and the world.

He added, "Israel restricts the ability of Palestinians to find work and housing, with a heavy social and economic impact on their daily lives, and imposes control through a complex system that limits access to their Jerusalem identity and residency rights."

On the one hand, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East Affairs, Khaled El-Khayari, said that the presence and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank - including East Jerusalem - is directly linked to the escalation of Israeli settler violence.

He said that Israel - as the occupying power - is obligated to protect Palestinians and their property from acts of violence committed by armed settlers, and to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.

He pointed out that the United Nations supports all diplomatic efforts that enable the two parties to resume a credible political process that leads to ending the occupation and establishing a just and lasting peace in the context of the two-state solution.

It is noteworthy that the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was established in 1975 pursuant to General Assembly resolution 3376, and was assigned a mandate to advise the General Assembly on programs aimed at enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination without external interference, the right to national independence and sovereignty, and the right to return to their homes and property from which they were displaced. The committee's mandate is periodically renewed.

The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, has officially ended his duties, and will be temporarily replaced by his deputy Stephanie L. Hallett until a new envoy is appointed. 

Stephanie Hallett is a veteran member of the U.S. diplomatic corps, and has held several positions, including as the Acting Director for the Middle East and North Africa Region and the Director for Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council.

She has also worked in Cyprus, Oman, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Mexico, as well as for Washington's Bureau of Iranian Affairs.

Hallett graduated from George Washington University and University of Cambridge.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday morning that Israeli intelligence recently sent a firm letter to Russian intelligence officials asking them to stop online influence operations on Israelis.

According to the Hebrew newspaper, bots that spread pro-Russian propaganda in Hebrew have recently appeared on social networks, with the aim of persuading the Israeli public not to support Ukraine, amid the belief that this is a Russian political campaign with instructions from the Kremlin.

According to the newspaper, the Russian influence measures are not the first of their kind, but they exploit every "wound in Israeli society, and every sharp disagreement." as you say.

In recent days, the Israeli security establishment has defined the expansion of influence operations, with a focus on deepening internal Israeli divisions.

She indicated that the message that was sent to the Russian intelligence is the second of its kind, as a similar message was passed before the recent Israeli elections, in which the Russians were asked not to interfere in the elections.

An Israeli soldier was injured by an explosive device in Beit Ummar, after troops stormed a funeral procession in the occupied West Bank town.

Israeli soldiers fired tear gas toward the Palestinians, leading many to choke from tear gas inhalation. 

One Israeli soldier suffered a minor foot during the crackdown, according to Hebrew media reports, and was transferred to Sha'are Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem.

Earlier on Friday morning, Israeli forces arrested a man from the city of Hebron and raided the homes of several Palestinians.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces arrested 20-year-old Ezz Shehadeh while his family were celebrating the success of their son in his high school exams.

The occupation forces also broke into the Al-Shaloudi family's home on Al-Shalala Street in the city center, and threatened to arrest over launching fireworks.

A 24-year-old citizen Palestinian died of his wounds on Friday morning that he sustained in a quarrel between two families that took place in May in Qalqilya.

The police spokesman, Colonel Louay Arziqat, said that the quarrel that occurred around two months ago resulted in the serious injury of a citizen, as a result of which he was transferred to the Nablus Specialized Hospital for treatment. On Friday, the man succumbed to his injuries. 

Arziqat confirmed that the Public Prosecution decided to keep the body until it was transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine to conduct a post-mortem. 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will receive Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on July 25 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 28, the president's office announced.

The Turkish presidency said that Abbas' visit will focus on "Turkish-Palestinian relations and the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in addition to other current international issues."

After a years-long diplomatic crisis, ties between Turkey and Israel have improved in the last year, culminating in the visit of Israel's President Isaac Herzog to Ankara.

Nevertheless, Turkey fiercely condemned the clashes that took place at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in early April. Erdogan described the entry of Israeli troops into the holy mosque as "crossing a red line".

Armed Israeli settlers started building a new settlement outpost in Al-Sawahreh, east of occupied Jerusalem, on Thursday evening. 

Residents of Al-Sawahreh said that the settlers targeted land belongs to the Abu Hussein family at the main entrance to the village.

Local sources indicated that the aim of the outpost was to link the settlements of Kedar and Boaz, which were established on the lands of Abu Dis and Al-Sawahra respectively.

Two armed Israeli settlers stormed the grounds of the Orthodox Church in Mount Zion in occupied Jerusalem on Thursday.

Once they arrived at the holy site, the two settlers laid blankets on the ground and refused to leave when asked. 

In a video circulating on social media, the two settlers hurled racist slogans at the clergy. "Mount Zion is for the Jewish people, and every minute that you spend here is like looting," one of them said. 

Israeli occupation forces arrested several Palestinians near Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday.

Local sources identified one of the Palestinians who was detained as Tariq Hamdallah.

A diplomatic source in at UNESCO said on Thursday that Israel is considering returning to the UN's cultural organisation, five years after its fraught exit. 

The Israeli embassy in Paris and UNESCO stated that Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay during a visit to the French capital. 

During the meeting, Cohen raised the matter in the meeting, and Azoulay replied that "the decision to return Israel is up to the Israeli authorities," a UNESCO diplomat told AFP.

The embassy did not immediately comment on the content of the meeting between Cohen and Azoulay.

Israel withdrew from UNESCO in 2017 after then-U.S. President Donald Trump accused the organization of "bias against Israel."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement at the time that "UNESCO has become an arena of absurdity in which history is distorted rather than preserved."

UNESCO enraged Israel in July 2017 by including the Old City of Hebron in the list of endangered world heritage sites, describing the West Bank city as "Islamic." 

In 2011, UNESCO decided to accept Palestine as a full member state.

In an official statement on Thursday, Iraq asked the Swedish ambassador to leave its territory, and decided to withdraw its charge d'affaires from Stockholm, in response to the burning of the Qur'an in the Swedish capital.

And the statement issued by the Iraqi Prime Ministry stated that "the Prime Minister, Mr. Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani, directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to withdraw the Iraqi Chargé d'Affairs from the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in the Swedish capital, Stockholm," adding that he also directed "to request the Swedish ambassador in Baghdad to leave Iraqi territory, in response." On repeatedly allowing the Swedish government to burn the Holy Quran, insult Islamic sanctities, and burn the Iraqi flag.

Palestinian analysts and observers questioned the success of the meeting of the general secretaries of the Palestinian factions in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on July 30, in light of the widening gap between the Palestinian parties and the loss of common ground between them.

Analysts and observers told Xinhua that the Palestinian factions do not want to cancel or postpone the meeting in light of the huge gap so as not to bear the responsibility before the Palestinian people for appearing not concerned with unity, at a time when the need for it is increasing.

The Cairo emergency meeting comes in response to the call of the Palestinian leadership, following its meeting chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas at the presidential residence about two weeks ago, to agree on a comprehensive national vision and unite the ranks to confront and confront the Israeli aggression.

The leadership meeting came at the time to discuss the repercussions of the large-scale military operation in Jenin and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, which resulted in the killing of 12 Palestinians and the injury of 150 others, including serious cases, in addition to the great destruction of infrastructure, shops and homes.

The meeting of the general secretaries is scheduled to include 14 Palestinian factions, most notably the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), the Islamic Resistance (Hamas), Islamic Jihad, the Popular and Democratic Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Palestinian People's Party.
The deputy head of the Fatah movement, Mahmoud Al-Aloul, stressed in press statements a few days ago the importance of making the meeting a success so that there would be a collective responsibility towards the crimes and continuous violations against the Palestinian people by the Israeli army and settlers.

In turn, Azzam Al-Ahmad, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told reporters in Ramallah that the meeting is a prelude to forming a government of national unity that adheres to the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

- The meeting is a repetition of what is previously or seizing the last opportunity

Writer and political analyst Rasem Obeidat from the West Bank says that the meeting of the general secretaries of the factions, which is supposed to constitute an important entry point for addressing the Palestinian internal affairs and how to manage the conflict with Israel, must provide the elements of success for it and provide guarantees for the implementation of the agreed outputs.

Obeidat adds that the secretaries-general of the factions must deviate from the norm by not using the same phrases and terminology previously, because they will inevitably lead to failure and deepen the crisis and division in the Palestinian arena under a right-wing Israeli government.

And he continues that the participants in the meeting are required to stop working on the transitional phase of the (Oslo) agreement signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel in 1993, which means withdrawing recognition of Israel, completely stopping all forms of security coordination with it, and getting out of economic dependence on it.

Obeidat believes that "the failure of the meeting of the general secretaries of the factions means that the Palestinian arena will enter into more crises, disagreements and divisions, deepening popular discontent and losing confidence in the factions, and making any upcoming dialogue useless."

In conjunction with the preparations for holding the Cairo meeting, Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, organized demonstrations and vigils in different areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, rejecting what they called "political arrest and prosecution of resistance fighters."

For his part, the Secretary-General of Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhala, said in a statement that "the arrests against members of the movement in the West Bank may expose the meeting of the general secretaries of the factions to failure."

Hussam Badran, a member of the political bureau of Hamas, called in the Palestinian Authority's statement for the immediate and unconditional release of "detainees, especially in Jenin and its camp," calling on "various parties to end and reject political arrests."

On the other hand, the Political Commissioner General and official spokesman for the Palestinian security establishment, Major General Talal Dweikat, said in a statement that "no one is arrested on the grounds of political affiliation."

Dweikat stated that "the arrest or detention of some people came on the basis of legal warrants issued by the competent authorities after some citizens submitted complaints, and accordingly, their arrest came to complete the legal procedures."

- Blurred issues at the meeting

Writer Mustafa Ibrahim from Gaza says, "There is no information about the agenda and issues that will be discussed in the meeting, and its titles are vague. In the absence of the truth and the path of reconciliation has been disrupted, therefore, the faction leaders are required to back down from policies that increase tension, stop political arrests, and calm the scene."

He continues that some of the ruling elite are linked to their own interests, while not forgetting the Israeli occupation's policies of destroying the lives of Palestinians and impoverishing them, and that there are Palestinians living in difficult economic conditions and increasing rates of unemployment and poverty in large proportions.

He believes that the return from Cairo is weaker and more divisive, and will cost a lot politically, economically and socially, and will lead to more incitement, hatred, submission to the occupation policy and its conditions, and contentment with the economic facilities it provides that keep people between life and death.

He points out that returning from Cairo without results will create more disappointments for the Palestinians, those who love and support Palestine, and give the normalizers another opportunity to strengthen the relationship with Israel, because we could not present the model for managing our affairs and the true face of the Palestinian people who seek freedom and self-determination.

The Palestinians have been suffering from internal division since mid-2007, after Hamas took control of the situation in the Strip, which is home to more than two million people, by force, while several understandings failed to achieve reconciliation.

- Reproduction of previous dialogues and agreements

The director of the (Masarat) Center for Research and Studies in Ramallah, Hani Al-Masri, says that the scenario of producing dialogues is possible and has a great chance of being realized through the issuance of a statement from the two conferees, similar to previous agreements that were not implemented or partially implemented and quickly collapsed.

Al-Masry added that the conferees may agree to form an agreed-upon government that will consolidate the fait accompli and that it does not end the division and does not hold elections, at least in the near future. However, it eases tension and helps manage some files, such as dealing with the plans and policies of the Israeli government.

Al-Masri continues that the Fatah and Hamas movements adhere to their conditions that prevented the success of unity efforts in the past, in addition to the external factors that impede unity, the impact of which cannot be underestimated, indicating that one side of the two sides of the division does not want unity unless it manages to bring the other team under its leadership.

He believes that the Palestinian efforts face a major obstacle represented in the presence of an Israeli government that will be more opposed to any step that could unite the Palestinians, including holding Palestinian elections that would strengthen the Palestinians in confronting them.

He points out that the pessimism about progress in the Cairo meeting is due to the fact that the interest groups of continuing the division are the strongest and control over the two conflicting authorities, while the forces and groups that move to end the division and embody the national interest and unity are still weak and not unified in their visions and demands.

Al-Masri stresses the necessity of accumulating strength to crystallize a third current that includes forces and movements that believe in the necessity of change and work to provide the requirements for its occurrence, because the region and the world are witnessing transformations and changes that could open the doors of opportunities and Palestinian change, without which it is not possible to proceed on the path of national salvation.

Today, Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces demolished hundreds of trees in the areas of Al-Hardash and Abu Tai, east of the town of Tarqumiya.

Local sources indicated that the occupation authorities bulldozed hundreds of olive trees, almonds, and grape vines, in the Al-Hardash area, with an area of ​​500 dunums, owned by the families of Fatafta, Haltam, and Ja`fara.

Large areas of citizens' lands were swept away in the Abu Tai area, east of the town of Tarqumiya, and trees and grapevines were uprooted.

It is noteworthy that the Al-Hardash area has been subjected to repeated attacks by settlers, including cutting and burning trees, attempting to seize them, and preventing citizens from accessing them, with the aim of settlement expansion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that he had made any commitment to Washington regarding the settlement freeze. In a brief statement issued by his office, he stated that, contrary to all reports, there has not been and will not be any settlement freeze. He personally said in an interview with American television that his vision of resolving the conflict is with The Palestinians include giving them an entity without sovereignty while Israel retains all its settlements. At the same time, details of a settler plan were confirmed for imposing “Israeli sovereignty” on the Jordan Valley, building hotels north of the Dead Sea, and establishing a tourist city there.

In the meantime, lands were leveled, thousands of trees were cut down, and Palestinian vehicles were confiscated. The settlers staged a provocative march in the Old City of Jerusalem, and the occupation authorities closed a number of lanes and streets in order to enable these settlers to carry out their provocative march.

It is clear and known that had it not been for the presence of our people in the West Bank, they would have stolen it completely and declared it part of Israel, because this Palestinian national presence is the strong thorn in the side of this occupation and makes it think about its practices and aggressions and makes population density at the forefront of its considerations. His expansionist thinking and geographic ambitions impede the annexation of the entire West Bank.

It is true that we are the weaker party militarily, in strength and in arms, but we remain despite all that, the strongest in existence and in the future, and what is coming for us despite all these challenges and hardships, and history is the best witness to our right and the steadfastness of our positions, despite all the political and military obstacles and complexities we are going through, and we will remain the only strong thorn in the throat of this The abominable occupation, with all its greed and expansionist ideas that are neither legal nor immoral.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Education stated that 6 high school students, "Tawjihi", were martyred this year, while 17 others were arrested.

The ministry stated that the martyr Majdi Arawi, a resident of the Jenin camp, was the only one who sat for all the exams before his martyrdom, and succeeded in their exams.

While 5 martyrs passed away before sitting for the exams, they are Mahmoud Al-Saadi from Jenin, Wadih Abu Ramoz from Jerusalem, Ahmed Daragheh from Tubas, Osama Adawi from Hebron, and Muhammad Turkman from Jenin.

She pointed out that there are seventeen students who are still prisoners in the occupation detention centers, who were supposed to take the exam this year.

Israel signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States on Wednesday night as a first step to joining their visa waiver program. 

The agreement aims to ensure that Americans with Palestinian citizenship, whether from the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, are able enter and exit Israel and Palestinian territories freely, as well as move between them. 

The U.S. visa waiver program, which makes the process of travelling to the country significantly easier, requires that partner countries commit to a policy of "non-discrimination" toward American citizens. 

"The updated travel policies, which go into effect July 20, will allow all U.S. citizens to travel to Israel via all ports of entry, including Ben Gurion Airport.  This policy applies to all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans on the Palestinian population registry," the State Department readout said. 

The U.S. added that it will "closely engage with the Government of Israel and monitor the implementation."

A Palestinian man was shot dead in a crime-related homicide in the city of Kafr Qassem on Wednesday night.

According to the Hebrew news site Ynet, the man was from the occupied West Bank and was 32-years-old.

At dawn and Thursday morning, the Israeli occupation forces launched a campaign of arrests among citizens in separate areas of the West Bank.

In Bethlehem, Muhammad Diriyeh and Amjad Thawabteh, from the conservative town of Beit Fajjar, were arrested.

The editor, Ahmed Sharara, was arrested from Aida camp, north of Bethlehem, and Ashraf Abu Sarhan, from Al-Ubaidiya, east of it.

The young man, Laith Sharbaji, from Nablus, was arrested.

Israeli forces arrested a young Palestinian for allegedly attempting to carry out a stabbing attack inside the settlement of Kiryat Arba, near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday.

According to Hebrew tabolid Israel Hayom, the Palestinian man was arrested due to "suspicious" behaviour just a few dozen meters away from the home of the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

A 19-year-old Palestinian was killed and three others were wounded by live fire in clashes that emerged with Israeli occupation forces at Joseph's Tombs on Thursday morning, after they had secured the entrance of hundreds of settlers to the holy site.

Armed Palestinian resistance shot toward the occupation forces, while other youths threw stones and firebombs.

The martyr was identified as Badr Sami Al-Masry, and thousands of people gathered in Nablus to mourn him/

Medical sources said that he was shot in the chest, and that doctors were unable to save his life. 

The same sources said that at least one other person is in serious condition. At least 65 others suffered from tear gas inhalation, including a baby, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. 

The Red Crescent also said an ambulance had its windshield destroyed by rubber bullets, while other medical staff were obstructed from reaching the wounded.

The Polisario Front, which is seeking, with the support of Algeria, to establish an independent state in Western Sahara, considered that Israel's decision to "recognize Morocco's sovereignty" over this disputed region has "no value."

The Sahrawi "Ministry of Information" said in a statement published by the official Algerian News Agency, "This decision, from Israel or others, has no legal or political value."

The statement added that the Israeli decision "will only increase the determination of the Sahrawi people to continue their national struggle on various fronts."

On Monday, the Moroccan royal court announced that the Hebrew state had decided to "recognize Morocco's sovereignty" over the territory of Western Sahara, referring to a message in this regard sent by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu's office confirmed to AFP the contents of the letter.

In its statement, the Polisario warned of "the serious repercussions of the Israeli-Moroccan alliance, and the endeavor to exploit the war in Western Sahara to implement joint subversive security and military agendas aimed at destabilizing the security and stability of the North African region and the Sahel in general."

The front denounced "the Zionist entity's recognition of Morocco's alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa," stressing that "this 'non-event' par excellence constitutes a new step within the framework of the lowest and most heinous kind of barter."

And she considered that this recognition "does not constitute any gain for the Moroccan occupying state, but rather a clear condemnation of it by confirming the alliance of the two discordant states, the military occupiers of Western Sahara and Palestine."

She also believed that the Israeli decision "carries with it mockery and disregard for the feelings of millions of the brotherly Moroccan people who hold Palestine and Jerusalem in their hearts."

Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony, Morocco controls 80 percent of its territory and proposes to grant it autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia al-Hamra and the Valley of Gold "Polisario" calls for a referendum on self-determination.

The Israeli decision in support of Rabat came in the context of continued tension between Morocco and its neighbor Algeria, which severed diplomatic relations with the Kingdom in the summer of 2021.

At the heart of these tensions is the dispute over Western Sahara, over which Morocco and the Polisario Front have been locked in a dispute since 1975.

The Kingdom of Morocco and Israel have been working to strengthen their relations since their normalization in late 2020 through a tripartite agreement, which also included the United States' recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.

On Wednesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a royal invitation to visit Morocco.

According to Netanyahu's office, he received a message from Moroccan King Mohammed VI, which included his invitation to visit Morocco to open new horizons in the relationship between the two sides.

The Moroccan monarch thanked Netanyahu for the latter's government's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.

This evening, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a young man from the village of Zabuba, west of Jenin.

According to local sources, these forces arrested Omar Majdi Obeidi while he was passing through the "Dotan" military checkpoint established on the lands of the town of Ya'bad.

Washington – Met by raucous applause, Israel's President Isaac Herzog dubbed "Palestinian terror" a "moral disgrace" and said that it "undermines any future peace" in a historic address to a joint session of U.S. Congress on Wednesday.

Invited by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Israel's president waxed lyrical about the "shared values" between Israel and the U.S., and drew attention to his father Chaim Herzog's own address to Congress during his presidency in 1987. 

In the first part of his speech, Herzog addressed Iran's nuclear program, which he described as "a threat to the region and beyond." 

"Allowing Iran to become a nuclear threshold state, either through omission or diplomatic commission, is unacceptable," he said, and called for the “Israel and the United States to act forcefully together.”

“The world cannot remain indifferent to Iran’s call to wipe Israel off the map," he added.

Despite the warm reception from both parties, the speech was boycotted by five Democrats, including Palestinian-American Representative Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

The speech also comes in the shadow of a major bipartisan motion to declare that Israel is not a "racist state," after Rep. Pramila Jayapal from the Democratic Party backtracked on her comments describing Israel in these words. 

Herzog praised Israel's cooperation with Egypt and Jordan, and the "warm peace" of the Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. He also said that he "prays" for peace with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

After speaking at length about normalization agreements, Herzog turned to the Palestinians. The president said that he hopes that Israel will “one day make peace with our Palestinian neighbors,” and claimed that “over the years, Israel has taken bold steps toward peace and made far-reaching proposals."

"However, true peace cannot be anchored in violence," Herzog said. “Palestinian terror against Israel or Israelis undermines any future peace," he said.

He also condemned Hamas for holding the bodies of Israeli soldiers.

Israel's president also commended U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to combat antisemitism, but also pushed the conflation between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. "Questioning Jewish people's legitimate right to self-determination is not diplomacy, it's antisemitism," he added.

Biden and Herzog met on Tuesday to discuss "key issues of mutual concern, including enhanced coordination to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and Iran’s growing defense partnership with Russia.  They noted the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship, based on the bedrock of shared democratic values, and discussed the need for a consensus-based approach to the judicial reform package."

The judicial overhaul has been one of the main causes of a rupture between the U.S. president and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier in the week, the two held a phone call after which Netanyahu said that he had been invited to the White House, though no official date has been set. 

In his speech, Herzog said that Israelis going through a “heated and painful debate…revisiting and renegotiating the balance of our institutional powers in the absence of a written constitution.”

However, he described the fierce division as the “the clearest tribute to the fortitude of Israel’s democracy.”

"As president of Israel I am here to tell the American people that I have great confidence in Israeli democracy, although we are working through sour issues, just like you...Israel has democracy in its DNA," he added.

The White House readout on Biden and Herzog's meeting also said that the U.S. President "reiterated his commitment to maintaining a path for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the best avenue to a lasting and just peace, and to providing Israelis and Palestinians equal measures of freedom, prosperity and security.  The President stressed the need to take additional measures to improve the security and economic situation in the West Bank and prevent acts of terrorism."

In a letter to the European Union, Lebanon condemned today (Wednesday) a decision of the European Parliament that supports keeping Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and called for launching a constructive and comprehensive dialogue between Lebanon and the European Union on the issue of Syrian displacement.

This came according to the official Lebanese National News Agency, in a letter sent by the Foreign Minister of the Lebanese caretaker government, Abdullah Bouhabib, to the Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

In his message, he stressed "the need to launch a constructive and comprehensive dialogue between Lebanon and the European Union on all files, especially the Syrian displacement file, which has begun to pose a threat not only to the Lebanese social structure and economic stability, but also to the continued existence of Lebanon as an entity."

In his letter, Bouhabib also expressed "Lebanon's adherence to its rights and responsibilities in facilitating the safe and dignified return of displaced Syrians to their homes, especially to safe areas, in line with the principles of international law, and in a manner that does not contradict the Lebanese constitution, which stipulates that Lebanon is not a country of asylum."

He pointed out, "The need for the international community to work to address the causes of Syrian displacement, as stated in the European Parliament's decision, and to accelerate early recovery, including securing basic infrastructure and social services in Syria, in order to facilitate the return of the displaced."

He reaffirmed Lebanon's readiness to launch a dialogue with the European Union aimed at drawing up a road map for the safe and dignified return of the displaced Syrians to their country.

He encouraged "to proceed with the idea of ​​forming a comprehensive administrative advisory mission affiliated with the European Union to discuss the urgent needs of the Lebanese public sector and the provision of basic services."

Bouhabib expressed his hope for "launching a comprehensive and constructive Lebanese-European dialogue covering all fields, particularly the sensitive issue of the displaced."

Last Wednesday, the European Parliament issued a resolution supporting keeping Syrian refugees in Lebanon, expressing "concern about the escalation of anti-refugee rhetoric by Lebanese political parties and ministers."

The resolution urged Lebanon to "refrain from deportation, imposing discriminatory measures and inciting hatred against Syrian refugees" in the event of any action regarding immigration.

Following its issuance, the decision received negative reactions and criticism from Lebanese officials and parties, considering it an "interference in the internal affairs" of Lebanon.

And the Lebanese caretaker government confirmed on June 13 that the Syrian refugees in Lebanon must return to their country in coordination with Syria and the League of Arab States, provided that it is a dignified and safe return in line with international resolutions, especially Resolution 2254.

The government emphasized direct coordination with Syria through a ministerial delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the membership of the Ministers of the Displaced, Social Affairs, Labor, Culture, Tourism, Agriculture and Information, the Secretary General of the Supreme Defense Council, and the Director of Public Security.

The Lebanese General Security had previously implemented a plan for the safe and voluntary return of the displaced, in coordination with the Syrian authorities, which included, between 2017 and 2019, about 540,000 refugees, but work on this plan stopped with the outbreak of the Corona pandemic.

The Lebanese General Security estimates the number of Syrians residing in the country at two million and 80 thousand, who constitute social, economic and security pressures on the country, which has been facing since the end of 2019 an acute economic and financial crisis.

Israeli occupation forces arrested a Palestinian man near the West Bank city of Jericho on Wednesday.

According to local sources, Israeli troops set up a military checkpoint at the northern entrance to Jericho, and stopped the vehicle of Hussam Abu Dahouk, from Aqabat Jabr refugee camp, to arrest him. 

The official spokesman for the Palestinian Presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said that stopping settlements and ending the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine is one integrated package to ensure the achievement of peace, security and stability in the region.

Abu Rudeineh's statements came in response to statements issued by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which denied the settlement freeze by saying, "There will be no and there was no freeze."

Abu Rudeineh added that without changing the Israeli policy that seeks to annex, expand and perpetuate the occupation, the entire region is at a dangerous historical and strategic crossroads.

He continued: What is required is pressure on Israel in a practical and immediate manner, away from statements and sayings, and obliging it to implement the decisions of international legitimacy, foremost of which is the cessation of settlement activities that violate international law, especially Resolution 2334, because the conditions on the ground can no longer tolerate more condemnations without result.

The official spokesman for the presidency confirmed that all the projects that the occupation is trying to implement to sustain the occupation will not achieve anything with the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land, and with the strong Palestinian efforts on the international arena, which showed a weakness in Israel’s ability due to its disregard for international legitimacy and international law, stressing that the official Palestinian position is clear. Its basis is the national constants, international legitimacy and the Arab peace initiative.

Jenin – Minister Nasser Qatami, adviser to the Prime Minister for Arab and Islamic Funds Affairs, said that the Palestinian Authority will "do everything necessary" to reconstruct Jenin refugee camp. 

This comes a fortnight after Israel's two-day onslaught, the most extensive invasion of a West Bank city in two decades, resulted in the killing of 12 Palestinians, the injury of dozens of others, and widespread damage to infrastructure and property.

Following his visit to the camp, Qatami told Al-Quds "We have never stopped supporting the Jenin Governorate and its camp, which constitutes a symbol of steadfastness and confrontation, and the Jenin Governorate as a whole deserves all our support and assistance."

He added that the Palestinian Authority "does not have a ceiling" when it comes to financial support for the camp, and that they are willing to do "everything necessary in order to restore the situation, and to ensure it will be veven better than it was before." 

Qatami also condemned the Israeli occupation for "forever seeking to destroy our infrastructure and besiege our people."

Mohammad Sabbagh, the head of the People's Services Committee of the Jenin Refugee Camp, extended his appreciation for the solidarity with the camp, and the efforts made to rebuild the homes and infrastructure. 

"This is confirmation that the camp is not alone in this battle to defend the rights of the Palestinian people and their just cause," Sabbagh said. 

"We can build through it a new vision that brings together all Palestinians under one banner, which is the cause of Palestine and the liberation of our people," he added.

The governor of Jenin, Akram Rajoub, stressed that completing the reconstruction process and implementing it as soon as possible, in line with the instructions of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Pointing to several tours and visits from Arab and international organizations, Rajoub said that the Palestinians of Jenin "value the efforts of all those who stood by the Jenin camp and after this violent attack carried out by the Israeli war machine," and that that "all the Arab peoples and the free people of the world support this resistance to get rid of occupation."