Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an international arms embargo and a halt to all trade with Israel on Thursday, aiming to isolate the Jewish state over its actions in the Middle East.
President Joe Biden raised eyebrows on Monday evening during the White House Hanukkah reception by claiming credit for the release of over 100 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The family of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-born American human rights activist killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, has pleaded with Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a U.S. investigation into her death. However, Blinken offered no promises during the meeting on Monday, according to Eygi’s husband, Hamid Ali.
Israel on Monday rejected claims by Cindy McCain, director of the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP), that only two WFP trucks entered Gaza in November. McCain’s statements on CBS News’ Face the Nation accused Israel of targeting aid workers and obstructing aid, leading to significant pushback from Israeli officials.
The National Association of Independent Schools’ (NAIS) annual “equity and justice” conference has been criticized as a “festival of Jew hate” by attendees and parents, after Jewish students reported feeling unsafe and unwelcome due to inflammatory rhetoric from speakers.
Hamas has agreed to meet two major Israeli demands in ongoing ceasefire talks, including allowing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to remain in Gaza during a pause in fighting, according to The Wall Street Journal. The terrorist group also provided a list of hostages, including American citizens, marking a significant development toward a potential ceasefire agreement.
Hamas, the Sunni jihadist group ruling Gaza, applauded the overthrow of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization. In a statement Monday, Hamas hailed the "aspirations for freedom and justice" of the Syrian people and urged national unity. HTS’s November campaign rapidly toppled Assad’s forces, leading to his flight to Moscow over the weekend.
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., has been chosen by the House GOP Steering Committee to chair the Foreign Affairs Committee in the next Congress. Mast, a vocal supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, was selected over contenders including Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Ann Wagner, R-Mo., according to Axios.
Former President Barack Obama admitted the defeat of his diversity-driven "pluralism" agenda in a speech delivered December 5 in Chicago. Speaking to a selective audience, Obama called for rebuilding institutions to support diversity and inclusion, following President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive 2024 election victory.
