Israel US Ukraine
Kyiv Post Ukraine's Global Voice by Katie Livingstone 13 March 2025

Extracts:

• Double standards and geopolitical priorities

The disparity in US military aid to Ukraine and Israel reflects how Washington, especially the Trump White House, views these allies and the wars they are embattled in

Three key differences define this imbalance:

Strategic priorities
1. Israel is a long-time US ally in the Middle East, while Ukraine’s relationship with Washington is newer and more transactional
2. The Trump administration’s reluctance to antagonize Russia has contributed to the inconsistency in Ukraine’s support

Domestic politics
1. Israel enjoys strong bipartisan backing in Congress, ensuring steady US assistance
2. Support for Ukraine, however, has become increasingly partisan, with Trump’s allies opposing further aid

Diplomatic calculations
1. By withholding aid to Ukraine while maintaining unwavering support for Israel
2. Trump signals a shift in US foreign policy that places Middle East alliances above European security concerns

Israel US Ukraine
Kyiv Post Ukraine's Global Voice by Katie Livingstone 13 March 2025

Extracts:

• US and Israel - United Nations voting against Ukraine

The imbalance in US support was further underscored last month when Israel voted against a United Nations General Assembly resolution reaffirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity

For the first time, Israel aligned itself with the US, Russia and a handful of other nations in -
1. opposing the motion proposed by Ukraine
2. and supported by its European allies

The vote also highlighted how Washington’s shifting alliances are influencing global diplomatic realignments

Israel’s shift is likely a calculated move to remain in Trump’s good graces and to secure continued US military assistance, even at the cost of damaging its relationship with Ukraine and other partners ?!What relationship?!

People in Glass Houses.... The Double Standards and Hypocrisy beggars belief indeed

As Israel’s ambassador to Ukraine said in 20231. In the ten years between 2015-2025 Ukraine did not vote in favor of a single pro-Israel resolution
2. Also Israel's European 'allies' have voted against Israel

Israel US Ukraine
Kyiv Post Ukraine's Global Voice by Katie Livingstone 13 March 2025

Extracts:

• What it means for Ukraine

For Ukraine, the Trump administration’s double standard on military aid is a warning sign

While Israel continues to receive full US backing, Ukraine must navigate an increasingly uncertain security landscape

The temporary freeze on US military aid following the Oval Office dispute between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky weakened Ukraine’s position against Russia at a critical moment

More significantly, it reinforced concerns that Washington now appears to treat Kyiv as a bargaining chip in broader geopolitical negotiations rather than as a committed ally

• In stark contrast -

1. Israel’s aid pipeline remains uninterrupted – its military needs not only met but consistently expanded
2. Unlike Ukraine, Israel has not been asked to make political concessions in exchange for aid
3. Instead, the White House has accelerated arms shipments, underscoring Israel’s privileged position in Washington’s strategic calculus

As Trump continues to reshape US foreign policy, Ukraine faces tough choices –
1. reinforcing relationships with European allies
2. accelerating domestic weapons production or
3. making economic and territorial concessions to maintain US support

Whatever the outcome, the contrast in military aid between Ukraine and Israel signals a major geopolitical shift –
1. one that could redefine global security alignments
2. and have lasting consequences for Ukraine’s fight against Russia

*Katie Livingstone is an American journalist who has covered the war in Ukraine since 2022

China, Russia, and Iran demanded an end to Washington's "illegal, unilateral sanctions" on Tehran, after three-party talks on the Iranian nuclear issue in Beijing on March 14.

But a leading sanctions expert involved in past nuclear talks with Iran says lifting sanctions as a precursor to negotiations is neither likely nor advisable.

The meeting included Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

https://www.rferl.org/a/china-iran-russia-nuclear-trump-sanctions/33347041.html

From: The Times of Israel March 14, 2025
Trump Mideast envoy reveals details of his 'bridge proposal'

Witkoff: Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side — it is not
Hamas’s statement on Friday did not specify the nationalities of the four slain hostages slated for release along with Alexander.

However, the Arab diplomat who spoke to The Times of Israel said they were the four remaining American-Israelis in captivity —
Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Gadi Haggai and Judy Weinstein.

White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday dismissed as disingenuous Hamas’s offer to release captive soldier Edan Alexander — the last known living American-Israeli hostage — and the remains of four unidentified dual nationals.

“Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side. It is not,” Witkoff warned, suggesting he has given Hamas a deadline to release the 20-year-old.
“Hamas is well aware of the deadline, and should know that we will respond accordingly if that deadline passes,” added Witkoff.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday denounced:
1. Hamas as “savages,”
2. but would not say if Washington would accept the terror group’s offer to release Alexander and the four slain hostages.
3. which is said to be a late response to direct US-Hamas talks

A senior Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that Hamas’s proposal Friday morning was based on what the Palestinian terrorist organization discussed with US hostage envoy Adam Boehler on March 4 At the time, Hamas held off on agreeing to the proposal.

a US official told The Times of Israel earlier this week:
1. Israel was furious about being left in the dark on the direct US-Hamas talks,
2. and leaked their existence later that day.

On Friday, Israel slammed Hamas’s delayed agreement as a ploy to avoid committing to Witkoff’s proposal to extend the ceasefire’s first phase, which expired March 2 until April 19

The rare statement issued by Witkoff on Friday indicated that Hamas’s response to Boehler may have come too late for Washington, which was now taking a harder line on Hamas.

Witkoff demanded Alexander be “released immediately” and went public with many of the key terms of his own “bridge proposal,” submitted to negotiators in Doha on Wednesday.

“bridge proposal”
1. Accepting Israel’s stance, Witkoff’s “bridge proposal” would extend the ceasefire deal’s first phase
2. and see Hamas release living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

“Through our Qatari and Egyptian partners, Hamas was told in no uncertain terms that this ‘bridge’ would have to be implemented soon,” read the statement.

The “phase one extension” would give Israel and Hamas more time to negotiate a permanent ceasefire, said Witkoff.

He did not specify how many Palestinian prisoners Israel would be released for each hostage, saying only that the swap would be “in accordance with previous formulas.”

Rubio said Friday that the swaps Israel has made were “ridiculous trades — 400 people for 3.”

“These are nuts,” said Rubio, speaking to reporters after a meeting with G7 counterparts in Quebec.
“On top of that, you see the condition these people are being released in.”

He declined to say whether the White House would take up the offer made by Hamas on Friday.
“Our priority as the US government is always that we care about all hostages,” said Rubio. “We want all the hostages released.”

After the first phase expired, Israel, with the White House’s subsequent backing, halted the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Under the ceasefire agreement, the flow of aid was to continue as long as talks for the second phase were ongoing.

The first phase saw:
1. Hamas release 33 women, children, civilian men and those deemed “humanitarian cases,” in exchange for —
2. some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, including over 270 serving life terms in connection with the murders of dozens of Israelis.

Rubio said: “We’re acting like this is a normal exchange. This is an outrage. They should all be released.”

1. We’re sitting around as the world, sort of accepting that it’s normal
2. and okay for you to go into a place, kidnap babies, kidnap teenagers, kidnap people who have nothing to do with any wars, that are not soldiers…
3. and taking them and putting them in tunnels for almost a year and a half,”

Referring to Hamas’s latest proposal, Rubio continued: “I’m not going to comment on what we’re going to accept or not accept, other than [to say that] all of us — the whole world — should continue to say that:
1. "what Hamas has done is outrageous, it’s ridiculous, it’s sick, it’s disgusting.”
2. “We’re just dealing with some savages. That’s it.
3. These are bad people, terrible people,
4. and we need to treat them as such,”

While the secret US talks with Hamas were fully coordinated with Witkoff, Boehler has been the target of Israeli ire, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has lobbied Trump aides to have the hostage envoy barred from dealing with the issue.

A senior US official told The Times of Israel on Thursday that Boehler would continue assisting Witkoff in his efforts.
However, Witkoff has been mum on the matter

Rubio has said:
1. the direct talks with Hamas were a “one-off,”
2. and that future negotiations would be held on the original channel led by Witkoff.

Boehler has said he hoped to break the logjam, in negotiations.

Adam Boehler has withdrawn his nomination as the US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Axios reported early Saturday morning citing two White House officials.

Trump can’t ignore Ireland’s hostility to Israel
St Patrick's Day White House and Washington events should not be business as usual

Why? Trump hosted Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin, at the White House on Wednesday while going after South Africa?

since the start of the Gaza war, Ireland's tiny Jewish community:
1. fears that growing anti-Israel hostility is leading to increased antisemitism,
2. raising questions about their future in the EU country.

The Irish see the Jews in Israel as they saw the British in the past – as occupiers and oppressors.

Former Irish Prime Minister Éamon De Valera infamously signed a condolence book at the German Embassy when Hitler killed himself.

It took Dublin until 1963 to recognize Israel de jure and the 1990s for an Israeli embassy to open.

Irish reticence to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, however, was not predicated on the fate of the Palestinians but on the Vatican’s position on Jerusalem. It preferred internationalization rather than the control of the Jews.

Ireland joined South Africa in the “genocide” accusation at the International Court of Justice at the Hague

Israel shuttered its mission in the Irish capital in December because of what Israel's Foreign Minister called:
1. extreme anti-Israel policies,
2. the antisemitic actions and rhetoric of the Irish government
3. soured diplomatic relations

The then-Irish prime minister Simon Harris condemned the decision, saying:
1. “I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel.
2. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights, and pro-international law."

The Jerusalem Post March 15, 2025

‘Zionists are not welcome in Ireland’: Israeli man spat on in Dublin restaurant
Pro-Palestinian accounts later tried to share the Israeli man's whereabouts.

Israeli national Tamir Ohayon was spat at and harassed by two local women while visiting Dublin for a business trip, he shared on Instagram with a video of the interaction.

“My heart is truly broken THIS is Ireland in 2025” Ohayon shared.
“During my business trip to Dublin, me and my co-worker were assaulted by an organized group of girls for simply being Israelis.”

Ohayon claimed that before the filming began, one of the girls approached him and shared the information she had collected on him - including the hotel he was staying at. 

The footage showed the two women raising their middle fingers at Ohayon while they yelled at him that he was not welcome in Ireland.
“Zionists are not welcome in Ireland,” the women told him. “F*** you and f*** Israel. Israel is on its way out.”

In response to the harassment, Ohayon responded, “I love you too” It's not a smart move engaging with haters
which is when the women spat on him and later bragged that “I did it and I actually did not miss.”

The women were identified by The Journal as pro-Palestinian activists Zeina Ismail and Lena Seale

Ohayon later shared that the encounter had lasted several minutes, and no one intervened to help What about Restaurant manager, staff?

He shared that he began filming to help police in their investigations but that officers did not arrive for two hours after the incident and “didn’t seem to care at all about the matter.” Local law enforcement have confirmed they are investigating the incident.

Why different?

The Times of Israel March 15, 2025

The United States has expelled South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool for criticizing the Trump administration, including a claim that Trump is leading a “global white supremacist movement.” further heightening tensions between the two countries.

The United States’s decision to expel South Africa’s ambassador was “regrettable,” the office of the president says, urging “diplomatic decorum” between the two nations. “The Presidency has noted the regrettable expulsion of South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Mr. Ebrahim Rasool,”

it says in a statement after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the diplomat was no longer welcome because he was “a race-baiting politician” who hates the country and its president.

Haaretz March 14, 2025
A U.S.-Iran Axis Is Emerging Within the Gulf States, Bypassing Israel

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates maintain good relations both with Iran and the U.S. and have an interest in preventing war.
Becoming a 'protective ring' for Teheran could lead them to negotiate over the nuclear program

The UAE and Saudi Arabia will also shape the channel that will bypass Israel, forming a direct link between Washington and Tehran.

The Washington Post March 15, 2025
Hamas says it will only release American-Israeli hostage if truce agreement is implemented

Hamas said Saturday, it will only release an American-Israeli and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel implements the existing ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, calling it an “exceptional deal” aimed at getting the truce back on track

A senior Hamas official said long-delayed talks over the ceasefire's second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 days.

Israel would also need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

Terrorists still calling the shots

The United States is sanctioning the Foxtrot Network, a transnational criminal organization, and its fugitive leader, Rawa Majid. The Foxtrot Network is a notorious criminal gang based in Sweden and a prominent drug trafficking organization in the region. The group is involved in arms trafficking and contributes to rising violence in Northern Europe, including shootings, contract killings, and assaults.
The Iranian regime leveraged the Foxtrot Network to carry out attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe, including the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, in January 2024.

From: The Times of Israel March 15, 2025

Trump Announces: US Conducting 'Decisive' Military Action Against Houthis in Yemen.
US official says strikes on Houthis to continue for days and possibly weeks

a US official tells Reuters, speaking on the condition of anonymity:
"An unfolding US military campaign of strikes against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis could last days and maybe weeks."

US President Donald Trump announced the start of the operation earlier on Saturday, warning the Houthi attacks against Red Sea shipping needed to stop, or “Hell will rain down upon you.”

Houthis vows Sanaa ‘will remain Gaza’s shield’ as US airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital

Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, says the airstrikes won’t deter the Yemeni rebels and that they will retaliate against the US

He adds on social media:
1. “Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support
2. and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,”

From: The Jerusalem Post March 15, 2025

'Message to Iran': officials confirm US launches large-scale strikes on Houthis in Yemen
US official to Post: Strike on Houthis a message to Iran

US President Donald Trump: "Houthis, your time is up, Hell will rain down upon you."

The United States struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday evening in a message to Iran, at a time when the administration is proposing to open negotiations on its nuclear program, a US official told The Jerusalem Post

The strikes will last "days, possible weeks" an official told Reuters.

At least nine were killed and nine injured in the strikes, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry said on X

The air and naval strikes hit the Houthis’ radars, air defenses, and missile and drone systems The New York Times reported.
The strike’s goal is to open international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, which have been disrupted by the Houthis.

Houthi-run Al Masirah TV previously said on Saturday that an attack targeted the Yemeni capital Sana’a, without providing further details.

The Iran-backed Houthi terror group paused attacks on Israel, which it began in support of Hamas, during the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
However, the Houthis announced last week that they would recommence attacks in response to Israel’s blockade on aid in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that:
Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.

Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going.

It has been over a year since a U.S. flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden.
The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times.

Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at U.S. aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies.
These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.

1. The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated.
2. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.
3. The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt,
4. and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.

Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses:
1. to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets,
2. and to restore Navigational Freedom.

No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.

To all Houthi terrorists:
1. YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY.
2. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!

To Iran:
1. Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY!
2. Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History,
3. or Worldwide shipping lanes.

If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!

From: Haaretz March 15, 2025
Secretary of State Rubio says those seeking 'pro-terror riots' will have visas denied: 'Trump isn't Biden'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil earlier this months.

"If you are coming to [the] US to join pre-terror riots we will deny you a visa," he wrote, adding, "President Trump isn't Biden."

In a statement on Friday, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said it was a "privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States".
"When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country," Noem said.

From: Leading Britain's Conversation LBC March 15, 2025
US rejects Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ demands to implement ceasefire as talks reach impasse

The US has rejected a Hamas offer to reinstate the Gaza ceasefire which the group called an ‘exceptional deal’, saying their demands are ‘entirely impractical’.
The US has already rebuffed the offer, made on Friday, and accused the Islamist militant organisation of “stalling” by making “impractical” demands.

Hamas said it would only release an American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four other hostages if Israel implements the existing ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, calling it an "exceptional deal" aimed at getting the truce back on track.

A senior Hamas official said:
1. long-delayed talks over the ceasefire's second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 days.
2. Israel would also need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid
3. and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt.
4. Hamas would also demand the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages.


the audacity of the terror aggressors including audacious Russia in Ukraine, beggars belief indeed

US rebuts Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ ceasefire demands
The Guardian by Jason Burke 15 March 2025

Extracts:

• US rebuts Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ ceasefire demands

Apparent rejection of new offer to free US-Israeli hostage dashes hopes of progress but will please Tel Aviv

The Trump administration has accused Hamas of making “entirely impractical” demands and stalling on a deal to release a US-Israeli hostage, in exchange for an extension of the Gaza ceasefire

The office of Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the US national security council said in a statement,
It said, adding that Trump had already vowed Hamas would “pay a severe price” for not freeing hostages

A week ago Trump repeated a threat to destroy Hamas in a “last warning” to release the hostages but it is unclear exactly to which of several potential deadlines the new statement referred

US rebuts Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ ceasefire demands
The Guardian by Jason Burke 15 March 2025

Extracts:

• Israeli-American hostages: living Edan Alexander and four dead bodies

The US appears to have brushed aside an offer made earlier on Friday by the militant Islamist organisation to free Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage who was abducted while serving as a soldier, in the Israel Defense Forces IDF during Hamas’s surprise raid into Israel in October 2023 and the remains of four other Israeli-Americans who have died in captivity in Gaza


The reaction from the US dashed any hopes of sudden progress in continuing indirect negotiations in Qatar over the fragile ceasefire, in Gaza but will comes as a relief to the Israeli government

The initial phase of the ceasefire in the devastated territory came into effect in January 2025 but lapsed almost two weeks ago
terrorists enjoying ceasefire for Free.... No hostages living or dead released

In recent statements, Hamas has said it wants Israel to implement the second phase of the ceasefire, which was supposed to definitively end the conflict

Israel has so far refused to,
1. move to the second phase
2. and is calling for an extension of several weeks to the first phase instead
3. leaving open the possibility of a new offensive in the months to come

US rebuts Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ ceasefire demands
The Guardian by Jason Burke 15 March 2025

Extracts:

• Witkoff “bridge” proposal

Witkoff has presented a “bridge” proposal in Qatar,
1. to extend the first phase of the truce to mid-April
2. if Hamas releases living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners


After the Hamas statement, Netanyahu’s office said,
1. Israel had “accepted the Witkoff outline and showed flexibility”
2. but “Hamas is refusing and will not budge from its positions”

The prime minister’s office said,
It added that Netanyahu would convene his ministerial team on Saturday night,
1. to receive a detailed report from the negotiation team
2. and “decide on the next steps for the release of hostages

US rebuts Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ ceasefire demands
The Guardian by Jason Burke 15 March 2025

Extracts:

• permanent end to the war in Gaza vs US good relations priority

Netanyahu has consistently opposed any permanent end to the war in Gaza, in part due to domestic political considerations

However the Israeli leader has made it clear that maintaining good relations with the White House is a priority

After more than 16 months of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt, Washington recently opened a direct channel of talks with Hamas with the aim of freeing US citizens abducted by the organisation during its raid into Israel

In a social media post earlier this month, Donald Trump said there would be “hell to pay” if all the 58 hostages still in Gaza were not released
Fewer than half are thought to be still alive

In an attempt to pressure Hamas [with US backing]
1. Israel has cut off all supplies of goods to Gaza
2. and on Sunday stopped any remaining electricity supplies from Israel to the territory

The six-week first phase of the ceasefire led to the exchange of 25 living Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others, in return for the release of about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel

It also allowed much-needed food, shelter and medical assistance to re-enter Gaza

Official reaction from the Israeli government to the news last week of direct talks between the US and Hamas was limited to a single terse statement by the office of Netanyahu acknowledging the negotiations

But the mass-market newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth said,

Rubio signs onto G7 statement backing resumption of Gaza aid
The Times of Israel by Jacob Magid 15 March 2025

Extracts:

• In apparent about face [previously US backed Israel’s decision, withholding aid] Rubio signs onto resumption of Gaza aid

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed onto a joint statement with fellow G7 members — all stances that have not been vocalized by the Trump administration to date,
1. calling for a resumption of aid into Gaza
2. and the establishment of a political horizon for the Palestinians
3. and expressing concern over recent hostilities in the West Bank

The joint statement was still apparently softened at the State Department’s request,
1. containing no mention of a two-state solution
2. and keeping the line on recent West Bank hostilities vague,
3. without any mention of settler violence, which has raged in recent years with very little government pushback

Still Rubio got on board with the lines that seemed out of step with the rhetoric that has so far come from the Trump administration regarding,
1. the West Bank
2. humanitarian aid for Gaza
3. and a political horizon for the Palestinians

Washington hasn’t spoken out once against settler violence since Trump took office 20 January 2025 and Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office that removed a sanctions regime that his predecessor Joe Biden had put in place against violent settlers

Rubio signs onto G7 statement backing resumption of Gaza aid
The Times of Israel by Jacob Magid 15 March 2025

Extracts:

• US backed Israel’s decision to withholding Gaza aid -- Yet....

The US backed Israel’s decision earlier this month to begin withholding aid from Gaza, arguing that assistance shouldn’t be resumed until a “safe framework” is instituted to ensure that it can’t be diverted to Hamas

On the issue of a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, too, the Trump administration has been largely mum, avoiding any public backing for a two-state solution, which most of the international community supports

It was not immediately clear whether the decision to sign onto the G7 statement was made, because
1. the document is seen as symbolic and unlikely to have a tangible impact on the ground or
2. the Trump administration is using it to demonstrate a shift in its positions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The statement from the top diplomats of the US Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the European Union begins by calling for,
1. the release of all hostages from Gaza
2. and stresses “the harm inflicted on the hostages during their captivity
3. and the violation of their dignity through the use of ‘handover ceremonies’ during their release”

The foreign ministers,
They also “affirmed their readiness" to,
1. engage with Arab partners on their proposals to chart a way forward on reconstruction in Gaza
2. and build a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace

Trump, of All People, Forces the Israeli Government to Fulfill Its Obligation to Its Citizens
Haaretz by Zvi Bar'el 13 March 2025

Extracts:

• Israel's very existence always required "consent and coordination" with Washington

After Donald Trump threatened,
1. to make Canada the 51st state
2. and to acquire Greenland
3. for now seems willing to settle for adding a smaller star, the "Star of David" to the American flag

While Israel has a cabinet and even a legislature (even if the Knesset is a silent, ghost parliament), and also a president, the most important decisions about its security, its economy and its very existence always required "consent and coordination" with Washington

My take! too Israel's very existence depends on US
I truly believe if not for America, Israel would not exist

The Times of Israel March 16, 2025

Houthis vow to respond to U.S. ‘war crime’ after 31 said to be killed in strikes across Yemen
Strikes represent biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January, could last for several weeks

U.S. President Donald Trump launched large-scale military strikes against Yemen’s Houthis on Saturday over the group’s attacks against Red Sea shipping.

The Houthis’ political bureau described the attacks as a “war crime.” terrorists attacks not “war crime.”
“Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to respond to escalation with escalation,” it said in a statement.

1. Images online showed plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility.
2. The Houthis also reported airstrikes early Sunday on the provinces of Hodeida, Bayda, and Marib.
3. Residents in Sanaa said the strikes hit a building in a Houthi stronghold.
4. Another strike on a power station in the town of Dahyan in Saada led to a power cut, Al-Masirah TV reported early on Sunday.

Dahyan is where Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the enigmatic leader of the Houthis, often meets his visitors.

terrorists delusional

The Times of Israel March 16, 2025
The Houthi Ansarollah website condemned what it called “U.S.-British aggression” and Washington’s “criminal brutality.”

The deputy head of the Houthi media office Nasruddin Amer, reiterated that the airstrikes wouldn’t deter the rebel group from its mission, and insisted that “Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges.”

Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, on X called Trump’s claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes “false and misleading.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the U.S. government had “no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy.”
He said in an X post on early Sunday “End support for Israeli genocide and terrorism. Stop killing of Yemeni people,”


1. “End support for terrorists genocide and terrorism.
2. End aggression” and “criminal brutality.”
3. Stop “war crime.”
4. Stop killing of Israeli people,”
5. release all the hostages
6. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted!
7. "what your Axis of Evil has done is outrageous, it’s ridiculous, it’s sick, it’s disgusting.”
8. savages, bad people, terrible people,

The U.S. attacks came just days after a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from Trump was delivered, seeking talks over Iran’s nuclear program. Khamenei on Wednesday rejected holding negotiations with the United States.