Labor leader Herzog ousted as primary winners Gabai, Peretz head to next round

PA slams US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley as ‘ambassador from Israel’

The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry responds angrily to US opposition to a UNESCO vote on declaring the Old City of Hebron a “world heritage site in danger.”

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley urged UN leaders to oppose the efforts, which would label the Tomb of Patriarchs in Hebron as a Palestinian world heritage site.

“This is not the first message in which the American ambassador has expressed her hidden malice and hatred toward the Palestinians,” the PA says in a statement. “After she prevented the appointment of Dr. Salam Fayyad as the UN envoy in Libya, she recently affirmed that she would prevent the appointment of any Palestinian in the United Nations and its institutions, confirming her racist and anti-Palestinian position, and its clear hostility to Palestine.”

The statement criticizes “the crude intervention of the US ambassador in the work of UNESCO and the attempt to influence the independence of the UN organization by pressing the member countries of the World Heritage Committee to vote against the Palestinian request to put Hebron on the World Heritage List.” It slams the move as “complete bias in favor of Israel,” and says it “confirms what has been reported in the corridors of the United Nations in New York. Recently, many foreign diplomats have expressed that Haley is an ambassador from Israel more than an ambassador from her country, the United States of America.”

The PA foreign ministry calls on the US State Department to clarify its position on Haley’s statements.

— Dov Lieber

Iraqi commander says IS in ‘fight to the death’ in Mosul

MOSUL, Iraq — An Iraqi commander says Islamic State is in a “fight to the death” as Iraqi forces close in on their last foothold in the northern city of Mosul.

Gen. Abdel Ghani al-Asadi, the head of Iraq’s special forces, says that Iraqi forces are just 250 meters from the Euphrates River after retaking the city’s main hospital compound the day before.

He says IS fighters are increasingly resorting to suicide bombings, and he expects the fighting to get even heavier as they are pushed closer to the river.

Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake Mosul, the country’s second largest city, in October.

— AP

Kremlin says Putin, Trump to meet Friday on sidelines of G20

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold a first meeting with US President Donald Trump on Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, the Kremlin says.

“It has been agreed for July 7,” top Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov is quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Turkey says US to lift laptop ban on Istanbul-origin flights

ANKARA, Turkey — The United States is set to lift a ban on carrying large electronic devices, such as laptops, in the cabin of US-bound flights from Turkey’s main international airport, Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan says.

Arslan is quoted by state-run news agency Anadolu as saying the ban would be lifted on July 5 following a visit by a US delegation.

Its removal would come after Turkey began using highly sophisticated tomography devices for X-ray and ultrasound at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport, he says.

US officials are to inspect the machines on Wednesday.

“With this confirmation mission, the ban will be lifted from Ataturk airport and from Turkish Airlines,” Arslan says.

Arslan is quoted by NTV television as saying Turkey had also been talking with Britain about removing its similar ban.

— AFP

Minister promises amnesty in drive to collect illegal firearms in Arab towns

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan tells mayors of Arab councils in the Galilee that a new drive to remove illegal firearms from the streets of Arab towns will include the granting of amnesty to anyone giving up their guns.

At a meeting in the Galilee with Arab mayors, Erdan says that despite tensions between Arabs and Jews, rates of interethnic crimes — where Jews attack Arabs or vice versa — are actually quite low.

Just five to six percent of murders nationwide involve a member of one ethnicity killing a member of the other, he says.

Flights delayed for unspecified ‘activities’ by defense agencies

The Defense Ministry warns that some scheduled flights in and out of the country could be delayed today over “routine and preplanned activities” by defense agencies.

The statement does not specify the nature of the activities, but says they are “in coordination with all relevant parties.”

Palestinian Authority to force 6,000 Gaza employees to retire early

The Palestinian Authority decides to grant early retirement to 6,145 of its employees in the Gaza Strip.

The move is part of an ongoing pressure campaign by the PA against the Hamas rulers of the coastal territory.

The retired clerks are set to receive pensions equal to 70 percent of their current salaries, according to a PA statement.

Volkswagen returns to Iran after 17-year absence

FRANKFURT, Germany — Volkswagen says its flagship brand is returning to Iran after a 17-year absence.

The Wolfsburg-based carmaker says in a statement it will start selling Tiguan SUVs and Passat sedans through importer Mammut Khodro.

Mammut Khodro is already selling trucks made by Volkswagen Group’s Scania division.

Volkswagen began selling vehicles including the classic Beetle in Iran in the 1950s but withdrew in 2000.

Volkswagen says in a statement that restarting exports offers the company a chance to get to know local market conditions and re-establish the “Volkswagen” brand.

It cites Iranian government estimates of a car market with 3 million new vehicle sales per year.

— AP

High Court rules no demolition of Abu Khdeir killers’ homes

The High Court of Justice rejects a petition that sought the demolition of the homes of the killers of East Jerusalem teen Muhammad Abu Khdeir in July 2014.

Israel employs the controversial measure of home demolitions against the families of Palestinian terrorists, with some security agencies arguing it serves as a deterrent for further terror attacks. Critics charge that the practice unjustly punishes whole families for crimes committed by individuals.

The family of Abu Khdeir, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered by three Israeli Jews on July 2, 2014, demanded the same measure be applied to the family homes of the Jewish murderers.

In its ruling, issued this afternoon, the High Court affirms that the anti-terror regulation that allows for home demolitions “applies equally to Arab terrorists and to Jewish terrorists, each case according to its circumstances.”

But it notes that the practice is only justified for its possible deterrent power, and so must be carried out in the immediate aftermath of a terror attack and have a reasonable chance of deterring future attacks. Given the long delay between the attack and the filing of the appeal for demolition — the family first made its request in May 2016 — the specific appeal in this case is rejected.

The court has repeatedly stopped demolitions of Palestinian terrorists’ homes on the same grounds of a months-long delay between an attack and an attempted demolition.

Police catch six Palestinian men entering Jerusalem with knives, firebombs

A statement from the Israel Police says officers at the Mazmuriya checkpoint southeast of Jerusalem caught six Palestinian men who were allegedly planning to carry out a terror attack in Jerusalem.

Border Police officers noticed a vehicle passing through the checkpoint with different license plates on the front and back, and stopped the vehicle.

Inside were six men, residents of the West Bank, with not one carrying any form of identification.

A search of the vehicle located a bag full of knives, several stun grenades and firebombs, or bottles filled with gasoline.

The police statement claims the suspects confessed to planning a terror attack.

Rivlin shortens Olmert sentence to time served, freeing him to travel abroad

President Reuven Rivlin grants former prime minister Ehud Olmert an effective pardon by shortening his sentence to time served, thereby releasing him from parole restrictions imposed after his early release from prison on Sunday.

Olmert served 16 months of a 27-month sentence for corruption.

Rivlin’s decision frees Olmert to travel abroad and releases him from the requirement to check in with his local police station twice each month for the next 11 months.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrives in Israel

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands at Ben Gurion Airport, launching a first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister that Israeli officials have called “historic.”

North Carolina Pride parade set for Yom Kippur, disappointing Jewish marchers

North Carolina’s Jewish community is expressing disappointment and anger over the scheduling of the state’s annual Pride parade and festival on Yom Kippur.

The NC Pride event in Durham has been held on the last Saturday of September for the past 17 years, according to organizers. This year, Saturday, September 30, is Yom Kippur.

Organizers have asked the Jewish community for their forgiveness, but say that rescheduling the event is not possible due to other community events and plans.

“As our event has become larger, the City of Durham, Duke University and other community events in the fall have planned around our event on that established weekend. Even so, we feel the need to recognize this year’s conflict to our Jewish friends, ask for their forgiveness and look forward to their participation in our event in future years,” NC Pride says in a statement posted on its website.

Jewish leaders in Durham are planning a separate event in October, perhaps with the participation of the Raleigh Jewish community, according to reports.

— JTA

Netanyahu welcomes Modi: ‘We love India’

Netanyahu welcomes Modi at official airport ceremony.

“Prime minister, we’ve been waiting for you a long time, 70 years in fact,” Netanyahu says.

“Yours is truly a historic visit. It’s the first time an Indian prime minister is visiting Israel. We receive you with open arms. We love India. We love your culture, your history, your democracy. We view you as kindred spirits.”

Netanyahu praises cooperation between Israel, India

Netanyahu tells Modi, “The connection between us is natural, so natural that we might ask, ‘What took so long?'”

Netanyahu says the two countries are establishing a $40 million innovation fund “as a seed for further innovation.”

The two countries are working together in “water, agriculture, security, energy, many, many other fields,” he adds.

And he jokes: “It’s said that in Silicon Valley in California, the two most-heard languages are Hindi and Hebrew. Occasionally one hears native English too.”

Modi praises Israel’s achievements, says visit is a ‘singular honor’ for him

Modi says “it’s my singular honor to be the first ever prime minister of India to undertake this groundbreaking visit to Israel.”

He thanks “my friend Prime Minister Netanyahu for the invitation and for receiving me with so much warmth.”

He adds: “my visit celebrates the strength of centuries-old links between our societies.”

“The people of Israel have built a nation on democratic principles. They have nurtured it with hard work and the spirit of innovation. India applauds your achievements.”

Modi recalls Netanyahu’s brother Yoni, promises ‘strong partnership’

Modi turns to Netanyahu at the welcoming ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport.

“Today is July 4,” he says. “Exactly 41 years since Operation Entebbe, today when your prime minister and my friend Bibi lost his elder brother Yoni while saving the lives of so many Israeli hostages. Your heroes are an inspiration for the younger generations.”

He continues: “Friends, India is a very old civilization, but a young nation. Eight hundred million people in India are below 25 years of age. The talented and skilled youth of india are also its driving force.”

He promises to build “a strong and resilient partnership with Israel.”

German foundation and foreign ministry announce Shimon Peres Prize

BERLIN — A new prize will recognize individuals’ contributions to the shaping of German-Israeli relations.

The German-Israeli Future Forum and Germany’s Foreign Ministry are calling for applications from young professionals ages 18-45 from both Germany and Israel for the “Shimon Peres Prize” to be given in October in Berlin.

Two awards will be given – one to an Israeli and another to a German. It comes with a cash prize of 10,000 euro, or more than $11,000.

Deadline for applications is July 31. Details can be found on the foundation’s website.

Peres, who served as an Israeli prime minister and later as president of the country, died in September 2016.

— JTA

Planeload of new immigrants lands in Israel

A special chartered flight carrying 200 American and Canadian Jews immigrating to Israel lands at Ben Gurion Airport.

The new Israelis hail from 16 US states and three Canadian provinces, according to the Nefesh B’Nefesh organization, which organized the flight. Fourteen of the immigrants are due to be enlisted in the IDF, while five sets of twins are among the passengers.

The group is relatively young, with 78 of the 200 under the age of 18.

Zionist Union lawmaker looks to save Western Wall compromise by legislation

Zionist Union lawmaker Nachman Shai plans to propose a bill to anchor the now-frozen Western Wall compromise in law.

The compromise, which would have seen formal government recognition for a third section of the Western Wall plaza that would allow egalitarian prayer services to visitors at the site, already approved by the government in January 2016, was frozen by a vote in the cabinet.

“The retreat from the Western Wall framework is a significant threat to the unity of the Jewish people and the historic link between the State of Israel and the Diaspora,” Shai says of his bill.

Israel, he says, was “established to ensure political and religious liberty to the Jewish people,” but was “destroying with its own hands the vital foundations of its existence as the nation-state of the Jewish people and leaving millions of Jews disappointed and hurt.”

The bill is slated to be placed on the Knesset agenda on Wednesday, but is unlikely to advance as a private bill by a member of the opposition.

Voter turnout in Labor leadership primary reaches 35%

Voter turnout in Labor’s primary reaches 35 percent of eligible voters just before 6 p.m.

The party’s leadership primary opened at 11 a.m. and will end at 9 p.m., with results in the seven-way race expected by 10 p.m. due to the computerized voting system.

In all, 18,638 eligible Labor party members have voted out of 52,505.

Air force returns Apache fleet to active service after safety fears

The Israel Air Force returns its fleet of Apache helicopters to operation after they were grounded for nearly a month over safety concerns.

A safety inspection of one helicopter in early June uncovered a crack in its back rotor, leading Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel to ground the entire fleet for detailed inspections.

According to Channel 10, the inspections uncovered a second crack in the original helicopter, but determined that the rest of the fleet was fit to fly. Inspectors concluded that the cracks were due to heavy use of the helicopter, which had clocked over 2,000 flight hours by the time the cracks had begun forming.

The Air Force says it will institute new safety regulations, including shortening the rotor blades’ lifespan by 80 percent and implementing regular X-ray checks of all blades.

Israeli man allegedly targeted by ex-wife for assassination says he’s ‘in shock’

The Israeli man allegedly targeted for assassination by his ex-wife in Oklahoma expresses relief at her arrest by the FBI earlier today.

“I’m still in shock,” he says in a phone interview with Channel 2 from his home in Ashkelon. “I haven’t left the house. How can you not fear something like this?”

The man works as a cab driver, but says “I can’t work because I can’t leave the house.”

He finishes his comments with some advice for the public. “Don’t divorce the wrong woman.”

Live: Modi visits the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial

Military court sentences Palestinian firebomber to 18 years in prison

A military court sentences Mohammed Badwan to 18 years in prison for a terror attack in December 2014 that critically wounded the Israeli teen Ayala Shapira.

Badwan threw a firebomb at a car driven by Shapira’s father. She was badly burned in the attack, including in the face.

MDA says 256 people treated for fainting during heatwave

The Magen David Adom rescue service says it has cared for 583 people nationwide who suffered various maladies from the heatwave that began Sunday.

Some 275 people complained of feeling weak, 256 actually fainted and 51 were treated for dehydration.

A 55-year-old woman was taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba earlier today and is listed in critical condition after suffering a heatstroke.

UNESCO again condemns Israel’s presence in Jerusalem’s Old City

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee passes a vote condemning Israeli policies in Jerusalem’s Old City. Ten member states vote yes, three no, and three countries abstain.

The Jordanian-sponsored resolution on the “Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls” is much softer than last year’s text, but Israel has rejected any attempt to politicize the issue of the holy sites in its capital in international bodies.

This year’s resolution still calls Israel “the occupying power” in the Old City and reaffirms previous UN resolutions denying the country’s claims to East Jerusalem, echoing a resolution passed in May by UNESCO’s executive board. It also “regrets the failure of the Israeli occupying authorities to cease the persistent excavations, tunneling, works, projects and other illegal practices in East Jerusalem, particularly in and around the Old City of Jerusalem, which are illegal under international law.”

However, Decision 41 COM 7A.36, as it is technically known, stresses “the importance of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls for the three monotheistic religions,” language not found in last year’s text. It also does not refer to the Temple Mount compound solely by its Muslim names, “Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif,” as the 2016 resolution did, calling it simply “a Muslim holy site of worship.”

— Raphael Ahren

Israeli researchers name new flower after visiting Indian premier

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the Dan Flower Farm, a major exporter and breeder of flowers that exports to 60 countries.

The farm boasts “approximately 80,000 square meters of state-of-the-art greenhouses specializing in asexual reproduction of plants,” and is known as a developer and researcher of new plant species.

Modi is accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel.

During his visit, the researchers announce they have named a new species of chrysanthemum after the Indian prime minister.

At Netanyahu’s request, Modi visits Herzl’s tomb

After their visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asks his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi if he wants to visit the nearby tomb of Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl. Modi immediately answers in the affirmative, the PMO says in a statement to reporters. The two then visit Herzl’s tomb on the nearby Mount Herzl.

— Raphael Ahren

Turnout passes 50 percent in Labor primary race

The Labor party leadership primary sees turnout pass 52 percent.

As of 8:02 p.m., 27,517 of the 52,505 eligible voters in the race cast their ballots.

Polls close at 9 p.m.

Arab turnout is half of national average in Labor primary

Labor’s leadership primary is not impressing the party’s Arab membership, based on turnout figures less than an hour before ballots close.

Overall turnout from all sectors of the party passed 52 percent of the 52,505 eligible voters at roughly 8 p.m. Polls close at 9.

According to Channel 2, turnout in kibbutzim is a slightly higher 54% than the national average, with 51% in the south, and 49% in Tel Aviv. In Arab communities, however, turnout among Labor party members is just 28%.

Israeli envoy: UNESCO can’t sever Jewish ties to Jerusalem

Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon condemns the UNESCO vote today that slams Israel’s “illegal” policies in the Old City of Jerusalem, including archaeological excavations.

The text of the resolution labels Israel the “occupying power” in the area.

“Nothing is more disgraceful than UNESCO declaring the world’s only Jewish state the ‘occupier’ of the Western Wall and Jerusalem’s Old City,” Danon says in a statement. “Yesterday, I toured the City of David and the Old City with UN ambassadors from around the world and explained the deep and ancient connection between the Jewish people and the holiest sites of our nation. No faux ‘heritage committee’ can sever the bonds between our people and Jerusalem.”

Israeli youth critically hurt in Hebron firearm accident

An Israeli youth is critically wounded from an apparent firearm accident in Hebron.

He is being rushed by IDF helicopter to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu quips to Modi: ‘Together we’re 20% of humanity’

At a public statement in the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrates Indian “talent,” the countries’ shared “boundless confidence in the future,” quips about yoga and announces: “Together we account for 20 percent of the world’s population.”

Polls close in Labor party leadership primary

Polls close in the Labor Party’s leadership primary.

Turnout stands at 58.9 percent, with 30,931 casting votes out of 52,505 eligible party members.

Results are expected after 10 p.m.

Jerusalem minister blasts UNESCO as ‘detached from reality’

Jerusalem Minister Ze’ev Elkin lambasts UNESCO for a committee vote that labeled Israel an “occupying power” carrying out “illegal” policies in Jerusalem’s Old City, including archaeological excavations.

“This evening, UNESCO’s Heritage Committee adopted yet another shameful resolution that is detached from reality,” Elkin says in a statement. “This body continues to demonstrate its partisanship and its denial of the history of the Jewish people. We will continue to excavate in ancient Jerusalem, to reveal its history and to build in it, and they will continue to deny the historical truth.”

Israel calls UNESCO’s Jerusalem vote ‘bizarre, irrelevant’

Israel’s Foreign Ministry slams the UNESCO Heritage Committee vote as “another bizarre and irrelevant decision by UNESCO, which operates in the service of the enemies of history and truth.”

The statement adds: “Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people and no decision by UNESCO will be able to change that reality. Sad, unnecessary and pathetic.”

Labor leadership primary results expected momentarily

The results from Labor’s leadership primary are expected in the next 20 minutes or so.

Labor leader Herzog ousted as primary winners Avi Gabai, Amir Peretz to head to next round

Initial results from Labor primary say Avi Gabai and Amir Peretz are the two candidates who will continue to the next round.

The report, which is not yet confirmed by the party, means that Isaac Herzog is ousted as party leader.