Iran lashes Trump over ‘absurd insults’ against regime

Expelled Russian diplomats leaving London embassy

Diplomats expelled from the Russian embassy in London begin leaving the building with their families and luggage on Tuesday, AFP journalists witness.

Britain has thrown out 23 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on March 4.

People standing outside the embassy waved them off as the vehicles bearing diplomatic plates pulled away.

— AFP

UK seeks stronger Israeli condemnation of nerve attack

British diplomats are reportedly seeking a stronger condemnation from Israel of the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, on March 4.

According to Hebrew media reports, London is dissatisfied with the Israeli response, which did not name Russia.

“We expect strong statements of support from all our close partners, Israel included,” the UK embassy in Israel says on Tuesday.

On March 4, Skripal, once a Russian double agent, along with his daughter Yulia, and a British police officer, were poisoned with a rare and powerful nerve agent. Skripal and his daughter remain in critical condition, while the police officer is in serious condition.

The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem last Thursday condemned “the event that occurred in Great Britain” but made no mention of Russia. “Israel views with gravity the event that occurred in Great Britain and condemns it vigorously,” the Foreign Ministry said. “We hope that the international community will cooperate in order to avoid such further events.”

— With agencies, Raphael Ahren

Prominent architect grilled in Likud MK Bitan graft probe

Police detain for questioning Tuesday an architect from the coastal city of Rishon Lezion on suspicion that he gave a bribe to Likud MK David Bitan, Channel 10 reports.

Bitan, who stepped down as coalition whip after it was revealed he was being investigated but is still a Knesset member, is suspected of receiving hundreds of thousands of shekels in bribes, both while serving as deputy mayor of Rishon Lezion and as a member of parliament.

The architect, who is not named in the report, but is described as “well-known,” is questioned based on testimony from state witnesses in the case. It is not clear if the man has also been placed under arrest.

— Stuart Winer

Fifth parcel blast reported in Texas

A package exploded early Tuesday at a FedEx distribution facility in Texas, news reports say, following a series of other blasts in Austin in recent weeks that police had attributed to a serial bomber.

The parcel exploded at a facility in the town of Schertz, in the San Antonio area.

In a statement on social media, the Schertz Police Department says one person received medical attention at the scene.

However, the Houston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions says on Twitter that no injuries have been reported.

The Washington Post, quoting the FBI, reports that the package had been bound for Austin, the state capital — scene of previous deadly blasts.

— AFP

Justice minister threatens legal action against Twitter over terror posts

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked threatens legal action against Twitter over the social media giant’s alleged refusal to crack down on posts by terror operatives.

“The terrorist organizations switched to Twitter instead of Facebook. The reason is simple: Facebook responds effectively to our requests to remove the contents of terrorism, while Twitter ignores them,” the minister tells a conference in Jerusalem. “We are considering legal action against them.”

She says online calls for violence against Israelis and Jews surged after US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on December 6.

“I would like to emphasize that this event is not about legitimate criticism of Israel or the US. This is a call against explicit violence, against Israelis, against Israeli targets, against Jews,” she says.

Pro-Israel activist put on trial in Spain for ‘intimidation’

A Spanish judge grants an anti-Israel group’s motion to initiate a trial for alleged incitement to hatred and intimidation against the leader of a group that fights boycotts of the Jewish state.

The Committee for Solidarity with the Arab Cause, which receives funding from several municipalities in Spain, filed the criminal lawsuit against Angel Mas of the ACOM group last month, he tells JTA. A judge examined the 70-page lawsuit against Mas and ACOM and concluded it merited further judicial review, Mas says.

The lawsuit against Mas and ACOM is the first time that pro-Israel entities are being taken to court in Spain for their activities and marks a departure from the strategy of the local Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, or BDS.

Mas adds he was “surprised and disappointed” at the judge’s decision to review what Mas called “a frivolous attempt to abuse the Spanish judiciary with propaganda.” But he also adds that he is confident that he would be found not guilty in any trial.

— JTA

Netanyahu breakfasts with Elon Musk in Jerusalem

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has breakfast in Jerusalem with Elon Musk, the CEO of electric-car maker Tesla.

The two discussed the future of technology during their two-hour meeting, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Shooting reported at high school in Maryland

US media is reporting a shooting at a high school in Great Mills, Maryland.

There is no immediate information on casualties.

BREAKING: St. Mary’s County Public Schools says there has been a shooting at Great Mills High School in Great Mills, Maryland pic.twitter.com/KgDheMm6II

— CNN (@CNN) March 20, 2018

Soldier collapses on base, is hospitalized in serious condition

A female IDF soldier collapses on a base in southern Israel, the army says.

She is hospitalized in serious condition and her family has been updated, according to the IDF.

Maryland school officials say shooting event ‘contained’

School officials in Great Mills, Maryland say the shooting incident is “contained” and the campus remains on lockdown.

— With AP

UK MPs ask Facebook’s Zuckerberg to testify on data row

A British parliamentary committee on Tuesday asks Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to appear before it to explain in person claims that millions of users’ data were harvested for political campaigns.

Damian Collins, chairman of the House of Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee, writes to Zuckerberg asking for his own account of “this catastrophic failure of process.”

The request is made as part of the committee’s ongoing investigation into fake news, which saw its members last month visit Washington for hearings with officials from Facebook and Twitter.

But it follows allegations that data from up to 50 million Facebook users were harvested by a British company, Cambridge Analytica, for use in the election campaign of US President Donald Trump in 2016.

“Following material published in the UK Guardian and The New York Times over the past few days, the committee would like to request that you appear before us to give oral evidence,” Collins writes.

Collins sets Zuckerberg a deadline of March 26 to reply.

— AFP

Injuries reported in Maryland school shooting

A sheriff’s spokeswoman says injuries have been reported after a shooting at a high school in southern Maryland.

St. Mary’s County sheriff’s spokeswoman Cpl. Julie Yingling says there are injuries Tuesday at Great Mills High School but she did not know how many or the severity of the injuries. She also says she had no information about fatalities.

Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are headed to the scene.

The county sheriff says deputies are on the scene and that parents or guardians should stay away, going instead to Leonardtown High School to reunite with Great Mills students there.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Rep. Steny Hoyer tweet that they are monitoring reports and urged people to follow the instructions of local law enforcement at the scene.

— AP

Father of soldier-slapper visits daughter, wife in prison

The father of Palestinian teenage protest leader Ahed Tamimi says he has visited his daughter and wife in an Israeli prison for the first time since they were both arrested in December.

Bassem Tamimi says he spoke to his wife and daughter for 45 minutes on Monday, using a telephone, as they sat on the other side of a window.

Tamimi said Tuesday they are both in good spirits. His says Ahed, who turned 17 behind bars, spends her time doing school work and reading, focusing on English studies.

Ahed Tamimi and her mother were arrested after video surfaced of her slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers outside her West Bank home. Both she and her mother have been charged with incitement and other crimes in a case that has gained international attention.

— AP

3 people reportedly shot at Maryland school

Three people were shot in the incident at Great Mills High School, located about a 90-minute drive southeast of the US capital Washington, according to a county official quoted by The Baltimore Sun.

Law enforcement was on the scene.

“It happened really quickly, right after school started” after 8:00 a.m. (1200 GMT), Jonathan Freese, a student at the school, tells CNN.

“The police came and responded really quickly,” Freese says. “They had a lot of officers respond.”

“Right now, the police are going through classrooms,” he says. “Soon, we are going to be escorted from the school.”

— AFP

Palestinians held for not intervening in Old City stabbing are released

Six Palestinians arrested early on Tuesday for not intervening in a terror attack in the Old City of Jerusalem earlier this month have been released.

According to the Walla news website, an Israeli court accepts their testimony they did not manage to process what was happening in the 34 seconds between the stabbing on Sunday and the police arrival at the scene.

Two other Palestinians detained on the same grounds were released earlier on Tuesday.

Adiel Kolman, 32, a father of four, died of his wounds several hours after he was  knifed in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter by 28-year-old Abd al-Rahman Bani Fadel from Aqraba, near the West Bank city of Nablus.

Fadel was shot dead at the scene by police.

Netanyahu: ‘Genius’ Elon Musk touted Negev’s energy potential

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells a conference in southern Israel that Tesla CEO Elon Musk encouraged him to develop solar fields across the Negev desert.

“This morning, before coming here, I met with Elon Musk, a man of vision, perhaps the greatest technological visionary of our time. He is a genius,” says Netanyahu.

“He told me that ‘Israel is a technological power.’ He said that he appreciates what we are doing here. And then he said, and he did not know I was coming here, he told me ‘The Negev could provide you with all your energy needs. The Negev is the energy future of the State of Israel. You could spread solar systems here that would give you more energy than you need or could need. Clean energy.’

“I tell you what he told me: ‘If you only want it’ and I tell you that I want it. I want a vibrant, flourishing and developing Negev. And we will continue to do this, to develop it as has never been done in the history of Israel.”

2 people, and shooter, hurt in Maryland school attack

Three people, including the assailant, were in critical condition after a shooting at a high school in the eastern US state of Maryland on Tuesday, officials say.

St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron tells the MSNBC television network that those wounded at Great Mills High School had been taken to area hospitals.

Cameron says the shooter was engaged by the “school resource officer” responsible for security at the school after firing a round at a female student.

— AFP

Ex-IDF chief: If not convicted, Netanyahu ‘worthy’ to be PM again

Former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, thought to be planning a future political run for prime minister, says Netanyahu is a worthy candidate for the premiership — if cleared of criminal wrongdoing.

“If he is elected again and is not convicted of crimes, he is worthy to serve as prime minister,” says Gantz, according to the Ynet news site. “It’s the most difficult job in the state. It’s very easy to stand on the side and berate those carrying out his mission.”

Gantz, who served as IDF chief during the 2014 Gaza war, says he is “seriously considering” running in the next election.

Donors raise $560 million for Gaza water treatment plant

The European Union says international donors have raised 456 million euros ($560 million) to build a desalination plant in the Gaza Strip to provide around 2 million people with safe drinking water.

At a pledging conference in Brussels on Tuesday, the EU offered more than 77 million euros, which combined with other donations will meet around 80 percent of the plant’s costs.

People in the impoverished coastal strip rely on an underground aquifer for their water. But quality is poor and Gazans are drawing off around four times what the aquifer can sustain each year.

The Palestinians say water shortages are creating health problems and exacerbating political tensions.

The EU says that funding the plant is part of its efforts to help build a Palestinian state.

— AP

Canada ups pressure on Iran to let environmentalist’s wife leave

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his foreign minister on Tuesday demand that Iran allow the Canadian widow of an environmentalist who died in prison to leave the country.

In a Twitter message, the Canadian leader says: “Iran must allow Maryam Mombeini to leave the country and travel to Canada to be with her family.”

He is echoed by Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who says in a statement: “We continue to call on Iranian authorities to immediately give Maryam Mombeini, a Canadian citizen, the freedom to return home.”

As well, the pair renews calls for the Iranian regime to explain how her husband, Kavous Seyed-Emami, an academic and environmentalist, died in Tehran’s Evin prison in February.

Canada is “gravely concerned” about Seyed-Emami’s death,” Freeland says.

“The regime must provide answers in the death of her husband, Kavous Seyed-Emami, in Evin prison,” Trudeau says.

Seyed-Emami was arrested in January and accused of spying for Israel and the United States. Iranian authorities said he committed suicide in his cell, but this has been disputed by the family.

— AFP

Sheriff confirms Maryland school shooter is dead

A local sheriff confirms the student shooter is dead after carrying out an attack inside a Maryland high school.

Two students are seriously injured.

— With AP

EU foreign policy chief: Abbas speech shows situation ‘fragile’

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says the situation surrounding Israeli-Palestinian peace talks is “extremely fragile.”

“The situation is extremely fragile. The speech in Ramallah yesterday shows how fragile it is. I would hope that this will not halt the process further, when we should be looking all together for ways to take it forward,” she says.

She is referring to a speech by PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech in which he called US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman a “son of a dog.”

Mogherini also stresses that a future Palestinian state must include Gaza.

“We see it very clearly: the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza belong together. There is no State of Palestine without Gaza, nor with Gaza alone. This is why we expect all Palestinian factions to… continue on the path of reconciliation, with courage and determination,” she says.

White House sees no terror link in Texas bombings

The White House on Tuesday vows to find those responsible for five parcel bomb attacks in Texas, but says there is “no apparent nexus to terrorism” in the deadly assaults.

“We are monitoring the situation,” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says, offering the first public White House response to attacks that began 19 days ago.

“We are committed to bringing perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice. There is no apparent nexus to terrorism at this time,” she says.

Four blasts in Austin have killed two people and injured another four. A fifth explosive device went off early Tuesday at a FedEx distribution facility in the San Antonio area, injuring one.

— AFP

Enigmatic Dead Sea Scroll makes rare show in Jerusalem

A fragment of an enigmatic Dead Sea Scroll has gone on public display at Jerusalem’s Israel Museum for the first time since its discovery 70 years ago.

The Genesis Apocryphon, the only copy of an ancient Jewish text elaborating stories from the Book of Genesis, is over 2,000 years old and was among the first seven scrolls found in the Judean Desert in 1947. The Associated Press previewed the exhibit Tuesday.

To protect the delicate parchment, the fragment is encased in a “smart glass” vitrine that minimizes exposure to light.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of 2,000-year-old Jewish religious texts found in caves near Qumran in the 1940s and 1950s, include the earliest known versions of the Bible and documents outlining the beliefs of a little-understood Jewish sect.

— AP

Scottish man who taught dog the Nazi salute found guilty of hate crime

A Scottish man who taught his girlfriend’s dog to do the Nazi salute is found guilty of a hate crime.

Mark Meechan, 29, is convicted on Tuesday in Airdrie Sheriff’s Court in Scotland and is out on bail until his sentencing next month, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reports.

He taught the pug, named Buddha, to respond with the Nazi salute when prompted by statements such as “Heil Hitler” and “gas the Jews.” Meechan posted videos of the dog performing the trick on YouTube.

The original video, posted in September 2016 on his YouTube channel, Count Dankula, was viewed more than 2.8 million times before it was removed for violating YouTube’s policy on hate speech. Meechan said on the video that he trained the dog to annoy his girlfriend.

“My girlfriend is always ranting and raving about how cute and adorable her wee dog is, so I thought I would turn him into the least cute thing I could think of, which is a Nazi,” he said.

Meechan later posted a video in which he apologized for the original dog clips, saying it was a joke and that he has no such political leanings.

“I am so sorry to the Jewish community for any offense I have caused them. This was never my intention and I apologize,” he said.

— JTA

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince meets Trump

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says that the United States and Saudi Arabia can tackle “a lot of things” together in the future.

Prince Mohammed is praising “very deep” relations between the two countries as he meets with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. It’s the first stop on a three-week tour of the United States by Prince Mohammed, son of King Salman and heir to the throne.

Speaking in English, Prince Mohammed is pointing out significant Saudi investments in the US.

Trump says the US has “zero tolerance” for funding of terrorism. He says that Saudi Arabia is “working very hard” to cut off that funding.

— AP

Trump calls Putin to congratulate him on re-election

US President Donald Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday to congratulate him on his re-election, the Kremlin says.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirms that Trump spoke with Putin Tuesday morning. She says a summary of the call will be released later.

The Kremlin says in a statement that the two presidents also spoke about the need to “coordinate efforts to limit the arms race,” and closer cooperation on strategic stability and counter-terrorism.

The statement says they expressed satisfaction with the apparent easing of tensions over North Korea’s weapons program.

Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, is quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that the two leaders didn’t discuss the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain. British officials have blamed the nerve agent attack on Skripal and his adult daughter on Russia. Russia has denied the accusations.

— AP

Military intel chief warns enemies against attacking Israel

The outgoing head of Military Intelligence sends a warning to the country’s enemies against launching attacks against Israel during the upcoming holiday season, which is due to begin next Friday and last through April.

“We are now in a tense period,” says Maj. Gen. Herzl Halevi. “We recommend that anyone who’s thinking of challenging us specifically during this holiday season, should seriously consider their actions and the capabilities at our disposal.”

In a statement, the army clarifies that he was referring to the tensions currently felt in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and northern arena of Lebanon and Syria.

Halevi, who will soon leave his position after three and a half years, makes his remarks at a gathering of current and former intelligence officials.

— Judah Ari Gross

Netanyahu speaks to incoming top US diplomat Pompeo

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with incoming US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday.

“The two discussed the excellent ties between the countries and discussed common challenges and opportunities in the Middle East and the world,” the Prime Minister’s Office says.

— Raphael Ahren

Merkel said to warn Netanyahu: Nixing Iran deal will lead to war

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reportedly warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a decision by the United States to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal could plunge the Middle East into war.

According to a Channel 10 report, the German leader told the Israeli premier in Davos in January that an American withdrawal will also split the West, pitting the US and Israel against Germany, France, and the UK, along with Russia, China, and Iran.

“Do you want that to happen?” she is quoting as asking Netanyahu.

Merkel is also quoted as saying Germany, the UK, and France will object to making any significant changes to the 2015 accord. A US about-face on the deal would undermine the future of international diplomacy efforts, as no “problematic” countries would again sign a deal because “they simply will not believe” the West will uphold its side of the bargain, the TV report quotes Merkel saying.

US President Donald Trump said in January that the deal between Iran and major powers must be “fixed” by May 12, or the United States will walk away, likely ending the accord.

— With agencies

Foreign Ministry said to fear that Israeli red tape could delay US embassy move

The Foreign Ministry is reportedly concerned that Israeli bureaucracy could delay the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is currently scheduled for mid-May.

According to Hadashot TV news, Foreign Ministry director-general Yuval Rotem urges Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in a letter to expedite the building permit process, or risk pushing off the US mission move.

Hamas reopens telecoms company in Gaza after bomb row

Hamas is to reopen the Gaza offices of a major telecommunications firm, officials say Tuesday, after a row over a probe into the attempted assassination of the Palestinian premier.

The Hamas-run police in Gaza closed down the Wataniya Mobile firm in the Palestinian enclave on Saturday, after the state prosecutor accused it of failing to comply with the investigation into the bomb attack targeting Rami Hamdallah.

Hamdallah, who heads the Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank, was unharmed when a roadside bomb on March 13 blew up near his convoy during a rare visit to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Six of his bodyguards were lightly wounded.

The attorney general in Gaza, in a statement, says Tuesday that the company would reopen fully, without giving further details.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the bomb attack, though Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday directly accused Hamas.

— AFP, Times of Israel staff

Iran lashes Trump over ‘absurd insults’

Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday lashes out at Donald Trump over the US president’s message to the country on the occasion of its Nowruz Persian New Year celebrations.

“With millennia of civilization, Iranians have the historical depth to ignore the absurd insults of an arriviste leader; one whose entire command of history, politics, and diplomacy can be condensed into 280 characters – but even so, still superior to his juvenile royal stooge,” Mohammad Javad Zarif writes on Twitter, referring to Trump’s own tweets.

In his message released by the White House, Trump said: “The Iranian people face another challenge: rulers who serve themselves instead of serving their people.”

The US president also denounced Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard.

“Twenty-five centuries ago, Darius the Great asked God to protect Iran from three dangers: hostile armies, drought, and falsehood. Today, the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) represents all three.”

Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has adopted a tough stance against Iran and repeatedly denounced a landmark deal that Tehran reached with world powers to curb its nuclear program. Trump said in January that the 2015 deal between Iran and major powers must be “fixed” by May 12 or the United States will walk away.

— AFP

Twitter shares plunge after Israel threatens legal action

Twitter shares are hammered Tuesday at midday following reports that Israel was weighing action against the company, adding to the growing woes of social media stocks.

Near 18:00 GMT, Twitter shares are down 12.0 percent at $30.79 following comments by Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who criticized Twitter for not doing enough to counter messages that incite violence against Israel.

Shaked warned the Israeli government was considering “legal action” against Twitter.

“Through Twitter, the terrorist organizations promote terror and incite violence, including public activity that they carry out without fear,” Shaked says.

Twitter’s tumble came as social media stocks overall were under pressure following widespread criticism of Facebook over reports that a data analysis firm hired by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign misused the data of some 50 million users.

— AFP

Elon Musk denies he’s in Israel for Cortica meeting

Elon Musk, the CEO of electric-car maker Tesla, denies he is in Israel to meet with Israeli startup Cortica, a maker of artificial intelligence technology for use in autonomous cars.

“This is completely false. Never even heard of Cortica. Just taking my kids on a Spring Break trip to see ancient historical sites in Israel & Jordan,” he tweets in response to reports.

This is completely false. Never even heard of Cortica. Just taking my kids on a Spring Break trip to see ancient historical sites in Israel & Jordan.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 20, 2018

Father of Polish PM: Jews gladly moved to ghettos to get away from non-Jews

A former Polish politician who is the father of the country’s prime minister says that Jews during the Holocaust moved to ghettos of their own accord to get away from non-Jewish Poles.

Kornel Morawiecki, a former senator, whose son, Mateusz, became prime minister last year, makes the remark in an interview published Tuesday by the online magazine Kulturą Liberalną.

“Do you know who chased the Jews away to the Warsaw Ghetto? The Germans, you think? No. The Jews themselves went because they were told that there would be an enclave, that they would not have to deal with those nasty Poles,” said Kornel Morawiecki.

His remarks come amid a diplomatic crisis between Poland and Israel, which protested the passing last month of legislation in Poland that criminalizes blaming Poles for Nazi crimes. Jewish groups said the law limits debate and research on the actions of thousands of Poles who betrayed Jews to the Nazis or killed Jews.

— JTA