I'm a Zionist Says US President Joe Biden
I'mAZionistSaysUSPresidentJoeBiden
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'I'm a Zionist,' says Biden, calls for peace efforts in Gaza
President Joe Biden has reiterated that he is a Zionist and said Israel must take advantage of an opportunity to have peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.
"You need not be a Jew to be a Zionist. I'm a Zionist. Where there's no Israel, there's not a Jew in the world to be safe," Biden said on an appearance on "Late Night With Seth Meyers"
ISTANBUL
China on Monday said that not attending the Ukraine conference “does not mean not supporting peace,” state media reported.
Beijing was reacting to the claims by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that China was "working hard" to disrupt the upcoming Ukraine peace summit, which is scheduled to take place in Switzerland from June 15 to 16.
China not attending the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland “does not mean not supporting peace, and for certain countries, even if they do participate, they do not necessarily wholeheartedly hope to end the conflict,” said Moa Ning, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry.
Mao said China hopes that the peace conference “will not turn into a platform used to create bloc confrontation.”
“China, unfortunately, is working hard today to prevent countries from coming to the peace summit,” Zelenskyy told at a news conference on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday.
Beijing has said it supports the “timely convening of an international peace conference that is recognized by both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
“There remains a noticeable gap between the peace summit arrangements and China's demands, and China finds it hard to participate,” Mao had said last week.
Reacting to claims that there were elements of Russia’s weaponry that came from China, Mao said Beijing does “not provide arms to warring parties and strictly controls dual-use items.”
“Normal trade between China and Russia is aboveboard, in line with World Trade Organization rules and market principles, and does not target any third party,” she told reporters in Beijing on Monday.
on NBC late Monday.
'I'm a Zionist,' says Biden, calls for peace efforts in Gaza
'Where there's no Israel, there's not a Jew in the world to be safe,' says US president
President Joe Biden has reiterated that he is a Zionist and said Israel must take advantage of an opportunity to have peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.
"You need not be a Jew to be a Zionist. I'm a Zionist. Where there's no Israel, there's not a Jew in the world to be safe," Biden said on an appearance on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" on NBC late Monday.
'I'm a Zionist,' says Biden, calls for peace efforts in Gaza
WASHINGTON
President Joe Biden has reiterated that he is a Zionist and said Israel must take advantage of an opportunity to have peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.
"You need not be a Jew to be a Zionist. I'm a Zionist. Where there's no Israel, there's not a Jew in the world to be safe," Biden said on an appearance on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" on NBC late Monday.
"But here's the deal. They also have to take advantage of an opportunity to have peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians who are being used as pawns by Hamas," he said.
The president noted that there is a process underway.
"I think if we get that that temporary cease-fire, we're going to be able to move in a direction where we can change the dynamic" to have a two-state solution to guarantee Israel's security and independence of the Palestinians, said Biden.
Turning to a possible Israeli operation in Rafah, Biden said that the Israelis "made a commitment to me they're going see to it that there's the ability to evacuate significant portions of Rafah before they go and take out the remainder of Hamas."
He reiterated that there are too many innocent people that are being killed in Gaza.
Stating that Israel has had the overwhelming support of the vast majority of nations, Biden said, "If it keeps this up with this incredibly conservative government they have and Ben-Gvir and others, they’re going to lose support from around the world".
He was referring to Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
"And that is not in Israel's interest," he added.
The president also said that Israel would halt its war in Gaza during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan if a hostage-release deal is reached.
"Ramadan’s coming up and there has been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out," said Biden.
Earlier, he said he hoped a cease-fire would be reached by March 4.
World News
White House disputes Netanyahu's claims of 'gaps' with US on cease-fire proposal
US 'awaiting' official response from Hamas to plan to end 8-month war on Gaza Strip
White House disputes Netanyahu's claims of 'gaps' with US on cease-fire proposal
US 'awaiting' official response from Hamas to plan to end 8-month war on Gaza Strip
WASHINGTON
The White House strongly disputed Monday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's suggestion that there are "gaps" between the close allies on a proposal to end the eight-month war on Gaza.
Netanyahu reportedly told lawmakers earlier Monday that the three-stage proposal, as laid out by US President Joe Biden on Friday, "is incomplete," adding that there are "gaps" between the plan and how the American president presented it to the public.
"The war will stop in order to bring hostages back, and afterward we will hold discussions. There are other details that the US president did not present to the public," Netanyahu said, according to Israeli media reports.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby disputed the characterization, and repeatedly maintained that the plan is of Israel's creation.
"It is an Israeli proposal," he said, further maintaining that the president's speech "was about laying bare for the public to see how well, and how safely, and how assertively the Israelis came up with a new proposal, how it shows how much they really want to get this done."
"As for the gaps, I don't know what gaps you're referring to. I mean, I've heard different statements coming out of Israel. The Israeli foreign minister, himself, acknowledged that this was the Israeli proposal, that it was accurately, that it is the Israeli proposal. And we're confident that it accurately reflects that proposal, a proposal that we worked with the Israelis on. So I know of no gaps to speak of," he added.
The White House is "awaiting" Hamas' official response to the plan after it was presented to the Palestinian group Thursday night, Kirby said.
"They ought to take the deal. This gives them what they've been looking for, which is a cease-fire, and over time, and through the phases, the potential withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. So they ought take this deal. It's it's very forward leaning. And it's good for the people of Gaza, good for the Israeli people. And they just need to move forward on it," he added.
Hamas, for its part, said it will "respond positively to any proposal that includes a permanent cease-fire, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction efforts, the return of the displaced, and the completion of a comprehensive hostage exchange deal."
The proposal, as laid out by Biden, envisions a three-phase agreement that would culminate with a multi-year process to rebuild the badly-damaged coastal enclave, and the return of all hostages, living and dead, held in Gaza.
The first phase would start with a six-week cease-fire during which a first round of hostages held in Gaza would be released, including women, the elderly and the injured, in exchange for the release of what Biden said would be "hundreds" of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces would also withdraw from what a senior Biden administration official called "densely populated areas."
The remains of some of the hostages who have died would also be returned, and Palestinian civilians would be allowed to return to their homes and neighborhoods throughout Gaza, including in the north where Israel has implemented sweeping restrictions. Humanitarian aid deliveries would also scale up dramatically to reach 600 trucks per day, according to Biden.
Negotiators would seek to address outstanding issues during the six-week first phase, including the ratio of Palestinian prisoners that would be freed in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages. The proposal includes language allowing the cease-fire to be extended before the second phase begins so long as talks continue.
The prisoner swap ratio is a critical issue because in the second phase all living hostages would be freed, including all male Israeli military personnel. Israel's forces would also fully withdraw from Gaza.
The final phase includes the commencement of Gaza's reconstruction, which is estimated to take up to five years, and the return of any additional hostage remains still held in Gaza.
More than 36,400 Palestinians have since Israel began its war on Gaza eight months ago. The vast majority of the dead have been women and children, and over 82,600 others have been injured, according to local health authorities. The Hamas-led cross-border attack that precipated the current war led to about 1,200 deaths.
Vast swathes of Gaza now lay in ruins amid a crippling Israeli blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
Russia says all necessary agreements with China on energy supplies will be reached
It is completely normal that each country defends its interests, says Kremlin
ISTANBUL
The Kremlin said on Monday that all necessary agreements with China regarding energy supplies to the country will be reached.
“The coordination of commercial issues will continue, and we have no doubt that all the necessary agreements will be reached,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a press briefing in Moscow about whether Russia offered China to buy gas at prices on its domestic market.
Expressing that it is completely normal that each country defends its interests, Peskov said negotiations between Russia and China will continue due to the political will of the leadership of the two countries.
Peskov further said that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing in the field of energy supplies was on the agenda of talks held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the former’s visit to China last month.
“And in general, as was also recorded in the signed bilateral declaration, both Russia and China … are interested in continuing and deepening the energy dialogue,” he added.
A joint statement by the two countries on May 16 during Putin’s two-day visit to China declared that Moscow and Beijing will continue to strengthen their strategic partnership in the energy sector and carry out its development at a high level “in the interests of ensuring the economic and energy security of the two countries.”
Kazakh president says humanitarian situation in Gaza approaching ‘catastrophic’ levels
Tokayev says Astana removed Taliban from list of terror organizations ‘based on importance of developing trade, economic cooperation with modern Afghanistan’
ISTANBUL
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Monday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 36,400 Palestinians since October, is approaching “catastrophic” levels.
“Almost all major international organizations have called the humanitarian situation in Palestine unacceptable. In fact, it is approaching catastrophic,” Tokayev said during a meeting with the heads of parliament of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states in the city of Almaty, according to a presidential statement.
Expressing that their meeting on the sidelines of the CSTO’s Parliamentary Assembly meeting is taking place in “conditions of unprecedented aggravation of the international situation,” Tokayev said the scale of threats to regional security has significantly expanded.
Tokayev was quoted particularly pointing to the situation in the Middle East as one of “grave concern,” saying that the hundreds of people continue to die and be seriously injured in the Gaza Strip every day.
He reiterated Kazakhstan’s position regarding the creation of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem based on a two-state solution.
The president welcomed the adoption of the UN General Assembly's May 10 resolution recognizing the right of Palestinians to membership in the organization.
Tokayev also addressed the situation in Afghanistan, saying that one of the current strategic tasks at hand is the active involvement of the war-torn country in interregional ties.
“Kazakhstan removed the Taliban regime from its terrorist list, based on the importance of developing trade and economic cooperation with modern Afghanistan and the understanding that this regime is a long-term factor,” he said.
He noted the coordinated position of CSTO member states on this issue, calling for support of Kazakhstan’s initiative to create a UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
In December, Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations “in accordance with UN practice,” and that further bilateral contacts will be developed based on the UN’s position and resolutions
Greece supports Biden’s roadmap for cease-fire in Gaza
‘The humanitarian tragedy must stop now,’ says Greek Foreign Ministry
Greece supports Biden’s roadmap for cease-fire in Gaza
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/greece-supports-biden-s-roadmap-for-cease-fire-in-gaza/3238832
ATHENS
Greece on Monday supported US President Joe Biden’s roadmap for a cease-fire in Gaza.
“Greece fully supports POTUS Biden roadmap for a ceasefire, release of all hostages, unhindered humanitarian access, withdrawal of IDF, and Gaza reconstruction,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said on X, adding: “The humanitarian tragedy must stop now.”
The ministry also stressed that the “international community’s efforts should focus on the prospect of an enduring peace in the Middle East.”
On Friday, Biden said Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave.
Biden called on the Palestinian resistance group Hamas to accept the proposal and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resist pressure from members of his governing coalition to reject the plan.
However, Netanyahu's office reiterated on Friday that the government intends to continue its deadly offensive on Gaza until all of Tel Aviv's war "goals" are met.
Hamas, for its part, said it will "respond positively to any proposal that includes a permanent cease-fire, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction efforts, the return of the displaced people, and the completion of a comprehensive hostage exchange deal."
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 36,400 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 82,600 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
Russia says all necessary agreements with China on energy supplies will be reached
Not attending Ukraine moot does not mean not supporting peace: China
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed China ‘working hard’ to disrupt Ukraine peace summit set for June 15, 16
Not attending Ukraine moot does not mean not supporting peace: China
ISTANBUL
China on Monday said that not attending the Ukraine conference “does not mean not supporting peace,” state media reported.
Beijing was reacting to the claims by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that China was "working hard" to disrupt the upcoming Ukraine peace summit, which is scheduled to take place in Switzerland from June 15 to 16.
China not attending the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland “does not mean not supporting peace, and for certain countries, even if they do participate, they do not necessarily wholeheartedly hope to end the conflict,” said Moa Ning, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry.
Mao said China hopes that the peace conference “will not turn into a platform used to create bloc confrontation.”
“China, unfortunately, is working hard today to prevent countries from coming to the peace summit,” Zelenskyy told at a news conference on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday.
Beijing has said it supports the “timely convening of an international peace conference that is recognized by both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
“There remains a noticeable gap between the peace summit arrangements and China's demands, and China finds it hard to participate,” Mao had said last week.
Reacting to claims that there were elements of Russia’s weaponry that came from China, Mao said Beijing does “not provide arms to warring parties and strictly controls dual-use items.”
“Normal trade between China and Russia is aboveboard, in line with World Trade Organization rules and market principles, and does not target any third party,” she told reporters in Beijing on Monday.
Netanyahu says he won’t halt Gaza war, disputes Biden's cease-fire proposal
‘I am not ready to stop the war,’ Netanyahu says during secret discussion at Knesset
Netanyahu says he won’t halt Gaza war, disputes Biden's cease-fire proposal
JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he is "not ready to stop" the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, claiming that President Joe Biden's remarks about a cease-fire proposal were “inaccurate.”
“I am not ready to stop the war,” the public broadcaster KAN quoted Netanyahu as saying during a secret discussion in the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
He claimed that the details of the cease-fire proposal laid out by Biden were “inaccurate.”
"The outline that Biden presented is partial. The war will be stopped for the purpose of returning hostages and then we will have a discussion,” he said.
“There are other undisclosed details. We could cease fighting for 42 days to facilitate the return of hostages, but we will not give up our goal of complete victory.”
The Israeli premier declined to discuss the number of Palestinian prisoners who would be released as part of a proposed hostage swap deal.
“We will not agree to end the war without achieving its objectives,” Netanyahu said. “The number of hostages to be released in the first phase of the deal has not yet been determined.”
On Friday, Biden said Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave.
Biden called on the Palestinian resistance group Hamas to accept the proposal and urged Netanyahu to resist pressure from members of his governing coalition to reject the plan.
However, Netanyahu's office reiterated on Friday that the government intends to continue its deadly offensive on Gaza until all of Tel Aviv's war "goals" are met.
Hamas, for its part, said it will "respond positively to any proposal that includes a permanent cease-fire, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction efforts, the return of the displaced, and the completion of a comprehensive hostage exchange deal."
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 36,400 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 82,600 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul