Category: General

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the ministry took the highly unusual move to summon Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, to send a message about his reported interference in domestic affairs, including allegedly honoring Palestinian terrorists.

Lior Haiat, the spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, told Fox News that he “confirms” the report on the website of the conservative Israeli news outlet Chanel 14.

The reported rebuke of Seibert coincides with a recent Fox News Digital report about criticisms leveled against the Biden administration’s alleged “blatant interference” in Israeli domestic affairs.

Channel 14 reported in late May, that “Seibert was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was rebuked by the head of the Europe Division, Daniel Meron, following a series of events that were viewed harshly in Israel. Among other things, Seibert participated in the ‘Alternative Day of Remembrance’ ceremony in Tel Aviv.”

Israel’s MFA Israeli critics of Seibert took great umbrage at Seibert for his role in reportedly denigrating one of the most important solemn days in Israel: “Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers Victims of Hostile Acts.”

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Israeli Mideast expert Caroline Glick told Fox News Digital that Seibert’s role in the alternative ceremony — also known as the joint memorial day — was a “hostile act toward not just the Israeli government but Israeli society” because the event honors “dead Palestinians terrorists” along with Israeli victims of terrorism fallen Israeli soldiers. Glick, who hosts the popular Caroline Glick Show on Jewish News Syndicate, said the alternative ceremony, which has taken place since 2006, “meets with overwhelming revulsion” in Israel is a form false “moral equivalency” because it equates Palestinians who carried out terrorist acts with Jewish victims of terrorism fallen Israelis soldiers who combat terrorism. 

Glick said Germany funds the NGO Parents Circle—Families Forum that sponsors the alternative memorial ceremony. She added the event is a “deliberate act by NGO Parents Circle—Families Forum to anger cause great emotional distress to Israeli society undermine spirit of Israeli society.”

Robi Damelin, a spokeswoman from Parents Circle—Families Forum, told Fox News Digital that she lost her son David to terrorism  in 2002 expressed outrage about being viewed as “traitor.” She said, “PCFF is working for non-violence reconciliation. The people who criticized the ceremony have never actually been to a ceremony. You can go to YouTube see the ceremony where Palestinians Israelis come together to tell their stories on memorial day hear beautiful music poetry. I don’t think that it is radical. I think it is unique.” 

Damelin said the German NGO Bread for the World (Brot für die Welt), the European Union, private donors provide funds to PCFF. Israel’s MFA also took Seibert to task for his role in preventing the German air force from participating in a joint flight with Israel’s air force fly over the biblical heartlof Judea Samaria during the Jewish State’s 75th Independence Day ceremony in April. 

Ariel Kahana, a senior diplomatic commentator for Israel’s most read Hebrew-language daily newspaper, the right-of-center Israel Hayom, who first broke the story on Seibert interfering in the German air force flight, told Fox News Digital that “Seibert boasted about succeeding in preventing the flight” over the disputed territory.The Palestinians see the disputed West Bank territory, known by Israelis as Judea Samaria, as lfor their future state. Israel’s government has built Jewish residences town in the Judea Samaria contests the Palestinian claim over the entire region.

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The United States, the United Kingdom Italy participated in the joint flight in celebration of Israel’s founding did not withdraw their flight over Judea Samaria. The Israeli military said at the time this is “a sign of partnership between the countries the unique relationship of the State of Israel with them.” 

Glick said, “The German military is supposed to be a symbolic representation of the new Germany. They asked to participate insinuated themselves into our national independence used the opportunity to insult it.” She added that the refusal to join Israel’s air force in the flyover is “just an act of hostility by the Germans.”

Yossi Melman, a veteran Israeli columnist for the left-leaning Haaretz, said the rebuke of Seibert “is shameful stupid. Germany is a great supporter of Israel. For what? Because they don’t allow Germany to fly over West bank.”

Melman said the German government’s policy “doesn’t’ recognize the West Bank” as Israeli territory. He added the Germans “support Israel against Iran. They help Israel with intelligence. The trade between Israel Germany is big.”

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He added that “You don’t do this publicly’” regarding the rebuke of Seibert. “Ambassadors are supposed to represent all sectors of Israeli society, including the opposition tiny minorities. He is the German ambassador to Israel not to the Israeli government,” said Melman.

Israel’s MFA also summoned Seibert due to a report that Germany’s government reportedly instructed German diplomats on two occasion to not take photographs in the Old City of Jerusalem because Berlin views it has “occupied territory,” according to Israel Hayom. 

Yonatan Shay, the Head of the Hasbara (Israel Advocacy) Dep. of Im Tirtzu told Fox News Digital that Seibert has contributed to a deterioration in German-Israeli relations during his short tenure as ambassador. Shay said “the biggest Zionist movement in Israel, Im Tirtzu, truly believes he should resign due to his recent fiascos.”

Shay said about Seibert’s tweets in support of alleged Palestinian terrorists that “He disgraced the international Holocaust memorial day by criticizing heroic IDF operation in Jenin in which the IDF eliminated Palestinian terrorists with Jewish blood on their hands.”

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Shay, who speaks fluent German worked for the Jewish Agency for Israel in Germany, said Seibert “disgraced the most sacred day in the Israeli calendar because he participated at the joint alternative memorial ceremony to honor Palestinian terrorists who murdered Jews IDF soldiers who fell in battle protecting our land.”

Fox News Digital sent numerous press queries to Seibert the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin.

A British police motorcyclist faced a criminal investigation Tuesday over the death of a woman who was struck in a collision with the officer’s vehicle, which was escorting Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, at the time.

Helen Holland, 81, was hit in west London on May 10. She suffered serious injuries died two weeks later.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the constable was told a criminal investigation was underway for causing death by dangerous driving causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

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The officer is also being investigated for potential gross misconduct.

Following the crash, Holland’s son Martin told the BBC she died after sustaining “multiple broken bones massive internal injuries.” He said she was using a pedestrian crossing when she was struck by the motorcycle.

Sophie, who is the wife of Prince Edward, King Charles III’s younger brother, has said she was “deeply saddened” that Holldied.

The Kremlin on Tuesday denied any fault for the damage caused to the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant after it collapsed sent a torrent of water into the surrounding areas in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson. The Kremlin pointed blame squarely at Kyiv.

“This is a deliberate sabotage by the Ukrainian side,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media following the dam’s collapse. “This sabotage could potentially cause very serious consequences for several tens of thousands of residents of the region, ecological consequences [and] consequences of a different nature which have yet to be established.”

Peskov claimed Kyiv was “pursuing the goal of depriving Crimea of water” as it looks to eventually oust Russian forces that have occupied the peninsula since 2014.

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The Kremlin’s press secretary further suggested the act of “sabotage,” which occurred in an area occupied by Russian forces, was down to “faltering” Ukrainian offensive actions, though he did not expound on which offensive push he was referring to. 

Peskov’s comments came after Ukraine’s Operational CommSouth reported that Russian forces had blown up the dam, causing irreparable damage to not only the plant’s engine room but the dam itself. 

Thousands of people have begun evacuating from the surrounding areas, concerns remain over how this will affect water supplies to numerous southern regions as well as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. 

“We know that from 35 to 70 settlements will be flooded. We know that there will be issues with drinking water supplies. Even areas that haven’t been flooded will have drinking water issues,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said referencing the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia Kherson regions, as first reported by the Ukrainian news outlet Pravda. 

Zelenskyy further claimed Ukrainian intelligence had obtained information suggesting Russian forces had “rigged the dam with explosives last year.”

“We shared this information obtained by our intelligence with our partners,” he added. 

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Fox News Digital could not immediately verify who was responsible for the attack, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, which monitors closely the ground movements of both Russian Ukrainian forces in the conflict, said it was “not ready to assess who or what is responsible for destroying the Kakhovka dam.”

Though it also pointed to an October assessment it provided that forecasted Russian forces were preparing to “conduct a false-flag attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant” on the basis that Moscow may have believed “that breaching the dam could cover their retreat from the right bank of the Dnipro River prevent/delay Ukrainian advances across it.”

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The prediction came as Ukrainian forces were preparing an offensive in the Kherson region that would force the retreat of Russian troops from the left bank of the Dnipro River liberate the city of Kherson. 

“That forecast was inaccurate at the time, but the reasoning supporting the forecast was remains valid,” the ISW pointed out Tuesday. 

New Zealunveiled measures on Monday to curb vaping by young people, from limits on sales near schools to a ban on some disposable units, as it extends aggressive anti-smoking campaigns.

Although the Pacific nation has one of the lowest rates of adult smoking among the 38 nations in the Organization of Economic Cooperation Development, it has banned future generations from smoking in a push to be “smokefree” by 2025.

Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said the changes, to be phased in over six months from August, come as too many young people were using vapes, although the government wanted the devices available as an alternative to smoking.

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“We’re creating a future where tobacco products are no longer addictive, appealing or as readily available, the same needs to apply to vaping,” Verrall said in a statement.

From August all vapes sold in New Zealwill need to have removable or replaceable batteries, curbing supply of the compact disposable types favoured by young people, she said.

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“We also want vapes as far from the minds reach of children young people as possible,” Verrall said, adding that new shops would be kept at least 328 yards from schools marae, or meeting spaces for Maori communities.

Vapes will require child safety mechanisms, with enticing names, such as “cotton candy”, banned, while plain packaging had been considered.

“It is yet another way that we are stopping vape companies from developing particular brands that target young people,” Verrall told a press conference on Tuesday.

• Former President Alfredo Cristiani of El Salvador has been formally charged by prosecutors in connection with the 1989 massacre of six Jesuit priests two others.
• Prosecutors allege that Cristiani was present at a meeting where the killings were authorized during the country’s civil war.
• A Spanish court previously sentenced a former Salvadoran colonel to 133 years in prison for the priests’ killings, describing it as “state terrorism” driven by powerful interests.

Prosecutors in El Salvador say they have evidence that former President Alfredo Cristiani was present at a meeting that approved the 1989 massacre of six Jesuit priests two others by soldiers.

Prosecutors who announced the case against Cristiani last year presented formal charges against the former president at an arraignment hearing late Monday, saying the plot to kill the Jesuits during the country’s 1980-1992 civil war went all the way to the top.

Cristiani, who left El Salvador in 2021 whose whereabouts are unknown, has always denied knowledge of or involvement in the killings, which shocked the world.

Prosecutors said that not only did Cristiani know about approve the 1989 killings, he also held a phone call to reassure one of the priests before he was murdered.

“The investigations reveal that former President Alfredo Cristiani was present at the meeting where the crime was coordinated authorized,” the prosecutors wrote in a statement.

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One of the murdered priests, Rev. Ignacio Ellacuría, had several phone calls with Cristiani before soldiers burst into the Central American University, the UCA, where the Jesuits lived. According to the prosecution, Cristiani told Ellacuría “he should not worry about the raid being carried out at the UCA, asked him to remain calm stay where he was.”

Cristiani seven of the country’s top-ranking military officers at the time face charges of homicide, conspiracy terrorism in the case.

Prosecutors say lawyer former legislator Rodolfo Parker falsified the officers’ statements during a previous military trial.

A general amnesty passed in 1993 during Cristiani’s administration had prevented pursuit of those involved in war crimes until it was repealed in 2016.

Prosecutors had previously alleged that Cristiani knew of the military’s plan to eliminate the priests did nothing to stop them. In a statement released in 2022 by Cristiani’s daughter, the former leader denied the allegations.

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“The truth is I never knew of the plans they had to commit those killings,” Cristiani said at the time. “They never informed me nor asked for my authorization because they knew that I would never have authorized that that Father Ellacuría or his brothers were harmed.”

Cristiani left El Salvador in June 2021 after appearing before a special congressional panel investigating overpayments to former government officials.

On Nov. 16, 1989, an elite commando unit killed the six priests — five Spaniards one Salvadoran — along with their housekeeper the housekeeper’s daughter in the priests’ residence. The killers tried to make the massacre appear as though it had been carried out by leftist guerrillas.

Nine members of the military were initially put on trial, but a court absolved seven of them. Two officers served short sentences, but were released in 1993 under the amnesty. After the Supreme Court found the amnesty unconstitutional, a judge ordered one of those officers, Col. Guillermo Benavides, back to prison where he remains.

While the case stalled at home, a Spanish court in 2020 sentenced former Salvadoran Col. Inocente Orlando Montano to 133 years for the priests’ killings. The court called the massacre “state terrorism” carried out by powerful interests, including Cristiani, aimed at “holding onto their positions of privilege within the power structures.”