US ambassador: 'Israel' unlikely to strike Iran without Trump’s OK

from al Mayadeen English

US Ambassador to "Israel" Mike Huckabee said the Israeli occupation is unlikely to attack Iran without Washington’s approval, highlighting the strong trust between the two countries.

Trump has reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "Israel" does not have a "green light" to launch a military strike against Iran, emphasizing that diplomacy remains Washington's preferred path.

According to Israeli Channel 12 sources, Trump stated during a phone conversation on Monday, "You don't have a green light, there will be a deal with Iran. The attack (on Iran) needs to be taken off the agenda right now."...

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Let France create Palestinian State in French Riviera: Huckabee

from al Mayadeen English

US Ambassador to "Israel" Mike Huckabee has strongly criticized France's push for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, labeling the efforts as "revolting", in a Sunday interview with Fox News.

“It’s incredibly inappropriate in the midst of a war that Israel is dealing with to go out and present something that I think increasingly Israelis are steadfast against,” Huckabee stated, adding that "If France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state, I have a suggestion for them – carve out a piece of the French Riviera and create a Palestinian state."

The Ambassador stated that Washington would not participate in an upcoming conference in New York, led by France and Saudi Arabia, which aims to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state later this month.

Israeli officials have been clashing with French President Macron after his announcement earlier this month that France is set to recognize a Palestinian state within the coming months, where he said, "We must move toward recognition, and we will do so in the coming months."...

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U.S. to Downgrade Palestinian Affairs Office in Jerusalem, Officials Say

(racist Islamaphobe and Israel-firster Mike Huckabee says it's nonsense that Trump would recognize Palestine as a state.)

from NYT

In recent years, an office within the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem had a direct line of communication with Washington. That was meant to signal that the United States saw Palestinian issues as important, and considered the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip to be separate from Israel.

Now, the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has decided to shut down this direct channel, according to U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The decision will effectively end the special status of the Office of Palestinian Affairs at the embassy, which had been sending cables to Washington without being required to get them approved first by embassy leaders.

The cables went to U.S. agencies working on foreign policy and national security. The office, which is in the old Jerusalem Consulate building and not in the embassy, is responsible for maintaining contact with senior Palestinian officials and reporting on Palestinian issues.

The move is one of Mr. Huckabee’s most significant decisions since arriving in Israel in April...

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