Britannia Radio

The Israel-America clash

"The sparring between the United States and Israel has begun, and that's a good thing," 

writes Roger Cohen in The New York Times.

Breaking News Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke was expelled from the Czech Republic. Mahmoud Abbas said he will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. A resolution to boycott Israeli products is expected to be proposed at the annual meeting of a Canadian outdoor-equipment chain. Israel's population rose to 7,411,000 on the eve of its 61st birthday. Israeli officials reportedly are concerned that security and other infrastructure for Pope Benedict XVI's trip are not yet in place. The head of France's largest Jewish umbrella group justified his country's participation in the Durban II conference. Turkey and Syria began a joint military exercise that Israel's defense minister called "disturbing." President Obama avoided using the word "genocide" to describe the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by Turks in 1915. South Africa's Jewish umbrella group said it its relationship with the winner in the country's presidential election, Jacob Zuma, has "always been good." The father of a kidnapped Israeli soldier has left for the United States to meet with Jewish leaders and government officials. Solving the core issue of the Israeli-Palestinian "problem" and that of Jerusalem will solve all the problems in the region, Jordan's King Abdullah said. A Jewish Ukrainian journalist received a national honor. Seven Israelis were taken in for questioning on suspicion of encouraging young Israelis to evade the draft. A second Israeli who recently returned from a trip to Mexico has been hospitalized with symptoms of swine flu. A bipartisan slate of 20 United States senators is set to introduce a new Iran sanctions bill. Israel began its Memorial Day observance with a one-minute siren and the lighting of a memorial flame at the Western Wall. Ehud Barak and Avigdor Lieberman are publicly sounding different notes on Israeli peace negotiations with Syria. Iran would be fine with a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict if the Palestinians vote on it in a referendum, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said. Hillary Rodham Clinton made a surprise visit to Lebanon. Actress Bea Arthur, famous for her roles in the television sitcoms "Maude" and "Golden Girls," has died. The Palestinian who killed an Israeli boy with an axe was arrested. Charges will be dropped against the New Zealand priest who smeared blood on a memorial to Yitzhak Rabin. The Reform rabbinate passed a resolution backing the Obama administration's Afghanistan policy.