More in ‘Robert Gates’

• Despite everything, Israel expects the proximity talks will in fact launch, and soon. [JPost]
• The IDF indicted two soldiers in military court for allegedly getting a Palestinian boy to open a suspected booby-trapped package during last year’s Gaza conflict. [LAT]
• To head off buzzed-about rioting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered a 48-hour full closure ...

• Vice President Joe Biden gave his big speech in Israel, after tweaking it in response to the East Jerusalem construction announcement. The speech was mostly warm, with Biden explaining, “Only a friend can deliver the hardest truth.” [JPost]
• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged to stick to the proximity talks, even after the construction announcement. ...

• While Defense Secretary Robert Gates talked up the need for more sanctions, Iran clarified its intentions, announcing that it will build 10 new nuclear plants. [LAT]
• Prime Minister Netanyahu directly asked E.U. ambassadors to move for further sanctions. [Ynet]
• And in case you weren’t sure: yes, enriching more uranium, even for ostensibly peaceful purposes, ...

• Barack and Michelle Obama released a Hanukkah message in English and Hebrew, saying in part, “May Hanukkah’s lessons inspire us all to give thanks for the blessings we enjoy, to find light in times of darkness, and to work together for a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow.” [CBSNews]
• On a trip to Iraq, Secretary of ...

• In an Al Jazeera interview, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates advised Arab governments to “strengthen their security capabilities” as a deterrent to Iran. [AFP]
• But when asked about America’s “double standard” toward Israel’s nuclear capability, Gates defended the U.S. posture. [JPost]
• A federal judge ruled free-speech protections did not prevent New York City from ...

In contrast to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings in Jerusalem earlier this week with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Special Envoy George Mitchell, his chat yesterday with President Obama’s National Security Advisor, Gen. James Jones, was decidedly low-key and “private,” raising the question of whether more frank words were exchanged. Jones’s mission in Israel ...

As part of a trip announced a week ago, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates will meet today with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem to discuss how to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capability. (Actually, a meeting with Barak has already taken place.) “Both the U.S. and ...

• Following a meeting yesterday between Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell, a deal in which West Bank settlement construction would be frozen except for several advanced projects is reportedly close. [Haaretz]
• Meanwhile, Barak and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, after a meeting this morning, expressed disagreement over ...

• U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will visit Israel on July 27 to address the Iranian nuclear issue as well as, potentially, West Bank settlements. [JTA]
• In a statement, meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected American calls to cease building settlements in East Jerusalem, asserting sovereignty over “united Jerusalem”. [NYT]
• In a skirmish, Gazans ...