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State Department to merge Palestinian Affairs Office with US Embassy in Jerusalem

State Department to merge Palestinian Affairs Office with US Embassy in Jerusalem

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning to merge the responsibilities of the Palestinian Affairs Office into the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in an effort to continue a diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that was put in place by President Donald Trump during his first term in office. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced Rubio’s decision during a press briefing Tuesday. “Secretary Rubio has decided to merge the responsibilities of the office of the Palestinian Affairs Office fully into other sections of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem,” Bruce said. “This decision will restore the first Trump-term framework of a unified U.S. diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that reports to the U.S. ambassador to Israel.” She added that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will begin to make the necessary changes to implement the merger over the coming weeks. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVERRULES TRUMP POLICY ON PALESTINIANS “The United States remains committed to its historic relationship with Israel, bolstering Israel’s security and securing peace to create a better life for the entire region,” Bruce said. The Biden administration established the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs in 2022 after reversing Trump’s closure of the consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem during his first administration. TRUMP OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZES JERUSALEM AS ISRAEL’S CAPITAL CITY, ORDERS EMBASSY MOVE FOR US Biden’s move was viewed by some as rewarding the Palestinian leadership after a wave of terrorism during which two Palestinians wielding an ax and knife murdered three Israelis in the town of Elad in May 2022. The first Trump administration helped to negotiate groundbreaking agreements, called the Abraham Accords, in 2020 to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. US SERVICE MEMBER SETS HIMSELF ON FIRE OUTSIDE ISRAELI EMBASSY IN DC The Israeli government vehemently opposed a reopening of the Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem because it would undercut the holy city as the undivided capital of Israel. The U.S. Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and calls for it to remain an undivided city.  Trump, in 2017, recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017 and moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem the following year. Fox News’ Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.

Lawmakers react to Newark airport chaos: ‘Your family deserves to know you’ll be safe’

Lawmakers react to Newark airport chaos: ‘Your family deserves to know you’ll be safe’

Lawmakers spoke out to Fox News Digital on Tuesday as chaos ensued at one of the nation’s busiest airports. “Our team has reached out to the FAA to get answers on what steps they’re taking to resolve this situation,” said Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee — who also represents the Garden State where the airport is located. “Your family deserves to know that when you fly, you’ll be safe and you’ll get there on time. We’ll keep pressing to make sure it happens,” Kim said. Across the aisle, West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito lamented the “very outdated” air traffic control system and spoke of the shortage of controllers writ large. DUFFY CONFIRMATION HEARING MARKED BY BIPARTISANSHIP, PLEDGE TO VISIT HELENE-DEVASTATED STATES “[That] makes for the turmoil we’re seeing at Newark,” Capito told Fox News Digital. “I would like to see more accountability at FAA, which is why I have proposed to Commerce Committee Chairman Cruz’s team a public facing dashboard to show FAA’s progress in updating their systems as well as hiring more controllers.” While Democrats like DNC Chairman Ken Martin mocked USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy over the latest air-travel-related crisis, Capito countered that the Wisconsin Republican recognizes the challenges America’s skies face. “I support his efforts to finalize a plan that I hope to review soon,” she said. NEW JERSEY DEMS SEEK TO BAR IMPRISONED BOB MENENDEZ FROM PUBLIC FUTURE OFFICE, AS GOP TARGETS HIS PENSION  Martin tweeted that “in case you missed it, Sean Duffy, there were near misses at DCA [Ronald Reagan-Washington National Airport in Crystal City, Va.], air traffic control screens are going dark at Newark, and America’s air travel system is falling apart under your and Donald Trump’s watch.” “Anyway, hope the tacos were good,” he said, apparently referring to a photo Duffy posted on X posing with steak tacos his wife prepared for dinner by his “#LatinaWife.”  Late Tuesday, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., a former Newark mayor himself wrote a lengthy letter to Duffy saying that given, “the serious consequences for our nation’s aviation system, it is critical that the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) take all necessary steps to identify and address the underlying causes of the ongoing flight disruptions.” “I appreciate that the USDOT has already responded to this ongoing situation by identifying the importance of technology upgrades across the entire air traffic control system, and I am committed to supporting these efforts in Congress.” “However, I ask that you also immediately direct additional staff and resources in order to restore regular operations at EWR in the days ahead. This is of particular importance as the busy summer travel season approaches, which will put further pressure on EWR and the region’s airspace. Specifically, I request that you take additional steps to address the staffing shortages at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which have contributed significantly to the repeated suspension and interruption of flight operations at EWR.” Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., another committee member, told Fox News Digital that maintaining America’s “busiest and most advanced airspace in the world” requires a skilled workforce and dependable tech. “The radar outages at Newark put Air Traffic Controllers in an impossible situation, endangered incoming flights and demonstrate the urgent need for modernization of our systems,” said Moran, who along with Sens. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., also introduced the Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act to bolster that workforce sector. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told Fox News Digital later Tuesday that as a “member of the Senate Transportation Committee this is deeply concerning to me. The Biden administration spent years funding anything other than important upgrades and updates to outdated FAA technology.” “I think many of us will be asking questions about how this occurred and how we can work with Secretary Duffy and Chairman Cruz to fix it. The flying public deserves to know that they are safe and secure when flying in American airspace,” Lummis said. On the Democratic side, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said: “The ongoing situation at Newark Airport is yet another example of the tremendous strain our aviation system is under—something I’ve been raising the alarm on for years—and it further underscores the urgent need to invest in updated air traffic control systems and equipment, not cut FAA’s funding and workforce.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “As Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I have questions about both Newark and the recent incident near the Pentagon. Congress needs answers. The safety of the flying public depends on it.” In a lengthy statement obtained by Fox News and Fox Business, the FAA acknowledged that “several major airlines are facing ongoing flight disruptions at New Jersey’s Newark-Liberty International Airport as the facility contends with ongoing staffing and technology issues.” “Last week, air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility in Philadelphia lost radar and radio signals while directing planes to Newark for nearly 90 seconds, causing significant delays and flight cancellations that remain ongoing,” the statement continued, going on to reference the longstanding issues cited by Capito. “We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency,” the agency said.

India launches attacks on several sites in Pakistan

India launches attacks on several sites in Pakistan

India has launched missiles at several locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administred Kashmir, the government said, and Pakistan promised to respond to the attacks. Several explosions were heard in the city of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday. “A little while ago, the Indian armed forces launched ‘OPERATION SINDOOR’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed,” the Indian government said in a statement. “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” it said. A Pakistani military spokesman told broadcaster Geo that Pakistan’s response was under way, without providing details. The spokesman said five places were hit including two mosques. Advertisement Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military said two people have been killed and 12 others injured. Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said among the targets that were hit were the cities of Muzaffarabad and Kotli. Pakistan has said that if it is attacked, that it will “respond in force”, Hyder said, adding that the situation remains “quite fluid”. The development comes amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours in the aftermath of an attack on Hindu tourists in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. India blamed Pakistan for the violence in which 26 men were killed and vowed to respond. Pakistan denied that it had anything to do with the killings. After India’s strikes, the Indian army said in a post on X early on Wednesday: “Justice is served.” More to come… Adblock test (Why?)