Trump tells Netanyahu he would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu departs after meeting with Republican presidential nominee Trump at Trump Tower in New York

By Alana Wise

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Sunday told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if elected, the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the campaign said, marking a potential dramatic shift in U.S. policy.

During the meeting that lasted more than an hour at Trump Tower in New York, Trump told Netanyahu that under his administration, the United States would “recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel.”

While Israel calls Jerusalem its capital, few other countries accept that, including the United States. Most nations maintain embassies in Tel Aviv.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in a 1967 war, as capital of the state they aim to establish alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu held a separate meeting later on Sunday that lasted just under an hour with Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump’s rival in the Nov. 8 U.S. election.

Clinton emphasized her commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship and her plan to take the relationship to the next level, according to a statement from her campaign.

She also talked about her commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict “that guarantees Israel’s future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity,” according to the statement.

“Secretary Clinton reaffirmed her opposition to any attempt by outside parties to impose a solution, including by the U.N. Security Council,” the statement said.

During the meeting with Trump, the Republican candidate’s campaign said he agreed with Netanyahu that peace in the Middle East could only be achieved when “the Palestinians renounce hatred and violence and accept Israel as a Jewish State.”

The Trump campaign said he and Netanyahu discussed “at length” Israel’s border fence, cited by Trump in reference to his own controversial immigration policies, which include building a wall on the U.S.- Mexico border and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country.

Other regional issues, including the fight against Islamic State, U.S. military assistance to Israel – “an excellent investment” – and the Iran nuclear deal, which both parties have criticized, were also discussed.

(Additional reporting by Michelle Conlin in New York and Caren Bohan in Washington; Editing by Bill Trott and Sandra Maler)

FBI investigates hacking of Democratic Party organization

he headquarters of the Democratic National Committee is seen in Washington,

By Dustin Volz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the nature and scope of a cyber intrusion at the Democratic National Committee, the agency said on Monday, amid concerns hackers working for Russia are attempting to use the breach to influence the U.S. presidential election.

“A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace,” the FBI said in a statement.

Emails among DNC employees were released by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks over the weekend appearing to expose favoritism for presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over her chief rival in the primary contest, Senator Bernie Sanders.

The correspondence prompted the resignation of DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Sunday, effective at the end of the party’s convention in Philadelphia. Protesters jeered Wasserman Schultz on Monday at a meeting ahead of the convention.

Separately, the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee has been briefed on the hack and would seek information on any potential connection to Russia or another state, said Representative Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the panel.

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told CNN on Sunday that the emails were released by suspected Russian hackers in order to sow discord at the convention and help Republican nominee Donald Trump, her rival in the Nov. 8 presidential election.

The Trump campaign dismissed the allegation as absurd.

(Reporting by Dustin Volz; editing by Grant McCool)

Hillary Clinton Says Religious Beliefs On Abortion Must Be Changed

“Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will and deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”

Those were the words of Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during a speech at the “Women in the World” summit in New York. Clinton shared her pro-abortion views in her speech.

“Far too many women are denied access to reproductive health care and safe childbirth, and laws don’t count for much if they’re not enforced,” Clinton said. “Rights have to exist in practice—not just on paper.”

Clinton specifically mentioned Hobby Lobby and claimed that Hobby Lobby’s not being forced to pay for abortion drugs took away a woman’s right to obtain those drugs on their own.

“America moves ahead when all women are guaranteed the right to make their own health care choices, not when those choices are taken away by an employer like Hobby Lobby,” she asserted.

“There are those who offer themselves as leaders … who see nothing wrong with denying women equal pay, who offer themselves as leaders who would de-fund the country’s leading provider of family planning,” Clinton said, referring to Planned Parenthood, “and want to let health insurance companies once again charge women just because of our gender.”

 

Syrian Army Blocking UN From Massacre Site

UN monitors are being blocked from the site of an apparent government-led massacre of 78 people by Syrian army forces. Mission commander Robert Mood said the Syrian army is stopping UN staff at checkpoints and turning them back before reaching the city of Qubair. Activists report government troops bombarded Qubair, a village of less than 30 houses, located 12 miles northwest of Hama. Continue reading