ICEJ NEWS:
Turkish President Recep Erdogan issued remarks on Monday apparently signaling his interest in warming relations with Israel in light of the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East and the escalating tensions with Russia. Israel issued cautiously optimistic official statements in reply but also reaffirmed its commitment to the alliance with Cyprus and Greece, long-standing opponents of Turkey. The diplomatic back-and-forth came on the same day that a flair-up in violence killed seven people and wounded several others in Turkey’s restive Kurdish-dominated southeast region near the Syrian border, prompting the military to impose curfews and other strict security measures. Finally, the Kremlin announced Monday that a summit between Turkish and Russian leaders planned for the day had been indefinitely postponed.
Click here for a closer look at the escalating standoff between Russia and Turkey
Car ramming attack wounds 11 in Jerusalem
Unconfirmed reports Tuesday afternoon indicated that an Israeli child who was one of 11 people wounded by a vehicle ramming attack on a bus stop at the entrance to Jerusalem Monday afternoon had lost a leg and was otherwise in stable condition. The Palestinian driver of the vehicle was shot dead by police on the scene as he attempted to get out of his wrecked vehicle while holding an axe which he apparently intended to use to attack other people. Elsewhere, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech to mark International Anti-Corruption Day in Ramallah on Monday in which he said, among other things, that the Palestinian youths carrying out such attacks were reacting to “despair” over Israeli actions, including what he described as attacks against Palestinians by settlers in the West Bank. Also on Monday, the Palestinian Islamist terror militia Hamas marked its 28th birthday with large parades in Gaza City and smaller celebrations in the PA administered cities of the West Bank. Read More
