* Statue Wars come for JESUS as activist claims Christ and Virgin Mary are ‘white supremacy’ It began with Confederate generals and quickly escalated to Columbus and former US presidents; now the monument-removal crusade has come for Jesus, with racial activist Shaun King insisting the depictions are ‘racist propaganda.’
* Vexed by annexation: The battle inside the EU over Israel Two months before Donald Trump unveiled his Middle East peace plan on Jan. 28, Luxembourg’s foreign minister was certain the U.S. president would break with the European Union and recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
* Egypt, Jordan likely to opt for symbolic response if Israel annexes West Bank parts: report Ramallah's outreach to Turkey's President Erdogan reportedly prompted anger in Cairo and Amman.
* IDF generals urge Trump to stand behind Netanyahu’s sovereignty plan “Mr. President, thanks to your friendship and visionary leadership, we stand now at an historic crossroad in the 4,000-year history of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel."
* Hamas hints terror attacks would stop annexation Hamas warned that the Israeli plan was a “conspiracy woven by the Zionist occupation, the American administration and some Arab conspirators against the Palestinian people.”
* North Korea Threatens ‘Sensational Event’ to End America A statement from North Korea’s embassy in Moscow observing the 70th anniversary of the still-ongoing Korean War this weekend threatened a “sensational event” leading to the destruction of the United States.
* PA and Fatah promise terror against Israel An editorial in the official PA daily yesterday focused on glorifying Fatah’s past terror attacks. This served as an introduction to its warning of future terror, should Israel annex land as proposed in US President Trump’s Middle East peace plan.
* Israel Shines in the Gulf Where Big Powers Falter—and That Could Be Tricky Israel is proving to the Gulf States that it is a more reliable partner in some respects than big powers like the US, China, or Russia.
* Gantz: We won't wait forever for the Palestinians Defense Minister hints he may support unilateral application of sovereignty if PA continues to say no to talks or peace.
* Far from toppling statues, former Soviet Union puts up new monuments to Stalin After Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces almost unveiled a mural of late dictator on June 22, Moscow-born former MK Ksenia Svetlova explores a troubling new trend of Stalin worship.