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Middle East

Israel endorses independent Kurdish state

Israel supports the establishment of a Kurdish state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, as Kurds in Iraq gear up for a referendum on independence that lawmakers in Baghdad oppose. Israel has maintained discreet military, intelligence and business ties with the Kurds...

Rights group blasts Israeli banks for settlement expansion

Israeli banks are contributing to the proliferation of West Bank settlements by providing loans and mortgages for construction there, violating their human rights obligations, Human Rights Watch said in a report Wednesday. The report said that Israeli law does not require banks to...

Iraqi parliament rejects Kurdish referendum

Iraq’s parliament voted on Tuesday to reject a referendum on Kurdish independence planned for Sept. 25, authorizing the prime minister to “take all measures” to preserve Iraq’s unity, lawmakers said. Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session before the vote and issued...