in the occupied west bank illegal israel's prime minister muse ahead with a plan to annex the jordan valley. a 4 day standoff at a hong kong university comes to an end as anti-government protesters surrendered to police. oh a key witness in the u.s. impeachment inquiry into donald trump has described the president's phone call with his ukrainian counterpart as improper attendant colonel alexander van men has been testifying before congress you listened in on trump's phone call with skin in july and says he was concerned that the president asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival joe biden. correct and then later you 2 are on the white house call am i right you heard it with your own ears correct not secondhand not from somebody else not hearsay right correct you heard the president's voice on the call i did and you heard him raise that subject again that ambassador saw and had raised before about investigating the bidens right i did and i want to ask you when you heard him say that what was the 1st thought that went through your mind frankly i couldn't believe what i wa

in less than a year and israel's prime minister has fast track to a proposed law to annex the jordan valley comes after the us announced it no longer viewed israeli settlements in the occupied west bank as illegal palestinians condemn the move while the un and many individual governments have confirmed that they continue to consider settlements illegal and obstacle to peace and force it has more of me occupied west bank. a short drive south of jerusalem into the occupied west bank where the red roofs of the had shown certain been blocked for decades recognized as illegal by the international community including the united states. the morning after the u.s. reversed that stance benjamin netanyahu in the midst of a last ditch fight to stay in office made time to come here for a victory lap we now know here we are in a historic day with another huge achievement for the state of israel which we've been working on quite a bit the trumpet ministration has blighted a historic bone here and stood with truth and justice i thank president from public and secretary of state pompei or my mad words so t

brennan al-jazeera london israel's prime minister has fast tracked a proposed law to annex the jordan valley it follows the u.s. decision to no longer view israeli settlements in the occupied west bank as illegal or a force that reports on the occupied west bank. a short drive south of jerusalem into the occupied west bank of the red roofs of the etzion settlement block for decades recognized as illegal by the international community including the united states the morning after the u.s. reversed that stance benjamin netanyahu in the midst of a last ditch fight to stay in office made time to come here for a victory lap we now know here we are in a historic day with another huge achievement for the state of israel which we've been working on quite a bit the trumpet ministration has blighted a historic one here and stood with truth and justice i thank president from public and secretary of state pompei are serving a moment where the settlements are not per se illegal under international law the u.s. secretary of state said the declaration improved prospects for peace between israelis and pales

to annex the entirety of the jordan valley would be needed a mandate from the israeli people to do so to seek and get us approval for such a measure in terms of the motivations for it well obviously it helps trump politically especially with his evangelical base and it helps netanyahu at a very sensitive time here politically. that it wasn't designed the timing so to do but nonetheless benny gantz netanyahu his main rival is running out of time to try to form a coalition government of his own this is a big victory for netanyahu domestically garance him self as approved of this statement and it allows netanyahu to drive a wedge between parents and the palestinian israeli politicians in the israeli parliament the knesset on whom he might have to rely if you wanted to make a minority government before his time runs out so whatever the motivation behind it netanyahu can certainly make big political capital out of it at a very important time ari force it for inside story west jerusalem israeli settlements have long been a very contentious issue there were established by israel on land occu

course would see him leave office now before that election in september that promise to an extent jordan valley and impose israeli sovereignty in a large part of the occupied west bank he said that he would only be able to do that given the mandate from the voters given a clear election victory he didn't get that he also didn't get a clear expression of support for that such a policy from the united states now whatever the motivations of the timing for the statement coming from the u.s. he has got a real indorsement and it's something that is almost certain to use to best advantage in the coming days as we exit and as he tries to cling on to power. what palestinian officials would tell you that these remarks by the u.s. secretary of state where and surprising from an administration that has been siding with the israeli right wing government they are still nevertheless horrific and outrageous they would say that they are negating all articles of international law the p.l.o. 63 general saw it has issued a statement saying that the u.s. is now replacing international law with the law of the jungle

mind back to the last election in september just before that he said he was going to annex the jordan valley he didn't get explicit u.s. support for the people contrasting the lack of that with the us recognition of israeli sovereignty of the occupied golan heights before the previous election in april so now this is whether the motivation is this or not it's a pretty big gift for netanyahu when it comes to his own attempts to try to stay in power the question is what will he do with this very big signal of u.s. approval for greater enhanced israeli sovereignty in. occupied west bank given the fact that in the moments israeli government is extremely tenuous he runs accounts a good ministration with all sorts of negotiations going on to see who might try to be able to form a government in the coming days and weeks before thank you need abraham joins us from ramallah in the occupied west bank so a big change in u.s. policy on settlements so what are people saying there the main thing we've heard from different palestinian officials is condemnation although they would tell you that it wasn't a

the occupied west bank of course before the last election in september he promised to annex the jordan valley in its entirety. and that was something he said he would do after being given a mandate which of course he didn't get in another inconclusive election what didn't happen then was explicit u.s. support for that announcement so this while it isn't directly talking about that is of course a big signal the united states does not challenge the legality or the illegality of settlements in the occupied west bank and further nessun yos own electoral fortunes it's a very important and sensitive time he's in the in the middle of trying to convince israel that any plans that his rival benny gantz has in his last 2 days of his opportunity to try to form a coalition government any plans he has of trying to form a minute minority government with the support of palestinian israeli parties in the israeli parliament that that would be a huge threat to the israeli state that terrorists would celebrate that tehran would celebrate he's been arguing against the joint list grouping of parties having anythi

occupied west bank benjamin netanyahu before the last election in september he promised to an ex the jordan valley if he were given a mandate by the israeli voters and of course we had an inconclusive election we're still in the midst of coalition negotiations as a result of that but this does give a signal at least that that there would be that there could be u.s. approval of greater israeli sovereignty in the occupied west bank and of course whatever the motivation that pompei was talking about in his news conference it does come in an extremely sensitive time where there are 36 hours left for benny gantz. was main rival to try to come up with a coalition government that he could lead before his time runs out before it gets into a free for all period of 3 weeks of desperate coalition scrambling this is a big victory for netanyahu in that context and as well as that it and allows him to further drive a wedge between benny gantz who has supported this announcement from the u.s. and the joint list that many palestinian israeli parties who could in theory support a dance led minority government from

the jordan valley a big tract of land about a 3rd of the land in the occupied west bank and that he was the man to do so because the united states would was in a position to try and endorse that there was no public indorsement though from the americans and that was seen as something of a change from the election in april when they publicly recognize the occupied golan heights as israeli territory so people are talking about the lack of a big electoral gift from the trump administration well it's come now and it's come at a time when netanyahu has been talking about the prospects of a minority government that he said dance was trying to form with the help from the outside of palestinian israeli members of the israeli parliament the knesset. being saying all kinds of things about them that they want to destroy the country that they want to that they support hamas and that it would be like a victory for terrorists if they were able to support a minority government so this is an opportunity to drive of the wedge but. benny gantz any prospect of his coming in with the support of the palestin

this time here in northern jordan in the tranquil valley of the yarmouk river. in august 636 this was where the by sun times army clashed with muslim forces underfed. one small victory to the muslims. a woman by the name of the intrinsic out. of the off the hook and the heavy handed and miss with the new technique i'm wouldn't shit you're all. about. the muslim conquest smoothed on words in all directions capturing the rest of the live on i did great cities. finally they laid siege to jerusalem it's so. often making the list and i don't see. a woman latina. yeah. well you. see. this. jerusalem significance lay as it still does today and its position as a holy place for the 3 great monotheistic religions judaism christianity. and islam. believe. the only for jerusalem was almost prepared to make his 1st and last journey a scowl if. not gone. almost often to small as that. she had a malice allah give him a d.n.a. again a dollar on. the whole does rock was a slam oh a levy yet a bit like. for death and. down. the. whole ya. sophronia teacher welcome to mine given t

this time here in northern jordan in the tranquil valley of the yarmouk river. and oldest 636 this was where the by son time army clashed with muslim forces underfed. once more victory fell to the muslims. a woman by the the need for the obedience to have. a day off the hook and the had to hit and miss with the needle to any case sorry i'm wouldn't it be your fault. unless we went down and about. the muslim conquest smoothed on words in all directions capturing the rest of the live on of its great cities. finally they laid siege to jerusalem it's so. awful making up this that i don't see. a woman like you know. yeah the little. n e a t. c list of this. jerusalem significance lay as it still does today and its position as a holy place for the 3 great monotheistic religions judaism christianity. under slam. move only for jerusalem was almost prepared to make his 1st and last journey a scout of. low ball off a small home less than. she had. given in medina can a dollar on. the whole does well what a slum oh a levy had a life for death and. that let me tell you how

recalled his brilliant commander to the battlefront once again this time here in northern jordan in the tranquil valley of the yarmouk river. and oldest 636 this was where the by son time army clashed with muslim forces on the fed. once more victory fell to the muslims. a little bad. for the intensive have. a day off the hook and i do think that has emerged in this with the new to any time we do see you know. the pilot and yes we will die and then about. the muslim conquest smoothed on words in all directions capturing the rest of the live on i did great cities. finally they laid siege to jerusalem it's so. often making the list and i don't see what a woman like you know. yeah the little. boy and yet. he lists of this. jerusalem significance lay as it still does today and its position as a holy place for the 3 great monotheistic religions judaism christianity. and islam. louis the only for jerusalem was almost prepared to make his 1st and last journey a scowl if. not gone away from home often to small home less than. she you know malice allah give him a dina again a dollar on. the whole does not was a

this time here in northern jordan in the tranquil valley of the yarmouk river. in august 636 this was where the by son time army clash with muslim forces underfed. once more victory fell to the muslims. a little better than it did the infancy have. a day off the hook and i didn't miss with the new to any i'm wouldn't it be your will. and yes we will die about. the muslim conquest smoove on words in all directions capturing the rest of the live on i did great cities. finally they laid siege to jerusalem it's so. often making the list and i don't see. a woman like you know. yeah the little. well you. see he lists of this. jerusalem significance lay as it still does today and its position as a holy place for the 3 great monotheistic religions judaism christianity. under slam. roof only for jerusalem was almost prepared to make his 1st and last journey a scowl if. not . all more often to small home less than. a bucket in medina again a dollar on. the whole does not was a slam oh a levy had a couple of whack. a definite. down. the line i'll us all what ya. sophronia

when it signed the peace treaty in 1994 out of the room is to see this valley become the valley of peace jordan's king hussein and his people were promised political and economic benefits but they've not materialized i think it's true that if there'd been progress on the palestinian issue it would have helped with a way to tional jordan i think jordan was also disappointed with the economic benefits that it hoped to gain from the peace treaty there was talk of one stage that we would have one airport in the south of and so forth jordan israel and israel decided that we didn't want to proceed with that then last year as farmers cultivated crops that take years to mature the u.s. recognized all of jerusalem as the capital of israel and jordan's economy continue to struggle everything combined to intensify jordanian public opinion against israel and these were all issues that king abdullah reflected on that sunday state opening of parliament. last old model or don't be so that's our national position on the palestinian cause a steadfast supporting our palestinian brethren to establish their independ

when it signed the peace treaty in 1994 out of the room is to see this valley become the valley of peace jordan's king hussein and his people were promised political and economic benefits but they've not materialized i think it's true that if there'd been progress on the palestinian issue it would have helped with a way to tional jordan i think jordan is also disappointed with the economic benefits that it hoped to gain from the peace treaty there was talk of one stage that we would have one airport in the south that will sort of both jordan israel and israel decided that we didn't want to proceed with that then last year as farmers cultivated crops that take years to mature the u.s. recognized all of jerusalem as the capital of israel and jordan's economy continue to struggle everything combined to intensify jordanian public opinion against israel and these were all issues that king abdullah reflected on that sunday state opening of parliament. last old model or don't be so bad to our national position on the palestinian cause a steadfast supporting our palestinian brethren to establish their in