Bernie Sanders extends olive branch to Trump
Former Democratic candidate says he’s willing to work with president-elect to improve quality of life for working families
By AFP November 10, 2016, 107 am


WASHINGTON, United States — Bernie Sanders, who galvanized young Americans during this year’s Democratic primary race, said Wednesday that he is ready to work with president-elect Donald Trump if he wants to “improve the lives of working families.”

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

“Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media,” the Vermont senator said in a statement following the Republican billionaire’s surprise victory, which has sent shock waves through the United States and around the world.

“To the degree that Mr Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him,” added Sanders, the left-leaning independent who called for a political revolution during his surprisingly strong but ultimately failed populist primary challenge to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

“To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him,” he said.
Republican presidential elect Donald Trump gives a speech during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York, November 9, 2016. (AFP/MANDEL NGAN)

Republican presidential elect Donald Trump gives a speech during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York, November 9, 2016. (AFP/MANDEL NGAN)

Like Sanders — who denounced what he called the corrupt influence of the country’s wealthy elites on politics, and advocated free public college education and universal health care — Trump honed a populist appeal to Americans who feel left behind by economic globalization and mounting inequity.

Unlike Sanders, however, Trump proposes slashing taxes for the wealthiest Americans, and has said that schemes to avoid paying millions of dollars in personal income tax proves he is “smart.”

After his primary loss, Sanders called on his supporters to rally behind Clinton, campaigning against Trump, whom he called a “danger” and a “demagogue.”

The other main voice of left-wing Democrats, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren — who waged a bitter personal war of words against Trump during the campaign — said Wednesday that she is “intensely frustrated” by his victory.

However, she also offered the Republican an olive branch.

“President-elect Trump promised to rebuild our economy for working people,” she said, “and I offer to put aside our differences and work with him on that task.”

Thousands protest Trump win in major US cities
Demonstrators chanting ‘Not my president!’ and ‘Trump’s a racist’ flood the streets in towns from coast to coast
By AP November 10, 2016, 8:17 am




CHICAGO — The raw divisions exposed by the presidential race were on full display across America on Wednesday, as protesters flooded city streets to condemn Donald Trump’s election in demonstrations that police said were mostly peaceful.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

From New England to heartland cities like Kansas City and along the West Coast, many thousands of demonstrators carried flags and anti-Trump signs, disrupting traffic and declaring that they refused to accept Trump’s triumph.

In Chicago, where thousands had recently poured into the streets to celebrate the Chicago Cubs’ first World Series victory in over a century, several thousand people marched through the Loop. They gathered outside Trump Tower, chanting “Not my president!”

Chicago resident Michael Burke said he believes the president-elect will “divide the country and stir up hatred.” He added there was a constitutional duty not to accept that outcome.
Protesters chant slogans on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in New York, in opposition of Donald Trump's presidential election victory. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Protesters chant slogans on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in New York, in opposition of Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

A similar protest in Manhattan drew about 1,000 people. Outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in midtown, police installed barricades to keep the demonstrators at bay.

Hundreds of protesters gathered near Philadelphia’s City Hall despite chilly, wet weather. Participants — who included both supporters of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost to Clinton in the primary — expressed anger at both Republicans and Democrats over the election’s outcome.

In Boston, thousands of anti-Trump protesters streamed through downtown, chanting “Trump’s a racist” and carrying signs that said “Impeach Trump” and “Abolish Electoral College.” Clinton appears to be on pace to win the popular vote, despite losing the electoral count that decides the presidential race.

The protesters gathered on Boston Common before marching toward the Massachusetts Statehouse, with beefed-up security including extra police officers.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, a protest that began with about 100 people was steadily growing as the night went on.
Protesters march along Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in New York, in opposition of Donald Trump's presidential election victory. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Protesters march along Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in New York, in opposition of Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Protests flared at universities in California and Connecticut, while several hundred people marched in San Francisco and others gathered outside City Hall in Los Angeles. And they spread south to Richmond, Virginia, and to middle American cities like Kansas City and Omaha, Nebraska.

Hundreds of University of Texas students spilled out of classrooms to march through downtown Austin. They marched along streets near the Texas Capitol, then briefly blocked a crowded traffic bridge.

Marchers protesting Trump’s election as president chanted and carried signs in front of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC.

Media outlets broadcast video Wednesday night showing a peaceful crowd in front of the new downtown hotel. Many chanted “No racist USA, no Trump, no KKK.”

Another group stood outside the White House. They held candles, listened to speeches and sang songs.
Protesters demonstrate on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in New York, in opposition of Donald Trump's presidential election victory. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Protesters demonstrate on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in New York, in opposition of Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland, burned American flags and forced a delay for trains on two light-rail lines. Earlier, the protest in downtown drew several Trump supporters, who taunted the demonstrators with signs. A lone Trump supporter was chased across Pioneer Courthouse Square and hit in the back with a skateboard before others intervened.

Several thousand chanting, sign-waving people gathered in Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, California. A night earlier, in the hours after Trump won the election, Oakland demonstrators broke windows and did other damage.

In San Francisco, hundreds are marching along Market Avenue, one of the city’s main avenues, to join a vigil in the Castro District, a predominantly gay neighborhood.

In Los Angeles, protesters on the steps of City Hall burned a giant papier mache Trump head in protest.

Hundreds massed in downtown Seattle streets.

Many held anti-Trump and Black Lives Matter signs and chanted slogans, including “Misogyny has to go,” and “The people united, will never be defeated.”

Five people were shot and injured in an area near the protest, but police said the shootings and the demonstration were unrelated.

Back in New York, several groups of protesters caused massive gridlock as police mobilized to contain them under a light rain.

They held signs that read “Trump Makes America Hate” and chanted “hey, hey, ho, ho Donald Trump has got to go” and “Impeach Trump.”

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

After Trump victory, rabbis call for unity and tolerance
Jewish spiritual leaders across US call on Jews to build bridges with their fellow citizens
By Josefin Dolsten November 10, 2016, 6:38 am

Donald Trump’s unexpected victory sunk in, rabbis across the country took to social media to share their reactions and address their congregants. Many rabbis encouraged unity and tolerance, and called on Jews to build bridges with their fellow citizens.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

Some were dismayed by the results of the election, such as Rabbi Debbie Zecher, rabbi emerita at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director of T’ruah, wrote that the human rights rabbinic group was “terrified” by Trump’s “hateful rhetoric.”

“While T’ruah does not endorse candidates, we have been terrified by the hateful rhetoric espoused by the campaign of the President-elect, and by the rejection of the basic human rights protections, democratic ideas, and valuing of diversity that makes the United States strong. The wave of increased hate speech and even hate crimes alarms us, as a people whose history teaches the danger of scapegoating minorities,” Jacobs said in a statement.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, President and Dean of Valley Beit Midrash in Phoenix, Arizona, wrote a message of hope, saying “love will always win in the long run.”

Obama to host Trump at White House
President will meet with president-elect in Oval Office Thursday ahead of transition period after stunning victory over Clinton
By Andrew BEATTY November 10, 2016, 6:58 am


Washington, United States (AFP) — President Barack Obama will host Donald Trump in the Oval Office Thursday, hoping to ease a smooth transition of power and steady nerves after an election that has shocked the world.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

Forty-eight hours after Trump’s improbable political victory, the 70-year-old president-elect will get a chance to measure the drapes ahead of his January inauguration.

It could be a deeply uneasy meeting for two men who have sparred repeatedly.

Trump has questioned whether Obama was born in the United States — a suggestion laden with deep racial overtones — and the Democratic commander-in-chief has described the celebrity businessman as “uniquely unqualified” to be president.

But the last day has seen efforts to bring this deeply divided country together after a brutal two-year battle for the White House that at times appeared more tribal than partisan.
Hillary Clinton, with husband Bill Clinton, giving a concession speech in New York on November 9, 2016. (screen capture: CNN)

Hillary Clinton, with husband Bill Clinton, giving a concession speech in New York on November 9, 2016. (screen capture: CNN)

Vanquished Democratic rival Hillary Clinton fought back the bitter disappointment of not becoming America’s first female president to urge Americans to give Trump a chance, at least from the outset.

“We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead,” she said in a concession speech.

Obama, addressing disconsolate staff in the White House Rose Garden, played down the extraordinary Trump upset, painting it as democracy being its messy self.

“Sometimes you lose an argument,” he said, adding that all Americans would now be “rooting” for Trump’s success.

“We are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country,” Obama said as staff wiped away tears and pondered whether his administration’s eight years of toil had come to naught.
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, speaks in the election, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, speaks in the election, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

In the battle for the soul of America, those who helped elect America’s first black president now appear to be in retreat.

Both Obama and Clinton issued a faint but definite warning that Trump must respect institutions and the rule of law if a modicum of goodwill is to hold.

In remarks that would once have seemed unthinkable, the president of the world’s foremost democracy and military power subtly urged his successor to respect the 240-year-old system of governance and its institutions.

“The country,” Obama said “needs a sense of unity, a sense of inclusion, a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law, and a respect for each other.”

White House spokesman Josh Earnest demurred when asked whether Trump would respect the rule of law.

His tone “would seem to suggest that certain basic principles of our democracy are likely to be upheld.”
Brave new world

“Likely” is unlikely clear enough for Washington’s partners who see the entire global political order, which hinges on Washington’s moral and military leadership, as cast into doubt.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to take on the mantle of champion of liberal values and “leader of the free world,” an epithet usually reserved for American presidents.

She warned that “close cooperation” between the two countries must be based on shared democratic values, and reminded Trump of the global responsibility he carries.

“On the basis of these values, I offer close cooperation to the future president of the United States of America, Donald Trump.”

Europe, already beset by financial and social crises and internal divisions, now faces existential questions about its own security. Trump has questioned the US-led NATO’s key collective defense guarantee.

The leaders of America’s closest hemispheric partners, Canada and Mexico, quickly made clear their willingness to work with the new president, offering a message of continuity and stability with their giant neighbor.

Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto reached out to the president-elect, agreeing to a fresh meeting.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump flanked by members of his family speaks to supporters during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York on November 9, 2016. Trump won the US presidency. (AFP PHOTO / Timothy A. CLARY)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump flanked by members of his family speaks to supporters during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York on November 9, 2016.
Trump won the US presidency. (AFP PHOTO / Timothy A. CLARY)
‘Redemption, not recrimination’

The Republican Party leadership, too, embraced their newfound champion.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had distanced himself from Trump in the final month of the campaign, pledged to “hit the ground running” and work with him on conservative legislation.

But Ryan also called for healing, saying the bitterly contested race must be followed by a period “of redemption, not a time of recrimination.”

Likewise, Trump called for national reconciliation after Clinton conceded defeat in a result that virtually no poll had dreamed of predicting.

He told a crowd of jubilant supporters early Wednesday in New York “it is time for America to bind the wounds of division” as he pledged to work with Democrats in office.

On Wednesday Trump huddled at Trump Tower in New York with a group of advisers, planning the transition to running the world’s largest economy when he takes office on January 20.

During a bitter campaign that tugged at America’s democratic fabric, the tycoon pledged to deport illegal immigrants, ban Muslims from the country and tear up free-trade deals.

Trump’s campaign message was embraced by a large section of America’s white majority, grown increasingly disgruntled by the scope of social and economic change under Obama.

Some of the most enthusiastic support for Trump came from far-right and nationalist politicians in Europe such as French opposition figure Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini of Italy’s Northern League and British euroskeptic Nigel Farage.

Russia’s autocratic leader Vladimir Putin said he wanted to rebuild “full-fledged relations” with the United States, as he warmly congratulated the president-elect.

In phone call, Netanyahu thanks Clinton for her support for Israel
Israeli PM extends open invitation to defeated Democratic nominee to visit Israel
By Times of Israel staff November 10, 2016, 1:54 am


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, a day after she was defeated by now President-elect Donald Trump in the race for the US presidency.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

During the call, Netanyahu thanked Clinton for her support for Israel and extended an open invitation for her to visit, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu spoke to Trump who invited the Israeli leader to Washington at the “first opportunity,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Trump and Netanyahu, “who have known each other for many years, had a warm, heartfelt conversation,” the statement said.

“President-elect Trump invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to a meeting in the United States at the first opportunity,” it said.

Netanyahu responded by saying that he and his wife Sara were looking forward to meeting the president-elect and his wife Melania.

Regional issues were also raised during the phone conversation, the statement said, without elaborating.

Earlier on Wednesday, Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his election victory, saying the Republican was “a true friend of the State of Israel.”

“We will work together to advance security, stability and peace in our region,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

“The bond between the US and Israel is based on shared values, shared interests and a shared future. I am sure that President-elect Trump and I will continue to strengthen the special alliance between Israel and the US and we will bring them to new heights,” he added.

Later Wednesday, Netanyahu released a video congratulating Trump.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meeting at the Trump Tower in New York, September 25, 2016. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meeting at the Trump Tower in New York, September 25, 2016. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Netanyahu met with both Trump and Clinton in New York in September, but refrained from expressing support for a particular candidate. Following the September meetings, the prime minister said “it doesn’t matter which of them will be elected, US support of Israel will remain strong, our pact will remain strong and will even get stronger in the coming years.”

The prime minister’s statement on Wednesday came on the heels of statements expressing a mix of optimism and wariness by Israeli politicians, many of whom joined Netanyahu in stressing the continued strengthening of the US-Israel ties.

President Reuven Rivlin congratulated Trump on his victory, which he said demonstrated that the US is the “greatest democracy.”

“There are many challenges that lie before you as president — at home and around the world. Israel, your greatest ally, stands by you as your friend and partner in turning those challenges into opportunities,” he said in a statement.

IS leaders ordered Paris, Brussels attacks, prosecutor says
Terrorist attacks in France and Belgium carried out by the same cell; authorities still searching for suspects
By AFP November 9, 2016, 7:16 pm



“We know that the orders came from the Islamic State zone…. We know that it went very high in the command,” Frederic Van Leeuw said in an interview with AFP.

He could not say exactly which top IS official or officials gave the orders or whether they sent them from a base in Syria or Iraq, the territory run by IS leader and self-declared caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

He said the command moved around to dodge US-backed strikes. “Baghdadi was for a while in Mosul, sometimes in Raqqa,” he added.

“We don’t know at all who are the people who really gave the orders,” he said.
A picture taken off CCTV purporting to show suspects in the Brussels airport attack on March 22, 2016. Faycal C may be the man on the right, sources told AFP on March 26, 2016 (Twitter)

A picture taken off CCTV purporting to show suspects in the Brussels airport attack on March 22, 2016. (Twitter)

Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks across Paris on November 13 that killed 130 people as well as the suicide bombings at Brussels airport and a metro station on March 22 that killed 32 people.

Van Leeuw said the attacks were carried out by the same cell, some of whose members were based in Brussels, and the authorities are still looking for suspects who did not die in the attacks or were arrested afterward.

“The investigation is far from having ended, as much at the Belgian as at the French level,” he said.

This is painful, and it will be for a long time'
Conceding defeat, Clinton urges giving Trump ‘a chance to lead’
Addressing crestfallen staff and voters at a New York City hotel, Clinton calls for president-elect to be approached with ‘an open mind’
By Lisa Lerer and Ken Thomas November 9, 2016, 7:48 pm



NEW YORK (AP) — Gone was the ballroom with a soaring glass ceiling, the confetti and the celebrity guest stars. Instead, Hillary Clinton looked out to a group of grief-stricken aides and tearful supporters, as she acknowledged her stunning loss of the presidency to Donald Trump.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

Clinton’s voice crackled with emotion as she said: “This is painful, and it will be for a long time.” But she told her faithful to accept Trump and the election results, urging them to give him “an open mind and a chance to lead.”

Before Clinton took the stage at a New York City hotel, top aides filed in, eyes red and shoulders slumped, as they tried to process the celebrity businessman’s shocking win after a campaign that appeared poised until Election Day to make Clinton the first woman elected U.S. president.

Clinton, who twice sought the presidency, told women that nothing had made her “prouder to be your champion,” adding, “I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling. But someday, someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.” Her remarks brought to mind her 2008 concession speech after the Democratic primaries in which she spoke of putting “18 million cracks” in the glass ceiling.
Former president Bill Clinton applauds as his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Clinton conceded the presidency to Donald Trump in a phone call early Wednesday morning. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Former president Bill Clinton applauds as his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Clinton conceded the presidency to Donald Trump in a phone call early Wednesday morning. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

“To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams,” she said.

Projecting an image of unity, Clinton wore a purple blouse and a dark blazer with a purple lapel while her husband, former President Bill Clinton, stood wistfully by her side, applauding during her remarks.

It may have been the final public act for the enduring political partnership of the Clintons, who appeared on the verge of returning to power after 16 years. If Clinton had won the election, it would have marked the first time a former first lady was elected U.S. president.

Clinton’s campaign was trying to make sense of a dramatic election night in which Trump captured battleground states like Florida, North Carolina and Ohio and demolished a longstanding “blue wall” of states in the Upper Midwest that had backed every Democratic presidential candidate since Clinton’s husband won the presidency in 1992.

As Democrats were left wondering how they had misread their country so completely, mournful Clinton backers gathered outside the hotel Wednesday.

“I was devastated. Shocked. Still am,” said Shirley Ritenour, 64, a musician from Brooklyn. “When I came in on the subway this morning there were a lot of people crying. A lot of people are very upset.
Hillary Clinton, holding hands with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, arrives at a New York hotel to speak to her staff and supporters after losing the race for the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Earlier in the day she conceded the race to Republican president-elect Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Hillary Clinton, holding hands with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, arrives at a New York hotel to speak to her staff and supporters after losing the race for the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Earlier in the day she conceded the race to Republican President-elect Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Flanked by her husband, daughter Chelsea Clinton and running mate Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Clinton said she had offered to work with Trump on behalf of a country that she acknowledged was “more deeply divided than we thought.”

The results were startling to Clinton and her aides, who had ended their campaign with a whirlwind tour of battleground states and had projected optimism that she would maintain the diverse coalition assembled by President Barack Obama in the past two elections.

On the final day of the campaign, Clinton literally followed Obama to stand behind a podium with a presidential seal at a massive rally outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia. As she walked up to the lectern, the president bent down to pull out a small stool so the shorter Clinton could address the tens of thousands gathered on the mall. Before leaving the stage, Obama leaned over to whisper a message in Clinton’s ear: “We’ll have to make this permanent.”
Former President Bill Clinton listens as his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Clinton conceded the presidency to Donald Trump in a phone call earlier in the day. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Former President Bill Clinton listens as his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Clinton conceded the presidency to Donald Trump in a phone call earlier in the day. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The devastating loss for the party, which will no longer hold the White House and will be in the minority of both chambers of Congress, was certain to open painful soul-searching among Democrats, who had endured a lengthy primary between Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The so-called democratic socialist drew strong support among liberals amid an electorate calling for change but had joined with other liberal stalwarts such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in backing Clinton’s general election bid.

The tumultuous presidential cycle bequeathed a series of political gifts for Clinton’s GOP rival: An FBI investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server, questions of pay-for-play involving her family’s charitable foundation, Sanders’ primary challenge and FBI Director James Comey’s late October announcement that investigators had uncovered emails potentially relevant to her email case.
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, right, and Republican nominee Donald Trump walk off the stage after the final presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 19, 2016. (Robyn Beck/AFP)

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, right, and Republican nominee Donald Trump walk off the stage after the final presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 19, 2016. (Robyn Beck/AFP)

Yet her team spent the bulk of their time focused on attacking Trump, while failing to adequately address Clinton’s deep liabilities — or the wave of frustration roiling the nation.

Every time the race focused on Clinton, her numbers dropped, eventually making her one of the least-liked presidential nominees in history. And she offered an anxious electorate a message of breaking barriers and the strength of diversity — hardly a rallying cry — leaving her advisers debating the central point of her candidacy late into the primary race.

Clinton’s campaign was infuriated by a late October announcement by Comey that investigators had uncovered emails that may have been pertinent to the dormant investigation into Clinton’s use of private emails while secretary of state. On the Sunday before the election, Comey told lawmakers that the bureau had found no evidence in its hurried review of the newly discovered emails to warrant criminal charges against Clinton.

But the announcement may have damaged Clinton while her campaign tried to generate support in early voting in battleground states like Florida and North Carolina. In the nine days between Comey’s initial statement and his “all clear” announcement, nearly 24 million people cast early ballots. That was about 18 percent of the expected total votes for president.

Trump invites Netanyahu to White House in phone call
During ‘warm’ conversation, US president-elect says PM should come to Washington ‘at first opportunity’
By Times of Israel staff November 9, 2016, 83 pm 17


US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone and invited the Israeli leader to Washington at the “first opportunity,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

Trump and Netanyahu, “who have known each other for many years, had a warm, heartfelt conversation,” the statement said.

“President-elect Trump invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to a meeting in the United States at the first opportunity,” it said.

Netanyahu responded by saying that he and his wife Sara were looking forward to meeting the president-elect and his wife Melania.

Regional issues were also raised during the phone conversation, the statement said, without elaborating.

Earlier on Wednesday, Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his election victory, saying the Republican is “a true friend of the State of Israel.”

“We will work together to advance security, stability and peace in our region,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

“The bond between the US and Israel is based on shared values, shared interests and a shared future. I am sure that President-elect Trump and I will continue to strengthen the special alliance between Israel and the US and we will bring them to new heights,” he added.

Later Wednesday, Netanyahu released a video congratulating Trump.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meeting at the Trump Tower in New York, September 25, 2016. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meeting at the Trump Tower in New York, September 25, 2016. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Netanyahu met with both Trump and rival Hillary Clinton in New York in September, but refrained from expressing support for a particular candidate. Following the September meetings, the prime minister said “it doesn’t matter which of them will be elected, US support of Israel will remain strong, our pact will remain strong and will even get stronger in the coming years.”

The prime minister’s statement on Wednesday came on the heels of statements expressing a mix of optimism and wariness by Israeli politicians, many of whom joined Netanyahu in stressing the continued strengthening of the US-Israel ties.

President Reuven Rivlin congratulated Trump on his victory, which he said demonstrated that the US is the “greatest democracy.”

“There are many challenges that lie before you as president — at home and around the world. Israel, your greatest ally, stands by you as your friend and partner in turning those challenges into opportunities,” he said in a statement.

UN: Counting on Trump to help combat climate change
Ban Ki-moon congratulates president-elect, says international body expects Washington to advance human rights
By AFP November 9, 2016, 118 pm


The United Nations will count on Donald Trump’s new US administration to help combat climate change and advance human rights worldwide, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

Ban congratulated the US president-elect on his victory and said people everywhere look to the United States to work for the common good.

Trump has made no secret of his disregard for the United Nations, which he has described as ineffective and a waste of taxpayer money, and has pledged to withdraw from the Paris climate deal.

Describing the United States as an “essential actor across the international agenda,” Ban made a plea for continued US engagement in the world.

“The United Nations will count on the new administration to strengthen the bonds of international cooperation as we strive together to uphold shared ideals, combat climate change, advance human rights,” Ban told reporters at UN headquarters.

“People everywhere look to the United States to use its remarkable power to help lift humanity up and to work for the common good.”

Ban championed the climate deal on fighting global warming that went into force this month after the United States, China and other big polluters joined the international agreement.
Republican presidential elect Donald Trump gives a speech during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York, November 9, 2016. (AFP/MANDEL NGAN)

President-elect Donald Trump gives a speech during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York, November 9, 2016. (AFP/Mandel Ngan)

“Today’s global challenges demand concerted global action and joint solutions,” he said.

Trump, who has no experience in government, has expressed his distrust of international organizations like the United Nations and NATO.

“Where do you ever see the United Nations?” Trump told the New York Times in an interview in April.

“Do they ever settle anything? It’s just like a political game. The United Nations — I mean the money we spend on the United Nations.”

The United States is the biggest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, providing some 29 percent of the nearly $8 billion budget for UN missions worldwide.

The UN chief also expressed his “deep appreciation” to defeated candidate Hillary Clinton, saying she was a “powerful global symbol of women’s empowerment.”

He praised her “lifetime commitment to peace, the advancement of women and the well-being of children.”

Trump adviser: New president won’t force Israeli-Palestinian peace
Next US administration will seek warm ties with Israelis and will only prioritize conflict if they want it, says Jason Dov Greenblatt
By Eric Cortellessa November 9, 2016, 11:26 pm


Jason Dov Greenblatt, Donald Trump’s top real estate lawyer and an Orthodox Jew, is one of three members on the Republican nominee’s Israel Advisory Committee. (Uriel Heilman)
Jason Dov Greenblatt, Donald Trump’s top real estate lawyer and an Orthodox Jew, is one of three members on the Republican nominee’s Israel Advisory Committee. (JTA/Uriel Heilman)
Writers
Eric Cortellessa
Eric Cortellessa Eric Cortellessa covers American politics for The Times of Israel.


NEW YORK — One of President-elect Donald Trump’s top advisers says the new administration will try to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but without pushing an agreement on either side.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories Free Sign up!

“I think he’s going to support Israel in a way it hasn’t been supported in the Obama administration,” Jason Dov Greenblatt told The Times of Israel Wednesday, as the dust settled from Trump’s shock victory hours earlier.

“I think he’s going to try to help the Israelis achieve peace with the Palestinians. He’ll be there to guide them and not force peace upon them,” he said.

Over the course of the campaign, Trump has said he would seek to broker the elusive final status agreement to the conflict but has not explicitly endorsed a two-state solution.

Greenblatt said Trump would prioritize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but would only seek any initiative if the two sides indicated they were willing to reach an accommodation.

“He will make it a priority if the Israelis and Palestinians want to make it a priority,” he said. “He’s not going to force peace upon them, it will have to come from them.”

Greenblatt was responding to advice doled out recently by Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, that the next president should not make the conflict central to US policy in the region.
President-elect Donald Trump walks off the stage after delivering his victory speech on Election Night (Eric Cortellessa/Times of Israel)

President-elect Donald Trump walks off the stage after delivering his victory speech on Election Night (Eric Cortellessa/Times of Israel)

Last week, Trump’s other adviser on matters relating to the Jewish state told The Times of Israel the business mogul is willing to explore avenues outside the two-state framework. “A two-state solution is not a priority,” said David Friedman. “I don’t think he is wed to any particular outcome. A two-state solution is a way, but it’s not the only way.”

Greenblatt’s comments came as a number of right-wing Israeli politicians seized on Trump’s victory by calling on him to make good on his promises to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel and move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.

The move would break with decades of precedent and put Washington at odds with nearly all UN member states, illustrating concerns over the foreign policy consequences of Trump’s presidency.

On Wednesday, Education Minister Naftali Bennett said that Trump’s election meant the idea of a Palestinian state was finished.

“Trump’s victory is an opportunity for Israel to immediately retract the notion of a Palestinian state in the center of the country, which would hurt our security and just cause,” Bennett said in an apparent reference to the West Bank. “This is the position of the president-elect … The era of a Palestinian state is over.”

Greenblatt said he was unsurprised by Trump’s win, which shook up the political establishment. “I have known Donald for 20 years,” he said. “When he sets his heart and mind to something, he wins.”

AFP contributed to this report