Note from Bill:
VP Pence at Israeli President Rivlin’s home in Jerusalem speaks of Trump Administration commitment to peace deal 20 minutes later 7.9 earthquake off Alaska coast.
VP Pence was about to speak to the Christian Friends of Israel (CUFI) event on Trump Administration commitment to peace as massive rains flood Washington, D.C. in 90-minutes.
---
January 23, 2018
Pence commits to Trump peace talks in Jerusalem 20 minutes later the Gulf of Alaska is rocked by a 7.9 earthquake and tsunami warnings
TIME: VP PENCE ARRIVES AT THE PRESIDENT’S RESIDENCE AT 10:50 AM JERUSALEM TIME. SPOKE AT APPROXIMATELY 11:10 AM JERUSALEM TIME / 4:10 AM EST OR 12:10 AM ALASKA TIME. THE GULF OF ALASKA EARTHQUAKE HIT AT 12:31 AM ALASKA TIME.
Vice President Mike Pence speaks with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin
5:00 minutes into the video:
The President [Trump] also sent me here to reiterate our nations deep commitment to peace.
5:27 minutes into the video:
President Trump truly believes that the decision the United States has just made to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, we believe will set the table for the opportunity to move forward in meaningful negotiations to achieve a lasting peace and end the decades long conflict
———
7.9 Earthquake in Gulf of Alaska just after midnight sparks brief West Coast tsunami fears
Source: Anchorage Daily News
The quake hit at 12:31 a.m. Alaska time, according to the USGS.
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.9 hit beneath the Gulf of Alaska early Tuesday, resulting in tsunami alerts for coastal areas from British Columbia to the Aleutians.
Tuesday's quake was centered 181 miles southeast of Kodiak, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. The quake was 15.5 miles deep, the center said. The magnitude was initially reported to be about 6 miles deep and magnitude 8.2 but was later downgraded to 7.9.
All Alaska warnings, alerts and advisories were canceled just after 4 a.m., and there were no reports of significant waves or damage.
Major U.S. networks' morning TV programs gave tsunami warnings for the entire West Coast .
---
Monday, July 8, 2019:
VP Pence speech and Washington, D.C. flooding
VP Pence gave a great pro-Israel speech from a member of the most pro-Israel US administration in history. But peace talks will still require giving up the Land of Israel thus the apparent timely DC/White House flooding rebuke.
---
VP Mike Pence addresses CUFI 2019 Summit in Washington, D.C.: For peace to be lasting and to be real it must be negotiated
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265680
US President Mike Pence addressed the opening plenary of the 2019 Christians United for Israel (CUFI) summit Monday.
The Vice President quoted US President Donald Trump: "This administration will always stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters and we will always stand strong for the State of Israel."
Addressing the administration's peace plan, Pence said: "A lasting peace can only be built on a foundation of truth. So we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that those who love her will be secure. And even as we pray we will work for peace."
For peace to be lasting and to real it must be negotiated, but peace can only be negotiated with partners who are committed to peace. Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of Israel, and the United States will never negotiate with terrorist Hamas," he declared.
"Last week, in pursuit of peace, there was a historic conference in Bahrain. After more than two years of painstaking efforts, the president's extraordinary Middle East peace team, led by Jared Kushner, unveiled a new vision of how the Palestinian people could be empowered to build a prosperous, vibrant, and peaceful society if they choose peace over war.
"I know the cynics out there say the president's dreams for peace are too big, that his hopes are too high. But it was none other than David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister who said: "Anyone who doesn't believe in miracles around these parts isn't a realist." So we will keep dreaming and keep working for peace.
---
Heavy rain slams DMV, causes flooding, road closures and chaos
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/heavy-rain-slams-dmv-causes-flooding-...
Weather Alert: Historic Flash Flood Hits DC, Stranding Cars in High Water
https://www.nbcwashington.com/weather/stories/Weather-Alert-Flash-Flood-...
Donald Trump's White House is leaking - literally - on the media
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/08/donald-trumps-wh...
President Trump having dinner with the Emir of Qatar tonight in Washington, D.C.; disinvited UK Ambassador Darroch
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/08/trump-disinvi...
-----
Tuesday, July 9, 2019:
Qatar’s Multibillion-Dollar Plan to Win Back Friends in the U.S.; White House meetings
https://www.thedailybeast.com/qatars-multi-billion-dollar-plan-to-win-ba...
Qatar’s public relations campaign has taken different forms. Earlier this month, officials from Qatar spent nearly three weeks between Washington and New York meeting with U.S. officials, think tank scholars, and academics, setting the stage for the emir’s visit on Tuesday. Topics of those conversations included the White House’s response to Iran, the ongoing war in Yemen, and Jared Kushner’s Middle East peace plan, according to three people with direct knowledge of those talks.
Qatar took part in a conference in Bahrain last month where the U.S. unveiled part of its peace plan, such as it was. The conference was originally supposed to bring all parties, including the Palestinians and Israelis, to the table to talk about economic investment in the region. But the Palestinians boycotted, and some of the panelists who spoke about the topic did not seem to have prior knowledge of the region. Kevin Hassett, the former top economist for the Trump administration who is known for his tax policy work, spoke at the conference about property rights in Palestine.
“Mr. Kushner in the most recent workshop in Manama acknowledged that no economic plan can be conducive to a lasting peace without a holistic political solution, and we agree with this assessment,” Al-Thani, the media attaché, said. “We have also expressed our concern that without the Palestinians onboard it becomes impossible to reach any meaningful solution. Qatar… remains committed to the economic resilience and prosperity of the Palestinian people.