According to Consul-General of Israel in New York Ido Aharoni, under Obama and Netanyahu, the bond between Israel and the United States has never been stronger.

B'Tselem, group that led charge pressing state to revisit 3-year-old case, was upset over the negligence charge as opposed to more serious charges like murder or manslaughter.

The newspaper, which publishes a broadsheet in London, Beirut and Doha, also alleged torture within Palestinian jails. It branded the closure as politically motivated.

The first shooting took place near the Cave of the Patriarchs site, where two civilians were wounded.

Erdogan’s unwillingness to accept a legitimate, democratic election result is another sign that he is tightening his grip on power.

During his visit to Israel last December, Carter said he gained the impression that Israelis had felt betrayed by the US.

“The goal is to make a strong statement that New York stands with Israel and any effort to undermine the legitimacy of our strongest ally in the region will not be successful,” said Gianaris.

"There's a possibility that there was a bomb on board. And we're taking that very seriously," Obama said in a radio interview.