Israelâs military said Monday its fighter planes struck Hamas facilities in the Gaza Strip after Palestinians fired rockets at the Jewish state. Two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward the coast near the southern city of Ashdod, according to a military statement. âIn response…fighter jets struck military targets …
Read More »After CENTCOM move US upgrades Bahrain and UAE to ‘major security partners’
The US called Bahrain and the UAE âmajor security partnersâ early on Saturday, a previously unheard of designation for the two countries home to major American military operations. A White House statement tied the designation to Bahrain and the UAE normalizing ties to Israel, saying it âreflects their extraordinary courage, …
Read More »Charge and counter-charge bewtween Israel and turkey
After years of minimal and sour relations between Turkey and Israel, Ankara is set to extend an olive branch to Tel Aviv and improve bilateral diplomatic ties. âOur relations with Israel in the intelligence field have not ceased anyway; they are still continuing,â Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on …
Read More »Israel taking moves to evict East Jerusalem families
Mazen Dweik had been warned multiple times by members of the Israeli settler organization Ateret Cohanim. If he refused to sell his house in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Batan al-Hawa to the settlers, they would make sure he and his family lost everything in court. Last month, that threat became a reality …
Read More »Israelis warn Saudi of pending Iran attack, through Iraq, Yemen
Israel is monitoring Iran’s movement in the region and expects that the Iranian threat will likely come from Iraq and Yemen, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman told the Saudi news website Elaph. In an interview given to Elaph and published on Friday, Zilberman addressed Iran and the tactics deployed by …
Read More »Egypt, Jordan, Palestine want international peace conference
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry announced that Egypt intends to organize a meeting to include Germany, France, Egypt and Jordan with the aim of further advancing peace talk efforts. Shoukry statements came during a joint press conference held on Saturday with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Palestinian Foreign Minister …
Read More »Palestinians want two-solution, resumption of talks, under Biden
The Palestinian foreign minister on Saturday urged Israel to return to talks based on a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ahead of the transition to a new US administration. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malkiâs comments came in a joint statement with Egyptâs Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry and Jordanâs Foreign …
Read More »Algeria categorically refuses Trump’s Morocco deal on Western Sahara
Algeria on Saturday rejected a decision by outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, saying the step would undermine efforts to end the decades-long conflict over the desert territory. Trumpâs administration said it was recognising Moroccan claims to Western Sahara as part of a deal …
Read More »In blow to normalization Bahrain won’t import Israeli settlement goods
Bahrain will not allow the import of Israeli goods produced in settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, state news agency BNA reported, disavowing comments made by the Gulf stateâs trade minister earlier this week. Bahrainâs Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid al-Zayani had voiced openness to settlement imports, adding …
Read More »Israeli tries to set flame to Garden of Gethsemane church
Israeli police on Friday arrested a man for trying to set fire to an east Jerusalem church by the Garden of Gethsemane, the site revered by Christians as the place where Jesus prayed before he was crucified. The 49-year-old Israeli suspect poured flammable liquid inside the Church of All Nations, …
Read More »Jordan warns Israel isn’t serious about peace
Israel should stop engaging in activities that undermine peace with Palestine, Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi said, reiterating the importance of the two-state solution in maintaining harmony in the region. Safadi, who was meeting his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi at the King Hussein Bridge Border crossing …
Read More »Palestinians say Pompeo has no right to relabel settlements goods as made in Israel
Palestinian officials have downplayed the effectiveness of a statement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his recent visit to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The statement included a move to allow products made in the occupied territories to be labeled âMade in Israel,â a clear contradiction to …
Read More »Riyadh streniously denies MBS-Netanyahu meeting
Saudi Arabiaâs foreign minister told Arab News on Monday that there were no Israeli officials at a meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the US Secretary of State. Prince Faisal bin Farhan has denied reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined talks in NEOM with Mike Pompeo …
Read More »BREAKING NEWS – Israel media claims Netanyahu secretly met with Saudi crown prince
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly flew to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Israelâs Kan public radio and Army Radio said on Monday. If confirmed, it would be the first publicly acknowledged trip by an Israeli …
Read More »After Golan and UAE visit, Pompeo in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabiaâs Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Neom on Sunday to discuss bilateral relations, areas of cooperation and ways to enhance them. They also discussed regional and international developments, Saudi Press Agency reported. The meeting was attended by Saudi foreign minister …
Read More »Saudis reasonably optimistic about Biden over Iran
Saudi Arabiaâs foreign minister said on Saturday he was confident that Democrat Joe Bidenâs incoming U.S. administration would pursue policies that help regional stability and that any discussions with it would lead to strong cooperation. Riyadh is bracing itself for a new U.S. president who pledged on the election campaign …
Read More »In new affront, Pompeo visits annexed Golan Heights, Syria protests
Syria condemned U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeoâs visit to the âoccupiedâ Golan Heights on Thursday in the âstrongest languageâ and said it was a provocative act before U.S. President Donald Trump leaves his post, state media said. Pompeo became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit an Israeli …
Read More »Pompeo visits Israeli settlements on farewell tour
Mike Pompeo on Thursday paid the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state to an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, in a parting show of solidarity with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the outgoing Trump administration. Palestinians accused Pompeo of helping Israel to cement its control over …
Read More »In reversal Abbas to resume security cooperation with Israel
The Palestinian Authority will resume civil and security cooperation with Israel suspended in May over a now-frozen Israeli plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian minister said on Tuesday. Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh wrote on Twitter that âthe relationship with Israel will return to how …
Read More »Qatar condemns normalization as betrayal of Palestine
Qatarâs foreign minister said on Monday Arab states that establish ties with Israel undermine efforts for Palestinian statehood, but it was in their own sovereign right to do so. Three Arab countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan – set aside hostilities with Israel in recent months to …
Read More »In last ditch attempt King Salman calls on Biden to counter Iran
Saudi Arabiaâs King Salman bin Abdulaziz urged the world on Thursday to take âa decisive stanceâ to address efforts by Iran to develop nuclear and ballistic missile programs, in an annual address to the top government advisory body. âThe kingdom stresses the dangers of Iranâs regional project, its interference in …
Read More »Saudi sends late night congrats to winner Biden
Saudi Arabia finally congratulated Joe Biden on Sunday over his election victory, more than 24 hours after he defeated Donald Trump, who had close personal ties with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The former U.S. vice president pledged in his campaign to reassess ties with the kingdom, demanding more accountability …
Read More »Rouhani wants clear apologies, amends for Trump mistakes
Iranâs president said on Sunday the next U.S. administration should use the opportunity to compensate for President Donald Trumpâs mistakes, Iranian state TV reported after Joe Biden captured the U.S. presidency. Tensions have spiked between the United States and Iran since 2018, when Trump exited a nuclear deal between Tehran …
Read More »Jewish settlers asks God to re-elect Trump in special prayers
Jewish settler leaders prayed on Monday for U.S. President Donald Trumpâs re-election, citing his support for Israel, during a ceremony at a biblical tomb in the occupied West Bank that has been a flashpoint of conflict with the Palestinians. âWe have come to bless President Trump, both for the past, …
Read More »Trump to allow Americans born in disputed Jerusalem to list Israel as birthplace
Americans born in Jerusalem will now be able to list Israel as their birthplace on their passports, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday, in a nod to Washingtonâs recognition of the contested city as Israelâs capital. It was the latest in a string of pro-Israel policy shifts …
Read More »US okays sale of stealth fighters to UAE
The U.S. State Department notified Congress it approved the sale of 50 Lockheed Martin Co LMT.N F-35 jets to the United Arab Emirates in a deal that could be worth $10 billion, sources said on Thursday, potentially setting up a showdown with lawmakers over the deal. The United States and …
Read More »Israelis continue to burn Palestinian olive trees
For many West Bank Palestinians, the olive tree is both a revered cultural emblem and an economic necessity – but it has also become a focal point of a struggle between them and Israeli settlers for a land they both claim. More than 1,000 trees owned by Palestinian farmers have …
Read More »Arabs wouldn’t vote for either Biden or Trump, survey reveals
Nearly half the respondents in an Arab News/YouGov poll conducted in 18 Middle East and Africa (MENA) countries believe neither candidate in the upcoming US elections will necessarily be good for the region. Of the rest, 40 percent said Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden would be better for the region while 12 percent said …
Read More »Pan-Arab survey proves Arabs more worried about East Jerusalem than Iran
Regardless of the outcome of the Nov. 3 presidential election, US President Donald Trump does not have to worry about one thing: being accused of leaving the Middle East in a worse condition than he inherited it. Judging by the Arab News/YouGov pan-Arab surveyâs findings, that dubious honor goes to …
Read More »Israel now drops objection to F-35 fighter sale to UAE
Israel said on Friday it will not oppose U.S. sales of âspecific weapons systemsâ to the United Arab Emirates, in an apparent reference to the F-35 warplanes sought by Abu Dhabi. Under a principle of preserving Israelâs âqualitative military edgeâ, the United States consults with it on proposed sales of …
Read More »UAE tolerance minister implicated in sexual assault case during prestigous literary festival
One of the UKâs leading literary festivals has announced it will not be going back to Abu Dhabi after one of the eventâs curators claimed she was sexually assaulted by the United Arab Emiratesâ tolerance minister. Caitlin McNamara claimed a member of Abu Dhabiâs ruling family, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, …
Read More »Saudi dove of peace between Palestine and Israel
The main focus of Middle East peace efforts should be to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, the Saudi foreign minister said on Thursday in a comment suggesting that Israeli-Saudi normalization is unlikely any time soon. âI believe that the focus now needs to be on …
Read More »US wants Saudi to normalization with Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday urged Saudi Arabia to consider normalizing relations with Israel as he met with the Gulf countryâs foreign minister, also saying that Washington supports a ârobust program of arms salesâ to it. Pompeo said he raised the so-called Abraham Accords, a U.S.-brokered agreement …
Read More »Israeli cabinet approves normalisation plans with UAE
Israelâs cabinet approved a normalisation deal with the United Arab Emirates on Monday and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and Abu Dhabiâs crown prince had spoken and agreed to meet soon. The U.S.-brokered âtreaty of peaceâ establishing full relations with the Gulf Arab country broke new diplomatic ground in …
Read More »Palestinian businessman wants UAE to pressure Israel to stop settlements
A top Palestinian business executive said on Monday that new Gulf Arab ties with Israel, condemned by Palestinian leaders, could also be an opportunity to apply fresh pressure to halt Jewish settlement in occupied land. Bashar Masri, a Palestinian-American who runs two of the Palestiniansâ largest holding companies, said the …
Read More »Israelis, Saudis take diplomatic, economic offensive against Turkey
Israelâs defence minister accused Turkey on Sunday of destabilising the region and working against peacemaking efforts, and called for international pressure to bring about a change in the NATO powerâs conduct. Israel generally shies from public censure of Turkey, with which it maintains trade and diplomatic relations despite the pro-Palestinian …
Read More »UAE’s F-35 deal expected for December
The United States and the United Arab Emirates hope to have an initial agreement on the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Gulf state in place by December, as the Trump administration studies how to structure a deal without running afoul of Israel. Sources close to the negotiations …
Read More »Dahlan supports arrested in occupied Palestine
Palestinian security forces arrested over half a dozen supporters of an exiled Palestinian politician who some have accused of involvement in the United Arab Emirates deal to forge ties with Israel, a spokesman for his faction said. Mohammed Dahlan has lived in the UAE since being driven out of the …
Read More »White House hosting UAE, Bahrain normalization deal
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Tuesday will become the latest Arab states to break a longstanding taboo when they sign agreements toward normalizing relations with Israel in a strategic realignment of Middle Eastern countries against Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump will host the White House ceremony at noon …
Read More »Bahraini opposition organises against normalisation deal
Bahraini opposition groups have said they reject a decision by the Gulf state to normalise relations with Israel, with a leading Shiâite cleric on Sunday calling on the people of the region to resist. Cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim, living in Iran, said he was against normalisation between Arab countries …
Read More »Hungary only EU country to submit to Trump’s will over UAE-Israel deal
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will be the only EU diplomatic leader to attend the signing ceremony on Tuesday in Washington for the Israel-United Arab Emirates peace deal, his spokesman said on Sunday. âAt the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, as the only European Union minister, Foreign Minister Peter …
Read More »Even Gazan beneficiaries of UAE protest normalisation decision
For two decades Palestinians have revered the founder of the United Arab Emirates for his generosity, especially those living on the Gaza housing estate that bears his name. The $62 million development was gifted to the Palestinians a decade and a half ago by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan …
Read More »Gazans protest Bahrain normalization deal
Palestinians in Gaza burnt pictures of Israeli, U.S., Bahraini and United Arab Emirates leaders on Saturday in protest over the two Gulf countriesâ moves to normalize ties with Israel. Bahrain on Friday joined the UAE in agreeing to normalize relations with Israel, a move forged partly through shared fears of …
Read More »Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guards warn of dire consequence for Bahraini move
Bahrainâs minister of foreign affairs Abdullatif Al-Zayani and Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi held a phone call on Saturday, the Bahrain foreign ministry announced, after the normalization of relations the day before. The ministers stressed the need to move relations forward to promote peace and stability in the region, it said. …
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