Tag Archives: Jordan

Israel’s new prime minister backtracked on Monday after claiming that Jews were entitled to “freedom of worship” at Al-Haram Al-Sharif in Jerusalem, the third-holiest site in Islam. In fact, the site is administered by Jordan through the Islamic Waqf, and Jews may visit but not pray. Naftali Bennett’s office made …

Arab visitors attracted by quarantine-free travel and a cheap lira are helping bolster a rebound for Turkey’s tourism industry, as it struggles to plug the gap left by Britons, for whom the country remains off limits. Holidaying with his family in Istanbul, Jordanian Omar Zahra, 48, said flying there from …

Arab countries and organizations have denounced the Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait and Najran using explosive-laden drones. Saudi Arabia’s air defenses destroyed 17 drones launched toward the Kingdom’s southern region on Saturday.A booby-trapped drone targeted Khamis Mushait early in the morning before seven more targeting the southern region …

Netflix has announced a new hardship fund in collaboration with the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture (AFAC) to support those most affected by the pandemic in the Arab region’s film and TV community. The fund, valued at $500,000, will provide financial support in the form of individual grants ($2000 …

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in phone calls with the Saudi, Qatari and Egyptian foreign ministers, the State Department said on Sunday. Blinken and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani discussed “efforts to restore calm in Israel and the …

Israel unleashed new airstrikes on Gaza early Tuesday, hitting a pair of high-rise buildings believed to be housing militants, as Hamas and other armed groups bombarded southern Israel with hundreds of rockets. The escalation was sparked by weeks of tensions in contested Jerusalem. Since sundown Monday, 26 Palestinians — including …

Saudi Arabia on Saturday denounced Israeli plans to evict Palestinian families from their homes in Jerusalem amid soaring violence in the city. Israel reinforced its security operation on Saturday after clashes on Friday night, when more than 200 Palestinians were injured. Riot police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun …

Saudi Arabia will start exporting electricity to neighboring countries, Argaam reported citing the Kingdom’s energy minister, following the opening of the Sakaka IPP photovoltaic (PV) power plant, its first renewable energy project. “Projects are ongoing to connect power grids with Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, and the GCC,” Prince Abulaziz bin Salman …

Egyptian diplomatic sources have denied rumors that Cairo discussed the eastern Mediterranean issue with Turkey. Egypt is committed to Cyprus and Greece being part of any negotiations with Turkey, the sources added. Cairo also has “no intentions” of negotiating with Turkey over the issue, they said. Turkish claims that a …

John Bolton, former US President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, said on Wednesday that while a return to the Iran nuclear deal appears to be a priority for the Biden administration, he doubts the sincerity of Tehran’s promises not to pursue the development of nuclear weapons. In an interview with …

Ahmed Al-Natour was working at his Gaza market shoe stall when a fire started in a nearby bakery and swept through a crowd of shoppers last March. Twenty-five people were killed and Natour, 34, suffered severe burns to his face and other parts of his body. Back home after months …

Three people were killed and several others were injured on Monday in two separate explosions in the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi and its tourism hub Dubai, the police and local media said. The Abu Dhabi government media office said two people were killed in the blast in the …

Almost 7 billion euros were pledged today to support war-torn Syria at a donor conference in Brussels. Around 60 countries and international agencies gathered to drum up financial aid for the Arab nation as the corona-virus and economic chaos wreak even more havoc in a country shattered by a conflict …

U.S. officials will gather this week to discuss whether to give Israel a green light for its plan to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s target date of July 1 approaches. A senior administration official said on Monday that the U.S. ambassador …

The U.N. human rights office voiced concern on Monday about more than a dozen countries that have declared states of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic where police have arrested or detained hundreds of thousands of people and killed others. “Emergency powers should not be a weapon governments can wield …

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) revealed the winning logo from the design competition held for the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2020. IAC, which will be hosted in Dubai for the first time in the Arab world, is a global event that brings together leading space specialists and decision-makers …

The Expo Centre Sharjah recently concluded its visit to Egypt and Jordan where it explored prospects of future cooperation and joint coordination in the sector of international exhibitions and conferences, to promote the interests of the Arab economy. The Expo delegation was headed by Saif Mohamed Al Midfa, Expo Centre …

The UAE and Jordan today started joint military drills in demonstration of the robust cooperation ties between the two countries. Titled “Bonds of Strength”, the exercises are part of the ongoing military collaboration between the armed forces of the two countries to improve their fighting capabilities and combat readiness in …

A high-level delegation from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, ADFD, today participated in the inaugural ceremony of the AED771 million (US$210 million) Petroleum Storage Facilities project in Jordan. Fully financed by ADFD, the funding was made as part of the UAE government’s contribution of AED4.6 billion ($1.25 billion) in 2013 …

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday ordered an emergency airlift of humanitarian aid to help those affected by the devastating floods in Jordan. A 747 jumbo jet and a C130 Hercules transport carrier took off from Dubai during …

Jordan says it plans to end a lease of two areas of land to Israel that was agreed in annexes to the 1994 peace treaty between the two countries. The areas are Naharayim in the north and Tzofar in the south, known as Baqura and Ghamr in Arabic. The lease …

The Palestinian authorities believe that a confederation with neighboring Jordan, proposed by US President Donald Trump as a solution for peace, would be meaningless before a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and with eastern Jerusalem as its capital is established, the country’s ambassador to Russia, Abdel Hafiz Nofal, told …

By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD   The Israelis just passed a ‘Jewish nation state’ bill meant to do away with what little progress has been made when it comes to using Arabic names, as well as pushing for yet more settlement building while calling for Jerusalem as the country’s ‘whole …

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday arrived in Jeddah. He is heading a UAE delegation to the quartet meeting called for by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, to discuss ways to support …

By Elias Muhanna   On a small rock found in Jordan, Ahmad Al-Jallad, a linguistics professor in the Netherlands, discovered text that he thought could be the oldest known record of literary expression in Arabic.   Afew years ago, Ahmad Al-Jallad, a professor of Arabic and Semitic linguistics at Leiden University, …

By: Wasan Abu-Baker   Dr. Rola Ghanem is a Palestinian novelist from the city of Tulkarem, she tells the story of her father through this novel which resembles the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation and reveals the struggle of generations. In the novel, she highlighted the importance of education …

There is a serious lack of quality Arabic literature for children, which needs to be addressed quickly, renowned children’s authors said during an interactive session at the 10th Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on Wednesday. Speaking during a session titled “What Children Want to Read,” Emirati children’s author Marwa Al …

If you remember, Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi wrote a stunning post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel called Malaaz: City of Resurrection. Now he’s written the long anticipated prequel, The Black Winter (2018), launched at the Cairo international book festival – and with the help of Amna, a Jordanian publishing house no less. To add …

By Mohamed Mohamed It is regrettable that the most basic human needs of millions of Palestinian refugees are now being used as a weapon in the Trump administration’s political assault on Palestinians. On January 16, the administration decided to withhold $65 million of a planned $125 million in US funding for the …

The US aviation security agency has issued an emergency order requiring additional screening of cargo on flights departing for the United States from five Mideast countries. It says the steps are aimed at preventing terrorist attacks. The Transportation Security Administration said in a statement that the order was prompted by …

In pointed public remarks, Jordan’s King Abdullah II told Vice President Pence on Sunday that he had repeatedly warned Washington about the risks of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and that he hoped the United States would now “reach out” and find the right way to move forward. At a …

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will visit Egypt, Jordan and Israel from Jan. 20 to 23, the White House said on Monday, embarking on a tour originally planned for last month after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Pence will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel …

Arab states will soon embark on a diplomatic drive to persuade the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said. Six Arab foreign ministers met in Amman on Saturday to …

The recognition by US President Donald Trump of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has triggered more than just criticism from America’s allies. Here in Bahrain, at the annual Manama Dialogue security conference, there is an almost universal concern that the announcement will be a gift to the region’s twin adversaries – …

Jordan’s King Abdullah voiced his concern Wednesday over US President Donald Trump’s plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy there, saying the city is key to regional stability. Trump’s expected announcement has prompted a chorus of criticism and concern from regional and world figures — …

In June 2015, retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn took a little-noticed trip to Egypt and Israel, paid for by a U.S. company he was advising. The company hoped to build more than two dozen nuclear plants in the region in partnership with Russian interests. Flynn’s quiet involvement in that project – and …

Jordan hopes a cease-fire it helped negotiate in neighboring southern Syria will eventually lead to a secure border, the reopening of a vital trade crossing and a gradual return home for Syrian war refugees who sought asylum in the kingdom. For now, these goals seem out of reach as key …

The Syrian army and its allies seized control of nine positions at Syria’s border with Jordan, expanding their control at the southern frontier, a military news outlet run by the Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Saturday. The captured border positions were located to the southeast of Damascus, the report said, …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intervened to prevent a possible fistfight between an outspoken MP and his Jordanian counterpart. The pair had arranged to meet on the border between their countries after exchanging insults on social media. A violent clash was widely expected. But at the last moment Mr …

By Dr. Haytham Mouzahem*  What are the reasons for Israeli silence regarding the battle to liberate the mountains of Arsal and the West Qalamoun? How does Israel view the growing military capabilities of Hezbollah and its enhanced combat profile in Syria? Israel’s noteworthy silence over the battle of the Arsal …

An attack has taken place at the Israeli embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with casualties reported. A BBC reporter at the scene says the immediate vicinity has been locked down but authorities have not released details. Media reports citing security sources say one Jordanian was killed and one Israeli …

The United States, Russia and Jordan have agreed to foster a cease-fire in a limited area of southwestern Syria that will begin at noon on Sunday, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said on Friday after the first face-to-face meeting between President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. …

By David Ignatius for Stars and Stripes — U.S. special operations forces working with a widening array of partners are slowly tightening their squeeze on Islamic State group fighters in eastern Syria — moving toward an eventual assault on the jihadis’ self-declared capital of Raqqa. The Pentagon’s top priority in …

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/ – The Islamic State, or ISIS, claims it has shot down a Jordanian fighter jet and captured its pilot. Will this undermine the kingdom’s bedrock role as an ally in the war? Islamic militants scored a significant propaganda coup today, displaying the captured pilot of a Jordanian warplane …