https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:27:27 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-us-ukraine-discuss-security-arrangements-saudi-arabia-peace-talks/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:28:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658347 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, over the phone, discussing recently held peace talks in Saudi Arabia, and "long-term security arrangements", reports Anadolu Agency. "The two discussed developments in Ukraine's counteroffensive efforts, recent conversations about a just and durable peace in Ukraine held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and long-term security arrangements between the two countries," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. "The Secretary reiterated the United States' staunch and ongoing support of Ukraine's defense against Russia's aggression and reaffirmed continued support of a strong Ukrainian military and accountable defense institutions," Miller added. Talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah on the Ukraine conflict concluded Sunday with the participants […]]]> 658347 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-pakistan-abandons-gas-pipeline-project-with-iran-due-to-us-sanctions-threat/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:06:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658340 Pakistan has cancelled the building of its major gas pipeline with Iran due to the threat of economic sanctions imposed by the United States. The decision seemingly concludes around a decade of expectations for the project. According to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, the country's Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Musadik Malik, said in written testimony to the National Assembly that, "Pakistan has issued a Force Majeure and Excusing Event notice to Iran under the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA), which resultantly suspends Pakistan's obligations under the GSPA." He confirmed that the pipeline – which aimed to supply 750 million cubic feet of gas per day to Pakistan from its western neighbour – "is stalled due to international sanctions on […]]]> 658340 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-israel-to-incorporate-palestinian-americans-in-gaza-into-the-us-visa-waiver-pilot/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:00:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658338 Israel has followed the US' demand to allow American citizens residing in Gaza to travel via Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, as part of the continuous negotiations between Israel and the United States regarding Israel's inclusion in the visa waiver programme (VWP). According to Gil Bringer, Israel's VWP project manager, there are approximately 100 to 130 Palestinian Americans residing in Gaza. As part of the pilot programme, those who meet Israel's security criteria will be eligible to enter the country on "B2" tourist visas and depart from the main Ben Gurion Airport, reported Reuters. Israel will also grant Palestinian-Americans living in Gaza tourist visas allowing them to stay in Israel for three months. READ: Palestinian teen, 17, dies after being shot by […]]]> 658338 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-israel-can-no-longer-rely-on-an-acquiescent-international-community/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 15:00:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658321 The Zionist state of Israel has been receiving preferable treatment and support from an acquiescent international community, mainly countries in the West which dominate international bodies and other countries around the world, even before it was created in occupied Palestine in 1948. Despite never declaring where its borders lie (so that it can continue to expand on stolen Palestinian land) and not even fulfilling a major condition of its membership the UN — allowing the Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland — it is recognised as a full member of the international organisation. Most of its citizens are so uncertain about its viability that they maintain dual citizenship. Meanwhile, most countries of the world do not recognise the State […]]]> 658321 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-uk-government-divided-over-labelling-irans-revolutionary-guards-terrorist-group/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:09:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658326 The UK government is divided over designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, the Financial Times has reported. Disagreement between Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on labelling Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group is said to be causing tension within the government. Braverman is increasingly alarmed by alleged plans of Iranian agents to target British citizens. However, Cleverly and officials at the Foreign Office are hesitant to classify the Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, fearing that such a move could be counterproductive. READ: UK security minister labels Iran-funded mosque a 'vile threat' to the country Labelling the armed force of another nation as terrorists is quite unusual for the UK, officials in the Foreign Office have argued. There are […]]]> 658326 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-quran-burnings-proof-of-broader-bias-against-migrants-in-europe-ex-un-rapporteur/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:22:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658295 A recent wave of Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark is "an assertion of a broader anti-immigrant, anti-non-European right-wing bias that has grown to be quite politically strong," a former UN special rapporteur has said. "There's no legitimate purpose by allowing groups to burn the holy scriptures of another religious faith," Richard Falk, a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, said. "It seems to me to serve … no possible constructive purpose. And I think there is a strong case for [such acts to be] prohibited." In recent months, far-right groups have desecrated and burnt several copies of the Quran in Denmark and neighbouring Sweden, drawing fierce condemnation from Muslims around the world and calls for measures to stop […]]]> 658295 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-us-slams-murder-of-palestinian-by-israel-settlers-as-terrorism/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:10:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658284 Washington has condemned as "terrorism" the killing of a Palestinian by suspected Jewish settlers, in language that appears to reflect US frustration with surging violence in the occupied West Bank under Israel's hard-right government, Reuters reported. Israeli police detained two settlers following Friday's attack near the village of Burqa. According to Palestinians, they were part of a group that threw rocks, torched cars and, when confronted by villagers, shot a 19-year-old dead and wounded several others. Initial findings by Israel's military described the incident as a confrontation that escalated, with casualties on both sides. A defence lawyer said the settlers – one of whom was absent from a court hearing due to a head injury – acted in self-defence. In their arraignment, a transcript […]]]> 658284 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-khamenei-accuses-us-of-encouraging-smugglers-in-gulf-region/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:01:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658282 Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the US of encouraging smuggling by sea in the Gulf region, in the latest sign of rising tensions between Tehran and Washington. "Today, the Americans are targeting oil tankers while helping the maritime smuggling networks in our region," said Khamenei on state television yesterday, Bloomberg News has reported. "This is a major violation on their part." Media reports said on 3 August that the US might seek to station military personnel on board civilian vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to counter "Iranian aggression". The state-run Nour News agency in Iran responded by saying that the US "cannot use maritime protection as an excuse to expand its military […]]]> 658282 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-iraq-seeks-interpol-alerts-for-former-officials-over-2-5bln-graft/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 14:46:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658183 Iraq plans to ask Interpol to issue international alerts seeking the arrest of former senior officials including an ex-finance minister and an ex-intelligence chief over the alleged theft of more than $2.5 billion from the country's Tax Commission, Reuters reports. The scandal centres on suspected illegitimate cash withdrawals from the Commission between 2021 and 2022 totalling around $2.5 billion, according to Iraqi officials – a staggering amount even in a country that regularly ranks among the world's most corrupt. Iraq's top anti-corruption official, Integrity Commission chief Judge Haider Hanoun, announced the move to seek so-called Interpol Red Notices on Sunday. Hanoun said the judiciary would also ask for notices to be issued for the private secretary and a political adviser […]]]> 658183 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-turkish-fm-us-secretary-of-state-discuss-black-sea-grain-deal-nato-enlargement/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 10:30:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658152 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke over the phone on Saturday and discussed the revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the security of the Black Sea and NATO enlargement, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the two also discussed developments in the South Caucasus and the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia during the phone call held at Blinken's request. READ: UK takes lead in Turkiye earthquake aid, donating over £150 million]]> 658152 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-helping-palestinians-in-need-is-not-terrorism-they-are-the-victims-of-israeli-terrorism/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 09:37:14 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658149 I know none of the details of the arrest of Palestinian Amin Abu Rashid and his daughter Israa in Holland recently. I do know, however, that the track record of European governments in levelling allegations of "funding terrorism" against Palestinian-European organisations over the past twenty years or so has been abysmal. In almost every case, when taken to court the authorities have lost the legal argument. Will this happen again with Abu Rashid and Israa? Time will tell, but what is interesting is that it introduces to the world another no doubt well-funded "Israeli activist group", Ad Kan. It is well known, of course, that all allegations of "terrorism" and "funding Hamas" arise from "intelligence" shared by Israel and its […]]]> 658149 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-us-senators-call-for-withholding-of-military-aid-to-egypt-over-human-rights-record/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 07:54:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658140 A group of senators in the United States have urged the government to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Egypt, citing the country's increasingly poor human rights record. In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, 11 senators – including ten high-profile Democratic senators such as Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Tim Kaine, and the independent Bernie Sanders – highlighted the Egyptian government's failure to improve its human rights violations as a cause to withhold up to $320 million of the overall $1.3 billion allocated for military aid to the country if it continues to not address the issue. The senators cited a provision in the 2022 fiscal year State Department funding bill […]]]> 658140 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-tunisia-rescues-15000-migrants-in-first-half-of-2023/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 10:51:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658086 Tunisian Security Services have rescued 15,327 illegal migrants during the first half of 2023, Tunisian Interior Minister Kamal Feki announced on Friday. According to Feki, 95 per cent of the migrants hold African or sub-Saharan identities. He noted that the security services are carrying out a direct humanitarian follow-up in coordination with the relevant international organisations. In order to address the crisis, the security forces have been closely collaborating with pertinent international organisations, providing a humanitarian response and conducting fieldwork. The Tunisian minister considers what was reported by some international organisations untrue, especially a recent statement by the United Nations (UN) deputy spokesperson about the alleged treatment of African refugees and migrants on the Tunisian borders. "We are deeply concerned about […]]]> 658086 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-gaza-palestinian-americans-urge-washington-to-include-them-in-israel-visa-deal/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 14:54:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658030 US passport holders with Palestinian papers and families in Gaza are urging Washington to ensure they are treated equally under a reciprocal deal with Israel intended to ensure visa-free travel for American and Israeli citizens, Reuters reports. Israel, facing a 30 September deadline to qualify its citizens for visa-free admission to the United States, said it has loosened access through its main airport and at the Occupied West Bank's boundary for Palestinian-Americans, allowing more than 2,000 people to cross into or through Israel. US State Department officials have said the Visa Waiver Program must apply to all American citizens, including those in Gaza, but a number of Palestinian-Americans with Gaza identity papers have said they have been prevented from entering Israel. "As a Palestinian with a Gaza ID, […]]]> 658030 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-kremlin-disbelieves-us-promise-to-safeguard-its-food-exports-if-it-returns-to-grain-deal-ria/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 14:19:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658028 Russia does not believe a US promise that Washington will help ensure Moscow can freely export food if it returns to the Black Sea grain deal, state news agency, RIA, quoted the Kremlin as saying on Friday, Reuters reports. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, told reporters on Thursday: "In the event of return to the agreement, of course, we'll continue to do whatever is necessary to make sure that everyone can export their food and food products freely and safely to include Russia." Russia, last month, quit the agreement that had allowed Ukraine to ship food from its Black Sea ports, complaining about obstacles to its own exports of food and fertiliser. READ: US to keep Russia food exports […]]]> 658028 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-israel-no-longer-serves-us-interest-says-ex-senior-white-house-official/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 13:26:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658019 American support for Israel no longer serves strategic US interests, says Steven Simon, Washington's former National Security Council senior director for the Middle East and North Africa. Simon, who directly managed the Israel-Palestine file, served under the administration of former US President Barack Obama. He urged the US to reconsider its relation in a new book titled 'Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East'. Simon advocates for a fundamental revaluation of the US-Israel relationship, while arguing that American support for Israel no longer serves the strategic interests of the US. According to details of the book reviewed by Haaretz, Simon likens the current situation to "empty-nest syndrome," suggesting that the US finds it difficult to […]]]> 658019 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-us-to-keep-russia-food-exports-flowing-if-grain-deal-revived-blinken-says/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 19:48:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657959 The United States would continue to do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Russia can freely export food if there was a revival of a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said on Thursday, Reuters reports. Russia, last month, quit the July 2022 deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkiye aimed at easing a global food crisis after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, five months earlier. Ukraine and Russia are both leading grain exporters. "In the event of return to the agreement, of course, we'll continue to do whatever is necessary to make sure that everyone can export their food and food products freely and safely, to include Russia," Blinken told reporters at the United Nations. "We want to see […]]]> 657959 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-disappointed-with-us-palestine-turning-to-china-foreign-minister/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:49:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657944 As the Biden administration has been a disappointment for them, Palestine is "increasingly turning to China", said the Palestinian Foreign Minister on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports. "Three years have passed since President [Joe] Biden's promises, but we have seen nothing other than financial support to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and hospitals in East Jerusalem," Riyad Al-Maliki told reporters at Foreign Ministry headquarters in the Occupied West Bank. China seeks to boost its presence in the Middle East Maliki expressed his country's frustration with the US position on Israel's violations, including its recent attacks in the northern West Bank city of Jenin. The Biden administration has been a disappointment, he said. READ: Israel far-right minister […]]]> 657944 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-turkiye-criticises-reports-disney-will-scrap-ataturk-series/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:39:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657938 Turkiye's governing party has criticised a reported decision by Walt Disney Co's Disney+ not to broadcast a documentary series about modern Turkiye's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, on its streaming service, Turkish local media reports. According to the report, Ebubekir Sahin, Chairman of Turkiye's television watchdog, RTUK, announced the probe on Tuesday night in a statement, describing Ataturk as "our most important social value". The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) called on Disney+ in June to cancel the show, saying that it "glorifies a Turkish dictator and genocide killer". Last month, Disney+ Turkiye announced the Ataturk series would be on air "very soon". Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkiye's governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, called it a "shame" that Disney+ had […]]]> 657938 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-palestinians-hope-saudis-will-hear-concerns-on-israel-deal-minister-says/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:34:27 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657893 The Palestinian Authority is hoping to engage with Saudi Arabia to discuss their concerns over a potential agreement normalising relations with Israel, Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Al-Maliki, said on Thursday, Reuters reports. US President Joe Biden said, last week, a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel "may be under way" following months of efforts by US officials to broker an agreement between the two long-standing adversaries. Officials from all three countries have said any agreement would be some way off, with complex issues remaining to be resolved, including the tense situation in the Occupied West Bank and a potential development of civilian nuclear power by Saudi Arabia. But the speculation has caused concern among Palestinians that any agreement would further weaken support for […]]]> 657893 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-beirut-port-blast-three-years-on-victims-still-await-accountability/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:07:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657885 Lebanon, on Friday, marks the third anniversary of the Beirut port explosion which killed at least 220 people, wounded thousands and damaged swathes of the city. Despite the devastation, an investigation has brought no senior official to account. Here is a summary of what happened and how the investigation has been stymied: The explosion  The blast is thought to have been set off by a fire at a warehouse just after 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) on 4 August, 2020, detonating hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Originally bound for Mozambique aboard a Russian-leased ship, the chemicals had been at the port since 2013, when they were unloaded during an unscheduled stop. No one claimed the shipment, tangled in a legal […]]]> 657885 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-moroccan-sentenced-to-five-5-after-facebook-posts-criticising-normalised-ties-with-israel/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:08:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657863 A Moroccan court has sentenced a blogger to five years in prison over posts on Facebook criticising the normalisation of relations with Israel that were deemed "offensive" to the monarchy, according to his lawyer. Lawyer Hassan Al-Sunni told AFP that his client, Saeed Boukayoud, 48, "was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday for Facebook posts denouncing normalisation with Israel in a way that could be interpreted as criticism of the King." The facts of the case go back to December 2020, when Boukayoud, who resides in Qatar, published posts rejecting the agreement, which at that time required Morocco to resume its relations with the occupation state of Israel in return for the US recognising its sovereignty over the Western Sahara, according […]]]> 657863 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-brazil-president-supports-accession-of-saudi-arabia-uae-to-brics/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:41:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657845 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed his support for more countries joining the BRICS group. Lula said in the capital, Brasilia, yesterday that he supports countries such as Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining the group. BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg from 22-24 August. He also described the seven leading industrialised countries as a "club" that should not exist, considering that its form in terms of geopolitical affairs is outdated. The UK, US, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany make up the group of Western industrialised countries, known as the G7. Some 22 countries have "formally" asked to join the BRICS group, while […]]]> 657845 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-why-are-israel-and-saudi-arabia-heading-for-normalisation-and-what-might-stop-it/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 10:16:23 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657769 Despite US efforts to get Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalise their relations, the process keeps faltering. Israeli officials speak of a long and important list of demands made by the Kingdom to the Americans. Although a normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Muslim world will give greater legitimacy to relations with Israel, such an agreement requires the apartheid state to do certain things, according to Israeli political and diplomatic officials. US President Joe Biden's administration has the ambitious goal to broker such normalisation before the next presidential election campaign. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to have set the same goal. He has a clear interest in strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia as it is […]]]> 657769 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-iran-kicks-off-drill-on-disputed-islands-as-us-military-presence-in-region-grows/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 17:11:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657540 Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a surprise military drill Wednesday on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf as the US military increased its presence in the region, AP reports. According to the report, the elite force ran the drills mainly off the coast of Abu Musa which, along with Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, are islands in the Gulf that Iran controls but have recently been increasingly the subject of political tensions. Iran did not provide a reason for launching the drill, though such snap exercises have happened in the past, the report said. "We always try for security and tranquility; it is our way," the Guard's chief, General Hossein Salami, said in a televised address during the drill. "Our nation […]]]> 657540 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-geopolitical-realities-in-the-middle-east-and-the-political-mandate-of-the-iaea/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:45:44 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657382 Geopolitical events in the Middle East, as well as the recent visit of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, to Iran for nuclear programme talks, contribute to how quickly the world is changing. With rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia brokered by China, undermining US influence, new geopolitical realities are being created in the region. Having received funding from the UN, the IAEA has decided to take on a political mandate. Although Iran has never been charged with breaking the law, there is a widespread assumption in the West that this may be the case. Uncertainties result from this deficit of trust. During discussions between 2002 and 2018, Iran committed to stick to several […]]]> 657382 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-more-than-2000-palestinian-americans-admitted-in-israel-visa-trial-so-far/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:10:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657523 More than 2,000 Palestinian-Americans have travelled into or through Israel since it eased conditions for them at border crossings as part of a bid to achieve a visa waiver deal with the United States, an Israeli official said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. Ahead of a 30 September deadline to qualify its citizens for visa-free admission to the United States, Israel has reciprocally loosened access through its main airport and at the Occupied West Bank's boundary for Palestinian-Americans. The US embassy has declined comment on the trial period, which comes amid unusually intense strains between US and Israeli leadership over wider Palestinian policies and contested judicial changes in Israel. An Israeli official said that, in the first week of the six-week pilot, 1,100 Palestinian-Americans had […]]]> 657523 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-us-concerned-about-escalating-israeli-settler-violence-against-palestinians/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:10:41 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657202 The United States is deeply concerned about escalating Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, a US official said on Tuesday. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel and Palestinian Affairs Andrew Miller told Al Horra TV that Israeli officials "should necessarily take urgent measures to contain the escalation in the Palestinian territories." This came during Miller's visit to the Ramallah governorate town of Turmus Ayya where he met local Palestinian residents, including some who are US citizens, to discuss settler violence. He reaffirmed the firm commitment of the US to promoting equal measures of freedom, justice, dignity and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis alike. READ: Israel uses weapons to force Palestinians out to allow settlers to […]]]> 657202 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-sudan-meeting-in-cairo-to-discuss-end-to-fighting/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:37:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657166 Sudanese political forces met in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the formation of a "civilian front" to stop the fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. Representatives of the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, which is the former ruling coalition, met the Arab League's Assistant Secretary, Hossam Zaki, at the League's headquarters in Cairo. They also held a separate meeting in Cairo with the US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey. The Sudanese group said afterwards that its delegation met Zaki in the context of mobilising and coordinating international and regional efforts to end the war in Sudan. The group added that the meeting covered developments in Sudan and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. The meeting […]]]> 657166 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-us-proposal-to-rescue-israel-is-as-offensive-as-it-is-ridiculous/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:18:18 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657098 "Why is the US paying for Israel's peace?" is a reasonable question to ask in light of recent rumours in Washington over the latest proposal to rescue the occupation state from the brink of disaster. The sentiment was widely shared in response to a recent article by Thomas Friedman in which the New York Times columnist revealed details of a possible deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel and the price American would have to pay to make such a deal possible. Americans are rightly asking "Why does the US even care if Saudi Arabia has peace with Israel and why would WE have to purchase that peace at the price of tying ourselves to Saudia Arabia if it were attacked […]]]> 657098 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-us-quietly-inspects-israel-crossings-for-its-palestine-dual-nationals/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:06:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657124 US observers are in Israel this week to discreetly assess conditions at its border crossings for Palestinian-Americans as part of an emerging Israeli-US visa waiver deal, four officials said, Reuters reports. The officials, who declined to be identified by name or nationality, said the delegation visited Israel's immigration office on Sunday, Ben Gurion Airport on Monday and would, on Tuesday, tour checkpoints on the Occupied West Bank's boundaries. In return for visa-free access for Israelis, Washington has demanded that Israel provide reciprocal unfettered passage for Americans, regardless of their background. That would overhaul travel rules for tens of thousands of Palestinian-Americans who live in the West Bank, as well as, potentially, those from the United States, some of whom complain about harassment or travel bans […]]]> 657124 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-afghanistan-activists-sound-alarm-over-surge-in-suicide-among-women/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:35:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656955 A teenage girl ended her life last week by hanging herself at her home in Afghanistan's rugged central province of Bamyan, Anadolu has reported. Her family refrained from disclosing any details about her death, but a neighbour told local media that she was particularly distressed about not being able to go to school, a result of the Taliban administration's ban on education for women and girls. A day later, in another part of Afghanistan, a 23-year-old woman shot herself. According to local media reports, she took the step as an escape from an abusive household to which she was confined. Social media accounts of Afghan news outlets are teeming with such reports of women committing suicide. Activists say that there […]]]> 656955 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-netanyahu-slams-biden-over-criticism-of-judicial-overhaul/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:37:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656926 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the Biden administration in Washington over its criticism of his judicial overhaul, stressing that he will not bow to outside pressure. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Netanyahu rebuked the US president and others, saying that other countries should not interfere in Israel's domestic affairs. He pointed out that he has served as a prime minister for 16 years, but he has "never commented on the internal debates of other democracies." He added: "Everybody has an opinion on Israel; they don't have an opinion on the riots in France or the protests there, or the debates that happen in other countries. [The US] is experiencing a major debate between the Supreme Court and […]]]> 656926 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-christina-aguilera-urged-to-cancel-concert-in-israel/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:19:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656921 Fans around the world are urging 32-year-old American pop superstar Christina Aguilera to cancel her upcoming performance in Israel due to the Israeli government's escalation in its forced displacements of Palestinian communities. "Shalom Israel, I'm so excited to finally make my way to Tel Aviv, this'll be my first performance in Israel," said Aguilera in a video message shared yesterday by the show's promoter, Live Nation Israel. "See you at Live Park on August 10 for an unforgettable night." In response, Aguilera's fans took to Twitter/X to express their disappointment at the singer's scheduled event in Rishon LeZion, highlighting the racist Israeli policies enforced on Palestinians including the destruction of their homes, land grabs and being denied their rights to […]]]> 656921 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-taliban-call-for-return-of-bank-funds-ending-curbs-in-meeting-with-us-envoy/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:54:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656900 The Taliban-run Afghanistan administration said, on Monday, it had met US Special Representative, Tom West, in Qatar and discussed the lifting of travel and other restrictions on Taliban leaders and the return of Afghan Central Bank assets parked abroad, Reuters reports. The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after foreign forces ended a 20-year presence in the country. But the government formed by the Islamist movement, which it calls the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), is yet to be recognised by any country and faces travel and financial sanctions. "IEA reiterated that it was crucial for confidence-building that blacklists & reward lists be removed, & bank reserves be unfrozen so that Afghans can establish an economy unreliant on […]]]> 656900 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-mossad-chief-held-secret-us-talks-about-saudi-normalisation-report/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:42:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656746 Israeli intelligence chief, David Barnea, held undisclosed talks in Washington about the Biden administration's ongoing push to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to a report published Monday, Reuters reports. Barnea, who heads Israel's Mossad intelligence service, met senior White House and CIA officials two weeks ago about the effort to establish diplomatic relations between the countries, Axios reported, citing two anonymous US officials. US President, Joe Biden, is seeking to cement an agreement by early next year, at the latest, that would see Saudi Arabia and Israel officially recognise each other. Biden is keen to have the pact in place before the 2024 campaign season kicks into high gear next spring, according to Axios. READ: Saudi FM: […]]]> 656746 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-us-presidential-candidate-kennedy-affirms-israel-support-after-anti-semitism-claims/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:06:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656729 READ: Report: Israel army to resume attacks on Jenin]]> 656729 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-no-palestine-concessions-to-secure-deal-on-saudi-ties-israel-minister-says/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:33:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656720 A key party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government will not agree to any concessions to the Palestinians as part of a deal on normalising relations with Saudi Arabia, one of its cabinet ministers said on Monday, Reuters reports. US President Joe Biden last week dispatched his National Security Adviser to Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible Saudi-Israel deal, which he deems a policy priority, and on Friday said "there's a rapprochement maybe under way". The idea has been under discussion since the Saudis gave their quiet assent to Gulf neighbours, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, establishing ties with Israel in 2020. Riyadh has not followed suit, saying Palestinian demands must first be met. Asked whether her pro-settler party, Religious Zionism, […]]]> 656720 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-is-the-west-turning-against-kosovo-to-appease-the-serbs/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:04:55 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656663 In a globalised world where a largely stable international order of nation states with agreed-upon boundaries is in place, borders contested by rival nations are few and far between. Those who grow up in the Western world in particular are generally unaware of such places, or at least ignorant of how they operate. Yet as I made my way from Serbia into Kosovo in early July, I was reminded that the border is one of those that remain contested. Having come from the steadiness of quiet Zagreb and then into the bustling energy of cosmopolitan Belgrade, I was woken up to the reality that is the former Yugoslavia as I passed under numerous bridges and signs proclaiming "Kosovo is Serbia". […]]]> 656663 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-coups-in-the-middle-east-generally-have-americas-blessing/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 07:29:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656616 With the end of World War Two and the victory of the allies led by the US, it was only natural for it to assume the leadership of the "free world", inherit the mantle of the British Empire and dominate Britain's former colonies in the Middle East. It managed to do this in a number of ways, including military coups to bring about regime change to create a new world order in its own image. The new regimes owed allegiance to the US, including those in the Arab world whose role is to protect US interests and colonial ambitions, and strengthen the American Empire. The Prime Minister of Egypt during the rule of King Farouk was the leader of the […]]]> 656616 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-israeli-deputy-says-normalisation-with-saudis-does-not-appear-imminent/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 14:51:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656507 A top Israeli lawmaker said on Sunday that any forging of relations with Saudi Arabia did not appear imminent, citing what he described as sticking points in negotiations currently being held between Riyadh and US mediators, says Reuters. US President Joe Biden, having dispatched his national security adviser to Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible normalisation deal with Israel that he deems a policy priority, said on Friday that "there's a rapprochement maybe under way". The idea has been under discussion since the Saudis gave their quiet assent to Gulf neighbours United Arab Emirates and Bahrain establishing ties with Israel in 2020. But Riyadh has not followed suit, saying Palestinian demands must first be met. "I think it's too early […]]]> 656507 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-twitter-replaces-iconic-blue-bird-logo-with-x-at-us-headquarters/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:13:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656478 OPINION: Marc Owen Jones on disinformation, misogyny and Twitter's future under Musk]]> 656478 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-asias-strategic-autonomy-how-the-new-era-could-shape-our-collective-identities/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 11:30:40 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656406 In a recent speech, China's highest-ranking diplomat Wang Yi spoke of a "united Asia" and its need to develop a "strategic autonomy". In principle, Wang was not wrong; after all, a stable and prosperous Asia would benefit the region's peoples and deny Western meddlers the chance to exploit historical fault lines and sow the seeds of political division. Wang's language, although from the outside may seem simple and straightforward, is quite loaded with meaning. "No matter how blonde you dye your hair, how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner," Wang said, as cited by Chinese state media. In fact, common culture, beliefs and origins have historically served […]]]> 656406 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-us-stresses-jordans-role-as-jerusalem-holy-sites-custodian/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 08:35:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656392 The US stressed Jordan's role as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem. Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department Vedant Patel announced in a press statement received by Quds Press on Friday: "We underline Jordan's special role in Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem." "Any unilateral action or rhetoric that deviates or jeopardises the status quo is completely unacceptable," Patel added. In a related context, the US expressed its concerns over escalating violence in the West Bank. The US Department of State tweeted that the escalation highlights the fragility of the situation and the urgent need for immediate steps from both sides to stop the escalation and restore calm. The US also expressed concern about the so-called Minister of National […]]]> 656392 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-iraq-banks-hit-with-dollar-ban-say-they-are-ready-to-challenge-measures/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 17:27:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656130 Fourteen Iraqi private banks hit with curbs by the United States over allegedly helping siphon US dollars to Iran said on Wednesday they were ready to challenge the measures and face audits and called on Iraqi authorities to provide assistance, Reuters reports. US financial authorities last week barred 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions as part of a wider crackdown on dollar smuggling to Iran via the Iraqi banking system, Iraqi Central Bank officials have said. US State Department deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, said the measures were not sanctions, as they have been referred to by Iraq's Central Bank Governor. Patel said the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve Bank of New York, earlier this month, removed the banks' access […]]]> 656130 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-us-designates-daesh-somalia-terrorist-leader-as-global-terrorist/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 17:03:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656128 The US Treasury Department, on Thursday, imposed sanctions and designated Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf, the leader of the Daesh terrorist organisation based in Somalia, as a global terrorist, Anadolu Agency reports. According to the US, Yusuf has played a key role in the delivery of foreign fighters, supplies and ammunition on behalf of the terrorist group, which serves as a hub for disbursing funds and guidance to Daesh branches and networks across the African continent. The Daesh-affiliated terrorist group in Somalia generates much of its revenue through extortion, specifically targeting local communities for money and recruits, often under the threat of violence, according to a statement issued by the Treasury Department. "Terrorist groups, and ISIS-Somalia specifically, seek to exploit institutional vulnerabilities […]]]> 656128 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-top-biden-adviser-in-saudi-arabia-for-high-level-talks/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:06:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656084 US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, on Thursday in Jeddah, the White House said, as US officials search for ways to reach a deal normalising ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Reuters reports. US officials have sought for months to reach what would be a historic agreement between the long-time adversaries, but the Saudis have been resistant. President Joe Biden said on CNN in early July that Israel and Saudi Arabia are a long way from a normalisation agreement that would involve a defence treaty and a civilian nuclear program from the United States. Sullivan, who was joined by White House Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, met bin Salman and senior Saudi officials and […]]]> 656084 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-summer-camp-for-amputee-children-in-gaza/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:44:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656030 READ: UK Big Ride for Palestine heads for South Wales]]> 656030 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-palestinians-have-no-right-of-return-says-israel-un-envoy/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:36:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655986 Israel's UN ambassador said, on Thursday, that Palestinians "have no right to return" to their homes, Anadolu Agency reports. "Let me be clear, there is no right of return. You all know this," Gilad Erdan told a UN Security Council meeting. "The demand of millions of descendants of refugees returning to obliterate the Jewish people's right to self-determination and this will never happen." There are currently 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank as well as neighbouring countries in the Middle East, according to UNRWA, the UN's Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. The Palestinian ambassador to the UN said that there are more than 700,000 Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. […]]]> 655986 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-jordan-adopts-cybercrime-law-seen-as-threat-to-free-speech/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:34:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655984 Jordan's Parliament, on Thursday, approved a widely criticised cybercrime law empowering the government to control more online content, prompting US concerns and alarms from rights groups that say it will further quash civil liberties, Reuters reports. The measure tightens prison sentences and penalties for any website, social media platform or person responsible for a public account deemed to have violated privacy and a host of other provisions. It passed by a majority vote after a marathon six-hour debate and is expected to be enacted in coming days. The law has alarmed journalists, human rights activists and pro-democracy groups worried that its vague language would curtail further free speech and that criminalising conversations online will enable more crackdowns on political opponents. "Jordan will become a big jail," Saleh Al Armouti, […]]]> 655984