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-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-petition-to-bear-grylls-draws-900-in-support-of-scout-leader-expelled-on-anti-semitism-claims/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:39:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658333 A petition from expelled scout leader Pete Gregson to Chief Scout Bear Grylls has raised 900 signatures, just a month after it was launched on Change.Org. Gregson, treasurer of the 150th Craigalmond Scout Group, was expelled for being affiliated to the Campaign Against Bogus Antisemitism (CABA). He believes the Scouts appear to be working to the IHRA Definition of anti-Semitism which equates criticism of Israel to anti-Semitism, while Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Neturei Karta says: "Pete is in no way anti-Jewish." Gregson was expelled after a complaint was lodged because his number was used on a CABA Facebook page five years after the same number was published in a 2017 advert on behalf of the Scout Group seeking volunteers for the committee. […]]]> 658333 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/20230806-turkish-foreign-minister-ukrainian-counterpart-discuss-black-sea-grain-deal/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:32:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658168 Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday spoke over the phone and discussed steps that can be taken for the revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, according to Turkish diplomatic sources, Anadolu reports. On July 17, Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, saying the Russian part of the agreement was not implemented. It sought the loosening of banking restrictions and the ability to ship its fertilizer before returning to the agreement. The agreement, signed in July 2022 in Istanbul by Turkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports halted due to the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2022. Turkiye has said […]]]> 658168 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/20230805-us-state-dept-says-it-wants-to-see-75m-in-food-aid-for-palestinian-refugees-freed-up/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:47:34 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658104 The US State Department said Friday that it is in talks with Congress as a pair of Republican lawmakers continues to block the dispersal of some $75 million in food aid for Palestinian refugees in hopes of seeing the funds released, Anadolu reports. "The Department of State remains in discussion with Congress regarding funds provided in the FY 2023 appropriations act intended to maintain food assistance to vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza in response to rising food and transport costs," a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu "The Administration supports the intended use of the funds in question, which are designed to address worsening food insecurity in Palestinian communities," the spokesperson added in an emailed statement. READ: Palestine minister […]]]> 658104 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-saudi-arabia-urges-its-citizens-to-quickly-leave-lebanon/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:20:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658098 Saudi Arabia called on its citizens to quickly leave Lebanese territory and to avoid approaching areas where there have been armed clashes, the Saudi embassy in Lebanon said in a statement posted late on Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Reuters reports. The kingdom did not specify which areas in Lebanon that it was advising its citizens to avoid. The embassy stressed "the importance of adhering to the Saudi travel ban to Lebanon," the statement added. READ: Hamas, Lebanon discuss stabilising Ain Al-Hilweh ceasefire  Kuwait also issued an advisory early on Saturday calling on Kuwaitis in Lebanon to stay vigilant and avoid "areas of security disturbances" but stopped short of asking them to leave the country, according to a statement […]]]> 658098 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-russian-airstrikes-kill-3-civilians-in-northwestern-syria/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:14:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658095 Three civilians were killed in attacks by Russian warplanes on a village in northwestern Syria, local sources said on Saturday, Anadolu reports. Two Russian warplanes departed from the Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia, and carried out four airstrikes on the village, according to the Syrian opposition aircraft observatory. Six others were injured in the attacks which hit the village of Ein Shib in Idlib province, said the White Helmets, a civil defense group. The injured people were transferred to nearby hospitals. In September 2018, Turkiye and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited. The Syrian regime and its allies, however, have consistently broken the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks […]]]> 658095 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-un-urged-to-help-unblock-russia-fertiliser-stuck-in-europe/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 12:58:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658015 Russian and seven African leaders, on Friday, called on the UN to take necessary action to release 200,000 tons of Russian fertiliser stuck on European seaports for immediate delivery to the world's second-largest continent, Anadolu Agency reports. In a joint statement, published on the Kremlin website, the presidents of Comoros, Congo, Egypt, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia "called for specific steps to remove obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports, thus allowing the resumption of the full implementation of the Black Sea package initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General as endorsed on 22 July 2022 in Istanbul." "The Leaders also called upon the United Nations to take necessary action in order to release 200 thousand tons of Russian […]]]> 658015 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-un-documents-591-settlements-related-incidents-in-occupied-palestinian-territory-in-1st-half-of-2023/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 12:54:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658013 The number of settler-related incidents in the Occupied Palestinian Territory reached 591 in the first six months of 2023, the UN said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. "That's an average of 99 incidents every month and a 39 per cent increase compared with the monthly average of the whole of 2022, which is 71," Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said at a UN briefing in Geneva. The number of such incidents, which are resulting in Palestinian casualties, property damage, or both, in 2022 was already the highest since OCHA started recording them in 2006, Laerke said. READ: Palestinian farmer loses $10,000 after settlers set fire to his beehives He highlighted that […]]]> 658013 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-germany-inks-30m-deal-to-support-unrwa/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 11:36:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658003 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) yesterday announced that it has signed three agreements with Germany worth €28 million ( $30.6 million) to support Palestinian refugees, Anadolu news agency reported. The agency said the three agreements were signed by the German Development Bank (KfW). "The German government will continue to support Palestine refugees across the region," said Oliver Owcza, head of the German Representative Office in Ramallah. "The new agreements will make a significant contribution to improving living conditions in the Palestine refugee camps," he added. He pointed out that "the agreements will enable UNRWA to invest in camp infrastructure and modernise its service delivery system. This would make UNRWA services more efficient and accessible to Palestine refugees." […]]]> 658003 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-number-of-hungry-in-sudan-rises-above-20m/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:20:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657891 The estimated number of people facing acute food insecurity in Sudan has risen faster than expected to 20.3 million, or 42 per cent of the population, as a conflict between rival military factions deepens a humanitarian crisis, a food security body said, Reuters reports. The worst hit areas include the capital, Khartoum, the western region of Darfur, and parts of Kordofan, all of which have seen fighting, attacks and looting since the war broke out in mid-April, according to the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC), a partnership of UN agencies, NGOs and other groups. The conflict between Sudan's Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted amid disputes over an internationally backed plan for a transition to civilian rule, […]]]> 657891 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-rights-groups-urge-independent-impartial-probe-into-greek-migrant-shipwreck/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:51:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657872 Human rights groups, on Thursday, underlined the need for an "independent and impartial investigation" into a migrant shipwreck off the coast of Greece in June that left more than 80 irregular migrants dead and hundreds of others missing, Anadolu Agency reports. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, in a joint statement, expressed concern over conflicting accounts from the Greek coastguard and survivors and underscored "the urgent need for an effective, independent and impartial investigation." On 14 June, a 30-meter-long fishing boat, "Adriana", capsized and sank about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Greece's southern coastal town of Pylos, with the majority of people on board from Pakistan, Syria and Libya. There were 104 survivors, with 82 bodies recovered out of 400-700 […]]]> 657872 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-sudan-civilians-living-in-unimaginable-horror/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:51:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657849 Civilians are living in "unimaginable horror" in Sudan, where the army and the Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since 15 April, Amnesty International has said in its latest report, "Death Came to our Door". The human rights group points out that there have been "mass civilian casualties in both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks by the warring parties." The report focuses on Khartoum and the Darfur region in the west of the country, and is based on telephone interviews with 181 people in eastern Chad. "Civilians throughout Sudan are suffering unimaginable horror every single day as the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces vie recklessly for control of territory," said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International's Secretary General. READ: Sudan: meeting in […]]]> 657849 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-un-hunger-displacement-spiralling-out-of-control-in-sudan-amid-ongoing-violence/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 17:42:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657543 The UN warned that hunger and displacement in Sudan are "spiralling out of control" amid ongoing fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, Anadolu Agency reports. More than 6 million people in Sudan, about 13 per cent of the population, are now one step from famine, according to the UN aid agency, OCHA. Over 20 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity due to the conflict, economic decline and mass displacement, OCHA said in a statement. The war-torn nation has been ravaged again by fighting two decades after a conflict broke out. The recent fighting since April has killed 3,000 civilians and injured thousands, according to local medics. Several cease-fire agreements brokered […]]]> 657543 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-russia-criticises-un-chief-for-calling-proposal-to-supply-grain-to-africa-handful-of-donations/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 16:43:08 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657531 Russia, on Wednesday, criticised UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for calling its initiative to supply African countries grain free of charge "handful of donations", Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, urged Guterres to ask the recipients how they evaluate this very "handful of donations" and what they want. "By recipients, I mean the countries to which humanitarian aid is intended. Can we give them a word? Maybe the Secretary-General should ask them before going to the cameras and making such statements? What do they think, maybe it's really extremely important for them?" she said. The spokeswoman added that African representatives applauded Russian President, Vladimir Putin, when he made the announcement at the second […]]]> 657531 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-refugees-as-grassroots-activists-memo-in-conversation-with-dr-anne-irfan/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:00:41 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656121 The international humanitarian body UNRWA was created to support Palestine refugees functioned as a surrogate state, however Palestinian refugees have continued to demand their political rights while resisting the UN's categorisation of their plight as an apolitical humanitarian issue. Join us as we speak to Dr Anne Irfan about her book 'Refuge and Resistance: Palestinians and the international refugee system' to discover how engagement with world politics was driven as much by the refugee grassroots as by the upper echelons of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), making refugee groups important actors in global politics, not simply aid recipients. Dr Anne Irfan is Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Race, Gender and Postcolonial Studies at UCL. Her work examines colonial legacies in displacement and bordering […]]]> 656121 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-israel-files-complaint-against-lebanon-at-un-security-council/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:45:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657209 Israel yesterday submitted an official complaint against Lebanon at the United Nations Security Council, demanding the Lebanese government and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) take immediate action to prevent Hezbollah's ongoing construction of military infrastructure on Israel's northern border, Anadolu news agency reported. Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, submitted the complaint with the Security Council, warning of a "catastrophe" if no preventive measures are taken against Hezbollah's actions. "If the Security Council does not condemn Hezbollah's destabilising activities and demand that Lebanon take action against the illegal military build-up on its territories, or at least work to enable UNIFIL to fully carry out its mandate, the situation on the ground will continue to deteriorate […]]]> 657209 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-un-demands-immediate-end-to-expulsion-of-migrants-from-tunisia/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 20:00:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657159 The UN, Tuesday, called for an immediate end to the expulsions of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from Tunisia to the borders with Libya and Algeria, Anadolu Agency reports. In July, hundreds of people from sub-Saharan African countries were forced from the coastal city of Sfax by Tunisian security forces, and left stranded in a desolate desert area, without food, water or shelter, according to human rights groups. "We are deeply concerned about the expulsion of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from Tunisia to the borders with Libya and also Algeria," UN deputy spokesperson told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York. "Several have died at the border with Libya and hundreds including pregnant women and children reportedly remain […]]]> 657159 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-despite-truce-violent-clashes-resume-in-palestine-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:13:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657141 Despite a cease-fire agreement, violent clashes resumed in Ain Al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports. The largest of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the Ain Al-Helweh camp located near Sidon city, has been witnessing clashes since Saturday. The clashes between Islamic groups and Palestinian security forces affiliated with the Fatah movement left 11 people dead and more than 40 others injured, according to UN figures. Clashes erupted again on Tuesday, despite a cease-fire reached late Monday after communications between Lebanese and Palestinian officials. The Lebanese army is working to tighten surveillance and inspection at all entrances to the camp and is patrolling its vicinity, asking citizens not to approach the roads leading to the […]]]> 657141 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-are-un-resolutions-effective/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:35:00 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657087 On 25 July, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution titled "Promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech" which lists and condemns a number of religion-related acts of violence and hatred. In particular, the text "Strongly deplor[es] all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief, as well as any such acts directed against their religious symbols, holy books, homes, businesses, properties, schools, cultural centres or places of worship, as well as all attacks on and in religious places, sites and shrines in violation of international law." This follows a similar text adopted earlier in July by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that "call[ed] upon States […]]]> 657087 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-saudi-arabia-to-grant-yemen-1-2bn-in-economic-aid/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:41:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657115 Saudi Arabia has approved a $1.2 billion grant to Yemen's internationally-recognised government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), as part of efforts to prop up the war-torn country's flagging economy, AFP reported citing two officials. According to the sources, Yemen's finance minister and central bank governor as well as the Saudi ambassador are expected to disclose details of the grant at a signing ceremony in Riyadh at 5pm (1400 GMT). News of the grant was reported by Reuters earlier today citing a Saudi source who disclosed that the support will contribute to strengthening security and preventing a return of military clashes. The substantial funds would encourage dialogue on all sides to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, the source added. […]]]> 657115 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-un-food-agency-decides-to-suspend-malnutrition-prevention-program-in-yemen/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:22:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657094 The UN World Food Program (WFP) has decided to suspend its malnutrition prevention program in Yemen in August, citing "critical funding shortfalls" as a major reason, Anadolu Agency reports. In its latest report on the situation in Yemen, the UN food agency stated that critical funding shortfalls, combined with ongoing supply disruptions, force it to "fully suspend malnutrition prevention activity" as of August. "This will allow WFP to utilise the scarce resources available to cover the requirements of the life-saving moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) treatment programme", it said in its report released in late July. In order to navigate the critical situation in Yemen, according to the report, the limited available funds would be allocated to life-saving treatment programs for […]]]> 657094 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-turkiye-vows-to-promote-principles-against-islamophobia-monitor-hate-crimes/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:17:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657092 Turkiye will exert maximum effort to advocate for a set of principles and actively monitor their application in countries where anti-Islamic hate crimes occur, Turkish diplomatic sources said in a statement Monday, Anadolu Agency reports. The statement came as Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, attended a video meeting organised by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). "Turkiye will share its existing evidence on this issue with OIC members in organisations such as the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Commission against racism and intolerance," the statement added. The OIC also welcomed the distribution, at Kuwait's expense, of 100,000 copies of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, in […]]]> 657092 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/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-uae-oil-giant-raises-climate-goal-ahead-of-key-un-summit/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:38:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656725 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company brought forward its net zero carbon emissions target by five years to 2045, on Monday, as OPEC member, the United Arab Emirates, prepares to host a major UN climate conference in December, Reuters reports. The UAE state oil giant, which aims to expand its oil and gas output in the coming years, also disclosed for the first time the emissions from its operations, which reached about 24 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022. The disclosure comes months before Dubai hosts the United Nations COP28 climate summit, whose incoming president is ADNOC Chief Executive, Sultan Al-Jaber, a choice which has drawn criticism from climate activists. The United Arab Emirates supplies nearly 3 per […]]]> 656725 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/20230730-unrwas-western-donors-carry-out-the-mission-of-david-ben-gurion/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 11:02:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656465 In July 1949, upon the complete destruction of Palestine and the expulsion of its people, David Ben Gurion addressed his officers, who were not sure that the emptiness of Palestine was permanent. He quipped, "the old will die and the young will forget". He failed for most of 75 years to achieve his wish about the young. Now the time seems to be right.  In a twist of history, UNRWA Western donors are doing the job for him. Well, the young did not forget or tried to. They became the leaders of the resistance movement which created the Palestine National Council and PLO. After the fiasco of Oslo, Palestine nominal leaders failed to follow the national path. Western colonial powers […]]]> 656465 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-al-aqsa-preacher-we-reject-quran-burning-ben-gvirs-actions-a-declaration-of-war/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 10:00:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656401 Preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Ekrima Sabri asserted that Muslims refuse the burning of any holy book and consider that justifying such action as being a matter of freedom of opinion by Western countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, is "unacceptable and unconvincing." Sheikh Sabri considered the statement by Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir regarding the return and imposition of Israeli rule on Al-Aqsa Mosque as a "declaration of war". Sheikh Sabri shared in an interview with Anadolu Agency inside Al-Aqsa Mosque: "The West has a trivial and unconvincing argument, which is that the burning of the Quran falls within the circle of freedom of opinion or freedom of movement, and this is totally rejected." He called on […]]]> 656401 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-africa-leaders-press-putin-to-end-ukraine-war-and-restore-grain-supplies/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 19:40:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656142 African leaders pressed Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Friday to move ahead with their peace plan to end the Ukraine conflict and to renew a deal on the safe wartime export of Ukrainian grain that Moscow tore up last week, Reuters reports. While not directly critical of Russia, their interventions on the second day of a summit were more concerted and forceful than those that African countries have voiced until now. They served as reminders of the depth of African concern at the consequences of the war, especially rising food prices. "This war must end. And it can only end on the basis of justice and reason," African Union Commission Chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat, told Putin and African leaders in […]]]> 656142 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-1-year-old-girl-dies-due-to-extreme-heat-at-syria-idlib-displacement-camp-un/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 18:48:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656137 A one-year-old girl died at a displacement camp in the north-western Syrian city of Idlib after her health deteriorated due to extreme heat, a UN spokesperson said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. The infant and her family lived in a three-year-old tent in a camp, where the temperatures are reaching up to 30-46 degrees Celsius (86-114.8 degrees Fahrenheit), Stephane Dujarric told reporters. "Our partners reported that at least 165 tents in the camp lack proper thermal insulators to protect people from extreme weather conditions," Dujarric said. "Living condition remains harsh. About 800,000 people are still living in tents today, often in overcrowded conditions," he added. About 1.9 million displaced people live in some 1,430 camps or self-settled sites in north-western Syria, […]]]> 656137 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-at-un-security-council-china-seeks-end-to-cycle-of-violence-in-palestine/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:58:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656069 Expressing concern over the deteriorating situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, China has called for an end to "the cycle of violence" in Palestine, state media reported, Anadolu Agency reports. Pointing out Israel's recent military operation in Jenin, Zhang Jun, Beijing's top diplomat at the UN, said: "China condemns all violence against civilians in the Occupied Territories, and calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and exercise restraint, and avoid any unilateral actions that may aggravate tension." "The occupying party should earnestly fulfil its obligations under international law to prevent excessive use of force by the military and police, and prevent violations of the personal and property safety of the people in the Occupied Territories," he told a UNSC […]]]> 656069 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-the-pros-and-cons-of-israel-recognising-moroccos-sovereignty-over-the-western-sahara/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:00:32 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656042 Following the Israeli recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the Western Sahara, Israeli voices are still raising more questions about the feasibility of this step, and whether it will be beneficial, or if it will be followed by greater harm, especially since such a step may face criticism on the international scene. This may be added to the criticisms the Occupation State is already facing regarding its behaviour in the Palestinian arena. While this step is consistent with Israel's stances towards the Palestinians, it contradicts international resolutions issued by the UN and EU, which may raise many questions related to annexation and occupation. The first Israeli benefit from this step is that it will gain broader control in Africa. There is […]]]> 656042 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-pm-tunisia-to-prepare-human-rights-national-action-plan/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:37:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656018 Tunisian Prime Minister Naglaa Boudin announced yesterday the start of preparations for a national action plan in the field of business and human rights, Anadolu news agency reported. This came in a recorded message released during a national conference held in the capital, Tunis, and shared by her office on Facebook. "Tunisia is keen on respecting human rights and consolidating the foundations of sustainable development," Boudin said in her message, explaining that the plan comes within the framework of asserting that "human rights are universal, comprehensive, interdependent and indivisible." She added that the "enjoyment of civil and political rights cannot be guaranteed without guaranteeing economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development," stressing that Tunisia's accession to the […]]]> 656018 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-envoy-uk-does-not-intend-to-restore-ties-with-syrias-assad/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:16:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656012 The British Special Representative for Syria, Ann Snow, said the British government does not intend to restore ties with the regime of President Bashar Al- Assad. However, Snow said in press statements that "any contact between Arab countries and the government of Bashar Al-Assad must be accompanied by conditions and fundamental changes." "Dialogue with Assad without any tangible change, or without real accountability for the crimes he committed against the Syrians, will not help the Syrian people, the region, or the world," she said. She pointed out that Britain also does not intend to provide any aid for reconstruction, until "Assad takes serious steps to change his behaviour, or seriously engage in the United Nations political process." Snow considered implementing […]]]> 656012 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-oic-arab-league-submit-statements-to-icj-over-israels-gross-violations-in-palestine/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:25:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656004 The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has presented written submissions to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the legal consequences of Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. The OIC stressed that Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territory amount to "gross violations of human rights guaranteed by international law." "The Israeli colonial occupation of Palestinian Territory is unlawful and constitutes a violation of relevant UN resolutions and international law," it said, while demanding an immediate cessation of such practices. In the document, the OIC reaffirmed its "absolute and unwavering" support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, return and the embodiment of the […]]]> 656004 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-sweden-minister-quran-burnings-damage-security-countrys-image/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:02:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656002 The Swedish Minister of Justice, Gunnar Strommer, has criticised the repeated incidents of burning the Holy Quran, saying they have worsened the security situation and damaged Sweden's image, Anadolu news agency reported. "It is a grave situation that Sweden is being portrayed as an Islamophobic country, while the Quran burnings not only made the country less safe but also hurt its image," Strommer told a joint news conference with Charlotte von Essen, head of the Swedish Security Service. He explained that his country has accelerated actions against terrorism and put 15 institutions on alert. Von Essen said the terrorist threat in the country has risen since March and will remain high. On Tuesday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a […]]]> 656002 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-handful-of-donations-from-russia-is-not-the-same-as-black-sea-grain-deal-un-chief/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:53:19 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655970 The UN Secretary-General said, Wednesday,, that a "handful of donations" will not be the same as the Black Sea grain deal to help ease a global food crisis, as Russia offered to provide free grain to six African countries after its withdrawal from the agreement, Anadolu Agency reports. In a press conference, Antonio Guterres warned that taking millions of tons of grains out of the market will lead to higher prices. "The increase of prices will be paid by everybody everywhere and namely by developing countries and by the vulnerable people in middle income and even developed countries," he said. "So it's not with a handful of donations to some countries, that we correct this dramatic impact that affects everybody, […]]]> 655970 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-israel-president-urges-calm-amid-plans-for-further-protest-at-judicial-overhaul/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:03:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655668 Israel's President urged both sides of a dispute over moves to overhaul the judiciary to refrain from any violence, using the occasion of a Jewish fast on Thursday to appeal for reconciliation as protesters planned more demonstrations, Reuters reports. The plans being pursued by Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his right-wing government have prompted months of unprecedented protests, opened up a deep divide in Israeli society, and strained the loyalties of some army reservists. Now in its seventh month, the crisis surged on Monday after parliament passed the first of the changes, trimming Supreme Court powers over his ruling religious-nationalist coalition. Demonstrations for and against the judicial overhaul were on hold for Tisha B'av, the fast day mourning the destruction of two […]]]> 655668 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-un-libya-mission-warns-of-violence-after-push-for-new-interim-government/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:14:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655656 The United Nations Libya mission warned, on Thursday, against "unilateral initiatives" to address the country's political stalemate after two legislative bodies proposed creating a new interim government as a precursor to elections, Reuters reports. The United Nations wants a clear route to elections as part of a lasting resolution of Libya's 12-year-long crisis, but opponents of the existing administration in Tripoli want to focus on replacing it before any national vote. "Unilateral actions, like similar attempts seen in the past, could inflict serious negative consequences for Libya and trigger further instability and violence," the UN mission said in a statement noting the legislative bodies' proposals. The two bodies, the eastern-based House of Representatives Parliament and the Tripoli-based High State Council, […]]]> 655656 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-germany-provides-40m-to-unrwa-for-gaza-food-aid/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:28:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655568 The Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ramallah, Oliver Owcza, said on Wednesday that his country had contributed €37 million ($40m) this year to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for food aid in the Gaza Strip. Owcza made his comment during a visit to Al-Shati Refugee Camp in the north west of the Gaza Strip, which has been under a strict Israeli siege for more than 17 years. Despite the German donation, UNRWA still faces a $75m gap for 2023. "If not funded, the Agency will be forced to reduce or totally stop its food assistance in the Gaza Strip in September," explained UNRWA. The German official called on other donor states to […]]]> 655568 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-un-experts-say-world-must-act-to-stop-israels-annexation-of-occupied-west-bank/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:15:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655557 The international community must take steps to prevent Israel's annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory or risk being seen as accepting the Israeli government's systematic violation of international law, UN experts said on Wednesday. "Israel's continuous annexation of portions of the occupied Palestinian territory, now focusing on large swathes of the West Bank after unlawfully annexing east Jerusalem, suggests that a concrete effort may be underway to annex the entire occupied Palestinian territory in violation of international law," the experts said. "In 2020, 46 UN experts urged the international community to firmly oppose Israel's plans for annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. Our call went unheard then and we cannot stay silent now." The UN group pointed out […]]]> 655557 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-foreign-meddling-and-competing-interests-hinder-any-solution-in-libya/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:00:06 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655172 If you ask any Libyan citizen about the biggest obstacles hindering political solutions in the country, the most likely answer is: external interferences and the disputes of local de-facto politicians. Since the country fell victim to the so called "Arab Spring" in 2011, it became an open arena for all sorts of external meddling in its internal affairs – usually individual foreign countries' pursuit of their own interests, regardless of what the impact could be on Libya's stability, security and economic prosperity. Worse still, most of such interests are competing with each other at the expense of the country. The internal conflict, since erupting in 2011, has turned into a regional and international conflict in which various countries are competing […]]]> 655172 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-turkiye-welcomes-un-general-assemblys-resolution-deploring-desecration-of-holy-books/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 19:19:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655283 Turkiye welcomed the UN General Assembly's resolution that deplores all acts of violence against Holy Books as a violation of international law, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports. "We welcome the decision of the UN General Assembly, which took place on 25 July, 2023, to consider any form of violence against sacred books as a violation of international law, and we are pleased that our country is also a co-sponsor of this resolution." It added this resolution holds particular significance in light of recent incidents in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, where police protection was granted for the burning of copies of the holy Quran. READ: 'Hatred against Muslims in Europe threatens co-existence' "These hate crimes […]]]> 655283