https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:33:31 +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/20230808-is-there-anything-new-on-turkiyes-path-towards-europe/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:16:40 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658629 As usual, Turkish President Recep Tayyeb Erdogan has made another political U-turn with his country's foreign policy. After stressing repeatedly just a few days before the NATO summit in Lithuania last month that Sweden has still not done all that is required of it to Turkiye's satisfaction as agreed (along with Finland) in June last year, and criticising the Swedes for allowing protesters to burn copies of the Holy Quran, Erdogan has agreed to proceed with the country joining NATO. Following a meeting between Erdogan, the Swedish Prime Minister and NATO's secretary-general, the organisation's closing statement included Turkiye's agreement to refer Sweden's NATO accession to the parliament in Ankara. In return, Sweden made certain commitments, including cooperation with Turkiye to […]]]> 658629 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-the-director-of-the-palestinian-museum-reflects-on-her-years-in-charge/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:00:36 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658336 Duty and care are the words that would best describe the approach of Dr Adila Laidi-Hanieh towards the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit. She is stepping down as director of the museum at the end of this month, and we took the opportunity for her to reflect on her years in charge, changing the institution from the inside out. The museum is in a beautifully designed building which nestles in green terraces and overlooks the Mediterranean. It aims to represent the history and aspirations of the Palestinian people; explore their past and present; and reflect on their future. The flagship project of private foundation Taawon Welfare Association, the museum opened in 2016 and held its first on-site exhibition in 2017. However, […]]]> 658336 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-parts-of-africa-are-switching-from-obedience-to-france-to-obedience-to-russia/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:29:22 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658304 In my previous article, I mentioned the military coups in the Arab region, which are a plague. They were not done for the sake of God and the homeland, but rather for the sake of America and its interests and influence in the region. America came up with the idea of coups and encouraged other colonisers to follow suit. We now see Russia creating a coup in Niger from behind the scenes and overthrowing elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who is loyal to France. Russia used senior Niger army officers loyal to Moscow to lead the coup and create a military council headed by Abdul Rahman Chiani. It was Chiani who announced the expulsion of 1,500 French soldiers from Niger and […]]]> 658304 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-venezuela-mural-expresses-solidarity-with-palestine/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 09:32:02 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658278 Artists have been working diligently for the past few weeks to create a mural that covers a whole building in 23 de Enero neighbourhood in Caracas, Venezuela. The artists were brought together by local artist Julvio Millar to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and put the spotlight on Palestine's ongoing struggle to resist Israeli colonialism. The mural includes a map of Palestine, a key of return, the Palestinian flag, as well as a picture of a Palestinian fighter wearing the traditional keffiyeh and making the V for Victory sign. The giant artwork is part of a larger project undertaken by Plataforma de solidaridad con Palestina group that is currently working on several initiatives and activities in Venezuela to […]]]> 658278 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-will-saudi-arabia-make-friday-a-working-day/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 15:45:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658192 In a thought-provoking op-ed published on Friday by Saudi Arabian daily newspaper Okaz, entitled "Friday is a working day," writer Mona Al-Otaibi questions whether the Kingdom's traditional Friday-Saturday weekend needs an overhaul, igniting a debate on social media. The piece highlighted the potential financial losses incurred due to Friday being an important workday in the financial world, and it has sparked discussions about whether Saudi Arabia should consider shifting its weekend to Saturday-Sunday, following in the footsteps of neighbouring UAE which made the controversial change last year, after plans were announced in 2021. At the time, the Emirati the government said it would "ensure smooth financial, trade and economic transactions with countries that follow a Saturday-Sunday weekend, facilitating stronger international […]]]> 658192 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-will-there-be-a-coup-in-israel/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 08:17:20 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658057 Theoretically, and at first glance, the idea of the enemy's army turning against the current Netanyahu government seems to be an unlikely, insane and unfeasible idea. In fact, the unprecedented existential crisis that Israel is experiencing today has no solution except within several scenarios, perhaps the most important of which are the following: First, for the criminals from the Hilltop Boys and the murderous Kahanists (led by Smotrich and Ben-Gvir) to back down and stop practicing their madness by stopping their pressure on Netanyahu, and pushing him to go to the extreme and turn Israel into a religious state in the form of a Zionist-Jewish version of ISIS. It does not seem that this option is even 1 per cent […]]]> 658057 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-the-suwalki-gap-and-putins-gambit-for-prigozhin/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 14:30:59 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657986 The Prigozhin saga is unprecedented in Russian history. In the past, if a highly placed personality lost the trust of the Kremlin and were declared enemy of the state, the price would be dire. Prigozhin appears to be an exception. While his mutiny had many military personnel killed, including several pilots, the Wagner boss did not face the consequences of his actions and walked free from prosecution. In fact, Putin granted Prigozhin a second chance, demanding that the Wagner units settle in Belarus. This request gave the signal to Prigozhin that his services were still needed. The Wagner mercenaries, renowned for their war expertise, represent a formidable, disciplined, and motivated force akin to an iron fist. Even though they are mercenaries, […]]]> 657986 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-palestinians-incite-against-gaza-once-again/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 13:00:38 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657978 Early this week, hundreds of people in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis took to the streets calling for the Administrative Committee in the besieged enclave to provide them with a better quality of life. They also called for lifting alleged restrictions imposed on freedom of expression in Gaza. These people responded to calls made by a number of Palestinian youths who left Gaza after being released from prison. They live in Egypt or Europe and have repeatedly incited against Gaza and the Palestinian resistance. Calling for or organising demonstrations in protest against certain issues is a human right, but demonstrations should target the parties which cause crises or stand behind problems in order to put pressure on them […]]]> 657978 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-has-the-muslim-brotherhood-turned-from-friend-to-foe-as-turkiye-restore-ties-with-egypt/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:30:52 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657976 After almost a decade of diplomatic deadlock, Egypt and Turkiye have agreed to restore diplomatic ties and high-level visits have already taken place between two countries. Recently, Egypt's commerce minister was in Turkiye and it was agreed the two sides would raise trade levels to $15 billion by 2030. This rapprochement began in early 2021 but the major breakthrough came during the inaugural ceremony of 2022 Qatar World Cup when both President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel fattah Al-Sisi shook hands in the presence of Qatari ruler Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. The relationship between the two had soured after Turkiye denounced the removal of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in a coup in July 2013. Erdogan […]]]> 657976 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-remembrance-of-beiruts-deadly-blast-overshadowed-by-inaction/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:45:19 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657972 The annual commemoration of the Beirut blast has now become a symbol of something else: an outpouring of grief and emotion, accompanied by a staggering lack of action in identifying those responsible. Though the memory of the blast remains vivid, the pursuit of justice seems to have been forgotten. Like many other crimes that have plagued the region, the Beirut blast remains shrouded in mystery and confusion. As the years have passed, no tangible information about the perpetrators has come to light. This is but one in a series of explosions and criminal acts that have yet to be investigated or resolved, leaving a trail of unanswered questions. For those affected by the blast, the anniversary is not only a […]]]> 657972 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-bank-account-closures-have-affected-british-muslims-for-decades-with-little-political-reaction/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:11:52 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657935 The closure of Nigel Farage's bank account at Coutts, a prestigious private bank in London, sparked a political and media frenzy, exposing the glaring hypocrisy and double standards within the British Establishment. For decades, prominent UK charities, pro-Palestine civil society groups and respected British Muslims have faced the abrupt closure of their bank accounts without any explanation. Despite the devastating consequences for these groups and individuals, the same media and political classes which today decry Farage's situation largely turned a collective blind eye to their plight. Farage, a prominent British political figure, has been linked widely to far-right ideologies due to his leadership of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and his passionate support for Brexit. Nevertheless, he has enjoyed a […]]]> 657935 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-israel-is-an-apartheid-state-so-why-did-an-eu-diplomat-refuse-to-say-so/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:12:26 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657865 Outgoing EU Envoy to the occupied West Bank and Gaza Sven Kuhn Von Burgsdorff attracted the wrong sort of attention when he paraglided off Gaza's coast last month, purportedly promoting a promise of freedom even as the EU persists in the moribund two-state narrative. Israel described the stunt as provocative, while for Palestinians, the distinction between diplomats' freedom and the annihilation of their own freedom of movement was made all too apparent. Palestinians can do the same, said the EU envoy, when they are free. He knows full well that the Palestinian people's freedom is not on the international political agenda. His stunt simply served to demonstrate the EU's diplomatic conceit. In an interview with the Times of Israel, Von […]]]> 657865 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/20230803-what-remains-of-jordans-special-role-in-jerusalem-29-years-after-the-peace-treaty-with-israel/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:08:31 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657373 On 25 July, 1994, the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, after a spell of negotiations, signed the Washington Declaration in which they committed to signing a full peace treaty, ending the state of war between them, in place since Israel was created in 1948. The treaty of peace between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, otherwise known as Wadi Araba Treaty, signed on 26 October, 1994 established diplomatic relations between Amman and Tel Aviv. The 75 page document opened the way for cooperation in security, tourism, economics, water resources and more. Clasue 2 of Article 9 of the treaty concerns Jerusalem, but only in the context of providing "freedom of access to […]]]> 657373 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-palestinians-remain-holed-up-in-internment-not-refugee-camps/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 20:01:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657546 During much of 1948, Palestinians driven from their homes by the violence of that terrible year took safety in what could reasonably be called refugee camps; camps for people who have fled ongoing violence or natural disaster and are unable or fearful to return. They ceased to be refugee camps by January, 1949. By then, these camps no longer served that original purpose of housing people "who have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere, especially in a foreign country, from war, religious persecution…" as one dictionary puts it. Active hostilities having ended, the Palestinians were ready, able and, indeed, excited to do what they had always assumed they would do: go home. One force, and one […]]]> 657546 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-will-egypts-coup-leader-escape-scrutiny-in-south-africa/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 18:09:42 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657515 Has South Africa overlooked Egypt's problematic participation at the forthcoming BRICS summit? Dignifying its military leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi with the expected red-carpet treatment will in effect be an endorsement of regime change via military coup, which is how Cairo's despot overthrew the democratically elected Morsi government to gain power. This month marks a decade since Al-Sisi appeared on TV in a military beret to announce the constitution's suspension and the end of Morsi's presidency. RSF (Reporters Without Borders) documents that as he spoke, security forces were preparing to storm the Cairo bureaus of the Qatari TV channels Al-Jazeera and Al-Jazeera Mubasher and arrest their journalists. That same evening, Al-Sisi's military goons led a purge against many more media outlets and shut them down for allegedly supporting Mohamed Morsi's party, […]]]> 657515 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-who-ignited-ain-al-hilweh-and-why/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:25:17 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657379 The events of Ain Al-Hilweh began with Muhammad Zubaidat, nicknamed Al-Somali, who is affiliated with the Fatah movement and the Palestinian National Security, opening fire in the market last Saturday 29 July. Mohammad Al-Siddiq Farhood, who is affiliated with the Al-Shabab Al-Muslim group, was killed and others, including children, were wounded. On Sunday afternoon, the Brigadier General of the Palestinian National Security, Abu Ashraf Al-Armoushi, and four of his companions were assassinated in Ain Al-Hilweh camp, in an area largely controlled by Fatah. In this context, the Fatah movement initially accused Asbat Al-Ansar of being responsible for the assassination. After the group denied responsibility for the assassination, the accusations were directed at Al-Shabab Al-Muslim, who also denied responsibility for the […]]]> 657379 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-fuelling-palestinian-communal-violence-in-israel-is-a-policy-for-displacement/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:47:52 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657218 The Palestinian community within what is known today as the state of Israel was devastated on 8 June by a heinous crime in Nazareth that claimed the lives of five innocent people, including children. Unfortunately, this was not the first time that an organised criminal gang, many of which are connected to well-known families, has committed such an atrocity. In fact, such crimes occur almost daily within the Palestinian Israeli community, leaving us to question why crime rates are so high and who benefits from them. According to recent reports by the Palestine Information Centre, there were 25 murders in Israel's Palestinian community in June alone. Among the victims were two women and one child. The total number of such […]]]> 657218 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-egypt-citizen-tortured-to-death-after-police-shocked-wife-with-stun-gun/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 18:23:46 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657146 The Geneva-based NGO, Committee for Justice (CFJ), has said that Egyptian citizen, Mahmoud Abdel Jawad, has been tortured to death at Nabaruh police station. Mahmoud was on his way to the hospital in Nabaruh, in Egypt's Dakahlia governorate, with his wife and daughter when he was arrested. He was beaten and his wife was shocked multiple times with a stun gun in the middle of the street, according to the human rights organisation. Mahmoud was then taken to Nabaruh police station where he was tortured for three days by electric shock and brutally beaten until he died on 25 July. "CFJ classifies Abdel Jawad's death as an extrajudicial killing, which is a crime punishable by international law," the NGO said […]]]> 657146 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-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-egyptian-love-and-marriage-behind-bars/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:02:03 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657096 A look of admiration from behind bars, accompanied by hope for a better tomorrow that brings her and her life partner together. A life partner in whose cause she believes and has pride in his steadfastness in the face of his jailer, awaiting his release to that she can complete her happiness by wearing her white gown and marrying her groom who has been released from the cells of injustice, pain and death. This is the situation for many girls in Egypt, who have accepted marriage to political detainees who may have received severe prison sentences. They are waiting for the day of their release in order to crown their journey of admiration, love and steadfastness with marriage. Dozens and […]]]> 657096 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-the-pa-is-an-obstruction-to-palestinian-unity/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:58:32 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657082 The entire world recognises the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, but this does not mean that the Palestinians are tethered to the same stagnant politics. The latest rhetoric from Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas about Palestinian unity was yet another exercise in authoritarianism, completely neglecting the fact that the PLO's acquiescence to international diplomacy spelled the end of the unified Palestinian anti-colonial resistance. An equally disturbing and important consideration is Fatah's monopoly over the PLO and the PA, which renders it a support base for Abbas's illegitimate rule. Abbas, of course, is the head of all three organisations. Speaking in Egypt at a meeting for leaders of Palestinian factions, Abbas stated that, "It is […]]]> 657082 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-the-vicious-cycle-in-lebanons-tax-culture/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:05:59 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656936 On the brink of socio-economic collapse, Lebanon finds itself caught in a relentless and unforgiving cycle that threatens its very foundation. The heart of this vexing challenge lies in a vicious loop where the government struggles with providing essential services, while citizens withhold their tax payments demanding more in return. This deeply entrenched culture has pushed the nation into an enduring swamp, where tax evasion and inadequate public services intertwine as stubborn adversaries. As Lebanon faces this perpetual challenge, a closer examination reveals a web of complexities, unearthing several other systemic factors that compound the crisis. Amidst the prevailing mistrust and the unsettling unfairness of the tax system, additional challenges have emerged, painting a comprehensive portrait of the nation's plight. […]]]> 656936 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-balancing-act-is-over-israel-protests-are-not-about-democracy-but-ideology/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 18:58:04 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656767 The late Israeli commentator, Uri Avnery, wrote, "I am increasingly worried that the Israeli-Palestinian struggle … is assuming a more and more religious character." At first glance, the statement may seem baffling. If Israel is a 'Jewish State' that serves as a 'homeland' for all Jewish people, everywhere, does it not follow that the 'struggle', at least from an Israeli viewpoint, is essentially a religious one? If only it was that simple. Israel's dichotomy is that it was founded by an ideology, Zionism, which purposely conflated between religion and nationality. "The Zionist movement was non-religious from the start," Avnery wrote, "if not anti-religious." He went on to cite a famous quote by the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, "we shall […]]]> 656767 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-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-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/20230728-new-momentum-turkiye-and-the-eu-are-an-inseparable-duo/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:29:19 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656075 Turkiye and the EU are facing a positive turn in their otherwise bumpy diplomatic relations. A recent EU Council conclusion calls for a more geopolitical and positive outlook toward Turkiye, while the Vilnius NATO summit resulted in a warm welcome by everyone of Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's surprise decision to give a green light to Sweden's NATO membership. In the media, President Erdogan's move has been linked both to the sale of American F-16 fighter jets, as well as Sweden's commitment to improve intelligence cooperation, namely surrounding the PKK terrorist organisation, and unblocking Turkiye's bid to join the EU. F-16 technology is a crucial and long-standing demand from Turkiye, but the honest truth remains that independent Swedish courts do […]]]> 656075 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/20230727-what-did-we-learn-from-fridmans-podcast-with-netanyahu-harari-and-el-kurd/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:38:16 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655963 One could do a lot worse than interview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, author Yuval Noah Harari and Palestinian poet and activist Mohammed El-Kurd, if one wanted to offer viewers a balanced view of what is often called the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The three individuals loosely represent the three main camps of the major political actors in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. As Prime Minister, Netanyahu represents the block of far-right Israeli parties whose power and influence has grown over the years; Harari loosely represents the opposition camp in Israel, though he occupies a position that is much further to the left of the political spectrum than most critics of Netanyahu and El-Kurd is a powerful voice for freedom and […]]]> 655963 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-just-one-example-of-a-diplomat-unworthy-of-the-role/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 17:44:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655636 The EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Sven Koopmans, is just one blatant example of why Israel fears nothing — and has nothing to fear — from international diplomats. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Koopman's rhetoric of hope, imagination and positivity stands in stark contrast to the reality of Israel's colonial expansion across occupied Palestine. While many diplomats hold Israel's narrative supreme, Koopmans chose an alternative tactic that allows Israel's narrative to thrive within his ambiguity. Dissociating from his diplomatic role, Koopmans described himself as coming from a privileged background and having no understanding of or expertise on colonialism: "I am this guy from Amsterdam. I was very lucky I grew up in a very […]]]> 655636 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-sister-sinead-shuhada-misunderstood-much-maligned-much-loved-and-muslim/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 16:45:30 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655960 Headlines and photographs of the singer Sinéad O'Connor told us that the iconic star had died. What followed have been well-deserved eulogies, despite some glaring omissions. Sinéad was beautiful, brave and talented, and an uncompromising rebel who often railed against the Establishment and has never been forgiven by some for ripping up a photograph of the Pope on live TV more than thirty years ago. The singer, who has died at the age of 56, was also a Muslim convert who chose the name Shuhada, although you'd never know it from the obituaries published in the Islamophobic media. Very little mention was made of her chosen faith. Some elements of the Jewish media flirted with the idea that her inspiration […]]]> 655960 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-seeing-is-believing-in-afghanistan-and-dialogue-is-the-only-way-forward/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:33:00 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655610 The arrogance and ignorance of the Western media were highlighted a few days ago when a former British army officer-turned-politician was accused of making himself a "useful idiot" for the ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Some of his fellow MPs have even tried to oust Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee, for posting a video in which he praised aspects of the Taliban's rule. Disappointingly, Ellwood has since deleted the offending video clip in which he described Afghanistan as a "country transformed" since the Taliban returned to power two years ago. Tellingly, he questioned why such a transformation had not taken place during twenty years of NATO occupation. Like it or not, though, Ellwood […]]]> 655610 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-israel-settlers-rampage-in-palestinian-americans-west-bank-hometown/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:52:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655600 When Kayed Abu Awwad sold his home in Oak Lawn, Illinois, in June, he never imagined that he and his family would be homeless a few weeks later. Like many American-born Palestinians, Abu Awwad, a 38-year-old truck driver, planned to move his family to "our homeland" for two or three years, so his American-born children, aged three, 11 and 14, "could learn the language and the culture." It's what his father did with him when he was a kid growing up in the US. He and his wife, Dina, who became a US citizen through marriage, shipped their furniture to a house that his father had built in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, next door to the house […]]]> 655600 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-what-does-the-kremlin-think-about-turkiyes-stance-on-swedens-nato-bid/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:00:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655548 Some experts argue that Turkiye's approval of Sweden's NATO membership will strain its ties with Russia. However, a more nuanced approach is needed to understand the issues at stake. Turkiye-Russia relations go way beyond superficial analysis. Since the Russo-Turkish War of 1676–1681, they have fought on many occasions, and have accumulated sufficient experience to understand each other. They have managed their relationship through balanced, realistic and interest-oriented policies. Sometimes, in this context, 2 plus 2 does not always equal 4, especially in the post-Cold War period. The Kremlin is aware of two essential things: Turkiye has been a NATO member since 1952, and its army is NATO's second largest; and Russia's relations with Turkiye are conducted through intricate negotiations, taking […]]]> 655548 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-bidens-israel-dilemma-few-good-options-to-counter-netanyahus-defiance/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 15:25:32 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655218 President Joe Biden is in a political bind as he crafts a US response to Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, defiantly pushing through the first part of a divisive judicial overhaul. Despite Washington's long time status as Israel's top ally and biggest weapons supplier, Biden appears to have few good options. Direct and, sometimes, pointed appeals from Biden and senior aides failed to dissuade Netanyahu and his religious-nationalist coalition from ramming through parliament on Monday new curbs on the Israeli Supreme Court that critics in the US and in mass street protests in Israel have called anti-democratic. The White House, in a terse statement, called the Knesset vote "unfortunate" and urged work toward a broad consensus. But it offered no […]]]> 655218 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-arab-leaders-use-palestine-to-boost-their-popularity/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 13:58:26 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655191 Early this week, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that his country's independence would never be complete as long as Palestine is occupied. Echoing the words of the late South African freedom fighter and President Nelson Mandela, he also pointed out that this has been the position of his predecessors as well. "Palestine's strength can only be achieved through its unity," he told CNN China. "The Palestinians know this very well." He added that some Arab states, and China, are striving to get Palestine accepted as a full UN member state "even if it is still occupied." In fact, most free people around the world appear to support the Palestinians and wish to see the Israeli occupation ended as soon as […]]]> 655191 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-is-aipac-bound-for-that-special-place-in-hell-reserved-for-israel-and-its-supporters/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:37:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655112 I was reminded of my favourite joke the other day by a heroic group of American Jews who want to bring an end to US support for Israel's brutal apartheid occupation of Palestine: A priest is performing the Last Rites for a dying Irishman and asks if he is ready to renounce the Devil and all his works. The dying man replies, "This is no time to be making enemies, Father!" The progressive IfNotNow movement's members are urging American Jews to renounce the powerful Zionist lobby group AIPAC. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is in its "death throes", according to influential Jewish lobbyist and Haaretz columnist Lev Stesin, a founding member of San Francisco Voice for Israel. Is it […]]]> 655112 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-netanyahu-judicial-move-spawns-economic-political-risks/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:49:04 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655107 A day after Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, pressed ahead with contentious changes to the judiciary, an ad covered the front page of all Israel's leading newspapers in black, reading at the bottom: "a black day for Israel's democracy." It was a paid ad by a group of high-tech companies protesting against Netanyahu's judicial policies, which analysts say have unleashed a slew of risks, both for Israel's economy and for his own political future. On Monday, Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition granted parliamentary approval to new legislation that will limit some of the Supreme Court's powers, despite mass street protests and fierce objection from the opposition. Israel's shekel moved on every twist and turn in parliament as efforts to reach a judicial compromise intensified and finally crashed. READ: […]]]> 655107 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-israel-enemies-see-opportunity-in-its-crisis/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:28:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655103 The crisis sweeping Israel has become a focal point for its enemies across the Middle East, who have convened top-level meetings to weigh the turmoil and how they might capitalise on it, sources familiar with the discussions say, Reuters reports. Foes, including Lebanon's Iran-backed, Hezbollah, have been crowing at the sight of Israel fractured by the crisis ignited by government moves to overhaul the judiciary, especially threats by reservists to stop showing up for military service. Away from the propaganda being broadcast by groups eager to see Israel's demise, these factions have also been devoting special attention to the crisis at closed-door meetings, perceiving this as a potential  turning point for Israel. The subject was discussed at a three-hour meeting last week […]]]> 655103 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-egyptians-suffer-as-heat-wave-continues-across-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:18:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655052 Egypt has warned the population not to use lifts for 20 minutes, each hour, whilst it implements power cuts so that it can conserve energy as a gruelling heat wave continues to engulf North Africa and the Middle East. The Electricity Ministry has released a diagram to show the start and end times of the power outages every hour, and when to stay away from the lifts so that people do not get trapped inside them. وفقا لبيان وزارة الكهرباء ، دا رسم بيوضح مواعيد بدء انقطاع التيار الكهربائى كل ساعة، وهى التلت ساعة اللى باللون الأحمر، ويفضل البعد عن الاسانسير خلالها. ربنا يسترها على الجميع. pic.twitter.com/4Fidj9uMYA — Khaled Ali (@Khaledali251) July 23, 2023 The government has said that the […]]]> 655052 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-brics-endorses-the-defunct-two-state-compromise/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:09:43 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655015 The BRICS Summit in South Africa has given further unwarranted validation to the two-state compromise for Palestine-Israel. The Palestinian Authority's official news agency Wafa promoted the reaffirmation by international diplomacy as calling for "the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital." While BRICS is seen as an economic alternative – 22 countries have formally applied to join the bloc, while another 20 have expressed interest – its diplomacy for Palestine only promises more of the same defunct premises which have accelerated Israel's settler-colonial expansion on Palestinian territory. Economic inequalities may be addressed through BRICS, although the number of countries applying or expressing interest will inevitably veer the group away from the alternative economic policies which […]]]> 655015 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-deadly-real-estate-in-egypt-corruption-bribery-and-more/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:39:11 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654940 From time to time, Egypt wakes up to the news of a collapsed building and the death of dozens of people. The news is usually accompanied with a government decision to examine the condition of the collapsed property, arrest its owner and the payment of a meagre compensation to the families of the dead and injured. This is a recurring issue across the country, yet no official is ever held to account. Egypt is becoming one of the countries whose quality of construction cannot be trusted, according to a study by the College of Engineering and Construction at the University of Florida, USA. The number of deadly property collapses in Egypt reveal a clear crack in the structure of the […]]]> 654940