https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:51:39 +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/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/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/20230718-kosovo-acquires-turkish-bayraktar-drones-amid-ongoing-tensions-in-north/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 19:49:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653385 Kosovo has purchased a batch of Turkish Bayraktar drones in a bid to bolster and modernise its defence capabilities, amid recent tensions in the country's north with ongoing threats from Serbia. In a Facebook post by Kosovo's Prime Minister, Albin Kurt, on Sunday, in which he is seen assessing a newly-acquired Bayraktar TB2 drone, he stated that Pristina has added an unspecified number of the UAVs "to the arsenal of our army, which we bought as a government from Turkiye!" It comes amid efforts by the Kosovar government to bolster the country's defence capabilities, with Kurt stating that "In two years of governance, we have increased the number of soldiers by over 80 per cent and the budget for the […]]]> 653385 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230404-kosovo-former-president-charged-with-war-crimes/ Tue, 04 Apr 2023 14:29:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=626528 Former President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to atrocities carried out against Serbian forces during the 1998-1999 Kosovo War of Independence. Thaci, 54, is being tried in a special court in The Hague along with three other defendants. All four are charged with committing around 100 enforced disappearances and torture between March 1998 and September 1999. Thaci is a former fighter in the Kosovo Liberation Army. The other defendants are Jakup Krasniqi, the former spokesman for the Kosovo Liberation Army; Kadri Veseli, a former intelligence official in the Kosovo Liberation Army; and Rexhep Salimi, who was a prominent figure in Kosovo. Thaci was elected President of […]]]> 626528 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230303-israels-right-to-exist-challenged-in-expert-testimonies/ Fri, 03 Mar 2023 15:30:28 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=619173 "Israel's right to exist" has been challenged in expert testimonies by leading scholars Professor John Dugard and Professor Avi Shlaim. Dugard is an advocate of the High Court of South Africa. He has served intermittently as Judge of the International Court of Justice. His other high-profile appointment was at the United Nations where he served as Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories from 2001 to 2008. Shlaim, who is an author of several books on Israel and Palestine, is an Emeritus Fellow of St Antony's College and an Emeritus Professor in International Relations at the University of Oxford. Dugard and Shlaim issued their testimonies in response to the UK government's prohibition on schools […]]]> 619173 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221204-egypt-seeks-to-foster-ties-with-serbias-muslims-to-counter-brotherhood-in-kosovo/ Sun, 04 Dec 2022 15:19:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=598502 Egypt is looking to reach out to Serbia's Muslim community as part of efforts to boost its influence in the Balkans, according to a report by Al-Monitor. On 16 November Egypt's ambassador to Belgrade, Bassel Salah met with Serbia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Mustafa Yusuf Spahic, where it was agreed that Cairo will send religious envoys to the south eastern European country to provide Serbian Muslim students the opportunity to study at Egypt's prestigious Al-Azhar University. Salah also said that the Serbian Muslim scholars will be invited to attend Egyptian Islamic conferences. READ: Christian rights' group welcomes Egypt legalisation of 125 churches It has been speculated that Cairo's overtures to Serbia's Muslim minority is intended to counter the growing influence of […]]]> 598502 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210713-eu-ambassadors-boycott-ceremony-at-us-embassy-in-jerusalem/ Tue, 13 Jul 2021 09:38:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=482680 The German and French ambassadors, along with other European Union (EU) ambassadors, boycotted a ceremony at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, Israeli Ynet News revealed on Tuesday. The ceremony was held on 4 July at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, in honour of American Independence Day. The US Embassy invited ambassadors of the states that have embassies and representatives in Israel, including the EU ambassadors, according to Ynet News. Ynet News said that the ambassadors who did not attend the ceremony chose not to because of the location of the US Embassy, which is in Jerusalem. The specific countries, Ynet News reported, do not recognise Jerusalem as the capital city of the occupation State of Israel. In addition to the […]]]> 482680 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210427-european-police-forces-arrest-fraud-suspects-linked-to-israel/ Tue, 27 Apr 2021 10:09:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=468258 Police forces in a number of European countries raided call centres and arrested suspects last month in connection with alleged investment scams linked to Israel, the Times of Israel reported last week. The raids by police in Germany, Kosovo and Bulgaria took place on 31 March. Officers raided seven call centres and arrested 18 men on charges of operating online trading websites that allegedly defrauded thousands of Germans and other nationals. Those arrested were reported to be from Kosovo, Albania and Germany and included call centre employees and management. It is alleged that they ran the websites FXCMarkets, FXOptexGroup, Swissinv24, CFXPoint, IForex24, CodexFX, HBCMarket, CapitalGFX, Investment Department, Tradingmarkets24 and Brokermasters. According to the German police, these sites sold investors fake […]]]> 468258 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210316-jordan-condemns-kosovo-for-opening-embassy-in-jerusalem/ Tue, 16 Mar 2021 10:21:12 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=461344 The Jordanian Foreign Ministry yesterday condemned the inauguration of Kosovo's embassy to Israel in the occupied city of Jerusalem, Anadolu news agency reported. Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dhaifallah Al-Fayez, described the inauguration as "a blatant and grave breach of international law and international legitimacy resolutions." "Any step or decision aimed at changing the status-quo in Jerusalem is invalid and illegitimate," Al-Fayez said, adding that "achieving a just and comprehensive peace will only be possible through a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital." On Sunday, the Kosovar Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the official opening of its embassy in Israel in the occupied city of Jerusalem. It added in a statement that […]]]> 461344 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210314-kosovo-follows-us-guatemala-in-opening-embassy-in-jerusalem/ Sun, 14 Mar 2021 15:25:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=461138 Kosovo opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on Sunday, joining the United States and Guatemala as the only countries with embassies in a city whose status is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reports Reuters. Muslim-majority Kosovo promised to locate its embassy in Jerusalem when it established diplomatic ties with Israel last year under US sponsorship. Kosovo's Foreign Ministry said on Twitter that with the embassy's opening, "the pledge given in the Oval Office today is finally fulfilled". Israel sees its new ties with Kosovo as part of its broader normalisation with Arab and Muslim countries under agreements sponsored by former US President Donald Trump. Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation […]]]> 461138 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210203-eu-warns-kosovo-against-opening-embassy-in-jerusalem/ Wed, 03 Feb 2021 10:28:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=453968 The EU yesterday warned Kosovo against opening its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, Shehab news agency reported Israeli media saying. According to the news site, the Times of Israel reported that the EU had asked Kosovo not to open an embassy in Jerusalem and to commit to the EU stance and UN Security Council Resolution 478 which states that foreign embassies to Israel should be located in Tel Aviv. "The EU's position on the relocation of embassies in Jerusalem is clear. All embassies of the EU Member States, as well as the EU Delegation to Israel, are located in Tel Aviv," EU spokesperson Peter Stano told journalists. READ: Serbia and Kosovo embassy move to occupied Jerusalem could backfire say ex-Israel envoys He underlined that should […]]]> 453968 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210201-israel-kosovo-to-establish-ties-in-virtual-meeting/ Mon, 01 Feb 2021 15:28:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=453332 The foreign ministers of Israel and Kosovo will today hold a virtual ceremony to establish diplomatic ties, the Times of Israel reports. Kosovo's Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla announced that she and her Israeli counterpart Gabriel Ashkenazi would hold a virtual ceremony. "Recognition by Israel is one of the greatest achievements for Kosovo, coming at a key moment for us, thanks to the United States of America, our common and eternal ally," she said. The decision on mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel was achieved last September at a summit of Kosovo-Serbia leaders at the White House in the presence of then-US President Donald Trump. It will be the first time Israel establishes relations with a country virtually. READ: Serbia and Kosovo embassy […]]]> 453332 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200910-serbia-will-not-move-embassy-to-jerusalem-if-israel-recognises-kosovos-independence/ Thu, 10 Sep 2020 10:53:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=421414 Serbia will not move its embassy to Jerusalem if Israel recognises Kosovo as an independent state, the Times of Israel reported yesterday. According to the Israeli newspaper, a source close to the government in Belgrade warned that formal Israeli recognition of Pristina's independence would "destroy" Israel's relationship with Serbia. "This could end up being a real mess, unless there is a compromise on what sort of relationship Israel will end up having with Kosovo," the source told the Times of Israel. "Diplomatic relations with Kosovo are one thing, recognition as an independent country is another thing entirely. This would destroy the Israel-Serbia relationship," the Serbian source said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday that Kosovo and Israel had decided to "establish full […]]]> 421414 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200907-serbia-and-kosovo-embassy-move-to-occupied-jerusalem-could-backfire-say-ex-israel-envoys/ Mon, 07 Sep 2020 12:53:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=420842 Last week's decision by Serbia and Kosovo to open embassies in Jerusalem has been met with criticism from a surprising source. Two former envoys of the Zionist state have expressed deep scepticism over the move by the rival Balkan states. With Serbia, along with dozens of other countries not recognising Kosovo, the former diplomats have suggested that this decision could in fact backfire. "We're not connected to the Balkan conflict, and we're not supposed to be [in the pact]," Israel's former ambassador to Serbia, Arthur Koll, is reported saying in the Jerusalem Post while railing against the embassy move. "The question that should be raised is why Israel was thrown in there," he said. Explaining that the plan could backfire, Koll said that for […]]]> 420842 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200906-turkey-urges-kosovo-against-opening-jerusalem-embassy/ Sun, 06 Sep 2020 12:56:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=420634 Turkey on Sunday urged Kosovo against opening an embassy in Jerusalem, saying doing so would undermine UN resolutions and hurt the Palestinian cause, reports Anadolu Agency. "We call on the leadership of Kosovo to abide by these [UN] decisions to refrain from such steps that would undermine the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and may also prevent Kosovo from being recognised by other states in the future," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The statement cited various UN resolutions stressing that the Palestinian issue can only be solved with an independent, sovereign, and geographically contiguous Palestinian state, with its capital in East Jerusalem, based on the pre-1967 borders. On Saturday, Kosovar President Hashim Thaci tweeted: I welcome […]]]> 420634 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200904-serbia-kosovo-to-open-israel-embassies-in-jerusalem/ Fri, 04 Sep 2020 18:02:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=420274 Israel and Kosovo have agreed to establish diplomatic ties and Kosovo, along with Serbia, will open embassies in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, Reuters reports. Netanyahu's statement came shortly after US President Donald Trump made a similar announcement in Washington, where he met with leaders of Serbia and Kosovo as they agreed to normalize economic ties between them. "Kosovo will be the first country with a Muslim majority to open an embassy in Jerusalem," Netanyahu said. "As I've said in recent days – the circle of peace and recognition of Israel is expanding and more countries are expected to join." READ: Further Arab normalisation with Israel is waiting in the wings Only two countries – the United States […]]]> 420274 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200107-kosovo-arrests-iran-supporter-over-comments-after-soleimanis-death/ Tue, 07 Jan 2020 19:35:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=380101 Kosovo police arrested a woman on Tuesday accused of inciting terrorist acts for social media comments against the United States over the killing of Iranian Commander Qassem Soleimani, reports Reuters. Police said that Ikballe Berisha Huduti, the founder of a now-defunct pro-Islamic organization called Kur'ani, was arrested following an order from the prosecution and she will remain in detention for 48 hours awaiting a court decision. Police said she was detained on charges of "incitement to commit a terrorist offence." Huduti wrote comments on her private Facebook page criticising Washington after the US forces killed Soleimani on Friday. READ: Nobel Prize awarded to Srebrenica genocide denier "By killing the master of the house you have killed all members of the […]]]> 380101