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/20230503-the-palestinian-cause-and-argentinas-equidistant-policy/ Wed, 03 May 2023 14:07:00 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=632759 Although geographically distant, Argentina has a history of solidarity with Palestine. Before the approval of the UN Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947, the South American country was a contender as a possible location for a "national home for the Jews". This idea appeared in Theodor Herzl's The Jewish State published in 1896. Argentina was identified as one of the options for the Zionist project, along with Palestine, due to the fertility of its lands and its small population at that time. According to the Zionist ideologue, Argentina was "one of the most fertile countries in the world, [that] extends over a vast area, has a sparse population, and a mild climate." Herzl believed that, "The Argentine Republic would derive […]]]> 632759 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230220-rached-ghannouchi-briefing-paper-on-summonses-since-march-2022/ Mon, 20 Feb 2023 12:01:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=616075 The President of Ennahda Party and Speaker of Tunisia's Parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, has been summoned to appear before the investigating judge at the anti-terrorism unit of the Tunis court on Tuesday, 21 February. The timing of the case, a few days after the arrest of a number of other political figures across the political spectrum, as well as journalists and union activists, raises fears that Ghannouchi may also be arrested. This wave of arrests comes in the wake of the failure of President Kais Saied to mobilise people to participate in the election he organised at the end of January. Just 11 per cent of voters took part following opposition calls for a boycott. With these arrests, Saied wants to […]]]> 616075 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221224-the-myth-of-the-temple-of-solomon-extravagance-in-brazil-and-the-race-for-jerusalem/ Sat, 24 Dec 2022 12:36:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=602600 Al-Aqsa Mosque stands at the heart of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and has done for over 1,300 years. Today it has world heritage landmark status. Despite this, Israeli excavations, raids and military incursions have threatened the very foundations and preservation of such a potent symbol of Jerusalem. What has Al-Aqsa to do with the colonial aggression by the illegal occupiers of Palestinian land? Why do they want to recreate the Biblical Temple of Solomon? And how did such ideas reach Brazil, with praise for the oppressive symbols of the Zionist State of Israel at the expense of the age-old Islamic monuments? Read the full report here]]> 602600 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221120-club-deportivo-palestino-chile-palestine-solidarity-on-the-football-pitch/ Sun, 20 Nov 2022 13:56:19 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=595261 Anyone who watches Club Deportivo Palestino playing, or sees one of its shirts in official photographs, may think that it is a Palestinian football club. In a way, that's exactly what it is, and yet it is based in Chile, thousands of miles from occupied Palestine. It is Chile's own version of Palestine solidarity — on a football pitch. Chile has the largest Palestinian diaspora community in Latin America; the third or fourth largest in the world. There are 400,000 Palestinian Chileans now in their fourth or fifth generation; the sons and daughters of the pioneers who left the Middle East many years before the events that shredded their native land to pieces. The club attracts support not only in […]]]> 595261 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221109-brazil-with-lula-2022-democracy-defeats-the-menace-of-fascism/ Wed, 09 Nov 2022 13:23:48 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=592425 The threat of a Brazilian dictatorship legitimised by the ballot – with hordes of armed, ferocious zealots imposing their reactionary values, policies and codes of behaviour – persuaded democratic spirits to rise from years of internal disputes, common in times of political normality. Brazil closed the ranks on Jair Bolsonaro's re-election – the man who spurred four years of vicious, far-right zealotry. We needed to stop the fascists, or fascism would swallow Brazil. The day following two-time President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's electoral victory was proof enough. Bolsonaro's supporters – enraged and organised by social media groups, invisible to most of the population – launched a blockade on several federal roads, hoping to revert their defeat by force of […]]]> 592425 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220927-without-a-trace-extrajudicial-detention-continues-in-egypt/ Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:06:28 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=582806 Islam Ahmad Khamis is a young Egyptian in his thirties. For seven years, his mother waited for him to return home after he was arrested one day in the winter of 2015 and was subjected to enforced disappearance — extrajudicial detention — on four occasions by the authorities. After disappearing over a pending case, Islam would reappear every time. Then, he would disappear again if a court declared him to be innocent or if it ruled that it did not have jurisdiction over his case. In 2016, Khamis was in Egypt's Tora Istiqbal Prison in connection with Case No. 185 of 2016. He disappeared again after his release to go back to prison in 2019 in connection with Case No. […]]]> 582806 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220822-egypts-government-owned-companies-have-shady-employment-policies/ Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:45:48 +0000 , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=574669 Illegal labour supply companies — employment agencies — in Egypt have reappeared, this time operating through companies that are wholly or partially owned by the government. Some of these are privately owned entities that have contracts to supply workers to companies using contracts that deny employees any remuneration or compensation rights to which they are entitled under Egyptian employment laws. This investigation documents how government companies and banks employ thousands of workers through labour supply companies in violation of the Labour Law, resulting in workers losing their rights. These entities include Al-Ahly National Bank, Egypt's oldest bank; Petrojet, the largest contracting company in the petroleum sector; and twenty-one other companies wholly or partially owned by the government. Moreover, government entities […]]]> 574669 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220809-mahmoud-darwish-the-poet-of-palestine/ Tue, 09 Aug 2022 08:00:16 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=564543 Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008) was one of the most important Palestinian and Arab poets who contributed greatly to the development and progress of Arabic poetry. He was known as one of the writers of the resistance and his poems espoused the Palestinian cause. His poetry has been translated into several languages and his Arabic collections have sold more than a million copies. Darwish's poetry was deep, philosophical in meanings and connotations. He was the philosopher of poets and the poet of philosophers through his introduction of symbolism to modern Arabic poetry, employing myths and historical personalities in his work. This remains open to existential issues that affect humanity, in a way that opens Arab poetry to new and multiple worlds through […]]]> 564543 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220725-whats-in-tunisias-proposed-constitution/ Mon, 25 Jul 2022 13:32:41 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=569170 Tunisians will vote on a proposed new constitution significantly enhancing President Kais Saied's powers, hardening critics' fears he will entrench one-man rule and undo democratic gains from the 2011 revolution. The proposed charter weakens the parliament empowered by the 2014 constitution, remaking a system that critics say led to years of political paralysis, squabbling and ineffective government. Details of the main features of the proposed constitution are listed below: President shapes the government – Article 101 says the president appoints the prime minister, as well as other cabinet members, based on a proposal from the prime minister – a big departure from the current system that gives parliament precedence in picking governments. – Article 112 says the government is responsible […]]]> 569170 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220616-egyptian-athletes-red-carded-by-the-government/ Thu, 16 Jun 2022 21:36:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=562219 Abdel-Rahman Hamdi was taking part in a boxing match in the 2015 Republic Championship tournaments, punching, and then dodging his opponent's jabs. That match was his first step towards realising his dreams to become a boxing champion, in the hope of engraving his name among the great sportsmen of his country. But a massive blow from his opponent lodged on his head has shattered all his dreams, as he collapsed and lost consciousness. This was the last scene in Abdel-Rahman's short sports career. He suffered from concussion that led to internal bleeding. Abdel-Rahman Hamdi's short journey is not unique. According to the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, Egypt has lost around 350 thousands athletes over the course […]]]> 562219 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220428-brazil-palestine-israel-relations/ Thu, 28 Apr 2022 09:18:57 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=552086 Latin America is one of the most supportive regions of the Palestinian cause. This was evident with the official recognition of the State of Palestine by most countries in the region, except for Mexico and Panama. Latin American governments proved their positions over the years by supporting United Nations (UN) resolutions favouring the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights. The rise to power of popular-democratic coalitions contributed to such a degree of international solidarity. These alliances made efforts to reach some independence in terms of foreign policy beyond the US diktats, including the approach to their major Middle Eastern ally, the Zionist State of Israel. According to Bruno Beaklini, MEMO researcher and columnist, there was a time when there was […]]]> 552086 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220422-egyptian-doctors-migration-why-do-they-resign/ Fri, 22 Apr 2022 20:00:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=550491 The Egyptian Medical Syndicate revealed the resignation of 11,536 doctors from working in the government sector from the beginning of 2019 until last March 2020, which is considered a continuation of doctors' reluctance to work in the government sector and their increasing quest to migrate outside Egypt due to the poor conditions they suffer. The Medical Syndicate's data confirms the government's failure to achieve its goals, announced in 2019, to attract 60,000 doctors to government work again. Everything it has said over the past years about improving the conditions for doctors is nothing but empty propaganda. In March 2019, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Population, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research issued a study on Egypt's requirements for medical […]]]> 550491 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220330-land-day/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 12:11:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=545945 Land Day is one of the most prominent days of the struggle of the Palestinians who were able to stay on their land in 1948; a milestone in Palestinian history since the Nakba of the same year. Despite the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Zionist terror gangs and nascent Israeli army, around 150,000 Palestinians remained on their land in what became the state of Israel. Although Israeli citizenship and identity cards were imposed on them, they were not protected from the evil of Zionism and the theft of their land, especially in the Galilee. The Palestinians in the area realised the scale of the Judaisation process and the danger it posed (and continues to pose) to their presence on […]]]> 545945 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220328-the-women-who-made-palestinian-history/ Mon, 28 Mar 2022 11:50:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=545713 International Women's Day is marked yearly on 8 March. The idea of celebrating the struggles faced by women came to light during an era of industrial and demographic growth and socio-economic turmoil. At the time, transformative ideas were emerging, and the oppression of women triggered a series of uprisings. Demonstrations everywhere called for equal rights for women, just as the 1856 working women's meetings and protests did in New York, US. Since then, millions of women have fought for justice and equal rights. The women's movement achieved several social, political, economic and scientific changes, overcoming barriers and taking pride in collective wins. However, women still need to fight for equality and fair opportunities in every scope of life. Unfortunately, these […]]]> 545713 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220224-the-importance-of-turkiyes-oversight-of-warship-movements-as-possible-russia-ukraine-war-heats-up/ Thu, 24 Feb 2022 10:50:13 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=538031 Ukraine has asked Turkiye to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to Russian ships, Ukraine's ambassador to Ankara said today, after Russia launched air and ground assaults on its neighbour. Under the international Montreux Convention, NATO member Turkiye has control over passage of vessels between the Mediterranean and Black Sea, making it a potentially key player in any military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Earlier this month, six Russian warships and a submarine transited Turkiye's Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits to the Black Sea for what Moscow called naval drills near Ukraine waters. Erdogan: 'Turkey cannot abandon ties with Russia or Ukraine' Here are details of the pact and supervisory powers it grants to Turkiye, which neighbours Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria […]]]> 538031 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220219-sisi-calls-on-cnn-but-national-and-foreign-press-are-not-welcome-in-egypt/ Sat, 19 Feb 2022 12:00:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=537350 During the International Petroleum Technology Conference "Aegis 2022" last Monday, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi invited CNN anchor John Defterios to moderate a dialogue session at the conference and witness the developments taking place in the country. Defterios is a former CNN broadcaster currently working as a consultant for APCO Worldwide, specialising in public relations. Despite Al-Sisi's invitation, the reality of Egyptian and foreign reporters tells another story. Imprisonment is the fate of field journalists For years, Egyptian blogger Mohamed Ibrahim, known as "Mohamed Oxygen", roamed the streets of Egypt carrying his camera to convey people's pain and dreams, publishing them on his blog and his YouTube channel, which 386,000 people follow. However, Al-Sisi's regime considers his videos "a threat to […]]]> 537350 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220121-stolen-livelihoods/ Fri, 21 Jan 2022 17:40:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=528448 Siddiq Shehab arrived in the Gulf from his native Mangalore in South India in 1982, carrying an almost empty suitcase. Siddiq left everything behind and travelled to the Gulf to work for one of the largest contracting companies to save money for his wedding. Two years later, Siddiq got married and returned to the Gulf, where he stayed for 39 more years. He only saw his family for a couple of months once every two years, as he had to remain in the Gulf for work, while all his earnings went to support his family. Siddiq, an electrical supervisor, never thought he would return home empty- handed after not receiving his salary for 18 consecutive months. Without a choice, Siddiq […]]]> 528448 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211217-the-nightmares-palestinian-children-live/ Fri, 17 Dec 2021 15:41:47 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=520761 We saw death with our own eyes The second day of the feast, the happy Eid Al-Fitr feast as it is called, was the worst day of my life. After a horrific day of artillery bombardment night and day and the news of massacres and destruction, I prepared a place for my children to sleep. They had not calmed down even for a minute, asking about the feast and their new clothes and about our visitors whom we were deprived of seeing. I talked to them and told them that the feast will come, and we will compensate all these difficult days when the enemy stops its terrible war. I told them that we will visit our relatives and wear […]]]> 520761 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210915-havana-syndrome-or-washington-syndrome/ Wed, 15 Sep 2021 10:15:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=494729 On 17 February, 2017, the then-US chargé d'affaires in Havana sent a complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) about alleged "attacks" against his staff, which had theoretically occurred since November of the previous year. There was no talk at that time of diseases or symptoms. Immediately, Cuban experts began to investigate, without ever questioning why the information was not shared with them from day one. When the press reports of that time are reviewed, it can be seen that the information about the alleged attacks was disseminated to the American public through specific journalists and media outlets; the rest only echoed without asking uncomfortable questions or questioning the official story. Cuban officials located and spoke with the directors […]]]> 494729 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210826-fact-check-has-ennahda-governed-tunisia-alone-for-the-past-10-years/ Thu, 26 Aug 2021 08:24:54 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=490779 For months, analysts on television programmes have been promoting the idea that the Islamist Ennahda movement has been running Tunisia from the January 2011 revolution until 25 July this year, when President Kais Saied announced his exceptional measures, dismissed the prime minister and suspended the parliament. In order to fact check this claim, Anadolu Agency has monitored the extent to which Ennahda participated in government since the October 2011 election, during which the movement secured a clear majority. This has been maintained until today through affiliated prime ministers, ministers, secretaries of state, governors and delegates. 24 December, 2011 to 13 March, 2013: Hamadi Jebali's government On 24 December 2011, the government of Hamadi Jebali (Ennahda's secretary general at the time, […]]]> 490779 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210819-ministry-delays-mean-plans-for-overcrowded-jordanian-schools-havent-been-implemented/ Thu, 19 Aug 2021 12:53:37 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=489734 Before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, 15-year-old Nuha had to transfer to the Muketefa High School four kilometres away from her home in Um Al-Quttain, in the Mafraq Governorate, because of overcrowding in her school. According to her father, Nuha found it difficult to focus during classes at her school in Um Al-Quttain, as her classroom had 35 students and was seriously overcrowded. The benefits of face-to-face teaching were much reduced as a result. Nuha's family felt that they had no choice but to pay the daily transportation cost of five Jordanian Dinars (US$7) to and from Muketefa High School, there being no cheaper public transport system in their area. Several months later, on 5 March last year, before […]]]> 489734 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210811-egypts-prisoners-are-denied-their-rights-and-prison-authorities-appear-to-be-above-the-law/ Wed, 11 Aug 2021 14:35:05 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=487770 On 9 March last year, the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior banned prison visits under the pretext of curbing the spread of Covid-19. Three months into the ban, 69-year-old Amira Tawfiq could no longer stand being unable to communicate with her son in jail. She travelled from Alexandria where she lives, to Tora Prison (known as "Scorpion Prison") in Cairo and waited for hours at the prison gate, but was not allowed to see her son. She lost consciousness while on her way back home, and died without hearing from him by letter or phone. Egyptian authorities prohibit family contact from the moment a person is arrested. On 23 December 2018, Ahmed Abdel Nabi, 60, called his grandchildren from inside […]]]> 487770 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210811-how-to-bring-justice-for-palestinians/ Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:54:44 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=487745 The current conflict in the ancient land of Palestine, with Jerusalem as the revered crown jewel of the three Abrahamic faiths, goes back to the dark years of World War 1 when Britain and France, two colonial powers of Europe, sowed the seeds of injustice in Palestine and the wider Arabian Peninsula. Since then, and with the unconditional moral and material support for Israel from America, the Palestinians have been subjected to incomparable dispossession and ethnic cleansing in their own lands. But there are signs that the winds of change are blowing in the land and across the world in support of a just solution to this conflict. This paper explores the current state of affairs and potentially effective ways […]]]> 487745 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210423-iran-and-its-trade-ties-with-the-african-continent/ Fri, 23 Apr 2021 03:41:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=468065 Iran has sought to diversify its economy by materialising links with other regions capable of contributing to its development. Although sanctions have been imposed on Iran since 1979 due to its anti-imperialist position, it was not until the governments of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the start of the nuclear conflict that the situation worsened. As a result, the search for new markets was encouraged. Ties with Sub-Saharan Africa have generated mutual strengthening in various sectors such as energy, agriculture, medical, nanosciences, defence, education and even religious. Although non-essential links, they have acted as alternatives to harsh commercial and political pressures, allowing the promotion of South-South cooperation. Download our full briefing here.]]> 468065 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210411-ten-years-of-lobbying-the-qatari-lobbys-operations-before-and-after-the-blockade/ Sun, 11 Apr 2021 13:56:39 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=465521 This report is part of the "Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Washington" project published by Sasapost. It covers the Middle East lobbies in the US between 2010 and 2020. Most of the report is based on documents from the US Department of Justice database, operating under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). This legislation requires lobbyists to disclose their activities and funds, ensuring that all documents are publicly accessible online. Thanks to its supportive foreign policy during the Arab Spring, Qatar earned itself many allies and rivals. Among its main opponents is its southern neighbour, Saudi Arabia, and its other neighbour, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both countries supported counter-revolutions and sought to suppress and stifle any movement or democratic transition upholding freedoms […]]]> 465521 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210403-a-revolution-a-change-of-regime-and-4-rulers-egypts-journey-through-washingtons-lobbies-during-the-decade-of-the-arab-spring/ Sat, 03 Apr 2021 10:40:19 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=464423 This report is part of the "Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Washington" Project published by Sasapost; it covers the activities of Middle East lobbies in the United States between 2010-2020. Most of the information in the report is based on documents from a database belonging to the US Department of Justice, operating under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). This legislation requires lobbyists to disclose their activities and funds; all documents are accessible for browsing on the Internet. The files on the Egyptian lobbies are extremely important. Over the last decade, Egypt has undergone radical changes in the domestic political scene and in regional alliances. This report seeks to answer the question: what happened in the Washington lobbies in the early years of the […]]]> 464423 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210326-the-emirati-lobby-the-biggest-spender-and-the-largest-arab-one/ Fri, 26 Mar 2021 18:15:06 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=463498 Read part one of this report here. This report is part of the "Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Washington" Project published by Sasapost; it covers the activities of Middle East lobbies in the United States between 2010-2020. Most of the information in the report is based on documents from a database belonging to the US Department of Justice, operating under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). This legislation requires lobbyists to disclose their activities and funds; all documents are accessible for browsing on the Internet. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has risen to fame in the Middle East. It has relentlessly stood against Arab revolutions and the Arab Spring of 2011, placing it at the forefront of Arab kingdoms and states. The UAE […]]]> 463498 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210326-basic-facts-on-the-palestine-issue/ Fri, 26 Mar 2021 16:52:36 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=463472 This booklet seeks to present an intensified and concise database, on which an Islamic understanding of the Palestine issue is built. It gathers all the information, facts, fundamentals and concepts that the author believes are indispensable to those who deal with the Palestine issue. It is a concise book that is too small to include details or endnotes. Despite all that, the author based his information on reliable scientific sources. Titling the book "Basic Facts.." doesn't necessarily mean that they are ultimate facts, since it is a human endeavor susceptible to error. The door is open to every advice and orientation. This edition comes after numerous editions of this booklet that were published over the past twenty years. However, this […]]]> 463472 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210326-suez-canal-a-vital-global-waterway/ Fri, 26 Mar 2021 16:20:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=463477 The Suez Canal, blocked by a giant container ship that ran aground on Tuesday, is the quickest sea route between Asia and Europe and about 15 per ent of global shipping traffic moves through it. The 193 kilometre waterway, run by the state-owned Suez Canal Authority, is a vital source of foreign currency for Egypt. The alternative to the route is to sail around Africa, which can add two weeks and additional fuel costs to a voyage. Oil transfers Of the 39.2 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil imported by seaborne methods in 2020, 1.74 million bpd went through the Suez Canal, according to data intelligence firm Kpler. Crude oil and refined fuels flow in both directions. More […]]]> 463477 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210321-the-republic-of-india-ties-with-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/ Sun, 21 Mar 2021 15:31:31 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=462399 The Republic of India, with its emerging economy, has considerably increased its economic ties with the countries of the Middle East. Indian foreign policy has been marked by a high degree of pragmatism and clarity, owing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following his adoption of the post of prime minister in 2014, Modi has designed and realised a broad programme of modernisation of the nation's economic structure with the objective of achieving a position in the world of commercial exchanges, technological development and, ultimately, in international geopolitics. India is rising within this arena as a major emerging actor, conveying strength and great promise for years to come. The links made with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa […]]]> 462399 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210314-covid-19-emergency-laws-are-suffocating-the-palestinians/ Sun, 14 Mar 2021 13:41:43 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=461121 For Abdul Nasir Saeed, bullets replaced the traditional cannon announcing the time to break the fast (Iftar) on 17 Ramadan last year. Now, whenever he sees Palestinian Security Forces he is haunted by the image of himself prostrate on the ground with blood flowing from his head. On the morning of 10 May, 2020, Abdul Nasir went to his dairy farm in Jamaeen, a town to the south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. He passed through two security checkpoints: the first was set up by the Palestinian Authority when the state of emergency was declared to restrict the movement of citizens and limit the spread of Covid-19; the second was Israel's Huwwara checkpoint, about 100 metres further ahead. […]]]> 461121 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210307-turkeys-policy-on-sub-saharan-africa/ Sun, 07 Mar 2021 11:36:15 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=459954 Turkey and the African continent share cultural and historical ties dating back to the ninth and tenth centuries. However, during the last decade, bilateral and multilateral relations between them have intensified. In 2008, the African Union (AU) declared Turkey a strategic partner and the first Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit was held. This mechanism aimed to promote political and economic relations between both parties. Since then, Turkey has carried out a political-diplomatic offensive on Africa, and economic and cultural ties have significantly increased. Lastly, and with equal importance, Turkey has also tried to insert itself into security concerns on the continent, seeking to consolidate its space in a region that attracts the attention of many powers due to its constant economic and […]]]> 459954 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210218-for-too-many-egyptians-the-cup-of-clean-drinking-water-is-always-half-empty/ Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:04:42 +0000 , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=456922 I suffer a lot in my efforts to obtain water. We bear the costs in full because if we didn't, we would never get water. I can no longer bear this. If you go into people's homes here, you would wonder how anyone lives in these places. The families of Najah Ihsan and Abu Al-Ola are representative of around 1.2 million Egyptians who have no supply of drinking water. They struggle to get even a single cup of fresh water, which is very scarce. This is down to the scandalous waste in Egypt's water supply system. Using open source data, we can see how the mismanagement of drinking water in Egypt has led to a decline in the share of […]]]> 456922 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200917-beyond-borders-international-map-of-cuban-medical-cooperation/ Thu, 17 Sep 2020 14:12:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=423097 "The sun has spots. The ungrateful speak only of the spots. The grateful speak of light" José Martí. Before the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, on 1 January 1959, there were 6,250 doctors on the island; about half of them left the country after that date. In addition, more than 63.2% of those were located in Havana, where public hospitals, clinics and private health centres were accessible only to those who had the resources to access them and could pay for these services. Medical assistance hardly arrived in the countryside and more isolated parts. Public health from the first years of the Revolution became a priority for the Cuban State, who – from the beginning – understood it as a […]]]> 423097 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200323-2025-a-forecast-of-terrorism-in-africa/ Mon, 23 Mar 2020 23:09:30 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=392859 In the last two decades, international relations have been altered by the impact of terrorism, a phenomenon which has captured the attention of politicians and scholars across the world. The regions of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), have been implicated. Terrorism has been politically manipulated by different actors – Western and regional powers like the United States of America (USA) or European countries – in order to promote their own interests and agendas, especially in the Middle East. The study of terrorism requires not only an in-depth analysis of the historical reasons that led to its formation, development and sustainability through the exacerbation and exploitation of fundamentalism but also an analysis of the […]]]> 392859 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200306-the-middle-easts-influence-on-the-reconfiguration-of-eurasia/ Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:24:52 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=390595 A little over 2,000 years ago the so-called Silk Road established a magnificent bridge through the motley roads that descended from the mountains, crossed the steppes and the oasis that extended from Chang'an in China, crossingAntioch in Syria and Constantinople, to reach the gates of Europe and from there to the fifteenth-century Hispanic kingdoms. Caravans of merchants, soldiers and sages migrated from the east to the west and vice versa, populating the steppes and cities. The history of the Central Asian region has been intimately linked to the symbiosis between two fundamental questions: On the one hand, this legendary route, an exchange between very different worlds. On the other hand, all types of activity have been conditioned by a very […]]]> 390595 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191224-are-palestinian-elections-going-to-be-held/ Tue, 24 Dec 2019 18:03:34 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=377755 This is not the first time that President Mahmoud Abbas has called for elections, whether for the Palestinian National Council, the Palestinian Legislative Council or the presidency. On every occasion, his political opponents in Hamas have responded positively to the call, but the election process never goes ahead, for all sorts of reasons. On 26 September, President Abbas announced before the UN General Assembly that he will call for general elections in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. This was a few days after the proposal of the Palestinian eight-faction initiative (including factions in the Palestine Liberation Organisation) to end the political division, which Hamas agreed to. Abbas's Fatah viewed it as a waste of time. We […]]]> 377755 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191129-the-palestinian-question-in-europe-conference-summary-report/ Fri, 29 Nov 2019 11:52:04 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=374260 Introduction On 23 November 2019, EuroPal Forum and Middle East Monitor co-hosted a conference at the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury in London on the relations between Europe and Palestine. A first of its kind, the conference brought together individuals at the forefront of discourse on Palestine in order to discuss themes addressing the Palestinian cause and Europe. The rationale behind holding a conference of this nature stemmed from the idea that those working for Palestine in Europe have increasingly lacked mechanisms of control or assessment in a methodical and administrative manner. To bridge this gap, the conference was designed to provide an academic forum through which to assess the work being done to challenge Israel's policies as well as to survey […]]]> 374260 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190518-israels-brutal-military-occupation-continues-to-crush-west-bank-palestinians/ Sat, 18 May 2019 09:57:20 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=344030 During the 1967 Six Day War, the West Bank and East Jerusalem were occupied by Israel. Fifty-two years later this brutal military occupation remains in place, with the West Bank's almost three million Palestinian residents subjected to a maze of military checkpoints, attacks by illegal Israeli settlers and a lack of access to resources. So what is life like for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem? Here are 12 things you should know. This article is part of our series on Eurovision 2019. See more here. Palestinians live in the shadow of the Separation Wall Israel decided to build the Separation Wall in 2002, during the Second Intifada. Israeli NGO B'Tselem notes that, to date, "The route […]]]> 344030 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190518-discrimination-division-and-demolitions-life-as-a-palestinian-citizen-of-israel/ Sat, 18 May 2019 09:49:54 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=344025 Palestinian citizens of Israel – who number around 1.8 million people and amount to just over 20 per cent of Israel's population – are often ignored by the broader Palestinian narrative. Although unlike their compatriots in the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip, Palestinian citizens of Israel do not live under a formal military occupation, their lives are not without struggle. The community is discriminated against on a daily basis, denied equal access to resources, opportunities, political rights and housing. So what does daily life look like for Palestinian citizens of Israel? Here are nine things you should know. This article is part of our series on Eurovision 2019. See more here. Palestinian history is repressed, their ancestral homes […]]]> 344025 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190425-trumps-deal-of-the-century-and-the-latin-american-response/ Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:49:20 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=340254 The current conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, as well as tensions with Iran and the internal crisis in Lebanon, have favoured Israel's position in the Middle East. The Arab consensus against imperialist countries, namely the United States (US) and its European allies, has been weakened. In the wake of the so-called Arab Spring of 2011, the war in Syria – which aimed to overthrow President Bashar Al-Assad in order to boost the US agenda for a new Middle East – has failed overwhelmingly. In this context the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has taken a back seat, demonstrating that resolving the conflict is not yet a priority. Any peace negotiations have been pushed to the verge of disappearance, suggesting a solution will […]]]> 340254 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181016-7-myths-about-israels-separation-wall/ Tue, 16 Oct 2018 10:03:20 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=310788 In 2002, Israel decided to build the so-called Separation Wall. By 2003, it had already constructed 143 kilometres of the colossal structure, most of which cut deep into the West Bank, the Palestinian territory that Israel has occupied since the Six Day War of 1967. Its route through occupied West Bank territory means that the Wall infringes directly on the rights and lives of 210,000 Palestinians residing in 67 villages, towns and cities. In the 16 years since construction began, the lives of almost three million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem have been transformed almost beyond recognition. Military checkpoints are now a part of people's daily routine. The Wall cuts Palestinians off from their land; Jerusalemites […]]]> 310788 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180810-what-everyone-should-know-about-israels-siege-of-the-gaza-strip/ Fri, 10 Aug 2018 12:56:38 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=301760   For 11 years, Israel has imposed an unforgiving siege on the Gaza Strip. With severely restricted access in and out of the enclave — via land, air and, notoriously, sea — Gaza has effectively been sealed off from the world. The Strip is only 360 square kilometres in size, about the same as Las Vegas in the US or one-quarter the size of London. It is now home to almost two million Palestinians, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world and leading some to dub Gaza "the world's largest open-air prison." According to UNRWA, the UN body responsible for Palestinian refugees, 1.3 million of Gaza's 1.9 million inhabitants are refugees. Most were expelled from […]]]> 301760 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180323-in-egypt-the-british-trade-millions-of-dollars-for-human-rights/ Fri, 23 Mar 2018 08:30:52 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=282525 In 2011 residents of the fishing town of Idku close to Egypt's northern city of Alexandria gathered to oppose British Petroleum's (BP) plans to pump gas onshore where they would process it for onwards shipment. There were many parts of the project which angered activists including the proposition that the gas plant would be built on Idku's sandy strip of beach. Local farmers and fishermen already had to contend with sewage canals, industrial wave breakers which limited their access to fishing areas, and an existing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export plant. Now BP's facility would further endanger their livelihood and likely kill both the fish and the agriculture they were heavily dependent on. Popular assemblies formed on the streets and […]]]> 282525 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180316-100-days-since-trumps-recognition-of-jerusalem-the-facts/ Fri, 16 Mar 2018 11:21:31 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=281868 On the 6 December, US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, causing widespread controversy and anger across the world. Whilst the announcement was nearly unanimously rejected by the international community, it has had severe implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the US' relationship with the region as a whole. 100 days after the announcement, Trump's decision continues to dominate headlines as the fate of the Palestinian people hangs in the balance. History Since the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, the heads of both political parties in the US have signed a waiver every six months to prevent the American embassy being moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Under international law, Jerusalem's sovereignty is in abeyance, meaning in a […]]]> 281868 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171122-administrative-detention-a-legal-lethal-tool-of-israeli-repression/ Wed, 22 Nov 2017 10:30:56 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=266254 A largely neglected instrument of legal Israeli repression used against the Palestinian people is that of administrative detention. Thousands of men, as well as women and children, are held indefinitely and under horrendous conditions in detention centres dotted across the Occupied Territories without charge, access to a fair trial or even having been accused of committing a crime. This renders administrative detainees exceptions to the rules that would govern convicts, placing them outside the normal legal system and procedures and beyond the remit of the Red Cross. This not only means that the order cannot be challenged, but it also means that detainees are not provided with adequate living conditions, medical care, food, clothing or access to their families. The […]]]> 266254 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171113-the-million-dollar-boat-ride-across-the-mediterranean/ Mon, 13 Nov 2017 14:52:15 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=265058 At 3am, two weeks after he spoke out in a meeting against members of the ruling Popular Front for Democracy Party, security forces entered Mohamed's house, beat him up in front of his mother and his wife and accused him of trafficking people out of Eritrea. Mohamed was taken to a prison in Hashfayrat, located in a closed military zone roughly 30 kilometres from the city of Keren, where he stayed for around a year. He had problems with his eyes, was denied medical treatment, and wasn't given adequate food to eat. Eventually he bribed a military officer to liaise between himself and a smuggler to help him escape. The officer bought clothes and dates and distributed it between Mohamed […]]]> 265058 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171011-we-are-against-a-palestinian-state/ Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:41:15 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=260620 Anti-Palestinian incitement and racism can be found throughout Israeli society, from football matches and op-ed pages, to universities and the highest levels of elected office. The dehumanisation of Palestinians and rejection of their basic rights flows from, and has provided justification for, decades of settler-colonialism and occupation. Palestinians are portrayed routinely by Israeli politicians, academics and religious leaders as barbaric, a "demographic threat" and a "problem" to bemanaged. This affects public attitudes; according to one study, 60,000 active Israeli social media users posted at least one racist item against Arabs in 2016, at a rate of one post every 46 seconds. This factsheet is just the tip of the iceberg, with a focus on the rhetoric of government ministers and officials – […]]]> 260620 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170615-uae-and-the-muslim-brotherhood-a-story-of-rivalry-and-hatred/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 09:32:33 +0000 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=239718 For more than two decades, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been at the forefront of the fight against all forms of what is usually referred to as political Islam in the Gulf and beyond. The Muslim Brotherhood, which is the most obvious manifestation of Islamic activism, has been its primary target. However, the relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and the ruling families of the seven Emirates, including the most powerful of the families, the al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, was relatively amicable during its beginnings more than 40 years ago. Like other Gulf states during the 1950s and 1960s, the UAE imported large numbers of professionals from other parts of the Arab world, notably Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. The […]]]> 239718 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20160630-military-court-watch/ Thu, 30 Jun 2016 12:12:09 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=183980 183980