2020-09-22: News Headlines

MEE staff (2020-09-22). Palestine renounces Arab League Council chair to protest Israel normalisation. middleeasteye.net Palestine renounces Arab League Council chair to protest Israel normalisation | Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki says Palestine has been subjected to 'pressure and blackmail' at the Arab League following the normalisation deal between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel | Tue, 09/22/2020 – 11: 54 | Protesters gathered in Gaza outside a Unesco building on 15 September to denounce the normalisation deals (MEE/Mohammed a…

Philip Giraldi (2020-09-22). A Peace Deal Like No Other. globalresearch.ca It is odd that the White House is gloating over its claimed peace agreement in the Middle East at the same time as one of the signatories is bombing Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. It all suggests that peace in the …

The Alternative World (2020-09-22). Apologise to Palestine: Bahrainis Express Endless Embarrassment Upon the Shameful Treacherous Accord. thealtworld.com Sondoss Al Assad- Palestine, as far as the Bahrainis are considered, is not only an Arab humanitarian issue but rather a domestic indisputable concern, whose responsibility is held by each and every one of them, from different ages, affiliation and ideologies. The steadfast and vigilant Palestinians are their brethren and their cause is their first honorable cause. | For this reason, and amid the ongoing ban on the freedom of assembly and the imposed restrictions on the freedom of expression, tens of thousands of Bahrainis have protested on Twitter against what they call "Accord of Shame," "Accord of Betrayal." T…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-22). Palestinian security forces arrest supporters of Abbas rival Dahlan. middleeasteye.net Palestinian security forces arrest supporters of Abbas rival Dahlan | Move follows widespread speculation that exiled Palestinian leader played a role in normalisation deal with UAE | Tue, 09/22/2020 – 07: 54 | Dahlan has lived in the UAE since being driven out of the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2011 | Palestinian security forces arrested more than half a dozen supporters of an exiled Pa…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-22). US and UAE hoping for deal on F-35 jets sale by December: Sources. middleeasteye.net US and UAE hoping for deal on F-35 jets sale by December: Sources | Officials said the US was looking for ways to modify stealth jet technology to maintain Israel's military dominance | Tue, 09/22/2020 – 12: 18 | An Israeli Air Force F-35 during a graduation ceremony for Israeli air force pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel (Reuters) | The United Arab Emirates and the United…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-09-22). How Do Democrats and Republicans Differ on Palestine and Israel? counterpunch.org The polarized nature of American politics often makes it difficult to address fundamental differences between the country's two main political rivals, Republicans and Democrats. As each side is intent on discrediting the other at every opportunity, unbiased information regarding the two parties' actual stances on internal and external issues can be difficult to decipher.

yenisafak (2020-09-22). Palestine refuses to chair Arab League over Muslim states' deals with Israel. yenisafak.com Palestine on Tuesday relinquished its right to take the rotating presidency of the Arab League in protest of recent deals to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Israel. | "This decision was taken after the Arab League Secretariat took a supporting position to the UAE and Bahrain, which normalized their relations with Israel in violation of the Arab Peace Initiative," Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told a press conference in Ramallah. | "Some influential Arab states refused to condemn the violation of the Arab Peace initiative," he said. | Al-Maliki, however, stressed that Pa…

Kathryn Shihadah (2020-09-22). Israel Promised to Slow Down Home Demolitions During COVID-19, It Stepped Them Up Instead. mintpressnews.com The period from March to August 2020, a period marking the height of the coronavirus pandemic, represented the highest rate of Israeli home demolitions in four years.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). VIDEO: Anti-PM protests continue in occupied territories. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) — Israeli regime's police prepared fencing in Paris Square leading to the residence of PM Netanyahu over a massive demonstration held by angry protestors over Netanyahu's policies.

yenisafak (2020-09-22). ANALYSIS: What do the Abraham Accords entail for the Middle East and North Africa? yenisafak.com After the normalization ceremony in Washington on Sept. 15, where Israel officially established full diplomatic relations with both Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United States and some commentators labelled this as a sign of Middle East peace. Other observers meanwhile suggested that a new front against Iran and Turkey was being established.Much of this coverage, however, misses their developing relations, under the surface, for several years, and how the agreement will advance Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv's geopolitical cooperation.While the UAE's initial acceptance of normalization on Aug. 14 was un…

Prof. Juan Cole (2020-09-21). Israel's Knesset Votes Down Bill Guaranteeing Equality for Palestinian-Israelis, 21% of Population. globalresearch.ca

Liberation Staff (2020-09-21). Progressive and socialist organizations condemn attack on Denver anti-racist leaders. liberationnews.org Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network supports the six anti-racist organizers, including four members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, targeted for arrest and prosecution in the Denver, Colorado area in the United States, and urges broad mobilization in their defense. Police across the region arrested the six in a coordinated sweep on Wednesday, …

John Wojcik (2020-09-21). RBG's death: A time to mourn but also to organize. peoplesworld.org Immediately upon hearing of the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the night of Rosh Hashanah, thousands massed spontaneously in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington to mourn. They recognized, and on Sunday Joe Biden reminded us, that the first person to die in the Jewish New Year is a soul of …

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-09-21). Arabic press review: Kuwait renews its rejection of normalisation with Israel. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Kuwait renews its rejection of normalisation with Israel | Meanwhile, UAE rabbi blows a shofar to mark Jewish new year in Dubai, and Lebanon faces severe shortages of essential medicine | Mon, 09/21/2020 – 14: 08 | Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim speaks inside the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Kuwait City on 15 May 2018 to protest against the US decis…

Gideon Polya (2020-09-21). Pro-Women's Rights Supreme Court Judge Ruth Ginsburg Utterly Ignored Palestinian Genocide. dissidentvoice.org On the occasion of the death of the remarkable, pro-women's rights US Supreme Court judge but fervent supporter of genocidally racist Zionism, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG), one notes that in her outstanding over 60 year career she was utterly silent about the human rights of Palestinians, and that women and children are 75% of the …

Aseel Jundi (2020-09-21). 'Between fire and fuel': Palestinians in Jerusalem town face eviction orders. middleeasteye.net 'Between fire and fuel': Palestinians in Jerusalem town face eviction orders | Families in Silwan challenge courts over laws that favour Israeli settlers
| Mon, 09/21/2020 – 10: 18 | Kayed Rajabi (L) and Nasser Rajabi (C-L) watch as settlers and their guards walk by (MEE/Aseel Jundi) | Reaching the Batn al-Hawa neighbourhood in the Palestinian town of Silwan in occupied Jerusalem is no easy tas…

MEE staff (2020-09-21). Chelsea owner donated over $100m to Israeli settler group. middleeasteye.net Chelsea owner donated over $100m to Israeli settler group | Roman Abramovich revealed to be the main backer of Elad, which has been accused of displacing Palestinian families in occupied East Jerusalem, leaked documents show | Mon, 09/21/2020 – 20: 42 | Over the last 15 years four companies run by Roman Abramovich have donated $100m to Elad, a right-wing Israeli settler organisation (AFP/File photo) | Russian…

yenisafak (2020-09-21). Al-Aqsa preacher forbids chanting Israeli anthem. yenisafak.com The preacher of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, has forbidden Muslims from chanting Israel's national anthem. | In an interview with Anadolu Agency on Monday, Sabri said the Israeli anthem includes words that allege the Jewish ownership of all Palestine, including Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. | He said those chanting the Israeli anthem in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are either "illiterates" or "Zionists". | Videos appeared on social media showing some Emiratis chanting and playing the Israeli anthem, in a move that came days after the UAE, Bahrain and Israel signed US-sponsored agree…

_____ (2020-09-21). Tony Blair's Grubby Fingerprints on Trump's Mideast Deals Spells War, Not Peace. strategic-culture.org Cynics of the "historic" peace deals signed this week at the White House between Gulf Arab rulers and Israel were further emboldened in their criticism with reports that former British premier Tony Blair was a leading mediator behind the development. | U.S. President Donald Trump

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-21). 61 French MPs denounce alliance of UAE, Bahrain with zionists. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 21 (MNA) — On Monday, 61 French parliamentarians condemned the Emirati and Bahraini normalization agreements with the Israeli regime.

Juan Cole (2020-09-20). Affirming Jim Crow, Israeli Parliament Votes Down Bill Guaranteeing Equality for Palestinian-Israelis. commondreams.org "The Knesset roundly rejected the bill, with both the Likud-led far-right coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Blue and White bloc of his foreign minister and sometime rival, Benny Gantz, voting against it." (Photo: Ben Amos Gershom/Prime Minister of Israel) | www.flickr.com/photos/israelipm/33602313503/in/album-72157681408718530/

MEE and agencies (2020-09-20). Abu Dhabi meeting could lead to Israeli-Sudanese normalisation: Report. middleeasteye.net Abu Dhabi meeting could lead to Israeli-Sudanese normalisation: Report | Sudan delegation will also request Washington remove Khartoum from its state sponsors of terror list | Sun, 09/20/2020 – 21: 25 | Sudan's ruling council said its head, General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, pictured, and Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari would be in the delegation (AFP) | US, Emirati and Sudanese official…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-20). Sudanese officials to meet US delegation in Abu Dhabi. middleeasteye.net Sudanese officials to meet US delegation in Abu Dhabi | Meeting will seek to see Washington remove Sudan from its state sponsors of terror list and the writing off of the country's debts to the US | Sun, 09/20/2020 – 21: 25 | Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is under pressure to fix his country's economic crisis (AFP) | Sudanese officials will discuss the removal of their country fro…

Naomi LaChance (2020-09-20). Biden's Foreign Policy Advisors Show Loyalty to Israel, Defense Contractors. counterpunch.org When Donald Trump was elected president, the foreign policy apparatus that Barack Obama's administration built did not disappear. The power brokers went to think tanks and lobbying firms, cashing in on the uncertainty with help from defense contractors and other corporations. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's potential foreign policy would likely be a continuation of

Abdul Rahman (2020-09-20). With Abraham Accords, US and Israel seek to consolidate hegemony in the region. peoplesdispatch.org The United States and Israel are the only true winners of the recent Abraham Accords where the UAE and Bahrain normalized ties with the latter. The cause of the Palestinians has once again been abandoned…

yenisafak (2020-09-20). Dubai's Habtoor Group to open representative office in Israel. yenisafak.com Dubai conglomerate Al Habtoor Group is to open a representative office in Israel, it said on Sunday.The United Arab Emirates and Israel last week agreed to establish bilateral diplomatic and trade ties, which officials have said would create significant economic opportunities.The family-owned conglomerate portfolio covers the hospitality, construction, education and automotive sectors.Habtoor Group, headed by prominent Emirati businessman Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor, is in talks with Israeli airline Israir to launch direct commercial flights to the UAE."We are preparing to reveal a few collaborations in the coming da…

_____ (2020-09-20). Abraham Accords: A Fever Dream Of Dictators. popularresistance.org On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump, with much fanfare, hosted a ceremony for the signing of the so-called peace agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. With smug smiles plastered on their faces, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Foreign Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif Al Zayani together hailed the dawn of a new period in the region. According to the poetically-titled Abraham Accords, the aforementioned heads of state and their representatives will work together to achieve a "stable, peaceful and prosperous" Mi…

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2020-09-20). Irish republican prisoners in Belfast go on hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinian activist. thecanary.co As

Yisrael Frey (2020-09-19). Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border on Covid-19 fears. middleeasteye.net Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border on Covid-19 fears | Thousands of pilgrims enduring grim weather, without shelter, blame Israeli government for abandoning them | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 11: 31 | Hasidic Jews sleep outside on the ground at the Belarus-Ukraine border (supplied) | On the biggest Jewish holiday, proclaiming the start of a new year on the Hebrew calendar, thousands of H…

Yisrael Frey (2020-09-19). Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border amid Covid-19 fears. middleeasteye.net Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border amid Covid-19 fears | Thousands of pilgrims enduring grim weather, without shelter, blame Israeli government for abandoning them | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 11: 31 | Hasidic Jews sleep outside on the ground at the Belarus-Ukraine border (supplied) | On the biggest Jewish holiday, proclaiming the start of a new year on the Hebrew calendar, thousands of…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Seminary students condemn betrayal of regional Arab rulers. en.mehrnews.com HAMEDAN, Sep. 20 (MNA) — Seminary students in Hamedan province protested against the betrayal of Arab rulers in the UAE and Bahrain to the Palestinian cause via normalizing ties with the Zionist regime.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Parl. to mull over UAE, Bahrain ties with Israeli regime. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission is scheduled to examine treacherous compromise between UAE and Bahrain with Zionist regime on Sun. Sept. 20.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-18). VIDEO:Bahrainis protest on normalizing tie with Israel regime. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 18 (MNA) — People in Bahrain demonstrated on Thursday night and announced their strong opposition against normalization of ties between Bahrain and Zionist regime.