(2020-09-29). Is Pakistan ready to recognise Israel? middleeasteye.net 
Is Pakistan ready to recognise Israel? | Despite the pivotal role played by its close ally Saudi Arabia in the normalisation accords, any prospect of recognising Israel is seen as highly controversial | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 10: 17 | Israeli and US flags are burned during an anti-normalisation protest in Pakistan's port city of Karachi (AFP) | With a number of Gulf Arab countries, including the Unit…
(2020-09-29). Trump Confirms U.S. Is Israel's "Protector" globalresearch.ca For many years the security framework in the Middle East has been described as a bilateral arrangement whereby Washington gained access to sufficient Saudi Arabian oil to keep the energy market stable while the United States provided an armed physical …
(2020-09-29). UAE expresses hopes for Middle East peace talks following 'historic' accord with Israel. news.un.org The historic agreement normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should boost efforts towards achieving regional peace and a brighter future for generations to come, the UAE's Foreign Affairs Minister told the UN General Assembly in a pre-recorded speech broadcast on Tuesday.
(2020-09-29). Second Intifada Was Natural Response to Israeli 'Occupation', Top Abbas Adviser Says. sputniknews.com For Israel, the second Palestinian uprising was a bloody page in the country's history. It claimed the lives of more than a thousand people and injured many others. But for the Palestinians, assaults on Israeli targets, even if they were civilian, were necessary simply because they were a tool in the hands of people fighting for their independence.
(2020-09-29). UAE, Israeli ministers discuss energy, technology cooperation. yenisafak.com Sultan al-Jaber had discussions with them on cooperation opportunities in energy, technology and industry, ADNOC said.Israel and the UAE signed an agreement on Sept. 15 to establish diplomatic relations.
(2020-09-28). Hamas in contact with Egypt to secure injured fisherman. yenisafak.com The Hamas group said on Sunday it is in contact with the Egyptian authorities to secure the return of a wounded Palestinian fisherman whose two brothers were killed by Egypt's navy on Friday.In a phone call with the family of the killed fishermen, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh offered his group's condolences and confirmed the group is in contact with Egypt to secure the return of the third brother.On Sunday, thousands of Palestinians in the Deir al-Balah city, central Gaza, mourned the death of two brothers Hasan and Mahmoud al-Zazoua who were fishing along with their third brother when their small fishing boat came…
(2020-09-28). Accepting Israeli prize in 2018, RBG never mentioned Palestinians. mronline.org 
The recent death of U.S. Supreme Court judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg (known popularly as 'RBG') has brought accolades from all over the world, especially from progressives who hailed her positions.
(2020-09-28). How AOC Challenged the Myth of Yitzhak Rabin the Peacemaker. mintpressnews.com 
When it was publicized that AOC was pulling out of a Yitzhak Rabin memorial, Peace Now's Israel PR man called him "a warrior with skeletons turned peacemaker, a description that betrays his bloody past.
(2020-09-28). Palestine politics: Could a unified leadership and elections herald a new era? middleeasteye.net 
Palestine politics: Could a unified leadership and elections herald a new era? | Following a meeting in Turkey, Fatah and Hamas announced a new roadmap for elections in Palestine | Mon, 09/28/2020 – 15: 00 | Palestinians wave national flags as they march in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, calling for the cessation of divisions between Fatah and Hamas and the unification of the West Bank an…
(2020-09-28). Palestinians should be 'happy' about normalisation, says UAE's al-Otaiba. middleeasteye.net 
Palestinians should be 'happy' about normalisation, says UAE's al-Otaiba | Abu Dhabi's ambassador to Washington lashed out at the Palestinians for not celebrating normalisation with Israel | Mon, 09/28/2020 – 17: 50 | Yousef al-Otaiba claimed that the UAE-Israeli agreement halted Israel's plan to annex up to 30 percent of the occupied West Bank (AFP/File photo) | The UAE ambassador to the US has said that Pale…
(2020-09-28). Pompeo Phones Egypt's FM to Discuss on Libya, Palestine. telesurenglish.net Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received on Sunday a phone call from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during which they discussed regional issues including the Libyan crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. | RELATED: | Shoukry and Pompeo discussed "the latest developments on the Libyan arena and the efforts made to stabilize the cease-fire" that was reached between Libyan rival parties, said Egyptian F…
(2020-09-28). La Russie et l'Iran en Syrie : l'Iran se prépare à la frontière israélienne. thealtworld.com On a beaucoup parlé de conflit d'intérêts entre Russes et Iraniens en Syrie, dont les priorités et les objectifs divergeraient, notamment en ce qui concerne le déploiement des forces iraniennes dans différentes provinces syriennes, en particulier dans la zone au sud de la Syrie bordant le plateau du Golan occupé par Israà´l. En réalité, les différents acteurs acceptent les désaccords tacites tant qu'ils ne nuisent pas à leurs principaux objectifs. Cependant, l'Iran semble avoir décidé de prendre des mesures d'escalade en Syrie qui devraient soulever des inquiétudes en Israà´l. Ces mesures sont envisag…
(2020-09-28). Russia and Iran in Syria; Iran prepares a move on the Israeli borders. thealtworld.com There has been a lot of talk about a Russian-Iranian conflict of interest in Syria and the differences of priorities, goals, and about the deployment of the Iranian forces in different Syrian provinces, in particular in the south of Syria bordering the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. In reality, there are organised disagreements which the various players have accepted without this necessarily affecting their primary objectives. However, Iran seems to have decided to take more escalatory steps in Syria that are expected to cause concern in Israel. This step follows the normalisation of the Emirates and Bahrein rel…
(2020-09-28). Trump Admin Poised To Gift Israel $11 Billion In Bid to Secure Another Arab-Israeli "Peace" Treaty. mintpressnews.com Trump's arrangement to sell F-35 warplanes to the United Arab Emirates has prompted Israel to issue a list of demands — including must-have advanced aircraft and other accouterments.
(2020-09-28). New development in region to end to detriment of Israelis. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 28 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker's Special Aide for International Affairs said that the new trend and development is taking shape in the region which will end to the detriment of the Zionist regime.
(2020-09-28). UK Authorities Dismiss Anti-Semitism Probe Into Rapper Wiley's Social Media Posts. sputniknews.com British authorities have terminated their anti-Semitism investigation into UK grime rapper Wiley – real name Richard Kylea Cowie Jr. – after learning that his July social media comments on the Jewish community were issued while he was out of the country.
(2020-09-28). Lessons Learned: Here's Why Israel Will Not Face Another Intifada. sputniknews.com The Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s claimed the lives of more than a thousand Israelis as well as thousands of Palestinians. Could such a scenario unfold again, 20 years after the so-called second Intifada? A former IDF colonel is highly doubtful this will play out.
(2020-09-27). Gaza mourns Palestinian fishermen killed by Egyptian navy. middleeasteye.net 
Gaza mourns Palestinian fishermen killed by Egyptian navy | Two brothers were killed, a third wounded, when Egyptian forces fired on their boat for allegedly breaching territorial waters | Sun, 09/27/2020 – 16: 30 | The father of the killed fishermen being consoled by his sister (MEE) | The small streets of the refugee camp in the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah were plunged into sadness…
(2020-09-27). Egypt reopens Gaza terminal for stranded Palestinians. yenisafak.com Egyptian authorities on Sunday reopened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip in both directions, the Palestinian Interior Ministry said.The Hamas-run ministry said the border terminal will remain open for three days to allow Palestinian travelers to leave Gaza and let Palestinians stranded in Egypt to return back to the territory.This is the second time for the Egyptian authorities to reopen the Rafah crossing since the coronavirus outbreak in March.According to the Palestinian health authorities, travelers arriving in Gaza will enter an obligatory quarantine for a period of 21 days.The Gaza Strip has recorded…
(2020-09-27). Emirati poet says banned from travel over anti-normalisation stance. middleeasteye.net 
Emirati poet says banned from travel over anti-normalisation stance | Poet Dhabiya Khamis says she was barred from leaving Dubai International Airport following 'position against Zionists' | Sun, 09/27/2020 – 15: 23 | The flags of Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain projected on Jerusalem's Old City ramparts on 15 September 2020 in support of the recent normalisation deals (AFP/file photo) | Emirati poet…
(2020-09-27). UAE/Bahrain Normalization: Peace or Geopolitics? zcomm.org I think the willingness to endorse these normalization agreements in the White House setting was a dramatic expression of identification with Trump's regional diplomacy in the Middle East and a formalized repudiation of Palestinian aspirations for a sustainable peace…
(2020-09-27). UAE poet barred from travel for rejecting Israel deal. yenisafak.com A prominent Emirati poet said Sunday she was barred from travel over her opposition to her country's decision to normalize relations with Israel.Dhabiya Khamis said she was banned from boarding a Cairo-bound flight from the Dubai Airport."The ban is probably because of my announced opinion against Zionism and normalization," she said on her social media accounts."I fear for my freedom and life from being threatened and arrested," she said.Several writers and poets have expressed support and solidarity with Khamis after being banned from travel.The female poet has earned the ire of the Emirati authorities after sh…
(2020-09-27). Bangladesh says world must step up to solve Rohingya issue. yenisafak.com "More than three years have been passed but not a single Rohingya could be repatriated. The Rohingya crisis was created by [neighboring] Myanmar and the solution lies in Myanmar," Sheikh Hasina said in her virtual speech at the 75th UN General Assembly."Bangladesh has a painful experience of genocide, crimes against humanity on its people, and a struggle for independence, and such an experience motivated Bangladesh to support the legitimate demands of the Palestinian people and also motivated it to allow and provide shelter to over 1.1 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals," she continued, referring to the…
(2020-09-27). Concerns grow for the welfare of a Palestinian activist on hunger strike in a Belfast prison. thecanary.co As Now the political activist group Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (
(2020-09-26). [Correspondence] Israeli aid to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com The claims asserted in David Mills and colleagues in their Correspondence1 were so egregious that we feel the need to respond, even though some time has passed since its publication and the Correspondence has since been removed from The Lancet's website.
(2020-09-26). 'Cultivated with love': Palestinian farmers' markets flourish in the West Bank. middleeasteye.net 
'Cultivated with love': Palestinian farmers' markets flourish in the West Bank | Souk el-fallaheen has offered Palestinian farmers a space to sell their products and build relationships with their communities
| Sat, 09/26/2020 – 10: 20 | The Palestinian farmers' market in al-Bireh has seen an unprecedented turnout from buyers and farmers this summer (MEE/Al-Bireh Municipality) | "
(2020-09-26). Expropriate, Capture & Marginalize: the Energix business model from Palestine to the US. indybay.org Energix expropriated 24 acres from a Palestinian community in the Israeli-occupied West Bank to boost its bottom line. When residents in the Israeli-occupied Golan questioned Energix electricity exports from massive wind turbines built on occupied land, Energix sued them in Israeli court. | Now Energix has brought its business practices to America. But can Energix get away with expropriating $26,000 from each home within 100 feet of its utility scale energy generators in Virginia? Will county boards of supervisors accept quiet Energix payoffs of $50,000 in exchange for 35-year licenses? Will the officials and ass…
(2020-09-26). Hamas deal to counter US-Israeli plots: Fatah. yenisafak.com Palestinian group Fatah said Saturday its deal with rival Hamas group aims to counter US-Israeli plots against the Palestinian cause."The agreement is part of efforts to unify the Palestinian position in order to abort the passage of US-Israeli plots," Fatah deputy leader Mahmoud al-Aloul told the official Voice of Palestine Radio.He said the Fatah-Hamas deal also aims to "confront moves by some Arab countries to normalize their relations with the [Israeli] occupation state".The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed US-sponsored deals earlier this month to normalize their relations with Israel.Palestinia…
(2020-09-26). Hamas chief hails Abbas' speech to UN. yenisafak.com Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday hailed President Mahmoud Abbas's speech to the UN General Assembly, according to the official Wafa news agency.This came during a phone call Abbas received from the Hamas leader.Abbas' speech "reflects the moment [the Palestinian people are going through] in this historic stage," Haniyeh said.In his speech on Friday, Abbas said the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has not mandated any party to speak in its name."We will not bow or abandon our rights in spite of the unjust blockade targeting our national decision," Abbas said.The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and…
(2020-09-26). Normalization deals 'tool' to undermine Islam: Scholar. yenisafak.com A top Muslim scholar has linked recent normalization deals between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Israel to a campaign aimed at undermining Islam and monopolizing the Islamic countries.Ali al-Qaradaghi, the Secretary-General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), said there are many tools being used to "uproot Islam and reoccupy Muslims intellectually, socially, economically and politically"."One of these tools is through creating a new religion under the beautiful name of 'Abraham's faith'," al-Qaradaghi said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "[This claim] does not have anything to do…
(2020-09-25). COVID 19 Updates: US Cases Surpass 7 Million. telesurenglish.net The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. | – – – – | RABAT — Morocco announced on Friday 2,423 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally in the North African country since March 2 to 112,522. | The number of recoveries from coronavirus in Morocco increased to 91,932 after 1,746 more were added, while the death toll rose by 42 to 1,998, the ministry of health said in a statement. | – – – – | RAMALLAH — The Palestinian health ministry on Friday reported 452 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths from the virus in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. | In a pres…
(2020-09-25). Egyptian navy arrests 3 Palestinian fishermen. yenisafak.com The Egyptian navy on Friday arrested three Palestinian fishermen after they allegedly crossed into the Egyptian territorial waters, a local union said.According to Nizar Ayyash, head of Gaza's fishermen union, the Egyptian navy followed the fishermen's boat and opened fire on them after crossing into the Egyptian waters and arrested them.Ayyash added that the three fishermen are from the same family and live in Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza.He, however, said no information is available about their situation under custody.The authorities in Gaza and Egypt are yet to comment on the incident.According to the…
(2020-09-25). Redefining Anti-Semitism on Facebook. counterpunch.org 
The objective is to force Facebook to alter its hate speech definition so that its own "detection algorithm" will characterize any criticism of Israel as hate speech and automatically remove the pertinent content from the platform. Given that Facebook has 2.7 billion users and is the world's largest and arguably most influential media platform, it comes as
(2020-09-25). Surviving a pandemic under siege. workers.org 
During a Sept. 18 "Free Palestine" webinar, Palestinian writers and activists Susan Abulhawa and Khaled Barakat were asked to comment on the spread of COVID-19 in occupied Palestine, and what it means to have access to healthcare under foreign occupation. The following is an edited version of their replies. Susan . . . |