JERUSALEM: A framework US-brokered deal for forging relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia could be in place by early next year, the Israeli foreign minister said on Thursday after the three countries signalled progress in the complex negotiations.
An Israeli-Saudi normalization would dramatically redraw the Middle East by formally bringing together two major US partners in the face of Iran — a foreign-policy flourish for President Joe Biden as he seeks reelection in late 2024.
Biden voiced optimism about the prospects in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN general assembly on Wednesday. Separately, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said “every day we get closer” to a deal.
But a Rubik’s cube of tie-in issues looms. Riyadh’s quest for a civilian nuclear program tests US and Israeli policy. Saudi and US calls for the Palestinians to make gains under any deal are unpalatable for Netanyahu’s hard-right government.
“The gaps can be bridged,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Israel’s Army Radio. “It will take time. But there is progress.”
“I think there is certainly a likelihood that, in the first quarter of 2024, four or five months hence, we will be able to be in at a point where the details (of a deal) are finalized.”
Such a timeline could enable the Biden administration to get through a review period in the US Congress and Senate and clinch ratification ahead of the November presidential ballot.
Israel says framework Saudi normalization deal possible by early 2024
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Israel says framework Saudi normalization deal possible by early 2024
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said “every day we get closer” to a deal
- Biden voiced optimism about the prospects in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
UN official bemoans ‘endless’ suffering in Gaza after renewed Israeli strikes
- “We are fearing that the worst is yet to come,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X
- Israeli strikes since Tuesday have killed at least 504, including children, says Gaza civil defense agency
JERUSALEM: The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Thursday there were fears “the worst is yet to come” in Gaza, denouncing “endless” suffering after Israel renewed deadly air and ground operations.
“Israeli Forces bombardment continues from air & sea for the third day,” Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X.
“We are fearing that the worst is yet to come given the ongoing ground invasion separating the north from the south.”
Israel announced renewed ground operations in Gaza on Wednesday and issued what it called a “last warning” to residents of the territory to return hostages and remove Hamas from power.
Heavy air strikes began pounding Gaza early on Tuesday, killing at least 504 people including more than 190 children, according to the civil defense agency in the Hamas-run territory.
Gaza rescuers said at least 10 more people were killed in a pre-dawn bombing near Khan Yunis on Thursday.
“Under our daily watch, people in Gaza are again & again going through their worst nightmare,” Lazzarini wrote, condemning an “endless unleashing of the most inhumane ordeals.”
The Israeli army said on Thursday it had banned traffic on the Palestinian territory’s main north-to-south artery.
“Evacuation orders forcing people to flee were issued impacting tens of thousands of people,” Lazzarini said, adding that “the vast majority have been already displaced, treated like ‘pinballs’ since the war began nearly 1.5 years ago.”
Israel’s renewed offensive shattered a relative calm in Gaza that had pervaded since a fragile truce took hold in mid-January.
The UNRWA chief also decried Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza which has been in place since early March.
“No time left, we need now: a renewal of the ceasefire, a dignified release of all the hostages in Gaza, an unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid & commercial supplies,” he said.
The first stage of the Gaza ceasefire, which largely halted more than 15 months of fighting, expired early this month amid deadlock over next steps.
Israel rejected negotiations for a promised second stage, calling instead for the return of all of its remaining hostages under an extended first stage.
That would have meant delaying talks on a lasting ceasefire, and was rejected by Hamas as an attempt to renegotiate the original deal.
Jordan’s Senate speaker criticizes Western ‘double standards’ on democracy at Strasbourg conference
- Faisal Al-Fayez stresses democracy is shared responsibility
STRASBOURG: Jordan’s Senate Speaker Faisal Al-Fayez on Thursday accused Western nations of adopting “double standards” on democracy and public freedoms, arguing that true democratic values required consistency and commitment to human rights.
Speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, Al-Fayez stressed that democracy was a shared responsibility that upheld citizens’ rights, equality, and social justice. However, he warned that some Western nations failed to apply these principles uniformly.
“The reality confirms that the West has begun to adopt a policy of double standards regarding issues of public freedoms and democratic practice,” he said.
The two-day conference is set to cover a range of topics, including the protection of democracy, freedom of expression, and the impact of current global political and security challenges.
Al-Fayez argued that sustaining democracy required political and security stability, as well as a rejection of selective approaches to human rights. He called for a commitment to defending international organizations and institutions that uphold justice, rather than interfering in their principles for political gain.
He said: “We must implement international legitimacy resolutions pertaining to people’s rights to freedom and independence, reject racism and sectarianism, and respect minorities’ rights while also working to strengthen common cultural and civilizational denominators among peoples.”
Al-Fayez also addressed the impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinians, criticizing what he described as Western hypocrisy in dealing with human rights violations.
He added: “The Palestinian people have endured nearly eight decades of suffering under Israeli occupation, and since Oct. 7, 2023, they have been the target of the most horrific acts of aggression by the Israeli occupation state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, primarily women and children, have died as a result of this aggression.”
Additionally, Al-Fayez voiced concerns over the role of social media in amplifying disinformation, hate speech, and extremism. He warned that while these platforms were initially intended to promote public freedoms, they have instead exacerbated societal divisions, leading to political instability in various countries.
He said: “Social media, which is meant to support freedom of expression, freedom of publication, and public freedoms, has regrettably added to the problems that democracy faces. It has encouraged hate speech, bigotry, violence, religious and ethnic strife, and the use of disinformation campaigns to rig elections and their results.”
He highlighted growing discontent with democratic institutions due to economic and technological disparities between the Global North and South, as well as widening social and economic inequalities.
He added: “All of these factors have put democracy and its future through a difficult test.”
Israel’s president says worried over steps taken by Netanyahu’s government
- “It is impossible not to be deeply troubled by the harsh reality unfolding before our eyes,” Herzog said
- “It is unthinkable to resume fighting while still pursuing the sacred mission of bringing our hostages home”
JERUSALEM: Israel’s President Isaac Herzog on Thursday expressed concern over steps being taken by the government, hours before the cabinet was due to fire the domestic security chief in an unprecedented move.
“It is impossible not to be deeply troubled by the harsh reality unfolding before our eyes,” Herzog said in a video statement, stopping short of mentioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by name.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu announced a return to the war in Gaza, sending in ground troops, after talks on extending the truce with Palestinian militant group Hamas reached an impasse.
“It is unthinkable to resume fighting while still pursuing the sacred mission of bringing our hostages home,” said Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial.
His unusual statement also comes ahead of a state budget vote expected late this month, in which the government proposes raising taxes and cutting education and health funding while ramping up spending in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sector — a plan that has drawn criticism as many ultra-Orthodox do not serve in the army.
“Thousands of reserve duty call-ups have recently been issued, and it is inconceivable to send our sons to the front while simultaneously advancing divisive and controversial initiatives that create deep rifts within our nation,” Herzog said.
Calling on decision-makers to “carefully weigh every step and assess whether it strengthens national resilience,” the president criticized the decision to resume fighting in Gaza while Israeli hostages, including some who are known to be alive, remain in Gaza.
On Thursday, thousands of Israelis braved the rain and plunging temperatures in Jerusalem to protest the decision to return to war which they see as forsaking the hostages.
The protesters also voiced opposition to Netanyahu’s bid to oust Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet internal security agency.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the government’s legal adviser threatened by a separate bid to remove her from her watchdog role, said the plan to dismiss Bar was likely illegal.
Bar was meant to end his tenure only next year, and if approved by the government, he would become the first Shin Bet chief in Israel’s history to be dismissed early.
“Unfortunately, we are witnessing a series of unilateral actions, and I am deeply concerned about their impact on our national resilience,” Herzog said, calling on the government to take note of the thousands protesting.
Qatar helps in release of US citizen from Taliban’s detention in Afghanistan
- George Glezmann arrived in Doha on Thursday
- Release of US prisoner described as ‘gesture of goodwill’
LONDON: Qatar facilitated on Thursday the release of a US citizen in Afghanistan who had been in detention since December 2022.
George Glezmann is the third US citizen to be released by the Taliban government since January. The Taliban’s intelligence agency detained Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, in December 2022.
He arrived in Doha on Thursday and will depart for his home country later, the Qatar News Agency reported. A date was not specified.
The Taliban government’s release of the detainee was a “gesture of goodwill,” reflecting its willingness to engage in dialogue with the international community, the QNA added.
The Taliban have been in control of Afghanistan since the summer of 2021, following the withdrawal of US and Western troops from the Central Asian country.
Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Khulaifi said that cooperation with the mediation process involving the US and the “Afghan caretaker government” had led to the release of Glezmann.
He added that Qatar was dedicated to mediation efforts to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, disputes, and complex international issues.
Qatar has taken a leading role in mediating during some of the most contentious conflicts, including its recent efforts to help end the Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip and to facilitate the release of Israeli captives held by the militant group Hamas.
Lebanon committed to regaining confidence of Arab countries: Aoun
- German foreign minister makes official visit to Beirut
BEIRUT: Lebanon is committed to regaining the confidence of Arab countries and the world through reforms, President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday.
He was speaking at a meeting of Lebanese businessmen based in Saudi Arabia.
The president thanked the Kingdom for embracing expatriates and their families.
Addressing the delegation of the Lebanese Executives Council in the Kingdom, Aoun said: “It is unacceptable to cover the repercussions of financial and economic mismanagement using depositors’ funds, which have been frozen in Lebanese banks since 2019.”
The issue requires a solution in cooperation with economic bodies, banks, the central bank, depositors and the state as soon as possible, Aoun said.
“Boosting the economic cycle and investment flow requires a trustworthy banking sector,” he added.
“This was a commitment in the oath speech and is at the core of the government’s work, and we look forward to helping the parliament by accelerating the process of issuing the necessary laws.”
The Lebanese president on Wednesday had informed German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock that Israel’s occupation of areas in the south of the country hindered the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 and contradicted the agreement reached last November.
His remarks came during the German official’s visit to Beirut.
Baerbock was then to head to Damascus on Thursday to reopen the German Embassy in Syria.
Aoun said that the Lebanese army, which has been deployed in all areas vacated by Israeli forces, was carrying out its duty to enforce security and seize weapons.
He told the German minister that Israel had rejected all Lebanese proposals to evacuate the five hills it still occupies and replace its forces with international troops.
Diplomatic efforts and negotiations are continuing in a bid to find a solution to the issue, the president said.
Aoun also told Baerbock that Israel continues to hold several Lebanese prisoners and had only released five nationals, an issue that the government is “determined” to resolve.
Also on Thursday, Hezbollah reacted to Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji’s statements a day earlier, accusing the party of “reneging on the ceasefire agreement between it and Israel, despite the agreement being clear on which groups are allowed to bear arms.”
During a meeting with the Maronite League, Rajji highlighted “diplomatic efforts to end the Israeli occupation,” and said that “Lebanon’s goal is to return to the 1949 Armistice Agreement, and the only solution is international pressure, particularly from the US.
“The conditions are clear: The full implementation of Resolution 1701 and the cessation of military operations. These are tough conditions caused by the party that entered the war and delayed acknowledging the necessity of a ceasefire,” he added.
However, Rajji said that Lebanon “will not accept any direct political negotiations with Israel.”
In response, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Al-Moussawi said on Thursday that the foreign minister’s remarks harmed national interests and distorted facts, “ultimately providing Israel with additional justifications for its aggression.”
Al-Moussawi added that Hezbollah remained committed to “what the Lebanese government agreed upon through UN Resolution 1701.”
He said the foreign minister should have condemned Israel’s crimes and highlighted them to the international community, instead of directing accusations at Hezbollah.
Al-Moussawi urged the government to correct the “irresponsible statements” made by Rajji.
Similarly, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem accused the foreign minister of “providing Israel with an excuse to continue its aggression, a stance that is inappropriate for any Lebanese government official.
“We have adhered to the agreement while Israel continues to violate it,” he added.
