TEL AVIV: Israel is sending an envoy to Washington amid a deepening rift with the Biden administration over six outlawed Palestinian rights groups, a Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.
Israel last week designated the prominent Palestinian human rights groups as terrorist organizations, sparking international criticism and repeated assertions by Israel’s top strategic partner, the United States, that there had been no advance warning of the move.
Israel’s move marked what critics say was a major escalation of its decades-long crackdown on political activism in the occupied territories. The US State Department has said it would seek more information on the decision.
Joshua Zarka, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, told Israeli Army Radio the envoy would “give them all the details and to present them all the intelligence” during his visit in the coming days.
Zarka said he personally updated US officials on Israel’s intention to outlaw the groups last week, and said he believed Washington wanted a more thorough explanation of the decision.
The rights groups decision is emerging as a test of the relationship between the Biden administration and Israel’s new government, which was formed in June by eight politically disparate parties. The coalition ended the 12-year rule of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu’s hard-line government enjoyed broad support from the Trump administration, which moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, largely allowed settlement building to continue unfettered, cut funding to the Palestinians and presented a vision for the Mideast that sided with Israel’s positions.
The Biden administration has mostly restored traditional foreign policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. But with the US focused on other pressing domestic and foreign issues, the conflict was expected to take a backseat.
The fractious coalition government has also sought to minimize the Palestinian issue, agreeing not to make major moves that might threaten its stability. But in recent weeks, it has ramped up focus on the conflict, offering a number of goodwill gestures to Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and also pushing forward on building thousands of new homes for Jewish settlers.
Most dramatic was the decision on the civil society groups, which has rattled the coalition and returned focus to the conflict and Israel’s decades-long occupation of territories the Palestinians seek for a future state.
Israel has for years alleged the groups’ links to a Palestinian militant group but even under Netanyahu’s hard-line government, stopped short of labeling them terrorist organizations.
The announcement has outraged the activist community in Israel, which in recent years has also faced pushback from hard-line Israeli governments. In a joint statement Monday, more than 20 Israeli human rights groups, including some of the country’s leading, most established organizations, condemned the step, calling it “a draconian measure that criminalizes critical human rights work.”
The declaration against the Palestinian rights groups appeared to pave the way for Israel to raid their offices, seize assets, arrest staff and criminalize any public expressions of support for the groups. Most of the targeted organizations document alleged human rights violations by Israel as well as the Palestinian Authority, both of which routinely detain Palestinian activists.
The designated groups are Al-Haq, a human rights group founded in 1979, as well as the Addameer rights group, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees.
Israel envoy to brief US over ban on Palestinian groups
https://arab.news/8e9j6
Israel envoy to brief US over ban on Palestinian groups
- Israel last week designated prominent Palestinian human rights groups as terrorist organizations
- The announcement has outraged the activist community in Israel
Israel to resume natural gas exports when military deems it’s safe, energy minister says
- Cohen said he has been in contact with Egypt and Jordan about the cut in supplies.
- “I don’t want to use our strategic storage, so therefore, I needed to cut exports”
TEL AVIV: Israel will resume its natural gas exports when the country’s military believes it would be safe to do so, Israel’s Energy Minister Eli Cohen said on Wednesday, as an air battle between Israel and Iran entered its sixth day.
Two of Israel’s three gas fields — Chevron-operated Leviathan and Energean’s Karish — off its Mediterranean coast that provide the bulk of exports to Egypt and Jordan, have been shut since June 13 amid the conflict between Israel and Iran.
That leaves in operation only the older Tamar field, used mainly for domestic supplies.
Cohen said he has been in contact with Egypt and Jordan about the cut in supplies.
“They can see that we are in a war. I don’t want to use our strategic storage, so therefore, I needed to cut exports,” Cohen told Reuters after a news briefing.
“I hope I will be able to use another rig as soon as possible and use it for the supply of gas (exports). For me, the most important thing is (supplying) Israel,” he said, alluding to fueling needs during the conflict with Iran.
It wasn’t clear when another gas field will be reopened, Cohen said, noting: “We are working with them [the military], the Navy, and right now their recommendation is that one (field) will continue to work and two will be shut down.”
Israeli gas accounts for about 15-20 percent of Egypt’s consumption, data from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI) shows. The disruption to Israel’s gas supply led Egyptian fertilizer producers to halt operations on Friday.
Israel launched the air war on Iran on Friday after concluding the latter was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes.
OTHER ENERGY SOURCES
Israel’s energy sector, Cohen said, was operating normally, with no shortages expected since the country also maintains reserves in coal, diesel and renewable energy.
Israel’s Oil Refineries in Haifa was hit by an Iranian missile this week, which killed three people and halted operations.
Cohen said he hoped the facility would resume operations within a month, though a second refinery in the south remains open.
Since Friday, the percentage of renewable, or solar, energy used in electricity production has more than doubled to some 40 percent, Cohen said.
There was also some damage to wastewater treatment facilities and pipelines from Iranian air strikes.
Cohen acknowledged that victory against Iran could take weeks but Israel’s energy demands could be met.
“Although the Iranians struck some of our plants, we have very strong energy facilities that can supply all the energy demands for Israeli citizens and the army, in fuel, gas, electricity and water.”
Iranian Ambassador in Tokyo hails Saudi and Arab support
- Ambassador Seadat recognized the substantial support from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
- “We will always remember the kindness shown to us by our brothers in Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Iranian Ambassador to Japan, Peiman Seadat, expressed his gratitude for the unified support of Saudi Arabia and other Arab and Muslim countries in their collective effort against the aggression of the Israeli war machine.
He stated that this unity among Arab and Muslim nations is a testament to the strength of regional cooperation.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News Japan on Wednesday, the Ambassador highlighted that Arab and Muslim countries recognize the seriousness of the aggression by the Israeli regime and the threat it poses to the entire region.
Ambassador Seadat recognized the substantial support from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Farhan.
“We are deeply grateful for the compassionate assistance provided by the Crown Prince to approximately 80,000 Iranian pilgrims who have been stranded in Saudi Arabia. His Highness personally assured us that these pilgrims are being welcomed as guests of the Kingdom. We will always remember the kindness shown to us by our brothers in Saudi Arabia.”
The Iranian Ambassador, Seadat, also highlighted the support to Iran by Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, among others. He also expressed gratitude to the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, for his clear condemnation of Israel’s aggressive actions against Iran.
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative ‘outrageous’: UN probe chief
- GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine
- UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives
GENEVA: The use of the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to distribute food in the Palestinian territory is “outrageous,” the head of a UN inquiry said Wednesday.
Navi Pillay, who chairs the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Israel and the Palestinian territories, joined a growing chorus of criticism of the GHF’s operations, and cited its US links.
“In every war, the siege and starvation surely leads to death,” the former UN rights chief told journalists.
“But this initiative of what’s called a foundation, a private foundation, to supply food, is what I see as outrageous, because it involves the United States itself, the government, and it turns out, as we watch daily, that people who go to those centers are being killed as they seek food.”
An officially private effort with opaque funding, GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.
The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach GHF distribution points.
Pillay said the commission would “have to look into... the policy purpose and how it’s being effected.
“We have to spell out what is the motive of, right now, the killing of people who are coming for humanitarian aid from this so-called foundation — and that lives are being lost just in trying to secure food for their children.”
Unprecedented in its open-ended scope, the three-person Commission of Inquiry was established by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021 to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
South African former High Court judge Pillay, 83, served as a judge on the International Criminal Court and presided over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
On Tuesday she presented the commission’s latest report to the Human Rights Council.
It said Israel had attacked Gaza’s schools, religious and cultural sites as part of a “widespread and systematic” assault on the civilian population, in which Israeli forces have committed “war crimes” and “the crime against humanity of extermination.”
Israel does not cooperate with the investigation and has long accused it of “systematic anti-Israel discrimination.”
UAE president, Russia’s Putin discuss Iran-Israel conflict
- Emirati, Russian leaders proposed ways to contain the military escalation
LONDON: Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to discuss the latest developments in the Iran-Israel conflict, which entered its sixth day as of Wednesday.
The leaders addressed the grave implications of the conflict — which began on Friday — on regional and global security, according to the Emirates News Agency.
They discussed efforts to contain the war and halt the spiraling escalation, and highlighted the importance of exercising restraint and pursuing dialogue to avoid further threats to security.
Putin and Sheikh Mohamed voiced their support for all efforts aimed at achieving a solution through diplomatic means, WAM reported.
UN official arrives to discuss UNIFIL’s mandate in southern Lebanon
- Aoun says Lebanon is committed to the peacekeeping force and trying to secure funding
- Jean-Pierre Lacroix: The UN supports Lebanon’s demand for the continued work of UNIFIL
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday informed Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN undersecretary-general for peace operations, of “Lebanon’s firm commitment to maintaining the UNIFIL (mandate) in southern Lebanon for the implementation of Resolution 1701, in coordination with the Lebanese army, which will continue its deployment in the south and the full implementation of the agreement reached in November 2024.”
Aoun expressed hope that “the countries funding international peace missions will be able to provide the necessary funding for UNIFIL’s operations so that the international forces operating in southern Lebanon are not adversely affected.” He said further that “Lebanon will engage in contacts with sisterly and friendly countries in this regard.”
Lacroix arrived in Beirut as part of a round of talks with Lebanese officials, two months ahead of the traditional UN Security Council session on the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate in southern Lebanon, amid a reduction in US contributions to the peacekeeping budget and ongoing developments in the border area following Israel’s war on Hezbollah, as well as attacks on UNIFIL by Hezbollah supporters trying to prevent patrols without Lebanese army escorts.
The international official’s meetings took place against the backdrop of Israeli aerial offences, with reconnaissance aircraft flying over Beirut and its southern suburbs at low altitude.
During the meeting, according to a statement from the Presidential Palace media office, Lacroix said that “UNIFIL continues to carry out its duties despite the difficult conditions facing the region.”
He explained that “the Lebanese government’s request to renew the international force is under consideration by the UN and the member states of the Security Council. There are differing viewpoints regarding UNIFIL’s role and mandate, and efforts are underway to bridge those views in order to reach an agreement before the mandate expires at the end of August.”
A Lebanese source participating in the international official’s meetings in Beirut, in which he was accompanied by UNIFIL commander Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, said: “Lacroix spoke about the tendency of countries, especially the US, to request further amendments of UNIFIL’s missions in south Lebanon and a reduction in the number of participating forces. The requests did not involve cutting the services provided by these forces in the south to help the residents of the area that UNIFIL’s missions cover, which vary between medical, social and educational assistance.”
After his meeting with Aoun, Lacroix said: “The UN supports Lebanon’s demand for the continued work of UNIFIL, especially since coordination between UNIFIL and the Lebanese army takes place regularly."
Aoun emphasized that “maintaining stability in the South is a vital matter, not only to Lebanon but also to all countries in the region, and UNFIL’s role is essential in maintaining this stability.”
Aoun described “the cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL as excellent.” He said: “Lebanon is fully upholding its commitments regarding Resolution 1701 and its provisions. However, completing the army’s deployment to the border requires the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied territories, the return of Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli prisons and the cessation of hostilities constantly targeting Lebanese territory.”
Israel still to occupies five Lebanese hills, which it considers strategic, and violates the ceasefire agreement every day by carrying out land incursions, bulldozing roads, blocking others, and conducting air strikes to assassinate Hezbollah members and raids beyond the Litani River and extending to Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley.
Lebanon, meanwhile, through its Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, emphasized that “the Lebanese army dismantled more than 500 weapons depots in the south. We have strengthened security at Beirut Airport and we are working with diplomatic channels to stop Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and withdraw from the five sites.”
Aoun awarded Lazaro the National Order of the Cedar, and rank of commander, in recognition of his efforts during his tenure as commander of the international force operating in southern Lebanon. The ceremony marked the conclusion of Lazaro’s mission and his imminent departure from the country.
Lazaro held a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and is expected to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday.
The discussion focused on the latest developments in southern Lebanon and the UNIFIL forces’ work, according to a statement from Berri’s office.
