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Israel normalizes relations with some Gulf States, Sudan & Morocco [#288]
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ABU DHABI, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Naftali Bennett began the first official visit by an Israeli leader to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, seeking to strengthen Gulf ties at a time of heightened regional tension as world powers try to revive a nuclear deal with Iran.
Bennett, a far-right politician who took office as the head of a broad Israeli coalition government in June, plans to hold talks on Monday with the UAE's de facto leader, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
The diplomatic outreach comes as world powers negotiate with Iran on salvaging a 2015 nuclear deal opposed by Israel and abandoned in 2018 by then-U.S. President Donald Trump. read more
Since August 2020, the UAE, followed by Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, have moved to normalise ties with Israel under a U.S.-sponsored initiative dubbed the "Abraham Accords" after the biblical patriarch revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Bennett's UAE trip is the first by an Israeli premier to any of those countries since the accords.
On arrival in Abu Dhabi after a flight from Tel Aviv, Bennett was welcomed by an honour guard and the UAE's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.
"What a wonderful reception. I am very excited to be here on behalf of my people (on the) first official visit of an Israeli leader here," Bennett said. "We are looking forward to strengthening the relationship," he added.
Israel has broached setting up joint defences with Gulf Arab states that share its concern over Iranian activities. Pursuing economic, health and energy ties with its new ally, the UAE has signed dozens of memorandums of understanding with Israel since the Abraham Accords were signed.
Yet the UAE has also reached out to its Iran, sending its senior national security adviser there last Monday to meet his Iranian counterpart and President Ebrahim Raisi. read more
A flight-tracking app showed Bennett's El Al Israel Airlines plane overflying Saudi Arabia, which does not have formal ties with Israel, en route to Abu Dhabi. Riyadh agreed last year to allow Israel-UAE flights to cross its territory despite the absence of official ties.
The rapprochement in the Gulf has been condemned by Palestinians, whose diplomacy with Israel stalled in 2014.
Bennett, a far-right politician who took office as the head of a broad Israeli coalition government in June, plans to hold talks on Monday with the UAE's de facto leader, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
The diplomatic outreach comes as world powers negotiate with Iran on salvaging a 2015 nuclear deal opposed by Israel and abandoned in 2018 by then-U.S. President Donald Trump. read more
Since August 2020, the UAE, followed by Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, have moved to normalise ties with Israel under a U.S.-sponsored initiative dubbed the "Abraham Accords" after the biblical patriarch revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Bennett's UAE trip is the first by an Israeli premier to any of those countries since the accords.
On arrival in Abu Dhabi after a flight from Tel Aviv, Bennett was welcomed by an honour guard and the UAE's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.
"What a wonderful reception. I am very excited to be here on behalf of my people (on the) first official visit of an Israeli leader here," Bennett said. "We are looking forward to strengthening the relationship," he added.
Israel has broached setting up joint defences with Gulf Arab states that share its concern over Iranian activities. Pursuing economic, health and energy ties with its new ally, the UAE has signed dozens of memorandums of understanding with Israel since the Abraham Accords were signed.
Yet the UAE has also reached out to its Iran, sending its senior national security adviser there last Monday to meet his Iranian counterpart and President Ebrahim Raisi. read more
A flight-tracking app showed Bennett's El Al Israel Airlines plane overflying Saudi Arabia, which does not have formal ties with Israel, en route to Abu Dhabi. Riyadh agreed last year to allow Israel-UAE flights to cross its territory despite the absence of official ties.
The rapprochement in the Gulf has been condemned by Palestinians, whose diplomacy with Israel stalled in 2014.
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Israel may halt flights to Dubai over security arrangements
JERUSALEM, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Israel said on Sunday that it could halt Israeli airlines' flights to Dubai in the next few days due to a dispute over security arrangements, but is looking at rerouting them to Abu Dhabi instead.
An Israeli official said current security arrangements for three Israeli airlines that fly into Dubai International Airport - El Al , Israir and Arkia - were due to expire on Tuesday, leaving negotiators 48 hours to find a solution.
Direct flights from Israel to the United Arab Emirates began after the two countries' formalised ties in 2020. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have since visited the Gulf state.
Israeli airlines are under the authority of Israel's Shin Bet security service, which said it had encountered differences with its Dubai counterparts that could halt flights, but did not elaborate on what those differences were.
"Should the Israeli carriers' flights on this line indeed be halted, the possibility of transferring the Israeli flights to Abu Dhabi is being examined," Shin Bet said in a statement.
The Dubai government's media office did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Emirati state carrier flydubai would be likely to benefit if Israeli carriers stop flying to Dubai as it operates direct flights to Tel Aviv.
Spokespeople for El Al and Israir said their flights to Dubai were on schedule, for now. Arkia had no immediate comment.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middl...-dubai-over-security-arrangements-2022-02-06/
JERUSALEM, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Israel said on Sunday that it could halt Israeli airlines' flights to Dubai in the next few days due to a dispute over security arrangements, but is looking at rerouting them to Abu Dhabi instead.
An Israeli official said current security arrangements for three Israeli airlines that fly into Dubai International Airport - El Al , Israir and Arkia - were due to expire on Tuesday, leaving negotiators 48 hours to find a solution.
Direct flights from Israel to the United Arab Emirates began after the two countries' formalised ties in 2020. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have since visited the Gulf state.
Israeli airlines are under the authority of Israel's Shin Bet security service, which said it had encountered differences with its Dubai counterparts that could halt flights, but did not elaborate on what those differences were.
"Should the Israeli carriers' flights on this line indeed be halted, the possibility of transferring the Israeli flights to Abu Dhabi is being examined," Shin Bet said in a statement.
The Dubai government's media office did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Emirati state carrier flydubai would be likely to benefit if Israeli carriers stop flying to Dubai as it operates direct flights to Tel Aviv.
Spokespeople for El Al and Israir said their flights to Dubai were on schedule, for now. Arkia had no immediate comment.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middl...-dubai-over-security-arrangements-2022-02-06/
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Flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines said on Thursday it would not be able to maintain a full flight schedule to Dubai from Sunday due to disagreements over security arrangements in Dubai.
El Al said tens of thousands of Israelis who had already purchased tickets will not be able to fly.
Nonstop flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai on El Al and smaller Israeli rivals Israir and Arkia were among the fruits of a landmark 2020 deal establishing ties between Israel and the UAE.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have visited the UAE commercial hub since. The three carriers often offer about 10 flights a day to Dubai.
Israir and Arkia were not immediately available for comment.
Dubai authorities have so far not commented on the issue.
Israel's Shin Bet security service has voiced concerns - which it did not publicly detail - about arrangements at Dubai International Airport.
It has suggested that UAE capital Abu Dhabi could serve as an alternative for the Israeli carriers, should they no longer be able to fly to Dubai. But industry officials said that was not a commercially viable option.
Emirati state carrier flydubai operates direct Dubai-Tel Aviv flights and Dubai's Emirates has been looking to launch flights to Israel. Etihad Airways and Wizz Air fly from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2342941/israels-says-dubai-flights-to-be-disrupted-after-disagreements
El Al said tens of thousands of Israelis who had already purchased tickets will not be able to fly.
Nonstop flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai on El Al and smaller Israeli rivals Israir and Arkia were among the fruits of a landmark 2020 deal establishing ties between Israel and the UAE.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have visited the UAE commercial hub since. The three carriers often offer about 10 flights a day to Dubai.
Israir and Arkia were not immediately available for comment.
Dubai authorities have so far not commented on the issue.
Israel's Shin Bet security service has voiced concerns - which it did not publicly detail - about arrangements at Dubai International Airport.
It has suggested that UAE capital Abu Dhabi could serve as an alternative for the Israeli carriers, should they no longer be able to fly to Dubai. But industry officials said that was not a commercially viable option.
Emirati state carrier flydubai operates direct Dubai-Tel Aviv flights and Dubai's Emirates has been looking to launch flights to Israel. Etihad Airways and Wizz Air fly from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2342941/israels-says-dubai-flights-to-be-disrupted-after-disagreements
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Hopefully Pakistan can normalize ties with Israel soon too.
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Israel signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, its first big trade accord with an Arab state and a move aimed at boosting trade between the two Middle East nations.
The pact was signed in Dubai after months of negotiations.
"Done," Israel's Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek said on Twitter, replying to another tweet he posted earlier saying "the UAE and Israel will sign FTA in the next hour".
The UAE Ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Al Khaja, said the agreement was an "unprecedented achievement". "Businesses in both countries will benefit from faster access to markets and lower tariffs as our nations work together to increase trade, create jobs, promote new skills and deepen cooperation," he added.
President of the UAE-Israel Business Council Dorian Barak said the trade agreement defined tax rates, imports and intellectual property, which would encourage more Israeli companies to set up offices in the UAE, particularly in Dubai.
The council predicts there will be almost 1,000 Israeli companies working in or through the UAE by the end of the year doing business with South Asia, the Far East and Middle East.
"The domestic market doesn't represent the entirety of the opportunity. The opportunity is really setting up in Dubai, as many companies have, in order to target the broader region," Barak told Reuters by phone.
Ahead of the signing, Israel's economy ministry had said the accord would remove tariffs on food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment and medicine.
"Together we will remove barriers and promote comprehensive trade and new technologies, which will form a solid foundation for our common path, will contribute to the well-being of citizens and make it easier to do business," Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivai said on Monday.
The agreement has been signed amid escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence.
The UAE foreign ministry on Monday condemned the storming of the Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem by "extremist settlers under the protection of Israeli forces".
The foreign ministry, in the written statement, also asked "Israeli authorities to take responsibility for reducing escalation and ending all attacks and practices that lead to the continuation of tensions while underscoring the need to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further instability."
The same day invited media were told they could no longer attend the signing. No reason was given for the sudden change.
Al Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam and is revered in Judaism as the Temple Mount — a vestige of their faith's two ancient temples.
Israel's Barbivai told Israeli radio on Tuesday she had heard "nothing out of the ordinary" about the Al Aqsa violence so far during her visit to the UAE.
For oil-rich UAE, the deal with Israel is its second bilateral free trade agreement after signing a similar accord with India in February. It is in bilateral trade talks with several other countries, including Indonesia and South Korea.
The UAE has been aggressively pursuing these deals in a bid to strengthen its economy and status as a major business hub following the hit it took from the coronavirus pandemic.
Israel and the UAE established ties in September 2020 in a US-brokered deal that broke with decades of Arab policy that had called for a Palestinian state before ties with Israel.
Bahrain and Morocco also recognised Israel in the same year.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1692427/israel-signs-free-trade-deal-with-uae
The pact was signed in Dubai after months of negotiations.
"Done," Israel's Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek said on Twitter, replying to another tweet he posted earlier saying "the UAE and Israel will sign FTA in the next hour".
The UAE Ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Al Khaja, said the agreement was an "unprecedented achievement". "Businesses in both countries will benefit from faster access to markets and lower tariffs as our nations work together to increase trade, create jobs, promote new skills and deepen cooperation," he added.
President of the UAE-Israel Business Council Dorian Barak said the trade agreement defined tax rates, imports and intellectual property, which would encourage more Israeli companies to set up offices in the UAE, particularly in Dubai.
The council predicts there will be almost 1,000 Israeli companies working in or through the UAE by the end of the year doing business with South Asia, the Far East and Middle East.
"The domestic market doesn't represent the entirety of the opportunity. The opportunity is really setting up in Dubai, as many companies have, in order to target the broader region," Barak told Reuters by phone.
Ahead of the signing, Israel's economy ministry had said the accord would remove tariffs on food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment and medicine.
"Together we will remove barriers and promote comprehensive trade and new technologies, which will form a solid foundation for our common path, will contribute to the well-being of citizens and make it easier to do business," Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivai said on Monday.
The agreement has been signed amid escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence.
The UAE foreign ministry on Monday condemned the storming of the Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem by "extremist settlers under the protection of Israeli forces".
The foreign ministry, in the written statement, also asked "Israeli authorities to take responsibility for reducing escalation and ending all attacks and practices that lead to the continuation of tensions while underscoring the need to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further instability."
The same day invited media were told they could no longer attend the signing. No reason was given for the sudden change.
Al Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam and is revered in Judaism as the Temple Mount — a vestige of their faith's two ancient temples.
Israel's Barbivai told Israeli radio on Tuesday she had heard "nothing out of the ordinary" about the Al Aqsa violence so far during her visit to the UAE.
For oil-rich UAE, the deal with Israel is its second bilateral free trade agreement after signing a similar accord with India in February. It is in bilateral trade talks with several other countries, including Indonesia and South Korea.
The UAE has been aggressively pursuing these deals in a bid to strengthen its economy and status as a major business hub following the hit it took from the coronavirus pandemic.
Israel and the UAE established ties in September 2020 in a US-brokered deal that broke with decades of Arab policy that had called for a Palestinian state before ties with Israel.
Bahrain and Morocco also recognised Israel in the same year.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1692427/israel-signs-free-trade-deal-with-uae
Kianig89
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So this anti Jewish govt. Aka Diesel'coalition partners now using Isreal as last resort to bail out the economic situation anyone remember NS the absconder giving speeches during Zar Baba aka 40 theif group that and I quote
"Ae Tair-e-lahuti us rizq se mout achi jis rizq se ati ho parwaz Mai kotahi"
Meaning that one should die instead of living through illegal/haram/unfaithful earnings
"Ae Tair-e-lahuti us rizq se mout achi jis rizq se ati ho parwaz Mai kotahi"
Meaning that one should die instead of living through illegal/haram/unfaithful earnings
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Israel is heading to its fifth election in three and a half years, after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid gave up Monday on their efforts to stabilize the coalition.
In a joint statement, Bennett and Lapid said that they will bring a bill to dissolve the Knesset to a vote next Monday. This means that elections will likely be held on October 25.
Sources close to Bennett said the duo's goal was to initiate an election on their own terms and not be forced out by opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a joint statement, Bennett and Lapid said that they will bring a bill to dissolve the Knesset to a vote next Monday. This means that elections will likely be held on October 25.
Sources close to Bennett said the duo's goal was to initiate an election on their own terms and not be forced out by opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Saudi Arabia Opens Airspace To 'All Carriers' In Gesture To Israel
The Saudi civil aviation authority "announces the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the authority for overflying", it said in a statement.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced Friday it was lifting restrictions on "all carriers" using its airspace, an apparent gesture of openness towards Israel ahead of US President Joe Biden's arrival.
The US leader welcomed the "historic" decision, the latest conciliatory move by Riyadh concerning the Jewish state, which it has refused to recognise despite intensive efforts by the Israelis to establish ties with Arab countries.
The Saudi civil aviation authority "announces the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the authority for overflying", it said in a statement on Twitter.
The decision was made "to complement the Kingdom's efforts aimed at consolidating the Kingdom's position as a global hub connecting three continents".
"This decision is the result of the President's persistent and principled diplomacy with Saudi Arabia over many months, culminating in his visit today," US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in the statement, adding that Biden "commends" it.
He said the US president, who will land in Saudi Arabia for a controversial visit later Friday as part of a trip to the Middle East, "will have more to say on this breakthrough later today."
Prior to Biden's arrival in Israel at the start of his Middle East trip on Wednesday, Washington had hinted that more Arab nations could take steps to pursue relations with Israel, spurring speculation about whether Riyadh would alter its long-held position of not establishing official bilateral ties until the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved.
The kingdom did not show any opposition when its regional ally, the United Arab Emirates, established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, followed by Bahrain and Morocco under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
Yet analysts have stressed that any immediate gains are likely to be incremental and that Riyadh will probably not agree to formal ties -- not during Biden's visit or while King Salman, 86, still reigns.
Biden will travel to the Saudi city of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast Friday afternoon, despite a previous vow to treat the kingdom as a "pariah" over the 2018 murder and dismemberment of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
He is to travel directly from the Jewish state to Saudi Arabia -- becoming the first US president to fly from there to an Arab nation that does not recognise it.
In 2017, his predecessor, Donald Trump, made the journey in reverse.
'A major change'
Shortly after the Abraham Accords were announced in 2020, Saudi Arabia allowed an Israeli aircraft to pass over en route to Abu Dhabi and announced that UAE flights to "all countries" could overfly the kingdom.
Friday's announcement effectively lifts overflight restrictions on aircraft travelling to and from Israel.
Israel has been pushing for the overflight rights to shorten links to destinations in Asia.
Israeli authorities also want Muslim pilgrims from Israel to be able to travel directly to Saudi Arabia.
Currently they are required to make costly stopovers in third countries.
There has been "a major change in Saudi thinking" concerning Israel under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who Biden is expected to meet on Friday, said Dan Shapiro, Washington's former ambassador to Israel.
Prince Mohammed "and to some degree even the king himself have indicated that they see normalisation with Israel as a positive", said Shapiro, now with the Atlantic Council.
"They supported the Abraham Accords. Their own normalisation may take time and may be rolled out in phases, but it seems close to inevitable that it will happen."
NDTV
The Saudi civil aviation authority "announces the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the authority for overflying", it said in a statement.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced Friday it was lifting restrictions on "all carriers" using its airspace, an apparent gesture of openness towards Israel ahead of US President Joe Biden's arrival.
The US leader welcomed the "historic" decision, the latest conciliatory move by Riyadh concerning the Jewish state, which it has refused to recognise despite intensive efforts by the Israelis to establish ties with Arab countries.
The Saudi civil aviation authority "announces the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the authority for overflying", it said in a statement on Twitter.
The decision was made "to complement the Kingdom's efforts aimed at consolidating the Kingdom's position as a global hub connecting three continents".
"This decision is the result of the President's persistent and principled diplomacy with Saudi Arabia over many months, culminating in his visit today," US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in the statement, adding that Biden "commends" it.
He said the US president, who will land in Saudi Arabia for a controversial visit later Friday as part of a trip to the Middle East, "will have more to say on this breakthrough later today."
Prior to Biden's arrival in Israel at the start of his Middle East trip on Wednesday, Washington had hinted that more Arab nations could take steps to pursue relations with Israel, spurring speculation about whether Riyadh would alter its long-held position of not establishing official bilateral ties until the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved.
The kingdom did not show any opposition when its regional ally, the United Arab Emirates, established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, followed by Bahrain and Morocco under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
Yet analysts have stressed that any immediate gains are likely to be incremental and that Riyadh will probably not agree to formal ties -- not during Biden's visit or while King Salman, 86, still reigns.
Biden will travel to the Saudi city of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast Friday afternoon, despite a previous vow to treat the kingdom as a "pariah" over the 2018 murder and dismemberment of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
He is to travel directly from the Jewish state to Saudi Arabia -- becoming the first US president to fly from there to an Arab nation that does not recognise it.
In 2017, his predecessor, Donald Trump, made the journey in reverse.
'A major change'
Shortly after the Abraham Accords were announced in 2020, Saudi Arabia allowed an Israeli aircraft to pass over en route to Abu Dhabi and announced that UAE flights to "all countries" could overfly the kingdom.
Friday's announcement effectively lifts overflight restrictions on aircraft travelling to and from Israel.
Israel has been pushing for the overflight rights to shorten links to destinations in Asia.
Israeli authorities also want Muslim pilgrims from Israel to be able to travel directly to Saudi Arabia.
Currently they are required to make costly stopovers in third countries.
There has been "a major change in Saudi thinking" concerning Israel under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who Biden is expected to meet on Friday, said Dan Shapiro, Washington's former ambassador to Israel.
Prince Mohammed "and to some degree even the king himself have indicated that they see normalisation with Israel as a positive", said Shapiro, now with the Atlantic Council.
"They supported the Abraham Accords. Their own normalisation may take time and may be rolled out in phases, but it seems close to inevitable that it will happen."
NDTV
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Arab soccer fans at the first World Cup in the Middle East are shunning Israeli journalists in Qatar trying to interview them, illustrating challenges facing wider "warm peace" ambitions two years after some Gulf states forged formal ties with Israel.
Israeli officials have voiced hope that the US-brokered Abraham Accords reached with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020, and later Sudan and Morocco, would spur further normalisation, including with Arab heavyweight Saudi Arabia.
Interview attempts with Arab fans, however, fell flat with reporters from public broadcaster Kan and top-rated Channel 12 TV telling Reuters they had been mostly snubbed. Footage circulating online showed two Saudi fans, a Qatari shopper and three Lebanese fans walking away from Israeli reporters.
A Channel 13 reporter said Palestinian fans held an impromptu protest next to him, waving their and flags and chanting "go home".
Qatar does not officially recognise Israel, setting Palestinian statehood as a condition for that. But it has allowed direct flights from Tel Aviv for the World Cup as well as a delegation of Israeli diplomats to handle logistics.
The delegation spokesperson said there had been no reports of ill-treatment of the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Israeli fans. But he acknowledged "a few incidents" involving Israeli media.
Saudi national Khaled al-Omri, who works in the oil industry and was in Qatar to support his home team, told Reuters he hoped the Tel Aviv-Doha flight route would not become permanent.
"Sure, most countries in the Arab world are heading towards normalisation – but that's because most of them don't have rulers who listen to their people," he said.
Like Doha, Riyadh rules out normalisation for now. But since 2020 it has allowed Israeli airlines to overfly Saudi territory.
The US State Department lauded the Tel Aviv-Doha flights as holding "great promise to bolster people-to-people ties and economic relations".
Aseel Sharayah, a 27-year-old Jordanian at the tournament, said he would have also refused to talk to Israeli journalists, though Amman signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994.
"If I did see any of them, there'd be absolutely no time of interaction," said Sharayah, who works for the European-Jordanian Committee in Amman. "Their policies are closing the door on any opportunity for more ties between the countries."
Reuters
Israeli officials have voiced hope that the US-brokered Abraham Accords reached with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020, and later Sudan and Morocco, would spur further normalisation, including with Arab heavyweight Saudi Arabia.
Interview attempts with Arab fans, however, fell flat with reporters from public broadcaster Kan and top-rated Channel 12 TV telling Reuters they had been mostly snubbed. Footage circulating online showed two Saudi fans, a Qatari shopper and three Lebanese fans walking away from Israeli reporters.
A Channel 13 reporter said Palestinian fans held an impromptu protest next to him, waving their and flags and chanting "go home".
Qatar does not officially recognise Israel, setting Palestinian statehood as a condition for that. But it has allowed direct flights from Tel Aviv for the World Cup as well as a delegation of Israeli diplomats to handle logistics.
The delegation spokesperson said there had been no reports of ill-treatment of the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Israeli fans. But he acknowledged "a few incidents" involving Israeli media.
Saudi national Khaled al-Omri, who works in the oil industry and was in Qatar to support his home team, told Reuters he hoped the Tel Aviv-Doha flight route would not become permanent.
"Sure, most countries in the Arab world are heading towards normalisation – but that's because most of them don't have rulers who listen to their people," he said.
Like Doha, Riyadh rules out normalisation for now. But since 2020 it has allowed Israeli airlines to overfly Saudi territory.
The US State Department lauded the Tel Aviv-Doha flights as holding "great promise to bolster people-to-people ties and economic relations".
Aseel Sharayah, a 27-year-old Jordanian at the tournament, said he would have also refused to talk to Israeli journalists, though Amman signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994.
"If I did see any of them, there'd be absolutely no time of interaction," said Sharayah, who works for the European-Jordanian Committee in Amman. "Their policies are closing the door on any opportunity for more ties between the countries."
Reuters
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I wonder if Qatar was forced to allow Israeli journalists (in spite of Qatar not recognizing Israel) as a condition for hosting the world cup.
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A peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel would lead to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Jewish state’s prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Al Arabiya, a Saudi daily, on Wednesday.
Netanyahu suggested that extending the progress made in the 2020 Abraham Accords — a peace initiative between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain — to other Arab states would be a more effective route to peace than engaging with Palestinian leaders directly, who he alleged, were not willing to recognise Israel.
“I think peace with Saudi Arabia will serve two purposes: It will be a quantum leap for an overall peace between Israel and the Arab world, it will change our region in ways that are unimaginable,” he said.
“And I think it will facilitate, ultimately, a Palestinian-Israeli peace. I believe in that. I intend to pursue it.”
Netanyahu pointed the blame at Palestinian leaders for the failure to achieve peace.
“The reason we’ve not had an Israeli-Palestinian peace is because the Palestinian… leadership for the last century has refused to do what is finally happening in the rest of the Arab world — and that is to recognise that the state of Israel is here to stay.”
But Benjamin Netanyahu added that achieving peace with Riyadh was “up to the leadership of Saudi Arabia”.
In 2002, Saudi Arabia spearheaded the Arab Peace Initiative, a proposal to achieve Arab-Israeli peace if Israel agreed to reverse all occupation of Arab territories. When asked about the initiative and if he was prepared to use it as a blueprint, Netanyahu avoided committing to the terms it laid out.
He said it was “an indication of a desire to end the conflict in all its terms, but I think 20 years later we need to have a fresh view”.
Saudi Arabia has been one of the biggest backers of the Palestinian cause and has repeatedly stated that it needed to see a Palestinian state before taking up normalisation with Israel.
Although Riyadh has not officially commented on the Abraham Accords, there have been signs of a thaw in relations in recent years.
In an Oct 2020 interview with Al Arabiya, the influential former Saudi Ambassador to the US Bandar bin Sultan said: “The Palestinian cause is a just cause, but its advocates are failures. And the Israeli cause is unjust, but its advocates have proven to be successful.”
Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022
Netanyahu suggested that extending the progress made in the 2020 Abraham Accords — a peace initiative between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain — to other Arab states would be a more effective route to peace than engaging with Palestinian leaders directly, who he alleged, were not willing to recognise Israel.
“I think peace with Saudi Arabia will serve two purposes: It will be a quantum leap for an overall peace between Israel and the Arab world, it will change our region in ways that are unimaginable,” he said.
“And I think it will facilitate, ultimately, a Palestinian-Israeli peace. I believe in that. I intend to pursue it.”
Netanyahu pointed the blame at Palestinian leaders for the failure to achieve peace.
“The reason we’ve not had an Israeli-Palestinian peace is because the Palestinian… leadership for the last century has refused to do what is finally happening in the rest of the Arab world — and that is to recognise that the state of Israel is here to stay.”
But Benjamin Netanyahu added that achieving peace with Riyadh was “up to the leadership of Saudi Arabia”.
In 2002, Saudi Arabia spearheaded the Arab Peace Initiative, a proposal to achieve Arab-Israeli peace if Israel agreed to reverse all occupation of Arab territories. When asked about the initiative and if he was prepared to use it as a blueprint, Netanyahu avoided committing to the terms it laid out.
He said it was “an indication of a desire to end the conflict in all its terms, but I think 20 years later we need to have a fresh view”.
Saudi Arabia has been one of the biggest backers of the Palestinian cause and has repeatedly stated that it needed to see a Palestinian state before taking up normalisation with Israel.
Although Riyadh has not officially commented on the Abraham Accords, there have been signs of a thaw in relations in recent years.
In an Oct 2020 interview with Al Arabiya, the influential former Saudi Ambassador to the US Bandar bin Sultan said: “The Palestinian cause is a just cause, but its advocates are failures. And the Israeli cause is unjust, but its advocates have proven to be successful.”
Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022
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Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has stated that “six or seven” Muslim countries could “make peace” with Israel if it signed a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, according to a report.
The Jerusalem Post said that Cohen made the remarks while speaking to Kan News following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.
The publication quoted Cohen as saying that “peace with Saudi Arabia means peace with the greater Muslim world”.
“There are at least another six or seven countries that I have met with —significant Muslim countries with which we do not have relations — that are interested [in peace],” the minister said.
According to the report, Cohen said the countries were in Africa and Asia but declined to name them. He later said that only some had been directly in touch with him.
US President Joe Biden is hoping to transform the Middle East — and score an election-year diplomatic victory — by securing recognition of the Jewish state by Saudi Arabia.
In his speech at the UNGA, Netanyahu said he believed his country was on the cusp of peace with Saudi Arabia, predicting it could be clinched by Biden and reshape the Middle East.
Yet, amid urging by Riyadh and Washington that the Palestinians be included in the diplomacy, Netanyahu said that Palestinians should not be allowed to veto the regional dealmaking.
Last week, Netanyahu said the ambitious US-backed deal to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia was possible, as he met Biden in New York.
Saudi Arabia has been one of the biggest backers of the Palestinian cause and has repeatedly stated that it needed to see a Palestinian state before taking up normalisation with Israel.
Washington has been pressing its traditional ally Riyadh to sign a normalisation deal with Israel, which would be its biggest diplomatic win in the region, following similar agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, known as the Abraham Accords.
The Jerusalem Post said that Cohen made the remarks while speaking to Kan News following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.
The publication quoted Cohen as saying that “peace with Saudi Arabia means peace with the greater Muslim world”.
“There are at least another six or seven countries that I have met with —significant Muslim countries with which we do not have relations — that are interested [in peace],” the minister said.
According to the report, Cohen said the countries were in Africa and Asia but declined to name them. He later said that only some had been directly in touch with him.
US President Joe Biden is hoping to transform the Middle East — and score an election-year diplomatic victory — by securing recognition of the Jewish state by Saudi Arabia.
In his speech at the UNGA, Netanyahu said he believed his country was on the cusp of peace with Saudi Arabia, predicting it could be clinched by Biden and reshape the Middle East.
Yet, amid urging by Riyadh and Washington that the Palestinians be included in the diplomacy, Netanyahu said that Palestinians should not be allowed to veto the regional dealmaking.
Last week, Netanyahu said the ambitious US-backed deal to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia was possible, as he met Biden in New York.
Saudi Arabia has been one of the biggest backers of the Palestinian cause and has repeatedly stated that it needed to see a Palestinian state before taking up normalisation with Israel.
Washington has been pressing its traditional ally Riyadh to sign a normalisation deal with Israel, which would be its biggest diplomatic win in the region, following similar agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, known as the Abraham Accords.
‘Six or seven’ Muslim countries to make peace with Israel after Saudis: report
Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen says “peace with Saudi Arabia means peace with the greater Muslim world”.
www.dawn.com
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Hope it goes through successfully!
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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday denounced any attempts by regional countries to normalise relations with its arch-enemy Israel as “reactionary and regressive”.
The remarks came amid ongoing US-brokered negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia to establish formal ties, with the United States saying on Friday that the two countries are moving towards the outline of a deal.
“Normalising relations with the Zionist regime is a reactionary and regressive move by any government in the Islamic world,” Raisi said during an international Islamic conference held in Tehran.
An Israeli delegation is expected in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, days after the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia also sent a delegation to the occupied West Bank on Wednesday for the first time in three decades in a bid to reassure the Palestinians ahead of the prospective deal.
Raisi on Sunday further labelled any normalisation attempt as the “foreigners’ desire”, while stating that “surrender and compromise” regarding Israel were not on the table.
“The only option for all the fighters in the occupied land and the Islamic world is to resist and stand against the enemies,” he said, reiterating Iran’s position that Jerusalem must be “liberated”.
In 1967 Israel occupied and then annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as the future capital of their proposed state.
An agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would follow the US-brokered Abraham Accords which saw Israel establish diplomatic relations in 2020 with three Arab countries.
Last month, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Raisi said any “relationships between regional countries and the Zionist regime would be a stab in the back of the Palestinians.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia, two regional powerhouses, resumed relations, severed since 2016, under a China-brokered deal announced in March.
Dawn
The remarks came amid ongoing US-brokered negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia to establish formal ties, with the United States saying on Friday that the two countries are moving towards the outline of a deal.
“Normalising relations with the Zionist regime is a reactionary and regressive move by any government in the Islamic world,” Raisi said during an international Islamic conference held in Tehran.
An Israeli delegation is expected in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, days after the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia also sent a delegation to the occupied West Bank on Wednesday for the first time in three decades in a bid to reassure the Palestinians ahead of the prospective deal.
Raisi on Sunday further labelled any normalisation attempt as the “foreigners’ desire”, while stating that “surrender and compromise” regarding Israel were not on the table.
“The only option for all the fighters in the occupied land and the Islamic world is to resist and stand against the enemies,” he said, reiterating Iran’s position that Jerusalem must be “liberated”.
In 1967 Israel occupied and then annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as the future capital of their proposed state.
An agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would follow the US-brokered Abraham Accords which saw Israel establish diplomatic relations in 2020 with three Arab countries.
Last month, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Raisi said any “relationships between regional countries and the Zionist regime would be a stab in the back of the Palestinians.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia, two regional powerhouses, resumed relations, severed since 2016, under a China-brokered deal announced in March.
Dawn
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A deal should only be made if Palestinians get their homeland, all extremist settlers forced to leave and Jerusalem shared as capital.
These deals are only for the rulers of the Arab nations, as they attempt become even richer , thus dont want any conflict in the region, which would harm their wealth plans.
These deals are only for the rulers of the Arab nations, as they attempt become even richer , thus dont want any conflict in the region, which would harm their wealth plans.
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will never happen, the palestinian cause is as weak on the global political level as it has ever been, Israel continues to treat Palestine as an apartheid second class colony and no one has any problem with it. even amongst the armchair activists a lot dont really care about Palestine anymore. on top of that saudi recognition will mean pak will likely follow suit.
ive said on this forum before i dont believe that a two-state solution is viable, its a smoke screen to allow Israel to continue with the defacto colonisation of Palestinian territories. all Palestinians should be granted full Israeli citizenship and its should become one country, and eventually demographics trends will ensure the rights of the Palestinians are met better than any pseudo-sovereignty they might be striving for.
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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that countries seeking to normalise relations with Israel "are betting on a losing horse", state media reported on Tuesday.
Khamenei did not identify the countries, but expectations that Israel might normalize ties with Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's two holiest shrines, have been ratcheted up this month.
"The definite position of the Islamic Republic is that countries that make the gamble of normalisation with Israel will lose. They are betting on a losing horse," Khamenei said.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to Khamenei's remarks that Iran's efforts to stop countries in the region from forging ties with Israel will fail, citing agreements it signed with Arab nations in 2020.
"Just as Iran hasn't prevented us from achieving the Abraham Accords, Iran will also not prevent us from expanding the circle of peace for the benefit of the citizens of Israel, the people of the region and all of humanity."
Tribune
Khamenei did not identify the countries, but expectations that Israel might normalize ties with Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's two holiest shrines, have been ratcheted up this month.
"The definite position of the Islamic Republic is that countries that make the gamble of normalisation with Israel will lose. They are betting on a losing horse," Khamenei said.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to Khamenei's remarks that Iran's efforts to stop countries in the region from forging ties with Israel will fail, citing agreements it signed with Arab nations in 2020.
"Just as Iran hasn't prevented us from achieving the Abraham Accords, Iran will also not prevent us from expanding the circle of peace for the benefit of the citizens of Israel, the people of the region and all of humanity."
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Saudi Arabia has suspended talks on potentially normalising ties with Israel, a source told AFP on Saturday, amid the war raging between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel on October 7 which killed 1,300 people. Israel responded with a bombing campaign that has killed at least 1,900 in the Gaza Strip ahead of a potential Israeli ground invasion of the territory.
“Saudi Arabia has decided to pause discussion on possible normalization and has informed US officials,” a source familiar with the discussions told AFP.
Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel on October 7 which killed 1,300 people. Israel responded with a bombing campaign that has killed at least 1,900 in the Gaza Strip ahead of a potential Israeli ground invasion of the territory.
“Saudi Arabia has decided to pause discussion on possible normalization and has informed US officials,” a source familiar with the discussions told AFP.
Saudi pauses talks on normalisation with Israel
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has suspended talks on potentially normalising ties with Israel, a source told AFP on Saturday,...
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Bahrain halts trade ties with Israel; envoys return
MANAMA: Bahrain’s parliament said on Thursday that the Gulf state’s ambassador to Israel had returned home and economic ties had been suspended in protest over the Israeli aggression in Gaza.
However, the government did not confirm the moves, and Israel said it had received no word of any such actions, saying its relations with Bahrain were “stable”.
In its statement, the parliament — a consultative body with no powers in the area of foreign policy — said the moves “confirmed Bahrain’s historic position in support of the Palestinian cause”.
“The Council of Representatives affirms that the Israeli ambassador in the kingdom of Bahrain has left Bahrain and the kingdom of Bahrain has decided on the return of the Bahrain ambassador to Israel,” the parliament said in a statement “The cessation of economic relations was also decided,” it said, without making clear who had made the decision.
Abdulnabi Salman, parliament’s first deputy speaker, confirmed the decision, saying the “ongoing conflict in Gaza cannot tolerate silence”.
Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement: “We would like to clarify that no notification or decision has been received from the government of Bahrain and the government of Israel to return the countries’ ambassadors. Relations between Israel and Bahrain are stable.” The parliament’s statement was not carried by the kingdom’s state television or its official news agency.
Any suspension of diplomatic and economic ties, if confirmed, would mark a significant setback for Israel.
Bahrain, which is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, is a signatory of the Abraham Accords, a series of normalisation agreements between Israel and several Arab nations signed in 2020.
Last month, speaking at an investment conference in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain’s finance minister Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa had said it was important to continue to build bridges when asked about the Abraham Accords.
Days earlier, Bahrain’s industry and commerce minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro declined to comment when asked at a conference in Abu Dhabi in October about the status of trade and investment ties with Israel.
Analysts have said the rapprochement with Israel was forged partly through shared fears of Iran. Bahrain’s parliament comprises the Council of Representatives and a 40-member Shura Council appointed by the king.
DAWNMANAMA: Bahrain’s parliament said on Thursday that the Gulf state’s ambassador to Israel had returned home and economic ties had been suspended in protest over the Israeli aggression in Gaza.
However, the government did not confirm the moves, and Israel said it had received no word of any such actions, saying its relations with Bahrain were “stable”.
In its statement, the parliament — a consultative body with no powers in the area of foreign policy — said the moves “confirmed Bahrain’s historic position in support of the Palestinian cause”.
“The Council of Representatives affirms that the Israeli ambassador in the kingdom of Bahrain has left Bahrain and the kingdom of Bahrain has decided on the return of the Bahrain ambassador to Israel,” the parliament said in a statement “The cessation of economic relations was also decided,” it said, without making clear who had made the decision.
Abdulnabi Salman, parliament’s first deputy speaker, confirmed the decision, saying the “ongoing conflict in Gaza cannot tolerate silence”.
Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement: “We would like to clarify that no notification or decision has been received from the government of Bahrain and the government of Israel to return the countries’ ambassadors. Relations between Israel and Bahrain are stable.” The parliament’s statement was not carried by the kingdom’s state television or its official news agency.
Any suspension of diplomatic and economic ties, if confirmed, would mark a significant setback for Israel.
Bahrain, which is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, is a signatory of the Abraham Accords, a series of normalisation agreements between Israel and several Arab nations signed in 2020.
Last month, speaking at an investment conference in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain’s finance minister Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa had said it was important to continue to build bridges when asked about the Abraham Accords.
Days earlier, Bahrain’s industry and commerce minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro declined to comment when asked at a conference in Abu Dhabi in October about the status of trade and investment ties with Israel.
Analysts have said the rapprochement with Israel was forged partly through shared fears of Iran. Bahrain’s parliament comprises the Council of Representatives and a 40-member Shura Council appointed by the king.
The UAE has strongly condemned and expressed its strong denunciation of the disgraceful and unacceptable statements of Israeli Minister of Heritage Amihai Eliyahu on dropping a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip. These statements constitute a violation of international law, as well as an incitement to commit grave violations of International Humanitarian Law such as war crimes, and raise grave concerns of an intent to commit genocide.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed the UAE's categorical rejection of the threat of using nuclear weapons. The UAE stresses that the immediate priority is to preserve the lives of civilians and provide them with necessary humanitarian assistance.
Eliyahu was suspended from government meetings "until further notice" on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, after his remarks.
The Ministry reaffirmed the need for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of life, stressing the importance of protecting civilians according to international law, including international treaties, and the need to ensure that they are not targeted during conflict.
The UAE called on the international community to intensify efforts to avoid further fuelling the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to advance all efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace, while preventing the region from being drawn into new levels of violence, tension and instability.
Source: Khaleej Times
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed the UAE's categorical rejection of the threat of using nuclear weapons. The UAE stresses that the immediate priority is to preserve the lives of civilians and provide them with necessary humanitarian assistance.
Eliyahu was suspended from government meetings "until further notice" on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, after his remarks.
The Ministry reaffirmed the need for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of life, stressing the importance of protecting civilians according to international law, including international treaties, and the need to ensure that they are not targeted during conflict.
The UAE called on the international community to intensify efforts to avoid further fuelling the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to advance all efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace, while preventing the region from being drawn into new levels of violence, tension and instability.
Source: Khaleej Times
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