Middle East Experience

Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked fought with Labor ministers on Israel's policy to accept refugees from Ukraine.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Tamano-Shata threatens to quit over Ukraine refugees to Israel dispute

Ukraine continued to call for the West to impose a no-fly zone and provide fighter jets.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Russia warns against allowing Ukrainian military to use foreign airfields

Right-wing politicians have pushed the government to authorize the Homesh yeshiva, which has been illegally situated on the Homesh hilltop top for over 15 years.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Right decries IDF razing of 3 settler structures on Homesh hilltop

Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine urged Palestinians to step up the “resistance” against Israel in the coming days and weeks.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: As Ramadan approaches, Palestinians anticipate more violence

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a potential nuclear deal with Iran was still close, but cautioned that "a couple of very challenging remaining issues" were still unresolved.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Blinken says Ukraine sanctions on Russia not linked with Iran nuclear talks

The situation at Belarus’ borders with EU member states Poland and Lithuania is still ongoing, with many detained in terrible conditions, highlighting a significant difference in the treatment of Ukrainian refugees and those who were seeking asylum from other countries prior to the the Russian invasion.Although media attention on the matter has died down since last year, the migration crisis on the Belarus-Poland and Belarus-Lithuania border is still rampant, a humanitarian expert told Al Arabiya English, with migrants being held in unacceptable conditions, grappling with trauma and mental health issues and uncertainty about their futures.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Since late last year, there has been a sharp decrease in the number of people who have tried to cross and have been pushed back. But it hasn’t stopped altogether,” Kyle McNally, Humanitarian Affairs Advisor at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)- also known as Doctors Without Borders- told Al Arabiya English in an interview.While the number of alerts from people in need of assistance and aid in the forest or restricted zones has decreased, the people who managed to cross the border found themselves being detained by European authorities.“People still remain held in detention in the thousands, both in Lithuania and Poland,” he said, adding that even though a “significant” amount of people were returned to Belarus, “there are still several hundreds, if not thousands, still left.”“We only know what is also publicly available at this point. We hear that there are 700 people or more in the logistics facility in the warehouse in Belarus, but then there are also several hundred throughout Belarus that have not returned.”A large number of Syrian groups and families have not returned to their home country and are now “stuck in hiding because of not knowing what to do in terms of crossing [the border] or being pushed back,” he said.The Polish government estimated that the Alexander Lukashenko regime has sent back around 3,000 migrants to Syria and Iraq, but that there were 7,000 remaining on Belarusian territory, as reported by Global Detention Project.In a United Nations report published at the end of 2021, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urged Poland and Belarus to resolve the migration and refugee crisis at their mutual border, describing the situation as “appalling.”Migrants crossing the border to get into Lithuania or Poland have been either pushed or sent back to Belarus or held in detention under dire conditions.“The fact that they [migrants] are being held at all is already significantly problematic. These [people] are not criminals. These people are seeking international protection,” McNally said. “These are women, children and families so the fact that they are being held is already a problem.”Accounts of violence against migrants in detention “The policy in these [EU] member states for just de facto or automatic detention is hugely problematic and it is not consistent with their obligations under international law, or EU human rights or legal frameworks,” he said.UN teams that visited the area at the end of last year heard several reports of people being “immediately and automatically returned to Belarus.”This includes children and adults who requested international protection.Echoing McNally’s sentiment, the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Head of News and Media told Al Arabiya English that “states must guarantee and safeguard the rights of those seeking international protection in accordance with national, European and international law.”“UNHCR fully respects the legitimate right of States to control their borders and recognizes the challenges posed by mixed movements of refugees and migrants at the external borders of the EU,” said Saltmarsh.“Every individual – regardless of country of origin, race, religion, gender, age or other characteristics – has the right for their case to be heard and their protection needs assessed.”He added that the UNHCR has been “deeply concerned” about the rise of xenophobia, discrimination and exclusion against refugees and asylum seekers in recent years, in Europe and elsewhere.Saltmarsh also expressed deep concerns about reports of pushbacks and violence against people attempting to cross border in recent years.“Pushbacks are illegal, and they endanger lives. UNHCR has called on all stakeholders to respect basic humanitarian principles, adhere to international and EU law and refrain from violence,” added Saltmarsh.“We condemn racism and discrimination of any kind against any person or group and call for those responsible to be brought to justice and held accountable by the relevant national authorities. UNHCR urges governments to continue to maintain access to territory for all those fleeing: Ukrainians, and third country nationals living in Ukraine, who are now forced to escape the violence. We stress that there must be no discrimination against any person or group,” said Saltmarsh.The OHCHR has urged Poland to review its legislation and conduct “meaningful individual assessments” instead and determine protection needs that are in line with international law.However, Poland systematically detains migrants and refugees that are not returned to Belarus after crossing the border. Many of the detained people who were interviewed by the UN said that they had limited contact with the outside world, limited access to proper mental and physical healthcare and independent lawyers and humanitarian organizations.McNally told Al Arabiya English that the conditions detained migrants are currently living in are also problematic.“They induce a lot of psychological stress for people who are there in one of the detention centers that MSF works [at],” said McNally.“In a period of two weeks, we had five suicide attempts in one of the centers due to mental health deterioration of people. People experienced significant isolation, significant uncertainty and anxiety about their futures,” he said, adding that they were worried about being forcefully returned to their countries, “a place that they’re afraid of going back to.”“Especially in a place like Lithuania, there’s virtually nobody providing information that they need about the situation they’re currently in, or how to navigate the messy systems that they now find themselves caught up [in],” he explained, adding that there has been a significant lack of legal aid and assistance for people in these situations.McNally added that most of the refugees and migrants MSF has interviewed at the Belarus border have also reported having experienced some kind of violence or traumatic events at their home countries.“This is only compounding [the] stress and anxieties they had to begin with,” McNally said.“We have people who have described significant violence that they have experienced. I spoke with people and I saw the injuries that they had in Belarus, they just showed me their injuries that they experienced at the hands of Lithuanian and Polish border guards, the bruised ribs, the taser marks on the neck. We have seen children who have been traumatized by border guard dogs.”“We have heard [about] significant accounts of violence. These are somehow well-known now. And yet we see a complete unwillingness from European authorities to do anything about it.Read more:Fight for life as Polish services pull Iraqi and Syrian migrants from freezing swampBelarus waiting for answer from EU on taking 2,000 migrants: PresidentKyiv rejects Moscow-proposed corridors to Belarus and Russia: Government
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Violence, racism accounts at EU-Belarus border ‘deeply concerning:’ Refugee agencies

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) on Monday signed an agreement at the Riyadh World Defense show to localize manufacturing of missile interceptor launchers and missile interceptor canisters.The deal comes as part of the Kingdom’s strategy of localizing more than 50 percent of manufacturing by 2030.Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile systems, or THAAD, is produced by Lockheed Martin to protect against short and medium range missiles.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.In 2017, Saudi Arabia “expressed its intent to procure more than US $28 billion” in defense technology, for which Lockheed says is working in partnership to “align with Vision 2030” in a statement.A Lockheed spokesperson, in a statement to Al Arabiya English, said that the latest move comes in recognition of Saudi Arabia’s industrial base and the growth opportunity it provides.The US-based aerospace company said they “look forward to helping SMEs become part of the supply chain for key defense systems that the Kingdom is procuring.”They also said that the new agreement seeks to create jobs for “highly skilled Saudi engineers.”A GAMI spokesperson was not immediately available for comment, but Gasem al-Maimani, GAMI Deputy Governor, said in a media statement that “these two localization projects, are in further service of this promising sector’s national priorities.”“Air domain defense readiness is expected to be greatly enhanced,” he added in the statement.A source familiar with the matter also told Al Arabiya English that Lockheed and GAMI have already “started earlier through this project with a number of local partners,” without providing further details on the record.Read more:Saudi Crown Prince visits first day of World Defense Show in RiyadhUAE's EDGE showcases new security system, armored vehicle at Riyadh’s defense exhibit
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: World Defense Show: Saudi Arabia, Lockheed to localize missile parts manufacturing

Iran will not allow any “foreign factor” to harm its interests in ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and world powers in Vienna, Iran’s top diplomat said on Monday, after new Russian demands cast doubt on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal. “While standing up for our red lines, we will not allow any foreign factor to affect Iran’s national interests in the Vienna talks,” Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as saying. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Vienna talks appeared even more complicated over the weakened after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow wanted written guarantees from the US that Russia’s economic and military cooperation with Iran would not be harmed by Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine after the 2015 deal is revived. Russia is a participant in ongoing negotiations in Vienna aimed at restoring the deal, along with Iran, China, Britain, France and Germany. The US is participating indirectly in the talks due to Tehran’s refusal to negotiate directly with Washington.Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday Tehran was waiting to hear more about Russia’s demands through diplomatic channels, indicating Lavrov’s comments were made without prior coordination with Iran. Iran sees Russia as a strategic ally. Tehran has refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and instead blamed the West – especially the US – for the conflict. Iranian state media’s coverage of the conflict has also been heavily pro-Russian. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine “have nothing to do with the Iran nuclear deal and the prospects of getting back into that agreement.” “These things are totally different and are just not in any way linked together, so I think that’s irrelevant,” Blinken said on CBS talk show “Face the Nation.” Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s top security chief, said on Monday it “remains unclear” whether a deal will be reached in Vienna, blaming the US.“Prospect of a deal in #ViennaTalks remains unclear due to Washington’s delay in making political decisions,” he wrote on Twitter. The Vienna talks, which began in April 2021, aim to bring Iran back into compliance with the deal and facilitate a US return to the agreement. The deal offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.Washington withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, reimposing sweeping economic sanctions on Tehran. Iran responded by breaching many of the deal’s restrictions, including a 3.67 percent cap on the purity to which it could enrich uranium.Tehran, which insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, has since started enriching uranium up to as high as 60 percent purity – a big step closer to the 90 percent required for weapons-grade material.A collapse in the Vienna talks could lead to more isolation for Iran and even military conflict. Israel has previously warned it would use force should diplomacy fail to slow down Iran’s fast-advancing nuclear program.Read more:Iranian nuclear talks clouded by Russian demandsIran seeks ‘details’ of Russian demands on nuclear deal
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran says won’t let ‘foreign factors’ hurt its interests in nuclear talks 

Despite the cascade of Western sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, one thing hasn't been affected so far – flows of Russian gas to Europe and the funds to pay for it.Europe remains heavily dependent on Russian gas, which supplies around 40 percent of its needs, and is now worried that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use it to retaliate against sanctions. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.But Russia, which pumps gas through pipelines that cross Ukraine and other eastern European nations, requires the revenue, perhaps now more than ever.What is the status of this mutual dependency? Has there been any interruption of gas supplies because of the war? So far not. Russia has been delivering gas to Europe to fulfill long-term contracts, according to buyers such as Uniper and RWE in Germany and traders in the Baltics.But since last year, Russia has only been delivering the contractual volumes, saying no buyer had asked for additional volumes and that it didn't have much spare gas itself. This has caused prices to spike because, in the past, Russia was usually delivering extra supplies. Prices also rose because other major producers struggled to deliver more gas amid very tight global markets and rising demand due to economic recovery from the pandemic.Has Russian gas that flows through Ukraine to Europe been affected by the war? No. Volumes of Russian gas delivered at the Slovakian border, after a roughly 800-mile journey through Ukraine, have, in fact, increased since the war began, according to data from Slovak gas transport company Eustream. Gas prices on the spot market have risen sharply, making Russian gas, which is largely sold through long-term contracts, more attractive to European buyers, analysts say.Ukraine has banned some cross-border gas trading activities but has said it wouldn’t restrict the flow of Russian gas to Europe. Inside Ukraine, however, some secondary distribution pipelines for domestic consumption have suffered damage due to shelling and air strikes, according to the country’s gas pipeline operator, Gas TSO of Ukraine.In a statement, it said it was forced to halt supply to several regions, leaving hundreds of thousands of inhabitants without gas.What will happen to the Nord stream 2 Russian gas pipeline project now that Germany has frozen it? Courthouses are likely the next stop for the promoters of Nord Stream 2, who may try to challenge the decision last month by Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz to halt certification of the pipeline. The project would have doubled the delivery capacity of the existing huge undersea Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The $11 billion Nord Stream 2 project is a conduit running offshore along the same path between Russia and Germany. It is finished, but unless it is certified by Germany, it is possible it will remain unused, rusting slowly in the Baltic Sea and turning into a loss for its owner, Russia's energy giant Gazprom, as well as the five Western energy companies that shouldered its costs. Resurrecting the project would require rebuilding trust between its main sponsors – the Russian and German governments – something German officials deem unlikely as long as Putin remains in the Kremlin.In what would amount to a dramatic about-face, Germany’s Economy Ministry is working on a new assessment of the pipeline that may conclude that it endangers, rather than contributes to, the security of German energy supply.What about Nord Stream 1? Why hasn’t that pipelines project been targeted by sanctions or turned off? Nord Stream 1, which has been delivering Russian gas for more than a decade, is currently Germany’s gas lifeline. The lion's share of Russian gas comes into the country via that pipeline, so halting it would mark a serious blow to the German economy. Nord Stream 2 was different because it wasn't in service yet and so far, Germany hasn’t needed additional gas supplies. Gazprom has argued it wants to build Nord Stream 2 to supply all of Germany’s gas directly under the Baltic Sea rather than dealing with transit pipelines via Poland and Ukraine. It has repeatedly accused Ukraine of stealing gas, which Kyiv has denied.Western nations have imposed sanctions on Russia. Why hasn’t Russia retaliated by cutting off gas shipments to the West? The Kremlin has said it will respond to Western sanctions but hasn’t said how. But it has no immediate self-interest in cutting off gas shipments as this would deprive Russia of much needed revenue and would accelerate moves by Western countries to wean themselves off Russian gas. For decades, the Kremlin has sought to cast itself as a reliable gas supplier. Late last year, when Belarus threatened to cut off pipelines running through its territory in response to Western sanctions against Minsk, Moscow rushed to reassure its European clients that it would meet all present and future delivery commitments.Is Germany considering extending the life of some of its nuclear plants? Germany’s three remaining nuclear reactors, which supplied 12 percent of its gross electricity generation in 2021, are slated to be shut down this year. The country had decided to abandon nuclear power following Japan’s 2011 Fukushima disaster. But Germany’s economy minister Robert Habeck recently floated the possibility of letting the remaining reactors operate longer. The technical, legal and political hurdles would be formidable and nuclear power wouldn’t be able to fully replace Russian gas. Extending the operation of nuclear plants would require the German parliament to change existing law which would face opposition from the Greens party. Two German nuclear plant operators - E.ON and RWE - have expressed skepticism about running them beyond December 31, telling Reuters their plants' fuel would be used up by the end of 2022. However, another operator, EnBW, has said it was open to examining the possibility. In the meantime, Germany is considering ways to reduce its dependency on Russian gas, including by accelerating construction of terminals to receive non-Russian liquefied natural gas, or LNG, and postponing the decommissioning of coal-fired power plants that had been scheduled for closure. In recent months it has increased its use of coal.Read more:Companies cut Russia operations and trade as sanctions tighten amid Ukraine crisisGermany faces reckoning for relying on Russia’s Putin for cheap energyNord Stream 2 says it has not filed for insolvency
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Explainer: How is the war in Ukraine impacting Russian gas supplies to Europe?

The UN's human rights chief also took aim at Taliban for the attack on women's rights and freedoms in Afghanistan.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Some 400 civilians killed in Afghanistan since Taliban takeover - UN