Middle East Experience

Netanyahu is a human being with faults and failings, but he is also someone who has dedicated his life and career to the Jewish state and has achieved an impressive list of accomplishments.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: We must recognize Netanyahu's achievements despite his flaws - opinion

"It is the time for unity among the people. For a government that will work for the citizens, will mend the rifts and put an end to the incitement and divide and conquer of the era of Netanyahu."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Protesters gather at Balfour, Rabin Square in support of new government

The voting began just after 8:20 p.m. First, the Knesset is voting to confirm Yesh Atid's Mickey Levy as the new speaker of the Knesset.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Voting begins to confirm Bennett as Israel's new prime minister

A man accused of killing four members of a Canadian Muslim family after running them over in his pickup truck, targeted them in an attack motivated by hate, police said on Monday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Police in London, Ontario, citing witnesses, said that 20-year-old Nathaniel Veltman, jumped the curb in his vehicle on Sunday, struck five members of the family, ranging in age from 9 to 74, and then drove off at high speed.Veltman, a resident of London who was arrested after the incident, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He is due back in court on Thursday after being remanded to custody on Monday.“There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate,” Detective Superintendent Paul Waight of the London police department told reporters.“We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith,” Waight said.He added that police in London - 200 kilometer (120 miles) southwest of Toronto - were consulting with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and prosecutors about potentially filing terrorism charges.The suspect does not have a criminal record, and is not known to be a member of a hate group, police said. He was arrested in a mall parking lot without incident while wearing a body-armor-type vest, police said. There is no evidence he had any accomplices. It was not immediately known if the suspect had hired a lawyer.Police have not yet released the victims’ names, but the London Free Press said that among the dead were Syed Afzaal, 46, his wife, Madiha Salman, 44, and their 15-year-old daughter, Yumnah Afzaal. Syed Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother, whose name is not yet confirmed, also died. Their 9-year-old son, Faez Afzaal, is in the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.The family immigrated from Pakistan about 14 years ago, according to media reports.Eyewitness Paige Martin told reporters a black truck blasted past her and ran a red light as she was walking, and then she came upon the scene and saw “chaos”: “It was just absolutely like something that you never want to see.”The attack was the worst against Canadian Muslims since a man gunned down six members of a Quebec City mosque in 2017. London Mayor Ed Holder said it was the worst mass murder his city had ever seen.“We grieve for the family, three generations of whom are now deceased,” Holder told reporters. “This was an act of mass murder, perpetrated against Muslims, against Londoners, and rooted in unspeakable hatred.”Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that he was “horrified” by the news, adding that “Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable - and it must stop.”Ontario Premier Doug Ford tweeted that “justice must be served for the horrific act of hatred that took place.” ‘Terrorist attack’By late evening on Monday, a steady stream of mourners was seen arriving near the scene of the attack, dropping off flowers and saying prayers. One placard read: “When does it stop? Enough.”A GoFundMe campaign in support of members of the victims’ family had already raised almost C$120,000 ($99,000) in one hour.A vigil has been organized at a local mosque on Tuesday night to remember the victims.“This is a terrorist attack on Canadian soil, and should be treated as such,” said Mustafa Farooq, head of the National Council of Canadian Muslims.London, which has about 400,000 residents, has a large Muslim community and Holder said Arabic is the second-most-spoken language to English in the city.The teenage girl who was killed “will be deeply missed by fellow students and staff at Oakridge Secondary School,” according to a school statement.One man who described himself as a neighbor in an interview with Global News, said he met with the family on holidays.“He was a family guy, very much involved in the community, a regular member of our mosque, a really, really great father,” the neighbor, who was not identified, said of Syed Afzaal.“He loved to walk with his family. Almost every evening, they walked.”Read more: Maldives: Extremists behind attack on ex-presidentBelarus news site editor arrested over extremism suspicionsFar-right using COVID-19 conspiracy theories to lure young supporters: UK police
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Muslim family of four killed in ‘premeditated’ Canada truck attack

Naftali Bennett might be the first to serve as prime minister, but alternate Yair Lapid will be the strongman of Israel’s new cabinet.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Lapid, not Bennett, to be strongman of Israel’s next government

The Syrian National Army affiliated with the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army in Aleppo is merging a number of its factions under one group in order to reorganize ranks and prepare for any upcoming battle.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkish-backed Syrian armed groups unify forces

Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept the verdict of the Israeli public, or will he try to ignite the flames one last time, before the new government is sworn in?
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Will Netanyahu fan flames or accept public’s verdict?

A report on the origins of COVID-19 by a US government national laboratory concluded that the hypothesis claiming the virus leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan is plausible and deserves further investigation, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the classified document.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The study was prepared in May 2020 by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and was referred by the State Department when it conducted an inquiry into the pandemic’s origins during the final months of the Trump administration, the report said.Lawrence Livermore’s assessment drew on genomic analysis of the COVID-19 virus, the Journal said.Lawrence Livermore declined to comment on the Wall Street Journal report.President Joe Biden said last month he had ordered aides to find answers to the origin of the virus.US intelligence agencies are considering two likely scenarios - that the virus resulted from a laboratory accident or that it emerged from human contact with an infected animal - but they have not come to a conclusion, he said.A still-classified US intelligence report circulated during former President Donald Trump’s administration alleged that three researchers at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology became so ill in November 2019 that they sought hospital care, US government sources said.US officials have accused China of a lack of transparency on the virus’ origin, a charge Beijing has denied.Read more:UAE reports drop in COVID-19 infections, three deaths in 24 hoursCoronavirus: COVID-19 PCR test needed to travel to UAE, here’s all you need to knowUAE urges youths to take COVID-19 vaccine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US report concluded COVID-19 may have leaked from Wuhan lab: Media

The Israeli parliament will hold a confidence vote Sunday on a coalition aiming to end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12 consecutive years in power, speaker Yariv Levin said Tuesday.“The debate and vote on the new government will take place Sunday, June 13, 2021 during a special session of parliament,” Levin, a Netanyahu ally, said in a statement.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.If the pivotal vote confirms the fragile eight-party alliance it would spell the end of an era, after Netanyahu dominated Israeli politics for more than a decade pushing it firmly to the right.The veteran incumbent has spent the past week trying to torpedo the motley alliance ranged against him, who are united only by hostility to his rule, and has urged right-wingers in its ranks to reject this “dangerous left-wing government”.The anti-Netanyahu bloc includes three right-wing, two centrist and two left-wing parties, along with an Arab Islamic conservative party.If the new government is confirmed Netanyahu’s right-wing opponent Naftali Bennett would serve as premier for the next two years, after which the “change” coalition’s centrist architect, Yair Lapid, would take over.Bitter recriminations within the Israeli right and far right prompted Israeli security services to issue a rare warning against incitement online, which Netanyahu’s opponents say was a warning to the prime minister.Netanyahu has been trying to thwart the coalition by peeling off right-wing defectors uncomfortable with working with left-wing and Arab lawmakers.Alarm has grown about angry rallies by his Likud party supporters, including protests outside the homes of right-wing lawmakers accused of “betrayal” for joining the coalition. Security has been stepped up for some of the MPs.Read more:Israeli parliament to vote on approving new govt by June 14, unseating PM NetanyahuIsraeli police cancel controversial Jerusalem march due to security concernsIsrael’s PM Netanyahu alleges election fraud, accuses rival of duplicity
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Israel parliament to vote Sunday on anti-Netanyahu government

The United Arab Emirates’ humanitarian arm, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), on Monday sent 960 tons of urgent medical and food items for 20,000 families in the Gaza Strip “to alleviate the humanitarian repercussions,” Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.WAM said the UAE had sent 33 shipments through the Rafah Border Crossing, as part of the ERC’s humanitarian and relief programs for the Palestinian people.Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from dire humanitarian conditions following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip that began last month, ending 11 days of cross-border shelling exchanges.Continued crossfire between Israeli forces and militant groups including Hamas are “unacceptable,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN General Assembly last month, saying “the fighting must stop immediately.”“I am deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment by the Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza,” Guterres said.Families in Gaza lack necessary food, medicine, clothing and basic construction materials, according to WAM.“The UAE is closely following the developments of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” WAM reported.In January, the country had sent 808 tons of urgent relief materials with a value of AED9 million ($2.45 million), to support 10,000 families and provide the basic needs of Palestinians and improve their living conditions.Read more:Israeli police cancel controversial Jerusalem march due to security concernsGaza ceasefire holds as Egyptian mediators hold talks with Israel, HamasUN’s secretary general says shocked by ‘unacceptable’ Israeli ‘bombardment’ on Gaza
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE sends 960 tons of aid to Gaza Strip: WAM