Middle East Experience

Rivlin made the point that extremists are the only ones who benefit from their brutality, while ordinary citizens pay the price.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Rivlin appeals to Arab and Jewish leadership amid rising tensions

The Wonder Woman star and ex-Miss Israel posted about the escalation of violence in the Middle East..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Gal Gadot: Wonder Woman actress receives backlash over Middle East tweet

US rock band Rage Against the Machine have tweeted messages for support the Palestinian people and against the brutal Israeli oppression..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Rage Against the Machine take to Twitter to rail against Israel's oppression of Palestinians

Foreign citizens arriving in Saudi Arabia must quarantine for a week in government-approved accommodation starting May 20 to combat the spread of COVID-19, the Saudi civil aviation authority (GACA) said on Monday.As the kingdom reopens, exempted individuals such as Saudi citizens, flight crews and diplomats will have to quarantine at home unless they are vaccinated, state news agency SPA said, citing an interior ministry official.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Airlines are required to contract accommodation approved by the tourism ministry to house people in quarantine. The cost will be added to airfare.Fully vaccinated people do not need to quarantine if they present a vaccination certificate.Non-Saudi travelers over 8 years old must show a negative PCR COVID-19 test result less than 72 hours old.Read more:Saudi Arabia reports 986 new COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths in 24 hours‘No evidence’ BioNTech jabs need to be adapted against COVID-19 variants yet: CompanyKuwait suspends travel from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka to contain COVID
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia to require arriving foreign visitors to quarantine for a week

Despite initial opposition from the United States, diplomats said late Monday that most UN Security Council member states were determined to issue a statement regarding the ongoing clashes between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem.The 15-nation Security Council met virtually behind closed doors on Monday as violence spilled over from the Al-Aqsa Mosque with rockets being fired by the Islamist Hamas movement and Israeli forces.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Tensions began last week after Israeli forces marched through Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah, and Israeli settlers were seen trying to drive Palestinian families out of their homes. An Israeli court had previously ruled that Palestinians ought to be evicted, but Tel Aviv’s Supreme Court has postponed the ruling on the decision.Monday was arguably the most violent day as hundreds of rockets were fired at Israel before Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 20 people, including nine children.UN Security Council members met to discuss a draft statement proposed by Tunisia and Norway and supported by China, diplomats who participated in the meeting told Al Arabiya.But no statement was issued due to objection from the US, which said such a move would “further complicate matters,” according to a senior Western diplomat.Nevertheless, a majority of the other participating member states stressed the need to release a resolution on the latest developments.The Biden administration has issued multiple strongly-worded statements criticizing the Sheikh Jarrah evictions while also voicing support for Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket attacks.The gathered member states stressed the need for both the Palestinians and the Israelis to de-escalate tensions, while the initial draft statement issued a harsh condemnation against Israel, calling on it to halt “settlement activities, demolitions and evictions,” according to a version seen by Al Arabiya.Israeli forces would also be called on to exercise utmost restraint against peaceful protesters while reiterating that the only answer was a two-state solution.A majority of the member states condemned the rocket attacks against Israel.“It is unacceptable for the Security Council to follow the developments and not to release a statement,” the senior diplomat said.Tunisia, Norway and China expressed their readiness to continue negotiations in an effort to agree on a final statement.Separately, representatives from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation met to discuss the Al-Aqsa attacks and the ongoing clashes.“The group unequivocally condemned the recent brutal use of force by the Israeli forces which injured over 300 Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah and around Al-Aqsa mosque,” a statement from the OIC read.Saudi Arabia and Turkey proposed launching diplomatic efforts to garner support for a special session of the UN General Assembly to discuss the recent developments.Read more: More than 100 rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel: Hamas
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US opposition blocks UN Security Council statement on Jerusalem violence

Medics across the United Arab Emirates said the country is prepared to tackle the COVID-19 variant found in India, with a surplus of hospital beds and oxygen, healthcare staff and precautionary measures in place.India is currently grappling with the B.1.617 variant, with the country buckling with hundreds of thousands of new cases every day. The B.1.617 variant contains two key mutations to the outer “spike” portion of the virus that attaches to human cells, said senior Indian virologist Shahid Jameel.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The World Health Organization (WHO) said the predominant lineage of B.1.617 was first identified in India last December, although an earlier version was spotted in October 2020.On May 10, the WHO classified it as a “variant of concern,” with several variants falling within this classification, including those first detected in Britain, Brazil and South Africa. Some studies have showed that the Indian variant spreads more easily.“There is increased transmissibility demonstrated by some preliminary studies,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, said, adding it needs more information about the Indian variant to understand how much of it is circulating.However doctors across the UAE said residents should not be concerned.Azeem Abdul Salam Mohamad, a specialist in internal medicine at Bareen International Hospital - MBZ City, told Al Arabiya English: “The Indian variant of coronavirus B.1.617 has been detected in 17 countries including UK, USA, Singapore. The spread of cases in India, it is believed, resulted from gatherings in political rallies and religious festivals, while many people are not yet vaccinated.“A lack of mask-wearing and of social distancing has deepened the gravity of the situation and the high-population density in India is a perfect background for mutations of virus.“In the UAE, we are at an advantage that a large majority of people have been vaccinated and developed immunity which confers protection against such variants to a great extent,” he added.Since international travel to and from India is banned, the possibility of the spread of this variant is minimal, said the doctor.“The community here is well aware about the importance of measures like mask-wearing and avoidance of gatherings,” he said.“The UAE is well prepared with infrastructure in terms of adequate hospital beds, ICU, ventilators, and oxygen and healthcare staff per population to deal with such emergency situations. But still we should not let our guards down and adhere to all health and safety precautions,” he added.Dr Gunjan Mahajan, specialist clinical pathologist at Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery, Dubai, India is facing a massive surge of COVID-19 cases - recording more than a quarter-million cases per day – and the spike in cases, along with new reported variants in India, is “worrisome for everyone around the world”.However, he too believes people across the UAE should not be concerned.“In this line, UAE has imposed travel restrictions for passengers from India,” he said.“Meanwhile, UAE plans to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to all members of society at the earliest to reach acquired immunity resulting from the vaccination.”The UAE has seen one of the world’s most comprehensive vaccination programs, having administered 11 million doses in total according to the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA).“This, along with strict adherence to precautionary measures, will help us to be prepared for any possible influx of new cases,” said Dr Mahajan. “Also, new guidelines for passengers traveling from India upon lifting of restrictions (e.g., RT-PCR negative test report with QR code, PCR test, and quarantine on arrival) will help control the spread of the virus.”For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Dr Muhammed Shafeeq Kalladi, a pulmonology specialist at Aster Hospital, in Qusais, said: “Acquiring herd immunity through the COVID-19 vaccines is the most successful way to eliminate the virus. As of now majority of the UAE residents are vaccinated.“The UAE government has taken various steps to prevent coronavirus transmission including spreading awareness among the public, airport screening, imposing fines for the people who are violating the Covid-19 precautionary measures, banning the live entertainments and suspending entry of travelers from the countries having highest number of active cases,” he added, concluding that “the healthcare system in UAE is really efficient to tackle COVID pandemic.”Read more:UAE, Bahrain establish ‘safe travel corridor’ for vaccinated travelersUAE reports 1,507 new COVID-19 cases, two deathsUAE suspends entry for travelers from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE ‘prepared to tackle Indian COVID-19 variant’: Health experts

Nine people have been killed and four are in hospital after a school shooting in the Russian city of Kazan, the RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the emergency services ministry.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.There were conflicting reports about the situation, with some Russian news agencies reporting two teenage gunmen were involved and others saying one was involved.RIA said one gunman had ben detained and said an explosion had been heard at the school. It was not immediately clear what the motive for the attack was.Video footage shared on social media showed emergency service vehicles parked outside the school, with people running towards the building. Other videos showed broken windows with debris outside.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: At least 9 dead in Russian high school shooting

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said it condemned the “blatant attacks carried out by the Israeli occupation forces against the sanctity of the al-Aqsa Mosque, and the security and safety of worshipers,” according to a statement.Saudi Arabia called on the international community to “hold the Israeli occupation responsible for this escalation, and to immediately stop its escalatory actions, which violate all international norms and laws.”For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The Ministry reaffirms that the Kingdom stands with the Palestinian people, and supports all efforts aimed at ending the occupation and reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian people to establish their independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative,” the statement concluded.New clashes erupted on Monday in al-Aqsa between Palestinians and Israelis after forces stormed the grounds and fired rubber bullets, leaving hundreds of protesters injured, AFP reported, citing the Palestinian Red Crescent.“There are hundreds of people injured from the clashes” and about 50 of them were hospitalized, the Red Crescent said in a brief statement to journalists.Muslim World LeagueThe Muslim World League on Tuesday also condemned the “blatant attacks on the sanctity and safety of al-Aqsa Mosque and its worshipers,” and affirmed its rejection of this dangerous escalation, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).In a statement, the league condemned the violence that undermines the dignity of the Palestinian people and their rights, SPA reported.The Muslim World League called on the international community to “put an end to the dangers of this violence, protect the right of the Palestinian people, provide the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians, and guarantee their right to practice their religious rites, in addition to stopping all violations, attacks and all forms of violence.”The league also reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people and for the efforts aimed at reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian conflict that enables the Palestinian people “to establish their independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.”Read more:Clashes in east Jerusalem ahead of court case on Palestinians’ evictionHundreds injured in new al-Aqsa clashes between Israeli forces, PalestiniansJerusalem violence escalates with Hamas rockets on Israel, 20 dead in Gaza
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia condemns ‘blatant’ attacks by Israeli forces on al-Aqsa Mosque

Syrians have established nearly 14,000 companies in Turkey.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: How Syrian refugees contributed to Turkish economy

A female reporter was recently insulted and physically assaulted for not wearing the Islamic headscarf, which renewed the debate about women’s rights in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Assault on female reporter for not wearing hijab sparks backlash in Gaza