Middle East Experience

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi: "This is a holiday for the State of Israel, the IDF and the Navy."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel's new Sa'ar 6 warship arrives in Haifa from Germany - WATCH

Israel’s Defense Ministry has not yet moved with the times, continuing to refer to injured IDF veterans as "disabled."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Rivlin hosts injured IDF veterans to raise awareness for disabilities

The Council of the European Union calls on member states to adopt a series of policies to combat the antisemitism in Europe.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: EU body calls for ‘mainstreaming fight against antisemitism’ in Europe

The bill would cancel the so-called Tender Years Clause, which since 1962 has guaranteed custody to the mother of all children if one of them is five years old or younger.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Knesset pushes off vote on custody bill

The Iraqi cybercrime bill makes a reappearance amid widespread objections by civilians and activists who label it as repressive of freedoms and rights guaranteed in the Iraqi Constitution.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Activists fear Iraqi cybercrime law could limit press freedoms

The Palestinian Authority suspended the transfers in May, worsening the cash-strapped government's financial woes.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israel transfers over billion in tax revenues to Palestinians

The United Arab Emirates’ 49th National Day celebrations kicked off with a number of performances and other shows, including the region’s first solar-powered light show.Bee’ah, the Middle East’s sustainability pioneer, put on a solar-powered light show on Wednesday at its new headquarters, which is set to open in 2021, state news agency WAM reported.“The light show was powered by renewable energy, generated by Bee’ah Headquarters’ on-site solar park, which is stored in Tesla’s sophisticated Powerpacks, a fully integrated AC-connected energy storage system,” WAM reported.A flurry of events and shows are scheduled in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to celebrate the formation of the Emirates in 1971.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation spoke at one event in Abu Dhabi organized by the foreign ministry.“I would like to thank everyone here present with us and celebrating our 49th anniversary. Today, we celebrate, as brothers and sisters in humanity, our joint action to solve problems and look toward the future,” Sheikh Abdullah was quoted as saying by WAM.In Sharjah to celebrate National Day, the Sharjah Business Women Council launched the “Women of Sharjah” campaign to highlight the achievements of top female entrepreneurs in the emirate.Four businesswomen were highlighted for their accomplishments, and they will outline their visions to encourage the next generation of aspiring female business owners.Read more:Google ‘Doodle’ shows UAE flag in celebration of 49th National DayUAE National Day: Abu Dhabi grants citizens $2 bln in homes, land, loan forgivenessUAE announces public sector holiday for National DaySpeaking in Abu Dhabi, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, said she was proud of the “pioneering stature achieved by Emirati women, due to the support of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who always believed in the role of women in the community since the establishment of the country.”She added: “As we end a federal year full of hard work, giving, achievements and cultural gains at local, regional and international levels, we will enter a new year while reinforcing our efforts, promoting cooperation, uniting our visions, and committing to our values that led to the success of our beloved country. We will aim to spread our values, preserve our heritage, and achieve the highest levels of sustainable development.”
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE continues National Day celebration with region's first solar-powered light show

The United Arab Emirates has detected 1,317 new coronavirus cases, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) announced on Thursday.The increase is higher than in previous days, which reported between 1,100 and 1,200 new daily cases.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The Ministry of Health also reported five people had died of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, which is higher than the usual daily death toll in recent weeks.The ministry conducted 132,380 tests over the past day in line with its expanded testing program.A further 655 people had recovered from the virus, added the ministry.Read more: Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,107 infections as downward trend continues for COVID casesCoronavirus in the UAEThe UAE has conducted over 17 million coronavirus tests in a country with a population of approximately 9.8 million.In total, tests have confirmed 172,751 cases.The country has a relatively low death rate, with just 585 deaths from the virus. The vast majority of patients - 157,035 - have recovered.There are currently 15,131 active cases in the UAE.Authorities have banned parties and gatherings for the country's National Day, Christmas, and New Year holidays to prevent a surge in cases over the winter.Read more: Coronavirus: Abu Dhabi Ports to store and distribute 70 mln COVID-19 vaccines
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,317 cases, five deaths in slight increase

Civil activists protested the lack of judiciary against domestic violence and honor killings, launching the hashtag “Our blood is on your hands” and calling on the government to consider honor killings as a crime to prevent the death of more women.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Honor killings against women increase in southeast Syrian city

The United Arab Emirates launched tourist visas for Israeli citizens on Thursday, official media said, in the latest move following the normalization of ties between the two countries.Abu Dhabi’s foreign ministry “announced the activation of tourist entry visas through airlines and travel and tourism offices for Israeli passport holders,” the WAM news agency reported.The measure is a stop-gap until a mutual visa waiver agreement is put in place meaning Israelis visiting the UAE will be eligible for visas on arrival.The same will apply to Emiratis visiting Israel.“The move falls within bilateral cooperation between the UAE and the State of Israel following the signing of the Abraham Accords and aims to facilitate travel to the UAE for the time being,” the report added.The UAE and Israel have already signed treaties on direct flights and visa-free travel, along with accords on investment protection, science and technology.The UAE was only the third Arab country to normalize ties with Israel following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.However, its move was quickly followed by Bahrain and in October Sudan also announced it would normalize relations with Israel.Read more:Biden sets new demands for US return to Iran deal, lift sanctions: NYTUAE launches ‘Falcon Eye’ satellite into space to mark National DayIsrael transfers over $1 bln to Palestinian Authority: Palestinian minister
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE launches tourist visas for Israelis until mutual visa waiver established