Middle East Experience

Despite US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Manama, Bahrain has shown little interest in immediately normalising relations with Israel, preferring to toe the Saudi line instead..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Manama toes Saudi line in resisting US’s immediate normalisation push

The country is bracing for another economic crisis after the Lira plummeted in value due to covid-19, which impacted economies across the world..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Turkish economy set for 'sharp downturn', economists predict

Binding parliamentary consultations to appoint a new prime minister could be held either Saturday or Monday, a source at Baabda Palace said Thursday..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Consultations on new PM Saturday or Monday: Baabda source

Enaam Khaled is a passionate photographer of traditional houses. For years, she has been documenting Beirut’s old buildings, especially those located in the historic neighbourhoods of Gemmayze and Mar Mikhail, the two worst hit areas from the seismic blast that rocked the city on August 4..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: The effort to save Beirut’s heritage destroyed by port blast

The new website offers information about financial relief from the government and Jewish community sources, and the International Association of Jewish Free Loans, which provides assistance.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: JFNA launches initiative to help recently unemployed Jewish professionals

Carlson justified the 17-year-old's killing of two protesters and wounding of a third as an attempt to "maintain order."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Tucker Carlson, Ann Coulter under fire for supporting Kenosha shooter

"The victim's testimony was found to be credible and supporting evidence has been found," the police said.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Police: We have solved the gang-rape case of the 16-year-old in Eilat

Israeli tanks and warplanes bombed Hamas positions in Gaza Friday, prompting the Palestinian militant organization to retaliate with rockets as a three-week-old flare-up showed no let-up despite international mediation efforts.Warning sirens sounded before dawn in Israeli communities near the border as the pre-dawn air strikes and shelling prompted Hamas to launch a salvo of six rockets in retaliation.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Palestinian militant group, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, said the rockets were a "direct response to the escalation by the Israeli occupier".Israel launched a new wave of strikes in reprisal, targeting "additional Hamas military targets" in Gaza, including a "weapons manufacturing site", the military said.Israel bombing Gaza almost dailyIsrael has bombed Gaza almost daily since August 6, in response to the airborne incendiary devices and, less frequently, rockets launched across the border.The fire bombs, crude devices fitted to balloons, inflated condoms or plastic bags, have triggered more than 400 blazes in southern Israel, according to fire brigade figures.The fire balloons are widely seen as an attempt by Hamas to improve the terms of an informal truce under which Israel committed to ease its 13-year-old blockade in return for calm on the border.But so far Israel's response has been to tighten the blockade.It has banned Gaza fishermen from going to sea and closed its goods crossing with the territory, prompting the closure of Gaza's sole power plant for want of fuel.Read more:Israel asks country’s airlines to submit bids for special flight to UAE next weekAfter talks with Arab officials, US position ‘has not changed’ on Jerusalem: OfficialTurkey gave Hamas members passports: ReportTruce attempts failAn Egyptian delegation has been shuttling between the two sides to try to broker a renewal of the truce.It was joined this week by Qatar's Gaza envoy Mohammed el-Emadi who delivered the latest tranche of $30 million in aid to the territory on Tuesday before holding talks with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv.Sources close to the Qatari delegation said the Israelis had told Emadi they were willing to resume fuel deliveries for the power plant and ease their blockade if there was an end to the fire balloons.Financial aid for the impoverished territory from gas-rich Qatar has been a major component of the latest truce first agreed in November 2018 and renewed several times since.But Israel also undertook to other measures to alleviate unemployment of more than 50 percent in the territory of some two million people.Disagreements over their implementation have fuelled repeated flare-ups on the border.Such flare-ups escalated into major conflicts in 2008, 2012 and 2014, and mediators have been striving to prevent a new war.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Israel, Hamas exchange fire over Gaza border in latest clashes

Egyptian authorities have arrested the Muslim Brotherhood leader Mahmoud Ezzat, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry on Friday.Ezzat was serving as one of the leaders of the organization's military wing in absentia and was arrested in a hideout in Cairo, said the ministry.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The ministry said that it had discovered Ezzat in a fifth floor apartment in New Cairo as part of its wider operation to track down dissident Brotherhood leaders.In a statement, the ministry listed the alleged crimes committed and roles played by Ezzat."The terrorist leader is primarily responsible for establishing the armed wing of the terrorist Brotherhood organization and supervising the management of terrorist and sabotage operations committed by the organization in the country after the June 30, 2013 revolution until its arrest, which was most notable: The assassination of former Attorney General Hisham Barakat in 2015. The assassination of Brigadier General Wael Tahoun in front of his house in Ain Shams in 2015. The assassination of Brigadier General Staff Adel Rajai in Obour City in 2016. Attempt to assassinate Counselor Zakaria Abdulaziz, former Assistant Attorney General, in 2016. A car bomb explosion in front of the Oncology Institute in August, 2016."The arrestAccording to Al Arabiya sources, Ezzat had been moving between a series of underground hideouts in the Egyptian capital and using technology to avoid being tracked.After being arrested, Ezzat was moved to a security headquarters where he will be interrogated.A security team from the National Security Agency and the Ministry of Interior is currently unloading several computers and mobile phones found with Ezzat, added the source, saying that the authorities are collecting data from the devices.Authorities are also reportedly looking into a number of people who frequented the hideout where Ezzat was caught.Read more:Mahmoud Ezzat named Muslim Brotherhood’s new leaderQatar-linked media outlets in rare clash: Muslim Brotherhood vs. Arabist secularistsQatar, Turkey, Muslim Brotherhood leading campaign to ‘vilify’ UAE: Gargash
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood leader Mahmoud Ezzat

Israel's El Al Airlines will fly a plane to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, an online flight timetable for Israel's Ben Gurion Airport showed, which would make it the first-ever commercial flight between the two countries.The flight between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi is expected to carry an Israeli delegation and accompanying US officials for talks on cementing Israel and the UAE's normalisation agreement.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The website of the Israel Airports Authority listed the flight on Friday.It said the flight would be numbered LY971, a nod to the UAE's international calling code number. A return flight to Ben Gurion International Airport on Tuesday will be numbered LY972, Israel's international calling code.A return flight from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, the online timetable showed.Authorities in Israel and the UAE did not immediately acknowledge the flight. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Read more: Israel asks country’s airlines to submit bids for special flight to UAE next weekFirst Israel-UAE commercial flight next week: US officialsUS Secretary Pompeo discusses UAE-Israel agreement with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: First Israel to UAE flight scheduled for Monday under Israeli El Al Airlines