Middle East Experience

The flight is a first step in a normalization process between the countries as an official signing of the agreement is expected next month.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: First commercial flight from Israel to UAE follows historic deal

The terrorist organization al-Qaeda in Yemen appears to have reacted to the historic peace deal between Israel and the UAE with a video thumbnail criticizing Abu Dhabi’s rulers, according to a post by an analyst on Twitter.Earlier this month Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize ties in exchange for Israel halting its proposed annexation of the West Bank, paving the way for commercial deals, telephone links, and flights between the two countries.While many, including the US and Bahrain, have praised the agreement, others have criticized it as premature and lacking solid concessions for the Palestinians.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.On Friday, the global terrorist organization al-Qaeda, the same group behind the infamous September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, also appeared to weigh in on the issue.According to a post by Oxford University’s Dr. Elisabeth Kendall, whose specialisms include Middle Eastern terrorist organizations, the group has released a video featuring graffiti that criticizes Abu Dhabi’s ruling family on an image of the al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem.“Who’s for Bin Zayed? He has wronged Allah & his Prophet,” says the graffiti, in reference to the UAE President and Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan or Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.The video, which Al Arabiya English could not access for verification, appears to be from the organization’s al-Malahem Media channel. It shows an image of Ibrahim al-Qusi, a Sudanese paymaster for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) who was previously held in the US Guantanamo Bay detainment camp.According to Kendall, the image of al-Qusi and not AQAP leader Khalid bin Umar Batarfi, could suggest infighting in the group.Despite the US and its allies killing former al-Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden and hunting the group globally, al-Qaeda and its affiliates remain active in many countries including Yemen and Libya.Read more:UAE abolishes Israel boycott law, allows commercial deals with IsraelisEight moments that led up to the UAE’s agreement with IsraelUAE’s Jewish community reacts to country’s historic agreement with Israel
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Al-Qaeda reacts to UAE-Israel peace deal with image criticizing Abu Dhabi rulers

A prominent host of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network promoted a conspiracy theory that the US and Israel were involved in spreading the idea of exporting the 1979 Iranian Revolution to the Arab world to allegedly benefit Israel.Al Jazeera presenter Faisal al-Qassim said on Twitter that the US and Israel had exported the idea that similar revolutions could occur in Arab states, which had led Arab leaders to partner with Israel against Iran.Al-Qassim’s comments come in the wake of a historic peace deal signed by the UAE and Israel earlier this month, bringing to end a decades-long boycott and opening the door to a full normalization of relations. On Saturday, the UAE abolished its official Israel boycott law, allowing commercial deals to occur with Israelis.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.In return for signing the peace agreement, Israel has agreed to cease its plans to annex a vast majority of the West Bank.While many, including the US and Bahrain, have come out in support of the agreement, Doha-based Al Jazeera has been accused of bias in its coverage of the deal, and chosen not to contextualize Qatar’s own track record of ties with Israel.Despite the channel’s slogan being “The Opinion and The Other’s Opinion,” Al Jazeera has recently covered peace talks and efforts with Israel in a negative light, ignoring its own history of hosting Israeli officials both on air and in Qatar.When it first launched in 1996, Al Jazeera became one of the first Arab channels to open and maintain a bureau in Jerusalem and an office in Tel Aviv, and appoint its own correspondent in Israel.Al Jazeera’s own correspondent subsequently defended the channel’s role in normalizing the appearance of Israelis on Arab television, writing in an Israeli newspaper when Israeli authorities threatened to ban it.In more recent times, Al Jazeera caused widespread controversy in February 2018 when its popular program The Opposite Direction hosted by al-Qassim himself hosted Israel Defense Forces spokesperson for Arabic Media Avichay Adraee.Read more:Al Jazeera quotes Iran against UAE-Israel deal despite Qatar’s past Tel Aviv tiesWashington Post accused of hypocrisy after publishing Al Jazeera reporter’s op-edAl Jazeera reporter denies calling White House Press Secretary B-word at briefing
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Al Jazeera host promotes conspiracy that Israel, US tricked Arabs into fearing Iran

Reports that Syrian hospitals are overwhelmed with coronavirus patients have surfaced online, adding to mounting evidence that the Syrian government’s official COVID-19 tally vastly downplays the true extent of the crisis in the war-torn country.The government’s official coronavirus figures are notably low, with apparently only 2,563 confirmed cases in the country.However, a report from the dedicated analysis website Syria in Context, citing dozens of sources, estimated that the spread of the virus was far higher, and claimed that there were likely at least 85,000 coronavirus cases in Damascus alone by early August.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Syria in Context recently provided additional evidence suggesting COVID-19 is out of control in the country, with satellite photographs appearing to show an expansion to the Najha Cemetery outside of Damascus.On Saturday, further evidence surfaced when the Syrian Law Journal reported that state-owned hospitals in Syria were becoming “inundated” with coronavirus patients, forcing many to turn to private hospitals that require health insurance.Given the situation, some doctors have set up voluntary services but are lacking in personal protective equipment (PPE) and proper facilities, said Syria in Context, with one doctor telling the publication that there were no coronavirus testing facilities.Local Syrian Facebook groups also feature Syrians complaining about the lack of government response and posting death notices for friends and relatives, again suggesting that the outbreak is far less in control than the government claims, The National reported.The UN has endorsed the suggestion that COVID-19 is spreading out of control in Syria despite the government’s narrative.On Thursday, Assistant Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs Ramesh Rajasingham said that actual COVID-19 cases in the country “far exceed official figures” and “rising patient numbers are adding pressure to the fragile health system.”He added that many people “are reluctant to seek care at medical facilities, leading to more severe complications when they do arrive,” and “health workers still lack sufficient personal protective equipment and associated supplies.”With The Associated PressRead more:Coronavirus: Syria cases likely ‘far exceed official figures’ says UNCoronavirus: Syrian Constitutional Committee on hold after members test positiveA collapsing economy and a family feud pile pressure on Syria's Assad
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Syria’s official COVID-19 tally under suspicion as hospitals overwhelmed

Interpol recently rejected Turkey’s request to arrest dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, who is currently in the United Arab Emirates, but analysts believe this will not stop Ankara from pursuing Dahlan through other means.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkey tries to settle scores with Palestinian leader backed by the UAE

On condition of Trump's support, Alwyn C. Cashe could become the first Black soldier to receive the Medal of Honor, 15 years after his death following an ambush in Iraq..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: US defence chief endorses awarding top war medal to Black soldier killed in Iraq attack

Fathi Bashagha, the suspended interior minister of Libya’s Government of National Accord, has arrived in Tripoli after his recent visit to Turkey, according to Al Arabiya sources.The embattled Libyan Government of National Accord’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj said on Friday he had temporarily removed his Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha pending an investigation.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The GNA also announced the removal of Bashagha in a formal document on Friday, according to a tweet by the main media account of the GNA government verified on Twitter.Bashagha made the trip to Turkey without Sarraj’s knowledge or approval, Al Arabiya sources confirmed.The sources said his temporary suspension may be due to his attempted plot against Sarraj although the GNA said the official reasoning behind the decision was due to his ministry’s handling of the recent protests in Tripoli in which excessive use of force was used.Read more:Libyan GNA PM removes interior minister Fathi Bashagha pending investigation: SourcesMedia watchdog urges Libya’s GNA to release journalistProtests against Libya’s GNA erupt for second day in Tripoli “Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha has been temporarily suspended” and will face an inquiry “on his statements about the protests and incidents in Tripoli and other cities,” the GNA said Friday.Demonstrations began last Sunday in Tripoli, the seat of the GNA, against poor public services and living conditions, and gunmen fired on the crowd. Similar shootings occurred on Monday and Wednesday.Gunmen on Wednesday attacked a peaceful demonstration by “firing live ammunition indiscriminately,” Bashagha had said.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Suspended Libyan GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha arrives in Tripoli: Sources

Josh Reinstein, the author, said that he is “not surprised by the success."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: New book 'Titus, Trump and the Triumph of Israel' breaks pre-sale record

The UN said the power struggle emerging between Tripoli's leaders after the shooting and abduction of protesters “underlines the urgent need to return to a full and inclusive political process”..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UN expresses concern over 'dramatic turn' in Libya crisis

A cruise ship in Saudi Arabia has returned to port after a suspected COVID-19 coronavirus case was detected on board, Al Arabiya’s correspondent has confirmed.The “Silver Spirit” cruise ship initially set sail on Thursday from the port of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) carrying passengers on the Kingdom’s first recreational cruises.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“This morning we received a letter sent by the management of the Silver Spirit cruise ship, which confirmed the existence of a suspected case of a COVID-19 coronavirus in a woman. The letter also confirmed that this case was isolated in the wings designated for those on board the ship who show signs of the virus,” Al Arabiya’s correspondent Abdulrahman al-Osaimi said while on board the ship.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.“The ship was supposed to end its voyage tomorrow, Sunday morning, but the cruise has returned to the port of King Abdullah Economic City today, Saturday, instead of Sunday morning, in order to ensure the safety of all passengers,” al-Osaimi said.Reports that all passengers will be isolated were not correct, according to al-Osaimi.“So far, there is no isolation and also the case is a suspected case of coronavirus, not a confirmed case,” he added.The ship’s capacity was kept during its voyage to 75 percent to ensure social distancing between those on board, while extensive COVID-19 testing was carried out before any passengers can board the ship, according to the ship’s management who worked with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Health.Read more:Coronavirus: Syria’s official COVID-19 tally under suspicion as hospitals overwhelmedChina’s Sinovac coronavirus vaccine approved for emergency use: SourceCoronavirus: UAE says mothers with young children can work from home
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Cruise ship in Saudi Arabia returns after suspected COVID-19 case