Saturday, December 28

Middle East

The Middle East is a significant region. Countries include Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. This region includes many of the “Arab Spring” countries, which underwent disruptive revolutions and protests in the 21st Century. It also includes Israeli-Palestinian relations.

U.S. Artists Call for Immediate Ceasefire in Israel’s Assault on Gaza
3Nov By Patti MohrNo Comments
Human rights, Middle East, Types of News: Videos

U.S. Artists Call for Immediate Ceasefire in Israel’s Assault on Gaza

'All Life Is Sacred,' Letter Says This week, over 180 artists signed a letter to President Biden calling for a ceasefire and telling him that, "all life is sacred." As the Israel-Gaza war rages on, creating a humanitarian crisis that puts innocent lives at risk, many of us in safe parts of the world are feeling helpless as to how to help. I know I cannot turn away from the atrocities happening today. History itself is watching. Millions of people are marching in the streets. Others are raising their voices. Each person who speaks up gives another courage to voice support for human life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZymrk6sG2Q
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WHO Issues Warning About The Middle East
28Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Human rights, Middle East, Types of News: Bit, Types of News: Brief

WHO Issues Warning About The Middle East

October 28, 2023—The World Health Organization issued a warning about escalating hostilities in the Middle East. Specifically, the conflict and deteriorating health conditions are not limited to the Gaza Strip but are also in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, and Syria. Furthermore, they pose a risk of "spilling over to other countries in the region, including Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Iraq." Specifically, in Gaza, the situation is desperate: "The health system is on the verge of collapse and dwindling access to health services, clean water, food and fuel on top of an already weakened healthcare system risks further loss of civilian life. Massive displacement to shelters with inadequate resources will result in disease outbreaks." For more, see the Worl...
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Western Leaders Release Statement On Israel
23Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Human rights, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Western Leaders Release Statement On Israel

October 23, 2023—Leaders from six Western countries released a joint statement yesterday that supports Israel's war but urges the leaders to protect civilians. The leaders are U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. "The leaders reiterated their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism and called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians," the statement said. It appears the announcement about the statement is the statement itself. It comes a day after global leaders met at a Cairo Summit hosted by Egypt, where many regional leaders accused the Wes...
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Rafah Border Crossing Opens To Limited Convoy As Bombing Continued
21Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Foreign Aid, International Development, Human rights, International Law, Legal Battles, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Rafah Border Crossing Opens To Limited Convoy As Bombing Continued

Bombing continues as a convoy of 20 trucks crosses into Gaza from Rafah. Source: Qatari-run Al Jazeera October 21, 2023—About 20 Red Crescent trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered southern Gaza today. It is the first time the Rafah border crossing has opened since the terror attacks of October 7 and ensuring war. But United Nations and humanitarian officials say relief is just a drop of what aid is urgently needed in Gaza. "This is miniscule. It's just a drop in the ocean of what is needed for the Gaza people," Palestine Red Crescent Director Marwan Jilani said in an interview today with the Qatari-run Al Jazeera. Millions of Lives At Risk Before the Israel-Hamas War, a million people in Gaza relied upon emergency food assistance from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Pal...
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State Department Official Resigns Over Biden’s Middle East Policy
20Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Human rights, Middle East, Types of News: Brief, UN Security Council

State Department Official Resigns Over Biden’s Middle East Policy

Arms Transfer To Israel Contributes To 'Massive Civilian Casualties' October 20, 2023—Josh Paul isn't the only State Department official who has concerns about the U.S. policy on Israel's military assault on civilians. But he might be the first one to resign. The resignation comes as President Biden asks Congress for a $14 billion military aid package for Israel and $9.15 billion for humanitarian aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Gaza. It also comes as the United States vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council that would have created safe corridors for humanitarians to assist civilians in Gaza. U.S. diplomatic staff are taking notice. Acknowledging the morale problem, Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote to department staff saying the Middle East crisis "has not only been chal...
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US Vetos UN Resolution On Humanitarian Aid For Gaza
20Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
International Law, Legal Battles, Middle East, Types of News: Brief, UN Security Council

US Vetos UN Resolution On Humanitarian Aid For Gaza

Full Text of Security Council Resolution Offered By Brazil October 20, 2023—The same day President Biden negotiated a plan to allow 20 trucks to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza, the United States vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council that would have called for protections for civilians, humanitarians, and UN personnel inside Gaza. The resolution would have created humanitarian corridors for distributing aid and helping civilians escape to safe zones. It also would have called for an immediate release of Israeli and American hostages held by Hamas. Fourth Resolution To Fail It was the fourth resolution related to the Israel-Hamas war to fail this week. It had the strongest chance of passing the Security Council. The veto by the United States, one of the five Permane...
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Hamas Opens The Gates Of Hell, Inviting The World In
16Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Human rights, Middle East, Types of News: Analysis

Hamas Opens The Gates Of Hell, Inviting The World In

Terrorist organization Hamas opened up the gates of Hell. Now the world must decide whether to enter or put out the flames. October 16, 2023—The Middle East blew up this month, inviting the world to join it on a downward track to a hellish world of murder, massacre, and a limitless cycle of revenge. It does no good to detail the specifics of the October 7 terror attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians. To do so would only continue to crush the spirit of this writer and readers alike. The point is, it was a full-scale air, sea, and ground attack by Hamas militants. It was the largest terror attack against Israel. It left 1,400 Israelis dead, thousands more injured, and at least 199 people kidnapped. Americans were included in the numbers. Militants broadcast their terror on social ...
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Algeria Hosts Arab League Summit
2Nov By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Middle East, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Brief

Algeria Hosts Arab League Summit

Algeria hosts Arab League The Summit Comes On The Heels Of Historic Agreement Uniting Palestinian Factions November 2, 2022—Member of the 22-member Arab League met for the first time since 2019 in Algiers, Algeria Tuesday. It is the first Arab League meeting since Israel normalized its relations with several Arab countries, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. It also comes on the heels of a successful effort on the part of Algerian President Abdulmajeed Tabboune to bring sparring Palestinian factions together. On Tuesday, Tabboune welcomed the guests, saying that the League's "central and primary cause" is the "Palestinian cause," according to reporting by TRT World, a Turkish news broadcaster. "The Palestinian question is the mother of all questions," Tabboune said. Economi...
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Israeli, Palestinian Authority Leaders Met In Person, And That In Itself Is Significant
30Dec By Patti MohrNo Comments
Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Israeli, Palestinian Authority Leaders Met In Person, And That In Itself Is Significant

December 30, 2021--Although there are no peace talks in place between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas met Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in central Israel this week. It's significant in that it was the first time Abbas visited Israel in a decade. It also marks a sign of support by Israel for the weak Palestinian government. Abbas represents Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. His leadership is often overshadowed by the Palestinian leadership in Gaza, which is controlled by militant Hamas. The year has seen rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, including a 22-day war between Israel and Hamas in May. Meeting Outcomes According to reporting by the Times of Israel, Gantz announced on Wednesday that Israel will offer the foll...
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Time Is Running Thin On Iran Deal, Negotiators Say
23Dec By Ramsha ZubairiNo Comments
Diplomacy, Middle East, Sanctions, Types of News: Analysis

Time Is Running Thin On Iran Deal, Negotiators Say

Nuclear Inspectors Are To Partially Resume Monitoring Of Sites Editor's Note: Diplomats representing Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are working with Iranian representatives to restore the Iranian nuclear deal (JCPOA). The talks first started in 2019. They continued this year. Now diplomats involved say the next few weeks are critical make-it-or-break-it time. Iran is getting closer to building a nuclear weapon. Iran, meanwhile, is asking the United States to waive nuclear-related sanctions and add oil to the list of products that the country can trade. Journalist Ramsha Zubairi reports on recent developments. December 23, 2021--Talks to restore Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in Vienna came to a halt on Friday. Today, they are officia...
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