Tag: Israel

Iran-Saudi Agreement: Why Israel Opposition Sees It A ‘Dangerous Development’?

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SRINAGAR: As expected, the Tehran-Riyadh restoration of ties with Beijing’s help has led triggered a serious debate the world over. With most of the countries supportive of the agreement, a general perception is that the USA, the world’s most powerful nation, has been side-lined by an emerging China.
US President Joe Biden with MbS of Saudi Arabia on July 15, 2022. They barely shook hands.
The most vociferous reaction has come from Israel where senior opposition leaders have termed the agreement Tel Aviv’s failure.
“The restoration of relations between the Saudis and Iran is a serious and dangerous development for Israel that represents an Iranian diplomatic victory. It represents a critical blow to efforts to build a regional coalition against Iran,” Naftali Bennett, Israel’s former Prime Minister was quoted as saying by Times of Israel. “This is a resounding failure of the Netanyahu government and is the result of a combination of diplomatic neglect, general weakness and internal conflict in the country.”
Bennett was not alone. Yair Lapid, also a former Prime Minister also termed the agreement as “a complete failure” for Israel, calling it “a collapse of our regional defensive walls that we had been building against Iran.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia, barely separated by a 150-mile distance were representing two extremes in the Middles East. They were literally rivals in most of the conflict areas in the region. Besides, they were using Shia-Sunni sectarianism as part of their foreign policy in other Muslim countries.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to resume diplomatic relations after four days of intensive previously undisclosed talks in Beijing.
Israel, it may be recalled here had normalised relations with Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates in 2020. The agreement with Iran came as Tel Aviv was negotiating a relationship with Riyadh. While these efforts are likely to continue, the possibility of kicking Tehran out of the frame may not be possible. Israel sees Tehran as its enemy and dislikes its nuclear programme and Riyadh was almost thinking on the same terms. This had led to a sort of coalition with the Middle East excluding Iran. The agreement is expected to change that.
Israel apart, the response from almost every other power centre has been positive. Some Western countries including USA and France have responded to the development with a bit of caution.
“United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric expressed the gratitude of the United Nations Secretary-General to China for hosting the recent talks, and the United Nations Secretary-General welcomed the efforts of other countries in this regard, especially the Sultanate of Oman and Iraq,” Saudi Press Agency reported. “The UN spokesperson also stated that good neighbourly relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran are necessary for the stability of the Gulf region.”

In Brussels, the European Union (EU) has also welcomed the agreement.
“Generally speaking, we welcome any efforts to help end the war in Yemen and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East region. De-escalation and diplomacy together with deterrence are key pillars of the policy President Biden outlined during his visit to the region last year,” US NSA spokesperson John Kirby was quoted as saying. “The Saudis did keep us informed about these talks that they were having, just as we keep them informed on our engagements, but we weren’t directly involved.”
President Xi Jinping with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (Mbs) in Riyadh on December 9, 2022
When asked by reporters, Biden said: “Better relations between Israel and their Arab neighbours are better for everybody.”
What is interesting, however, is that the agreement is being seen as a side-lining of the US in the region. A general impression is that the US was selling arms to fuel the conflicts in the region and, instead, China used trade to get the rivals closer.
Major Development: China Brokers Peace Between Iran and Saudi Arabia
The agreement is expected to have a cooling effect on at least three ragging conflicts in the region. In Yemen, Iran was supporting Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabi was funding the exiled government. In Lebanon, Iran was backing Hezbollah and Riyadh money was surviving the Sunni political class. The two countries were the proxy players in Suria where Iran supported President Bashar Assad and Riyadh was closer to the rebels.
Analysts believe t is too early to predict a major shift as the parties will have to work on the agreement. The divisive politics in the region has been played for such a long time that converting it into peace will take a long time. Those unhappy can contribute to making the agreement evaporate.

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( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 12, 2023
Israel ready to help transform Italy into energy hub: Netanyahu

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Rome: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to help energy-starved Italy transform into a regional energy hub during his visit to the Italian capital.
After meeting with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Netanyahu said on Friday that he wanted to increase natural gas exports to Europe via Italy, Xinhua news agency reported.
Such a move would be welcome in Italy, which has struggled to replace natural gas imports from Russia.
Netanyahu and Meloni did not reveal the specifics of the import scheme.
“Italy has said it wants to be a hub for the supply of energy to Europe,” said Netanyahu. “We think exactly the same thing, and we have gas reserves that we will start exporting, and we would like to expedite more gas exports to Europe through Italy.”
In November 2022, Israel signed an initial agreement with Italian energy giant Eni and France’s TotalEnergies to facilitate explorations for natural gas near Israel’s Mediterranean border with Lebanon. Netanyahu mentioned the deal with Eni on Friday and said he would like to see it carried “to a much higher level.”
Netanyahu vowed to build deeper ties with Italy in other sectors as well, including water supplies and cyber-security.
Meloni said Italy’s ties with Israel were “important … and would increase in importance.”

Netanyahu will remain in Italy through Sunday, meeting with political, business and religious leaders.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 11, 2023
UNIFIL calls on Lebanon, Israel to maintain calm on border

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Beirut: The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has urged the country and Israel to maintain calm following an incident on the demarcation Blue Line, the National News Agency reported.
Earlier on Sunday, the Lebanese Army Command said an “Israeli enemy patrol breached” at noon the Blue Line near Lebanon’s southern town of Ayta al-Shaab by about one metre, prompting a Lebanese Army patrol to force them to retreat back to areas beyond the line.
“UNIFIL is aware of the tensions that are occurring along the Blue Line in the Aita (Ayta) al-Shaab area, where some Israeli maintenance work is taking place,” said Candice Ardell, Deputy Director of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon Media Office.
“UNIFIL forces are at the site, and are seeking to reduce tension … We urge all parties and all those present at the scene to maintain calm,” she added.
The Blue Line separates the territories between Lebanon and Israel and was drawn in June 2000 by the United Nations after the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon on May 25, 2000, Xinhua news agency reported.
UNIFIL forces are deployed in southern Lebanon, and its area of operations is defined by the Litani river in the north and the Blue Line in the south, according to the UN mission’s webpage.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 6, 2023
Israel detects three new polio cases among children

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Tel Aviv: Israel has reported three new cases of children infected with polio, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The cases were detected during an epidemiological investigation after an eight-year-old boy from northern Israel tested positive for the virus earlier this week, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.
The Ministry added that the three children, who were in close contact with the boy, currently have no clinical symptoms.
A polio outbreak occurred in March 2022 in Israel with the detection of nine cases, prompting the Ministry to conduct an extensive vaccination campaign for people aged 17 and under.
In July, it announced that the spread of the virus had stopped, but the virus was discovered again in recent months in sewage systems across the country.
The Ministry noted that there are currently more than 150,000 children in Israel who have not been vaccinated against the virus.
The infectious polio disease spreads rapidly and can cause paralysis and, on rare occasions, even death.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 3, 2023
Kerala farmer who went missing in Israel returns to India

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Calicut: Biju Kurian, a farmer from Kerala who was allegedly missing in Israel, arrived at Calicut International Airport on Monday.
A group of farmers, including representatives of the Kerala Government, went to Israel earlier this month to learn the farming methods in Israel. During the visit, Biju had gone missing.
Kurian, who was part of a 28-member team, led by the Principal Secretary of the agriculture dept of Kerala, that went to learn about foreign farming methods, absconded from Israel on February 17.
Principal Secretary informed the Israel Police department and filed a complaint in Israel.
“Israel govt took this as a serious matter and they are on the way to find the person. We also requested the government to cancel his visa,” said State Minister P Prasad.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 27, 2023
US, Israel discuss Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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Jerusalem: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant spoke to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin by phone over a series of regional issues, according to a statement by the Israeli Defense Ministry.
The phone conversation on late Friday “focused on security developments in the Middle East”, including the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran’s nuclear programme, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the statement.
Earlier this week, Israeli forces killed 11 Palestinians in a military raid on the West Bank city of Nablus, aggravating the already high tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
Ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which will begin in late March, there is concern that tensions will rise further, as the Israeli military has been conducting almost daily raids in the West Bank in an alleged attempt to arrest suspects in deadly Palestinian attacks.
The two officials “discussed ways to ensure stability in the region during the upcoming holiday period” while “Gallant stressed the importance of maintaining a decisive position against terrorism” in the West Bank.
Commenting on Iran’s nuclear program, the Israeli minister “expressed his concern regarding Iran’s continued nuclear enrichment and emphasized the importance of preventing a nuclear Iran,” according to the statement.
The Western media recently reported that uranium enriched to 84 percent purity was detected in Iran, which has been rejected by Tehran as a “distortion of the facts.”
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 26, 2023
For 8th week, mass protests in Israel against judicial reforms

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Jerusalem: For the eighth week in a row, tens of thousands of Israelis are demonstrating against the government and its judicial reforms.
According to Israeli media outlets, more than 100,000 Israelis are protesting around the country, with the main demonstration being held in Tel Aviv, 25,000 rallying in the northern city of Haifa and thousands gathering in front of the president’s residence in Jerusalem. There is even one in front of the house of Justice Minister Yariv Levin in the central city of Modiin, Xinhua news agency reported.
The protests are against the major overhaul of the judicial system, which was set in motion on February 13 when the administration initiated the legislative procedure for the reforms. The Israeli parliament has passed the first out of three readings of several relevant bills.
One of the bills is the “override clause” which will allow the parliament to override supreme court rulings with a simple majority. Another one would change the composition of the committee that appoints supreme court judges by giving the government a majority. A third aims to block the supreme court from reviewing the basic laws already passed by the parliament.
Demonstrators say the reforms will weaken the courts and give the ruling coalition unrestrained power.
The coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it aims to complete the legislative process until April. With a solid majority in the parliament, the votes are expected to pass without major contention.
Massive demonstrations are also planned for Wednesday when the coalition will continue to promote the legislation in parliament. The parliament is also slated to debate a bill that would prevent the state’s attorney general from declaring the prime minister incapacitated except for legitimate medical reasons.
כמה אתם רעים.
גם תוקעים חצי מדינה בפקק.
גם מצלמים ומתסלבטים על מי שנתקע בפקק הארור הזה. pic.twitter.com/v3ZoXt8get
— נועם🇮🇱✌️🇮🇱💛💙🤍 (@noam2525) February 25, 2023
According to Israeli media, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said earlier this month that Netanyahu cannot be involved in his government’s judicial reforms because he has a conflict of interests because of his ongoing corruption trial.

Netanyahu and his partners say the reforms are necessary in terms of limiting the judicial system which has become too powerful in recent decades and often intervenes in political issues that should be determined by the parliament, vowing to push forward with the reforms despite protests.
The Israeli prime minister also denies that the reforms are personally motivated to allow him to influence the outcome of his trial.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 26, 2023
Chuck Schumer met with Pakistan’s prime minister on Thursday, another stop in a recess spate of globetrotting that also included India and Israel.

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Chuck Schumer met with Pakistan’s prime minister on Thursday, another stop in a recess spate of globetrotting that also included India and Israel.

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#Chuck #Schumer #met #Pakistans #prime #minister #Thursday #stop #recess #spate #globetrotting #included #India #Israel
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

February 24, 2023
Israel approves building 7,157 new housing units in West Bank settlements

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Jerusalem: Israel has approved plans to build 7,157 new housing units in the settlements in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli settlement watchdog group said.
The Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration, an Israeli body responsible for approving construction in the West Bank, approved the building plans after two days of discussions that began on Wednesday, according to a statement released by Peace Now on Thursday.
Out of the planned new housing units, 5,257 units are being advanced with preliminary approval, while 1,900 are waiting for the final approval required for the construction to begin, it said.
This represents one of the largest settlement expansion projects approved in recent years, compared to 4,427 housing units approved in 2022 and 3,645 units in 2021, it added.
The move came fewer than two months after the swearing-in of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, which is dominated by ultra-nationalist and pro-settler parties, Xinhua news agency reported.
On Wednesday, an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus killed 11 Palestinians and injured 102 others, aggravating the already tense ties between Israelis and Palestinians.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 24, 2023
India, Israel keen on finalising FTA

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New Delhi: Israel’s handing over of the strategic port of Haifa to Indian company, the Adani Group, is a reflection of the trust that the country has on India, Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon said on Wednesday.
At a media briefing, the envoy also said that both India and Israel are keen on finalising the proposed free trade pact as it could further boost overall bilateral trade ties.
Gilon indicated that there could be a forward movement on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) during the upcoming “high-level” visit.
Describing defence ties between the two countries as very strong, he said Israel has an advantage to support India in its efforts to become self reliant in defence manufacturing because of the “long-standing” trust in the area between the two countries.
On the Adani Group acquiring the Haifa port last month, Gilon said it was sign of Israel’s trust on India and it could boost bilateral trade. It was a very important move from our side as Haifa is a strategic port, he said.
The Adani Group last month acquired the strategic port of Haifa for USD 1.2 billion (one billion =100 crore) and vowed to transform the skyline of this Mediterranean city as part of its decision to invest more in the Jewish nation.
The Port of Haifa is the second largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in shipping tourist cruise ships.
In his remarks, the Israeli envoy also said that there is a great potential to expand cooperation in areas of renewable energy, smart mobility, agriculture, healthcare, water and cyber and homeland security.

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#India #Israel #keen #finalising #FTA
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 22, 2023