Israel faces new protests over Netanyahu ‘get out of jail’ card

Israel faces new protests over Netanyahu ‘get out of jail’ card
A woman holds a sign with writing in Hebrew reading "the supreme court protects us all" during a demonstration by lawyers against the Israeli government's controversial plans to overhaul the judicial system. (AFP)
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Updated 12 January 2023
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Israel faces new protests over Netanyahu ‘get out of jail’ card

Israel faces new protests over Netanyahu ‘get out of jail’ card
  • Legal reforms aim to absolve him of corruption * S&P agency warns of credit rating threat

RAMALLAH: Israel’s far-right government faced a new barrage of criticism on Thursday over its extremist policies, in particular its plans to curb the independence of the judiciary.

Hundreds of lawyers took part in a protest rally outside a court in Tel Aviv, 11 former senior judicial officials signed an open letter saying they were “shocked” by the proposed reforms, and the influential S&P agency warned that divisive actions by the government were a threat to the country’s AA- sovereign credit rating.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin wants to hand more powers to members of parliament in appointing judges, whoare currently nominated by an independent panel, and to allow the Knesset to annul a Supreme Court decision with a simple majority.
The proposed reforms are widely viewed as a “get out of jail” card for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption. If, as expected, his case ends up in the Supreme Court, the reforms would enable the Knesset — which Netanyahu’s far-right coalition controls — to overturn that court’s ruling.

Lawyer Orna Sher, 66, one of the protesters in Tel Aviv, said the reforms were “dangerous” and “a threat to democracy.” She said: “The nomination of judges will be political. Courts won’t be independent, but controlled by politicians.” Another protester, Bruria Lekner, said the plans were “destruction and a regression.”

In their open letter, the 11 former state attorneys and attorney generals said: “We call on the government to retract the plan it published and prevent the severe damage to the court system and the rule of law.”

S&P global ratings director Maxim Rybnikov, the main credit analyst for Israel, said the agency was closely following the proposed judicial reforms, as well as new moves by Israel against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
“If the announced judicial system changes set a trend for a weakening of Israel’s institutional arrangements and existing checks and balances, this could in the future present downside risks to the ratings,” he said. “The primary concern for us would be the ... security situation, which could be undermined by more hard-line policies.”
In the latest attack on Palestinians, the Knesset has given initial approval to a draft law that would revoke the Israeli citizenship or residency rights of anyone convicted of carrying out an attack.

Senior Palestinian sources said the US was working quietly with Palestinians and the Israeli government to prevent further action that could undermine the Palestinian Authority.
 


Iran hits back at Britain over satellite launch

Iran hits back at Britain over satellite launch
Updated 05 October 2023
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Iran hits back at Britain over satellite launch

Iran hits back at Britain over satellite launch

TEHRAN: Iran on Wednesday condemned Britain for criticizing the Islamic republic over the launch of its latest military satellite into orbit.
The Islamic republic announced last week the “successful” launch of the Noor-3 imaging satellite by its three-stage Qassed rocket, in the latest display of its aerospace technology.
Western nations have repeatedly warned against such activity, saying the same technology can be used for ballistic missiles including ones designed to deliver nuclear warheads.
Britain on Tuesday denounced the Iranian move, saying it had been done “despite repeated calls from the UN Security Council to halt its ballistic missile program.”
“Iran’s actions further prove its disregard of international restrictions and highlight the grave threat posed by the regime to global security,” it said in a statement.
Iran hit back on Wednesday, condemning the British statement as “interventionist.”
“Achieving scientific and research progress, including in the aerospace field, is the right of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani.
He added that Iran “has reserved the use of peaceful technologies in the path of scientific development and research.”
Last week’s launch was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
It also drew criticism from Berlin.
“We and our partners remain committed to using all diplomatic means available to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons,” Germany’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Iran insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defense purposes only.
The Islamic republic has been under crippling US sanctions since Washington’s 2018 withdrawal from a landmark nuclear deal which granted Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its atomic program to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.


Demining teams keep finding newly planted landmines after each truce in Yemen: Project Masam

Demining teams keep finding newly planted landmines after each truce in Yemen: Project Masam
Updated 05 October 2023
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Demining teams keep finding newly planted landmines after each truce in Yemen: Project Masam

Demining teams keep finding newly planted landmines after each truce in Yemen: Project Masam
  • It is an indication that Houthi mine-laying operations are accelerating and expanding: Project Masam chief Ousama Algosaibi says 
  • The Saudi-backed program has removed 417,103 landmines and other unexploded bombs in Yemen since June 2018

RIYADH: No amount of denial by Yemen’s Houthi militia could hide the crime they had been committing against the Yemeni people through their continuing mine-laying operations, the managing director of the Saudi-backed Project Masam demining initiative said on Wednesday.

Ousama Algosaibi, Project Masam’s managing director, said a total of 417,103 landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had been removed in Yemen since June 2018.

The explosives had been indiscriminately planted, posing dangers to civilians, he said.

Ousama Algosaibi, managing director of Project Masam. (Supplied)

"Bouncing and fragmentation mines in addition to camouflaged ones have been discovered. It's hard to imagine someone booby-trapping bean cans to kill children, women, and the elderly in mosques, schools, farms, and areas surrounding water wells!" Algosaibi said in a series of tweets on his personal account on the X platform.

He said that all these remnants of war were detonated live for the world to witness, referring to the bulk demolition operations of Project Masam. He urged international and local organizations operating in Yemen to publish all their data and document their actions to ensure the world can understand the magnitude of the landmine crisis affecting Yemenis.

"50 million square meters of land have been completely cleared by the Project Masam teams. Every inch of it testifies to the Houthis’ crimes against Yemenis,” he said.

Algosaibi said the claims made by Houthis that the Arab Coalition had scattered about 3 million cluster bombs in Yemen were "misleading" and far from the truth. He referred to international reports indicating that the number of cluster munitions found over the past five years did not exceed 5,000.

"Whoever spreads death will never succeed in playing the role of victim. Even if all international theaters are opened to them,” he said.

The Kingdom Vs. Landmines
400 Yemenis have been killed by mines since 2019, a Saudi-led initiative endeavors to end this
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Emirates Perfumes and Oud Exhibition to open in Sharjah

Emirates Perfumes and Oud Exhibition to open in Sharjah
Updated 04 October 2023
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Emirates Perfumes and Oud Exhibition to open in Sharjah

Emirates Perfumes and Oud Exhibition to open in Sharjah
  • Event will showcase over 500 local and international brands

LONDON: The inaugural Emirates Perfumes and Oud Exhibition will open on Friday, showcasing over 500 local and international brands, Emirates News Agency reported on Wednesday. 

The event, which will take place in Sharjah till Oct. 14, will provide a forum for leading manufacturers, traders and perfume lovers to exchange knowledge and experiences in the fragrance industry.

It will also offer exclusive deals on a variety of high-end Arabian perfumes and oud. 

“This exhibition will undoubtedly serve the needs of a diverse range of traders, industrialists, young entrepreneurs and experts seeking opportunities in this thriving industry, which has been experiencing significant growth in the region,” Abdullah Sultan Al-Owais, chairman of Expo Center Sharjah, said.

Saif Mohammed Al-Midfa, CEO of Expo Center Sharjah, said the event will highlight the industry’s traditions and connection with Arab cultures.
 


Turkiye strikes Kurdish militants in Iraq again after warning of retaliation for Ankara bombing

Turkiye strikes Kurdish militants in Iraq again after warning of retaliation for Ankara bombing
Updated 04 October 2023
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Turkiye strikes Kurdish militants in Iraq again after warning of retaliation for Ankara bombing

Turkiye strikes Kurdish militants in Iraq again after warning of retaliation for Ankara bombing
  • The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack outside the Interior Ministry in Ankara
  • The Turkish jets targeted 22 suspected PKK positions in northern Iraq on Wednesday

BEIRUT: Turkish warplanes launched a new round of airstrikes against Kurdish militant targets in Iraq on Wednesday hours after the foreign minister warned that Turkiye would hit the militant group’s positions in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for a suicide bombing in Ankara earlier this week.
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack outside the Interior Ministry in Ankara in which one attacker blew himself up and another would-be bomber was killed in a shootout with police. Two police were wounded in the attack.
The Turkish jets targeted 22 suspected PKK positions in northern Iraq on Wednesday, destroying caves, shelters and depots used by the militants, the Turkish defense ministry said. The PKK maintains bases in the region, where its leadership has a foothold.
It was the Turkish air force’s third airstrike against suspected Kurdish militant sites in northern Iraq following the attack, which came as parliament prepared to reopen after a long summer recess. Meanwhile, dozens of people suspected of links to the PKK have been detained in a series of raids across Turkiye.
Ankara said a large number of PKK militants were “neutralized” in the strikes.
There was no immediate comment from Kurdish officials in Iraq.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a news conference that Turkish intelligence officials have established that the two assailants arrived from Syria, where they had been trained. He said Turkiye would now target facilities in Syria and Iraq belonging to the PKK, or its affiliated Kurdish militia group in Syria, which is known as People’s Defense Units, or YPG.
“From now on, all infrastructure, superstructure and energy facilities belonging to the PKK or the YPG in Iraq and Syria are legitimate targets of our security forces, armed forces and intelligence elements,” Fidan said. “Our armed forces’ response to this terrorist attack will be extremely clear and they will regret committing such an act.”
A Syrian Kurdish commander denied on Wednesday that the Ankara attackers were trained in Syria or crossed into Turkiye from Syria.
Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Force that controls large parts of northeastern Syria tweeted that those who carried out the attack in Ankara “did not pass through our territories.”
The Syrian Kurdish-led force is a coalition of several factions, including the YPG.
“We are not a side in the internal conflict in Turkiye,” Abdi wrote. He added that Turkiye is looking “for a pretext to legitimatize its continuous attacks on our region and to launch a new aggression and this is raising our concerns.”
Abdi, who is wanted by Turkiye on terrorism charges, said that targeting the infrastructure and economic targets in northeast Syria and cities “is considered a war crime.”
Fidan later joined a previously unannounced security meeting with Turkiye’s interior minister, defense minister, top military commander and intelligence chief, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Muhammad Al-Abbasi was scheduled to visit Turkiye on Thursday, the agency also reported.
The PKK has led a decades-long insurgency in Turkiye and is considered a terror organization by the United States and the European Union. Tens of thousands of people have died since the start of the conflict in 1984.
Meanwhile, Turkish intelligence agents killed a wanted Kurdish militant in an operation in Syria, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported Wednesday.
The militant, identified as Nabo Kele Hayri, who also went by Mazlum Afrin, was wanted for his alleged role in planning an attack last year on Istanbul’s main pedestrian street, Istiklal. The attack killed six people.


‘Lebanon is not for sale’: Minister calls for hard-line approach to Syrian refugees

‘Lebanon is not for sale’: Minister calls for hard-line approach to Syrian refugees
Updated 04 October 2023
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‘Lebanon is not for sale’: Minister calls for hard-line approach to Syrian refugees

‘Lebanon is not for sale’: Minister calls for hard-line approach to Syrian refugees
  • Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi claimed more than 30% of crime in Lebanon is committed by Syrians, and the country’s identity is under threat
  • 805,326 refugees are officially registered with the UN’s refugee agency but Lebanese authorities estimate the total number exceeds 2 million

BEIRUT: Bassam Mawlawi, Lebanon’s caretaker interior minister, said on Wednesday that his country “will not allow the random Syrian presence.”

He claimed that “a large percentage, exceeding 30 percent, of various and major crimes are committed by Syrians in Lebanon” and “cooperation” is required “to preserve our environment and our country’s identity.”

His comments came against the backdrop of growing concern in Lebanon about the increasing numbers of Syrian refugees crossing the border.

“Lebanon cannot carry on with the same leniency toward the Syrian presence,” Mawlawi said. “We must limit the number of Syrians present in each apartment and we will not allow more than one family to reside in it.”

The aim “is not to regulate the Syrian presence but rather to limit it,” he added.

The number of Syrian refugees officially registered with the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, had fallen to 805,326 by the end of March, but officials believes the true figure is double that.

Lebanese authorities, who asked the UN agency to stop registering new refugees in 2015, estimate the total number of Syrians in the country now exceeds 2 million. They fear the presence of so many refugees will cause a shift in the demographic balance along sectarian lines.

During meetings with governors and mayors, Mawlawi asked authorities not to sign any contracts for Syrians who do not possess proper, legal documentation, and called for Lebanese laws to be applied in full to Syrians just as they are to Lebanese citizens.

“We will not accept the exploitation of our country and changing its demographics in exchange for money,” Mawlawi said.

“Lebanon is not for sale and we are working as a permanent beehive to address the crisis and stand against the immense harm inflicted on Lebanon, the Lebanese people, and Lebanese demographics as a result of the chaos and unacceptable behavior due to the Syrian displacement.”

Syrians are said to run about 4,000 businesses in central and western Bekaa. In the town of Bar Elias alone, about 1,700 out of a total of 2,000 are run by Syrians. In Taalabaya, there are 450, and in Qab Elias, 350.

As part of the tightening of controls on refugees, the Ministry of Industry on Wednesday renewed a warning to factory owners that they must not hire Syrians who do not possess the required legal documents and permits, otherwise they could lose their licenses to operate.

The crisis caused by the growing numbers of Syrians entering Lebanon via illegal crossings along the northern and eastern borders has escalated in the past two weeks. Concerns grew further when Lebanese security services seized weapons last week during raids on refugee camps in the Bekaa Valley.

The anti-refugee sentiment in Lebanon was further fueled by a statement on Tuesday from the official spokesperson for the EU in the Middle East and North Africa, Luis Miguel Bueno, who said. “There is no return for Syrian refugees at the present time and they must be assisted in Lebanon. The conditions for refugees to return to Syria with dignity and voluntarily are not available.”

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah earlier sparked controversy when he suggested Lebanon should adopt a policy of “not preventing Syrian refugees from sailing toward Europe.”

He said: “Let them board ships, not just rubber boats, and head toward Europe, and this will lead to an inevitable outcome, which is that European countries will come submissively to Beirut.”

On Wednesday, MP Ghayath Yazbeck said the Lebanese Forces Party’s parliamentary bloc is considering signing a parliamentary petition demanding the closure of the UNHCR office in Lebanon, “because the commission is now promoting the new Syrian occupation of Lebanon.”

He blamed the recent Syrian influx on the Lebanese government, “which does not mobilize its powers to control this situation and mitigate its impact,” and criticized the Free Patriotic Movement for its refusal to organize a Cabinet session to discuss possible solutions to this imminent threat.

A number of organizations have emerged with the aim of confronting or addressing the presence of so many Syrian refugees in Lebanon, one of which is the National Campaign to Repatriate Displaced Syrians.

One of its leaders, Maroun Al-Khauli, sent a letter to UNHCR’s regional office in which he accused it of working to “settle Syrian refugees by supporting them financially and morally, encouraging them not to return to their land, and urging them to integrate into Lebanese society.”

As the unrest grows, Lebanese security agencies have warned of “kidnapping operations targeting Syrian people by gangs that lure them outside Lebanese borders to avoid detection, through fake social media accounts, most notably on TikTok.”

These gangs “deceive lured Syrians into believing that they can secure their travel from Lebanon to European countries, either through illegal routes or by securing travel visas abroad, in exchange for a financial fee,” the General Directorate of Internal Security Forces said.

“The victims are kidnapped upon arrival at the border areas with Lebanon, then transported outside the Lebanese borders and detained inside rooms within Syrian territory near the borders. There, they are brutally tortured and the torture acts are filmed, and photos and videos are sent to the kidnapped person’s family to pressure them and expedite the payment of a ransom in exchange for their release.”

In the past two days, video clips of one of these victims being tortured spread on social media but news organizations have not broadcast them because of the graphic nature of the footage.