Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘not a friend of peace,’ says Israeli analyst

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Updated 27 August 2024
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Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘not a friend of peace,’ says Israeli analyst

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘not a friend of peace,’ says Israeli analyst
  • 2-state solution is still possible but if conflict with Palestinians is to end, there must be change of leadership in Israel, Yossi Mekelberg tells ‘Ray Hanania Radio Show’
  • He says a 2-state solution remains the best option for peace but other scenarios that fully recognize the rights of both peoples should also be considered

CHICAGO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netaynahu is “not a friend of peace” and is using his right-wing government coalition and the conflict with the Palestinians to further delay his own corruption trial and avoid justice, a leading Israeli analyst said this week.

Yossi Mekelberg, an associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House in London, told the “Ray Hanania Radio Show” that Netanyahu has been deliberately prolonging the war in Gaza to serve his own interests, rather than the interests of the people on both sides.
An important change that is required from the international community if hopes for a two-state solution are to be salvaged is an expansion of the peace process to increase the role of other nations besides the US and help change the discourse surrounding the conflict, he said, while Washington must consider what is the best path forward for achieving its own goals.

“What about the American interest; where does the American interest lie?” asked Mekelberg, who is also a columnist for Arab News. “(US Secretary of State Antony) Blinken, now on his ninth visit to the region, is almost begging for a ceasefire.
“It’s (bad) enough that Netanyahu is delaying and delaying and adding new conditions (to the peace negotiations), while (the conflict) is linked also to the possibility or the threat and the danger of a regional war. This is where it intersects with the American interest: the implications of a regional war for American interests. So the discussion should also be what is good for America.

“I think the United States is crucial (to the process). What I don’t like, sometimes, when it comes to this discussion with Europeans, whenever I have a discussion (about the conflict) with officials from the European Union they say it’s only the Americans (who have the power to end the conflict). I think the EU can play a part. I think the (Arab) region can play a very important part.

“So just to look and say there is only one peace broker … that’s not right. Especially when one side doesn’t really trust this peace broker. So, I think we need a coalition of peace brokers.”

Mekelberg said a key factor that continues to fuel the conflict is Netanyahu’s partnership with far-right parties within his coalition government.

Netanyahu was indicted on Nov. 21, 2019, on charges of breach of trust, accepting bribes and fraud. A trial began in Israel on May 24, 2020, but has yet to conclude, Mekelberg said, because of the efforts by Netanyahu’s right-wing government to undermine judicial and legal processes in Israel.

“They say that every country gets the leader it deserves; I think in the case of the Israeli government, the punishment is way bigger than the sin,” he added.

“So I think Israel deserves better leadership. You know, the only conclusion I can reach is that Netanyahu is not interested in a peace-based, two-state solution — which for all the faults and all the misgivings that one might have about a two-state solution, it’s still the best alternative, the best option.”

Mekelberg believes part of Netanyahu’s approach to Hamas prior to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel last year, including the funneling of funding to the group, was to maintain “the divisions among Palestinians, between Fatah and Hamas, the West Bank and Gaza” with the aim of “derailing any hope of a two-state solution.” He added: “So if this is the solution that can bring peace, I don’t think Netanyahu is in any shape or form a supporter of it.
“At the end of the day, neither this government nor Netanyahu are friends of peace … it’s more a government that (seeks) the annexation of the West Bank, and some even talk about the occupation or reoccupation of Gaza and building settlements there.” Mekelberg said the opposition from Netanyahu and his government to a two-state solution plays into their own political interests, is fueling the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and preventing peace.

He repeated that a two-state solution remains the best option but other scenarios for peace that recognize the rights of both peoples should also be considered, including a confederation of some form.

“I think (we have seen) so many final nails in the coffin of the two-state solution … it’s full of final nails,” he said.

“Now, the facts on the ground — (including) the expansion of settlements, the settler population (of) more than 700,000 and the encircling of Jerusalem with settlements — have made (peace) more difficult.”

However, Mekelberg added, peace can come in many forms.

“One of the options is to look into confederation,” he added. “You have two states but because of the size of the territory, it doesn’t need hard borders; you need to think of an almost EU-style (model) where people can move from one side to the other freely. Look at Jerusalem as the capital of both but with no need for more walls. Actually, walls should come down.”
You can hear the full interview with Yossi Mekelberg on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 5 p.m Eastern Standard Time and on Monday, Sept. 2 on WNZK 690 AM radio in Michigan, or at ArabNews.com/RayRadioShow.


Taliban say it’s absurd to accuse them of gender discrimination

Taliban say it’s absurd to accuse them of gender discrimination
Updated 4 sec ago
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Taliban say it’s absurd to accuse them of gender discrimination

Taliban say it’s absurd to accuse them of gender discrimination
  • The Taliban have barred women and girls from education beyond sixth grade, many public spaces, and most jobs

KABUL: The Taliban said Thursday it was absurd to accuse them of gender discrimination and other human rights violations, as four countries vow to hold Afghanistan’s rulers accountable under international law for their treatment of women and girls.
Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands are set to start legal proceedings against the Taliban for violating a UN convention on women, to which Afghanistan is a party.
The countries launched the initiative on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, which is taking place in New York until Monday.
Despite promising more moderate rule after they seized power in 2021, the Taliban have barred women and girls from education beyond sixth grade, many public spaces and most jobs. In August, the Vice and Virtue Ministry issued laws banning women’s bare faces and prohibiting them from raising their voices in public.
More than 20 countries expressed their support Thursday for the proposed legal action against the Taliban.
“We condemn the gross and systematic human rights violations and abuses in Afghanistan, particularly the gender-based discrimination against women and girls,” the countries said.
“Afghanistan is responsible under international law for its ongoing gross and systematic violation of numerous obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” they added.
The countries said they did not politically recognize the Taliban as the legitimate leaders of the Afghan population.
“Afghanistan’s failure to fulfill its human rights treaty obligations is a key obstacle to normalization of relations,” they said.
The Taliban’s deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said human rights were protected in Afghanistan and that nobody faced discrimination.
“Unfortunately, an attempt is being made to spread propaganda against Afghanistan through the mouths of several fugitive (Afghan) women and misrepresent the situation,” he said on social media platform X.
“It is absurd to accuse the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan of violating human rights and gender discrimination,” he added.
The Taliban reject all criticism of their policies, especially those affecting women and girls, describing it as interference. They maintain that their actions are in line with their interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.
Fereshta Abbasi, an Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, urged other countries to register their support for the four countries’ legal action and for them to involve Afghan women as the process moved forward.
“The announcement by Germany, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands may mark the beginning of a path to justice for the Taliban’s egregious human rights violations against Afghan women and girls,” said Abbasi.


UK’s Starmer aims to ‘reset’ relationship with EU

UK’s Starmer aims to ‘reset’ relationship with EU
Updated 52 min 46 sec ago
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UK’s Starmer aims to ‘reset’ relationship with EU

UK’s Starmer aims to ‘reset’ relationship with EU
  • Late on Wednesday, Starmer — in New York for the UN General Assembly — posted a photo of himself and von der Leyen

LONDON: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that he will meet EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels next week as part of his plans to “reset” UK relations with the EU after Brexit.
The UK’s departure from the European Union after five decades of membership in 2020 has had an effect on trade and security cooperation, prompting calls for a rethink on future ties.
Late on Wednesday, Starmer — in New York for the UN General Assembly — posted a photo of himself and von der Leyen.
“I want to reset our relationship with the EU and make Brexit work for the British people,” he wrote on X, adding that he was “looking forward” to starting discussions with von der Leyen.
The visit will be Starmer’s first to Brussels since becoming prime minister in July and follows bilateral meetings with European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
As well as taking the UK out of the European customs union and single market, Brexit ended the free movement of EU citizens to live and work in Britain.
The EU has proposed a youth mobility scheme for 18-30-year-olds as part of a potential deal with the UK.
Reports have suggested Starmer, who voted in a 2016 referendum to remain in the EU, will try to water down the proposals to avoid anything that could be seen as the reintroduction of free movement.
Starmer, who was also Labour’s Brexit spokesman while the party was in opposition, pledged earlier this month that the “reset” would not mean reversing Brexit, which remains a political toxic subject in the UK.
“I want to be ambitious about what we can achieve within the EU reset,” he said.
“That does not mean going back into the EU, that does not mean going back into the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement. So they are the red lines within that framework.”


Pulitzer winner Jhumpa Lahiri declines award over New York museum’s keffiyeh ban

Pulitzer winner Jhumpa Lahiri declines award over New York museum’s keffiyeh ban
Updated 26 September 2024
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Pulitzer winner Jhumpa Lahiri declines award over New York museum’s keffiyeh ban

Pulitzer winner Jhumpa Lahiri declines award over New York museum’s keffiyeh ban
  • Across the world, protesters demanding an end to Israel’s war in Gaza have worn the black-and-white keffiyeh head scarf, a symbol of Palestinian self-determination
  • Last month, the art museum announced a policy prohibiting employees from wearing anything that expressed “political messages, slogans or symbols”

WASHINGTON: Pulitzer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri declined to accept an award from New York City’s Noguchi Museum after it fired three employees for wearing keffiyeh head scarves, an emblem of Palestinian solidarity, following an updated dress code.
“Jhumpa Lahiri has chosen to withdraw her acceptance of the 2024 Isamu Noguchi Award in response to our updated dress code policy,” the museum said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We respect her perspective and understand that this policy may or may not align with everyone’s views.” Lahiri received the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for her book “Interpreter of Maladies.”
The New York Times first reported the news.

A demonstrator wearing a Palestinian kaffiyeh stands next to members of the police in Los Angeles, California, on Sept. 24, 2024 as people protest against Israel's attacks on Palestinians. (Reuters)

Across the world, in protesters demanding an end to Israel’s war in Gaza have worn the black-and-white keffiyeh head scarf, a symbol of Palestinian self-determination.
Anti apartheid South African leader Nelson Mandela was also seen wearing the scarf on many occasions.
Israel’s supporters, on the other hand, say it signals backing extremism.
In November, three students of Palestinian descent in Vermont were shot in an attack. Two were wearing the keffiyeh.
Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly everyone there. It followed a deadly attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7.
Last month, the art museum — founded by Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi — announced a policy prohibiting employees from wearing anything that expressed “political messages, slogans or symbols.” Three employees were sacked.
Other people in the United States have also lost their jobs due to their stance on the Israel-Gaza war.
A New York City hospital fired a Palestinian American nurse in May after she called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” during an acceptance speech for an award. Israel denies genocide charges brought by South Africa at the World Court.


New York Mayor Adams indicted following corruption probe, New York Times reports

New York Mayor Adams indicted following corruption probe, New York Times reports
Updated 26 September 2024
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New York Mayor Adams indicted following corruption probe, New York Times reports

New York Mayor Adams indicted following corruption probe, New York Times reports
  • The probe focused on whether Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign conspired with a Brooklyn construction company to funnel foreign money into the campaign through a straw-donor scheme, according to the Times

NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted after a federal corruption investigation, but the indictment is sealed and it is unclear what charges he will face, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
It was not immediately clear whether Adams would be arrested or voluntarily surrender. The charges are likely to be unsealed on Thursday, when Adams may appear in court.
The charges come after the FBI last November searched Adams’ electronic devices, and in the wake of a slew of resignations by top city officials in recent weeks as multiple federal corruption investigations entangle his administration.
A spokesman for the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, declined to comment. Adams’ lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
One of his lawyers has said that the mayor, a Democrat, was cooperating with an investigation but did not say what it was about.
The case is likely to complicate any Adams bid for re-election in 2025. Other Democratic politicians, including New York City comptroller Brad Lander, plan to challenge Adams — once a key ally of Democratic President Joe Biden — for the party’s nomination.
The Times, citing a search warrant, reported in early November 2023 that federal authorities were investigating the possible acceptance by Adams’ 2021 campaign of illegal donations, including by the Turkish government.
The probe, conducted by the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan, focused on whether Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign conspired with a Brooklyn construction company to funnel foreign money into the campaign through a straw-donor scheme, the Times said.
Authorities have also sought information about Adams’ interactions with Israel, China, South Korea and Uzbekistan, according to the Times.
Adams, a former police officer, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and said he is cooperating with the probe. His lawyers said in a statement on Aug. 15 that they had conducted their own investigation into the matters prosecutors were probing and had not found evidence of illegal conduct by Adams.
“To the contrary, we have identified extensive evidence undermining the reported theories of federal prosecution as to the Mayor, which we have voluntarily shared with the US Attorney,” said the lawyers, Brendan McGuire and Boyd Johnson.
The largest US city has been in a state of political upheaval for the past month. Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned on Sept. 12, a week after FBI agents seized his phone. Days later, Adams’ chief legal adviser resigned, saying she could “no longer effectively serve” in the position.
On Wednesday, the city’s public schools chancellor David Banks said he would retire at the end of the year, weeks after the Times reported his phones were seized by federal agents.


Russia’s adaptability to US sanctions stymied their effectiveness, economists say

Russia’s adaptability to US sanctions stymied their effectiveness, economists say
Updated 26 September 2024
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Russia’s adaptability to US sanctions stymied their effectiveness, economists say

Russia’s adaptability to US sanctions stymied their effectiveness, economists say
  • The report says that “while the count of sanctions is high, the tangible impact on Russia’s economy is less clear,” and “global cooperation is indispensable”

WASHINGTON: Waves of sanctions imposed by the Biden administration after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine haven’t inflicted the devastating blow to Moscow’s economy that some had expected. In a new report, two researchers are offering reasons why.
Oleg Itskhoki of Harvard University and Elina Ribakova of the Peterson Institute for International Economics argue that the sanctions should have been imposed more forcefully immediately after the invasion rather than in a piecemeal manner.
“In retrospect, it is evident that there was no reason not to have imposed all possible decisive measures against Russia from the outset once Russia launched the full scale invasion in February 2022,” the authors state in the paper. Still, “the critical takeaway is that sanctions are not a silver bullet,” Ribakova said on a call with reporters this week, to preview the study.
The researchers say Russia was able to brace for the financial penalties because of the lessons learned from sanctions imposed in 2014 after it invaded Crimea. Also, the impact was weakened by the failure to get more countries to participate in sanctions, with economic powers like China and India not included.
The report says that “while the count of sanctions is high, the tangible impact on Russia’s economy is less clear,” and “global cooperation is indispensable.”
The question of what makes sanctions effective or not is important beyond the Russia-Ukraine war. Sanctions have become critical tools for the United States and other Western nations to pressure adversaries to reverse actions and change policies while stopping short of direct military conflict.
The limited impact of sanctions on Russia has been clear for some time. But the report provides a more detailed picture of how Russia adapted to the sanctions and what it could mean for US sanctions’ effectiveness in the future.
The paper will be presented at the Brookings Institution next week.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US has sanctioned more than 4,000 people and businesses, including 80 percent of Russia’s banking sector by assets.
The Biden administration acknowledges that sanctions alone cannot stop Russia’s invasion — it has also sent roughly $56 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the 2022 invasion. And many policy experts say the sanctions are not strong enough, as evidenced by the growth of the Russian economy. US officials have said Russia has turned to China for machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in the war.
A Treasury representative pointed to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s remarks in July during the Group of 20 finance ministers meetings, where she called actions against Russia “unprecedented.”
“We continue cracking down on Russian sanctions evasion and have strengthened and expanded our ability to target foreign financial institutions and anyone else around the world supporting Russia’s war machine,” she said.
Still, Russia has been able to evade a $60 price cap on its oil exports imposed by the US and the other Group of Seven democracies supporting Ukraine. The cap is enforced by barring Western insurers and shipping companies from handling oil above the cap. Russia has been able to dodge the cap by assembling its own fleet of aging, used tankers that do not use Western services and transport 90 percent of its oil.
The US pushed for the price cap as a way of cutting into Moscow’s oil profits without knocking large amounts of Russian oil off the global market and pushing up oil prices, gasoline prices and inflation. Similar concerns kept the European Union from imposing a boycott on most Russian oil for almost a year after Russia invaded Ukraine.
G-7 leaders have agreed to engineer a $50 billion loan to help Ukraine, paid for by the interest earned on profits from Russia’s frozen central bank assets sitting mostly in Europe as collateral. However, the allies have not agreed on how to structure the loan.