
Saudi Crown Prince, UAE president discuss regional developments, cooperation
The two leaders discussed 'developments in the region and efforts to achieve security and stability,' SPA said.
They also examined bilateral ties and 'ways to enhance cooperation in various fields,' the agency added.
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Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Arab, Islamic foreign ministers condemn Netanyahu's ‘Greater Israel' remark
RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday denounced statements about a "Greater Israel" that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reported to have made in the wake of pronouncements by his far-right allies to annex Palestinian territories. In a joint statement, the ministers said the pronouncements by Netanyahu and his ministers were "a blatant and dangerous violation" of international law. "They also constitute a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security," said the statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, or SPA. (Developing story)


Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel's chokehold on US is beginning to loosen
Has Israel's government finally gone too far? Ever since it was founded in 1948, Israel has engaged in violence against Palestinians and used its support in America as a shield to prevent it from being punished at the UN. To ensure that America's support never wavers, pro-Israel groups have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into manipulating the American political system, influencing election results and ensuring members of Congress shy away from questioning its misconduct. But ever since Israel's government launched its war of vengeance against the Palestinians in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, its excessive violence, war crimes, genocide and even the murder of a handful of Americans have seemed to tilt the balance of support in the US. Recent polling shows that the American public has started to react to Israel's excesses, with 60 percent now opposing Tel Aviv's military action in Gaza. Israel's violence, pushed by the influence of far-right religious extremists who control the government of right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has pushed open a door of judgment that it might not be able to close. Even worse for Israel is that its excessive military response has sparked a seismic political tremor that has started to reverberate among some Republican conservatives and mainstream Democrats, who for generations could be counted on to close their eyes to Israel's extrajudicial killings, collective punishment and contempt for the international rule of law. We are starting to see the powerful chokehold that Israel has long had over American politics start to loosen. We have always seen the Democratic Party mildly slap Israel on the wrist for its violent excesses, but mainstream Democrats like Rep. Mike Quigley are now questioning Israel's military actions and even calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel's excessive violence, war crimes and genocide have seemed to tilt the balance of support in the US Ray Hanania We have long heard those on the far left in the Democratic Party scream and stamp their feet with no impact on American society. They have excoriated Israel's government for its hypocritical discriminatory policies against Christians and Muslims. Meanwhile, the Republicans and evangelical Christian movements have always stood by Israel, giving it a shield against any form of criminal prosecution, even when its victims have been Americans. Conservatives may have winced at Israel's abuses, but they never crossed the line to demand accountability or judgment. Until now. The tipping point came because Americans have begun to experience a weakening economy. Not only has inflation pushed the price of commodities like groceries, cars and clothing to new heights, but the costs of essentials like insurance, healthcare and property taxes have also risen dramatically. Many Americans are now struggling financially. The US also has a record national debt of more than $37 trillion, which is driving inflation and pushing the cost of products to unaffordable new heights. That economic reality is trumping America's love affair with Israel, causing many Americans to ask: 'Why?' One of the strongest voices leading the backlash is a core member of President Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' movement: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Republican from Georgia has started to question why America sacrifices so much for Israel. Greene, a staunch, unapologetic champion of Trump, is the face of the new movement that is challenging Israel's dominion over America and directly challenging Israel's political powerbase in the US, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. This group has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on donations to the campaign coffers of hundreds of US politicians in order to ensure their subordination and subservience to Israel's needs and demands. Today's economic reality is trumping America's love affair with Israel, causing many Americans to ask: 'Why?' Ray Hanania Greene is demanding that America stop giving Israel foreign aid. The US sends $4 billion in aid to Israel every year and it has also provided $18 billion in military assistance for Tel Aviv's war on Gaza. She has the audacity to ask why. Why is America giving Israel so much money, which could instead be given to Americans who are suffering financially? She posted on X this week: 'AIPAC is trying to paint my America First message as 'antisemitic' because I don't want to keep sending billions to the secular government of nuclear-armed Israel.' Greene has expanded her call to end all foreign aid — a call to arms that is being embraced by other mainstream MAGA Republicans like Rep. Thomas Massie. What is happening is a political revolution being driven by a worsening economy and by Israeli arrogance. In her post this week, Green concluded: 'With $37 TRILLION in debt, I'm unapologetically America ONLY at this point. My loyalty is to the American people and my children's generation. The people I was elected to represent. NOT ANY FOREIGN COUNTRY.' The growing criticism of Israel's policies, combined with the financial pain many Americans are experiencing and the arrogance of foreign lobbyists who believe they can politically suffocate mainstream congressional antagonists, is undermining Israel's grip over the American people. The changes may look small, but with the criticisms gaining momentum, at some point they will become unstoppable. There is an American idiom often used in politics that says, 'give someone enough rope and they will hang themselves.' Israel is today tightening the noose around its own moral profligacy. • Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. He can be reached on his personal website at X: @RayHanania


Saudi Gazette
12 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Trump and Putin shake hands in Alaska for high-stakes summit
ALASKA — U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shook hands warmly on Friday at the start of a high-stakes summit in Alaska, where they are expected to hold hours of talks that could reshape the trajectory of the war in Ukraine and redefine U.S.-Russia relations. #VIDEO: Trump and Putin meet, shake hands in Alaska — Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) August 15, 2025 The leaders met on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, where a special stage was set up with a bold 'Alaska 2025' banner flanked by fighter jets. Military officials in full dress stood at attention as Cold War-era B-2s and F-22s soared overhead in a symbolic flyover. In a departure from their 2018 Helsinki summit, which began with a closed-door session, Friday's meeting was upgraded from a private conversation to a three-on-three format. Trump is joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin is accompanied by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The summit is seen as an opportunity for Trump to showcase his negotiation skills and present himself as a potential peacemaker. He has repeatedly claimed he could end the war in Ukraine quickly. For Putin, the meeting represents a chance to seek formal recognition of Russian territorial gains, derail Ukraine's NATO ambitions, and pivot Kyiv back toward Moscow's influence. No Ukrainian or European leaders were invited to participate in the summit, a move critics say undermines the West's 'nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine' policy. The absence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised concerns about Trump potentially striking a deal that excludes Kyiv's interests. The risks for Trump are significant. Hosting Putin on U.S. soil — especially in Alaska, which was purchased from Russia in 1867 — sends a symbolic message of legitimacy to the Russian leader. Trump, in a social media post before boarding Air Force One, wrote simply: 'HIGH STAKES!!!' Putin, en route to Alaska, stopped in Magadan in Russia's Far East to visit a fish oil capsule factory. According to the Kremlin, he used the flight to review briefing materials on Ukraine, bilateral tensions, and broader international issues. Despite speculation about a possible ceasefire, both sides remain deeply divided. Moscow has demanded a halt to Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine's mobilization—terms Kyiv and its allies reject. Trump has indicated that a peace deal may be possible, and has floated the idea of inviting Zelenskyy to a follow-up three-way meeting if progress is made. Putin and Trump are expected to hold a joint press conference following the summit. — Agencies