Iran vs Israel debate: Cenk Uyger vs Jake Wallis Simons on Gaza, ceasefire and Trump
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Al Arabiya
17 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
US envoy meets top Israeli Druze leader to discuss situation in Syria's Sweida
US envoy Tom Barrack met Israeli Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Syria's Sweida, where recent armed clashes left hundreds dead and heightened concerns over instability in the south. 'Today I had a warm and informative meeting with Israeli Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif and his team,' Barrack said in a post on X. 'We discussed the situation in Sweida and how to bring together the interests of all parties, de-escalate tensions, and build understanding.' Sweida, a majority-Druze region in southern Syria, has seen rare but deadly outbreaks of violence in recent months amid deepening frustration over economic collapse, corruption, and local clashes with armed groups.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
France calls Netanyahu antisemitism claim ‘abject'
PARIS: France on Tuesday slammed as 'abject' and 'erroneous' an accusation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that President Emmanuel Macron's move to recognize a Palestinian state was fueling antisemitism in his 'protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens,' Macron's office said, adding that a letter from Netanyahu containing his allegation 'will not go unanswered.''This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation,' the French presidency month, Macron said France would formally recognize a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, the first G7 country to do move drew a swift rebuke from Israel. In a letter sent to Macron, seen by AFP, Netanyahu claimed that antisemitism had 'surged' in France following the announcement.'Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this antisemitic fire. It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas's refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets,' Netanyahu wrote in the is among at least 145 of the 193 UN members that now recognize or plan to recognize a Palestinian state, according to an AFP joined the list earlier this month, announcing its intention to recognize a Palestinian state in September.'Violence against the (French) Jewish community is intolerable,' the French presidency said.'That is why, beyond criminal convictions, the president has systematically required all his governments since 2017 — and even more so since the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023 — to show the strongest action against perpetrators of antisemitic acts,' it minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, separately said in reaction to Netanyahu's letter that France has 'no lessons to learn in the fight against antisemitism.'The issue 'which is poisoning our European societies' must not be 'exploited,' Haddad is home to Europe's biggest Jewish antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, before dipping to 1,570 last year, according to the interior ministry.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Netanyahu is now the problem — for the region and the world
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had always seen himself as a man on a historic mission: to bury Palestinian ambitions of a state of their own and extend Israel's boundaries beyond historical Palestine. His rise to the helm in the late 1990s came in the wake of the Oslo Accords, which he considered a betrayal of ultra-nationalist Zionism as preached by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the Russian-born Zionist activist and poet. As a firebrand politician, Netanyahu galvanized both ultra-nationalist and ultra-religious Israelis, who until then played a minor role in Israeli politics. But he was able to charm the right and far right because of his ability to convince all that his maximalist designs, seen then as improbable, were possible. His ability to paint his radical policies as mainstream won him the unofficial title of 'King of Israel,' and eventually made him the longest-serving premier in the country's history. Until Oct. 7, 2023, Netanyahu rarely presented himself as a religious as well as a political leader. But since the notorious Hamas attack, Bibi, as he is often called, referred to the Torah several times to portray Israel's Palestinian enemies and the Hebrew state's modern wars. The purpose was always to whip up support among the extremists. The war on Gaza came as a personal relief for Netanyahu. Before the Hamas attack, his coalition was facing nationwide protests against his attempt to subjugate the judiciary and remove the corruption charges against him. His government was on the verge of collapse, but then came the war. There is a consensus in Israel today that almost two years of war in Gaza have failed to deliver its stated objectives. Even the Israeli military is now admitting that it has run out of targets. Gaza is in ruins. Hamas' military capabilities have been destroyed. Its leadership structure was decimated. Those who fight are isolated cells that can never be completely wiped out. On the other hand, Israeli society is tired. Hostages remain in the hands of their captors. The cost of the war has been enormous even with the help of American taxpayers whose government has supplied Israel with tens of billions in munitions. And to top it all, the entire world is now against the conflict, and against Israel and its genocidal practices in Gaza. Western governments are openly denouncing Israeli violations in Gaza — the starvation, killing of children, dehumanization of Palestinians, ethnic cleansing, and multiple war crimes. Only one man wants the war to go on and on: Netanyahu. His survival depends on keeping the war machine running. But there is more. He now sees himself on a spiritual mission to fulfill the ambition of a 'Greater Israel.' His recent statements have shocked Israel's neighbors, especially those with which Israel had signed peace treaties. What does 'Greater Israel' mean? Only one man wants the war to go on and on. Osama Al-Sharif For years, Netanyahu had warned of Iran's proxies in the region as an existential threat. He warned of Tehran's nuclear ambitions and convinced US President Donald Trump that Iran was only months away from building a nuclear bomb. He had already managed to thwart the Obama nuclear deal. Now he convinced Trump to strike Iran's nuclear infrastructure. The 12-day war between Israel and Iran was the culmination of a series of regional blows that Israel was able to deal to its enemies: Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, and the nuclear program of Iran. No one could have imagined such geopolitical fallout in less than two years. Netanyahu has become intoxicated with power. Why not: Oct. 7, 2023 has changed everything and made the improbable possible. Netanyahu is now the only Israeli leader whose military flies, uncontested, over Lebanon, most of Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and parts of Iran. Why would he not speak of himself as a man on a historic mission with a connection to 'Greater Israel'? But such triumph did not come without a hefty price. Yes, Israel has emerged as a regional behemoth, one that wants to change the map of the region, destabilize its neighbors, and carry out nefarious projects. But its image across the globe has been tarnished beyond repair. Most of its Western allies are now denouncing its policies in Gaza and the West Bank. Netanyahu is also breaking Israel's steadfast ties to its most important ally, the US, without which his country cannot survive. Israel has become a pariah state in the eyes of a majority of Americans from both main political parties. The dynamics of the US-Israel relationship are changing, and while the outcome may not appear soon, it will show at some point. The Israeli leader will find ways to keep the genocidal war going. He will push Trump to recognize the annexation of the West Bank. His far-right partners will force him to defund the Palestinian Authority and partition what remains of the West Bank, while planning the forced displacement of Palestinians. Netanyahu's narcissistic view of himself as a man on a mission has already damaged Israel from within. It has discredited the message of the Abraham Accords and the prospects of peace in the region. For many Israelis, Netanyahu had failed to deliver victory in Gaza because of his selfish reasons, while sacrificing the hostages. And when many influential countries announce their recognition of a Palestinian state, come September, Netanyahu will retaliate and make things worse for Israel, the Palestinians, and the entire region. Trump is wrong to assume that the occupation of Gaza City will destroy Hamas and end the war. On Sunday, almost a million Israelis took to the streets to express their rejection of Netanyahu's latest gambit. As one European official put it: 'Netanyahu himself is now the problem.' This is the shared sentiment of leaders across the world as well as a majority of Israelis. Netanyahu may think of himself as a man on a mission, but that is not how the world sees him. A man who sanctioned the killing of over 60,000 Palestinians, and threatens to kill and displace even more, is a criminal who should face justice. • Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X: @plato010
