Condemnation after Knesset vote backs Israeli sovereignty over West Bank
Greta Thunberg takes part in pro-Palestinian protest in Albania
IRC calls for 'unfettered humanitarian access into Gaza' as children die from starvation
At least 59,219 Palestinians killed and 143,045 wounded since Gaza war began
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Middle East Eye
39 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Photo of Saudi Arabia's crown prince inside Jeffrey Epstein's mansion fuels criticism online
The New York Times on Tuesday ignited a wave of backlash after revealing a framed photograph of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman displayed inside the New York City mansion of convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The article, which takes readers inside the late convicted paedophile's seven-storey Manhattan home, features surveillance cameras positioned above his bed and in adjoining rooms, taxidermied animals, and provocative artwork, including a sculpture of a bride clutching a rope suspended from the ceiling in the atrium. Images from the home of Jeffrey Epstein show cameras in bedrooms and photos of him with: Donald Trump Steve Bannon Bill Clinton Elon Musk Larry Summers Mohammed bin Salman and more As well as memorabilia from Ehud Barak, Woody Allen, Bill Gates, and many others. Gift link 👇🏼 — Leah McElrath (@leahmcelrath) August 5, 2025 The revelation of the crown prince's photograph inside Epstein's mansion has sparked a storm of criticism on social media. Many social media users expressed their lack of surprise, with one remarking on another photograph of Mohammed bin Salman with George Nader, another convicted criminal and serial paedophile. 'Whenever Mohammed Bonesaw isn't orchestrating the murder of journalists (a reference to the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi) and dissolving their remains in acid, he seems to enjoy posing for photos with pedophiles.' Another person commented, 'Personally, I think this is the least surprising one out of all of them.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Some questioned the public's reaction altogether. 'Is MBS considered a moral leader in any way?' one person asked, while others connected the scandal to Saudi Arabia's silence towards the ongoing war in Gaza, which several states, human rights scholars and institutions now qualify as a genocide. One Reddit user wrote, 'If this is true, it would explain a lot for why there's no coordinated military response to the genocide [in Gaza].' Another post on X added: 'This is why he supports 'Israel'.' Wonder why they're all working for Israel and against their people ? Saudi Arabia's King MBS, Pope, Emirati high level figure, Trump ... with their common pedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein. — MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) August 5, 2025 The criticism escalated as people connected the image to long-standing allegations of Gulf-Israeli collaboration. Sam Youssef, author and editor of American and International Affairs, asked: 'Do you now understand why Arab rulers kneel to Netanyahu and the Mossad?' Others saw the photograph as symbolic of regional betrayal. 'Basically, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was being managed by an Israeli agent. That's why Palestinians are helpless today. But not for long,' one person posted. Many expressed disbelief and concern over the Saudi crown prince's apparent proximity to Epstein. But the relationship between Epstein and Mohammed bin Salman isn't new. A year before his death, which was ruled a suicide in 2019, Epstein boasted of his ties to the crown prince during an interview with The New York Times. A 2019 report by The New York Times—Jeffrey Epstein claimed to have known Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. During a 2018 interview with journalist James B. Stewart, Epstein gestured to a framed photograph of MBS displayed prominently in his… — Levantine Logic (@SyriaRetold) August 6, 2025 The crown prince was not the only high-profile figure whose image was exposed from inside Epstein's mansion. Framed photos of US President Donald Trump; former President Bill Clinton; Pope John Paul II; Mick Jagger; Elon Musk; Fidel Castro; CEO of DP World, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem from the United Arab Emirates; and former prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani were also in his home. Framed photograph in Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan home shows him with the UAE's Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the current group chairman & CEO of DP World (X) In 2008, Epstein was convicted in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor, serving just 13 months in jail under a controversial plea deal. A decade later, he was arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors, accused of abusing dozens of underage girls between 2002 and 2005 in his homes in New York and Palm Beach. On 6 July 2019, Epstein was arrested and held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He died in his cell on 10 August 2019. Epstein's death has done little to quell public scrutiny. His connections to influential individuals, including former US presidents, royals, and billionaires, continue to fuel speculation about the extent of his network and whether justice was truly served.
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Trump administration removes clause that cuts funding to states boycotting Israel
A clause in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (Fema) guidelines threatening US states and territories that boycott Israel with the denial of federal funds for natural disaster preparation was discreetly removed from its terms and conditions directives on Monday after backlash. The change in status came after media reports on Monday explained how funding was conditional on states following Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conditions laid out in April. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) announced on Friday it was making nearly $1bn available to states to protect themselves from natural disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires, as well as terrorist attacks and cyber disruptions. However, before being removed, the clause said: 'Discriminatory prohibited boycott means refusing to deal, cutting commercial relations, or otherwise limiting commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies or with companies doing business in or with Israel or authorized by, licensed by, or organized under the laws of Israel to do business,' according to 11 agency grant notices reviewed by Reuters. DHS, which oversees Fema, reportedly removed this clause from section 17 on anti-discrimination under its terms and conditions. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Fema had announced on Friday it was making nearly $1bn available to states to protect themselves from natural disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires, as well as terrorist attacks and cyber disruptions. This $1bn allocation, which will apply to 15 different grant programmes, is part of the "Notices of Funding Opportunity amounting to more than $2.2 billion available to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to help them protect American citizens", Fema states on its website. DHS sent Middle East Eye a statement on Monday, saying: 'There is no FEMA requirement tied to Israel in any current NOFO. No states have lost funding, and no new conditions have been imposed. 'FEMA grants remain governed by existing law and policy and not political litmus tests. DHS will enforce all anti-discrimination laws and policies, including as it relates to the BDS movement, which is expressly grounded in antisemitism. Those who engage in racial discrimination should not receive a single dollar of federal funding.' BDS refers to the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which aims to "pressure Israel to comply with international law". Existing law Although the clause has been removed, more than 30 US states already have laws that require 'public entities to certify they do not and will not boycott Israel'. However, public outcry over the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza has led to institutions and companies coming under increasing pressure to divest from Israeli and international companies investing in Israel. The momentum for the BD movement in the US was spearheaded by students on college campuses across the country last year due to outrage over the war on Gaza, which to date has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, wounded over 100,000 and decimated the strips infrastructure. While many institutions have refused pressure to divest from Israel, a handful of institutions like Union Theological Seminary have applied new investment screenings to divest from companies profiting from Israel's war on Gaza. San Francisco State University also agreed to disclose its investments quarterly and added new screening policies for investment decisions last year. Following this agreement, San Francisco State University agreed to pull investments from three companies it claimed do not meet its human rights standards, including aerospace and defence company Lockheed Martin, stock positions in Italian defence company Leonardo, and US-based data analysis enterprise, Palantir Technologies.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Egypt calls Israel's war in Gaza 'systematic genocide'
Egypt has ratcheted up its criticism of Israel, branding its 22-month war in Gaza 'systematic genocide' and calling out the international community for not doing more to stop the conflict. The comments by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, made separately, constituted Egypt's most scathing reprimand of Israel over the Gaza war. They are likely to accelerate the steady deterioration of relations between the two neighbours bound by a 1979 peace treaty. 'The war that's going on in Gaza is no longer waged to realise political objectives or free hostages, but rather a war for starvation, genocide and the liquidation of the Palestinian cause,' Mr El Sisi said on Tuesday after talks in Cairo with his Vietnamese counterpart. He accused Israel of attempting to hollow out the Palestinian cause and added: 'History will reflect for a long time before it holds to account and bring to justice many nations for their position on this war. 'The world's conscience will not be silent for much longer,' said Mr El Sisi, who spoke again on Gaza on Wednesday. On a visit to Greece on Wednesday, Mr Abdelatty said the world's response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza was shameful and he urged western powers to increase pressure on Israel. 'The international community should be ashamed of the tragic situation unfolding in Gaza and the devastating actions carried out by Israel,' he told reporters in Athens. 'What is unfolding is a human tragedy, and the suffering witnessed is a stain on the conscience of the international community.' Widespread reports of hunger in Gaza have heightened international concern over the devastating consequences of Israeli military operations launched on October 7, 2023, following a deadly attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israeli communities. At least 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to authorities in Gaza. Most of the enclave's 2.2 million residents have been displaced, many more than once, and large swathes of its built-up areas razed. Echoing President El Sisi's comments, Mr Abdelatty described Israel's military action in Gaza as 'systematic genocide'. Egypt has been trying, along with the United States and Qatar, to broker a pause in the Gaza war and secure the release of the estimated 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, in return for the freedom of hundreds of Palestinians jailed in Israel. Egypt, which neighbours both Gaza and Israel, has criticised Israel's actions while repeatedly warning that it will not stand idly by if difficult living conditions created by Israel in the enclave force Palestinians to move into its Sinai Peninsula. Such action, Mr El Sisi has said, would undermine Egypt's national security and hollow out the Palestinian cause. While a traditional champion of Palestinian rights, Egypt has in recent weeks come under criticism from activists at home and abroad for not doing more to allow humanitarian supplies in through its border with Gaza. Mr El Sisi has sought to discredit these charges on at least three recent occasions, in a televised address to the nation, his comments on Tuesday and again on Wednesday when he spoke to cadets at the military academy. Israel, he argued, has occupied the Palestinian side of the border with Gaza, including the Rafah crossing, the only point of entry and exit for Gaza that is not controlled by the Israelis. Sending aid through the crossing requires advance co-ordination with Israel, he said. Egypt has, alongside other nations, taken part in air drops of supplies into Gaza, but the method has been described by UN experts as insufficient. Pro-government pundits suspect the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group banned in Egypt since 2013, is behind the campaign over Egypt's perceived inaction to alleviate Gazans' suffering. Scores of Palestinians have died from famine or malnutrition-related ailments. 'Egypt is continuing to work towards pausing the war, the entry of humanitarian aid [into Gaza] and the release of the hostages … despite the campaigns of defamation and misinformation that target its vital role,' Mr El Sisi told the military cadets on Wednesday.
