Netanyahu appears in controversial tunnel network under Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister spoke from a tunnel that runs near Al Aqsa Mosque, as he spoke of attempts to free hostages
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The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Who are the main players in Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections?
On November 11, Iraqis will head to the polls in their country's sixth parliamentary elections since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein 's regime. These elections are expected to be highly competitive amid growing stakes surrounding their outcome. A radical change to the structure of the existing political system, which has been in place since 2003, is not expected. Rather, the outcomes are likely to recalibrate the weights of the traditional political parties and therefore the distribution of power and influence within the ruling structure. The polls will be governed by an electoral law that was amended in March 2023 despite objections from protesters and independent politicians. These amendments could make it harder for independent candidates and small parties to compete against bigger parties and to reach the legislative body. There is no indication whether or not the powerful Shiite cleric and political leader Moqtada Al Sadr will take part in the elections. Mr Al Sadr withdrew from the political process when he failed to form a majority government with only Sunni and Kurdish parties after winning 73 of the 329 seats in parliament in the 2021 polls. Iran-backed armed factions are seeking political clout after coming under unprecedented pressure since the start of the war on Gaza. They are either standing in the elections alone or within coalitions. According to the Independent High Electoral Commission, there are 343 registered political parties in the country, and another 60 are being formed. Of those, 118 parties and 25 coalitions have confirmed their participation in November's elections, according to the commission. The nature of these coalitions reflects the divisions among the main three ethnic and religious groups: Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. They also reflect the desire of the powerful political players to reduce their rivals' influence within each group and exclude them from the decision-making centres. What are the main coalitions? The Reconstruction and Development Coalition This coalition is led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, who is attempting to create a new equation in the competition among the Shiite parties, setting his eyes on a second term in office. The coalition consists of several political groups, as well as political and economic figures. Among his main allies are the US-sanctioned chairman of the paramilitary Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) Falih Al Fayyadh, and the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Ahmed Al Asadi, who also leads Kataib Jund Al Imam armed faction. Others are the National Coalition led by former prime minister Ayad Allawi, the National Alliance of Solutions led by one of the PM's advisers, Mohammed Sahib Al Daraji, Karbala Creativity Alliance and The Generations Gathering. The biggest challenge facing Mr Al Sudani's coalition is lack of support from key factions within the Coordination Framework, an umbrella group of Iran-backed political parties and militias which controls the majority of seats in parliament. Top among them is the State of Law Coalition led by former prime minster Nouri Al Maliki. State of Law Coalition This is considered one of the most prominent Shiite alliances. It has grassroots support in central and southern parts of the country, relying heavily on the weight of Mr Al Maliki, who served two terms in office from 2006 to 2014 and still has significant influence within state institutions. One of Mr Al Maliki's strategies is to form or support lists in Sunni and Sunni-dominated areas to expand his influence and weaken his rivals. For the first time in years, Mr Al Maliki announced he is running in the elections, in a move seen as an attempt to counter Mr Al Sudani. Badr List It is led by senior politician Hadi Al Amiri, who heads the Badr Brigade, one of the oldest Iran-aligned militias, which dates back to 1980s Iraq-Iran war. Other medium-sized and small militia groups have joined the list in some parts of the country. Like the head of the State of Law Coalition, Mr Al Amiri is running for the first time in years. Al Sadiqoun List This is affiliated to the influential Asaib Ahl Al Haq armed faction led by Shiite cleric Qais Al Khazali. AAH is one of the main backers of Mr Al Sudani's government and its members hold senior government positions. In December 2019, the Treasury Department blacklisted Mr Al Khazali, along with two militia leaders. The National State Forces Alliance The coalition is led by Shiite cleric Ammar Al Hakim. One of his main allies is former prime minister Haider Al Abadi, who oversaw the fight against ISIS from 2014 to the end of 2017 when he announced that the group had been defeated. The coalition presents itself as a moderate and a reformist political group that seeks to move beyond the sectarian divisions. It relies heavily on the symbolic stature of Mr Al Hakim, who is from a prominent Shiite religious family. The Hoquq Movement A political group backed by Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful armed faction within the Axis of Resistance – an Iran-backed umbrella group for militias in the region. It sent fighters to Syria after civil war broke out in 2011 to support president Bashar Al Assad and launched attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria. Takadum Coalition This is led by former parliament speaker Mohammed Al Halbousi, who has emerged as a prominent Sunni political leader in recent years. Most of his support comes from his home province of Al Anbar, in western Iraq, where he formerly served as governor. The alliance also includes independent politicians, technocrats and tribal leaders from Al Anbar and other Sunni-dominated provinces. Siyada Coalition The coalition is led by Sunni tycoon Khamis Al Khanjar. In 2021, it emerged as the largest Sunni coalition but it quickly disintegrated when Mr Al Halbousi broke away. Mr Al Khanjar enjoys tribal support mainly in Al Anabr and Salaheddin provinces as well as regional support from countries such as Turkey and Qatar. Azem Alliance Led by Sunni politician Muthana Al Samarraie, this coalition emerged in 2021 following deep disagreements and political divisions between Mr Al Khanjar and Mr Al Halbousi. The Kurdistan Democratic Party One of the two major parties in the Iraq Kurdish region, it is led by prominent Kurdish politician Masoud Barzani. KDP dominates the provinces of Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Region, and Dahuk, maintaining control over the regional government and presidency. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan This is the KDP's main rival, which is led by Bafel Talabani and controls Sulaymaniyah and Halabja provinces. Both KDP and PUK, who have a delicate power-sharing arrangement to run the region, used to run national elections in one list along with other small Kurdish parties, but in recent years they have participated separately. The New Generation Movement It is the newest and most dynamic opposition political party in the Kurdistan region, led by businessman Shaswar Abdul Wahid. It was established as a popular reaction to what was widely perceived as corruption and monopolisation of power by the two traditional parties KDP and PUK. October 2024 parliamentary elections in the region.
Gulf Today
10 hours ago
- Gulf Today
France opens 'complicity in genocide' probes over blocked Gaza aid
French anti-terror prosecutors have opened probes into "complicity in genocide" and "incitement to genocide" after French-Israelis allegedly blocked aid intended for war-torn Gaza last year, they said on Friday. The two investigations, opened after legal complaints, were also to look into possible "complicity in crimes against humanity" between January and May 2024, the anti-terror prosecutor's office (PNAT) said. They are the first known probes in France to be looking into alleged violations of international law in Gaza, several sources with knowledge of the cases told AFP. In a separate case made public on the same day, the grandmother of two children with French nationality who were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza has filed a legal complaint in Paris, accusing Israel of "genocide" and "murder," her lawyer said. The French judiciary has jurisdiction when French citizens are involved in such cases. Rights groups, lawyers and some Israeli historians have described the Gaza war as "genocide." A demonstrator holds a placard reading 'Stop links EU Israel now' during a gathering against a shipment of Eurolinks military equipment parts set to go to Israel, in Marseille. AFP In the first, the Jewish French Union for Peace (UFJP) and a French-Palestinian victim filed a complaint in November targeting alleged French members of hardline pro-Israel groups "Israel is forever" and "Tzav-9." It accused them of "physically" preventing the passage of trucks at border checkpoints controlled by the Israeli army. Lawyers for the plaintiffs, Damia Taharraoui and Marion Lafouge, told AFP they were happy a probe had been launched into the events in January 2024 — "a time when no-one wanted to hear anything about genocide." A source close to the case said prosecutors last month urged the investigation in relation to events at the Nitzana crossing point between Egypt and Israel, and the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel into Gaza. A pedestrian walks past placards on the ground reading 'France profits off genocides to sell weapons' during a gathering against a shipment of military equipment parts set to be sent to Israel, in Marseille. AFP Around that time, hardline Israeli protesters — including friends and relatives of hostages held in Gaza — blocked aid lorries from entering the occupied Palestinian territory and forced them to turn back at Kerem Shalom. A second complaint from a group called the Lawyers for Justice in the Middle East (CAPJO) accused members of "Israel is forever" of having blocked aid trucks. It used photos, videos and public statements to back up its complaint. 'Genocide' complaint No court has so far concluded that the ongoing conflict is a genocide. But in rulings in January, March and May 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations' highest judicial organ, told Israel to do everything possible to "prevent" acts of genocide during its military operations in Gaza, including through allowing in urgently needed aid. In the separate case, Jacqueline Rivault, the grandmother of six- and nine-year-old children killed in an Israeli strike, filed her complaint accusing Israel of "genocide" and "murder" with the crimes against humanity section of the Court of Paris, lawyer Arie Alimi said. Though formally against unnamed parties, the complaint explicitly targets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government and the military. The complaint states that an Israeli missile strike killed Janna, six, and Abderrahim Abudaher, nine, in northern Gaza on October 24, 2023. "We believe these children are dead as part of a deliberate organised policy targeting the whole of Gaza's population with a possible genocidal intent," Alimi said. The children's brother Omar, now five, was severely wounded but still lives in Gaza with their mother, identified as Yasmine Z., the complaint said. Agence France-Presse
Middle East Eye
10 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel has sold record amount of debt in US since war on Gaza erupted: Report
Israel has sold a record amount of debt in the US since its war on Gaza erupted on 7 October 2023, according to a report by Bloomberg on Friday. The government of Israel's US-based bond broker, Israel Bonds, says it has sold $5bn worth of debt in the last twenty months. The level of bond issuance is more than double that raised by Israel Bonds, in similar time periods previously. Israel's war on Gaza started after the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel killed around 1,200 people. Israel responded by pummelling the Gaza Strip and invading it. More than 54,000 people, mainly women and children, have been killed in the Israeli attacks, and the population is facing "imminent famine", the United Nations says. Israel Bonds is affiliated with Israel's finance ministry and sells bonds inside the US to both retail and institutional investors. The starting price for non-tradable retail Israeli bonds is as low as $36. A five-year Israeli bond has a yield between 4.86 percent and 5.44 percent, according to the Bloomberg report. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Along with its war on Gaza, Israel fought a devastating war with Hezbollah in Lebanon and launched widespread strikes on Syria. In 2024, it engaged in two rounds of direct missile and drone attacks with Iran. Israel's financing needs have soared as it looks to fund its military. Local Israeli creditors, including deep-pocketed institutional ones, account for about 80 percent of the government's lending overall. That leaves just twenty percent to come from international debt sales and what Israel Bonds sells in the US. According to the group, local US governments at the state and county level are big buyers in places like New York, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Palm Beach County in Florida became one of the world's largest investors in Israeli Bonds in 2024, with about $700m of its $4.67bn portfolio invested there. Israel has faced widespread criticism for its war on Gaza. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes. Meanwhile, public opinion on Israel has turned sharply negative from France to Japan. However, in March 2024, Israel saw strong demand for its debt among international investors. It sold $8bn in international bonds. Israel enjoys investment-grade ratings from major credit ratings agencies.
