MidEast Region Caught in Middle of Iran, Israel Tensions
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New York Times
6 minutes ago
- New York Times
After Deadly Clashes, Syria and Israel Hold Direct Talks
Syrian and Israeli officials have met in Paris for U.S.-mediated talks in the latest attempt to reset decades of hostility between the two countries. The meeting Tuesday, between the Syrian foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, and an Israeli delegation, was the first time that Syria's new government has publicly acknowledged holding direct talks with the country's powerful neighbor and longtime foe. The discussions focused on de-escalation following deadly clashes last month between Syrian government forces and the Druse minority in the southern province of Sweida. The sectarian violence left more than 1,600 people dead and prompted Israel to launch airstrikes on Damascus in defense of the Druse. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli government on the meetings, which were brokered by the U.S. special envoy to Syria, Thomas J. Barrack Jr. But Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel's Druse community, said in an interview Wednesday that he joined the delegation alongside Ron Dermer, Israel's minister of strategic affairs. Mr. Dermer's office declined to comment when asked about the meetings with Syrian officials. Israel and Syria have technically been at war since 1948 with their most enduring point of contention being the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau that Israel seized in the Six Day war in 1967 and later annexed. The two countries signed an agreement in 1974 that created a buffer zone by the United Nations and largely kept the border quiet, but Syrian efforts to recover the territory never advanced and violence on the front has periodically flared up. Last month, President Ahmed al-Shara of Syria accused Israel of seeking to sow 'chaos' in the country after it carried out airstrikes near the presidential palace in Damascus and damaged the Defense Ministry. Mr. al-Shara's speech marked his most direct condemnation of Israel since he took power in January, following the ousting of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and cast doubt on nascent diplomatic efforts to ease tensions. Desperate to stabilize the embattled nation after a 13-year civil war, Syria's new government had sought to quell tensions with Israel in recent months and reverse decades of isolation and hostility between the two longstanding foes. Since Mr. al-Assad was overthrown, the Israeli military has carried out incursions into southern Syria that raised fears of a prolonged occupation, and launched hundreds of airstrikes on military targets inside the country. Israeli officials have defended their actions as an effort to ensure that hostile forces do not entrench themselves along the Israeli border. They have also pledged to protect the Druse, a religious minority that also makes up a small but influential minority in Israel. In recent months, Israel's military has declared Sweida, the heartland of Syria's Druse minority, off-limits to Syrian government forces and enforced that with airstrikes. But Israel's strikes on Damascus in July marked a dramatic escalation in its bombing campaign, and came amid one of the deadliest bouts of sectarian violence to sweep post-Assad Syria. Despite pledges by Syria's new, largely Sunni leadership to protect the country's diverse array of ethnic and religious minorities, repeated spasms of sectarian violence at the hands of forces affiliated with the central government have undermined the push for unity. Since a cease-fire was imposed in Sweida, the strategic region near the Israeli and Jordanian borders has effectively been cut off from the rest of Syria. The U.N. migration agency warned this month that the province was facing a 'worsening humanitarian crisis,' citing collapsed services, mass displacement, and blocked access routes. That crisis, combined with the violence, has deepened support in Sweida for Israeli protection, while leaving Syrian Druse more isolated than ever from the country's fledgling government. On Wednesday, Mr. Tarif said he had an 'excellent' meeting with Mr. Barrack, the U.S. envoy, in Paris and pressed him to open a humanitarian corridor to bring supplies into Sweida. Mr. Barrack wrote on social media that the talks centered on 'bringing together the interests of all parties, de-escalating tensions, and building understanding.' Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting.
News24
34 minutes ago
- News24
Israel's Netanyahu slams ‘weak politician' Albanese, accuses Macron of fuelling ‘antisemitic fire'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Australian and French leaders for their recognition of a Palestinian state. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese informed Netanyahu prior to announcing the decision. French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the allegations of antisemitism. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised both Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and French President Emmanuel Macron over the recognition of a Palestinian state. 'History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews,' Netanyahu said in a post on X on Tuesday. In response, Albanese said on Wednesday that he treated leaders of other countries with respect. 'I don't take these things personally, I engage with people diplomatically. He has had similar things to say about other leaders,' Albanese said during a media briefing. Netanyahu's personal attack on Albanese has further strained relations between the two countries. Ties soured after Australia decided last week to conditionally recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Albanese told reporters that he had informed Netanyahu about Australia's decision to support a Palestinian state before his centre-left government formally announced the plan. 'At that time, I gave Prime Minister Netanyahu a clear indication of my view and Australia's view going forward but also a clear indication of the direction in which we were headed,' Albanese said. 'I gave him the opportunity to outline what political solution there was and gave him that opportunity.' AFP reported that France on Tuesday slammed as 'abject' and 'erroneous' an accusation from Netanyahu that Macron's move to recognise a Palestinian state was fuelling antisemitism in his country. READ | EU urges Israel to stop West Bank illegal settlement plan which 'undermines the two-state solution' France '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 added. In July, Macron said France would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, the first G7 country to do so. The 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' refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets,' Netanyahu wrote in the letter. Lenin Nolly/NurPhoto via AFP Reuters reported that Israel this week revoked the visas of Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority after Albanese's Labour government cancelled the visa of an Israeli lawmaker over remarks the Australian government considered controversial and inflammatory. France is among at least 145 of the 193 UN members that now recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state, according to an AFP tally. Australia joined the list earlier this month, announcing its intention to recognise 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 said. Macron's 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 added. France is home to Europe's biggest Jewish community. Reported antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1 676 in 2023, before dipping to 1 570 in 2024, according to the interior ministry. Israel has been facing increasing international pressure over its military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed thousands of civilians and plunged Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, displacing most of its population. The offensive began nearly two years ago after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1 200 people and taking 251 more hostage.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pope Leo to visit Lebanon, cardinal says, in likely first trip abroad
By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo plans to visit Lebanon, the country's senior Catholic official announced on Wednesday, in what could be the first visit outside Italy by the new leader of the global Church. The pope will travel to Lebanon "by December", Cardinal Bechara Rai told the al-Arabiya television channel. Rai, leader of the 3.5-million-member Maronite Catholic Church, did not give a specific date for the visit but said "preparations are already underway". A Lebanese official familiar with the matter confirmed that discussions were being held about a visit towards the end of the year, though a date had not yet been finalised. Leo, the first U.S. pope, was elected by the world's Catholic cardinals on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis, who had planned to visit Lebanon but was unable to go because of health issues. Lebanon is home to more than two million Catholics, according to Vatican statistics. A Vatican spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Rai's remarks. A Vatican official, who asked not to be named, confirmed that a trip was being planned and said it could be part of a tour that would also include Turkey. Travelling abroad has become a major part of the modern papacy, with popes seeking to meet local Catholics, spread the faith, and conduct international diplomacy. They often draw crowds in the millions. Francis made 47 visits abroad during his 12-year papacy, travelling to 68 countries. He made a policy of visiting countries that often did not draw international attention as a way of highlighting problems in what he called the "peripheries" of the world. Leo has been expected to visit Turkey in late November as part of celebrations for the 1,700th anniversary of a major early Church council, which took place in Nicaea, now called Iznik. In a message to Lebanon earlier this month, Leo commemorated the fifth anniversary of a huge chemical explosion at the Beirut port that killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars worth of damage. "Beloved and suffering Lebanon remains at the centre of our prayers," said the pope.
