Latest news with #Haskel
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
South Sudan hosts Israeli deputy FM but denies Gaza relocation reports
South Sudan on Wednesday said that Israel's deputy foreign minister had visited for talks, after reports of plans to relocate Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he would permit Gazans to emigrate voluntarily and that his government was talking to a number of potential host countries. South Sudan, which is said to be one of the host countries, announced that Sharren Haskel had visited in what it called "the highest-level engagement from an Israeli official to South Sudan thus far". According to a statement, Foreign Minister Semaya Kumba held "a fruitful bilateral dialogue" with Haskel that touched on "the evolving circumstances within the State of Israel", without elaborating. "Both parties expressed a resolute commitment to advancing stronger bilateral and multilateral cooperation moving forward," it added. The office of President Salva Kiir said he met with Haskel for "high-level" talks about enhancing cooperation in a number of sectors. "In a bid to attract foreign investment, the government has offered Israel new opportunities in the oil and gas industry, minerals, agriculture and water resource management," a statement read. Haskel said the visit was "a reflection of friendship and solidarity between the two nations" and announced a new aid package of food supplies and medical equipment, it added. A previous statement from the government in Juba refuted media reports that it was in discussion with Israel about relocating Palestinians from Gaza to South Sudan, calling the claims "baseless". The potential arrival of Gazans in South Sudan has sparked intense controversy both on social media and on the streets of the capital. "We don't accept this because these are criminals they are bringing to us. Also we don't have land that can accommodate the Palestinians from Gaza to South Sudan," Juba resident James Lomederi told AFP. Another local, who asked not to be identified, said: "We will welcome them with open arms. Our borders need heavy deployment of troops, and they will help us fight anyone who wants to annex our land into their territory." Impoverished South Sudan — the world's youngest country — has been plagued by insecurity and instability since its independence in 2011. This year, the country saw months of clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and those backing First Vice President Riek Machar. The arrest of Machar in March fuelled fears of a return to civil war, nearly seven years after the end of bloody fighting between supporters of the two men that led to around 400,000 deaths between 2013 and 2018.
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
S.Sudan hosts Israeli deputy FM but denies Gaza displacement reports - War on Gaza
South Sudan on Wednesday said that Israel's deputy foreign minister had visited for talks, after reports of plans to displace Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he would encourage Palestinians to relocate from Gaza and that his government was talking to a number of potential host countries to displace Gaza's population. South Sudan, which is said to be one of the host countries, announced that Sharren Haskel had visited in what it called "the highest-level engagement from an Israeli official to South Sudan thus far". According to a statement, Foreign Minister Semaya Kumba held "a fruitful bilateral dialogue" with Haskel that touched on "the evolving circumstances within the State of Israel", without elaborating. "Both parties expressed a resolute commitment to advancing stronger bilateral and multilateral cooperation moving forward," it added. The office of President Salva Kiir said he met with Haskel for "high-level" talks about enhancing cooperation in a number of sectors. "In a bid to attract foreign investment, the government has offered Israel new opportunities in the oil and gas industry, minerals, agriculture and water resource management," a statement read. Haskel said the visit was "a reflection of friendship and solidarity between the two nations" and announced a new aid package of food supplies and medical equipment, it added. A previous statement from the government in Juba refuted media reports that it was in discussion with Israel about displacing Palestinians from Gaza to South Sudan, calling them "baseless". Impoverished South Sudan -- the world's youngest country -- has been plagued by insecurity and instability since its independence in 2011. This year, the country saw months of clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and those backing First Vice President Riek Machar. The arrest of Machar in March fuelled fears of a return to civil war, nearly seven years after the end of bloody fighting between supporters of the two men that led to around 400,000 deaths between 2013 and 2018. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
South Sudan 'in talks' with Israel to take in ethnically cleansed Palestinians from Gaza
South Sudan is reportedly in talks with Israel about resettling Palestinians forcibly displaced from Gaza, as Israeli representatives arrived in the East African country for an inaugural official visit. On Tuesday evening, the Associated Press reported that talks had taken place between the two countries about transferring Palestinians, citing six sources familiar with the discussions. It is unclear how far the talks have progressed. Joe Szlavik, a US lobbyist working with South Sudan, told AP he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks, and that an Israeli delegation had planned to visit the country to explore the possibility of setting up camps for Palestinians. Sharren Haskel, Israel's deputy foreign minister, arrived in South Sudan on Tuesday to hold a series of meetings as part of the first ever official Israeli visit. Haskel will meet with the country's president and foreign minister, among others. The newspaper Israel Hayom reported that the visit was scheduled a while back, and is unrelated to recent reports about displaced Palestinians from Gaza. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'While the international community is focused solely on Gaza, South Sudan is facing a real humanitarian crisis and the threat of genuine famine that is claiming the lives of many refugees from the war in Sudan,' Haskel said on Tuesday. 'All hunger experts in the international community and in the media [should] come here and see with their own eyes what happens when there is a real famine.' It's not clear if Haskel's trip is the same delegation that Szlavik was referring to. 'Jews Say No to Ethnic Cleansing': Hundreds of rabbis and artists reject Trump's Gaza plan Read More » Israel's and South Sudan's foreign ministries did not respond to questions on the talks by AP, while a US State Department spokesperson said it did not comment on private diplomatic discussions. Two weeks ago, Gideon Saar, Israel's foreign minister, hosted his South Sudanese counterpart in Jerusalem. The discussions with South Sudan are part of months-long efforts by Israel to find third nations to realise US President Donald Trump's proposal to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian enclave. Trump said in February that Washington would 'take over' the Gaza Strip and eject the Palestinian population to other countries. In the meantime, the enclave would be turned into the 'Riviera of the Middle East'. Weeks later, Israel set up a new government agency to oversee what it described as "voluntary departures", in compliance with Trump's proposal. 'I think that the right thing to do, even according to the laws of war as I know them, is to allow the population to leave, and then you go in with all your might against the enemy who remains there,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli TV station i24 on Tuesday, in relation to the displacement plan. He did not mention South Sudan. The semantics of ethnic cleansing Experts in genocide and international law told Middle East Eye last month that Israeli officials' talk of "voluntary emigration" should actually be read as forced displacement. Two Egyptian officials told AP that they had known for months of Israeli efforts to find a country to take in Palestinians, including its contact with South Sudan. The officials said that they had lobbied South Sudan against taking in displaced Palestinians. Musk's AI chatbot briefly suspended 'for saying Israel is committing genocide in Gaza' Read More » AP previously reported that the US and Israel had reached out to officials in Sudan, Somalia and the self-governed region of Somaliland about the plans. South Sudan has been devastated by a civil war that broke out after it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Around 400,000 have been killed, and the country relies on international aid to feed its population of 11 million people. A fragile peace agreement was struck seven years ago. South Sudan faces a number of sanctions imposed by the US, including the revocation of visas for all its nationals, as well as individual sanctions on a number of figures and entities it links with threatening peace. It is not yet known if talks with Israel about accepting ejected Palestinians are linked with sanctions relief.
Sky News AU
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘They wouldn't survive an hour in Iran': Protesters shamed for supporting Iranian regimes
Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel discusses the pro-Palestine protests on Sydney's Harbour Bridge on Sunday. 'These are people who are not ashamed, embarrassed, from walking with a full-on picture of the ayatollah, the Iranian terrorist regime,' Ms Haskel told Sky News host Sharri Markson. 'Many of these people wouldn't have survived even an hour in Iran. 'To have a demonstration like that, with so much support to terrorist organisations and terrorist regimes, it's absolutely shameful.'
Sky News AU
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister slams countries for ‘rewarding' Hamas
Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel says Israel will not settle for a two-state solution because it is like 'selling your moral compass'. 'This is a declaration that is giving Hamas, a terrorist organisation, a reward for the worst massacre of Jews since the holocaust,' Ms Haskel told Sky News host Sharri Markson. 'That will only give them incentives to continue and terrorise people all around the world.'
