Latest news with #Palestinian-Israeli
Egypt Today
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Egypt FM receives phone call from U.S.' Steve Witkoff on ceasefire efforts
CAIRO - 1 June 2025: Badr Abdel Aaty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received a Sunday phone call from U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff on joint efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. The discussion focused on efforts by Egypt, the U.S., and Qatar to reach a comprehensive agreement that guarantees a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and detainees, and full humanitarian access to the besieged Strip, according to a statement by Egypt. Abdel Aaty emphasized 'the urgent need to stop the Israeli military operations in Gaza and to alleviate the grave humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people.' He reiterated Egypt's commitment to a permanent resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on a two-state solution that meets the 'legitimate aspirations of the region's peoples and aligns with President Trump's broader vision for comprehensive peace.' For his part, Witkoff said the U.S. deeply appreciates Egypt's pivotal mediation efforts and the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in pushing toward a diplomatic breakthrough, according to the statement.
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
French scholar acquitted of ‘apology for terrorism' charges after Palestine tweets
Francois Burgat, a renowned French specialist on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and political Islam, was acquitted on Wednesday by the criminal court of Aix-en-Provence, in southeastern France, where he was prosecuted on charges of 'apology for terrorism' for messages posted on social media. The prosecution accused the former research director at the National Centre for Scientific Research and former director of the French Institute for the Near East, now retired, of a series of controversial social media posts concerning Hamas and Israel's war on Gaza. During the trial in April, the prosecutor asked for an eight-month suspended prison sentence, a $4,500 fine, a six-month ban from social media and a two-year ineligibility period against Burgat. Speaking to Middle East Eye, Burgat praised a "wise lucidity from the court", but expected the prosecution to appeal. "Let's hope that this wisdom, which several dozen of my compatriots convicted without any justification in the same type of case have not benefited from, will henceforth become the guiding principle of the French judicial system," he said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The case began with a post the scholar published on X (formerly Twitter) on 2 January 2024, where he shared a statement by Hamas following the publication of a New York Times investigation into sexual violence allegedly committed by the Palestinian group during its 7 October attacks in Israel. In the statement, Hamas rejected the accusations and denounced a "Zionist attempt to demonise the [Palestinian] resistance". 'Let's hope that this wisdom... will henceforth become the guiding principle of the French judicial system' - Francois Burgat "Our fighters are fighters for freedom and dignity and cannot commit such shameful acts," Hamas said in the statement shared by Burgat. In response to internet users who condemned his post, the former academic wrote that he had "infinitely more respect and consideration for the leaders of Hamas than for those of the state of Israel". He then posted a page from one of his books explaining "the context in which [his] respect and admiration for Hamas asserted themselves". In an interview that week, he also declared: "Just because I have to acknowledge that there was a terrorist movement on 7 October doesn't mean I have to criminalise the Palestinian liberation movement." For these comments, a complaint was filed by the European Jewish Organisation, a group founded in 2014 that has taken several legal actions for "apology for terrorism" in the name of fighting antisemitism and anti-Zionism. 'Apology for terrorism' row in France shows silencing of debate about Palestine Read More » In July 2024, Burgat was placed in police custody for seven hours following a report from the DGSI, the main French domestic intelligence service. A new charge was added in December 2024 after Burgat defended two individuals who were accused of launching a hate campaign that led to the killing of teacher Samuel Paty in October 2020 and convicted of complicity in terrorist assassination. Burgat wrote at the time that France had "fallen outside the rule of law" and criticised the ruling as meaning that "we are all 'terrorists'." During his trial in April, when asked by the judge whether he thought "Hamas is a terrorist movement", the scholar replied that he had "never congratulated' the group for the 7 October attacks. 'On that day, [Hamas] committed acts that can be labelled terrorist; but we must not extrapolate to its entire history," he said. 'Repressive climate' Burgat said on Thursday morning he had asked ChatGPT if he had any chance of being convicted for "apology for terrorism". The artificial intelligence programme responded: "Your comments, however critical or provocative they may appear in the public debate, generally fall within the scope of political and geopolitical analysis, which is protected by freedom of expression and research." ChatGPT concluded that "a conviction is not likely, either legally or constitutionally," but offered a warning: "However: The current political context (polarised around Islam, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or secularism) can lead to manipulation or abusive prosecution, including against intellectuals." As an increasing number of people are being prosecuted worldwide for expressing their solidarity with Palestinians, Burgat's defence team denounced the prosecution as an attack on freedom of expression and the political manipulation of the justice system. "There are two offences that are systematically charged against those who express their solidarity with Palestine: either incitement to hatred or apology for terrorism," Rafik Chekkat, one of Burgat's lawyers, said. French teacher suspended over minute's silence tribute to Palestinians in Gaza Read More » In a message posted on X, Chekkat expressed hopes that "this acquittal will lead to others". "I hope the decision regarding Francois Burgat will help change the repressive climate regarding Palestine and slow the pace of prosecutions for apology for terrorism," he said. Since October 2023, there has been a marked rise in the use of the "apology for terrorism" offence in France, with authorities launching hundreds of investigations into comments made about the war in Gaza, including by political figures such as left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) MP Mathilde Panot and future MEP Rima Hassan. Jean-Paul Delescaut, leader of the General Confederation of Labour union, was handed a suspended one-year jail sentence for writing in response to the attacks: 'The horrors of illegal occupations… are receiving the responses they provoked.' On 18 June, Anasse Kazib, a railway worker and spokesperson for the Trotskyist political group Revolution Permanente, will also be tried for "apology for terrorism". On X, Kazib posted: "Very happy for Francois Burgat, this is important news in the fight against the criminalisation of supporters of the Palestinian people. I hope that we will all be released tomorrow like François Burgat and that the repression against those who speak out against the genocide will cease." Burgat's acquittal comes as France has adopted a much more critical stance towards Israel in recent weeks, with President Emmanuel Macron lobbying European powers to recognise Palestinian statehood at a UN conference next month and a growing number of public personalities using the term "genocide" to describe Israeli actions in Gaza.
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Control Risks Parvulescu: Trump Has a Better Chance Of Nuke Deal With Iran
00:00 What do you think the purpose is of this latest offensive? Is it that Israel wants to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages, or is the objective really to fully take over the Gaza Strip? Our take is that Israel doesn't really have a intent to have a cease fire. The intent is really to. Take control of Gaza as much as possible. Netanyahu wants to please his coalition partners and ultimately this is his objective rather than a cease fire. I don't think the ceasefire is very much in their calculation right now. President Trump was in the region last week and he met with Gulf states, including Qatar. I will be speaking to the cuts R.E.M. later this morning, but he seems to have listened more to the leaders of the Gulf, especially when it came to Syria with the surprise announcement that the US are looking to remove sanctions. Do you think there is scope for Gulf leaders to persuade or influence the Trump administration's decision making on trying to stop the bloodshed in Gaza? I think definitely President Trump has definitely shown, as you say, a willingness to listen and to engage with the Gulf countries on a very different basis than we've been used to in the previous administration. But I also think ultimately they actually agree on ending at least a humanitarian crisis and a ceasefire. I think both of us at this point is pretty clear. Both the US and the Gulf countries are pressing for a ceasefire, for humanitarian aid and a ceasefire property that could be sustainable or built on to a more permanent solution. The party that is isn't really interested in that option seems to be Israel. President Trump talks about the birth of a new Middle East. He talked about the economic transformation in many Gulf countries, about giving countries like Syria a chance for real prosperity. Let them have a chance, he said. The similar thing for Lebanon. Can the region prosper in the absence of a solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has been going on for decades now? That's that's a big if. To be honest, probably not. I think as long as Israel will have different very different stated intentions in terms of regional geopolitics, then the rest of the region, we're not going to have a sort of happy, peaceful region any time soon. There is, though, it is unprecedented, though, that you now have the Gulf States with the US and to some extent also keeping Iran on the science, trying to put pressure and create some of this conditions, which you didn't really have for a very long time in the region. You brought up Iran. What do you think will end up happening with the US Iran nuclear discussions? Just over the weekend, we heard comments from the deputy foreign minister saying that 0% enrichment is a nonstarter for them. Yeah, I think it's normal to see this, that there's traded this trading off of sort of posturing and so on in the in the midst of negotiation. Also, because the US position has changed a few times and it's not quite clear what they'll be agreeing to in the end. We do think out of all the conflict and the issues that we have, the person Trump has on the table, us. Iran might actually have the better chances, even if it's a relatively shallow deal. We could see some form of a deal of less for less the road at least bring one one of these tensions a notch down and present a win for president. I just wonder whether if there is a US Iran deal, one of the conditions of that deal would be for Iran to stop funding proxies, the proxies that have been operating through the region. If there is a deal, should that not invariably lead to a lower temperature in the region as well? So the view has always been that that'll be the ideal deal. But the reality and the history has shown us that that's a very unlikely possibility. It's a very tall ask to think that Iran will give away both enrichment and sort of proxy support. And also, how do you make Iran it's actually reading to do that and how do you comply with that? Right. So while all the while, all the countries in the region would live very much like that, and there was the issue with the JCPOA last time around, if you remember, the reality is that a more realistic deal is something the focus only on nuclear to start with and is seen as a sort of building steps towards more engagement and maybe more more negotiations later down the line. Do you sense that the there's a rift, so to speak, between the Israeli government and the US administration? Lots of people were pointing out that President Trump didn't stop by Israel when he was in the region. There's a report overnight suggesting that JD Vance was considering it. He changed his mind after the latest ground offensive. Do you think there's real daylight between the two? I think it's become apparent and probably President Trump, it looks like he's lost some patience with Israel, or at least that's how he's behaving. And there were very clear signals in the way that he's not really mentioned Israel or talks about Israel or visited Israel and the trip on the trip, but also the release of the US Israeli hostage without involving Israel to deal with Houthis. There's been discussions with Iran. There's Israel's been shut out of a lot of conversations and I think that shows some disagreement in the US administration with with what they're trying to achieve. But also the US administration is probably seeing an internal debate between the more hawkish pro-Israeli parts of the government and and the ones that are more willing to let go and sort of get a deal quicker.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
ASEAN-GCC strengthen strategic ties, aim for US$180 bln trade by 2032
KUALA LUMPUR: Leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have agreed to strengthen their broad strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to confront global challenges and seize shared economic opportunities. Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said the GCC is now ASEAN's seventh-largest trading partner, with total trade reaching US$130.7 billion in 2023. 'We aim to increase this figure to US$180 billion by 2032, as there remains substantial untapped potential in bilateral trade and investment,' he said. The Crown Prince, who is also the President of the current session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, made the remarks during the Second ASEAN-GCC Summit held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today. He also noted the encouraging rise in foreign investment into Asian markets as a sign of confidence and sustainable economic integration. 'We would like to underscore the importance of continuing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment and the arts, and we look forward to the positive outcomes of free trade agreement negotiations between both sides, which will open up investment opportunities and support regional development,' His Highness added. He said this year's summit played a crucial role in enhancing cooperation between the two regions. 'This session has inspired us to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and reflects the deep historical ties between both parties. 'It also demonstrates our shared commitment to building a strategic partnership founded on mutual interests, the principles of international law, and sustainable development for our people,' he added. The first ASEAN-GCC Summit, held on October 20, 2023, in Riyadh, marked a significant start in establishing a comprehensive cooperation framework for the 2024–2028 period, aimed at laying a solid foundation for rapid development through this partnership. On the issue of Palestine, the Crown Prince called for continuous collaboration between the GCC and ASEAN to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the worsening Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 'The GCC reaffirms its support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. 'We urge the international community to act swiftly and decisively to end the violence and initiate a peace process grounded in international law and the Arab Peace Initiative,' he said. He also proposed that the year 2026 be declared the GCC-ASEAN Year of Cultural Solidarity, with a variety of programmes to enhance bilateral ties, along with joint initiatives to empower youth and women through training, skills development, and entrepreneurship projects. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Riyadh, the GCC comprises six member states: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
ASEAN-GCC aim for US$180 bln trade by 2032
KUALA LUMPUR: Leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have agreed to strengthen their broad strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to confront global challenges and seize shared economic opportunities. Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said the GCC is now ASEAN's seventh-largest trading partner, with total trade reaching US$130.7 billion in 2023. 'We aim to increase this figure to US$180 billion by 2032, as there remains substantial untapped potential in bilateral trade and investment,' he said. The Crown Prince, who is also the President of the current session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, made the remarks during the Second ASEAN-GCC Summit held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today. He also noted the encouraging rise in foreign investment into Asian markets as a sign of confidence and sustainable economic integration. 'We would like to underscore the importance of continuing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment and the arts, and we look forward to the positive outcomes of free trade agreement negotiations between both sides, which will open up investment opportunities and support regional development,' His Highness added. He said this year's summit played a crucial role in enhancing cooperation between the two regions. 'This session has inspired us to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and reflects the deep historical ties between both parties. 'It also demonstrates our shared commitment to building a strategic partnership founded on mutual interests, the principles of international law, and sustainable development for our people,' he added. The first ASEAN-GCC Summit, held on October 20, 2023, in Riyadh, marked a significant start in establishing a comprehensive cooperation framework for the 2024–2028 period, aimed at laying a solid foundation for rapid development through this partnership. On the issue of Palestine, the Crown Prince called for continuous collaboration between the GCC and ASEAN to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the worsening Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 'The GCC reaffirms its support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. 'We urge the international community to act swiftly and decisively to end the violence and initiate a peace process grounded in international law and the Arab Peace Initiative,' he said. He also proposed that the year 2026 be declared the GCC-ASEAN Year of Cultural Solidarity, with a variety of programmes to enhance bilateral ties, along with joint initiatives to empower youth and women through training, skills development, and entrepreneurship projects. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Riyadh, the GCC comprises six member states: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
