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In the second major US-mediated diplomatic breakthrough in one month, the Gulf state of Bahrain has followed the United Arab Emirates’ lead by agreeing to normalize relations with Israel. In a joint statement, US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa called the development “historic.”
Joint Statement of the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Israel pic.twitter.com/xMquRkGtpM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2020
Netanyahu further described the occasion as the dawn of a “new era of peace,” adding that: “For many long years, we invested in peace, and now peace will invest in us, will bring about truly major investments in Israel’s economy – and that is very important. “
Notably, regional power Saudi Arabia was conspicuously silent following Friday’s announcement; this, despite Bahrain being widely considered a client state of its neighbor. In fact, Manama almost certainly would not have moved forward without explicit approval from Riyadh, which itself may be testing the waters before diving in.
By contrast, the Palestinian Authority did not hold back any punches, slamming the prospective deal and going so far as to recall its envoy to Bahrain.
Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is reportedly not yet satisfied with its accomplishments and is currently pressing for the introduction of direct flights between Israel and Morocco. Rabat has long maintained informal intelligence ties with Israel, though the nations have no formal relations. Nevertheless, Israeli politician have been hosted by Morocco’s king and citizens of the Jewish state are permitted to visit the North African nation.
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With just hours to go until a final decision is expected to be made on the implementation of a nationwide lockdown in Israel, ministers from across the political spectrum are pushing back against the proposed move. There is currently no consensus regarding the plan for a two-week shutdown that was passed last Thursday by the so-called coronavirus cabinet.
According to reports, a decision must be made by the full cabinet before 11 p.m. local time on Sunday, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to depart for Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, he will participate in formal signing ceremonies at the White House with the foreign ministers of the UAE and Bahrain.
If approved, the lockdown in Israel would begin at 6 a.m. on Friday, September 18; this, just ahead of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which begins at sundown that night.
The debate comes on the backdrop of the Jewish state having surpassed 150,000 coronavirus cases , with more than 1,100 deaths.
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Antisemitism Watch: The communications director of the US office of the UN Relief and Works Agency is scheduled to address a conference next week hosted by American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).
Laila Mokhiber, who plays a leading role in the UN organization tasked with tending to the needs of Palestinian refugees, will participate in a panel discussion at the event in Washington, D.C.
Organizers have billed the gathering as an “in-depth course on legislative advocacy” geared towards training activists to lobby Congress to support BDS and other anti-Israel initiatives. AMP was created by Hatem Bazian, who is renowned for having founded Students for Justice in Palestine, some members of which have been widely accused of harassing Jews on university campuses.
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As the world rallies behind the Lebanese people following the deadly explosion on August 4 at the Port of Beirut, the Saudi Arabia-based Arab News outlet has published a piece documenting the historical plight of Lebanon’s Jews. While the majority were previously forced out of the country for various reasons, Lebanese Jews and their descendants have safeguarded the memory of their “lost paradise” wherever they have ended up.
Here is the fascinating story of a largely forgotten community.
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Israeli actress Gal Gadot is going back to work, with her latest project being the Netflix-produced movie Red Notice. But before the filming could begin, she had to take a COVID-19 test, which the superstar documented in an Instagram post.
Due to the pandemic, Gadot has spent the last few months with her family in Israel.
It comes as the release of Gadot’s highly anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 was again delayed due to the global health crisis. The movie was originally set to hit the big screen on June 5 before being pushed back to August 12, then to October 2 and now to December 25.
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