OPINION by Daoud Kuttab Ever since the US government recognised Israel in 1948, no one has ever doubted where Washington stood in terms of the conflict between Israel and the Arabs. But while the US has always been pro-Israel, it tried, at least in theory, to adhere to international law and the worldwide consensus while dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is true that the US has often vetoed many […]
US President Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and direct the state department to begin the lengthy process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the city, according to senior White House officials. The announcement, which is expected at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday, comes amid global condemnation of the move. The officials said in a briefing that Trump's expected announcement is "recognition of a reality". The […]
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas spoke over the phone on Saturday to discuss the status of Jerusalem, according to a Turkish presidential source. The leaders also discussed the latest developments in Palestine, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media. Erdogan emphasized that an independent and sovereign Palestinian state should be established with East Jerusalem as its capital. […]
A recent poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip has revealed that an overwhelming majority have lost faith in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, with two-thirds of poll participants demanding his resignation. ‘PA has now become a burden on the Palestinian people’ The poll, which was conducted between September 14-16 and published on Tuesday, revealed that a […]
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations on Wednesday to pursue efforts to "bring an end to Israeli occupation of the state of Palestine within a set timeframe". Abbas, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, warned that if the two-state solution were to be rejected, Palestinians would have no choice but to "continue the struggle and demand full rights for all inhabitants of historic Palestine". He urged the […]
Head of the Hamas movement's politburo Ismail Haniyeh and other high-ranking Hamas members met with Egyptian intelligence officials in Cairo on Monday night, with talks focusing on cross border security and a readiness for Palestinian national reconciliation. The delegation told the Egyptian intelligence minister Khaled Fawzi that Hamas is ready to hold meetings with the Fatah movement, Hamas’ rival and head of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA). Hamas said in […]
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that the Palestinian leadership will freeze all contact with Israel, as mass protests over new Israeli security measures at the al-Aqsa compound turned deadly. In a brief televised speech on Friday, Abbas said all official contact would be suspended until Israel removed metal detectors installed there last week. "I declare the suspension of all contacts with the Israeli side on all levels until it cancels its measures at […]
US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner arrived in Israel Wednesday morning, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking the beginning of Kushner’s so-called Middle East peace efforts. Kushner, a real estate developer with little experience in international or Middle Eastern diplomacy, was also expected to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday evening in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. According to […]
Israel started to reduce electricity supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip on Monday, despite being urged by humanitarian organizations not to implement the decision, which came at the request of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Gaza's electricity company, the Gaza Electricity Distribution Corporation, said in a statement Monday that the Israeli grids supplying the Gaza Strip reduced their output from 120 to 112 megawatts. The statement explained that the reduction affected two […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
