Tag: Israel

  • All airlines will be allowed to fly in Saudi Arabia’s airspace including from Israel

    All airlines will be allowed to fly in Saudi Arabia’s airspace including from Israel

    Saudi Arabia announced that it would open its airspace to all air carriers, allowing for more overflights to and from Israel.

    US President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to visit the kingdom today, applauded the decision.

    According to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), all airlines that fulfill the country’s overflight requirements are now allowed to use the country’s airspace, in accordance with international agreements that forbid discrimination between civil aircraft.

    As per a statement from GACA, the choice will complement the efforts aimed at consolidating the kingdom’s position as a global hub connecting three continents and to enhance international air connectivity. Some flights to and from Israel had longer flight times and used more fuel as a result of flying over Saudi Arabia.

    US President Joe Biden praised the choice, according to Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser. The security and prosperity of the United States and the American people, as well as the security and prosperity of Israel, are dependent on a more integrated, stable, and secure Middle East region, according to Sullivan.

    A source had earlier told Reuters that Saudi Arabia would soon allow Israeli airlines unrestricted overflight access and permit direct charter flights from Israel for Muslims taking part in the yearly hajj pilgrimage in Makkah.

    Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s legitimacy and has made no mention of potential bilateral developments during Biden’s visit. Israel has likewise avoided making these connections.

    KSA had agreed in 2020 to permit flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to pass through its territory, despite the lack of official relations.

  • ‘Free and fair’ elections, demands Khan

    ‘Free and fair’ elections, demands Khan

    Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Sunday demanded free and fair election and revealed that he expects match-fixing in Punjab by-elections.

    PTI took out countrywide protests against rising inflation at Khan’s call on Sunday. Khan addressed his supporters via video-link.

    On Monday, Khan thanked his supporters for coming out across Pakistan yesterday, especially those “who braved difficulties & in some cities rain, to join our protest against massive inflation & clearly reject Imported Govt of crooks imposed by US regime change conspiracy”.

    No free lunch, warns Khan

    Imran Khan warned that Pakistan can become the next Sri Lanka. He said that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has asked for the support of the United States (US) for the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. “I want to tell Miftah Ismail and Shehbaz Sharif that the Americans have a philosophy, which is that there is no free lunch. Everything has a price. The US will extract our sovereignty as a price.” Khan said that the new government seems ready to pay this price.

    Recognising Israel part of foreign conspiracy agenda: Khan

    Khan also mentioned Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Saleem Mandviwalla’s statement on the potential of Pakistan having diplomatic ties with Israel. “This is part of the same agenda due to which there was a regime change. The agenda is to follow what Israel, India and the US want,” said Khan.

    However, Mandviwalla clarified on Sunday that his words were being taken out of context. “I never wanted Pakistan to further ties with Israel or indulge in trade with it,” said Mandviwalla, adding that recognising Israel was not in Pakistan’s interests.

    Match-fixing in Punjab by-polls on the cards

    “We have to struggle together. Get ready. I will soon give another call for protest, which will continue until we are given a date for free and fair elections. Not just elections but free and fair elections,” said Khan.

    He reiterated that there is a plan of rigging by-elections in Punjab through ‘match-fixing’. By-polls in Punjab are set to take place next month in July.

    Imran Khan’s full address can be seen here:

  • Joe Biden to visit Saudi Arabia after calling Kingdom ‘isolated’

    United States (US) President Joe Biden will make his first Presidential trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Israel and the Palestinian West Bank next month from July 13-16, confirmed by the White House, reports Associated Press (AP).

    During this visit, Biden will meet Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in KSA, Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem and Palestinian Authority leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

    Announcing the Middle East trip, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “King Salman invited Biden to visit the kingdom during a gathering in the port city of Jeddah of the six Gulf Cooperation Council nations.”

    The Saudi Embassy has said that Biden’s visit is “to strengthen the historical bilateral relations and the distinguished strategic partnership between” the two countries.

    In a statement, the Saudi Embassy stated: “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia looks forward to welcoming President Biden and defining the next chapters of our partnership. At a time of global challenges related to the global economy, health, climate and international conflict, the partnership between our two countries are as critical as ever to the promotion of peace, prosperity and stability around the world.”

    As a presidential candidate, Biden said the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi-born US resident who wrote critical articles about Saudi rulers in The Washington Post — had made KSA a “pariah.” When Biden took charge of the presidency, his administration made clear the president would avoid direct engagement with the crown prince and instead focus on his engagements with King Salman.

  • Khan denies contacting Malik Riaz to patch up with Asif Zardari

    Khan denies contacting Malik Riaz to patch up with Asif Zardari

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan denied contacting property tycoon Malik Riaz for reconciliation with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

    Khan’s comments come in relevance to an alleged telephonic conversation that was leaked on social media. In the audio conversation, Malik Riaz can be heard saying that Khan wants a patch up with Zardari. Riaz said, “Aaj usnay bohot hee message kiye hain mujhe. [He sent many texts to me today.]” Zardari responds that it is “impossible” now.

    Khan’s denial came while speaking to digital journalists in Peshawar.

    Pressure to recognise Israel

    Khan revealed that when he was in power, there was “a lot of pressure” on his government to accept Isreal as a sovereign state.

    “We were sent a message that you should think about your country but at this time, I cannot reveal who had sent the message to us,” said Khan.

    Khan criticised the government and alleged that it was going to recognise Israel after a Pakistani expatriate delegation living in the United States (US) visited Israel.

    No need for PTI MNAs to verify their resignations

    On the matter of PTI members of the National Assembly’s (MNAs) resignations, Khan said they have resigned from their posts, and there was no need for them to verify their resignations.

    “We had announced in front of the National Assembly’s speaker that we have resigned. There is no need for a member to verify their resignation individually […] the day we come back to the assembly, it will mean that we have accepted this imported government,” said Khan.

    Only the army and the PTI can keep Pakistan intact

    Speaking about the appointment of the army chief, Khan said he did not know about the candidates nor did he think about the procedure. He claimed there were “individuals within institutions” who had “opinions on certain issues”. However, he did not name the individuals.

    “Only the army and the PTI can keep Pakistan intact,” he said.

  • Khan says govt ‘to recognise Israel’, Israel’s president praises Pakistani delegation

    Khan says govt ‘to recognise Israel’, Israel’s president praises Pakistani delegation

    Israel President Isaac Herzog has said that he had had an “amazing experience” while meeting a Pakistan expatriate delegation living in the United States (US). Herzog referred to this visit as an example that showed him “great change” towards Israel’s ties with the Muslim world.

    Herzog said he received a delegation of Pakistani expats who lived in the US “together with other members of other countries in their region”.

    No change in govt’s policy on Israel: Foreign Office

    However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan categorically rejected the notion of any delegation from Pakistan visiting Israel.

    “The reported visit in question was organised by a foreign NGO that is not based in Pakistan,” the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson said in a statement.

    “Pakistan’s position on the Palestinian issue is clear and unambiguous. There is no change whatsoever in our policy on which there is a complete national consensus.”

    The statement further added that Pakistan steadfastly supports the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination. 

    “The establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with the relevant UN and OIC resolutions, is imperative for just and lasting peace in the region,” the statement added. 

    Govt going to accept Israel: Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan criticised the sitting government as the Pakistani expats delegation visited Israel. More criticism was hurled their way after Herzog praised the Pakistani-American delegation.

    Khan on Sunday criticising the government and alleged that it was going to recognise Israel.

    “This government will strike a deal with India to sell the people of Kashmir, and to top it off, they are also going to accept Israel,” he said while addressing the PTI workers’ convention in Charsadda.

    There was no Pakistan delegation visiting Israel: Anila Ali

    A 15-member delegation visited Israel to promote interfaith harmony. The trip was organised by the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Council and an NGO called Sharaka. Founder of the American Muslim and Multifaith Women Empowerment Council, Anila Ali, led the delegation.

    After Khan’s allegations, Anila tweeted: There was no #Pakistan delegation visiting #Israel.

    Pakistan does not recognise the state of Israel: Ahsan Iqbal

    Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal clarified no official or semi-official delegation from Pakistan met the Israeli president.

    “The participants in this delegation were Pakistani-Americans who have already provided an explanation in this regard,” the planning minister said in a tweet.

    Iqbal said the policy of the Government of Pakistan is clear — it does not recognise the state of Israel. “All our sympathies lie with brothers and sisters of Palestine.”

    Israeli President received a delegation of Pakistani expats

    “I must say this was an amazing experience. We haven’t had a group of Pakistani leaders in Israel in such scope. And that all stems from the Abraham Accords [a deal brokered by the United States in 2020 which saw normalisation of relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain], meaning Jews and Muslims can dwell together in the region.”

    Israeli President Isaac was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

    Pakistan refused to accept Israel as a sovereign state because of the Palestine-Israel conflict, and every government that came to power has endorsed this stance. Speculations were being created that the new government was in a way ready to recognise Israel as a sovereign state.

  • Israeli President visits Turkey to mend ties, Turkey calls it a ‘turning point’

    Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday for a one-day rare visit to Turkey in an effort to mend fractured ties between the two countries.

    Erdogan described the Israeli president’s visit as “historic” and “a turning point” in Turkish-Israeli relations. He said the country is ready to cooperate with Israel in the energy sector, revealing that the Turkish foreign and energy ministers will soon visit Israel.

    In a statement in Hebrew, Herzog said it is a great honour for both countries to lay the foundations of developing friendly relations between them.

    It is pertinent to mention that Ankara has close ties with Hamas. Despite the rare visit, Turkey has ruled out abandoning its commitment to supporting Palestinian statehood.

    Talking about Palestine, Erdogan said, “I underlined the importance we attach to the historical status of Jerusalem and the preservation of the religious identity and sanctity of Masjid Aqsa.” In response, the Israeli president said, “We must agree in advance that we will not agree on everything, that is the nature of relations with a past as rich as ours.”

    This is the first visit of the Israeli president to Ankara since 2007. In 2018, Ankara recalled its diplomats and ordered Israel’s envoy out of the country.

    The visit was made after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s interview in which he called Israel a “potential ally” of the Kingdom.

    In 2020, two Gulf countries— Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates normalised ties with Israel.

  • ‘We don’t look at Israel as an enemy’: Saudi Crown prince reveals in rare interview

    ‘We don’t look at Israel as an enemy’: Saudi Crown prince reveals in rare interview

    Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Israel a “potential ally” of Riyadh, in an interview with a United States (US) monthly magazine, The Atlantic.

    “But we have to solve some issues before we get to that,” he added.

    “We don’t look at Israel as an enemy, we look to them as a potential ally, with many interests that we can pursue together,” the prince said. Talking about the Palestine-Israel issue, he said that Riyadh hopes that the conflict between them is solved.

    Interestingly, the prince also opened up about Iran, he said, “They are neighbours. Neighbours forever. We cannot get rid of them, and they can’t get rid of us.”

    “Hopefully, we can reach a position that’s good for both countries and is going to create a brighter future for them and Iran,” he added.

    About the assassination of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, the prince said that he was unfairly blamed for it.

    “Why would I do it?” he asked, saying that accusations that he ordered the killing “hurt me a lot”. He claimed that he never read a Khashoggi article in his life.

    “In any case, if that’s the way we did things, Khashoggi would not even be among the top 1,000 people on the list,” added the prince.

    The Kingdom does not have diplomatic relations with Israel but the two countries are believed to have ties. In 2020, Israel’s then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s secret visit to Saudi Arabia raised speculations.

    Under Mohammed bin Salman, a series of progressive developments have been made in Saudi Arabia, women were allowed to drive for the first time in 2018 in the Kingdom.

    In 2020, two Gulf countries— Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates normalised ties with Israel.

  • Turkish President Erdogan says open to fix ties with Israel

    Turkish President Erdogan says open to fix ties with Israel

    After years of a fraught relationship, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated mending ties with Israel.

    A joint pipeline to bring eastern Mediterranean Sea gas to Europe was started by Turkey’s rival Greece and Israel which was backed by then-President Donald Trump’s administration. At the time, Turkey strongly opposed the project but last week it was reported that Washington no longer backed the pipeline project.

    Following this, Erdogan said he was in talks with Israel on an old idea to bring Mediterranean gas to European clients via Turkey. “We can still do that,” he said.

    This is not the first time that Turkey has expressed the desire to be on good ties with Israel. In 2020, the President said the country would like to have better ties with Israel but it is impossible to accept their Palestine policies.

    In recent years, Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israel’s occupation in the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians.

    Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu have often exchanged angry remarks, but both countries continue to trade with one another.

  • India’s Harnaaz Sandhu becomes Miss Universe amidst controversies

    India’s Harnaaz Sandhu becomes Miss Universe amidst controversies

    Miss India, Harnaaz Sandhu was given the title of Miss Universe 2021 in the 70th edition of the annual pageant, held in Eilat, Israel on Monday. Several participants took part in the event despite the pressure to boycott in support of Palestinians. This is the first time the pageant was held in Israel. The event has faced several complications due to the covid pandemic as well.

    Nadia Ferreira from Paraguay took the first runner-up position and Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane filled the second-runner up spot.

    Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts of South Africa had stressed upon its participant to stay away from Eilat due to “atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians.”

    South Africa also withdrew their support from its participant Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane but she took part in the event.

    The grandson of Nelson Mandela, Mandla Mandela also supported the call to boycott the annual pageant.

    Miss Universe 2017, Sarah Idan, who belong to Iraq tweeted, “All I can say is how dare you? How dare you as a man try to tell an organization for women, and women empowerment what to do.”

    The other groups for Palestinian advocacy also requested to avoid the event to voice out the atrocities of Israel against Palestine.

    The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel wrote: “We urge all participants to withdraw, to avoid complicity in Israel’s apartheid regime and its violation of Palestinian human rights.”

    Contestants from Muslim majority countries also participated in the pageant which includes Morocco and Bahrain who have normalized their diplomatic ties with Israel last year.

    Miss Universe 2020, Andrea Meza from Mexico also emphasised that the annual pageant should be away from politics and religion. She said that it is only for women and what they can contribute to society.

    Muslim majority, Malaysia and Indonesia nations which have no diplomatic ties with Israel, did not send their participants due to complications of the covid pandemic and not because of any political grounds.

    The United Arab Emirates, UAE which also normalised the ties with Israel last year has not sent its contestant due to time constraints in the selection of a national winner.

    Participants of the pageant have also faced criticism on cultural appropriation when candidates wore robes with traditional Palestinian embroidery while rolling grape leaves.

    Ines Abdel Razek of the advocacy group the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy. tweeted, “Colonialism, racism, cultural appropriation, patriarchy, whitewashing, all in one place.”

  • Video: Mother protects son’s grave as Israel demolishes Muslim graveyard

    A Palestinian woman on Monday resisted Israeli police trying to push her from her son’s tombstone, located at the Al-Yusufiye cemetery in East Jerusalem, as she tried to hug it, reports Anadolu Agency.

    In the video, Alaa Nababta can be seen throwing her body on the ground near her son’s grave and crying.

    “Bury me here,” cried Nababta.

    “You will only exhume my son over my dead body,” she told the Israeli police who were unable to stop her from reaching her son’s grave.

    Nababta while talking to Anadolu Agency said that the Israeli authorities are after Palestinians in the city “whether they are alive or dead.”

    “Here is our cemetery, where else do we bury them?” asked Nababta.

    She added: “Every day we come here fearing that the grave will be bulldozed.”

    “As a mother, what do you think my feelings will be when I watch them try to raze my son’s grave? Pain, pain, and heartbreak.”

    On Monday, the Israeli municipality crews in Jerusalem and the Israeli Nature Authority, to establish a Jewish national park, renewed razing a part of the Al-Yusufiye cemetery, located near the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

    Dozens of Palestinians whose family members have been buried in the area for centuries arrived in the cemetery, fearing that the graves of their relatives will be razed.