Showing posts with label peace in the Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace in the Middle East. Show all posts

Sunday, July 26, 2026

President Trump links civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia to Saudis joining Abraham Accords

Good news! Bravo! Blessed are the peacemakers!

"US President Donald Trump surprised everybody with a dramatic announcement earlier today [7/23/2026] on his Truth Social media platform that the nuclear agreement he is planning with Saudi Arabia yesterday will only be implemented if the Saudis joint the Abraham accords. ..."

"The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords. The United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

Trump links nuclear deal to Saudis joining Abraham Accords - Globes "Truth Social: The Civil Nuclear Deal being made between the US Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use - is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords."

Truth Details (original news release)

Saturday, July 18, 2026

Arab leaders tell Trump that Netanyahu is an 'obstacle' to the president's Mideast plans - report

Bad news for PM Netanyahu! Is Netanyahu a road block to President Trump with respect to advancing the Abraham Accords?

"Several Arab leaders have privately urged US President Donald Trump to reconsider his support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported on Wednesday. ...

Trump has suggested that he has not yet decided how to approach the Israeli election and is examining the broader field of candidates. ..."

Benjamin Netanyahu is an 'obstacle' to Middle East diplomacy says arab leaders | The Jerusalem Post "Arab diplomats familiar with the discussions said regional governments increasingly view Netanyahu as an impediment to Trump’s diplomatic ambitions in the Middle East."




Tuesday, July 07, 2026

Israel conditions Jordan water supply on softened rhetoric, fueling new crisis

Serious stuff! Many wars were fought over water rights! I hope this will not escalate and Benjamin Netanyahu will not make a mistake here.

Jordan has been a good neighbor to Israel for decades, if I am not mistaken! Plus, Jordan risked a lot to be a good neighbor to Israel.

"... After a series of extensions, Jerusalem conditioned the resumption of supply on Amman softening its rhetoric on Israel and on the thawing of relations, which grew increasingly hostile over the course of the Israel-Hamas war. ..."

Israel conditions Jordan water supply on softened rhetoric, fueling new crisis | The Jerusalem Post "The 1994 peace treaty signed by Amman and Jerusalem required Israel to supply Jordan with 50 million cubic meters of water annually, an amount doubled in a 2021 commitment that expired in 2025."

Friday, April 17, 2026

Israel Blocks France’s Participation in its Peace Talks With Lebanon

Probably a good move by Israel! President Macron is dubious or even duplicitous!

Lebanon is perhaps to some extent Francophone, but that does not provide sufficient excuse for President Macron to get involved.

"... For under Macron, France has become even more hostile to Israel than it was before his ascendance to the presidency. ...

Macron never condemned Hezbollah for its missile and drone fire into Israel, though he was quick to deplore Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Hezbollah targets in south Beirut. ...

Macron prevented American military planes delivering weapons to Israel to use its airspace. ..."

Israel Blocks France’s Participation in its Peace Talks With Lebanon | Frontpage Mag "French President Macron and his habitual betrayal of Israel."

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Morocco, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bahrain accept Trump's invite to join Gaza Board of Peace

Quite impressive! Meanwhile also Israel, Kosovo and Pakistan announced to join.

As many as 25 or more countries have signed on.

Morocco, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bahrain accept Trump's invite to join Gaza Board of Peace | Just The News ""Morocco welcomes the second phase of Trump’s comprehensive peace plan, as well as the official creation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which will serve as a temporary transitional body," the foreign ministry said"

Monday, December 29, 2025

Two headlines about Yemen today

How elusive is peace in the Middle East?

"Riyadh appears increasingly frustrated with changes in Yemen. Saudi Arabia led an intervention there against the Houthis in 2015. However, over the last several years, it has preferred a status quo in Yemen as it has patched things up with Iran. It is not interested in more instability.

The challenge for Riyadh now is that the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which controls areas in Aden and southern Yemen, has been making gains on the ground. The STC is seen as being backed by the UAE. Although the UAE and Saudi Arabia share many interests in the region, they do not always agree on Yemen. ..."

Saudi Arabia increasingly concerned about political instability in Yemen - analysis "The Southern Transition Council (STC) is seen as being backed by the UAE. Although the UAE and Saudi Arabia share many regional interests, they do not always agree on Yemen."

Israeli presence in Somaliland will be considered a 'military target,' Houthi leader warns "The Houthis’ leader also accused Israel of aiming for the “further disintegration and fragmentation of other countries,” and demanded that all of Yemen act against Israel."

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Saudi Crown Prince to Donald Trump: Saudi wants to be part of Abraham Accords

Good news! Closer to peace in the Middle East! Blessed are the peacemakers! This was duly noted by e.g. the Jerusalem Post.

The Crown Prince MBS (age 40) is risking a lot if not his life!

Let's hope something will be worked out to finally secure peace in the Middle East while President Trump is still in office. The signs are positive and better than in several decades for a solution.

"Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) said he wants his country to be part of the Abraham Accords, but also make sure to secure a path to a two-state solution," during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. ..."

MBS to Donald Trump: Saudi wants to be part of Abraham Accords | The Jerusalem Post "The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) arrived at the White House, with US military jets flying over as part of the reception."


One of the pictures of MBS on his Instagram site


Sunday, November 09, 2025

Saudi Arabia, Israel ties may resume through US mediation, Saudi source tells KAN

Good news! Will President Trump, the peacemaker, succeed bringing Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together?

"While normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel is not yet imminent, efforts to lay the groundwork are underway, a source within the Saudi royal family told Kan News on Saturday. ..."
 
Saudi source: Efforts to renew Israel talks before US trip | The Jerusalem Post "According to the source, Riyadh anticipates a return to the type of indirect communication with Israel that was facilitated by the US prior to the October 7 massacre."


US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025.


Tuesday, November 04, 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin assassinated on this day 30 years ago

Just a reminder that peace in the Middle East is not easy! It is complicated!

Yitzhak Rabin assassinated on this day 30 years ago | The Jerusalem Post "Rabin was shot by far-Right [Israeli man] following the prime minister's agreement to cede Israeli territory to the Palestinian Liberation Organization in an attempt to achieve peace."


Yitzhak Rabin shaking hands with Yasser Arafat following the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 in the presence of President Clinton. There was so much hope associated with the Oslo Accords!


Sunday, October 26, 2025

President Trump says Qatar could send troops to Gaza

Good news! Will more Arab countries come forward?

"US President Donald Trump said that Qatar would send peacekeeping troops to Gaza if needed while sitting next to the prime minister and emir of Qatar during a Saturday meeting. ...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US officials are getting input on a possible UN resolution or international agreement to authorize a multinational force in Gaza and will discuss the issue in Qatar. ..."

Donald Trump says Qatar could send troops to Gaza | The Jerusalem Post "Qatari leaders are expected to discuss the ceasefire and peace force in Gaza with US President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a refueling stop in Doha."


US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during a meeting onboard Air Force One during its refuelling stop at Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar, October 25, 2025.


Thursday, October 02, 2025

Trump signs executive order vowing to defend Qatar

What does it take to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East?

Did Qatar in return give up state sponsorship of terrorism (e.g. Hamas)?

"President Donald Trump has signed an executive order vowing to use all measures including U.S. military action to defend the energy-rich nation of Qatar — though it remains unclear just what weight the pledge will carry. ..."

Trump signs executive order vowing to defend Qatar


Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gestures next to US President Donald Trump at Al Udeid Air Base, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. Source


Tuesday, September 30, 2025

The proposed amnesty and safe conduct for the mass killers of Hamas is perhaps the most serious sticking point of Trump's peace proposal

These monsters should be indicted and tried in court!

Too many times in the past murderous Arab terrorists got away! This appeasement has been practiced for many decades and it is wrong!

However, I bet these killers will be hunted down by the Israeli intelligence services and special operations wherever they are like the many Nazis before!

Saturday, September 27, 2025

President Trump's 21-point plan for ending Gaza war, creating a pathway to Palestinian state

It appears, the White House has not yet officially released this plan!

Again, why would Israel again accept a hostages for terrorists/murderers swap? Sounds a bit like bad deal in this respect. How often has Israel done this before in the past? AKA hostage diplomacy.

Why will the coward mass killers and monsters of Hamas be allowed to "be granted safe passage to receiving countries"????? The same freaking mistake like in the past. These killers should be prosecuted in a fair trial (perhaps like the Nuremberg Trial)! Nothing less ought to be accepted! Too much appeasement and reward for terrorism for my taste!
(See point no. 6 below)

It appears, the plan does not include the involvement of the West Bank Palestinian Authority nor Mahmoud Abbas (age 89)! Good news!

"... The 21-point document shared by the US with a handful of Arab and Muslim countries earlier this week on the United Nations General Assembly sidelines also contains clauses that have been staples in various proposals crafted by different stakeholders in recent months — from the release of all hostages to Hamas’s removal from power. ...

What are the 21 points?
The following are the contents of the plan, which have been paraphrased at the request of the sources who provided it.

1. Gaza will be a de-radicalized, terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.

2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of its people.

3. If Israel and Hamas agree to the proposal, the war will immediately end, with the IDF halting all operations and gradually withdrawing from the Strip.

4. Within 48 hours of Israel publicly accepting the deal, all living and deceased hostages will be returned.

5. Once the hostages are returned, Israel will free several hundred Palestinian security prisoners serving life sentences [???] and over 1,000 Gazans arrested since the start of the war, along with the bodies of several hundred Palestinians.

6. Once the hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence will be granted amnesty, while members who wish to leave the Strip will be granted safe passage to receiving countries. [This is the weakest point!]

7. Once this agreement is reached, aid will surge into the Strip at rates no lower than the benchmarks set in the January 2025 hostage deal, which included 600 trucks of aid per day, along with the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and the entry of equipment for removing rubble.

8. Aid will be distributed — without interference from either side — by the United Nations and the Red Crescent, along with other international organizations not associated with either Israel or Hamas.

The text of this clause appears intentionally vague and seemingly leaves an opening for the continued operation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, as it technically is an American organization, even if it was the brainchild of Israelis linked to the government and was crafted to fit the Israeli government’s prosecution of the war.

9. Gaza will be governed by a temporary, transitional government of Palestinian technocrats who will be responsible for providing day-to-day services for the people of the Strip. The committee will be supervised by a new international body established by the US in consultation with Arab and European partners. It will establish a framework for funding the redevelopment of Gaza until the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program.

This is the US plan’s first mention of the Ramallah-based PA. Israel has ruled out the authority as a potential ruler of Gaza, thereby nixing what has become the key to recruiting Arab assistance in the post-war management of the Strip, given that the international community views unifying the West Bank and Gaza under a single, reformed governing body as essential for long-term stability and peace.

The apparent decision to reserve the PA’s role for an unspecified later date will likely be a difficult pill for Ramallah to swallow, but it also has limited leverage to bear in these discussions.

Point nine appears to borrow heavily from former UK prime minister Tony Blair’s plan for ending the war, which was first revealed by The Times of Israel earlier this month.

Blair and former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner have been working on the Gaza file for months, while advising Witkoff.

10. An economic plan will be created to rebuild Gaza through the convening of experts with experience in constructing modern Middle East cities and through the consideration of existing plans aimed at attracting investments and creating jobs.

11. An economic zone will be established, with reduced tariffs and access rates to be negotiated by participating countries.

12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, but those who choose to leave will be allowed to return. Moreover, Gazans will be encouraged to remain in the Strip and offered an opportunity to build a better future there.

13. Hamas will have no role in Gaza’s governance whatsoever. There will be a commitment to destroy and stop building any offensive military infrastructure, including tunnels. Gaza’s new leaders will commit to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.

14. A security guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas and other Gaza factions comply with their obligations and that Gaza ceases to pose a threat to Israel or its own people.

15. The US will work with Arab and other international partners to develop a temporary international stabilization force that will immediately deploy in Gaza to oversee security in the Strip. The force will develop and train a Palestinian police force, which will serve as a long-term internal security body.

16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza, and the IDF will gradually hand over territory it currently occupies, as the replacement security forces establish control and stability in the Strip.

17. If Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above points will proceed in terror-free areas, which the IDF will gradually hand over to the international stabilization force.

This is the first mention of the possibility that the deal could be at least partially implemented, even if Hamas doesn’t agree.

18. Israel agrees not to carry out future strikes in Qatar. The US and the international community acknowledge Doha’s important mediating role in the Gaza conflict.

19. A process will be established to de-radicalize the population. This will include an interfaith dialogue aimed at changing mindsets and narratives in Israel and Gaza.

20. When Gaza’s redevelopment has been advanced and the PA reform program has been implemented, the conditions may be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood, which is recognized as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.

The clause doesn’t provide details regarding the Palestinian reform program and is not definitive regarding when the pathway to statehood can be established.

21. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful coexistence."

Revealed: US 21-point plan for ending Gaza war, creating pathway to Palestinian state

Friday, September 19, 2025

Is the Middle East the Next India or China for Startups? Really!

Certainly, the business acumen and saviness of Arabs suggests so! But call me skeptical! Where is the necessary peace in the Middle East?

However, as long as some of the Arab countries act like e.g. state sponsors of terrorism (e.g. Hamas) as a protection racket so they will not be overthrown by Islamist terrorism, the chances are not so good!

Monarchies and authoritarian regimes are also not too conducive for business!

And as long as something like the Abraham Accords are not extended to the whole region, serious doubts remain. Peace stimulates business (other than the arms industry)!

"For decades, the Middle East has been seen only through the lens of oil and conflict. The notion that it could become a hub of entrepreneurship was dismissed as wishful thinking. Startups are born in Silicon Valley or Shenzhen, not in Baghdad, Beirut, or Cairo. But that story is shifting. A new book by venture capitalist Noor Sweid, Coming of Age: How Technology and Entrepreneurship are Changing the Face of MENA, argues that the region is at an inflection point. Against every expectation, a generation of founders is building companies that matter. ..."

Is the Middle East the Next India or China for Startups? "The question is no longer whether the Middle East can produce viable, valuable startups, but whether it can sustain them long enough to rewrite the region’s economic story."


Book cover


Monday, August 18, 2025

With Assad gone and Iran hobbled, the time is ripe for a stable, more peaceful Middle East

Recommendable! Yes, indeed!

"... To be recognized as the legitimate representative of all Syrians, Sharaa must demonstrate the will to protect the country’s diverse minorities, including Druze, Christians, Alawites and Kurds. This is not merely about good governance. It’s about proving that Syria can transition from a sectarian battleground to a unified nation where all communities can feel secure and the ongoing cycle of internecine conflict is halted. ...

If Syria shows it can govern inclusively and protect all its minority groups — as well as provide guarantees against terrorist deployment along its borders and commit to blocking weapons transfers to fundamentalists — Israel could gradually withdraw from most of the Syrian side of the Golan Heights that the Israeli army took over in late 2024. The next phase could involve financial and civil cooperation, including Israeli backing for U.S. sanctions relief on Syria and participation in Syrian reconstruction efforts. ...

But with Iran unable to back its proxy, the new Lebanese government is finally able to take a strong stance against Hezbollah. And it’s not hard to picture Lebanon, freed from Iranian and Syrian dominance, could see its cease-fire with Israel evolve if it is able to fully disarm Hezbollah, as the government appears poised to push for.

For the first time in nearly half a century, the Iranian threat that has defined Middle Eastern geopolitics is rapidly diminishing, creating unprecedented opportunities for peace and normalization. ..."

With Assad gone and Iran hobbled, the time is ripe for a stable Middle East - Breaking Defense "Yossi Kuperwasser, a retired Israeli brigadier general and current head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, charts what he says is a path forward in the region."

Tuesday, July 08, 2025

A Shabbat in a synagogue located in the capital of Bahrain

Peace at last in the Middle East! Here is an example!

"... “All beliefs are the same,” Abdullah [a young Arab man reciting Psalms in a synagogue on Shabbat in Manama (capital of Bahrain)] tells me simply when I ask him why he’s reciting Jewish prayers. “We’re all part of the Abrahamic family.” ..."

A Shabbat in Bahrain - by Iram Ramzan "In Bahrain’s capital, Muslims and Jews pray side by side—defying sectarianism and the cynicism of global geopolitics"

Sunday, July 06, 2025

Peace with Syria’s jihadist regime is dangerous, Israel must reject it - opinion. Really!

Yes, Israel attempts at peace were betrayed several times by extremist Arab terrorists over many decades!

However, great moments in history or meetings of great minds are rare! We may just be witnessing a deep transformation of the Middle East towards a more lasting peace and cooperation between Arabs and Israelis. See also my today's blog post on this subject here, here.

The new (temporary?) leader of Syria deserves a chance! It is an opportunity to good to pass up with too much pessimism!

The naysayers come out of the woodwork! The author of this opinion piece is the "CEO of 12Tribe Films Foundation". Perhaps, he needs to review his tribal instincts!

Peace with Syria’s jihadist regime is dangerous, Israel must reject it | The Jerusalem Post (by Avi Abelow) "Why Israel should not trust Syria’s new leadership, or the peace being promised - opinion, Every time Israel has traded land for peace with enemies still committed to our destruction, we have paid in blood."

The author Avi Abelow