PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 12:10 pm - Jerusalem Time

The "Prisoners' Authority" publishes the message of female prisoners from inside Damon Prison

The lawyer for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners, Hanan Al-Khatib, conveyed, after her visit to the female prisoners languishing in Damon Prison , a message on the occasion of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, which falls on April 17 of each year.


Here is the text of the message:

"On Prisoner's Day, we wish freedom for all prisoners, and that there will be a serious stand for the sake of male and female prisoners, and that we wrest freedom because it is our right, as the right is taken and not given."


"We call on all leaders and factions to take action and to make the prisoners' file a top priority."


"We do not want to take action for the sake of the prisoners on a special occasion. We ask that there be constant concern for us, our families and our families, and that there be an intention to release us. Our cause is just and we are tired of slogans."


The prisoner, Yasmine Shaaban, devoted these words to all the female prisoners, in commemoration of the day:

On the day of the prisoner, we will write stories and anecdotes, we will write a history written by the years of life and written by the will of a people who sacrificed the most precious thing they possessed their freedom, we will write a story called Palestine, about the love of a land that refuses to rise up with everything in it, we will write about a father, a brother and a mother, we will write about the sons and daughters of the homeland, About the martyrs of the families who died in the cemetery of honor and dignity without farewell and without family, they died with the hope of a near future to dominate the epic of freedom, we will write about judgments told with imaginary stories, we will write about the women of history who stood firm against the occupier and made from their cells houses of honor and generosity, defying their will and proving to the whole world that they are They are not numbers that can be counted, but they are a revolution that leads a nation to find lost freedom in the depths of prisons. We will write about the cubs of Palestine who grew up before their time and carried on themselves a message of honor and dignity to reach the whole world, to say we are here and this is our land, and what was taken from us by force will be taken back by force. We will write about The epics of captivity, about a revolution made by the heroes of families, about sacrifices written with water and salt, to snatch their right to stay despite the usurper’s nose, we will write about a sun lost behind prison fences and walls, about a night without moon and stars, about trees, about planting, about the soil of the homeland, about details We miss her, but she is imprisoned in our hearts like our imprisoned bodies. We will write about longing, about love for the streets and alleys of our lanes that are lost in our memories. We will write about the smell of bread and coffee. We will write and write and write until the pen dries up. Freedom rises up, full of hope for a soon meeting, as my son Ibrahim said, “Palestine will be settled.” For your sake, O Palestine, a thousand times over.

ECONOMY

Mon 17 Apr 2023 12:09 pm - Jerusalem Time

American pharmaceutical company Merck acquires Prometheus for $10.8 billion

American pharmaceutical giant Merck announced Sunday that it has acquired Prometheus Biosciences for $10.8 billion to boost its production of immunosuppressive drugs .


Merck said in a statement that the two companies "concluded a definitive transaction under which Merck agreed, through its subsidiary, to acquire Prometheus for $200 cash per share, for a total value of $10.8 billion."


California-based Prometheus closed at $114.01 a share on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.


The company is developing therapies for immune diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, or inflammatory bowel disease.


"The agreement with Prometheus will accelerate our growing presence in the field of immunology, where there are still significant unmet needs for patients," said Robert Davis, Chairman and CEO of Merck, according to the statement.


He added that the deal diversifies Merck's portfolio and helps propel its "growth well into the next decade."


Merck's financial results were better-than-expected in the fourth quarter of 2022, thanks in part to strong cancer drug sales, and despite lower demand for the anti-COVID treatment molnopiravir.


From September to December, the company, known as MSD, had sales outside the United States and Canada of $13.8 billion, up 2 percent year-on-year.

Mon 17 Apr 2023 12:05 pm - Jerusalem Time

America: 4 dead and 28 wounded in a shooting at a birthday party

At least four people were killed and more than 20, most of them teenagers, injured Saturday night in a shooting at a birthday party in the US state of Alabama , police said, in the latest mass killing in the United States.


According to local reports, the shooting took place at a 16-year-old's birthday party at a discotheque in Didville, northeast of Montgomery, the Alabama state capital.


"Tragically four people were killed in this incident and there are many injuries," Alabama Law Enforcement Agency spokesman Sergeant Jeremy Burkett told reporters Sunday.


Burkett later determined that 28 people had been injured, some critically, and urged anyone with information about the crime to come forward.


Annette Allan said her grandson, Phil Dowdle, was one of the victims. Phil, a senior in high school, attended his sister Alexis' birthday party on Saturday.


"He was a very humble child. He didn't bother anyone. The smile was always on his face," Alan said in an interview with a local newspaper, noting that Dowdel's mother was also injured.


"Everyone is sad," she continued.


President Joe Biden said in a statement that the nation is once again in mourning over the killing of young Americans as a result of gun violence.


Biden, who has long sought to tighten gun restrictions, asked, "How far has our nation come when children can't attend a birthday party without fear?"


He added, "Arms are the main cause of death for children in America, and the numbers are increasing, not declining," stressing, "This is intolerable and unacceptable."


Lake Martin Hospital, close to the site of the shooting, has received 15 gunshot wounds, most of them teenagers, Heidi Smith, an official at Ivy Creek, the company that runs the rural health facility, told AFP.


Smith added that six of the injured were discharged from the hospital and nine were transferred to hospitals with higher capacities, noting that five of them are in critical condition.


More than 12 hours after the tragedy, neither Burkett nor other officials have provided any details about who and what motivated the shooting, or whether the suspect has been arrested.


"We can't share anything else at this time," the sergeant said, adding only that the incident was "related to a birthday party."


Didville Police Chief Jonathan Floyd described the town as "a tight-knit community full of wonderful people."


Alabama police did not give any additional details, but said they had opened an investigation in partnership with the Deadville police and federal agencies, including the FBI.


And the station, "WRP-IL," reported on Sunday about a heavy police movement on Saturday night and cordoning off a building in Didville with crime scene tape, noting that white sheets covered parts of the site.

State leaders took to Twitter Sunday to express their grief, offer prayers for the victims, and denounce the violence, but provided no details of what happened.


Alabama Governor Kay Ivey wrote on Twitter, "This morning, I am as sad as the people of Deadville and the people of Alabama," adding, "Violent crime has no place in our state."


Alabama Sen. Tommy Tubervilla called the shooting "heartbreaking."


The United States, with a population of 330 million, has 400 million firearms, and witnesses frequent bloody mass shootings.


The recent shooting in Didville coincided with the 16th anniversary of the Virginia Tech school shooting in 2007, which is the deadliest in American school history, killing 32 people.


In a separate incident, police confirmed late Saturday that two people were killed and four others wounded in a shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, which last week witnessed a shooting attack at a bank that killed five people.


The Gun Violence Archive has counted 163 mass shootings in the United States so far this year. The non-profit organization defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are killed, either injured or dead, excluding the shooter.


Efforts to tighten gun controls are opposed by Republicans who are staunch defenders of the constitutional right to bear arms.


A third of Americans own at least one gun, and nearly half of all adults live in a household with a gun.

PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 12:03 pm - Jerusalem Time

Virtual Eid congratulations.. Have you become a substitute for reality?

Between its advantages and disadvantages, there is debate about the importance of new technology that introduced a new digital globalization that would make the whole world smaller than a small village, and that technology is bringing people closer on their occasions, but it threatens their privacy, amidst many questions being raised about whether the virtual congratulations on the holidays are through The technology system is a substitute for congratulations on the ground.


Digital marketing expert Sedqi Abu Duhair told Al-Quds.com: “The digital globalization that brought the world closer to us is less than a drop of water, and the ability of this digital development made us belong to this system by our will. The need that these digital platforms provided us with made us part of its composition.” internally, and we would be an integrated element that would not work without us as users, and we would not have the access and information that we would have without the available applications.”


Abu Duhair added, "Eid Al-Fitr will come to us again, and we will use communication platforms, publish congratulations, comment with friends, and comment with them, and we will use stickers (emojis) a lot on all platforms, regardless of their different policies. Virtual digital congratulations with neighbors, friends, relatives, and family has become inevitable." And those digital congratulations became like real congratulations, but rather became more accessible and faster than the reality itself!


Abu Duhair confirms that "the effort spent in writing a congratulation (Happy New Year) to every virtual friend on the platforms, whether on Rails or in the story, on a post is insignificant, and it is a great and tiring matter, to the extent that we may tell each other (I congratulated all my friends on Facebook ))”, pointing out that this reality exists now and there is no way to change this virtual reality, even if it is courtesy or as some claim hypocrisy or digital words that do not carry real feelings.


According to Abu Duhair, “Because of this system, the family no longer has a special concern, whether it is congratulating the holidays, celebrating a birthday, celebrating a new baby, or even a long-awaited academic achievement and other occasions. We no longer have a personal matter at all, and we are not entitled to celebrate alone.” ".


Abu Duhair confirms that it is no longer difficult now to reach a friend or relative on the other side of the planet, to send congratulations and share joy with him, to live the atmosphere of Ramadan advent, and perhaps the approaching Eid al-Fitr, as long as he uses social media platforms that will create the pleasure of interaction of all kinds.


Technology, according to Abu Duhair, was able, through these digital platforms, to reduce the congratulations to the “emoji” sticker, to be sufficient to convey interest and beautiful feelings, “as one of the characteristics of this amazing development is to revive you and persuade you to put a publication bearing your personal picture with a simple text carrying the most beautiful phrases of congratulations for being responsible for A digital community called (friends) on your platform, and they are waiting to congratulate you.


Abu Duhair indicates that you may be fortunate to have an audio message (podcast) in which your name is mentioned in person, to hear expressions of congratulations and blessings, tones of love and feelings that reflect the interest of the person sending.
Abu Duhair does not see that social media platforms provide isolation, eradicate humanity, or make us lose our true nature. Rather, he sees them as a positive thing as a tool and means that carry the same real feelings, and be as in the virtual world, but differ and vary in the degree of transmission of feelings from one person to another.


With regard to the negative aspects of congratulations on occasions and holidays on social networking sites virtually, Abu Duhair says: "All that is in the matter is that we misused the correct use of social media platforms, for which it was created, but we failed in our dealings with real life, and the features of love gradually disappeared, and real communication decreased, and it increased." Practical burdens and social glamor, and we found our way in the virtual world, so digital congratulations have a presence, roots, authenticity, and more desire, because they give me an impression of the large number of lovers and admirers.


Abu Duhair affirms by saying: “I fully believe that these platforms were made for a good purpose, and I believe that it can be benefited financially and morally from them, and I am completely certain that their presence in our daily lives is a good thing, as they have now begun to influence decision-making in the political world, as Biden intends.” He did it by gathering influencers in America to contribute to his second electoral round, and it has a major role on the economic side, and in the existence of digital trade.
Abu Duhair continues, "Even on the media side, the major Western and Arab media and global news machines cannot continue without social media platforms, so it is good for us to stay in touch, even with digital congratulations."

PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 12:03 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Israeli Navy arrests 4 fishermen in the southern Gaza Strip

Today, Monday, the Israeli Navy arrested 4 fishermen off the Rafah Sea, in the southern Gaza Strip .


According to the fishermen's committees in Gaza, "Hasaktine" was confiscated for hunting.


On a daily basis, the Israeli Navy deliberately makes life difficult for fishermen in the Gaza Sea and prevents them from practicing the fishing profession.

SPORT

Mon 17 Apr 2023 11:39 am - Jerusalem Time

The Palestinian community team won the Arab Championship title in Hungary

The Palestinian community team won the title of the Arab Football Championship, by defeating the brotherly Algerian community team in the final match with a single goal in the tournament that took place in Hungary .


Sixteen teams from the Arab communities in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, participated in the championship, and the Moroccan community came third.


The Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, Karima Kabaj, congratulated the Palestine team for winning the championship title, and thanked the Embassy of the State of Palestine for the good management and organization, as Palestine headed the organizing committee for the championship.


At the end of the tournament, the Embassy of the State of Palestine, represented by Ambassador Fadi Al-Husseini, was honored for managing the tournament, and both the Saudi and Qatari embassies for their role in supporting this tournament.

OPINIONS

Mon 17 Apr 2023 11:20 am - Jerusalem Time

Does Saudi Arabia mediate again between Fatah and Hamas?

It seems that the Saudi movement on the Arab and Islamic level is no longer limited to what we have seen and are witnessing in terms of contacts and meetings to unify the Arab and Islamic ranks and end conflicts and differences before the Arab summit in Saudi Arabia, in addition to working on the independence of the Arab countries from the American dependence that contributed to the internal Arab wars and the sabotage of the situation. In several Arab countries, in addition to the looting of Arab wealth, especially the oil wealth, under various unfounded allegations.


Rather, the Saudi movement towards future prospects and the development of the Arab situation exceeded that to the Palestinian arena, which has been divided for about 16 years. On its strength, as if this force can resolve this conflict, which is faced with an iron will by the Palestinian people, who are confronted with an awl, as well as the Palestinian weakness as a result of this division.


For Saudi Arabia to invite a delegation from Hamas to it and at the highest levels after a rupture that lasted for several years, as well as to invite President Mahmoud Abbas at the same time to visit it. brute.


Although we expect that the two calls by Saudi Arabia, which come at the same time and today, that they will be to restore Saudi Arabia’s mediation to resolve the division and restore cohesion to the Palestinian arena that has drained the people and the struggle that has become individual by young men who have overcome the differences of organizations, especially the dispute between Fatah and Hamas, which led to what we are in. difficult situation on all fronts.


Our hope is great in Saudi Arabia this time to force the two sides to achieve reconciliation and restore national unity, which is the only way to achieve victories and restore respect for the Palestinian cause.


In view of what Saudi Arabia is doing to unify the Arab arenas on the basis of facing challenges and catching up with developments in the world, which confirm that American hegemony over the world is on its way to disappearing and that there will be an international order based on truth, justice, peace and the exchange of common interests.


Will Fatah and Hamas respond this time to the Saudi efforts and keep pace with the developments taking place in the world, or is the world around us on its way to change, including the Arab and Islamic world, and we remain as we are, which will destroy all the achievements that have been achieved through the struggles and sacrifices of our people?


History will not be merciful to those who do not respond to the call for unity, which has become more than urgent and necessary. Rather, it is an individual duty imposed on every Arab and Muslim.

OPINIONS

Mon 17 Apr 2023 11:19 am - Jerusalem Time

The Palestinian captive movement in its day

from under the arches of blood; From Jenin and Nablus to Jerusalem and Gaza, and throughout the homeland, and under the sky of the holy month, and on the day of the captive movement, which made freedom free, which is one of the names of Palestine, the day of the captive movement shines from the country’s sun and mountains, the face of the ears, the wheat of the prairies and the mud of the fields. The prison sculpted her stature, and songs of hope and the impossible came, after her soul sent a placenta that pregnant women dried on the rock of the valley, and after she spread it on the ropes of the night in the lonely cells.


This movement weaned her grief before crying, and turned it into fists that pounded the night, and she remained with the village circle surrounded by calls, despite the siege, their violence and abuse.


The tender veins of Heaven and Hell were not removed from the garment of their story, and the gold of their veins was the ringing of the bells of vigilance and prayer.


It is a sword of flesh, and a storm lurking in the steps of ascending to the cloud, and it distributes lightning over the fields.


The captive, purifying, unified movement, which sprinkled the dust of the squares with cherries, is the spark of the fire that it lit from its boxes, and the embers besieging it with starvation, restrictions, isolation, terrorism, threats, and gas that liquefies shame. And the wind is the fragrance of her dark shirts, tanned with the blood of clashes.


If it screams, the forests rise behind it, to be a witness to the spring and the coming weddings, to the will of the free despite the walls, and to the march of the returnees to their first land, from the camps, the fuel of the revolution and the witness of proof of the inalienable right.


Perhaps the captive movement was the first to transcend the categories of suspicious division, the vocabulary of self-searching, and all that the delusional people suggested for disagreement and disagreement. She is returning from confrontation to the castle.. all the way to salvation and breaking down the heavy doors filled with mad bullets and dogs.


Far from fissures, factional color, and conflict of flags, Palestine is the vocabulary of the captive movement, which clings like a raging fire to its conscience, or like a winter daffodil in its heart.


The captive movement is our mountain, which extends from Carmel to Eibal and Al-Asur to Hebron, the Negev and Rafah. These are the names of the fedayeen whose bright steps we traced when they came from the refugee camps.


It faced severe strategic injustice, so it provided martyrs and weeks of hunger and thirst as salt for the wounds of the sun, and broke the brutal darkness and the surrounding woe, and remained under the lamp of its national umbrella, which sponsored all diligence and the diversity of intellectual and political visions, with elegance, sanctity and poise.


And soon we will see the eagles of prisoners breeding in bags and eras, models that participated, in their years of life, in liberating the country and the people, but they need continuous care and to strengthen the deep meaning of unity, and to propose all possible forms to support campaigns for their release, and work to preserve their achievements, to see the prisoners included in The stairs of the coming free time, because they fought on a non-oppressive front, starting with the front of occupation and ending with the front of survival, resistance, resistance to alienation, eradication of awareness and humiliation.


She is pure, healthy, and sincere, who has not been cursed by seductive politics, and has not been embraced by ghosts in her black cloaks shrouded in the abyss of obscurity.


It is an unusual phenomenon to the extent of a renewed legend.

Perhaps this day, the day of the prisoner, is obsessed with creating a more coherent front to support these brave men, women and children, until the pomegranate lights up, the day of their freedom weddings, and they sleep on a pillow of contentment and completeness, so that they dream of wedding, meeting and innocence.


The captive movement has not changed, to the extent that politics and variables forced it on compulsory paths, or led it to paths that need responsible revisions, but we still derive from it the morale and the vocabulary of unified, serious work for God and the country. She is the one who strokes the tired strands, and she is the exhausted and dead one, and remains surrounding them with the shadows of returning to the first womb of hope, longing for the first image that will soon be realized.


They threw poison in its well and its water, so it referred it to Zamzam and Salsabil.


And she is the confident one who is acquitted of hatred.


The occupation was not only unable to kill her or empty her.. but with her blood and tears she lit up the scene in all its aspects, and "victory is the ally of the civilized."


I paused in front of pleasant, harsh, and quick memories with her, and cleared our days within her difficult biography, so I realized that she had white pages in the book of her good Palestinian family.


We bow to the captive movement because it is the mother of freedom, and because it is the daughter of honor, the queen of its honorable brothers, and the fortress that no one conquered.


And I do not say to the prisoners except that you are greater than death.


And I say thank you because you were and still are among us, and thank you for this land on which we stand, or sit with you on its rugs.
And congratulations to you, glory until salvation, O names of the returning countries.

OPINIONS

Mon 17 Apr 2023 11:17 am - Jerusalem Time

Necessary meeting

A good initiative, and an important gathering, called for by Saudi Arabia on April 14, 2023. It included the foreign ministers of 9 Arab countries: the six Arab Gulf countries, along with Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.


The achievement, however modest it seemed, was that it did not reach a final decision to return Syria to its position in the Arab League, as it was, and as it should be, but the meeting laid the groundwork and laid the necessary premises towards understanding, to make the Syrian issue alive in the interest of the majority of Arab countries, and to end The state of estrangement with it, and the abolition of the slogans of overthrowing, changing or replacing the regime, so that the regime is the legal characteristic that qualifies and the binding address, and ending betting on other military or civilian opposition parties, to be an alternative to the regime.


It is no longer a secret that the Israeli colony and the American administration, through its various channels and security, intelligence and military tools, were behind the decisions to destroy Iraq, Syria, Libya and others in service of the colony’s goal to be the only force in controlling the Arab situation, along with three surrounding parties, Turkey, Iran and Ethiopia, which have direct influence and attempts to intervene. affairs of neighboring Arab countries.


The Saudi Arabian initiative bears the characteristic of retreating from all policies that were consistent with American visions and positions, and bears the characteristic of independence and respect for the national and national interests of our countries, our peoples, and our nationalism.


The meeting does not mean rejecting the point of view of each party, but it seeks to establish common denominators between the various parties, relying on dialogue and discussion on contentious issues, highlighting the common towards them, and giving more opportunities, dialogue and discussion to reach agreed conclusions.


The Syrian issue was a priority, and it is the main motive for the meeting in order to:


1- Direct Arab-Syrian involvement with the aim of reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis, preserving Syria's unity, cohesion, and sovereignty, restoring its security, stability, and role, creating conditions for the voluntary return of refugees, and ridding it of terrorism.


2- Resolving the humanitarian crisis and providing the appropriate environment for aid to reach all Syrian regions.


3- Cooperation in combating terrorism in all its forms and organizations, combating drug smuggling and trafficking, ending the presence of armed militias, and foreign interference in Syrian internal affairs.


4- Continued consultation and coordination between the parties to agree on work mechanisms and next steps, in order to complete what has been done, and launch an Arab leadership role in efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis.


The Palestinian cause and its consequences were present, and the important acknowledgment of the centrality of the Palestinian cause and its priorities, especially after a series of crimes and transgressions and abuse by the colony and its tools on the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the prevention of Muslim and Christian worshipers from practicing their rights and rituals in the month of Ramadan for Muslims, and the celebrations of Christians with their feasts and their vigils on Good Friday Bright Saturday and Easter Sunday.


A cumulative Arab position that deserves respect, and the need to continue its gradual steps and successful endings in service of the nation’s issues, at the forefront of which are Palestine and Syria, and all issues of attrition as a result of inter-Arab wars and their cessation.

OPINIONS

Mon 17 Apr 2023 11:15 am - Jerusalem Time

Bassam's vine

الأسير زياد زهران "أبو أمل"

الأسير زياد زهران "أبو أمل"

Opinion Writer

More than 20 years have passed, and the memory is still hard to forget. When the tanks of the occupation and its special teams invaded the streets of Ramallah, they left martyrs, wounded, and destruction in the city's alleys. The whistling of bullets and monitoring planes are chasing the bodies of the remaining fighters defending the city, and after the treacherous control by virtue of brute force, some fighters searched for shelter and a safe place, as the enemy did not leave a place except to sow death and destruction.


Two resistance fighters are trying to hide from the pursuit of Hulagu's soldiers, the new era "Sharon". Shivering from cold, fatigue, and hunger, from morning till evening they were in the center of the country, resisting the savage incursion. There was no one left in the streets after the city was occupied, and there was no way out except for Ain Musbah and its valley, which separates it from the center of the country by hundreds of meters. From Ramallah Al-Tahta to Al-Muttal, towards the old houses in Ain Musbah, the two fighters arrive completely as the occupation soldiers and vehicles tighten the cordon on the place. Shooting, successive explosions. Military vehicles pass by wherever they stop. Soldiers shout when they storm homes in search of wanted persons. The two fighters are hanging out in an alley, and next to them are hundreds of soldiers, ready to shoot everything that moves. humans. Trees. animals.


Karma is sitting on her balcony, watching in amazement at this scene. She gives a signal with her hand to one of the fighters. Don't move. The soldiers are right above the wall. The fighter's eyes were tired. What do we do? Karma said wait a bit. I will let you into my house, and if they come, we are all students at Birzeit. The fighter said, "We have a weapon." Kerma returned to bury him under the tree. Hours of anxiety and pressure, until the density of the occupation army in the place decreased. Karma examined a safe way to the Muqata'a, and succeeded in securing their way until they arrived, and she returned smiling.


Karma lives in a small apartment, located on the ground floor. In front of it is a garden of flowers and trees, distinguished by a valley, and a narrow path. Karma may wonder about the fate of the woman she saved due to her inherited courage from a father who struggled in exile, and after returning to the occupied homeland. It is confirmed that she does not know that one of the fighters is married and has two children. He was arrested near her home after months, spent nearly two decades in captivity, and went out to find his children at Karma, the former Birzeit University. It is certain that Karma also does not know that the second fighter got married while he was being chased, and had two children like his companion, then he was also arrested, and he has been a prisoner for two decades, and during his arrest his children grew up, as the daughter is studying in a college, and the youngest is in the third grade at Al-Ahed School. To life with a smuggled sperm, he became an ambassador of freedom. A few years later, he will be released and returned to his patient wife and children.


How difficult were those years. It contains the memory of death, the pain, the hope, the anxious expectation, and the determination to work for tomorrow. Despite the hardships and circumstances of exception, love remains victorious over obstacles.


What happened to Karma now?! Did you know that Courage of a Moment granted life to several individuals? In my country, between hour and hour, things change.

OPINIONS

Mon 17 Apr 2023 11:13 am - Jerusalem Time

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the focus of the conflict.. Will the world hear the voice of Muslims?

سليمان صالح

سليمان صالح

Opinion Writer

The world is witnessing many events that need analysis and interpretation for the public to understand, but the global media system does not provide the knowledge that can help people face the dangers that threaten the existence of humanity and warn that the conflict in the world is heading to a new stage.

One of the most important indications of the events is that the global conflict is getting more and more complex, so the media needs to develop its functions and achieve justice in presenting opinions and positions. The Western media’s bias towards Israel has led to ignorance and misleading the masses, falsifying their awareness, and not forming a global public opinion that could protect the world from a total explosion.

Bias for Israel has been linked to bias against Muslims and not giving them the opportunity to clarify their positions, vision, and version of events, and this constitutes a general injustice to them, and at the same time leads to misleading the masses and diminishing their ability to fight against the forces that want to ignite wars and destroy humanity, and what we are witnessing during the past days demonstrates the need The world needs to build a new global media system that provides knowledge to the masses, protects them from ignorance and misinformation, and achieves justice for all, and this can protect the world from turning conflict into an all-out war.

Why is the conflict over Jerusalem?
The media did not try to explain the events to the public or to provide an answer to important questions: Why does the conflict revolve around Al-Aqsa Mosque? And why do right-wing extremists in Israel insist on slaughtering sacrifices inside it, while defenseless Palestinian Muslims sacrifice their lives in defense of it? What does the slaughter of offerings mean?

There is a clash between two visions that cannot be reconciled, so an all-out war will ignite because of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the arrival of the extreme right, led by Ben Gvir, to power in Israel is a prelude to an explosion that cannot be avoided unless the world possesses wisdom and a global public opinion is formed that confronts the Israeli plans and forces the Israeli government to Curb the extremists who want to slaughter sacrifices inside the mosque as a beginning to establish the Temple of Solomon on its ruins according to their religious vision and to realize their dream that their state was established to achieve.

This vision is embraced by all Zionists, but in previous years, Israeli governments prevented extremists from attempting to slaughter sacrifices so as not to break out into an all-out war and delay the construction of the Temple.

Now the extreme right-wingers have come to power, and found that the opportunity has come to realize their dream, as the Arab countries submit to them and cannot confront them, and they wish the approval of America, which protects Israel and guarantees its supremacy and control over the region.

Almoravids defend the world
The Palestinians realized the nature and circumstances of the historical stage, so their means of defending Al-Aqsa Mosque was to be present in it, perform i'tikaaf and perform Tarawih prayers, to prevent the extremist Israeli government from allowing the slaughter of sacrifices so that it does not turn into a massacre.

Thus, the Palestinian Almoravids defended humanity as a whole with their bodies, souls, and prayers so that the flames of an all-out war would not explode in the region, and the world must realize the dangers of the Israeli plan to build the temple on the ruins of the mosque. Al-Aqsa during the month of Ramadan, and if the media provided information to the public and revealed the facts, people all over the world would realize that the Al-Mourabitoun, while defending their Al-Aqsa Mosque, were defending humanity's right to life and existence and protecting the world from an all-out war.

The world's respect for the Islamic faith
In order for the world to obtain a comprehensive picture of the events, the media must provide the opportunity for Muslims to present their vision and clarify their faith.

In order for the world to be protected from an all-out war in the region, a global public opinion must be formed that refuses to touch Al-Aqsa Mosque and prevents Israel from carrying out its plan to demolish it, and to stand up to the extremists.

The matter is very dangerous. Demolishing Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to establish the Temple clearly means that millions of Muslims will sacrifice their lives for it, and massacres will occur that no one can imagine because of ignorance of the status of this mosque in the Islamic faith, and the world must possess wisdom and fairness, as everyone on earth has the right to freedom Faith, and certainly this includes Muslims.

Zionist myths in the face of the Islamic faith
If the media opened the way for explaining the Islamic faith, the world would realize the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque in it, and that the attack on this mosque would push events to escalate, and no one would be able to confront the fire that could burn the world.

Muslims believe that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was built by angels during the reign of our father Adam - peace be upon him - 40 years after the construction of the Sacred Mosque, and that God entrusted his prophets with the care and protection of this mosque, including Solomon - upon him be peace - who did not build a structure but preserved Al-Aqsa Mosque and worshiped God is in it.

Solomon - upon him be peace - is a prophet who worships God and cannot build a structure in the first place, so accusing him of building a structure constitutes an insult to him, and Muslims refuse to offend the prophets of God, and Muslims are the ones who know the stories of the prophets, and they are the trustees of these stories that God honored them with their knowledge in the Holy Qur’an or came In the hadith of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace.

Whoever wants to know the true stories of the prophets of God, Muslims can provide him with the knowledge that came in the Holy Qur’an, which is the word of God revealed to His Messenger through the trustworthy Revelation Gabriel, and it is preserved in the breasts of the believers as it was read by the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him.

There is no room for compromising or negotiating over the faith, or exploiting the weakness of Muslims in this era to reach compromises, and the only solution is to respect the Muslim faith to avoid clash.

Link to the Grand Mosque
Muslims believe that Al-Aqsa Mosque is linked to the Sacred Mosque, and this is clear in Surat Al-Isra, and that God Almighty took His servant from the Sacred Mosque to Al-Aqsa Mosque, and in it he prayed as an imam with the prophets of God, and this bears indications, the most important of which is the prophets’ delivery of the message, trust and call to God’s unification and worship and to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque to The Seal of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace.

Accordingly, the Islamic nation is entrusted with defending and protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque, and for its sake it can sacrifice everything it possesses, and it is a great honor in this world and victory in the Hereafter for a Muslim to sacrifice his soul in defense of this mosque, and this explains the behavior of the stationed in the mosque and their insistence on protecting it with their lives, and they are On behalf of the Islamic nation, they perform a civilized, human and religious duty and function. The hearts of all Muslims in the world are attached to this mosque, and Israel understands this more than the Arab regimes that only care about achieving stability.

The liberation of the mosque is an Islamic civilized project
The believers aspired to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Roman Empire as it constitutes a cornerstone of the Islamic civilizational project, and studying the behavior of the leaders and armies that undertook this great mission clarifies many facts, the most important of which is the concern not to shed blood and open the way for the Roman army to leave the region, and this explains a lot From the events of history, including the dismissal of Khalid bin Al-Walid (the distinguished genius military commander) from the leadership of the army, so that the Secretary of the Nation, the jurist and scholar Abu Ubaidah Amer bin Al-Jarrah, assumed command.

This is the field of knowledge-based leadership that manages a civilized conflict with knowledge and science before weapons, so the field commander should have been Abu Ubaidah, and the commander-in-chief should have been Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Commander of the Faithful, who came to open it himself and protect the rights of Christians in Jerusalem.

Throughout their history, Muslims have been keen to transform Jerusalem into a center of knowledge or a major university in which students receive education to become scholars who spread the light of Islam in their countries, and this explains how most of the martyrs killed by the Crusaders were students.

The Crusaders did not respect the civilizing function of the Holy City, so they shed the blood of 70,000 students of knowledge until their horses fought in the blood that flooded Al-Aqsa Mosque, but the Islamic nation kept dreaming of liberating the mosque until Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi was able to unite the nation and achieve the great goal.

The liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque remains a goal of life for every Muslim who dreams of achieving it and prepares himself and his children for it, and Israel is well aware of this and knows that the Islamic nation is now in a state of weakness and no longer defends the mosque except the Almoravids who have nothing but their faith in God and their trust in His victory.

The weak can rise up and build strength
Everyone should understand the lessons of history, the most important of which is that the weak can rise up, innovate, innovate, produce their weapons, resist and insist on achieving their great goal, and that the world is now witnessing many events that can help us anticipate the future.

The scene of the Almoravids praying to worship God and defending the mosque can contribute to restoring the awareness of the Islamic nation of its function and its civilized project and pushes people to rearrange their life goals, and this pushes them to a comprehensive uprising that forms a new world in which the Islamic nation occupies its place and plays a new historical role in providing knowledge to peoples and leading their struggle To be liberated from old and new colonialism and to wrest her freedom and her right to life.

Perhaps one of the most important achievements of the Al-Murabitun in Al-Aqsa Mosque is restoring awareness to people and liberating them from ignorance. Those who defend their Al-Aqsa Mosque have built their perspective on life, and according to that perspective, martyrdom to achieve a great goal is the end that befits the person whom God has honored, and when this perspective spreads, it can be Reality changes, and the scene can be an inspiration to all peoples who are oppressed and impoverished.

However, can peace be achieved in light of all this? The answer is: Yes, when global public opinion forms pressures on Israel to leave Jerusalem to its true owners and leave it far away from it, but the extreme right will continue to implement its plan to achieve its dream of building the Temple, and this constitutes the beginning of an all-out war.

Will the media do its job in explaining and interpreting the events and opening the way for Muslims to present their story to humanity and save the world from a war in which the blood of millions could be spilled? Yes, we want to save humanity, but through dialogue, justice and respect for the Muslim faith, not exploiting its weakness, not using brute force against it, and protecting its right to know the facts to face the danger wisely. people into an active force. About "Al Jazeera Net"

OPINIONS

Mon 17 Apr 2023 11:11 am - Jerusalem Time

Not in America alone makes politics!

د. رمزي عودة/ الأمين العام للحملة الأكاديمية الدولية لمناهضة الاحتلال والأبرتهايد

د. رمزي عودة/ الأمين العام للحملة الأكاديمية الدولية لمناهضة الاحتلال والأبرتهايد

Opinion Writer

The international system is witnessing rapid and massive developments that may change its polar pattern, and it is not possible to predict the paths of this transformation. The Russian-Ukrainian war has not stopped, and it is not expected to stop in the short term. Europe is living in a difficult state of divisions and poor economic conditions, especially after the energy crisis. The Taiwan crisis still poses a threat and portends more conflict between the United States and China. North Korea was not deterred by the truce steps taken by the previous Trump administration, from the continuation of the threat in the Pacific, especially towards Japan. In light of these conflicts, the clear and important fact remains that the world is witnessing rapid transformations due to the rise of major powers at the top of the world's poles.


What is striking is that the position of the United States of America has been shaken in its traditional spheres of influence, and major and regional rival powers have begun to resist this influence. Including what is a natural ally of the United States itself. In the Crimea region, the Russians were unable to achieve decisiveness, but the United States and its Ukrainian and European allies were also unable to end the war. In fact, the mere outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war clearly indicates that the deterrent power of the first power in the world, the United States, was not sufficient to deter the Russians from annexing Crimea and waging war to occupy Ukraine. On the other hand, the traditional allies of the United States in Europe, led by France, have become openly disturbed by the American hegemony, which could not protect Europe from the Russian threat, nor from the energy crisis and unemployment in it. French President Macron himself caused a stir when he gave an interview to the French business newspaper Les Echos, where he said that “the worst thing is to think that we Europeans have to be followers” on the Taiwan question and “adapt to the American rhythm and the Chinese overreaction.” According to the editorial of the French newspaper Le Figaro, the era of American hegemony over the world has ended and the world's use of the dollar has declined, and Washington pushed the world to do so by using its currency as a tool for political pressure on others.


As for the Sino-American rivalry, it has moved to a stage close to conflict, especially when it comes to the issue of Taiwan. The Russian-Chinese rapprochement increased as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which angered the United States, which imposed continuous economic sanctions on China. On the other hand, China is expanding its influence in the Middle East, Africa and Asia without the real ability of the United States to stop this expansion. The last blow the United States received from China was when the latter succeeded in mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which is considered one of the most difficult issues in the Arab region, which was considered a natural sphere of influence for the United States. As a result, China and Russia have emboldened and played a pivotal role in the Middle East and Europe, and the United States is no longer the only player in these two strategic regions. These transformations have begun to concern the allies of the United States itself, as Japan has recently increased its military capabilities remarkably in order to reduce its dependence on American military protection. Not only has Israel expanded its economic relations with China and Russia, but the United States has so far been unable to change the policies of the fascist Israeli government towards judicial reform or settlement in the region. In fact, it seems that global politics is no longer made only in the United States, there are powerful partners and competitors who have something to say in this policy, and perhaps in many cases the United States and its currency have lost the luster of the dominant power in the world.

OPINIONS

Mon 17 Apr 2023 11:05 am - Jerusalem Time

Pathogenic poverty.. and impoverished disease..


Palestine has been suffering from the problem of poverty for decades, as many citizens live in difficult conditions and great economic challenges. Palestinians in all regions of the West Bank and Gaza Strip are affected by poverty, and the poverty rate varies between regions and governorates. According to a report issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2020, the poverty rate in East Jerusalem reached 75.6%, while the unemployment rate in the city reached 18.1%. . While the report of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in 2022 indicated that nearly a third of the population (29.2%) in Palestine suffers from poverty, and the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip reached (53%), while it reached (13.9%) in the West Bank.


The Israeli occupation is one of the most important factors affecting the level of poverty in Palestine, as it imposes many restrictions on movement, movement, trade and investment, which negatively affects the Palestinian economy and increases unemployment and poverty rates. The wars and permanent political, economic and social crises that Palestine is witnessing increase the risks of poverty and exacerbate the economic and social conditions of citizens. Environmental factors and the lack of water and natural resources increase poverty rates in rural areas in particular.


It is well known that poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon, and this concept indicates that poverty is not just a lack of income and wealth, but that it includes many other factors that affect the lives of individuals and hinder their ability to live in dignity. The different dimensions of poverty include, but are not limited to: material poverty, lack of access to basic health services and education, lack of access to clean water and sanitation, lack of access to adequate and fair employment opportunities, discrimination and social and political exclusion, and lack of equal access to growth opportunities. Economic and development. This concept includes that poverty cannot be addressed by granting the poor financial allocations only, but rather it needs to address many different dimensions in an integrated and simultaneous manner, which requires joint efforts from governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.


However, it is important to pay attention to the existence of a close relationship between mental illness and poverty, as poverty can lead to an increased risk of mental illness, and on the contrary, mental illness can lead to poverty. With regard to the increased risk of mental illness, poverty leads to exposure of individuals to many harsh and difficult conditions, such as psychological stress, social and economic instability, lack of access to health services and psychological treatment, discrimination and social exclusion, and these factors can increase the risk of developing mental illnesses such as Depression, anxiety, stress, schizophrenia and addiction.


On the other hand, mental illnesses can lead to poverty, as these diseases are likely to affect job performance and the ability to work, and thus can lead to job loss and deterioration of the physical condition of the individual and his family. Also, psychological and pharmacological treatment can be very expensive, especially if a person has been receiving private treatment for a long time, in addition to that some psychiatric medications needed for treatment may not be available at a low cost in some areas. There is no doubt that the mentally ill may face difficulty in finding suitable and stable work due to his psychological disorders and because of societal stigma, which leads to loss of income and deterioration of the economic situation.


However, the foregoing does not mean that the mental patient will necessarily become poor, as this depends on several factors such as the type of mental disorder, the necessary treatment, and the support available from the family and society. Mental disorders can affect the patient's economic and financial life significantly, but it does not necessarily lead to poverty if there is sufficient support from the family, community and health system. We also have to stress that not every poor person is mentally ill. There are many needy people who enjoy good mental health, happy family life, and rich friendships.


In Palestine, mental health services and psychiatric medications are available free of charge in 14 governorates in the West Bank and in six governorates in Gaza for those who need them. However, we must work together in all sectors to address poverty, provide basic health and psychological services to the largest number of needy individuals and help improve their living and economic conditions by giving them free health insurance and suitable job opportunities, and this is in parallel with the request of the international community to work to achieve justice and peace for the Palestinians .

PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 10:53 am - Jerusalem Time

On its international day.. 562 Palestinians with hemophilia

Today, Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that the number of hemophilia patients in Palestine reached 562, including 178 patients in the Gaza Strip , and 384 patients in the West Bank .


This came in a statement on the occasion of the International Day for Hemophilia and Hemophilia, which the world celebrates on the seventeenth of April every year.


This day comes under the slogan "Access to Treatment for All - Prevention of Bleeding as a Global Standard of Care", highlighting patients' suffering and needs and raising the level of community awareness about hemophilia.


The ministry said: “Hemophilia (blood thinning) is a bleeding disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly, as people with hemophilia bleed for a longer period than normal people, because their blood does not contain enough blood clotting factors, and clotting factors are proteins in Blood helps control bleeding, and it is a rare disease that affects one person in 10,000 people worldwide, and it is a genetic disease that is transmitted from a parent to a child through genes.


She added, "There are two types of hemophilia, hemophilia A, which is the most common, and people with it have a deficiency in clotting factor VIII and hemophilia B, and people with it have a deficiency in clotting factor IX."


She explained that people with hemophilia suffer from external or internal bleeding in the joints and muscles, and recurring bleeding causes complications in the musculoskeletal system and disabilities.


The Ministry stated that the treatment for a hemophilia patient is to replace the lost clotting factor in the blood to stop bleeding by giving factor concentrates that contain intense amounts of factor VIII and factor IX (factor), and when immediate treatment and the appropriate amount of treatment and specialized care are available, people with hemophilia can live. perfectly healthy life.


And she continued: "Through projects funded by donors and the World Federation of Hemophilia, patients are provided with the necessary medicines, improving access to comprehensive treatment and care, and improving services, with a focus on home and preventive treatment to control and prevent recurring bleeding episodes so that joint disabilities do not occur."


The Ministry of Health, through the National Committee for Hemophilia Patients, is implementing several projects, the most important of which are: the PACT project with the World Federation of Hemophilia Patients, the HEMOPAL project with the Italian Ministry of Health and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the home treatment training project and equipping the hemophilia center in Gaza, the establishment of the national registry for hemophilia patients And the provision of treatments (clotting factors) worth $3 million. The Ministry received the first and second batches at the ports, and the third batch is awaiting the entry of the second batch.


In addition, a specialized clinic for hemophilia patients was established to conduct periodic medical examinations for all patients to improve their health status, in addition to holding training courses for all laboratory technicians in the Ministry of Health with experts from outside Palestine.

ARAB AND WORLD

Mon 17 Apr 2023 10:46 am - Jerusalem Time

The death toll from clashes in Sudan has risen to 100

About a hundred civilians were killed in Sudan , as gunfire and explosions continue to be heard in Khartoum on Monday morning, on the third day of fighting between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the armed Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo .


Tension had been lurking for weeks between al-Burhan and Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as "Hemedti", who together removed civilians from power during a coup in October 2021, before this escalation of political disputes became impossible, Saturday's confrontations.


Since then, battles with heavy weapons have continued, while the air force has regularly entered Khartoum to bomb headquarters of the Rapid Support Forces.


The members of the Rapid Support Forces, which include thousands of former fighters in the Darfur war, who have turned into a auxiliary force for the army, are deployed in military uniform and heavily armed in the streets and are fighting to control military installations and government headquarters in the country.


At least 97 civilians were killed, according to the independent and pro-democracy Sudan Doctors Syndicate, 56 of whom were killed on Saturday and 41 on Sunday, about half of them in the Sudanese capital.


The union said in a statement that "365 people were injured" as well.


The Syndicate had previously indicated that the death toll among the fighters was "dozens", but neither side had announced its human losses.


The army confirmed on Sunday evening that the situation is "stable" and the fighting is "limited", while the Rapid Support Forces said they were about to win.


But the two are difficult to diagnose the situation. The Rapid Support Forces announced that they had taken control of the airport on Saturday, which the army denied. These forces say that they entered the presidential palace, but the army also denies this and confirms that it controls the general headquarters of its general command, one of the largest complexes of power in Khartoum.


As for the official television, each of the two parties asserts control over it. However, the residents of the vicinity of the TV headquarters assert that the fighting continues, while the station broadcasts only patriotic songs, as happened during the previous coup.


With no ceasefire in sight, doctors and humanitarian workers sounded the alarm. Some neighborhoods in Khartoum have been deprived of electricity and water since Saturday, while electricity rationing was already in place on normal days.


The few grocery stores still open, she warned, would not last more than a few days if no supply trucks entered the capital.


Doctors confirmed the power outage in the surgical departments, while the World Health Organization stated that "many of the nine Khartoum hospitals that receive injured civilians suffer from depletion of blood units, blood transfusion equipment, intravenous fluids and other vital supplies."


The Sudan Doctors Syndicate said that patients, sometimes children, and their relatives do not have access to water or food, noting that the treated wounded cannot be taken out due to the security situation, which leads to overcrowding that prevents everyone from being cared for.


The "humanitarian corridors" announced by the warring sides for three hours on Sunday afternoon failed to change the situation, as gunfire and explosions continued to be heard in Khartoum.


And the World Food Program decided to suspend its work in Sudan after the killing of three workers in the program in the Darfur region of western Sudan on Saturday, while more than a third of the country's population of 45 million needs humanitarian assistance.


In Khartoum, where the smell of gunpowder spread, citizens are holed up in their homes, while black smoke rises in the center of the capital, where the main political and military headquarters are.


"It's the first time in Sudan's history since independence (1956) that this level of violence has been recorded in the center, in Khartoum," Kholoud Khair, who founded the Conflict Advisory think tank in Khartoum, told AFP.


The expert added, "Khartoum is the historical center of power and has always been the most secure region in Sudan during the deadly wars against the rebels" waged in Darfur and other regions at the turn of the millennium.


And she continued, "Today, battles are taking place throughout the city, and the Rapid Support Forces are deployed wherever they are, especially in densely populated areas, because each of the two sides thought that the high human cost might deter the other side, and we now realize that the struggle for power prevailed at any cost."


There have been many calls among the international community since Saturday to reach a halt to the fighting.


On Monday, the US and British foreign ministers called on Japan for an "immediate halt" to the violence.


US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after a meeting with his British counterpart James Cleverly that there was agreement on the need for "an immediate ceasefire and a return to talks".


The League of Arab States and the African Union held emergency meetings to demand a ceasefire and a return to a political solution, an option that did not lead to the resumption of the democratic transition process in Sudan, which emerged in 2019 from a thirty-year dictatorship.

ARAB AND WORLD

Mon 17 Apr 2023 10:43 am - Jerusalem Time

Super Mario movie keeps topping the box office in America

Sunday, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" maintained its lead at the North American box office , in a performance that may be among the best for films released this year.


The animated movie, produced by Universal, Nintendo and Illumination studios, has generated $347 million since its release during the Easter holiday in cinemas in the United States and Canada, according to preliminary figures released by the specialized company, "Experience Relations".


And came second in the ranking, "The Pops Exorcist", in which Russell Crowe plays the starring role, achieving $ 9.1 million, in a result that shows a significant difference from what was achieved by the movie of one of the most famous characters in the history of video games.


The third place went to the movie "John Wick: Chapter 4", with revenues of $ 7.9 million. In this work, Keanu Reeves assumes the role of a professional killer who fights against an international criminal group. During the four weeks in which it was shown in North American theaters, the film grossed $160 million.


And in fourth place was the comedy "Renfield," in which Nicolas Cage plays the role of Dracula, with $7.7 million in its first weekend.


And fifth was the movie “R”, directed by Ben Affleck, which deals with the history of the “Nike” sports brand and the role of the famous American basketball player, Michael Jordan, in launching this brand, with revenues amounting to 7.7 million dollars.


Here are the remaining films in the top ten rankings at the North American box office this week:


6. “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” ($7.3 million).


7- "Suzume" ($5 million).
8- "Mama's Mafia" (two million dollars).
9- “Scream 6” ($1.4 million).
10- "Nefarius" ($1.33 million).

ARAB AND WORLD

Mon 17 Apr 2023 10:41 am - Jerusalem Time

US destroyer "Milios" sails through the Taiwan Strait

The US destroyer "Milios" sailed through the waters separating Taiwan and mainland China, according to the US Navy , days after Beijing conducted military exercises around the self-ruled island.


Many Western navies, led by the US, regularly conduct "freedom of navigation operations" to confirm the international status of regional waterways such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.


A statement from the US Navy's Seventh Fleet said the warship conducted a "routine transit of the Taiwan Strait" on Sunday, in waters "where freedom of navigation and overflight on the high seas applies under international law."


"The ship crossed a passage in the strait that is outside the territorial waters of any littoral country," the navy statement added, stressing that sailing through the strait shows the United States' commitment to a free and open Asia-Pacific region.


This is the first operation of its kind for the United States in this corridor since January.


And the Seventh Fleet in the US Navy posted on Twitter, Monday, pictures of crew members looking at the Taiwan Strait, which is one of the most important international waterways.


For its part, China said Monday that it had followed the passage of a US destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, adding that its forces remained "at a high level of alert."


"Our forces will always remain at a high level of alert and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability," said Chinese army spokesman Colonel Shi Yi.


China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to return the self-governing island to its sovereignty one day, by force if necessary.


Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Monday that during the transit of the destroyer, "the military closely monitored the activity in our sea and air surroundings, and the situation was normal."


On April 8, Beijing conducted three days of military exercises around Taiwan, which included simulated targeted strikes and the imposition of a blockade on the island.


Beijing's military maneuvers around Taiwan were conducted in response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's recent visit to the United States, where she was received by US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.


Beijing expresses its dissatisfaction with any official contact between Taipei and foreign governments.


On the last day of the exercises held last week, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 54 Chinese aircraft crossed the southwest and southeast of the Air Defense Identification Area (ADIS), the highest rate recorded in a single day since October 2021.


On the same day, Milius sailed through waters claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, an operation that Beijing described as an illegal incursion carried out "without the consent of the Chinese government".


Since the end of the exercises, Chinese warships and aircraft continue to be present in the vicinity of Taiwan.


And Monday, the Ministry of Defense in Taipei announced that it had spotted four destroyers and 18 aircraft, four of which crossed southwest of the "Adis" region.


The US destroyer Chung-Hun sailed through the Taiwan Strait on January 5, months after a visit to the island by Nancy Pelosi when she was Speaker of the US House of Representatives.


Pelosi's trip triggered China's largest ever military exercise around Taiwan.

PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 10:34 am - Jerusalem Time

On the day of the prisoner.. 31 female prisoners languishing in the occupation prisons

Today, Monday, the Captive Club said, "(31) female prisoners are languishing in "Damoon" prison, including a child, Nodhout Hammad.


And the club stated in a statement on the Palestinian Prisoner’s Day that the oldest female prisoner in the occupation prisons today is the prisoner Maysoon Musa from Bethlehem, who has been arrested since 2015 and is sentenced to 15 years in prison.


While he confirmed that the highest sentences were issued against the female prisoners: Shuruq Douyyat and Shatila Abu Ayada, who were sentenced to 16 years in prison, Maysoon Mousa for 15 years, and Aisha Al-Afghani for 13 years.


The club stated that there are two female administrative detainees: Raghad Al-Fani and Rawda Abu Ajamia.


He said: "The most difficult case among the wounded, is the prisoner Israa Ja'abis, who suffers from severe deformities in her body, as a result of severe burns that affected 60% of her body, as a result of the occupation soldiers' shooting at her vehicle in 2015, which caused the explosion of a gas cylinder in her head." her vehicle.”


He added, "Among the female prisoners is Ataf Jaradat from Jenin, and she is the mother of three prisoners, who are (Omar, Ghaith, and Al-Muntasir Billah) Jaradat."


The club emphasized that the majority of female prisoners who are sentenced to high sentences are from occupied Jerusalem.


PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 10:28 am - Jerusalem Time

The occupation forces tighten their procedures at the Hamra checkpoint in the Jordan Valley

The Israeli occupation forces continue to tighten their military measures at the Hamra checkpoint in the northern Jordan Valley , for the tenth day in a row.


According to local sources, these forces stopped citizens' vehicles and searched them thoroughly, and checked the identity cards of their passengers, which impeded their access to their places of work and farms.


The occupation forces set up the Hamra military checkpoint at a crossroads linking the cities of the West Bank with the central, southern and northern Jordan Valley.


It is noteworthy that the occupation authorities have imposed a siege on the Jordan Valley for ten days, closing most of the roads leading to communities and agricultural lands, in addition to tightening military measures at Hamra and Tayaseer checkpoints, and impeding the movement of citizens and farmers.

PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 6:45 am - Jerusalem Time

Its leadership's visit is "religious", but it is gaining political momentum.. "Haaretz": Hamas is strengthening its presence in the Arab world and the PA is weakening further

The Hebrew newspaper, Haaretz, said today, Monday, that Hamas is taking advantage of the opportunities available to it to strengthen its presence and position in the region and beyond, at a time when the Palestinian Authority is retreating and weakening further.


The newspaper referred to the upcoming visit of a leading delegation from the political bureau of the "Hamas" movement, headed by Ismail Haniyeh , Khaled Meshaal and other leaders, to Saudi Arabia , which a senior official in the movement considered during his interview with the Hebrew newspaper as a window for opportunities to improve relations with the Kingdom, despite his description that the visit Basically "religious".


According to the same source, Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow the Hamas leadership to perform Umrah, noting at the same time that it is of political importance, although it is a visit of a religious nature.


The newspaper indicated that the visit did not take place without the approval of the royal palace in Riyadh and the intelligence services in the Kingdom.


According to the newspaper, Hamas and other Palestinian parties see the upcoming visit as a continuation of the recent developments in the Arab arena, the renewal of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran , and the warming of Riyadh's relations with Syria.


The newspaper says: Despite Hamas' attempt to portray the delegation's visit as a religious visit without a political aspect, it is considered on the Palestinian and Arab arenas another step in strengthening the position of the movement, against the background of the weakness of the influence of the Palestinian Authority.


She pointed out that Hamas, by firing rockets from Gaza and southern Lebanon towards Israel, in addition to regional developments, especially the Saudi rapprochement with Iran and Syria, spared it a lot to achieve unexpected gains, despite expectations that it would not quickly resume its activity in Saudi Arabia or Syria, and is still It focuses on staying in Qatar, which is a central base for Hamas leadership abroad, in addition to its extensive relations in Turkey , Lebanon, Indonesia and Pakistan.


The newspaper believes that the Hamas leadership in Gaza is concerned about any move that might harm relations with Egypt , and its important role, especially with regard to the indirect relationship with Israel, and the borders and crossings with Sinai.


A leading source from Hamas told the Hebrew newspaper, "Opening up with the Saudis is very important, and the organization feels comfortable with the winds of change in the Middle East, but caution is required here... Hamas is trying to avoid conflicting interests with those of other countries, and there is Egyptian suspicion of relations with Iran and Turkey, in While Saudi Arabia has completely different interests from the interests of Tehran and Ankara, and each country has a map of its own interests, and in the midst of all this, Hamas wants to be open and a partner for all.


The newspaper refers to the visit of President Mahmoud Abbas , scheduled for today, to Saudi Arabia, at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, to eat a Ramadan meal.


It quoted sources in the Palestinian Authority that no meeting would take place between President Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh.


And officials in the Palestinian Authority admitted - as the newspaper says - that its leadership is not an important player in developments in the region, and that the United States and the European Union do not show any great interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially in light of the current Israeli government's approach, with the exception of their intervention and other parties to try to prevent escalation and deal with civil issues.


"It is doubtful that at the end of Ramadan and after Eid al-Fitr, something will move in a positive direction, and vice versa," said a Fatah official.

SPORT

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:59 am - Jerusalem Time

Spanish Championship: Barcelona continues to squander points, and Atletico achieves its sixth consecutive victory

Barcelona, the leaders of the Spanish League , fell into the trap of a goalless draw for the second match in a row, this time against its host Getafe, in the twenty-ninth stage of the “La Liga”, which witnessed Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 victory over its guest, Almeria.


With this negative tie, Barcelona continued to bleed points, after it was tied negatively in the last stage also against its guest, Girona.
Despite this, Barcelona raised its score to 73 points at the top of the league, 11 points behind its rivals and pursuers, Real Madrid, who beat Cadiz with two clean goals on Saturday.


This is the third match in a row in all competitions in which Barcelona fails to score, after losing at home 4-0 in the second leg of the local cup semi-final against Real Madrid earlier this month to bid farewell to the competition.


As for Getafe, he raised his rank to 31 points in the fifteenth place.


Catalan coach Xavi Hernandez said after the match, "We are not in the best moment of our season. In the match, in the results, in realism (...) We tried everything, but we were lost and uncomfortable throughout the match."


He added, "We did not score in three matches, but we did not concede any goals in the last two matches. Robert (Lewandowski), for example, had extraordinary stats in the first leg, and I think his numbers are still good in the second leg, even if he scored less (.. .) But the targets will come.”


The match was fairly equal, despite the pressing attack of the hosts at the start of the match, with several chances through the attackers Borja Mayoral and Munir El Haddadi, but without danger.


Barcelona suffered a setback in the first half, with Sergi Roberto suffering a muscle strain, forcing Xavi to replace him and introduce Eric Garcia in the 18th minute.


The Catalan club wasted several chances to settle the match, most notably through the Brazilian Rafinha, who hit a creeping floor that hit the left post, to rebound against Alex Balde, who also hit the post (26).


And as the first half ended in a goalless draw, the two teams did not present anything new in the second half, despite Ivorian Frank Kessier and Jordi Alba’s attempts to shoot from outside the area, and the Polish Robert Lewandowski wasted in front of the goal.


Shortly after that, Atletico Madrid achieved its sixth successive victory in the league, this time at the expense of its guest Almeria 2-1.


Frenchman Antoine Griezmann scored the double for the Spanish capital team (5 and 43), while his Uruguayan colleague Jose Maria Jimenez scored Almeria's own goal (37).


With these two goals, Griezmann's score, which has been shining since his return from the World Cup in Qatar, which his team lost to Argentina in the final match, has now reached 11 goals this season in the league.


The Frenchman said after the match, "We are struggling to finish the matches (...) It happened to us in Vallecas (against Rayo Vallecano), and the same thing today. We must improve in this field."


"But I'm still happy with the team's performance. If I'm at this level, it's thanks to the team. I give everything to our coach."


With this victory, Atletico raised its tally to 60 points in third place, suffocating Real II (62 points).


Also, this victory comes in preparation for the capital team before its confrontation with its host, leaders Barcelona, next week.


On the other hand, Almeria remained in the seventeenth place with 30 points, and this is its fifteenth loss in the league this season.


Prior to that, Girona beat bottom club Elche with two clean goals, raising its tally to 38 points in ninth place.


Later, the struggling Seville this season achieved an important victory over its host, Valencia, with two clean goals scored by Frenchman Loic Badeh (55) and Suso (76).


Thus, the Andalusian team raised its tally to 35 points in twelfth place, while Valencia remained in eighteenth place with 27 points.


Seville will host Manchester United next week in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the European League, “Europa League”, after imposing a 2-2 draw on Thursday in the first leg in England.

SPORT

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:57 am - Jerusalem Time

England Championship: Arsenal tied and paved the way for City and United third

Arsenal opened the way to the English Premier League title in front of its chaser and defending champion Manchester City, after wasting a two-goal lead against its host West Ham, to settle for a 2-2 draw Sunday in the thirty-first stage competitions.


The Gunners advanced early with the goals of Brazilian Gabriel Jesus (7) and the Norwegian Martin Odegaard (10), before the homeowners responded via Algerian international Saeed Ben Rahma (33 from a penalty kick) and Jared Bowen (54), noting that the guests missed the opportunity to advance 3-1 when Bukayo Saka missed a penalty kick in the 52nd minute.


Arsenal was required to win and collect the three points the day after Manchester City beat Leicester City 3-1 on Saturday, narrowing the difference to only 3 points.


And now Arsenal have 74 points, compared to 70 for City, who has a postponed match, and hosts the Gunners at home on the 26th of this month, in a match that may be fateful to determine the identity of the champion.
After the match, Spanish coach Mikel Arteta said, "We started in a very good way. We scored two beautiful goals. After that, we made a huge mistake by not playing with the goal of scoring the third and fourth."


"We thought we could play around that and keep the score. We gave them hope."


And after he led for most of the season and seemed on his way to achieving his first league title since 2004, it seems that Arsenal began to pay the price for his stumbling in three consecutive matches last February, when he suffered two losses and a draw.


After that, he did not taste the loss in his last nine matches in the league, achieving 7 consecutive victories against two draws, the first against Liverpool 2-2 in the last stage when he also missed a two-goal lead and Sunday against West Ham, noting that the last loss of the “gunners” dates back to February 15. February in front of City 1-3 at the Emirates Stadium.


For its part, West Ham is still struggling not to drop, as it is 4 points ahead of the eighteenth Nottingham Forest.
And it seemed that Arsenal would achieve a landslide victory over its host after scoring two goals 10 minutes after the start whistle, beginning with Jesus after a team game. The ball reached Odegaard, who turned it into Ben White, to pass it cross in front of the goal, which the Brazilian followed in the goal, in his ninth goal this season after moving to Arsenal from City.


And Odegaard turned from a passer into a scorer after a new team game and cross from Martinelli to the single Norwegian, to finish with a shot on the fly with his left foot (10).


West Ham refused to surrender, taking advantage of a fatal mistake by Partey, who lost the ball in front of the penalty area under pressure from Declan Rice, to reach the Brazilian Lucas Paqueta inside the area, and the latter was subjected to a mistake by his compatriot, defender Gabriel Magalish, so that the referee awarded a penalty kick after confirming the video assistant referee “VA R" Benrahma successfully executed it against goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale (33).


Arsenal had the opportunity to double the lead again early in the second half, after being awarded a penalty kick after a handball on Mikael Antonio, but Saka executed it in a bad way, shooting to the right of the goal (52).


West Ham waited only two minutes to punish its London rivals, and equalized the score when German Thilo Kehrer lifted a ball behind the defenders, which Bowen followed on the low jumper in the bottom left corner (54).


Manchester United rose to third place with its third successive victory in the league, which came at the expense of its host Nottingham Forest 2-0, taking advantage of Newcastle’s loss 3-0 against its host Aston Villa on Saturday, to advance it by 3 points.


The goals of the Red Devils were scored by Brazilian Anthony (32) and Portuguese Diogo Dalot (76), who scored his first goals in the league with Manchester United since his arrival in the summer of 2018.


This is United's fourth victory over Nottingham this season, with a total score of 10-0 (back and forth in the League and the League Cup semi-finals).
United entered the match after a setback on Thursday, when it squandered a 2-0 lead at home against Sevilla, Spain, in the first leg of the European League quarter-finals, "Europa League", to tie 2-2 with two reverse goals in the last six minutes.


He also lost in the match the efforts of his Argentine international defender, Lisandro Martinez, until the end of the season, after suffering a metatarsal fracture, and his French colleague, Rafael Varane, for "a few weeks."


The match witnessed the return of Brazilian Casemiro to local competitions after he was suspended for four matches after being sent off for the second time this season during the tie against Southampton, so he missed three league matches and one in the local cup.


And after it was announced that the Austrian Marcel Sabeters - who scored two goals against Seville - was in the starting line-up, he suffered an injury in the warm-up, and Dane Christian Eriksen replaced him.


And in the absence of his injured top scorer, Marcus Rashford, United opened the scoring when Frenchman Anthony Martial killed the ball from the opponent to reach Portuguese Bruno Fernandez. He returned it to the Frenchman inside the area. He shot it and saved it from Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, to prepare for Anthony, who followed it into the net (32).
And after Navas managed to keep his team in the match atmosphere with wonderful saves, Dalot doubled the lead after Anthony made a distinguished individual effort and beautiful dribbles, before passing a through ball to the Portuguese into the area, which he settled into the net (76).


United will miss the league competition next week because it is busy in the cup semi-final against Brighton at Wembley Stadium, to return to the league hosted by Tottenham on the 27th of this month.
The stage competitions will end on Monday, with Liverpool Al-Jarij meeting with its host, Leeds United.

SPORT

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:55 am - Jerusalem Time

Italian Championship: Roma finishes third and falls second to Juventus

Roma finished third in the Italian Football League by defeating Udinese 3-0, while Juventus fell for the second match in a row by losing 0-1 against Sassuolo, in the 30th stage competition on Sunday.


The capital team took the lead through Eduardo Bovi, who followed the ball from a penalty kick that Brian Cristante hit and bounced off the post (37) and Lorenzo Pellegrini (55).


Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio deprived the guests of reducing the difference by saving a penalty kick taken by Argentine Roberto Perea (69), before adding English substitute striker Tammy Abraham III with a header (90 + 2).


Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho's team was alone in third place with 56 points, three ahead of Milan IV, who contented themselves with a draw with Bologna at this stage, and five points behind Lazio II.


And in light of Napoli moving away from the lead on its way to the first league title since 1990, the other three places are witnessing a struggle, despite the slight comfort of Lazio.


Inter, who fell in front of Montsa on Saturday, ranks fifth with 51 points, and Atalanta will be able to catch up with him if he beats his host Fiorentina on Monday at the end of the stage.


Roma entered the match after falling Thursday against its Dutch host Feyenoord 1-0 in the first leg of the European League quarter-finals, “Europa League”, before the return match at the Olympic Stadium next week.


For his part, and after falling last week away from home against Lazio 2-1, Juventus suffered, on Sunday, its seventh defeat in “Serie A” this season, with the goal of Frenchman Gregoire Defrel in the 64th minute.


Despite deducting 15 points from his balance this season for recording exaggerated financial gains regularly in his accounts when selling some players, Juventus achieved good results that enabled him to compete for the last two places qualifying for the Champions League.
And if he succeeded in winning the last two matches, the difference between him and Milan IV would be only three points, but he finds himself 9 points away from the Rossoneri.


And in the event that he fails to qualify for the main continental competition through the league gate, the opportunity is available to him through the European League title, as he entered Sunday’s match after defeating Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals, Thursday, before the return match in Portugal next week.


In two other matches, the sixteenth Lecce tied with bottom Sampdoria and the twelfth Torino with the fifteenth Salernitana with the same result 1-1.

SPORT

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:53 am - Jerusalem Time

French Championship: Marseille snatches the runner-up and Monaco fourth

Marseille rose to the runners-up of the French Football League by defeating its guest Troyes 3-1, while Monaco returned to the winning streak by dropping Lorient by the same result, to rise to fourth place, within the thirty-first stage competitions on Sunday.


Thanks to the double of Portuguese Vitor Oliveira (2 and 64) and a third goal by the Turkish Cengiz Onder (40), Marseille achieved its first victory at its “Velodrome” stadium after three draws and two losses, despite a late goal for Troyes by Mama Baldi from Guinea-Bissau (90 + 1).


Thus, Marseille raised its tally to 64 points in second place, taking advantage of the third Lens fall (63 points) against leaders Paris Saint-Germain (72 points) Saturday 1-3.


Before that, Monaco won a hat-trick, scored by Senegalese Crippen Diata (14), Russian Alexander Golovin (27), and German Kevin Volland (55), while Malian Ibrahima Kone scored Lorient's only goal from a penalty kick (86).


With this victory, Monaco rose to fourth place with 61 points, while Lorient remained in tenth place with 45 points.
Prior to that, Lille overturned its deficit against its guest, Montpellier, with a goal to win 2-1 within two minutes, and regained fifth place in its European race.


Lille raised its score to 55 points and regained fifth place, two points ahead of Rennes, which won 3-0 at home to Reims on Saturday, while Montpellier's balance stuck at 37 points in thirteenth place.


Montpellier advanced through his Guinean defender Isiaga Sela in the 24th minute of the first half, before Lille rose up in the second and snatched two goals in two minutes through Canadian Jonathan David (70), who scored his 20th goal this season and equaled with Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe at the top of the scorers’ ranking. And Remy Kabila's header (72).


On the other hand, Nice suffered a surprising loss to its host, Brest, with a clean goal scored by Jeremy Le Duaron (12).
With this loss, Nice remained in ninth place with 45 points, while Brest rose to sixteenth place with 31 points.


On the other hand, Egyptian international Mostafa Mohamed scored a wonderful goal in the match that his team Nantes lost to Auxerre 1-2.
Mustafa's goal came in the 55th minute with a powerful header from inside the penalty area, knowing that Auxerre was ahead with two goals scored by Brazilian Gobal (5 from a penalty kick) and Nuno da Costa from Cape Verde (43).


With this loss, Nantes remained in fifteenth place with 31 points, behind Auxerre fourteenth with 32 points.
In two other matches, Clermont-Ferrand beat Angers 2-1, and Strasbourg beat Ajaccio 3-1.

SPORT

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:52 am - Jerusalem Time

German Championship: European conflict rages with Union Berlin tied and Freiburg winning

The struggle intensified for the third and fourth places that qualified for the Champions League next season, after Union Berlin tied with its guest Bochum 1-1 and Freiburg beat its host Werder Bremen 2-1, in the twenty-eighth stage of the German Football League on Sunday.


And when Union Berlin opened the scoring before the end of the first half with a free kick, which was successfully cornered by Croatian Josip Juranovic (45 + 3), Bochum forced him to equalize from a penalty kick, translated by the Austrian Kevin Stoeger (55).


Onion Berlin failed to snatch the three points, after suffering a severe blow after its defender Paul Yakel (61) was sent off for receiving a second yellow card.


Thus, despite the tie, Union Berlin raised its tally to 52 points in third place, five points ahead of second Borussia Dortmund and seven points ahead of leaders Bayern Munich, noting that the latter two faltered on Saturday.


Union Berlin is also a point ahead of Leipzig IV (51 points), who beat Augsburg 3-2 on Saturday.


Behind them, Freiburg is in fifth place with 50 points, which it reached after coming from behind with a goal against its host Werder Bremen to a 2-1 victory within four minutes.


As the hosts advanced with a goal in the 46th minute through Maximilian Philip, the guests turned the score in their favor with goals from Hungarian Roland Salai (67) and Lucas Holler (71).


On the other hand, a series of five victories for Bayer Leverkusen stopped, when it fell into a goalless draw against its host, Wolfsburg.


With a score of 44 points, Leverkusen remained in sixth place, two points away from seventh Eintracht Frankfurt, and may return to the heart of the struggle for European seats as it hosts Leipzig next week, before visiting Union Berlin in two weeks.

ARAB AND WORLD

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:38 am - Jerusalem Time

The son of the Iranian Shah arrives today in Tel Aviv

Today, Monday, Reza Pahlavi, son of the Iranian Shah , arrives on a visit, the first of its kind, to Israel.


According to the Hebrew website Ynet, Pahlavi, who lives in the United States, will arrive at the direct invitation of Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel.


The son of the Iranian Shah, who was overthrown during what was known as the "Islamic Revolution", will participate in the "Holocaust" commemoration event in the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. He will also visit the Al-Buraq Wall in Jerusalem.


PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:25 am - Jerusalem Time

Two people suspected of being behind an armed robbery in Jericho were arrested

The police and security services arrested two people suspected of being behind an armed robbery that took place at dawn today, Monday, at a major commercial store in the city of Jericho .


Police spokesman, Colonel Louay Irzeigat , stated that the police began conducting searches and investigations, indicating that there were no injuries.

PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:21 am - Jerusalem Time

His condition is serious.. The occupation forces wounded a young man in occupied Jerusalem

At dawn on Monday, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a young man in the Nabi Yaqoub area of occupied Jerusalem .


The Israeli police said in a statement that the young man set fire to a settler’s vehicle in the same neighborhood, and also damaged 10 others.


She claimed that her forces arrived at the place and asked him to take off his coat, but he did not respond, and a policeman fired one bullet at him, injuring him, and he was taken for treatment after his arrest, noting that his condition is serious.


She indicated that the young man is a resident of East Jerusalem and in his twenties, and that suspicions indicate that he did so on a national background.

PALESTINE

Mon 17 Apr 2023 5:15 am - Jerusalem Time

The occupation forces launch a campaign of arrests in the West Bank and Jerusalem

At dawn on Monday, the Israeli occupation forces launched a campaign of arrests in separate areas of the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.


According to local sources, the forces arrested the two young men, Hazem Al-Sharha and Hamza Al-Arab, from Dora, south of Hebron.


The editor, Nidal Douglas, was arrested after his house was raided in Asira Al-Shamaliya, Nablus district.


In Ramallah, the occupation forces arrested Ahmed Abdel Rahman Musleh (40 years old), Musa the inspector from Umm Al Sharayet neighborhood, and Yahya Muhammad Al Rimawi (17 years old) from the northern town of Beit Rima, after raiding and searching their homes.


In Tulkarm, the editor Munther Muhammad Mansour Ashour (35 years old) was arrested after his house in the suburb was raided.


In Bethlehem, the occupation forces arrested Zain Sayel Issa (25 years old), after raiding and searching his family's house in the town of Al-Khader, while they arrested the two young men, Ahmed Saqr and Qusay Malash, from Aida camp.


Meanwhile, the citizen Ahmed Abu Satha from Al-Bireh was arrested.


The two young men, Muhammad Shaheen and Muhammad Mazen Hijazi, were arrested from their homes in Al-Saadia neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem.

ARAB AND WORLD

Sun 16 Apr 2023 11:11 pm - Jerusalem Time

Imprisonment of ten Iranian military personnel over the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane in 2020

An Iranian court on Sunday sentenced 10 military personnel to prison terms over the shooting down of a Ukrainian plane near Tehran in January 2020, according to the Judicial Authority News Agency.


The most prominent defendant, the head of the air defense unit, was sentenced to ten years in prison for acting contrary to directives issued by the command.


Kamal Nine other soldiers were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one year to three years, according to Mizan Online Agency.


The agency reported that the official of the "Tor M-1" air defense unit "fired two missiles" at the plane "against orders from the command center and without obtaining permission and in violation of directives."


The names of any of the convicts were not mentioned, but they include four members of the air defense unit, the commander of an air defense base, and an officer at the control center. Convicts can appeal the verdicts, according to the same source.


For its part, the Victims' Families Association said on Twitter that it "does not recognize the courts of the Islamic regime," and added, "We demand an impartial international court to look into this crime. We aspire for fair trials in a free Iran."


Three days after the tragedy, the Iranian armed forces admitted that they had "accidentally" shot down the plane bound for Kiev.
Tensions between Iran and the United States were running high at the time of the incident.


At the time, Iran's air defenses were put on high alert in anticipation of an American attack, after Tehran fired missiles at a military base in Iraq that was used by American forces.


The missile launches came in response to the assassination of the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Soleimani, by an American drone near Baghdad Airport.


All 176 passengers on board were killed in the downing of the plane in 2020, most of them Iranians and Canadians, and many of them hold the nationalities of the two countries.


Also, 11 Ukrainian citizens died in the accident.


In November 2021, the Iranian judiciary announced the start of the trial of the ten military personnel in Tehran against the background of the downing of the plane.


At the time, he indicated that "103 people filed a complaint with the Public Prosecution," demanding "an impartial investigation ... to identify those responsible and prosecute them."


In January of last year, Iran announced that it had started paying compensation to the families of those killed.


The deputy head of Iran's Civil Aviation Authority, Arash Khodaei, said that "the amount of $150,000" has been transferred to some families of the victims, while "the process" of compensation for other families has begun.


The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted him as saying that the payment "does not violate their right to take legal action".
In 2020, Iran offered to pay "150,000 dollars or its equivalent in euros" to each of the victims' families.


At the time, Ukrainian and Canadian officials sharply criticized the ad, saying that compensation should not be settled through unilateral declarations.


A Canadian court ruled to pay more than $80 million in compensation to the families of six of the victims, in a decision revealed in January 2022.


That same month, an Iranian couple sued three senior Iranian officials over the deaths of their children in the incident, an Iranian newspaper reported at the time.


A group of countries, led by Canada, called in December for arbitration to settle claims against Iran, a first step that could lead to a case being taken to the International Court of Justice, a move families of victims have long called for.