PALESTINE

Thu 18 May 2023 11:51 am - Jerusalem Time

Resistance: The occupation opens fire on all Palestinians

Today, Thursday, the Palestinian resistance factions said, "The Israeli occupation opens fire on all Palestinians in all their places of residence by continuing its aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque and occupied Jerusalem."


In a statement, it added, "The failed march of the flags is a failed attempt by the occupation to impose its control and sovereignty over the blessed city."


The factions emphasized that the aggression against Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem requires an escalation of resistance action and a great popular movement that ignites the occupied land on fire to thwart the malicious plans of the occupation.


And he continued: "Our struggling people will remain in the occupied interior and the West Bank, and Jerusalem is like a ticking bomb that explodes in the face of the usurper occupier."

PALESTINE

Thu 18 May 2023 11:30 am - Jerusalem Time

The "Prisoner's Club" holds the occupation responsible for the fate of the captive Shehadeh

The Prisoners' Club held the occupation prisons administration fully responsible for the worsening health condition of the prisoner Falah Shehadeh (Sudanese), who has been detained since 2004 and sentenced to 27 years in prison.


And the club stated in a statement, today, Thursday, that the (Sudanese) prisoner had recently suffered from stomach and colon problems, and after several requests he was transferred to Soroka Hospital early this week, for an endoscopy, but suddenly, after the endoscopy, He began to have very sharp pains in the abdomen.


He added that after conducting examinations on him, there were many doctors' accounts of the reason that led to the aggravation of his health condition after the endoscopy procedure, which confirms that a medical error the Sudanese prisoner was subjected to within the framework of the crime of medical negligence (slow killing).

The Prisoner's Club pointed out that the prison administration returned him to (Negev) prison, where he is being held today, and yesterday his health condition deteriorated again, and he suffered severe pain, as a result of which he was transferred to the prison clinic, and he is supposed to be transferred again early next week to the hospital.


It is noteworthy that the Sudanese prisoner is married and the father of four children.


In this context, the Prisoner's Club confirms that the crime of medical negligence (slow killing) that is carried out against prisoners today constitutes the most prominent systematic crime that is carried out against hundreds of prisoners, and recently we are witnessing an increase in the number of sick prisoners, in addition to the occupation forces continuing to arrest more citizens who They suffer from chronic diseases and health problems.

Thu 18 May 2023 11:03 am - Jerusalem Time

A week of jewelry auctions in Geneva concludes with the sale of a diamond tiara

Wednesday sold at auction a crown used during two British coronation ceremonies and the "Star of Egypt" diamond, which is believed to have belonged to King Farouk, at the end of a week of auctions on jewelry in Geneva.


Less than two weeks after the coronation of King Charles III, bidders competed to take possession of the diamond-encrusted Besboro crown, which she placed as an invitation to the coronation of Charles's grandfather, King George VI, in 1937, and another at the coronation of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953.


The piece, which weighs 136.5 grams, was sold for 945,000 Swiss francs ($1.06 million).


"It's a piece of art and history," said Max Fawcett, head of jewelery at Christie's, which organized the auction.


The total value of Christie's jewelry sales amounted to about 41.2 million Swiss francs ($ 45.8 million) in a week, while 11 pieces were sold for more than one million dollars each.


On Tuesday, Sotheby's organized an auction in Geneva whose sales exceeded 76.7 million Swiss francs ($85.4 million).


Among the highlights of the sale was the 11.16-carat Bvlgari Laguna Blue blue diamond, which was sold for 22.6 million Swiss francs ($25.2 million).


The "Star of Egypt" diamond was sold at Christie's auction, whose origin is still obscure. It is believed that the diamond, which is of 105.52 carats, was bought in 1850 by the then viceroy of Egypt and then resold in 1880. The diamond appeared for the first time on the London market in 1939, and it is likely that King Farouk, who ruled Egypt between 1936 and 1952, bought it. Later.


The diamond sold for 2.7 million Swiss francs ($3.02 million) less than three minutes after bidding began.

PALESTINE

Thu 18 May 2023 10:57 am - Jerusalem Time

Settlers storm the archaeological site in Sebastia

Today, Thursday, dozens of settlers stormed the archaeological site in the town of Sebastia, northwest of Nablus.


According to local sources, the settlers stormed the archaeological site under strict protection from the Israeli occupation forces, who closed the area to citizens.


Clashes broke out between the young men and the occupation forces, who fired stun grenades and gas bombs at them. No injuries were reported.

ARAB AND WORLD

Thu 18 May 2023 10:45 am - Jerusalem Time

The Chinese envoy to Kiev says there is "no magic bullet" to end the war in Ukraine

The Chinese special envoy to Kyiv, Li Hui, stressed that "there is no magic solution to the crisis," while reiterating his calls for Russia and Ukraine to start talks to stop the war, as Beijing announced Thursday.


China, Russia's strategic ally, refrained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tried to present itself as a neutral mediator who could contribute to ending the conflict.


Li visited Ukraine on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he held talks with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and other officials.


Li is the highest ranking Chinese official to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.


"There is no magic solution to the crisis, and all parties must take the initiative on their own, build mutual trust and create conditions for stopping war and dialogue," said Li, the Chinese special envoy for Eurasian affairs, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Li's visit to Kiev was part of a European tour to present Beijing's proposals to end the war.


In his talks with Ukrainian officials, including Kuleba, Li added that China "will continue to provide assistance to Ukraine within its capabilities."


Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow in March.


In April, he spoke on the phone for an hour with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.


Ukraine's Western allies have criticized Xi Jinping for refusing to condemn the invasion and maintaining China's strategic alliance with Russia even as Moscow faces increasing international isolation.

OPINIONS

Thu 18 May 2023 10:20 am - Jerusalem Time

An occasion for tension and perhaps an explosion in "Jerusalem Today"

Jerusalem Hadith

Jerusalem Hadith

Opinion Writer

The Israelis are preparing to hold what they call a flag march, with the participation of tens of thousands of Jews, on the occasion of the anniversary of the June War and the unification of Jerusalem according to the Hebrew calendar. This is to take the precautions they deem necessary and necessary to protect this provocative march and its participants, including a number of senior extremists.


Those who organized this march not only entered through the Damascus Gate, but they will also pass through the Arab and Islamic neighborhoods, which increases escalation and tension and constitutes a strong provocation for Palestinian citizens. Officials in the security services and government ministers, led by Itamar Ben Gvir, warned that this march could lead to employment. field situation.


The Israeli police arrested 15 Jerusalemites and issued a deportation order from the city to dozens of citizens who it believed might provoke confrontation and confrontation.


At least three thousand policemen or more will participate in what they call protecting the participants, maintaining security, and stopping those who suspect that he might resist this provocative march, and no less than four ministers will participate in this march.


The national reaction against this provocative march will not be from Jerusalemites only, but Israeli sources expect that the reaction will be broad from the Gaza Strip and from different areas in the West Bank.


Perhaps what exacerbates matters is that extremist Israeli parties, steeped in extremism, said that they are preparing to mobilize no less than 5,000 settlers to storm the Temple Mount on the day of the march itself, which certainly increases tension.


This media march is not a new thing, and it happened in previous years, but this time it is getting more extreme. There is a possibility and fear that some of those participating in the march will break into the Holy Sanctuary and hold Talmudic prayers in its vastness and perform other provocative actions, which increases tension and the possibility of igniting the situation.


And for the knowledge of those who do not know, Gaza and its national forces stand firmly with Jerusalem and against this march, and it may initiate a military reaction if those who carry out the march persist, such as storming the Temple Mount, for example.


Today, Thursday, will be a special day in the history of East Jerusalem from all directions, whether from Israeli practices and actions or from the expected Palestinian national reactions, which more than one person and more than one side indicated is likely.


In any case, today, Thursday, will be a special day, and it will have various meanings that do not end when this provocative march ends... We are waiting to see what will happen.

OPINIONS

Thu 18 May 2023 10:19 am - Jerusalem Time

75 years since the renewed Nakba

Wissam Rafidi

Wissam Rafidi

Opinion Writer

Commemorating the anniversary of the Nakba means that we tell (our story), formulate our narrative and continue to mobilize the Palestinian generations first and the world second. But it is more important than formulating our narrative, so that it does not remain a mere narrative that is repeated in every memory, is that we stand before the following fact: Despite the importance of formulating, generalizing and defending the novel, it is also more important that the discourse, program and tools not contradict what the novel should really be. .


There is a wide gap between the commemoration of the Nakba and the discourse, program and official political practice of the Palestinian leadership. In the events commemorating the Nakba, the details of the historical crime committed by the Zionist movement against our people are recalled, including the displacement of approximately 850 thousand, the destruction of about 450 population centers, and the flooding of Palestine with groups of settlers cut off from our homeland and our land. These events are not devoid of manifestations of nostalgia that are full of passionate and sincere affection for the seven million refugees, and are grafted with many symbols such as the key, the title deed, and the original name of the village or location. Despite some appearances that do not agree with the prudence required to commemorate the anniversary, and indicate that it is sometimes transformed into a shameful carnival, these events reproduce the Palestinian narrative about the historical crime, and about our historical right to our homeland. In this regard, it should be emphasized:


1- Being limited to commemorating the memory as it is happening will not serve the national struggle to put a historical end to the results/repercussions of the Nakba. The most important results of the Nakba first is the displacement of our people, and secondly the establishment of the Zionist colonial project state with its demographic material, the settlers, on the entire soil of historical Palestine. Here lies the inescapable contradiction in the official program and discourse. On the one hand, the focus is on the first result, as if it were only the narration, and this is naturally required as a national and educational/mobilization duty. On the other hand, all aspects of the discourse, program, and official practice stir the dirt on the second result. As a historical review, which the official leadership refuses to do, indicates the reality of this contradiction. The discourse rejects the Nakba, but it defends and adheres to the Oslo Accords and their appurtenances, in which the legitimacy of the State of Israel was recognized, which means a public recognition and acknowledgment of the legitimacy of the Zionist project in Palestine, to be followed, of course, by the distortion of the geography of Palestine in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in a flagrant distortion of the historical truth. What does this mean other than a historical acknowledgment, amounting to recognition, of the most tragic outcome of the Nakba and recognition of the legitimacy of that outcome? Without a historical review of all the discourse, program, and political practice of the official leadership 30 years ago, our narrative will remain incomplete at best, and distort consciousness at worst.


It is not possible to imagine an honest historical narrative about the Nakba without emphasizing historical Palestine as a geography that does not accept division, negotiation or tampering, without emphasizing the exclusive historical right to the homeland Palestine, without emphasizing the legitimacy of the struggle to liberate Palestine. These are major joints in the narrative of our people, and here that narrative differs from the narrative promoted by the official leadership.


2- The Nakba narrative requires a discourse of national liberation that reflects the true nature of the Palestinian national cause as a cause of liberation from settler Zionist colonialism and the return of all refugees to their homeland and villages from which they were expelled. A speech that reflects our position as a people in the conflict: It is true that we are victims of a historical racist crime and criminal fascist colonialism, and we suffer, sacrifice, and live in pain, but we are also a resistant and sacrificial people who adhere to their struggle and their rights. Zionism did not defeat us, and we will continue to resist until the liberation of our homeland. A speech confirming the reality of the existential struggle with the Zionist project in Palestine as a historical fact created by the Nakba. This discourse is required. As for the discourse that delusionally believes that it polarizes public opinion with its crying, showing (our weakness and incapacity) and begging international bodies, it will only spread illusion and waste the direction in the best case.


In this regard, it is natural for us to consider the commemoration of the Nakba by the United Nations, for the first time, (Badri on it) as a good position and an achievement as well. We should be realistic in assessing the importance of these international institutions: they produce balances of power that do not work in the interest of our people, as evidenced by the fact that dozens of decisions were issued by them 75 years ago and were not implemented, and do we need a longer period than this to be sure? Therefore, we should review the extent of the importance we attach to them, and at a minimum to admit Our discourse on it is nothing more than a discourse for consumption, nothing more, nothing less.


In order for the memory not to turn into mere memory and peace, the program, discourse and tools that do not address the essence of the results of the Nakba and its repercussions should be reviewed. Here, only here, the effectiveness of the Nakba turns into fuel for the continuation of the existential struggle.

OPINIONS

Thu 18 May 2023 10:18 am - Jerusalem Time

On the 75th anniversary of the Nakba: Peace will not be achieved unless the right is returned to its owners

Walid Al-Awad

Walid Al-Awad

Opinion Writer

On the fifteenth of May, every year, our Palestinian people everywhere celebrate the anniversary of the great catastrophe that befell our Palestinian people in 1948, that catastrophe that our Palestinian people are still groaning under the weight of its bloody effects and painful facts. It is the painful memory that befell our Palestinian people 75 years ago when they were uprooted. From his land, his homeland, and expelled from his homes in the widest and most heinous process of ethnic cleansing witnessed in the modern era. On that day, the chapters of the conspiracy hatched by the Zionist gangs were completed in collusion with global imperialism and the United Kingdom, which was mandated over Palestine at the time. In those dark days, the Zionist gangs succeeded with the support of the Mandate state and many From the emerging imperialist countries at the time, not only by stealing a land without a people as they claimed, but rather they took over the State of Palestine, which was based on its various institutions on the land and its people were safe and seeking their independence, just as the neighboring peoples achieved what they wanted.


Today, as we commemorate the Nakba, it is necessary to rejuvenate the memory by focusing on what research centers, studies, and the generations that are still alive dealt with, all of which confirmed that the Zionist gangs, based on the support provided to them, expelled the original owners of the land in the largest ethnic cleansing operation since World War II. They usurped the state of the Palestinian people, which already existed, but was subject to the British mandate, which unfortunately violated what was stated in the text of the mandate deed regarding the need to help the Palestinian people in self-determination, and deprived the Palestinian people of their right to independence, just like the peoples of neighboring countries that gained their independence after being subject to it. Britain's role was not only confined to this conspiracy and collusion, but it also provided the Zionist movement, according to the ominous promise of its foreign minister, Lord Balfour, with all opportunities and success factors, starting with the provision of weapons and equipment and the establishment of dozens of training camps for Jewish recruits, in addition to facilitating the movement of immigration and absorbing tens of thousands of Jews in and at the same time practiced all forms of oppression and brutal violence against the real owners of the land and deprived them of any means to defend their rights to face the imminent danger that was growing and escalating before their eyes, and they resisted it with courage and rare valor in an attempt to prevent the Zionist movement from achieving its goals, but it It finally succeeded in achieving its project of usurping the homeland and displacing the people of Palestine.


Today once again, and on the anniversary of the Nakba, the truth that no one can deny is renewed, affirming that Palestine was not a land without a people as they claim. Until the year 1945, it included a thousand and three hundred villages, cities, and towns that had a population of most of them exceeding thousands, while the Zionists had only 181 colonies until that. Its population does not exceed hundreds. They established it with British complicity and forgery. With continued support and facilities, hundreds of thousands of Jews were brought in from all over the world. They were organized under the auspices of the British army and trained in the Irgun, Stern and Haganah gangs that waged a brutal war and campaigns of extermination and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people until they were able to These gangs, in mid-May 1948, stole the homeland, which is what we rightly call (the Great Nakba). Palestine .


Today, while we are talking about the Nakba and the homeland that was stolen, the whole world must know that Palestine was not devoid of population, as the Zionists claim, but was an existing state subject to a mandate that played a conspiratorial role in depriving its people of independence, and various court studies and research indicate that the Zionists stole a homeland and established their racist state There were state institutions that existed. During the Mandate, there were 1,700 governmental establishments in Palestine, including clubs, buildings, industrial establishments, and others. Palestine was considered one of the most advanced neighboring countries in the commercial, industrial, and agricultural fields. It included 500 operating establishments in several fields. It connects neighboring countries with a network of railways and has 41 train stations and 700 kilometers of railways, in addition to 31 airports, 6000 kilometers of paved roads and 37 British army camps. Most of these camps and their equipment were handed over to the invading Zionists who used them in their war to annihilate our people and displace them from their homeland.


In that Nakba, which the Zionists still seized at the time, 2000 historical monuments of mosques, cemeteries, monasteries, caves, and antiquities centers. From killing, destroying, raping, burning people and burying them alive, this has been proven by recent studies, including those issued by Israeli writers and researchers whose consciences awakened after silence, and they indicated that 90% of Palestinian villages were displaced by their residents under the weight of military attacks that took place during the existence of the British Mandate Under his protection, with the advent of May 1948 and the official announcement of the establishment of the occupying state, the remaining 42% of the population was expelled, and the process of expelling the remaining 6% was completed after the so-called armistice agreements.


This day, and we and all the free people in the world commemorate the Nakba after 75 years. The world and people of living conscience must realize that the Zionist gangs committed, in their war against our people, the most heinous massacres known to humanity, as they destroyed more than 700 villages and towns that they completely wiped out from the ground and carried out between 1947 and 1949. Only 247 killings and exterminations, including 141 massacres, 70 of which are considered within the framework of the major massacres and 71 within the framework of the medium, with this unprecedented terrorism carried out by the Zionist gangs and still managed in 1948 to complete decisive and important episodes of the chapters of their plots to occupy all of Palestine and expel its people who They turned into refugees, whose number these days exceeded seven million refugees, scattered in various directions to Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and to many other countries of the world. Through the foregoing, the language of numbers that we referred to above and many others like them are still preserved in the memory of generations and confirmed by them. It is clear from the research and studies centers that the occupying state has stolen an independent state and displaced a people whose life has been turned upside down.


In these days of May, when the memory of the Nakba passes, this deep wound in the Palestinian body, we say that despite the passage of seven and a half decades and the painful effects it left behind, he will continue to suffer from it until he recovers, and this will not be done without achieving his just rights of return, freedom and independence.


And that our Palestinian people, despite the wounds and pain that befell them, did not and will not surrender to the facts imposed by the occupying state as a result of the Nakba, and is still continuing its struggle, adhering to the right to return to those lands from which it was displaced. The years of his long struggle since the start of the Palestinian revolution, which constituted the culmination of the Palestinian challenge in the face of the Nakba, and he was able to reshape his national identity and highlight his unified political entity represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is also exposed today to a liquidation plot after it represented the identity and entity of our people and its status was strengthened at all levels and won Arab and international recognition In supporting and consolidating the rights of our people to self-determination, the establishment of their independent state, and the return of their refugees in accordance with Resolution 194 of the United Nations General Assembly.


Today, while we are talking about the Nakba, we must point out and warn of the dangers of forming the fascist extremist government of the right-wingers led by Netanyahu, which approved in its program the implementation of the decisive plan that all previous governments failed to implement in order to complete the chapters of the Nakba, which has not yet been completed according to the Zionist perspective. The Zionist goal is still focused on The erasure of the Palestinian people and the liquidation of their cause. Today, this effort is escalating to the pace of aggression, the increase and intensification of settlement expansion, and the continuation of cold-blooded killings, arrests and sieges with the aim of maintaining full control of the occupation over the largest area of land and the smallest number of inhabitants, in addition to targeting the refugee issue and seeking to liquidate it by abolishing the role of UNRWA as an embodiment of the international commitment to the refugee issue and the right of return, not to mention the occupation's plan to push for the transformation of hundreds of thousands of our people inside into new refugees under the law of racial nationalism, which aims to uproot the remaining part of our people from their land.


The occupying power is also working to exploit the continuing state of division and intensify its efforts to transform it into a complete separation that makes the Gaza Strip a center for resolving the Palestinian issue at the expense of annexing Jerusalem and large parts of the West Bank, thus blocking the right of our people to establish their fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.


Today, our Palestinian people, along with the whole world, commemorate the Nakba, especially after the United Nations General Assembly decided to commemorate it from within the halls of the General Assembly. Especially Resolution 194, which stipulates the return of refugees to their homes. It is the responsibility of the United Nations and the whole world. Today, as we commemorate the anniversary of the Nakba, our people look forward to all lovers of justice, freedom and stability in the world, to stand by our people and advocate for them in order to obtain their rights, guarantee the implementation of justice, and out of keenness to achieve peace, which will only be achieved by restoring the right that was stolen to its owners who will cling to it.

OPINIONS

Thu 18 May 2023 10:17 am - Jerusalem Time

Experience: the true face of education

Zubaida Subhi / Salman

Zubaida Subhi / Salman

Opinion Writer

Education is a wide space in which experiences are used and translated in the best way in order to acquire various skills and achieve educational goals. Experience is the shining star in this space, and its brightness can only be achieved through its continuity and effectiveness. It becomes useless and sterile if its growth stops. It is not pleasant to talk about experience and its association with experience without referring to the philosophy of John Dewey, who considered experience to be the basis of education and considered experience to be the essence.


Education was associated with John Dewey with experience, as experience is the basis on which all education is built and through which experience is formed and renewed, and thanks to this renewal, the ability of education to direct subsequent experiences increases. He said that all true education comes through experience.
John Dewey Pioneer of Experience and Expertise:


Dewey places great importance on experience as a basis for education, and believes that the best way to raise a child is to allow him to learn from reality, benefiting not only from his daily experiences resulting from his interactions with his environment, but that he should benefit from the good of others. It is true that benefiting from the experiences of others expands the scope of knowledge, but in Dewey's view, it should not be relied on permanently and directly, so that the result is not negative, and the learner becomes unable to benefit from his experiences and interact with his environment, as he believes that the experience gained because of interest leads to Knowledge that is assimilable and leads to intentional versus incidental learning.


Dewey emphasizes the close link between experience and experimentation. In his view, learning is nothing but the fruit of continuous experimentation that enables the child to deal positively with practical situations that modify his behavior and ideas. He also points out that experience has two aspects: one is the experience itself, and the second is the effect resulting from this experience.


Philosophy of expertise and experience:
John Dewey considers experience par excellence, and experience is an essential point in his philosophy, as it occupies an important and essential place in the process of life, so wherever there is life, there is behavior and activity, and in order for life to continue, this activity must remain connected, continuous, and compatible with the environment, and this adaptation is an adaptation Neighborhood with its environment, it is not negative in any way, but an adaptation that aims to shape the organism through the environment in which it lives.


The philosophy of experience is one of the topics that occupied an important space in Dewey's philosophical and educational ideas. He defines experience as the process of interaction between the individual and his environment, which enables him to acquire the correct methods of thinking. And he considered it a source of logical thinking and categorically rejects the existence of the logical image outside the scope of reality and experience. Dewey has linked inference to experience in order to get rid of traditional philosophical perceptions.


For him, education is from cradle to grave. It is not a dose given once and for all, but rather it is a natural phenomenon in the human race, which takes place in an unconscious way since birth by virtue of the individual’s existence in society, and it is a continuous and evolving process, just as it is not just a preparation for a future life, but rather life itself and a process of its operations, that is, it must be School life, from his point of view, is a real life in which experience is obtained directly, and it resembles in its realism the life of a child at home or the environment in which he lives. And it needs to continue because science always has something new to provide us with, as the school is a laboratory, not a lecture hall.


In order for the experience to be useful and of educational significance, it should lead to more experiences, which ensures the continuity of the learning process, and this requires that the learner feel the existence of a new problem in every educational situation, so he takes the initiative to identify the problem and know its dimensions, which generates an initial sense of the solution, so he brings up previous experiences and information that enables him Whoever formulates the hypothesis again accepts what has been proven by experience and rejects what else.


Dewey is the author of the method of experience approach which states that human experience is not a disjointed series of intermittent episodes, but an evolving circle of activities. Learning deserves to be framed in this way as a cumulative and evolutionary process, as researchers move from a stage of unsatisfactory skepticism to another stage characterized by satisfactory problem solving. One of the foundations of the education process is finding the student himself in a real experience centered around a problem that serves as a stimulus for thinking, and it is required that this problem be of natural origin, not artificial, and pertains to the student himself, so that learning is discovery and innovation, and not just accumulation of information, as he believes that traditional education has neglected the element of nature. Humanity, restricted individual freedom and neglected the role of the learner in the educational process, and that traditional education produces harmful experiences in education and these experiences impede growth, hence it leads to dullness and dispersion of thought, while he believes that the purpose of education is to achieve growth and increase it and find ways to reach this The goal here appears the basis adopted by Dewey, which is the concept of experience as a guide in the educational process, because the theory of education is summed up in the formation of experience in a new and steady formation, and it is a distinct idea from education in terms of preparation for a distant future, or it is a discovery, external formation, or a return to the past.


Conclusion:
Dewey says: “The belief that correct education is achieved through experience does not mean that all experiences have real educational value, or that they are equal in this regard. Because some experience is harmful from an educational point of view, and any experience that leads to hindering the growth of experience in the future or deviating from the correct path is considered harmful from an educational point of view.


Accordingly, Dewey believes that experience is nothing but a moving force towards growth. It is the duty of the educator to work on bringing the student’s experience to full maturity.


John Dewey has brought about a fundamental revolution in the field of education. He is the one who stirred the slumber of the educational scene, and provided educational systems with a philosophical and educational framework that enables them to escape from compulsive education. It restored the individual mind and free will its place, and paved the way for creativity, innovation and creative thinking, so the West benefited from it and made a quantum leap in the educational, scientific and technological field, and we in the Arab world are still stuck between educating the oppressed and liberating the oppressed. We are not innovators. We are limited by intellectual closure on the one hand and fear of change on the other.

OPINIONS

Thu 18 May 2023 10:16 am - Jerusalem Time

75 years since the Nakba

Hamada Pharaohs

Hamada Pharaohs

Opinion Writer

The Israeli expansionist colonial project succeeded after 1948 in throwing the Palestinian cause out of Palestine towards the Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian embrace, through expulsion and displacement. Palestinian factions: Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Front, Youth of Revenge, Heroes of Return and others, in addition to the decision to form the Palestine Liberation Organization. The outbreak of the first intifada against the occupation inside Palestine in 1987, and its result was the gradual, multi-stage Oslo agreement in 1993.


The late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat succeeded, depending on the results of the first intifada and the Oslo agreement, in transferring the Palestinian title and most of its tools, from exile to the homeland, and the cause, its title, its struggle and its clash against the colony and its tools and apparatus became inside Palestine, which is a fundamental shift in the course of the cause, struggle and Palestinian action The displaced Palestinian communities have become levers of support as much as possible in the countries of their presence, after they and the refugee camps took the initiative in detonating the Palestinian revolution and fueling its continuation, and waging battles, in the face of the occupation forces from outside Palestine.


The annual Herzliya Security Conference recorded that the Zionist movement and its colony committed three follies in its history:


The first is that it kept approximately 150,000 Palestinian Arabs in 1948, in the Carmel, Galilee, Triangle, Negev, and mixed coastal cities. Today, they constitute one-fifth of the population of Palestine from the first occupation zones in 1948.


The second is that it kept the majority of the people of the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Strip in 1967, and did not do what it did to the Palestinians in 1948, except for demolishing the three villages of Emmaus, Yalu, and Beit Nuba, and expelling their residents, while it demolished and removed more than 500 villages and displaced their residents in 1948.


The people of the three regions, the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Strip, along with the people of the regions of 48, formed a unified, cohesive people whose stances, policies, stubbornness, and the surrounding circumstances prevented their expulsion and deportation.


As for the third folly, it is allowing the return of 350,000 Palestinians with the late President Yasser Arafat between 1994 and 1999, which led to the demographic consequences of the presence of a Palestinian people on the land of their homeland, more than 7 million people, who constitute the accumulated human opposite of the Israeli expansionist colonial project. And the title of his strategic failure, despite the colony's capabilities and superiority.

OPINIONS

Thu 18 May 2023 10:15 am - Jerusalem Time

The Palestinian Nakba has two versions: the first is facts and the second is sheer lies

Tayseer Khaled

Tayseer Khaled

Opinion Writer

In the eighties of the last century, the State of Israel revealed some documents from the state archives, and the archives of the Zionist movement and its organizations in Mandatory Palestine before, during, and in the years following the Palestinian Nakba. This was a valuable opportunity for a number of those who became known as the new historians in Israel, such as Benny Morris, Avi Shlaim, Ilan Pappe, Shlomo Zand and others, to discuss the Nakba of the Palestinian people and the accompanying massacres that formed the basis for the policy of deportation, displacement and ethnic cleansing that accompanied the Nakba of the Palestinian people in 1948. The entry of new historians in Israel on the line was the beginning of a trend among some Israelis, who began to question the Zionist narrative. This limited operation also provided assistance to the activity of Israeli civil associations, such as the Zochrot Jewish Association, which specializes in the Palestinian historical narrative, and undoubtedly launched the firsts of a new historical work, in the face of the Israeli mainstream, which was and still rejects the Palestinian narrative of the Nakba.


The leaders of the State of Israel and the Zionist movement went insane, and the process of blackout and secrecy returned to the archives of the state, the archives of the Zionist movement, and the Jewish Agency, after the accusation was leveled against the new historians of having slaughtered the sacred cow.


On the Palestinian side, we must admit, as we commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Nakba of the Palestinian people, which coincided with the establishment of the State of Israel, that we failed to address the Israeli narrative about the Nakba that befell the Palestinian people, and we did not present our own version of this Nakba as it actually happened.


It is clear that there are two versions of the Nakba: an Israeli one that adopted lies and falsification of facts as a method, and a Palestinian one whose events were actually ignored. Its introductions and repercussions, and were absent from the concerns of world public opinion due to various considerations, not the least of which is that the world had just emerged from the horrors of World War II and the accompanying crimes committed by the Nazi monster, and after a few years it cast a heavy shadow over the crimes that were made by the victims of Hitlerite Nazism.


(Israel) built its narrative on biblical historical allegations that relied on legends and sayings of fortune-tellers, and adhered to the legitimacy of the Zionist project, which calls for a return to the Promised Land after an alleged forced absence that lasted thousands of years, and that the Zionist project came to save the Jews from anti-Semitism and from persecution and genocide as it took place in Europe, especially on Nazi monster hands.


The Israeli narrative was based on an official disregard and exclusion of all monuments indicating the existence of Palestine before 1948, and included the names of mountains, hills, plains, ancient Canaanite cities and villages.


Israel has also used, in influencing the Israeli public awareness of the Nakba, multiple images in archeology, vegetation, food, education, architecture, and tourism that focus on the central goal of obscuring the Palestinian history in the country, and erasing the images of the Nakba in the consciousness of the average Israeli citizen.


The Zionist movement, along with it, used to deny its mere occurrence and claim that the aim of talking about the Nakba is to delegitimize Israel. It continued to deny responsibility for it and referred the responsibility for the mass exodus of Palestinians to the Arab countries that called on them to do so while awaiting the declaration of victory over the Zionist project in Palestine. And Israel, along with the Zionist movement and the Jewish Agency, continued to refuse to see the Palestinians as victims of its practices and crimes, and worked hard to strip the Palestinians of the ability to present themselves as victims.


In the best cases, Israel has presented the refugee problem as a humanitarian problem for which the Palestinian leaders and the leaders of the Arab countries bear responsibility. At the same time, it worked hard to erase memory through textbooks that ignore the human dimension of the consequences of the 1948 war, and mobilized its political, security and media machinery to delegitimize the literature of new historians that contradicted the Zionist narrative regarding the war and refugees. And enacted the Nakba Law, which aims to enable the Ministry of Education to impose penalties on educational institutions that commemorate the Nakba.


On the other hand, we Palestinians failed to present our Palestinian narrative as it happened since the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate Deed and the accompanying denial of the political rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination. In the Balfour Declaration, as in the Mandate Deed, the discussion was only about non-Jews in Palestine and about their civil and religious rights. This was happening before the rise of fascism and Nazism on the European continent and many years before the Holocaust of the Nazi monster, and this came in the context of dividing and re-dividing the world between the victorious colonial countries in the First World War, where the Zionist movement emerged as one of the tools of colonialism and a natural and logical result of the development of its control mechanisms over the countries of the region after the end of the war.


Another aspect that is no less important in presenting the Palestinian narrative is the policy followed by the Zionist movement and its institutions in Palestine during the era of the British Mandate, and the accompanying silent ethnic cleansing and displacement of citizens from their lands targeted by building the first settlements, and the policy of Hebrew work and the construction of a closed society in Palestine, which was planning To carry out large-scale ethnic cleansing when the moment is right. The construction of military and paramilitary organizations, including Jewish terrorist organizations, was in full swing under the watch and eyes of the British Mandate government, and when the right moment came with the withdrawal of British forces in Palestine, the country was the scene of combat operations for trained and armed Jewish forces that excel in numbers and equipment over the Arab armies, which I participated in the 1948 war.


The "Dalt" plan for comprehensive ethnic cleansing approved by the leadership of the Zionist movement and the Jewish Agency in March 1948 was ready, after entrusting its implementation with detailed directives to those forces, which had been built by the Zionist movement in Palestine with direct assistance from the British Mandate government. The plan was based on ethnic cleansing as a central goal of its objectives, with strict and detailed directives, calling without mercy for killing and spreading terror, besieging Palestinian cities and villages, burning homes and properties, and planting mines among the rubble to prevent the people from returning to their homes, and as a result of that criminal plan that was revealed by a number of New historians in Israel claim that the Haganah, the main regular military force and the nucleus of the army after the establishment of the state and other terrorist organizations, committed 28 massacres, the most horrific of which was in Deir Yassin, and carried out demolitions of more than 530 towns and villages, and displaced about 800,000 Palestinians and turned them into refugees. .


We presented this narrative abstractly without clarifying its nature and political context, and we did not present with it what Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir and other leaders of Jewish terrorist organizations said about Deir Yassin, for example, both of whom later became heads of Israeli governments. Menachem Begin said that without Deir Yassin, it would not have been possible for Israel to exist. As for Yitzhak Shamir, he described the massacre as a humanitarian duty.


Beyond that, while Mr. Jacques Rene, Director of Red Cross Operations in Palestine at the time, who visited the village and witnessed the horrific crime in the field and submitted a chilling report on it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in which he expressed his anger at the barbaric practices of the Jewish forces that attacked children and women in In the village, Menachem Begin, head of the terrorist Irgun, sent a message to the leaders who carried out that crime, in which he said: “The occupation of Deir Yassin is a wonderful achievement. Israel, and to victory, as in Deir Yassin, as well as in others, we will storm and annihilate the enemy, our Lord, you have chosen us to conquer.”


Menachem Begin, head of the terrorist Aragonese, and prime minister of Israel, who overthrew the Labor Party in 1977, spoke for God, who chose him for that brutal mission. Perhaps he believed that he was the heir of Joshua bin Nun, who is narrated in the legends of the Old Testament and his travels, that he (with the help of God) invaded the city of Jericho in the thirteenth century BC and exterminated all the men, women and children in it, except for the adulteress Rahab, and followed her to the Canaanite city (Ai) near Bethlehem Where he was not satisfied with the extermination of the population of men, women and children, but rather all the animals in the city, even though the scholars of history and archaeology agree that such an invasion did not occur at all and that the city of Jericho was subjected to destruction before the appearance of Joshua bin Nun (alleged) on its borders a century and a half And that (Ai) was also subjected to destruction four centuries before the emergence of Ibn Nun.


Our Palestinian narrative was late in presenting it to the world as it happened as the difference between facts and lies and conclusive evidence of the Zionist planned crimes that were committed, which allowed for a not short period of time to spread the Israeli narrative, which claimed that the residents of Palestine left their homes in response to calls from abroad. The world was late in hearing our story as much as we were late in presenting our vision and story.


In addition to all this, the Palestinian narrative about the Nakba should not stop at what happened in 1948, but rather it should evolve and accompany what is happening over the years, because the Nakba has been going on since its first year. Who can ignore what happened in 1967 after Israel occupied the West Bank, including Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. In the first days of the occupation of that year, Israel also carried out acts of ethnic cleansing, so it brutally demolished the villages of the Latrun area (Emwas, Yalu and Beit Nuba) in the vicinity of the city of Jerusalem and displaced the people in the surrounding villages and turned their villages into a recreational park and transferred the ownership of their lands to the so-called Jewish National Fund (JNF) Keren Kimet) and turned it into a vital field for its economic activities, and as Israel did with the villages of Latrun, it did the same in Jerusalem when it destroyed the Mughrabi neighborhood on the day after the occupation. Neighboring . This must be a chapter of our story about the Nakba, so that the same scene will not be repeated in Jerusalem, where the occupation is still threatening to displace the people of Sheikh Jarrah and Batn al-Hawa in Silwan in occupied Jerusalem and other places in the Holy City.


The chapters on the demolition of Palestinian villages and towns, displacement and ethnic cleansing did not stop at the borders of what happened in 1948 and 1967, but rather continued with scenarios, pictures and brutal means through the theft of Palestinian lands and property and turning them into a vital field for settlement activities that laid in itself the basis for building a harsh system of discrimination and apartheid It is silent ethnic cleansing. One of the harsh examples of the policy of ethnic cleansing is the Palestinian Jordan Valley. Its population in 1967 exceeded 125,000 people, but today the number barely reaches 60,000 due to the policy of systematic expulsion of the population from the region and the replacement of them with Jewish settlers, which constitutes a clear and unmistakable war crime. In addition to other facts that provide an appropriate legal basis for the work of the International Criminal Court and the work of the International Court of Justice regarding the consequences of the permanent occupation in terms of changing the demographic situation of the population in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Israeli ethnic cleansing policy.


Now that we are entering a new year of the Palestinian Nakba, we notice the shift in the position of world public opinion. The situation is beginning to change, and among the indications of that is the recent UN resolution in early December 2022 to specify the fifteenth of next May as the day when the United Nations General Assembly will commemorate, at a high level, the 75th anniversary of the Nakba of Palestine. This transformation was a natural result of the steadfastness of our people in the 48 areas in the face of aggression and the attempt of permanent familyization and their steadfastness in their land as a national minority that preserved its cause and its presence on its land, and secondly due to the continuous clash between the Palestinian people in the occupied territories in the June 1967 aggression and the accompanying Israeli war crimes And a policy of discrimination and racial segregation fueled by the Israeli occupation and settlement policy and by the restoration of refugee camps and diaspora in neighboring countries for its role as a struggle lever for restoring rights under the banner of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which helped keep the refugee issue alive and their right to return, this right that does not die by statute of limitations as it was Israel dreams, as are the American administration's delusions. Here remains the task of preserving UNRWA and enabling it to play its role and provide its services in various health, educational, social and humanitarian fields and as a witness to a national, individual and collective right that must be adhered to as a firm national position in the face of attempts to liquidate the justest cause in human history.

PALESTINE

Thu 18 May 2023 9:38 am - Jerusalem Time

Ben Gvir orders the removal of the Palestinian flag from occupied Jerusalem

Today, Thursday, the so-called Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, ordered the removal of the Palestinian flag from the occupied city of Jerusalem.


According to the Hebrew Channel 7, Ben Gvir instructed the police command to storm the Palestinian neighborhoods and remove the Palestinian flag.


She indicated that the Israeli police stormed the Silwan neighborhood and started removing the flag from it.


Various events called for raising the Palestinian flag in response to the Israeli flags march scheduled for today in the Holy City.



SPORT

Thu 18 May 2023 9:22 am - Jerusalem Time

Champions League: Manchester City strips Real Madrid of the title and sets a date with Inter in the final

Manchester City stripped Real Madrid of its European Champions League title, with a landslide 4-0 victory over them in the second leg of the semi-finals on Wednesday in Manchester.


Portuguese Bernardo Silva (23 and 37), Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Eder Militao (76), and Argentine substitute Julian Alvares (90 + 1) scored the goals.


Last week, City snatched a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Spanish capital.


City will meet in the final, scheduled for Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, on June 10, with Italian Inter, who reached this role at the expense of its neighbor in the same city, Milan, by beating it back and forth 2-0 and 1-0.


This is the second time that City has reached the final match, after losing to compatriot Chelsea 0-1 in 2021.


Manchester City was knocked out by Real Madrid twice in the semi-finals in the 2015-2016 seasons and last season, but the third was fixed this season.


"It's a great evening for us," said Silva, who scored the double and was the best player in the match. "We knew the difficulty of the task, but beating Real Madrid 4-0 at home is wonderful."


"It's a great feeling to be in the final again, and we hope to win the title this time," he added.


As for Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal, he said, "The opponent was stronger than us from the beginning until the end. They silenced us, and the result is the best proof of that. We must congratulate the opposing team, which was better than us."


City hopes to achieve the treble this season, as it is one victory away from crowning the Premier League, and has also reached the FA Cup final, where it will meet its neighbor Manchester United in the final match at Wembley Stadium in London on the third of next June, knowing that United is the team. The only Englishman to achieve this feat was in 1999.


Manchester City did not taste defeat at home in its last 26 matches in the Champions League (24 wins against two draws), as its last loss dates back to September 2018 against Lyon, France. Only Barcelona (38 home matches without losing between 2013 and 2020) and Bayern Munich (29 between 1998 and 2002) achieved a better series in the main continental competition.


On the other hand, the Italian Carlo Ancelotti played his 191st match in the Champions League as coach to win the record, surpassing Manchester United's legendary Scottish coach "Sir" Alex Ferguson (190). Anceloni also played his 50th match on the coaching bench with Real in the continental competition, becoming the second coach to reach this barrier and more with two teams (he supervised 70 matches with Milan) after Spaniard Pep Guardiola (73 with City and 50 with Barcelona).


"City were the better team, especially in the first half, and they deserved to win," said Ancelotti.


"We tried in the second half, but to no avail," he added.


As for Guardiola, he said, "I am very proud tonight, more than anyone can imagine. The players were wonderful. We played a great match and compensated somewhat for our exit in the same round last season against the same opponent."


Ancelotti made one change to the squad that went into the first leg, involving Brazilian defender Eder Militao, who was suspended in the first match, instead of German Antonio Rudiger, despite the latter's task of monitoring Manchester City's giant Norwegian striker Erling Haaland in a wonderful way.


Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga also overcame a slight injury to his knee and occupies the left back position.


The Italian coach relied on the brilliant trio of French forward Karim Benzema and the Brazilians Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo.


On the other hand, Pep Guardiola decided to include the same squad that played the first leg.


Guardiola rested four of them in his team's last match against Everton in the English Premier League, and they are playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, winger Jack Grealish, defender John Stones and Portuguese Bernardo Silva.


City took the lead from the first minute, thanks to an almost absolute possession rate, as it carried out 196 correct passes, compared to only 13 for Real Madrid in the first quarter of the hour.


City's first attempt was a stray shot by Kyle Walker from outside the area after 3 minutes.


Then it was the most prominent opportunity for Halland, who received a perfect ball from Grealish, so he rose to it and hit it with his head from a very close range, but the Belgian Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tackled it brilliantly before the Austrian international defender David Alaba scattered the ball (12).
Then Courtois intervened in a better way to save his goal from a sure goal when he pushed Halland's header with his fingertips (20).
City's pressure paid off when De Bruyne passed a wonderful ball towards Silva, who controlled it before hitting it hard with his left into the net (23).


And City almost consolidated its lead when Haaland received the ball on the outskirts of the area, so he cunningly fired it, which passed to the side of the post (25).
Real Madrid began to gradually enter the atmosphere of the match, and after City thwarted two attempts by two counterattacks, German Toni Kroos fired a missile from outside the area, which bounced off the crossbar in the first serious threat to City's goal (32).
City soon added the second goal when Grealish passed a ball towards German Ilkay Gundogan, who hit it with Militao's foot and prepared for Silva, who followed it with his head into the net (36).
Real Madrid's performance improved at the beginning of the second half, and the referee awarded him a direct free kick, which was fired by Alaba powerfully with his left. Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson flew at it and skillfully turned it with his fingertips into a corner kick (48).
City almost fell the defending champion 14 times by a knockout, after Gundogan passed a cunning ball with the heel inside the area towards Haaland, the last one in Courtois, who intervened again to save his goal from a sure goal, so that the ball hit the crossbar (72).
Then City decided the final result in his favor when De Bruyne raised a ball from a fixed kick inside the area, which Swiss defender Manuel Akanji raised with his head, collided with Militao and turned a mistake into his team's goal (76).
Argentine striker Alvares, two minutes after he came on as Haaland's replacement, fired the last shot when he invested in a wonderful through ball from Phil Foden to hit it to the right of Courtois in the first minute of stoppage time.

SPORT

Thu 18 May 2023 9:19 am - Jerusalem Time

Europa League: A difficult journey for Juventus to the castle of Seville, and Rome is counting on Mourinho's experience

Spain's Seville is counting on its impressive record at home when it meets Juventus, Italy, Thursday, in the second leg of the semi-finals of the European League (Europa League) in football, while Roma, Italy, is relying on the experience of its Portuguese coach, Jose Mourinho, to overtake Bayer Leverkusen.


In 18 matches within the auxiliary continental competition at its Ramon Sanchez Pesjuan stadium, Sevilla won 16 times and drew twice.
He is looking to complete this positive series when he receives the “old lady”, after the first leg, in which he remained ahead with the goal of Moroccan Youssef Al-Nusairi until the 90th minute when Federico Gatti equalized.


However, coach Massimiliano Allegri's team had previously won in Andalusia, in the group stage of the 2016 Champions League, with a score of 3-1.


The “Bianconeri” won the competition title in its old system three times, including two in the nineties, which also saw him reach the final once again.


Juventus is entering the confrontation after three successive victories in the domestic league, which placed it in second place, 14 points behind champion Napoli, while Seville achieved five victories in six matches, which raised it to ninth place in La Liga, after the appointment of new coach Jose Luis Mendelibar next in March to succeed him. Argentinian Jorge Sampaoli.


Seville is looking to reach the seventh final in its history, as it holds the record for six titles in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020.
Mendilibar hopes to recover Argentine winger Lucas Ocampos, after he left early in the first leg due to a muscle injury he suffered in the 34th minute.
On the other hand, Juventus will play a new match without its French midfielder Paul Pogba, who suffered another injury Sunday in the domestic league during the 2-0 victory over Cremonese.


In light of the talk about a tendency to settle part of the 15 points that he recovered in his appeal of the penalty related to financial manipulation, Juventus' situation does not seem settled to qualify for the Champions League, which makes him determined to try to win the "Europa League" title.
"It won't be an easy match at Sevilla," Allegri said. "We have to stay calm, focused and play with a clear mind."


The qualifier from this confrontation will meet the winner between Roma and Leverkusen, on May 31 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. The winner of the title will be guaranteed to play the group stage of the Champions League next season, if he has not booked his card from the local league.


Roma will need Mourinho's defensive plans to reach the final, after winning the first leg with the goal of young Eduardo Bovi, curbing Leverkusen's attack for the first time this season. Bayer started the first leg with 14 goals in 6 matches scored by nine different players.


Under the supervision of his Spanish coach Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen managed to escape from the relegation zone to seventh place in the Bundesliga and compete for the continental title, thanks to a young attacking group.


In the center stands Florian Wertz (20 years), one of the most promising faces in German football, along with Dutch full-back Jeremy Frimpong (22), French striker Moussa Diaby (23), French winger of Moroccan origin, Amine Adly (23), Czech striker Adam Hlojic (23). 20) and world champion Argentine midfielder Esekial Palacios (24).


Leverkusen is fully aware of the importance of this opportunity, especially since it won the Confederation Cup (currently the European League) in 1988 and reached the Champions League final in 2002.


And while speculation began about the future of his coach Alonso, the former Real Madrid midfielder said in early May, "In the coming months and next season, my thinking is 100% here. We have big goals that we must achieve."


Leverkusen has a good home record this season, outperforming the likes of Spain's Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Leipzig and Union Berlin.
On the Roma front, the capital team is going through a bad period in the local league, as “Galurusi” did not win in the last five matches, and it fell to sixth place, wasting the opportunity to qualify for the Champions League.


His coach, Mourinho, has always described himself when he was coach of Chelsea, England, as a "distinguished coach." He has a distinguished record in Europe after winning the Champions League with Porto, Inter, Italy, and the Europa League (formerly the Federation Cup) with Porto, Manchester United, and the Conference League with Rome last season.


Roma's defense emerged in the last matches of the competition, conceding only two goals in six matches.


The capital team hopes to reach only its second final in the competition after 1991, when it lost to compatriot Inter.


Similar to Alonso, who was chased from several clubs and who played under the supervision of the Portuguese when he was coach of Real Madrid, there was speculation last week that Mourinho, 60, was trying to sign him after Christophe Galtier failed in his first season with the Qatari-owned team.


And if Juventus and Roma qualify, the “Europa League” will be on a date with a 100 percent Italian final for the first time since Inter beat Lazio 3-0 in 1998.


In addition to the presence of Juventus and Roma in the Europa League semi-finals, and Inter reaching the Champions League final, Fiorentina hopes to strengthen the Italian presence when it tries to overturn its loss in the first leg at home against Swiss Basel 1-2 in the second leg of the “Conference League” semi-finals.


The Florence team hopes to reach the first continental final since losing to Juventus in 1990 in the European Union Cup, and to try to win its second title after the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1961.


In the second confrontation, West Ham, on its visit to the Dutch land of Alkmaar, won a difficult 2-1 victory, when it overturned its deficit in the second half.


This is the second consecutive appearance for the London team in this role, hoping to overcome it after last year’s elimination from the Europa League semi-finals at the hands of German champions Eintracht Frankfurt.

SPORT

Thu 18 May 2023 9:15 am - Jerusalem Time

England Championship: Liverpool announces the departure of 4 players at the end of the season

Liverpool, the fifth English football league, announced the departure of four players from its ranks at the end of the current season, at the end of their contracts.


The four players are: James Milner, Brazilian Roberto Firmino, Guinean Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
"We can confirm that Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will leave the club at the end of their contracts this summer," the ancient northern club said in a statement.


He added, "These people will be honored at Anfield (in their match against Aston Villa next Saturday), in addition to other honors later."


The name Milner, who defended the colors of Liverpool for 8 years, was associated with moving to the ranks of Brighton or returning to the ranks of Leeds United, who witnessed his start in the English Premier League at the age of sixteen in 2002, before playing with Newcastle, Aston Villa and Manchester City clubs to return and move to Liverpool. 2015.


Milner played 617 matches in the English Premier League and ranks third in the ranking of players with the most matches, after Gareth Barry (652) and Welshman Ryan Giggs (632). But the trio is still far from the record registered in the name of former international goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who played 848 matches in the first division previously.

OPINIONS

Thu 18 May 2023 9:12 am - Jerusalem Time

Realizing the dream of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state soon

Zeng Jishen, the new Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the State of Palestine

Zeng Jishen, the new Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the State of Palestine

Opinion Writer

On May 15, 2023, the United Nations celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Nakba at UN Headquarters, which is very important because it once again draws international attention to the Palestinian cause.

The first war broke out in the Middle East 75 years ago, and a large number of Palestinians lost their homes and became refugees. Since that time, the Palestinian people have embarked on an arduous journey in pursuit of their legitimate rights and interests. For more than half a century, the tragedy of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has continued to repeat itself, causing hostility long-term conflict between Arabs and Jews, plunging the region into wars, and endangering global peace and stability.

To this day, the legitimate demand of the Palestinian people for an independent state has yet to be met, which raises questions about international justice. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang wrote about the United Nations commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, which demonstrates China's consistent support for the just cause of the Palestinian people, China's top priority for promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, and its firm will to uphold international justice.

The Palestinian issue is the focus of the conflict in the Middle East and is related to the continuity of peace, stability and security in the region. To stop the escalation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and resolve the Palestinian issue, the main way out is through the resumption of peace talks, and the two-state solution through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.


The recent escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict once again highlights the urgency of resolving the Palestinian issue. The international community must put the conflict at the top of the international agenda, commit to the two-state solution, push for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, promote the legitimate and reasonable aspirations of the Palestinian people, and realize the dream. Palestinians to establish an independent Palestinian state.

China upholds fairness and justice in the Palestinian cause, and has all along strongly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people of restoring their legitimate national rights, and has supported the establishment of an independent State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. For ten consecutive years, Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent With congratulatory messages on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

The Chinese president put forward more than once proposals to solve the Palestinian issue, stressing the need to move forward firmly in a political settlement based on the two-state solution and intensify international efforts for peace. China supports strengthening the institutions of the Palestinian National Authority, supports strengthening unity among the Palestinian factions, and encourages the Palestinians and the Israelis to Resumption of peace talks on the basis of the two-state solution. China has hosted four meetings between the Palestinians and the Israelis, with the aim of promoting peace between the two sides. China has been and will continue to provide Palestine with humanitarian aid, to help develop the Palestinian economy and improve the lives of the Palestinians.

China commends the important role the United Nations has played over the years in finding solutions to the Palestinian issue and improving the humanitarian situation in Palestine.

China will continue to work with the international community to enhance security for all in the world as proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and contribute to the comprehensive, fair and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue, peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel, common development of the Arab and Jewish peoples, and lasting peace and stability in the Middle East, as it stands A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a responsible key state.

SPORT

Thu 18 May 2023 9:11 am - Jerusalem Time

CAF Cup: USMA faces Young Africans in the final round

The Algerian Federation of the Capital will complete the "continental dream", as it reached the final round of the African Football Confederation Cup, after defeating its guest Asec Mimosas Ivory Coast 2-0 on Wednesday at the "5 July" stadium in the Algerian capital in the second leg of the semi-final.


The two teams tied in the first leg, negatively, in the city of "Bouaké", and the Algerian team will meet in the final with Young Africans of Tanzania, who renewed their victory over Marumo Gallants, South Africa, 2-1.


The "Sostara" team took advantage of the ground workers and the crowd in the best way, to extend its control over the course from the start, as it created several opportunities, most notably Al-Saadi Al-Radwani's shot over the goal (25).


Khaled Bosilo scored the net, giving Al Ittihad the lead, after he made a skillful break and a powerful shot to the right of the Ivory Coast goalkeeper, following a deep pass from Al Radwani (27).
ASEC goalkeeper Charles Foley blocked a back header for Ayman Mahyous (34).


The guests extended their control in the second half, seeking to equalize and thus qualify, and the Algerian goalkeeper, Osama Bin Bout, distinguished himself in blocking many Ivorian opportunities, most notably Diarra's shot together (72).


And from a quick counterattack, Ismail Belkasmi doubled the Algerian team's superiority with a "Loeb" shot over the advanced goalkeeper Boli (80).


At the “Royal Bafokeng” stadium in the South African city of Rastenburg, Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi led Young Africans to the final round for the first time at the expense of Marumo Gallants, after defeating him 2-1 in the second leg, after defeating him 2-0 in the first leg.
Despite the control of the landowners, the Tanzanian team was the most dangerous, and Mudasir Yahya missed the opportunity to open the scoring by not being completely alone with Galants goalkeeper Washington Arubi from Zimbabwe, but he hit the goal (33).


Before the end of the first half, the Democratic Congolese gave Veston Miley the lead for the guests, after he singled himself out after a counterattack and hit hard, the goalkeeper tried to block it, but it bounced back to Veston, so he followed it into the net (45 + 1).


In the second half, "Yanga" continued his dangerous rebounds, and added the second goal through Zambian Kennedy Musonda, by following up Miley's cross into the goal (62).


Ranga Shivaferu scored for the South African team with his header after Lucky Mohomi's cross (90 + 1).


This is the second time that Nabi reaches the continental final, after he succeeded in the same thing with the Congolese Leopard de Dolisi in 2012, as he led him to the title at the financial expense of Djoliba.
The final matches of the tournament will be held on May 28 and June 3.

PALESTINE

Thu 18 May 2023 8:31 am - Jerusalem Time

Injuries and arrests in the West Bank and Jerusalem

On Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested 3 citizens from Nablus and Bethlehem, following a campaign of raids in separate areas of the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.


According to local sources, these forces arrested the young man, Ahmed Hassoun, from Beit Imrin, north of Nablus, after raiding and searching his house and tampering with its contents.


The occupation forces stormed the old town and its environs in Nablus, and were fired upon by resistance fighters.


According to the Red Crescent, a young man was wounded by rubber bullets, while dozens suffocated as the occupation forces fired tear gas canisters.


In Bethlehem, the editor, Khalil Muhammad al-Sheikh, was arrested from the village of Marah Rabah, and the editor, Muhammad Taqatqa, from the town of Beit Fajjar.


Those forces stormed the homes of a group of citizens in those two areas, searched them thoroughly and wreaked havoc, and subjected some of the residents to field investigation.


In occupied Jerusalem, the Israeli occupation forces arrested the young man, Muhammad Marwan Obeid, after they raided and searched his house and tampered with its contents in the village of Al-Isawiya.


PALESTINE

Thu 18 May 2023 8:22 am - Jerusalem Time

Israeli mobilization in preparation for the march of flags

On Thursday morning, the Israeli police increased their deployment in occupied Jerusalem, in preparation for the flag march, which will be organized this afternoon, with the participation of tens of thousands of settlers.


According to the Hebrew website Ynet, the Israeli police confirmed this morning that the march will pass as planned, according to its usual route, and will enter through the Damascus Gate and the Old City, all the way to the Al-Buraq Wall.


He did not confirm until this morning whether ministers and members of Knesset from the current government's right-wing coalition would participate in the march, amid expectations that at least the extremist Itamar Ben Gvir would participate in it.


The Israeli police denied that there was a plan to allow the march to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque.


The site stated that there is a state of alert among the Israeli security system, fearing any scenarios, such as confrontations in the Old City, launching rockets from Gaza, or attempting to carry out attacks.


PALESTINE

Thu 18 May 2023 8:16 am - Jerusalem Time

Updated || Massive storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque hours before the "flag march"

On Thursday morning, settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in successive groups, amid calls to intensify the storming on the occasion of the so-called "Jerusalem Day" and the "flag march".


The Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said: "1,262 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning and evening periods."


Dozens of settlers gathered this afternoon, at Damascus Gate, and performed provocative dances, in preparation for the settlement "flag march", which is scheduled to arrive at the place this afternoon.


And the Minister of Transportation of the occupation government, Miri Regev, participated in the gathering of settlers at Damascus Gate, who raised the flag of the occupying state.


Previously, large forces of the occupation police stormed the courtyards of the mosque to secure the settlers' incursions, as some members of those forces were seen removing some stationed from inside.


A group of stationed men and women gathered inside Al-Aqsa, where they shouted takbeers, amid attempts to confuse the settlers’ incursions.


Participated in the raid, the minister of the so-called Negev and the extremist Galilee, Isaac Vserlov of the "Jewish Power" party led by Itamar Ben Gvir, whose wife stormed the mosque, along with former Knesset member, Rabbi Yehuda Glick, and the head of the Ben Gvir faction in the Knesset, Yitzhak Crozier, and the wife of Itamar Ben Gvir.


The occupation forces deployed heavily inside the Old City since the early hours of dawn, in preparation for securing the settlers' incursions, and strengthened their deployment in preparation for the scheduled march this afternoon.


It also forced the owners of shops in the valley in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem to close them, at gunpoint, under the pretext of securing the settlement "flag march".


In recent days, various factions, forces, and activists have issued calls to gather in Al-Aqsa and Rabat within it, coinciding with calls for settlers to participate strongly in the incursions.



PALESTINE

Wed 17 May 2023 9:35 pm - Jerusalem Time

The occupation arrests a young man from Haifa in possession of ammunition

On Wednesday evening, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a young man from the West Bank in Haifa.


Israeli sources claim that ammunition was found in his possession inside a bus in Haifa.


ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 17 May 2023 9:34 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Arab summit will witness a qualitative change in dealing with Arab crises

Egyptian experts confirmed that the 32nd Arab Summit, scheduled to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, next Friday, will witness a qualitative change in dealing with Arab crises and issues away from external interference.


The experts pointed out that the return of Syria after an absence of 12 years, the participation of President Bashar al-Assad, dealing with the Sudanese crisis, the Palestinian issue, the Arab-Iranian rapprochement, and the decline of the American role will be the most prominent scenes in the summit meetings.


Professor of International Relations at Misr University for Science and Technology, Dr. Hamed Fares, said that the upcoming Arab summit will be the summit of Arab solutions to the issues and crises of the region, stressing that there is a major qualitative change in dealing with crises and issues away from foreign interventions and ambitions, which were a major reason for prolonging the multiplicity of Arab crises. .


Fares told Xinhua that there is a growing Arab political will and desire to find effective Arab solutions to the crises it suffers from, in a way that negatively affects it.
He explained that Syria's participation in the summit and the presence of President Bashar al-Assad after an absence of 12 years will be the most prominent scene in the Arab summit, especially after its participation in the preparatory meetings for the summit at various levels.


He pointed out that the return of Syria will be a milestone in the Arab action, and that return will be followed by many measures that can be discussed by the summit to ensure the unity and stability of the Syrian lands, stop foreign interference in the Syrian affairs and end the Turkish occupation of some lands in northern Syria, stressing that Syria will be the first and real test. Joint Arab cooperation in resolving Arab crises.


The Council of the League of Arab States decided, in its emergency meeting on the seventh of May in Cairo at the ministerial level, to resume the participation of delegations of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic in the meetings of the Council of the League of Arab States, and all organizations and agencies affiliated with the League, while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received an invitation from the tenth of May. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to participate in the thirty-second session of the Arab League Council meeting at the summit level.


Professor of International Relations at Misr University for Science and Technology, Dr. Hamid Fares, confirmed that the situation in Sudan will impose itself strongly on the work of the Arab summit, noting that despite the existence of some differences over the crisis in Sudan, the summit will come out with a unified Arab position towards Sudan and build on what was agreed upon. It is in the Jeddah agreement between the Sudanese army forces and the Rapid Support Forces.


He pointed out that there are fears that the impact of the Sudanese crisis will extend to many neighboring countries, and that Sudan will turn into a fertile ground for terrorist organizations as a result of the prolongation of this crisis, which will be a strong motivation for all Arab countries to work to come up with a unified Arab position that contributes to besieging the crisis and resolving it within a Sudanese framework. Sudanese.


The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces signed a preliminary agreement of principles in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on May 11, in which the ((Jeddah Declaration)) affirmed the sovereignty and unity of Sudan and welcomed the efforts of the friends of Sudan, as well as the abstention of the two parties from carrying out any attack that would cause civilian harm. .


The two parties agreed to adhere to regular humanitarian pauses and days of calm as needed in Sudan, and to commit to evacuations, to respect public and private facilities in Sudan, and to protect medical personnel and public facilities in Sudan. alive in Sudan.


Fares stressed that there is a current Arab case of not relying on the American role in the Arab region due to its extreme bias and giving priority to its own interests at the expense of the interests of the region, and betting on new forces that have a prominent and positive role in dealing with the region's crises with integrity and transparency, especially the Chinese role.


He noted that Chinese foreign policy has taken a positive and more effective form in dealing with the issues of the Arab region, especially in light of the outcomes of the recent Chinese-Arab summit, which was evident through the success of Chinese mediation in resolving the Saudi-Iranian disputes.


Last March, Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran agreed to restore diplomatic relations after talks mediated by China. The two countries agreed to reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions within two months and explore ways to improve bilateral relations.


For his part, Abu Bakr al-Deeb, a researcher in international relations and political economy, monitored 10 pivotal files on the table of Arab leaders at their 32nd summit in Saudi Arabia, including the Palestinian cause as the pivotal cause of the Arabs, the future of Syria and its support after its return to the Arab League, the crises in Libya and Yemen, the repercussions of the Ukrainian war, and the file of terrorism and its impact. On the region, Arab food and water security, the energy crisis, the Arab-Iranian rapprochement, and the reform of the Arab League.


Al-Deeb assured Xinhua that the Arab summit represents an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss and discuss issues of concern to the Arab street, especially those raised by the Ukrainian crisis, such as energy and food issues, as well as discussing the Palestinian issue, which is considered one of the most important issues raised, and will take up a large part of the discussions. Especially after the recent Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, where emphasis will be placed on supporting the Palestinian cause and discussing mechanisms for its solution.


Arab leaders will also discuss ways to resolve many political crises from which Arab countries suffer, especially the situation in Libya, Yemen and Sudan, and support Riyadh's efforts to reach a solution to the Sudanese crisis by bringing the two parties to the conflict to one table for negotiation.


He added that the summit will also discuss a number of files, including the Arab Strategy for Tourism, the Arab Strategy for Communications and Information, known as the "Arab Digital Agenda", the Second Arab Decade for Persons with Disabilities and others, and the promotion of Arab economic and social action in order to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable groups in Arab societies.


Abu Bakr Al-Deeb stressed that the security aspect and combating terrorism in the region represents a great priority in light of the repercussions of global crises, and the positions of Arab countries on the Ukrainian crisis, which created some apathy with Washington and Western countries, the decline of the European role and the growth of Arab relations with China, in addition to the file of the Renaissance Dam and security. Arab Water.


Today (Wednesday) the foreign ministers of the Arab countries began their preparatory meeting for the regular Arab summit in its 32nd session, which will be held on Friday in Jeddah, according to Al-Arabiya news channel.


At the beginning of the meeting, the presidency was handed over to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the Algerian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Ataf, called in the handover speech to resolve the Arab differences, and explained the efforts of the upcoming summit to unite the ranks to face the challenges in the region.


Arab leaders meet on May 19 to discuss the most important Arab and international issues, while the ministerial meeting was preceded by several other meetings, the most important of which was the meeting of the Quartet Arab Ministerial Committee concerned with following up the developments of the Iranian file, as well as the meeting of the open-ended Arab Ministerial Committee to support the State of Palestine.

PALESTINE

Wed 17 May 2023 9:09 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Knesset approved the preliminary draft law banning the raising of the Palestinian flag

Today, Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset approved, in its preliminary reading, a law banning collective raising of the Palestinian flag, suppressing protests, carrying out arrests, and imposing prison sentences on demonstrators if they raise the Palestinian flag.


The proposed bill submitted by Knesset member Almog Cohen of the "Otzma Yehudit" party was supported by 54 Knesset members, against 16 members.


If the law is passed in the three readings, it prohibits every stop or demonstration during which the Palestinian flag or “enemy flags” are raised by at least 3 people, while allowing the implementation of arrests and the imposition of a prison sentence on anyone who raises the Palestinian flag.


According to the "Arabs 48" website, the draft law prohibits protests during which the Palestinian flag is raised by at least 3 demonstrators, and imposes a prison sentence of up to one year. It also allows the police to disperse these protests and make arrests.


And it was stated on the website of the Hebrew newspaper “Haaretz” that the powers to prohibit the raising of the Palestinian flag in public places are granted to the Inspector General of Police according to the police order, according to which he may do so as long as the flag is “a symbol for which disorder is disturbed.” However, this order is subject to To the appreciation of police chiefs.


It is noteworthy that the law proposal was previously presented during previous sessions in the Knesset, as it was presented earlier in the current session by Knesset member for the "Likud" May Golan, before she was appointed as a minister in the occupation government.


For its part, the "Adalah" Center stated that "the police officers who prevent flags from being raised in demonstrations and carry out arrests for raising flags, exceed their powers and do not act in accordance with the law."


Adalah believes that "the current law is more extreme than the commitment in the government coalition agreements with Otzma Yehudit, because it aims to impose criminal penalties for raising the flag in public places and not only in government-supported institutions."

PALESTINE

Wed 17 May 2023 8:22 pm - Jerusalem Time

The occupation allows settlers to return to the northern West Bank

The website of the Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom revealed, this evening, Wednesday, that the Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, issued an order to start implementing a law passed by the Knesset about two months ago, related to the abolition of the disengagement law from settlements in the northern West Bank.


According to the Hebrew site, Galant ordered the Israeli army command in the West Bank to secure the entry of settlers to those areas, and to provide them with full protection.


According to the site, this step is important on the political and security levels, and will allow settlers to return to the Homesh al-Makhalla outpost, which was declared an official recognized settlement a short time ago.


He pointed out that the possibility of moving the religious school in the Homesh outpost a few hundred meters will be studied, in order for it to be "legitimate" after the Supreme Court's refusal previously to keep it in its place and evacuate it because it is on private Palestinian lands.

PALESTINE

Wed 17 May 2023 7:55 pm - Jerusalem Time

"Fatah" held the occupation responsible for the fate of the march of the flags

The "Fatah" movement has warned the extremist occupation government of the repercussions of the provocative flag march, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Thursday, in the city of Jerusalem, blaming it for the situation.


Fatah confirmed, in a statement today, Wednesday, that the tireless attempts by successive occupation governments to obliterate the Islamic, Arab and Palestinian identity of the city of Jerusalem, through their Judaization schemes, will not work.


She said, "Our people will fail these attempts with their steadfastness and clinging to their historical rights, and will continue their struggle until the establishment of their independent, sovereign state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital."


She added, "The provocative march of flags coincides with the settlers' daily incursions into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to the repeated attacks on worshipers and stationed, the policy of demolishing homes and displacing families, oppression and abuse against Jerusalemites, the 'clandestination' of education and curricula, and other policies that will not achieve their goals." Attributing this to the will of our people, who did not hesitate to confront all liquidation projects for their rights and eternal existence.

ARAB AND WORLD

Wed 17 May 2023 7:21 pm - Jerusalem Time

More than half of Sudan's population needs humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations

On Wednesday, the United Nations estimated that the number of people in need of humanitarian aid in Sudan is about 25 million, and about $3.03 billion the volume of emergency aid needed by the country and those fleeing the war to neighboring countries, whose number is expected to exceed one million this year.


Humanitarian needs have worsened since a bloody conflict broke out in Sudan on April 15th, according to the United Nations, which has revised its crisis response plan.


"Today, 25 million people - more than half of Sudan's population - need humanitarian assistance and protection," Ramesh Rajasingham, director of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, told reporters, explaining that this number is "the largest number" of people in need of humanitarian aid recorded by the UN agency in this country. Absolutely.


The United Nations reported that it expects to need 2.56 billion dollars to provide aid inside Sudanese territory, compared to 1.75 billion dollars, according to estimates at the end of last year.


The money will allow relief agencies to reach the 18 million most vulnerable people in the country, according to Rajasingham.


Battles broke out in the middle of last month between the Army Commander, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.


About a thousand people were killed, most of them in and around Khartoum and in West Darfur state, according to medical sources.


More than five thousand people have been injured, while millions are still stuck in their homes and unable to access basic services and health care, according to Rajasingham.


The UN official also alerted to "disturbing reports of an increase in sexual violence," warning that "children are particularly vulnerable in this unfolding chaos."


The fighting has deepened the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where even before the war, one in three people depended on humanitarian assistance.


Rajasingham expressed his regret that humanitarian workers were subjected to several attacks, including those killed, while offices and stocks were looted.


He expressed the hope that the warring parties would abide by the humanitarian rules they reached last week regarding the evacuation of civilians from combat zones and the provision of safe passages for the transport of humanitarian aid.


He pointed out that the fighters withdrew from some health facilities that were previously occupied, indicating an increase in aid deliveries, but he stressed, however, that "more is needed."


"The crisis in Sudan is rapidly turning into a regional crisis," he said.


At the same time, the UN agency indicated that it needs an additional $470.4 million to help people who have fled the country, adding that it is currently preparing to secure the needs of up to 1.1 million people who are expected to flee Sudan during the current year alone.


Just two weeks ago, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it would need $445 million through October to meet the needs of up to 860,000 people who may flee the country.


"So far, the crisis that began just a month ago has led to a massive influx into neighboring countries of some 220,000 refugees and returnees seeking safety in Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Central African Republic and Ethiopia," Assistant High Commissioner for Operations Rauf Mazou told reporters.


In addition, more than 700,000 people have been displaced within Sudan as a result of the fighting.


The United Nations expects that among the more than one million people expected to flee Sudan, about 640,000 Sudanese and 204,000 people who were refugees in Sudan may return to their homeland, perhaps mainly South Sudan.


About 1.1 million refugees were living in Sudan before the conflict began.


In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the two sides are still holding talks about a "humanitarian" ceasefire to allow civilians out and aid to enter.


Also in the Saudi city, which is hosting an Arab summit on Friday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan discussed with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit the issue of the conflict in Sudan.


All three of them expressed their support for a cease-fire, but without proposing any broad lines for it, while the Arab countries are deeply divided over Sudan, as Daglo is a major ally of the UAE, while Egypt throws its weight behind Al-Burhan, and Saudi Arabia seeks to mediate negotiations between the two generals.


On Wednesday, Kenya's President William Ruto called on the two generals to "stop this absurdity."


Diplomatic efforts are increasing in all directions - and they are clearly parallel - in light of the fact that no one has yet succeeded in forcing the two generals to stop the fighting, amid fears in Sudan's neighboring countries of the contagion of the conflict.


However, the "Rift Valley" research institute warned in a report that "it is difficult to imagine how to force (the two generals) to stop the violence," despite the launch of the talks in Jeddah.


The institute stressed that "both of them view the presence of the other as a threat."


And the two warring men can draw on old grudges to mobilize around them, according to analysts.


Their bloody conflict also left behind a competition between a population that historically monopolized power and resources, and other marginalized components of an ethnic mosaic in Sudan.


"If the conflict continues, the chances of outside parties being involved will increase," the Rift Valley Institute added.

PALESTINE

Wed 17 May 2023 7:18 pm - Jerusalem Time

A threat to dismantle the Netanyahu government because of Ben Gvir

Close associates of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused, this evening, Wednesday, the so-called Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, and members of his party in the Knesset, of trying to seek to dismantle the current government coalition through the steps they are taking.


The Hebrew website Ynet quoted those sources as saying that if Ben Gvir and his party members continue to behave the way they do after they were absent today for the first time from voting on bills in favor of the government coalition in the Knesset, then it is better to dismantle the coalition and go to new elections and let the public fall. Who was the reason for that (referring to Ibn Ghafir).


Ben Gvir's party attributed its absence from voting in the Knesset session to reasons related to the new budget and the failure to allocate more money to them as agreed upon during the government coalition agreements, accusing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of ignoring them.

PALESTINE

Wed 17 May 2023 7:12 pm - Jerusalem Time

Al-Arouri and Mazhar praise the jihad.. Al-Nakhala: We imposed a strong agreement formula that we wrote letter by letter

On Wednesday, Palestinian faction leaders praised the five-day battle led by the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, which was called "Revenge of the Free", during which 33 Palestinians were killed, including 6 of the Brigades' leaders who were assassinated by the occupation forces.


This came during separate speeches in a "condolence council" held in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and attended by leaders from various factions, as well as Lebanese personalities, and representatives of the Iranian embassy and other parties.


Ziyad al-Nakhala, Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad, said in a speech, "The fighting in the battle was on two fronts, the field and the political, and our fighters did a good job on both sides, and we imposed a strong formula of agreement." He said.


He added, addressing those present: "This agreement was reached in an unprecedented way.. Do you know how we got this formula? We wrote this formula letter by letter."


He continued, "It is the blood of the martyrs that imposed this strong equation that we imposed, and achieved this achievement," considering that unity is the basic guarantee for continuing the path of liberation.


He praised the struggle role of the martyrs, pointing out that they were martyred after a busy march that spanned decades.


For his part, Saleh al-Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, said that the al-Quds Brigades took over the burden of this battle and fought it with heroism and valor, and made the enemy understand that the blood of the people is not cheap. like he said.


He added, "The Islamic Jihad stands as a match for this usurping entity and imposes its equations on it."


He continued, "For leaders to advance in the first ranks in confrontation and martyrdom, this is evidence of honesty," praising the virtues of the martyr Tariq Ezzedine, whom he said he knew, and was supervising the resistance work in the West Bank, despite his cancer.


Al-Arouri said: "The martyr Tariq Ezzedine was following and supervising the resistance action in the West Bank, and the occupation is afraid and disturbed by the expansion of the West Bank front."


For his part, Jamil Muzher, Deputy Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said that the Palestinian people will follow the path of martyrs and resistance until victory and liberation.


Mezher praised the martyrs and the resistance, which recorded a new heroic epic, he said, adding: "The leaders left, but they left us a great legacy of struggle and resistance... They set an example of sacrifice and redemption, and buried the nose of the Israeli enemy in the dust."


He continued, "The martyr leaders set an example of sacrifice, defense, and unlimited giving, and they were equal to the enemies." According to him.

PALESTINE

Wed 17 May 2023 7:10 pm - Jerusalem Time

Shtayyeh: The Israeli attacks do not differentiate between Christianity and Islam

Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh affirmed, today, Wednesday, that the Israeli attacks on holy sites do not differentiate between Christianity and Islam, whether in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and all Palestinian lands, as the occupation, with its measures, targets the Christian and Islamic presence in the Holy Land.


This came during his reception in his office in Ramallah, a delegation from the Council of the Federation of Hungarian Churches, in coordination with the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs Follow-up, in the presence of the Hungarian Ambassador to the State of Palestine Csaba Rada.


Shtayyeh briefed the delegation on the conditions and developments that our issue is going through, and the Israeli measures that are destructive to the two-state solution, on top of which is settlement expansion, stressing that the solution to the conflict is ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state.


He stressed the importance of strengthening relations and building bridges between the two peoples, and encouraging tourism to Palestine and religious visits.

PALESTINE

Wed 17 May 2023 5:44 pm - Jerusalem Time

Signing 3 agreements to finance projects worth $103 million

Today, Wednesday, the Palestinian government signed three agreements with the World Bank and Germany to finance projects in the water and local government sectors, at a value of $103 million, in a ceremony that took place in the office of Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, in the presence of the head of the Economic Development and Education Department at the German Development Bank, Jan Wegelmann, and the list Acts of the German representative office in Ramallah, Anne-Sophie Beckedorff.


The first agreement was signed by the head of the Water Authority, Mazen Ghuneim, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, Farid Ghanem, and the representative of the World Bank in Palestine, Stephen Emblad. For the villages of Deir Abu Daeef, Jalboun, Arbouna, and Beit Qad North and South, support for the operation and maintenance of the water treatment plant in Hebron, technical support for water service providers, and others.


The project is funded by: The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, Portugal, Italy and Finland through the Trust Fund Administered by the World Bank.


As for the second and third agreements, they are for the benefit of the Ministry of Local Government and the Municipal Development and Lending Fund, with a total amount of $52 million, including $30 million from Germany and $22 million from the World Bank, for the benefit of municipal infrastructure and capacity building. It was signed by the Minister of Local Government, Majdi Al-Saleh, Ghannam and Emblad.


Shtayyeh said, during the signing ceremony of the agreements, that there will no longer be any Palestinian village, town or camp without a water network in Palestine, since these agreements include the implementation of water networks and transmission lines for the last number of villages that are still without water networks in Jenin.


The Prime Minister expressed his thanks to the donor countries and the World Bank for the continuous support for the development of the water and sanitation sector in Palestine, especially the major water desalination projects in the Gaza Strip, and the rest of the projects in the West Bank.


He pointed out that the water sector in Palestine has three dimensions: political, technical, and commercial.


He added, "Despite the importance of technical solutions to solve water issues in Palestine and providing them to citizens, water here does not only need technical solutions, but rather it is a political issue and an issue of water rights, and we want to restore it."


Shtayyeh pointed out that "Israel steals 600 million cubic meters of Palestinian groundwater, amounting to about 800 million cubic meters, annually, and transfers it to its cities and settlements, and sells our water at a double price, which makes the government subsidize the sold water at one shekel per cubic meter."


He added, "One-third of the West Bank's water is used inside Israel, and while the Israeli consumes 430 liters of water per day, the Palestinian per capita consumes only 80 liters, which is less than the global average."


Shtayyeh stressed that the projects whose financing agreements were signed today "intersect with our national plan to enhance the steadfastness of citizens and provide them with distinguished services to enhance their steadfastness on their land, towards ending the occupation and establishing a sovereign and viable State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, which is the ultimate goal that our partners support and share with us." internationals".


"This support from Germany is important in order to improve the infrastructure, services and reform of the water sector in more than 150 Palestinian communities and municipalities, in cooperation with international donors to support our partners in Palestine," said Beckedorff.


For his part, Emblad said, "Work on these projects is carried out in coordination with the Palestinian government and in partnership with donors, in order to provide and increase a more stable supply of water and sustainable municipal services for the Palestinian people."


He added: This new funding aims to improve the performance of Palestinian institutions, expand the range of services provided to citizens, and mitigate the risks associated with climate change and natural disasters.