In a significant move, the United Arab Emirates “is participating for the first time, along with new arrival France, in the joint Greek-Egyptian-Cypriot Medusa-10 training exercises being held Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 off the coast of Alexandria.” The presence of this alliance in the Mediterranean sends a strong message to Turkey, although “their true […]
UAE Enforces Its Own ‘Muslim Ban’
As is well known, the Trump Administration in 2017 banned entry to visitors from seven countries. These included Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, North Korea, and Venezuela. This was promptly attacked — and has been attacked ever since — as a “Muslim ban,” an example of Trump’s cruel “Islamophobia.” The administration patiently explained that the […]
UAE Fatwa Council denounces Muslim Brotherhood as ‘terrorist group,’ urges Muslims to steer clear of it
The Muslim Brotherhood is a global entity, so the latest reaffirmation against it by the UAE is beneficial, despite the reasons for this new declaration. Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s ruling family view the Brotherhood “as an ideological competitor and sees its promotion of political activism, including support for elections, as a direct threat to […]
UAE Official: Hamas and the PA Are ‘Corrupt’ and ‘Murderers’
After the United Arab Emirates startled the world – and especially many in the Arab world – by announcing its normalization of relations with Israel, the country, its leaders, and the Emirati people became the target of Palestinian rage. Hysterical Palestinians accused the UAE of a great “betrayal” and of “stabbing us in the back.” […]
UAE minister defies global Islamic fury and backs Macron’s remarks on Muslims needing to integrate in West
Amid upheaval across the Muslim world over France’s Muhammad cartoons and defense of the freedom of expression, the United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, has come out in support of French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments about Muslim integration. Despite Gargash’s good intentions, however, the widespread backlash against Macron, with tens […]
Iran’s Khamenei: ‘Muslim nations will never accept the humiliation of compromising with the Zionist regime’
While Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan are normalizing relations with Israel, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains determined to obliterate Israel, as the Palestinian Arabs and their allies have vowed to do since the birth of the modern state of Israel in 1948. Although the Palestinians claim to want a “two-state” solution, a […]
A Terrible Idea: Selling F-35s to Qatar
The F-35 is an American Stealth fighter jet, considered to be top of the line, that has been sold only to close allies, including Israel. The United Arab Emirates has long desired to buy some F-35s; it began to express this desire six years ago, and now it looks as though the sale will at […]
The Trump Peace Deals Won’t End the Jihad Against Israel, But They Help
My latest at PJ Media: At the ceremony Tuesday on the South Lawn of the White House for the signing of peace deals between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, President Trump declared: “We’re here this afternoon to change the course of history. After decades of division and conflict we mark the dawn of a […]
Bahraini Minister: Normalization Will Help Against Iran, But Palestinians Not Forgotten
Bahrain’s Interior Minister has explained that his country has not forgotten the Palestinians, but is determined, through its new ties to Israel, to strengthen Bahrain’s security against Iran. The story is here. The interior minister of Bahrain said on Monday that the normalization deal with Israel was not a disavowal of the Palestinians, but a […]
In Bahrain, Opposition to Normalization Unsurprisingly Greater Than In the UAE
While Emiratis have been enthusiastic about their government’s decision to normalize relations with Israel, and a dozen agreements to collaborate have already been announced, between Emirati and Israeli universities, research institutes, and businesses, in Bahrain the popular response has been different. The story is here. Bahraini citizens took to social media throughout the weekend to […]
Trump hails ‘dawn of a new Middle East’ as he presides over signing of UAE and Bahrain accords with Israel
These accords are based on pragmatic considerations, ignoring the Islamic imperative of jihad and its deeply ingrained anti-Semitism. As I have noted many, many times, what Islam teaches is one thing, and what any individual Muslim or Muslim group may do is quite another. In this case, the UAE and Bahrain have demonstrated that their […]
Bahrain Joins the ‘Circle of Peace’
Ever since the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations with Israel, there has been excited speculation about which Arab country would be next, and how long it would take. Would it be Oman, where Prime Minister Netanyahu visited at the invitation of the late Sultan Qaboos in October 2018? Could it be Chad, whose […]
Imam of Great Mosque in Mecca Hints at Normalization with Israel
The imam of Mecca’s Grand Mosque has given a hint that Saudi Arabia may be moving toward normalization of ties with Israel. The story of his unusual sermon is here. The imam of Mecca’s Grand Mosque appeared to hint at normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia in a sermon delivered on Friday, September 4. Following […]
Arab League Turns Down Palestinian Draft Resolution
The Palestinians can feel the ground shift under their feet, as they begin to recognize how little they now count for in the Arab states. The story is here. The Arab League on September 9 refused to endorse a Palestinian draft resolution condemning the United Arab Emirates for its normalization agreement with Israel, a move […]
Suha Arafat Under Attack by the PA for Supporting the UAE
Suha Arafat, the widow of Yassir Arafat, has declared that she is under attack by the Palestinian Authority for having expressed her support for the move by the United Arab Emirates to “normalize relations with Israel.” Her story is here. The widow of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat told an Israeli TV station that she […]
How to Compensate Israel for the Sale of F-35s to the United Arab Emirates
It now seems certain that the United Arab Emirates will get its wish, and the American government will sell it the advanced F-35 Stealth fighter jet it has long craved, now that the Emirates has agreed to normalize relations with Israel. But what, in that case, can be done to preserve Israel’s “qualitative military edge” […]
Palestinians Complain That Some Arab States Are Not Following Their Orders
The Palestinians are enraged that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are attempting to block their resolution, to be voted on at the upcoming Arab League meeting, that condemns the UAE’s “normalization” of relations with Israel. The story is here. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and other Gulf states are trying to foil a Palestinian […]
UAE Official on Annexation Assurances
The Foreign Minister Director of Policy Planning in the United Arab Emirates, Jamal al-Musharakh, has again explained what the UAE claims it has been assured by Israel and the U.S. His statement is here. Israel and the United States have promised the United Arab Emirates that Jerusalem will not annex parts of the West Bank […]
UAE’s Normalization of Ties with Israel a Blow to BDS
The BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement keeps trying to damage Israel’s economy, but the Start-Up Nation simply goes from strength to strength, registering new advances in high tech (including AI and cybersecurity), medicine, agriculture, solar energy, wastewater management, defense, and a dozen other fields. All the major high tech firms in America now have offices […]
Khamenei: ‘The #UAE betrayed the world of Islam, the Arab nations, the region’s countries, and #Palestine’
It should be widely understood by now that the “peace process” has all along been a delusion, and that the ultimate goal has been the destruction of Israel. Chants ringing out such as “From the River (Jordan) to the Sea (Mediterranean), Palestine will be free” reflected this goal, stating openly that Israel must be obliterated. […]