Middle East Monitor - The Latest from the Middle East
Thursday, March 05 2015
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March Guest Writer
News from the Middle East
Kidnapping in Iraq on the rise due to financial situation
The current financial crisis in Iraq has pushed Iraqi militias to increase kidnappings in order to obtain the necessary funds for their activities through ransom money, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on Wednesday.
PFLP says PLO 'must' cut ties with Israel in order to succeed
A senior leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Khalida Jarrar, has connected the success of the PLO Central Council's meeting to cutting ties with Israel , Qudsnet reported on Wednesday evening.
Hamas paving the way for new ties with Egypt
Hamas is ready to eliminate any obstacles ahead of regaining ties with Egypt, Palestine newspaper reported the movement's Deputy Chief Ismail Haniyeh saying yesterday.
Low-cost housing discriminates against Arabs in Israel
No Arab town in Israel has been listed for new low-cost accommodation units by the Ministry of Housing, a move which has been condemned by Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights. The NGO has called on the Minister of Housing, the director of the Israel Land Administrat...
Iranian Revolutionary Guard officer killed in Syria
A senior officer from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has been killed in Syria by rebels fighting President Bashar Al-Assad's regime, it has been reported.
PLO officials meet to review relationship with Israel
Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials began a two-day meeting on Wednesday to review the movement's relationship with Israel. They are expected to take a decision on the suspension of security coordination with the Israelis in a move that will have a major impact on...
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News from Africa
Amnesty condemns escalating violations in Egypt’s prisons
Amnesty International condemned repeated cases of death as a result of torture in Egyptian detention centres which resulted in the killing of three detainees in the past week in El-Matareya police station, Cairo.
Egypt, Russia sign military cooperation agreement
Russia and Egypt signed a military- technological cooperation agreement, the Russian defence ministry said yesterday.
Egypt's Sisi sacks interior minister in government reshuffle
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has replaced six government ministers, including Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim, and ordered the establishment of two new ministerial portfolios, the presidency said Thursday.
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News from Europe and Russia
Seminar: The politics of reconstruction in Gaza
The politics of Gaza's reconstruction was the topic of discussion at the UK House of Lords yesterday in a seminar jointly organised by Middle East Monitor and the Europal Forum.
UK watchdog bans Israeli government tourism ad
An Israeli government tourism ad has been banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for misleading readers about the status of Jerusalem.
Turkish foreign minister rules out British spotters in Istanbul
The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, has ruled out the possibility of placing British "police spotters" in Istanbul on the pretext of stopping foreigners from travelling across the Turkish border to join militant groups, Anadolu agency reported.
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News from Asia, the Americas, & International Organisations
Haaretz: Israeli ambassador is persona non grata to US administration
Israel's Haaretz newspaper said that the US views the Israeli ambassador to American, Ron Dermer, as a persona non grata due to his role in coordinating a controversial speech delivered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress two days ago.
Netanyahu's popularity rises after US speech
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has potentially achieved one more seat in Parliament following his speech in the United States according to a poll conducted by the Israeli television channel Channel 2.
Kerry: Demanding Iran’s defeat not the way to conclude a nuclear deal
Demanding Iran's capitulation is no way to get a nuclear deal with it, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned yesterday.
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Latest In-Depth Articles
Healing war wounds with yoga
"Will this make my head feel better?" asks one of the men attending Bella Hancock's yoga classes in Amman, Jordan. As refugees many of her students suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and such workshops are designed to counter its negative effects. Many struggle to ...
Arab diseases: The time of money, vanity and egotism
At our present time, the most influential criterion of evaluating people in the Arab world is the credit in their bank account and how much money they possess. The majority of people show respect to those with money when they walk down the street or speak in a sitting, even if th...
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MEMO Commentary & Analysis
A perfect gift for Egypt's failing regime
The callous murder of 21 Copts in Libya over the weekend was a welcome gift to the military-led regime in Egypt. Like the senseless killings in Paris, it offered an opportunity for the government in Cairo to present itself as a deserving and credible partner in the great "war on ...
DEBATE by Ben White
NGOs slam 'disarmament for development' as Gaza lies in ruins
Leading NGOs have heavily criticised attempts to link the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip with its demilitarisation, ahead of a debate about the issue in Westminster today.
INQUIRY by Asa Winstanley
Spy Cables show America's hypocrisy on Hamas
The publication by Al Jazeera and The Guardian this week of a cache of cables leaked from the files of the South African intelligence services has been enlightening.
