JERUSALEM: Israel’s defense minister has held talks with the Palestinian president in Ramallah, the first high-level meeting between the two sides in years, officials said.
Sunday’s meeting between Benny Gantz and Mahmoud Abbas signaled a possible shift of direction after after the near-complete breakdown of communication between Abbas and Israeli leaders in recent years.
It came two days after President Joe Biden urged Israel’s new prime minister during a White House meeting to take steps toward improving the lives of Palestinians.
Gantz’s office said he told Abbas that Israel will take new measures to strengthen the Palestinian economy. It said they also discussed security issues and agreed to remain in touch. It was believed to be the highest level public meeting between the sides since 2014.
A Palestinian official said Gantz and Abbas discussed possible steps toward improving the atmosphere. He said this included Palestinian demands for a halt in Israeli military operations in Palestinian areas of the occupied West Bank, allowing unification of families with relatives inside Israel and allowing more Palestinian workers into Israel. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the late-night meeting.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is a hard-liner who opposes Palestinian independence, as do key partners in his diverse, ruling coalition. But Bennett has said he supports building up the Palestinian economy and expanding autonomy for Palestinians. He also is interested in bolstering Abbas in his rivalry with the ruling Hamas militant group in Gaza.
While Biden supports a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, his administration is focused on interim confidence-building measures. Israel’s former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, pursued a hard-line policy toward the Palestinians, backed by former President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration took a number of steps, including moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to contested Jerusalem. Abbas halted most contacts with the US and Israel in return.
Netanyahu had repeatedly claimed Abbas was not a reliable partner for negotiating a peace deal, a portrayal dismissed by Netanyahu critics as a pretext for avoiding making concessions.
Hussein Sheikh, a top Abbas aide, confirmed the meeting in a statement on Twitter. It took place on Sunday night in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Abbas maintains his headquarters.
Abbas, Israel’s Gantz hold new high-level talks, urged by US
https://arab.news/9z9z2
Abbas, Israel’s Gantz hold new high-level talks, urged by US
- A Palestinian official said Gantz and Abbas discussed possible steps toward improving the atmosphere
India celebrates 76th Republic Day in Riyadh, highlighting cultural ties with Saudi Arabia
- ‘Let us continue to work together,’ says Ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan
RIYADH: Ambassador of India to the Kingdom Suhel Ajaz Khan underlined that a mutual appreciation of culture was strengthening ties between Saudi Arabia and India during the latter’s 76th Republic Day celebration in Riyadh.
“A shared love for culture brings our countries together,” he said. “From Bollywood cinema to yoga, music, and food, we have continued to be inspired by each other.
“We were delighted to participate in the annual Riyadh Season 2024 under the Global Harmony Initiative of the Saudi government,” he added, referring to a series of events which began in October to celebrate the culture of the Kingdom’s different expatriate groups.
India’s Republic Day was celebrated on Sunday evening in the Cultural Palace in Riyadh and brought together both Saudis and Indians in a commemoration of culture and history.
Omar Khan, an Indian native who has called the Kingdom his home for nearly three decades, attended the event.
The product manager at STC Technologies told Arab News: “I’m a second-generation, third-culture kid. I’ve seen Republic Days for the past three decades in Saudi Arabia.
“I think one thing that’s very important is the representation of my country. It makes me proud that, although India is a distant land for me and Riyadh is home, I feel very connected, and I see that the partnership of Saudi Arabia and India has grown leaps and bounds.
“I’m very proud to say that I am somebody who grew up in Saudi Arabia and yet is Indian by his roots.”
Indian youngsters took to the stage following the ambassador’s speech to perform a dance routine showcasing their country’s music and culture.
The embassy event also featured multiple booths to highlight the many Indian-owned businesses and products in the Kingdom, in the food, tourism, and medical sectors.
India’s Ministry of Tribal Affairs also had a booth to showcase handmade products from the country, including coats, artifacts, and silk pashminas.
Staff from Aster Sanad Hospital were present to help visitors with medical issues.
The ambassador said: “India will work with our international partners, including Saudi Arabia, to contribute to a world of peace, prosperity, and inclusive growth.
“With these words I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people for their long-standing friendship and support.
“Let us continue to work together to build a future based on mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.”
Ronaldo on target again as Al-Nassr win to go 3rd in Saudi Pro League
- Late strike lifts Portuguese star’s goal tally to 14 — and saves goalkeeper’s blushes
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo’s fine goalscoring form continued in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday as he helped Al-Nassr defeat Al-Fateh 3-1 to move back into third place.
A late strike made it three goals in two games for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as he moved clear at the top of the goalscoring standings with 14 for the season so far.
The deadlock was only broken four minutes before the break when Marwane Saadane put into his own net from close range after Angelo drove a low ball across the face of goal. Angelo was the provider of the second just before the hour, swinging over a free-kick for French defender Mohamed Simakan to head home his first goal for Al-Nassr.
At 2-0 the game seemed done and dusted, but with 18 minutes remaining, Al-Fateh, in last place in the standings, reduced the arrears thanks to Mourad Batna, who pounced after goalkeeper Bento spent too long on the ball inside his own area and was caught in possession.
Ronaldo spared Bento’s blushes with three minutes of normal time remaining, just as the visitors were threatening to take a surprising point.
It was so simple. Sadio Mane broke free down the left, passed to the far post, and there was the Portuguese star to sweep home with the minimum of fuss.
Ronaldo had the ball in the back of the net once more deep into injury time, smashing home spectacularly from the right side of the area, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside.
Al-Nassr now have 35 points from 17 games, eight behind Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, who have a game in hand.
Earlier in the day, Al-Ahli made it seven wins from the last eight in the league with a 5-0 thrashing of Al-Riyadh.
Two goals from England striker Ivan Toney and one each from Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, and Ziyad Al-Johani made the difference as the Jeddah club stay in fifth, three points behind Al-Nassr.
Saudi street artist San Shyn unveils 80-feet mural outside KSA Embassy in London
San Shyn, a young street artist from Saudi Arabia, revealed a new vibrant public art mural outside the Saudi Embassy in the heart of Mayfair, London. The project has been realized as part of a unique Saudi-UK cross-cultural collaboration, with the piece being installed by London-based Graffiti artist Cept. The collaboration developed organically through word of mouth within the grassroots street art community and demonstrates an artistic exchange at the intersection of Saudi and UK culture.
The public nature of the artwork in London promotes a greater understanding of diverse perspectives and worldviews that Saudi artists draw upon in their contemporary works. The 80-feet mural was installed over several days at the beginning of the year and will remain in place until mid-February.
Shyn said: “I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to create this mural in London and to collaborate with the incredibly talented UK artist Cept. The mural’s distorted lines and shapes reflect the imperfection of creative expression which is at the heart of my work. This project is especially meaningful to me, as it allows me to share the evolving street art culture from Saudi Arabia on an international stage. To create something outside of my hometown and to contribute to the global dialogue of art is a dream come true.”
The project is part of a series of artistic collaborations between the Embassy and Saudi artists including with Rashed Al-Shashai, whose luminous hanging sculpture was installed in the Embassy garden last year, and Ahmed Mater’s first retrospective held at Christie’s last summer. Mater is exhibiting his iconic Magnetism installation, first shown in the UK at the British Museum in 2012, at the historic Islamic Biennale, which opened in Jeddah on Jan. 25.
Saudi Ambassador to the UK Khalid bin Bandar Al-Saud said: ”Saudi Arabia is changing, and the rise of dynamic street artists like San Shyn is a great example of this. That’s why I was keen to give her a platform in central London, where we are already showcasing Rashed Al-Shashai’s brilliant sculpture. Art is a bridge between cultures, and these works are an opportunity to demonstrate that Britain and Saudi Arabia have more in common than we might imagine.”
In this mural, the artist’s primary aim is to celebrate the street culture, capturing the essence of spontaneous, vibrant graffiti. With quick, bold strokes made using spray cans, the mural transforms ordinary walls into canvases of beauty, bringing life to the streets. Central to the artwork are figures that embody the very act of creating art, illustrating the raw energy and creativity that define this underground movement. The overall direction is inspired by the photos below, which are dynamic, colorful and unapologetically loud — just like street culture itself.
Stephen Stapleton, founder of Edge of Arabia, said: “This playful, joyful artwork in front of the Saudi Embassy in Mayfair reflects a new era of cross-cultural collaboration between the UK and Saudi Arabia. The language of art transcends the borders that divide us, and we need that language now more than ever.”
Joy and anxiety for Palestinian mother as Israel frees sons
- Three sons released Saturday were among dozens of inmates freed in exchange for Israeli hostages
- “I’m so happy. I spoke to them... I heard their voices,” said Abu Hamid
RAMALLAH: Palestinian woman Latifa Abu Hamid said she was filled with “indescribable joy” when she heard that her three sons had been freed from Israeli prisons, even though they had been forced into exile.
The three released Saturday were among dozens of inmates freed in exchange for Israeli hostages held by Gaza militants, under the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas that has halted the war in the Palestinian territory.
Like Abu Hamid’s sons, many Palestinians released by Israel were not sent home but deported.
The 74-year-old resident of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has had five of her 10 children detained by Israel, some for decades, over their involvement in armed resistance.
Her three sons Nasr, 50, Sharif, 45, and Mohammed, 35, were released on Saturday from a prison in southern Israel’s Negev desert.
“I’m so happy. I spoke to them... I heard their voices,” said Abu Hamid.
“Of course, I would prefer them to live with us, to be here so we could enjoy their presence,” she said.
Out of 200 prisoners released on Saturday, nearly all Palestinian but including one Jordanian, 70 were handed over to Egypt, and some plan to settle in Qatar or another third country.
Abu Hamid’s living room is adorned with large painted portraits of each family member and photo montages showing her flashing a victory sign and surrounded by her sons.
Certificates of detention were displayed like diplomas.
Another photograph showed her in a dress decorated with the faces of her sons alongside an image of the Dome of the Rock, the iconic Muslim shrine in the Israeli-annexed Old City of Jerusalem.
“For more than 40 years, I’ve been visiting my sons in prison — more than half my life — and I’ve never lost hope of seeing them free,” she said.
Not that three are out of jail, “it’s an indescribable joy,” said the mother.
“But the joy remains incomplete because my son Islam and the rest of the prisoners are still” locked up, she added.
One of her sons, 38-year-old Islam, has been sentenced to life like his three brothers, but is not on Israel’s list of prisoners eligible for release under the Gaza truce agreement.
Abu Hamid said Islam killed an Israeli soldier with a stone during an army raid on the Al-Amari refugee camp near Ramallah, where the family once lived.
The eldest, Naser, was one of the founders of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, an armed group established during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.
He died of cancer in detention and Israel has never returned his body, said the mother.
Another son, a member of the militant group Islamic Jihad, was killed by the Israeli military in 1994.
Abu Hamid recounted how her home in Al-Amari camp had been destroyed by the Israeli army as part of a policy of reprisals against the families of Palestinians responsible for deadly attacks on Israelis, a measure condemned by the UN and human rights organizations.
Her daughter-in-law Alaa Abu Hamid, Naser’s wife, said that “we’ve been through extremely difficult days.”
“The time has finally come to find peace and regain family stability.”
Her mother-in-law noted, however, that three of her grandchildren could not attend the large family gathering planned to celebrate the releases.
They, too, are in detention.
It is not uncommon for Palestinian families to have multiple members imprisoned. Since October 7, 2023, thousands of people have been detained in the West Bank by Israel, bringing the total number of Palestinian detainees to over 10,000, according to rights groups.
The ongoing first phase of the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas stipulates the release of around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, including more than 230 serving life sentences, in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
The 42-day truce has so far resulted in the release of seven Israeli hostages in exchange for 290 prisoners freed by Israel.
Despite the release of three of her sons, Latifa Abu Hamid said she couldn’t “fully savour” her happiness “knowing that other prisoners remain behind bars.”
“Even if Islam is freed, I won’t be truly happy until all of them are released.”
Tens of thousands protest Germany’s far right as Musk backs AfD
- The protests passed off peacefully, with banners saying “Nazis out” or “AfD is not an alternative,” a reference to the far-right party’s full name “Alternative for Germany”
HALLE (Saale), Germany: Tens of thousands of Germans rallied Saturday against the far right ahead of next month’s legislative elections, as US tech billionaire Elon Musk again endorsed the anti-immigrant AfD party.
Musk, speaking by video link, told thousands of AfD supporters gathered in the eastern city of Halle that their party was “the best hope for the future of Germany.”
AfD supporters at the rally shouted their approval as party co-leader Alice Weidel looked on smiling.
Meanwhile, protesters against the AfD turned out in cities across Germany.
The largest gatherings took place in Berlin and Cologne, with some 35,000 and 20,000 demonstrators, respectively, said police. Organizers in Berlin claimed that 100,000 people attended the protests in the capital.
The protesters there used their mobile phones to form “a sea of light for democracy” in front of the Brandenburg Gate, brandishing letters forming the word “Resistance.”
AfD is polling at around 20 percent ahead of Germany’s February 23 elections, a record for a party that has already shattered a decades-old taboo in post-war Germany against supporting the far right.
The mainstream conservative CDU/CSU alliance leads on about 30 percent, with CDU leader Friedrich Merz the favorite to become chancellor after the elections.
Musk, a close associate of US President Donald Trump, told the AfD rally: “I think this election coming up in Germany is incredibly important.
“I think it could decide the entire fate of Europe, maybe the fate of the world.”
Musk has rattled European politicians in recent weeks with comments on his social platform X supporting AfD and far-right politicians in other countries, including Britain.
He also drew attention this week for making a public gesture some observers interpreted as a straight-armed Nazi salute, a claim he himself dismissed as a smear.
Like Trump, the AfD opposes immigration, denies climate change, rails against gender politics and has declared war on a political establishment and mainstream media it claims limit free speech.
The anti-AfD rallies took place in some 60 towns following calls from a variety of organizations, attracting more people than the police had initially expected.
The protests passed off peacefully, with banners saying “Nazis out” or “AfD is not an alternative,” a reference to the far-right party’s full name “Alternative for Germany.”
The CDU’s Merz also came in for criticism. Many protesters fear he is tempted to break his party’s policy of refusing to enter into coalition talks with the AfD.
There was also a protest in the southern city of Aschaffenbourg, where a deadly knife attack this week by an Afghan migrant further inflamed the debate over immigration.
A few thousand also turned out in the eastern city of Halle, where the AfD rally was addressed by Musk.
“The German people are really an ancient nation which goes back thousands of years,” Musk told them.
“I even read Julius Caesar was very impressed by the German tribes,” he said, urging the supporters to “fight, fight, fight” for their country’s future.
He said the AfD wanted “more self-determination for Germany and for the countries in Europe and less from Brussels,” a reference to his criticism of what he sees as heavy handedness from the European Union authorities.
Weidel told her rally that migrants in Germany had to be sent home.
“We need re-migration to live safely in Germany,” she said.
