What Raisi’s Presidency Means for the Region

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Editorial

A Weekly Political News Magazine

www.majalla.com/eng Last week’s Iranian Presidential elections which was marred by a historically low voter turnout saw the victory of Ebrahim Raisi, the ultra-conservative judiciary chief and Khamenei’s favorite candidate. The president-elect who is subject to US sanctions, is deemed responsible by Amnesty International for extra-judiciary executions of political opponents in 1980s. In this week’s cover story, Hanin Ghaddar explores the implications of Raisi’s election, as the background of the hardline presidentto-be foretells how his policy would be with regards to Vienna’s talks, support for regional militias and proxies, and the Republic’s aspiration for hegemony.

In parallel, recent elections held in Israel overthrew its longest-serving Prime Minister Netanyahu, and brought a new government comprising various partisan factions from both right and left wings. Inheriting the intense security situation from the previous government, new Prime Minister Bennet’s government is facing major internal and external challenges. Amaal Shehada explores the chances of the newly formed government while highlighting the dire security situation posed by Hamas, and the expected opposition by the ousted prime minister.

In a recent update on Nile River conflict, which has reached a deadlock after failed negotiations between Egypt and Sudan on one side and Ethiopia on another, Abiy Ahmed’s government has enlisted a religious component in its propaganda. Leaders of the Ethiopian Muslim community started to issue Islamic fatwas (religious opinion) to justify their country’s monopoly of the river, which drew a harsh response from the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar who refuted their religious edicts.

Dalia Ziada writes about the Islamization of the conflict that will be a dangerous gamble as it will endanger Ethiopia’s security and may open the door for terrorist groups in the Horn of Africa.

Read these articles and more on our website eng.majalla. com. As always, we welcome and value our readers’ feedback and we invite you to take the opportunity to leave your comments on our website.

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Actor Angelina Jolie speaks during the World Refugee Day US actress Angelina Jolie, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) special envoy, gives a statement in Goudebo, a camp that welcomes more than 11,000 malian refugees in northern Burkina Faso, on International Refugee Day on June 20, 2021. , Burkina Faso )AFP Photos(

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Belarusian women protest against president Lukashenko Belarusian women wearing clothes and holding umbrellas in colours of a Belarusian protest flag, march during a protest against the government and Belarusian President Lukashenko in Minsk, Belarus, 21 June 2021. Despite torture, arrests and criminal cases for having and showing symbols in national colours, empathy and solidarity with the victims of the ongoing repressions )EPA Photos(

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A WEEK IN THE MIDDLE EAST EGYPT An Egyptian court on Sunday adjourned until July 4 the case of a hulking cargo vessel that blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week earlier this year.

The decision came after both legal teams of the Suez Canal and the vessel’s owners asked for more time for negotiations that aim at resolving their financial dispute.

The dispute centers on the compensation amount the Suez Canal Authority is claiming for the salvage of the vessel Ever Given, which ran aground in March, blocking the crucial waterway for six days.

The money would cover the salvage operation, costs of stalled canal traffic, and lost transit fees for the week the Ever Given blocked the canal.

At first, the Suez Canal Authority demanded $916 million in compensation, which was later lowered to $550 million.

SAUDI ARABIA Qatar's foreign minister on Monday received the new Saudi ambassador to Doha, the first to be reinstated by Arab states after they agreed to end a dispute with Qatar earlier this year, state news agency QNA said.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain resolved in January to lift the boycott imposed in mid-2017 and restore political, trade and travel ties with Doha. Riyadh has taken the lead among the four in re-establishing relations.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani welcomed Saudi Ambassador Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Farhan and assured him of "all support to advance bilateral relations", QNA said.

Riyadh and Cairo have acted faster to rebuild ties with Doha than the UAE in bilateral talks since the U.S.-backed deal, but all but Bahrain have restored trade and travel links with Doha.

YEMEN Saudi Arabia's air defenses destroyed on Wednesday an explosive-laden drone launched by Yemen's Houthis toward the province of Jizan in the south of the kingdom, Saudi state TV said.

The Houthis did not confirm immediately the report which cited a statement from the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Yemeni group.

The Houthis frequently target the southern regions of Saudi Arabia, and sometimes major cities like Riyadh and Jeddah, with drones and missiles.

A military coalition led by Riyadh intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis ousted the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government from the capital Sanaa.

LEBANON Criteria for European Union sanctions being prepared for Lebanese politicians are likely to be corruption, obstructing efforts to form a government, financial mishandling and human rights abuses, according to a diplomatic note seen by Reuters.

Led by France, the EU is seeking to ramp up pressure on Lebanon’s squabbling politicians after 11 months of a crisis that has left Lebanon facing financial collapse, hyperinflation, electricity blackouts, and fuel and food shortages.

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IRAN Iran said on Wednesday the United States had agreed to remove all sanctions on Iran’s oil and shipping, although Germany cautioned that major issues remained at talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal.

The Iranian remarks, by outgoing President Hassan Rouhani’s chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi, echoed previous assertions by officials in Rouhani’s pragmatist camp that Washington is prepared to make major concessions at the talks, which have been under way since April in Vienna.

The talks adjourned on Sunday for consultations in capitals, two days after Iran held a presidential election won by hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian judiciary chief who is on a US blacklist. Raisi is due to replace Rouhani in August.

UAE Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is offering tourists free COVID-19 vaccinations that were previously restricted to UAE citizens and residency visa holders.

There is no indication that the change applies to Dubai, the most populous emirate, or the other five emirates that make up the UAE. Visitors with visas issued by Abu Dhabi and passport holders eligible for tourist visas when they arrive in the UAE through Abu Dhabi can book free vaccines, according to information provided by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), which operates the emirate's public health infrastructure.

Holders of expired residency or entry visas are also eligible for free vaccinations, Abu

OMAN

Oman will start granting long-term residence visas to foreign investors, state media said on Wednesday, as the debt-burdened Gulf state pursues wide-ranging reforms to fix its shaky finances.

The move to offer renewable 5- or 10-year residency visas echoes moves by neighbour the United Arab Emirates in recent years to offer longer-term residencies and recently, even citizenships, to investors and certain professionals.

Non-citizens in Gulf Cooperation Countries usually have renewable visas valid for only a few years tied to employment. In the era of lower oil prices and economic diversification away from hydrocarbons, states are looking to retain residents and their families who can contribute to the economy.

IRAQ

ISRAEL

Iraqi expects oil prices to reach $80 per barrel, the country’s state news agency reported on Sunday, citing an oil ministry spokesman.

The spokesperson, Asim Jihad, did not give a timeframe for the increase he predicted.

Crude prices have been on the rise over the past weeks, settling over $70/barrel on Friday, amid expectations of limited growth in U.S. oil output this year.

Israel empowered health officials on Wednesday to quarantine anyone deemed to have been exposed to an especially infectious variant of COVID-19, even if they were previously vaccinated or recovered from the disease with presumed immunity.

The decision followed a warning by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday over new outbreaks caused by the Delta variant, with daily infections rising after weeks of low plateau credited to Israel's record mass-vaccination drive.

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CHINA

A WEEK ACROSS THE WORLD

Direct flights from the southern city of Shenzhen to Beijing 1, booking apps showed, ahead of celebrations for the Chine capital on that date.

China's most populous province Guangdong is battling a CO local cases between May 21 and June 21. No new confirmed 22.

Of the cases, eight were recorded in Shenzhen, while 146 w Guangzhou, though direct flights were still available to Beijin as CTrip and Fliggy showed.

U.S. Oil prices rose on Wednesday, with Brent climbing above $76 a barrel to its highest since late 2018, after data showed U.S. crude inventories declined as travel picks up.

U.S. crude inventories fell by 7.6 million barrels last week to 459.1 million barrels, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said, a much steeper drawdown than the 3.9 million barrels that analysts had expected in a Reuters poll.

Stockpiles at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for U.S. crude futures, fell by 1.8 million barrels to the lowest since March 2020. Gasoline demand also edged higher last week.

"People are getting back in their cars again and that's showing up in the numbers in a big way. That's going to keep the upward pressure on prices," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

INDIA India on Tuesday declared a new coronavirus variant to be of concern, and said nearly two dozen cases had been detected in three states.

The variant, identified locally as "Delta plus", was found in 16 cases in the state of Maharashtra, Federal Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told a news conference.

The ministry said Delta plus showed increased transmissibility and advised states to increase testing.

On Monday, India vaccinated a record 8.6 million people as it began offering free shots to all adults, but experts doubted it could maintain that pace.

"This is clearly not sustainable," Chandrakant Lahariya, an expert in public policy and health systems, told Reuters.

"With such one-day drives, many states have consumed most of their current vaccine stocks, which will affect the vaccination in days to follow."

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban insurgents have conducted a wave of offensives in Afghanistan's north in recent days, moving beyond their southern strongholds as international forces withdraw.

The United Nations' envoy for Afghanistan said the Taliban had taken more than 50 of 370 districts and was positioned to take control of provincial capitals.

Fierce fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces has taken place on the outskirts of three provincial capitals in the northern provinces of Faryab, Balkh and Kunduz provinces in recent days, officials said.

Since the United States announced plans in April to withdraw its troops with no conditions by Sept. 11 after nearly 20 years of conflict, violence has escalated throughout the country as the Taliban seeks more territory. Peace talks in Doha have largely stalled, officials say, though there have been meetings in recent days and the Taliban say they are committed to talks.

Afghanistan's fragile health system has been damaged by decades of war.Violence has risen in recent months, with U.S.-led foreign forces withdrawing by September and peace negotiations between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban largely stalled.

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U.K.

Britain wants to allow peo but the government is wa Thursday ahead of an ann list of quarantine-free trav expanded.

Anger is growing at Britai travel: pilots, cabin crew, t from the travel industry h begging the government t British citizens are essent most countries - including quarantine and testing rul expensive.

"But it is difficult, we are b which are more resistant

have been suspended until at least July ese Communist Party's founding in the

OVID-19 outbreak, with 170 confirmed d local cases were reported for June

were reported in the provincial capital ng as of Wednesday, booking apps such

SWEDEN Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was ousted in a no-confidence vote in the parliament on Monday, as a majority of parliament members backed his departure.

The parliament approved the no-confidence motion on the prime minister with 181 affirmative votes, more than the required 175 votes of the 349-seat parliament.

Meanwhile, 109 voted against, and 51 abstained.

Lofven thus became the first sitting prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in Swedish history.

The no-confidence was brought up last week by the Left Party over plans by Lofven's Social Democrats to ease rent-controls over newly built rental apartments.

WORLDWIDE Covid-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca and the Pfizer-BioNTech alliance remain broadly effective against Delta and Kappa variants of the Covid-19 causing virus, which were first identified in India, according to a scientific study, underpinning a continued push to deliver the shots.

The study by Oxford University researchers, published in the journal Cell, investigated the ability of antibodies in the blood from people, who were vaccinated with the two-shot regimens, to neutralise the highly contagious Delta and Kappa variants, a statement said.

"There is no evidence of widespread escape suggesting that the current generation of vaccines will provide protection against the B.1.617 lineage," the paper said, referring to the Delta and Kappa variants by a commonly used code.

MYANMAR Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told Myanmar's junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing that Moscow is committed to strengthening military ties with it, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Rights activists have accused Moscow of legitimising the junta, which seized power in a Feb. 1 coup, by continuing bilateral visits and arms deals. "We are determined to continue our efforts to strengthen bilateral ties based on the mutual understanding, respect and trust that have been established between our countries," RIA quoted Shoigu as saying at a meeting on Tuesday. Min Aung Hlaing was in the Russian capital to attend a security conference and had earlier met Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council.

ople to have holidays abroad again ary of the risks, a minister said on nouncement on whether a narrow avel destinations would be

in's onerous restrictions on foreign travel agents and other workers held protests on Wednesday, to open up more routes. tially prevented from travelling to g those in the European Union - as les are so cumbersome and

being cautious," he added, saying that there was a risk of new variants emerging in other countries to vaccination.

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over story

What Raisi’s Presidency Means for the Region Iran Will Seek Funding to Refinance and Strengthen Proxies Hanin Ghaddar

was not surprising. Raisi is well known to be Ali Khamenai’s protégé and main candidate, and his background spells a grim scenario for the Iranian people and the people in the region.

In his first statement as Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi rejected the possibility of meeting with US president Joe Biden, or even negotiating Iran’s ballistic missiles program and support for re- However, his election – mostly referred to as a gional militias and proxies. An indication of an “forged” election, which was boycotted by the ultimate hardline policy in Iran, his statement highest number of Iranian voters in the history of

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the Islamic Republic – will probably have minor repercussions on the nuclear talks in Vienna between Iran and the US. The real repercussions will be felt in the region.

IN VIENNA The US negotiators in Vienna know very well that Iran will come back to the negotiating table after the elections. What Iran needs today – the hardliners and so-called reformists – is money; that is access to hard currency. The Iranian economy is in shambles and the lifting of sanctions – mainly oil sanctions – would help drastically. For Tehran, this is the main objective of the negotiations and the desired result of the agreement. What Iran will do with this money depends on who will spend it. Raisi’s election indicates that most of it will go to Iran’s regional military operations rather than serving the Iranian people.

Iran’s President-elect Ebrahim Raisi delivers speech at the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, on June 22, 2021. (Getty)

With that in mind, the Biden administration might need to revisit the process of these negotiations. The main two questions that need to be addressed are one, how to make sure the money Iran will access does not end up in the hands of its regional militias, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, and two, whether the sanctions against the new Iranian president should be lifted.

Raisi is well known to be Ali Khamenai’s protégé and main candidate, and his background spells a grim scenario for the Iranian people and the people in the region. ary has also granted blanket impunity to government officials and security forces responsible for unlawfully killing hundreds of men, women and children and subjecting thousands of protesters to mass arrests and at least hundreds to enforced disappearance, and torture and other ill-treatment during and in the aftermath of the nationwide protests of November 2019.”

The statement called for “Ebrahim Raisi to be investigated for his involvement in past and ongoing crimes under international law, including by states that exercise universal jurisdiction. It is now more urgent than ever for member states of the UN Human Rights Council to take concrete On the security level, a new nuclear deal agree- steps to address the crisis of systematic impunity ment should not result in empowering destabi- in Iran including by establishing an impartial lizing militias in the region, some who directly mechanism to collect and analyze evidence of harm US interests. But on the more humanitarian the most serious crimes under international law level, Raisi’s history should not be forgotten. He committed in Iran to facilitate fair and independwas not branded as “the butcher” for no reason. ent criminal proceedings.”

Raisi was one of the four members of the death committee responsible for the 1988 mass execu- Whether this statement – among many other pubtion of thousands of Iranian prisoners of con- lic statement by human rights groups and Iranian science over only a few months. The murder dissidents – will reach the US negotiators in Viof around 30,000 Iranian prisoners is a crime enna, one still needs to wait and hope. However, the public outrage will probably continue, as against humanity that should be punished.

Raisi’s presidency is expected to see more seriIn a statement published right after his elections, ous and spread human rights abuses and violaAmnesty International Secretary General said tions. that Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency inIN THE REGION stead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and It is no secret that Raisi is one of major supporttorture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns ers of Iran’s regional proxies, mainly Hezbollah supreme in Iran… Under his watch, the judici- and the Houthis. This will mean two problems

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over story

for the region. First, the Iranian regime’s priority will be to refinance and empower its terrorism in the region, hampering all the efforts stabilize Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Second, violence will become the main tool to maintain power.

With the increase of discontent and criticism against Iran and its proxies in the region, from Lebanon all the way to Gaza, Syria and Iraq, the desire to silence opposition will be translated in

The US negotiators in Vienna know very well that Iran will come back to the negotiating table after the elections.

What Iran needs today – the hardliners and so-called reformists – is money.

more acts of violence and oppression. The assassinations against opponents will continue and spread and weapon will be used internally, against the people of these countries.

Therefore, the important question for the West today, particularly to the US, is how to ensure the safety and the space these people need in order to create their own change. In addition, the US needs to ensure that these militias will not use this empowerment to target US interests in the region, and US allies, such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE, and Bahrain.

Right after the elections, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement, “Iran has always been a main, strong and real supporter of the Palestinian resistance and our national cause” as he congratulated Raisi.

In Lebanon, as if it was their own victory, Hezbollah in Lebanon celebrated Raisi’s winning in the presidential election. At the end of the day, Raisi has been the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s (IRGC) favorite candidate, and Hezbollah – as part of the IRGC – considers this its own victory.

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Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) special force stand guard as Iran-made, Dezful medium range ballistic missile (Bottom) and Zolfaghar road-mobile single-stage solidpropelled liquid fueled missile are pictured in the Azadi (Freedom) square during a rally to commemorate the 42nd Victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, in Tehran on February ,10 2021, on February ,10 2021. (Getty)

Vehicles queue-up for fuel at a petrol station in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on June 11, 2021, amidst severe fuel shortages.

(Getty)

Hassan Nasrallah described Raisi in a congratulatory statement as a shield against Israel and other aggressors. “Your victory has renewed the hopes of the Iranian people and the people of the region who see you as a shield and a strong supporter... for the resistance against aggressors,” Nasrallah said.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese people – including the Shia community – are still parked in their cars, in very long lines, in front of gas stations, complaining about fuel shortages and inflation, mainly due to Hezbollah’s policies and smuggling operations. Hezbollah is hoping that Iran’s access to hard currency after the deal with the US is signed will only benefit them – not Lebanon.

Eventually, the group will be able to refund its services and buy discontent when and where it is possible.

They remember what Raisi said four years ago, when toured Lebanon’s border with Israel with Hezbollah officials. His statement, “soon we will witness the liberation of Jerusalem,” still rings in Lebanon. He also commended Hezbollah on its efforts to strengthen Islamic culture in Lebanon.

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The Iranian regime’s priority will be to refinance and empower its terrorism in the region, hampering all the efforts stabilize Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

If anything, Raisi’s presidency will probably mark grim scenarios for Lebanon and other regional countries. They will take every aspect of political and the social fabric by force, and whatever makes each of these countries unique, will disappear under Iran’s arms. A big part of the region will be morphed – by force and finances - into Iran’s broader empire of hegemony and might.

Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Fellow at The Washington Institute’s Geduld Program on Arab Politics, where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant.

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olitics

New Israeli Govt. Faces Difficult Internal, External Challenges Hamas Seen as Security Threat Although All Parties Want Calm

Amal Shehadeh - Tel Aviv

new Israeli government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and occupied all Israeli security, military The Flag March that took place in the Old City of and political institutions for an entire day.

Jerusalem, less than 48 hours after the Knesset (Is- Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decirael’s parliament) approved the new Bennett-Lapid sion was taken to test the new government’s ability coalition government, has underscored the impor- to control the situation without confrontations that tance of the various aspects of the security situation. would lead to a security escalation.

The event marked the first security challenge of the The new government, along with the military estab-

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Israel’s incoming Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked (behind) walks past (R to L) incoming Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, and Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman, as Bennet gives an address before the new cabinet at the Knesset on June 13, 2021. (Getty)

lishment, took all precautions to prevent confrontations between Jerusalemites, settlers and the farright nationalists who participated in the march.

Despite the violent means used by the Israeli police and army soldiers to disperse Palestinian protesters, it is clear on the ground that Israel and Hamas want to maintain calm and prevent escalation, in an attempt to implement the prisoner swap deal and achieve a breakthrough.

However, the incendiary balloons launched a day after the march and causing several fires in four areas in the southern towns kept the issue a priority, especially because residents of these areas feared they would be the first victims of this march.

Israel considers the launch of these balloons from Gaza to be one of its red lines. Bennett and Defense Minister Benny Gantz had previously announced the government’s rejection of the act.

Bennett cannot allow himself to appear as if he is restraining himself from acting in the face of Hamas’ provocations while being watched by Netanyahu, who is now the new opposition leader.

The Israeli army asked Netanyahu to advise Bennett on how to respond severely without igniting a new confrontation.

Bennett first ordered fresh air strikes on Hamas military facilities in Gaza Strip.

Currently at least, the security challenge is not limited to the arson balloons. Before igniting the fires in the south, an Israeli report was issued claiming that Hamas is moving forward in building tunnels and has succeeded in smuggling large quantities of construction materials through border crossings to build “hundreds of kilometers of tunnels the Israel military refers to as ‘the metro.’”

The report held Netanyahu’s government accountable for neither preventing nor detecting the construction of these tunnels. It pointed out that reduced manpower for the surveillance units was due to an inadequate state budget that led to a freeze in funding to strengthen these units.

Hamas had managed to build its warren of tunnels and significantly increase its array of rockets on the southern border with Gaza, the report stressed.

In addition to these security challenges, Israeli security services considered both Hezbollah’s precisionguided missile manufacturing project as well as the Iranian nuclear deal as challenges that need to be addressed by the newly formed government.

The new government, which brings together various

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It is feared that, after the first internal crisis, the former premier will succeed in mobilizing extra votes from the right-wing MKs who either supported Bennet’s government or refrained from voting for it. partisan factions from the right-wing, represented by Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, and the left-wing, represented by the Meretz party, is expected to face similar internal challenges.

ISRAEL WITHOUT NETANYAHU After installing the new government, Israelis recalled a statement by Netanyahu in which he mourned former Israeli President Shimon Peres by saying “this is the first day in the State of Israel without Shimon Peres.” After twelve years in power, they recited a similar statement but replaced Peres with Netanyahu.

Netanyahu, who refuses to move out of the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, still rejects the new reality that he has become the opposition leader in the Knesset. Following the swearing-in of the new coalition, he was keen in his remarks to stress his party will return to power soon.

He repeated a pledge to topple the new government, which was approved by a 60-59 vote in parliament.

“We will be back soon,” he insisted. It is feared that, after the first internal crisis, the former premier will succeed in mobilizing extra votes from the rightwing MKs who either supported Bennet’s government or refrained from voting for it. Netanyahu seeks to implement his plan in the first no-confidence vote in light of an internal controversial political issue among the coalition parties.

The new Knesset formation comprises a majority of right-wing MKs, which serves Netanyahu’s interest and would help him to become a premier again.

Moreover, there are some rebellious deputies from the coalition parties who may secede from their parties and join Netanyahu due to the fragile coalition.

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This situation poses a major challenge to Bennett, who should find means to ensure the continued support of the left-wing parties in the government coalition and provide compromises to prevent their withdrawal and guarantee harmony among all of the components of the government.

In order to achieve these goals, the new premier should either breach commitments, like his predecessor, or alter his ideological direction.

Nevertheless, Bennett and Yair Lapid could also secure the votes of the Arab Joint List. During the voting process, three List MKs who initially abstained

from voting decided to eventually vote against Netanyahu’s government. This prompted political figures to consider the List responsible for the new government’s ability to secure the required number of votes.

This gives Bennett the opportunity to approach the rest of the List members who “categorically reject any step that would directly or indirectly show their support for a government headed by the right-winger Bennett,” as some have stated.

Bennett and Lapid could also breathe a sigh of relief after the statement issued by MK Ahmed al-Taibi in which he affirmed that his party would give the green light to the government.

In order to preserve this government, which is considered a first in Israel in terms of its political composition, right-wing and leftwing coalition parties must make concessions and avoid disagreeing on issues of principle.

PRICE TO BE PAID BY LEFT-WING, CENTRIST PARTIES In order to preserve this government, which is considered a first in Israel in terms of its political composition, right-wing and left-wing coalition parties must make concessions and avoid disagreeing on issues of principle. Any disagreement would lead to transferring the matter to the Knesset, and the rightwing lawmakers will most likely vote against it.

The left-wing parties will find themselves compelled to compromise since the Knesset is comprised of a right-wing majority. The first concession was allowing Ayelet Shaked to be given Labor chief Merav

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Police officers clash with Palestinian as they force Palestinians out of Damascus Gate area before the far right flag march on June ,15 2021 in Jerusalem, Israel. Authorities had denied permission for the march several times, worried that its route through the Old City would stoke tensions that have been high since, and preceding, the 11 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas last month. (Getty)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu look thoughtful as he sits in the Knesset before parliament votes to approve the new government on June 2021 ,13 in Israel.

(Getty)

Michaeli’s spot on the Judicial Selection Committee.

Shaked threatened to block the formation of the new government if she did not receive the post.

In order to achieve the common target of toppling Netanyahu, Michaeli agreed to give her the post.

As for the distribution of ministerial portfolios, Shaked was assigned Interior Minister, Gideon Saar became Justice Minister, and Zeev Elkin was appointed Housing Minister. All of them belong to the right-wing and far-right parties, which may cause disputes with the left-wing and centrist parties in the new government coalition.

Acquiring these high-level posts is not a coincidence since there are still unresolved issues between the left and right-wing parties in each of these three ministries.

Differences seem to remain within the government over the ministries’ portfolios, and one of the major disputed topics between both parties is the settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The new premier and the right-wing ministers still could not agree about who will become head of the settlement ministry, which was recently formed during Netanyahu’s rule.

This subject, which may constitute a serious obstacle in the face of the government coalition, was clarified by Bennett on the day he assumed his new post when he announced that one of his government’s major goals is to “enhance settlements throughout Israel.” He circulated his statements on the media

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At this point, the Gaza Strip is considered the biggest challenge Bennett is expected to address, and is a top priority on his government’s agenda. and stressed that his government will “ensure attaining the national interests in Areas classified C and raise the standards and resources after many years of neglect.”

Bennett’s remarks were similar to Netanyahu’s, which poses a real problem for left-wing and centrist parties. However, they are a minor concern compared to the agreed-upon matters that constitute a firm base to maintain the new government coalition.

Bennett was keen to highlight these matters in his words before the Knesset, also addressing the economy, welfare, education and work to improve social services, which are topics that concern the left-wing and centrist parties.

In light of the absence of religious extremist parties, the religion and the state issue is considered one of the agreed-upon issues.

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WASHINGTON AND SECURITY CHALLENGES The new government has mainly inherited from Netanyahu an intense security situation. It includes the conflict in Gaza with the Palestinians and the difference with the US administration on the Iranian nuclear deal.

To what extent will the new government be capable of jointly addressing the security and strategic issues, such as Iran, the northern front and the Palestinian arena? The answer to this question depends on the coalition government’s ability to maintain good ties with the US administration and avoid disputes with it on various issues, the most important of which are the Palestinian situation and the agreement with Iran.

US President Joe Biden’s administration is awaiting the Israeli decision, which will directly affect its next steps with Tehran. At this point, the Gaza Strip is considered the biggest challenge Bennett is expected to address, and is a top priority on his government’s agenda.

The text of the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas through the Egyptian mediators only stated that calm would be in exchange for calm.

Therefore, Israeli security officials expect the security situation to break down again.

In regards to the nuclear deal, Bennett has taken a similar position to that of Netanyahu by rejecting it and preventing any Iranian threat to Israel’s security.

Concerning the northern front, Israelis expect Hezbollah’s precision-guided missile manufacturing project to constitute the greatest challenge faced by

Differences seem to remain within the government over the ministries’ portfolios, and one of the major disputed topics between both parties is the settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Bennett-Lapid government, particularly by Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Israel will face a dilemma once Hezbollah starts manufacturing these missiles on Lebanese soil, security officials note, adding that the decision to destroy this capacity will certainly lead to war.

Holding Netanyahu’s government responsible for not addressing and preventing the construction of Hamas tunnels due to the lack of state budget will require the current government to face increasing budget demands by the army.

The security forces will want to ensure they are prepared at the defensive, intelligence and offensive levels for any confrontation and to refill the ammunition warehouses, especially after the recent round of fighting in the enclave. They may also demand implementing Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi’s multiyear plan.

FACING NETANYAHU Netanyahu’s “We’ll be back soon” statement has

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United Arab List party leader Mansur Abbas speaks to the media after joining a coalition that could force Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out of office on June 2021 ,2 in Ramat Gan, Israel.

(Getty)

In regards to the nuclear deal, Bennett has taken a similar position to that of Netanyahu by rejecting it and preventing any Iranian threat to Israel’s security.

opened the door for discussion on the means of preventing him from achieving his goal to return to power.

Former Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whose Labor party is part of Bennett government’s coalition, has launched a provocative campaign against Netanyahu, through which he calls for preventing him from becoming a premier again.

Barak suggested addressing Netanyahu’s socalled “threat” seriously and firmly. “Netanyahu has been destroying any trace of luxury, truth and confidence in public life for five years now. He is surrounded by a group of cronies that looks like a combination of a brainwashed sect and a crime organization. There is a reason why security guards have been deployed to protect public prosecutors, the legal advisor to the government, public figures and all those considered opposed to him,” Barak wrote.

He pointed out that Netanyahu has made achievements throughout the years that will be recorded in his favor. However, people who took advantage of

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pledging allegiance to him to evade the law have undermined his accomplishments, he added.

Barak further noted that Netanyahu seeks to threaten the Public Prosecution to reduce his sentence term.

Netanyahu will try to extort a pardon from the president and look like a victim, Barak stressed, adding that all this will be recorded in history as the state’s surrender to threats from its head.

He also addressed Bennett and Lapid saying that the “desperate” Netanyahu will lead a decadent and irresponsible opposition.

He recalled the former premier’s efforts to return to power, stating that he will not hesitate to disturb people’s lives even if it is at the expense of harming Israel’s interests.

Netanyahu will not be deterred by harming IsraeliUS ties or even Israel’s security, Barak warned.

Commenting on the new government, Barak said many political figures hope it succeeds in carrying out its duties. He pointed to its recent formation, which makes it vulnerable in the first five months before passing the new budget.

Netanyahu will work hard to topple this government based on his political experience and on the various network operations available to him, he warned, adding that he may even exploit his 12-year accumulated political capital and internal supporters.

“A defect or an unexpected event might also cause the government to lose its majority and collapse.”

Barak finally warned the new government against keeping Netanyahu updated on political developments during this sensitive period, stressing that it would represent an “irresponsible gamble that will cost the government a very high price.”

Next time, it will be very difficult to repair the damage, and it may not even be possible, he added.

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Biden Can Keep the Two-State Solution Alive How U.S. Can Improve Its Ability to Intervene in Palestinian - Israeli Conflict Ilan Goldenberg President Joe Biden and his team came into office understandably hoping to deprioritize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They saw Washington-led negotiations as a trap that had ensnared previous U.S. administrations,

and the prospects for progress looked bleaker than ever.

But some issues can’t be ignored. As last month’s escalation between Israel and Hamas underscored, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict requires regular U.S. engagement to avoid spasms of violence that sap Washington’s ability to deal with other priorities.

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The Biden administration isn’t wrong to eschew yet another round of high-profile negotiations. The conflict isn’t ripe for resolution. But Biden does need a concerted strategy to improve the trajectory of the conflict—and to prevent periodic flare-ups—while still preserving the possibility of a two-state solution. The surprise ouster of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, and the inauguration of a new Israeli government led by the conservative Naftali Bennett and the centrist Yair Lapid, offers Biden a unique opportunity to do just that.

HARD LESSONS

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from Cross- Hall of the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Getty)

Although it was an unwelcome distraction, the recent conflict holds important lessons that should inform the Biden administration’s approach to managing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Among the most important is that small details matter a great deal—and they have the potential to become big international headaches. This latest round of violence began with a local dispute over the potential eviction of four Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem but soon exploded into an international crisis that absorbed hours of Biden’s time. In part because the Trump administration closed the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, which since 1994 had functioned both as a de facto embassy for the Palestinians and a vital early-warning system for Washington, the Biden administration missed the initial signs that a conflict was brewing. Of course, the president and secretary of state should not be paying attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on a daily basis, but the United States needs seasoned diplomats on the ground who can quickly raise the alarm at the highest levels of government.

Another important lesson is that while the United States remains a central player in the conflict, it cannot solve problems on its own. Once the crisis erupted, the Biden administration helped de-escalate the violence. Rather than openly call for a cease-fire, which Israel would have resisted for at least a few days, Biden pushed for it privately while publicly aligning himself with Israel. As a result, he was able to help end the bloodshed in just 11 days. But he had some help: Biden relied on Egypt to mediate between Hamas and Israel, leveraging its deep relations with both parties and its strong interest in swiftly ending a conflict on its border.

Biden’s options were also shaped by shifting domestic politics in the United States. The old Democratic playbook of unquestioningly supporting Israel has become untenable. When Biden traveled to Michigan to promote electric cars last month, the news cycle was overtaken by protests by Arab American organizations angered by the deaths of Palestinian civilians and children. In the

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Biden’s options were shaped by shifting domestic politics in the United States. The old Democratic playbook of unquestioningly supporting Israel has become untenable. past, it might have been possible to shrug off such demonstrations. No longer: partly because Netanyahu spent years aligning himself closely with the Republican Party and partly because of the parallels many progressives see between the Palestinian cause and the challenges that minority groups face in the United States, the Democratic Party has grown more sympathetic to Palestinian rights. Biden has so far pursued a traditional U.S. policy of support for Israel, which still has plenty of backing in the party. Going forward, however, mounting pressure from congressional Democrats to acknowledge the Palestinian perspective will limit his room to maneuver.

On the other hand, it will also increase his leverage to push Israel to refrain from provocative actions such as evictions in Jerusalem or home demolitions in the West Bank.

The final lesson of the most recent flare-up is that Israeli and Palestinian politics are too dysfunctional for a high-profile peace initiative to have any chance of success. In the run-up to the conflict, Netanyahu was so concerned with his own political survival that he allowed right-wing extremists in his coalition to fan the flames of resentment by, among other things, refusing to intervene when Israeli police took increasingly provocative steps in Jerusalem. The new Israeli “change” coalition spans the political spectrum and includes the first Arab party to join an Israeli government. It represents a major improvement over Netanyahu’s corrupt and antidemocratic government. But all eight parties in the coalition essentially hold veto over important issues, making it impossible to take big steps of any kind on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This means the United States should aim to discourage Israel from making things worse by continuing the current pace of settlement construction in the West Bank and instead work quietly to advance practical, non-ideological issues such as improving access to electricity and water in Gaza and granting building permits to Palestinians in parts of the West Bank that are currently under full Israeli control.

On the Palestinian side, the political terrain is even more

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fraught. The latest explosion of violence came only weeks after President Mahmoud Abbas canceled what would have been the first elections in Palestine in 15 years. Hamas had seen those elections as an opportunity to assume a bigger role in Palestinian politics; with elections out of the picture, the militant group instead opted to increase its influence by cynically using the tensions in Jerusalem as an excuse to launch rockets at great cost to both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. The Palestinian Authority came out of this conflict significantly weakened: it proposed elections only to cancel them and then appeared irrelevant and detached during the subsequent fighting. Until the deadlock between Hamas and Fatah—the political party that controls the Palestinian Authority—is broken, Palestinian politics will remain divided, corrupt, and authoritarian, making it extraordinarily difficult to achieve serious progress toward an agreement with the Israelis.

The final lesson of the most recent flare-up is that Israeli and Palestinian politics are too dysfunctional for a high-profile peace initiative to have any chance of success.

In both Palestine and Israel, talk of a two-state solution has all but ceased. For the Palestinians, a state of their own seems like a pipe dream. They are focused on preserving their homes and winning or maintaining basic rights, such as freedom of movement and ballot access.

Israelis, meanwhile, believe that they lack a negotiating partner on the other side. Many prefer to pretend that the Palestinians do not exist, until every few years rockets temporarily force them to recall otherwise.

A PATH FORWARD To improve the trajectory of the conflict and enhance its ability to manage future outbursts, the United States should start by reopening its consulate in Jerusalem.

With its deep contacts not just to the Palestinian leadership but to the broader Palestinian society, the consulate for years helped the United States monitor the delicate situation on the ground and raise the alarm in Washington when things became dangerous, giving senior officials time to intervene and press all sides to back down.

During his recent trip to the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced plans to reopen the consulate. Doing so will require cooperation from the Israelis, however, some of whom say the consulate should go elsewhere now that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But relocating the consulate would anger the Palestinians, undermining U.S. efforts to deepen ties with them and ensure a clearer window into the conflict. U.S. officials must work with the new Israeli government to manage the delicate politics around this issue, especially since Netanyahu—now the opposition leader—is the loudest voice demanding

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Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel, Palestinian leader of Hamas Yahya Sinwar and Fatah leader Ahmad Hellis inspect residences which Egypt builds Al Zahra district in Gaza City, Gaza on May ,31 2021. (Getty)

Members of the Israeli security forces detain a Palestinian man in front of the Dome of the Rock mosque following Friday prayers in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque complex, on June 2021 ,18, as Palestinians protested in response to chants by Israeli ultranationalists targeting Islam’s Prophet Mohammed in the March of Flags earlier this week.

(Getty)

the relocation of the U.S. consulate. At the same time, however, they must stress to their Israeli counterparts that this is an issue not of ideology but of practicality: getting eyes on the ground. As Israel’s closest and most important partner, the United States should be able to count on Israel’s full cooperation, especially given that a number of European countries have consulates in Jerusalem that serve a similar function.

The Biden administration should also prioritize improving the terrible conditions in Gaza, where 75,000 families are newly homeless after the most recent spate of fighting. The 2.2 million Palestinians who live in Gaza can rely on only around eight hours of electricity per day; just ten percent of them have access to safe water.

But the United States cannot address this humanitarian crisis alone, because it has no presence on the ground in Gaza and will not engage with Hamas. Instead, the United States must work closely with Egypt and the UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace on a joint plan for Gaza reconstruction. The United States should play the role of coordinator and enforcer in such an effort, leaning on regional players—especially the Gulf states—to make the needed investments in a coordinated fashion and encouraging Israel to remain cooperative.

Israel has said that it will allow aid for reconstruction to flow into Gaza only after Hamas returns two Israeli citizens currently being held in the strip as well as the remains of two Israeli soldiers. The Biden administration should privately communicate to Israel that the living conditions for 2.2 million people cannot be held hostage to this issue. But it should also elevate its public support for the release of the hostages and the soldiers’ remains and press other international players to speak out more

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Biden should not walk away from two states, which remains the most viable way to ensure freedom, prosperity, and security for Israelis and Palestinians. forcefully on this issue.

Once the aid begins to flow, the biggest challenge will be to avoid empowering Hamas. After the last conflict in Gaza in 2014, the UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace developed a complex mechanism for vetting all aid delivered to Gaza. But within a few years, aid from Qatar was allowed to bypass this mechanism and wound up going straight to Hamas with the full consent and cooperation of Netanyahu’s government. In part because of these funds, Hamas was able to rebuild its military capability.

The new reconstruction effort should include a refined system for vetting aid recipients, based on lessons learned over the last seven years. But it should also place a much greater emphasis on delivering resources and opportunities that Hamas will struggle to control or siphon off. For example, upgrades to Egyptian and Israeli power lines that feed into Gaza’s grid could dramatically expand the amount of electricity available to Gazans without requiring much direct investment in Gaza itself. Israel could also grant Gazans permits to

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work in Israel, which would increase remittances to the impoverished strip. Since Israeli authorities would vet anyone applying for a permit, they could ensure that these funds would not reach Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces have in the past supported this idea, but politicians have rejected it because of security concerns. Yet Israel grants thousands of work permits to residents of the West Bank, who travel back and forth to Israel every day. Certainly, allowing Gazans to do the same would make more sense than simply sending cash to Hamas.

NEW GOVERNMENT, NEW OPPORTUNITIES The dawn of a new political era in Israel gives the Biden administration an opening to contribute to some limited progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Because the new coalition government is so diverse, it will not be able to agree on major policy changes and will be highly motivated to avoid major conflagrations. This gives Washington an opportunity to quietly press the Israeli government to eschew further evictions of Palestinians in Jerusalem, halt the announcement of new settlement construction, and avoid clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli police at holy sites such as the one known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif.

The Biden administration also has an opportunity to engage with—and empower—more constructive voices in Israel. Lapid, a centrist who under the terms of the coalition will be foreign minister for two years and then prime minister, is now possibly the most powerful politician in Israel, having forged the political alliance that toppled Netanyahu and that holds the most seats

The US should aim to discourage Israel from making things worse by continuing the current pace of settlement construction in the West Bank and instead work quietly to advance practical, nonideological issues.

in the Knesset. Lapid has prioritized repairing relations with Jordan, a key partner on Israeli-Palestinian issues whose relationship with Israel suffered under Netanyahu. Biden’s team should work closely with Lapid at the Foreign Ministry to reestablish the long-agreed status quo on the Temple Mount, which allows Jews and Muslims to visit the site but only Muslims to pray at it and is critically important to Jordan as the custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. The Biden administration should also try to build a cooperative relationship with officials in Israel’s Transportation Ministry, which is responsible for road construction and as a result plays a critical role in expanding settlements in the West Bank. The Transportation Ministry is now controlled by the left-wing Labor Party, which also holds the Public Security Ministry that oversees the police, whose heavy-handedness helped stoke tensions in recent months. Quiet cooperation with Labor leaders on both sets of issues could yield positive results.

U.S. officials should also reach out to Arab citizens of Israel, who for the first time are represented by an Arab party—the United Arab List—in the coalition government. Arabs make up 20 percent of the population of Israel, and their inclusion in government could have profound long-term implications for Israeli politics. In recent years, Arab parties have won anywhere from ten to 15 seats in the Knesset, making them a potentially

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Excavators provided by Egypt help clear the rubble in Gaza City on June 23, 2021, following the destruction of several buildings and other sites

by Israeli strikes during last month’s 11-day war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement that controls the coastal strip. (Getty)

To improve the trajectory of the conflict and enhance its ability to manage future outbursts, the United States should start by reopening its consulate in Jerusalem.

influential bloc, but they always refused to join the government. If that taboo has been broken, the Arab Israeli community could gain significant leverage over social and economic policy in Israel that could even have spillover benefits for Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza. For the moment, simply taking more meetings with representatives from these communities and elevating their voices would be a positive first step for the Biden administration.

On the Palestinian side of the conflict, the United States and its partners should encourage Fatah and Hamas to pursue a power-sharing arrangement that would break the current deadlock. Elections would have been one way to achieve such an arrangement. But because Hamas’s popularity has surged in the wake of the recent fighting, Fatah will not agree to elections anytime soon.

The United States should therefore support the indirect negotiations between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas that recently began in Egypt. These talks aim to achieve a more durable cease-fire but could expand to explore a possible Palestinian unity government that would include both Fatah and Hamas.

Such a unity government could work only with Israeli acquiescence and would thus require a three-way deal.

Hamas would have to make major concessions to both Israel and the Palestinian Authority: it would have to acknowledge that the Palestine Liberation Organization is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian

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people, agree to abide by a long-term cease-fire with Israel in both Gaza and the West Bank, cede control of key ministries in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, halt expansion of its military capabilities, and start a gradual process of disarmament. In exchange, it would receive a formal role in Palestinian governing institutions, accepted by the international community and by Israel. It would also receive a gradual relaxation of, and eventual end to, the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza.

At the same time as it recalibrates its engagement with both the Israelis and the Palestinians, the Biden administration should rethink how it talks about and seeks to support a two-state solution, an outcome that none of the parties believe to be possible in the near term. Biden should not walk away from two states, which remains the most viable way to ensure freedom, prosperity, and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

To preserve that possibility, his administration should increasingly emphasize the importance of Palestinian rights and freedom. Washington should take a stronger stand against Israeli policies that limit where Palestinians can live or move to, unequal legal practices that ensure Israelis in the West Bank get due process while channeling Palestinians through military courts with conviction rates of nearly 100 percent, and the travesty of Israel’s policy of arresting and detaining young children for throwing rocks. Shining a light on these practices and pushing the Israelis to change them is the best way to restore faith in the two-state solution and to uphold American values.

None of these steps would immediately move the Israelis and the Palestinians closer to the ever-elusive solution of two states. But they would put the conflict on a better trajectory, preserving the possibility of a just peace sometime in the future and improving the United States’ ability to intervene and prevent unnecessary bloodshed in the meantime.

This article was originally published on ForeignAffairs.com.

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Foreign Troops Exit & Elections Call for Libya

Berlin 2 Conference Sets Goals for Smooth Political Transition Jassim Mohamad - Bonn The Berlin 2 Conference held on June 23 discusses Libya’s political process and the Dec. 24 elections, with the participation of international actors, including Turkey. The final statement consists of six sections: an introduction, security, the political process, economic and financial reforms, and compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights. The

withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya is the central issue in the Berlin 2 conference.

The Conference is being held under the auspices of the United Nations and Germany with attendances: the head of Libya’s Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, UN Special Envoy to Libya Jan Kubis, and the foreign ministers of the participating countries.

During the joint press conference on June 2021 ,23, German

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) attends a meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (R) at the Marriott Hotel in Berlin, Germany, on June 2021 ,24. (Getty)

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stressed the need to remove mercenaries and foreign fighters before holding general elections in Libya during December 2021, and also to unify the Libyan army and enhance development of the Libyan economy.

The “Second Berlin Conference on Libya,” held on June 23rd in response to invitations from the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and United Nations Secretary-General, brought together senior representatives of the governments of Algeria, China, Russia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which chairs the African Union Committee on Libya), Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Libya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, in addition to representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and the League of Arab States.

The Fourth Point revealed that Libya was granted status of “full participant” compared to the previous conference. The Second Point focused on the recognition of the progress made since the first conference on January 2020 ,19, namely, the cessation of hostilities, continuation of the ceasefire, lifting of the oil embargo, formation of an interim government and its granting of confidence by the House of Representatives.

The fourth, fifteenth and eighteenth points called on all parties to do more to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections as scheduled on December 2021 ,24, and to allow the withdrawal of foreign forces and foreign mercenaries from Libya, as well as the respect and application of United Nations sanctions and use of national measures against whomever violates the arms embargo or cease-fire.

The final statement declared the importance of establishing unified Libyan security and defense forces under a unified civilian authority in accordance with Point 18, while Point 19 stipulated accelerating the dismantling and disarming of armed groups and militias, and the integration of some qualified persons into governmental institutions.

According to Point 24, the Berlin Conference called on all parties to stop financing militias or recruiting mercenaries and to commit to strengthening mechanisms for monitoring the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations, national authorities and the relevant international parties.

Point 15 stipulated taking further steps towards unifying the country and urged all parties to restore and respect the unity of the executive, legislative and judicial authorities in Libya.

In particular, the Libyan authorities are demanded to be in the forefront of the House of Representatives “to make the necessary preparations for and hold free, fair and inclusive national Presidential and Parliamentary elections on 24 December 2021, including urgently and in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2570, the clarification of the constitutional basis for elections and the enactment of legislation as necessary.”

As for Point 20, it encouraged UN member states and international and regional organizations to send election

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The most important conclusion of the Berlin Conference is the confirmation of the immediate withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from Libya, supporting the transitional authority to hold the elections on December. observers in coordination with the Libyan authorities and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.

Point 38 emphasized the provision of basic services to the Libyan people, the provision of water and electricity, medical and educational services, the fight against corruption and the revival of the national economy and the commitment to the reconstruction of the country.

Point 53 stipulates the closure of immigration and asylum-seeking detention centres, and the conformity of immigration and asylum legislation with international law and internationally recognized standards and principles The most important conclusion of the Berlin Conference is the confirmation of the immediate withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from Libya, supporting the transitional authority to hold the elections on 24th December 2021, and the presentation of the statement to the Security Council.

The points focused on supporting Libya in its efforts to protect its southern border and control the crossing of armed groups and weapons across the border.

The Berlin 2 Conference gave a new “push” to the peace process because the Libyan parliament and the government alone could not move the process forward and this led to the escalation of tensions between rival groups in Libya again recently.

European expert Claudia Gazzini believes that there are significant obstacles to achieving long-term peace in the civil war-torn country. The researcher at the “International Crisis Group” said that the conference could give a new impetus to the peace process.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said that the Berlin 2 Conference on Libya confirmed the existing agreements and supported the political settlement process.

After meeting with the main participants, namely, the German organizers, the Turks and the Egyptians, the Russian “Sputnik” agency quoted the Russian official representing his country in the conference as saying that the conference is considered supportive of the political process in Libya.

The US special envoy to Libya, Richard Norland, said

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that his country calls for the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, and not to wait until after the elections, noting that Washington is conducting negotiations with the parties in Libya. He confirmed that there is progress on reopening the coastal road between eastern and western Libya, but he stressed that this is not enough.

The Berlin conference was held after extensive efforts to dismantle the involvement of foreign forces and mercenaries, whose main cards are in the hands of Moscow and Ankara.

Therefore, Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron stressed in their meeting a few days before the conference that Europe faces “big challenges” in dealing with both Russia and Turkey. The two countries, Moscow and Ankara, have become a challenge to Europe because of their military and security activities that threaten European security,

It seems that the demands of the Libyan side were incompatible with the declared agenda of the conference, as its objectives were limited to protecting the interests of external parties more than the interests of the Libyan people.

starting from Ukraine to the Caucasus, then in the eastern Mediterranean from Syria to Libya.

European countries are waiting for the United States of America to support the Berlin Conference, specifically in the face of the Russian and Turkish position within the Berlin Conference on Libya, and it seems that Europe is seeking to have a political role in the countries of the region to bring peace to Libya.

The Europe Countries depend heavily on the “IRINI” military mission to secure the Libyan sea and air borders and monitor armaments operations.

It is very important to integrate the neighboring countries of Libya into effective participation in security and military arrangements in terms of establishing the ceasefire. However, the foreign forces and mercenaries’ problem remains the most difficult obstacle in the Libyan crisis.

The United Nations estimated the number of mercenaries and foreign fighters in Libya at about 20,000, and hundreds of Turkish soldiers are deployed under a bilateral agreement concluded with the former Tripoli government The Libyan crisis posed a new challenge to international and regional powers, starting with the complex nature of the crisis and ending with the conflict and the differences between these countries regarding their positions on the Libyan matter. There is also disagreement regarding the methods and mechanisms that should be used in order to settle the conflict in Libya.

The event that represented a shift in the course of the Libyan crisis was Turkey’s direct entry into the dispute, in an attempt to undermine European influence in Libya and the North African region. This has further complicated the ways to solve the Libyan problem, especially since the European Union

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United Nations UnderSecretary General for Political Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo (L), German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush speak to the media during the second international Libya conference on June 23, 2021 in Berlin, Germany.

(Getty)

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar (C), Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler (2nd R) and officials meet with Turkish soldiers in Libya, Tripoli on May 04, 2021.

(Getty)

countries have expressed their reservations on the one hand, and also their differing positions towards the Libyan crisis on the other hand.

The most prominent challenges of the Berlin Conference 2 were the Russian and Turkish position regarding the expulsion of mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libya, despite the military efforts made by Europe to monitor ships in the eastern Mediterranean together with international monitoring in order to ban the export of arms to Libya and the smuggling of fighters. Europe has nothing but sanctions against people and companies that have become an ineffective mechanism.

Some media leaks mentioned the possibility of preparing for a new conference in London after the Second Berlin Conference focusing on the mercenary issue, aiming to create field pressure and military plans to expel the mercenaries.

The US role will remain important. Without US support, the Berlin Conference will remain incomplete, perhaps weak, and unable to implement the conference’s outcomes. This would put Europe’s experience of having a regional role to the test.

It seems that the demands of the Libyan side were incompatible with the declared agenda of the conference, as its objectives were limited to protecting the interests of external parties more than the interests of the Libyan people. There are still economic ambitions which are of interest to European countries as well as regional and international parties, as were advanced in the first Berlin Conference. These were supposed to be solved before the elections, but these goals seem almost impossible.

The withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya is still a central topic in the Second Berlin Conference because external forces are widely feeding the conflict in the country and also placing obstacles in the way of implementing the understandings of the

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Some media leaks mentioned the possibility of preparing for a new conference in London after the Second Berlin Conference focusing on the mercenary issue Libyan parties on the path to settling the crisis. The chances of the Berlin 2 conference’s success were very narrow because of the contradiction between the regional and international agendas as well as the fact that most countries support one of the two camps.

Therefore, international and regional parties should refrain from external interference in Libya, disarm militias under the supervision of the United Nations, and Turkey should withdraw its forces, foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya, within a mechanism under the supervision of the United Nations and the European Union.

Jassim Mohamad is a researcher who focuses on international security and counter-terrorism. His work covers Europe, the Middle East (Iraq, Syria, Libya, Iran and Yemen), and African Sahel. He is the head of the European Centre for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies ECCI.

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Islamizing the Nile River Conflict

Ethiopia Adds Religious Component to its GERD Propaganda

Dalia Ziada The Ethiopian government is purposefully involving religious rhetoric into justifying its technical dispute over the Nile River with Egypt and Sudan. The reasons why Abiy Ahmed government decided to Islamize the Nile River conflict, by employing government loyalist Muslim imams to promote a political agenda, in a Christian majority society, are worth exploring.

For years, the Ethiopian government of Abiy Ahmed

has been promoting the building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as a nationalist cause.

The government’s unrealistic rhetoric around the political and economic benefits that GERD may incur to the Ethiopian nation is serving the political interests of the ruling elite. On one hand, it justifies the huge spending on the building of the dam, while the Ethiopian people are struggling with a drowning economy.

On the other hand, it provides Abiy Ahmed with a cover to his atrocities against civilians in Tigray and his failure to manage the border conflict with Sudan.

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In addition, this fanatic nationalist rhetoric is serving the purpose of mobilizing the Ethiopian citizens to vote for Abiy Ahmed and his affiliate politicians, in the current general elections, despite their proven failure to run state affairs and Ethiopia’s deteriorating relations with its neighbors.

Unfortunately, the diplomatic negotiations over the Nile River conflict between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, which has been running for over a decade, hit a deadlock in April. Egypt is the downstream country, while Ethiopia is geographically located where the river springs, and Sudan geographically stands in the Middle. Egypt and Sudan object the building of GERD on the Blue Nile because it affects their share in the water of the river. Government propagandists, in the Ethiopian media, unfairly portray Egypt as an aggressor on Ethiopia’s sovereignty for merely trying to get Ethiopia to sign a binding agreement that protects downstream countries from the potential abuse of GERD by the current or future Ethiopian governments.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks at the inauguration of the newly remodeled Meskel Square on June 13, 2021 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Getty)

For the international audience, Ethiopia justifies the building of the dam by the need to generate electricity for about 65% of the population. For the local audience, the Ethiopian government promotes a strange lie, supported by religious leaders, that the Nile is a gift from God to Ethiopia, and thus Ethiopia is the legitimate solo owner of the Nile. In that sense, they claim that Ethiopia can hold the water behind a dam to sell it later to other countries and become rich, the same way Arab Gulf countries profited from selling the oil discovered in their geographic territories.

The Ethiopian government promotes a strange lie, supported by religious leaders, that the Nile is a gift from God to Ethiopia, and thus Ethiopia is the legitimate solo owner of the Nile. leaders of the Ethiopian Muslim community, have been actively producing fatwas (religious advices) to mobilize the Muslim citizens to support the building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

In March, Sheikh Haji Omar Idris, the Grand Mufti of Ethiopia, made up a fatwa claiming that Ethiopia is the God-assigned owner of the Nile water, and accordingly Egypt has no right to ask for using the water that springs outside of its geographic area.

“The Egyptians say that they are affected by Ethiopia’s use of the Nile water. This is not fair and is against the teachings of Islamic Sharia;” advised Sheikh Haji Omar Idris, the Grand Mufti of Ethiopia and the President of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council. “Sharia has proven that the country in which the water springs, must benefit from it, then give what exceeds its needs to its neighbors, if it desires to.” During the prayers of Eid Al-Fitr, in May, several Ethiopian youths showed up carrying slogans After the failure of negotiations in April, Egypt and and banners reading that it is Ethiopia’s Allah-given Sudan started to seriously think about going to war right to block and sell the water of the Nile. with Ethiopia. In March, Egypt signed a military cooperation agreement with Sudan, followed by a joint Idris based his misleading fatwa on a saying by military exercise at Merowe military base, in south- Prophet Muhammed. However, the Egyptian Fatwa ern Sudan, close to Ethiopian GERD. In late May, House (Dar Al-Iftar), in May, refuted such claims and Egypt and Sudan conducted another military exercise, published a prophetic saying confirming that naturally in southern Sudan, under the title “Nile Protectors” flowing water cannot be owned by anyone, as it is wherein Egypt deployed land forces and advanced a common share among all humans. Then, on June aviation equipment to deter Ethiopia from proceeding 12th, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr. Ahmed Alwith filling the dam, which was scheduled in early Tayeb, seized the opportunity of his participation in June. Meanwhile, Egypt signed other military cooper- the United Nations Environment Day, to indirectly ation agreements with Uganda, Kenya, and Burundi. comment on the Nile River conflict.

Amidst the heated political and military tensions,

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“Environment is in crisis, because of those tampering

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with Allah’s creations and lands… It is inappropriate to let an individual or a country practice monopoly over natural resources and deprive others from getting access to these resources;” said the Grand Imam in his UN speech. “Water, in its comprehensive concept, is a natural resource that is treated as a common property to all humans, according to the teachings of all religions, not only Islam. No one can exclusively own a water resource. Depriving others from benefiting from natural resources is an act of oppression and aggression on Allah’s provisions;” Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb added, calling upon respective local, regional, and international bodies to appropriately intervene to stop such manipulation that is expected to harm humans and Earth.

Recognizing and empowering the Muslim community, first brought the Muslim community to support Abiy Ahmed rather than joining the opposition against him. They are now part of his propaganda machine.

Al-Azhar is the highest religious authority in the Muslim world. While the Grand Imam’s message was widely applauded by the Egyptian and Arab audience, some western audience could not understand the background story that pushed a senior religious scholar to comment on a geopolitical conflict. In fact, Al-Azhar’s comment is a necessary reaction to the shameful abuse of religion by the Ethiopian government to justify endangering the lives of tens of millions of humans in downstream countries by building a dam on the upstream of the Blue Nile.

It is strange to see the Ethiopian Muslim leaders, who have always been keeping a low-profile, all of a sudden involved in public activities and commenting on geopolitical issues. But there is a reason for that. They are paying back the favor to Abiy Ahmed.

For decades, the Muslim citizens in Ethiopia suffered from marginalization, discrimination, and persecution on the hands of the government and other religious groups, especially during the communist era of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Ethiopian Muslims have been denied basic rights to declare their religious identity or practice their religious ceremonies and prayers in public. That is despite their relatively large percentage as a religious group. Muslims in Ethiopia, who represent nearly 35% of the population; are the second-largest religious community in the country.

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Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council (EIASC) head Haji Mufti Omar Idris. (Getty)

The Grand Imam of the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb.

(Getty)

Only in January 2020, Abiy Ahmed government recognized the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, after sixty years of working as an outlawed civil society organization. This provided Muslim citizens with a relief as they have become free to show their identity and celebrate their religion. This is a move that Abiy Ahmed government should be applauded for. However, on the flip side, it seems that Abiy Ahmed had another strategic goal from empowering the Muslim community amidst his quest to continue with the GERD project.

Recognizing and empowering the Muslim community, first brought the Muslim community to support Abiy Ahmed rather than joining the opposition against him. They are now part of his propaganda machine, mobilizing millions of Muslim citizens to support the government decisions and vote for Abiy Ahmed’s favorite politicians in elections. Second, Abiy Ahmed is employing the politicized religious rhetoric of his Imams to confuse the public citizens in Muslim-majority countries, Egypt and Sudan, regarding the legitimacy of the stances of their governments on the Nile conflict. Most of the misleading fatwas issued by Ethiopian Imams, in relation to GERD, are published in Arabic; not in English or Swahili or Amharic.

The comment of Grand Imam of Al-Azhar was widely applauded

by Egyptians and Arabs, but some western audience could not understand the background story that pushed a senior religious scholar to comment on a geopolitical conflict. diplomatic means. Adding the religious component to this ugly dispute is a very dangerous gamble that the Ethiopian government need to stop playing. This does not only threaten the security of Ethiopia, but also provides a new tool for terrorist organizations operating at the already security-fragile Horn of Africa region, to revive their activities and recruit new supporters.

Dalia Ziada is an Egyptian author and Director of the Liberal Democracy Institute. Her work covers military affairs, political Islamism, and geopolitics The Nile River conflict has become too complicated in the Middle East and North Africa. Tweets at @ and almost impossible to resolve through regular daliaziada.

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Does It Matter If Dollar Dominance Ends?

A Question of Weaponzing International Financial System Robert Farley What price will the United States pay for the end of dollar hegemony, if indeed dollar hegemony ends? Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist and Nobel Prize laureate, suggests that concern

over the end of “dollar dominance” might be misplaced. Krugman expresses well-reasoned skepticism that the end of dollar dominance is nigh, then suggests that even the end of dollar dominance might not have the catastrophic effects on the U.S. economy that some suspect.

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He points out that dollar dominance doesn’t seem to have much of an effect on interest rates on U.S. debt, and that there’s little reason to believe that the value of the dollar would crash if it ceased to be the foundational international currency.

Krugman evaluates a series of measures of vulnerability, including interest rates and currency volatility, debunking the idea that a fall from primacy will necessarily imply a decline in prosperity. As he points out, the end of dollar dominance (however unlikely) is unlikely to have a crushing impact on the U.S. economy; Great Britain’s economic performance was largely uncorrelated with the end of the dominance of the pound, although the special relationship between London and Washington undoubtedly cushioned Great Britain’s landing. Moreover, key global economic actors such as Canada and Australia have not apparently suffered from their inability to control a hegemonic currency.

The US Dollar depicted as the dominate world reserve currency.

(Getty)

But as Henry Farrell and others have pointed out, the defense of the dominance of the dollar has less to do with the prosperity of Americans and American business, and more to do with the weaponization of interdependence. The dominance of the dollar, combined with advanced digital tools of surveillance and analysis, gives the U.S. government unprecedented insight into the functioning of the international economy.

This allows the United States to precisely employ sanctions against opponents, monitor tax avoidance and tax evasion, and keep track of the international flow of arms, drugs, and other illicit and semi-licit goods.

Krugman’s column stirs up a question that has bedeviled policymakers and academics for a very long time: To what extent do the citizens of a country benefit from primacy, or even prominence? The historical record is ambivalent, but the wild growth in living standards in Germany and Japan after each was forced to abandon its hegemonic aspirations suggests that any connection between hegemony and prosperity is tenuous and contingent.

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The defense of the dominance of the dollar has less to do with the prosperity of Americans and American business, and more to do with the weaponization of interdependence.

While the integration of the cyber and financial domains has given the United States exceptional coercive power over the past three decades, the ability of great powers to weaponize the international financial system has a very long history. The waning of financial power will mostly likely be similar to the dissipation of every other kind of power; the U.S. will no longer be able to dictate terms at China’s -12mile limit, nor threaten to render China’s financial infrastructure transparent at a glance.

A different and perhaps more important question involves the stability of the global financial system in the wake of U.S. hegemony. A generation of international relations scholars in the United States studied, somewhat prematurely, the question of whether the constellation of norms and institutions established by the United States and its allies during the Cold War could persist after U.S. hegemony faded. There is a strong case for doubt as to whether financial institutions are of the same sort as other kinds of international organizations, due to the need for careful management by central banks with a degree of independence from their governments.

Whether globalization can survive a multipolar financial system remains uncertain, and the question will likely preoccupy bankers and other policymakers over the next few decades.

This article was originally published on The Diplomat.

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Iranian Girls Face Genital Mutilation Risk

Activist Reveals Cruel Practice While Authorities Stay Mum Fayrouz Ramadan Zada – Washington Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia without using anesthesia, performed in a surgery under unsanitary conditions and without the approval of specialized medical authorities. It causes

physical, mental and sexual diseases and may lead to death. FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of human rights.

“Unless urgent action is taken, two million more girls will undergo female genital mutilation by 2030,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted. “We have no time to waste. Let’s unite, fund and

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Young Iranian girls cover themselves with the traditional Chador, 08 October, in the southern port of Chah Bahar, on the Gulf of Oman. (Getty)

act to end FGM—a horrible practice and terrible human rights violation,” he added.

According to the UN’s estimations, at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM. Girls 14 and younger represent 44 million of those who have been cut, it added, noting that the practice is ubiquitous in countries like Somalia, Sudan, Guinea, Djibouti, Egypt and others.

This custom is mainly carried out in Africa and the Middle East region, according to international statistics.

However, Egypt and Sudan have recently ratified a law criminalizing the act and considering it a crime against women.

Women’s rights activists saw this step as a turning point to attain women’s rights in Africa.

Egypt’s cabinet had approved a law imposing a five to seven year prison sentence on those who perform the FGM surgery. But the death of a young girl, Nada, while undergoing the surgery has again shed light on the phenomenon.

Nearly 92 percent of Egyptian women and girls aged 15 to 49 have undergone FGM, according to reports published in 2014.

Egyptian activist and feminist writer Nawal Saadawi struggled throughout her life to fight FGM. She conducted studies and published several books to curb this practice, which led to its criminalization in Egypt in 2008.

Sudan issued a law criminalizing the practice, with a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine.

According to the law’s provisions, “there shall be deemed to commit the offence of female genital mutilation whoever, removed, mutilated the female genitalia by cutting, mutilating or modifying any natural part of it leading to the full or partial loss of its functions, whether it is inside a hospital, health center, dispensary or clinic or other places.”

“Whoever commits the crime of female genital mutilation shall be punished with three years’ imprisonment and a fine or closing the premises.” Nine out of 10 women in Sudan are subjected to this crime.

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities remain silent and do nothing to curb the continuance of this practice for security reasons. They fear the eruption of protest movements in the border areas and the resentment of some sects. Therefore, the suffering of girls and women in some Iranian areas continues unabated.

Many people across the globe have been working to halt this profound suffering. Iranian writer and PhD sociology student at Anadolu University, Rayehe Mozafarian,

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“Unless urgent action is taken, two million more girls will undergo female genital mutilation by 2030,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted. launched the “Stop FGM Iran” campaign and published a book titled “Razor and Tradition.”

She is one of the activists in the fight against FGM and carries out many activities to curb this practice.

In an interview with Majalla, Mozafarian said FGM is still performed in the Kurdish regions, such as Kurdistan, Kermanshah, West Azerbaijan and areas south of Iran, such as Hormozgan province. However, she said the practice is certainly not taking place in other areas, such as Bushehr, Balochistan, Khuzestan, Lorestan and Golestan.

Mozafarian said she co-wrote an article with two of her colleagues, in which they pointed out that the FGM has been recently practiced in different forms.

“It was practiced in minority areas, such as Lak in western Iran, but it no longer exists there,” she said, adding that women over 60 years old had undergone FGM and are still alive. She further noted that the tools and methods of the operation have now changed in that region.

Women’s genital plastic surgery, which is very popular in the country, is now confused with the FGM in some rural areas. This means that FGM may not be very widespread in Iran, she stressed.

Mozafarian also pointed out that that FGM operations were rife in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, yet efforts made by the “Wadi” non-governmental organization to curb the practice led to its banning in 2011, especially in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, Garmian, Raniyah and Kirkuk.

In response to a question about the countries in which this practice is widespread, the activist divided the countries into two groups.

The first includes countries in which this practice endures by virtue of customs and traditions, while the second includes countries where this practice started to increase due to the high rate of immigrants, such as Australia and some European countries.

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“According to reports, this practice is still prevalent in countries such as the Sultanate of Oman, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and India as a tradition.”

The World Health Organization classifies world countries according to the prevalence of FGM in them.

Mozafarian pointed out that this operation is conducted in some areas and by some communities living within certain countries. Yet, they are not included in international lists of states where the practice is common, such as Iraq, some Gulf States, post-Soviet countries and Georgia.

“Each country submits statistics on FGM to international organizations. They then announce the rate of this practice so that relevant international organizations pro-

FGM is mainly carried out in Africa and the Middle East region, according to int’l statistics. However, Egypt and Sudan have recently ratified a law criminalizing the practice.

vide support to them by allocating a specific budget or carrying out training workshops and providing services to fight the phenomenon,” she explained.

The practice is still widespread in some countries, such as parts of Iran, Iraq, the Sultanate of Oman and a number of Gulf countries.

“Some countries have not yet officially recognized the practice taking place on their territory and that FGM is a challenge that must be addressed,” she warned.

Commenting on the reasons behind its pervasiveness, Mozafarian said they are “different and numerous.” She cited an American young girl who underwent the surgery after her mother consulted a doctor because she had been practicing masturbation since her childhood.

Asked about the roots of FGM, Mozafarian said it dates back to ancient times, when it was a surgical procedure but was not mentioned in divine religions.

“However, residents of some areas claim the practice is accepted by some sects and religions, and therefore it is a legitimate operation.”

“This custom was practiced in Central Africa before it spread to Egypt for cultural reasons. For example, in ancient Egypt genital mutilation was performed on men who were about to become priests or on the males of the noble class,” she said, noting that the process was documented during Prophet Moses’ rule and thus opened the door to be practiced on men and women.

According to African legends, the practice first occurred in Central Africa for cultural reasons and was later passed on to the pharaohs. The tools used and the

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Sudanese women walk in the capital Khartoum›s district of Jureif Ghar on May 5, 2020. (Getty)

Students of Kalas Girl›s primary school, which hosts escaped girls from female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, pose in Amudat town, northeast Uganda, on January 31, 2018. (Getty)

type of circumcision differed from one tribe to another as this practice determined the individual’s belonging to his tribe. Studies have proven that genital mutilation leads to a decrease in sexual desire for both women and men.

Metal chastity belts were worn to prevent sexual encounter or rape. FGM is attributed to Islam, but AlAzhar scholars issued several fatwas prohibiting the practice.

“A large group of senior religious scholars believe that the origin of this practice is not Islamic, while another group believes that the FGM was a way for non-Muslims to enter Islam, but this theory is not scientifically proven.”

What prevented Iranian authorities from adopting policies to limit FGM? “Our mission as women’s rights activists is to shed light on the FGM crime in Iran,” Mozafarian said. However, Iranian authorities fear it would tarnish the country’s reputation, being a civilization that dates back to thousands of years.

The Iranian regime claims this issue is internal and it would address the problem on its own, she stated, noting that relevant international institutions do not have much information and documents about FGM in Iran.

“Therefore, Iran is classified in the list of countries where this practice exists, but it is still unknown to what extent it is spread.”

Mozafarian sent a letter to Sunni Muftis in Iran in December 2018 inquiring about their opinion on FGM.

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According to African legends, the practice first occurred in Central Africa for cultural reasons and was later passed on to the pharaohs.

They replied with a fatwa stating that this practice is illicit.

The practice “lacks any legal basis and the narrations that permit it are weak and cannot be relied upon,” the fatwa stated.

The FGM leads to immediate complications, which may include severe pain, excessive bleeding, depression, shock, fever, genital infections, menstrual problems, urinary problems, sexual problems, increased risk of childbirth complications, psychological problems and death.

In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated February 6th as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, with the aim to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this practice.

Between 2015 and 2030, 68 million girls globally are at risk of FGM if efforts are not accelerated to end this harmful practice.

A Weekly Political News Magazine

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Jehan Sadat: Former Egyptian First Lady Lauded Amid Prayers for Her Recovery www.majalla.com

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Turkey Launches a “Religious” Channel for Kids Critics Alarmed at Perceived ‘Indoctrination’

Jiwan Soz – Istanbul

“religious teachings that come in line with Qur’an and Sunnah.”

More than a week ago,, the President of the Directorate Erbaş expressed his regret that the Turkish government of Religious Affairs in Turkey, Ali Erbaş announced the was not able to “introduce Islamic values for kids in the AKP-led government’s willingness to launch a first-of- previous years, saying that “we have been presenting its-kind religious TV channel which will be designated animated cartoons produced by foreign companies”, specially for kids with the target of teaching them while “It has been necessary to promote our national

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President of the Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) Ali Erbas (R) signed an agreement with the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation to establish the network.

(Twitter)

values to our children, and thus we must stop broadcasting these animated cartoons.”

Commenting on Erbaş’s statements, Turkish political researcher Islam Özkan explained that “the Directorate of Religious Affairs (DIB) is uncomfortable with the translation of foreign films and cartoons into Turkish and making them available for Turkish children. According to him, such cartoons are harmful and incompatible with Turkish traditions. He explains it with the following sentences: We will help mold our children’s character with programs that are factually correct and based on the Quran and Sunnah.” Özkan thinks that “the Erdogan administration has turned to policies of Islamization much more recently, and it is a matter of debate whether this is a real Islamization or an effort to cover up the recent economic crisis and foreign policy failures that the government has faced in the arena of politics. In line with these policies, Erdogan and the AKP assign more central positions to the Directorate and implement many of its projects through it.”

He added, “In my opinion, the AKP administration resorts to such policies to stay in power for a longer period of time. The government thinks that it can win the love of the people with such policies, but I think that such practices without seeking a realistic solution to the economic crisis will not work.”

“There is, of course, such a discussion in Turkey in general. I do not think that the issue is fundamentally wrong, DIB can open a TV channel for children too.

However, I find it objectionable that the Religious Affairs Directorate’s understanding and interpretation of religion completely reflects the official attitude of the state and its sectarian preference. I would not object to DIB establishing a children’s channel if it had a broader approach and did not reflect a certain sectarian understanding. Because we cannot know that movies and cartoons that been broadcast on other channels do not inject a certain ideology into children,” he stressed.

The Turkish President has been working for years on “Islamicization” of the educational system. His party even proposed a bill to separate boys and girls in one of Turkish universities. Opposition parties are also accusing him of fighting “secular education”, that’s why he is choosing universities’ presidents himself by issuing decrees, after he has abolished the process of electing university heads since the failed coup in mid-

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A researcher says that the DIB’s interpretation of religion completely reflects the official attitude of the state, adding he wouldn’t object to a children’s channel if it has a broader approach and doesn’t reflect a certain sectarian understanding.

July 2016.

Some Turkish opposition figures warned that launching a channel for kids can mobilize a new generation with the ideology of the ruling party which has Islamist roots, and that may make them attached to the past rather than the future or the present. They also fear that it might spread “hatred” and “incite violence”. In addition, Turkish critics fear the concepts of “Jihad” and “conquests” along with Turkish military expansion will be implanted in the little minds.

The Turkish President set as a priority his political strategy to promote the “Ottoman history” and enable new generations that praise “Ottoman conquests” and expansion outside their lands. The strategy also adopts radical views that renounce gender equality, personal freedoms, and whatever “secular heritage” left by Kamal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. It has also led Erdogan to repeatedly demand the change of primary school curricula.

The ruling party is particularly focused on educational institutions. An example of this is the full support it provides to “Imam Khatib” schools, which form the foundation of religious education in Turkey, and are considered a nourishing environment to spread religious thought among students and teachers all over the country.

Jiwan Soz is a researcher and journalist who focuses on Turkish affairs and minorities in the Middle East. He is also a member of Syndicat National des Journalistes (National Syndicate of Journalists [SNJ]).

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The Man Who Sold His Skin: A Movie About Syrian Refugees’ Suffering A Story of Civil War, Love and Contemporary Art World Salma Adham Imagine a Schengen visa engraved on your back so that you can travel freely as an artwork and not a human? If you are asked by a famous tattoo artist to sell your skin for him to draw on it and became his painting, what will your reaction be? Maybe you will be surprised by the idea, shocked, confused or seeing him insane? Right? But this is not what happened with Sam, the hero of the film, “The Man Who Sold His Skin”.

The movie introduces to us the present world in which wars and tragedies have become material for selling and watching and even the humans have become a commodity.

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” is a dramatic movie, written and directed by the Tunisian Kaouthar Ben Hania, and was nominated for the Oscar this year at its 93rd edition, in the Foreign Film category. It stars the SyrianCanadian actor Yahya Mahaini, the French actress Dia Elian, the Belgian actor Koen De Bouw and the famous Italian actress Monica Bellucci in her first participation in a film by

a female director from the Arab world. The soundtrack of the movie was composed by the outstanding Tunisian artist, Amine Bouhafa.

The movie has won many local and international awards, including awards at the Venice Film Festival and the Mediterranean Film Festival in Bastia, France.

STRANGE WARTIME CHOICES The story traces the journey of an immigrant from Syria who fled his country to Lebanon in fear and escapes from the devastating war and his intention to travel to Europe to reunite with his love. How, for that, he agrees to have a tattoo on his back by a famous artist, turning his body into a canvas for a painting is the core of the story. The film also carries a deeper story of how the protagonist discovers that in the midst of all this, that he has lost the freedom he had always been searching for.

Because love stories do not always end with that beautiful ending of being together and

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Tunisian director and screenwriter Kaouther Ben Henia and Syrian actor Yahya Mahayni pose in front of the poster of “The Man Who Sold His Skin” after its first screening in the capital Tunis, on March 30, 2021

because war can lead people to do things they do not have to do in normal times, the story of the man who sold his skin finds a resonance with viewers.

The film, as stated by the director in an interview, presents and addresses the issue of freedom of movement suffered by Syrian refugees and others who belong to the Third World and who are prevented from traveling, simply because they possess a passport of a particular country. The situation makes any person either agree to any work contract or have to accept any strange offer of its kind, even if he loses his dignity.

PARALLEL ROAD The story begins in 2011 in Syria during the civil war. The first scene comes as an introduction to the reason for all that will happen in the movie.

The director succeeds from the first scenes of the movie to explain the obstacles that will face the main protagonists. Sam Ali (Yahya

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“We are in a time of revolution and we want freedom”. This sentence triggers Sam’s arrest by the Syrian authorities. And from here the journey of struggles begins.

Mahayni) and Abeer (Dea Liane) who live in Raqqah in Syria present in their first scene the traditional love story of a girl from a bourgeois family who loves a man whom her family does not accept and is trying to get her married to someone who works at the Syrian embassy in Belgium.

They are shown travelling together in a train and Abeer says that she should not sit very close fearing that someone of her family would see them. Sam leaves her to sit in another seat parallel to her in the train which

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explains clearly that their road does not take the same direction. Sam asks Abeer to marry him in front of people on the train and says loudly “We are in a time of revolution and we want freedom”. This sentence triggers Sam’s arrest by the Syrian authorities.

And from here the journey of struggles begins.

MAGIC CARPET OF FREEDOM Things are not as they appear and everything happens for a reason, but the reason here is different. Becoming a canvas for painting is something that may be weird for anyone, but for Sam who lost his love and his country it is an opportunity and a path to find his freedom. But unfortunately, sometimes people while struggling for their freedom find out that they are losing their dignity.

Sometimes two contradictory worlds lead to the same result. “The Man Who Sold His

Skin” is not only about love and Syrian refugees’ sufferings, but also about the world of contemporary art which can be in one way or another a world where people lose their freedom too!

Sam escapes to Lebanon from the Syrian regime and while living there, he accompanies one of his colleagues to go to art galleries to get free food and drink. In one of these visits, he is hunted by Geoffrey Godefroy (Koen de Pau) and his blonde assistant Soraya (the famous Italian actress Monica Bellucci).

Godefroi (Koen De Bouw), who “turns worthless objects into works that cost millions of dollars just by signing them”, asks Sam to sell his back and travel to Europe.

Sam accepts so that he can see his love, but he discovers that he has become imprisoned

For Sam who lost his love and his country, becoming a canvas for painting is an opportunity to find his freedom. Unfortunately, while struggling for freedom he finds out that he is losing his dignity.

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Sam Ali as (Yahya Mahayni), who becomes a work of art, in front of a crowd in a scene from .the film

Sam Ali (Yahya Mahayni) back after being engraved with the ‘visa tattoo’ in a scene from “The Man Who Sold His Skin”.

Sam Ali (Yahya Mahayni) and Abeer (Dea Liane) sitting in a train in a scene from “The Man Who Sold His Skin”.

Abeer (Dea Liane) crying in a scene from “The Man Who Sold His Skin”.

in museums like any painting people can come and gawp at.

“We live in a very dark era where if you are Syrian, Afghan, Palestinian, and so on, you are persona non grata,” the character of the artist Godefroi says in an interview after the work’s unveiling, “I just made Sam a commodity, a canvas, so now he can travel around the world. Because in the times we’re living in, the circulation of commodities is much freer than the circulation of human beings.”

Refugees around the world are facing physical exploitation and racist practices that are inconsistent with human rights principles.

I think that a good movie is the one that summarizes its purpose in a sentence said by its heroes in a dialogue that is much related to the storyline of the movie.

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The man who sold his skin succeeds in mixing the two worlds of war and art by tackling important issues like the suffering of refugees and our insistence on not becoming a commodity.

“Art, as we know, is always exploring new unexplored territories,” Monica Bellucci as Soraya, the art dealer, tells a reporter asking about the sale of Sam’s skin.

Visually, the investment in the worlds of fine art and the spaces of museums and art galleries in the movie is great and the director of photography, Christopher Aoun, has succeeded in extracting images filling with beauty, which add a lot to the movie on the artistic and aesthetic level.

In the end, the director wants to confirm that despite war, terrorism, the greed of the world, exploitation and materialism, we should stick to our humanity.

The man who sold his skin succeeds in mixing the two worlds of war and art, which appear to most people as two extremes - the world of loss and pain and the world of beauty and colors - by tackling important issues like the suffering of refugees and our insistence on not becoming a commodity.

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Palestinian Films Dominate San Diego Arab Film Festival Event Sponsors Aim to Highlight Issues of the Arab World Mohammad Ali Salih – Washington Last weekend, at the American Museum of Photographic Arts (AMPA) in San Diego,

Southern California, the tenth annual Arab Film Festival began in the shadow of the recent clashes between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. Surprisingly and coincidentally,

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Palestinian films dominated the festival.

Films shown were from countries that included Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, UAE, Qatar Iraq, Sudan, France, the USA and the UK. For example, from Morocco, “The Unknown Saint” by Ala›a Eddine Aljem; from Lebanon, “The Broken Keys” by Jimmy Keyrouz; from France, the Algerian “Honey Cigar”, by Kamir Ainouz; and from Sudan, “You Will Die at Twenty”, by Amjad Abu Alala.

Films shown were from countries that included Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, UAE, Qatar Iraq, Sudan, France, the USA and the UK.

Other participant films included: Cherin Dabis› «Amreeka»; Elia Suleiman›s «Divine Intervention»; Michael Khleifi›s «Three Lost Jewels»; Annemarie Jacir›s «When I Saw You»; Hani Abou Assad›s «Paradise Now»; Tawfic Abdul Wael›s «Atash»; Maha Haj›s «Personal Affairs»; Suha Arraf›s «Villa Touma»; Sameh Zoabi›s «Man with a Cell Phone»; and Mai Masri›s «Children of Chatilla».

Palestinian Najwa Najjar participated with three films and easily dominated not only in quantity, but also in quality. All three films had won prizes in other international film festivals; She presented: «Between Heaven and Earth”; “Pomegranates and Myrrh»; and «Eyes of a Thief».

Palestinian director Najwa Najjar arrives at the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of El Gouna Film Festival, in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of el Gouna on October 23, 2020.

(Photo by Ammar Abd RABBO) (Getty)

Because of the Coronavirus, there were both online and in-person, viewing, and the AMPA required attendants to wear masks, and confined them to 50 percent of the theater’s capacity.

San Diego Arab Film Festival Poster. (Supplied)

They met, fell in love and married, when “Salma” moved from Nazareth to Ramallah, in the West Bank.

But after five years, problems started between the two of them, and when they couldn’t solve the problems, they agreed to go to court and file for a divorce. But because “Salma” was The festival was sponsored by Karama, from Israel, they had to cross the borders into which, in its website, describes itself as «an Israel. independent, non-partisan organization seeking to promote understanding of the issues Since entering Israel has been, throughout the facing the Arab and Islamic worlds, and of decades, a complicated job, it became more complicated for the two married Palestinians, the Palestinian issue in particular.» one a citizen, and the other a non-citizen, of Najjar›s “Between Heaven and Earth,» was Israel. presented as «a love story about divorce», because it was about «Tamer,” son of a famous More complications: “Tamer” was driving an revolutionary Palestinian who was killed by old Mercedes that was registered in Israel unthe Mossad in Beirut, and “Salma”, a Pales- der the name of a man who happened to be the father of “Salma”. tinian woman from Nazareth, inside Israel.

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But entering Israel was far easier than complying with the complicated system of the Israeli courts. Moving from one court to another – simply to authorize a divorce – illustrated the reality of the secular/religious state, a dilemma for the Israelis themselves, let alone for the Muslims and the Christians who lived among them.

Add to that Israel’s security system, and its fatal animosity towards the Palestinians, when they learned that the father of “Tamer” was a famous revolutionary Palestinian who was killed in Beirut – by no other than the Mossad.

Court after court insists on additional information which brought additional complications: the father of “Selma” was in Israel’s security list because he was, like the father of “Tamer”, an intellectual revolutionary Palestinian.

As the film nears its end, the absurdity of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians involved - a couple seeking divorce, two fathers, two mothers and two generations.

Najjar commented that the couple “rediscovered themselves. And discovered the country that they have been in many ways divorced from. Therefore, it›s a divorce on many levels. It is love under occupation. It is our lives

The festival was sponsored by Karama, «an independent, nonpartisan organization seeking to promote understanding of the issues facing the Arab and Islamic worlds, and of the Palestinian issue in particular.”

in many different ways.”

“The Hollywood Reporter” said the film was about “a handsome middle-class Palestinian couple’s need … just to obtain documents from an Israeli court.”

“The San Diego Union-Tribune” said that the film was shown against the “backdrop of another crisis: the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which recently re-erupted into an armed fight -- and, once again, brought Arab issues to the global stage.”

Larry Christian, president of Karama, said: “Our community, and our festivals, are affected by events in the Arab world, Events in Jerusalem, the attacks on worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, the attempt to expel Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah, and the attack on Gaza, have all energized and activated the community here.”

He added: “Part of our interest is in presenting films that are hard to come by, and which challenge the audiences.”

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Poster of Palestinian Film: “Between Heaven and Earth.” (Supplied)

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Expand Your Healthy Cooking Oil Choices

Peanut, Walnut, Sesame, and Other Oils Keep Meals Interesting

Heidi Godman

WHAT’S IN PLANT OILS?

By now you know that a healthy diet should focus mostly on plants -- vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. The same applies to cooking fats: stick to oils extracted from plants, such as olive or canola.

You don›t have to limit yourself to those two; there›s a whole garden of options that can add variety and flavor your meals.

Plant oils are made of fatty acids. A small portion is saturated fat -- the kind that can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol. The rest is a combination of polyunsaturated fats (famous for lowering LDL) and monounsaturated fats (such as oleic acid), which may have some ability to increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Both types of healthy unsaturated fat help fight inflammation.

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The ratio of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat varies among oils. For example, olive, avocado, and safflower oils are high in monounsaturated fats; corn and soybean oils are high in polyunsaturated fats.

Some oils -- such as soybean, canola, walnut, and flaxseed -- are rich in a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which may promote brain and heart health.

WHICH OIL IS HEALTHIEST?

Extra virgin olive oil.

(Getty)

The FDA allows oil makers to advertise the claim that daily consumption of oils containing 70% oleic acid, when substituted for oils high in saturated fat (like butter or coconut oil), may reduce the risk of heart disease. Similar health claims are allowed for soybean oil, because of its ALA content.

But you don›t need to consider a particular nutrient makeup when choosing a plant oil. «It›s not going to make a difference in terms of health, especially if you eat a healthy diet that includes nuts and fish; you›re already getting a mix of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats,» says Teresa Fung, adjunct professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of ­Public Health.

Keep in mind, though: Plant oils are healthy fats, but like all fats, they›re high in calories. One gram of fat has more than twice the number of calories as one gram of carbohydrates or protein. For each tablespoon of olive or canola oil you›re getting about 120 calories per tablespoon, so calories can add up quickly.

COOKING STABILITY One thing that differentiates various plant oils is their stability when used in cooking.

High heat causes molecules in oils to break apart, burn, become bitter, lose nutrients, and release smoke. Most oils have a «smoke point» between 400° and 500°.

«You won›t reach that point unless you are heating oil very high to deep-fry food. You lose the oil›s health benefit when the high temperature breaks down fatty acids. Also, deep-fried foods absorb oil and add more calories to your meal,» Fung says.

Sturdy oils good for sautéing, stir-frying, or roasting foods include avocado, canola, corn, grapeseed, regular or light olive oil (not virgin or extra-virgin), peanut, rice bran, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oils.

Oils that have a low smoke point can lose flavor and structure quickly at high heat, so they›re better for

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Keep in mind: Plant oils are healthy fats, but like all fats, they›re high in calories. One gram of fat has more than twice the number of calories as one gram of carbohydrates or protein. drizzling on food or using in a salad dressing. These include flaxseed oil, extra-virgin or virgin olive oil, certain nut oils (almond, hazelnut, macadamia, pistachio, or walnut), and sesame oil. «Sesame oil is fragile. When I grew up in Hong Kong and we›d make noodle soup, we›d add sesame oil on top just before we ate it -- not during cooking. That way the oil retained its flavor,» Fung says.

UNDERSTANDING OLIVE OILS Olive oil is high in antioxidants and monounsaturated fats. The oil comes in several grades. You can tell them apart only by their names.

Unrefined olive oils, extracted from the paste of pressed olives, are the most flavorful. The highest grade is called «extra-virgin olive oil» or EVOO. «Virgin» olive oil is a lower grade with some impurities.

Refined olive oils, treated with heat and chemicals to remove impurities, have less flavor than unrefined olive oil. They are called simply «olive oil» or «light olive oil» -- the latter named only for its light color.

Refined olive oils are sturdiest for cooking.

WHEN SHOULD YOU USE EACH ONE? The type of plant oil you use depends on the dish and your preference. Some cuisines rely on certain oil flavors. For example, use almond, peanut, or sesame oil in Asian food olive or sesame oil in Middle Eastern food olive oil in Mediterranean food.

If you want a neutral oil that won›t overpower food, use avocado, canola, grapeseed, safflower, or sunflower oil. For a stronger flavor, try flaxseed or nut oil. A good way to experiment: try various oils in a salad or on bread.

Harvard Health Letter

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Jehan Sadat: Former Egyptian First Lady Lauded Amid Prayers for Her Recovery Majalla Illustration by Ali Mandalawi “Get well soon, Mother of Champions” said a statement by Mohamed Anwer Essmat Sadat, the nephew of the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, announcing that the health of the former Egyptian first lady Jehan Sadat has deteriorated recently as she was admitted to hospital, and praying for her recovery.

The statement lauded the lady’s humanitarian, social and family achievements, citing her resolve and strength in supporting her late husband during his ascent to power until his assassination, and depicting her as an “astonishing example of a wife and a mother”.

Until recently, Jehan used to appear occasionally on Egyptian talk shows where she spoke about her own ideals, her husband’s legacy and the potential she sees in every young Egyptian girl and woman.

Jehan Safwat Raouf was born in Cairo, Egypt on August 29, 1933 to an upper-middle class family. Her father, was an Egyptian surgeon while her mother, Gladys Cotterill, was an English woman who worked as a music teacher. From a young age, Jehan was a unique individual who did not always follow paths that society and conventions expected of her.

At the young age of 15, Jehan started hearing of a local revolutionary called Anwar Sadat who participated in several movements resisting British occupation of Egypt. Anwar’s background was vastly different from that of Jehan’s. He originally hailed from the Egyptian governorate of Menoufiya. Jehan and Anwar eventually met after he served a

lengthy prison sentence due to his political activities, and they fell in love despite the 15-year age gap.

Jehan’s parents were not happy with the fact that she fell in love with a poor revolutionary who at the time was jobless, divorced and had children from his first marriage. In spite of her parents’ objections, love won and they were married in 1949.

Anwar joined the Free Officers Movement which toppled King Farouk in the Egyptian Revolution of July 1952. Gamal Abdel Nasser, the de facto leader of the group, eventually became the new president of Egypt while his close confidante Anwar became his vice president. Both men remained loyal friends and partners until Nasser’s sudden death in 1970, which meant that Anwar then become his successor and the third President of Egypt. Subsequently, Jehan would be the new First Lady of Egypt.

During Sadat’s first years as president, he was solely focused on retrieving the Sinai Peninsula, occupied by Israel during the 1967 war. From day one, Jehan was supportive of her husband’s ambitions and understood the importance of retrieving this lost land. Jehan stood by his side both during the October 6 War in 1973, and during his diplomatic efforts to establish peace with Israel in exchange for Sinai.

As a First Lady, Jehan never followed set paths expected of her and she wasn’t going to change that aspect of personality. She wanted to give women better opportunities.

Jehan played a key role in reforming Egypt’s civil rights laws during the late 1970s. She persuaded her husband to enact several laws, often called “Jehan’s Laws”, which granted women a variety of

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new rights, including those to alimony and custody of children in the event of divorce, in addition to a law which set aside 30 seats in parliament exclusively for female MPs. Despite the fact that she didn’t attend university during her youth, she decided in to pursue higher education in her early 40s in order to become a leading example for girls and women. She gained a BA in Arabic Literature at Cairo University in 1977, then a MA in Comparative Literature in 1980 On October 6, 1981, Anwar Sadat was shot dead, during an annual military parade commemorating the October 6 War, by a group of armed men affiliated with Islamists. Jehan, meanwhile, was sitting behind a bulletproof glass wall and was safe from the assassin’s’ shots. Vice president and eventual successor Hosni Mubarak, managed to escape the attack with minimal harm.

The date October 6, became a day of mixed feelings for Jehan - while she remembers it as one of Egyptian victory, it was also as a day of tragedy and grief when her husband lost his life to a group of terrorists.

After a year of isolation and grieving, Jehan pursued PhD in Comparative Literature at Cairo University. Later, she taught at several universities in the US including the University of South Carolina, Radford University and the University of Maryland. She wrote her own autobiography called “A Woman of Egypt”, published in 1987.

Her second memoir, “My Hope for Peace”, was released in March 2009. She received several national and international awards for public service and humanitarian efforts for women and children.