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Basketball Legend Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash
from Jared Kushner to Majalla: “If Palestinians Come to the Table, the U.S. Will Be Flexible”
by المجلة
in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Sunday. One rocket hit the embassy cafeteria while two others landed a short distance away, a source told AFP. At least three people were injured, security sources told Reuters. This would be the first time in years that staff have been hurt in such attacks. No group has claimed responsibility but the US has blamed Iran-backed military factions in Iraq in the past. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned the attack, stating that the continuation of such acts could «drag Iraq into becoming a battlefield». The US State Department said: «We call on the Government of Iraq to fulfil its obligations to protect our diplomatic facilities.» Recent attacks have targeted the embassy or Iraqi military bases where American troops are deployed. Iraq has been dragged into a rapid deterioration in relations between Iran and the US in recent months.
White House Objects to Bolton Book; Trump Impeachment Trial Starts New Phase The White House on Wednesday objected to the publication of a book written by President Donald Trump›s former national security adviser John Bolton that depicts Trump as playing a central role in a pressure campaign on Ukraine,
China Virus Deaths Rise to 170 as Hit to Global Economy Looms Hundreds of foreign evacuees from the Chinese city of Wuhan entered quarantine on Thursday as deaths from a fast-spreading virus rose to 170 and markets shuddered at the impact of an inevitable big hit to the world’s No. 2 economy. All eyes were on the World Health Organization (WHO), which has held off declaring the flu-like coronavirus a global emergency but was to reconsider that later in the day. Such a declaration would trigger tighter containment and information-sharing guidelines, but may disappoint Beijing, which had expressed confidence in defeating the “devil” virus. It could also potentially spook markets further. The day after a state economist forecast the crisis would lop a percentage point off China’s first quarter growth, global stocks tumbled, the yuan hit its lowest this year, oil prices slid again and safe haven assets like gold gained.
as the Senate impeachment trial entered a new phase. A letter from the White House National Security Council to Bolton›s attorney said the manuscript based on a preliminary review appeared to contain «significant amounts of classified information» and could not be published without the deletion of this material. Some of the material was considered top secret, according to the letter. Democrats view Bolton as a key figure who could help them solidify their case against the president, and reports about the book›s contents appear to boost their arguments in the trial. Democrats want to call Bolton, a foreign policy hawk in several Republican administrations, and a small number of other officials to testify but many Republican senators have so far resisted the idea of having any witnesses.
Basketball Legend Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash US basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas, California. Bryant, 41, and Gianna, 13, were travelling in a private helicopter when it came down and burst into flames. The LA county sheriff said there were no survivors. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, played for the LA Lakers throughout his career and is considered one of the greatest players in the game›s history. Tributes from celebrities and fellow sports stars have been pouring in, many expressing shock at his sudden death. Moments of silence have been observed at basketball games across the US.
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Trump’s Peace Plan Receives Conflicting Reactions From Both Sides
Washington Finally Reveals the Political Component of the Mideast Peace Plan
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a joint statement in the East Room of the White House on January ,28 2020 in Washington, DC. (Getty)
by Ali El Shamy
Last summer, Jared Kushner, one of President Trump’s Senior Advisors, went to Manama, Bahrain to present the economic component of the administration’s Middle East peace plan. While many Israeli businesspeople and entrepreneurs attended the workshop, there was a noticeable lack of participants from the Palestinian enterprises despite their invitation. This showed early on that the Trump administration was going to find difficulties in encouraging Palestinian leadership to accept the peace plan, and this has proven to be true as some reports indicate that Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has been refusing to accept a call from President Trump in the run-up to the revelation of the political component of the plan. Now that Trump and Netanyahu have announced details pertaining to the plan, Abbas was quick to reject the plan in its entirety stating that the “conspiracy deal won’t pass”. The “Deal of the Century” has been contentious from the very start, and the Trump Administration’s decision to move the US embassy from Israel to Jerusalem in 2017 has caused the PA to cut diplomatic ties with the US. Nevertheless, there has been much fanfare among Israeli political leaders, as both Prime Minister Netanyahu and his opponent Benny Gantz (who was also present at the White House during the event), praised the plan and saw it as a positive step towards peace and reconciliation.
THE TWO STATE SOLUTION IS STILL EXISTENT
During the past year, the secrecy of the political component of the plan paved the way towards many unfounded conspiracy theories which ended up being incorrect. One example was that the US had abandoned plans for a two-state solution in favor of a one-state solution in which the West Bank and Gaza are absorbed into Israel. Needless to say, the announcement made it clear that the Trump administration is still committed to a two-state solution with a Palestinian state based within the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. While fears of a one-state solution were lifted, many Palestinians still expressed dissatisfaction with the plan as they are still committed towards a two-state solution based on pre1967- war borders. Another point of contention is the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which many in the international community view as illegal, while the Trump administration thinks otherwise. The plan recognized Israeli sovereignty over these settlements but called for a four-year freeze on new settlement construction during which the Palestinians and Israel can sit together and further negotiate a future comprehensive peace plan. Furthermore, the plan gives Israel sovereignty over more land with the West
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Bank mostly from the strip of land that is situated west of the Jordan River. To compensate for this loss of land, the Palestinians will be given land in the Negev Desert which would be developed as a high-tech industrial area and a residential and agricultural area.
JERUSALEM: AN UNDIVIDED CAPITAL SPLIT ?BETWEEN TWO STATES
During the announcement, Trump seemed to make two contradictory statements that confused some spectators. At first, he emphasized that Jerusalem would become the undivided capital of Israel, while also stating that the Palestinian state’s capital would be in eastern Jerusalem. This seemingly contradictory plan for the Holy City is made clearer in the actual plan which states Israel would have Jerusalem as its capital. Since the border between the Palestinian state and Israel will be based on the security barrier that the latter built during the Second Intifada, meaning that the capital of the proposed Palestinian state would be made of the sections of East Jerusalem that fall outside the security wall. Palestinians living on either side of the security barrier in Jerusalem will have the option to become either Palestinian citizens or Israeli citizens. Such a proposal did not bode well with the Palestinian leadership, hours after Trump and Netanyahu announced the key components of the plan, Mahmoud Abbas declared live on television that “Jerusalem wasn’t for sale”. This did not come as a surprise to many observers since the controversy surrounding the status of Jerusalem was what triggered the Palestinian Authority’s cut from diplomatic ties with Washington as it has previously stated that it would only accept a peace plan that granted it East Jerusalem in its entirety as its capital. Also under the plan, Jordan would maintain its status quo authority of Al Aqsa Mosque and Temple Mount.
SECURITY, DEMILITIRIZATION AND REFUGEES
If the Palestinians accept the plan, then the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized and Hamas must be stripped from its power in the region. Furthermore, terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad must handover all their arms, and Palestine would need to stop financial compensation to such groups. Though Palestine would have its own security forces, Israel would be responsible for border and crossings security. Another issue that the plan addressed is the right of Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 War to return to former Palestinian lands. The plan rejected any prospects of Israel absorbing any Palestinian refugees but stated that they had the right to Palestinian citizenship or citizenship of the countries they reside in. The US would also give the refugees
12 31/01/20 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds a press conference on Trump›s peace plan in Ramallah, West Bank on January 2020 ,28. (Getty)
some sort of monetary compensation in the future.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR PALESTINE
Although most details regarding the economic component of the plan were revealed last summer, Trump’s announcement gave further insight into what’s in store for the Palestinians should they accept the plan. First of all, the US will negotiate a freetrade agreement with the State of Palestine and will encourage allies in Europe and the Middle East to do the same. Trump would further announce in the White House plans to provide Palestine with 50 billion dollars geared towards development aid. The plan also calls for the establishment of a free-trade zone between the Kingdom of Jordan and the proposed Palestinian state and goods from the free-trade zone will be exported via an airport in Jordan. Of course, this free-trade zone can only be established after the Kingdom of Jordan gives its greenlight. Crucially, the plan calls for the development of an industrial zone in the Negev Desert which aims to help the State of Palestine become a new center for the high tech industry in the region. The Palestinians will be provided with tax incentives and on the site training to help make their industry competitive. Furthermore, the plan aims for the establishment of similar facilities in the neighboring countries in the region which will further help the proposed Palestinian high-tech industry take flight and soar.
ISRAELI OFFICIALS PRAISE PLAN
As previously stated, both Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz have commended the plan and view it as a positive
November 2016 February 2017 May 2017 December 2017 May 2018 May 2019 Just-elected US President Donald Trump says he "would love to be the one who made peace with Israel and the Palestinians" Says a two-state solution is not the only option to end the con ict Warns both sides that making peace "will not be easy" Recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, e ectively ignoring Palestinian claims on the Holy City and breakingwith previous US policy US embassy is transferred from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the day is marked by deadly clashes in Gaza Strip Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, says US will pull back from long-standing mentions of two-state solution with the Palestinians Trump recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights March 2019
June 2019 January 28, 2020 Kushner launches economic part of US initiative, which calls for $50 billion in international investment in Palestinian territories, neighbouring Arab countries over 10 years Trump unveils his Mideast plan, proposes "two-state solution" with concessions to Israel including recognizing Jerusalem as "indivisible" capital. Plan rejected by Palestinians US no longer considers Israeli settlements in West Bank a violation of international law November 2019
step for both Israel and the Palestinians. Netanyahu was especially delighted over the fact that the plan recognized Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the West Bank, something that previous administrations have often drawn a red line over. He was also pleased that Jerusalem would remain as an undivided capital for Israel, while still retaining people of all faiths the right to access religious sites. He later appeared on Fox and Friends, where he repeated his approval of the plan but also warned the Palestinians against rejecting it stating that it
might be the most generous offer they will get. He emphasized that the plan requires both sides to make compromises and that Israel is willing to make these concessions.
A FINAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PALESTINIANS ?
During the announcement of the plan, President Trump warned the Palestinians against rejecting it as he believes that it might be a final opportunity for them to achieve two vital goals, peace with Israel and statehood. Nevertheless, the PA still rejected the plan since it did not accept the prospect of losing land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It is still unknown what course of action the PA plans to take, there are speculations that it will attempt to wait out till the next US presidential election in November, in hopes that Trump will be voted out and a new president would then renew efforts towards a different peace plan. However, this plan might prove to be fruitless since there is little reason to believe that Trump will not remain president in the next four years. As such, the Palestinians’ current hopes for statehood seem to be either the Trump peace plan or bust.
Proposed Palestinian state Palestinian major road Israeli access road Israeli enclave Bridge or tunnel Port access Qalqilya Tulkarm
Mediterranean Sea
Pre-1967 cease re line
Ramallah
Jerusalem Ashdod
Hebron Gaza City ISRAEL
Jenin
Nablus
WEST BANK
Jordan River
JORDAN
Bethlehem Jericho
Source: White House GRAPHIC NEWS BORDERS: U.S. to recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jordan Valley and vast majority of Israeli settlements on occupied West Bank KEY PROPOSALS Palestinian state to receive land, mostly desert, to compensate for loss of 30% of West Bank J ERUSALEM: Israel to be granted sovereignty over Jerusalem – long rejected by Palestinians – with potential Palestinian capital to east and north of city, outside Israeli security barrier R EFUGEES: “Right of return” rejected for Palestinians who lost homes to Israel in previous con icts Holy sites to be open to all worshippers, with status quo governing ashpoint sites preserved S ECURITY: Israel to “maintain overriding security responsibility” over “fully demilitarized” Palestinian state 12 miles 20km West BankGaza Tunnel Dead Sea Rafah GAZA EGYPT High-tech industrial area Residential and agricultural
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Jared Kushner to Majalla: “If Palestinians Come to the Table, the U.S. Will Be Flexible” The Senior White House Adviser Added that U.S. and Arab Interests in Ending the Israeli-Palestinian Stalemate are “Largely the Same”
by Mostafa El-Dessouki
Speaking in a private, on-the-record briefing Wednesday, Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to President Donald J. Trump, described aspects of the newly released White House peace plan as an “amazing step to break a logjam” in IsraeliPalestinian relations. “We unified Israel around a serious proposal,” Kushner said — referring to the fact that both Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his electoral rival, Benny Gantz, had endorsed the plan. The two leaders had come together, he said, “both in terms of agreeing to negotiate on the basis of a plan, and also on getting a map, which has never been put out in the history of
White House US Senior Advisor Jared Kushner attends the conference on Peace and Security in the Middle East in Warsaw, on February 2019 ,14. (Getty)
this conflict.”
But while “President Trump obviously has a lot of trust with the people of Israel and leadership of Israel,” Kushner added, that does not mean the United States will respond unfavorably to Palestinian political engagement. “If Palestinians would come to the table,” he said, “there are things the U.S. would be flexible on.”
Kushner noted that U.S. and Arab interests in ending the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate are “largely the same,” in that “this conflict has been used for radicalization. … This deal, or even just the offer of it, takes away those arguments from the jihadis, because now the Palestinian people have the opportunity to have a state,” including “a capital in east Jerusalem” and economic development opportunities. The advisor attached special significance to the plan’s call for international freedom of religious pilgrimage to all of Jerusalem’s holy places, notably the AlAqsa mosque.
Kushner distinguished the peace plan from the Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative in that the latter was “a major breakthrough but … not a detailed document. … Since then you’ve had people wordsmith -3-2page conceptual documents trying to get a breakthrough.” He said that the Trump plan, by contrast, is an -80page operational document.
In response to a followup question by Majalla concerning Palestinian “days of rage” protests following the release of the document, Kushner indicated that those demonstrations had been organized by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. The Palestinian people have been “lied to for a long time and promised false things,” he observed. But the longest-standing refugee problem in history has been diminished in the twenty-first century, Kushner said, as “now we have 70 million refugees throughout the world.” Of the Palestinian leadership, he said, “It will be very hard for them to play the victim card going forward and continue to raise money … when they have a real offer on the table.”
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So Much for Iranian Retribution Washington is Further Entrenching its Military Presence on Iran’s Doorstep as Momentum for a US Exit from Iraq Breaks
by Joseph Braude
As January draws to a close, the Iranian leadership has become increasingly preoccupied with internal power struggles and the stresses of coping with a tightening campaign of Western pressure. Iran’s effort to dislodge the U.S. from Iraq appears to have stalled and Washington, if anything, appears
US President Donald Trump speaks with Iraqi President Barham Salih during a bilateral meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 2020 ,22. (Getty)
to be further entrenching its military presence on Iran’s doorstep. ZARIF UNDER PRESSURE AT HOME AND ABROAD On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif seemed to reject bilateral talks with the United States, declaring that Iran would only accept renewing negotiations within the multilateral 1+5 framework of the 2015 nuclear agreement signatories. On January 26, Zarif tweeted that President Trump “is still dreaming about a bilateral meeting—to satisfy HIS lust for a ‘Trump deal,’” and labeled Trump’s approach “wishful thinking.” Tehran’s chief diplomat also demanded that Trump “compensat[e] Iran for damages.” If this caustic approach was meant to assuage hardline sentiment in the streets, it did not have the desired effect. Indeed, the next day hundreds of Iranians protested in front of Tehran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs over remarks he made about the possibility of talks with the United States in an interview last week with Der Spiegel. There, Zarif had said he would “never rule out the possibility” of negotiating with the United States and added that “for us, it doesn’t matter who is sitting in the White House. What matters is how they behave. The Trump administration can correct its past, lift the sanctions and come back to the negotiating table... We have a lot of patience.” The demonstrators, apparently organized by Iranian hardliners, labeled Zarif an “opportunist” and demanded his resignation. One cleric who spoke at the rally called Zarif›s remarks «humiliating» and declared they «undermined Iran›s power.” Several protesters also expressed dismay that President Trump’s dismissal of Zarif’s demands — expressed in both English and Farsi — added to Iran’s humiliation. IRAN FAILS TO DISLODGE U.S. MIDDLE EASTERN DEPLOYMENTS After an initial period of confusion following the killing of Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani and a non-binding vote by the Iraqi parliament calling for the end of the U.S. troop presence, it appears that momentum for an American exit has broken. Last week, President Trump and Iraqi President Barham Salih met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to a White House statement, «The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing the United States-Iraq economic and security partnership, including the fight against ISIS.” And indeed, according to Israeli reporting, the U.S. is building at least three “semipermanent” new bases very close to the Iranian border in northern Iraq. It was perhaps, then, in frustration that Tehran instructed its proxies in Iraq to stage another attack on America’s embassy in Baghdad. This incursion was considerably weaker than the attempted breach of the embassy’s perimeter by Kata’ib Hizballah militiamen on December 31, however. Five rockets were fired by proIranian militias at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, wounding three people. The incident came amid anti-government protests primarily centered on popular dissatisfaction with government corruption and a lack of economic opportunity. As if to underscore the limits of Iran’s reach, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi swiftly condemned the attack in a statement re-affirming Iraq›s commitment to “protecting all diplomatic missions.” After an initial period of confusion following the killing of Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani and a non-binding vote by the Iraqi parliament calling for the end of the U.S. troop presence, it appears that momentum for an American exit has broken.
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It’s time for the UK and EU to Discover what Brexit Really Means
by Yasmine El-Geressi
Brexit day is finally here. At 23:00 GMT on Friday 31 January the UK, including Northern Ireland, will legally end their 40-year marriage with the EU nearly 4 years after the referendum. Britain’s departure from the EU will transform its relationship with the continent, shift the country’s position in the world and usher in a new era in international relations. But the question of what shape Brexit will
actually take is far from settled.
WHAT CHANGES ON FEBRUARY
Nothing. At least initially. Although everyday life will remain the same and the UK will remain in the single market and the customs union until the end of the year as part of transition arrangements, the withdrawal agreement will be a legally binding international treaty.
During this period all parts of the UK will continue to follow EU rules and contribute to the EU budget but will be ejected from the EU’s political institutions while the long-term relationship, including a trade deal can be negotiated. This standstill period will last until the end of 2020 and the prime minister has promised not to extend it. The trading relationship between the EU an UK, and between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK will remain unchanged during the transition period.
British and EU citizens will continue to benefit from free movement during the twilight period. After this period, Britons living in the 27 EU member states will have their residency rights safeguarded, subject to completing whatever administrative procedures are imposed by the national government. But the divorce deal does not grant British expats full freedom of movement rights within the union. It guarantees rights for UK citizens in the EU27 country where they reside. But the European Parliament has urged that UK citizens living in the EU should be granted free movement rights after the transition period has ended.
For the 3 million EU citizens resident in the UK, they have until June 2021 to register for Britain’s settled status scheme, which allows them to stay in the UK with existing rights after Brexit, The scheme is open to people who have been living in the country for at least five years. Those who have not been there long enough can apply for pre-settled status, which grants the right to live and work in Britain for up to five years.
Travel arrangements and holidays between January 31 and December 31, 2020 will be unaffected. British citizens will not need a visa to travel to EU countries, but the European Commission has said
that from 2021, travelers will need to apply for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) visa waiver. Similar to an American ESTA, this is expected to cost around £6 and will be valid for several years.
NEGOTIATING A POST-BREXIT TRADE DEAL
The Brexit Department will be abolished and a new Taskforce Europe Team within No10 will lead the UK›s trade talks - headed by the PM›s chief Europe adviser David Frost. The highly complex and potentially extensive set of negotiations on the UK’s post Brexit relationship with the EU will start on 3 March, the Guardian reported this week. While business has been clamouring for the government to reveal its Brexit vision beyond the joint aspiration of a tariff-free, quota-free deal, little is known about Boris Johnson’s specific goals. The starting point of these negotiations will be something called the political declaration, which sets out broad principles – “establishes the parameters of an ambitions, broad, deep and flexible partnership across trade and economic cooperation with a comprehensive and balanced Free Trade Agreement at its core” – but lacks details on how these goals will be achieved.
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just to get to this point and this next phase could be even tougher. The Brexit deal allows the possibility of an extension to this period until the end of 2022, but Johnson has ruled out any form of extension to the transition period, and he eliminated that possibility from the Brexit legislation that just became law. If no trade deal has been agreed and ratified by the end of the year, then the UK faces the prospect of tariffs on exports to the EU.
The EU wants to guarantee a “level playing field” with the UK in any free-trade agreement, basically to prevent the UK from so drastically changing their economic regulations (such as giving huge tax breaks or subsidies to companies) or environmental or labour standards that it could undercut the EU. The EU sees state aid as the most sensitive parts of the “level playing field” of common rules and standards that it says Britain must adhere to if it wants any trade deal – and it plans to impose requirements that go far beyond those demanded of other trading partners in this area.
Some have argued the EU is guilty of the accusation often levelled at the UK: trying to cherry pick bits of the UK-EU trading relationship, without accepting the consequences of Brexit. The EU, however, says that it has made the UK an exceptionally generous offer. The EU does not have a zero-tariff, zero-quota, traditional free-trade agreement with any country in the world, so wants equivalent assurances in return.
Northern Ireland remains the single most contentious part of the Brexit trade deal because of the checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea. After Brexit, Northern Ireland will be outside the EU while the Republic of Ireland will remain inside. The UK and EU agreed this should not lead to new checks or controls on goods crossing the border between the two parts of Ireland. To achieve this, Northern Ireland will continue to follow EU rules on agricultural and manufactured goods, while the rest of the UK will not. This will mean some new checks and processes for goods moving between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK. The UK and EU now have to negotiate the nature and extent of those checks. During the election campaign, the prime minister insisted that for goods moving from NI to GB, there would be «»no forms, no checks, no barriers of any kind». But the EU has said there will have to be new checks, particularly on food products. Northern Ireland businesses have urged the
22 31/01/20 Hungary›s Prime minister Viktor Orban, Cyprus› President Nicos Anastasiades, Britain›s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Germany›s Chancellor Angela Merkel speak during an European Union Summit at European Union Headquarters in Brussels on October ,17 2019. (Getty)
government to set up the working group urgently so that the detail of the checks can be determined quickly.
If no trade deal is reached by the end of the transition period, this will affect Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK differently. England, Scotland and Wales would face tariffs and other trade barriers with the UK while Northern Ireland will not. This is because the withdrawal deal guarantees frictionless trade with the Republic of Ireland.
It›s not just a trade deal that needs to be sorted out. The UK must agree how it is going to cooperate with the EU on security and law enforcement. The UK is set to leave the European Arrest Warrant scheme and will have to agree a replacement. It must also agree deals in a number of other areas where co-operation is needed.
