Middle East & North Africa

JERUSALEM, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israeli parliamentary committee barred on Wednesday an Arab lawmaker from running in the upcoming national elections.

After a tensed discussion, the parliament's Central Elections Committee decided to disqualify Heba Yazbak, a lawmaker with Balad, a national Palestinian party that calls for full rights for Israel's Arab citizens.

Right-wing lawmakers accused Yazbak during the discussion of expressing support to "terrorists" and attacks against Israeli soldiers.

DAMASCUS, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN special envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen arrived in Damascus on Tuesday to meet with Syrian officials.

The pro-government al-Watan newspaper said the special envoy will discuss with the Syrian officials the meeting of the constitutional committee that has been formed to amend the Syrian constitution.

The newspaper said Pedersen will hear the stance of the Syrian government regarding the upcoming meeting of the constitutional committee.

29 Jan 2020; MEMO: As part of a package of goodwill postures, Israeli occupation authorities cement to entry the besieged Gaza Strip without UN observation, Arab48 reported yesterday.

Reporting the Israeli general radio, Arab48 said Gaza traders would buy and sell cement freely without restrictions.

29 Jan 2019; MEMO: Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been in touch with Greece in an effort to cooperate against Turkey in the Mediterranean, Turkey’s Yenisafak newspaper has reported.

The two Arab states, which have had a history of animosity with Ankara over the past decade as a result of their support of opposing sides in numerous Middle East conflicts including in Syria, Egypt and Libya, have met with Greek Cyprus Foreign Minister, Nikos Christodoulides, and other officials in Athens.

AMMAN, Jan 29 (NNN-XINHUA) – Dozens of Jordanians held a sit-in near the U.S. embassy in Amman, on Tuesday night (last night), in protest against U.S. President, Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.

Chanting slogans against the United States, the protesters said, the deal is doomed to fail, as it fails to ensure the Palestinians’ legitimate rights.

“We are here to express our rejection to Trump’s deal … It opens the door for Israel to annex more Palestinian territories,” Salem Hasan, one of the protesters, said

ISTANBUL, Jan 29 (NNN-ANADOLU) – The Turkish Foreign Ministry, said that, the peace plan announced by U.S. President, Donald Trump, to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine, is “stillborn.”

“This plan is an annexation plan, aiming to destroy the two-state solution and seize Palestinian territories,” the ministry said, in a statement.

“Palestinian people and the land of Palestine cannot be bought off,” it added.

JERUSALEM, Jan 29 (NNN-MA’AN) – Criminal indictment, charging Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu with corruption, was filed in the Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday, the Attorney-General’s office said.

The office of Attorney-General Avihai Mandelblit, said that, the indictment charges Netanyahu with three separate cases of corruption. The charges include bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said “a thousand no’s” to the Mideast peace plan announced Tuesday by President Donald Trump, which strongly favors Israel.

The Palestinians remain committed to ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a state with its capital in east Jerusalem, Abbas said at a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the Western-backed Palestinian Authority is headquartered.

“After the nonsense that we heard today we say a thousand no’s to the Deal of The Century,” he said.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday withdrew his bid for parliamentary immunity from prosecution on corruption charges, making a criminal trial against him a near certainty.

Israel’s longest-serving prime minister said in a statement that an immunity debate in parliament would have been a “circus” and he did not want to take part in this “dirty game”.

Netanyahu, who denies all wrongdoing, said: “I informed the Knesset speaker that I am withdrawing my immunity request.”

28 Jan 2020; MEMO: Palestinian Authority (PA), PLO and Fatah President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday refused to answer a call from US President Donald Trump, Anadolu reported yesterday.

Senior aide of Abbas, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Anadolu that Trump had attempted to speak with Abbas on the phone several times over the past few days, but the Palestinian president refused to take his calls. Abbas’ aide did not give more details.