Middle East

Saad Hariri, Lebanon PM, back in power as U.S. and others rally against Hezbollah

World leaders rallied Friday behind Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, seeking to re-legitimize him on the international stage days after he rescinded what had been a shock resignation from office last month. The five permanent U.N. Security Council nations – Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. – voiced support for Mr. Hariri at a […]

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Middle East

Is Reform Judaism forgetting its Zionism?

Gil Troy The Union for Reform Judaism is holding its Biennial in Boston this week. I know nothing about their governance procedures, but hope they pass — by acclamation — a resolution supporting President Donald Trump’s move recognizing “Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.” The resolution should affirm: Such a resolution, even if accompanied by

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Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

Hardliners look to leverage Trump shift on Jerusalem to Iran’s advantage

The anger and frustration in the Arab world, sparked by Washington’s controversial policy shift on Jerusalem’s status as the capital of Israel, could be a boon for Iranian-backed efforts to undermine the Jewish state and foment international support for Palestine. Tehran along with Lebanese proxy Hezbollah and Hamas, the Palestinian terror group backed by Iran,

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Middle East, USA

Muslims pray outside White House to protest Trump Jerusalem move

Hundreds of Muslims attended Friday prayers in front of the White House to protest President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Responding to the call of American Muslim organizations, worshippers laid out their prayer mats at a park in front of the president’s residence. Wearing traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarves or

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Middle East, USA

Saudi Arabia Allows First Public Concert by a Woman

Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji made history by becoming the first female musician to perform a public concert in Saudi Arabia. Thousands of young women attended the sold-out event on Wednesday, stripping off their abayas—the floor-length robes women in Saudi Arabia are obligated to wear in public—shaking out their hair and dancing to covers of songs

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Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Middle East Faces ‘Day of Rage’ Reaction to Trump’s Jerusalem Move

Israeli police fired tear gas at Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem Friday as the “Day of Rage” called for by Palestinian factions got underway. Israeli police have called in extra security forces for Jerusalem following U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the U.S. plans to move its embassy there.

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Middle East

Saudi crown prince bought $450 mn Da Vinci: report

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the actual buyer of a painting by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci that sold for a record-breaking $450 million at auction last month, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The young and dynamic crown prince, known by his initials MBS, used an intermediary to buy the much-sought-after painting

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International, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Hundreds demonstrate in Israeli Arab town against Jerusalem recognition

By TOI staff Thousands of Israeli Arabs in the northern city of Umm al-Fahm protested on Friday against US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. At an event organized by the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee, protesters carried signs reading “Al-Quds is the capital of Palestine,” and “Down with Trump.”

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Middle East, USA

Somalia, Djibouti Say Trump’s Recognition of Jerusalem is ‘Dangerous’

Two East African countries say U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is “dangerous” and could spark an international crisis. “We are urging the U.S. government to seriously reconsider the risks that its decision could have on the future of the Middle East and the world in general,” said

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International, Middle East, USA