Israel has targetted a number of sites in Gaza in response to Palestinian militants firing rockets into the south of the country.

The Israeli Defence Force Saturday said that three Hamas targets -- including a rocket manufacturing site, underground infrastructure, and a military post -- had been struck.

"Hamas will bear the consequences for all terror emanating from Gaza," the IDF said in a tweet.

Sirens had sounded earlier in the southern port city of Ashkelon and the area surrounding the Gaza Strip.

"Two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory," a statement from the army said on Friday.

The rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defence System.

Israeli emergency medical services said a few people were treated for going into shock.

The latest fire from the&nbsp;Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave came over a month after one rocket was fired from the coastal strip into Israel.

Hamas, considered a terrorist group by Israel, seized control of Gaza from the rival Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007 in a near civil war. Since then Hamas has fought three devastating wars with Israel in the coastal territory where about two million Palestinians live.

Israel has since maintained a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip to prevent Hamas from arming.

(with inputs from AFP)

Israel has targetted a number of sites in Gaza in response to Palestinian militants firing rockets into the south of the country. The Israeli Defence Force Saturday said that three Hamas targets -- including a rocket manufacturing site, underground infrastructure, and a military post -- had been struck.

Israel has targetted a number of sites in Gaza in response to Palestinian militants firing rockets into the south of the country. The Israeli Defence Force Saturday said that three Hamas targets -- including a rocket manufacturing site, underground infrastructure, and a military post -- had been struck. "Hamas will bear the consequences for all terror emanating from Gaza," the IDF said in a tweet. Sirens had sounded earlier in the southern port city of Ashkelon and the area surrounding the Gaza Strip. "Two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory," a statement from the army said on Friday. The rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defence System. Israeli emergency medical services said a few people were treated for going into shock. The latest fire from the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave came over a month after one rocket was fired from the coastal strip into Israel. Hamas, considered a terrorist group by Israel, seized control of Gaza from the rival Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007 in a near civil war. Since then Hamas has fought three devastating wars with Israel in the coastal territory where about two million Palestinians live. Israel has since maintained a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip to prevent Hamas from arming. (with inputs from AFP)

Israel targets Hamas sites after Gaza militants fire rockets

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said that Ankara wants to establish better ties with Israel, but slammed the Jewish state's policy on Palestine, calling it "unacceptable".

Speaking with reporters, Erdogan also said that Turkey is engaging with Israel at intelligence level, but said Israel's Palestine approach is a "red line" for Ankara.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/morocco-israel-to-seal-normalization-with-first-direct-flight-351572/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Regarding this matter, our talks with Israel at intelligence level have not been halted. It continues," Erdogan was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. &nbsp;

"And there is also Israel's Palestine policy which is our red line."

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-imposes-another-lockdown-after-detecting-new-covid-19-strain-352107">Israel imposes another lockdown after detecting new COVID-19 strain</a>

He also said Turkey is facing some trouble with Israel at the top level, and if that would not have been the case their bilateral ties could have been "very different".&nbsp;

Both countries share strong commercial ties, but their relations took a hit in recent years and in 2018 both nations expelled each other's envoys.&nbsp;

Ankara has also been critical of Israel's occupation in the West Bank and the manner in which the Jewish state treats the Palestinians.&nbsp;

Erdogan also said that it is "impossible" for Turkey to accept Israel's policy on Palestine, and said Israel's "merciless" acts and stance on Palestine is unacceptable.&nbsp;

"It is impossible for us to accept Israel's Palestine policies. It is impossible for us to accept Israel's stance against our Palestinian brothers. Their merciless acts there and their stance on Palestinian territory are unacceptable," said the Turkish president.&nbsp;

Israel has this year established ties with four Muslim nations and said on Wednesday that it is working to add another Muslim state in the list.

Previously, Ankara has criticised US-brokered peace deal of Israel with UAE, Morocco, Sudan and Bahrain this year. 
&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said that Ankara wants to establish better ties with Israel, but slammed the Jewish state's policy on Palestine, calling it "unacceptable".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said that Ankara wants to establish better ties with Israel, but slammed the Jewish state's policy on Palestine, calling it "unacceptable". Speaking with reporters, Erdogan also said that Turkey is engaging with Israel at intelligence level, but said Israel's Palestine approach is a "red line" for Ankara. Watch | "Regarding this matter, our talks with Israel at intelligence level have not been halted. It continues," Erdogan was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. "And there is also Israel's Palestine policy which is our red line." Also read | Israel imposes another lockdown after detecting new COVID-19 strain He also said Turkey is facing some trouble with Israel at the top level, and if that would not have been the case their bilateral ties could have been "very different". Both countries share strong commercial ties, but their relations took a hit in recent years and in 2018 both nations expelled each other's envoys. Ankara has also been critical of Israel's occupation in the West Bank and the manner in which the Jewish state treats the Palestinians. Erdogan also said that it is "impossible" for Turkey to accept Israel's policy on Palestine, and said Israel's "merciless" acts and stance on Palestine is unacceptable. "It is impossible for us to accept Israel's Palestine policies. It is impossible for us to accept Israel's stance against our Palestinian brothers. Their merciless acts there and their stance on Palestinian territory are unacceptable," said the Turkish president. Israel has this year established ties with four Muslim nations and said on Wednesday that it is working to add another Muslim state in the list. Previously, Ankara has criticised US-brokered peace deal of Israel with UAE, Morocco, Sudan and Bahrain this year.

Turkey wants to establish better ties with Israel, but Palestine policy is 'unacceptable': Erdogan

In the past few years, Israel has acknowledged carrying out dozens of airstrikes in Syria, most of them aimed at suspected Iranian weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah.

Israeli jets fly over Beirut, explosions reported in Syria

Under Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has normalised ties with 4 Arab nations. But, despite the achievement - Netanyahu will have to fight another election to retain his chair. WION's Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you more about Israel's fourth election in two years.

Gravitas: A defector will challenge Netanyahu's throne in 2021

Netanyahu and his former election rival, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, established a unity government in May in the wake of three inconclusive elections held since April 2019.

Israel to hold snap election in March, fourth in two years

JERUSALEM — For three elections in a row, Israel’s conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has managed to stave off challenges from the center-left.

Now, as Israel moves to an unprecedented fourth early election in two years, the center-left has imploded and Netanyahu faces a challenge from his own former allies on the right.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-receives-covid-19-vaccine-jab-351132/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

The election, set for March 23 after a fragile, fractious unity coalition disintegrated on Tuesday, is shaping up as a battle of conservatives versus conservatives, an intramural contest for the leadership of the roughly half of Israeli voters who consider themselves right-of-center.

“It will be a right-wing government,” said Gadi Wolfsfeld, a veteran analyst of Israeli elections. “The question is who will lead it, and how right-wing will it be?”

Leading the charge against Netanyahu, the longtime premier and leader of the conservative Likud party, are two former protégés-turned-rivals: Naftali Bennett, a former education and defense minister who leads the religious-right Yamina party, and Gideon Saar, a popular former education and interior minister.

Bennett, 48, sitting in the opposition, elevated his stature and his standing in the polls this year by assailing Netanyahu’s handling of the coronavirus. He toured the country’s hospitals, courted business owners suffering repeated lockdowns and published a book-length list of recommendations on contact tracing, testing and more, a number of which the government adopted.

But it was the defection this month of Saar, 54, from Likud to form a breakaway right-wing party called “New Hope” that catapulted him into contention overnight. His move has invigorated critics of the prime minister, known to Israelis as Bibi, raising hopes that this election could be the one that sends Netanyahu, 71, into retirement.

“For the first time, the fight is on the right side of the map,” said Karine Nahon, a political scientist at the Interdisciplinary Center-Herzliya. “Usually it fell in behind Bibi without any questions. Now, two parties are actually challenging the hegemony of the Likud.”

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, will scarcely be at a disadvantage heading into the March contest: He is already trumpeting Israel’s speedy start to vaccinations and its historic normalization deals with four Arab states. And he is a master of controlling the news cycle, among the many benefits of incumbency.

Still, the pandemic has thrown 1 million Israelis out of work, business leaders warn that tens of thousands of companies could be wiped out, and yet another lockdown is looming to remind voters of the government’s inability to curb the virus.

But Netanyahu’s biggest liability could emerge in February, when testimony is to begin in his trial on felony corruption charges, including bribery and breach of trust. A key reason that Israel is being subjected to yet another election, analysts say, is Netanyahu’s burning desire to bolster his support in Parliament for a possible move to mitigate his legal exposure, defer prosecution or even have the case tossed altogether.

Indeed, while Israel’s rat-a-tat elections may look from the outside like a symptom of systemic instability, up close, even Netanyahu’s supporters view the recurring campaigns as evidence of his ability to bend the system to his purposes.

To be sure, few are celebrating the prospect of yet another election campaign, a limited caretaker government in the interim and Election Day itself, which entails the closing of many businesses at a time when the pandemic has already devastated the economy.

“A fourth election will not be at our expense,” Roi Cohen, leader of Lahav, a small-business group, said on a radio program Wednesday. “Go find another pocket!”

A cartoon in the newspaper Yediot Ahronot captured the sense of dread with a family cowering in their living room between a scary-looking COVID-19 cell barging in through one window and a menacing ballot box crashing in from another.

What paved the way for the fourth election — and made Bennett and Saar see this as the moment to try to end Netanyahu’s career — was the breathtaking collapse of the center-left’s anti-Netanyahu movement led by Benny Gantz, the former army chief who fought Netanyahu to a draw in three straight ballots beginning in April 2019.

After galvanizing anti-Netanyahu voters behind his Blue and White party, Gantz broke his most fundamental campaign promise — that he would not join a government led by a prime minister under indictment — and entered a Netanyahu-led coalition. In exchange, he was promised an alternating prime ministership — Netanyahu would go first, and Gantz would get a turn next fall — a check that scarcely anyone in Israel thought Gantz would be able to cash.

But if Gantz’s bright political future is now a memory, anti-Netanyahu fervor has only grown, with weekly protests drawing thousands of participants and not just in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, but at bus stops and highway overpasses in far-flung places long seen as Netanyahu territory.

“There’s a real restlessness on the part of a significant portion of Likud voters,” said Dahlia Scheindlin, a pollster and strategist. “Before, there was nowhere to go for the runoff of people getting sick of Netanyahu. Now, they really have interesting options.”

Saar, who was a top vote-getter in Likud primaries in 2008 and 2012 and mounted a failed primary challenge against Netanyahu a year ago, said in announcing his new party that his old one had devolved into a “cult of personality” and had become a “tool for the personal interests” of the prime minister, “including matters relating to his criminal trial.”

Sima Kadmon, a columnist for Yediot, said that many Likud voters have grown weary of Netanyahu and perceive his actions — including pushing for changes to the Israeli legal system — as motivated above all “by his desperate need to evade his trial.”

“These traditional Likud followers see the populism and dishonesty that govern Netanyahu’s actions,” Kadmon said. “They are looking for a more civilized government, both in style and in essence. Bennett and Saar provide this alternative.”

Challenges from Bennett and Saar would presumably also deprive Netanyahu of a go-to campaign tactic: portraying his opponents as terrorist-coddling leftists.

But Saar also brings skills that could be decisive in the crucial postelection negotiations over forming a governing coalition. A longtime Likud whip, Saar was said to have orchestrated a slick parliamentary maneuver on Monday night, in which Likud and Blue and White defectors emerged from hiding — some of them in their cars — at the last minute to vote down a measure buying time for Netanyahu and Gantz to work out a deal to avert, or at least delay, elections.

Anshel Pfeffer, a columnist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, suggested Saar was deft enough even to bring a left-wing party like Meretz into a coalition with him. “He has to do one thing, get Bibi out,” Pfeffer said. “If he gets Bibi out, everything’s possible.”

Then again, no one is known to have gotten rich betting against Netanyahu. Tal Shalev, a political writer for Walla News, said she had little difficulty imagining Bennett or Saar ending up as a minister in still another Netanyahu-led government.

“If Gantz broke the promise,” she said, “why shouldn’t they?” 
&nbsp;

JERUSALEM — For three elections in a row, Israel’s conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has managed to stave off challenges from the center-left. Now, as Israel moves to an unprecedented fourth early election in two years, the center-left has imploded and Netanyahu faces a challenge from his own former allies on the right.

JERUSALEM — For three elections in a row, Israel’s conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has managed to stave off challenges from the center-left. Now, as Israel moves to an unprecedented fourth early election in two years, the center-left has imploded and Netanyahu faces a challenge from his own former allies on the right. Watch | The election, set for March 23 after a fragile, fractious unity coalition disintegrated on Tuesday, is shaping up as a battle of conservatives versus conservatives, an intramural contest for the leadership of the roughly half of Israeli voters who consider themselves right-of-center. “It will be a right-wing government,” said Gadi Wolfsfeld, a veteran analyst of Israeli elections. “The question is who will lead it, and how right-wing will it be?” Leading the charge against Netanyahu, the longtime premier and leader of the conservative Likud party, are two former protégés-turned-rivals: Naftali Bennett, a former education and defense minister who leads the religious-right Yamina party, and Gideon Saar, a popular former education and interior minister. Bennett, 48, sitting in the opposition, elevated his stature and his standing in the polls this year by assailing Netanyahu’s handling of the coronavirus. He toured the country’s hospitals, courted business owners suffering repeated lockdowns and published a book-length list of recommendations on contact tracing, testing and more, a number of which the government adopted. But it was the defection this month of Saar, 54, from Likud to form a breakaway right-wing party called “New Hope” that catapulted him into contention overnight. His move has invigorated critics of the prime minister, known to Israelis as Bibi, raising hopes that this election could be the one that sends Netanyahu, 71, into retirement. “For the first time, the fight is on the right side of the map,” said Karine Nahon, a political scientist at the Interdisciplinary Center-Herzliya. “Usually it fell in behind Bibi without any questions. Now, two parties are actually challenging the hegemony of the Likud.” Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, will scarcely be at a disadvantage heading into the March contest: He is already trumpeting Israel’s speedy start to vaccinations and its historic normalization deals with four Arab states. And he is a master of controlling the news cycle, among the many benefits of incumbency. Still, the pandemic has thrown 1 million Israelis out of work, business leaders warn that tens of thousands of companies could be wiped out, and yet another lockdown is looming to remind voters of the government’s inability to curb the virus. But Netanyahu’s biggest liability could emerge in February, when testimony is to begin in his trial on felony corruption charges, including bribery and breach of trust. A key reason that Israel is being subjected to yet another election, analysts say, is Netanyahu’s burning desire to bolster his support in Parliament for a possible move to mitigate his legal exposure, defer prosecution or even have the case tossed altogether. Indeed, while Israel’s rat-a-tat elections may look from the outside like a symptom of systemic instability, up close, even Netanyahu’s supporters view the recurring campaigns as evidence of his ability to bend the system to his purposes. To be sure, few are celebrating the prospect of yet another election campaign, a limited caretaker government in the interim and Election Day itself, which entails the closing of many businesses at a time when the pandemic has already devastated the economy. “A fourth election will not be at our expense,” Roi Cohen, leader of Lahav, a small-business group, said on a radio program Wednesday. “Go find another pocket!” A cartoon in the newspaper Yediot Ahronot captured the sense of dread with a family cowering in their living room between a scary-looking COVID-19 cell barging in through one window and a menacing ballot box crashing in from another. What paved the way for the fourth election — and made Bennett and Saar see this as the moment to try to end Netanyahu’s career — was the breathtaking collapse of the center-left’s anti-Netanyahu movement led by Benny Gantz, the former army chief who fought Netanyahu to a draw in three straight ballots beginning in April 2019. After galvanizing anti-Netanyahu voters behind his Blue and White party, Gantz broke his most fundamental campaign promise — that he would not join a government led by a prime minister under indictment — and entered a Netanyahu-led coalition. In exchange, he was promised an alternating prime ministership — Netanyahu would go first, and Gantz would get a turn next fall — a check that scarcely anyone in Israel thought Gantz would be able to cash. But if Gantz’s bright political future is now a memory, anti-Netanyahu fervor has only grown, with weekly protests drawing thousands of participants and not just in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, but at bus stops and highway overpasses in far-flung places long seen as Netanyahu territory. “There’s a real restlessness on the part of a significant portion of Likud voters,” said Dahlia Scheindlin, a pollster and strategist. “Before, there was nowhere to go for the runoff of people getting sick of Netanyahu. Now, they really have interesting options.” Saar, who was a top vote-getter in Likud primaries in 2008 and 2012 and mounted a failed primary challenge against Netanyahu a year ago, said in announcing his new party that his old one had devolved into a “cult of personality” and had become a “tool for the personal interests” of the prime minister, “including matters relating to his criminal trial.” Sima Kadmon, a columnist for Yediot, said that many Likud voters have grown weary of Netanyahu and perceive his actions — including pushing for changes to the Israeli legal system — as motivated above all “by his desperate need to evade his trial.” “These traditional Likud followers see the populism and dishonesty that govern Netanyahu’s actions,” Kadmon said. “They are looking for a more civilized government, both in style and in essence. Bennett and Saar provide this alternative.” Challenges from Bennett and Saar would presumably also deprive Netanyahu of a go-to campaign tactic: portraying his opponents as terrorist-coddling leftists. But Saar also brings skills that could be decisive in the crucial postelection negotiations over forming a governing coalition. A longtime Likud whip, Saar was said to have orchestrated a slick parliamentary maneuver on Monday night, in which Likud and Blue and White defectors emerged from hiding — some of them in their cars — at the last minute to vote down a measure buying time for Netanyahu and Gantz to work out a deal to avert, or at least delay, elections. Anshel Pfeffer, a columnist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, suggested Saar was deft enough even to bring a left-wing party like Meretz into a coalition with him. “He has to do one thing, get Bibi out,” Pfeffer said. “If he gets Bibi out, everything’s possible.” Then again, no one is known to have gotten rich betting against Netanyahu. Tal Shalev, a political writer for Walla News, said she had little difficulty imagining Bennett or Saar ending up as a minister in still another Netanyahu-led government. “If Gantz broke the promise,” she said, “why shouldn’t they?”

Israeli election, take four: conservatives vs. conservatives

Israel is slated to hold a snap election in March after its parliament Tuesday failed to meet a deadline to pass a budget.

This has triggered a ballot presenting unprecedented challenges for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has been facing public anger over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and while he is engaged in a corruption trial, the first against an Israeli prime minister.

This would be Israel's fourth parliamentary election in two years.

The longest-serving leader will also have to contend with a new rival from the right, Gideon Saar, a defector from Netanyahu's Likud party. An opinion poll on Israel's Kan public TV on Tuesday showed Saar drawing even with the prime minister.

Netanyahu, who has denied any criminal wrongdoing, and the current defence minister, centrist politician Benny Gantz, established a unity government in May after three inconclusive elections held since April 2019.

But they have been locked in a dispute over passage of a national budget, key to implementing a deal in which Gantz was to have taken over from Netanyahu in November 2021. A new election means that "rotation" will never happen.

Netanyahu will remain prime minister until a new government is formed after the March election. Now 71, he first served in the post from 1996 to 1999 and has held the office since 2009.

In his TV address, however, Netanyahu said he had arranged for millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine to be delivered to Israel. He also hailed US-brokered diplomatic deals with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

(with inputs)

Israel is slated to hold a snap election in March after its parliament Tuesday failed to meet a deadline to pass a budget. This has triggered a ballot presenting unprecedented challenges for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel is slated to hold a snap election in March after its parliament Tuesday failed to meet a deadline to pass a budget. This has triggered a ballot presenting unprecedented challenges for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has been facing public anger over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and while he is engaged in a corruption trial, the first against an Israeli prime minister. This would be Israel's fourth parliamentary election in two years. The longest-serving leader will also have to contend with a new rival from the right, Gideon Saar, a defector from Netanyahu's Likud party. An opinion poll on Israel's Kan public TV on Tuesday showed Saar drawing even with the prime minister. Netanyahu, who has denied any criminal wrongdoing, and the current defence minister, centrist politician Benny Gantz, established a unity government in May after three inconclusive elections held since April 2019. But they have been locked in a dispute over passage of a national budget, key to implementing a deal in which Gantz was to have taken over from Netanyahu in November 2021. A new election means that "rotation" will never happen. Netanyahu will remain prime minister until a new government is formed after the March election. Now 71, he first served in the post from 1996 to 1999 and has held the office since 2009. In his TV address, however, Netanyahu said he had arranged for millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine to be delivered to Israel. He also hailed US-brokered diplomatic deals with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. (with inputs)

Israel to hold snap election, with Netanyahu facing unprecedented challenges

The flight from Tel Aviv to Rabat is seen as highly symbolic after Morocco announced on December 10 a "resumption of relations" with Israel.

Jared Kushner to lead first direct flight from Israel to Morocco

WION Dispatch: First flight from Tel Aviv to Moroccan capital Rabat, passengers include Jared Kushner

Morocco, Israel to seal normalization with first direct flight

WASHINGTON — For Sudan, agreeing to normalize relations with Israel was the price of removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

A similar diplomatic deal with Israel sealed Morocco’s demand for the United States to recognize its sovereignty over the Western Sahara region.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-trumps-parting-gifts-to-israel-349171/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

United Arab Emirates officials who wanted to buy stealthy F-35 fighter jets from the United States first had to sign on to the Abraham Accords, the product of President Donald Trump’s campaign to foster stability between Israel and estranged or even hostile Muslim states.

In each case, the incentives that the Trump administration dangled in exchange for the détente could fall through — either rejected by Congress or reversed by the administration of President-elect Joe Biden.

That puts at risk not only the series of regional agreements for rapprochement but also exacerbates a worldview that the United States cannot be depended upon to hold up its end of diplomatic deals.

The Abraham Accords, Trump’s signature foreign policy achievement, have either newly brokered or restarted economic and political ties for Israel with Bahrain, the UAE, Sudan and Morocco. Officials familiar with the administration’s efforts said Oman and Tunisia might be the next states to join, and the warming could be expanded to nations in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa even after Trump leaves office in January.

Formally easing tensions between Israel and its regional neighbors is a success, to be sure, that past Republican and Democratic presidents alike have long sought to foment.

“All diplomacy is transactional, but these transactions are mixing things that ought not to have been mixed,” said Robert Malley, president and chief executive of the International Crisis Group, who is close to Antony Blinken, Biden’s pick for secretary of state.

Malley predicted that the incoming Biden administration would try to walk back or dilute parts of the normalization deals that defy international norms, as in the case of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara, or otherwise challenge long-standing U.S. policy, like the F-35 sales to the UAE.

Congress has also shown alarm at the deal-making.

The Senate last week narrowly accepted the UAE’s purchase of the stealth jets, drones and other precision weapons, signaling concern over expanded arms deals to the Persian Gulf. That could be reversed if Democrats take control of the chamber after runoff elections in Georgia next month; regardless, the move will be reviewed by the Biden administration to ensure that the $23 billion sale to the UAE does not dull Israel’s military edge in the region.

A day after the Senate vote, the Republican chair of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, said it was “shocking and disappointing” that the Trump administration had decided to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara and predicted that it would be reversed. The United Nations, the European Union and the African Union all view the Western Sahara as disputed territory.

“I am saddened that the rights of the Western Saharan people have been traded away,” Inhofe said in a statement. “The president has been poorly advised by his team; he could have made this deal without trading the rights of a voiceless people.”

Saad Eddine el-Othmani, Morocco’s prime minister, said Tuesday that his government “didn’t want it to be an exchange.”

“We don’t bargain with the Sahara,” Othmani said in an interview with Al-Jazeera. “But the victory in this battle required the concomitance.”

Nowhere has the diplomatic deal proven more delicate than for Sudan.

A seemingly unrelated issue — immunity in U.S. courts from terrorism lawsuits — was indirectly tied to a condition of Sudan reluctantly signing on to the peace accords with Israel in October.

The State Department had already decided to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in exchange for the country compensating victims of the 1998 bombings against U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. As part of those negotiations, Sudan’s transitional government had demanded the dismissal of all other terrorism lawsuits that it faced from attacks carried out in the 27 years it was on the list.

The State Department agreed and countered last summer with a condition of its own: that Sudan begin to thaw a half-century of hostilities with Israel.

Only Congress, however, can grant Sudan the legal peace it seeks. Over the past several months, lawmakers have been deadlocked over doing so, given that it would deny families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks their day in court.

“We have always wanted all terrorists to be held accountable for their acts on 9/11,” Kristen Breitweiser, a lawyer whose husband was killed in the attacks on New York, said in a statement issued last week during furious negotiating in Congress.

Sudan insists it is not liable for the 9/11 attacks, given that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden left his sanctuary in the country five years before they were carried out. But the congressional compromise that was hammered out, according to officials and others close to the negotiations, allows the 9/11 lawsuits to continue, potentially making Sudan liable for billions of dollars in victims’ compensation.

Representatives for the Sudanese Embassy in Washington declined to comment but have previously said the country might exit the peace accords with Israel if it is not given immunity from the terrorism lawsuits. As the Trump administration tries to keep the deal from falling apart, an official confirmed a Bloomberg report that the United States had offered Sudan a $1 billion loan to help clear its arrears and obtain as much as $1.5 billion in annual development assistance. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is expected to visit Sudan, Israel and the UAE in a high-level delegation to the region next month.

Bahrain appears to be a lone exception among the countries that were offered incentives as part of normalization agreements with Israel, although this week the State Department designated the Iranian-linked Saraya al-Mukhtar as a terrorist group, in part for its goal to overthrow the tiny Sunni monarchy.

That has also fueled concern among current and former government officials and conflict analysts that the United States will designate Houthi rebels in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization, in part to convince Saudi Arabia to sign on to the accords with Israel.

Officials close to the decision said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was inclined to issue the designation to cut off Iran’s support of the Houthis, who have seized control of most of Yemen, ousted its government and attacked neighboring Saudi Arabia in their five-year border war. It could also prohibit the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen’s major ports — most of which are controlled by the Houthis — and, in turn, exacerbate a famine in one of the world’s poorest countries.

It is doubtful, however, that the terrorism designation alone would persuade Saudi Arabia — the most powerful monarchy in the Middle East — to normalize relations with Israel. That thaw could take years, if it happens at all, and by then might be driven more by a rising number of young adults in the kingdom who are more concerned with jobs and economic stability at home than a generations-old conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Nikki Haley, who was Trump’s first ambassador to the United Nations, said a secretive trip that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel made to Saudi Arabia last month to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was a bold signal of the détente.

“These Arab countries want to be friends with Israel,” Haley told the Israeli-based DiploTech Global Summit on Wednesday.

Even if they disapprove of Trump’s transactional diplomacy, Biden and Blinken will also be wary of appearing to back away from Israel, which is the strongest U.S. ally in the Middle East and holds considerable political sway over U.S. evangelical and Jewish voters.

“I think President-elect Biden will try to continue with the momentum because it’s beneficial for the U.S., it’s beneficial for the allies of the U.S., and I think that will be the right thing to do,” said Danny Danon, who retired this year as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.

WASHINGTON — For Sudan, agreeing to normalize relations with Israel was the price of removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. A similar diplomatic deal with Israel sealed Morocco’s demand for the United States to recognize its sovereignty over the Western Sahara region.

WASHINGTON — For Sudan, agreeing to normalize relations with Israel was the price of removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. A similar diplomatic deal with Israel sealed Morocco’s demand for the United States to recognize its sovereignty over the Western Sahara region. Watch | United Arab Emirates officials who wanted to buy stealthy F-35 fighter jets from the United States first had to sign on to the Abraham Accords, the product of President Donald Trump’s campaign to foster stability between Israel and estranged or even hostile Muslim states. In each case, the incentives that the Trump administration dangled in exchange for the détente could fall through — either rejected by Congress or reversed by the administration of President-elect Joe Biden. That puts at risk not only the series of regional agreements for rapprochement but also exacerbates a worldview that the United States cannot be depended upon to hold up its end of diplomatic deals. The Abraham Accords, Trump’s signature foreign policy achievement, have either newly brokered or restarted economic and political ties for Israel with Bahrain, the UAE, Sudan and Morocco. Officials familiar with the administration’s efforts said Oman and Tunisia might be the next states to join, and the warming could be expanded to nations in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa even after Trump leaves office in January. Formally easing tensions between Israel and its regional neighbors is a success, to be sure, that past Republican and Democratic presidents alike have long sought to foment. “All diplomacy is transactional, but these transactions are mixing things that ought not to have been mixed,” said Robert Malley, president and chief executive of the International Crisis Group, who is close to Antony Blinken, Biden’s pick for secretary of state. Malley predicted that the incoming Biden administration would try to walk back or dilute parts of the normalization deals that defy international norms, as in the case of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara, or otherwise challenge long-standing U.S. policy, like the F-35 sales to the UAE. Congress has also shown alarm at the deal-making. The Senate last week narrowly accepted the UAE’s purchase of the stealth jets, drones and other precision weapons, signaling concern over expanded arms deals to the Persian Gulf. That could be reversed if Democrats take control of the chamber after runoff elections in Georgia next month; regardless, the move will be reviewed by the Biden administration to ensure that the $23 billion sale to the UAE does not dull Israel’s military edge in the region. A day after the Senate vote, the Republican chair of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, said it was “shocking and disappointing” that the Trump administration had decided to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara and predicted that it would be reversed. The United Nations, the European Union and the African Union all view the Western Sahara as disputed territory. “I am saddened that the rights of the Western Saharan people have been traded away,” Inhofe said in a statement. “The president has been poorly advised by his team; he could have made this deal without trading the rights of a voiceless people.” Saad Eddine el-Othmani, Morocco’s prime minister, said Tuesday that his government “didn’t want it to be an exchange.” “We don’t bargain with the Sahara,” Othmani said in an interview with Al-Jazeera. “But the victory in this battle required the concomitance.” Nowhere has the diplomatic deal proven more delicate than for Sudan. A seemingly unrelated issue — immunity in U.S. courts from terrorism lawsuits — was indirectly tied to a condition of Sudan reluctantly signing on to the peace accords with Israel in October. The State Department had already decided to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in exchange for the country compensating victims of the 1998 bombings against U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. As part of those negotiations, Sudan’s transitional government had demanded the dismissal of all other terrorism lawsuits that it faced from attacks carried out in the 27 years it was on the list. The State Department agreed and countered last summer with a condition of its own: that Sudan begin to thaw a half-century of hostilities with Israel. Only Congress, however, can grant Sudan the legal peace it seeks. Over the past several months, lawmakers have been deadlocked over doing so, given that it would deny families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks their day in court. “We have always wanted all terrorists to be held accountable for their acts on 9/11,” Kristen Breitweiser, a lawyer whose husband was killed in the attacks on New York, said in a statement issued last week during furious negotiating in Congress. Sudan insists it is not liable for the 9/11 attacks, given that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden left his sanctuary in the country five years before they were carried out. But the congressional compromise that was hammered out, according to officials and others close to the negotiations, allows the 9/11 lawsuits to continue, potentially making Sudan liable for billions of dollars in victims’ compensation. Representatives for the Sudanese Embassy in Washington declined to comment but have previously said the country might exit the peace accords with Israel if it is not given immunity from the terrorism lawsuits. As the Trump administration tries to keep the deal from falling apart, an official confirmed a Bloomberg report that the United States had offered Sudan a $1 billion loan to help clear its arrears and obtain as much as $1.5 billion in annual development assistance. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is expected to visit Sudan, Israel and the UAE in a high-level delegation to the region next month. Bahrain appears to be a lone exception among the countries that were offered incentives as part of normalization agreements with Israel, although this week the State Department designated the Iranian-linked Saraya al-Mukhtar as a terrorist group, in part for its goal to overthrow the tiny Sunni monarchy. That has also fueled concern among current and former government officials and conflict analysts that the United States will designate Houthi rebels in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization, in part to convince Saudi Arabia to sign on to the accords with Israel. Officials close to the decision said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was inclined to issue the designation to cut off Iran’s support of the Houthis, who have seized control of most of Yemen, ousted its government and attacked neighboring Saudi Arabia in their five-year border war. It could also prohibit the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen’s major ports — most of which are controlled by the Houthis — and, in turn, exacerbate a famine in one of the world’s poorest countries. It is doubtful, however, that the terrorism designation alone would persuade Saudi Arabia — the most powerful monarchy in the Middle East — to normalize relations with Israel. That thaw could take years, if it happens at all, and by then might be driven more by a rising number of young adults in the kingdom who are more concerned with jobs and economic stability at home than a generations-old conflict between Israel and Palestine. Nikki Haley, who was Trump’s first ambassador to the United Nations, said a secretive trip that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel made to Saudi Arabia last month to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was a bold signal of the détente. “These Arab countries want to be friends with Israel,” Haley told the Israeli-based DiploTech Global Summit on Wednesday. Even if they disapprove of Trump’s transactional diplomacy, Biden and Blinken will also be wary of appearing to back away from Israel, which is the strongest U.S. ally in the Middle East and holds considerable political sway over U.S. evangelical and Jewish voters. “I think President-elect Biden will try to continue with the momentum because it’s beneficial for the U.S., it’s beneficial for the allies of the U.S., and I think that will be the right thing to do,” said Danny Danon, who retired this year as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump incentives for signing peace accords with Israel could be at risk

Facebook has taken down content that spread lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as the government seeks to drum up support for the programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday. 
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday became the first person to be vaccinated in Israel. Opinion polls show some two-thirds of the public want to follow suit. 
 
The Justice Ministry said that, at its request, Facebook took down four groups at the weekend that had disseminated texts, photographs and videos with "deliberately mendacious content designed to mislead about coronavirus vaccines". 
 
Such "fake news" included arguments that vaccines would be used to plant government tracking chips in recipients` bodies, to poison them and thus cull the population or to subject them to medical experimentation, the ministry said in a statement. 
 
A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed that four Hebrew-language groups had been taken down as part of the company`s policy against "spreading misinformation regarding the vaccines". 
 
Israeli officials say the country has enough vaccines on order by year`s end to protect the most vulnerable 20% of the population and then lift some coronavirus curbs, but worry that turnout might be dampened if people get false information about the innoculations. 
 
Israel began administering vaccines to medical staff on Sunday. At Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, dozens of doctors and nurses danced as they prepared to receive their injections. 
 
Next in line are elderly Israelis or those in high-risk groups. The wider adult population is slated to get shots in early 2021. 
 
With a population of 9 million, Israel has logged 373,368 coronavirus cases and 3,074 deaths. It has imposed two national lockdowns and is mulling new curbs on high-contagion areas.

Facebook has taken down content that spread lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as the government seeks to drum up support for the programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday.

Facebook has taken down content that spread lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as the government seeks to drum up support for the programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday became the first person to be vaccinated in Israel. Opinion polls show some two-thirds of the public want to follow suit. The Justice Ministry said that, at its request, Facebook took down four groups at the weekend that had disseminated texts, photographs and videos with "deliberately mendacious content designed to mislead about coronavirus vaccines". Such "fake news" included arguments that vaccines would be used to plant government tracking chips in recipients` bodies, to poison them and thus cull the population or to subject them to medical experimentation, the ministry said in a statement. A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed that four Hebrew-language groups had been taken down as part of the company`s policy against "spreading misinformation regarding the vaccines". Israeli officials say the country has enough vaccines on order by year`s end to protect the most vulnerable 20% of the population and then lift some coronavirus curbs, but worry that turnout might be dampened if people get false information about the innoculations. Israel began administering vaccines to medical staff on Sunday. At Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, dozens of doctors and nurses danced as they prepared to receive their injections. Next in line are elderly Israelis or those in high-risk groups. The wider adult population is slated to get shots in early 2021. With a population of 9 million, Israel has logged 373,368 coronavirus cases and 3,074 deaths. It has imposed two national lockdowns and is mulling new curbs on high-contagion areas.

Facebook removes anti-vaccine 'fake news' in Israel: Government

Morocco has become the 4th Arab country to normalise ties with Israel in the last 5 months. The deal comes after U.S. recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the Saharan region. WION's Palki Sharma discusses these developments with Moroccan Ambassador to India Mohamed Maliki.

Gravitas: Moroccan Ambassador to India speaks to WION

Morocco becomes 6th Arab country to normalise ties with Israel | Mohamed Maliki exclusively on WION

2020 has been a year of diplomatic victories for Israel. It has forged ties with 4 Arab powers. Now, Bhutan has established ties with Israel. How can India leverage these partnerships? WION's Palki brings you a conversation with Israel's Ambassador to India Ron Malka.

Gravitas: The West Asia Shift: An India-UAE-Israel trilateral pact soon?

Israel established relations on Saturday with Bhutan, a majority-Buddhist nation neighbouring India, as it looks to continue to expand its diplomatic links internationally.

Israel says it has established diplomatic ties with Bhutan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will self-isolate on Monday after having come into contact with a coronavirus patient, his office said calling it a precautionary step.

Netanyahu tested negative for the virus on Sunday and on Monday, but he will still "enter isolation until Friday following contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient", the statement said.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-to-start-mass-vaccination-against-coronavirus-this-month-348783">Israel to start mass vaccination against coronavirus this month</a>

Several Israeli media outlets have reported that Netanyahu met last week with a member of his right-wing Likud party, Michael Kleiner, who has subsequently tested positive for the virus.&nbsp;

The statement from the prime minister's office did not provide details regarding Netanyahu's potential exposure.&nbsp;

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-gets-first-delivery-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-348538">&nbsp;Israel gets first delivery of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine</a>

Netanyahu was at Israel's Ben Gurion airport last week to welcome a first shipment of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine.

He declared that the end of the pandemic was "in sight" and offered to take the first jab in a mass vaccination campaign due to start later this month.&nbsp;

Israel, a country of nine million people, has registered more than 358,000 coronavirus cases, including 3003 deaths.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will self-isolate on Monday after having come into contact with a coronavirus patient, his office said calling it a precautionary step.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will self-isolate on Monday after having come into contact with a coronavirus patient, his office said calling it a precautionary step. Netanyahu tested negative for the virus on Sunday and on Monday, but he will still "enter isolation until Friday following contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient", the statement said. Also read| Israel to start mass vaccination against coronavirus this month Several Israeli media outlets have reported that Netanyahu met last week with a member of his right-wing Likud party, Michael Kleiner, who has subsequently tested positive for the virus. The statement from the prime minister's office did not provide details regarding Netanyahu's potential exposure. Also read| Israel gets first delivery of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine Netanyahu was at Israel's Ben Gurion airport last week to welcome a first shipment of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. He declared that the end of the pandemic was "in sight" and offered to take the first jab in a mass vaccination campaign due to start later this month. Israel, a country of nine million people, has registered more than 358,000 coronavirus cases, including 3003 deaths.

Israel's Netanyahu to enter precautionary virus quarantine

A Jerusalem bakery-cafe is witnessing a surge in customers. But what are they lining up for? An “Abu Dhabi” doughnut.

Infusing flavours of dates, the doughnut was inspired by Israel’s newly cemented relationship with the United Arab Emirates.

Called “sufganiyot” in Hebrew, doughnuts are extremely popular in Israel during the ongoing holiday season of Hanukkah. During this time, Jews consume a lot of deep-fried delicacies.

At Cafe Kadosh, pastry chefs Itzik and Keren Kadosh came up with the doughnut that is now becoming famous around the world.

<img alt="covid" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b3804295-a83d-4da1-92f1-efdfed566dd1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_171.jpg" />

The “Abu Dhabi” doughnut is filled with cream derived from dates shipped by the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates.

The doughnut is topped with a nougat crown and an edible gold leaf. The cost of the doughnut is $6.76 (22 shekels). A regular doughnut costs $5.50 (18 shekels).

Pastry chef Itzik Kadosh told Reuters on Sunday that the new doughnut was a way “to appreciate the peace process” which is taking place between Israel and the UAE.

Roughly three months ago, Israel and the UAE signed a peace deal brokered by the US in a bid to normalise ties between both the countries. The deal was inspired by common concerns about Iran, a regional powerhouse.

<img alt="hh" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cc5e7fbf-11e2-4d78-b178-7db4b3e55a62" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_118.jpg" />

A customer told Reuters that they were elated to find an odd sweet taste in ingredients part of a “special delivery” from the Gulf.

Tali Pinto, a customer from Tel Aviv, said there was something particularly sweet in tasting a doughnut with ingredients on "special delivery" from the Gulf.

"We are very happy to have these good relationships slowly happening with different countries, and also with Abu Dhabi," Tali Pinto told Reuters.

Pinto was referring to the breakthroughs Israel has had with Muslim nations like Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

Would you go for an Abu Dhabi flavoured doughnut? It sure sounds delicious.

(Images by Reuters)

A Jerusalem bakery-cafe is witnessing a surge in customers. But what are they lining up for? An “Abu Dhabi” doughnut. Infusing flavours of dates, the doughnut was inspired by Israel’s newly cemented relationship with the United Arab Emirates.

A Jerusalem bakery-cafe is witnessing a surge in customers. But what are they lining up for? An “Abu Dhabi” doughnut. Infusing flavours of dates, the doughnut was inspired by Israel’s newly cemented relationship with the United Arab Emirates. Called “sufganiyot” in Hebrew, doughnuts are extremely popular in Israel during the ongoing holiday season of Hanukkah. During this time, Jews consume a lot of deep-fried delicacies. At Cafe Kadosh, pastry chefs Itzik and Keren Kadosh came up with the doughnut that is now becoming famous around the world. The “Abu Dhabi” doughnut is filled with cream derived from dates shipped by the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates. The doughnut is topped with a nougat crown and an edible gold leaf. The cost of the doughnut is $6.76 (22 shekels). A regular doughnut costs $5.50 (18 shekels). Pastry chef Itzik Kadosh told Reuters on Sunday that the new doughnut was a way “to appreciate the peace process” which is taking place between Israel and the UAE. Roughly three months ago, Israel and the UAE signed a peace deal brokered by the US in a bid to normalise ties between both the countries. The deal was inspired by common concerns about Iran, a regional powerhouse. A customer told Reuters that they were elated to find an odd sweet taste in ingredients part of a “special delivery” from the Gulf. Tali Pinto, a customer from Tel Aviv, said there was something particularly sweet in tasting a doughnut with ingredients on "special delivery" from the Gulf. "We are very happy to have these good relationships slowly happening with different countries, and also with Abu Dhabi," Tali Pinto told Reuters. Pinto was referring to the breakthroughs Israel has had with Muslim nations like Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. Would you go for an Abu Dhabi flavoured doughnut? It sure sounds delicious. (Images by Reuters)

People in Israel are lining up to taste Abu Dhabi... in a doughnut!

Donald Trump has some parting gifts for Israel. With around a month left for his departure, the outgoing US President has announced that Israel and Morocco will normalise ties. What does this deal mean for West Asia?

Gravitas: Trump's parting gifts to Israel

Behind the announcement Thursday that Israel and Morocco will establish their first formal diplomatic ties, there lies almost six decades of close, secret cooperation on intelligence and military matters between two nations that officially did not acknowledge each other.

Watch |&nbsp;

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Israel has helped Morocco obtain weapons and intelligence-gathering gear and learn how to use them, and helped it assassinate an opposition leader. Morocco has helped Israel take in Moroccan Jews, mount an operation against Osama bin Laden — and even spy on other Arab countries.

The collaboration — uncovered in an array of interviews conducted and documents unearthed over many years — reflects a longstanding Israeli policy of building covert ties to Arab regimes where common interests — and enemies — could be found. In particular, Israel pursued a so-called periphery strategy, reaching out to more distant states that were far removed from the Israeli-Arab territorial dispute or that had hostile relations with Israel’s own enemies.

The Moroccan-Israeli relationship stemmed in part from the large number of Jews in Morocco before the birth of Israel in 1948, many of whom would migrate there, making up one of the largest parts of Israel’s population. Some 1 million Israelis are from Morocco or descended from those who were, ensuring a deep, abiding interest in that country more than 2,000 miles away.

When Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, it banned Jewish emigration. Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, smuggled out many Jews, but the operation was exposed in 1961, when a Mossad ship carrying such migrants sank, killing most of those aboard.

The next month, a new Moroccan king, Hassan II, took power, and Israel made a highly successful effort to cultivate him. Israeli agents met with the Moroccan opposition leader, Mehdi Ben Barka, who asked for help overthrowing the king; instead, the Israelis told Hassan of the plot.

The king permitted mass emigration of Jews and allowed Mossad to establish a station in Morocco. Israel provided weapons and trained Moroccans in using them; it supplied surveillance technology and helped organize the Moroccan intelligence service; and the two shared information gathered by their spies — the start of decades of such cooperation.

A crucial moment came in 1965, when Arab leaders and military commanders met in Casablanca, and Morocco allowed Mossad to bug their meeting rooms and private suites. The eavesdropping gave Israel unprecedented insight into Arab thinking, capabilities and plans, which turned out to be vital to Mossad and the Israel Defense Forces in preparing for the 1967 war.

“These recordings, which were truly an extraordinary intelligence achievement, established our feeling, of the top IDF, that we will win the war against Egypt,” Gen. Shlomo Gazit, who later become the chief of military intelligence, said in a 2016 interview.

Shortly after that intelligence coup, at the request of Moroccan intelligence, Mossad located Ben Barka, the opposition leader, and helped lure him to Paris. There, Moroccans and allied Frenchmen abducted him. He was tortured to death, and Mossad agents disposed of the body, which was never found.

A decade later, Hassan and his government became the back channel between Israel and Egypt, and Morocco became the site of secret meetings between their officials, ahead of the 1978 Camp David accords and normalization of relations between the former enemies. Israel later helped persuade the United States to provide military assistance to Morocco.

In 1995, Moroccan intelligence joined in an ultimately unsuccessful Mossad plan to recruit Osama bin Laden’s secretary, to find and kill the leader of al-Qaida, according to a former Mossad official who was a partner in that planning, and who asked not to be named when discussing intelligence operations.

For years, Hassan II’s successor, King Muhammad VI, has sought Israel’s help in winning American acquiescence to Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara, which finally came to fruition in Thursday’s announcement. Since 2006, Serge Bardugo, a leader of the small Jewish community remaining in Morocco, has been the king’s ambassador in that effort, meeting with Israeli officials and American Jewish leaders.

Occasionally these meetings were attended by Yassin Mansuri, a longtime friend of the king’s who heads Morocco’s external intelligence agency. Mansuri, in turn, met directly with his Israeli counterpart, Yossi Cohen, the chief of Mossad, conducting some of the negotiations that led to the agreement to normalize relations.

Behind the announcement Thursday that Israel and Morocco will establish their first formal diplomatic ties, there lies almost six decades of close, secret cooperation on intelligence and military matters between two nations that officially did not acknowledge each other.

Behind the announcement Thursday that Israel and Morocco will establish their first formal diplomatic ties, there lies almost six decades of close, secret cooperation on intelligence and military matters between two nations that officially did not acknowledge each other. Watch | Israel has helped Morocco obtain weapons and intelligence-gathering gear and learn how to use them, and helped it assassinate an opposition leader. Morocco has helped Israel take in Moroccan Jews, mount an operation against Osama bin Laden — and even spy on other Arab countries. The collaboration — uncovered in an array of interviews conducted and documents unearthed over many years — reflects a longstanding Israeli policy of building covert ties to Arab regimes where common interests — and enemies — could be found. In particular, Israel pursued a so-called periphery strategy, reaching out to more distant states that were far removed from the Israeli-Arab territorial dispute or that had hostile relations with Israel’s own enemies. The Moroccan-Israeli relationship stemmed in part from the large number of Jews in Morocco before the birth of Israel in 1948, many of whom would migrate there, making up one of the largest parts of Israel’s population. Some 1 million Israelis are from Morocco or descended from those who were, ensuring a deep, abiding interest in that country more than 2,000 miles away. When Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, it banned Jewish emigration. Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, smuggled out many Jews, but the operation was exposed in 1961, when a Mossad ship carrying such migrants sank, killing most of those aboard. The next month, a new Moroccan king, Hassan II, took power, and Israel made a highly successful effort to cultivate him. Israeli agents met with the Moroccan opposition leader, Mehdi Ben Barka, who asked for help overthrowing the king; instead, the Israelis told Hassan of the plot. The king permitted mass emigration of Jews and allowed Mossad to establish a station in Morocco. Israel provided weapons and trained Moroccans in using them; it supplied surveillance technology and helped organize the Moroccan intelligence service; and the two shared information gathered by their spies — the start of decades of such cooperation. A crucial moment came in 1965, when Arab leaders and military commanders met in Casablanca, and Morocco allowed Mossad to bug their meeting rooms and private suites. The eavesdropping gave Israel unprecedented insight into Arab thinking, capabilities and plans, which turned out to be vital to Mossad and the Israel Defense Forces in preparing for the 1967 war. “These recordings, which were truly an extraordinary intelligence achievement, established our feeling, of the top IDF, that we will win the war against Egypt,” Gen. Shlomo Gazit, who later become the chief of military intelligence, said in a 2016 interview. Shortly after that intelligence coup, at the request of Moroccan intelligence, Mossad located Ben Barka, the opposition leader, and helped lure him to Paris. There, Moroccans and allied Frenchmen abducted him. He was tortured to death, and Mossad agents disposed of the body, which was never found. A decade later, Hassan and his government became the back channel between Israel and Egypt, and Morocco became the site of secret meetings between their officials, ahead of the 1978 Camp David accords and normalization of relations between the former enemies. Israel later helped persuade the United States to provide military assistance to Morocco. In 1995, Moroccan intelligence joined in an ultimately unsuccessful Mossad plan to recruit Osama bin Laden’s secretary, to find and kill the leader of al-Qaida, according to a former Mossad official who was a partner in that planning, and who asked not to be named when discussing intelligence operations. For years, Hassan II’s successor, King Muhammad VI, has sought Israel’s help in winning American acquiescence to Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara, which finally came to fruition in Thursday’s announcement. Since 2006, Serge Bardugo, a leader of the small Jewish community remaining in Morocco, has been the king’s ambassador in that effort, meeting with Israeli officials and American Jewish leaders. Occasionally these meetings were attended by Yassin Mansuri, a longtime friend of the king’s who heads Morocco’s external intelligence agency. Mansuri, in turn, met directly with his Israeli counterpart, Yossi Cohen, the chief of Mossad, conducting some of the negotiations that led to the agreement to normalize relations.

Israel-Morocco deal follows history of cooperation on arms and spying

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (December 10) welcomed President Donald Trump's announcement of a normalization deal between Israel and Morocco as a "historic peace between us."

US brokers deal establishing ties between Israel and Morocco

Israel and Morocco agreed on Thursday to normalize relations in a deal brokered with U.S. help.

Morocco joins other Arab nations agreeing to normalize Israel ties

Israeli authorities are set to unveil previously off-limits structures within King Herod's palace-fortress Herodium, which the tyrannical Roman-era leader interred as his enormous burial plot.

Herodium, a hugely popular tourism destination, is near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank but falls in an area where Israel exercises full military and civilian control.

Archaeologists say Herod decided towards the end of his life to bury his palace, using ground from below the hill it was perched upon, until the outline of the structure was no longer visible.

Israel's Nature and Parks Authority plans to open the revamped site on Sunday, allowing visitors to see for the first time Herodium's arched stairway, foyer and private theatre.

The Judean desert complex was built by the Roman-appointed king known both for his brutality and the magnificent structures built during his reign over Judea from 37 to 4 BC.

The hilltop palace, its main entrance facing Jerusalem, was Herod's favourite.

It was the only one he named after himself and where he chose to be buried, said Roi Porat, the Hebrew University archaeologist in charge of the excavations.

A mere burial plot, however, would not have satisfied Herod, who wanted his final place of rest to overshadow his palace.

"That's why he covered the mountain, including the palace, to emphasise it," said Eran Kruzel of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

- 'Unparallelled' -

And while burying the palace during his lifetime provided Herod with the satisfaction of knowing his grave would stand out, it also helped preserve and protect the site for 2,000 years.

"This is an unparalleled archaeological laboratory," Porat said, comparing it to Pompeii's preservation in lava.

A broad staircase leads up the graveside to the palace's main foyer.

There are three tiers of support arches above the foyer, from when Herod decided to bury his palace but still needed access while he was still alive.

The foyer itself contains striped frescos in their original auburn, green and black, creating patterns mimicking marble panels, in line with the Judean royal style.

At the bottom of the stairs on the other side of the grave is the theatre with around 300 seats, and the private booth and royal visiting room overlooking it.

Herod hosted Marcus Agrippa, the second-in-command to Caesar Augustus, in that room in 15 BC, according to Porat.

"This was an extremely important visit for Herod," Porat noted, with the Judean ruler redecorating the visiting room to include a series of drawings mimicking open windows and depicting Agrippa's conquest of Egypt, with bold and lavish stucco reliefs above.&nbsp;

"Prior to this, Herod followed Jewish tradition that avoided images of animals and people, but here, anything was possible," Porat said.

"It's truly a Roman capsule in Judea."

The excavation and preservation of the latest parts of the palace began some 13 years ago with the discovery of Herod's grave.

To Porat, the site illustrates Herod's mindset, "when all he's concerned with is how to preserve his memory to eternity."

"His name has been preserved here," Porat said.

"For the better or for the worse, the landscape here in this region south of Jerusalem has been changed."

Israeli authorities are set to unveil previously off-limits structures within King Herod's palace-fortress Herodium, which the tyrannical Roman-era leader interred as his enormous burial plot.

Israeli authorities are set to unveil previously off-limits structures within King Herod's palace-fortress Herodium, which the tyrannical Roman-era leader interred as his enormous burial plot. Herodium, a hugely popular tourism destination, is near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank but falls in an area where Israel exercises full military and civilian control. Archaeologists say Herod decided towards the end of his life to bury his palace, using ground from below the hill it was perched upon, until the outline of the structure was no longer visible. Israel's Nature and Parks Authority plans to open the revamped site on Sunday, allowing visitors to see for the first time Herodium's arched stairway, foyer and private theatre. The Judean desert complex was built by the Roman-appointed king known both for his brutality and the magnificent structures built during his reign over Judea from 37 to 4 BC. The hilltop palace, its main entrance facing Jerusalem, was Herod's favourite. It was the only one he named after himself and where he chose to be buried, said Roi Porat, the Hebrew University archaeologist in charge of the excavations. A mere burial plot, however, would not have satisfied Herod, who wanted his final place of rest to overshadow his palace. "That's why he covered the mountain, including the palace, to emphasise it," said Eran Kruzel of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. - 'Unparallelled' - And while burying the palace during his lifetime provided Herod with the satisfaction of knowing his grave would stand out, it also helped preserve and protect the site for 2,000 years. "This is an unparalleled archaeological laboratory," Porat said, comparing it to Pompeii's preservation in lava. A broad staircase leads up the graveside to the palace's main foyer. There are three tiers of support arches above the foyer, from when Herod decided to bury his palace but still needed access while he was still alive. The foyer itself contains striped frescos in their original auburn, green and black, creating patterns mimicking marble panels, in line with the Judean royal style. At the bottom of the stairs on the other side of the grave is the theatre with around 300 seats, and the private booth and royal visiting room overlooking it. Herod hosted Marcus Agrippa, the second-in-command to Caesar Augustus, in that room in 15 BC, according to Porat. "This was an extremely important visit for Herod," Porat noted, with the Judean ruler redecorating the visiting room to include a series of drawings mimicking open windows and depicting Agrippa's conquest of Egypt, with bold and lavish stucco reliefs above. "Prior to this, Herod followed Jewish tradition that avoided images of animals and people, but here, anything was possible," Porat said. "It's truly a Roman capsule in Judea." The excavation and preservation of the latest parts of the palace began some 13 years ago with the discovery of Herod's grave. To Porat, the site illustrates Herod's mindset, "when all he's concerned with is how to preserve his memory to eternity." "His name has been preserved here," Porat said. "For the better or for the worse, the landscape here in this region south of Jerusalem has been changed."

Israel unveils parts of Herod's palace buried by Judean king

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Israel received its first batch of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring the pandemic's end was "in sight" and vowing to get the first jab.&nbsp;

"This is a great celebration for Israel," he said on the tarmac at Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv, as a fork-lift truck started unloading the cargo from a red and yellow DHL air freighter.

The shipment was the first of eight million doses ordered from US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer BioNTech.&nbsp;

It came ahead of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, which begins on Thursday.

"The end is in sight," Netanyahu said referring to the disease which has infected 348,948 Israelis, 2,932 of them fatally, according to a Wednesday update.

"What is important to me is that Israeli citizens get vaccinated," he added.

"I want to serve as an example to them and I intend to be the first to be injected with this vaccine in the state of Israel."&nbsp;

The Pfizer vaccine has yet to receive the necessary regulatory approvals for use in Israel but Netanyahu said he expected it to receive clearance "in the very near" future.

The results of third-phase clinical trials showed that the vaccine was 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 symptoms and did not produce adverse side effects among thousands of volunteers.

Britain started inoculating its citizens with the vaccine on Tuesday.

Israel has also contracted to buy six million Covid-19 vaccine doses from US biotech firm Moderna which are expected to be delivered in 2021, giving a total of 14 million shots for its populaton of nine million.

The Jewish state imposed a second nationwide lockdown in September, when the country had one of the world's highest per capita infection rates.

Restrictions have since been gradually eased but infection rates are again on the rise.

On Monday, Netanyahu's office&nbsp;announced a sweeping night-time curfew but it has so far not received the cabinet approval required for its implementation and no details have been published.

Israel received its first batch of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring the pandemic's end was "in sight" and vowing to get the first jab.

Israel received its first batch of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring the pandemic's end was "in sight" and vowing to get the first jab. "This is a great celebration for Israel," he said on the tarmac at Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv, as a fork-lift truck started unloading the cargo from a red and yellow DHL air freighter. The shipment was the first of eight million doses ordered from US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer BioNTech. It came ahead of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, which begins on Thursday. "The end is in sight," Netanyahu said referring to the disease which has infected 348,948 Israelis, 2,932 of them fatally, according to a Wednesday update. "What is important to me is that Israeli citizens get vaccinated," he added. "I want to serve as an example to them and I intend to be the first to be injected with this vaccine in the state of Israel." The Pfizer vaccine has yet to receive the necessary regulatory approvals for use in Israel but Netanyahu said he expected it to receive clearance "in the very near" future. The results of third-phase clinical trials showed that the vaccine was 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 symptoms and did not produce adverse side effects among thousands of volunteers. Britain started inoculating its citizens with the vaccine on Tuesday. Israel has also contracted to buy six million Covid-19 vaccine doses from US biotech firm Moderna which are expected to be delivered in 2021, giving a total of 14 million shots for its populaton of nine million. The Jewish state imposed a second nationwide lockdown in September, when the country had one of the world's highest per capita infection rates. Restrictions have since been gradually eased but infection rates are again on the rise. On Monday, Netanyahu's office announced a sweeping night-time curfew but it has so far not received the cabinet approval required for its implementation and no details have been published.

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The killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani marked the start of 2020. As the year comes to an end, the focus remains on another gruesome assassination. Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated near Tehran. On this week's The West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis tells us why this killing has now plunged West Asia into a crisis. Also, on the show, a look at how child malnutrition is soaring in war-torn Yemen. For more such stories, keep watching the West Asia post with Ghadi Francis every Friday at 8:30 PM IST, only on WION.

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The dissolution bill next heads to a parliamentary committee, giving Gantz and Netanyahu a week or two to try to salvage their troubled alliance.

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The Czech Republic said on Wednesday that it will add a diplomatic presence in its Jerusalem office, essentially opening a diplomatic office. The country said that the move was aimed at boosting services for Czech citizens in Israel and it did not amount to opening a new embassy.

Czech Republic has long been one of Israel's steadiest supporters in the European Union and its president, Milos Zeman, has backed the idea of relocating the Czech embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. However no steps have been taken.

Israel has welcomed the Czech announcement. Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its capital. However, this is not recognised by most countries.&nbsp;

Palestinians seek the city’s east, which Israel captured in a 1967 war, as capital of a future state.

Given the city’s disputed status and sensitivity in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most countries with embassies in Israel have opened them in its commercial capital of Tel Aviv.

The Czech foreign ministry said the establishment of an office with a diplomat in Jerusalem, alongside an honorary consulate there, was not connected to the ongoing peace process in the Middle East nor was in any anticipation of its results.

It said that having a diplomat would let it carry out more services for Czech citizens, such as replacing lost documents, which can currently only be done at the embassy in Tel Aviv.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, writing on Twitter, said he had spoken with his Czech counterpart and congratulated him on a decision that “emphasizes our strong friendship and strategic partnership”.

(With Reuters inputs)

The Czech Republic said on Wednesday that it will add a diplomatic presence in its Jerusalem office, essentially opening a diplomatic office. The country said that the move was aimed at boosting services for Czech citizens in Israel and it did not amount to opening a new embassy.

The Czech Republic said on Wednesday that it will add a diplomatic presence in its Jerusalem office, essentially opening a diplomatic office. The country said that the move was aimed at boosting services for Czech citizens in Israel and it did not amount to opening a new embassy. Czech Republic has long been one of Israel's steadiest supporters in the European Union and its president, Milos Zeman, has backed the idea of relocating the Czech embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. However no steps have been taken. Israel has welcomed the Czech announcement. Israel considers all of Jerusalem as its capital. However, this is not recognised by most countries. Palestinians seek the city’s east, which Israel captured in a 1967 war, as capital of a future state. Given the city’s disputed status and sensitivity in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most countries with embassies in Israel have opened them in its commercial capital of Tel Aviv. The Czech foreign ministry said the establishment of an office with a diplomat in Jerusalem, alongside an honorary consulate there, was not connected to the ongoing peace process in the Middle East nor was in any anticipation of its results. It said that having a diplomat would let it carry out more services for Czech citizens, such as replacing lost documents, which can currently only be done at the embassy in Tel Aviv. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, writing on Twitter, said he had spoken with his Czech counterpart and congratulated him on a decision that “emphasizes our strong friendship and strategic partnership”. (With Reuters inputs)

Czech Republic to open diplomatic office in Jerusalem

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