Friday, August 21, 2020

8/21/20

Can the Temple Mount be a trading card to entice the Saudis? Saudi Arabia already enjoys custodianship of the Sacred Mosque, the Al-Masjid al-Ḥaram in Mecca, which is the holiest shrine in Islam.

Could an Israeli-Saudi Peace be Next? Yes, With One Caveat | Opinion Yesterday's announcement by Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister that there will be no normalization with Israel unless there is peace with the Palestinians, shows how much work is yet to be done, and how much Israel will have to reform if it really wants to become a fully accepted part of the region.

Saudi price for ties with Israel is Palestinian state: Saudi royal Saudi Arabia’s price for normalising relations with Israel is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, a senior member of the Saudi royal family reaffirmed on Friday.

UAE diplomat: Israel's decision to freeze annexation 'significant' to region 'Emirates will continue to be a staunch supporter of the Palestinian people,' Al-Otaiba stipulates.

US-China relations: Middle East countries under pressure to take sides against Beijing: former Chinese envoy US allies in the Middle East are coming under growing pressure to pick sides against China, posing a challenge to Beijing’s plans for a bigger economic foothold in the region, according to a former senior Chinese diplomat.

Poll: Who views Israel as an ally - and who sees it as an enemy? 66% of Trump voters view Israel as America's ally - compared to just 24% of Biden voters, new poll finds.

Jordan worries Israel-UAE deal will scuttle two-state solution Jordan has always been a staunch supporter of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, but that might not mean much anymore after Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize ties under a historic US-brokered deal.

Could Israel Nuke Iran? It is unlikely, but hardly impossible, that Israel could decide to use nuclear weapons first in a future conflict.

UN Supports 'World's Worst State Sponsor of Terrorism,' Iran One would think that one of the most dangerous things possible would be to allow what the US Department of State calls "the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism," Iran, freely to buy, sell, import and export advanced weapons. 

'Cold War mentality': China will respond with 'necessary countermeasures' to deployment of US missiles in Asia Pacific Beijing has warned the US against deploying its ground-based missiles in the Asia Pacific region, promising to take "countermeasures" and threatening any states that host such weaponry with consequences.