SUDDENLY, “ZIONISM” IS A FIGHTING WORD. The term for the nationalist movement to build a Jewish state in Palestine has not often figured in American political debate over the half century since the U.S.Ambassador to the United Nations, Patrick Moynihan, denounced a 1975 United Nations resolution asserting that “Zionism is a form of racism.” Now Zionism has returned as epithet and issue in the 2024 election.
An organization tracking violence in Syria reported on Monday that Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists killed four of dictator Bashar Assad’s soldiers in an attack intentionally targeting the military, the latest in what experts fear is an accelerating escalation of ISIS activity in the country.
On 10 April, in the thick of the war on Gaza, the Israeli government, facing a labor crisis, announced that it would fly in 6,000 Indian laborers during April and May on state-subsidized shuttle flights.
This decision follows Israel’s suspension of work permits for Palestinian construction workers, a move that has significantly impacted its building sector. Israel’s Finance Ministry estimates that the absence of Palestinian laborers is costing the economy about three billion shekels ($828 million) monthly, which could lead to a loss of three percent of GDP as the building and housing markets struggle with debt amounting to 400 billion shekels ($106 billion).
The spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, announced on 27 April that Sanaa downed another MQ-9 Reaper drone and that its troops successfully targeted the British-owned MV Andromeda Star crude oil tanker.
A source within Palestinian resistance movement Hamas told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on 24 April that the group holds around 30 Israeli army generals and officers from the Shin Bet security service as prisoners in the Gaza Strip.
“The movement alone has about 30 generals and Shin Bet officers, who were captured on October 7, from military units and some highly sensitive military sites,” the source said.
On 17 April, Hezbollah launched a series of qualitative military operations on the western sector of the Lebanese–Israeli border, culminating in a sophisticated attack using guided missiles and an explosive-laden drone that struck the headquarters of an Israeli reconnaissance unit in the village of Arab al-Aramshe.
Despite their public portrayal as close allies, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are, at best, ‘frenemies,’ engaging in ferocious competition for regional and economic dominance. Now, their territorial dispute over Al-Yasat has entered the international realm, with a formal UN complaint filed by the Saudis.
Israeli officials say they have US support for controversial plans, despite public opposition over humanitarian concerns
Israel could begin evacuations from Rafah as soon as next week before invading in a huge above and below-ground operation, as a Hamas official warned that Israeli hostages will only be returned through a permanent ceasefire.
Iran’s April 14 direct attack on Israeli territory appeared intended to demonstrate Iran’s military technology advances and establish a measure of deterrence against Tehran’s main regional adversary.
The operational synergy between the Lebanese Army’s Intelligence Directorate and Syrian counterparts led to the capture of the three suspects in a border region shared by Syria and Lebanon.
The Lebanese Intelligence Directorate, in collaboration with Syrian authorities, successfully apprehended the three Syrian individuals accountable for the abduction and subsequent demise of Pascal Suleiman, the Lebanese Forces coordinator for the Jbeil district.