Benjamin Netanyahu – Spress https://en.spress.net Spress is a general newspaper in English which is updated 24 hours a day. Mon, 26 Apr 2021 04:50:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 191965906 Israeli police removed barriers in East Jerusalem https://en.spress.net/israeli-police-removed-barriers-in-east-jerusalem/ Mon, 26 Apr 2021 04:50:11 +0000 https://en.spress.net/israeli-police-removed-barriers-in-east-jerusalem/ On April 25, Israeli police allowed Palestinians to enter a ‘hot spot’ square outside the old city of Jerusalem, in a move to ease tensions after days of clashes.

Israeli security forces patrol the Citadel in Jerusalem. Documentary photo: AFP / VNA This square is originally a traditional gathering point for Palestinians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In recent days, the city of Jerusalem has seen its worst violence in years, stemming from Israel’s decision to block Palestinians from entering the Damascus Gate after praying. Tensions are heightened after a series of videos posted online showing Arab youths attacking radical orthodox Jews, then violent Jews also went down the street to attack Arabs. On April 22, at least 125 Palestinians were injured in repeated clashes with Israeli police. A police spokesman said the decision to remove the barrier was made by police after consulting with local leaders, religious leaders and assessing the situation. “Our forces are still deployed in the field and it is impossible for the violence to increase,” the official added. Several young Palestinian men have been arrested by police. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 24 called for “restraint on all sides” after several nights of clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians in its annexed areas in East Jerusalem.

]]> 8853 President Biden ‘gives green light’ to $23 billion arms deal with UAE https://en.spress.net/president-biden-gives-green-light-to-23-billion-arms-deal-with-uae/ https://en.spress.net/president-biden-gives-green-light-to-23-billion-arms-deal-with-uae/#respond Thu, 15 Apr 2021 06:03:29 +0000 https://en.spress.net/?p=380 President Joe Biden’s administration is expected to soon pass an arms deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) proposed under Donald Trump.

The UAE intends to purchase 50 U.S. F-35 fighter aircraft. Photo: USAF

Citing a U.S. State Department spokesperson, Sputnik radio reported: “While we will not comment on ongoing lawsuits, we can confirm the authorities intend to expedite the arms deal for the UAE. We will continue to discuss the deal in detail with UAE officials to ensure the two sides understand each other.”

Earlier, in January 2021, Washington halted the sale of F-35 fighters to the UAE and ammunition to Saudi Arabia after reviewing arms deals under former President Donald Trump. President Biden reversed his predecessor’s decision the day before he took office and reinstated a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imported from the UAE.

Observers speculate President Trump’s administration used the F-35 deal with the UAE to normalize relations with Israel. In September 2020, two Gulf countries – the UAE and Bahrain – signed a historic agreement establishing diplomatic relations with the American Jewish nation as an intermediary. However, UAE officials say the cooperation with Israel is driven entirely by a desire to prevent “annexed action,” alluding to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to apply sovereignty over much of the Palestinian territory in the West Bank.

Reacting to president Biden’s decision to “freeze” the arms deal in January, UAE Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef al-Otaiba called it a completely understandable action because the Biden administration must follow due to the UAE-U.S. deal being one of the world’s largest arms deals worth up to $23 billion.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in 2020, UAE arms imports have decreased by 37%.

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