Despite the passage of 20 years, the scene that is still fresh in the memory of the world, especially Iraq , to this day, is the one in which Colin Powell , then US Secretary of State, claimed on February 5, 2003, in a session of the UN Security Council, that Iraq possessed chemical weapons with a tube in his hand. Test filled with white powder.

On March 20, 2003, the United States launched a special military operation in Iraq without the approval of the United Nations. Since that time, the picture has changed completely in Iraq as a result of the bloody war that lasted about 8 years, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and caused the displacement of millions of other Iraqis.

Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at former US President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad in December 2008 to protest America's invasion of Iraq, wrote on his account on the micro-blogging site ((Twitter)) "I mourned the death of Colin Powell without saying He is being tried for his crimes in Iraq, but I am sure that God's court will await him," according to Al-Jazeera Net in an article published in 2021.

Al-Zaidi believed that Powell did not acknowledge the mistake he made before the UN Security Council, but rather saw it as an "inaccurate" and "painful" talk and a "black point" in his professional history.

For the United States, the issue of weapons of mass destruction was secondary to its desire to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. BBC Arabic quoted Luis Rueda, head of the Iraq Operations Group at the CIA, as saying in an article published on March 14, "We would have invaded Iraq, even if Saddam Hussein had only a rubber band." And a paperclip...we were going to say he was going to use these things to goug out your eye."

Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmoud Kasuri recalled, in statements to Sputnik news agency, his experience as a representative of Pakistan in that session to discuss Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, stressing that Washington adopted a policy of unilateral measures to invade Iraq, which caused it harm.

Regarding the positions of the member states of the UN Security Council, Kasuri stated that it was clear to the US administration at the time that it was unable to obtain the Council's support in the Iraqi file. The former diplomat stated that "there was a massive backlash, and I think America's reputation suffered greatly from that; first there was Afghanistan, then there was Iraq, and it actually had a very negative effect on the United States."

On the 20th anniversary of America's invasion of Iraq, many netizens expressed their anger on social media, and "Lawyer .. Zaid Al-Tikriti" said on his account on the website ((Twitter)) that "the arguments and allegations invoked by America regarding weapons of mass destruction, It was nothing but a cover for the occupation of Iraq and the destruction of its infrastructure and foreign affairs, in addition to wreaking havoc and destruction on the whole of Iraq."

And "Hanan Abdullatif" indicated in her tweet that "the most heinous crime in the modern era is the crime of America and the coalition countries' invasion and occupation of Iraq under the pretext of weapons of mass destruction, the repercussions of which are still standing in terms of crimes and violations committed against the Iraqi people without punishing the real perpetrators."

Murtada al-Misani published a series of pictures showing American soldiers transporting and destroying Iraqi cultural monuments, and wrote, "The twentieth anniversary of America's occupation of Iraq under the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction and their danger to humanity. These are some pictures of the weapons of destruction that America took from Iraq in order to save humanity," where the words formed The images are ironic and a bitter contrast.

The experience of the Iraqis has proven that this American lie cost Iraq a heavy price that it is still paying to this day. The invasion of Iraq led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives and the destruction of their present and future, and this was repeated in Syria, Yemen and Libya.

The actions of the United States have greatly damaged its reputation throughout the Middle East. In January of this year, the Center for Arab Studies in Doha, Qatar, published its “2022 Arab Opinion Index,” which indicated that 78 percent of Arabs believe that the United States “poses a destabilizing threat to the region.”

Razzaq Hameed, 30, a shop owner in Iraq, said, "The war is a lie based on their belief that there are weapons of mass destruction, but the war is not because of weapons of mass destruction, but because of the invasion of Iraq," adding, "They never brought democracy. They killed innocent people. They are the ones who fought democracy and brought us war and destruction."

Between 2003 and 2021, about 209,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in wars and violent conflicts, and about 9.2 million Iraqis became refugees or were forced to leave their homeland, according to Statista, a global statistical database. Many believe that the disaster began with a test tube filled with white powder.

With many US officials acknowledging that Iraq did not possess chemical weapons or weapons of mass destruction, one of the netizens asked on Twitter, "What is the use of regret? ... The war was absurd and hundreds of thousands were killed for no reason..."

The Central Statistical Organization said that the general index for producer prices recorded an increase of 2.47% during the month of February, compared to the previous month, and the general index reached 108.45, compared to 105.84 during January 2023.

The Census indicated, in a press release today, Wednesday, that the producer price index for locally consumed commodities from local production recorded an increase of 2.63%. 2019 = 100).

The producer price index for domestically exported commodities increased by 1.03%, and the PPI for domestically exported commodities reached 109.55 2023, compared to 108.43 in January 2023 (base year 2019 = 100).

The prices of commodities produced by the activity of agriculture, forestry and fishing increased by 7.62%, the relative importance of which constitutes 29.94% of the product basket, as a result of the increase in the prices of commodities within the activity of non-permanent crop cultivation by 13.79%. The average price of each of; Cauliflower 1.61 shekels/kg, cabbage 1.51 shekels/kg, greenhouse cucumber 2.77 shekels/kg, small zucchini 2.58 shekels/kg, eggplant 2.20 shekels/kg, thin green beans 3.18 shekels/kg, green hot pepper 5 shekels/kg , green onions with leaves 6.78 shekels/kg, dry garlic 2.93 shekels/kg, and dry onions 1.64 shekels/kg, despite the decrease in the average price of each of; Green peas 3.76 shekels/kg, green beans 1.72 shekels/kg, and tomatoes 1.74 shekels/kg.

The prices of commodities within the animal production activity increased by 4.95%. The average price of each of; Fresh eggs 16.74 shekels/2kg, large live broiler chicken 10.54 shekels/kg, live baladi goats 30.95 shekels/kg, and live baladi sheep 29.22 shekels/kg.

The prices of commodities within the activity of growing permanent, perennial crops increased by 2.06%. The average price of each of; Small clementines amounted to 1.96 shekels/kg, oranges 1.99 shekels/kg, and strawberries 4.78 shekels/kg.

While the prices of commodities within the fishing activity decreased by 6.51%.

The prices of water supply, sanitation activities, and waste management and treatment increased by 3.74%, with a relative importance of 1.50% of the product basket.

The prices of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supplies increased by 2.13%, the relative importance of which constitutes 8.23% of the product basket.

The prices of mining and quarrying industry products increased by 0.55%, with a relative importance of 1.41% of the product basket.

The prices of commodities produced by the activities of the manufacturing industries increased by 0.11%, the relative importance of which constitutes 58.92% of the product basket, due to the increase in the prices of commodities produced within the following activities; Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products by 3.30%, manufacture of basic iron and steel by 2.31%, manufacture of grain mill products by 2.13%, and manufacture of shaped metal products except for machinery and equipment by 1.36%, despite the decrease in the prices of manufacturing vegetable and animal oils and fats by 1.04%, and the prices of manufacturing items of concrete, cement and plaster by 0.31%.

Morocco faces the dilemma of striking a balance between defending its "strategic" alliance with Israel without abandoning the Palestinian cause , which still enjoys popular support, after the most right-wing government in Israel's history came to power.

This problem arose recently when King Mohammed VI rebuked the Islamic Justice and Development Party (parliamentary opposition), in response to a position in which he condemned the bias of Moroccan diplomacy in favor of Israel.

In a statement, the royal court described this behavior as "irresponsible" and included "serious fallacies" on the part of the party, which accused Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita of "defending the Zionist entity in some African and European meetings."

The royal palace confirmed that Morocco's position on the Palestinian issue is "irreversible."

Rabat also regularly confirms its commitment to the Palestinian cause, which "is one of the foreign policy priorities of His Majesty the King, Chairman of the Jerusalem Committee," which is concerned with preserving the Islamic character of the city.

In the context, the Moroccan foreign minister said, "The kingdom condemns and always rejects every irresponsible act and every act that could be inflammatory or have a negative impact," commenting on the recent statements of an Israeli minister from the extreme right, in which he denied the existence of the Palestinian people.

Moroccan journalist and writer Jamal Amiar, who wrote a book on "Morocco, Israel and Moroccan Jews," considers that "establishing relations with Israel while supporting the Palestinian cause is not a contradiction, if we are defending the two-state solution."

Morocco defends the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the State of Israel.

Rabat normalized its diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv in December 2020, within the framework of the Abraham Accords, which included several Arab countries under the auspices of the United States.

In exchange, Rabat obtained recognition from Washington of "Moroccan sovereignty" over Western Sahara, the territory claimed by the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria.

Amiar believes that "the Abraham Accords changed the facts and are still changing many things very quickly."

The pace of partnership between the two countries has accelerated since then, especially in the field of military equipment (drones) and cybersecurity, in an arms race with Algeria in a context of tension between the two neighbors.

If economic cooperation is still far from ambitions, trade exchanges between Morocco and Israel increased in 2022 (+32 percent) in favor of Israel, and the number of Israeli tourists who visited the Kingdom increased (200,000 Israeli visitors), according to official figures.

For his part, Amiar mentions that "the partnership with Israel is based on common security interests and old relations that enabled the building of trust between the two countries."

This partnership is also based on the presence of some 700,000 Israelis who hail from Morocco and have maintained strong ties with their country of origin.

For his part, Zakaria Abu al-Dahab, professor of international relations at Mohammed V University in Rabat, considers that "this human and cultural link reinforces the idea of strengthening relations with the Hebrew state, regardless of the political and geopolitical circumstance."

However, the arrival of a current of the extreme right to power in Israel, against any resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians, and violence in the occupied territories, after an obstacle to this rapprochement.

"Any continuous deterioration in relations between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza cannot, of course, but negatively affect public opinion's attitude toward relations with Israel," Amaar explains.

If the response to pro-Palestinian militant activities has weakened in Morocco, sympathy for this cause is still wide.

Recently, a hundred civil society figures appealed to the Moroccan government to put an end to normalization.

Zakaria Abu al-Dahab believes that "Moroccan society, with all its currents, is not necessarily convinced of normalization, which could be at the expense of the Palestinian cause."

But could the continuation of the confrontations in the West Bank undermine the foundations of the Abraham Accords?
In the opinion of the university professor, "In a turbulent context, which is further complicated by the situation in the Middle East, such as the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the vision becomes unclear."

This is confirmed by the fact that the Negev summit, which was supposed to bring together this month in the kingdom the foreign ministers of the United States, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, the UAE and Bahrain, was postponed, according to diplomatic sources.

Saudi Arabia has adopted a strategy for the aviation sector based on expanding significantly to obtain a share of the market that is dominated by huge companies in other Gulf countries , and in this context it announced the launch of a new national airline and a large order to purchase Boeing aircraft.

The project falls within the framework of the Kingdom's attempts, which have been closed for decades, to become a center of attraction for the business and tourism sectors, but experts in the aviation sector believe that its success in the field of aviation in particular is not guaranteed, despite the great official support.

Earlier this month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, officially launched Riyadh Air, which aims to turn the Saudi capital into a "gateway to the world," in the words of state media.

Just two days later, officials announced that Riyadh Airlines and Saudi Airlines, the kingdom's current national carrier based in Jeddah, would buy 78 long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The deal, which the White House estimated at $37 billion and could later reach 121 aircraft, is the fifth-largest deal in terms of commercial value in Boeing's history.

The CEO of "Riyadh Air" Tony Douglas told AFP that the company will serve the international, regional and local markets, which puts it in direct competition with "Emirates Airlines" and "Qatar Airways".

Independent aviation expert Alex Macheras said the Saudi expansion raises difficult questions about how Riyadh Air can capture market share, especially at a time of increasing non-stop flight options that bypass the Middle East altogether.

"Replicating and building on the successful business models of neighboring Gulf airlines will be challenging in a crowded market where passengers have so many choices," Macheras said.

Saudi Airlines, also known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, was founded in 1945 and received its first plane as a gift from US President Franklin Roosevelt.

At that time, foreigners were entering the Kingdom, especially through Jeddah on the Red Sea coast, and Jeddah is the "gate to Mecca", and a major point of arrival for millions of Muslims who perform the rituals of Hajj and Umrah every year.

Foreign embassies did not move to Riyadh, in central Saudi Arabia, until the eighties.

These days, Riyadh is at the heart of Prince Mohammed bin Salman's comprehensive reform agenda as part of Vision 2030, his economic and social reform project based on stopping the dependence of the world's largest exporter of crude oil on fossil fuels and opening up to social changes.

Officials say the aim is to rival Dubai, an important Gulf business hub, and they expect Riyadh's population of now eight million to rise to 15 or 20 million by 2030.

Last November, plans were announced for a new airport in Riyadh that is set to handle 120 million passengers annually by 2030, up from about 35 million today.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan told AFP that the expected growth makes the current model for Saudi Arabia, which has two main centers, Jeddah and Riyadh, insufficient.

"Jeddah alone needs an airline to focus on Hajj and Umrah, and therefore there is a need for an airline that focuses on Riyadh," Al-Jadaan said.

"There is a need to ensure that there is a suitable airport that welcomes people and an airline that is able to connect many of the destinations that investors need," he continued.

"The question about the rate of demand in this equation has not yet been settled, and the Saudis need to be completely confident in the outcome in order to proceed with the order to purchase large aircraft," said Robert Mogielnicki, a researcher at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

The location of the airports in the Middle East, which is convenient for flights to Europe, Asia and Africa, has contributed to their rise as major hubs.
Airports Council International predicts that the region's airports will see 1.1 billion passengers by 2040, compared to 405 million in 2019.

In addition to "Riyadh Aviation", Saudi Arabia will also launch "Neom Aviation", which will be based in the future city of the same name, to start operations in 2024.

Saudi Arabia's expansion strategy depends in part on taking advantage of its population of roughly 35 million, which officials see as a huge advantage over rivals in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar with much smaller populations.

Macheras said the Boeing order indicates that Riyadh Airlines' vision "appears to be long-haul oriented, consistent with its goals of being a transit hub airline." Regional competitors are watching these developments closely.

A source in Qatar Airways, who preferred not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said, "Riyadh Airlines will certainly acquire a share of the market in the region and the Asian markets in particular." "We are ready to confront a very rich tycoon who is in the making," he added.

Perhaps Riyadh Air will be best served by its owner: the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which Macheras said will "stake on what will inevitably be a very large initial stage of capital" ahead of the inaugural flights in early 2025.
"It is clear that Riyadh Airlines, although it is a latecomer to the sector, sees that there is a place for another company at the table, and wants to assure the rest of the world that Saudi Arabia is open for business," he said.

Defense for Children International - Palestine affirmed today, Wednesday, that the excessive and lethal force used by the Israeli  forces against Palestinian civilians during their incursions into Palestinian areas affected children mainly, noting that it documented testimonies of children in Jenin who are still living in constant tension and anxiety.

In a report, the movement confirmed that, in addition to violating the right to life of 17 children since the beginning of this year, the practices of the Israeli forces have left significant effects on other children, which appeared in their behavior, thinking, and academic achievement, violating their rights guaranteed by international laws, and threatening their psychological and social security.

In this regard, Defense for Children International documented the reality of a number of children from Jenin governorate, who are the most targeted by the occupation forces, in terms of incursions and the number of martyrs.

Among the 17 children killed since the beginning of this year, six are from Jenin governorate, in addition to using children as human shields, and detaining others for long hours in their homes and using them as military barracks and sniper and observation points, during the storming of the city and its camp, which greatly affected the children.

The child (Y.A., 17 years old) told Defense for Children International: “While my colleague Mahmoud Al-Saadi (17 years) and I were heading to school in the morning, the occupation army stormed the camp and started shooting from all directions. He was martyred (January 21, 2022). We were planning together to graduate from school and go to university and study together, but all of that was shattered. I hate school and its way.”

As for the child (W.Z., 16 years old), he said: “The Israeli raids into the camp have become routine. The army enters at any time, so I can no longer leave the house, and I am afraid of the army’s raids while I am outside the house. I used to go out and meet friends in the alleys of the camp, where there is no place.” For fun or play, let alone when leaving the house is a matter that threatens my life, the details of our lives have become limited to preserving the minimum limits of life with caution, caution, anticipation and tension.

The child (M.N., 17 years old) said: "In every raid, there are martyrs, shooting, destroying homes, and destroying property. Bullets penetrated the walls of our house. Danger pursues me while I am in bed. When I want to move inside the house, I have to crawl on my stomach for fear of sniper bullets, or A stray bullet. Death is more merciful than this fear and anxiety. For more than a year I have not been able to sleep normally or for enough hours. Sometimes I wake up to the sound of bullets and explosions, and other times I wake up due to nightmares. I no longer distinguish between dream and reality.

As for the child (RA, 15 years old), he indicated that the camp "has become full of pictures of martyrs, and behind every martyr there is a story and memories. I saw from the window of the house young men who were wounded by the bullets of the occupation and left to bleed until they died, and I also saw the bodies of martyrs completely burnt. I became afraid of Moving even at home. In the past, I used to hate the night because of the repeated intrusions, but now I hate the whole day, day and night. The camp was narrow in the past, and with its narrowness it accommodated us, our dreams, and our friends, but now it has narrowed to its minimum limits. Our dreams have been suffocated, suffocated by the occupation. With every raid in which a friend is martyred, even our days as ordinary students have become a terrible burden. The camp, the street, and the school are filled with our memories with martyred friends.”

He added: "The Israeli forces killed our teacher, Jawad Bawakna. He was the teacher closest to us. He sent us energy and hope through his activities and his constant movement full of vitality. He had a great ability to support us psychologically in light of these conditions in the camp. Today, we lost one of the most important sources of psychological support. School has become a painful memory for our loved ones, and we are trying as much as we can to stay away from it.”

In one of the incursions into the Jenin camp, the Israeli occupation forces surrounded a house and took the father away from his wife and two children, Tolin (two years old) and Misk (a year old). Putting the family's life in grave danger.

The father of the two girls said to Defense for Children International: "The behavior of his two daughters changed radically after this incident, especially Tolene, who turned from an active and asking questions into a secluded child attached to her mother and distracted, afraid of any sound or movement, except for the frequent nightmares and bouts of crying that afflict her." ".

Defense for Children International affirmed that the practices of the Israeli forces, including killing, arresting, storming and setting up military checkpoints, and many other violations against the Palestinian people, exploiting the policy of impunity that accompanies the protection and immunity from accountability that it enjoys, has led to the deterioration of the situation of children in Palestine. And negatively affected their access to their rights, in addition to the psychological effects of Israeli violations remain in the hearts of people who have been directly harmed or harmed.

More than 15.5 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded among children in the United States since the outbreak of the pandemic, according to the latest reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.

The report stated that more than 66,000 cases of COVID-19 were recorded among children during the past four weeks, while more than 13,000 cases of COVID-19 were recorded among children in the week ending March 23.

Over the past 6 months, the weekly number of reported COVID-19 infections among children in the United States has steadied, averaging around 30,000, according to the report.

He added that it is likely that the recorded cases of Covid-19 among children are "much less" than the actual infections among them.
He also stressed that there is a need to collect more age-specific data to assess the severity of disease associated with the new variants, as well as assess potential long-term effects.

It is important to realize that there are immediate effects of the pandemic on children's health. But most importantly, we need to identify and address the long-term effects on the physical, mental and social well-being of this generation of children and young adults, reports the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The United States warned Beijing on Wednesday against any "exaggerated reaction" to stops by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in New York on her way to Central America and in Los Angeles on her way back.

"There is absolutely no reason for China to use this as an excuse to overreact or to put more pressure on Taiwan," a senior US official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

From Wednesday, the President of Taiwan will go to Guatemala and Belize, during which she will stop in the US.

Beijing regards Taiwan as Chinese territory, but has not been able to unite it with the rest of its territory.

In the name of the "one China" principle, Beijing believes that no country should establish official relations with Beijing and Taipei at the same time, and it has expressed its opposition to any official exchanges between the island and the United States.

And in August 2022, a visit to Taiwan that she made on the personal initiative of Nancy Pelosi, who was then Speaker of the US House of Representatives, angered Beijing, which in response to this move organized large-scale military maneuvers around Taiwan.

For its part, Washington considers that the Taiwanese president's stay on US soil does not in any way violate the US policy on "one China" and that it is just a "transit" even if she meets with personalities.

"This is a private and unofficial visit," the US official stressed, respecting "a longstanding practice."

The official declined to confirm the possibility of a meeting in California between Tsai Ing-wen and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who hails from this western state.

Washington, which announced its diplomatic recognition of Beijing in 1979, is Taiwan's strongest ally and a major arms supplier.

On Wednesday morning, dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque , under the strict protection of the Israeli police.

The settlers made provocative tours inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and performed Talmudic rituals.

Settler groups storm Al-Aqsa on a daily basis, except for Friday and Saturday.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden described his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin 's announcement of the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus as "dangerous."

"It is a dangerous and troubling announcement," Biden told reporters at the White House.

US President Joe Biden considered that the Israeli government , which is facing a large-scale protest movement against the draft judicial amendments, which was recently "frozen", cannot "continue this path."

On the sidelines of a visit to North Carolina, the US President said, "They cannot continue this path, and I think I have understood my position," explaining, on the other hand, that he does not intend "in the short term" to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the White House.

The US State Department announced on Tuesday that a US official visited China last week, in a move that reflects a shy resumption of dialogue, nearly two months after Washington abruptly canceled a visit by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken .

Rick Waters, who heads a new body in the US State Department called "China House" concerned with overseeing US policy towards China, visited the capital, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, according to what was announced by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vedant Patel, in a statement to reporters.

Patel said Waters "met with his counterparts" and established US personnel in China.

Patel played down the importance of the visit and did not want to reveal the topics discussed or the results of the talks.

Blinken was scheduled to visit Beijing in early February, and he was supposed to be the highest-ranking US official to visit China in nearly five years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden had agreed to visit during talks they held on the sidelines of the G20 summit that was organized in November and hosted by Bali, where they agreed to work to contain the escalating tensions between the two largest economic powers in the world.

But Blinken canceled the visit after the United States announced the monitoring of a Chinese balloon flying in its airspace, which it said was for espionage purposes.

Since then, tensions have escalated, and Xi publicly accused the United States of seeking to "contain, encircle and suppress China," and went to Moscow to cement relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At dawn on Wednesday, the first group of citizens in the Gaza Strip left through Beit Hanoun "Erez" checkpoint, to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque .

The first group includes dozens of citizens over the age of 55, who were allowed by the occupation authorities to enter to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

Thousands of citizens registered with the Civil Affairs to obtain an opportunity that is unlikely to be repeated for them in light of the strict occupation measures against the Palestinians.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog continues, on Wednesday, the negotiations that he started yesterday evening with the various parties to try to reach an agreement and a broad consensus regarding what is known as the "judicial reforms" that Benjamin Netanyahu's government sought to pass and temporarily suspended them due to widespread protests.

Yesterday evening, Herzog met with representatives of the government coalition parties, the There is a Future party led by Yair Lapid , and the National Camp led by Benny Gantz .

Today, Herzog will meet with representatives of the Arab parties, as well as the Israeli left.

It was reported that the meeting yesterday, during which it was agreed to establish mechanisms to start negotiations, and there were no serious moves yet, as Herzog will meet with representatives of each party separately in the coming days.

Herzog will try to bridge views to prevent the return of protests and the deterioration of conditions inside Israel.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced, at dawn on Wednesday, that it had successfully launched the "Ofek 13" spy satellite, into space, from central occupied Palestine.

According to a statement by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the new satellite is developed with high intelligence capabilities, and when it enters Earth's orbit, it will undergo a series of tests to ensure its level of performance.

Israel usually uses these missiles to spy on Iran , Arab countries, and others.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that the Israeli government cannot "continue on this path" in its judicial reform plan and confirmed that he would not invite its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House "in the near term."

It is noteworthy that this is the first time that Biden has personally spoken about the judicial reform that created a crisis inside Israel, which has witnessed massive demonstrations during the past few months, forcing Netanyahu to suspend the legislation on Monday, the beginning of a strike that affected the Israeli official and private sectors, while the United States called for building Broad consensus on the judicial reform plan.

Experts believe that Biden's statement that he will not invite Netanyahu to visit the White House in the foreseeable future, but confirms the extent of the strained relations between the US administration and the Israeli government at the present time.

In response, Netanyahu said in a statement reported by Hebrew media, "Israel is an independent state that makes its decisions by the will of its citizens and not on the basis of external pressure, including from our dearest friends. I have known President Biden for more than 40 years and I appreciate his many years of commitment to Israel. The alliance between Israel and the United States is strong and always overcomes the differences of opinion that appear from time to time. The time is between us, and the government under my presidency is committed to strengthening democracy by restoring the appropriate balance between the three powers that we seek to achieve with broad agreement." like he said.

President Biden told the New York Times earlier this year that any substantive changes to the Israeli judicial system must be based on consensus to gain legitimacy from the public and be sustainable.

"Like many strong supporters of Israel, I'm very worried. I'm worried that they (the Israelis) are doing it right," Biden said in North Carolina, where he launched his campaign to invest in America. "They can't continue down this path; I've kind of made that clear." .

"I hope the prime minister will act in a way that he's trying to find a real compromise, but that's not clear yet," Biden added.

And the American Axios website stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the US president later on Tuesday, saying, "Israel is an independent state that makes its decisions based on the will of its citizens and not on the basis of external pressure, including from our dearest friends."

According to Axios, Netanyahu said in a statement that he has known Biden for 40 years and appreciates his commitment to Israel. He added that the US-Israel alliance is strong and always overcomes differences that appear from time to time.

According to Axios, the US ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, said in a statement to Israel's Army Radio that the United States welcomes Netanyahu's decision to suspend the legislation, but added that the Israeli prime minister may be invited to the White House after Passover, "but he retracted part of his remarks and said that it had not been decided." date for such a visit.

A White House National Security Council spokesman said there was no plan for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit Washington at this time.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemned the settlers' storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque , under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "the kingdom's condemnation and rejection of the blatant incursion carried out by Israeli settlers into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid the protection of the Israeli occupation forces," stressing that "these practices undermine peace efforts and contradict international principles and norms in Respect for religious sanctities.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom's firm position in supporting all efforts aimed at ending the occupation and reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, enabling the Palestinian people to establish their independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Amidst the feelings of sadness and pain experienced by the Jenin governorate as it received the blessed month of Ramadan , with the farewell of 35 martyrs and dozens of wounded and many times more among the detainees, the grieving woman is still trying desperately to restore the atmosphere of normal life, especially in light of the high rates of unemployment and poverty, and the deterioration of the living conditions of the majority of society's segments.

Since the beginning of the month of fasting, the picture appears painful and difficult in the homes of the families of the martyrs who have recently ascended, and with sadness and pain, the mother of the martyr Jamil Al-Amouri from Jenin camp said, "How do we rejoice in Ramadan, and the most precious loved ones, the Israeli deprived us of them, on the first day we all cried and we were unable to eat a table Breakfast, I did not and will not understand my life without the beloved of my heart and my life is beautiful, whom they killed in cold blood.

As for the poet Israa Abboushi, she told Al-Quds.com: “Unfortunately, a painful and difficult atmosphere prevails in the current Ramadan, and in the face of the injustice and arrogance of the occupation and its crimes. It is lonely, despite the difficult economic situation, and despite the anticipation of repeated incursions, as not a week passes that we live quietly, and despite the devastation in the educational process and the lack of security and law, the overwhelming character of the month of Ramadan this year is the departure of its best youth.

In conversations with Al-Quds.com, during her tour of the streets of Jenin, the people affirmed the different conditions and conditions, and the historical researcher Moufid Jalghoum says, "We used to receive the month of Ramadan every year, with joy, joy and many preparations, but the situation this year is different from previous years. For several reasons, the most important of which is the Israeli and the incursions of its army, settlers, and special forces into the areas of the West Bank, and the resulting large increase in the number of martyrs and wounded, and attacks on the property of Palestinian citizens, which made the joy of celebrating the advent of Ramadan unattainable.

He added: "Also, the financial hardship that the National Authority has been going through for more than a year, and the consequent inability to pay a full salary to employees for several months, which cast a shadow on the purchasing power of the average Palestinian citizen who used to decorate his house with various types of Decorations, as well as other equipment, especially food.

Before the month of Ramadan, prices were normal, but they quickly changed and rose dramatically, as in the meat sector, which is considered one of the most important equipment for breakfast tables. However, merchant Tamer Naji from the city of Jenin, who works with his father who owns the Al-Aqsa butchery, explained that the reason for the rise is from Sources of import and distribution, after the prices of calves and cattle have risen, and the distributor has no power over the price. Despite this, and in appreciation of the conditions of the citizens, we sold a kilo of veal for 54 shekels, and the citizens must be relieved so that everyone can buy their basic needs, as we are facing great economic and political pressures We hope that all problems will be resolved and that Ramadan will be good for us.” He said.

Kamal Zaidan, the owner of the epic of glory, confirms this, explaining that the distributors have nothing to do with the rise, and he said: "The companies, importers and distributors are the ones who control the prices that rose with the advent of the blessed month."

And the high prices affected the prices of chicken, whose price jumped rapidly, along with other materials such as rice, flour, oil, etc., and the owner of the chicken farm, Basil Merhi, said: “We continued to sell at the same normal prices until the quantities were spent, and they quickly increased from the sources of supply, and this affected rates Selling and paying citizens to buy turkey meat and others, although it also increased.”

The increase affected all kinds of vegetables and fruits, and citizen Latifa Hussein said: "The prices are very expensive, and I can only buy a few of our needs, and this is a great injustice to us, and from the first day I can only buy the basic needs."

The female citizen, who supports a family of 7, added, "We did not prepare for Ramadan, as we and many other people did in other years. There is no liquidity and the labor force has no work, and all kinds of vegetables are expensive."

As for the citizen, Asmaa Taher, she said: "Even the things necessary for Ramadan, I cannot buy them because of the exorbitant price that includes everything. We have a family of 5, including a sick child, and my husband has been unemployed for months, and I do not know how I will manage my family's affairs."

The Israeli forces authorities intend to demolish the house of the prisoner Osama Al-Taweel (22 years old) from the city of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank.

The Israeli authorities gave the family of the long-captive prisoner until next Sunday to submit an objection to the decision.

The Israeli authorities notified the family of the demolition of the house, and gave them an opportunity to appeal the notification before the Israeli courts.

The Israeli forces accuse the prisoner, Al-Taweel, of carrying out the shooting attack at the “Shafi Shomron” checkpoint, near the town of Deir Sharaf, west of Nablus, on 10/11/2022; That led to the killing of the soldier Ido Baruch.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced, on Tuesday evening, that the Mossad provided intelligence information to the security services in Greece , which led to thwarting attacks against Israeli targets.

According to a statement from Netanyahu's office, this information led to the dismantling of the cell that planned the attacks, accusing Iran of directing it to carry out the attacks.

The Greek police announced that they had arrested two Pakistanis aged (27-29 years) on suspicion of planning to strike Israeli targets in central Athens .

A Greek security source said the Pakistanis were of Iranian origin.

"Following coordinated actions of the Greek police and the National Intelligence Service, a terrorist network that was planning from abroad to launch strikes against carefully selected targets on Greek soil was dismantled," the police said in a statement.

She added that the detainees "chose their target, after exploring the area and planning the attack," noting that they "received final instructions" for implementation.

The White House confirmed, on Tuesday evening, that there are currently no plans for a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .

A spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House said, “Visits by Israeli leaders are a long tradition, and it is possible that Netanyahu will visit Washington at any time, but there are no plans currently.

US Ambassador Tom Nedis said, in statements reported by Israeli media this morning, that he expected an invitation for Netanyahu to visit the White House after the "Passover" holiday.

A 40-year-old was killed on Tuesday evening, as a result of an explosion that occurred in a carpentry shop in the town of Betunia, west of Ramallah .

In a statement, the Civil Defense stated that a report was received about a fire that occurred in a carpentry in Beitunia. When the crew arrived at the site, they found a worker who had been seriously injured as a result of the explosion, and he was evacuated and handed over to the medical staff at the site.

It is noteworthy that this site witnessed an explosion during the month of June last year.

The Israeli authorities imposed the Arnona tax on the residents of the village of Al-Nu'man, east of Bethlehem, despite the fact that they hold the identity card of the Palestinian Authority.

Jamal Al-Darawi, the head of the local council in the village, told Al-Quds.com: “The Israeli authorities continue through their practices to isolate the village from its Palestinian reality, and these measures began more than twenty years ago when they surrounded it with the apartheid wall and erected an iron gate in the middle of it that defines its adult population.” Their number is about two hundred people. When do they leave the village and when do they enter it, imposing strict measures against them and limiting their movement towards their surroundings in the Bethlehem governorate.

He added: Since then, the village has already turned into a prison for its residents, whose connection with the surroundings is no longer easy at all levels, including access to their workplaces in Palestinian institutions or sending their children to educational institutions affiliated with the Authority, while at the same time they are unable to reach areas belonging to the Palestinian Authority. for Jerusalem.

And he pointed out that the occupation forces deal with the fact that the land belongs to the Jerusalem municipality, but without the residents who hold the Palestinian identity, and therefore forced them to pay the Arnona tax, known as the property tax, and the people continued to refuse to pay this tax until the occupation authorities began to take measures against them, including preventing them from leaving The village and the withdrawal of permits granted to workers who work in Israeli factories and workshops, or preventing them from obtaining permits to receive treatment in Jerusalem hospitals for citizens who need treatment in Jerusalem hospitals.

Al-Darawi said: "The matter developed recently, with the raiding of citizens' homes by employees of the Israeli Tax and Customs Department, along with employees of the Jerusalem Municipality and forces from the so-called Border Guards and the House Furniture Count in order to confiscate them. Faced with these terrible pressures, the residents began to pay the Arnona tax forcibly." And they feel that they are alone, wondering about the role of the Ministry of Jerusalem or the role of the Palestinian government as a whole in order to defend and protect the residents, not only in order not to pay the money of this exorbitant tax, but in order not to force them to leave, and then for the occupation authorities to seize the entire village and annex it to the municipal borders Jerusalem and bringing settlers in their place to live in this village, which has an area of about 1474 dunums, of which 1294 dunums are arable, while the area occupied by citizens’ homes is about 31 dunums.

And he indicated that the occupation authorities are trying to seize the village, annex it to the borders of the Jerusalem municipality, and bring settlers in their place to live in this village, which has an area of about 1474 dunums, of which 1294 dunums are arable.

Pointing out that the village is adjacent to the village of Sur Baher in occupied Jerusalem, but without any roads leading to this village and thus to the borders of the Holy City.

Al-Darawi explained that the amounts that the Israeli Customs and Tax Department and the Jerusalem Municipality began to collect from citizens are retroactive and years ago, indicating that the Israeli side seeks from all these practices is to impose a fait accompli policy, implement forced displacement, and evacuate the village, which is already exposed to the policy of apartheid and forced displacement. They already feel alone and up for grabs with this dangerous policy.

A cautious calm prevailed in Israel on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the suspension of amendments related to judicial reform that have brought thousands of Israelis onto the streets over the past three months.

The protests were intensified after the General Federation of Trade Unions in Israel, Histadrut, announced the general strike, which many sectors began to join in succession.

"Out of my sense of national responsibility and my desire to prevent a rift among our people, I decided to freeze the second and third readings of the bill" in the Knesset, Netanyahu said in a radio interview.

Netanyahu's decision to suspend the legislative steps is considered a dramatic shift, especially since he announced just a day earlier the dismissal of the defense minister who had called for the same step.

Netanyahu's decision did not escape skepticism.

The head of the Israeli Democracy Institute pointed out that Netanyahu's move cannot be considered as expressing a desire for reconciliation.

"Maybe it's a cease-fire in order to remobilize and organize... and move forward," Yohanan Plesner added.

"He (Netanyahu) knew how with beautiful words to turn a crushing defeat into a draw," wrote the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

"Israeli society is boiling, and what (Netanyahu) is proposing is nothing but a measure," Nachum Barnea wrote.

As for the opposition, led by Yair Lapid, it announced its willingness to "serious dialogue", but with conditions.

"If the legislation is truly and completely halted, we are ready to engage in serious dialogue," Lapid said in a televised speech.

The opposition refused earlier to negotiate the file of judicial reform, which it believes will give politicians broader power at the expense of the judiciary.

In a joint statement by Lapid and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, the talks will stop immediately "if legal reforms are put on the Knesset's agenda."

The opposition has identified its representatives for the forthcoming negotiations, in a step that the Likud Party, led by Netanyahu, did not do.

"The aim is to reach an agreement," the prime minister said in a statement on Tuesday.

As for the demonstrators who used to go out every week to protest, they confirmed that they would continue to do so.

The "umbrella" protest movement considered Netanyahu's move a new attempt to shed light on the Israeli public in order to weaken the protest and impose dictatorship.

"We will not stop the protest until the judicial coup stops completely," she added in a statement.

For his part, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called for "real and responsible dialogue."

On Monday, he said he would host talks to find a settlement. His spokesman was unable to provide AFP with a timetable for the talks.

The crisis in the Hebrew state revealed deep divisions within the nascent right-wing government coalition, an alliance of right-wing and far-right parties.

As for Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, he stressed on Monday that "there will be no retreat" from the judicial reform.

Despite the demonstrations and the state of instability in the Jewish state, the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir confirmed on Monday that the reforms "must not stop" and called on his supporters to mobilize support for them.

Ben Gvir threatened to withdraw from the government coalition.

According to Ben Gvir's Jewish Power Party, the decision to suspend the judicial reform talks involves an agreement to expand the powers of the minister.

Yossi Verter, a political correspondent for the left-wing Haaretz daily, wrote that Netanyahu's decision represented "a victory for the demonstrators, but the person who destroyed and trampled on Netanyahu is Itamar Ben Gvir."

The current crisis in the Hebrew state has affected the confidence of the Israeli public in the government that was sworn in last December only.

An opinion poll conducted by Israeli Channel 12 indicated that the right-wing Likud party, led by Netanyahu, fell by seven points.
The poll predicted that the government would lose a majority in the 120-seat parliament if elections were held.

As for the isolated defense minister, Yoav Gallant, his fate has not yet been known, but media reports indicate the possibility of his return to office.

On Monday, Gallant welcomed "the decision to stop the legislative process in order to hold a dialogue," according to what his office confirmed.

The Minister of Defense had indicated his concerns regarding Israel's security in case the government proceeded with the reform program, ignoring the protests.

The New York Times revealed Tuesday that in the 48 hours before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reluctantly postponed his efforts to reform Israel's judiciary, his government "was bombarded with warnings from the Joe Biden administration" that he was threatening Israel's reputation as the true democracy at the heart of the Middle East.

And in the statement released Sunday night, shortly after Netanyahu fired his defense minister because he broke with the government over judicial reform, the White House noted that President Biden told Netanyahu by phone a week ago that democratic values "have always been, and must remain, the hallmark of of the relationship between the United States and Israel" and that major changes to the system should "be pursued with the widest possible base of popular support".

According to the report, the statement was remarkable because in normal times, the official line of the White House - be it a Democrat or a Republican - is that Washington does not interfere in the domestic politics of its allies. In this case, Biden and his advisers dropped all pretensions, putting themselves at public odds with Netanyahu, even though he has positioned himself in conversations with administration officials as a man desperately looking for compromise.

Privately, the talks with the Netanyahu government were more candid, administration officials said, "suggesting that Israel's image as the only democracy in the Middle East was at stake."

The newspaper notes that "the US ambassador to Israel, Thomas R. Nidis, who has deep roots in the Democratic Party that goes back to the Clinton administration, spent the weekend relaying messages from Biden and his staff. Brett McGurk, the White House's chief Middle East official, was And who has worked with both Democratic and Republican presidents, is in frequent contact with Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog" to pass on this message.

And the newspaper reveals that, “By Sunday night (3/26), White House officials had reached two conclusions: The first is that Netanyahu grossly miscalculated when he announced the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had publicly called for a suspension of efforts to pass legislation that would It changes the way judges are appointed. The second conclusion, they said, “is that Netanyahu was looking for a way out of the crisis, and benefited from telling right-wing partners in his fragile coalition that he could not risk losing the support of Israel’s most important ally… His message, said one senior official, was That Israel may soon face a crisis with Iran, which is closer than ever to acquiring nuclear weapons, and that he cannot afford to alienate Washington.

So when Netanyahu declared Monday in Israel that "when there is a possibility to prevent a civil war through dialogue," he would "take time for dialogue," they read it as a message to far-right members of his coalition that he had no other choice, according to the report.

The newspaper quotes one senior official as saying that “Netanyahu has put himself in an impossible predicament, telling American officials and the Israeli public that he was looking for a compromise, and yet trying to assemble the members of the right-wing coalition he needs to stay in power — and who refused to back down, and at the heart of the dispute.” There was a fundamental debate about the nature of democracy, including changes that Netanyahu had never seemed enthusiastic about before — but he had to step back to keep his right-wing coalition together.

The newspaper indicates that Netanyahu insisted that stripping the Israeli Supreme Court of the power to veto laws passed by the Israeli Knesset was necessary to promote true democracy - although he had to suspend this effort a week ago. Changes to how judges were appointed, and to make it more difficult to remove a prime minister, seemed to many critics to place unfettered power in the hands of the government.

The proposed reform also came as Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges, and some fear he may use the changes to extricate himself from his legal troubles.

However, “the Biden team had a more immediate concern. There was an acute awareness that Netanyahu was expected to participate in a second Biden Democracy Summit this week,” said one of the officials. Mr. Netanyahu while hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested that he was dismantling the constraints on his government's power."

The newspaper quotes Dennis Ross, a longtime Middle East negotiator who has worked with US presidents since the Ronald Reagan era, as saying that he is not sure how important a role Biden's arguments played because "pressure from within is much more important than pressure from without." But he noted that once Mr. Gallant announced the fact that IDF reservists were interrupting training missions with their units, the reaction to Netanyahu's legislative initiative became a matter of national security.

Ross said that Netanyahu could argue internally that "the Iranian nuclear threat has become more acute and Israel may soon have to deal with it and cannot afford the United States backing down over judicial reform."

The newspaper says, "President Biden has always been clear that he was separating issues of defending Israel from his differences with Netanyahu over preserving democratic institutions. And American forces participated in a major military exercise several weeks ago that was a clear message to Iran, even as protesters took to the streets in Israel".

But questions about the depth of Congressional zeal to defend Israel have always lurked in the background, especially with the progressive side of the Democratic Party raising doubts about the wisdom of US military aid, at a time when the Netanyahu government was declaring that Jewish settlements in the disputed areas would be permanent.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that it had shot down a US long-range GLSDB missile, in the first confirmation that the weapons had been delivered to Ukraine , which it deems necessary to launch a counterattack.

"The anti-aircraft defense shot down... 18 HIMARS missiles and a GLSDB guided missile," the ministry said in a statement about these missiles, which have a range of 150 kilometers, and the United States promised to deliver them to Kiev in early February.

The Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb, which means "the small-diameter bomb launched from the ground", is a small-diameter, high-precision device manufactured by the American companies "Boeing" and the Swedish "Saab". It can fly up to 150 kilometers and thus threaten Russian positions, especially ammunition depots.

Ukraine insisted that it needs these weapons to destroy Russian supply lines and thus compensate for the shortage of its manpower and ammunition in preparation for its next counterattack to repel the Russian forces that occupy large parts of southern and eastern Ukraine.

Westerners were reluctant to deliver long-range missile systems to Ukraine for fear of using them to strike Russian territory and cause an escalation of the war.

But Kiev has pledged several times that it will only use it to attack targets in the occupied territories.

On February 3, the United States announced that it would deliver GLSDB missiles to Ukraine, without specifying a date.

European Union countries gave final approval Tuesday to ban sales of new fossil-fuel cars from 2035, after Germany dropped its reservations.

The vote was a formality, after the ambassadors of the European Union countries, on Monday, endorsed the historic agreement.

The majority of the European bloc's ministers agreed to the ban on Tuesday during a meeting in Brussels, with Poland being the only opposition, and Bulgaria, Italy and Romania abstaining from the vote.

The historic agreement to ban sales of new cars powered by fossil fuels as of 2035 is of great importance in terms of the bloc's pioneering plan to transition to a "climate neutral" economy by 2050, with zero emissions of greenhouse gases.

But in an unprecedented move this month, Germany, the leading automaker, blocked the agreement at the last minute after it was approved according to the traditional legislative mechanism of the European Union.

Berlin called on Brussels to provide guarantees that the law would allow the sale of new cars that rely on fuel combustion engines, provided they consume synthetic fuel, according to the agreement announced on Saturday.

The synthetic fuels that Germany wanted exempt from the ban are still being developed and produced using low-carbon electricity.

The technology is unproven, but German manufacturers hope it will lead to broader use of combustion engines.

Observers believe that domestic political calculations are behind Germany's initial move to block the deal, to the chagrin of some of Berlin's European partners.

The Social Democratic Party, led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, leads a coalition government with the Greens and Liberals defending the move.

On Saturday, the European Union and Germany announced that they had reached an agreement that puts an end to the dispute over a project to ban sales of new cars powered by fossil fuels, starting from 2035.

"With today's EU Council final vote, the European Union has taken an important step towards zero-emissions mobility," European Commission climate projects chief Frans Timmermans wrote on Twitter Tuesday.

The National Commission for Supporting Our People at Home warned of the so-called (Palestinian National Guard ) with the aim of suffocating and besieging the Palestinians inside.

The National Authority for the Support and Support of our Palestinian People at Home considered the fascist "Ben Ghafir"'s announcement yesterday of his agreement to postpone the judicial amendments in exchange for ratifying the establishment of the so-called "National Guard" and his direct subordination to it as a step towards further strangling and besieging the Palestinians of the occupied interior.

The commission considered that this declaration is a legitimization of the settler’s ongoing crimes against the Palestinians inside, and that the so-called National Guard is nothing but a terrorist organization whose first title of violence will be the Palestinians in the Negev, the coastal cities and the Galilee, and it will work to fight the Palestinians and carry out field executions and intimidate them.

The commission affirmed that our people will not allow Netanyahu's maneuvers and goals to preserve his ruling coalition, which will not be at the expense of our people and their inalienable and legitimate rights.

The Commission called on the components of the occupied interior to cohesion and unity in the face of these provocative steps, stressing at the same time that this step will be shattered in the face of the will and steadfastness of our people in the occupied interior, just as all previous terrorist plans were shattered.

The commission called on human rights organizations and bodies active in human rights to work in all international and local forums to expose the plans of the occupation against our people at home.

Bulgarian police said that dozens of schools across the country were ordered to close Monday and Tuesday after receiving email threats of bombs suspected of links to Russia .

"Investigators have come to a major conclusion that these are mixed attacks linked in some way to Russia," Interior Minister Ivan Demirdzhiev said.

The Bulgarian authorities asked for help from the intelligence services of their partners, especially the United States, in an attempt to find out the source of these threats, he added.

The authorities announced that the source of the email threats were Google accounts.

"There are TNT explosives placed in all schools. Your schools will explode soon. I hope you will die," said a message seen by Agence France-Presse.

The prosecutor's office said it was investigating a crime against the republic or terrorism and was working to determine the source of the attacks.

This warning led to the evacuation of dozens of students from schools in the capital, Sofia, and cities located on the Black Sea, Burgas, Varna, and Pleven in eastern Bulgaria, and Pleven in the north, which sparked a state of panic.

No explosives have yet been found in the schools.

In all, 102 explosive threats have been recorded since Monday.

These attacks come days before the general elections in Bulgaria on Sunday, when most polling stations were held in schools.
But the vote will go ahead as planned, unless an actual threat emerges, as confirmed by the interior minister.

President Mahmoud Abbas decided, on Tuesday, to make amendments to the law appointing or terminating the services of the head of the General Intelligence Service .

The amendments stipulate that the termination of the services of the head of the intelligence service shall not be limited to the legal age used previously.

The decision also stipulates that he be treated with the rank of minister and has governmental powers to do so.

The Arab Islamic Bank held the twenty-seventh ordinary and extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly today, Tuesday, in the city of Ramallah, in the presence of a number of legal persons. The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank, Mr. Rushdi Al-Ghalayini, and in the presence of the Bank’s General Manager, Mr. Hani Nasser, the representative of the corporate controller and the bank’s legal advisor, and representatives On behalf of the Palestine Monetary Authority, the Palestine Stock Exchange , the Capital Market Authority , the external auditor of the bank, Ernst & Young Palestine, a number of the bank’s shareholders, members of the Board of Directors, the session writer, Mrs. Adiba Afana, Director of the Legal Affairs Department, and the session observers, the Director of the Financial Department, Mr. Maysara Salameh, and the Director of Risk Management, Mr. Saed Miqdadi, and the shareholder attendance rate was 91.5%.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank, Mr. Rushdi Al-Ghalayini, welcomed the guests and presented to them the most important achievements achieved by the Bank for the year 2022, indicating that the year 2022 was a complement to the march of the Bank’s strategic goals, as the required growth was achieved for this year, and the banking services it provided were improved and developed, which were clearly reflected in the expansion of its results. The Bank's customer base and its strong financial performance, as the Bank continued during the past year to harness relevant technological developments to develop its digital capabilities, maintaining them as the basis for its operations and strategies, and striving to be the leading digital Islamic bank in the corporate and retail banking services sector in Palestine.

For his part, the general manager of the bank, Mr. Hani Nasser, indicated that the bank achieved after-tax profits amounting to about $13.1 million by the end of 2022, compared to profits of about $11.7 million in 2021, achieving a growth of about 12%, and its operating profits before Taxes are about $22 million, compared to $18.5 in 2021, with a growth rate of 18%, mainly due to the significant growth in the Bank's operating revenues.

In terms of other financial indicators, the General Manager of the Bank, Mr. Hani Nasser, added that the bank's assets amounted to 1,660,725,735 dollars, while the total customer deposits amounted to 1,392,048,763 dollars, while the balance of direct credit financing amounted to 1,028,339,808 dollars, achieving growth compared to last year, in order for the bank to maintain its market shares. In terms of assets, the market share reached about 8%, and in terms of direct financing, it reached 9.42%. As for customer deposits, the market share reached about 8.61%. The bank was also able to maintain sufficient credit provisions to face any potential credit losses, whether on direct or indirect financing. Other financial instruments.

The General Assembly approved the distribution of cash dividends in the amount of $4,000,000, or 4.15% of the nominal value of the share, and the distribution of bonus shares in the amount of $4,900,000, or 5.09% of the nominal value of the share. The liability of the members of the Board of Directors for the year ending on 12/31/2022 in accordance with the provisions of the law.

It was also approved to raise the paid-up capital to $101,119,252, in addition to authorizing the Board of Directors to increase the capital within a period not exceeding five years, with a ceiling of $12,880,748, so that the capital after the increase becomes $114,000,000, and authorizing the Board to take the decision to determine the mechanism and method for the timing of the increase for each stage, and approval To amend the memorandum of association and articles of association with articles related to capital.

Finally, the policy of rewards, bonuses, incentives, and fees prescribed for the Board of Directors, executive management, and employees of the bank was approved, as well as the approval of the amended system for the Arab Islamic Bank Employees Provident Fund.