Israel
UN Security Council Resolution on Settlements
A Monday UN Security Council meeting will discuss Israel recently approving nearly 10,000 new housing units in the West Bank and retroactively legalizing nine outposts. The council also might vote on a UAE and Palestinian Authority-drafted resolution insisting “Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated Thursday, “We’re deeply dismayed by Israelis’ announcement that they will advance thousands of new settlements and retroactively legalize nine outposts in the West Bank... The United States strongly opposes these unilateral measures, which exacerbate tensions, harm trust between the parties, and undermine the geographic viability of the two-state solution.” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield refused to inform reporters whether Washington will veto the resolution.
Judicial Reform
16 senior ex-security officials signed an open letter asking President Isaac Herzog not to sign “legislation contradicting the national-Jewish, democratic, and progressive character of Israel in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence.” Signatories include former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman, former Mossad directors Tamir Pardo and Danny Yatom, ex-police commissioner Shlomo Aharonishki, and former national security adviser Uzi Arad. Presidential signatures are a formality as they lack the power to veto legislation.
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda’s Leader
A Monday report from the UN Security Council’s committee monitoring sanctions on Al-Qaeda and the Taliban concluded Saif al-Adel succeeded Ayman al-Zawahiri as al-Qaeda’s leader and that he currently resides in Iran. State Department Spokesman Ned Price on Wednesday stated the US concurs with the UN report’s assessment.
As for Iran providing Saif al-Adel with sanctuary, he said, “Offering safe haven to al-Qaeda is just another example of Iran’s wide-ranging support for terrorism, its destabilizing activities in the Middle East and beyond.” However, when pressed, Price acknowledged that the administration would not impose any additional penalties on Iran for harboring al-Adel. On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian tweeted, “I advise White House to stop the failed Iranophobia game. Linking Al-Qaeda to Iran is patently absurd and baseless. Those who created Al-Qaeda and DAESH must be held accountable for spreading terrorism worldwide. Don’t give false address!”
Turkey
NATO Expansion
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday held a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara to address ongoing NATO humanitarian efforts following the February 6 earthquake, which killed more than 38,000 people in Turkey. Stoltenberg then singled out Sweden and Finland’s contributions and urged Turkey to ratify immediately their accession to NATO. Cavusoglu reiterated Ankara’s position that it will only consider Finland’s application. Turkey accuses Sweden of harboring Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorists and not taking sufficient action to prevent Quran desecration. A fringe political activist burned a Quran outside Turkey’s Stockholm embassy on January 21.
Iran
Raisi’s State Visit to China
As Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi completed a three-day state visit to China on Thursday, the two countries issued a joint statement. In it, they “agreed to increase cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism...expand the holding of joint military exercises and personnel training... implement pilot projects in agricultural technology cooperation... [and removing] Iran[ian] visa [requirements] for Chinese tourists.” The document also condemned America’s 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA and called for removing all sanctions connected with Iran’s nuclear program. This was the first Iranian state visit to China in 20 years.
Renewed Protests
According to Al Arabiya, “Videos posted on Twitter showed demonstrations on Thursday in the cities of Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Izeh, Gorgan, Arak, and Isfahan.” The large demonstrations mark 40 days since the execution of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini for allegedly killing a Basij militiaman during the now mostly suppressed Mahsa Amini protests. The Associated Press still has not verified the videos.
Lebanon
Anti-Bank Riot
After the Lebanese pound plunged to a record low of £L80,000/US$1 on the black market, rioters set at least six Beirut banks on fire and tried to storm the home of Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) CEO Salim Sfeir. The ABL organized an ongoing bank strike last week after the Court of Cassation ruled Fransabank must pay in cash, rather than a check, a couple seeking to access blocked deposits. Lebanon’s central bank maintained a £L1,507.5/US$1 peg from 1997 until the Lebanese liquidity crisis that started in the summer of 2019.
Tunisia
Journalists Protest
The Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) organized a Thursday rally to protest Decree 2022-54 and the growing crackdown on political dissidents. President Kais Saied dissolved parliament and started ruling by decree in 2021. In September 2022, Saied issued Decree 2022-54, which made anyone “who deliberately uses communication networks and information systems to produce, promote, publish, or send false information or rumors” liable to serve five years in prison. The penalty is doubled for “false information” targeting government officials.
Police last Monday arrested Noureddine Boutar, director of the independent Mosaïque FM radio station, on the third day of a wave of arrests of opposition politicians and activists. Others detained include former justice minister Noureddine Bhiri, former FDTL party MP Khayam Turki, and Abdelhamid Jelassi, a former senior Ennahdha leader. Authorities arrested Lazhar Akremi, Khayam Turki’s attorney as well as a former MP and minister from the Nidaa Tounes party, on Tuesday.
OPEC+
Adhering to the October 2022 Production Cut Agreement
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman confirmed during a Tuesday interview that, despite growing demand since China ended its Zero-COVID Policy, OPEC+ will adhere to an October 2022 agreement to cut oil production by 2 million barrels/day from November 2022 through 2023. Russia is by far the largest non-OPEC oil exporter in OPEC+.
