Israel Postpones Judicial Overhaul Plan
Plus: Kabul's only Library shut down, Lebanon reverses decision to delay daylight saving time, Saudi National Bank chair steps down, Egypt offers cash to control births, and much more.
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Israel Postpones Judicial Overhaul Plan
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has delayed his government's proposals to overhaul the judiciary following a weekend of nationwide protests.
On Monday, March 27, he announced that he would postpone the judicial changes until the next parliamentary session to seek a compromise with his political opponents. However, it remains uncertain whether the protests will end.
Opposition to the proposed changes, which include limiting the power of the Supreme Court and giving the government greater control over judicial appointments, has sparked widespread unrest.
Hospitals, universities, and the country's largest trade union have announced a general strike, while civil servants, tech workers, and local municipalities have joined the action.
The strikes followed Netanyahu's decision to sack his defense minister for opposing the reforms and significant pushback from the military, Israel's hi-tech sector, and US allies.
Critics of the reforms argue that they will undermine Israel's democracy by weakening the judiciary's ability to check government power.
The government contends that reform is overdue, although the proposed changes go further than some would like.
One reform has already become law, removing the attorney general's power to declare a sitting prime minister unfit for office.
This move raised speculation that the attorney general was preparing to do so in Netanyahu's ongoing trial, which has a potential conflict of interest with the proposed reforms.
Kabul's Only Library for Women Shuts Down After Taliban Threats and Harassment
Zan Library, the only center for women in Kabul, closed two weeks ago due to threats and harassment from the Taliban. Since mid-March, Afghan women have lost one of Kabul's last cultural and freedom havens.
Zan, which means "woman" in Dari, opened in August 2022 to promote culture and reading among women and girls with limited access to education due to the Taliban's policies.
Co-founder Laila Basim said that visiting the library was also a form of civilian resistance by women against the Taliban's misguided policies.
Despite the Taliban sealing the door twice, the library remained open with the help of Basim's friends. However, the Taliban's actions escalated as they began visiting daily, questioning the activities inside and stating that a woman's place was at home. Finally, four security forces members stormed in and questioned the library's legality.
Lebanon Reverses Decision to Delay Daylight Saving Time
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, announced on Monday, -March 27, that daylight saving time (DST) will begin as originally scheduled, with clocks moving one hour ahead on Wednesday night, March 29.
Mikati's decision to delay DST by a month last week sparked controversy. It conflicted with the schedules of many businesses and Christian churches that had already moved their clocks forward. The initial delay was made to accommodate Muslim fast-breaking times during Ramadan, but after a weekend of debate, Mikati reversed the decision to postpone.
To learn more about the issue and its sectarian implications, check out my latest article on the topic, published in Middle East Eye.
Saudi National Bank Chair Steps Down Following Comments About Credit Suisse
Ammar Al Khudairy, the chairman of the largest shareholder of Credit Suisse Group AG, resigned from his position as chairman of Saudi National Bank shortly after his comments led to a drop in the company's stock and bonds, resulting in the Swiss government's intervention and takeover.
Al Khudairy resigned 12 days after he stated in an interview with Bloomberg TV that Saudi National Bank would not consider further investments in Credit Suisse if the company required additional liquidity.
Following his remarks, Credit Suisse's stock plummeted to its lowest level on record, and its credit spreads increased.
This decline also had a domino effect on European banks as investors opted for lower-risk investments in the aftermath of three US banks' failures.
Iranian Foreign Minister in Russia for Discussions on Nuclear Deal
Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, has arrived in Russia to discuss the revival of the 2015 nuclear agreement with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
While in Moscow, Amirabdollahian expressed appreciation for Russia's involvement in past nuclear talks held in Vienna, which ultimately failed in August of last year.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which aimed to limit Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting economic sanctions, is the agreement being discussed between the Iranian and Russian foreign ministers.
The JCPOA was dissolved in 2018 when the US, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, withdrew from the agreement. Attempts to restore the deal have been unsuccessful to date.
Meanwhile, deputy foreign ministers from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria are scheduled to meet in Moscow next month to explore ways to extend the normalization of relations with Syria throughout the region.
Saudi Arabia Strengthens Ties with Beijing, Takes Step to Join China-Led Security Bloc
On Tuesday, March 28, the Saudi cabinet, led by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, approved a memorandum granting Riyadh the status of dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a political, security, and trade alliance.
This decision, which falls short of full membership, strengthens Saudi Arabia's ties to the east and represents a further shift away from the interests of the United States.
The SCO's full members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and four other central Asian nations.
By joining the organization, Saudi Arabia aligns itself with these countries at a time when China is asserting its influence in the Middle East.
In March, China facilitated a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran, traditional rivals in the region, to restore diplomatic relations and reopen embassies in each other's countries.
US Treasury Sanctions Assad's Cousins and Others for Drug Trade
The United States has imposed new sanctions on six individuals for their involvement in producing or exporting captagon, a dangerous amphetamine.
Among those targeted were two cousins of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The captagon trade is believed to be a billion-dollar enterprise and is predominantly controlled by Lebanese drug traffickers and the Assad family, who use the proceeds to fund the Syrian government.
The Treasury Department also targeted Lebanese affiliates, some of whom have ties to the heavily armed Hezbollah group, a close ally of Assad in the ongoing conflict with opposition and rebel forces.
Despite these accusations, Assad's government denies involvement in drug-making and smuggling and claims to be ramping up efforts to combat the trade. Similarly, Hezbollah has denied any wrongdoing.
Captagon is in high demand in the Gulf region, and Syria has become the primary production site for the multi-billion-dollar drug trade, which also exports to Europe, according to anti-narcotics officials from the United Nations and Western countries.
Egypt Offers Cash to Control Births
The Egyptian government is planning to implement an incentive program aimed at reducing the country's fertility rate for women between the ages of 21 and 45.
Married women with two children or less will be paid 1,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $32) annually to discourage them from having more children.
The accumulated amount will be given to each woman when she turns 45, based on her age when she joins the program.
However, if a woman gives birth to a third child, she forfeits her right to claim any amount.
Egypt is the most populous nation in the Arab world, with a population of over 104 million and the third-largest in Africa.
The incentive program is part of the National Project for Development of the Egyptian Family, which aims to improve demographic characteristics by addressing the issue of overpopulation.
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My name is Dario Sabaghi, and I am a freelance journalist interested in international news focusing on the MENA region.
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Cover photo: Google