Will ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis serve in the military?
The government is under growing pressure to end a decades-long exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews. For generations, ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis have been exempt from military service. But a court order could soon change that. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has filed a last-minute application to the Supreme Court for a ruling to be deferred for 30 days. And the controversy isn’t going anywhere. Israel’s war on Gaza is fuelling a sense of urgency and anger among Israelis required to sign up. So how much of a threat does this pose to Netanyahu’s coalition? And would his government survive the fallout from such a change of policy? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Efraim Inbar – President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security Yossi Mekelberg – Associate fellow at Chatham House specialising in Israeli and Middle East politics Meron Rapoport – Editor of Hebrew-language news site Local Call Adblock test (Why?)
Photos: Aftermath of an Israeli air strike on hospital courtyard
At least two people have been killed and several others wounded after an Israeli air strike hit the courtyard of the crowded Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Palestinian authorities said. The Government Media Office in Gaza, which is governed by the Palestinian group Hamas, said the attack struck a tent where displaced people were sheltering and journalists were working. At least two displaced people were killed in the air strike and three journalists were wounded, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence. Israel’s military said the attack targeted a command centre operated by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad armed group. Adblock test (Why?)
Ramadan 2024: Where do your dates come from?
As the sun goes down during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, many Muslims will break their fasts with a sweet, brown, dried fruit that has ancient history in the region. During these 29 or 30 days, able-bodied, observant Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations during daylight hours to achieve greater “taqwa”, or consciousness of God. Breaking one’s fast with dates and water is rooted in the religious teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and is specifically mentioned in the Quran for its nutritional value. Dates, fresh or dried, contain important vitamins, minerals and fibre. They are also high in antioxidants. Given their high level of fructose, a natural sugar found in fruit, dates are a great source of energy, especially after a long day’s fast. There are many different varieties of dates, each with different tastes and textures: Medjool: known for their large size, sweet taste, amber colour and richness in flavour Mabroom: less sweet than other kinds of dates with an elongated shape, reddish-brown hue and chewiness Ajwa: have a soft, fleshy, almost juicy feel, are very sweet and are among the dates most revered by Muslims because they are grown in Medina, Saudi Arabia Deglet Noor: medium-sized, lighter in colour and ideal for cooking and baking Piarom: darker skin, rich flavour, slightly drier and known for their unique taste Interesting facts about dates Dates have been cultivated for thousands of years. Date palm trees are either male or female, and only the female plant produces fruit. A mature date palm can produce more than 100kg (220lb) of dates per harvest season – about 10,000 dates. The Ajwa date is the most expensive date in the world. Top producers of dates In 2022, according to Tridge, a food and agriculture database, about 10 billion kilogrammes (22 billion pounds) of dates were produced worldwide. Dates tend to thrive in countries with long, hot summers like those in the Middle East and neighbouring regions. Egypt is the world’s top date producer, producing nearly one in five, or 18 percent, of the world’s dates, according to Tridge. Saudi Arabia follows at nearly 17 percent with Algeria rounding off the top three at 13 percent. The infographic below shows where most of the world’s dates come from: Boycotting Israeli dates Israel is one of the world’s largest exporters of dates, selling $330m of medjool dates abroad in 2022, according to Tridge. During Israel’s nearly six-month war on Gaza, which has killed more than 32,000 people, several groups have called for a boycott of Israel-related products. One such group is the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), a Palestinian-led initiative that seeks to challenge international support for what it calls Israeli apartheid and settler colonialism. BDS has urged consumers to always check labels and not buy dates that are produced or packaged in Israel or its settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law. They recommend avoiding the following brands: Hadiklaim and its brands: King Solomon, Jordan River and Jordan River Bio-Top Mehadrin MTex Edom Carmel AgrexcoArava Adblock test (Why?)
Polls open in Turkey local elections in key test of Erdogan’s popularity
Polls have opened in Turkey for local elections in a crucial test for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he seeks to win back control of key urban areas he lost to the opposition five years ago. Voting stations opened on Sunday at 7am local time (04:00 GMT) in eastern Turkey, with voting elsewhere starting at 8am and ending at 5pm. Initial results are expected by 10pm (19:00 GMT). The vote is a barometer of Erdogan’s popularity and will decide who gets to control the economic hub of Istanbul and the capital Ankara, both of which he lost in 2019. The 70-year-old Turkish leader has set his sights on wresting back Istanbul, a city of 16 million people, where he was born and raised, and where he began his political career as mayor in 1994. “Winning major cities is more of a deal for the opposition, but also it means access to foreign funds, having transnational links with both economic actors and political actors,” Evren Balta, professor of political science at Turkey’s Ozyegin University, told Al Jazeera. “If you are governing a major global city, it means you have visibility in the international scene.” A strong showing for Erdogan’s ruling Islamic-oriented Justice and Development Party, or the AK Party, would likely harden his resolve to usher in a new constitution – one that would reflect his conservative values and allow him to rule beyond 2028, when his current term ends, analysts say. For the opposition – divided and demoralised after a defeat in last year’s presidential and parliamentary elections – keeping Istanbul and Ankara would be a tremendous boost and help remobilise supporters. Some 61 million people, including more than a million first-time voters, are eligible to cast ballots for all metropolitan municipalities, town and district mayorships as well as neighbourhood administrations. Vote amid cost of living crisis Turnout is traditionally high in Turkey, but this time the vote comes against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis. Observers say disillusioned opposition supporters could opt to stay home, doubting its ability to change things. Governing party supporters, meanwhile, could also choose not to go to the polls in protest of the economic downturn that has left many struggling to pay for food, utilities and rent. Some 594,000 security personnel will be on duty across the country to ensure the vote goes smoothly, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. Polls have pointed to a close race between Istanbul’s incumbent mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, of the main opposition, pro-secular Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and the AK Party’s candidate Murat Kurum, a former urbanisation and environment minister. However, this time, Imamoglu – a popular figure touted as a possible future challenger to Erdogan – is running without the support of some of the parties that helped him to victory in 2019. Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said whoever wins the polls will have “far-reaching implications” on Turkey’s politics. “Imamoglu’s victory might lent him opposition leadership and presidential nomination in 2028. But Kurum’s victory might help President Erdogan strengthen his power base and repair his legacy, particularly the troubled economy and foreign affairs.” Meanwhile, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the nationalist IYI Party (the Good Party) are fielding their own candidates in the race, which could siphon votes away from Imamoglu. A six-party opposition alliance led by CHP disintegrated after it failed to remove Erdogan in last year’s election, unable to capitalise on the economic crisis and the government’s initially poor response to last year’s devastating earthquake that killed more than 53,000 people. One factor working against Erdogan is a rise in support for the Islamist New Welfare Party (YRP) due to its hardline stance against Israel over the war in Gaza and dissatisfaction with the AK Party’s handling of the economy. In Ankara, incumbent Mayor Mansur Yavas – also seen as a potential future challenger to Erdogan – is expected to retain his post, according to opinion polls. His challenger – Turgut Altinok, the AK Party candidate and mayor of Ankara’s Kecioren district – has failed to drum up excitement among supporters. In Turkey’s mainly Kurdish-populated southeast, the DEM Party is expected to win many of the municipalities but it is unclear whether it would be allowed to retain them. In previous years, Erdogan’s government removed elected pro-Kurdish mayors from office for alleged links to Kurdish groups and replaced them with state-appointed trustees. Adblock test (Why?)
Car bomb kills at least seven in Syrian town near Turkish border
The blast occurred in the Syrian opposition city of Azaz during peak late night shopping after breaking the day’s Ramadan fast. At least seven people have been killed and 30 others injured after a car bomb went off in a busy marketplace in the Syrian opposition city of Azaz in the northern Aleppo province. Residents and rescuers told the Reuters news agency the blast late on Saturday occurred as residents were shopping after breaking their fast as part of activities in the ongoing Muslim month of Ramadan. Syria’s Civil Defence forces – The White Helmets – said at least 30 were wounded as the blast tore through the packed market, with some seriously injured transferred to local hospitals. The group, in a post on X, said its initial tally saw that three people – including two children – had died in the blast. “Our teams recovered and treated several of the injured and inspected the area,” The White Helmets said. “The explosion also caused major damage to shops, civilian homes, cars, and motorcycles at the site.” 3 civilians were killed (two children and an unidentified woman), and 5 civilians, including a child, were injured, in an initial toll after a car bomb explosion that occurred in a market in the city of Azaz, north of #Aleppo, after midnight today, Sunday, March 31. Our teams… pic.twitter.com/DEzW1zkj6f — The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) March 30, 2024 Yaseen Shalabi, who was near the site of the explosion and was shopping with his family confirmed to Reuters that the area was experiencing “heavy congestion by shoppers” at the time of the explosion. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Syria, which has been in a state of civil war since 2011, remains a divided country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regained control of two-thirds of the country, with the help of his allies Russia, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group. The northwest is still under the control of opposition forces. Azaz, close to the Turkish border, is held by Syrian rebel groups backed by Turkey and opposed to al-Assad. It is home to the Syrian interim government, which claims to be the legitimate authority in the troubled country. The predominantly Kurdish YPG, or People’s Protection Units, has previously launched attacks in the area. The group controls large swaths of areas in Syria’s north and northeast regions. Turkey considers the armed group to be the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a designated “terrorist” group in Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Azaz is a majority-Arab town with a significant Kurdish population. At least five people died when it was hit by a missile attack in November 2022. In 2017, more than 40 people were killed when a car bomb was detonated outside the town’s courthouse. Adblock test (Why?)
Aid ships with nearly 400 tonnes of food depart Cyprus for Gaza
Saturday’s shipment marks the second delivery by sea as Gaza faces imminent famine while Israel continues to block aid. A three-ship convoy has left Cyprus’s Larnaca Port headed for the Gaza Strip with nearly 400 tonnes of food and other supplies as people continue to die from hunger in the enclave amid Israel’s ongoing war. The aid that departed on Saturday will be taken to Gaza by a cargo ship and a platform towed by a salvage vessel. The shipment comes as several NGOs and rights organisations accuse Israel of deliberately blocking aid to Gaza, amid warnings of imminent famine in the besieged strip. Charity, World Central Kitchen (WCK) said the vessels were carrying ready-to-eat items like rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, and proteins, enough to prepare more than one million meals. Dates, which are traditionally eaten to break the daily fast during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, were also on board. An aid ship operated by the Spanish NGO Open Arms delivered 200 tonnes of food aid on March 16, which WCK distributed. During that mission, a makeshift jetty was constructed from rubble to enable offloading in the enclave, which does not have any port facilities. The mission was financed mainly by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and received the support of the Cypriot authorities. Saturday’s dispatch includes two forklifts and a crane to assist with future marine deliveries. Separately, the United States plans to construct a floating pier off Gaza to receive aid. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said late on Friday that the target completion date is May 1, but it could be ready by around April 15. Israel’s war on Gaza has displaced more than 80 percent of Gaza’s population and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine, the United Nations and international aid agencies have said. Israel’s military said it continued to attack dozens of targets in Gaza, days after the UN Security Council issued its first demand for a ceasefire. Airdrops The US military said during an airdrop on Friday that it had released more than 100,000 pounds (45,000kg) of aid that day and almost a million pounds (453,000kg) overall, part of a multicountry effort. But the aid is not sufficient, and aid groups have criticised the drops as “symbolic” as Israel continues its war on Gaza. In some cases, the drops have proven lethal, with one killing five people in an incident when a parachute failed to open, and 12 people drowned as they attempted to get aid dropped in the sea. Humanitarian officials say deliveries by sea and air are not enough and that Israel must allow far more aid by road. Speaking to reporters in Egypt on Saturday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that the state of near-famine in Gaza can be dealt with in a short time if Israel opened the land crossings for aid to enter. Impending famine The UN-backed global authority on food security warned earlier this month that famine was likely to occur by May in northern Gaza and could spread across the enclave of 2.3 million people by July. On Friday, a senior US Department of State official told the Reuters news agency that famine is “quite possibly” present in parts of the north, adding that an obstacle to getting more aid to Palestinians was a scarcity of trucks in the enclave under Israeli siege. “While we can say with confidence that famine is a significant risk in the south and centre but not present, in the north it is both a risk and quite possibly is present in at least some areas,” the official said on condition of anonymity. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Wednesday described “tremendous challenges” to distributing aid in Gaza, including a “lack of security, lack of cooperation with the Israeli authorities, lack of a sufficient number of trucks, not enough fuel.” Adblock test (Why?)
Belfast mural artists put up powerful show of solidarity with Gaza
A group of mural artists in Northern Ireland have transformed Belfast’s iconic International Wall into the Palestinian Wall, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people and artists amid Israel’s continuing war on Gaza. The mural artists painted images that were sent to them by Palestinian artists who would have risked imprisonment, and even their safety, had they attempted to create these works in their homeland in the occupied West Bank. The Wall on Divis Street in Belfast, well known for its political murals, is now decorated with striking images commemorating Palestinians and their struggle for freedom. Adblock test (Why?)
Zelenskyy fires aides in reshuffle, Russia launches air attack at Ukraine
Top aide Serhiy Shefir was among those dismissed as well as three advisers and two presidential representatives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed a longtime aide and several advisers in a continuing reshuffle on Saturday, while Russia unleashed new attacks overnight. Zelenskyy dismissed top aide Serhiy Shefir from his post of first assistant, where he had served since 2019. The Ukrainian president also let go of three advisers and two presidential representatives overseeing volunteer activities and soldiers’ rights. No explanation was given immediately for the latest changes in a wide-reaching personnel shake-up over recent months. It included the dismissal on Tuesday of Oleksii Danilov, who served as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, and Valerii Zaluzhnyi as head of the armed forces on February 8. Zaluzhnyi was appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom earlier this month. Drones, and missiles fired across Ukraine Ukraine’s air force said on Saturday that Russia launched 12 Shahed drones overnight, nine of which were shot down, and fired four missiles into eastern Ukraine. Russia unleashed a barrage of 38 missiles, 75 air raids and 98 attacks from multiple rocket launchers over the last 24 hours, Ukraine’s armed forces said in social media posts. Two people were killed and one wounded in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk province, regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Saturday. Ukrainian energy company Centrenergo announced that the Zmiiv Thermal Power Plant, one of the largest thermal power plants in the eastern Kharkiv region, was completely destroyed following Russian shelling last week. Power outage schedules were still in place for approximately 120,000 people in the region, where 700,000 people had lost electricity after the plant was hit on March 22. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent days, causing significant damage in several regions. Officials in the Poltava region said on Saturday that there had been “several hits” to an infrastructure facility without specifying whether it was an energy facility. Meanwhile, the toll of Friday’s mass barrage of 99 drones and missiles hitting regions across Ukraine came to light on Saturday, with local officials in the Kherson region announcing the death of one civilian. A resident of the Dnipropetrovsk region died in a hospital from shell wounds, according to regional Governor Serhiy Lisak. Adblock test (Why?)
Gaza war reminds Vietnam of liberation struggle once shared with Palestine
Hanoi, Vietnam – At a private venue tucked away in a narrow alley in Hanoi’s city centre, a group of more than 20 people listened attentively to Saleem Hammad, a charismatic, 30-year-old Palestinian man, as he spoke in fluent Vietnamese. Hammad, who runs a business in Vietnam, shared an incident from his childhood in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Those present listened as he recounted a vivid memory of being awoken one night as Israeli soldiers surrounded and raided his family home. Earlier, he had told those attending the discussion that Vietnam’s history of fighting for liberation against the United States had inspired Palestinians in their struggle against Israel’s occupation of their lands. “Vietnamese people, with their painful and glorious history, have always been the source of inspiration for the Palestinians in our struggle for justice,” Hammad told his audience. “We always look up to you as the role model.” Horrified by Israel’s war on Gaza and the spiralling death toll, primarily young Vietnamese people have begun to raise their voices in support of Palestinians. In the process, they are discovering historical ties between Vietnam and Palestine and their shared fights for national liberation. But the decades-old relationship between the two nations has been overshadowed by more recent promotion of Israel’s business culture to a younger generation of Vietnamese. Focused on achieving success in Vietnam’s fast-growing free market economy, many have been inspired by Israel’s startup business culture while knowing little about the darker side of Israel’s success in terms of its long occupation of Palestinian land. Organised late last year by pro-Palestinian activists Trinh* and Vuong*, the gathering where Hammad spoke was inspired by the student activism the pair encountered while studying in the US. Trinh and Vuong are part of a burgeoning grassroots movement among Vietnamese youth who have been drawn to the Palestinian cause since the war on Gaza started in October. But Vietnam’s strict policies against public assemblies and political activism means pro-Palestinian campaigners have to come up with low-key and creative ways of organising events without attracting the unwanted attention of Vietnamese authorities. In Ho Chi Minh City, Trinh and some friends have organised discussions on Palestine and drawing classes with a Palestinian theme. A designer by training, Trinh has also worked with fellow creatives to design pro-Palestine merchandise, political art and fanzines. Vietnamese youth create art in support of Palestine [Courtesy of Tu Ly] In November, a screening of documentaries and films on Palestine, the Nakba and the history of Israel’s occupation of Palestine took place under the title Films for Liberation: Palestine Forever with the aim, according to the organisers, of undoing “the demonising descriptions of the Palestinians” by “Western and imperialist” actors. On social media, a host of Vietnamese-language fan pages has sprung up featuring translated Palestinian poems, pro-Palestine artwork and analyses on the history of the conflict while the embassy of Palestine in Vietnam invited former veterans of the war against the US, academics, activists and members of the public to a commemoration for those killed in Gaza. On November 29, which is the United Nations-designated International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Vietnam’s government also published a message from then-President Vo Van Thuong in which he spoke of the long history of fraternity between Vietnam and Palestine and “Vietnam’s strong support and solidarity with the Palestinians in their struggle for justice”. But the relationship between Vietnam and Palestine is not as it once was. Adblock test (Why?)
Senegal’s top court confirms Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s election victory
The 44-year-old will be inaugurated to replace Macky Sall, who ruled the West African nation for 12 years. Senegal’s Constitutional Council has confirmed the presidential election victory of opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The confirmation on Friday paves the way for his inauguration as the country’s fifth president, which is expected to take place on April 2. The top court validated provisional results announced on Wednesday based on vote tallies from 100 percent of polling stations. Faye – an anti-establishment candidate and ally of popular opposition figure Ousmane Sonko – won more than 54 percent of votes cast in last Sunday’s delayed presidential poll. His closest competitor in the polls, ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba who was handpicked by outgoing President Macky Sall, took about 35 percent of the vote. The Council said no objections had been raised by the other contenders. At age 44, Faye becomes Africa’s youngest president. The African Union hailed the “unanimous acceptance of the results”. African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said he “warmly congratulates” Faye on his victory and wished him “full success in his weighty and noble charge”. French President Emmanuel Macron also offered Faye “warm congratulations” and said France wanted to “continue and intensify the partnership” between their countries, his office said. Faye’s victory came just 10 days after he was freed from prison. He has said he wants a “break” with the current political system. Analysts said his win reflected a protest against the outgoing leadership and divisions within a powerful, but weakened, governing coalition. ‘Ousmane is Diomaye’ Millions in Senegal took part in the vote last Sunday. The polls followed three years of political turbulence that led to violent antigovernment protests, which garnered greater support for the opposition. Going into the election, Faye was seen as a strong contender to replace Sall, after his ally Sonko was disqualified from the ballot because of a suspended jail sentence following a conviction for defamation. Sonko endorsed Faye to run in his place. Although Faye was imprisoned last April and charged with contempt of court, defamation and acts likely to compromise public peace, after posting a message critical of the justice system, he was not convicted of any crime and was able to stand in the election. “A man that was imprisoned for more than 11 months, over a Facebook post that authorities had deemed dangerous to the sovereignty and the security of the state, is now at the helm of one of the fastest growing economies in West Africa,” said Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque, reporting from Dakar. “Faye is the youngest elected head of state in Africa and is promising change to the people … of Senegal,” he added. Commonly known as ‘Diomaye’, Faye ran under the slogan “Ousmane mooy Diomaye”, meaning “Ousmane is Diomaye” in Wolof – reinforcing the links between him and Sonko. Both men studied law and worked as tax inspectors, where they met and spoke out against corruption, and later co-founded the now-dissolved PASTEF party in 2014. They have branded themselves as incorruptible tax inspectors who did not fill their pockets while others did. Adblock test (Why?)