🎥 LIVE: at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), we are starting an expert discussion dedicated to the Asian perspective on the Middle East crisis.

https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239148

#Norms_and_Values #Palestine #Israel #AsiaPacific

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🗣 On November 27, 2023, the Valdai Discussion Club held an expert discussion dedicated to the Asian perspective on the Middle East crisis.

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#Norms_and_Values #Palestine #Israel #AsiaPacific

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🌏🌍 The Middle East Crisis through an Asian Prism

On November 27, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the Asian vision of the Middle East crisis.

💬 Moderator Oleg Barabanov, programme director of the Valdai Club, noted that since the Middle East is part of Asia as a larger region, the political, economic and humanitarian consequences of the Middle East conflict cannot but affect all Asian countries.

💬 Rakesh Bhadauria, Major General (ret.), Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies and Modelling of the Joint Institute of Defence Studies of India (New Delhi), called the crisis in the Middle East a legacy of colonial times. Describing India's position, he noted that it has good relations with both Israel and Palestine, but that India condemns harm to civilians on both sides and attaches importance primarily to human suffering as a result of the conflict. According to him, it is now important to prevent the expansion of the confrontation, because if it grows, then the entire Global South will be involved and, in addition, energy security will be at risk.

💬 Rahakundini Bakrie Connie, Lecturer at Jenderal Achmad Yani University in Indonesia, called for a search for a political solution within the framework of the UN. She emphasized that Indonesia, as both a Muslim country and a trading partner of Israel, favours a peace process with the active participation of Russia. In her opinion, in order to establish peace in the Middle East, it would be useful to return to the idea of a Middle East Quartet consisting of the European Union, the UN, the United States and Russia, in order to provide mediation efforts. However, the confrontation between Russia and the Western countries makes this unlikely.

💬 John Gong, Professor, Vice President of Research and Strategy at the University of International Business and Economics – Israel (UIBE – Israel), briefly outlined the situation around the Gaza Strip and the main trends in Israeli politics at the moment, noting that the consequences of what is happening will have a long-term impact on the world in the future. Speaking about China's position, he pointed out that it is gradually changing and becoming more balanced. At first, Beijing did not directly condemn Hamas, but later it put forward a draft resolution that contained a condemnation. Nevertheless, Israel considers the Chinese position to be rather pro-Palestinian, the analyst admitted, adding that, in his opinion, China seeks to maintain neutrality and achieve a truce between the parties, advocating the two-state principle.

💬 Raza Muhammad, President of the Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad, presented the Pakistani perspective on the issue. He said Pakistan has always supported the Palestinian people and called Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip unacceptable, underscoring that what is happening there is a full-blown humanitarian disaster. In his opinion, ultimately everything depends on the position of two countries – the United States and Israel. Until they decide to end this conflict, there is nothing the world can do.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-middle-east-crisis-through-an-asian-prism/

#Norms_and_Values #Palestine #Israel #AsiaPacific

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🇮🇱🇺🇸 For Israel, it is US support that forms one of the foundations for the acquisition and modernisation of weapons.

Despite the periodic political controversy in the United States surrounding the provision of military aid to Israel, it is quite easy for American politicians to lobby for it on economic grounds, given that the money actually stays in the country, strengthening its defence industry.

In Israel, circumstances are the opposite, since local companies not only risk being limited in their production capabilities and, as a result, hiring of personnel, but are also deprived of the opportunity to make a truly significant contribution to ensuring the defence capability of the state and its positioning in the international arena, Elizaveta Yakimova wirtes.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/all-possible-assistance-the-impact-of-american/

#EconomicStatecraft #Israel #UnitedStates

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🇮🇱 The State of Israel and the people of Israel have known many crises and have withstood difficult times.

As of now, Israel is fighting on various fronts: Gaza, Lebanon, Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorist organizations in Lebanon, Shi’ite militias from Syria and western Iraq, terrorists from Judea and Samaria (a.k.a. the West Bank), Iran, and the Houthis in Yemen. All of them are components of the resistance axis led by Iran; provided, supported and guided by Iran. Israel is focusing on the Gaza front.

Still, it must be ensured that the enemy internalizes the readiness of the IDF forces to launch an attack on Lebanon should Hezbollah launch a challenge. The leaders of Hezbollah and Lebanon understand the devastating implications should fighting extend to Lebanon.

International pressure to reach a ceasefire will come. Israel must not blink in the face of the impulses of the so-called “international community,” write Colonel (res.) Prof. Gabi Siboni, and Prof. Kobi Michael for the 13th Middle East conference of the Valdai Discussion Club. The article reflects the Israeli point of view.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/israel-s-war-objectives/

🇵🇸 The Palestinian position is presented here.

#MiddleEastValdai #Return_of_Diplomacy #Israel

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🇮🇱 The tense nature of relations between the government of Netanyahu and the administration of Joe Biden, aggravated by the IDF Iron Swords operation in the Gaza Strip and the presidential race in the United States, makes it possible to introduce sanctions against a number of settlers into a broader context.

In this case, the minimum task of these restrictions comes down to an attempt to force the Israeli authorities to act on the Palestinian track in a way that has a positive bearing on the re-election campaign of the current US president. In this case, the formal reason is the situation on the West Bank of the Jordan river, which does not pose an existential threat to Israel and fits into the framework of the traditional views of the Democratic Party on Israeli settlers’ activity as one of the obstacles to a Middle East peace settlement.

The maximum task is to achieve Netanyahu’s departure from the political arena, writes Elizaveta Yakimova.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/israel-how-the-us-uses-sanctions-to-inf/

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #Israel #sanctions

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🇮🇷🇮🇱 The recent confrontation between Israel and Iran reaffirms the known fact that the policies of these two countries are a major cause of the instability that has plagued the Middle East for decades. 

The Israeli colonial occupation of Palestine and its genocidal crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza, on the one hand, and Iran’s interventionist policies and the use of armed militias to expand its influence, on the other, have been a constant source of tension and conflicts. Washington’s total support of Israel has also contributed to the escalation of conflicts in the region.

Iran is aware that Israel will not accept the new reality created by the Saturday night attacks and will not be satisfied with its limited response, especially since targeting the nuclear facility in Isfahan is a message sent by Israel that it can destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities, so Tehran will seek to accelerate its enrichment programme to possess a nuclear weapon that will provide it with the only safe guarantee against any aggression that Israel may launch in cooperation with the United States, writes Saleh Muhammad Al-Khathlan, Professor of Political Science and Senior Advisor at the Gulf Research Center, Saudi Arabia.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-israel-iran-conflict-a-view-from-riyadh/

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Iran #Israel

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🇹🇷🇮🇱 The IDF's Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip is exceptional in its scale and duration, as well as due to numerous associated consequences, including Turkey’s decision to suspend trade ties with Israel.

In early April of this year, the Turkish Ministry of Trade suspended 54 categories of goods from being exported to Israel, ranging from construction materials to aviation fuel. Ankara said the introduction of restrictions had been motivated by the “gross violations of international law” the IDF had committed during Operation Iron Swords, and declared a ceasefire as a condition for the lifting of sanctions. In the first days of May, citing the same reasons, Turkish authorities announced a complete cessation of export and import transactions with Israel.

A new round of disagreements between the two states risks aggravating the internal political situation in Israel and its position in the system of international economic relations. Additionally, it signals that the Israeli leadership has not sufficiently elaborated its regional strategy, despite the country’s desire to continue normalisation with its neighbours, writes Elizaveta Yakimova.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/trade-adversaries-the-impact-of-the-idf-military/

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #Turkey #Israel

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⏰ TODAY at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time, the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.

❓How far will Israel go in the fight against Hamas and Hezbollah?
❓Will Arab states unite to counter the threat?
❓Will Iran continue to follow the policy of “strategic patience”?

The participants in the discussion will try to answer these and other questions.

Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen. 

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast #Iran #Israel #Hamas #Hezbollah

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🎥 LIVE: at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time, the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.

https://vk.com/video-214192832_456239207

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast #Iran #Israel #Hamas #Hezbollah

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🗣 On October, 2, 2024, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.

📷 Photo gallery

🎥 Video

#Return_of_Diplomacy #Lebanon #MiddleEast #Iran #Israel #Hamas #Hezbollah

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🇱🇧🇮🇱 Amid the current regional realities, agreement on the maritime border is becoming less and less advantageous for Lebanon and Israel.

Two incidents involving the detonation of communication devices, the liquidation of the Hezbollah Secretary General, and the IDF's operation Northern Arrows most aptly reflect the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border over a period of just over a month.

Against this background, the "historic" agreement on the demarcation of the maritime border, signed two years ago and designed to pave the way for reconciliation between the two warring states, has remained in the shadows.

The reason for such inattention could be a complex array of foreign economic and domestic political factors that have predetermined the inability of the deal on the division of gas fields to contribute to preventing escalation, writes Elizaveta Yakimova.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/gas-for-peace-why-the-lebanese-israeli-maritime/

#Multipolarity_and_Connectivity #Lebanon #Israel

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