Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 18 august 2017
Saudi Arabia reopens Qatar border for hajj pilgrims

By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI trade accusations of politi- on the deal until its foreign was reached and an- then be flown onward from
AYA BATRAWY cizing the pilgrimage. minister was pressed on nounced out of Saudi Ara- two Saudi airports in Dam-
Associated Press The decision came after Thursday by reporters dur- bia raised questions about mam and al-Ahsa at the
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia Saudi Crown Prince Mo- ing a briefing in Sweden, the level of the Qatari gov- king’s expense. The king
(AP) — Saudi Arabia an- hammed bin Salman held some 12 hours later. ernment’s involvement. also ordered that aircraft
nounced on Thursday that a surprise meeting with a Foreign Minister Sheikh Mo- Qatari officials did not im- from the country’s flagship
it is reopening its border Qatari royal family member hammed bin Abdulrahman mediately respond to an carrier be dispatched to
with Qatar to allow Qataris whose branch of the fam- Al Thani said he welcomed Associated Press request for Qatar’s capital, Doha, to fly
to attend the hajj, despite ily was ousted in a palace the Saudi decision, but that comment. The official Sau- Qatari pilgrims to the Red
a monthslong rift between coup in 1972. the measures must also in- di Press Agency reported Sea city of Jiddah — near-
Doha and four Arab coun- Saudi state media broke clude a full lifting of the that Qatari pilgrims will be est to Mecca — and to host
tries led by Riyadh that the news overnight. Qatar blockade. allowed to enter the king- them at his expense for the
prompted both sides to did not officially comment The way in which the deal dom by land and would hajj.q

Israeli leader Netanyahu resists calls to criticize Trump

By JOSEF FEDERMAN supermarket in 2015.
Associated Press But in today’s increasingly
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s polarized global stage, Ne-
prime minister faced grow- tanyahu has become more
ing calls on Thursday to de- selective in his overseas
nounce President Donald battles.
Trump’s response to the Last month, for instance, he
racially charged violence instructed the Israeli Foreign
and anti-Semitic displays Ministry to drop its criticism
in Charlottesville, Virginia, of a Hungarian govern-
even at the risk of angering ment campaign against
the American leader. Jewish billionaire George
Benjamin Netanyahu has Soros, despite its anti-Semit-
remained largely silent dur- ic overtones.
ing the unfolding crisis in Vir- The Hungarian-American
ginia. While issuing a terse billionaire, himself a Ho-
condemnation of neo- locaust survivor, has sup-
Nazis and racists, he has ported a number of liberal
said nothing about Trump’s causes in Israel critical of
apparent defense of the Netanyahu. At the same
actions of white suprema- time, the Israeli leader
cists during last weekend’s has befriended Hungary’s
deadly violence. leader, Viktor Orban, who
The muted response has Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem ,Sunday, takes a strong line against
upset a growing number Aug. 13, 2017. Netanyahu faced growing calls on Thursday to denounce President Donald Trump’s Muslim migrants.
of Israelis, who believe that response to the racially charged violence and anti-Semitic displays in Charlottesville, Virginia, Likewise, Netanyahu has so
Netanyahu has a special even at the risk of angering the American leader. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty, Pool) far been willing to overlook
role to play on behalf of Trump’s handling of the
Jews overseas. Some have people wherever they may lawmaker, wrote in the lib- been shy about speaking Charlottesville crisis.
warned that it could cause be. There are no gray areas eral daily Haaretz. out against anti-Semitism. Trump has acknowledged
further damage to an al- when it comes to these is- She said Netanyahu has He frequently paints Arab there were some “very
ready strained relationship sues, and this doesn’t jeop- lost “any semblance of a and Iranian foes in Nazi bad people” at Saturday’s
with American Jews. ardize our relationship with moral compass.” terms, and made a high- rally, where a woman was
“We must set a clear bound- the U.S. or with any other Netanyahu views himself profile solidarity visit to Paris’ killed when a car slammed
ary against anti-Semitism partners around the world,” as the leader of the global Jewish community after a into a crowd of counter-
and protect the Jewish Stav Shaffir, an opposition Jewry, and he has rarely deadly attack on a kosher protesters.q

Hamas militant killed by suicide bomber in Gaza

By FARES AKRAM tack. assailant and his colleague in 2007. Hamas has since largely observed a truce
Associated Press It marked the first time that as “ideologically deviant” clashed repeatedly with with Israel since a 2014
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Hamas, which has carried — a term Hamas uses to more radical groups, which Gaza war.
— A suicide bomber blew out dozens of suicide at- describe members of the have carried out their own The Hamas fighter who was
himself up in the southern tacks over the years target- Islamic State group and attacks against Israel in killed had been tasked with
Gaza Strip on Thursday, kill- ing Israelis, was itself struck other extremists. There was part to undermine Hamas. preventing Palestinians
ing a Hamas militant who in such an assault. The no immediate claim of re- Hamas has sought to secure from sneaking into Israel or
was trying to stop the at- Hamas-run Interior Ministry sponsibility. Gaza’s borders in order Egypt.
tacker from crossing into said five other Hamas secu- Hamas, an Islamic militant to improve relations with He was also a member of
Egypt, Hamas announced, rity forces and an accom- group that seeks Israel’s neighboring Egypt, which the group’s armed wing,
blaming an Islamic State plice of the bomber were destruction, has ruled Gaza is battling an Islamic State which to “fight the alien
sympathizer for carrying wounded. with an iron fist since seizing affiliate in the neighboring deviant ideology without
out the unprecedented at- The ministry described the control of the coastal area Sinai Peninsula. Hamas has concession.”q