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Arab League call Trump’s Jerusalem move as dangerous

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Arab League call Trump’s Jerusalem move as dangerous

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Several leaders in the region refuse to meet US Vice President

The Arab League has called US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “dangerous and unacceptable” and a “flagrant attack on a political solution” to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and instead asked world leaders to recognise the State of Palestine with occupied east Jerusalem as its capital.

Ahmad Abu Al Gaith, the Secretary General of Arab League, while speaking at the start of an emergency meeting of 22-member regional bloc’s foreign ministers at Cairo, condemned the Trump’s decision. He said that Trump’s decision has raised a question mark over Washington’s role as a mediator, not just in the Middle East but in the entire world. “The decision amounts to the legalisation of occupation,” he said.

Arab League General Secretary said in his opening remarks, “We call upon all countries that support peace to refuse the decision of the US president. We consider the decision unfair and unjust. We call upon everyone to recognise Palestine as a state and East Jerusalem as its capital.”

He said that  Trump’s decision “undermines Arab confidence” and was “against international law and raises questions over American efforts to support peace” between Palestine and Israel.

Meanwhile, Majdi Al Khaldi, the diplomatic advisor of Palestinian President Mehmoud Abbas has said that he (Abbas) will refuse to meet US Vice-President Mike Pence later this month.

“There will be no meeting with the vice-president of America in Palestine. The United States has crossed all the red lines with the [occupied] Jerusalem decision,” he added.

Moreover, Egypt’s Coptic Pope of the Orthodox Church Tawadros II has cancelled a meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence. The Church in a statement issued on Saturday said, “In view of the US administration’s decision made at an improper time and without consideration to feelings of millions of Arab people, the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church apologises for not receiving Mr Mike Pence during his coming visit.”

Meanwhile, Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo’s Al Azhar Mosque has also decided not to meet Pence either.

Trump’s deputy Mike Pence is expected to visit Egypt on December 20 as part of a Middle East trip. His visit is understood to be aimed at touting Trump’s decision to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

During an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Friday, US was isolated by its best allies including several European countries condemning the Trump administration’s move to recognise Jerusalem as Israeli capital and to begin process of moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to the city.

Meanwhile, protests against Trump’s move continue in Gaza and elsewhere. Four people were killed and hundreds of protesters were injured on the fourth consecutive day. Similar demonstrations were also held in a number of other countries including US, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

The Trump’s move has also heavily damaged US credibility among its allies in Palestine as well. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, in Mehmoud Abbas cabinet, said on Saturday in Cairo that Palestinians can no longer accept US as a broker in the peace process as it has now “positioned itself as a party in a dispute and not as a mediator”.

The Palestinian official demanded that UN Security Council should take action against Trump’s decision saying, “America is being an aggressor against the Palestinian people and against international law.”

The foreign Minister of another US ally Egypt Sameh Shoukry  has also said that Trump’s policy change put the “region on the verge of explosion”.

Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s foreign minister, called for “all possible measures under international law”, while his Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil has called for the Arab League to consider imposing sanctions against US.

He said, “Pre-emptive measures must be taken against the decision … beginning with diplomatic measures, then political, then economic and financial sanctions.”

However, Marwan Bishara, political analyst of Al Jazeera has observed that Arab states, in practice, differed in their reaction to Trump’s decision.  “I doubt that all this will come together and culminate in any serious decision or action plan. We will probably be left once again for the Arab street, rather than the Arab League, to do something moving forward.”

Another Chicago based expert Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of Electronic Intifada told Aljazeera, “The Arab League meeting and the Arab League summit will amount to nothing, as it has amounted to nothing for decades.”

“All the statements being made by the Arab regimes are strictly for public consumption because the Arab public is clearly outraged as the massive demonstrations in cities across the world showed.

“But in reality, most of these regimes – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan – are very close to Israel.  They either have formal or tacit ties and so they will do nothing in practice other than issue statements.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

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Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

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