Mideastwire.com

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While there is a broad range of Arabic language media outlets reporting stories from and about the Middle East, there is currently no affordable and reliable means for English speakers to gain access to this content. As a result, many English speaking businesspersons, students, journalists and others who have an interest in the affairs of the region are largely unaware of what the Middle East media is covering and how they are covering these stories.

Mideastwire.com aims to close this gap by offering a daily menu of translations covering some of the key political, cultural, economic and opinion pieces appearing in the media of the 22 Arab countries and the Arab Diaspora. Through this effort, we hope to address at least one aspect of a global disconnect that continues to threaten a wide spectrum of socio-political and economic relationships, both here in the region and beyond.

It is also important to note that, since our founding in 2005, Mideastwire.com is wholly funded by the content license fees paid by individuals and organizations. As such, there is no government, commercial or non-profit support, an aspect that we believe provides a relatively independent platform for better understanding.

Our Corrections Policy: We adhere to an honest and open corrections policy. Please email info@mideastwire.com if you notice any typo or if you disagree with our translation choices. Since we do not produce our own content, we only will consider corrections that highlight typos or dispute our translations, not the veracity or accuracy of the original content. Accepted corrections are applied directly to the relevant translations as soon as they are approved by the editor and our database is updated accordingly for all subscribers.

TODAY’S DAILY BRIEFING

19-Feb-2025

Algeria

Politics

“Tebboune seeks the men of Bouteflika to defend the regime’s image…” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Monarchies/Dictatorships

On February 19, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “The Algerian President, Abdelmajid Tebboune, and his entourage reverted to the men of the late President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, to re-recruit them in the institutions and use their support to defend the image of the regime in light of the wide criticism voiced against his performance both locally and externally. For instance, the two ministers, Abdulaziz Belkhadem and Ammar Taw have returned to the limelight by making gradual appearances on different media outlets and at events… (Read More)

Egypt

Politics

“Will Egyptian opposition parties resort to loyalists to reap seats in next elections?” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Democracy and Party Politics - Monarchies/Dictatorships

On February 19, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Cairo by its correspondent Tamer Hindawy: “Political sources revealed that three parties affiliated with the opposition in Egypt might run in the next parliamentary elections on the loyalist list, which the Nation’s Future Party that holds a majority in Parliament intends to form. And though some of the former parties denied the news, questions continue to be raised in this regard. The sources thus indicated that the Egyptian Democratic Social Party, Justice Party, and Reform and Development Party, held talks with the Nation’s Future Party during the last stage to run in the elections on its list, noting that the next elections should be held in November 2025, 60 days before the current Parliament completes its five-year term… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Signs of a double détente in Iraqi Kurdistan…” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On February 19, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “The Iraqi Kurdistan territory is on its way to gradually exit the period of financial and economic hardship seen recently and step into a new phase to recover the balance and calm that had characterized the territory’s internal situation for long years… (Read More)

Israel

Politics

“Second phase of Gaza truce: Difficult birth and fear-raising contradictions” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security - USA Europe

On February 19, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following report from Cairo: “More than two weeks after their scheduled date, the negotiations surrounding the second phase of the Gaza truce are still on halt, amidst contradictory dates being put forward and concerns raised by the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, regarding the continuation of the agreement, whose first stage is about to end, and the repeated “delays” of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. And while Israel is talking about starting negotiations this week, Doha is denying that and hoping they will take place soon. Then came an announcement from an Egyptian source about the successful conclusion of talks on the first phase in Cairo, which according to experts who spoke to Asharq al-Awsat meant that the first phase of the agreement would go on, but its second phase would experience a “difficult birth” under American and Arab pressures… (Read More)

Lebanon

Opinion

“The miscalculations on the Airport Road” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics - Military and Security

On February 17, the privately-owned Al-Joumhouria daily newspaper carried the following piece by Johny Mnayar: “The first confrontation between the new power structure in Lebanon, which enjoys the cover and sponsorship of an Arab (Saudi Arabia) and international (United States) coalition, and Hezbollah, which is considered the solid base of the Iranian influence in the region and plays the role of the actual and operational leader of the Axis of Resistance, did not take long to come… Hezbollah managed the confrontation on the airport road through its Street, while the authorities managed it through the Lebanese army. Meanwhile, the forces standing in the background of the scene were monitoring the flying messages and the results that settled in. These forces include Washington on the one hand and Tehran on the other… (Read More)

“Lebanon: Is the solution in the sky or on the ground?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

On February 19, the privately-owned Nidaa al-Watan daily newspaper carried the following piece by Makram Rabah: “In the past week, Lebanon experienced several security setbacks as Hezbollah sent elements affiliated with it and with the Amal Movement to block the road to the Rafik Hariri International Airport and some streets in Beirut and in other areas. This came in the context of a new desperate attempt to impose the weapons under a suicidal logic by making it seem as if the prevention of Iranian funds from reaching Lebanon’s Shi’is is the only barrier preventing their return to their destroyed houses and villages in the South and the Beirut Southern Suburbs… (Read More)

Politics

“How will the Lebanese state deal with the continued occupation of some strategic locations?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security

On February 19, the privately-owned Al-Joumhouria daily newspaper carried the following report: “In a successful preemptive strike, the three officials [i.e. the president, prime minister, and parliament speaker] met yesterday afternoon, February 18, as they obtained a confirmation that the occupation army would carry out its threat to remain in the five hills overlooking the three eastern, western and central sectors. They thus issued an official statement expressing the state’s unified position regarding the continuation of the occupation and Israel’s failure to fulfill the obligations that it pledged to implement under the American-French sponsorship... [Ellipses as published]. The statement placed the sponsoring countries of the agreement before their responsibility… (Read More)

Syria

Politics

“SDF-Damascus: The good intentions do not resolve the differences” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Military and Security

On February 19, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: “The international, Arab, and Syrian news outlets have been flooded with information about an agreement between the new Syrian administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) where the latter agrees to join the new structure of the new Syrian army and the return of the state institutions to its regions. However, it appears that this is nothing but an action aimed at highlighting the good intentions and an action motivated by US-French pressures… (Read More)

Society

“New chapter for Syria’s Jews starts with return of Rabbi Hamra to his house in Damascus” (Website, Middle East)

Religion

On February 18, the Arabic page of the official Turkish Anadolu News Agency carried the following report from Damascus by its correspondents Ahmet Karaahmet and Baybars Can: “Rabbi Yosef Hamra roamed the streets of his city, Damascus, after being forced to leave it 33 years ago in 1992 by the Ba’ath Party regime. And by doing so, he opened a new chapter in the history of the Jews in Syria. Accompanied by a group of Jews, Rabbi Yosef Hamra visited some historical synagogues in Damascus, such as the “Franj” and “Ar-Raki” synagogues, in addition to the Jewish Ibn Maimoun School and the Jobar Synagogue that was destroyed by the bombing of the deposed regime’s forces. Speaking to Anadolu, he indicated he was one of the rabbis of Syria’s Jews and returned to his home in Damascus after more than three decades of absence… (Read More)