Netherlands to supply drones to Ukraine

The Netherlands is joining a military coalition with allies including Britain that will supply Ukraine with advanced drone technology and bolster its offensive capabilities in the war against Russia, the Dutch defence minister said.

The pledge from the Netherlands comes in addition to F-16 fighter jets, artillery, ammunition and air defence systems provided by the Dutch to Kyiv.

For the Netherlands, there may be additional costs on top of 2 billion euros earmarked already for 2024, Dutch Defence Minister Kasja Ollongren told Reuters in an interview ahead of two days of NATO defence ministers’ meetings in Brussels starting on Wednesday.

"We know of course that drones are very important in this war," Ollongren said. "That's why we are joining the drone coalition that Ukraine has started together with Latvia, together with other countries, to make sure that we do just that - increase production, use the latest technology and to provide exactly what Ukraine needs."

Ukraine's Defence Ministry announced Britain's participation last month.

Drones have become a crucial part of both Ukraine and Russia's wartime strategies for reconnaissance and striking targets, thanks in large part to their relatively low cost.

Both sides are now using thousands of small, inexpensive drones originally built for enthusiasts and racers to conduct battlefield-level surveillance and attacks, while also growing their fleets of larger, longer-distance unmanned craft which can fly much further and carry heavier cameras or more explosives.

Both Britain and the Netherlands had already been helping Ukraine build out its drone fleet.

"What is new is that we are now forming this coalition. So we're connecting, let's say, the things that we're doing separately into one coalition that will be able to respond to the new demands of Ukraine, as they see the battle developing on the frontline. And I think that's the strength of this coalition," she said at her offices in The Hague.

Ukraine intends to manufacture thousands of long-range drones capable of deep strikes into Russia in 2024 and already has up to 10 companies working on production, Ukraine's digital minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said in a Reuters interview on Monday.

By working together, the coalition will be able to respond to Kyiv's changing wartime tactics.

"And I think that's going to be the strength of this coalition, to be able to provide in the very short term what they need," she said.

Ollongren said the Netherlands will contribute high-tech expertise from the commercial sector, but declined to provide technical or financial details.

 

Israeli plan to evacuate Rafah civilians

Egyptian officials have shared details of Israel’s alleged plan to evacuate Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on February 13 that the plan calls for displaced Palestinians to be concentrated in the western area of the enclave, within the coastal strip, along the sea.

Israel says it will establish 15 camp villages along the coast between Rafah and Gaza City in central Gaza. The areas included are south of Al-Mawasi and Sharm Park. Each camp will be equipped with 25,000 tents.

Egyptian officials say that Israel expects the camps, which would include medical facilities, to be funded by the US and Arab states.

However, it is unlikely that over 1 million people could be safely evacuated. 

Nadia Hardman, a refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated, “Forcing the over one million displaced Palestinians in Rafah to again evacuate without a safe place to go would be unlawful and would have catastrophic consequences. There is nowhere safe to go in Gaza.”

If Israel proceeds with the offensive, its army will disrupt the already minimal aid entering Gaza and cause extensive destruction in Rafah, as it previously did in Gaza City and Khan Yunis. These action would exacerbate the uninhabitable conditions in Gaza, both during and after the war.

If Palestinians in Gaza are increasingly concentrated in tent camps along a tiny strip on Gaza’s coast, with no homes to return to, no functioning hospitals, and little food and humanitarian aid, this will enable Israel’s efforts to force Gaza’s population to ‘voluntarily’ flee to Egypt by land or other third parties by sea.

Israeli leaders have stated they wish to make life so difficult and dangerous for Palestinians in Gaza that the most humanitarian solution for them will be to leave Gaza and allow Israel to take it over for Jewish settlement.

The situation would resemble 1948, when Zionist militias forced Palestinians from Haifa to flee north to Lebanon by land and by boat from the city’s port.

While Gaza is on the brink of famine, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces criticism from his far-right allies for allowing any aid at all, the WSJ reported further.

“The minimal aid we committed to is an important condition for the continuation of the war because if there is a large humanitarian collapse, we can’t continue the war,” he told reporters last week.

Israel in December reopened its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza to allow the UN and NGOs to increase aid. However, right-wing protesters have repeatedly blocked humanitarian convoys at the crossing, and the Israeli army has not taken any action to remove them.

 

Indian police uses tear gas on farmers

According to Reuters, police in India fired tear gas on Tuesday at hundreds of farmers and their supporters during a protest march towards New Delhi to pressure the government to fulfill a promise it made in 2021 to pay more for crops.

The march is the latest in a series of similar protests which began more than two years ago and comes months ahead of national elections in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a third term, with farmers forming an influential voting bloc.

Farmers had headed south for Delhi a day after talks between farm unions and ministers failed to secure commitments to provide minimum prices for a range of crops.

"The government has not been able to make a strong decision on anything. We thought that giving time is not suitable now," Sarwan Singh Pandher, the general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), told ANI news agency.

Hundreds of farmers and their supporters were seen mobilizing on foot and in large convoys of tractors in many parts of the northern bread basket states of Punjab and Haryana.

At midday, police fired multiple tear gas rounds to disperse the marchers at Shambhu, a border crossing between Punjab and Haryana, about 143 miles north of Delhi, where many had joined the march.

Footage showed protesters trying to break through the barricades by lifting away cement blocks placed there to halt the march, as police used drones to fire tear gas rounds into the crowd. Some protesters were also detained

The outskirts of Delhi were quiet with riot control teams standing guard behind barricades on main roads leading into the national capital, where police have prohibited large gatherings.

Farm unions are seeking guarantees, backed by law, for more state support or buying of crops at a minimum price. They also want the government to honor a promise to double their income.

Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda told reporters on Monday after talks with union leaders that some issues had been resolved but more discussions were needed. "We are hopeful that we will bring solutions," he said.

India's main opposition Congress party said the government had failed the farmers. "As a result of inadequate market prices and simultaneous price increase of inputs, farmers are falling deeper into debt," Congress lawmaker Jairam Ramesh said in a social media post.

The government announces minimum prices for more than 20 crops each year, but state agencies buy only rice and wheat at these prices, which benefits only about 6% of farmers.

In 2021, when the year-long protest by farmers pushed Modi's administration to repeal some farm laws, designed to deregulate vast agricultural markets, the government said it would set up a panel to find ways to ensure support prices for all farm produce. Farmers accuse the government of going slow on that promise.

 

 

 

 

Independents: Game Changers or Spoilers

Pakistanis are still in suspense about which political party will emerge victorious in the latest general elections, leaving uncertainty regarding the next government and prime minister even after four days of intense competition.

Despite facing challenges such as the detention of a former prime minister and obstacles for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), independent candidates supported by the party have surprised observers by securing a substantial number of National Assembly seats, the highest among all parties. However, this falls short of the 169-seat simple majority needed to form a government.

The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), led by another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, secured the second position. Despite expectations of an easy victory, backed by the influential administration, Sharif's return to power remains uncertain, five years after his disgraceful departure from Pakistan.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, claimed the third spot.

The constitutional deadline for political parties to establish a government is February 29, three weeks after election day. The National Assembly comprises 336 seats, with 266 determined by direct voting and 70 reserved for women (60) and non-Muslims (10), allocated based on each party's strength.

Given the fragmented mandate without a clear majority, political parties must find common ground or consider forming a coalition to govern. Despite both independent candidates and PML-N declaring victory, a coalition government seems inevitable.

Potential scenarios include a coalition between PML-N and PPP, though the choice for the next prime minister poses a challenge. Another possibility is a PPP alliance with Khan’s followers, although the PTI may choose to sit in the opposition rather than forming a coalition, according to Khan's media advisor, Zulfi Bukhari.

A less likely scenario involves PML-N forming a coalition with PTI and other parties, acknowledging that PTI's influence cannot be disregarded. Some voters, even those who did not support Imran Khan earlier, express a sense of injustice in the way the administration has treated him and his party over the past two years.

Another option involves PTI-backed independents merging with smaller parties to create a coalition government, combining their seats and capitalizing on the 60 National Assembly seats reserved for women. However, the PTI's ability to form a coalition government seems improbable, as alliances with smaller parties still fall short of a majority.

For the PTI, reaching out to smaller parties may lack numerical advantages, serving more as a legal requirement than a strategic move to gain substantial support. The uncertainty surrounding the formation of the next government adds complexity to the post-election landscape in Pakistan.

Khan followers bag largest number of seats

According to Saudi Gazette, from Pakistan's electoral battlefield, candidates affiliated with the imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), emerge as the front-runners in the final count of the February 08, 2024 general elections.

This conclusion came amid heightened scrutiny over the delayed announcement, which spanned nearly three days post-election, sparking debates over the vote-counting integrity.

The PTI-backed independent candidates secured a leading 101 seats. Trailing behind were the contenders from the Pakistan Muslim League — Nawaz (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, with 75 seats, and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, which claimed 54 seats.

Additional seats were distributed among various parties, including the Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan, which captured 17 seats.

The election for one seat has been postponed, with the results for another being withheld. To establish a government, a party or coalition needs to command at least 169 seats out of the 336 available in the National Assembly, aiming for a simple majority.

The announcement has also ignited a wave of protests across the nation, with PTI, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, and Jamaat-e-Islami leading the charge against what they allege to be widespread electoral fraud.

Major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar have become stages for these demonstrations. In parallel, numerous candidates have taken legal routes, filing petitions to contest the declared outcomes.

 

Iranian Revolution Celebrations in Jeddah

A ceremony marking the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution of Iran was held at the Iranian consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

The gathering was attended by Mazen bin Hamli, Director General of the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, a large group of consuls stationed in Jeddah, representatives of various countries at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as traders, economic activists, and media personnel.

Hassan Zarnegar Abarghouei, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Jeddah, delivered a speech, thanking the guests for joining Iranians in celebrating a big day in their country’s history.  

In his speech, he referred to the scientific and technological achievements and economic, tourism, and scientific capacities of Iran, emphasizing the necessity of developing relations between Tehran and Riyadh and the readiness of traders and merchants from both countries to expand cooperation.

He further emphasized the need for unity among Islamic countries to end the crimes of the Zionist regime against the besieged Palestinian people in Gaza. 

The Iranian Consulate in Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah was officially reopened in June of last year. The two countries had severed their ties in January 2016 after the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, prompted angry protests in front of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the kingdom's Consulate in the holy city of Mashhad.

China successfully mediated high-stakes talks between Tehran and Riyadh in March of last year, which led to the conclusion of a deal between the two sides that foresaw the resumption of their ties.

 

Mega donors of Biden Reelection Campaign

Reportedly, Joe Biden enjoys a deep groundswell of support from Jewish-Democratic benefactors, with giants in the worlds of Hollywood, Silicon Valley and Wall Street making up a significant portion of the US president’s fundraising as he begins his reelection bid in earnest.

Joe Biden’s reelection bid has some tough sledding ahead if the majority of polls that have emerged in recent months are to be believed. His fundraising efforts tell another story, though, with his reelection campaign already raking in significant donations – many coming from longtime Jewish Democratic mega donors.

An analysis of campaign finance disclosures showing contributions to Biden’s campaign and pro-Biden PACs and super PACs for 2023 illustrates a deep groundswell of support from Jewish-Democratic benefactors. They make up a significant portion of the president’s fundraising as he begins his reelection bid in earnest.

The donors in question – many of whom are in the finance industry, with others connected to Hollywood and Silicon Valley – vary in their prioritization of Israel as a campaign issue, as well as their respective involvements in local Jewish communities and philanthropies.

Their steadfast and deep-pocketed support for Biden indicates how the Democratic Party has generations-deep support within the American-Jewish community.

Polls have continuously shown that Jewish voters vastly prefer Biden over Donald Trump, with Israel rarely being among voters’ top priorities.

Despite this, American Jews are among the few groups who have stuck with Biden amid plummeting poll numbers (many of which stem from his approach to Israel, which centrist Democrats deem a threshold issue).

Haim Saban is perhaps the key pro-Israel mega donor for Biden, significantly overlapping between both the president’s reelection bid and AIPAC’s United Democracy Project super PAC.

He has given over US$936,000 to Biden, after donating US$ one million to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC.

While federal political action committees have strict limits on the amounts they can contribute, a super PAC is allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to campaign independently for candidates for federal office.

Saban has long been one of the most important donors and fundraisers for the Democrats, generating millions of dollars for the party over the years. He has also made significant financial investments in pro-Israel organizations such as AIPAC and Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.

Saban also collaborated with late Republican mega donor Sheldon Adelson on the Israeli American Council, which was founded to organize Israeli expats living in the United States. He told The New Yorker in 2010 that he was “a one-issue guy, and my issue is Israel.”

Joining Saban as an overlapping mega donor is casino magnate Neil Bluhm. He has already given more than US$1.4 million this cycle to the Biden super PAC, on top of US$200,000 to United Democracy Project. His daughter Leslie, a social entrepreneur who sits on the AmeriCorps board of directors following an appointment from Biden in 2021, has given over US$554,000.