Sudanese Envoy Visits Israel to Promote Ties

 Former US President Donald Trump in a phone call with Israel's Netanyahu to discuss the normalization agreement between Sudan and Israel, October 2020. (FILE/Getty Images)
Former US President Donald Trump in a phone call with Israel's Netanyahu to discuss the normalization agreement between Sudan and Israel, October 2020. (FILE/Getty Images)
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Sudanese Envoy Visits Israel to Promote Ties

 Former US President Donald Trump in a phone call with Israel's Netanyahu to discuss the normalization agreement between Sudan and Israel, October 2020. (FILE/Getty Images)
Former US President Donald Trump in a phone call with Israel's Netanyahu to discuss the normalization agreement between Sudan and Israel, October 2020. (FILE/Getty Images)

A Sudanese envoy was in Israel on Wednesday in order to promote ties between the two countries, a source with close knowledge of the visit said.

The presidential envoy arrived in Israel at the beginning of the week, the source said.

There was no immediate confirmation from Israeli and Sudanese government spokespeople.

Sudan moved toward normalizing ties with Israel in 2020. Envoys have travelled between Israel and Sudan since then, though no official pact has yet been signed.

Sudan's military is seen to have led the move toward Israel while civilian groups have been more reluctant about it. The Sudanese military seized power in the country on Oct. 25, ending a partnership with civilian political parties that began after the army toppled Omar al-Bashir as Sudan's ruler in 2019.

White House officials have repeatedly called on Israel’s leaders to pressure the Sudanese army to end the coup and resume the Sudan's transition to democracy.

Last month, a high-ranking official Israeli security delegation arrived in Khartoum to meet with Sudanese military and security leaders.



Lebanon Decides to Extradite Al-Qaradawi to the UAE

 Abdel Rahman Al-Qaradawi (X)
 Abdel Rahman Al-Qaradawi (X)
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Lebanon Decides to Extradite Al-Qaradawi to the UAE

 Abdel Rahman Al-Qaradawi (X)
 Abdel Rahman Al-Qaradawi (X)

The Lebanese government has decided to extradite Egyptian activist Abdel Rahman Al-Qaradawi, son of the late cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following an extradition request from Emirati authorities.
The decision is based on an arrest warrant issued by the Arab Interior Ministers Council due to a video recorded by Al-Qaradawi during a visit to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, in which he criticized several Arab countries.
The decision came shortly after Lebanese Justice Minister Henry Khoury submitted a decree to the Council of Ministers authorizing the extradition. According to sources, Türkiye, which had warned Lebanon against handing over Al-Qaradawi, requested prior assurances before his extradition. However, it is believed this decision will not lead to a political or diplomatic crisis between Beirut and Ankara.
The move has raised questions about why Lebanon agreed to extradite the activist to the UAE, despite the absence of a judicial agreement for exchanging wanted individuals between the two nations.
A government source clarified that the decision was based on the arrest warrant issued by the Arab Interior Ministers Council, which Lebanon is obligated to honor as a member of the council and a signatory to its agreements. The source also confirmed that Lebanon’s General Security Directorate will coordinate with Emirati authorities to finalize the extradition schedule.
The swift response to the Emirati request is noteworthy. Al-Qaradawi was detained upon arriving in Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing from Syria on December 29, 2024, in accordance with an Interpol red notice. The notice was based on a five-year prison sentence handed down in absentia by Egyptian courts, which convicted him of charges including “spreading false news, inciting violence and terrorism, and encouraging regime change.”
Efforts by Al-Qaradawi’s family and activists to prevent his extradition to Egypt or the UAE have been unsuccessful. On Tuesday, dozens of protesters, including religious figures from Lebanese Islamic organizations, gathered outside Beirut’s Palace of Justice demanding that he not be extradited and calling for his transfer to Türkiye, where he resides. They warned that they would take legal action against the Lebanese government in international courts if the extradition proceeds.
Al-Qaradawi’s lawyer, Hala Hamza, argued that her client is being held based on a request from Egypt and another from the UAE tied to a now-removed video he posted in Syria. She stated: “There is no legal basis for the UAE’s extradition request,” describing the decision as violating international human rights agreements.
On Sunday, Al-Qaradawi’s family sent an official letter to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati urging his immediate intervention to secure the man’s release.