عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Mansour Abbas Becomes Speaker of Israeli Knesset for 5 Days

Mansour Abbas. (AP)
Mansour Abbas. (AP)
TT
TT

Mansour Abbas Becomes Speaker of Israeli Knesset for 5 Days

Mansour Abbas. (AP)
Mansour Abbas. (AP)

Amid strong opposition from the Israeli extreme right, the Knesset Committee appointed alternately MPs Mansour Abbas and Zvi Hauser as speakers from March 22 until April 4, because Speaker Mickey Levy will be traveling abroad.

Abbas is currently Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and leader of the United Arab List. He was appointed as the chair of Special Committee on Arab Society Affairs in the Knesset on April 27, 2021.

Under Israeli law, when the Israeli president is abroad, the speaker serves as acting president of the state.

On Monday, a number of right-wing deputies protested Abbas’s appointment.

MP Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the decision and described it as “dangerous.”

He said: “Imagine that the Arab Speaker of the Knesset will replace, by law, the Jewish president if the latter is absent.”

“Some people in the Knesset presidency have gone crazy, and we must act immediately,” he said.

Last week, Levy requested the Knesset Committee to approve the appointment of his two deputies as his replacements while he travels abroad for two weeks starting Tuesday.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Syrian Defense Ministry to Restructure Army with Volunteer Force

The Syrian Defense Ministry holds meetings for faction integration. (Defense Ministry)
The Syrian Defense Ministry holds meetings for faction integration. (Defense Ministry)
TT
TT

Syrian Defense Ministry to Restructure Army with Volunteer Force

The Syrian Defense Ministry holds meetings for faction integration. (Defense Ministry)
The Syrian Defense Ministry holds meetings for faction integration. (Defense Ministry)

Syria’s Defense Ministry has been holding meetings with military leaders to integrate factions into its structure. Sources say the ministry is focused on creating a volunteer army, replacing mandatory conscription.

The move follows an agreement between Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Nour El-Din Al-Naasan, and most Syrian factions to restructure the Ministry of Defense.

Sources told Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper on Monday that officers from the “Free Syrian Army,” who defected from the former regime's military, will have a special status within the Ministry of Defense structure to leverage their expertise.

Syrian media reported that the ministry rejected proposals granting sectarian, religious, or regional privileges to armed factions. It also reached an agreement with National Army factions in northern Syria on joining the military.

The ministry noted that most factions from Sweida were willing to join a national army without regional quotas. However, some factions in Daraa suggested a special regional status for themselves.

Syria’s General Security Directorate announced on Sunday the release of a group of detainees in Homs, central Syria.

A source in the Homs security department said the detainees were released after confirming they did not possess weapons and had promised not to act against the new Syrian administration. They are required to appear when summoned if needed.

The source added that more detainees would be released once the necessary procedures are completed. The General Security Directorate continues efforts to maintain stability in the Homs province.

The Ministry of Interior, working with Syria's military operations, had launched a large-scale operation in Homs to find “war criminals and those involved in crimes” who refused to surrender weapons or attend reconciliation centers.