Egypt, UK Hold Seminar on Fighting Terrorism

Egyptian-British Seminar on Counterterrorism - Military spokesperson's Facebook page
Egyptian-British Seminar on Counterterrorism - Military spokesperson's Facebook page
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Egypt, UK Hold Seminar on Fighting Terrorism

Egyptian-British Seminar on Counterterrorism - Military spokesperson's Facebook page
Egyptian-British Seminar on Counterterrorism - Military spokesperson's Facebook page

Egypt and the UK coordinated on Tuesday to exchange security expertise in their fight against terrorism during a seminar organized by the Armed Forces in Cairo.

Military officials and academics from both countries attended the Egyptian-British Seminar for Counterterrorism 2022, which is held as part of joint efforts between both countries to counter mutual challenges.

Speaking at the gathering, Chairman of the Military Intelligence Service Maj. Gen. Khaled Megawer welcomed the British delegation, stressing the importance of exchanging expertise to keep abreast of developments regarding terrorism.

Megawer discussed Egypt’s success story in fighting terrorism, which he said relies on scientific basis to face the root causes of the phenomenon.

British Air Marshal Joy Martin Sampson, Senior Advisor to the British Chief of Defense Staff for Middle East and North Africa, hailed the strategic relations with Egypt, stressing the importance of cooperation to fight terrorism, according to a statement by the Egyptian Military spokesperson.

Also, Qudsi Rasheed, deputy head of Mission at the British embassy in Cairo, said terrorism is a cross border issue that requires joint action. The seminar included a number of lectures that focus on threats and challenges posed by terrorism.

It also discussed the psychological and social dimensions of this phenomenon, as well as cyber security.

The event was attended by representatives from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry, in addition to chiefs from the Armed Forces, professors, students, Sinai elders, and some members of parliament.



Israeli Defense Minister Says He Will End Detention without Charge of Jewish Settlers

Palestinians look at damaged cars after an Israeli settlers attack in Al-Mazraa Al-Qibleyeh near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians look at damaged cars after an Israeli settlers attack in Al-Mazraa Al-Qibleyeh near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israeli Defense Minister Says He Will End Detention without Charge of Jewish Settlers

Palestinians look at damaged cars after an Israeli settlers attack in Al-Mazraa Al-Qibleyeh near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians look at damaged cars after an Israeli settlers attack in Al-Mazraa Al-Qibleyeh near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)

Israel’s new defense minister said Friday that he would stop issuing warrants to arrest West Bank settlers or hold them without charge or trial — a largely symbolic move that rights groups said risks emboldening settler violence in the Israeli-occupied territory.

Israel Katz called the arrest warrants “severe” and said issuing them was “inappropriate” as Palestinian militant attacks on settlers in the territory grow more frequent. He said settlers could be “brought to justice” in other ways.

The move protects Israeli settlers from being held in “administrative detention,” a shadowy form of incarceration where people are held without charge or trial.

Settlers are rarely arrested in the West Bank, where settler violence against Palestinians has spiraled since the outbreak of the war Oct. 7.

Katz’s decision was celebrated by far-right coalition allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. National Security Minister and settler firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir applauded Katz and called the move a “correction of many years of mistreatment” and “justice for those who love the land.”

Since Oct. 7, 2023, violence toward Palestinians by Israeli settlers has soared to new heights, displacing at least 19 entire Palestinian communities, according to Israeli rights group Peace Now. In that time, attacks by Palestinian militants on settlers and within Israel have also grown more common.

An increasing number of Palestinians have been placed in administrative detention. Israel holds 3,443 administrative detainees in prison, according to data from the Israeli Prison Service, reported by rights group Hamoked. That figure stood around 1,200 just before the start of the war. The vast majority of them are Palestinian, with only a handful at any given time Israeli Jews, said Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked.

“All of these detentions without charge or trial are illegitimate, but to declare that this measure will only be used against Palestinians...is to explicitly entrench another form of ethnic discrimination,” said Montell.