Arab, Muslim Worlds Condemn Israeli Minister’s Racist Remarks against Palestinians

Palestinian Muslims gather at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound for Friday Noon prayer in Jerusalem on February 24, 2023. (AFP)
Palestinian Muslims gather at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound for Friday Noon prayer in Jerusalem on February 24, 2023. (AFP)
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Arab, Muslim Worlds Condemn Israeli Minister’s Racist Remarks against Palestinians

Palestinian Muslims gather at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound for Friday Noon prayer in Jerusalem on February 24, 2023. (AFP)
Palestinian Muslims gather at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound for Friday Noon prayer in Jerusalem on February 24, 2023. (AFP)

The appearance of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a podium adorned with an Israeli flag that included all of Jordan and the Palestinian territories was widely condemned by the Arab and Muslim worlds.

Smotrich, who heads a religious-nationalist party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right coalition, said on Sunday there was "no such thing as a Palestinian people," or Palestinian history or culture.

Saudi Arabia condemned on Tuesday the minister's offensive and racist remarks.

The Foreign Ministry underscored the Kingdom's rejection of such baseless statements that only stoke hatred and violence and undermine international efforts for peace and dialogue.

It reiterated Riyadh's support for all international efforts aimed at resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict according to the 2002 Arab peace initiative and that secures the establishment of a Palestinian state according to 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi decried on Tuesday the minister's comments as "racist".

Amman late on Monday summoned the Israeli ambassador in Jordan and said Smotrich's move was a provocative act by an "extremist" and "racist" minister that violated international norms and Jordan's peace treaty with Israel.

An official source told Reuters on Tuesday that Amman had received assurances from Israel that Smotrich's statements did not represent Israel's position.

"These statements are provocative, racist and come from an extremist figure and we call on the international community to condemn it," Safadi said at a news conference.

"These remarks will not undermine Jordan, the rights of Palestinians or the rise of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," he added.

"We will not be deterred by a racist and extremist person, who had previously called for erasing Hawara off the map. We are a nation that will not be deterred by a person who is known to the world for being racist," he went on to say.

Furthermore, the FM warned against any possible escalation in the Palestinian territories with the advent of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which begins on Thursday.

He stressed that Amman will do all that is required to not only protect its interests and stances, but protect and support the interests of the brotherly Palestinian people.

He also highlighted the intense efforts exerted by Jordan and Egypt, in coordination with the United States and Palestinian Authority, to put a stop to Israel's illegal unilateral measures.

Smotrich made the speech as Israeli and Palestinian officials met in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for de-escalation talks ahead of Ramadan.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation strongly condemned Smotrich's "racist" remarks, saying they were an "extension of Israel's false claims and ideology on which it had established its state."

It is this ideology that Israel uses to continue its "ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, settlement expansion and killing and oppression of Palestinians, confiscation of their territories and denial of their legitimate national rights."

The Arab League also condemned Smotrich's statements, saying they are "desperate remarks by a fascist minister".

The statements "will not undermine the existence of Jordan or the Palestinian people, their rights and identity."

Moreover, it said the minister's remarks were a "flagrant threat to regional and international security and peace and an act of defiance of the international community, its treaties, laws and norms."

It warned that the statements also undermine the latest regional and international efforts to de-escalate tensions and revive the peace process.

The United Arab Emirates condemned Smotrich's statements, underlining its rejection of inciteful rhetoric and all practices that contradict moral and human values and principles.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) stressed the need to confront hate speech and violence and noted the importance of promoting the values of tolerance and coexistence to reduce escalation and instability in the region.

Qatar slammed Smotrich's statements, saying they were the latest evidence of the Israeli government's racism and an attempt to falsify history and deny the Palestinian people's right to exist.

It stressed that such extremist statements and unfounded claims violate human values.



Libya’s Ramadan Celebrations Tempered by Economic Woes

A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
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Libya’s Ramadan Celebrations Tempered by Economic Woes

A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A family walks on their way to shop for Ramadan decorations ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Benghazi, Libya, February 16, 2026. (Reuters)

Libyans have been enjoying Ramadan with feasts and fireworks -- but soaring prices, a devalued currency and political divisions have left many with little to celebrate.

Fifteen years on from the fall of longtime leader Moammar al-Gaddafi, the country remains split between east and west, while shortages of goods, including fuel, disrupt daily life, despite Libya sitting atop vast oil and gas reserves.

During the holy month of Ramadan, shoppers stock up on treats, as families gather for lavish meals before and after the daytime fast that stretches from sunrise to sunset.

But this year supermarkets have been rationing their goods, while many petrol stations are short of gas. In the capital Tripoli, most ATMs were out of cash this week.

Firas Zreeg, 37, told AFP while weaving through a crowded supermarket that the economy was deteriorating, blaming currency speculators for the fall in the dinar, "which has negative repercussions on our daily lives".

The price of cooking oil has doubled in recent weeks, while meat and poultry prices rose by half.

Refills of gas cylinders, officially priced at 1.5 dinars ($0.24) but often unavailable through state-run distributors, now sell for 75 dinars ($11.85) on the black market and at times more.

- 'Burden on citizens' -

Libya has struggled to recover from the chaos that erupted following the 2011 uprising that toppled Gaddafi.

It remains divided between the Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar.

The country has largely been stable in recent years although there have been bouts of deadly violence, including the killing of Gaddafi's son and heir apparent Seif al-Islam this month.

With security holding, many Libyans are more focused on their livelihoods.

Last month, the central bank in the western territory devalued the dinar -- the second time in less than a year -- by nearly 15 percent, "aimed at preserving financial and monetary stability and ensuring the sustainability of public resources".

In an address this week, GNU leader Abdulhamid Dbeibah acknowledged that the devaluation had once again "put the burden on citizens".

Hanna Tetteh, head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, warned on Wednesday that "poverty and pressure on society [are] increasing".

"The situation, in addition to the fragile security landscape, should be a matter for concern as such conditions can lead to unexpected political and security challenges," she told the UN Security Council.

Libya's other economic problems included the absence of a unified national budget, in light of its political divide, as well as uncoordinated public spending due to parallel state institutions, Tetteh said.

Revenues from the oil industry were also declining, she added, while the central bank has said public spending is growing at an unsustainable pace.

On Tuesday, Libya marked 15 years since the start of the uprising, with fireworks lighting up the sky in Tripoli, but for many Libyans life remains a struggle.

"Minor improvements in security were made over the past three years," Zreeg told AFP, but Libyans are still faced with huge economic challenges.


Libya PM Undergoes 'Successful' Treatment at Heart Hospital

Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
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Libya PM Undergoes 'Successful' Treatment at Heart Hospital

Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)
Head of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibah. (GNU)

Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah has undergone "successful" treatment at a heart hospital, his office said Saturday, but his specific ailment was not disclosed.

"I assure you that I am fine, by God's grace," said a statement posted on social media overnight.

The treatment was carried out at a facility in the northwestern Libyan city of Misrata on an undisclosed date, said AFP.

Dbeibah said he later travelled abroad for "additional medical checkups for reassurance", though this was not the primary reason for his trip.

Italian media outlets previously reported he had been admitted to a leading cardiac facility in Milan on Thursday for a general check-up.

"The matter is simply that I underwent some additional medical checkups for reassurance while I was abroad due to a prior external commitment," he said.

"The results confirmed the success of the treatment I received in Libya, praise be to God."

The prime minister leads a UN-recognized government based in Tripoli that controls western Libya, while the country's east is run by another administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Libya has remained divided since chaos erupted following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.


Eight Hezbollah Members Killed in Israel’s Friday Strikes on Lebanon

A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)
A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)
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Eight Hezbollah Members Killed in Israel’s Friday Strikes on Lebanon

A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)
A bulldozer clears debris near heavily-damaged buildings in the village of Bednayel in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley region on February 21, 2026, following Israeli strikes. (AFP)

Attacks carried out by Israel on Friday in eastern Lebanon killed eight members of Hezbollah, an official from the group told AFP on Saturday.

Lebanon's health ministry said Friday that a total of 10 people were killed in strikes that hit the eastern Bekaa region.

The Israeli military said it targeted "several terrorists of Hezbollah's missile array in three different command centers in the Baalbek area".

Lebanon's president on Saturday condemned the attacks, the latest despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

In a statement, Joseph Aoun called the attacks "a blatant act of aggression aimed at thwarting diplomatic efforts" by the United States and other nations to establish stability.

A lawmaker from Hezbollah called on Beirut to suspend meetings of a multinational committee tasked with monitoring the truce.

Washington is one of five members on the committee overseeing the ceasefire implemented in November 2024, with the body scheduled to meet again next week.

Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite the ceasefire, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah but occasionally also the group's Palestinian ally Hamas.

The Friday attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon killed 12 people, according to the health ministry, 10 of them in the east of the country.

Israel's military said it struck "several terrorists of Hezbollah's missile array in three different command centers in the Baalbek area".

Hezbollah said a commander was killed in the raids. Its lawmaker Rami Abu Hamdan said on Saturday the group "will not accept the authorities acting as mere political analysts, dismissing these as Israeli strikes we have grown accustomed to before every meeting of the committee".

He called on Beirut to "suspend the committee's meetings until the enemy ceases its attacks".

Hezbollah, while weakened following war with Israel, remains a strong political force in Lebanon represented in parliament.

Lebanon's government last year committed to disarming the Iran-backed group, with the army saying last month it had completed the first phase of the plan covering the area near the Israeli border.

Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of rearming since the war, has called the Lebanese army's progress on disarming the group insufficient.