THE MIDDLE-EASTERN conflicts that engulf the region, exacerbated by British and American involvement, look to be steadily getting worse. The West supported Israel continue their ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people by recently annexing more land from them, there has been a lack of dialogue over the famine in Yemen and Lebanese PM, Saad Hariri, returned after his disappearance in Saudi Arabia then trip to France.
The instability of the region has been steadily growing for decades but with Saudi Arabia at odds with Iran, it looks like it could boil over into further conflict within the region.
In the meantime, Netanyahu's government continues its plan to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Jerusalem.
Palestine and Israel
There was an announcement recently that will see Israel move forward with the plans to move a military checkpoint a few 100 metres further into the occupied West Bank, closer to al-Walaja, an agricultural village cultivated by locals for millennia. The move will cut off 296.5 acres of land from the locals, the UN have said that since 1948, al-Walaja have lost 85% of their land and the gradual annexation of land from them is a microcosm of what is occurring throughout Palestine. The land grab is part of the Israel plan to create a 'Greater Jerusalem'.
The plan to create a Greater Jerusalem by Israel is in its final stages by the government led by Netanyahu and the demographic changes of Jerusalem have changed dramatically since they began building steel and concrete barriers through the Palestinian neighbourhoods.
The plan would involve ethnically cleansing the Palestinian people from the area and this is to be put forward by two different bills. One bill will annex more land in West bank, bolstering the Jewish population in the area and the other bill will deny 100k Palestinian people the 'wrong side' of the barrier rights within the city.
Meanwhile, a web of harsh Israeli policies, including late-night arrests, land shortages, home demolitions and a denial of basic services, are intensifying the pressure on Palestinians inside the wall to move out. The move has been described as ethnic cleansing without guns and it is designed to pre-empt any future peace efforts and nullify the Palestinian ambition towards a state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi Arabia and Saad Hariri
The Lebanese PM, Saad Hariri, returned as promised on the celebrations of Lebanon's independence from France. This follows a hectic two weeks of disappearing in Saudi Arabia after 'announcing' his resignation, then flying to France then Egypt, with a stopover in Cyprus. The President of Lebanon refused his resignation and accused Saudi Arabia of forcing him to resign. Since he has returned to Lebanon, Hariri did offer his resignation but agreed to delay for further consultations. However, some Lebanese had doubts over Hariri after he received a hero's welcome. Many were concerned that the crowds that were cheering, were being played as the country's economy is collapsing.
The people of Yemen are suffering famine after a Saudi-led coalition installed a blockade on the region after a missile attack on Riyadh. The coalition fighting in Yemen said on Wednesday it would reopen a key Red Sea port, a second port and Sanaa airport to aid. The move has been welcomed by the UN and aid groups but remain sceptical over whether it would happen. Furthermore, the Houthi government announced that the country's main international airport was open again, this is following an airstrike on the facility's navigation system by Saudi Arabia, the airport was open only to humanitarian aid.
Saudi Arabia have also just authorised the purchase of $7 billion worth of precision-guiding munitions from America. This will further fuel the campaign waged by the House of Saud in Yemen, with no end in sight for the region.
