“Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit instructed prosecutors to prepare to file a motion for the High Court of Justice to hold another hearing on its decision to bar the military from demolishing the home of a Palestinian man charged with killing an Israeli soldier…The decision to seek another hearing came after politicians and Ben-Ygal’s family slammed the ruling. Defense Minister Benny Gantz hailed the decision by Mandelblit. ‘Demolishing homes as a deterrent is an important tool in the war against terror and I hope the High Court will approve the request and adopt the stance of the security establishment,’ Gantz wrote on Twitter.”

“Israelis have long wanted to isolate Palestinians from the rest of the Arab world, aiming to deconstruct ‘Palestinianhood’. Experts, however, do not see it weakening anytime soon.”

“There are two main reasons why the Israel-UAE agreement has caused such furious reactions in Ramallah. The first is political and well-known – the loss of prestige for the Israel-Palestinian conflict: Suddenly, the UAE, which is a primary player in the Sunni Arab field, is putting its own interests before those of the Palestinians, and striding, head held high, to normalize relations with Israel…The second reason, which may carry more psychological weight, is related to Mohammad Dahlan, advisor to Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, also known by his acronym MBZ. Dahlan is viewed by many as the nemesis of PA President Mahmoud Abbas. The Old Man, as Abbas is known among his men, views this agreement as an especially conspiratorial attempt by Dahlan to once again oust him from the presidency and, this time, also to harm the Palestinian Authority itself.” Also see: i24 News – Ex-Palestinian leader Dahlan stirs fury in Gaza, Ramallah over UAE deal, Jerusalem Post – After UAE deal, Palestinian Authority prepares for battle within, without

“For five months, a Gaza man has been locked up in a small room in Abu Dhabi, even though he’s not guilty of any wrongdoing. Israel and Egypt refuse to allow him to return to Gaza, and the UAE won’t allow him in.”

“Gaza’s ruling faction Hamas triggered a warning Friday morning, stating it will not cower from war with Israel, following last night’s flare-up along the Gaza Strip border. ‘The resistance’s response makes clear it will not hesitate from waging a campaign against Israel in case the escalation and strikes continue,’ the Islamist terror group was quoted as saying by outlet Ynet. ‘Israel must bear the consequences and pay the price for the ongoing aggression against Gaza, tightening the blockade, interrupting residents’ lives and bombing resistance facilities,’ Hamas concluded. Escalation between Gaza’s terror organizations and the Jewish state have reached Thursday night peak levels in months.” Also see: Times of Israel – Hamas issues fresh demands, Israel likely to accept; but will they fight anyway?

“The Gaza Strip came under attack by Israeli regime forces, for the ninth consecutive night last night, with many fearing that the same will continue in the coming nights. However instead of this becoming a headline issue, there has been almost complete silence from the Western media and no mention of the situation from the UN.” Also see: Al-Monitor – Israel carries out multiple airstrikes after 12 rockets from Gaza, TImes of Israel – After night of rockets and Gaza strikes, Hamas says Israel will ‘pay price’, Times of Israel – ‘It’s a miracle we’re ok,’ says Sderot man after rocket ‘cut the house in two’, Israel Hayom – Rocket fired from Gaza hits home in Sderot, IDF attacks Hamas targets

“Hamas is demanding that Qatar increase the amount of money it sends to the Gaza Strip each month to $40 million, to allow it to move ahead with a number of civilian projects in Gaza. Hamas made its demand this week as party of efforts by Egypt and the UN to calm escalating security tensions between Hamas and Israel. Currently, Qatar sends $30 million to Gaza each month, in cash.”

“The Chairman of the Israeli Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, MK Avi Dichter of the Likud Party, has called for a long military aggression against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. ‘We must prepare for it [military operation] to destroy the group’s infrastructure because unfortunately the issue of Gaza cannot be solved politically,’ Dichter, who is also the former head of the Shin Bet, said. Earlier, Israel’s Kan channel said within the next 48 hours, Israel will know if it was on its way to a new round of escalation with the besieged enclave. According to the channel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed his threats to assassinate leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. Adding that Defence Minister Benny Gantz said on Wednesday that ‘Hamas is playing with fire’ claiming that he will work to change the equation and direct ‘fire against it’.” Also see: Arutz Sheva – IDF prepares for escalation as Hamas threatens Israel

“Israel appears to be barreling toward a new election, coalition chairman Miki Zohar (Likud) said Friday morning, blaming the Blue and White party for the impasse and claiming they were hindering the prime minister’s efforts to combat the coronavirus crisis. He also indicated that it was the government’s general dysfunction, rather than the disagreement over the state budget, that was threatening to bring down the government merely three months after its formation. ‘We don’t want elections,’ Zohar told 103FM Radio, ‘But we also don’t want to carry on in the way things are with [Blue and White], where we feel they are simply obstructing the prime minister in extracting Israel from the coronavirus crisis.’”

“We are now five days before the Knesset’s Aug. 25 deadline on the budget — a vote considered legally as a vote of confidence in the government. In other words, we are just five days before Israelis will learn if there will be a new round of elections, or if the unity government will survive the latest crisis round. Nevertheless, no one but Netanyahu has any idea what will happen at midnight Aug. 24. All that is certain is that failure to pass the budget will result in the Knesset being dissolved automatically, and another round of elections being held in November.”

“The UAE has covertly worked with Israeli cyber offense experts to target Emirati rights activists. Now that the two countries have normalized ties, there are fears of an increased crackdown.”

“Senior Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash said the United Arab Emirates (UAE) did not coordinate the Israel normalisation deal with its allies, suggesting that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries were unaware of the agreement before it was announced. ‘We did not discuss this deal prior to the announcement with any of our friends – none of them, no Arab country, nobody – because we clearly thought that this will actually jeopardise the deal,’ Gargash told the Atlantic Council in a virtual interview early on Thursday.” Also see: Arab News – ‘Several’ Arab states on path to normalizing ties with Israel, says UAE foreign minister

Quick Hits

General

Times of Israel — UAE envoy: With Israel deal done, we’ll directly advocate for Palestinian state

Middle East Monitor — UAE to establish embassy in Tel Aviv

i24 News — Report: Israel, UAE to cooperate on internal security

Middle East Monitor — Netanyahu intends to visit UAE before end of 2020

Israel Hayom — Report: UAE eyes Israeli laser defense system

F-35 Kerfuffle

Al-Monitor — UAE official says F-35 request ‘legitimate,’ not connected to Israel deal

Jerusalem Post – UAE senior official: Requests for F-35 fighter jet precedes Israel deal

Times of Israel – Gantz raps Netanyahu for sidelining him on F-35 policy as UAE deal brewed

YNet – Gantz accuses Netanayahu of circumventing authority over UAE deal and F-35

Haaretz – F-35 Sale to UAE: ‘’Netanyahu Knew… It’s an Outrage’

Breaking Defense – Bibi Said Yes To F-35 Sale To UAE, Eye On Normalized Relations

Bloomberg – Israel’s New Friendship With the UAE Will Come at a Cost

“‘I am not sure the US or the Trump administration will offer them custodianship, which would mean changing the Trump [peace] plan. But they could offer them some kind of a role in other ways… Saudi Arabia could be involved in the endeavor to bring Muslim worshippers to Jerusalem from Arab countries, Herzog [Retired IDF Brig.-Gen. Mike Herzog] speculated. Or Saudi Arabia could be given an opportunity to invest in eastern Jerusalem, particularly in lieu of Turkey which has been very active with regard to east Jerusalem real estate, Herzog said. Another idea would be a Muslim council that would be involved in the Temple Mount, separate from the Jordanian custodianship from the Islamic Wakf, which is in charge of the site, Herzog said. ‘“Saudi Arabia could have a leading role in such a council,’ Herzog said. It could be tasked with renovation at the site.’I assume both Israeli and the US would like to find the right balance between Saudi Arabia and Jordan,’ he added.”

“Saudi Arabia’s price for normalizing relations with Israel is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, a senior member of the Saudi royal family reaffirmed on Friday.Prince Turki al-Faisal was apparently responding to US President Donald Trump who said on Wednesday he expected Saudi Arabia to join a deal announced last week by Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize diplomatic ties.” Also see: Al Jazeera – Saudi prince: Palestinian state before Israel ties normalise, Haaretz – Saudi Price for Ties With Israel Is Palestinian State, Says Saudi Royal, Middle East Monitor – Report: Israel ‘deeply concerned’ by Saudi Arabia, China alleged nuclear cooperation

“Qatar kept mum on the United Arab Emirates’ accord with Israel to normalize ties as it hosted senior Palestinian Authority official Saeb Erekat on Thursday, AFP reports. Erekat, the PA chief negotiator, and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani ‘discussed developments in the Palestinian arena’, an official statement said. The minister ‘reaffirmed Qatar’s firm position in supporting the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people… and the Arab Peace Initiative’. The statement made no mention of the accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced by US President Donald Trump last week.”

“Jordan has always been a staunch supporter of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, but that might not mean much anymore after Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize ties under a historic US-brokered deal.”

“The Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, Marzouq Al-Ghanim, and 18 deputies, have submitted a request for urgent examination to the committees of the National Assembly and Assembly meetings to vote on the draft laws that had been submitted regarding the boycott of Israel and the banning of normalisation.”

“Leader of the Sudanese National Umma Party, Sadiq Al-Mahdi, has said that the Sudanese people will not accept normalising relations with Israel, describing the UAE-Israel normalisation agreement as ‘a conspiracy’ by US President Donald Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the Palestinian people and their cause. ‘The Sudanese people with all its political components stand with the Palestinian people and salute their steadfastness in the face of injustice and occupation,’ Al-Mahdi said during a telephone call with Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the Supreme Judge of Palestine and the Palestinian president’s advisor on religious affairs and Islamic relations.”

“Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has slammed the normalisation agreement concluded between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, describing it as a ‘step backward’. In remarks to This Week in Asia newspaper, Mohamad said: The agreement will divide the Islamic world into warring factions where the Israelis would be able to pour fuel on fire in this conflict.’ “The agreement will increase the warring parties’ ability to fight each other, and there will be no peace even between Islamic countries,’ he said, explaining that the deal would strengthen the Israeli claim that Palestine is a property of Israel. Mohamad emphasised that the Palestinians and those sympathetic to the Palestinians will react to the deal which means prolonging the war in the Middle East.”

“Haidar Badawi Sadiq tells Israeli broadcaster he doesn’t regret making revelation, laments Khartoum’s unwillingness to do same and thinks normalization only a matter of time.”

“New York Rep. Gregory Meeks says military assistance to Jerusalem is ‘absolute and unequivocal,’ 2 weeks after stating US should leverage aid to stop annexation.”

“Parts of the platform approved at the Democratic National Convention this week have been both praised and criticized by Israel- and Iran-focused groups in Washington.”

“For years, Al Jazeera—media mouthpiece for the terror-supporting Qatari regime—has defied attempts at being forced to comply with U.S. laws concerning foreign propaganda outlets. This is troubling. But recent actions by the Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as scrutiny from Congress, suggest the game is changing.”

“Since the founding of Black Lives Matter in 2013, a number of political NGOs have sought to connect this cause with anti-Israel campaigns. Several prominent pro-BDS organizations, such as Jewish Voice for Peace, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and Adalah Justice Project (American donors for these groups include Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Open Society Foundations), as well as Palestinian NGOs, such as Al Haq and Al Mezan, are leading this effort. These NGOs are attempting to leverage tensions in order to promote Palestinian solidarity and portray Israel as a main violator of civil rights. Many of these NGOs exploit the attention gained by the Black Lives Matter movement, utilizing rhetoric that seeks to blame Israel and US Jewish groups for police violence in the US, and drawing false parallels with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict…”

“The European Union spent close to €5.5million in 2019 on grants to NGOs dedicated to promoting Palestinian culture and preserving Palestinian identity in Jerusalem’s Old City and surrounding areas, a report into EU spending in the region has revealed. In late June, the Commission updated its financial transparency system, filing details of the grants handed to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 2019. Analysis of that data by NGO-Monitor has revealed that out of 42 grants issued for projects in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, totaling €37.15 million in grant funds, seven of those, at a total value of €11.8 million were for projects focused on Jerusalem.”