MBRSG signs digital transformation and AI governance MoU
The partnership aims to strengthen MBRSG's role as a leading academic institution specialising in policy research and government leadership development. It highlights the School's commitment to driving innovation, fostering data-driven policymaking, and contributing to regional cooperation in digital governance and advanced technology.
The MoU outlines several key objectives, including improving government performance, enhancing digital governance, and leveraging AI to boost the quality and efficiency of public services.
The agreement also aims to embed sustainability principles into digital transformation processes, creating integrated digital platforms that provide fast, seamless government services.
Speaking to the ARN News Centre at the World Governments Summit, being held in Dubai, Dr. Yasar Jarrar, a Member of the Board of Trustees at Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government said that more than ever the event has the world becomes more "complicated".
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Al Etihad
8 hours ago
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Arab Parliament President commends UAE's leading role in supporting Palestinian people
5 Aug 2025 19:14 CAIRO (WAM) President of the Arab Parliament, Mohammed Ahmed Al Yammahi, commended the UAE for its pioneering humanitarian role in supporting the Palestinian people and alleviating their suffering amid the dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza said that the UAE's initiatives, most notably 'Operation Chivalrous Knight 3,' represent an honourable model of Arab solidarity and effective humanitarian efforts encompass a wide range of support, including the dispatch of ships and convoys of trucks loaded with food, medical supplies, and shelter UAE has also conducted airdrops to reach areas that are inaccessible by land, in coordination with fraternal and friendly Yamahi highlighted the recent arrival of the eighth UAE aid ship, Khalifa, at Al Arish Port. The vessel carried over 7,166 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including food, medical, and health supplies, shelter materials, fully equipped ambulances, and water tankers to address urgent needs in the Gaza further noted that since the launch of "Operation Chivalrous Knight 3," the UAE has delivered over 80,000 tonnes of humanitarian and relief aid to GazaThese supplies were transported by land, sea, and air, through more than 600 airlifts, 17 cargo ships, and 5,400 UAE has also supported the medical sector by establishing a field hospital in Gaza and a floating hospital off the coast of Al Arish. He also commended the ongoing coordination between the UAE and Egypt to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those who need it most.
Middle East Eye
10 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Syria after Assad: How Israel and the US are accelerating plans to partition the country
Last month, Israel launched a new round of air strikes on Syria, hitting targets near Damascus, Homs and the southern province of Sweida. Presented as attacks on Syrian government forces and under the pretext of protecting the Druze minority, they aim to advance the Zionist regime's ongoing campaign of regional domination and fragmentation. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has expanded its aggression, occupying more than 400 sqkm of additional Syrian territory and systematically destroying what remains of the country's military infrastructure. This escalation comes as Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, now in its 23rd month, continues to reverberate across multiple fronts. The United States has also carried out air strikes and raids, backed Kurdish forces in the northeast and facilitated Israeli attacks - all to maintain its foothold in Syria and prevent the rise of any force that could challenge its order. While the US prioritises geostrategic control and the protection of its energy and security interests, Israel seeks to break Syria into ethnic and sectarian enclaves as part of a decades-old strategy to fragment the Arab world and cement its own regional hegemony. This policy follows the approach both have pursued since the outset of the Syrian war in 2011. At its core lies a shared objective: to dismantle Syria as a unified, sovereign state and ensure that no regional or global actor can challenge the American-Israeli order in the Middle East. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Fragmenting Syria Israel's strategy in the Arab world can be traced back to the early days of the Zionist state. Internal Israeli strategic documents from the 1950s, including proposals by the Israeli foreign ministry and Mossad, advocated for a Kurdish state as a buffer against Arab nationalism. This vision was later crystallised in the infamous 1982 Yinon Plan, authored by Oded Yinon, a former Israeli foreign ministry official. The plan called for "the dissolution of districts of ethnic and religious minorities...[as] Israel's primary target on the Eastern front in the long will disintegrate into several states along the lines of its ethnic and religious structure". Israel's dominance depended on fragmenting the Arab world into sectarian and ethnic enclaves, replacing strong, unified countries with weak, balkanised statelets The Yinon Plan argued that Israel's security and dominance depended on the dissolution of Arab states into smaller sectarian and ethnic entities, including Druze, Alawi, Kurdish, Maronite, Coptic and others. The aim was to replace strong, centralised Arab states with weak, balkanised statelets that posed no threat to Israel and could potentially become allies or proxies under Israeli protection. In the case of Syria, this strategy involves the partition of the country into four main zones of influence: 1) a Druze homeland centred in Sweida in southern Syria, where Israel hopes to foster a Druze-aligned mini-state under its influence; 2) an Alawi statelet in the coastal region under Russian protection, centred around Latakia and Tartus; 3) a Kurdish zone in northeastern Syria, backed by the US, where the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and People's Protection Units (YPG) control vast swathes of territory; and 4) a Sunni Arab belt under Turkish influence, especially along the northern and northwestern borders and the heartland. This partition model directly serves Israeli goals by keeping Syria weak, divided and unable to re-emerge as a regional actor capable of supporting the Palestinian resistance or opposing Israeli expansionism. It has long been embedded in Zionist strategy for the Middle East. One of the most influential Zionist thinkers and advisers to American and Israeli officials, Bernard Lewis, wrote in 1992: "Most of the states of the Middle to such a process [of 'Lebanonisation']. If the central power is sufficiently state then a chaos of squabbling, feuding, fighting sects, tribes, regions, and parties." Crippling Syria Since 2013, the Zionist regime has waged a sustained aerial campaign on Syrian territory, often under the pretext of targeting Iranian or Hezbollah positions. After 7 October 2023, these attacks expanded to include the assassination of senior Iranian and Hezbollah commanders on Syrian soil, as part of a wider assault on the so-called "Axis of Resistance" - targeting Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and allied forces across the region, including in Syria. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of Israel's war on Gaza Israel's destabilisation efforts in Syria mirror the siege and destruction it is inflicting on Gaza, and are aimed at weakening resistance forces and accelerating the long-standing plan to divide the country. Over time, Israel has destroyed Syria's air defence systems, weapons depots, military bases and scientific research centres. In recent months, this strategy has sought to deter Iran, prevent Syria from rebuilding its military capacity and enforce permanent Israeli military and psychological superiority in the region. Controlling Syria The US strategy in Syria aligns with its post-Cold War grand strategy of preventing any regional or global rival from gaining ground. During the Cold War, Washington viewed Syria, especially under former President Hafez al-Assad, as a Soviet client state and a supporter of Arab nationalist causes, Palestinian resistance and regional alliances opposed to US influence. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the US sought to isolate Syria and prevent it from filling the regional vacuum left by Saddam Hussein's ouster. Since Syria's 2011 uprising, the US has adopted a policy of selective engagement: backing Kurdish forces in the northeast under the guise of countering extremist groups and limiting Iranian influence, while allowing Israeli strikes. Syria after Assad: Why Israel's vow to 'protect' the Druze is hollow Read More » Even though the US appears to support a de facto partition of Syria, its objective is not necessarily Israeli-style ethnic fragmentation. Rather, it seeks to preserve a military and political presence that blocks Russian and Iranian access to the eastern Mediterranean and ensures any future Syrian government aligns with Washington's strategic interests. The recent escalation in the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida underscores Israel's interest in carving out a loyal enclave along its northern front - a goal consistent with the Yinon Plan's strategy of cultivating alliances with minorities who might favour autonomy under Israeli patronage. Yet the Druze community remains divided, with many rejecting foreign interference. While Israel pushes for this statelet, the US is cautious - calling for calm but avoiding any condemnation, wary of backlash in neighbouring states and among Druze communities inside Israel. It also fears that further fragmentation could strengthen extremist groups or open the door to Russian and Iranian gains. The US, therefore, prefers a controlled, divided Syria - weak enough to be pliant but not totally collapsed - where it can retain influence without triggering wider regional instability. Israel, by contrast, is more willing to tolerate, or even foment, chaos if it means permanently removing Syria as a potential threat, especially having already annexed the Syrian Golan Heights. Turkey's stake Turkey plays a crucial role in Syria's current reconstruction. Ankara initially sought regime change in Damascus by backing opposition groups and militant factions. However, after failed attempts to unseat Assad and growing concerns over Kurdish autonomy near its borders, Turkey shifted focus. Turkish forces moved into parts of northern Syria, where they support Syrian Arab and Turkmen militias in order to check and limit Kurdish influence. Since the ouster of Assad, Turkey has become the main power backing and supporting the current Syrian regime. Turkey's interests diverge sharply from those of the US and Israel, which have focused on empowering Kurdish militias and Druze separatists, respectively. While the US and Israel have supported Kurdish actors as counterweights to Assad and Iran, Turkey considers any Kurdish autonomy a national security threat. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently declared: "Turkey will intervene against any attempts to fragment Syria or allow militant groups to gain are warning you: no group should engage in acts towards division." Fight for the 'Heartland' A famous principle of geopolitical theory, put forward by British academic and politician Halford Mackinder, states: "Who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; who rules the World Island commands the world." Unless regional actors form a coordinated response, Syria's dismemberment could become a permanent reality By analogy, Syria occupies a central node in the Arab world, controlling vital transit routes, trade corridors and regional alliances - much like Mackinder's Heartland. Regional and global powers believe that whoever controls Syria, or a major part of it, will influence - if not shape - the entire Middle East. In this context, the US and Israel are executing a two-pronged policy in Syria. For the US, Syria is a chessboard on which it seeks to block adversaries, protect petrodollar hegemony and secure Israel's position without becoming too entangled. For Israel, Syria is an existential threat to be dismantled and restructured into a patchwork of mini-states. The danger lies in the prolonged suffering of the Syrian people, the erosion of Arab sovereignty and the potential explosion of wider conflict. Unless regional actors - particularly Turkey, but also Iran and Arab states - form a coordinated response, Syria's dismemberment could become a permanent reality, fulfilling the long-standing Zionist blueprint for a fractured, compliant Middle East. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Middle East Eye
12 hours ago
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Al-Aqsa Mosque: Palestinians proven right again as Israel ramps up violations
There is something deeply unsettling in the way Arab and Western diplomats continue to dismiss Israeli political declarations as mere rhetoric. Equally puzzling is the extent to which Israeli politicians have proven honest and explicit about their intentions. Now, 21 months into Israel's genocide in Gaza, we can look back and see how Israel has, step by step, implemented nearly all the promises it made on 8 October 2023, while the world has stood by and watched as entire cities were wiped off the face of the earth. Over time, the global consensus has shifted toward acknowledging that what is happening in Gaza is a campaign of extermination and starvation, but only after the catastrophe has taken place. Yet, even as the world follows this unfolding horror, Israel presses on. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The rhetoric has not stopped, nor has its implementation. In the Occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, and particularly Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israel continues to advance a policy of irreversible annexation and provocation. Unilateral actions In the past month alone, the Israeli Knesset passed a symbolic but politically significant bill endorsing de facto annexation of the West Bank. Then, in late July, the Ministry of Defence transferred administrative control of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, second-largest mosque in Palestine, from the Palestinian Waqf and local authorities to the Kiryat Arba Religious Council. Since the 1997 Hebron Protocol, part of the Oslo II Accords, Palestinian authorities - specifically the Islamic Waqf and the Hebron Municipality - were responsible for civil matters concerning the mosque's Muslim section, including safety infrastructure, electricity, sanitation and surveillance systems, while Israeli forces controlled security and Jewish access. However, these administrative and legal constraints, which had previously limited Israeli authorities from altering management structures or making physical changes without Palestinian consent, have now been bypassed or removed by the Israeli military's Civil Administration. Al-Aqsa Mosque: The significance of one of Islam's holiest sites Read More » This shift paves the way for unilateral changes, including construction projects and settler oversight, and is widely condemned as a violation of international law and the long-standing status quo agreement at the site. Over the weekend, Jewish settlers, under heavy police protection, stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in unprecedented numbers. They were led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who then conducted prayer services inside the complex itself. This marked his eighth such intrusion since the genocide began, and his eleventh since taking office. Whereas in the past, police had restricted Jewish visitors to the eastern plaza and prevented them from praying. Although, according to official Jewish religious authorities, there is a prohibition on Jews entering Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, and despite the status quo arrangement established after the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 - which prohibits Jews from praying there and leaves its administration in the hands of the Islamic Waqf, allowing only Muslims to pray there - this time, Jewish settlers were allowed access to the entire complex and pray freely. What made this visit even more significant was Ben Gvir's statement during his march to the mosque on Tisha B'Av, the Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the First and Second Temples. He declared that the day should not only be one of grief but of "building" - the building of the Third Temple. This declaration came only months after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video from tunnels excavated beneath Al-Aqsa Mosque - a decades-long project Palestinians have repeatedly warned threatens the structural foundations of the mosque. They have linked visible erosion and damage to the ongoing Israeli excavation. Palestinian warnings unheeded What's even more frustrating is the international and Arab disregard for what the Palestinians say and warn about. Time and again, the Palestinians have warned about Israeli intentions - especially regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque- and time and again, their warnings were dismissed as baseless. Palestinians' warning that Israel intends to alter the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque is now unfolding before our eyes And now, tragically, the Palestinians were right, as reflected in the press statement from the Jerusalem Governorate that stated: "Today, the spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque has begun in an open and dangerous manner, and we warn of a religious war in the region." For decades, Palestinians have warned that Israel intends to alter the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Today, this is unfolding before our eyes and we stand witness to these changes. Despite all these developments, a dismissive attitude persists in international diplomatic circles, based on the false assumption that Israel's actions are exaggerated or unserious. Yet each year brings a new level of transgression. Whereas the police once prohibited Jewish prayer inside the mosque complex, today the minister in charge of the police leads it himself. The genocide in Gaza has proven that Israel is not only capable of mass atrocities but it is also emboldened by global impunity. Over the past 21 months, Israel has violated hundreds, if not thousands, of international laws and conventions. Other than the United States, no country would be allowed to behave as Israel does. Even Russia, due to its invasion of Ukraine, remains under heavy sanctions despite its economic and energy importance to Europe. Yet Israel, despite global protests and mass public outcry, continues to enjoy Western and Arab support as it proceeds with the genocide. Rewarding brutality Western countries are still supplying Israel with weapons. Arab regimes are increasingly exploring normalisation, in what can only be interpreted as a reward for Israel's brutality. This reality demands a strategic recalibration from the Palestinians: what does power look like in the 21st century, and how do we confront a world in which genocide is not punished but incentivised? Israel is now pursuing a long-held plan: the mass transfer of Palestinians from Gaza. The only missing component is a willing host country or countries. Since the beginning of the war, Israel has openly floated this plan, and following US President Donald Trump's endorsement of the idea during his presidency, Israel has poured resources into making it a reality. The belief that Israel will simply fail without facing resistance is nothing more than a delusion. Trump's special envoy to the middle east, Steve Witkoff, visited Israel and Gaza recently and declared there is "no famine in Gaza", even as American soldiers and aid workers report catastrophic failures on the ground. If the world continues to dismiss the statements of Israeli politicians, they will not stop at the genocide in Gaza The same envoy continues to support the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the Israeli-controlled organisation managing humanitarian flows, despite overwhelming evidence of its complicity. The developments on the ground only reaffirm that the Palestinian people are alone in this struggle, forced to confront a state to which international law does not apply - a state capable of committing genocide and starvation with the support of western governments. Israel is now exploiting the situation to engineer the demography and geography of the land from the river to the sea, and seemingly also within Al-Aqsa Mosque. It's true that Israel has not succeeded in achieving all of its objectives and continues to pay a price in the form of soldiers' lives and social instability. I am convinced that international public opinion will eventually translate into political action in the future. More importantly, the purpose of this text is not to say "we told you so", but to warn you: if the world continues to dismiss the statements of Israeli politicians, they will not stop at the genocide in Gaza. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
