Performing artist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beyonce">Beyoncé</a> is getting called out by some fans for choosing to hold her first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">concert</a> in four years in Dubai, a city known for strict anti-<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lgbtq">LGBTQ</a> laws.
The 41-year-old singer reportedly accepted a $24 million payment for the show, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11664837/Beyonce-faces-criticism-24M-private-performance-Dubai-amid-anti-LGBTQ-policies-UAE.html">per</a> The Daily Mail.
“Beyoncé is a huge icon for many gay people,” LGB Alliance co-founder Bev Jackson <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/01/22/beyonce-falls-foul-lgbt-fans-exclusive-dubai-concert/">told</a> The Telegraph Sunday. “LGB Alliance is deeply therefore disappointed that Beyoncé has agreed to give a lucrative concert in Dubai, where same-sex sex acts are a criminal offense, potentially punishable by death.”
Many fans pointed out that Beyoncé had previously mentioned her uncle, &#8220;the most fabulous gay man” she knows, during her 2019 GLAAD Media Awards acceptance speech. 
“He was brave and unapologetic during a time when this country wasn&#8217;t as accepting,&#8221; the Grammy Award winner said, in part, during her speech.
“Witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I&#8217;ve ever lived. I&#8217;m hopeful that his struggles serve to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQI rights are human rights.”
Many social media critics were especially upset that Beyoncé would perform in Dubai because, in their estimation, she doesn’t need the money. 
“RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race” star Kitty Scott-Claus posted to Twitter, “Hi I have a question &#8230; can someone explain why everyone was canceling David Beckham the other month but now celebrating Beyoncé for performing in Dubai? One rule for one and one for another?”
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Hi I have a question.. can someone explain why everyone was cancelling David Beckham the other month but now celebrating Beyoncé for performing in Dubai? One rule for one and one for another?
&mdash; Kitty Scott-Claus (@kittyscottclaus) <a href="https://twitter.com/kittyscottclaus/status/1617181623878918145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Plenty of others agreed with that sentiment.
“When you&#8217;re that rich &#8230; largely, if not entirely, through the fierce loyalty of LGBTQ+ fans – what amount of money is simply too much to turn down to perform in a homophobic country?” one Twitter user wrote.
“Beyoncé isn’t [an] LGBTQ+ ally when she’s performing for money in Dubai and she literally doesn’t need a penny of it,” another agreed.
Though the singer banned phones and other recording devices from the venue, footage from her Dubai show leaked on social media following the performance. Beyoncé’s 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, took to the stage to perform the song “Brown Skin Girl,” which won a Grammy Award in 2021.
“Where are all my brown skin girls? Give it up for my baby, my brown skin girl, Miss Blue Ivy Carter,” Beyoncé can be heard saying in one of the recordings. 
She staged the concert to help launch a new hotel in Dubai, The Atlantis Royal. She last performed live in December 2018.

Atlantis The Royal Grand Reveal Weekend 2023 – Beyonce Performance

Beyoncé Questioned For Accepting $24M To Perform In Dubai Despite Its Anti-LGBTQ Laws

Beyonce

LGBTQ

Music

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

World

Six nations in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/middle-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Middle East</a> are demanding that streaming service <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netflix</a> remove “offensive content,” especially culturally sensitive programming targeting children.
The Gulf Cooperation Council of Electronic Media — a union that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — issued a joint statement <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/gulf-arab-countries-demand-netflix-remove-offensive-content-streaming-service-pushes-lgbt-shows-films" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declaring</a> that some content on the streaming service “violated Islamic and societal values and principles.”
“It has been noticed in the recent period that the Netflix platform has broadcast some visual materials and content that violates the media content controls in the UAE and contradicts societal values ​​in the country,” the statement explained, according to a <a href="https://www.esquireme.com/culture/film-and-tv/uae-saudi-arabia-ask-netflix-to-censor-culturally-sensitive-content-aimed-at-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Esquire Middle East. “The Netflix platform has been contacted to remove this content, especially the offending content directed at children.”
Although specific examples of inappropriate content were not mentioned in the statement, Saudi state-run news outlet Al-Ekhbariya mentioned “movies and series for children with scenes promoting homosexuality under a dramatic cover via Netflix,” according to a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/07/six-gulf-states-warn-netflix-over-content-violating-islamic-values" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Daily Mail.
The nations will apply “necessary measures” in the event that Netflix — which lost nearly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netflix-loses-nearly-1-million-subscriptions-largest-drop-in-company-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one million subscribers</a> in its second quarter — continues to broadcast material that contradicts local values or fails to comply “with the laws and regulations in force.” The admonition from the Gulf Cooperation Council occurs after several Islamic nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-pixars-lightyear-banned-in-saudi-arabia-over-same-sex-kiss-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> the Disney movie “Lightyear” over a same-sex kiss scene.
In domestic markets, the “Toy Story” spinoff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gay-kiss-included-woke-toy-story-spinoff-lightyear-struggles-at-box-office?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned</a> a paltry $51 million during its three-day opening — despite a lack of competition from other children’s movies and significantly more robust success from past films in the hit franchise. Meanwhile, Chris Evans — the actor who voiced Buzz Lightyear — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idiots-actor-chris-evans-slams-critics-who-dont-want-gay-kiss-in-toy-story-spinoff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lauded</a> the kiss scene in multiple interviews and labeled parents with reservations about showing the movie to their children “idiots.”
“Every time there’s been social advancement as we wake up, the American story, the human story is one of constant social awakening and growth and that’s what makes us good,” Evans, who formerly played Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, remarked.
Disney+ Middle East has since decided that the platform will nix content that does not “align with local regulatory requirements” among Islamic nations, the entertainment conglomerate <a href="https://www.esquireme.com/brief/disney-middle-east-culturally-sensitive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Esquire Middle East.
Earlier this year, Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-announces-plans-to-oppose-texas-order-criminalizing-sex-change-surgeries-on-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to “take action” against the state of Texas over the treatment of juvenile transgender procedures as child abuse and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-florida-bill-banning-sexuality-gender-discussions-for-little-kids-should-never-have-passed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposed</a> parental rights legislation in Florida banning classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten to third grade.
Despite its involvement in activism, Disney appeared to be drastically out of step with the American public. In an exclusive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-poll-over-60-of-americans-back-floridas-limits-on-k-3-lessons-on-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from The Daily Wire, 64% of Americans supported the Florida law, including 62% of Democrats and 57% of independents. Disney also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-subscriptions-at-ultra-woke-disney-slow-to-a-crawl-after-company-loses-left-wing-political-battles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">witnessed</a> a severe slowdown in new subscriptions among domestic customers in its most recent fiscal quarter.
Though many Americans want companies to advance certain causes beyond their bottom lines, another exclusive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-by-two-to-one-margin-investors-reject-woke-companies-pushing-political-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from The Daily Wire recently showed that most American investors would rather see companies pursue profits rather than pontificating on political matters. While 29% of respondents to the poll agreed it is a “good thing” for companies to leverage their financial power for political or social means supported by executives, 58% — twice as many — said it is a “bad thing.”
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Netflix To Release A Brand New Movie Every Week In 2021

6 Middle Eastern Countries Demand Netflix Remove ‘Offensive Content’ Targeting Children

6 Middle Eastern Countries Demand Netflix Remove ‘Offensive Content’ Targeting Children, Float ‘Necessary Measures’

Middle East

Netflix

Saudi Arabia

On Monday, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), speaking at the Negev Summit in Israel, delivered a moving speech about the growing friendship between Israel and some of their Arab neighbors the day after a Palestinian terrorist attack in which young Israeli soldiers were brutally murdered. The UAE was one of the signatories of the historic Abraham Accords, one of former President Trump and his team&#8217;s greatest achievements, a tribute to Trump, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Jared Kushner and Avi Berkowitz.
Emirati Foreign Minister Ben Zayed, referring to the Arab diplomats from various countries who stood beside him, acknowledged that it was new for them to be in Israel. He continued, “This is our first time. So if we are curious sometimes and we want to know things and learn things, it’s because although Israel has been part of this region for a very long time, we’ve not known each other.”
“So it’s time to catch up; to build on a strong relationship,” Ben Zayed stated. “When I see 300,000 Israelis visiting the UAE in the last year and a half but at the same time I see two million visitors visiting the Israeli Pavilion and Expo in only the last six months, it says how curious we are and how much we want to know each other. And this is what I think goes against what happened yesterday; it’s by us standing together; it’s by our people to people relationship. It’s by creating a better environment for our businesses to work with each other. That’s the way we can go after the narrative of hate, of incitement, of terror. We will prevail. No doubt.”
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שר החוץ האמירותי בן זאיד: כשיש 300 אלף ישראלים שמבקרים באמירויות בשנה וחצי מאז ההסכמים, זה אומר עד כמה אנחנו סקרנים ורוצים להכיר אחד את השני. וזה בניגוד למה שקרה אתמול &#8211; כשאנחנו עומדים אחד לצד השני, נוכל לעמוד מול נראטיב של שנאה, הסתה וטרור<a href="https://twitter.com/gilicohen10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gilicohen10</a> <a href="https://t.co/3O63u7i5YK">https://t.co/3O63u7i5YK</a> <a href="https://t.co/gbAfs2k0yn">pic.twitter.com/gbAfs2k0yn</a>
&mdash; כאן חדשות (@kann_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/kann_news/status/1508389427877396482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On Sunday night, two Arab-Israeli terrorists murdered two teenage Border Police officers and injured twelve others in Hadera. The murdered officers were Yazan Fallah, 19, from Kasra Samia, and Shirel Aboukaret, 19, from Netanya.
“The two terrorists, both residents of Umm el-Fahm, posted a video on Facebook before the attack swearing allegiance to ISIS. The terrorist movement&#8217;s news agency published a statement on Sunday taking responsibility for the attack in Hadera, as well as for the deadly terrorist attack conducted by an ISIS-supporting Bedouin-Israeli in Beersheba last week,” <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-702476">The Jerusalem Post</a> reported.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/LIVE-live-updates-bennett-contracts-covid-as-mideast-summit-enters-second-day-1.10702704">opened the press conference</a> on Monday by asserting that Israel would not be intimidated by the terrorist attack, stated, “We will continue on our path, the path of peace. I am not alone in this, everyone here shares this sentiment,” adding that the foreign ministers of Morocco, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates attending the summit also condemned the attack.
Lapid also stated, “This meeting is the first of its kind and not the last. We decided to make this meeting into a dedicated forum. &#8230; What we are doing here is making history, building a new regional architecture based on progress, technology, religious tolerance, security and intelligence cooperation. This new architecture—the shared capabilities we are building— intimidates and deters our common enemies, first and foremost Iran and its proxies.”
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani condemned the terror attack, adding that the summit was “an important and timely meeting,” Morocco&#8217;s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita echoed, “Our presence today is the best response” to terror attacks.
In the part of the Abraham Accords the UAE signed with Israel, it <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/UAE_Israel-treaty-signed-FINAL-15-Sept-2020-508.pdf">stated</a> that the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of the State of Israel aspired “to realize the vision of a Middle East region that is stable, peaceful and prosperous, for the benefit of all States and peoples in the region,” desired to “establish peace, diplomatic and friendly relations, co-operation and full normalization of ties between them and their peoples,” and believed “that the further development of friendly relations meets the interests of lasting peace in the Middle East and that challenges can only be effectively addressed by cooperation and not by conflict.” It added “deep appreciation to the United States for its profound contribution to this historic achievement,” before adding, “Peace, diplomatic relations and full normalization of bilateral ties are hereby established between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel.”

UAE foreign minister

UAE Foreign Minister, 1st Time In Israel, Delivers Moving Speech Of Friendship One Day After Terrorist Attack: ‘We Will Prevail. No Doubt.’

Israel

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is threatening to pull out of a multibillion-dollar arms deal with the United States over complaints that the deal’s security requirements are too stiff.
UAE officials complained to the United States that security requirements meant to guard against Chinese espionage are too stringent and put at risk the UAE’s sovereignty, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-arab-emirates-threatens-to-pull-out-of-23-billion-f-35-drone-deal-with-u-s-11639491997">The Wall Street Journal</a>. The UAE’s embassy in Washington confirmed to <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2021/12/14/uae-suspends-talks-on-23-billion-weapons-deal-with-us/">Defense News</a> that the Emirate government had moved to “suspend discussions” with the U.S. on the arms deal.
“The U.S. remains the UAE’s preferred provider for advanced defense requirements and discussions for the F-35 may be re-opened in the future,” the embassy told Defense News in a statement.
The $23 billion would have seen a fleet of American-made F-35 fighter jets, drones, and munitions traded from the U.S. to the Emirates. Former President Donald Trump’s multilateral <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-touts-huge-breakthrough-as-israel-united-arab-emirates-agree-to-historic-peace-deal">agreement</a> between the UAE and Israel, designed to strengthen ties between to the two U.S. allies, laid the foundation for the arms deal.
Emirate officials’ chief concern was over the U.S. retaining authority over how and where the F-35s are used. As <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uae-threatens-pull-out-23-bln-f-35-drone-deal-with-us-wsj-2021-12-14/">Reuters</a> reported:
<blockquote>A person briefed on the negotiations said for several months sticking points between the United States and the UAE revolved around how the stealthy jets can be deployed and how much of the sophisticated F-35 technology the Emiratis will be allowed to take advantage of. The person asked not to be identified by name or by association with either country.</blockquote>
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the arms deal requirements “are universal, non-negotiable, and not specific to the UAE,” according to Defense News.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at a Wednesday news conference in Malaysia, where Blinken was meeting with members of the Malaysian government, that the U.S. remains committed to the arms deal.
“We’ve wanted to make sure, for example, that our commitment to Israel’s qualitative military edge is ensured, so we wanted to make sure that we could do a thorough review of any technologies that are sold or transferred to other partners in the region, including the UAE,” Blinken said.
Some U.S. officials suspect that the Emirates’ resistance to the deal is more of a negotiating tactic and not an existential threat to the deal itself. As WSJ reported:
<blockquote>The letter communicating the threat was written by a relatively junior official in the government, suggesting the overture was a negotiating tactic heading into the meeting, U.S. officials said. Other officials said that while the U.S. has legitimate security concerns, there was a scramble to salvage the sale of weapons to a Gulf partner.</blockquote>
“We remain committed to these sales, and the Emiratis have raised some concerns,” a U.S. official told WSJ. “Frankly, we have some questions of our own. This sort of back-and-forth is not unusual for significant arms sales and we are hopeful we can work through these issues and we think the joint military dialogue will give us an opportunity to do so.”

F-35

UAE Threatens To Scrap $23B U.S. Arms Deal Over Security Concerns

Antony Blinken

In an area that has one of the most arid climates in the world, one country created heavy rain by using drones that cause clouds to trigger electrical charges.
The United Arab Emirates, where the temperature can reach a blistering 122 degrees Fahrenheit and the average rainfall is a minuscule three inches, released a video from its National Center of Meteorology showing the rain pouring on highways.
“The country paid $15 million (£10.8 million) towards nine different rain-enhancement projects, part of which was given to the University of Reading, who are behind the creation of the weather-controlling drones,” <a href="https://www.unilad.co.uk/technology/dubai-is-creating-fake-rain-to-battle-50c-heat/">Unilad</a> noted.
Alya Al-Mazroui, director of the UAE&#8217;s rain-enhancement science-research program, stated, &#8220;Equipped with a payload of electric-charge emission instruments and customized sensors, these drones will fly at low altitudes and deliver an electric charge to air molecules, which should encourage precipitation,” <a style="font-style: inherit;" href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/1826651/middle-east">Arab News</a> reported.
Keri Nicoll, one of the core investigators on the project, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/27/middleeast/clouds-electricity-rain-spc-intl/index.html">CNN</a> that the size of the raindrops was vital because droplets could evaporate as they fall. She stated, &#8220;What we are trying to do is to make the droplets inside the clouds big enough so that when they fall out of the cloud, they survive down to the surface.”
“To test out the model, Nicoll and her team built four aircraft with a wingspan of two meters. These are launched from a catapult, have a full autopilot system, and can fly for around 40 minutes. Each aircraft has sensors for measuring temperature, charge, and humidity, as well as charge emitters &#8212; the part that does the zapping &#8212; that were developed with the University of Bath in the UK,” CNN explained.
Prof Maarten Ambaum, who worked on the project, told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56428984">BBC</a>, &#8220;The water table is sinking drastically in [the] UAE and the purpose of this is to try to help with rainfall.&#8221; … (There are) &#8216;plenty of clouds,&#8217; so the hope was to make water droplets merge and stick together &#8216;like dry hair to a comb&#8217; when they meet static electricity.” He added, &#8220;When the drops merge and are big enough, they will fall as rain.&#8221;
“The country&#8217;s Abu Dhabi-based forecasters monitor weather radars to tell pilots flying official government aircraft when to take off on rain-inducing missions,” the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9809529/Dubai-creates-RAIN-tackle-122F-heat-Drones-blast-clouds-electrical-charge.html">Daily Mail</a> reported, adding that in the summer “clouds form over the eastern Al-Hajar mountains which deflect the warm wind blowing from the Gulf of Oman. The strength of the updraft determines the number of &#8216;salt flares&#8217; fired as the plane explores the base of the forming cloud.”
Mark Newman, the deputy chief pilot at NCMS, said, “As soon as they see some convective cloud formations, they launch us on a flight to investigate. … If we&#8217;ve got a mild updraft, we usually burn one or two flares. If we&#8217;ve got a good updraft, we burn four, sometimes six flares into the cloud. … It is fantastic &#8230; As soon as there is rain, there is a lot of excitement. We can hear the guys in the office are happy.”

Daily Life in Dubai

Drones Used To Bring Rain Into Blazing Heat Of Middle East Country

Drones

The American embassy in the United Arab Emirates drew criticism from residents of the Middle East for flying a rainbow “Pride” flag.
As CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/30/us-and-uk-embassies-in-uae-see-backlash-for-flying-gay-pride-flag.html">reported</a>, the United States and the United Kingdom are the first nations to fly a Pride flag at their diplomatic missions in the Arab Gulf. Currently, Article 354 of the United Arab Emirates’ <a href="https://www.moj.gov.ae/assets/2021/Federal%20Decree%20Law%20No.%20(15)%20of%202020%20Concerning%20the%20Penal%20Code.pdf.aspx">criminal code</a> states that “whoever uses coercion in having sexual intercourse with a female or sodomy with a male shall be sentenced to capital punishment.”
Earlier this week, the U.S. Mission to the U.A.E. tweeted that “on the anniversary of Stonewall, a milestone in the American civil rights movement, the U.S. Mission shows its support for the dignity and equality of all people.”
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On the anniversary of Stonewall, a milestone in the American civil rights movement, the U.S. Mission shows its support for the dignity and equality of all people. <a href="https://t.co/vuc9RDzDs8">pic.twitter.com/vuc9RDzDs8</a>
&mdash; US Mission to UAE (@USAinUAE) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAinUAE/status/1409479498542821379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Middle Eastern social media users were not happy.
“More western cultural imperialism,” tweeted one commenter.
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More western cultural imperialism.
&mdash; khalid A AlHashimi (@kalhashimi92) <a href="https://twitter.com/kalhashimi92/status/1409893351663435778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“I just want a reasonable appointment time to get a replacement visa,” quipped another.
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I just want a reasonable appointment time to get a replacement visa <a href="https://t.co/xPjTLi0kXK">https://t.co/xPjTLi0kXK</a>
&mdash; سـعود حسـين يعود للأرض (@SaoodHMH) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaoodHMH/status/1409542486146568195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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A similar move from the United Kingdom’s embassy caused “a major stir,” as journalist Ashleigh Stewart reported. “The commentary is a real mix of ‘wow, proud’ and ‘this is a national disgrace.’”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The British Embassy in the UAE causing a major stir today, flying the rainbow flag in a country where homosexuality is still illegal 
The commentary is a real mix of “wow, proud” and “this is a national disgrace” 
👀 <a href="https://t.co/QMCXAgkFe3">https://t.co/QMCXAgkFe3</a>
&mdash; Ashleigh Stewart (@Ash_Stewart_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ash_Stewart_/status/1409560701920808965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
“This is not acceptable,” replied one Emirati to the British embassy. “We consider this as an insult and disrespect.”
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This is not acceptable We consider this as an insult and disrespect
&mdash; محمد جاسم الريس (@Mohd_AlRais) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mohd_AlRais/status/1409472532080693251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“Disrespect the whole country with this childish action,” said another.
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Disrespect the whole country with this childish action
&mdash; محمد المريخي (@UAEmohamed) <a href="https://twitter.com/UAEmohamed/status/1409579064369819664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-will-fly-progress-flag-to-mark-pride-month">announced</a> that his department would fly the “Progress” flag — a variation of the rainbow Pride flag that incorporates black and brown stripes for ethnic minorities, as well as blue and pink for transgenderism — toward the end of June.
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The Progress flag on display outside the State Department&#39;s headquarters reaffirms that LGBTQI+ rights are human rights, and without respect for human rights there is no possibility of full peace and stability. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pride</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZbnTXsciCp">pic.twitter.com/ZbnTXsciCp</a>
&mdash; Robert J. Faucher (@CSOAsstSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSOAsstSec/status/1408534826110623747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Although Blinken permitted the Pride flag and its variations, the Defense Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/department-of-defense-we-wont-fly-pride-flag">refrained</a> from any such action on its bases.
&#8220;After some careful consideration, the department will maintain the existing policy regarding the display&#8221; at military bases, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. &#8220;There won’t be an exception made for the Pride flag.”
Nevertheless, the Defense Department is now <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-examples-of-wokeness-infecting-the-united-states-military">offering</a> — at taxpayers’ expense — “medically-necessary transition-related care” for servicemembers identifying as transgender.

UK Pride Month 2021

‘Not Acceptable’: UAE Citizens Furious At US Embassy For Flying ‘Pride’ Flag

Pride Flag

On Wednesday, a collection of human rights lawyers and students at the University of Louisville officially filed a complaint with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, requesting that it not allow Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum from participating in the Kentucky Derby, citing questions about the whereabouts of his daughter who has attempted to flee from her family in the past and is allegedly being detained against her will.
The complaint was obtained by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/sports/horse-racing/kentucky-derby-sheikh-mohammed-dubai.html">The New York Times</a> and reportedly said, “The Horse Racing Commission must also use its authority to end his involvement in Kentucky horse racing, at least until Princess Latifa is free of captivity.”
Sheikh Mohammed plans to enter his horse, Essential Quality, in the upcoming derby after eleven past failed attempts to do so.
Last week, a group of independent human rights experts, including the United Nations <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/SRWomen/Pages/DubravkaSimonovic.aspx">Special Rapporteur on violence against women</a>, called for the United Arab Emirates to provide more information about the princess, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum, over concerns about her safety.
The experts <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27009&amp;LangID=E">said</a>, &#8220;We are alarmed that, following the public release in February of footage in which Sheikha Latifa reported being deprived of her liberty against her will, and the subsequent official request for further information on her situation, no concrete information has been provided by the authorities.”
&#8220;The statement issued by the Emirates authorities&#8217; merely indicating that she was being &#8216;cared for at home&#8217; is not sufficient at this stage,&#8221; the experts said. &#8220;Her continued incommunicado detention can have harmful physical and psychological consequences and may amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.”
&#8220;Evidence of life and assurances regarding her well-being are urgently required,&#8221; they said, asking for independent verification of how she is being detained, and for her to be released immediately.
Kenneth Roth, the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, said Sheikh Mohammed’s “behavior is beyond the pale. He should be persona non grata at these big events.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/uae-princess-sheikha-latifa-claims-she-is-a-hostage-in-new-videos">reported</a> two months ago, videos were circulated that showed Sheikha Latifa claiming that she was being held captive in her home after she attempted to run away in 2018.
The Daily Wire reported:
<blockquote>
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum, 35, can be seen giving details on her alleged detainee situation in one of her secret <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-56084768">video messages</a> released by the BBC.
“So I am in a villa,” she says in the video. “I’m a hostage and this villa has been converted into a jail. All the windows are barred shut, I can’t open any window. There’s five policeman outside and two policewomen inside the house. And I can’t even go outside to get any fresh air.”
She says she doesn’t know when she’ll be let go, and what the conditions will be like when she is released.
The video continues with her saying, “Every day I am worried about my safety and my life. I really don’t know if I’m going to survive the situation. The police threatened me that I’ll be in prison my whole life and I’ll never see the sun again … I just want to be free. I don’t know what they’re planning to do with me. I really don’t know. So the situation is getting more desperate every day. I am just really, really tired of this now.”
</blockquote>
Kenneth Roth <a href="https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1362123433358864405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1362123433358864405%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https://www.dailywire.com/news/uae-princess-sheikha-latifa-claims-she-is-a-hostage-in-new-videos">tweeted</a> a message at the time that said pressure was mounting on President Joe Biden to “address the plight of Princess Latifa,” saying, “What kind of ally puts his daughter in endless solitary confinement because she wanted to lead an independent life.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
What kind of ally puts his daughter in endless solitary confinement because she wanted to lead an independent life. Pressure mounts on Biden to address the plight of Princess Latifa, detained by her father, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum. <a href="https://t.co/VTCVMwXpEA">https://t.co/VTCVMwXpEA</a> <a href="https://t.co/grRDxpmHja">pic.twitter.com/grRDxpmHja</a>
&mdash; Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1362123433358864405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The United States has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/sports/horse-racing/kentucky-derby-sheikh-mohammed-dubai.html">reportedly</a> not responded to the statement issued by the United Nations.
“We take these reports seriously and are closely monitoring the situation,” a State Department spokesman said, according to the Times. “We take any reporting of persons held against their will seriously and reiterate that freedom from arbitrary detention is a universal human right.”
The Daily Wire has not independently verified or obtained the videos.
The Daily Wire has reached out to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission with a request for comment.

F6E9980B-BC03-4CB5-970C-114E73D2D5E8_1_201_a

Human Rights Lawyers, Students Call On Kentucky Derby To Keep UAE Ruler Out Of Race

Kentucky

A daughter of Dubai&#8217;s ruler allegedly fears for her life and is claiming to be held captive by her family, according to a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-56084768">video</a> of the princess. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum, 35, can be seen giving details on her alleged detainee situation in one of her secret <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-56084768">video messages</a> released by the BBC.
&#8220;So I am in a villa,&#8221; she says in the video. &#8220;I&#8217;m a hostage and this villa has been converted into a jail. All the windows are barred shut, I can&#8217;t open any window. There&#8217;s five policeman outside and two policewomen inside the house. And I can&#8217;t even go outside to get any fresh air.&#8221;
She says she doesn&#8217;t know when she&#8217;ll be let go, and what the conditions will be like when she is released.
The video continues with her saying, &#8220;Every day I am worried about my safety and my life. I really don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;m going to survive the situation. The police threatened me that I&#8217;ll be in prison my whole life and I&#8217;ll never see the sun again &#8230; I just want to be free. I don&#8217;t know what they&#8217;re planning to do with me. I really don&#8217;t know. So the situation is getting more desperate every day. I am just really, really tired of this now.”
The video concludes with text from the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-56084768">BBC</a>, stating:
<blockquote>The governments of Dubai and the UAE have failed to respond to requests for comment from the BBC about Latifa&#8217;s current condition. They have always said Latifa is safe in the loving care of her family.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/princess-latifa-hostage-videos-shine-light-united-arab-emirates-rights-n1258088">NBC News</a> reports that it &#8220;has not independently obtained or verified the videos. But a spokesman for the Free Latifa campaign, a group that has long called for her release, confirmed that two of the people behind the drive had shared the videos with the British broadcaster.&#8221; The Daily Wire has also not independently verified or obtained the videos.
In 2018, Latifa was caught trying to escape Dubai after planning her getaway for seven years, according to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/02/17/dubai-princess-sheikha-latifa-says-she-hostage-after-flee-attempt/6778014002/">USA Today</a>. The princess had not been heard from since December of 2018 until the most recent videos were released.
In the past, Emirati officials have said that her situation was a family affair, claiming that she has not been held against her will.
Some advocates of human rights not only hope that the newly released video pleas by the princess will assist in her release but that they will also shed light on the broader human rights abuses in the kingdom that have gone unchecked.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/princess-latifa-hostage-videos-shine-light-united-arab-emirates-rights-n1258088">NBC</a> reports that, according to Human Rights Watch, the United Arab Emirates typically imprisons people who criticize officials. There are reportedly hundreds of activists and academics who are serving sentences.
<blockquote>Emirati laws also discriminate against women, migrants and LGBTQ individuals, [Human Rights Watch] says, adding that the families of detained activists are also often harassed by the state security apparatus.</blockquote>
Kenneth Roth is the Executive Director of the New York-based non-profit, nongovernmental human rights organization. On Wednesday, he tweeted a message with a photo of the princess, condemning the country&#8217;s actions and mentioning the President of the United States, as well.
&#8220;What kind of ally puts his daughter in endless solitary confinement because she wanted to lead an independent life. Pressure mounts on Biden to address the plight of Princess Latifa, detained by her father, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
What kind of ally puts his daughter in endless solitary confinement because she wanted to lead an independent life. Pressure mounts on Biden to address the plight of Princess Latifa, detained by her father, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum. <a href="https://t.co/VTCVMwXpEA">https://t.co/VTCVMwXpEA</a> <a href="https://t.co/grRDxpmHja">pic.twitter.com/grRDxpmHja</a>
&mdash; Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1362123433358864405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The UAE has been closely watched more recently as information about human rights violations continues to surface. Hamad al-Shamsi, an Emirati rights activist, said that the record of Saudi Arabia on human rights was &#8220;not worse&#8221; than the UAE. &#8220;The difference is in the PR work and lobbying,&#8221; he said.
Last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/saudi-arabia-releases-womens-rights-activist-family-says-its-not-yet-freedom">The Daily Wire</a> reported that Saudi Arabia released women&#8217;s rights activist Loujain al-Hathlou after more than 1,000 days in prison. The move came after the Biden administration put pressure on Saudi Arabia to release prisoners.

Silhouet van een figuur in zwartwit.

UAE Princess Sheikha Latifa Claims She Is ‘A Hostage’ In New Videos

Human Rights

Four Australian law professors are nominating President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his administration’s work toward securing peace in the Middle East.
The president has received two other nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize for similar reasons. His latest nomination comes after he announced a “historic” peace deal between <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-touts-huge-breakthrough-as-israel-united-arab-emirates-agree-to-historic-peace-deal">Israel and the United Arab Emirates</a> (UAE) and another between Israel and Bahrain.
“He went [ahead] and negotiated against all advice, but he did it with common sense. He negotiated directly with the Arab states concerned and Israel and brought them together,” law professor David Flint, of the legal scholars that nominated Trump, told <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6195238657001">Sky News</a>. He said that the “Trump Doctrine” in the Middle East is “something extraordinary.”
“He has, firstly, common sense, and he is only guided by national interest … and therefore an interest in the western alliance,” Flint continued. “What he has done with the Trump Doctrine is that he has decided he would no longer have America in endless wars, wars which achieve nothing but the killing of thousands of young Americans. … So he&#8217;s reducing America&#8217;s tendency to get involved in any and every war.”
“The states are lining up, Arab and Middle-Eastern, to join that network of peace which will dominate the Middle-East,” he added. “[Trump] is really producing peace in the world in a way in a which none of his predecessors did, and he fully deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Trump was last nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in early September soon after the announcement of a peace deal between Israel and the UAE. Norwegian politician <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-norwegian-official-nominates-trump-for-nobel-peace-prize-takes-shot-at-obama">Christian Tybring-Gjedde</a> put Trump’s name up, urging the Nobel Prize selection committee to consider the “facts,” not just Trump’s personal behavior.
“For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees,” Tybring-Gjedde said at the time. “I’m not a big Trump supporter. The committee should look at the facts and judge him on the facts – not on the way he behaves sometimes. The people who have received the Peace Prize in recent years have done much less than Donald Trump. For example, Barack Obama did nothing.”
Trump’s one other nomination came from two Norwegian lawmakers, including Tybring-Gjedde, in 2018 for his work attempting to normalize relations with North Korean dictator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-norwegian-legislators-nominate-trump-nobel-hank-berrien">Kim Jong-un</a>.
After the initial treaty between Israel and the UAE, Trump said that up to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-up-to-9-additional-nations-could-join-peace-deal-with-israel-including-saudi-arabia-trump-says">nine more countries</a> in the Middle East may follow in striking additional deals with Israel, including Saudi Arabia.
“We have many other countries [that are] going to be joining us and they’re going to be joining us soon,” Trump said at the time. “We’ll have, I think, I mean I think seven, or eight, or nine. We’re going to have a lot of other countries joining us, including the big ones.”
“It’s not something that my critics thought was possible and now they say, ‘wow, that was a good idea,&#8217;” he added. “I will say, it’s gotten rave reviews.”

US, Israel, UAE, Bahrain

Trump Gets Another Nod For Nobel Peace Prize: ‘Trump Doctrine’ In Middle East Is ‘Something Extraordinary’

Donald Trump

Nobel Prize

I have noted before that I grew up in Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates. From 1980-1990, my family lived in an ungated community in the middle of the city down the street from the Iranian Hospital with the Jumeirah American School just one long block up the road. We walked to school every day.
The school changed its name to the American School of Dubai the year after I graduated. It moved locations. The current school at the old location is the Jumeirah Baccalaureate School. My old house is all that remains of my neighborhood. The whole place got leveled and rebuilt, except my house on the corner at 27 Sheikh Rashid Villas, which is now No. 39 on 32b Street, Dubai, UAE. The only reason my house remained is because it became a doctor&#8217;s office some time after we moved home in the run up to the first Gulf War.
Growing up, our history and geography textbooks all had pages missing or redacted. Anything that referenced Israel got taken out by censors. Maps of the Eastern Mediterranean had Israel either relabeled as Palestine or simply scribbled out with black Sharpie.
In ninth grade, my class went to Greece. At the base of the Acropolis is the Athens Agora. I remember a bunch of flags and our teacher pointing one out that was white with blue stripes and a blue star. None of knew it was the Israeli flag. That flag had either been cut out or redacted from our textbooks. The World Book Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia Britannica had pages misses and redacted in the library. Phone calls could not connect from Israel to the UAE. It was as if there were no phone lines between the two. We could not travel to Israel, and I have still never been to Israel. We could not reenter the UAE with an Israeli stamp in our passports.
It is of monumental importance that the UAE and Israel now are extending diplomatic relations to each other, recognizing each other, engaging in commerce with each other, and letting information and phone calls flow between the nations. Bahrain and Oman were similarly situated; Bahrain has also recognized Israel, and Oman will, too.
This is a huge win for the Trump administration. There is a credible argument that the nations were induced into acting together because they fear the United States will not help them in a skirmish with Iran. But the Trump administration did play a role in brokering this deal, and the president does deserve credit.
Barack Obama received the peace prize merely for showing up; President Donald Trump has exceeded that standard here. And, yes, Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize merely for showing up.
On Tuesday, after the historic meeting of the nations at the White House, most of the American media downplayed it. The websites at CNN, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today either did not mention the summit or minimized it. Reporters and pundits claimed that because Israel, Bahrain and the UAE had never been in a physical war, it was really no big deal.
The American media&#8217;s response shows an ignorance of how Arab nations have treated Israel, including redacting Israel from textbooks, barring travel between the nations, refusing aviation flyovers and blocking telecommunications channels. It reveals that many of those who cover the news and pontificate on it have not lived lives with much exposure to the real world.
Remember, the talking heads claimed moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would spark a war. Various pundits and most experts claimed as much, including former Secretary of State John F. Kerry. On MSNBC, the loud voices opposed to Trump said Trump moving the embassy would get a lot of people killed and undermine peace in the Middle East. They were wrong and now claim there was always peace.
This is an enormous deal, and Trump and Jared Kushner do both deserve some credit — credit much of the media would prefer they not have, so they will ignore the story.
To find out more about Erick Erickson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Abraham Accords signing

ERICKSON: Peace In The Middle East

Jared Kushner

On Wednesday, at a White House press briefing, White House Press Secretary lacerated the mainstream media for not asking a single question about the historic peace deal President Trump announced on Tuesday between Israel and the Arab nations of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Near the end of the briefing, McEnany was asked about a personnel matter, and answered, &#8220;I’m not going to weigh in on any personnel matters, but what I will weigh into is the Middle East peace deal signed yesterday that I did not receive a single question about.”
&#8220;That was the first time it’s happened in a quarter of a century,” McEnany said, referencing the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty signed on October 26, 1994. She continued, “If Obama and Biden had achieved this, it would look a lot different. You wouldn’t have Chuck Todd saying he’s ‘uncomfortable’ with the deal that brings peace between the United Arab Emirates and Israel and Bahrain; you wouldn’t have CBS calling it a ‘business deal,’ and you wouldn’t have Nancy Pelosi calling it a ‘distraction.’ Maybe it’s a distraction from her visits to the hair salon, but those were significant agreements. First time in a quarter of a century; three peace deals in 29 days; it took 26 years for the prior two peace deals.
McEnany concluded, “The Nobel Peace Prize nomination for the president, two of them: very well-deserved.”
Trump has been <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/516022-trump-nominated-a-second-time-for-nobel-peace-prize">nominated</a> by a member of the Swedish Parliament for his work on the Kosovo and Serbia peace deal and also <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-nominated-for-nobel-peace-prize-by-norwegian-official">nominated</a> by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, for his work in securing the peace deal between Israel and the UAE.
McEnany’s reference to Chuck Todd derived from Todd <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kyle-drennen/2020/09/16/dem-hack-chuck-todd-uncomfortable-historic-middle-east-peace-deal">saying to White House correspondent Peter Alexander</a> on MSNBC’s MTP Daily Tuesday afternoon shortly after the peace deal was signed, “You know, Peter, this deal is a bit uncomfortable for a lot of observers to watch because it seems so transactional, it’s as if pulling out of the Iran deal is what got these Gulf states on board to do this, you know, to then recognize it. It feels like there is a lot of quid pro quos involved in this, that it isn’t something larger than that.”
Unlike President Obama, who coddled the Iranian regime and emboldened it, thus paving the way for friendlier relations between Israel and Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt as all four countries are threatened by Iran, President Trump has made no bones about his opposition to the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism in Tehran.
McEnany’s reference to Pelosi derived from her <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/09/13/pelosi_calls_trump-brokered_mideast_peace_deals_a_distraction.html">statement</a> after the deal was announced. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer acknowledged, “These are dramatic developments in the Middle East.” Then he asked, “How much credit do you give the president for these peace agreements?”
Pelosi responded, &#8220;Good for him for having a distraction on a day when the numbers of people who are affected and the numbers of people who are dying from this virus only increases.”
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White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany Holds Briefing

WATCH: McEnany Hammers Media For Not Asking About Historic Peace Deal

Barack Obama

Kayleigh McEnany

Mainstream Media

The Israel-United Arab Emirates news is actually much bigger than the American press is reporting. President Donald Trump actually does deserve a great deal of credit, and if the deal were reported accurately, he would get that credit.
But the issue is larger than even that, and the American media has totally missed the bigger story.
First, to review, the United Arab Emirates and Israel have decided to publicly have diplomatic relations in something they are calling the Abraham Accords. This is groundbreaking in and of itself. Though the countries have privately been collaborating for some time, they will make it public now. That means each nation will recognize the other; they will have embassies; they will have access to each other&#8217;s phone and telecommunication networks. Aviation, commerce and tourism will flow between the nations.
I grew up in the Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We were not allowed to travel to Israel, and I have still never been there. In our geography and history textbooks, Israel was redacted. The pages were ripped out or blacked out. Maps did not have Israel. They either had black painted over or the word &#8220;Palestine&#8221; glued on top. The flag of Israel was blacked out.
In ninth grade, my class went to Greece for a field trip. I remember standing in the agora at the base of the Acropolis in Athens. Our teacher pointed to all the flags of the world hanging above the agora and asked if any of us could identify the white one with the blue stripes and a blue star. None of us had ever seen it.
Those redactions to textbooks will go away now. The United Arab Emirates will join Jordan and Egypt in recognizing Israel.
Now comes word that Bahrain and Oman will follow suit. Eventually, we could see Saudi Arabia also extend public recognition, though, like the UAE, Saudi Arabia has been privately cooperative with Israel for some time.
This gets to the larger and more important picture, the one the American media is missing.
Right now, there is a diplomatic dispute between Greece and Turkey over natural gas and drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey has moved naval forces into Greek territory to secure Turkish drilling rights for natural gas. Greece is using diplomatic pressure to push Turkey out of its territorial waters.
Three weeks ago, in the run up to the UAE deal becoming public, Israel sided with Greece in the dispute, joining Egypt.
Egypt has been at odds with Turkey since Turkey provided a safe haven to the Muslim Brotherhood. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood had come to power only to be forced out via a coup led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who is now Egypt&#8217;s President.
El-Sissi and Israel have been strengthening their diplomatic ties just as Turkey has been working to strengthen ties with Syria and Iran. Now Israel has joined Egypt in supporting Greece&#8217;s claims against Turkey, putting the majority of Eastern Mediterranean nations in Greece&#8217;s camp.
Oman and Bahrain may also be going public with their preexisting private diplomatic relations with Israel. This is signaling the formation of a Middle Eastern alliance of countries allied with Israel against an Iranian-Turkish axis that backs the Muslim Brotherhood and various Shiite terror groups.
There is, if you will, a Fertile Crescent axis of terror that arches from Syria over and around Turkey and parts of Iraq to Iran with the possible coming inclusion of Qatar. It is now being matched by a coalition from Egypt to Israel to Jordan to the rest of the Middle East.
The first collaborative test could be taking Greece&#8217;s side against Turkey in a strategic effort to undermine Turkish natural gas supplies.
We&#8217;re witnesses the rise of an Israel-Arab alliance with diplomatic agreement stretching beyond trade to actually containing a growing threat from Turkey, Syria and Iran. That has been missed in the media coverage and is probably the most significant foreign policy accomplishment to come out of the Trump administration. It is happening before our eyes while so many are distracted by post office conspiracies.
To find out more about Erick Erickson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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