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      <title><![CDATA[Celebrating popular heritage: Ezzedine Al-Manasra and Federico García Lorca]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12981/Celebrating-popular-heritage%3A-Ezzedine-Al-Manasra-and-Federico-Garc%C3%ADa-Lorca?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12981/Celebrating-popular-heritage%3A-Ezzedine-Al-Manasra-and-Federico-Garc%C3%ADa-Lorca?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 18:17:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Popular heritage is not something kept only in people's memory, or a collection of songs, proverbs and tales passed down through the generations that stops at the point of being recalled whenever people want to celebrate the past. It is the memory of an entire society. It carries what people lived through, what they feared, what they loved and what they resisted, and it keeps the details of their lives that do not always find their way into the official history books. Poets are the people most capable of capturing this memory and presenting it anew, because they do not treat it as ready-made material for use, but as life that can be discovered all over again. They search for the feelings, experiences and meanings behind the words, rhythms and images, and they recover the old voice in order to make it able to speak in a new time. From this angle, we can read two poetic experiences that belong to two geographically and culturally different environments, but that meet in their deep appreciation of popular memory: the experience of the Palestinian poet Ezzedine Al-Manasra (1946-2021), and that of the Spanish poet Federico Garc a Lorca (1898-1936). The first starts from Palestine, with all the historical and civilizational layers, songs, tales and Arab and Canaanite heritage it holds; the second starts from Andalusia, with its music, songs and forms of popular expression, especially flamenco and the deep song known as "cante jondo." The importance of comparing the two poets does not rest on assuming that their experiences are identical, or on reducing the historical and political differences between Palestine and Spain, but on trying to understand how two poets from two different cultures were able to make popular heritage a fundamental element in building the modern poem, and to prove that openness to the world does not require giving up the particularity of place, and that reaching the shared human experience can begin from the most intimate local details. There is an essential difference between celebrating popular heritage as a social occasion and celebrating it as a creative act. In the first case, the matter is limited to bringing back old costumes and songs. In the second, heritage turns into a cultural and aesthetic question. Al-Manasra and Lorca did not treat popular culture as inferior to written culture, or as less important than the official literary heritage. They realized that societies do not make their memory in books alone, and that a large part of their emotional and social history lives in everyday speech, song, music, storytelling and festive practice. Drawing on this heritage does not mean reproducing it as it is. When heritage enters the poem, it undergoes transformations connected with the poet's vision, language and experience. The text may keep the popular rhythm but change its meaning, or summon a figure from the collective memory to place it in a contemporary context, or use a familiar image to reveal a meaning that was not apparent in it before. Here lies the distance between the poet who quotes from heritage and the poet who creates from it. The first borrows ready-made material; the second reshapes it, gives it a new function, and perhaps gives back to us what we are used to hearing as if we were hearing it for the first time. It is hard to read Al-Manasra's poetry apart from his deep relationship with the Palestinian place. He was a poet who did not see Palestine as geographic borders or as a political cause separate from its social and civilizational history; he treated it as an accumulated memory, in which eras, civilizations, religions, myths and human experiences intertwine. That is why summoning heritage in his poetry was not merely an artistic choice, but part of his conception of identity, belonging and the relationship between people and their land. Al-Manasra searched for a poetic language that is not cut off from its original environment, so place for him was a space full of popular and human details: old houses, markets, songs, social relations, rural memory, and the customs, traditions and ways of expressing joy and sorrow, love and loss that Palestinian life carries. This attachment to local detail is what gives Al-Manasra's poetry its particularity. He does not present Palestine as an abstract idea, but makes it present in the small things that make up daily life. He tried to reconstruct the cultural character of the place, and to show that Palestinian identity is not the product of a particular political moment, but the outcome of a long history of civilizational and human interaction. He did not confine heritage to the recent Palestinian past, nor did he treat it as a set of limited rural or local elements. He widened the circle of what he summoned to include the song, the folk epic, the popular tale, myth and proverb, and he also drew on historical symbols and made them interact with the Palestinian present. Al-Manasra is known for his ability to turn individual experience into collective experience without making it lose its human warmth. He was not concerned with crafting a poem closed within an elite cultural lexicon, but was looking for a language that could hold the diversity of Palestinian society, its classes and its environments. That is why we find in his work an interplay between classical Arabic and popular expression, and between the image with a historical reference and the word connected with daily life. The presence of popular heritage in this context is not limited to using local vocabulary or referring to an old custom. It extends to the way the poem is built, its rhythm, the multiplicity of its voices, and its movement between narration, singing, dialogue and evocation. It is as if the poet wants the poem to keep something of the nature of the culture it came from, where speech is not separate from chanting, and the tale is not separate from the community that tells it. From here we can understand his interest in folk epics, proverbs and songs. These forms are not mere decorative material; they carry people's conceptions of the world, of justice, injustice, love, loyalty and death. When the poet summons them, he summons with them a system of values and experiences, but he is not bound by everything they carry; he can debate them, change their direction, or give them a contemporary meaning. It is necessary not to confine this project to the national dimension alone. It is true that the Palestinian cause is a central axis in Al-Manasra's poetry, but his work on heritage also reveals an interest in civilizational and human questions, and a desire to free memory from the narrow conceptions that make Palestinian culture merely a reaction to the occupation. The Palestinian is not a person whose history began with the Nakba, nor a people that owns nothing but the narrative of pain; he is a human being with cultural and civilizational roots, with his own language, beliefs and relationship to the land and to life. This understanding is what makes heritage, in his experience, an act of resistance to erasure. When the poet recovers the name of a place, an old song, a social custom or a symbol connected with heritage, he proves that the land is not a space that can be reduced to a political map, and that the relationship with it extends to memory, language and daily experience. But Al-Manasra does not present the past as an ideal time free of contradictions. He summons it from within the present, through its questions and its conflicts. That is why heritage for him is not a refuge for escaping reality, but a means of confronting and understanding it. This is a decisive point, because celebrating the past can sometimes turn into a form of inability to deal with the present, while poetic recovery becomes valuable when it produces new knowledge and opens a different horizon of understanding. If Al-Manasra found in Palestinian popular memory a path to understanding the relationship between people and their land and history, Lorca found in the Andalusian heritage a wide field for discovering the depths of the human being, his fears, desires and fate. His belonging to Granada and Andalusia was a fundamental factor in shaping his poetic and musical sensibility. Lorca grew up in an environment where music and folk singing were part of daily life. His relationship with music was not a passing one: he studied the piano, took an interest in traditional music, and was influenced by the songs he heard in his childhood. He believed that the folk song is not a simple expression of feelings, but carries within it layers of human experience and cultural history. He searched for an expressive energy capable of reaching deep regions of human experience. Song, for him, was not a sound background for the poem, but a form of knowledge, and a way of expressing feelings that everyday language cannot contain. He was aware that folk singing can be distorted when it turns into a consumer product, or a tourist show that loses its particularity. So he sought to defend its expressive essence and its connection with the historical and social experience of the people who produced it and passed it down. In his work he drew on the inherited narrative and lyrical poetic forms that rely on the tale, rhythm, concentration and popular imagery. But he was not content with reproducing these forms; he reshaped them according to a modern poetic vision, in which popular symbols blended with myth, nature, violence, death, desire and freedom. He created a poetic world of his own, in which he drew on popular imagery, the Andalusian imagination and cultural symbols. Lorca's relationship with the Arab and Andalusian heritage stands out, and there are points of connection between his poetry and some Arabic poetic forms and traditions, especially in his book "Div n del Tamarit," which he wrote after returning from New York and prepared for publication, but he was assassinated in 1936, and it was published in Buenos Aires in 1940. The word "Div n" is an Arabic word of Persian origin that Spanish borrowed with its Arabic meaning, while "Tamarit" is a village in the area of Fuente Vaqueros, where Lorca was born, which in the past was among the properties of the Muslim kings of Granada in the days of Al-Andalus. The name goes back to Amazigh Andalusian roots and means "the lover," while some sometimes link it to dates or palm trees. Lorca's choice of this title, "Div n del Tamarit," was not random, but came as an expression of his sweeping love for the Arab Andalusian legacy, which he considered an essential part of his Andalusian identity. This interaction does not mean that Lorca was merely an extension of Arabic poetry, or that he recovered the Andalusian heritage directly, but it shows that the Andalusian culture he belonged to was a space of many layers, and that its popular, musical and poetic heritage cannot be understood through a single cultural source. Lorca realized that the power of the folk song lies in its ability to hold what ordinary language does not say. That is why he succeeded in carrying some of its features into written poetry, through repetition, rhythm, compression and concentrated imagery, so that the reader feels the poem is being sung even when reading it in silence. When we place Al-Manasra's experience next to Lorca's, we are not looking for a formal similarity between a Palestinian poem and an Andalusian one, or for heritage elements that are necessarily shared, but trying to discover how each poet dealt with the memory of his society, and how he was able to turn it into poetic material that goes beyond the limits of the environment in which it arose. The first point where the two poets meet is their refusal to separate popular culture from high poetic creativity. Neither saw the folk song as simple material unworthy of the modern poem, and neither treated heritage as something to be left behind in order for the poet to become modern. They found in this heritage expressive possibilities that written culture alone does not offer. But the matter is not only about drawing on popular forms, but about rediscovering their artistic value. The rhythm people are used to hearing in an old song can become a structural element in the poem, the tale passed down through the generations can become a symbol, and the image that seems familiar in the collective consciousness acquires a new meaning when placed in a different context. The two poets did not write about the people from the outside, nor did they treat its culture as a strange folkloric subject worth describing. Popular memory was part of their cultural and aesthetic formation, so it appeared naturally in their works, even when they reshaped it with the tools of poetic modernity. The second point where they meet is the connection of heritage to place. Al-Manasra does not summon the Palestinian song separate from the land that produced it, nor does he deal with the popular tale apart from the social environment in which it arose. Hebron and Palestine in his poetry are not a geographic backdrop for events, but a cultural space that holds memory, history, customs and human experiences. Lorca's world cannot be understood without Granada and Andalusia. The Andalusian song for him is not an abstract voice, but the expression of a specific historical and cultural environment, and of people's relationships with place, nature, power and death. Still, the nature of this connection differs. Place for Al-Manasra carries a special weight because of the experience of uprooting, occupation and exile, so summoning its popular details becomes part of defending the continuity of Palestinian existence. For Lorca, place mostly takes the form of the cultural and aesthetic space within which the human tragedy and the popular and mythical symbols take shape. This difference is a key to understanding the particularity of each experience. The third point where they meet is turning collective memory into an expression of the individual human being. In Al-Manasra's poetry we meet the martyr, the mother, the Palestinian woman and the person attached to his land, but these characters do not stay confined to their own stories; they connect with a wider collective fate. In Lorca's poetry we meet the lover, the Gypsy, the child, the woman and the characters who face death or oppression, but these characters, too, go beyond the limits of the individual tale to reveal deeper human experiences. Thus the two poets meet in their ability to make the local a gateway to the human. A reader who does not know the details of life in Hebron can respond to the sorrow, longing and belonging in Al-Manasra's poem, and a reader who does not know the traditions of Andalusian singing can feel the tragedy, anxiety and desire for freedom in Lorca's poem. The fourth point where they meet appears in the inner music of the poem. The folk song is built on rhythm, repetition and the call-and-response between the individual voice and the group, and these features can pass into poetry without the text turning into a song in the literal sense. Al-Manasra drew on the possibilities of chanting, refrain and repetition, and on the ability of the popular phrase to compress a long experience into a few words. Lorca, for his part, made music a central element of his poetic makeup, and his music was not merely a regular meter or a matching rhyme, but extended to the psychological and phonetic rhythm, and to the relationship between words and silence, repetition and interruption. From here it can be said that music for both poets is not an ornament added to the meaning after it is complete, but one of the means by which the meaning itself is formed. The similarity between the two poets may seem great when we speak of their interest in the song, the tale and the popular symbol, but a serious comparison is not complete without pausing at the differences. The heritage Al-Manasra summons is not the heritage Lorca summons, the circumstances surrounding each experience are not the same, and the function heritage performs in the poem differs from one poet to the other. In Al-Manasra's experience, the national dimension occupies a central position. Palestinian popular heritage is tied to the question of existence, identity and the right to place. When the poet recovers a song, a name, a custom or a tale, his recovery is often connected with refusing to reduce the Palestinian to the image of the refugee, the exile or the victim. He presents the Palestinian again as the owner of a history, a culture and a memory rooted in the land. Here the poem takes on a dimension that goes beyond nostalgia. Nostalgia alone can turn the past into a beautiful, distant picture, but Al-Manasra tries to make memory a force present in consciousness, and ties it to a person's responsibility toward his homeland and history. As for Lorca, popular heritage for him is clearly directed toward exploring the human tragedy. Andalusian music, popular poetic forms and inherited symbols help him express death, freedom, desire, violence and anxiety. He does not treat memory as a means of defending a political right to the land in the way we find in Al-Manasra, but as an aesthetic and symbolic world through which he can express the contradictions of human existence. The difference also appears in the way the symbol is built. Al-Manasra tends to tie historical and popular symbols to a clear national and civilizational project, while remaining open to myth and reshaping inherited figures. Lorca relies heavily on symbolic concentration, so that the poetic image is not open to a single interpretation, but remains open to multiple psychological, mythical and aesthetic possibilities. That is why we should not equate Al-Manasra's use of the Canaanite and Palestinian heritage with Lorca's use of Gypsy and Andalusian symbols. Each has his own cultural and historical context, and each has his own way of dealing with heritage. The real similarity lies not in identical content, but in awareness of the value of popular culture and its ability to produce modern poetry. Another important difference is that Al-Manasra makes civilizational history an explicit part of his poetic project, while some layers of history appear in Lorca indirectly, through music, myth, symbols and oral traditions. Even so, Lorca's poetry cannot be described as separate from history, and Al-Manasra's poetry cannot be reduced to political expression. Al-Manasra is a poet who works on beauty, language and imagination, and Lorca is a poet who deals with power, violence, freedom and oppression, but the difference in the center of gravity of their experiences makes the comparison richer, more varied and deeper. There are poets who summon heritage in a direct and gratuitous way, so the text turns into a collection of historical references, names and proverbs that do not interact with its artistic structure. Heritage sometimes becomes a means of proving belonging, without the text offering any real aesthetic or intellectual addition. This is a danger poetry can fall into, as can public cultural discourse. Heritage is not free of contradictions, and not everything we inherited deserves glorification. It contains beautiful human values, but it may also carry negative social conceptions, or practices that are no longer acceptable. There is another aspect that makes the comparison between the two poets worthy of attention: relations between cultures are not always based on direct similarity, but may arise from the ability of one literary experience to recognize another, and to discover shared questions between them. Al-Manasra was not a poet closed off within his local culture; he was widely read in world poetic experiences, and he understood that openness to the other does not require dissolving into it. His interest in Lorca can be seen as part of a wider literary dialogue, in which the poet looks for artistic possibilities and human experiences that help him develop his tools, without giving up his Palestinian particularity. Perhaps the most important thing that can be drawn from the comparison between Al-Manasra and Lorca is that the road to universality does not pass through getting rid of cultural particularity. A poet who writes about his place honestly and deeply can reach a reader far from him, who does not know his language, his customs or the details of his daily life. Al-Manasra did not need to give up Hebron to become an Arab and a universal poet, and Lorca did not need to leave Andalusia in his poetic imagination to reach readers from different cultures. The local character of the experience was one of the secrets of its ability to communicate beyond its borders. This deserves reflection at a time when local cultures are under growing pressure from globalization, cultural consumption and the acceleration of means of communication. Similarity in ways of life does not mean cultural closeness, and globalization can become a means of marginalizing the languages, dialects, songs and tales that find no place in the market of fast culture. But the solution does not lie in closing in on oneself or rejecting other cultures, but in having self-awareness and the ability to enter into a dialogue among equals with them. This is what the experiences of Al-Manasra and Lorca reveal: true openness does not begin by denying one's roots, but by knowing them, understanding them and rediscovering them. Hebron and Granada are not merely two cities in two different poetic experiences. They are two cultural spaces that the two poets were able to turn into a starting point toward wide human questions. In both experiences we find that small local details carry the ability to reach the reader's feelings, because a person does not need to know everything about another's culture in order to understand his sorrow, feel his joy, or respond to his fear. Perhaps this is the deepest meaning of celebrating popular heritage: discovering that what seems local and particular may carry within it something shared among human beings. The comparison between Al-Manasra and Lorca reveals two poetic experiences that differ in context, reference and purpose, but that meet in recognizing the creative value of popular heritage, and in the belief that people's memory can be a fundamental source for renewing poetry. Al-Manasra made Palestinian memory, with its songs, tales, symbols and historical extensions, part of a poetic project connected with identity, land and resistance to erasure and forgetting, while Lorca made the Andalusian heritage, its music and its lyrical forms, a space for exploring the human tragedy, freedom, death and desire. Between these two experiences appears the ability of poetry to turn heritage from preserved material into a renewed creative energy, and how to make the folk song part of the poetic structure, reshape the symbol, move the tale from collective memory to individual experience, and preserve the particularity of place without imprisoning the poem inside it. Popular heritage does not need someone to put it in the shop window of celebrations and then leave it there. It needs someone to read it, study it and discuss it, and to protect it from turning into a frozen image or a cultural commodity. Most importantly, it needs creators who can add to it, not merely repeat it. Al-Manasra and Lorca offer less a lesson in preserving heritage than a lesson in how to write creative poetry starting from it. They show that memory is not a place we go to in order to escape the present, but material with which we understand the present, face its questions, and make new possibilities for the future. If the spaces of Hebron found in Al-Manasra's poetry a language that preserves their relationship with the land, the people and history, and if the echoes of Andalusian song found in Lorca's poetry a field for revealing human fragility, the longing for freedom and the fear of death, then what finally unites them is that the voice of the community does not die as long as there is a poet who listens to it deeply, and knows how to give it a new form without robbing it of its spirit. The poet does not celebrate heritage because it is old, but because it is still capable of life. Yet the greatest danger begins when the poet turns into a mere skilled keeper of the museum of memory, afraid of the adventure of engaging with the complexities of the age, and sinks into rehashing old forms far from the noise of contemporary questions, so that his discourse, despite its eloquence, becomes an isolated voice speaking of a history that does not belong to our living present, and fleeing from facing the questions of the human being in his present moment. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Edward Said and Orientalism: When Knowledge Becomes a Tool of Domination over the East]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12980/Edward-Said-and-Orientalism%3A-When-Knowledge-Becomes-a-Tool-of-Domination-over-the-East?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12980/Edward-Said-and-Orientalism%3A-When-Knowledge-Becomes-a-Tool-of-Domination-over-the-East?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 18:16:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Edward Said's intellectual battle with Orientalism was not merely an academic disagreement about the nature of Western studies of the East, nor an attempt to refute some historical or literary writings about Arab and Islamic societies. It was a broad confrontation, at the level of knowledge, with a system of perceptions and judgments that, over centuries, helped shape the image of the East in the Western mind. Edward Said posed a question of great importance: Who holds the right to define the other? And who possesses the authority to present an entire culture, interpret its history, determine the nature of its peoples, and draw the limits of its progress and backwardness? At its core, the question went beyond Orientalism as an academic discipline, reaching the complex relationship between knowledge and power, and between the production of ideas and political, economic and colonial interests. Edward Said was born in Jerusalem in 1935 and lived a multidimensional cultural and human experience between East and West, before becoming one of the most prominent thinkers and literary critics in the United States and the world. Said was not merely an academic specializing in comparative literature; he was an intellectual with a keen sensitivity to questions of identity, belonging, alienation and power. His personal experience was reflected in his interest in how the East is represented, and in how cultural images are built that, over time, turn into prejudices that are hard to shake off. Hence the importance of his famous book "Orientalism," published in 1978, which brought about a broad transformation in cultural, critical and postcolonial studies. The book was not merely a critical reading of a group of Orientalists, but an attempt to deconstruct an entire intellectual structure, and to understand how the West produced knowledge about the East, and how this knowledge was tied to the history of colonial expansion and the exercise of domination. Said argues that Orientalism, in one of its most prominent historical manifestations, was not an absolutely neutral scholarly activity, but was bound up with a system of relations that placed the West in the position of observer, interpreter and ruler of the East. In many Western writings, the East was presented as a strange, static, irrational world, governed by emotion and tradition, and incapable of producing modernity on its own. The West, in contrast, was portrayed as the model of rationality, progress, organization and the ability to manage societies. Herein lies the danger of the stereotype: it does not stop at distorting the other, but creates a moral and political justification for intervening in it and controlling it. When a society is presented as incapable of running its own affairs, foreign intervention becomes marketable under the banners of reform, freedom, modernization, human rights and civilization. In this way, knowledge becomes a means of producing political legitimacy, and cultural discourse becomes part of the mechanisms of power. But it is necessary to point out that Said did not deny the value of all Orientalist studies, nor did he deny that there were Western scholars who made serious scholarly contributions to the study of Eastern languages, history, religions and civilizations. His critique was directed mainly at the ideological structure that tied some of these studies to relations of domination and condescension. Edward Said drew on the ideas of the French philosopher Michel Foucault, especially his analysis of the relationship between knowledge and power, to show that knowledge is not always innocent of the interests that produce or employ it. Whoever has the ability to produce knowledge, distribute it and define its concepts holds an important share of the ability to shape public consciousness. This means that control of land is not the only form of domination; there is also control of the image, of concepts, and of the language with which we describe ourselves and others. Colonialism did not always need armies alone; it also needed maps, reports, books, encyclopedias, scientific missions and discourses that explained to the colonizer the nature of the societies it wanted to subjugate. Can a people liberate itself politically while remaining a prisoner of the image that the other made of it? Liberating the land does not necessarily mean liberating the mind, and political independence alone does not guarantee independence of consciousness. One of the most prominent problems of Orientalism is that it did not stop at presenting an image of the East to the Western reader, but also helped form perceptions among some Eastern elites about their own societies. Here we reach one of the most sensitive points in Said's project. The problem is not only that the other may misunderstand us, but the possibility that we ourselves begin to believe the image it draws of us. When a society becomes convinced that it is backward by nature, incapable of producing knowledge, or unqualified to build modern institutions, it has moved from the stage of external subjugation to a more dangerous stage: internal alienation. But the responsibility here does not lie with the West alone. The Arab elites who disabled criticism, the authorities who besieged freedom of thought, and the institutions that turned culture into a repetition of inherited tradition have in turn contributed to weakening society's ability to produce independent knowledge. Not everything that comes from the West is domination, and not everything that comes from the East is authenticity. The real criterion is the critical mind, capable of distinguishing, reviewing and questioning. Despite the great importance that the book "Orientalism" acquired, Said's project was not immune to criticism. Some scholars felt that Said at times overgeneralized his judgments about Western Orientalism, and that he did not give enough room to the diversity and differences within this academic field. Critics also pointed out that some Orientalists produced precise and important studies, and helped preserve texts, manuscripts and a linguistic and historical heritage, and that their works cannot all be reduced to serving colonialism. There is also a debate about the extent to which Said's thesis can distinguish between knowledge produced by colonial institutions and knowledge produced by scholars who enjoy relative intellectual independence. These criticisms deserve discussion, and should not be treated as a departure from Said's project or a rejection of its importance. Critical thought does not turn into a new creed, and its author does not become beyond questioning. If Said called for deconstructing the discourses that impose their authority on knowledge, it is natural that his own discourse should also be subject to criticism and review. The value of a true thinker does not lie in our agreeing with everything he says, but in his ability to open doors to questions we did not dare to ask. Said revealed an important side of the mechanisms that produced the Western image of the East, but he was not responsible for building the Arab renaissance project, and his book was no substitute for the need to reform the intellectual, cultural and political structure of Arab societies. So has the Arab mind actually benefited from this critique? We celebrated Edward Said, we celebrated his writings, and we held seminars and conferences on Orientalism, but we have not succeeded enough in establishing independent institutions of knowledge, or in building critical traditions that allow us to question authority, inherited tradition, and religious, political and cultural discourse. The paradox is that some of those who celebrated Said's critique of Orientalism did not necessarily accept applying the same critical method to their own reality and institutions. How can we demand that the other abandon the stereotypes it has made of us, while we refuse to question the images and judgments we produce about ourselves? Liberation from Orientalism does not mean rejecting the West, nor closing ourselves off, but having the ability to produce independent knowledge, and to open up to the world as a partner, not as a follower. If traditional Orientalism used books, travels, maps and academic studies to shape the image of the East, we live today in a more complex stage, in which the media, digital platforms, algorithms and artificial intelligence intertwine. The image of the East is no longer made only inside universities and research centers; it is now produced and distributed at tremendous speed through screens and digital platforms. Algorithms can rearrange what we see and determine, to a great extent, what information, images and events reach our consciousness, and patterns of repetition and selection may entrench preconceived images of entire societies and cultures. So who holds the power to represent the East in the digital age? And who determines the image of Arabs and Muslims that reaches millions of people? Epistemic colonialism is no longer necessarily tied to the presence of a foreign soldier on the ground. Today it may appear in the form of a platform that controls the flow of information, an algorithm that reproduces stereotypes, or a media system that has the power to decide what deserves to be seen and what should remain in the shadows. But confronting this challenge does not mean rejecting technology; it means building Arab knowledge capable of taking part in producing content, developing research tools, protecting language and cultural memory, and strengthening independent thinking. Edward Said was not merely a critic of Orientalism; he had an intellectual project that re-posed the relationship between knowledge and power, between culture and domination, and between the image of a human being and the reality of his existence. He placed the West before a critical mirror, and showed that presenting the other is not always an innocent act, and that knowledge can turn into a tool of control when it is cut off from the conditions of objectivity, plurality and mutual recognition. But the question that remains open before the Arab mind is not only how the West looked at us, but how we look at ourselves. Do we have the courage to criticize our history, review our heritage, question our authorities, and rebuild our relationship with knowledge, modernity and freedom? The most dangerous form of alienation is for a person to become a copy of the image the other drew of him, and to lose the ability to define himself apart from the judgments of others. Perhaps the most important lesson we can draw from Edward Said is that the battle for liberation does not end with recovering the land; it begins with recovering the mind. The East does not need someone to write its image on its behalf, so much as it needs to have the ability to read itself, criticize itself, reproduce its knowledge, and present its civilization to the world without an inferiority complex or a sense of superiority. For nations that do not produce their own knowledge remain liable to live inside other people's definitions of them, however ancient their history, or however great their wealth or civilizational slogans. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Iran's new face: an open missile range and leadership changes in Tehran]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12979/Iran's-new-face%3A-an-open-missile-range-and-leadership-changes-in-Tehran?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12979/Iran's-new-face%3A-an-open-missile-range-and-leadership-changes-in-Tehran?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 18:15:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[After draining more of the resources, forces and strategic effort that the United States needs in other regions in its war on Iran, the central question has become one of military capabilities: how far can Washington expand its operations in a single theater while keeping enough of a margin to deter, or respond to, any coming crisis? This raises a basic problem in defense planning, and the most important question is whether the United States can replace what it spends while preparing for any other contingency. A long war, therefore, drains time and missiles and reduces the U.S. military's ability to respond elsewhere. This was evident in the decision to withdraw the U.S. aircraft carrier "George Washington" from the Pacific Ocean to replace the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln." Today, after Tehran's political success in turning Trump into a lame duck, through a skillfully woven Iranian design that restricts Trump's movement and his unilateral decision-making, came the harshest and most important blow, from the highest religious and political authority (the Supreme Leader): a political fatwa bringing down the wall in front of the "long-range" deterrence missiles. This was communicated to whom it may concern in a statement by the spokesman of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Brigadier General "Mohebbi": the decision to lift the restrictions on the ranges of Iranian missiles, which marks another stage of escalation. The 2,000-kilometer limit that Iran had officially observed for decades was not the result of a technical inability; it was a self-imposed decision that the late Supreme Leader placed on the military establishment, a sign of Iran's purely "defensive policy" and a way of showing that its missiles do not reach Europe, even though Iran's military-industrial complex had been able to increase their range at any time, and for years. Today this limit has been crossed by order of the Supreme Leader, Sayyid "Mojtaba Khamenei," when he called on the Iranian armed forces to respond to any external threats and attacks without delay and without geographic restrictions. This is a highly significant shift in Iranian military thinking, the embodiment of a more advanced stage, moving the conflict to a higher and more dangerous level and targeting the allies of the [Israeli] entity and Washington in a circle farther than the region if necessary, under the principle of preventive defense, regardless of where the tools and bases of a potential threat are located; that is, beyond the Negev desert and Jordan, to which Washington moved what remained of its military bases in the Gulf, to no avail, and all the way to Europe, a range that can expand in step with the success of developing the range of Iranian missiles, after the political taboo fell as a result of two successive aggressions. Iran's underground military factories have received the signal to begin producing intercontinental missiles and long-range solid-fuel missiles, so that they can reach a new geography. This qualitative leap in strategic decision-making came together with the appointment of the new defense minister, "Mehrdad Akhlaghi," who is responsible for the shift to the principle of international deterrence in place of regional deterrence, in the strategic and military sense. What many did not notice is that this shift was also accompanied by changes in Iran's political scene. A decisive shift occurred in the course of the negotiations, which the official media did not address and which the Iranian newspapers kept quiet about: the decision to remove "Ghalibaf," the speaker of parliament, from the file and to assign Mohsen Rezaei, the new secretary-general of the Supreme National Security Council, and to move the center of negotiations and strategic maneuvering away from the parliament and its speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, perhaps as a result of the internal political struggle between the hard-line and reformist wings. The negotiations in Islamabad had been Ghalibaf's political launch pad toward the decision to assign him to lead the main negotiations with the White House after the truce, with a purely domestic aim: to strengthen his political career, as one of the strong conservative candidates able to hold the presidency in the future. The conservative camp was counting on Ghalibaf as an influential figure in the system, and success in foreign policy would have guaranteed him the position of undisputed leader. But these calculations met organized resistance. "Ghalibaf" came under fierce attack from two sides at once: the reformists exploited every miscalculation to tarnish the reputation of the conservatives' technocratic wing, while radical circles (the hard-line conservatives) accused the speaker's team of excessive flexibility and readiness to make concessions to the West. The turning point was the memorandum of understanding with the United States, which by established tradition falls within the duties of the Supreme National Security Council. Yet parliament speaker Ghalibaf (a conservative) was assigned the task and made to bear its political consequences, until Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, took over the file, as a figure balanced between the hard-liners and the reformists. Rezaei returned the matter to institutional rather than personal control. The sign of this was that Rezaei received the official letter from "Vance," President Trump's vice president - who has begun to distance himself from his boss and disown his mistakes - on how the negotiations would continue. Rezaei then also visited Moscow and met President Vladimir Putin, carrying to him a written message from the Supreme Leader. This was followed by a consistent statement from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: "Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is still the chief negotiator, with the full support of Mohsen Rezaei." According to the minister, there is a consensus of views at the highest levels of government and an agreed distribution of responsibilities. It was a deliberate step to solve two basic problems: first, to rescue Ghalibaf, remove him from the circle of criticism and preserve his political future within the conservative bloc; and second, to give legitimacy to the memorandum of understanding by transferring responsibilities to the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and to affirm that the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States remains a decisive demand with an Iranian consensus around it, and that Tehran, despite questions and doubts about implementing the agreement, sees its strategic importance as beyond discussion, with no concession on applying its terms. It is the only way out of the exhaustion of the global economic situation, and for the smooth flow of the waters of the Strait of Hormuz in both directions. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Major Microsoft Outage Disrupts Business and Government Communications Globally]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12978/Major-Microsoft-Outage-Disrupts-Business-and-Government-Communications-Globally?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12978/Major-Microsoft-Outage-Disrupts-Business-and-Government-Communications-Globally?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 13:04:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — A massive technical failure in Microsoft's primary communication tools left millions of users without email or meeting capabilities for over 12 hours on Friday. The disruption, which affected both Outlook and Teams, forced various organizations to revert to outdated technologies like fax machines and paper records to maintain operations. The global outage began on Friday and lasted significantly longer than previous service interruptions, creating a ripple effect across multiple sectors including finance, healthcare, and aviation. Microsoft identified the root cause as server-related issues specifically tied to Exchange Online, the cloud-based hub that powers its email and scheduling services. While the company stated that it was seeing positive results from implemented fixes, the duration of the downtime has raised serious questions about the world's heavy reliance on a small number of major technology providers.In the United Kingdom, the impact was felt across critical public services. The National Health Service (NHS) and London’s Metropolitan Police were among the organizations reporting difficulties. While emergency response systems remained operational, police staff faced hurdles in processing online crime reports, and healthcare providers had to switch to manual paper records to ensure patient care continued. Similar disruptions were noted in the United States, where companies like Workhorse Group were forced to delay their financial reporting due to the inability to communicate effectively.The financial world also saw unusual scenes as the digital infrastructure faltered. In Taiwan, some investment firms and insurance companies were unable to confirm trades through standard digital channels, leading at least one organization to cancel a bond repurchase agreement. Others reportedly turned to fax machines to verify transactions—a technology rarely used in modern high-speed finance. In Europe, exchange operators and major shipping firms warned customers of significant delays in updates and internal communications.Aviation services were not spared either. Several airlines in India and other parts of Asia reported that their email-based customer support was non-functional, leading to potential delays in passenger assistance. In Australia, government agencies, including federal police and security offices, monitored the situation closely. Officials confirmed that there was no evidence of a cyberattack or malicious activity, attributing the chaos entirely to a software and server configuration issue within Microsoft’s ecosystem.This incident marks the second major disruption for the tech giant this year, following a previous outage in January and issues with its Azure cloud platform. Industry analysts suggest that these recurring problems may prompt IT departments worldwide to reconsider their strategies. While the cost of switching to alternative platforms is high, the risk of having an entire global operation grind to a halt due to a single provider’s failure is becoming a significant concern for corporate and government leadership alike. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Jensen Huang and Howard Lutnick Summoned to Testify Amid National Security Inquiries]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12977/Jensen-Huang-and-Howard-Lutnick-Summoned-to-Testify-Amid-National-Security-Inquiries?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12977/Jensen-Huang-and-Howard-Lutnick-Summoned-to-Testify-Amid-National-Security-Inquiries?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 12:53:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Legislative committees have requested that Jensen Huang and Howard Lutnick appear for testimony regarding potential risks to national security and the handling of sensitive technology exports. This development follows Jensen Huang's departure from leadership at Nvidia and growing concerns about influence over the United States' semiconductor industry.The Senate Banking Committee has called for Jensen Huang to provide testimony next month concerning his personal associations and their potential implications for the protection of domestic technology. Simultaneously, Howard Lutnick is expected to address questions regarding the oversight of advanced artificial intelligence chip exports to international markets. These inquiries come at a time of significant volatility for the technology sector, particularly for companies involved in the production of high-end hardware essential for modern AI development.The situation intensified after reports surfaced regarding Jensen Huang’s personal conduct, which led to his departure from his position at Nvidia. Allegations involve a relationship with an individual associated with a foreign technology firm, raising alarms among officials about the potential for intelligence gathering or the compromise of trade secrets. While Nvidia has stated there is currently no evidence that any proprietary data or national security interests were breached, the company has initiated an independent investigation to ensure all protocols were followed. The market impact has been substantial, with the company’s valuation seeing a significant decrease as investors react to the leadership transition and the ongoing legislative scrutiny.Howard Lutnick’s role in the inquiry centers on the administration of export controls. Discussions among officials have suggested that there may have been delays or inconsistencies in tightening restrictions on the shipment of advanced AI chips to certain regions. A representative for the relevant department indicated that Howard Lutnick has agreed to cooperate and appear before the committee to clarify these policy decisions. The goal of the hearing is to ensure that the United States maintains a competitive and secure edge in the global race for artificial intelligence dominance while preventing sensitive hardware from being used in ways that could undermine security interests.Within Nvidia, the atmosphere has shifted as Colette Kress has been designated to lead the company on an interim basis. Employees have expressed a mix of surprise and concern over the recent revelations, particularly as the company’s stock performance had previously reached historic highs. The transition comes at a critical moment for the industry, as the demand for AI processing power continues to grow exponentially. Legislative leaders, including Tim Scott, have emphasized that the American public and the government require transparency regarding how these vital technological assets are managed and protected from external influence.As the scheduled dates for testimony approach, the focus remains on the intersection of corporate leadership, personal conduct, and the safeguarding of national interests. The outcome of these hearings could influence future regulations regarding how technology executives manage international relations and how the government monitors the flow of high-stakes hardware across borders. For now, the tech industry remains on high alert as one of its most prominent figures prepares to answer questions in a formal legislative setting. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Iran Reports Strike on American Radar Facility in Bahrain Following Coastal Attack]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12976/Iran-Reports-Strike-on-American-Radar-Facility-in-Bahrain-Following-Coastal-Attack?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12976/Iran-Reports-Strike-on-American-Radar-Facility-in-Bahrain-Following-Coastal-Attack?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 12:38:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Tensions in the Middle East have escalated as Iranian military officials claim to have successfully targeted a high-tech American radar installation located in Bahrain. This action is reportedly a direct response to a recent aerial strike on the Iranian port town of Sirik, situated near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. While the claims remain under investigation, the exchange highlights the growing instability in one of the world's most critical maritime corridors.According to statements released by the Revolutionary Guard, an early-warning radar system operated by American forces on the island of Bahrain was destroyed. This facility is part of the infrastructure supporting the naval operations in the region. The military group described the strike as a "serious warning" intended to halt what they described as aerial provocations and interference with maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. This development follows reports from the Iranian coastal town of Sirik, where a telecommunications tower was allegedly hit by an air strike. Sirik serves as a vital node in the regional monitoring network, and the area has seen repeated activity since early 2024.On the diplomatic front, Donald Trump has signaled a shift in strategy regarding regional relations. In recent public statements, Donald Trump suggested that the need for a formal agreement with Tehran has passed, asserting that current economic and strategic pressures have changed the landscape significantly. This shift was underscored by a change in responsibilities for JD Vance, who had previously been a key figure in efforts to secure a ceasefire and restart diplomatic discussions. JD Vance has now been directed to focus on domestic administrative issues, a move interpreted by many analysts as a pivot away from active negotiations with Tehran.Security analysts suggest that the current American approach appears to be one of sustained pressure without immediate engagement in full-scale conflict. By placing key figures like Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth in charge of regional security files, the administration is focusing on achieving strategic goals through economic measures and military deterrence. Meanwhile, officials in Tehran have presented varying conditions for any future dialogue, including the lifting of naval restrictions and the release of overseas assets. Mohsen Rezaei stated that negotiations would not resume until specific demands are met, while Abbas Araqchi has expressed a theoretical openness to talks, leading to questions regarding the internal consensus within the regional leadership.The situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains particularly volatile. Recently, two oil tankers were reported to have caught fire after encountering naval mines in the eastern portion of the waterway. Military officials in the region claimed the vessels had entered a restricted zone, though numerous reports of drone attacks and mine-related explosions on various ships have surfaced in recent weeks. Additionally, internal discussions in Tehran have moved toward a potential withdrawal from international nuclear treaties, citing it as a necessary step under current circumstances. Donald Trump has consistently maintained that preventing the development of nuclear weapons remains a primary strategic objective in the region. These developments collectively indicate a period of high alert as both sides navigate a complex web of military actions and diplomatic stalemates. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[New York City Council Passes Historic Law to Ban Surveillance Pricing and Support Veterans]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12975/New-York-City-Council-Passes-Historic-Law-to-Ban-Surveillance-Pricing-and-Support-Veterans?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12975/New-York-City-Council-Passes-Historic-Law-to-Ban-Surveillance-Pricing-and-Support-Veterans?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 12:26:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — The New York City Council has officially approved a groundbreaking piece of legislation designed to stop companies from using personal data to manipulate prices for different consumers. This major move, alongside a comprehensive package of bills aimed at supporting veterans and increasing traffic safety near schools, marks a significant step in consumer protection and community welfare within the five boroughs. The new laws address transparency in pricing, housing accessibility for those who served in the military, and the conversion of commercial spaces into much-needed residential housing.The centerpiece of this legislative session is the ban on what is known as surveillance pricing. This practice involves companies using complex algorithms and personal consumer data to offer different prices to different people for the exact same products or services. Under the new law, sponsored by Julie Menin, such practices will be prohibited across New York City. This initiative makes the city a leader in the country for protecting residents from individualized price hikes that often happen without the buyer’s knowledge. For example, some platforms have been known to raise prices based on a user’s phone battery level or geographic location, tactics that many consider predatory and unfair.Julie Menin emphasized that this legislation puts the needs of the public first. By ending these deceptive practices, the council aims to ease the affordability crisis facing many residents. Research has shown that algorithmic pricing can lead to significant price differences, sometimes as high as 23 percent for the same items on grocery platforms. Other instances include retailers raising prices the moment a customer enters a parking lot. These tactics are often invisible to the average shopper, making this new ban a vital tool for ensuring a fair marketplace for everyone in the city.In addition to consumer protections, the council passed several important measures in honor of Veterans Day to improve the lives of those who served. One significant bill, introduced by Frank Morano, provides a full property tax exemption for the primary residences of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled. This measure is expected to provide meaningful financial relief to thousands of households, ensuring that those who have sacrificed for the country are not forced out of their homes due to rising taxes. Furthermore, another bill by Inna Vernikov requires detailed annual reporting on veteran occupancy in specific housing developments to ensure that veterans are receiving the housing preferences they are entitled to by law.The legislative package also includes a focus on inclusivity within the veteran community. David Carr sponsored a bill to establish a permanent LGBTQ+ liaison within the city’s veteran services. This role will focus on outreach and assisting veterans who may have been unjustly denied benefits in the past due to their identity. This liaison will help these individuals upgrade their discharge status and connect them with the essential services they earned through their military service.Safety and housing infrastructure were also key components of the meeting. Jennifer Gutiérrez introduced a bill that sets strict deadlines for the Department of Transportation to implement traffic safety measures near schools, such as speed reducers and traffic signals, once a need is identified. Meanwhile, Harvey Epstein’s legislation aims to streamline the process of converting non-residential buildings into housing. By centralizing technical support and cutting through bureaucratic red tape, the city hopes to accelerate the creation of affordable living spaces. These combined efforts reflect a broad commitment to making the city safer, fairer, and more affordable for all its inhabitants. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[New NYC Legislation Seeks to Hold Delivery Apps Accountable for E-Bike Infrastructure]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12974/New-NYC-Legislation-Seeks-to-Hold-Delivery-Apps-Accountable-for-E-Bike-Infrastructure?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12974/New-NYC-Legislation-Seeks-to-Hold-Delivery-Apps-Accountable-for-E-Bike-Infrastructure?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 12:10:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — New York City is considering a new legislative move that would shift the financial responsibility for e-bike infrastructure from the public sector to the multibillion-dollar food delivery industry. A proposed bill aims to mandate that third-party delivery companies provide dedicated rest areas, secure storage, and safe charging stations for their thousands of workers. The move comes as certain neighborhoods, particularly in the East Village, have become informal hubs for delivery workers. One specific block on East 11th Street has seen hundreds of e-bikes lining the curbs daily. Workers often gather in this area due to the presence of a local mosque, which offers a sense of community and security, as the mosque’s cameras provide a layer of protection against bike theft. However, the high volume of bikes has led to complaints from local residents regarding sidewalk accessibility and street congestion. While local officials have attempted to manage the situation through bike corrals and increased cleanings, these measures have yet to address the core issue: the lack of dedicated space for the city’s 80,000 delivery workers.Councilmember Harvey Epstein, who is introducing the bill, argues that the current situation is an infrastructure crisis that the city cannot solve alone. The proposed law would require companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub to establish their own facilities. These hubs would include essential amenities such as bathrooms, indoor rest areas, and certified charging stations for lithium-ion batteries. Epstein emphasized that private companies should not rely on the government to fix problems created by their business models. He pointed to existing models used by companies like Amazon and JOCO, which already provide indoor spaces for their fleets, as examples of how the industry can operate more sustainably.Safety remains a primary driver for the legislation. New York City has seen a significant increase in fires linked to lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes. These fires have resulted in several fatalities and numerous injuries over the past year. By requiring delivery companies to provide safe, regulated charging areas, officials hope to reduce the risks associated with workers charging batteries in unsafe or overcrowded residential settings. Advocates for delivery workers, including the Worker’s Justice Project, support the bill, stating that the city’s infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the delivery industry.While the administration led by Mamdani has taken steps to support workers, such as opening a delivery hub near City Hall earlier this year, progress on a city-wide scale has been slow. Plans for dozens of additional charging stations are in development, but funding remains a challenge. Federal money previously allocated under the Joe Biden administration has faced delays, and state-funded projects are not expected to begin until late next year. This legislation seeks to bypass these delays by making the private sector responsible for the immediate needs of their workforce. If passed, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection would be tasked with defining the specific rules and locations for these new worker hubs within one year. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Democratic Tsunami: Is the Trump Era Beginning to Fade?]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12972/Democratic-Tsunami%3A-Is-the-Trump-Era-Beginning-to-Fade%3F?lang=en</link>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 20:33:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Washington - Alhawadeth Two years after Donald Trump's return to the White House, the 2026 midterm elections on November 3 delivered the strongest rebuke yet to his era. Democrats made broad gains in both chambers of Congress, and Republicans lost Senate seats in states Trump carried in 2024. Riding the same wave, a new generation of progressives, democratic socialists, Arab Americans and Muslim Americans won seats from Capitol Hill to city hall. A map that turned against the president The Senate tells the story most clearly. According to the Associated Press count as of November 13, Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them have 55 seats to the Republicans' 44, with one seat not yet counted for either party. In the House, Democrats have won 255 seats to 169 for Republicans, with 11 seats not yet counted for either party. The losses hit Trump's strongholds. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton, one of the president's closest allies. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown won back a Senate seat. In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper won an open Republican seat. In Maine, Troy Jackson unseated veteran Sen. Susan Collins. And in Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom narrowly defeated Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a race described as a historic first. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola was leading Sen. Dan Sullivan as counting continued. Who are the progressives? The wave did not lift only moderate Democrats. A broad progressive movement, built over a decade around Sen. Bernie Sanders and groups such as Justice Democrats, the Working Families Party, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), won from the Senate down to city hall. In the Senate, three Sanders-endorsed candidates were elected: Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota, who becomes the first Native American woman elected to the Senate, and Troy Jackson in Maine, who unseated Susan Collins. The movement also won where Democrats rarely win easily. Sanders-endorsed House candidates defeated Republicans in contested districts: Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin, Sam Forstag in Montana, Brian Poindexter, an ironworker and union leader, in Ohio, and Randy Villegas in California. In Michigan, climate activist Will Lawrence unseated Republican Rep. Tom Barrett. In safe Democratic seats, progressives replaced the old guard. In New Jersey, Adam Hamawy, backed by Justice Democrats and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, won the 12th District, and labor organizer Analilia Mejia kept the 11th District seat she won in an April special election. In New York, Brad Lander won the 10th District. At the movement's left edge, six DSA members won House seats: Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez in New York, Melat Kiros in Colorado, Angela Gonzales-Torres in California, Donavan McKinney in Michigan and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania. That will quadruple the number of DSA members in the House when the new Congress is seated in January. Together, these wins are expected to bring the Congressional Progressive Caucus to about 106 members. What unites them is a platform built on the cost of living: housing, universal health care, workers' rights and immigrant rights. Many also broke with Washington's traditional line on Israel. Angela Gonzales-Torres, who unseated Rep. Jimmy Gomez in Los Angeles, called for an arms embargo on Israel. The same movement reached city halls. Nithya Raman defeated Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Janeese Lewis George became the first democratic socialist to lead Washington, D.C. David Morales, 28, became the youngest mayor in the history of Providence, Rhode Island. And in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Yousef Rabhi defeated the city's longtime mayor in the primary and then ran unopposed. Arabs and Muslims: from the margins to the center For Arab and Muslim Americans, November 3 was historic. El-Sayed, an Egyptian American physician, defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan to become the first Muslim ever elected to the U.S. Senate. He won despite attacks on his religion from Republicans and from President Trump, and despite having described Israel's war on Gaza as genocide. At least seven Muslims will sit in the next Congress. Adam Hamawy, an Egyptian American surgeon who volunteered in Gaza, won New Jersey's 12th District and became the first Muslim to represent the state in Congress. Aisha Wahab won a full term in California. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Andr Carson and Lateefah Simon were reelected. In the state legislatures, Palestinian Americans Aber Kawas (New York), Ruwa Romman (Georgia), Iman Jodeh (Colorado) and Abdelnasser Rashid (Illinois) won their races, along with Abbas Alawieh, Alabas Farhat and Jalal Abdallah in Michigan. Muslim Network TV counted at least 36 Muslim winners nationwide. Identity alone did not decide the vote. In Arizona, Republican Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim, lost to Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton. Three faces of the new wave Three winners show what the progressive wave looks like. El-Sayed, the son of an Egyptian immigrant, is a physician and former Rhodes Scholar who ran Detroit's health department at 30; he campaigned on Medicare for All, free child care and abolishing ICE. Adam Hamawy, born in Egypt and raised in Old Bridge, New Jersey, is a former Army combat surgeon who helped save Sen. Tammy Duckworth's life in Iraq and treated patients at Gaza's European Hospital in 2024. "To every Muslim child who's been told that you don't belong: You belong," he said on election night. Analilia Mejia, an Afro-Latina labor organizer who led the fights for New Jersey's $15 minimum wage and paid sick leave and was national political director of Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign, won a special election in April and kept her 11th District seat on November 3. The Gaza factor For years, criticizing Israel was seen as a political risk in American elections. This year, candidates who called the war on Gaza a genocide won hard races: El-Sayed in Michigan and Troy Jackson in Maine are the clearest examples. Is the Trump era fading? The numbers do not mean Trumpism is over. Trump remains president for two more years, and Republicans still hold seats across much of the country. But for the first time since his return, the president faces a Congress reshaped by his opponents, and a new generation of lawmakers who openly reject his agenda, from the war on Iran to immigration crackdowns. Those who targeted Arab and Muslim candidates found that voters chose them anyway. That alone marks the beginning of a new chapter. Results are unofficial until certified by each state. Sources: Associated Press (November 5-13, 2026), NPR, Common Dreams, New Jersey Globe, Colorado Politics, Muslim Network TV, Khaleej Times, Daily Trust, Jewish Insider, Ballotpedia, FOX 5 DC, The Boston Globe, Michigan Advance, Al Jazeera, Gulf News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Patch, EMILY's List. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[New York 2026: From the June Primaries to the November Ballot Box]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12971/New-York-2026%3A-From-the-June-Primaries-to-the-November-Ballot-Box?lang=en</link>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 17:02:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Alhawadeth Politics Monitor (APM) - Analytical Reading New York 2026: From the June Primaries to the November Ballot BoxThe rise of the progressive current and the statewide outcome APM-ANL-004 An analytical reading of the New York 2026 election results Final version - November 12, 2026 Reading card Democratic primaries June 23, 2026 General election November 3, 2026 Incumbents who lost congressional primaries in the city Two, Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) [1, 2] Super PAC spending on state legislative primaries $9.6 million, including about $2.9 million against Democratic Socialists candidates [11] Governor Kathy Hochul (Democrat) [9] Methodological note Primary results in this reading are taken from the certified official returns of the New York City Board of Elections, and percentages are calculated from the official vote counts out of all recorded votes. Results of the November 3 general election have not yet been officially certified: state legislative results are taken from the unofficial preliminary results of the New York State Board of Elections (excluding absentee and military ballots counted later), while for congressional and statewide races the winners are named as called by the Associated Press, without percentages, until official figures are released. The Monitor distinguishes among three categories that are not interchangeable: an official endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), an endorsement from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and a general progressive orientation. 01 - The big picture The Democratic primaries on June 23, 2026 were the decisive moment in New York City: three candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their congressional primaries, and two of them unseated sitting members of Congress [1, 2, 3, 4]. In the city's heavily Democratic districts, the November 3 general election confirmed the primary results. Statewide, Democrats won the top executive offices, held the two competitive suburban districts on Long Island, and took the 17th District in the Hudson Valley from a Republican incumbent [9]. 02 - Congress: three seats decided in the primaries NY-10 (Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn) In the primary, Brad Lander, the former New York City comptroller, defeated Rep. Dan Goldman with 58,047 votes (66.0%) to 29,781 (33.8%), according to the official results [1]. Lander won the seat in the general election [9]. NY-13 (Harlem, Washington Heights and part of the Bronx) In the primary, Darializa Avila Chevalier, endorsed by the Democratic Socialists, defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, with 36,292 votes (49.5%) to 33,555 (45.7%) [2, 21]. She won the seat in the general election [9]. NY-7 (Brooklyn and Queens) - an open seat after the retirement of Rep. Nydia Vel zquez In the primary, Assemblymember Claire Valdez, endorsed by the Democratic Socialists, beat Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso with 39,626 votes (56.2%) to 25,127 (35.6%) [3, 4]. She won the seat in the general election [9]. NY-14 (Queens and the Bronx) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez kept her seat [9]. ◂ Endorsements: Mayor Mamdani endorsed all three candidates, and Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Lander and Valdez [18, 19]. Among the congressional candidates, the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists endorsed only Valdez and Avila Chevalier, not Lander [12]. ◂ A split inside the party: Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Rep. Goldman against Mamdani-backed Lander [24]. ◂ The war on Gaza in the campaigns: positions on Israel were an open issue in the NY-10 race, and after winning the primary Lander pledged to defend Palestinians in Congress [20]. 03 - The legislature in Albany: political money versus field organizing Super PACs spent $9.6 million on state Senate and Assembly primaries through the eve of the vote, nearly five times their 2024 spending, and about $2.9 million of it went against Democratic Socialists candidates, mostly without achieving its goal [11]. The movement's city chapter backed eight candidates for the legislature, and seven of them won [12]. State Senate ◂ Aber Kawas (endorsed by the Democratic Socialists) - District 12, Queens, open seat: defeated Assemblymember Steven Raga in the primary with 13,023 votes (60.3%) to 8,486 (39.3%), according to the official results [5], then won the general election with 47,294 votes (74.3%) to 16,165 (25.4%) for Republican Han-Khon To [13]. ◂ Jessica Gonz lez-Rojas - District 13, Queens: unseated Sen. Jessica Ramos in the primary with 6,636 votes (48.0%) to 5,133 (37.1%), while Hiram Monserrate received 2,000 votes (14.5%), according to the official results [6], then won the general election with 35,582 votes (78.9%) to 9,277 (20.6%) for Republican John Patrick Healy [13]. State Assembly ◂ David Orkin (endorsed by the Democratic Socialists) - District 38, Queens: unseated Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar in the primary with 3,861 votes (59.1%) to 2,649 (40.6%), according to the official results [7], then won the general election with 73.3%, according to preliminary results from the city Board of Elections [14]. ◂ Samantha Kattan (endorsed by the Democratic Socialists) - District 37, Queens, open seat: won the primary against two other candidates [15], then won the general election unopposed with 29,067 votes (98.6%) [13, 29]. ◂ Christian Celeste Tate (endorsed by the Democratic Socialists) - District 54, Brooklyn: unseated Assemblymember Erik Dilan in the primary [15, 16], then won the general election unopposed with 18,549 votes (99.5%) [13, 29]. ◂ Eon Huntley (endorsed by the Democratic Socialists) - District 56, Brooklyn: unseated Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman in the primary [15, 16], then won the general election unopposed with 33,558 votes (98.1%) [13, 29]. ◂ Illapa Sairitupac (endorsed by the Democratic Socialists) - District 65, Lower Manhattan: won the primary against several rivals [15], then won the general election with 22,293 votes (74.67%) to 7,464 (25%) for Republican Helen Qiu [17]. ◂ Diana Ayala - District 68, Manhattan: the former City Council member unseated Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs in the primary [16], then won the general election unopposed [17, 29]. ◂ Maurice "Mo" Brown - District 129, Syracuse: unseated Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli, who had held the seat for 28 years, in the primary after absentee ballots were counted [23], then defeated Republican Shawn Fiato in the general election and declared victory on election night [22, 29]. Aber Kawas is of Palestinian descent and describes what is happening in Palestine as genocide [27]. With her win on November 3, she becomes the first Palestinian American in the New York State Legislature [30]. Diana Ayala and Jessica Gonz lez-Rojas are not Democratic Socialists candidates, although each unseated an incumbent. 04 - Statewide races ◂ Governor: Kathy Hochul (Democrat) won a new term, defeating Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive [9]. ◂ Attorney General: Letitia James (Democrat) defeated Republican Saritha Komatireddy [9]. ◂ State Comptroller: Thomas DiNapoli (Democrat) was reelected against Republican Joseph Hernandez [25], after winning his primary with 61.25%, according to State Board of Elections results [8]. 05 - Competitive districts ◂ NY-17 (Hudson Valley): Democrat Cait Conley defeated Republican Rep. Mike Lawler [9]. ◂ NY-3 (Long Island): Democrat Tom Suozzi kept his seat against Republican Michael LiPetri [9]. ◂ NY-4 (Long Island): Democrat Laura Gillen kept her seat against Republican Janine Driscoll [9]. ◂ NY-12 (Manhattan) - an open seat after the retirement of Rep. Jerry Nadler: Democrat Micah Lasher won [9]. ◂ NY-21 (North Country) - open seat: Republican Anthony Constantino defeated Democrat Blake Gendebien [9]. 06 - From New York to Washington According to the Associated Press count as of the morning of November 12, 2026, Democrats had won 255 House seats to 168 for Republicans, with 12 seats not yet called for either side [10]. On November 4, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn announced his bid for Speaker in the next Congress [26]. During the campaign, Avila Chevalier and Valdez had declined to commit to voting for Jeffries as Speaker [28]. 07 - Analytical conclusion ◂ The primary is the real election in the city: the actual contest for the city's seats was decided in June, and the general election confirmed it. ◂ Money was not decisive: spending about $2.9 million against Democratic Socialists candidates in the legislative primaries did not stop most of them from winning [11, 12]. ◂ Two equations from one city: a Democratic leadership in Washington from Brooklyn, facing a new progressive bloc from the same city whose members did not all commit in advance to supporting that leadership [26, 28]. 08 - References I. Official sources [1] NYC Board of Elections - Statement and Return Report for Certification, Democratic Primary, Representative in Congress, 10th Congressional District (Crossover total), printed 14/7/2026. https://vote.nyc/sites/default/files/pdf/election_results/2026/20260623Primary%20Election/01001600010Crossover%20Democratic%20Representative%20in%20Congress%2010th%20Congressional%20District%20Recap.pdf [2] NYC Board of Elections - Statement and Return Report for Certification, Democratic Primary, 13th Congressional District (Crossover total), printed 14/7/2026. https://vote.nyc/sites/default/files/pdf/election_results/2026/20260623Primary%20Election/01001600013Crossover%20Democratic%20Representative%20in%20Congress%2013th%20Congressional%20District%20Recap.pdf [3] NYC Board of Elections - Statement and Return Report for Certification, Democratic Primary, 7th Congressional District, Kings County, printed 13/7/2026. https://vote.nyc/sites/default/files/pdf/election_results/2026/20260623Primary%20Election/01301600007Kings%20Democratic%20Representative%20in%20Congress%207th%20Congressional%20District%20Recap.pdf [4] NYC Board of Elections - Statement and Return Report for Certification, Democratic Primary, 7th Congressional District, Queens County, printed 13/7/2026. https://vote.nyc/sites/default/files/pdf/election_results/2026/20260623Primary%20Election/01401600007Queens%20Democratic%20Representative%20in%20Congress%207th%20Congressional%20District%20Recap.pdf [5] NYC Board of Elections - Statement and Return Report for Certification, Democratic Primary, State Senator, 12th Senatorial District (Crossover total), printed 14/7/2026. https://www.vote.nyc/sites/default/files/pdf/election_results/2026/20260623Primary%20Election/01001700012Crossover%20Democratic%20State%20Senator%2012th%20Senatorial%20District%20Recap.pdf [6] NYC Board of Elections - Statement and Return Report for Certification, Democratic Primary, State Senator, 13th Senatorial District, Queens County, printed 13/7/2026. https://vote.nyc/sites/default/files/pdf/election_results/2026/20260623Primary%20Election/01401700013Queens%20Democratic%20State%20Senator%2013th%20Senatorial%20District%20Recap.pdf [7] NYC Board of Elections - Statement and Return Report for Certification, Democratic Primary, Member of the Assembly, 38th Assembly District, Queens County, printed 13/7/2026. https://vote.nyc/sites/default/files/pdf/election_results/2026/20260623Primary%20Election/01401900038Queens%20Democratic%20Member%20of%20the%20Assembly%2038th%20Assembly%20District%20Recap.pdf [8] New York State Board of Elections - Democratic Primary for State Comptroller, results as compiled by SRC Law Offices, 15/7/2026. https://www.srclawoffices.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/UPDATED-2026-Primary-Results.pdf II. General election - awaiting official certification [9] The Associated Press - race calls, New York general election of 3/11/2026 (Governor; Attorney General; U.S. House districts 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 21), as of 12/11/2026. Official certified results not yet published. [10] The Associated Press - U.S. House seat count, as of 12/11/2026, 10:40 a.m. ET. III. News reports [11] DSA Dominates Albany Elections Despite Super PAC Deluge. New York Focus, 24/6/2026. https://nysfocus.com/2026/06/24/ny-primary-election-results-dsa-state-legislature-2026 [12] New York's Elections Were About More Than Mamdani. New Lines Magazine, 25/6/2026. https://newlinesmag.com/running-notes/topic/united-states/new-yorks-elections-were-about-more-than-mamdani/ [13] Queens & Brooklyn 2026 Midterm Results: A Breakdown. Queens Ledger, 10/11/2026 (figures from New York Focus, based on unofficial State Board of Elections results). https://queensledger.com/2026/11/10/queens-brooklyn-2026-midterm-results-a-breakdown [14] Orkin takes landslide win in AD 38. QNS, Nov 2026. https://qns.com/2026/11/orkin-takes-landslide-win-in-ad-38/ [15] DSA-backed candidates win numerous races on primary night. NY1, 24/6/2026. https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/06/24/dsa-backed-candidates-win-numerous-races-on-primary-night [16] Lefties didn't just win state legislative races - incumbents lost big. City & State New York, June 2026. https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2026/06/lefties-didnt-just-win-state-legislative-races-incumbents-lost-big/414445/ [17] Manhattan election results: Congress and state. amNY, Nov 2026. https://www.amny.com/news/manhattan-election-results-congress-state/ [18] Brad Lander unseats incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in NY-10 Democratic primary. News12, 23/6/2026. https://brooklyn.news12.com/2026/06/24/brad-lander-unseats-incumbent-rep-dan-goldman-in-ny-10-democratic-primary/66azM4sj4t9oWfT7OqofL2 [19] Claire Valdez defeats Antonio Reynoso to win NY 7th Congressional District Democratic primary. News12, 24/6/2026. https://newyork.news12.com/claire-valdez-defeats-antonio-reynoso-to-win-ny-7th-congressional-district-democratic-primary [20] Lander trounces Goldman, vows to stand up 'loud' for Palestinians in Congress. JTA, 23/6/2026. https://www.jta.org/2026/06/23/politics/lander-challenges-the-incumbent-goldman-in-nys-10th-district [21] Darializa Avila Chevalier Defeats Longterm Incumbent Adriano Espaillat in NY-13. Norwood News, 24/6/2026. https://www.norwoodnews.org/?p=131067 [22] Democratic Socialist Mo Brown declares victory in race for 129th Assembly District. CNY Central, Nov 2026. https://cnycentral.com/news/local/democratic-socialist-mo-brown-declares-victory-in-race-for-129th-assembly-district [23] Mo Brown declares victory in state Assembly primary race. Spectrum News, 30/6/2026. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2026/06/30/mo--brown-declares-victory-in-state-assembly-primary-race [24] Brad Lander wins NY-10 primary election. PIX11, 23/6/2026. https://pix11.com/news/local-news/brad-lander-wins-ny-10-primary-election/amp/ [25] Letitia James and Tom DiNapoli reelected. NY1, 4/11/2026. https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2026/11/04/november-2026-election-new-york-attorney-general-state-comptroller [26] Hakeem Jeffries declares bid for House speaker. Fox News, 4/11/2026. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hakeem-jeffries-declares-bid-house-speaker-after-gops-midterm-massacre.print [27] Aber Kawas is not concerned about splitting the progressive vote. City & State New York, Nov 2025. https://www.cityandstateny.com/personality/2025/11/aber-kawas-not-concerned-about-splitting-progressive-vote/409738/ [28] Socialist primary wins could complicate Jeffries' path to the speaker's gavel. Washington Examiner, 8/7/2026. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=4633441 [29] New York State Assembly Election Results 2026: All 150 Districts. New York Focus (data: New York State Board of Elections, unofficial), updated 11/11/2026. https://nysfocus.com/interactives/2026-election-results/assembly/ [30] Aber Kawas, Palestinian American Muslim woman, wins NY State Senate primary. WION, June 2026. https://www.wionews.com/world/aber-kawas-palestinian-american-muslim-woman-new-york-senate-1793788168014 Alhawadeth Politics Monitor - alhawadeth.net Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Progressive wave reshapes New York elections, June to November]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12970/Progressive-wave-reshapes-New-York-elections%2C-June-to-November?lang=en</link>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 16:19:33 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[New York - Alhawadeth exclusive The 2026 New York elections ended on November 3 with a new generation of progressive and democratic socialist candidates heading to Congress and to the state legislature in Albany. Their November wins confirmed what happened in the June 23 Democratic primaries, when Mayor Zohran Mamdani's allies unseated two sitting members of Congress. Statewide, Democrats kept the governor's office and the other top posts, held their competitive suburban House seats on Long Island, and took a key Hudson Valley seat from a Republican. From the primaries to Congress In the city's heavily Democratic districts, the real contest came in June. Three candidates endorsed by Mayor Mamdani won their congressional primaries, and all three won in November. NY-10 (Lower Manhattan and part of Brooklyn): Former NYC Comptroller Brad Lander beat Rep. Dan Goldman in the primary with 66.0% of the vote to 33.8%, according to the certified results of the NYC Board of Elections. Gov. Kathy Hochul had endorsed Goldman; Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders backed Lander. Positions on Israel were a central issue in the race, and Lander pledged after his win to stand up for Palestinians in Congress. NY-13 (Harlem, Washington Heights and part of the Bronx): Community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier, endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), unseated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, 49.5% to 45.7%. NY-7 (Brooklyn and Queens): Assemblymember Claire Valdez, also DSA-endorsed, won the open seat of retiring Rep. Nydia Vel zquez. She beat Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the primary, 56.2% to 35.6%. NY-14 (Queens and the Bronx): Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez kept her seat. Money versus organizing in Albany The results came a year after Mamdani won the mayor's race in 2025. Super PACs spent $9.6 million on state Senate and Assembly primaries this year, nearly five times the 2024 total, according to New York Focus. About $2.9 million of that was spent against DSA candidates, and most of it failed. NYC-DSA backed eight legislative candidates, and seven won their primaries. State Senate: Aber Kawas, a Palestinian American democratic socialist, won the open District 12 seat in Queens. She beat Assemblymember Steven Raga in the primary with 60.3% and won the general election with 74.3%. In District 13, Assemblymember Jessica Gonz lez-Rojas unseated Sen. Jessica Ramos in the primary, 48.0% to 37.1%, and won the general election with 78.9%. Assembly: David Orkin unseated Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar in District 38 (Queens) with 59.1% and won the general election with 73.3%, according to preliminary city results. Illapa Sairitupac won District 65 in Lower Manhattan with 74.67%. In Syracuse, Maurice "Mo" Brown, who unseated 28-year incumbent Bill Magnarelli in the District 129 primary, defeated Republican Shawn Fiato on November 3. Four more primary winners ran unopposed in November and won their seats: Samantha Kattan (District 37, Queens, 98.6%), Christian Celeste Tate (District 54, Brooklyn, 99.5%), Eon Huntley (District 56, Brooklyn, 98.1%) and former City Council member Diana Ayala (District 68, Manhattan). These candidates campaigned on economic justice, the housing crisis and immigrant rights. Several also took clear positions on the war on Gaza: Kawas describes what is happening in Palestine as genocide. Statewide races and swing districts Governor: Gov. Kathy Hochul won a new term, defeating Republican Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive. Attorney General Letitia James and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli were also reelected. DiNapoli had won his first contested primary with 61.25%, according to the State Board of Elections. NY-17 (Hudson Valley): Democrat Cait Conley defeated Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. NY-3 and NY-4 (Long Island): Democrats Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen kept their seats. NY-12 (Manhattan): Democrat Micah Lasher won the open seat of retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler. NY-21 (North Country): Republican Anthony Constantino won the open seat. New York and Washington As of the morning of November 12, the Associated Press count showed Democrats with 255 House seats and Republicans with 168, with 12 seats not yet counted for either party. On November 4, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn announced he is running for Speaker. That leaves the party with a new equation: a Brooklyn leader at the top in Washington, and a growing progressive bloc from the same city. During the campaign, Avila Chevalier and Valdez declined to commit to voting for Jeffries as Speaker. Sources: primary results from the certified returns of the NYC Board of Elections and the New York State Board of Elections. November 3 results are not yet officially certified: state legislative figures are unofficial State Board of Elections results; congressional and statewide winners and the House count follow the Associated Press. Also New York Focus, NY1, City & State, JTA, QNS, amNY, CNY Central, Queens Ledger, Fox News. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Life in the Shadows: Ukrainians Face Severe Power Shortages as Winter Hits]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12969/Life-in-the-Shadows%3A-Ukrainians-Face-Severe-Power-Shortages-as-Winter-Hits?lang=en</link>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:39:09 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — As the cold season begins, millions across Ukraine are struggling with a collapsing energy grid, leaving homes without light, water, or heat for hours on end. Families in major cities are navigating a reality where electricity is a luxury, and basic survival depends on their ability to adapt to a rolling schedule of blackouts.In the heart of Kyiv, residents like Daryna Kulchytska are living under immense pressure. As a parent managing a household on the seventh floor of an apartment building, the loss of power means much more than just sitting in the dark. When the electricity cuts out, the pumps that bring water to her home stop working, the elevators freeze, and the internet disappears. For Daryna and her two children, Kyryll and Olena, every day is a race against time to finish homework and prepare meals before the next scheduled outage begins. Sometimes, they are left without power for up to eight hours at a time, making it nearly impossible to maintain a normal routine.The situation is becoming increasingly dire as temperatures drop. Many families are now living with outages that can last as long as 20 hours a day in the capital. While diplomatic efforts continue, including recent meetings between US envoys and Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss potential paths toward peace, the immediate reality on the ground is one of physical and emotional endurance. Ukraine has attempted to respond to the strikes on its grid by targeting infrastructure elsewhere, but the domestic impact remains severe. Officials warn that if power cannot be maintained for at least four hours a day, life in major urban centers may become unsustainable for the civilian population.The damage to the energy infrastructure is extensive. At one of the nation's largest power stations, which has been hit by ballistic missiles, the scene is one of total devastation. Turbines are buried under rubble, and pipes are twisted into unrecognizable shapes. Workers like Volodymyr Kovalenko, who has spent decades at the facility, describe the recent attacks as the most severe they have ever witnessed. Despite the destruction, repair crews continue to work under hazardous conditions. Air raid sirens often interrupt their efforts, forcing them to seek shelter multiple times a day. Vadym Bobyr, who leads recovery efforts at the site, notes that the psychological toll is heavy, as workers often find themselves repairing the same equipment over and over after repeated strikes.The challenges are not just technical but logistical. While there may be enough generating capacity in some areas, the difficulty lies in transporting that power through a damaged network of cables and substations. Maxim Timchenko, a leader in the private energy sector, explained that the scale and power of the recent attacks have doubled compared to previous years, stretching defenses to their limits. Rebuilding these vital facilities is a slow process that could take until next summer, leaving many to face the coldest months of the year with minimal resources. For many Ukrainians, the choice is between enduring the freezing darkness or leaving their homes behind, yet a spirit of defiance remains among those who stay, choosing to live without power rather than give up their sovereignty. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Tensions Escalate as Iran Warns of Broad Retaliation Amid Reports of Planned Military Strikes]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12968/Tensions-Escalate-as-Iran-Warns-of-Broad-Retaliation-Amid-Reports-of-Planned-Military-Strikes?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12968/Tensions-Escalate-as-Iran-Warns-of-Broad-Retaliation-Amid-Reports-of-Planned-Military-Strikes?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:30:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Tensions in the Middle East have reached a critical point as reports emerge of military preparations for potential strikes against Iran, leading Tehran to issue stern warnings of a wide-ranging response that could impact security across the region and beyond. The security cabinet led by Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly directed the military to increase its readiness for a possible operation against Iran. This move comes amid a complex political atmosphere where internal disagreements regarding military deployment have surfaced. Gadi Eisenkot has expressed concerns, advising against significant military actions without an immediate and direct threat, particularly as the political landscape remains in a state of transition. Despite these internal debates, the focus remains on the strategic challenge posed by Tehran's nuclear and regional policies. In response to these developments, Iranian officials have signaled that any aggression would met with a severe and expanded retaliatory campaign. Mohsen Rezaei, a high-ranking security official, stated that if any military action is initiated, military installations involved in the campaign—ranging from West Asia to Europe—would be considered legitimate targets. This rhetoric underscores a shift in Tehran's strategy, suggesting that the conflict would not be contained within traditional regional borders. The message from the Iranian leadership is clear: there will be no safe zones for those involved in strikes against their territory. Diplomatic efforts are simultaneously underway to prevent a full-scale escalation. Donald Trump has indicated a preference for a diplomatic resolution but noted that military options remain on the table if negotiations fail to produce a deal. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio has highlighted the effectiveness of economic pressure campaigns, suggesting that large-scale military engagements might be avoidable if Tehran adheres to specific conditions. These conflicting signals from Washington reflect the high stakes involved in balancing diplomacy with the threat of force. The maritime situation also remains volatile. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has emphasized that the status of the Strait of Hormuz has fundamentally changed and will not return to previous norms as long as the current pressure continues. He pointed to a deep lack of trust in international agreements as a primary hurdle to reaching a new settlement. While these verbal exchanges continue, naval forces maintain a presence in the region to ensure the flow of commercial shipping through vital waterways, enforcing blockades that have significant economic consequences. The global economy has already begun to react to the heightening friction. Oil prices saw an upward trend recently after Tehran declined proposals to move its enriched uranium stockpiles to a third country. This rejection has fueled fears of a breakdown in non-proliferation efforts, causing market fluctuations as investors weigh the risk of a broader conflict. As both sides continue to project strength, the international community remains watchful of the next steps in this high-stakes geopolitical standoff. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Six Lives Lost in Air Strike on Major Hospital in Southern Gaza]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12967/Six-Lives-Lost-in-Air-Strike-on-Major-Hospital-in-Southern-Gaza?lang=en</link>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 12:22:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — At least six people have been confirmed dead and nearly 20 others injured following an air strike that struck the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. The facility, which is the largest medical center in southern Gaza, sustained significant damage to its surgical and intensive care units during the overnight operation.The incident has caused widespread alarm as medical professionals and patients were caught in the blast. Among the victims was a respected surgeon, Rizq Abu Shaira, who was working at the facility. Reports indicate that two missiles were directed at the hospital’s surgical building; while one detonated, causing massive destruction, a second missile reportedly failed to explode and remained lodged within the structure. This left medical staff and survivors in a state of shock as they navigated the debris-filled corridors to rescue the wounded.Eyewitnesses and medical staff described a harrowing scene inside the five-story building. Mohammed Qdeih, a general surgery specialist who survived the blast with head injuries, shared that the explosion occurred just as staff were preparing to rest after a long shift. He described being trapped under rubble and crawling through the darkness to find safety. He noted that the loss of his colleague, Abu Shaira, was a significant blow to the medical community, describing him as a dedicated professional always willing to help others. Patients who had come to the hospital seeking healing instead found themselves caught in a life-threatening situation.The Israeli military stated that the operation was a "precise strike" aimed at Mohammed Abu Ismail, a commander within the Khan Younis Brigade, and other fighters. Officials alleged that these individuals were using the hospital grounds as a headquarters to plan and execute operations. The military further claimed that warnings had been issued prior to the strike to minimize civilian harm. However, hospital administration firmly denied receiving any such warnings and categorized the attack as a direct hit on the healthcare sector and its civilian occupants.The local health ministry and political representatives rejected the military's claims, calling the narrative a justification for an attack on a civilian medical facility. They emphasized that the casualties included doctors and patients, which they argued contradicts the claim of a targeted military operation. This marks the seventh time the Nasser Medical Complex has been impacted since the conflict began, highlighting the extreme difficulty of maintaining medical services in the region.The Nasser Hospital serves nearly one million people, making it a critical lifeline for the population in southern Gaza. The destruction of surgical wards and medical equipment further complicates an already dire humanitarian situation. Outside the conflict, the region is also struggling with severe weather, as heavy rains recently flooded thousands of tents housing displaced families. International observers continue to monitor the situation, noting that under international law, hospitals are granted protected status, though verifying specific claims on the ground remains challenging due to restricted access for international media.Since the escalation of hostilities in late 2023, the death toll has continued to rise significantly. While regional and international actors have attempted to broker lasting ceasefires, the violence persists on a near-daily basis. The humanitarian crisis is compounded by the loss of specialized medical personnel like Abu Shaira, leaving the remaining healthcare workers to manage an overwhelming number of patients with dwindling resources and damaged infrastructure. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[East Harlem Rent-Stabilized Buildings Set for Auction Following Failed Sale Negotiations]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12966/East-Harlem-Rent-Stabilized-Buildings-Set-for-Auction-Following-Failed-Sale-Negotiations?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12966/East-Harlem-Rent-Stabilized-Buildings-Set-for-Auction-Following-Failed-Sale-Negotiations?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 11:48:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Efforts to transfer dozens of deteriorating East Harlem apartment buildings to a tenant-approved housing developer have stalled, leading the properties toward a public auction. Despite attempts by the administration led by Zohran Mamdani to facilitate a sale to an affordable housing firm, the 38-building portfolio is now scheduled for foreclosure sales in Manhattan starting this week.The properties, which were previously under the ownership of the now-bankrupt Emerald Equities Group, contain approximately 850 apartments, most of which are rent-stabilized. The move to the auction block represents a significant hurdle for residents who had hoped for a transition to an owner committed to addressing the thousands of safety and maintenance violations that have plagued the portfolio for years. City officials had supported a bid by Spatial Equity to acquire the buildings before lenders moved forward with the auction, but those negotiations ultimately reached an impasse.According to individuals familiar with the discussions, the financial institutions controlling roughly $250 million in mortgage loans opted to proceed with individual foreclosure sales for each building. These auctions are expected to take place over several days. The failure of these talks complicates the path forward for the East Harlem Tenant Union, which has been organizing for better living conditions and exploring long-term solutions like a community land trust. This model would potentially allow for nonprofit ownership or give residents more direct control over their housing.Zohran Mamdani has made it a priority to intervene in the transactions of distressed and poorly maintained buildings. Since taking office, there has been a push to influence how such properties are sold to ensure that new owners are held accountable for repairs. While a previous attempt to block a bankruptcy sale of nearly 5,000 other units did not stop the transaction, it did result in the buyer committing to fixing outstanding violations. Additionally, Mamdani has supported legislation such as the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, which aims to give nonprofits a first look at buying distressed properties before they hit the private market.The history of this specific East Harlem portfolio is a cautionary tale of aggressive real estate investment. The buildings were purchased for $350 million in 2016, with a strategy centered on increasing revenue through rent hikes allowed under older state laws. However, when tenant protection laws were strengthened in 2019, those financial strategies became unviable. By 2024, the properties faced foreclosure, and investigations later revealed that several apartments had been illegally removed from the rent-stabilization system.The physical state of the buildings has reached a critical point. Earlier this year, a retaining wall collapsed behind one of the properties on East 103rd Street. Tenants have reported severe issues including shared boilers for multiple buildings and structural damage within individual apartments. Attorneys representing the tenants stated that they are prepared to pursue legal action against any new owner who fails to immediately address the more than 2,300 housing code violations recorded across the portfolio. The goal remains to ensure that the residents have safe, stable, and dignified homes, regardless of who wins the auction. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Public Discussion Opens on Major Reconstruction Plans for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12965/Public-Discussion-Opens-on-Major-Reconstruction-Plans-for-the-Brooklyn-Queens-Expressway?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12965/Public-Discussion-Opens-on-Major-Reconstruction-Plans-for-the-Brooklyn-Queens-Expressway?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 11:42:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Officials in New York City are inviting residents to share their perspectives on a significant proposal to overhaul the central segment of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), a project that could shape the city's infrastructure for the next several decades. The administration led by Zohran Mamdani has initiated a feedback process regarding a plan to construct a highway bypass near the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge. This ambitious engineering project aims to reinforce and rebuild the central portion of the BQE, with the goal of ensuring the structure remains functional until at least 2080. A virtual public hearing is scheduled for this Thursday to facilitate an environmental review of the proposal. City officials have indicated that if the plan moves forward, construction is expected to begin by 2029. Community members are being encouraged to register for the session or submit their thoughts in writing to ensure all local concerns are addressed before the project enters its next phase. In addition to these major infrastructure developments, several other notable events are unfolding across the city and the region. In the labor sector, concerns have been raised regarding the delivery application Fantuan. Reports suggest that the company requires its couriers to pay for customer orders using their own cash upfront, a practice that has drawn scrutiny regarding worker protections and financial risks for delivery personnel. Meanwhile, data has surfaced showing that supervisors within the Department of Sanitation have accumulated nearly 2,400 speeding violations since early 2023, raising questions about road safety and accountability within city agencies. Public safety remains a high priority following a tragic incident in the Bronx. An e-bike rider lost their life after a head-on collision with another rider within a two-way protected bike lane. This accident highlights the growing complexities of managing diverse modes of micro-mobility on city streets. In a separate legal matter, Rex Ryan reported to authorities in Nashville to face charges related to a hit-and-run incident involving two pedestrians. On the political front, a leadership dispute continues within the Brooklyn Democratic Party. Nikki Lucas maintains her claim to the chair position, despite a recent judicial ruling that favored a different outcome. This internal friction comes as New York prepares for new environmental initiatives. In Albany, a new group of officials is being identified as key advocates for climate legislation, signaling a potential shift in how the state addresses ecological challenges in the coming years. Finally, the 'Broadway Vision' project continues to gain attention as architects and urban planners walk the iconic corridor to discuss future aesthetic and functional improvements to one of the world's most famous streets. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Yasser Arafat, 22 Years On: Unanswered Questions About His Death]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12964/Yasser-Arafat%2C-22-Years-On%3A-Unanswered-Questions-About-His-Death?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12964/Yasser-Arafat%2C-22-Years-On%3A-Unanswered-Questions-About-His-Death?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 04:54:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Today, November 11, marks 22 years since the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestinian Authority and chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He died in 2004 at Percy Military Hospital in France. More than two decades later, no one has been charged with killing him, and the exact cause of his death is still disputed. In our view, the way the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah handled the file helped water down the investigation into how he died. A sudden illness In October 2004, while Israeli forces were besieging Arafat in his Muqataa compound in Ramallah, he fell suddenly ill with nausea, vomiting and severe abdominal pain. As his platelet count dropped and his liver and kidneys failed, he was flown to Percy Military Hospital near Paris, where he slipped into a coma and died at 75. Doctors said he had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage linked to a blood-clotting disorder. No criminal investigation was opened into his death at the time, no autopsy was performed, and the cause of the illness that preceded the bleeding remained unknown. What the polonium tests found Eight years later, in 2012, an investigation by Al Jazeera revealed high levels of radioactive polonium-210 on some of his personal belongings, after they were tested at the Institute of Radiation Physics in Lausanne, Switzerland. Suspicions that Arafat had been poisoned were revived. After a complaint by his widow, Suha Arafat, a judicial investigation was opened in France. In November of that year, his grave was opened to take samples from his remains, and Swiss, French and Russian teams examined them. The Swiss experts found levels of polonium-210 and lead-210 in some bone samples that were about 20 times higher than reference levels. They concluded that the results supported the theory of polonium poisoning, while noting that the eight years since his death limited how conclusive the tests could be. Experts appointed by the French judiciary concluded that their results were not enough to prove exposure to polonium-210. Where the polonium came from, and the end of the probe Polonium-210 exists only in very small amounts in nature; for industrial use it is produced in specialized nuclear reactors. The source of the radioactive traces the Swiss team found in the samples remained disputed among experts. Palestinian officials pointed the finger at Israel, which denied any role in Arafat's death. In 2015, French investigating judges closed the case for lack of evidence that a murder had taken place, and an appeals court upheld the decision the following year. May God have mercy on Yasser Arafat, who, with his comrades, launched the Palestinian revolution and carried the Palestinian cause to the world stage on the road to liberation. Our deepest condolences to Palestine and its people on the anniversary of his passing. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Me and the Photograph: From Gaza's Snow to a Winter in a Tent]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12963/Me-and-the-Photograph%3A-From-Gaza's-Snow-to-a-Winter-in-a-Tent?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12963/Me-and-the-Photograph%3A-From-Gaza's-Snow-to-a-Winter-in-a-Tent?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 19:17:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[The first letters I learned at the age of five, after Arabic, were not just silent letters. They carved a deep tunnel into my heart, and at its end was a white sheet with two words written on it: "silent knowledge." I kept wondering what it meant. What were those words meant to say? Perhaps a kind of knowledge whose time to study had not yet come! Back then I did not realize it was the language of a foreign people! They tell you that learning in childhood is like carving in stone. We read such sayings without checking whether they are true, but as the days and years pass we come to see their worth, and time is enough to reveal the truth, how right it was and how much it mattered. When I was five, my father taught me the letters of the Hebrew language. Nearly two decades later, I decided to go back to studying Hebrew at the government language center in Gaza City. I was overwhelmed with joy, because I had fulfilled a childhood dream. I got a pencil ready and a notebook with such beautiful lines: a journey and a path, even if the ending was unknown. It was as if I had turned back twenty years in the book of my life and recovered my innocent childhood, the age of five and its shy features, through a classroom, a board and a piece of chalk. In the winter of 2014, heavy rain fell on Gaza, and then grains of snow began to fall. My garden received a fair amount of snow. That day I was filled with indescribable happiness. I rushed out to the street where I live, taking pictures of the houses covered in snow. I did not know they were pictures of a final farewell. It never crossed my mind then that all the houses would one day disappear and be destroyed. I went back to my garden and wrote my name in Hebrew on the snow. How beautiful it is when nature lays down its snow and its cold, and language its secrets, and childhood its tales and stories. It is not just a photograph for the record, or a witness to some decisive moment. It holds the scent of the past and of radiant days. The days went by, and the photograph, with all it held and all its colors, remained the most beautiful thing to remember from winter, for the meanings and feelings it carries that time may never repeat. It is a picture you cannot see in mirrors, as you trace your wishes along its edges. It came to glow with longing for the land, and the snow added a sparkle to the white, with rays of light that have no length and no width. I put the photograph in the box of our beautiful family memories, and I long for it and to see it every season, like the voluntary and the obligatory prayers. But now the winter of Gaza 2026 passes, laden with waves of frost and oppression. It casts its shadow when the sky weeps over the ruins in tears and floods. Three months that feel like an age, crawling like a small child, without warning or curfew. All we can do now is hold on to faith, steadfastness and patience. Words fail me, as do all the seas of language, whatever their kind and wherever they anchor. My heart groans over a destitute present, empty of any reason for joy, and an obscure future, and my longing grows for a past that was the most beautiful, full of life and hope. Nothing is left but me and the photograph. My home is gone and the landmarks have melted away. The joyful atmosphere has gone with the wind, and all that is bad and shocking remains. Whether I like it or not, drowning, for me and my tent, is inevitable and coming. There is no time to write, no room to draw on the snow as I used to, and the old rituals are cancelled. My letters faded and my words were lost between cloud and rain. I have become a heavy burden on the winter, or has it become a strict and stern guest? Let the struggle with nature begin, and let December witness the fiercest epics. I wake to rainwater breaking into the deep moments of calm within me. It crosses the line of truce with my worn-out tent and floods it without mercy. Its sound no longer has any magic; it now fills the walls of my heart with screams and fear. In that moment I forget everything my body carries: name, family name, soul and being. I search for a piece of nylon that might protect me and my family from the torrent of rain, my heart pleading with the Lord of mankind: My God, I have lost everything, trees and stones. For a brief moment I remember that photograph and the letters of my name in Hebrew and Arabic. Ghada is no longer Ghada, and the letters are no longer the letters. In the depths of my soul there is more room for weariness. The beauty of the place is gone, a dream has vanished, and the photograph has become a story, and the story has become news to publish. By Ghada Ayesh Khader, northern Gaza. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[UN International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East Opens in Vienna on November 16]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12962/UN-International-Media-Seminar-on-Peace-in-the-Middle-East-Opens-in-Vienna-on-November-16?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12962/UN-International-Media-Seminar-on-Peace-in-the-Middle-East-Opens-in-Vienna-on-November-16?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 19:16:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[The United Nations Department of Global Communications will hold the 2026 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East on Monday and Tuesday, November 16-17, 2026, at the United Nations Office at Vienna (Vienna International Centre, Conference Room 3) in Austria. The seminar marks its 35th anniversary this year. Proceedings will be held in English and Arabic, and both days will be streamed live on UN Web TV: Monday, November 16: webtv.un.org/en/asset/k14/k14egc6m0z Tuesday, November 17: webtv.un.org/en/asset/k14/k144rzv44u Three sessions Session I: The 35th Anniversary of the International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East: Three Decades of Shifting Western Media Narratives. Session II: Reporting from the Outside: Access and Other Challenges Facing European Journalists and Media Outlets Covering the Conflict. Session III: Unseen Struggles: The Trauma of Reporting from or on a War Zone. Attending in Vienna People who will be in Vienna and wish to attend were asked to register through the UN's form at indico.un.org/event/1026676 by Wednesday, November 11. Seating is limited. The programme, banners and other materials are posted on the seminar's Trello board at tinyurl.com/2026UNMediaSeminar, and participants' biographies are to be added there. The seminar is organized under General Assembly resolution 77/24 of November 30, 2022, which asks the Department to organize seminars and encounters for journalists aimed at sensitizing public opinion to the question of Palestine and peace efforts, and at enhancing dialogue and understanding between Palestinians and Israelis for the promotion of a peaceful settlement, including by encouraging the media's contribution in support of peace between the two sides. For inquiries, the organizers named Yazen Al-Saghiri, head of the Palestine and Decolonization Unit at the UN Department of Global Communications (al-saghiri@un.org), copying Shymaa El-Ansary (el-ansarys@un.org).]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Palestinian American Community Center Unveils November Events in Clifton, NJ]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12961/Palestinian-American-Community-Center-Unveils-November-Events-in-Clifton%2C-NJ?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12961/Palestinian-American-Community-Center-Unveils-November-Events-in-Clifton%2C-NJ?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 19:15:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[The Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) in Clifton, New Jersey, has announced a full November calendar that mixes culture, politics, community service and family programs. Most events take place at the center, 388 Lakeview Ave, Clifton, NJ 07011. Olive Harvest Festival: Friday, November 13, 5-9 pm PACC will celebrate the Palestinian olive harvest season with an evening of folk music and songs, an artisan souk and market, cultural crafts for children, and "taste and sips of Palestine." The festival also marks the launch of the Palestinian Folk Music Archive, a new initiative dedicated to documenting, preserving and sharing Palestinian folk songs for future generations. Registration: www.paccusa.org/oliveharvest Virtual talk with Dr. Husam Zomlot: Sunday, November 15, 12-1 pm In a virtual conversation on Zoom titled "From Global Shifts to Political Change: The Role of Palestinian Americans," H.E. Dr. Husam Zomlot will discuss evolving global political dynamics and the opportunities they present for advancing meaningful change for Palestine. Live Arabic translation will be available. Winter Essentials Distribution: November 17-19 PACC is giving out winter essentials for free, open to all. Pick-up at the center is on Tuesday, November 17, and Wednesday, November 18, from 2 to 5:30 pm, and on Thursday, November 19, from 11 am to 2 pm. To give everyone a fair chance, each household gets 10 minutes to browse and select items. "Land, Memory & Belonging": Friday, November 20, 6:30-9 pm An evening of Indigenous voices with Precious Benally, director, and Natalia Covan-Rodriguez, community outreach coordinator, of the New Jersey Center for Indigenous Justice at Montclair State University, followed by a book talk and signing with Mahmoud Khalil, author of "No Land to Stand On." Women's Brunch Wellness Seminar: Monday, November 30, 11 am-1 pm A women-only morning of company, healthy treats and talk on self-care, hormone balance, thyroid health and healthy habits, led by certified holistic nutrition and hormone health coach Ikram Gaber Khalil. Ongoing: Afterschool Homework Help PACC also runs an afterschool homework help program for students from kindergarten to 6th grade, Monday to Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30 pm: a quiet, supportive space where children can finish assignments, get help and build good study habits. It is free for PACC members and $100 a year for non-members. Registration for the events is at www.paccusa.org/programsandevents. For information: info@paccusa.org or (973) 253-6145. Flyers: Palestinian American Community Center (PACC).]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[US House Blocks Attempt to Impeach Pete Hegseth]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12960/US-House-Blocks-Attempt-to-Impeach-Pete-Hegseth?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12960/US-House-Blocks-Attempt-to-Impeach-Pete-Hegseth?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 13:31:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — The US House of Representatives has voted to halt an immediate impeachment effort against Pete Hegseth, opting instead to send the matter to a committee. This decision effectively delays the challenge led by Thomas Massie, who accused Hegseth of conducting military operations in Iran without the necessary approval from Congress. While the move provides a temporary reprieve, the political landscape remains tense as leadership prepares for a transition in the coming weeks.The House of Representatives recently decided to refer the articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth to the House Judiciary Committee. The vote, which ended 211-204, saw the majority of Republican members choosing to move the resolution to the committee rather than allowing it to proceed directly to a full vote. This procedural move is widely seen as a way to stall the effort, given the limited time remaining in the current legislative session. Thomas Massie, who introduced the resolution, was the only member of his party to vote against the referral, expressing disappointment that the House did not take more immediate action.Pete Hegseth responded to the proceedings during a news briefing, describing the impeachment attempt as a "farce" and a "stunt" designed to sabotage the administration's military objectives. He argued that the resolution was politically motivated and warned that such actions could send a dangerous message to international adversaries. According to Hegseth, the military operations in question were lawful and successful, and he characterized the attempt to remove him as an attack on those carrying out their duties. He emphasized that his actions did not meet the constitutional threshold of high crimes or misdemeanors required for impeachment.The charges brought forward by Thomas Massie centered on the claim that Hegseth had engaged in a conflict within Iran for more than 90 days without seeking the authorization required by law. Additionally, the articles of impeachment accused Hegseth of overseeing controversial operations in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea targeting vessels suspected of transporting illegal drugs. Massie argued that accountability was necessary to uphold the rule of law, regardless of political affiliations. Despite the failure of the vote to move forward immediately, Massie suggested that the process could still influence future decisions regarding leadership within the administration.Donald Trump weighed in on the situation via social media, celebrating the outcome of the vote as a victory. He praised Hegseth as a patriot and cited improvements in military recruitment and successful operations abroad as evidence of effective leadership. On the other side of the aisle, Hakeem Jeffries indicated that the conclusion of this specific vote does not mean the issue is resolved. With the Democratic Party set to take control of both chambers of Congress in January, many observers believe that the impeachment effort could be revived under new leadership. This potential shift has led some lawmakers, including Ted Cruz, to speculate about the long-term stability of Hegseth's position.The debate also highlighted internal divisions within the House, as several members were absent during the critical vote. Some representatives cited logistical issues, such as traffic, for their inability to cast a ballot, drawing criticism from colleagues like Abdul El-Sayed. As the legislative term nears its end, the focus remains on how the incoming Congress will handle these unresolved accusations. For now, Pete Hegseth remains in his post, but the political pressure continues to mount as both parties prepare for the next chapter of governance in Washington. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Oil Tanker Catches Fire After Striking Mine in Strait of Hormuz]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12959/Oil-Tanker-Catches-Fire-After-Striking-Mine-in-Strait-of-Hormuz?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12959/Oil-Tanker-Catches-Fire-After-Striking-Mine-in-Strait-of-Hormuz?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 13:13:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — An oil tanker caught fire in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after reportedly striking a sea mine. Officials in the region confirmed the incident, noting that the vessel had entered a restricted zone prior to the explosion. While maritime agencies have acknowledged the event, details regarding the safety of the crew and the full extent of the environmental damage remain under investigation.The incident has heightened concerns over maritime security in one of the world's most critical energy corridors. According to military reports, the tanker was navigating through a prohibited area when the blast occurred. This event follows a series of similar occurrences in the waterway, where several vessels have reportedly faced technical failures or attacks in recent months. In one previous instance, a tanker flying the flag of Liberia was struck by a projectile, resulting in injuries to staff members on board.The Strait of Hormuz serves as a vital artery for global trade, with approximately twenty percent of the world's oil supply passing through its waters. Due to its strategic importance, regional authorities have significantly restricted traffic and increased monitoring since early February. These measures are intended to regulate the flow of ships, though they have also led to increased friction and reports of vessels being targeted if they deviate from authorized paths.International naval forces have been active in the region to ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping. Military officials overseeing operations in the area have been escorting tankers and assisting neighboring countries with their oil exports. Reports indicate that over a billion barrels of oil have successfully transitioned through the strait under these protective measures since the summer months. Despite these efforts, the presence of sea mines continues to be a point of contention and a significant risk to international shipping companies.The ongoing situation highlights the fragile nature of energy security in the Middle East. While some international officials previously suggested that many maritime hazards had been cleared, recent events suggest a lingering danger. The fire on the tanker on Wednesday serves as a stark reminder of the volatility in the region. Local authorities continue to emphasize the importance of adhering to maritime boundaries to avoid such disasters, while global markets watch the developments closely for any potential impact on oil prices and supply chains.As the investigation into the latest fire continues, the international community remains focused on maintaining the openness of the strait. The safety of merchant sailors and the protection of the marine environment are top priorities for the various agencies monitoring the situation. For now, the region remains on high alert, with security protocols likely to be tightened further following this latest explosion and subsequent fire. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Seven Palestinians Killed in Recent Gaza Strikes as Ceasefire Hopes Fade]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12958/Seven-Palestinians-Killed-in-Recent-Gaza-Strikes-as-Ceasefire-Hopes-Fade?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12958/Seven-Palestinians-Killed-in-Recent-Gaza-Strikes-as-Ceasefire-Hopes-Fade?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 13:00:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Recent military actions across the Gaza Strip have resulted in the deaths of at least seven Palestinians, including a father and his teenage son, as diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire remain at a standstill. The continued violence highlights the deepening humanitarian crisis in the region, where residential areas and shelters often find themselves in the line of fire.At least seven individuals lost their lives on Tuesday during a series of airstrikes and shooting incidents spanning from Gaza City in the north to Khan Younis in the south. Among the most tragic reports was the death of Fadi Rajab and his 13-year-old son, Abubakr. The two were killed when an airstrike struck the roof of a building in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. This location was reportedly serving as a displacement shelter for families who had already fled their homes due to the ongoing conflict. The loss of a child and his father in a place intended for safety underscores the precarious nature of life for civilians currently residing in the territory.The violence was not limited to the Zeitoun district. In the nearby Daraj neighborhood, another Palestinian man was killed in an airstrike near a local school. As the day progressed, the casualty count rose following an attack on an industrial site. In the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, a strike hit a metal foundry, claiming the lives of three more people. While the military indicated that its operations were aimed at targeting armed militants in these areas, the immediate result has been further civilian casualties and the destruction of local infrastructure. In the southern city of Khan Younis, medical officials reported that a man was killed by gunfire, though the specific circumstances of that engagement were not immediately clarified by officials.These latest fatalities occur against a backdrop of failing diplomatic negotiations. Despite various attempts to broker a ceasefire, the process has reached an impasse. Key points of contention include the terms for disarmament and the presence of troops within Gaza. Currently, military forces control approximately two-thirds of the territory, and residents in many areas continue to live under orders to evacuate. While previous frameworks suggested a path toward the reconstruction of the region, very little progress has been seen on the ground. Both sides trade accusations regarding the failure of the peace process, with one side citing a need to prevent a regrouping of armed forces and the other claiming the military operations are intentionally undermining the agreement.The scale of the conflict remains staggering. Since the last major ceasefire attempt, health officials in the territory report that at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed. Looking at the broader timeline since the escalation began on October 7, 2023, the total death toll in Gaza has exceeded 74,000 people. The conflict was sparked following an attack in southern Israel that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths. As the months pass, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with displacement, loss of life, and the absence of a clear political resolution defining the daily reality for millions in the region. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[New York City Implements New Law Giving Local Groups Priority to Buy Affordable Housing]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12957/New-York-City-Implements-New-Law-Giving-Local-Groups-Priority-to-Buy-Affordable-Housing?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12957/New-York-City-Implements-New-Law-Giving-Local-Groups-Priority-to-Buy-Affordable-Housing?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 12:47:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — A newly signed legislative measure in New York City establishes the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, granting qualified nonprofit organizations and community groups the first opportunity to acquire specific multifamily residential buildings. This initiative aims to stabilize local neighborhoods, protect residents from displacement, and ensure long-term housing affordability by prioritizing mission-driven buyers over speculative private investors.Zohran Kwame Mamdani has officially signed the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) into law, marking a significant shift in how the city approaches housing preservation. The legislation is designed to give community-rooted organizations a competitive edge in the real estate market. Under the new rules, when certain multifamily properties are put up for sale, vetted nonprofits and community land trusts will have a 145-day exclusive window to make an offer before the property is available to the general public. This window allows these groups to secure financing and develop plans to maintain the buildings as affordable housing.In addition to the initial offer period, the law provides a right of first refusal that lasts for one year. If a qualified entity’s initial offer is not accepted and the owner later receives an offer from a private buyer, the community group has the right to match that offer and secure the property. This mechanism is intended to prevent residential buildings from falling into a cycle of neglect and profit-driven speculation, which often leads to deteriorating conditions for residents and rising rents. By keeping these buildings in the hands of organizations dedicated to social impact, the city hopes to foster greater stability for working-class families.The path to this legislation involved years of advocacy and negotiation. A previous version of the bill was rejected by Eric Adams in late 2025, but it remained a top priority for housing advocates and legislators like Sandy Nurse. The act eventually became a cornerstone of the broader "Block by Block" housing strategy, which aims to create and preserve a total of 400,000 affordable homes over the next decade. The city has committed a historic $22 billion toward housing capital over the next five years to support these goals, reflecting a fundamental commitment to ensuring that New Yorkers can afford to stay in their communities.The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will be responsible for managing a list of "qualified entities." These are organizations, such as community land trusts and experienced nonprofits, that have a proven track record of managing affordable housing and the financial capacity to take on new properties. The law specifically covers buildings with four or more units that are either in significant disrepair or are already subject to affordability restrictions. By empowering these groups, the city is shifting power back to the neighborhoods and the people who live in them.Community leaders across the five boroughs have expressed strong support for the move. Advocates from the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn noted that COPA provides a much-needed tool to fight displacement in areas facing intense real estate pressure. They emphasized that housing should be viewed as a place of stability and dignity rather than a mere vehicle for financial gain. With the law now in effect, HPD is moving forward with implementation, creating the necessary processes to notify community groups whenever eligible buildings hit the market, ensuring that the promise of permanent affordability becomes a reality for more residents. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Mamdani Signs Landmark COPA Legislation, Giving Community Groups First Chance to Preserve Affordable Housing]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12956/Mamdani-Signs-Landmark-COPA-Legislation%2C-Giving-Community-Groups-First-Chance-to-Preserve-Affordable-Housing?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12956/Mamdani-Signs-Landmark-COPA-Legislation%2C-Giving-Community-Groups-First-Chance-to-Preserve-Affordable-Housing?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 12:22:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — New York City has officially implemented a significant new housing policy designed to empower local neighborhoods. The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, also known as COPA, provides qualified nonprofit organizations and community groups the first right to purchase specific residential buildings before they are made available on the open private market. This move is intended to safeguard tenants and ensure long-term neighborhood stability by keeping housing in the hands of mission-driven organizations.The newly signed legislation creates a structural shift in how distressed and affordable multi-family properties are handled in the city. Under the guidelines of COPA, housing providers who are committed to affordability will have an exclusive 145-day window to evaluate and make offers on eligible buildings. Furthermore, these organizations are granted an additional year to exercise a right of first refusal, allowing them to match competing offers from private developers. This mechanism is viewed as a vital defense against the cycle of property neglect and profit-driven speculation that often leaves residents in deteriorating conditions.Zohran Kwame Mamdani emphasized that for too many residents, homes have become tools for financial speculation rather than places of stability. The goal of this law is to return power to community organizations that have long fought for the dignity of local residents. By prioritizing these groups, the city aims to transform the housing landscape into one where stability and upkeep are prioritized over extraction. The policy is a result of over six years of dedicated organizing by advocates and residents who sought a way to protect their communities from displacement.The implementation process will be managed by the department responsible for housing preservation and development. This agency will curate a list of "qualified entities," which includes vetted nonprofits, tenant associations, and community land trusts. To qualify, these groups must prove they have the experience and financial standing to manage affordable housing effectively. When a covered property—typically a building with four or more units that is either in poor condition or subject to affordability restrictions—goes up for sale, these qualified groups will be notified immediately to begin their exclusive negotiation period.The journey to passing this law was long, involving multiple years of advocacy and overcoming a previous veto by Eric Adams in late 2025. It eventually became a core part of a wider housing strategy known as the Block by Block plan. This broader initiative seeks to create and preserve 400,000 affordable homes over the next decade. To support these goals, a historic $22 billion has been allocated for housing capital over the next five years. This investment is part of a comprehensive agenda that includes cracking down on negligent property owners and streamlining the process for building and leasing affordable spaces.Community leaders across the city have hailed the decision as a turning point. Many noted that local organizations are best positioned to understand the stressors of their neighborhoods and are more likely to invest in the long-term health of the buildings they acquire. By leveling the playing field against large private equity firms and speculative buyers, the city is providing a "David vs. Goliath" advantage to working-class families and the organizations that support them. This law represents a fundamental commitment to ensuring that those who built and shaped New York’s neighborhoods have the opportunity to remain in them for generations to come. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Israel’s New Parliament Convenes as Leaders Compete to Form a Coalition Government]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12955/Israel%E2%80%99s-New-Parliament-Convenes-as-Leaders-Compete-to-Form-a-Coalition-Government?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12955/Israel%E2%80%99s-New-Parliament-Convenes-as-Leaders-Compete-to-Form-a-Coalition-Government?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 14:30:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Members of the Israeli Knesset are set to be sworn in following an election that left the political landscape divided, with Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu both vying for the leadership role. This session marks the beginning of a critical period as political blocs attempt to secure a majority in a fragmented parliament where no single group holds a clear path to power.The ceremony on Tuesday arrives at a time of significant political transition. Gadi Eisenkot has been tasked with the primary responsibility of building a coalition after receiving support from 67 members of the 120-seat parliament. In contrast, Benjamin Netanyahu received backing from 46 members. Despite this initial lead in support, the path to a stable government remains complex for all involved parties. The recent election results show that Eisenkot’s immediate bloc holds 48 seats, while the group aligned with Netanyahu holds 53, leaving both sides well short of the 61 seats required for a majority.The incoming parliament is notable for its fresh faces, with nearly half of the members serving for the first time. Additionally, Arab-led political alliances have achieved a historic milestone, securing a combined 19 seats. This surge in representation for the United Arab List and the Joint List has placed them in a potential position to influence the direction of the next government. While their participation is a subject of intense debate among other political factions, their presence represents a significant shift in the electoral map and the priorities of the voting public.Gadi Eisenkot has outlined a specific framework for any party wishing to join a national emergency government. His proposal is built on four central pillars: maintaining the democratic nature of the state, upholding the values of the Declaration of Independence, implementing a universal service requirement for all citizens, and addressing security concerns regarding Hamas by committing to the dismantling of its military capabilities. These conditions, however, pose challenges for potential partners. For instance, the demand for universal military or civilian service conflicts with the long-standing exemptions held by the ultra-Orthodox communities, represented by parties like Shas and United Torah Judaism.On the other hand, Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a broad unity government that includes various Zionist factions. He has expressed strong opposition to any coalition that depends on the support of Arab-led parties, highlighting the deep ideological divides that persist within the Knesset. As the 28-day window for coalition building begins, the possibility of a two-week extension remains an option if a deal is not reached quickly. Until a new government is officially formed and sworn in, the current administrative functions will continue under the existing leadership, a process that could span several weeks or even months depending on the progress of negotiations.The role of the Arab-led parties remains a pivotal point of discussion. The United Arab List has indicated a willingness to engage in coalition talks, while the Joint List has suggested it could provide support from outside the formal government structure. However, building a bridge between these groups and the more conservative or nationalist elements of the other blocs remains a difficult task for Gadi Eisenkot. The coming days will test the ability of Israel’s political leaders to find common ground in a highly polarized environment, with the ultimate goal of providing stability to the nation's governance. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[High-Level Peace Talks Between Russia and Ukraine Begin in Abu Dhabi]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12954/High-Level-Peace-Talks-Between-Russia-and-Ukraine-Begin-in-Abu-Dhabi?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12954/High-Level-Peace-Talks-Between-Russia-and-Ukraine-Begin-in-Abu-Dhabi?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 14:07:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Discussions aimed at ending the multi-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine have resumed in Abu Dhabi, with mediators from the United States facilitating the high-stakes dialogue. The talks focus on establishing long-term security frameworks for both nations as the international community seeks a path toward a sustainable ceasefire and a comprehensive peace agreement. A significant diplomatic effort is currently underway in the United Arab Emirates, where representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have convened for a scheduled two-day session. This gathering in Abu Dhabi represents the first high-level trilateral meeting of its kind in several months, signaling a renewed push by Washington to resolve a conflict that has reshaped European security since 2022. The primary objective of these discussions, as noted by officials involved, is to draft security guarantees that would satisfy Russia's concerns regarding regional alliances and Ukraine's necessity for protection against future hostilities. The opening day of the summit concluded after approximately four hours of direct engagement. While the atmosphere remains cautious, participants have indicated that the dialogue will continue into a second day. The urgency of these talks is underscored by the volatile situation on the ground. Even as diplomats sat across from one another in the UAE, both nations reported intensified long-range strikes. Reports indicate a heavy exchange of drone and missile activity affecting multiple regions, with energy infrastructure becoming a primary target as winter temperatures begin to drop. This duality of diplomacy and combat highlights the complex nature of reaching a settlement while front lines remain largely deadlocked. The positions of the two warring sides remain significantly apart. Vladimir Putin has maintained that any resolution must involve Ukraine withdrawing its forces from four specific regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—and formally abandoning its aspirations to join the NATO alliance. Furthermore, the Russian side is seeking a comprehensive agreement that includes limits on military capabilities. Conversely, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remained firm in rejecting any proposal that requires the voluntary surrender of territory. Ukraine views a direct ceasefire as a mandatory first step, followed by high-level direct talks between leaders to address territorial integrity and permanent security arrangements that do not leave the country vulnerable. The United States is advocating for a broader perspective that encompasses the entirety of European security. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, representing the American delegation, have emphasized the need for a "negotiated solution" that ensures a sovereign and secure Ukraine while stabilizing the wider European environment. They have suggested that a lasting settlement will require direct engagement not only between the primary combatants but also with European partners to address the underlying security structures of the continent. This approach suggests that any final deal may involve a reconfiguration of military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe, a point of contention that predates the 2022 escalation. The delegations present in Abu Dhabi include seasoned officials who have participated in previous rounds of negotiations. The Russian team is led by Vladimir Medinsky, accompanied by Sergei Ryabkov, Mikhail Galuzin, and Igor Kostyukov. The Ukrainian side is represented by Rustem Umerov, Kyrylo Budanov, and Sergiy Kyslytsya. While some European leaders have expressed tempered expectations for an immediate breakthrough, the presence of representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Commission during preliminary meetings suggests a coordinated Western effort to find a diplomatic exit from the crisis. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Donald Trump Says Direct Military Action Against Iran is Highly Unlikely]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12953/Donald-Trump-Says-Direct-Military-Action-Against-Iran-is-Highly-Unlikely?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12953/Donald-Trump-Says-Direct-Military-Action-Against-Iran-is-Highly-Unlikely?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 13:58:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Donald Trump has indicated that the period of intense military confrontation with Iran is effectively coming to an end. Following a high-level meeting with regional mediators and a shift in the domestic political landscape, the focus is reportedly moving toward maintaining regional stability and protecting energy markets. This change in rhetoric follows recent electoral outcomes and discussions regarding the safety of Gulf allies.Donald Trump recently shared his perspective on the situation in the Middle East, stating that Iran is "militarily effectively over" in terms of active conflict. In a briefing at the White House, he expressed that further direct military strikes on Iranian targets are currently viewed as highly unlikely. He noted that the United States is maintaining a posture of readiness, described as being "locked and loaded," should circumstances shift, but the primary goal now is the preservation of the status quo. This shift comes at the suggestion of neighboring countries who have a direct interest in regional peace.The announcement followed a significant meeting between Donald Trump and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani. Qatar has played a pivotal role as a mediator between Washington and Tehran. During their discussions in the Oval Office, both parties explored potential pathways to finalize negotiations and bring a lasting end to the hostilities. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani later characterized the discussions as positive, emphasizing the shared goal of reaching a deal that ensures peace across the region. This diplomatic push is seen as a way to move past the military strikes that have characterized the conflict since early February.Political analysts suggest that the shift in tone is partly driven by domestic factors. Following recent midterm election results, there has been internal pressure to re-evaluate military involvement in the region. Figures such as JD Vance have pointed to the conflict as a significant factor in recent political outcomes. Previously, Donald Trump had authorized limited actions, such as minor strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, but he has now stated that there is no immediate reason to escalate the situation further. This de-escalation is also aimed at protecting economic interests, particularly global oil prices. Shortly after these comments were made public, international oil benchmarks like Brent crude saw a noticeable dip, reflecting the market's reaction to a potential cooling of tensions.Despite the move toward de-escalation, internal political challenges remain. In Washington, Thomas Massie has initiated a movement to challenge the standing of Pete Hegseth regarding the management of the conflict. While Donald Trump continues to support Pete Hegseth, calling the opposition efforts a political maneuver, the upcoming change in the composition of Congress in January could bring further scrutiny to the administration's past military decisions. For now, the emphasis remains on securing the interests of Gulf allies like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, who have faced the brunt of regional instability and disruptions to air travel and maritime security during the period of high tension. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Lower Manhattan Residents Demand Major Overhaul of City Parking Placard System]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12952/Lower-Manhattan-Residents-Demand-Major-Overhaul-of-City-Parking-Placard-System?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12952/Lower-Manhattan-Residents-Demand-Major-Overhaul-of-City-Parking-Placard-System?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 13:47:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Community leaders in Lower Manhattan are pushing for a complete replacement of the parking placard system to improve street safety and accountability. The current framework is being criticized for fostering a culture where official badges are used as a license to ignore traffic laws, particularly in the dense Financial District.The transportation committee of Community Board 1 recently issued a firm challenge to the existing municipal parking system, arguing that the current setup is fundamentally broken. In a detailed resolution, the committee stated that the system is not merely suffering from occasional abuse but has evolved into a culture of illegal parking. According to the resolution, the presence of a placard, vest, or badge on a dashboard has become a signal that standard parking regulations do not apply to certain individuals. This has led to a call for the system to be entirely replaced rather than simply repaired.The issue is particularly acute in the Financial District, an area known for its narrow, historic streets and a high concentration of government buildings. Parking placards effectively allow drivers to leave their vehicles in unauthorized areas, creating significant obstacles for pedestrians and other motorists. Transportation officials within the community board noted that many individuals hold these placards, and there is a noticeable lack of enforcement by those who view the badges as a professional courtesy. This lack of oversight has made the streets feel increasingly unsafe for those navigating the city on foot.To address these long-standing issues, the committee has endorsed several reform measures. These include supporting state legislation for automated camera enforcement of parking violations and a city-level bill that would allow citizens to report illegal parking. Furthermore, the resolution calls for the implementation of recommendations from a recent investigative report, which suggests eliminating specific "self-enforcement zones" around precinct houses and transitioning from physical paper placards to a centralized digital system. A digital framework would link permits directly to vehicle license plates, making it much harder to forge or misuse them.Zohran Mamdani has expressed a vision to make the city's streets world-class, but local advocates argue that this goal cannot be achieved without addressing the placard issue. Illegal parking frequently obstructs bike and bus lanes, undermining efforts to improve public transit and open spaces. There are currently an estimated 100,000 official placards in circulation issued by various city agencies, including the police, education, and transportation departments. However, there is no public database available to track who holds these permits, leading to calls for greater transparency and data sharing.The struggle to manage the curb in Lower Manhattan is exacerbated by the area’s unique geography. The street grid, which dates back to the colonial era, was never intended to handle the volume of modern vehicular traffic, let alone large-scale illegal parking. In response to these concerns, the Department of Transportation has established a new Office of Curb Management. Led by Laura MacNeil, this office is tasked with modernizing how the city uses its street space. Mike Flynn, representing the department, stated that modernizing curb regulations is essential for the success of the city's streets, which have often felt chaotic due to outdated rules dating back to the mid-20th century. While new initiatives are underway, residents remain hopeful that Mamdani will take decisive action to finally professionalize and limit the use of parking permits in the city’s most congested neighborhoods. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[New York City Enhances Winter Safety with $25 Million Investment and Expanded Snow Removal Services]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12951/New-York-City-Enhances-Winter-Safety-with-%2425-Million-Investment-and-Expanded-Snow-Removal-Services?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12951/New-York-City-Enhances-Winter-Safety-with-%2425-Million-Investment-and-Expanded-Snow-Removal-Services?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 11:10:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — New York City is implementing a massive $25 million strategy to combat the challenges of the upcoming winter season. The initiative focuses on expanding emergency shelters, increasing street outreach, and deploying advanced snow-clearing technology across all five boroughs to keep residents safe and the city moving. As the winter season nears, Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced a broad mobilization designed to protect residents from extreme cold and ensure the city remains functional during major storms. This plan involves a significant $25 million investment aimed at upgrading the Code Blue emergency system, which provides life-saving resources when temperatures drop to dangerous levels. The strategy is built on lessons learned from previous weather events, focusing on reaching the most vulnerable populations more effectively than ever before. With the National Weather Service predicting a wetter winter due to El Niño patterns, city officials are preparing for a mix of rain, ice, and heavy snow.One of the core pillars of this year's plan is the enhancement of outreach efforts. The city will deploy over 300 additional canvassers who will actively monitor high-impact areas across the boroughs. Unlike previous years that relied on fixed lists, these teams will use a dynamic mapping approach to identify and assist individuals in need. This method aims to cover approximately 75% of locations where residents without permanent housing are known to seek shelter. Furthermore, the healthcare system is stepping up with 55 WARM mobile units. These units, staffed by registered nurses and medical professionals, will provide on-site clinical care and transport people to designated warming centers or medical facilities. To ensure everyone has a place to go, several hospitals and drop-in centers will be opened as temporary shelters, adding more than 800 new beds to the system during peak emergencies.In terms of infrastructure and logistics, the Department of Sanitation is fully prepared with an arsenal of equipment. More than 2,200 vehicles are ready for conversion into snowplows, supported by 700 salt spreaders and 500 million pounds of salt. A new development this year includes the use of composite plow blades, which are designed to follow the curves of the road more closely, resulting in more efficient clearing and less damage to the pavement. Additionally, for the first time, pedestrian routes, including bus stops and crosswalks, have been formally integrated into digital snow removal maps to prioritize the safety of walkers and commuters. Specialized equipment has also been acquired to clear bike lanes and narrow streets, ensuring that all forms of transportation can continue safely after a storm.The city's housing authorities are also prioritizing heating reliability. Significant maintenance has been performed on thousands of boilers and heat distribution systems in public housing developments. For those in private apartments, housing inspectors are prepared to respond to every complaint regarding lack of heat or hot water. There is also a strong emphasis on helping residents manage rising energy costs through programs like the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). These coordinated efforts across various departments, from law enforcement and fire services to social services and education, aim to create a resilient network that can withstand the harshest winter conditions. Residents are encouraged to stay informed through emergency alert systems and to report any heating issues promptly to ensure a safe season for all. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[At 250, young Americans dream of a more united nation]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12950/At-250%2C-young-Americans-dream-of-a-more-united-nation?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12950/At-250%2C-young-Americans-dream-of-a-more-united-nation?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 22:20:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Sponsored content from URL Media By URL Media ▶ Watch the video Video: YouTube / @url-media As the United States marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, a group of young Americans has a simple wish for what comes next: a country in which people can talk to one another again. The young people were part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Youth Council. They shared their thoughts at the organization's summit in June 2026 in Atlanta. They introduce themselves by first name only, before describing the nation they hope to see. It starts with identifying the difficulties of our present era: "I feel like the United States of America is a really polarized country," one says, pointing specifically to divisions between people who support different political parties. But they stay resolutely focused on what a brighter future might look like. "In 25 years, I would really love for us to become a more unified nation," that speaker adds. Another describes the America they want as "one where we're all united," and says the country is now in a space of animosity toward "people and individuals we don't even know." What they're describing isn't a new form of politics or policy. It's more a description of the way they hope they and their fellow Americans can live day-to-day. They want people "to have hard conversations and be able to communicate without violence and be able to really listen to each other." That aspiration echoes 1776. The Declaration of Independence rooted the nation's legitimacy in its origination in "the consent of the governed." That consent depends on citizens who can deliberate, disagree, and still be united around common principles. The Declaration's signers closed by pledging to one another "our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor," a commitment to a shared cause rather than agreement on everything. The young speakers aren't describing a country without conflict. They're describing one where conflict doesn't turn into hostility and where listening comes before judgment. That is a modest request, but it asks Americans to do what the founders did: build something together across differences. YOU MATTER The future is built one voice at a time. Hear how America's youth envision stronger communities, brighter futures, and a country where everyone belongs. Watch the latest Youth Voices stories. Because every voice helps shape what's next. Remember, You Matter. Call. Text. Chat 988. MORE FROM THE URL MEDIA NETWORK At 250, all Americans pay the costs for a healthcare system rooted in segregation (URL Media) The semiquincentennial of second sight: Black America's X-ray vision for democracy (URL Media) America 250: A Republic Built on Native Land (Native News Online) 250 milestones in AAPI history for America 250 (AsAm News) Young people share their vision for a kinder America (Youth Voices, Alhawadeth)]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Laith and the Battle of the Beasts]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12949/Laith-and-the-Battle-of-the-Beasts?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12949/Laith-and-the-Battle-of-the-Beasts?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:25:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Night drew its veils over the hospital, and its meager lights cast a shade of desolation along the corridors. In one of the rooms, Laith lay on his bed, his body exhausted, his strength drained, torn by the aftereffects of brutal chemotherapy sessions that had not been content to rob his body of its health, but had plundered a share of his soul as well. Pale faces surrounded him: eyes worn out by sleepless nights, trembling hearts hanging on what the coming minutes would reveal, souls weighed down by fear of the dark unknown. It was as if everyone sensed that something grave was approaching, and that this night might not be like the ones before it. The doctor came in with quick, hurried steps, and barely had he glanced at Laith before he asked everyone to leave the room; he had to run urgent tests, after the first indicators showed a worrying decline. Laith began to stare at the clock on the wall, following with his eyes its hands, whose slowness he could not bear, as if time had decided to punish him by stretching out his moments of waiting. A light chill crept over him as the night grew so still that the faintest sound in the room took on something strange and frightening. Meanwhile his family waited in the hospital lobby, torn between prayers and fears, clinging to a thin thread of hope, however small it seemed before the horror that awaited them. Laith turned his face toward the door, then looked back to where his mother had been before she left, as if his eyes refused to accept her absence. Longing came over him, and he wished he could gaze at her face a little longer, for in her features he found a healing and mercy that no medicine could give and no hospital machine could replace. His mother, as he had always known her, was his first refuge and his only peace: she scattered his fears and wiped worry and grief from his chest, a safety no one outgrows, even when the hair turns gray and the steps grow weak. But the hands tied to IV lines, and the oxygen mask he breathed through, kept reminding him of the harshness of his reality and returned him, at every moment, to the prison of a body worn out by illness. Autumn had struck his days and settled as a heavy guest on what remained of his life. The trees stood bare but for their branches, and winds carried something of endings, while the roads were carpeted with yellowed, fallen leaves, as if whispering of extinction, painting a scene of loss, of letting go, of a season folding away. A strange feeling hesitated to visit him, then vanished, only to return as anxieties and questions that took hold of him: could these broken moments of calm repair what a lifetime of fatigue and sorrow had left behind? Was it enough to recover a few beautiful memories in order to make peace with all that fate had denied him? He wished he could tell his story, whose lines destiny had written with its own hand, denying him the right to choose its ending: dreams left unfinished, wishes hanging at the doors of tomorrow. At times he thought that life, after all he had been through, would finally grant him some peace. But life has fates that do not ask their owners' permission, and the days write for us what we never reckoned with. A sense that the end was near stirred in him, filling his soul with an uneasy calm. Preparing to leave the noise of the world, he wished he could give life one last rose, a rose watered with cold tears, that might put out some of the fire of his fears and ease the weight of the nightmare that kept chasing him and refused to leave him, dressing up for him an ending that had chosen him before he could choose it. But what nightmare is this, from which sleep cannot wake him? And what unknown awaits a person at the end of the road? The hospital had chosen for him a corner of this gloomy room, a room whose walls held painful secrets, where much pain had stayed locked in its corners: mortal bodies that came in carrying hope, then left as corpses cold to the touch. These details did not escape Laith. He knew well what hovered around him, and perhaps understood it better than others wanted to believe. Would he be the only survivor of the web of that black spider that had spun its threads around everyone who passed through here? Could his story escape an ending he had seen so often that he had grown used to its features, losing the ability to tell apart what he had become used to and what he should never have become used to? "Maybe, and why not?" The phrase visited his mind several times. "Why not," and his faint smile never left his lips, even in his darkest moments, declaring defiance and hiding his inability to voice the burning that was ravaging his limbs. The doctors and nurses came to know him and grew used to his presence, until they credited him with the courage and strength of a lion, the meaning of his name, Laith: a bold fighter who refused to give the disease an easy victory. But the disease gnawed at his body in return, its branches spreading like a Christmas tree. Grief settled in his being and drained him, raising the bar of defiance on his face and testing his patience and endurance. He closed his eyes, hoping to get away from his tragic reality and reach the depths of himself, searching there for something to reassure him. He found nothing but memories: memories of his family and relatives, his brothers and sisters, his mother and father, and his children. Faces he loved, voices he knew, days gone by and a life that rushed past without his realizing that one day it would become what he longed for most, wishing it would return. Images crowded and jostled in his memory, one pulling another, until he had replayed the reel of the chapters of his life, which would close on a hospital bed. That man, worn out by illness, was none other than another Laith, separated from the first by years of patience and suffering: a young man, handsome, of good reputation, with the heart of a bird and fine manners. There was something in him of the full moon, a shining full moon, and in his features and character something that made people love to be around him. He grew up in a simple family that did not have many of life's ornaments and luxuries, but believed that knowledge, then knowledge again, and a good upbringing are the wealth that never perishes, the inheritance that loss cannot touch. He studied at the University of Hydrocarbons, and from his student years he showed remarkable intelligence and a clear drive to excel. When he finished his studies, he went to work as a specialist in electricity. He was creative in his work, precise, sharp-minded, ahead of others in finding solutions, always looking for ways to improve whatever was in his hands. He soon won the respect of his colleagues and the appreciation of his superiors, for his knowledge and experience and for his manners, humility and seriousness. Before long he was rewarded for his excellence with a promotion that made him a manager at one of the largest oil companies in his country. Life, as Laith knew it, does not reveal its secrets to those who fear to face it. In his eyes, challenges were just another face of beauty, and courage was nothing but the ability to keep going in the presence of fear. Perhaps it was this belief that led his company to choose him for a special professional training program in Italy, to learn about the latest studies and developments in his field and to benefit from modern expertise and technology, so that he could develop methods of work and learning in his specialty. Laith traveled and saw aspects of life there he had never known before, but he did not let the glitter and temptations of the West change his principles or pull him away from his roots. He knew what he wanted, and carried within him enough conviction to stay true to himself and his upbringing. When he finished his training, he returned to his country and his work; living abroad had been only one step on his ambitious path. Yet life, which had paved one road of professional success after another for him, was hiding at another turn a trial of a different kind, a different ordeal, a test to which neither intelligence nor degrees nor years of experience could give a decisive answer. While visiting a dentist, the doctor was struck by Laith's good manners and sound judgment. He admired his character and found in him qualities that made him think of having him as a son-in-law. After a short conversation, he told him frankly that he had a daughter studying dental surgery, and that he wished Laith would become her husband. Laith smiled politely, then gently declined, explaining that he had already given his word to his cousin, his maternal aunt's daughter, and that he intended to ask for her hand. The doctor looked sorry; he saw in Laith a man who, had he become his daughter's husband, would in his view have made her the happiest woman on earth. But Laith himself had never planned to marry his cousin. It was not love that pushed him to that decision so much as her declared feelings for him, and her insistence on telling him that she had loved him for a long time. She had placed her heart in his hands and made him feel, in one way or another, that he was now responsible for its fate. He decided to raise the subject with his mother and told her he wished to marry her. His mother did not receive the news with the joy he may have expected. Instead she seemed somewhat worried, as if her son's words had awakened old fears she preferred not to recall. She knew her sister very well: her difficult nature, her domineering ways, her urge to control those around her. She was not an easy woman to deal with. She carried wounds from her failed previous marriages that she had never been able to get past, and in the eyes of Laith's mother she was one of those people who pour the bitterness of their experiences into the lives of others. What pained her most about her sister was that old complex about bearing sons: God had given her daughters, while her siblings had been blessed with sons among their daughters. What should have been acceptance of God's will turned into envy and resentment, then into a hostility that took hold of her and grew stronger until it was beyond change, and its contagion passed to her daughters, who absorbed something of that hostility, until tension and quarreling became part of the nature of relations inside that family. There was an old woman who had witnessed enough of that behavior that she grew fed up and nicknamed them "the owl and her daughters," for she believed that ruin settled wherever they settled, and that discord often followed their presence. Laith's mother was not speaking of a stranger she did not know, but of her own sister, with whom she had lived for many years, and whose nature she knew well enough to fear for her son a future whose harshness he might not foresee. Laith kept looking at her, lost in thought, as if her words had put his heart and mind in a confrontation he did not know how to end: torn between a woman declaring her love for him and a family reality weighed down by disputes and hostilities, conflicts for which he could find no solution and whose end was nowhere in sight. The decision was not easy. Some promises are moral chains that are hard to break free of, even if the days one day lead their maker down a road his soul never rested on. While he was lost in his thoughts, he noticed his phone, which would not stop ringing. His cousin's calls kept coming, one after another, with intense insistence, until it seemed to him that she left him no room to think or to back away. She was imposing her presence on his life with persistence, as if the decision to marry had already been made. In the end, he went back to his mother and told her of his decision to complete half of his faith with her, as marriage is called. That decision was not born of sweeping romantic passion, nor was it the fruit of a long-awaited love. It was, in large part, an attempt not to break the heart of a woman attached to him, and loyalty to a promise he had already made. Perhaps he saw keeping one's word as a virtue that must not be squandered, even if his heart remained unable to say for certain what awaited him behind that door. His mother looked at him for a long time, then answered in a voice that mixed tenderness and worry: "I raised you to believe that a word is a covenant, and that a man does not break a promise he has made, neither toward his Lord nor toward His servants. Perhaps you did not take your time before, but since things have come this far, I will not stand in your way. If your happiness is with her, we will go and ask for her hand. But be certain that you are about to step, of your own free will, into a nest of vipers." She put her hand over her mouth, closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. A sudden dizziness seized her under the weight of it all. Was it easy for her to advise her son to stay away from a house whose hidden corners she knew, when she was bound to the woman of that house by blood? She knew what her sister concealed behind the sweetness of her talk, and saw the bitterness hidden behind her calm features: she spat poison into honey, smiling on the surface while leaving in people's hearts a bitterness that never fades. Despair crept into her heart, and a vague fear of the unknown awaiting her son came over her. She did not want to take from him the right to dream, nor deny him a life he chose for himself; she knew deep down that life, however hard, stays dry when it is empty of dreams. But for dreams to turn into nightmares, and for what a person hopes for to become the source of his pain, that was the irony she feared. She felt a fist of anxiety squeezing her heart whenever she looked ahead to what the future held for her son. Something inside her warned that the happiness he hoped for would be nothing but a falsehood unsupported by reality, and that the days would reveal the truth to him only when going back had become harder than going on. And she did not know, as she watched him walk toward that decision, that doors of trial would open before him. The engagement took place, and time moved on toward the wedding day. Laith, like someone who wants to keep a promise he made to himself, began preparing to build a new life, determined to be a good husband and to give his life partner every comfort and happiness he could. Shortly before the wedding, he traveled to Europe and came back loaded with the things he had chosen for his bride's trousseau, eager for everything to be at its finest. But some of those belongings were later hidden from his family, an act that was only one of the first signs of things being managed far from their eyes. Laith thought he was about to found a home with a woman he had chosen, but he found himself entering another world, with its own laws, its unchanging cast, and its director, who allowed no one to challenge her control of the stage. From the beginning, his aunt, who had become his mother-in-law, had the first and last word. She and her daughters were the ones who decided, who ran the household, drew the boundaries of relationships and handed out roles as they pleased. As for Laith's mother and siblings, they were put off the stage, with no role but to watch a worn-out play whose acts repeated themselves, whose beginnings and endings looked alike, until the same scene replayed itself with different names and occasions. They had no choice but to keep watching, forced to stay silent, observing cautiously and avoiding any noise that might spoil the sequence of events drawn up by a woman behind a curtain of artificial diplomacy, healing her old wounds by inflicting new ones on the souls of those around her. She had had her eye on Laith since he was born, treating him differently and openly favoring him over his brothers, until he grew up believing he held an exceptional place in his aunt's heart, as the son she had been denied. The wedding was held in the most luxurious of halls and celebrated in an atmosphere full of joy, a wedding out of the Thousand and One Nights, the kind every girl dreams of. Then the two returned to their new life, surrounded by signs of comfort and happiness. Yet not every painful ending is born of sudden events; tragedies often begin with small, trivial decisions whose consequences their makers only grasp once they can no longer be undone. No sooner had they returned from their honeymoon than the wife told her aunt, now her mother-in-law, that she had decided to move with Laith into a house they had rented near her mother's home. Laith's mother did not ask her son about the reasons for that decision, nor did she try to talk him out of it. From the beginning she had chosen not to stand in the way of his new life, and to respect his choice, however different it was from what she had imagined. But a mother's heart cannot hide its pain for long. One day Laith's wife came to his family's house and told his mother she had come to take some of his things from his room, in preparation for their move. The mother heard her daughter-in-law's words and chose silence, swallowing the questions and reproaches churning in her chest. She did not want to create a problem, nor to make her son a party to a dispute that might cloud his married life. When night let down its curtains, she withdrew to her room and found herself alone. The house, whose corners used to ring with movement and the voices of her children, seemed to her that night wider and lonelier. She felt as if she had suddenly been cut off from the life she knew. Her imagination carried her far away: it seemed to her that the room was a desolate grave wrapped in darkness, and that she was lying inside it, surrounded by the creatures of the earth, devouring her body as the hungry devour their prey. She touched her frail body, a body that held only a little of its years of health, and contemplated the fatigue and pain the years had left in it. A truth that grief had hidden pulled her out of her reverie: she was not a fragile woman, nor a body worn out by the years. She was the one who had faced poverty and need and fought the harshness of circumstance with a will of stone and iron, who refused to let hardship be an excuse for falling short, and insisted that her children's future be different from the hard beginnings she had known. Laith went back to work, where the nature of his job forced him to be away from home for intervals. Over time, his car became an almost permanent means of transport for his wife's family instead of for his own trips. He drove this one and that one, and never hesitated to run their errands, whether for close relatives or distant ones. He did it out of generosity and good manners, believing his kindness would be returned. But in their eyes it gradually turned into something ordinary, fixed and deserved rights that called for no gratitude. What he offered them was never met with appreciation, until the line between help and entitlement disappeared, and giving became, in their view, a duty that earned no thanks. Laith learned that his wife was pregnant and received the news with overwhelming joy. He saw in the coming child an extension of his life and the start of a new chapter of fatherhood and responsibility. When the due date approached, his wife did not bother to tell her husband's family, and gave them no chance to be by her side on an occasion that should have brought the two families together, an occasion for joy and closeness. The news reached Laith's mother late, but she did not hesitate to go with her daughter, wanting to stand by her son and share his joy at his first child. But the joy was not complete. The child was born in critical condition, on the verge of losing his life, and the moments of waiting turned into intense fear. Hearts clung to prayer, and in those moments Laith's mother and father could do nothing but plead with God, asking for his survival and health, and that their hearts might be comforted by watching his first steps among his family. Then the medical news made things heavier still: the family was told that the child suffered from a disorder that could affect his growth and development, and that he might be autistic, which meant he would need continuous follow-up, care and treatment. The news fell heavily on everyone, but each had a position of their own. His mother-in-law was concerned above all with her daughter's well-being and seemed to pity her for the burdens and responsibilities the coming years might bring. She could not look at the child except through what he might impose on her daughter, to the point of wishing him gone if his survival meant her unhappiness. Another journey began in Laith's life: a journey of treatment, follow-up and spending, neither short nor easy. The costs of treatment were enormous and required years of follow-up and attention, and Laith carried the financial and emotional burdens without retreating or falling short in his responsibility toward his son. He never saw him as a burden; he was his son, who needed him more than ever. For his sake and for his future, he kept giving everything precious, clinging to the hope that his condition would improve and that he would find his way in life as far as his abilities and needs allowed. The child grew, and his features became ever more beautiful, until he looked like a smaller copy of his father. Two younger sisters followed him, and the three children became Laith's small world and one of the most important sources of his happiness. The days turned their pages, between the responsibilities of work, the burdens of family and the costs of treatment, until Laith decided to buy a plot of land and begin building a large family house that would bring him together with his wife and children and finally give him independence and stability. The building went up stage by stage, and in every stone set in place he saw a step toward a new life, a life in which he would be master of his house and his decisions, able to give his children a safe space to grow up in, away from disputes and interference. But finishing a house does not mean finishing a life filled with affection and sheltered by security. Once, a dispute broke out between Laith and his wife. It began as a misunderstanding, then widened little by little until it became a major quarrel, made worse by his mother-in-law's interference. Instead of trying to calm tempers and bring the family together, she poured oil on the fire and inflamed the dispute, until the argument reached a point where Laith could no longer stay silent. He tried to talk her out of her position, explaining that escalation would lead to no solution but would only make the dispute wider and more complicated. But she paid no attention to what he said. She met his words coldly and simply placed the responsibility for the children on him alone. His reply was firm. He insisted he had never neglected his children and needed no one to remind him of his responsibility toward them. Despite the nature of his work and his frequent absences, he tried to lighten his wife's load as much as he could: he used every leave to bring her enough supplies to last while he was away, took the boy to his regular checkups, and made sure to provide the doses of medicine and treatments he needed, even from the private hospital. He did not see this as a favor, but as a father's duty beyond bargaining. Laith told everyone of his decision to take his children to his mother. At that, his mother-in-law burst into hysterical laughter, followed by biting sarcasm, mocking his turning to his family: "What family?" The phrase carried enough contempt to ignite whatever calm he had left. He did not answer her, nor enter into a new argument with her. Words could no longer contain the situation, and dialogue was no longer of any use, so he found himself forced to leave the house and return to his parents' home, seeking a safer refuge for his little ones. His mother received him with worry and looked at the children before asking him what had happened. He tried to make light of it, describing what happened as a passing disagreement between him and his wife that would soon blow over. She did not want to add to his distress by questioning him, but his eyes revealed what his tongue concealed. After things calmed down a little, he laid out everything that had happened in full detail, recounting the confrontation. Because she did not want to see her son torn between his wife and his wife's family, his mother decided to step in herself, hoping to contain the dispute before it turned into a rupture that would be hard to repair. She went to her sister's house, accompanied by her eldest daughter, hoping to find a door to dialogue and to set things right. But she was surprised by a scene that looked nothing like the reconciliation meetings she knew: she found her sister in a state of intense anger, with her daughters gathered around her. Voices rose, wounding words flew, and curses calling down evil and disaster on Laith followed one after another, along with threats and promises to harm and insult him. His mother-in-law did not stop there. She began talking about her daughter divorcing him, insisting she would marry her to a better man, as if the years of marriage, with all the responsibilities and children they had brought, meant nothing. Laith's mother stood stunned at what she heard. She had not come to wage war; she had come to repair what anger had spoiled. But her sister did not receive her words as an effort at reconciliation. She met them with looks charged with rage, and laid the blame for how things had turned out on her and her daughters, accusing them of being the cause of what had happened. Laith's mother froze in place for a few moments, astonished by an accusation she had never imagined hearing. Her sister went on blaming her sharply, holding her responsible for what she considered a deviation in her daughter's life, and insisting that she was the one who had spoiled Laith and changed the course of her daughter's life. Then Laith's mother realized that dialogue was no longer possible, and that if she stayed any longer she would hear only more of the words her sister knew so well how to choose to wound whoever stood before her. It was not the first time she had seen that face, but it was perhaps the time she felt that every attempt at understanding had reached a dead end. She left and went back home, weighed down by a new disappointment, finding herself accused in a matter over which she had neither decision nor hand. When she entered the house, she found Laith sitting with his children, caring for them and seeing to their needs. Gloom hung over his face; he could not control the trembling of his hands, as if his body were translating what his tongue could not express. He was still, his mind and gaze far away, as if he had left the place, and he only came out of his daze at the sound of violent pounding on the front door. Hardly had the door been opened when his mother-in-law burst in, followed by her daughter, both seized by anger. Screaming, cursing and insults rose, and wounding words flew without restraint. Laith kept looking at them in astonishment, trying to match these two women with the image he had known of them all those years. How had that outward affection turned into so much hostility? He studied their scowling faces, trying to understand the source of that recklessness. The words came out of his mother-in-law's mouth like shrapnel, flying around the room and tearing apart whatever good feelings remained in his heart. He no longer saw in the scene anything but naked cruelty, nor heard in the voices anything but hostility. One of Laith's sisters tried to step in to calm things down, hoping to stop the flood of insults and bring the conversation back within reasonable limits. But she did not know that her intervention would make her a target too. His mother-in-law shot her a look full of contempt, then unleashed her tongue with all its cruelty. She was not content to insult her; she mocked her for not marrying, wishing that her life would end with her raising orphans. It was a stab aimed at the dignity of a woman who had chosen to put off her own life for her family's sake and to bear responsibilities no one had imposed on her, out of loyalty and love. But Laith's sister was not one to swallow an insult. She faced her steadily, explaining that she had not married by her own choice, having decided to devote her life to caring for her parents and her sick siblings and to standing by her elderly mother. Nor did she stop there. She exposed what she saw as their greed and obsession with appearances and material things, pointing out that they saw a man only through what he owned and what he could provide for them; that they did not value what they had, but kept their eyes fixed on what others had, measuring their lives against the lives of others and asking for more without ever knowing contentment. Her words were sharp, but they came after a string of insults that left her no room to hold her tongue. Suddenly, Laith's wife came up to her, pulled her daughter from her aunt's arms, raised her hand and struck her with a resounding slap. A heavy silence fell over the room; faces froze, and for a few moments everyone was unable to take in what had happened. No one had expected the dispute to go this far, for words to turn into a physical assault inside the family home, before everyone's eyes. Laith's sister felt humiliated, but she thanked God silently that her brother had not been in the room when it happened. She did not want to add to his pain, nor let the incident become a new scandal that would widen the rift, so she chose to keep what had happened to herself and swallowed the bitterness of the insult. The argument ended on the sound of that slap. The wife took her children and went off with her mother, and the two left the house. A silence heavy with betrayal closed over Laith and his family. What had been said was no small thing, and what the confrontation left in their souls was not a wound that heals quickly once a quarrel ends. But the estrangement did not last long. Laith and his wife reconciled and decided that the ship of life should keep sailing, despite the holes widening in its hull and the waves coming from every side. That reconciliation did not herald a serene life, nor prove that things had straightened out or that hearts had settled. It was, in large part, an attempt to preserve the family, and to make sure the children did not pay the price for disputes they had not chosen and could neither understand nor defend themselves against. So Laith kept trying to gather the scattered pieces of his life, holding on to his children, bearing whatever burdens he could, and believing the days might bring some change. Laith's son grew up and recovered from autism after his father spent vast sums on the latest available treatments. He returned to his life as a child walking steadily toward his future, entered school, and soon became one of the top students. Laith saw in him the fruit of years of patience, spending and perseverance, and perhaps his son's success was one of the few victories he managed to wrest from the claws of life. As for his relationship with his wife's family, it never found its way to reconciliation. The estrangement continued, and there was no longer any sign that things would ever return to normal. The days went by until the day Laith's father died. The loss cast its shadow over the family, but no one knew it would mark the beginning of another pain in his life: he noticed a sudden swelling in his eye, and his brother, a doctor, advised him to have the necessary tests to be sure of his condition. The swelling was not the ordinary thing everyone had hoped. The tests revealed it was caused by a tumor in the eye socket, and his brother moved quickly to book him an appointment for surgery to remove it. The operation was performed, and the sample was sent to the laboratory, ending in a diagnosis no one was prepared to receive: Laith had myeloma, a blood cancer. The news hit his family like a sudden hurricane that swept away whatever energy and hope remained in them. As for Laith, he began to recall the past. It occurred to him that the years of worry, misery, quarrels and squabbles that had surrounded his life had not passed without a price, and that perhaps he would be the one to pay the bill alone. He went back to his family, his body shaking with cold, at that late hour of the night. He wanted to throw himself into his mother's arms, to become for a moment a small child again, carrying no worries of life on his shoulders and chased by no fear of tomorrow. He wanted to silence all the noise that had settled inside him and to sleep for a long time, escaping everything around him, hoping that what he was living was only a heavy nightmare, and that he would wake to find it had all been a dream. He looked at the darkness filling the room. From beyond the window, the streetlights crept in, even though the windows were shut and the curtains drawn. Threads of light slipped through the gaps and drew parallel lines on the carpet covering the floor. He stared at those lines for a long time, as if they were iron bars separating him from a future he had hoped to live in full beside his children. He closed his eyes, trying to get away from faces and people linked in his memory with sadness and fatigue, and from life with all the disappointments it had brought him. He had grown weary of everything except his children's voices; they alone could touch his heart and bring him some peace. He sat up in bed and turned his back to the window, as if looking for an escape from his thoughts. He lifted the pillow and pressed it over his ear and closed his eyes, but the troubled thoughts came back to chase him. Questions hung over him: how long would they grieve for him if he left? Would he stay present in their memory, or would the days fold away his memory? He did not think his children would deny him, nor that he would vanish easily from their hearts, but he feared the cruelty of time and what it might do through forgetting. Laith decided to begin treatment. He knew that average survival with this disease could range from two to eight years, but he was not ready to surrender before fighting his battle in full. His treatment began with sessions of chemotherapy and radiation, and the first phase lasted nearly a year. Then the disease came back, and he went back to treatment in the same way, this time with an autologous bone marrow transplant. The transplant succeeded, and he left the hospital after a harsh journey. During his recovery, he did not let himself give in to rest for long. He kept finishing his house, followed his affairs, and took his children to the gym to exercise. He kept doing his work himself and tried to live his life as he always had. He gave his illness no room and no right to rob him of his role as a father and the man responsible for his family. Seven full years passed with his illness, back and forth: days at home, and other days when his stays in the hospital grew long. Many kinds of medicines and treatments were tried on him, and his journey was like a fierce war whose end only God knew. With the start of the eighth year, his condition began to clearly deteriorate. The symptoms grew worse, the chemotherapy sessions increased, and his stays in the hospital became longer than before. Sometimes he improved, and he seized every chance to go out and return home to finish what he had begun with his own hands. His house occupied him more than anything else; he wanted to leave his children a safe shelter that would bring them together and protect them from life's upheavals. So whenever his condition improved a little, he went back to the building site that was still not finished. A few days later, the disease returned, faster and more cruel. Chemotherapy no longer brought the hoped-for result, so the doctors asked him to have a CT scan, which revealed that the tumors had spread through his head with great density and speed. Laith had fought his battle for many long years, but now he found himself facing a different confrontation, fiercer than anything before. Could he see it through to the end, or had the fighting exhausted his body, and had the time come for him to fall in the arena, leaving his opponent the banner of victory? After the tests and procedures were complete, it became clear that the disease had reached its final stage, and that it was now only a matter of time. Only then did Laith ask his brother, the doctor, to keep the developments of his condition secret. He refused to see fear in his family's eyes, or to have to explain what he now knew. He gathered the photos and videos that recorded his trips with his family and their shared memories. He sat at his desk and arranged them carefully on CDs, writing down their dates and placing them in their cases in chronological order. He knew those recordings would stay with them for a long time, and that they would return to them whenever they missed him, to see his face and hear his voice. The next morning he went out early to the administration at his workplace and took the opportunity to ask the officials there, after his death, to complete all the procedures needed to make it easy for his wife and children to receive their entitlements, so that they would not face administrative complications or extra hardship at a time when they would most need someone to support them. The staff were amazed at his calm and courage. Before them stood a man who knew the disease was nearing its end, and yet was thinking of arranging his family's affairs and securing its future. He was not preoccupied with fear for himself so much as with what he would leave behind. He finished what he could, then got into his car and headed to the house of his mother and siblings. That visit was different from all those before it. The conversations went on and on, laughter rose now and then, and they recalled old memories and remembered those who were gone and those who had shared life's joys and sorrows with them. It seemed as if he wanted to relive in a few hours a whole lifetime spent among them. Then he turned to them, his voice calm in a way that made them even more anxious, and began to beg them to pray for him often, hoping that God would not prolong his life if staying alive meant depending on others, a prisoner of their pity, forced to beg their sympathy or to show them his weakness and brokenness. His mother's eyes filled with tears, and she could not hide what his words had done to her heart. She reproached him for words that stirred her fears and hurt her heart. He came close and kissed her forehead, then began to express his deep gratitude to her and to his sisters, saying that over the years he had come to realize that women like her, with such pure and contented souls, are rare. Appearances and material things could not change their hearts; contentment stayed rooted in their souls, satisfied with what God had given them, their eyes never straying to what others had. He compared them with the greed he had seen in some people, who know no limit of enough and never hesitate to ask for more, as if the world could never fill their eyes however much they got from it. Souls seized by greed are satisfied by nothing, and nothing stops the flood of their greed but the dust of the grave. Laith left his parents' house with the feeling that these steps might be his last there. He went back to his children and gathered them. His son was the first to sit beside him, and he gave him a serious, solemn talk, one he meant to be closer to the counsels of Solomon, in which he handed him the trust of responsibility, than to the words of a father saying goodbye to his son: that in his absence he should be a support for his family, take responsibility for the house, his mother and his two sisters, and grow up a good man of upright character, proud of his upbringing and protective of his family's standing and dignity; that he be a good extension of his family's roots and leave a good mark wherever his feet trod. He turned his gaze to his middle daughter and surrounded her with counsel no less important, urging her to be a kind sister to her brother and a support to help him face life, and to surround her younger sister with care and attention, never overlooking her need for tenderness and guidance, and never forgetting the values and principles he had worked to plant in them over the years. He assured them that money, however great its value, is not the measure of a person's worth and honor, and that what they should truly hold on to is a clean reputation and good roots; those were their roots, and the mark he hoped they would carry of his name to those near and far. He went to bed, but something that night was not as usual. It was no longer the cold refuge he retreated to after the hardship of the hospital. It seemed to embrace him for the last time, every inch of it saying goodbye. The corners of his room trembled under the weight of something hidden that flowed between the walls, foretelling an absence unlike any other. The next morning he entered the hospital to receive the strongest doses of chemotherapy, but the disease had already outrun the treatment's power to stop it, and kept settling, colonizing, spreading and scattering. His mother came in to see him. As soon as his eyes settled on her face, longing overcame him, and he asked her to move her mask aside a little, so that he could look at her as long as he wished, engrave in his memory her features, which seemed clothed in beauty and radiance, and take from that moment something to help him face what awaited him. After visiting hours ended, his wife stayed by his side. Shortly before the dawn call to prayer on Friday morning, his condition worsened further as his heart weakened. Yet he remained fully conscious, keeping his courage, and the smile never left his face, the smile everyone who knew him knew him by. His wife repeated, her voice flooded with fear: "Who are you leaving me to?" "To your family. And if the roads storm against you and every way is cut off, you will find in my family a support and a help," he answered steadily and confidently. The doctors rushed in and decided to move him to intensive care. Before he was intubated and his ability to speak was dulled, he turned to the intensive care doctor, a faint smile on his lips, and entrusted her with his last plea: "Promise me I will wake up to see the fruits of my heart." The eyes of those around him were full of pity, absorbed in staring at the body stretched out before them, worn out by years of suffering and endless sessions, and their hope was that God would answer the prayers of his family and loved ones. Laith recited the profession of faith and surrendered to God's will and decree. The minutes after which he was expected to regain consciousness passed, but the awakening everyone clung to never came. God's decree had been carried out: a lifetime of sorrow and suffering, in which he spent everything he had until his strength gave out and the battle ended, the battle in which he had always refused to raise the white flag. His death was announced with the dawn call to prayer. The machines stopped their moaning, silence closed over the place, a heavy grief weighed on hearts and a bitter lump choked throats, while golden words of "To God we belong and to Him we return" and acceptance of God's will and decree rose and were repeated on every tongue, trying to put out the flame of grief trapped in hearts. Laith left the arena, leaving behind children he loved with all his heart, a house he finished building to be their shelter, and memories he arranged carefully to protect his image from absence and forgetting. He never used his pain as an excuse to escape his responsibilities, nor let the dread of his departure stop him from planning for those he would leave behind. "Some faces, that Day, will be radiant, looking at their Lord." So he departed, dismounting from a lowly world in which illness and accumulated burdens had worn him out, hoping that God would envelop him in His vast mercy and grant him the meeting with Him. Through all the trials that poured down on him, he remained a tender father whose heart never turned away from his children, a son longing for his mother's embrace, and a human being who wanted to leave in life a print and a good mark that the days would not erase. Eight years of struggle, in every hour of which he stared into the eyes of death and his last wish from life was nothing but one last look into the eyes of the flowers of his life, and that his allotted time might grant him a few final seconds to shower them with kisses, precious and dear, full of embers and longing, to lay upon their foreheads, until his soul met its Creator and he returned the trust to the One who had entrusted it to him. By the writer Sobha Beghoura. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Is a Left-Wing Perestroika Knocking at the Walls of the American System?]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12948/Is-a-Left-Wing-Perestroika-Knocking-at-the-Walls-of-the-American-System%3F?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12948/Is-a-Left-Wing-Perestroika-Knocking-at-the-Walls-of-the-American-System%3F?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:20:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[The blue electoral wind has finally swept across America, and the Republicans have collapsed. The Democrats won a landslide with record turnout in almost every state. They easily won Senate races in Georgia and North Carolina and also took control of the House of Representatives. In Florida, Republicans barely managed to stop the Black socialist Angie Nixon from reaching the Senate, in a state considered a stronghold of the "Make America Great Again" movement. In South Carolina, the Graham family lost after Democrats succeeded in removing it from power, and results keep coming in from Ohio and Iowa. In Texas, the Democratic Party won its first victory since 1988, almost forty years. The last time Democrats won a landslide like this in the House was at the end of the Bush administration. Republicans faced an electoral collapse like that of 2006 and 2008. Voters gave them a very low rating because of their failure to handle Iran, the fuel crisis and runaway inflation in the American economy. Meanwhile, the Democratic leadership pledged to open immediate investigations into Trump over the Iran war and corruption, forcing the White House into a long and painful confrontation with Congress. After these results, Democrats now hold an absolute mandate from voters to wage war on Trump, exploiting the collapse of the Republican Party. Who could have imagined that the fiercest electoral battle in the United States would be fought on election night in Mississippi, in the Deep South? Democrats won from North Carolina and Georgia to Michigan, Texas and Kansas. In Kansas, Democrats won a Senate seat for the first time in almost a century, since 1932, and they took 56 seats in the Senate. That is an even bigger success than the 2006 elections, when Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress by exploiting public anger over the Iraq war, but with fewer seats than they hold now. For the first time in 40 years, Texas turned blue, with the Democratic Party controlling all of its seats, in addition to the Senate seat, the governorship and other lower-level elected offices. The obstacle facing the Democrats after this result lies in their growing internal conflict, which pushes forward the progressive socialists, who have gained influence in many areas and states, including Michigan. Centrist Democrats, on the other hand, will focus on sweeping criticism of Trump and on corruption investigations, and on his state as a Nero watching Rome burn. His failure in Iran has set the Republican Party back for several election cycles, and getting out of this crisis will be very difficult. J.D. Vance's run in the next presidential election has become doubtful, and the Democrats have seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack on the exhausted "Make America Great Again" coalition. The Democrats' win in the congressional elections directly affects the next presidential election, which starts today. Both parties are immediately preparing for this new election cycle, and Jon Ossoff leads the scene in the Democratic Party. Jon easily won reelection as senator from Georgia, beating the Republicans by 18 points. Ossoff is known as "the white Obama" and makes use of the image of a promising young politician: he became the first member of the young generation elected to the Senate. Jon is seen on the surface as a centrist politician, but he promotes left-wing initiatives such as "universal health care for all." He supported Israel in 2023 but later voted to restrict arms sales to it, even though he himself is of Jewish descent; his grandparents emigrated from present-day Lithuania before the Bolshevik Revolution. Polls show Ossoff ahead of J.D. Vance in the coming 2028 presidential race, according to betting-market forecasts, although Vance has not yet decided whether to run after the crushing defeat of the Republicans. We may see a Republican candidate emerge from outside the Trump camp, for example Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is now criticizing the White House and the war in Iran. But the socialists clearly do not want another version of Obama; they want a radical restructuring of the left in America. Grief and shock hang over the Republican camp and its supporters, and the crushing electoral defeat immediately set off fights and a hunt for scapegoats. Laura Loomer, known for her support of Israel and Ukraine, describes the current situation as the collapse of the United States and is convinced that the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States has become a funeral for America. Right-wing isolationists, meanwhile, accuse Loomer, along with Ben Shapiro and Mark Levin, of causing the war on Iran, which led to the collapse of the Republicans, especially the neoconservative hawks, who were pushed out of Congress. That happened despite Trump's move to rescue the situation on the eve of the election, when he himself announced an end to military aid to Israel in the hope of saving the day. But the attempt failed, amid a sharp rise in the number of Israel's critics on the far left and a serious push to reconsider relations with the Israeli entity. At the same time, Republicans must begin a long and difficult process of correcting their sins, the result of irrationally backing Trump's policies. Internal conflicts will deepen now that they have lost the support of young people and Latinos who helped Trump win. Republicans are unlikely to regain their positions in Congress before 2032, unless the Democrats make fatal mistakes, a scenario that could happen. As for the cheering over the victory of some candidates with Arab voices, it is symbolic and has no effect on the big decisions. No one should forget that they could later be tamed, and they carry no real political weight. Nor should we forget the history of the Democratic Party, which during its time in power gave the Israeli entity more than the Republicans did. We must wait for the dust of the electoral battle to settle and see what actually happens: a change in foreign policy toward our causes and the causes of other peoples, and a start on ending today's intractable Iranian-American confrontation, rather than using voters' voices only at election time, after which things go back to the way they always were. In foreign policy, the deeds of the winners, and of those they will carry into the Oval Office in the near future, will tell the truth. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[The Secrets of the Marvelous Real: Sanaa Al-Shalan and Isabel Allende]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12947/The-Secrets-of-the-Marvelous-Real%3A-Sanaa-Al-Shalan-and-Isabel-Allende?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12947/The-Secrets-of-the-Marvelous-Real%3A-Sanaa-Al-Shalan-and-Isabel-Allende?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:18:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[There are things that happen in human lives that find no direct explanation. There are feelings, memories, fears and dreams that go beyond the limits of the tangible, yet remain more present and more powerful than many material facts. For exactly this reason, literature needs imagination: not to escape the world, but to approach it from another side, one that familiar realistic language alone cannot reach. In this context, two literary experiences stand out. They belong to two different cultures, yet they meet in a narrative space built on contemplation, the marvelous, the strange and wonder: that of the Jordanian-Palestinian writer Sanaa Al-Shalan (born 1977), and that of the Chilean-American novelist Isabel Allende (born 1942). Between the world Al-Shalan shapes, with its openness to symbol, possibility and existential questions, and the worlds Allende weaves, where family memory, historical events, spirits and unusual destinies sit side by side, an interesting literary relationship takes shape. It rests not on sameness but on a shared way of seeing reality as a world wider than its visible borders. To speak of the marvelous real here does not mean putting the two writers in a single critical box, or assuming that everything they write belongs to magical realism in the strict technical sense. That would be a reduction that serves neither of them. It is more useful to see the marvelous as a way of questioning reality, and of rearranging the relationship between what we know and what we do not, between what we believe and what we dismiss, and between life as facts impose it and life as the imagination reveals it. One of the main problems facing the traditional reading of literature is that it treats realism as a commitment to what can happen under ordinary rules, and treats every departure from the familiar as an automatic move into the world of myth or fantasy. But good literature does not always draw such strict lines. A strange event may express a human truth better than a familiar one, and a character who talks with the dead may be closer to the reality of a grieving person than a character who sees life as nothing more than a series of daily events. The marvelous is not merely the appearance of a supernatural being or an event that cannot be explained. It is a disturbance in the way we see the world, one that makes us reconsider the assumptions we have learned to treat as final truths. In this sense it is not separate from reality. It feeds on it, and draws its strength from reality's contradictions, its gaps and its zones of silence. When Sanaa Al-Shalan writes, imagination does not look like verbal decoration or a device for producing wonder. The many genres she works in, from the novel and the short story to theater and children's literature, open different ways for her to approach human beings and their questions. Her work shows clear attention to human and social issues and to the relationship between the individual and the surrounding world, as well as the use of symbol and possibility to build meaning. Isabel Allende, for her part, has made the interweaving of memory, history, private life and unusual elements a prominent feature of a number of her works. In her world, spirits and supernatural events do not seem foreign to life. They enter the fabric of the narrative alongside politics, family, love, loss and power. It is hard to read Sanaa Al-Shalan's creative work by looking for the story alone, because writing for her is also tied to a position on people and society, and to questions of freedom, identity, justice, women, childhood and those on the human margins. These themes do not necessarily appear as direct statements. They can take narrative and symbolic forms that let the reader discover their meanings for themselves. What deserves attention in her world is that reality is not presented as a complete truth beyond objection. A literary character cannot be reduced to an individual who performs a function in the plot. The character is a space where desires, fears and social constraints collide, and its fate may turn into a question about the nature of the world it lives in. In some of Sanaa Al-Shalan's works, her engagement with future possibility and science fiction allows a reading of the relationship between the human being, identity, the body and love from outside the usual frames. The imagined future does not draw its value only from the strangeness of what it contains, but from its ability to raise again questions that are present in human life: what remains of people's identity if the conditions of their existence change, and whether love can keep its meaning when the borders by which we know the body and the self shift. These ideas make imagination a means of thinking, not a substitute for it. The future in literature matters not because it runs ahead of time, but because it reveals the possibilities and fears that the present hides. What seems strange in the world of a novel may be the logical extension of a problem whose danger nobody noticed. This is why the marvelous in Al-Shalan's work should not be treated as a synonym for strangeness. Strangeness alone does not make literature, just as an abundance of symbols does not automatically give a text depth. Real value arises when unusual elements become an organic part of the work's vision, and when the reader finds behind them a human question worth keeping open after the reading ends. Imagination that changes nothing in our understanding of reality may become mere display. But imagination that pushes the reader to examine certain certainties and assumptions, and to reflect on practices built on injustice, exclusion or surrender, takes on a cognitive and moral function beyond entertainment. In Isabel Allende's work, the marvelous world seems more closely bound to family memory, inherited stories, and political and social history. She does not always put a realistic world on one side and a supernatural world on the other. She lets the two sit side by side and overlap to the point where it is hard to tell the moment the narrative leaves the familiar. For Isabel Allende, the family is not just a frame in which characters move. It is a space where memory, secrets, inheritances and social and political tensions accumulate. Across successive generations, the characters come to carry a family history that does not end when those who lived it are gone, but keeps shaping the children and grandchildren. Spirits and unusual powers are not used simply to confuse or surprise the reader. They help shape a view of the world that does not separate life from death once and for all, and does not reduce human experience to the facts that can be documented. The past stays alive in the present, and memory does not behave like a still archive but like a force that intervenes in destinies and reshapes relationships. What makes this work striking is that the marvelous does not cancel history. In Isabel Allende's world it sits alongside political violence, class, tyranny and social conflict. Strange events do not protect the characters from cruelty, nor do they turn tragedies into rosy tales. Spirits may exist, but death still hurts; the imagination may widen, but power can still crush people; a family may pass down its secrets, but that does not spare it from facing its mistakes. This interweaving gives imagination a function other than escape. It brings back voices that official history tried to silence, and gives family memory the power to resist forgetting. That is why magical realism cannot be separated from the political and social question: the issue concerns a society with its wounds, and people whose private lives are entangled with public change. Isabel Allende herself does not accept reducing her whole career to magical realism. She has made clear that the style is strongly present in her writing but does not apply to all of her novels, and that each story has its own way of being told. This is an important observation, because it warns us against turning a broad literary experience into a ready-made critical formula. Placing Sanaa Al-Shalan and Isabel Allende in a single comparison may seem tempting because of the presence of imagination and unusual elements in both bodies of work. But a serious comparison should not become an attempt to prove that one resembles the other in everything. Each writer has her own world, references and narrative tools, and the cultural and historical context in which each experience took shape imposes its own questions. Sanaa Al-Shalan writes from an Arab space with its own social and cultural particularities. She deals with the issues, questions and transformations of the Arab individual, and uses varied narrative forms to unpick that individual's relationship with society, power and identity. Isabel Allende belongs to a Latin American literary space with a long history of magical realism, and to a tradition of novels that made myth, folk heritage, memory and history core materials of the story. But difference does not rule out points of intersection worth studying. The first is that neither writer sees reality as neutral material. For both, reality is charged with meaning and full of things that do not show on the surface of events. A character may be trapped by social or historical laws, yet still be able to create an inner world different from the one imposed on her. The second is that woman is not merely an element in the story but an important center for understanding human change. Writing about women is not limited to describing their suffering or celebrating their strength. It extends to questioning the structures that shape their fate and determine what they are allowed to do and what they are denied. Through imagination, the writer can put these structures to the test, and imagine possibilities that daily life does not easily allow. The third is that memory holds an important place in resisting forgetting. A human being does not begin at the present moment, but carries the accumulated traces of experiences, relationships and losses. Sanaa Al-Shalan's work opens many paths for thinking about the self, identity and human existence, while Isabel Allende appears deeply tied to family history and its extensions. This does not mean memory plays the same role for both writers. Rather, they meet in recognizing that a person is larger than the moment in which we see them. Another aspect deserves a pause: the relationship between women's writing and the marvelous world. Literary history has not always been fair to the female imagination. Dreams, intuition, oral memory and inherited stories have often been treated as marginal, while other forms of knowledge were granted greater authority because of their link to official logic or dominant institutions. In Al-Shalan's work, writing about women and about human beings is tied to questions of freedom, dignity and self-determination. The tools of fiction, symbol and possibility allow her to go beyond the limits of direct representation, so that social reality can be questioned by building another narrative reality, one better able to expose what customs and constraints conceal. In Allende's worlds, stories about spirits, intuition and unusual powers do not seem separate from women's experience or from family history. A woman is not merely a recipient of events. She may hold knowledge that society does not recognize, or carry a memory that official history does not want to keep. The marvelous gives the marginalized a chance to reclaim their right to speak. When the rules of the world change inside the text, the positions of the characters change too. Whoever was silent becomes the owner of the story; whoever was condemned to helplessness gains the power to act; and whoever society saw as different or strange emerges as the one who best understands the truth of things. The reader does not enter a novel of the marvelous seeking scientific proof of events, nor expects the writer to explain every phenomenon. The reader looks for an emotional and intellectual experience that lets them see the world from a new angle. A supernatural event in a text may matter less than its effect on a character; the appearance of a spirit may simply be a way into talking about loss; and a journey into the future may be a way of exposing the fears of the present. Strangeness is not an end in itself but a means of rearranging the familiar. A person who has lost a loved one does not experience death only as a biological fact. They keep talking with the absent one in memory, hear their voice again in moments of silence, and see their presence in details that once seemed ordinary. This experience may not be supernatural in the literal sense, but it carries an emotional force that brings it close to the worlds of the strange, the marvelous and the magical. A person living under the weight of fear does not need a mythical monster to feel terror. Reality can be more monstrous than any creature myths imagine. And a society that suppresses difference does not need imagined worlds to look strange; it is enough to watch what it does to people to realize that the familiar is not always natural or acceptable. Yet the marvelous idea alone is not enough to make a successful novel. A text that merely piles up coincidences, oddities and unusual characters may arouse curiosity at first, but it loses its effect once the reader discovers that the events do not arise from a coherent inner logic, and that the strangeness serves no purpose beyond grabbing attention. The range of Al-Shalan's writing, across the novel, the short story, theater and children's literature, shows an interest in the possibilities of literary form and a desire to handle an idea through different artistic molds. This range should not be read as mere quantity of output, but as an opportunity to study how the tools of expression change when the nature of the subject, the audience and the genre change. In Allende's novels, what stands out is the long storytelling breath, the many characters and generations, and the ability to link family details to historical change. A personal event does not stay confined to the person who lived it; it gains a wider meaning through its relationship with others and with time. And the story, with its secrets, paradoxes and overlaps, helps build a world that seems vast and open to successive layers of meaning. Real criticism does not settle for listing positive traits. We must ask how well the idea is balanced with the artistic structure, whether the symbol can merge into the event without becoming a direct signal, and how independent the characters are from the intellectual function the writer gives them. A character who lives only to deliver a message becomes closer to a teaching aid than to a human being in a novel. A symbol that keeps explaining itself loses part of its energy, and dialogue that turns into a lecture weakens the discovery of life's details, even if it carries correct ideas. The power of literature does not come from the nobility of its subject alone, but from the way it turns that subject into an artistic experience. A human cause may be great, but treating it requires economy of language, convincing characters, and events that arise from within the world the text builds. This standard should remain present when studying both writers, away from the influence of prizes, fame or geographic affiliation. A writer is measured not only by what they want to say, but by what they manage to achieve artistically. A common critical mistake is to treat magical realism as the exclusive property of Latin American literature, or as a literary form that can be carried from one culture to another unchanged. Humanity has known myths, folk tales and beliefs about spirits, dreams and absence in many cultures. What differs is the context in which these elements become an artistic structure. In Latin America, many works of magical realism were tied to colonial history, cultural diversity, folk traditions and the tension between modernity and heritage. That climate helped produce narrative forms that blend historical facts with the marvelous, without the characters feeling any need to offer a rational explanation for everything that happens. Arab culture, for its part, holds a rich store of folk tales, epic biographies, myths and traditional ideas about the visible and invisible worlds. But using this store in literature does not mean copying another experience. The Arab writer can start from his cultural memory and social reality to create his own marvelous, on condition that he does not turn heritage into folkloric decoration or treat it as ready-made material that needs no rebuilding. Here the importance of Sanaa Al-Shalan's work stands out in the comparison with Isabel Allende: it shows how imagination in an Arab context can reshape reality, and what qualities it gains when it connects with the issues, anxieties and questions of the Arab individual. Every culture has its way of imagining the world, and every society has its fears, its ghosts and its endless questions. The tools may be similar, but the meaning they produce changes with the context. The most important common ground between Sanaa Al-Shalan and Isabel Allende lies in their insistence that a human being is not a number inside history, or a passing figure in a social system larger than themselves. A person carries contradictions, lives with private fears, searches for love, belonging and recognition, and tries to find meaning in the loss, injustice and disappointment they face. When direct reality cannot contain these experiences in all their complexity, imagination comes to widen the space for expressing them. For Al-Shalan, imagination becomes a field for testing the limits of the human being and the questions of existence, for questioning reality, and for rethinking identity, social relations and the possibilities life opens. Still, it remains necessary not to turn this intersection into a final critical verdict. For Allende, the family story becomes a way of recovering an entire history; memory becomes a confrontation with forgetting; and the marvelous reveals what historical language alone cannot convey. Both bodies of work need close textual reading that takes the works one by one and examines the structure of the narrative, the characters, the language, time and symbol, instead of settling for sweeping judgments about similarity and difference. A critical reading that merely calls a writer creative, or her novels enchanting worlds, adds nothing to our understanding of literature. What is needed is to discover how the effect is made, what makes a scene convincing, and why some events stay in the memory while others pass without leaving a trace. The comparison between Sanaa Al-Shalan and Isabel Allende offers a chance to think about the complex relationship between reality and imagination, and about literature's ability to break through the borders people draw around their knowledge of the world. More importantly, it reminds us that the marvelous is not necessarily the opposite of truth, and that what seems unfamiliar may sometimes carry a deeper truth than the facts people are used to. Sanaa Al-Shalan does not use imagination, possibility and symbol simply to leave reality behind. Through them she opens questions about the human being, identity, rights and destiny, and tests the ability of narrative to imagine worlds beyond existing constraints. Isabel Allende does not summon spirits to make life stranger. She gives memory, story and the past a place inside the present, and through them reveals how personal destinies are entangled with social and political history. The truly marvelous world does not necessarily live in faraway places, nor does it always need ghosts, strange creatures and impossible events. It may begin in a room that keeps the scent of someone who has gone, a memory that refuses to forget, a woman trying to reclaim her right to be herself, or a person who discovers that the future he feared has become his daily reality. Literature does not ask the reader to believe everything, but it invites us not to rush to deny what we do not understand. This is one of the most important functions of the imagination: to give the reader a distance from which to see reality differently, and to remind them that the world they live in is not as simple as they think, and that the human being is more complex than all the definitions that try to contain them. Between Sanaa Al-Shalan and Isabel Allende, the point is not to search for a single magical world, but to discover many ways of reading the human world. There is an imagination that sets out from family memory and history, and there is an imagination that turns toward the future, identity and possibility. Between them, the space of literature widens to receive what daily life cannot say clearly. The marvelous real is not an alternative world the reader goes to in order to forget their life. It is a window through which they return to their life, more attentive to what was hiding in it. That is why literature remains capable of surprise: it does not settle for showing us what happened, but makes us ask what could have happened, what is actually happening without our seeing it, and what we may discover in ourselves. Ibrahim Abu Awad is a writer from Jordan. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[US and Israeli Elections and the Palestinian Cause: Chances for Change]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12946/US-and-Israeli-Elections-and-the-Palestinian-Cause%3A-Chances-for-Change?lang=en</link>
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      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:14:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[The political shifts tied to the American and Israeli elections are opening a new phase for the Palestinian Cause. American public opinion toward Israel is changing, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is gaining influence, and a new Israeli government may be formed that ends the era of Benjamin Netanyahu and the extreme religious right. But the central question is not only what kind of change comes to Washington and Tel Aviv. It is how far that change will be reflected in policies toward the Palestinians, and whether the Palestinian leadership can make use of it. Washington: "Trump's plan continues, under closer Democratic oversight" US policy toward the Palestinian issue is expected to shift gradually over the next two years, especially now that Democrats control both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the progressive wing inside the party is growing more influential. That is a result of the changes brought about by the war on Gaza, the Israeli massacres, and the rise of settler terrorism in the West Bank. These changes will not necessarily mean a reversal of American policy. But they will make unconditional support for Israel more costly politically, and they will impose closer scrutiny on the decisions of the US administration. At the same time, Trump will keep backing the Board of Peace and his plan for Gaza, which he treats as one of his signature political projects, though with less drive than before. Republicans and Democrats agree that the Strip must be disarmed, that Hamas rule must end, and that new arrangements are needed to govern it. Criticizing Israel and standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people does not necessarily mean supporting Hamas or backing its continued control of Gaza. Democrats, however, will pay closer attention to how the Board of Peace is put together, the interests of the parties taking part in it, and the risk that rebuilding Gaza turns into an investment project driven by political and economic calculations, instead of a path to rebuilding Palestinian life and securing national rights. So the coming US policy will combine continued support for the Board of Peace plan with growing criticism of Israeli conduct, especially settlement building and settler attacks. The future of relations with the Palestinian Authority will depend on the nature of the next Israeli government. Israel: "A new government does not necessarily mean the end of the conflict" On the Israeli side, if Gadi Eisenkot is asked to form the government, without Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, that could mark an important shift in how domestic affairs and relations with the Palestinians are managed. Despite the disputes inside the opposition camp, the wish to end Netanyahu's rule is the common thread among its parties. Yet a change of government does not necessarily mean a change in Israel's strategic position on Palestinian rights. It may instead reflect a change in the methods and tools used to manage the conflict. In Gaza, the new government is likely to align with the Trump administration on disarmament, ending Hamas rule and carrying out the Board of Peace plan. But if the plan stalls and Hamas is blamed for it, the prospect of military escalation could return. On the other hand, the new government could open the way to gradual Israeli withdrawals, the entry of the stabilization force, and allowing the national committee and the new Palestinian police to carry out their duties under the agreed arrangements. In the West Bank, the new government is expected to be firmer in confronting settler terrorism, more willing to dismantle agricultural and herding outposts, and less hostile toward the Palestinian Authority. That could include reconsidering the transfer of the accumulated clearance revenues and gradually easing restrictions on Palestinian workers entering Israel. Even so, a less extremist government does not mean a government ready to end the occupation or recognize a Palestinian state. There is a big difference between changing the tools for managing the conflict and changing the substance of one's position on it. The Palestinians: "From waiting for change to taking back the initiative" Against these shifts, the Palestinian arena appears stuck in stagnation and division, without a strategic vision. That places a historic responsibility on Palestinians to move beyond a politics of waiting and of avoiding national obligations. The past period saw movement on national dialogue and reconciliation, but it did not turn into practical, lasting results. That reinforces the impression that some of these moves were more about containing pressure than about a real will to reform the political system. Elections are not a magic solution to the Palestinian crisis, but they remain the main gateway to restoring legitimacy and renewing the popular mandate. Legitimacy does not come from closed-door understandings between leaders and factions, or from sharing out posts and positions. It comes from citizens choosing who represents them and decides their future. The next phase requires a national vision that goes beyond managing the division: one that addresses the relationship between the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, rebuilds institutions on democratic foundations, and ties the reconstruction of Gaza to ending the political and geographic separation between the Strip and the West Bank. Chances for change must be seized The shifts in Washington and Tel Aviv may offer a chance to ease the pressure on Palestinians and to rearrange some political, security and economic files. But they do not guarantee an end to the occupation or a Palestinian state. The United States will keep making its strategic calculations, and Israel will defend its interests, even under a new government. The real challenge, then, lies not only in what Washington and Tel Aviv decide, but in the Palestinians' ability to regain the political initiative and national legitimacy. Governments, alliances and the balance of power may change; without that, outside shifts will remain postponed opportunities, and others will go on deciding the future of the Palestinian Cause. Professor Hussein Al-Deek is an expert on American and Israeli affairs. Translated from the Arabic original by AI.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Lessons Learned From the 2026 Elections]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12945/Lessons-Learned-From-the-2026-Elections?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12945/Lessons-Learned-From-the-2026-Elections?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:13:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Washington Watch November 9, 2026 There were surprises and non-surprises in this year's midterm elections. Democrats were expected to win and they did. All of the indicators normally considered in a midterm election pointed in that direction. And when reviewing state-by-state polling in key contests featuring vulnerable Republican senators, Democrats had the edge in everyone-Maine, Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas. What wasn't expected was that Democrats would also beat Republicans in Iowa, Kansas, and South Carolina. In the weeks before the elections, warnings were raised that the polls were inflating the Democrats' chances in several states. This cautionary note proved to be unfounded. The polling averages suggested that overall Democrats would likely beat Republicans by 11 points. They ended up besting Republicans by 13 points. Maybe the biggest miscalculation of this election was made by President Trump who assumed that he would be an asset to vulnerable Republicans by holding rallies in their states. As it turned out, his events proved to be more about him and his need to be centerstage. In some, he spoke for almost two hours, mostly about himself-his grievances, wild claims about how great the country is doing (thereby dismissing the economic concerns of many voters), and engaging in vulgar, bigoted, and demeaning attacks on immigrant groups and Democratic opponents in other states-often overshadowing and ignoring the candidates he was supposed to be helping. His constant refrain in these speeches was: "Vote as if I were on the ballot." In the end, as one reporter observed, voters did just that. And since Mr. Trump has a 32% favorable rating, the outcome wasn't a good one for Republicans. There was a real concern that the White House might attempt to stymie the vote in some districts. Others worried there might be a "October Surprise"-renewed bombing of Iran, sending armed immigration enforcement officials to select polling places to intimidate voters, or ordering the FBI to seize ballot boxes. None of this happened and so Election Day and its immediate aftermath proved uneventful. Because Democratic candidates were raising more money than Republicans, the GOP turned to what are called superPACs, corporate PACs, and other non-reportable independent expenditure entities to give them an advantage. As a result, this was the most expensive election in history. While the numbers are still being tallied, it appears that more than $14 billion was spent by both parties. The New York Times published an early list of 20 billionaire donors to campaigns who collectively spent more than $2 billion in this election. While there were some Democrats in the group, most were Republicans. Elon Musk, for example, invested over $450 million to support Republicans (half in Texas) while entities related to the Soros family put $100 million into Democratic campaigns. If anything, this election has brought to the center of our political debate the role of unregulated and unreported money in politics. As expected, the issues that dominated this election were the cost of living, immigration, corruption, and foreign wars. Most of these broke in favor of Democrats, which left Republicans trying to blame high prices on the Biden administration or to shift the discussion to the threat posed by immigrants. Such tactics may have worked in the 2024 election, but the impact of the president's tariffs on many consumer goods and the ever-increasing costs of gasoline, diesel fuel, and home heating took their toll on the GOP. The issues of US military aid to Israel and the role played by the pro-Israel lobby (AIPAC) in intimidating and silencing politicians played a less significant role in the November election than it had in the Democratic primaries where support for Israel proved to be the undoing of several incumbents. In the Senate races, a number of Democrats who won this year were clear in their opposition to aid to Israel and their refusal to accept the support of AIPAC, but because they weren't challenged by their Republican opponents, the issue didn't become a central theme in the November election. The major exception was the Senate contest in Michigan between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers. But it wasn't Rogers who made El-Sayed's criticism of Israel the issue. Instead, following the lead of President Trump, Rogers focused on charges that El-Sayed is a socialist or Islamic extremist who couldn't be trusted to be loyal to America. The attacks against El-Sayed's criticism of Israel were left to the woman he'd defeated in the Democratic primary, who continued to demand that he adopt her positions on Israel. When El-Sayed refused to do so, she endorsed Mike Rogers, an act of political suicide which ended up benefiting El-Sayed's campaign. Policy matters aside, one "meta-issue" helped shape this year's contests. Voters on both sides of the partisan debate are fed up with politicians-especially the blow-dried, consultant-shaped characters who've long dominated the stage. Voters want authenticity: candidates who speak hard truths, whom they feel can be trusted to address their needs. One might argue that this was Donald Trump's appeal in 2016 and Joe Biden's in 2020. And it's the edge that Mr. Trump has lost-with his expensive vanity remodeling projects, shady business dealings, and demonstrated insensitivity to the economic hardships of many voters. If anything, this year was a classic "throw the bums out" election-leading to many establishment Democratic politicians being beaten in the primaries and the GOP's establishment crowd being shown the door in the general. Lessons must be learned from this election-and it appears the establishment consultants on both sides don't appear to understand. Democrats mustn't assume that this year's victories will automatically repeat in 2028. The consultants who are telling Democrats that the GOP is dead and it's time to move to the center, are wrong on both counts. Voters chose Democrats willing to fight for a change in economic priorities-where health care is seen as a right and affordable for all; where resources are allocated away from war and weapons toward meeting domestic priorities; and where money from corporations and billionaires don't dominate our politics. If Democrats, now in charge, don't address these issues that brought them victory, they may pay a price in 2028. Dr. James J. Zogby is President of the Arab American Institute.]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Donald Trump Suggests Immigration Crackdown Was Too Harsh Following Election Results]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12944/Donald-Trump-Suggests-Immigration-Crackdown-Was-Too-Harsh-Following-Election-Results?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12944/Donald-Trump-Suggests-Immigration-Crackdown-Was-Too-Harsh-Following-Election-Results?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 05:00:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Following a difficult set of midterm election results, Donald Trump has expressed that the administration's aggressive approach to immigration enforcement may have been overly severe, noting that it likely impacted the party's performance at the polls. While maintaining that border security remained a top priority, Trump acknowledged that certain aspects of the crackdown were politically damaging.In a detailed television interview, Donald Trump provided a candid assessment of his administration's signature policy issue. He explained that while he believes his efforts to secure the border deserve the highest marks, the broad nature of deportations had unintended political consequences. Trump noted that while he remains proud of efforts to remove individuals with criminal records, the enforcement actions also swept up people who were well-integrated into their communities, held steady jobs, and had no prior legal issues beyond their immigration status. This shift in tone marks a significant departure from previous rhetoric that favored an uncompromising stance on all undocumented individuals.The data from the recent elections suggests that immigration was a primary concern for the American public, trailing only the economy and the health of the democratic system. In states that traditionally lean conservative, such as Texas, a notable shift occurred among Latino voters. This demographic change contributed significantly to the shifting balance of power in Congress. Donald Trump admitted that the immigration issue acted as a double-edged sword during the campaign, providing both momentum and obstacles for his fellow candidates. He specifically pointed out that the perception of being "too tough" likely alienated voters who might have otherwise supported the platform.Despite these reflections from the top, other parts of the administrative apparatus appear to be maintaining their original course. Officials within the Department of Homeland Security have indicated that there are no immediate plans to scale back arrest or deportation operations. Spokespeople for the department emphasized a continued focus on locating and removing those who pose threats to public safety. This creates a visible tension between the reflective political strategy discussed by Trump and the operational reality on the ground, where enforcement targets have actually seen recent increases.The internal debate over the future of immigration policy is also reflected in the voices of other prominent figures. JD Vance has suggested that a change in strategy might be necessary, proposing a shift in focus toward businesses that employ undocumented labor rather than focusing solely on individual deportations. However, the recent appointment of Stephen Miller as White House Chief of Staff suggests that hardline views still hold significant weight within the inner circle. Stephen Miller has long been recognized as a primary architect of strict border and interior enforcement policies.The human cost of these policies has also fueled intense public debate and local unrest. Enforcement actions across major cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles have sparked widespread protests. In one tragic incident in Minneapolis, the tension reached a breaking point when two individuals, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, lost their lives during a confrontation involving immigration agents. Such events have intensified the scrutiny on how federal agencies conduct their operations. As the administration looks toward the future, it faces the complex task of balancing security goals with the political and social realities that were made clear during the recent elections. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Drone Strike on Iraqi Gas Facility Disrupts Regional Energy Supply]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12943/Drone-Strike-on-Iraqi-Gas-Facility-Disrupts-Regional-Energy-Supply?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12943/Drone-Strike-on-Iraqi-Gas-Facility-Disrupts-Regional-Energy-Supply?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 04:53:51 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — A significant drone attack targeted the Khor Mor gas field in northern Iraq, leading to a massive suspension of production and causing widespread power outages across the region. Officials report that over 70 percent of the area's electrical grid was knocked offline following the incident.An aerial attack involving an explosive-laden drone struck the Khor Mor gas facility, a critical energy hub located in the Sulaimaniyah governorate. The strike resulted in a fire at the site and forced an immediate halt to all production activities. As a result of this disruption, millions of residents in northern Iraq found themselves without electricity. The impact was felt across several major urban centers, including Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal, and Duhok. Authorities have noted that the sudden loss of gas supply caused a drop of approximately 2,500 to 2,800 megawatts from the regional power grid.In response to the emergency, local energy officials have transitioned to alternative measures to ensure that essential services remain functional. While residential areas face significant blackouts, electricity is being prioritized for critical infrastructure such as hospitals and water treatment facilities. To manage this, technical teams are operating hydroelectric stations and utilizing plants that can run on different fuel sources. These efforts are aimed at preventing a total collapse of public services while the damage at the Khor Mor field is assessed and eventually repaired. The fire caused by the drone was monitored closely, with footage showing thick smoke rising from the industrial site shortly after the impact.Ali al-Zaidi confirmed that, based on preliminary reports, there were no casualties or injuries resulting from the explosion. However, the economic and logistical impact is substantial. Ali al-Zaidi has ordered the formation of a specialized joint investigative committee to look into the circumstances of the attack. This committee will involve both local and regional security experts to determine the origin of the drone and the intent behind the strike. The incident adds to a series of security concerns involving energy infrastructure in the area, which has seen similar disruptions in the past year.The Khor Mor field is one of the most vital gas sources in the country, and any disruption there has immediate ripple effects on the stability of the entire region's energy sector. Residents have been advised to conserve power where possible as technicians work to restore the flow of gas. While no group has immediate claimed responsibility for the strike, it occurs during a period of heightened regional tension. Security around energy facilities has been tightened as a precaution against further incidents that could threaten the livelihoods of the population. The focus remains on stabilizing the grid and ensuring the safety of the workers at the gas facility. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[US Establishes Task Force Iron Gate to Monitor Land and Sea Trade Routes]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12942/US-Establishes-Task-Force-Iron-Gate-to-Monitor-Land-and-Sea-Trade-Routes?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12942/US-Establishes-Task-Force-Iron-Gate-to-Monitor-Land-and-Sea-Trade-Routes?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 04:48:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — The US military has officially launched a specialized unit named Task Force Iron Gate to enhance efforts in regulating the movement of advanced military hardware and restricted materials across land borders and the Caspian Sea. This move follows a prolonged period of maritime restrictions and aims to close logistical gaps in regional trade monitoring.Task Force Iron Gate, as announced by regional military officials, will be headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The team consists of 20 experts from both civilian and military backgrounds who are tasked with coordinating a multi-agency response to unauthorized trade. The primary objective is to monitor and prevent the transport of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, and materials that fall under international sanctions. By expanding oversight to land routes and the Caspian Sea, the initiative seeks to address pathways that were previously less scrutinized compared to the high-profile naval corridors.Brad Cooper, a high-ranking official involved in the operation, emphasized that the new task force is designed to build upon the results of ongoing maritime efforts. The goal is to create a more integrated approach between various government departments to ensure that financial streams and supply chains for military equipment are thoroughly monitored. This collaboration is expected to limit the ability of sanctioned entities to rebuild industrial facilities or replenish their hardware reserves. Officials claim that previous naval measures have already had a significant impact on trade volumes, reportedly affecting billions of dollars in energy exports.This initiative is part of a broader strategy of economic and logistical pressure. Earlier this year, Scott Bessent introduced a campaign known as Operation Economic Outcast. This campaign specifically targets several sectors of the economy, including gold, digital assets, aviation, shipping, and technology. The logic behind these measures is to isolate specific financial networks and sever the lifelines that allow for the continuation of certain regional policies. Bessent described the approach as a comprehensive effort to ensure that trade remains within the bounds of international expectations.In a related move over the summer, Donald Trump directed the reimposition of naval restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. These measures were intended to regulate energy exports and covered the entire coastline, including major industrial terminals. While the restrictions are broad, they include specific protections for neutral shipping. Transit passage for vessels heading to or from destinations not involved in the conflict is still permitted. Additionally, the policy makes clear that humanitarian goods, such as food and medicine, are allowed to pass, provided they are subject to the required inspection protocols to verify their contents.Despite the intensity of the naval blockade and the new land-based task force, some regional trade in oil and liquefied natural gas has persisted. The creation of Task Force Iron Gate represents a tactical shift toward a more holistic view of regional logistics. By combining sea-based blockades with land-based tracking, the military aims to create a tighter network of oversight. The task force will focus on intelligence sharing and real-time monitoring of ground routes that cross multiple borders, ensuring that the movement of sanctioned goods is intercepted before reaching its destination. This integrated strategy highlights the ongoing complexity of managing regional trade and the continuous efforts to adapt to changing logistical patterns. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Mamdani Enhances Fresh Food Access for New Yorkers on SNAP]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12941/Mamdani-Enhances-Fresh-Food-Access-for-New-Yorkers-on-SNAP?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12941/Mamdani-Enhances-Fresh-Food-Access-for-New-Yorkers-on-SNAP?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 04:42:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — New York City is taking significant steps to ensure that residents relying on food assistance can afford healthy meals by expanding two major produce programs. Zohran Mamdani has announced additional funding for the "Health Bucks" and "Get the Good Stuff" initiatives, which aim to put more fruits, vegetables, and beans into the hands of those using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).This move comes at a critical time for the city. Residents are currently facing a double challenge: the rising cost of groceries due to inflation and recent federal budget cuts to the SNAP program. These federal changes have left approximately 26,500 New Yorkers without their usual monthly food aid, making city-level interventions more vital than ever. To further address these high costs, Mamdani is also moving forward with a plan to launch five city-owned grocery stores designed to reduce grocery bills by up to 30%.The expansion of the "Get the Good Stuff" program is a key component of this effort. This initiative provides a dollar-for-dollar match for SNAP recipients when they purchase fresh, frozen, or canned fruits, vegetables, and beans. Currently, the program allows participants to earn up to $10 in rewards per day at 21 participating supermarkets across the city. With the new funding, officials are looking to add 12 more grocery stores to the network. Interested retailers have until November 20 to apply to join the program and help expand access in underserved neighborhoods.Another major change is coming to the "Health Bucks" program, which operates at local farmers' markets and farm stands. Historically, this program allowed SNAP users to receive $2 for every $2 they spent on fresh produce. However, starting in January, the city will increase the maximum benefit. Instead of a $10 limit, New Yorkers will be able to receive up to $14 in matching funds, providing even more purchasing power for locally grown, healthy food. These coupons are a staple for many who prefer shopping at community markets for high-quality produce.The necessity of these programs is underscored by recent data from the city’s health department. Research indicates that nearly 80% of adults at risk of food insecurity struggle to afford balanced, nutritious meals. Perhaps more alarming is the finding that almost one in five of these individuals had not consumed any fruits or vegetables at all during the previous day. Health officials, including Dr. Helen Arteaga and Dr. Alister F. Martin, emphasize that access to these foods is not just a matter of convenience but a public health priority to reduce the risk of diet-related illnesses.By investing in these programs, the city aims to bridge the gap between high market prices and the dietary needs of its most vulnerable residents. New Yorkers can find participating locations and farmers' markets by using the official health department maps. This expansion represents a proactive approach to food justice, ensuring that a healthy diet is a right for all residents regardless of their financial situation. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[New Court Records Detail Arrest in Fatal Brooklyn Path Stabbing]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12940/New-Court-Records-Detail-Arrest-in-Fatal-Brooklyn-Path-Stabbing?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12940/New-Court-Records-Detail-Arrest-in-Fatal-Brooklyn-Path-Stabbing?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 04:34:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Recently released court documents are providing a clearer picture of how law enforcement identified and apprehended a suspect in the tragic death of a woman on a Brooklyn jogging trail. The investigation into the incident, which occurred late last month, has led to serious charges against a local resident as the community calls for increased security in public recreational areas.The legal proceedings involve the death of 28-year-old Katie Suarez, who was fatally attacked while running along the Shore Parkway greenway on October 30. Sayed Mohassib, a 27-year-old resident of Bath Beach, appeared in court recently to face several charges, including second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and criminal possession of a weapon. During his appearance at Kings County Supreme Court, he entered a plea of not guilty. A judge ordered that he remain in custody without bail as the legal process moves forward.Surveillance technology played a pivotal role in the investigation. According to the documents, video footage captured a man entering the area of the running path shortly before the incident and fleeing the scene afterward. Additional footage from a residential building showed the suspect returning home and later emerging in different clothing to discard items in a trash chute. When questioned by investigators, the suspect reportedly admitted to being at the location with a weapon, citing a fear for his family’s safety, though he denied involvement in the stabbing itself. He claimed he had simply sat on a bench where he became stained with blood. However, a detective noted seeing the suspect attempting to clean a reddish stain from a wall inside his residence.The background of the suspect has also come under scrutiny. He was employed by the New York City Department of Education at Public School 200. Following the arrest, education officials confirmed his suspension and stated that they would proceed with termination depending on the legal outcome of the case. Furthermore, records show he had brief stints with both the Marine Corps and the local police department’s training program in the Bronx. Stephen Chan, who represents the 17th District, expressed concern over the hiring processes for public institutions, suggesting that more rigorous psychological evaluations should be standard for those in positions of public trust.The incident has left many residents who frequent the Shore Parkway path feeling uneasy. On a recent Sunday, several cyclists and joggers shared their concerns, noting that while the area generally feels safe, the randomness of the attack has made them more cautious. Many are now calling for a more consistent presence of patrols to ensure that those using the greenway for exercise can do so without fear. The sentiment among the local community is one of shock, as many describe the neighborhood as a typically quiet and secure environment.Amidst the tragedy, a meaningful legacy has emerged through the victim’s final contribution. Katie Suarez was a registered organ donor, and officials have confirmed that her organs have saved the lives of four individuals. Organizations dedicated to organ donation highlighted this as a significant light in a dark situation, emphasizing how such a selfless act can provide a sense of hope to grieving families. As the case against the suspect continues in the court system, the community remains focused on both the pursuit of justice and the life-saving impact of the victim’s generosity. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Donald Trump Directs Justice Department to Investigate Democrats Over Alleged Threats Against Officials]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12939/Donald-Trump-Directs-Justice-Department-to-Investigate-Democrats-Over-Alleged-Threats-Against-Officials?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12939/Donald-Trump-Directs-Justice-Department-to-Investigate-Democrats-Over-Alleged-Threats-Against-Officials?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:52:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Donald Trump has instructed the Department of Justice to launch an inquiry into Democratic lawmakers, accusing them of using threats of impeachment and legal intimidation against administration officials and political donors following the recent midterm elections. This move comes as political tensions rise following a shift in Congressional control.Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has ordered the Department of Justice to begin a formal investigation into several Democratic members of Congress. The allegations involve what Trump describes as "threatening" behavior directed at high-ranking officials, including Attorney General Todd Blanche. The announcement was made through a social media post shortly after the conclusion of midterm elections, which resulted in the Democratic party gaining majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.According to the statement, Trump claims that Democratic leaders are targeting individuals with the threat of impeachment and other forms of punishment despite lacking valid grounds for such actions. He characterized these maneuvers as a form of political harassment aimed at destabilizing the current administration. The focus of the dispute centers on the future of Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has become a primary target for several incoming majority lawmakers. Reps. Hank Johnson of Georgia and Deborah Ross of North Carolina have both publicly expressed their intentions to pursue impeachment proceedings against Blanche once the new Congress is seated.The tension is not limited to the Attorney General's office. While some Democrats have focused on Blanche, others have suggested that the legislative priority should be directed toward other officials, such as Pete Hegseth. Interestingly, Trump’s post did not mention that some Republican members of Congress, including Thomas Massie, have also signaled potential impeachment articles against Hegseth. This internal and external pressure highlights the volatile atmosphere surrounding the administrative cabinet as the new legislative session approaches.In addition to the impeachment threats, Trump specifically identified Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan in his accusations. He referenced comments she made during an appearance at the University of Chicago, where she discussed creating a "deterrence message" for those considering working within the Trump administration. Slotkin suggested that individuals who enable certain political agendas should face professional consequences to discourage participation in the administration. Trump interpreted these remarks as a direct threat against young professionals and supporters of Republican values.Furthermore, the investigation is expected to cover allegations that Democratic figures have been intimidating Republican donors. Trump claimed that major financial supporters have been threatened with imprisonment and legal scrutiny because of their political affiliations. Reports indicate that as Democrats prepare to take over key committees in Congress, they intend to launch various probes into corporate entities and large-scale donors associated with the White House. Trump concluded his statement by calling for those he termed "extortionists" to face legal repercussions, framing their actions as a criminal attempt to interfere with the functions of the government. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Winter Storm Floods Tens of Thousands of Shelters for Displaced Families in Gaza]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12938/Winter-Storm-Floods-Tens-of-Thousands-of-Shelters-for-Displaced-Families-in-Gaza?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12938/Winter-Storm-Floods-Tens-of-Thousands-of-Shelters-for-Displaced-Families-in-Gaza?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:41:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Thousands of families living in temporary shelters across the Gaza Strip are facing a dire humanitarian crisis as the first major winter storm of the season has caused widespread flooding and structural damage. Local officials report that approximately 70,000 tents have been submerged or severely damaged within just 12 hours of rainfall, leaving many of the most vulnerable residents without dry ground or protection from the cold.The onset of winter has brought a new level of hardship to a population already struggling with limited resources. Initial assessments estimate the financial losses from the storm at roughly $3 million. However, the human cost is much higher, with dozens of injuries reported due to collapsing walls and buildings that were already weakened. The sudden deluge has turned camp walkways into rivers of mud and sewage, soaking mattresses, blankets, and personal belongings that are nearly impossible to dry in the current conditions.Emergency response teams have been working around the clock, receiving over 1,500 distress calls in a single morning. In several displacement sites, water levels rose by nearly 16 inches, forcing families to flee their tents in the middle of the night. Civil defense representatives expressed grave concern for the safety of newborns, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses, warning that the lack of proper shelter and heating could lead to a significant rise in fatalities. Many families are now wandering in search of any high ground or surviving structures, but options are increasingly limited as the rain persists.The health infrastructure has also taken a hit. A major medical complex in Gaza City reported that its emergency department was temporarily put out of service after rainwater flooded the facility. Medical professionals are sounding the alarm over a potential surge in respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal infections. The mixture of rainwater with overflowing sewage systems creates a dangerous environment, particularly for children who are often seen navigating the flooded areas barefoot. There is a specific and urgent fear for the lives of infants who require warmth that these thin plastic shelters simply cannot provide.Along the coastline, where nearly a million people have sought refuge, the situation is even more precarious. High tides and strong winds threaten to sweep away tents pitched dangerously close to the sea. These shelters, many of which are years old and held together by patches and string, offer little resistance to the elements. Local committees state that at least 200,000 new tents and significant heating supplies are required immediately to prevent a total catastrophe. Despite the clear need, the entry of essential reconstruction and shelter materials remains heavily restricted, leaving humanitarian agencies with almost no resources to distribute to those in need.The international community is being urged to intervene and ensure the opening of crossings for humanitarian aid. Reports indicate that while some trucks are entering the region daily, the number carrying actual aid is a small fraction of what was previously agreed upon. Thousands of tents are reportedly held up at border points while families in the interior face the freezing rain without even a tarpaulin for protection. Without a rapid increase in the flow of supplies, the winter months threaten to turn a displacement crisis into a mass health and safety disaster for the hundreds of thousands of people living in the open. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Donald Trump Invites UFC Chief Dana White to Lead White House Press Office]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12937/Donald-Trump-Invites-UFC-Chief-Dana-White-to-Lead-White-House-Press-Office?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12937/Donald-Trump-Invites-UFC-Chief-Dana-White-to-Lead-White-House-Press-Office?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:35:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Donald Trump has publicly reached out to Dana White, the prominent leader of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), offering him the high-profile position of White House Press Secretary. In a social media announcement, Trump praised White's combative spirit and suggested that his unique leadership style would be a perfect fit for the administration's communications team.The invitation was extended through a post on Truth Social, where Donald Trump expressed a strong desire for White to take over the role. He described White as a "fighter and warrior," suggesting that he could bring a new level of energy to the White House briefing room. Interestingly, the proposal included a suggestion that White bring several high-profile professional fighters with him to help navigate the political landscape. Among the names mentioned were several international athletes, including Islam Makhachev, who is recognized globally for his skills in the octagon. By referencing these athletes, Trump emphasized a desire for a "tough" approach to defending administrative policies against political opponents.While the public offer caught many by surprise, Dana White has not immediately accepted or declined the position. In recent statements, White confirmed that he has a scheduled meeting with Donald Trump on Monday to discuss the possibility further. On social media, White shared a photograph of himself standing behind the official White House lectern, captioned with a note about moving to a "next chapter," though it remains unclear if the post was intended seriously or as a lighthearted nod to the rumors. When questioned by reporters during a recent trip to London, White noted that he already manages a very full schedule, including his leadership of the UFC, the Power Slap league, and his newly launched boxing promotion, Zuffa Boxing. Additionally, White serves on the board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.The position of White House Press Secretary has been vacant since mid-October following the departure of Katie Zacharia. The role is known for being one of the most demanding in Washington, requiring the ability to manage intense media scrutiny and maintain the administration's public image. White’s history with the media has been notably confrontational at times; he is known for his direct and often blunt responses to journalists covering the world of mixed martial arts. This history of standing his ground against critics is likely what attracted Donald Trump to him for this specific role.The relationship between Donald Trump and Dana White spans over two decades. In 2001, when the UFC was struggling to find venues and facing bans in multiple states, Trump provided a platform for the organization by hosting events at his properties in Atlantic City. White has frequently credited this support as a turning point that saved the sport from obscurity. Over the years, White has remained a loyal supporter, speaking at several major political conventions and appearing alongside Trump during significant public events. This long-standing friendship forms the foundation of the current job offer, as Trump looks to fill his team with trusted allies who share his communication style. Whether the transition from the sports arena to the political podium will actually happen remains a topic of significant speculation as the Monday meeting approaches. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Court Directs City to Release Shelter Information to Federal Immigration Authorities]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12936/Court-Directs-City-to-Release-Shelter-Information-to-Federal-Immigration-Authorities?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12936/Court-Directs-City-to-Release-Shelter-Information-to-Federal-Immigration-Authorities?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:30:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — In a significant legal development, a federal court has ordered city officials to provide immigration agents with personal details of individuals staying at a large municipal shelter in the Bronx. The ruling specifically concerns the names and birthdates of certain residents at the facility, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing tension between local sanctuary policies and federal enforcement efforts.Lewis Kaplan issued the order requiring the administration led by Zohran Mamdani to comply with a subpoena from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The federal agency is seeking this information as part of an investigation into residents who may be eligible for deportation. While the city has historically resisted such requests to protect the privacy of those in its care, the court found that the legal grounds for withholding the information were insufficient in this instance.The dispute centers on a massive shelter located on Bruckner Boulevard in the South Bronx. The facility, a converted warehouse, currently houses more than 2,000 individuals and serves as a major emergency housing site for migrants. Although Zohran Mamdani previously indicated plans to phase out this specific location by the end of the year, it remains a focal point for federal investigations. The court's decision noted that the city failed to prove that providing the requested list would be an unreasonable burden, leading to the enforcement of the subpoena.To address concerns regarding the scope of the data, the ruling includes a compromise. Instead of a blanket release of all resident names, a special master has been appointed to oversee the process. This official will identify only those residents who have serious criminal histories, ensuring that the federal agency receives targeted information rather than a complete directory of all people living at the shelter. This measure was introduced after the city criticized previous federal requests as broad "fishing expeditions" that lacked specific investigative goals.The legal battle has been brewing since late 2025. Between August of that year and the present, federal authorities made four separate attempts to obtain personal data through subpoenas. Each time, the city refused to comply, citing local laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. These sanctuary policies are designed to build trust between immigrant communities and local government, ensuring that individuals can access services without fear of being reported to federal agents.Advocacy groups have reacted strongly to the decision. Murad Awawdeh, representing the New York Immigration Coalition, has called on the city to appeal the ruling immediately. Awawdeh argued that the federal efforts represent a campaign that targets vulnerable community members and violates the spirit of local protections. The coalition emphasizes that the city and state have a responsibility to protect everyone under their supervision, regardless of their immigration status, and that sharing civil data for enforcement purposes contradicts established local protocols.As of now, the office of Zohran Mamdani has not released a formal statement regarding whether they will pursue an appeal. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for how other municipalities handle similar subpoenas in the future, especially as the debate over local versus federal jurisdiction continues to intensify in New York and across the country. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[New York's Political Landscape: Kathy Hochul Earns Strong Mandate for Future Growth]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12935/New-York's-Political-Landscape%3A-Kathy-Hochul-Earns-Strong-Mandate-for-Future-Growth?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12935/New-York's-Political-Landscape%3A-Kathy-Hochul-Earns-Strong-Mandate-for-Future-Growth?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:20:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Kathy Hochul has secured a commanding re-election victory in New York, achieving a nearly 20-point margin that signals a powerful mandate for her upcoming term. This victory was highlighted by unexpected successes in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, areas that had previously shown significant opposition. With a historic alignment of New York leadership in Washington D.C., including Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, the state is positioned for a unique era of federal cooperation and investment.The scale of this electoral victory places Kathy Hochul among a select group of historical figures in New York politics. Not since the early 20th century have many leaders reached such a wide margin of support. This achievement provides a clear path to pursue an ambitious agenda aimed at addressing the state's most pressing structural issues. By winning over voters in traditionally difficult districts, the message from the electorate is one of confidence in the current direction while demanding continued progress on affordability and infrastructure.One of the most significant advantages for New York moving forward is the unprecedented concentration of power at the federal level. With Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer holding top positions in the House and Senate, the state has a direct line to federal resources. Despite the political presence of Donald Trump, who remains a central figure in national politics, the potential for federal investment in New York’s aging infrastructure and technology sectors has never been higher. This alignment offers a rare opportunity to transform the state’s economic landscape through large-scale projects.Kathy Hochul’s strategy involves a focus on what some call an 'abundance agenda.' This includes tackling the high cost of living by re-evaluating tax structures and reducing the regulatory burdens that have historically slowed growth. Previous efforts, such as middle-class tax cuts and the 'Let Them Build' initiative, have already begun to reshape the state's approach to housing and environmental reviews. Moving forward, the focus shifts toward massive investments like high-speed rail. The goal is to connect cities like Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany to New York City with modern, efficient transit that could revitalize regional economies.In addition to economic and physical infrastructure, there is a strong push for systemic reform. This involves utilizing modern technology, such as AI, to make government services more responsive and efficient. There is also a significant call for ethical reforms and the implementation of term limits, which a majority of New Yorkers support. By embracing these changes, Kathy Hochul aims to transition from a leader who stepped into the role during a crisis to a transformative figure who redefined the state’s future. The focus remains on making New York a more affordable and innovative place for working families and businesses alike. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Proposal for 'Thriving States' Alliance to Build Global Supply Chain of Peace]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12934/Proposal-for-'Thriving-States'-Alliance-to-Build-Global-Supply-Chain-of-Peace?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12934/Proposal-for-'Thriving-States'-Alliance-to-Build-Global-Supply-Chain-of-Peace?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2026 11:51:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — In a recent address, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani introduced a vision for a new international collective known as 'Thriving States,' aimed at leveraging the unique strengths of smaller, stable nations to foster global security and economic cooperation. This initiative suggests that countries which have successfully turned their geographic size into a strategic advantage should now lead efforts in establishing a reliable 'supply chain of peace' across the globe. During a significant speaking engagement, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani highlighted the evolving role of smaller nations in the modern geopolitical landscape. He argued that these countries, characterized by their agility, stability, and prosperity, are no longer just observers of international events but are essential contributors to the world's well-being. By pooling their diplomatic resources and economic expertise, these 'Thriving States' can provide a structured approach to conflict resolution that larger powers might find difficult to navigate alone.The proposal emphasizes that smaller nations are often the first to feel the impact of global conflicts they did not start. To counter this vulnerability, the vision for a 'Thriving States' bloc involves a proactive stance where these nations do not simply wait for peace to happen but actively work to shape it. The core of this idea is the 'supply chain of peace and stability,' a metaphor for a continuous and resilient network of diplomatic efforts that ensures global safety remains uninterrupted by the friction of major power rivalries.In addition to the new alliance proposal, the discussion touched upon the ongoing mediation efforts between the United States and Iran. It was noted that Doha has been working closely with American officials to find ways to de-escalate tensions and contain potential conflicts. Despite shifts in the political landscape following recent elections, the intention to find a peaceful resolution remains steady. The focus is on preventing situations from spiraling out of control, a goal that has seen cooperation from various voices in Tehran who seek to avoid regional instability.The diplomatic approach favored here is one of pragmatism. Rather than holding out for a 'perfect' peace deal that may never arrive, the strategy is to secure 'good' deals that provide immediate relief and long-term stability. While the pace of diplomacy can fluctuate, the commitment to engagement remains a priority. The message is clear: stability cannot be outsourced, and the international community must remain active in building the foundations for a peaceful future through persistent and inclusive dialogue.Ultimately, the goal of the 'Thriving States' concept is to empower nations that are often overlooked to take a seat at the table of global leadership. By working together, these countries can ensure that the international order remains balanced and that the voices of smaller, prosperous nations are heard in the quest for a more harmonious world. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[US Issues Security Alerts for Americans Traveling Across Middle East]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12933/US-Issues-Security-Alerts-for-Americans-Traveling-Across-Middle-East?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12933/US-Issues-Security-Alerts-for-Americans-Traveling-Across-Middle-East?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2026 11:39:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — US diplomatic missions have issued a series of security alerts for American citizens residing in or traveling through the Middle East. The warnings, released on November 7, urge individuals to maintain a high level of vigilance due to regional tensions and potential threats to safety. These alerts highlight concerns regarding possible disruptions to international travel and the security of government personnel in several countries throughout the region.The security notifications cover a wide range of locations, specifically identifying ten different areas where caution is advised. These include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Bahrain, Yemen, and Iran. Additionally, specific notices were issued for individuals in Iraq and Jerusalem. The primary focus of these warnings is the potential for sudden changes in the security environment which could impact daily life and movement for foreign nationals.One of the most significant concerns highlighted in the alerts is the possibility of major travel disruptions. Authorities have warned that the current climate could lead to unexpected flight cancellations, the closure of various airspaces, and broader interruptions to transportation networks. Americans in the region are being strongly encouraged to keep a close watch on local news developments and to strictly follow any safety guidance provided by both US officials and the host governments of the countries where they are located.In Saudi Arabia, the alert was particularly detailed, noting a history of hostilities involving Houthi forces that have previously targeted civilian infrastructure, including airports. Such incidents in the past have resulted in casualties and significant delays for travelers. Consequently, the mission in Saudi Arabia has advised heightened awareness. It was also noted that certain non-emergency government personnel and their families were previously organized to depart the country as a precautionary measure in late October. While some transport options like rail and bus services remain operational, travelers are urged to verify their flight status directly with airlines before heading to the airport.For those in Jerusalem and Iraq, the guidance emphasizes the importance of knowing the location of nearby shelters and staying informed through real-time alert systems. In Jerusalem, citizens are advised to utilize local emergency applications that provide notifications regarding potential aerial threats. The overall message across all these locations is one of preparedness rather than immediate panic, as the alerts are designed to ensure that citizens are not caught off guard by rapidly changing circumstances.To stay informed, the State Department recommends that all Americans abroad register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This program allows individuals to receive direct security updates from the nearest embassy or consulate, making it easier for authorities to reach them in case of an emergency. While these alerts do not confirm that attacks have occurred in every listed location, they serve as a critical reminder of the complexities of the current regional security landscape and the importance of proactive safety measures for all international travelers. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Heavy Rain Floods Gaza Displacement Camps and Causes Building Collapse]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12932/Heavy-Rain-Floods-Gaza-Displacement-Camps-and-Causes-Building-Collapse?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12932/Heavy-Rain-Floods-Gaza-Displacement-Camps-and-Causes-Building-Collapse?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2026 11:30:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — Torrential rains have triggered a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, flooding thousands of temporary shelters and causing structural collapses that left several residents injured. The sudden change in weather has worsened the already desperate living conditions for hundreds of thousands of people residing in makeshift tents across the region.The onset of the storm system has brought significant hardship to families living in low-lying areas. Reports indicate that rainwater inundated thousands of tents, seeping into the living quarters and damaging the few belongings families had left. The flimsy structures, often made of nylon and thin fabric, offered little to no protection against the rising water and biting cold. In northern Gaza, the situation turned critical when a wall of a building, previously weakened by military bombardment, collapsed under the weight of the downpour. Two individuals were injured in the incident and required medical attention, highlighting the ongoing danger posed by damaged infrastructure during severe weather events.Current estimates suggest that there are approximately 270,000 tents distributed across the Gaza Strip. However, more than 400,000 displaced people are living in locations considered highly vulnerable to flooding, including those near the seashore or in areas where rainwater naturally accumulates. The lack of proper drainage systems, which have been largely destroyed, means that even moderate rainfall can lead to significant flooding in these crowded camps. Families are struggling to keep their children and the elderly dry as the water compromises the integrity of their shelters.The humanitarian challenge is further complicated by a severe shortage of essential supplies. There is a critical lack of fuel and heating materials, leaving displaced populations exposed to dropping nighttime temperatures. Without adequate blankets, warm clothing, or even dry ground to sleep on, the risk of illness among the most vulnerable groups is rising rapidly. The international community has expressed growing concern over the lack of winter-proof shelter materials, such as heavy-duty tents and waterproofing supplies, which are desperately needed to prevent a larger health catastrophe.As the storm continues to move through the territory, the cycle of displacement and destruction intensifies. Each weather event adds a new layer of suffering for those who have already lost their homes and are now struggling against the elements. The immediate need for emergency supplies, including heating equipment and durable shelter, remains the top priority for aid organizations on the ground. The resilience of the population is being tested to its limits as they face the dual threats of environmental hazards and a total lack of basic resources. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Brooklyn Infrastructure Project Aims to Accelerate Bus Commutes and Protect Pedestrians]]></title>
      <link>https://alhawadeth.net/news/12931/Brooklyn-Infrastructure-Project-Aims-to-Accelerate-Bus-Commutes-and-Protect-Pedestrians?lang=en</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://alhawadeth.net/news/12931/Brooklyn-Infrastructure-Project-Aims-to-Accelerate-Bus-Commutes-and-Protect-Pedestrians?lang=en</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2026 11:15:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK ALHAWADETH — A major infrastructure initiative has officially commenced in Brooklyn, focusing on the redesign of DeKalb and Lafayette Avenues to enhance bus efficiency and road safety. The project is expected to benefit approximately 18,000 daily commuters on the B38 line while introducing protected lanes for cyclists and safer crossings for pedestrians.Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Mike Flynn announced the groundbreaking of this transit-focused redesign, which targets key stretches of Brooklyn’s road network. The scope of the work includes DeKalb Avenue from Broadway to Flatbush Avenue and Lafayette Avenue from Ashland Place to Patchen Avenue. Over 2.7 miles of new bus lanes—both offset and curbside—will be installed to prevent traffic congestion from delaying public transportation. By prioritizing bus movement, the city aims to provide more reliable commutes for residents traveling between Downtown Brooklyn, Bed-Stuy, and Bushwick.This initiative is part of a broader program called "Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service," a collaborative effort involving city and state officials. The goal of this partnership is to modernize 175 bus routes, covering nearly 75% of the city's bus network. Zohran Kwame Mamdani emphasized that residents should not have to choose between punctuality and safety, noting that the redesign is a practical application of a commitment to respect New Yorkers' time and well-being. The administration is moving quickly to build streets that prioritize people over vehicle congestion.Safety is a primary driver for these changes. Data shows that since 2021, accidents on DeKalb and Lafayette avenues have resulted in 841 injuries, including 47 severe cases and one fatality. By implementing protected bike lanes and narrowing certain corridors, the project seeks to calm traffic and reduce the risk of collisions. Mike Flynn pointed out that a person’s zip code should not dictate their access to safe and affordable transportation. The redesign aims to create a more equitable transit environment, particularly in neighborhoods where 80% of the population relies on walking, cycling, or public transit to reach their workplaces.The B38 bus route is a critical lifeline for Brooklyn, and Janno Lieber noted that the borough is currently at the center of a transit revolution. With most households in the affected areas not owning a personal vehicle, improvements to bus speed and reliability are essential for economic and social mobility. In addition to the work in Brooklyn, similar safety and speed projects are being advanced across the five boroughs. Current projects include Fordham Road and Tremont Avenue in the Bronx, 34th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan, Victory Boulevard on Staten Island, and Broadway in Queens. These efforts collectively reflect a citywide strategy to build a modern transportation system that serves the millions of New Yorkers who depend on public infrastructure every day. — BY ALHAWADETH]]></description>
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