Middle East Press On: Israel, Hamas, the West, America, Jewish, EU, Trump, Türkiye, Gaza, and Palestinians: New Age Islam's Selection, 20 February 2025
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
20 February 2025
1. Israel buries its dead while Hamas plays cruel propaganda games
2. Israel should do the West a favour and strike Iran
3. From Israel to America: Feeling Jewish at home and foreign abroad
4. Trump pushing EU to take 'Europe first' approach would benefit Israel, Palestinians
5. Economic diplomacy: Türkiye’s co-op with Central Asian Turkic nations
6. Space is not an exclusive club: Türkiye is a new player in the space race
7. Gaza urgently needs a more effective humanitarian approach
8. Forced from home, Palestinians fight to exist
-----
Israel Buries Its Dead While Hamas Plays Cruel Propaganda Games
By Jpost Editorial
February 20, 2025
Israel grinds to a halt in grief today. Four of our own Israelis abducted by Hamas will return home, not to the embracing arms of their loved ones but to a country grieving from their savage murders. It will be a day of agony.
An abhorrent day. A day that will force us all again to confront the horrors of October 7, the savagery of our enemies, and the miserable human price of this war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, warning that Thursday “will be a tough day for the State of Israel. A shocking day. A sorrowful day. We are bringing home four of our dear hostages, fallen heroes. We hug the families with all our hearts, and the heart of a whole nation is torn apart.
My heart is torn apart. Yours too. The heart of the whole world will break because here we find who we face, what we face, and what type of monsters we face. We are sad, hurting, but also adamant about ensuring something like this will never happen again.”
Words cannot describe the pain of these families, the unbearable weight they have carried for months – the waiting, the uncertainty, the pieces of hope dashed by a crushing confirmation. Today, they grieve. And today, we grieve with them.
Psychologically and emotionally, the toll taken on such families has been bitter. One of them was documented in a report filed by the medical department of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, listing the sheer extent of trauma inflicted upon them. “Families experience physical and mental breakdowns, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic effects that cripple their capability to function. Most are unable to return to regular schedules and work due to functional impairment and sleep disorders.”
The suffering of the families does not cease when the bodies of their loved ones come back – it will persist for years, bound by an incomplete loss.
We need to stop, breathe, take in, let the bereavement creep into our marrow. These Israelis were murdered, simply because they were Jewish, because they lived in Israel.
Their loss is a bitter reminder of the existential threat we continue to face, of the deep hatred that drives our enemies, and of the ultimate cost that so many have paid. But we can’t allow our grief to paralyze us. We need to remember. We need to unite.
There will be moments of outrage, moments of anger, moments of frustration, moments of helplessness. But let us turn them into fuel for determination. Let us stand together, and hold each other close as a people, as a nation, and as a family. Let us ensure the names of the dead are not just part of an ever-growing list of tragedies but are engraved in our collective memory.
Hamas will take the opportunity to sow disinformation
Even in death, Hamas will use the moment of return to sow disinformation and play games with the news. The IDF is bracing for Hamas to disseminate that these are casualties brought about by Israeli military action. “Officials vow that all the circumstances leading to the death will be thoroughly investigated and reported to the public openly,” Walla’s Amir Bohbot wrote on Wednesday.
Repatriation of the remains of the hostages will be with a carefully coordinated procedure, beginning with handing over from the Red Cross to the IDF troops. The military will formally salute them, and then the remains will be handed over to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir for identification. Only then will the families be allowed to bury their relatives in dignity.
The trauma continues beyond burial. Families of deceased hostages have a disrupted grieving process. As Dr. Einat Yahne, a rehabilitation psychologist, states, “Even among families where the dead were brought to be buried, there was a considerable lag time between receiving the notification and burying the deceased. Some families find it difficult to accept death from intelligence reports alone. In contrast, others who have had to bury their loved ones have heightened psychological distress due to the protracted ambiguity. Some families continue to struggle with excruciating uncertainty.”
Netanyahu’s words remind us that while Thursday will be a day of immense sorrow, it must also be a day of unity. As we lay our dead to rest, as we stand in solidarity with their families, let us commit ourselves once again to their memory, to our shared destiny, and to the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-842885
-------
Israel Should Do The West A Favour And Strike Iran
By Vahid Beheshti
February 20, 2025
Recent reports indicate that Israel is seriously considering pre-emptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities—a development US intelligence agencies have warned about. Iran’s immediate reaction—threatening to build more hardened sites—illustrates the regime’s long-standing pattern of deception. They claim such strikes will do little damage, yet history shows Israel’s precision capabilities can be devastatingly effective.
At the core of this tension lies a dangerous misconception: the so-called “Fatwa Against Nuclear Weapons” issued by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
While often cited as a binding religious prohibition, this fatwa is a calculated ploy designed to lull the international community into complacency while Iran continues covert nuclear development.
Khamenei’s fatwa vaguely declares the use of nuclear weapons as haram (forbidden), yet it omits explicit bans on their development, stockpiling, or deployment. This is no oversight—it is a loophole allowing the regime to build nuclear weapons while pretending to adhere to Islamic principles.
Iran’s nuclear deception follows a clear pattern. The regime has repeatedly concealed facilities, such as Fordow and Natanz, and denied their existence until exposed. It has enriched uranium beyond civilian requirements, inching closer to weapons-grade material, while obstructing IAEA inspections, refusing transparency, and dismissing incriminating evidence as "Zionist propaganda." This is not a regime committed to peace.
Iran is a state sponsor of terror that has used proxy groups to launch attacks on Israel, orchestrated assassination plots abroad, and engaged in cyber warfare against Western infrastructure. A nuclear-armed Iran will not act responsibly—it will blackmail the world, crush domestic opposition, and accelerate its quest for regional dominance.
Combatting the Islamic regime
Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian targets—inside Syria and Iran itself—demonstrate that precision military action can severely damage critical installations. Tehran claims such actions pose no real threat, but its desperate rhetoric proves otherwise.
The regime has repeatedly threatened devastating retaliation, yet its response has been hollow and ineffective. Despite months of bold rhetoric, Iran failed to retaliate meaningfully after Israel’s precise strike on its air defence infrastructure.
The Islamic Republic is nothing more than a paper tiger.
This reality reinforces a fundamental truth: do not negotiate—strike. Engaging the Iranian regime in endless talks only buys it time.
Once Iran crosses the nuclear threshold, reversing history becomes nearly impossible. The regime thrives on manipulation—negotiation is merely a tool to stall while advancing its nuclear program. I have always said this, and I reiterated it during my visits to the Israeli Knesset and the US Congress last year at the invitation of the Middle East Forum: appeasement does not work—only strength does.
The international community must adopt a zero-tolerance stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Sanctions should not only remain in place but be intensified to curb the regime’s ability to fund its nuclear program and terrorist activities around the globe. Additionally, the narrative of a so-called religious "fatwa" against nuclear weapons must be exposed as mere propaganda, preventing Iran from using it as a shield to deflect scrutiny.
Diplomatic efforts have proven ineffective and must be backed by the credible threat of decisive military action. The Iranian regime must understand that military intervention is not just a possibility but a certainty. All options, including targeted strikes on nuclear and military infrastructure, should remain on the table.
The Iranian regime does not reflect the will of the Iranian people, who overwhelmingly oppose dictatorship and corruption. The international community should support resistance movements and provide them with the tools needed to achieve democratic change from within.
A free Iran would not only neutralize the nuclear threat but also foster regional stability and economic prosperity.
The Islamic Republic’s claims of religious restraint through a “fatwa” are a smokescreen. Iran’s recent response to possible Israeli strikes—bluffing that it can simply build new sites—reaffirms its deceptive nature. The West must grasp that any delay or appeasement inches the world closer to a nuclear-armed theocracy.
The final message is unmistakable: do not negotiate—strike. Negotiations only feed Iran’s appetite for deception, and tolerating its lies ensures an even more dangerous future. Preventing a nuclear Iran is an international responsibility that demands immediate, decisive action.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-842927
--------
From Israel To America: Feeling Jewish At Home And Foreign Abroad
By Holly Cin
February 20, 2025
After living my new life in Israel for five months, I returned to the USA after final exams at Reichman University last week to take care of unfinished business in Houston, visit my parents in Florida, and welcome a new grandson in Baltimore.
I’m especially thankful to my truly wonderful daughter-in-law for her impeccable timing during my month-long semester break.
On Friday afternoon in a not particularly Jewish neighbourhood in Fort Lauderdale, I ran into Trader Joe’s to pick up some Empire chicken as well as challah and babka, since the closest kosher bakery is a 20-minute drive to Hollywood.
While checking out, a likely although not otherwise identified Jewish shopper passed by and cheerily shouted out, “Shabbat shalom!” to me, her fellow member of the tribe. Delighted to hear those words, I turned around and returned the greeting with a smile. “Shabbat shalom to you too!”
Leaving the store, I reflected on the incident. In Israel, hearing “Shabbat shalom” would not be a pleasant surprise but simply a regular aspect of the culture. Everyone in Israel – religious, secular, right, and left – wishes each other a Shabbat shalom when they pass.
My temporary home in Ramat Poleg, Netanya, is situated midpoint between the Young Israel of Poleg shul and the Poleg Country Club (with its two lap pools on par with the Jewish Community Centre), both of which are open every day including Shabbat.
Whether I pass someone walking to shul or to the gym on Shabbat, the greeting is the same: Shabbat shalom. Everyone in Israel acknowledges Shabbat. In Israel, being a member of the tribe means being part of the entire culture. In the Diaspora, it means being part of the sub-culture, a minority with its own language and customs separate and distinct from the majority.
I couldn’t help but feel the tremendous difference with the first leg of my journey westward after leaving Israel, a layover in Frankfurt. Coming from Ben-Gurion Airport, where even the McDonald’s is kosher, I was in for a real letdown – although not exactly a surprise – when I could barely find even a kosher candy bar throughout the gigantic Lufthansa terminal.
Couple that semi-hunger with the cold and overcast day outside, which mirrored the cold and overcast feeling I had as I was asked multiple times to remove the cap I wear as a religious head covering by the German TSA agents.
The questioning of my religious head covering felt invasive, and as I was escorted to a dressing room, the sense of being an outsider deepened. When I said I was Jewish after being asked what religion I practiced, the confusion on the agent’s face was unmistakable, and I felt an unsettling distance from the welcoming Jewish identity I had known in Israel.
There's no place like home
It was a jarring reminder: You’re not in Israel anymore, Holly, followed by the mental kicking of my heels together: “There’s no place like home; no place like home,” a la The Wizard of Oz.
After the disorienting experience in Frankfurt, where my identity felt out of place, I continued my journey westward to Houston – my first stop in the US – which prompted further reflection on the cultural differences I was encountering.
The traffic-laden 45-minute drive from Bush Intercontinental to Meyerland reminded me of the similar drive from Netanya to Ben-Gurion Airport I had experienced the night before.
However, on Texas interstates 59 or 45, both of which pass through Houston’s sizeable downtown, there are no shuls, no kosher restaurants, and no Jewish life to speak of, essentially, until one reaches Braeswood, not just the heart but the very aorta of the Jewish community, located in the southwest quadrant of the sprawling city.
By contrast, on the Ayalon highway from Netanya to Ben-Gurion, which passes through Tel Aviv and Herzliya, the route is peppered with gas stations serving kosher food as well as fuel. In fact, some say that the best burgers in Israel are to be found in these nondescript gas stops!
That is in addition to kosher restaurants, schools, and synagogues – the building blocks of Jewish life – located all along the way, even in the more secular suburbs of the White City. Indeed, one cannot go too far in Israel without signs of Jewish life because those signs are ubiquitous in the Jewish state.
The differing cultural messages can also be understood by the billboards one sees. In Houston, massive ads for furniture and personal injury lawyers – products and services that most viewers do not need, at least on a regular basis – line the freeways.
In Israel, on the contrary, the signs speak of national unity, shared identity, and survival, with billboards demanding both the return of our hostages from their captivity in the terror tunnels of Gaza and the achievement of victory in the war by standing united.
There are also large banners on buildings and bridges expressing gratitude to President Trump for his crucial support and others – mostly critical but some supportive – of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition government. Reading the billboards, one feels immediately grounded in the here and now of Jewish history.
In Israel, as I’ve experienced since making aliyah over five months ago, I feel embedded in a culture where Jewish life is not just a part of the landscape but the very fabric of daily life. In my native US, on the other hand, I now find myself feeling like a visitor, with my Jewish identity marked by what is absent rather than what is present all around.
When I’m in Israel, my new home, it’s the recognition of Shabbat Shalom on every tongue, not just in surprising corners of Trader Joe’s, that makes me sure I made the right decision. Am Yisrael Chai.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-842882
--------
Trump Pushing Eu To Take 'Europe First' Approach Would Benefit Israel, Palestinians
By Gol Kalev
February 20, 2025
For over 75 years, billions of euros have been spent to send a clear message to the people of Gaza: “You are not from Gaza!”
The UN even created a unique agency, UNRWA, that indoctrinated generations in Gaza, as well as in the West Bank, that they are “1948 refugees”: their presence in Gaza is merely a temporary “night shelter.” Sooner or later they will be relocated elsewhere, presumably to Tel Aviv, Herzliya and other parts of today’s Israel.
This is just one of the many aspects in which European political power, social influence and money has been deployed to perpetuate the Palestinian plight, and through it, latent opposition to the Jewish state.
To state the obvious, European intervention has not much to do with Palestinians. They are merely ancillary victims of Europe’s 2,300-year-old opposition to Judaism, which has always been funneled through the most relevant aspect of Judaism of the time. In our era, it is Zionism (Judaism 3.0).
This was visible last week. As soon as US President Donald Trump announced his plans to relocate the people of Gaza, Europe and Europhile circles in the United States changed course, and begun promoting the exact opposite narrative of what they were saying for 75 years: Actually, you are from Gaza, and you must stay in Gaza, no matter what.
Indeed, over the years, much of the Western “peace-making” efforts can be described, to use Trump’s terminology, as “fake, fake, fake.” This starts with the “open secret” that the objective is not true long-lasting peace, but rather the “peace process” itself or a “horizon toward peace.” It continues with Western slogan-based frameworks such as the “two-state solution,” which as discussed in a recent column, was neither about a state nor about a solution.
With seismic changes in the Middle East, President Trump made clear that he is moving away from “fake, fake, fake,” and heading in the direction of real peace. Indeed, it might turn out that more progress towards true peace was made in the last week, than in decades of Western “peace-making.”
IT IS BECOMING evident that Trump is determined to create new realities that would provide long-term stability to the region after a century of fighting, which Europe not only triggered, but also has maintained and nurtured.
Indeed, in 1920, the Middle East was heading towards stability and true peace, anchored in an organic version of what we call today the “two-state solution”: A Jewish state in the making in Palestine: the entire west bank and parts of the east bank of the Jordan River, living in peace next to a pro-Zionist Arab kingdom in Syria, which had the broad support of Arabs throughout the Middle East, including in Palestine.
France ended this short-lived utopia, when it invaded Syria and deposed the Hashemite King, Faisal II.
This led to further European disruptions – both geographical and conceptually:
Geographically, the British had to carve out Palestine, giving the east bank of the Jordan to the deposed Hashemite family (today’s Jordan).
Conceptually, they forced Arabs living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, into a new European-engineered identity: Palestinians.
European powers then began “drafting” the Palestinians for their own objectives: The British, reneging on the League of Nations mandate to usher in a Jewish homeland, incited them against the Jews – Divide & Rule. Then, the Germans used the Palestinians as a domestic force against their own enemy, the British.
Europe has increased its disruptive intervention
In the last 30 years, since the Oslo Accords, we have seen an escalation in European disruptive intervention, both through direct European involvement and massive funding of the so-called “conflict industry” – European-sponsored NGO’s, programs and policies that effectively incite Palestinians against Israel.
So much so, that European intervention helped reduce the idea of Palestinianism to a single issue: The Occupation. This created today’s grim reality of Palestinian dependencies on both Europe and the conflict.
President Trump’s bold vision for peace, which is still in its early days, can only move forward if the hurdle of European disruptive intervention is removed.
European conflict funding – directly, and through NGO’s – should be reduced to zero, as well as its political intervention. This is not only an American, Arab and Israeli interest, but would also benefit Europe itself. Rather than fuel wars elsewhere, Europe could refocus its efforts on addressing its own problems, which are at a trajectory of posing a daunting threat to global stability.
Indeed, Trump can help Europe move from a de-facto ethos of “Israeli-Palestinian conflict first” to one of “Europe first” – like his own “America first” policy. This will gift both Arabs and Jews in the region with the hope for a stable, prosperous and peaceful Middle East.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-842871
--------
Economic Diplomacy: Türkiye’s Co-Op With Central Asian Turkic Nations
By Ahmet Turan
Feb 20, 2025
The grand strategy of Ankara’s national foreign policy in the "Century of Türkiye" is based on four pillars: strengthening regional peace and security, expanding the institutional basis of foreign relations, promoting economic development and prosperity in the region, and influencing the transformation of the global system.
The driving force behind all these objectives is the will of political leadership, a point that neoclassical realists emphasize. Indeed, Stephen Woolcock and Nicholas Bayne, in their study "Economic Diplomacy" published in "The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy" (2013), provide a concise definition of economic diplomacy as “decision-making and negotiation in core issues affecting international economic relations.” In this respect, it would be useful to analyse Türkiye’s economic cooperation with the Central Asian countries in light of the above principles of grand strategy.
In Türkiye’s economic relations with Central Asian countries, the goals of expanding the institutional basis of foreign relations and promoting economic development and welfare in the region are intricately intertwined. This characterization implies that Türkiye seeks a permanent and sustainable cooperation model by continuing its initiatives to develop economic relations with Central Asian countries within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), which it leads. Therefore, it appears that most key initiatives for economic cooperation are born within this organizational framework.
Special economic zone
The idea of establishing a special economic zone with the OTS member states of Central Asia, first raised at the 8th Istanbul Summit on Nov. 12, 2021 (when the Turkic Council was officially renamed the Organization of Turkic States), was welcomed by the member states. The primary objective of the TURANSEZ economic zone, which is planned to be established in the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan, is to strengthen economic cooperation and connectivity among the Turkic states through the International Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor. The official decision to establish TURANSEZ, regularly highlighted in subsequent OTS summit declarations, was adopted at the 9th OTS Summit held in Samarkand on Nov. 11, 2022.
The official opening of TURANSEZ is expected to take place in 2025. In fact, this issue was also addressed at the 11th OTS Summit held in Bishkek on Nov. 6, 2024, a few months ago. Article 61 of the declaration signed at the summit stated that, “Member States are encouraged to cooperate in organizing the official opening of TURANSEZ in 2025, which will further strengthen economic cooperation and increase investment opportunities in the region.”
Turkic Investment Fund (TIF)
The Turkish Investment Fund (TIF) was established with an initial capital of $500 million, based on the principle of equal capital contribution and equal voting, in line with the decision taken at the 9th OTS Summit held in Samarkand on Nov. 11, 2022. The TIF, which held its first board of governors meeting in Istanbul on May 18, 2024, primarily aims to increase mutual investment opportunities among member states. Its specific objective is to foster entrepreneurship in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), create new jobs, strengthen innovation, and ultimately accelerate economic and social development among member states. The establishment of the TIF has generated significant resonance in public opinion within the OTS members, which have a combined population of about 200 million and an economic size of nearly $2 trillion.
Another important achievement of the TIF is the progress it has made toward establishing a cooperation network extending from Central Asia to Europe. One of the key milestones in this effort was the official accession of Hungary to the TIF in 2024. The certificate of accession was presented to the OTS secretariat in Istanbul on June 28, 2024, by Carmen Csernelhazi, deputy head of mission at the Consulate General of Hungary in Istanbul, thereby establishing the European link in the TIF’s network. In this respect, it can be foreseen that the TIF may become a lever for Türkiye’s economic cooperation with Central Asian countries, as well as a special tool for Türkiye-EU relations.
Trade volume within OTS
Bilateral trade is an important dimension of Türkiye’s economic cooperation with Central Asian countries. Ankara’s trade relations with these countries have been growing exponentially, especially after 2021. Kazakhstan is one of the leading Central Asian countries in terms of both exports to and imports from Türkiye. The desire for cooperation between the two countries has been confirmed at the leadership level. The bilateral meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Kazakh counterpart at the COP29 leaders’ summit in Baku a few months ago is significant in this regard. During this meeting, President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye and Kazakhstan “aim to deepen cooperation in the fields of defence industry, energy, agriculture, education and culture through steps to be taken in the coming period.”
The push for economic collaboration at the leadership level is also clearly seen in the relationship between Türkiye and Uzbekistan. Indeed, when the president of Uzbekistan visited Türkiye last summer, one of the key agenda items was to increase the bilateral trade volume first to $5 billion and then to $10 billion. Furthermore, economic cooperation was a central topic during President Erdoğan’s visit to Kyrgyzstan for the OTS summit in recent months.
“We discussed the steps we will take to increase our trade volume, which approached $2 billion last year, to $5 billion. Türkiye is among the top five countries investing in Kyrgyzstan,” Erdoğan stated, reinforcing this commitment.
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/economic-diplomacy-turkiyes-co-op-with-central-asian-turkic-nations
--------
Space Is Not An Exclusive Club: Türkiye Is A New Player In The Space Race
By Nazmelis Zengin
Feb 20, 202
The recent article in The Economist mocking Türkiye’s space ambitions is not just an attack on our country; it reflects an Orientalist perspective that seeks to undermine all developing nations striving to advance in space.
This approach follows a familiar pattern: When non-Western countries invest in space, it is dismissed as an irrational “vanity project,” but when the United States or European nations do the same, it is celebrated as progress and scientific achievement. This double standard is evident in how Türkiye’s space efforts are portrayed – as if our investments are unnecessary while Western nations' investments are deemed essential for the advancement of humanity.
However, this outdated mentality no longer aligns with reality. Türkiye, along with India, Brazil, South Korea and the UAE, is proving that space is no longer the exclusive privilege of a few superpowers.
National space program
Türkiye’s space vision is not a temporary political initiative – it is a structured and long-term national strategy. Leading this effort is the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), which was established in 2018 as the central authority responsible for implementing Türkiye’s National Space Program. Announced in 2021, this program outlines ten key objectives, including developing domestic satellites, international collaborations and crewed space missions.
Having already successfully completed its first astronaut mission, Türkiye is now moving forward with its next major space milestone and one of its most ambitious goals: reaching the Moon. This mission aims to demonstrate the country’s deep-space capabilities in the coming years, marking another significant step in Türkiye’s growing presence in space exploration.
The global space economy has experienced significant growth, reaching $546 billion in 2023 – a 91% increase since 2010. However, this growth is not solely driven by traditional space powers; developing nations increasingly claim their place in this expanding sector. India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission, the UAE’s Mars projects and Türkiye’s domestic satellite initiatives demonstrate that new players are emerging in the space race.
Türkiye’s space strategy is not merely about prestige but economic independence and national security. The country is rapidly advancing its capabilities in both public and private sectors to establish a strong presence in space. ASELSAN, Roketsan and TAI (Turkish Aerospace Industries) are at the forefront of developing cutting-edge space and defence technologies, ensuring Türkiye’s self-sufficiency in critical areas such as satellite systems, propulsion technologies and advanced avionics.
Meanwhile, Plan-S is spearheading efforts to establish a global satellite network, enhancing Türkiye’s technological capabilities and contributing to secure communications, remote sensing and navigation systems. At the same time, Fergani Space is demonstrating the increasing role of the private sector in Türkiye’s space ambitions, having successfully launched the FGN-100-D1 satellite, a crucial step toward developing a robust space ecosystem.
Türkiye is also working on constructing a new spaceport, which will be crucial for future space missions. While the location remains undisclosed, this infrastructure will enable Türkiye to play a strategic role in launching technologies and space-related advancements, moving the country closer to independent access to space.
Deep-space vision
Türkiye's first Moon mission, which aims to send a spacecraft to the lunar surface, will mark a historic first for Türkiye, demonstrating the country’s ability to conduct deep-space navigation, propulsion and communication. Importantly, Türkiye’s growing expertise in satellite production has played a crucial role in making this mission possible. The lunar spacecraft is being developed using technologies derived from Türkiye’s domestically-produced satellites, particularly in avionics, propulsion systems and communication subsystems.
Türkiye also plans to develop and test a domestically-produced hybrid rocket system, which will play a key role in future space missions. This technology could eventually be used for interplanetary missions, space-based resource utilization and international collaborations in the Moon economy.
Through this lunar initiative, Türkiye is not just participating in space exploration – it is leveraging its existing technological expertise to position itself as a serious contender in the new global space order.
Why investing in space
Some critics question why developing nations invest in space. However, these criticisms ignore the fact that space is not just a field of scientific curiosity – it is a matter of sovereignty, security and economic progress.
Space technologies are central to numerous sectors, including communications, defence, agriculture, climate monitoring and disaster management. Countries that fail to invest in space risk becoming technologically dependent on others.
Moreover, the frequent Western narrative that engineers from developing nations prefer to work abroad is outdated. Türkiye is actively creating a thriving technology ecosystem for young engineers and scientists. Companies demonstrate that Türkiye is not only producing talent but also retaining and utilizing it for groundbreaking projects.
In recent years, investments in Türkiye’s space industry have provided opportunities for young engineers to work on global-scale projects without seeking employment abroad at institutions like NASA or ESA. Today, Turkish engineers are no longer just dreaming of working on space projects abroad – they are leading innovative projects at home that compete on an international level.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement, "The world is bigger than five,” has become a defining principle in international politics. Now, this principle applies to space as well.
Space cannot be monopolized by a handful of nations. The future of humanity among the stars must be shaped by all who dare to reach for it. Türkiye is not waiting for permission to participate in this future – we are actively building it. For those who still refuse to see reality, watch this space!
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/space-is-not-an-exclusive-club-turkiye-is-a-new-player-in-the-space-race
--------
Gaza Urgently Needs A More Effective Humanitarian Approach
19 Feb 2025
The ceasefire agreement in Gaza has now held for a month. There have been critical moments and violations, but the mediators have so far managed to keep the deal alive.
This has allowed many of the 1.9 million displaced people to move back to areas they had fled from, easing the strain on southern and central Gaza which had hosted large makeshift camps without the necessary infrastructure.
The ceasefire has certainly brought a sense of relief to the Gaza Strip, which has endured unimaginable suffering for 15 months. But for the families who have survived the relentless bombing and destruction, the battle is far from over.
They face a new war – one against poverty, hunger, homelessness, and despair. Homes lie in ruins, hospitals are overwhelmed, and schools are either destroyed or still shelter the displaced and homeless. Gaza has been set back by decades.
Over the past weeks, we have seen aid access ramp up significantly into the Strip, particularly the north, which was besieged for months. But significant challenges remain.
On the ground, colleagues and friends report continued difficulties in accessing food, water, medicine and supplies. Distribution remains a key challenge due to damaged infrastructure, but it is not the only problem.
There are also still barriers to the entry of various essential items. The blocking of trucks carrying tents, mobile homes and heavy machinery for clearing rubble brought the ceasefire deal to near-collapse last week. Due to the absence of proper shelter, many Palestinian families continue to suffer harsh weather conditions across the Gaza Strip, but especially in the north, where the rate of destruction of civilian buildings is the highest.
Many of our colleagues are saying they have yet to see any sign of blankets or tents. They’re still exposed to the elements, unable to properly carry out their life-saving work.
Some of our beneficiaries share that they have stopped bathing their children because of the harsh cold. Sara*, a mother of three living in Deir el-Balah, told our team earlier this month that she used to bathe her children in the sea, but she can no longer do that because she fears they may fall ill. With the continuing lack of medicine, this could be a death sentence for a little child.
Although a large amount of food has entered the Strip – especially compared with a few months ago – there are still considerable challenges in meeting Palestinians’ nutritional needs.
Aid packages are filled exclusively with pantry items. Oil, flour, ghee, rice, tinned beans and tomatoes, and tuna. There are no fresh fruits, vegetables, meat or eggs. The long-term health effects of 15 months without fresh food will surely only be understood in the coming years.
Worse still, these aid packages are still not enough and do not reach all people who are in need. In fact, for most of the population in Gaza, access to aid hasn’t seen any notable improvement since the tentative ceasefire came into effect.
Fatima*, a 21-year-old mother of two, says she is still suffering under the same conditions she faced months ago. Her tent leaks in the rain and topples in the wind. She hasn’t had a tearless night in 16 months. Her children, however, have no energy to cry any more. They have been starved and made ill. Even though aid is increasing into the region, she still can’t find the food and nutrients they need to survive.
Gaza requires 600 trucks of food daily for at least four consecutive months to address acute malnutrition. Hundreds more will be needed every day to return to a humane living standard, and for years to come.
Many of the food items like eggs, chicken, fresh fruit and vegetables are now available in some parts of Gaza, but they are for sale. That is because a significant portion of the trucks that have entered Gaza are not aid. They carry commercial goods, including food, that are then sold to the few Palestinians who can afford them at exorbitant prices.
Humanitarian agencies have largely sworn off purchasing resale goods for fear of pushing the already soaring prices even further out of reach of civilians. But even still, there are reports of eggs costing $40, $50, even $60 for a carton of 12. In the south, where supplies are supposedly easier to reach, bags of flour can go for as much as $100.
It is clear the current humanitarian response cannot provide what the Palestinians of Gaza need to begin to rebuild their lives.
Gaza has been scorched. Most of its farmland has been destroyed and parts of it covered in rubble or toxic residue – remnants of a violent bombing campaign on a civilian population. Nothing will grow for years to come.
The economy of the Strip is all but destroyed. The vast majority of working-age people are unemployed and have no hope of securing employment in the near future.
Palestinian families simply cannot survive on packages of flour, rice and canned fish.
With aid distribution faltering and dignity being stripped away, the urgency for a new approach has never been clearer. People in Gaza need a more dignified way to receive support that can help them recover in the long run.
Seeing the inadequacies of the current humanitarian response, our organisation decided to launch its “Extend Your Table” initiative, which is rooted in solidarity, compassion, and shared humanity. Rather than relying on the often inconsistent and inadequate aid that reaches Gaza, we are empowering people around the world to make a tangible difference by twinning with families in Gaza.
Through monthly donations, people can directly support a Palestinian family, providing not just food but also dignity and hope for a better tomorrow. Beneficiaries will receive cash vouchers enabling them to decide how to meet their own needs – a choice which hasn’t been provided to them since the start of the horrors in Gaza.
Providing families the dignity of choice in how to care for themselves does not even begin to address the issues, but it will be a start. We hope this initiative will help restore agency, foster connections, and ensure that basic needs are met for Palestinian men, women and children, who have experienced unimaginable suffering and devastation.
Such a holistic approach can not only provide immediate relief, but support economic recovery, education, and health.
We very much hope other organisations will also adopt different, more efficient strategies in Gaza that offer more dignified and humane support for Palestinians. The road to recovery will be long, but we can be part of the solution.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/2/19/gaza-urgently-needs-a-more-effective-humanitarian-approach
--------
Forced From Home, Palestinians Fight To Exist
February 20, 2025
Lost in the shuffle last week between the news of US President Trump’s plan to empty Gaza of Gazans and turn the enclave into a Cote d’Azur of the Eastern Mediterranean — a plan met globally with wide-eyed disbelief — and the prisoner-exchange between Hamas and Israel, is the news of the ongoing mayhem in the West Bank.
That mayhem was unleashed in late January by the Israeli military against civilians during a deadly offensive aimed at ethnically cleansing cities, towns, villages and in particular refugee camps in the northern regions of the occupied territory, a deadly offensive that “historians and researchers say is the biggest displacement of civilians in the territory since the Arab-Israeli war of 1967”, according to a news report in the New York Times on Monday. It has, as soldiers took over one area after another, destroyed homes, infrastructure and roads.
Plan in action
It is difficult to see this latest outrage as anything other than a transparent effort to fundamentally alter the political and demographic landscape of the occupied West Bank in advance of its annexation by Israel, a move that the permissive new administration in the White House may not altogether object to, given its declared support for the expansionist agenda embraced by Israel’s far-right, ultranationalist groups.
The offensive, masquerading as one mounted to hunt down members of the Palestinian resistance, continued the report, “has forced thousands of residents (in three northern parts of the West Bank) to shelter with friends and relatives, or camp in wedding halls, schools, mosques, municipal buildings and even farm sheds” — a situation that would have sounded all too familiar to Gazan families in the first few months of the Gaza war.
So far, a reported 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced — ironically most of them inhabitants of refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarem and Tabus, folks for whom this displacement must evoke in their minds the trauma — inherited by their children — of the time they were driven out of their homes and ancestral land in 1948.
And in an effort to accelerate further the plan they started in 1967 (the year they drove 325,000 West Bankers across the River Jordan) to Judaise occupied East Jerusalem (the international community considers East Jerusalem, like the West Bank, of which it is a part, to be Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation), Israeli authorities have also in recent weeks cranked up their claims that between a third to a half of the city’s homes, owned for generations by Palestinians, “do not have permits”, placing well over 100,000 Jerusalemites at risk of forced eviction or at risk of seeing their homes demolished.
Palestinians did not bend
It was difficult to glean, as we watched Israelis running amok in the West Bank and Gaza in recent months, heaping cruelty upon cruelty on Palestinians, what lies behind the twisted intent of a people who abuse millions of other people in their quest to reinvent their identity as Israeli Jews in the modern world. But there you have it, an issue that should be left in the trust of qualified therapists to ponder.
Israeli leaders, and along with them a large segment of the Israeli public, have not yet learnt that however unspeakable the suffering they have inflicted on Palestinians may have been over the last three quarters of a century, it did not work. It just did not. The Palestinians did not bend. They did not go gentle into that good night, as it were.
These leaders, along with that segment of their public, have not learnt the stubborn truth that as Palestinians were impoverished, they were also enriched by their experience as an occupied people, a people who used whatever of that suffering they had endured as a whetstone on which to hone their skills at survival. Indeed, it was from that suffering that emerged their shared sense of belongingness to the land and their rich sense of identity as a people and a nation.
This stubborn truth was made universally evident by people everywhere who had fought — and readily died, like so many Nathan Hales — for the right of their nation to be free, independent and self-determining. Ask the Irish, the Vietnamese, the Algerians and others who struggled, propelled by their will-to meaning, against those who struggled, propelled by their will-to-power, to occupy, subjugate and reduce to a fragment the humanity of the other.
And, finally, these Israeli leaders, and along with them, I say, a large segment of the Israeli public, have not yet learnt that the Zionist dream of wiping Palestine off the map of the world and its people off the face of the Earth is not much nearer realisation today than it was more than a century ago — and is not likely to be realised at any time in the future.
Look, stronger than any 2,000-pound bomb is an idea whose time the world agrees has come — a time for the people of Palestine to live their lives as a free, independent, sovereign people in their own ancestral land, for this is a time in our history when the global dialogue of cultures is in anchored in the belief that no people should ever be denied, in the words of Hannah Arendt, the right to have rights.
Fawaz Turki is a noted academic, journalist and author based in Washington DC. He is the author of The Disinherited: Journal of a Palestinian Exile.
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/forced-from-home-palestinians-fight-to-exist-1.500040452
--------
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism