Sudan Signs US-brokered Deal To Normalize Economic Relations With Israel

Sudan has officially signed a peace agreement with Israel, becoming the latest Muslim nation to normalize relations with the Jewish state through the United States-brokered Abraham Accords. The signing took place last Wednesday at the U.S embassy in Khartoum, the capital of the northeast African nation.

An initial agreement between the two countries was announced in October but the Sudanese government warned that a final decision on the deal rested with a transitional parliament, Reuters reports. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin signed on behalf of Washington, while Sudanese Minister of Justice Nasereldin Abdelbari signed on behalf of Khartoum. -Full Report

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US Envoy Visits Western Sahara After Israel-Morocco Normalization Deal

A top US envoy visited contested Western Sahara on Saturday, after Washington recognized Morocco’s sovereignty there in exchange for Rabat normalizing ties with Israel. Western Sahara is a disputed and divided former Spanish colony, mostly under Morocco’s control, where tensions with the pro-independence Polisario Front have simmered since the 1970s.

Last year Morocco joined the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan in agreeing to normalize ties with Israel under US-brokered deals. In return, US President Donald Trump fulfilled a decades-old Moroccan goal by backing its contested sovereignty over the barren but phosphate-rich region, which lies next to rich Atlantic fishing zones.

The US Embassy in Rabat called the trip by David Schenker, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and the highest-ranking US diplomat for North Africa and the Middle East, “a historic visit.”  Morocco’s official news agency MAP reported that Schenker had visited Laayoune, the capital of Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. Schenker, who is on a regional tour including Algeria and Jordan, also visited a United Nations base in the region, MAP said. -Full Report

Denmark Developing Digital COVID-19 “Vaccine Passport”

Denmark is developing a digital "vaccine passport" for people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine, a move that may enable them to travel to countries where such documentation is required during the pandemic. "It is expected that there may be requirements from other countries to present vaccine documentation upon entry. A Danish vaccine passport can be used here," the Health Ministry said in an emailed statement on Friday.

The passport may be rolled out in the first months of this year to be accessed through the Danish public health website, the ministry said. It was not clear whether the passport would be available via an app. The ministry underlined the need to investigate further whether people who have been vaccinated can still transmit the virus and how long vaccines last before another shot is needed. Estonia said last year it was testing a "digital immunity passport" to track those who had recovered from COVID-19 and gained some immunity, although questions remained over whether or for how long people remain protected. -Full Report

Sudan Officially Signs The Abraham Accords

Sudan became the third Arab nation to normalize its diplomatic ties with Israel on Wednesday, officially becoming part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the White House. On Wednesday, Sudanese Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari signed the documents to officially make Sudan a member of the Abraham Accords as it normalizes its diplomatic ties with the Jewish State. This makes Sudan the third Arab nation to officially join the Accords after Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Morocco to soon follow.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was present at the time of the signing, as the White House has paved the way for the Accords to become a reality. Mnuchin is reported to have stated, “This is a very, very significant agreement. … It would have a tremendous impact on the people of Israel and the people of Sudan as they continue to work together on cultural and economic opportunities and trade.”

One financial incentive was revealed in a statement from the office of Sudan’s Acting Minister of Finance, which read, “This move will enable Sudan to regain access to over $1 billion in annual financing from the World Bank for the first time in 27 years.” Additionally, the US embassy in Khartoum stated that the agreement will “help further Sudan on its transformative path to stability, security, and economic opportunity.” -Full Report

Sudan signs 'Abraham Accords' with US, paving way for Israel normalization

Saudi Crown Prince: Region Must Unite To Face Challenges Posed By Iran, Its Proxies

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said Tuesday that the region  needed to unite and face challenges posed by Iran's proxies and its  nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Speaking at a summit officially ending the rift with Qatar, following  Saudi Arabia's decision to end a three-and-a-half-year embargo of the  tiny energy-rich country over its ties with Iran, bin Salman said the  declaration signed by Gulf leaders and Egypt "emphasizes Arab and Gulf  solidarity and stability, and reinforces the continuity of friendship  and brotherhood between our countries." -Source

Israel Attacked Targets South Of Damascus

The Syrian news outlet SANA reported an airstrike south of Damascus late Wednesday night, which it attributed to Israel. The SANA report claimed that Syrian air defenses had been activated. A Syrian military official was quoted by SANA saying that the strike had come from the direction of the Golan Heights and that Syrian air defenses had intercepted "most of the missiles fired at our territory."

Additional Syrian news outlets reported large explosions and flashes of light in Damascus. As of early Thursday morning, there were no reports of wounded or damage as a result of the airstrikes. The media outlet Step News Agency, identified with the Syrian rebels, reported that the target of the strike had been a facility belonging to pro-Iranian militias in the village Sahnaya on the Syrian Golan Heights. The site said that ambulances had been seen heading toward the target. -Full Report

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PA Warns: Israel Planning To Build A Holy Temple

PROPHECY WATCH:  Mahmoud Habbash, an adviser to Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on religious and Islamic affairs, said on Wednesday that the “settlers' calls” for the demolition of the Dome of the Rock mosque on the Temple Mount pose a serious danger.

The statement came after the PA’s official news agency Wafa reported that Jewish organizations that support the construction of a Holy Temple on the Temple Mount have asked the Israeli government to submit a proposal to the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem and the Jordanian government to demolish the Dome of the Rock and to build the Temple in its place.

Habbash said in a statement that the “settlers” who made these calls enjoy broad support from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. He added that is forbidden to ignore these calls and that they must be responded to strongly by the Arabs, Muslims and the entire world. Habbash is known for his inciting statements against Israel. In 2018, he compared Israel’s restrictions on access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to Nazi methods. -Full Report