The Post-Conflict Gaza Conundrum

February 20, senior officials from five Arab states will meet in Riyadh to discuss President Trump’s “Gaza Riviera” proposal, followed by an emergency Arab League summit in Egypt on March 4.

"On February 1, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, along with a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization, delivered a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejecting the administration’s Gaza proposal. “Deportation of Palestinians from their land [will] push the region towards more tension, conflict and instability,” they warned. The missive repeated the perennial demand for a two-state solution but offered no alternatives to Trump’s ideas, nor any tangible Arab role in addressing the immediate challenges posed in Gaza."

"Subsequently, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz suggested that Trump’s proposal was not a definitive U.S. commitment, but rather a starting point for discussion on Gaza’s future disposition. “The president is engaging with our key allies in the region and asking for their input,” he told CBS News on February 5, noting that Trump’s approach would spur “the entire region to come with their own solutions”."

"Tomorrow, officials from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE will convene for a mini-summit in Riyadh; Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas may attend as well. The meeting will give them a chance to fine-tune Egypt’s purported Gaza plan before rolling it out at the Cairo summit on March 4 and eventually presenting it to the Trump administration."

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Feb.17/25, AP

 

In a counter to President Donald Trump's proposal to wholesale depopulate the Gaza Strip, with the United States prepared to take it over, Egypt is in the process, in conjunction with other members of the Arab League, of developing an alternate plan to rebuild Gaza. According to Egypt's state-operated Al-Ahram newspaper, the proposal calls for the establishment of "secure areas" within Gaza where Palestinians can live  temporarily, as Egyptian and international construction firms remove the territory's ruined infrastructure and rebuild it.

 

The plan has been shared in discussion with European diplomats, along with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to both Western diplomats and two Egyptian officials. Discussions are also underway on how the reconstruction will be funded. An international conference on Gaza reconstruction may result, according to one of the Egyptian officials, along with an Arab diplomat. The total sum involved is unsurprisingly substantial, at a proposed $20 billion. The proposal remains in the early negotiating stage.

Central Gaza Strip, February 17/25    AP

These moves are in reflection of an international pushback over President Trump's call for the removal of the Gazan population of approximately two million Palestinians. According to Mr. Trump, the United States is prepared to take over the Gaza Strip, to rebuild it into a "Riviera of the Middle East". Palestinians, under his plan, will not be permitted to reenter the new Gaza. For their part, Palestinians have made it clear they have no intention of leaving Gaza, even as Egypt and Jordan have refused Mr. Trump's call for them to absorb the population of Gaza.

 

In Saudi Arabia on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States was interested in hearing alternative proposals. "If the Arab countries have a better plan, then that's great", he said. The proposal, according to Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper, is designed to "refute American President Trump's logic" and to counter "any other visions or plans that aim to change the geographic and demographic structure of Gaza Strip".  

An agreement on who will govern Gaza in the long term is one critical issue to be determined. The elimination of Hamas as a political or military force in the territory is top of the agenda for Israel, and for obvious reasons. Moreover, should there be consideration of Hamas returning to govern Gaza, international donors are hugely unlikely to contribute to any rebuilding of the Strip. And that would doubtless include both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Republic, who between them could handily proffer the funds for reconstruction.

 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the extended format meeting of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia on October 23, 2024. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/Pool via REUTERS

 

 

No Way To Land A Plane

"We're in Toronto. We just landed. Our plane crashed. It's upside down."

"Fire department is on site. Were upside down."

"Everybody, most people appear to be okay. We're all getting out."

John Nelson, passenger video

 

"[The plane] impacted [the runway during landing, before parts of the aircraft separated and a fire ensued.]"

"As you can see here, the fuselage came to rest slightly off the right side of the runway, upside down, facing the other direction."

"At this point, it's far too early to say what the cause of this accident might be."

Ken Webster, investigator, Transportation Safety Board

 

"We are very grateful there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries. [The quick response was due to the] heroic [first responders at the airport]."

"We are very focused on the care and the concern and the passengers and the crew, some of whom have already been reunified with their friends and their families. Others we have in a comfortable place right here at the airport in an environment where they're getting a lot of care and support from my staff."

Deborah Flint, president and CEO, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA)

 

"[The landing was a ] forceful [event where all of a sudden everything went sideways]."

"The next thing I know, there was kind of a blink, I was upside down and still strapped in."

"It was cement and metal. The absolute initial feeling is just need to get out of this."

Peter Carlson, passenger on the Delta plane

Delta Air Lines plane at Toronto Pearson airport, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.  CTVNews

On Monday, around 3:00 p.m. a social media statement by Toronto Pearson International Airport announced an "incident upon landing", adding that all passengers and crew are "accounted for". "No deaths, thank goodness. That's why (flight) attendants tell everyone to fasten seat belts", a social media statement by Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish followed. A Delta Air Lines plane suffered a crash landing, on the snow-cleared runway.

 

The tower had earlier issued a warning to the pilots to be aware of the potential of an air flow bump in their glide path while the plane began its landing manoeuvres; a result of a preceding aircraft before its entry. The tower at Pearson airport's audio recording indicated that Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 was cleared to land at 2:10 p.m. No additional connection with the Delta flight was recorded and then the tower confirmed at 2:12 p.m. that a plane crashed on runway 23. 

The Meteorological Service of Canada reported that the airport was experiencing blowing snow and winds up to 51 kilometres per hour, gusting to 54 kph. The temperature registered -8.6 C. Immediately after the crash all flight traffic was interrupted, placed on  hold for both arrivals and departures. The New York Post citing flight records, identified the plane as a Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR. Initially there was no word of possible injuries among the passengers debarking.

 

First responders work at the Delta Air Lines plane crash site at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ont., Monday. (Arlyn McAdorey/Reuters)

 

The rear of the plane was sprayed by an emergency services truck. The Delta Air Lines plane was shown in images posted to social media upside down, with its landing gear pointing skyward, a wing torn completely off, smoke rising from the rear, while passengers were leaving the tarmac. The plane, arriving from Minneapolis, had departed at 11:47 a.m. Outside the plane passengers were moving away from their disabled flight.

 

Passengers walked on the ceiling before managing to evacuate out of the overwing door and the front door. The side of the plane was etched with skid marks close to the front door. The wing rests about 40 metres distant from the plane. Passengers that were injured were taken to hospital, around 20 of them, 17 of whom were eventually released, having suffered minor injuries. Several remain in hospital with more serious injuries, one of whom is a child, taken to Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital. 

A woman in her 40s was sent to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre wth critical injuries, while a man in his 60s was airlifted to St. Michael's Hospital. Critically injured people reported by Ornge Air Ambulance services added more people than those identified by a local paramedic service spokesperson who spoke of one individual with critical, non-life-threatening injuries and seven others with mild to moderate injuries.

 

Seats may have helped save lives, former transportation safety board investigator says: CBC

 

Elon Musk and Tesla Vehicles in Disfavour

 

"Previously, they were very proud of their car and now we can see that the actions of Elon Musk really divide people, so it's more difficult to be proud of having a Tesla today."

"I think it's going to slow down EV adoption in Canada and I think we're also seeing  fewer purchase incentives in play, which we know has a significant impact."

"All of these things are creating some big headwinds for electrification."

Stephane Pascalon, Tesla Inc. fan club 

A line of electric vehicles of the model Y during the start of the production at Tesla's "Gigafactory" in Gruenheide, Germany. Elon Musk, inset. Patrick Pleul / Andrew Harnik/POOL/AFP / Getty Images

 

The latest tide of controversy that has engulfed the world's wealthiest man, owner of Space X, Tesla and the social media site X, has him in bad odour with many of his once-admirers, in particular people who bought into his electric cars both for the prestige involved and to consolidate their dedication to the belief in climate change brought about by human activities. The current government in Canada has mandated that gas-burning vehicles are out and electric vehicles are in; a reflection of its commitment to fighting Climate Change.

 

Tesla owners have among their group which takes pride in owning Musk's signature road vehicle, those who are now reconsidering their Tesla ownership. Others who may now wish to sell their Tesla model, and will not consider replacing it with a new Tesla. The multi-billionaire's more recent full political immersion in support of President Donald J. Trump's second administration appears to many people that fame and fortune, publicity and cavalier attitudes to serious global upheavals are inappropriate entrees to politics.

 

Elon Musk's new position as a confidante of President Trump, one who has offered to assist in the streamlining of government and whose offer has been rewarded by a post in which he has been tasked to cut and eliminate government waste has not resonated well with many people. Mr. Musk's Nazi-style salute at Mr. Trump's inauguration hit a nerve in many peoples' estimation, linking it with his support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party.

A man holds a sign during a protest outside a Tesla showroom in Seattle on Thursday, February 13, 2025. Manuel Valdes/AP Photo

 

Tesla owners report that some among them were treated to aggressive behaviour on the road, reflecting a generalized anger in the public against Tesla owners and the brand's CEO. In a recent survey, some four percent of respondents revealed they didn't plan to buy a Tesla for their next EV, with a smaller number planning to sell the Tesla vehicles they hold at the present time.

 

Vandalism at a Tesla dealership with an obscene remark about Musk spray-painted on an exterior wall has resulted in a police investigation. A post on Reddit showed the graffiti with thousands of votes of approval. A worldwide protest is being organized to take place in front of Tesla service centres. Politico reported earlier in February that a Tesla car showroom in the Netherlands had been graffitied with swastikas and anti-fascist slogans. A Tesla factory in Germany was defaced by protesters.

 

"I know of at least one person personally who was preparing to purchase a Tesla ... within the next month or two and who has since decided to go a  different way", revealed a board member of Electric Vehicle Society, a non-profit advocating for electric mobility in Canada, preparing for a dip in sales reflecting anti-Musk sentiment.

 

Interestingly, rebate data from Transport Canada's zero-emission vehicle program, reports some 33,000 
Teslas received rebates for new purchases in the past year; down on a per-month basis about 15 percent in comparison to the approximately 50,000 Teslas receiving the rebates in the 2023-24 fiscal year. 

A Tesla with a sticker referring to the car's purchase is shown in Concord, Mass., Dec. 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Peter Morgan

The Sad Social Plight of Afghanistan's Women

"Our analysis shows that by 2026, the impact of leaving 1.1 million girls out of school and 100,000 women out of university correlates to an increase in early child-bearing by 45 percent and an increase in maternal mortality by up to 50 percent."

Alison Davidian, Country Representative, UN Women in Afghanistan

 

"Women like us, who fought against the Taliban and their ideology, need to be in safety."

"The Taliban shut down and destroyed everything I had in my facility [small farm where she kept animals as an animal-rights activist]. They're also against keeping pets. "

"With such routine [being virtually a prisoner in her own house] life becomes meaningless as you cannot do what you want outside  your home."

"There were days I couldn't get out of  bed [deep in depression]."

Negin, former UNICEF worker from Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan

A 31-year-old woman sits by the window. She used to be an entrepreneur before the Taliban takeover. Photo: UN Women/Sayed Habib Bidell.

Up to four years ago, under the auspices of the U.S.-led international forces that dispelled Taliban rule and searched for the leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, the eminence grise behind the deadly New York/Washington/Pennsylvania aerial suicide attacks of September 11, 2001, Afghanistan had its re-introduction to democracy and women were freed of the restrictive talons of the Taliban imposed upon them since 1989 following the Soviet Union's departure from Afghanistan after its failed invasion. 

 

In the presence of the Western coalition -- the twenty years from 2001 to 2021 introduced the war-torn country to sweeping social and economic changes. Afghans become involved in sports which both genders participated in, as well as music concerts with male and female singers. Cafes and restaurants served both men and women, after the Taliban years when women were not seen in public, confined to their homes, and permitted outside fully covered only in the company of male relatives. 

 

Women could not be treated by male doctors, nor could they attend hospitals meant for men only. Female surgeons in women-only hospitals served in operating room surgical procedures fully garbed in burqas.Women wee lashed in public squares, stoned in sports stadiums and punished for lack of adherence should they refuse to wear the hijab.

 

In contrast to the situation that prevailed under the U.S.-led coalition, when four million girls were enrolled in school from Grades 1 to 12 in the years 2002 to 2021. There were over 80,000 female teachers in over 18,000 schools while 100,000 Afghan women attended universities. The Afghan parliament had 63 elected female MPs, fully one-third of the total legislators; female journalists and media workers challenged male-dominated officialdom. Women served as cabinet ministers, mayors, governors of provinces, while women also operated small businesses, unlike the Taliban years when women were not permitted to work outside of their homes.

 

Until the Taliban succeeded on August 15, 2021 when the Afghan capital Kabul was captured by the resurgent Taliban. Ashraf Ghani, president of the Republic of Afghanistan, backed by the Western coalition fled to the United Arab Emirates and the nation was in chaos, as the United States withdrew all its troops and diplomatic officials in a 'peace deal' with the Taliban, and the allied nations under UN auspices departed, along with the U.S., leaving the country's population in the hands of the Taliban once again.

Many Afghan women and girls are forced into unwanted marriages. Photo: UN Women/Sayed Habib Bidell.

"I cried out loud when I got engaged. I felt helpless and found myself in a situation where I had no say in my decisions. I was in my second year of university, studying law and political science, and I aspired to work in the judicial system to protect women’s rights in our country. Unfortunately, my dreams were shattered after the return of the Taliban."

"Many of my friends have faced similar fates, giving up their hopes and marrying against their will. For all girls who have been unable to complete their education, marriage is not a choice but a forced reality."

Mahnaz, from Farah, former university student 

Although the Taliban leadership promised the West, in a bid for acceptance and badly needed investment by the West in economically starved Afghanistan, for international investment, and recognition by global bodies, that women's rights would be observed, that the rights of minority groups in Afghanistan would be protected, they soon returned to the former strictures imposed upon women and girls where both could be punished for not adhering to the Taliban's dress code. 

Once again afghan women could appear in public only covered from head to toe by all-enveloping burqas which also covered their faces. Beyond Grade 6, girls could no longer attend school, and university education for women was banned. No offices and workplaces could accept female employees. Women are banned from public places, parks, and nor may they travel long distances in the absence of a male guardian. Medical training as nurses or midwives no longer is permitted.

 

Ebrahim Naroozi, AP

 

"Several times I was thinking of committing suicide because there was no hope and future for me. Women cannot laugh with one another in public. Women cannot go to parks. Women cannot work and study. Do you see hope for yourself?" Of course not, and it makes you think of ending your life."

"Whenever she sees a Talib, she [her twelve-year-old daughter] is scared of them. That's why she always stays at home and cannot go out. She is depressed all the time."

"Whenever she sees girls going to school and living freely in the West [watching television or on social media], she asks me 'Why don't I have such a life and freedom?' Her question stabs my heart like a dagger."

"The most painful part is that I can't do anything for her."

"In exchange for a peace deal with the Taliban, the world traded Afghan women and their future."

Negin, Afghan woman, Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan

 

Mental Illness Ruled out in Munich Vehicular Homicide

"[In questioning, he admitted deliberately driving into the demonstration and] gave an explanation that I would summarize as religious motivation."

"According to all we know at the moment, I would venture to speak of an Islamist motivation."

"[He posted content with religious references -- such as 'Allah -- protect us always' -- on social media, where he described himself as a body-builder and fitness model]."

"I'm very cautious about making hasty judgements, but based on everything we know at the moment, I would venture to speak of an Islamist motivation for the crime." 

Munich Prosecutor Gabriele Tilmann

A car rammed into a union rally in the Bavarian capital, with authorities saying some 36 were injured.

The 24-year-old Afghan failed refugee applicant who drove a Mini Cooper into a procession of trade union protesters in Munich, after an initial investigation, faces 36 counts of attempted murder, bodily harm and dangerous interference with road traffic. A new charge has been added, however, that of the murder of a 37-year-old woman, and her two-year-old child, both trapped under the charging car as it plowed into the back end of the crowd of union protesters.

 

Police have identified the suspect in the Thursday incident as Farhad N. "Unfortunately, we have to confirm the deaths today of the two-year-old child and her 37-year-old mother," police spokesman Ludwig Waldinger announced on Saturday. Mother and child had been rushed to hospital, along with others who had suffered serious injuries; thus far they are the only injured not to have survived the brutal vehicular assault.

 

According to authorities, the suspect arrived in Germany in 2016. Despite his asylum application having been rejected, he was permitted on humanitarian grounds to remain in Germany, under the theory that should he be deported back to Afghanistan, he might face risks there. In Germany he obtained a valid residence and work permit. Police say now he had no previous criminal record, and no evidence exists of a link to a jihadist group.

 

In January, a 28-year-old Afghan asylum seeker stabbed a group of children in a park in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg. On that occasion a two-year-old child and a passerby who attempted to intervene were both killed. A month earlier, a 50-year-old Saudi asylum seeker who posed as a critic of Islam drove a vehicle into a German Christmas market, killing six people, and injuring 299 people.

"The brutality of this crime churns our emotions and renders us speechless."

"[The injured included children, some of them seriously. The person responsible would be] held to account according to the law." 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier 

Guidi Limmer, deputy head of Bavaria's state criminal police office, revealed that investigators found an online chat, seemingly with relatives, in which the suspect wrote "perhaps I won't be there anymore tomorrow". Police have unveiled nothing that might point to concrete preparations for the attack, or whether anyone else had been involved, although that single line in and of itself might indicate mental preparation.

 

Among the jobs he held, one was a work assignment as a store detective. Prosecutor Tillman advised there was no indication of the involvement of a mental illness. Unless one considers, perhaps, that violent Islamism in and of itself is a symptom of a violent pathology that arises sporadically and spontaneously in the faith-demented minds of such as he. 

One might logically query: what  is the purpose and effect of a rejected asylum claim, if the claimant is permitted regardless, to remain in the country which has rejected his asylum request, issued a work permit and live there as a permanent resident...? And how many rejected asylum claimants demonstrating their contempt for the country's generosity does it take to have a second look at the absurdity of the situation?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Minister for Justice and Transport Volker Wissing and Munich mayor Dieter Reiter lay flowers as they visit a makeshift memorial for the victims of a suspected ramming attack where a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker drove a car into a crowd, as the Munich Security Conference (MSC) takes place in Munich, Germany February 15, 2025. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

"Everything Is On The Table"

"[The main issue is to] not allow everything to go according to Putin's plan. We cannot accept it, as an independent country, any agreements [made] without us."

"He [Trump] never mentioned in a conversation that Putin and Russia was a priority. We, today, trust these words. For us it is very important to preserve the support of the United States of America." 

"[Ukraine needs security guarantees above all] Because we are talking about security guarantees as the main point in any document on the cessation of war or the end of the war, security guarantees for Ukraine, for the whole of Europe, and Ukraine is already part of Europe and will be part of an equal European Union."  

"We need the strong support of a strong country, the United States, a strong President [Donald] Trump, we need his support and we need him to be on our side."

"It’s not two countries fighting each other, but Russia bringing war to our land and we are defending it, I think, with honour."

"A peace agreement cannot be signed in Munich, because this is Munich and the president [Donald Trump] is not here. And we remember the things that have already been signed here."

"If we talk pragmatically, not only about the defence of Europe, although I think that the defence of Europe is the priority and people are the priority, but we can also talk about it pragmatically from a financial point of view."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

 

"Just as Putin has no intention of stopping hostilities even during potential talks, we must maintain Western unity and increase support ... to Ukraine, and political and economic pressure on Russia."

"Our actions must show that we are not changing course." 

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna

Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Russian officials have made no secret how pleased they are with U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to depart from the previous presidency's three years of American policy over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His announcement that he planned to meet shortly directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the purpose of hammering out a peace deal for Ukraine has effectively left Ukraine and European countries that have backed Ukraine following the full-scale invasion by Moscow in a quandary, i has startled both Ukraine and its European allies.

 

President Zelenskyy responded to that exclusion with the non-negotiable statement that he would not accept any negotiations relating to Ukraine's future and prospects of a peace agreement without direct involvement in any talks. At the same time, a seat at the negotiating table was also demanded by European governments that have stood steadfast with Ukraine during its ordeal with the intention of helping the beleaguered country defy the Kremlin's and its President's territorial ambition to annex Ukrainian territory.

 

According to President Trump's mindset, identifying Vladimir Putin as the sole player who can implement an end to the fighting, meant that he alone should be addressed, sidelining Mr. Zelenskyy in any peace talks, along with Ukraine's European-government-partners. That prospect, says the Ukrainian leader, is "very dangerous".

 

A major diplomatic upheaval has resulted from Trump's announcement on his negotiations decision. Following Wednesday's call between Trump and Putin during which they explored the issue for an hour and a half. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked that the "position of the current (U.S.) administration is much more appealing". Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia's National Security Council, remarked "The presidents of Russia and the U.S. have talked at last. This is very important in and of itself."

 

"The U.S. finally hurt Zelenskyy for real." Trump has found "common ground" with Putin, trumpeted Russian state news agency RIA Novosti in an opinion column. "This means that the formula ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine’ — a sacred cow for Zelenskyy, the European Union and the previous U.S. administration — no longer exists. Moreover, the opinion of Kyiv and Brussels (the European Union) is of no interest to Trump at all." The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda published a column whose headline stated "Trump signed Zelenskyy's death sentence". 

 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine speaks to the press during a media briefing on the territory of Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

And from President Zelenskyy himself, came the admission that it was "not very pleasant" that the American president chose to speak first to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some European governments expressed alarm  over Washington's new course of action, insisting they must be part of any negotiations, reflecting their fear that their countries could also be vulnerable to the Kremlin's ambitions of territorial expansion. 

"Ukraine, Europe and the United States should work on this together. TOGETHER", Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media. President Trump spoke of his lengthy telephone call with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, describing it as "lengthy and highly productive", indicating further negotiations would begin "immediately".

"We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s nations."

"We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy of Ukraine to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now."

U.S. President Donald J. Trump

 

"[The Americans were giving Russia] everything that they want even before the negotiations."

"[Any agreement made without the Europeans] will simply not work."

European Union foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas

 

"There is no betrayal there], but a “recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace, a negotiated peace."

"Everything is on the table in his [Trump’s] conversations with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

Associated Press