Free Republic

President Trump shed his shoes Monday to take in the splendor of the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates — a rare visit by a sitting American chief executive to an overseas Muslim house of worship. “It’s so beautiful,” Trump, clad in stocking feet as a mark of respect, told reporters inside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. “This is an incredible culture.” Trump, 78, was joined at the ornate white marble edifice by Abu Dhabi’s crown prince Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, who recently signed a deal with Disney to develop a theme park on nearby Yas Island. The...

Disney, which infamously sparred with Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., over what the company claimed was a "Don’t Say Gay" bill, now plans to build a new theme park in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Middle Eastern country that criminalizes homosexuality. The entertainment company announced on Wednesday that it will open its seventh park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE. "This is a thrilling moment for our company as we announce plans to build an exciting Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, whose culture is rich with an appreciation of the arts and...

Christian evangelist Franklin Graham is urging Americans to pray for President Donald Trump ahead of the commander-in-chief’s trip to the Middle East. “Pray for President @realDonaldTrump as he travels to the Middle East for meetings,” Graham wrote on Monday morning. “There will be much pressure put on him relating to Israel, Gaza, and the Palestinians.” “Pray for God’s protection, and may God give him wisdom,” he added. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previewed Trump’s four-day trip to the Middle East on Friday, telling reporters that Trump plans to “reemphasize his continued vision for a proud, prosperous, and successful Middle...

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are seemingly at odds amid a U.S. truce with Houthis in Yemen and the President seeking to peacefully negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran without plunging the United States into another endless war. According to Axios, Trump met with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer in private on Thursday to discuss upcoming nuclear talks with Iran and Israel’s Gaza campaign. Dremer also met with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates on...

Oil producing countries are bracing for a bumpy ride this year, with a precipitous drop in prices to the lowest levels in four years seen as the initial, alarming sign of looming turmoil. A price drop benefits any country seeking to cut its fuel bill. But in oil producing nations, lower prices can feed economic troubles, and sometimes political unrest, as governments slash spending. Analysts who had already been predicting lower oil prices because of softening demand amid increased global production said the possibility of a tariff trade war and the overall climate of uncertainty could well deepen producers’ woes....

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke via phone on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump, the American leader said, declaring that the pair “are on the same side of every issue.” The call covered “numerous subjects including Trade, Iran, etc.,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, adding that the conversation went “very well.” Notably, Trump did not include Gaza or the 59 hostages being held there in his list of topics discussed amid the ongoing impasse in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. However, according to a report in Axios, the pair did talk about efforts to reach...

The BRICS group of nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has long aimed to challenge Western-controlled financial systems and reduce the world’s reliance on the US dollar. Now, that mission is getting an unexpected push, thanks to new tariff policies introduced by US President Donald Trump. BRICS Bloc Gains Momentum Amid US Trade Setbacks Trump has declared what he calls “Liberation Day,” a move that marks one of the biggest protectionist trade shifts since the 1930s. These new tariffs target both enemies and allies, and are expected to slow trade, increase prices in the US, and put brakes on global...

Reports this week indicated that US President Donald Trump may visit Saudi Arabia in the coming months. This is important because it would be his first trip abroad as president. It will also be a repeat of a trip he took during his first term. During his first term, in May 2017, he travelled to Saudi Arabia for the US-Arab-Islamic Summit. He met with Saudi King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during that trip, among other leaders who attended During the May 2017 trip, Trump said, “I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to...

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine could be placed under a “temporary administration” as part of a peace process that could include help from North Korea and other Moscow allies, according to Russian state media. Speaking to a group of servicemen in Russia’s northern port of Murmansk, Putin laid out several provisions for a peace process to end the three-year war launched by Moscow in February 2022, according to Russia’s state news agency, TASS. Among Putin’s many suggestions was a call for new elections in Ukraine and the “signing of key accords” once the country is under international administration,...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion “investment framework” in the U.S., the White House announced Friday. The new framework “will substantially increase the UAE’s existing investments in the U.S. economy in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, and American manufacturing,” according to the administration. The UAE committed to the investments after President Trump hosted the UAE’s national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, and the heads of major UAE sovereign wealth funds and corporations for a meeting in the Oval Office earlier this week. Among the investments under the framework, the UAE investment fund ADQ and...

On the face of it, Trump’s plan for the US to occupy Gaza is not remotely feasible, but that could all be part of the president’s scheme. US President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when he announced that the United States will take over the Gaza Strip for the foreseeable future. With his declaration, the president has once again thrown a diplomatic grenade into the Middle East conversation – not a particularly quiet region at the best of times and one beset by 15 months of war. The proposal – one that envisions the US developing Gaza, creating...

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are seen by Russia as possible venues for a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, two Russian sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. -snip- Saudi Arabia and the UAE did not respond to requests for comment. The Kremlin declined comment. But both Trump and Putin have developed friendly relations with rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Trump said on Sunday that his administration had "meetings and talks scheduled with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia." When asked about those remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said...

Each country—while referencing “sovereignty” and “de-escalation”—chooses to avoid condemning Israel outright, instead placing emphasis on the broader threats to regional stability. In a region where alliances are as complicated as ever, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have responded to Israel’s latest military strike on an Iranian base with words that speak volumes – not for what they say, but for what they leave unsaid. This wasn’t the usual wave of condemnations aimed squarely at Israel; instead, these responses were notably measured, almost neutral, hinting that a quiet shift may be underway among these regional powers. Each country...

The US and the United Arab Emirates have discussed with each other the possibility of lifting sanctions on Syrian President Bashar Assad if he peels himself away from Iran and cuts off weapons routes to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, five people familiar with the matter tell Reuters. The conversations intensified in recent months, the sources say, driven by the possible expiry on Dec. 20 of sweeping US sanctions on Syria and by Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s regional network, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and Iranian assets in Syria. The discussions took place before anti-Assad rebels swept into Aleppo last week...

But the Times sparked widespread backlash when they initially reported the story with the headline, 'Israeli rabbi who disappeared in Dubai is found dead.' Politicians and public figures erupted on social media with critics accusing the outlet of erasing the violent and antisemitic nature of the brutal crime. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo accused the outlet of routinely 'downplaying' antisemitic acts. 'Rabbi Kogan was not 'found dead', he was murdered,' Cuomo wrote on X. 'There is a disturbing pattern whereby some in the media — and particularly the @nytimes— downplay antisemitic acts. It must be called out and addressed.'...

The body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary to Abu Dhabi who went missing last week, has been found, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed Sunday morning. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates announced this morning (Sunday) that a body had been found in the country and that the identity of the deceased was in the process of being verified. The Prime Minister's Office and Foreign Ministry stated, "The UAE intelligence and security authorities have located the body of Zvi Kogan, who has been missing since Thursday, 21 November 2024. The Israeli mission in Abu Dhabi has been in contact...

GREENSBURG, Pa. – Former President Bill Clinton claimed Tuesday that Israeli leaders “don’t care anymore” about peace between the Jewish State and Palestinians and said Vice President Kamala Harris “can’t have” a plan to end the war in the Middle East. Clinton, 78, was stumping for Harris in western Pennsylvania at the University of Pittsburg-Greensburg when a pro-Palestinian protester interrupted his remarks, demanding an answer from him on what the vice president would do to stop “the genocide” in Gaza and end US military support for Israel. “That’s a fair question,” the 42nd president responded, before telling a 15-minute-long story...

This is the bizarre moment Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov started performing standing press-ups at a BRICS meeting in an apparent attempt to impress ministers with his strength. Video footage taken from an informal meeting between Putin and the president of the UAE at the BRICS summit, where the Russian leader tried to woo the leaders of around two-dozen nations into deepening ties with his country, Kadyrov was seen leaning on two chairs and repeatedly doing leaned press-ups. After a few press-ups, he was seen looking around in an apparent bid for approval. But no one, including Russian foreign minister Sergei...

The bases were intended for use by the Radwan Forces as part of Hezbollah's "Conquer the Galilee" plan...Inside the IDF discovered bunk beds, storage cabinets, food supplies, infrastructure for long-term stay, a large amount of equipment, weapons, and abandoned offensive positions.Troops located four Hezbollah weapons storage facilities, some of which were inside civilian homes.The uncovered storage facilities contained a significant number of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, ammunition, rockets, mortars, shoulder-fired missiles, RPGs, and advanced anti-tank missiles. All of which were seized by the IDF.

Nature might abhor a vacuum, but empires love them. The busy empire-builders in Tehran have spent the last two decades extending their reach into power vacuums in Iraq and Syria as part of their attempt to recreate at least part of the old Persian Empire that once covered almost the entire Middle East. Funding the Houthi rebels in Yemen keeps the Saudis conveniently distracted, too, as well as giving Tehran a way to attack the shipping that Western economies rely upon. Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon respectively are Iran's imperial outposts even further west — and the Arab...