But Guardiola isn't just a super-coach, he's also a political personality, and he doesn't usually keep his opinions private. The man, born in the town of Santpedor in Catalonia, has expressed his support multiple times in the past for granting independence to the region where he was born. These statements generated considerable anger toward him throughout Spain. Meanwhile, the Catalan struggle entered dormancy, prompting Guardiola to jump onto another political bandwagon, one less close to him, but from his perspective far more appealing and popular – support for Palestinians.

In recent days, he enlisted for the benefit of the exhibition match taking place today between the national teams of Catalonia and Palestine. The organizers hoped that recruiting a famous personality like Pep would help boost ticket sales, which would be played, rather ironically, at Montjuïc Stadium – "Mount of the Jews."

A few days ago, the Palestinian national team played against the Basque national team at San Mamés Stadium, and there was no need to promote sales there. The Basques' support for the Palestinian narrative is exceptionally strong, and all 55,000 tickets were snapped up. This isn't the situation in Barcelona, and the organizers are seeking creative ways to increase interest. The person who apparently recruited Pep to the matter is his daughter Maria, who is known as an enthusiastic supporter of the struggle against Israel. She participated in massive demonstrations in London, was seen wrapped in a keffiyeh, and shared posts accusing Israel of genocide.

There's no doubt that regarding everything connected to Catalan history, its struggle for independence and separation from Spain, Guardiola is knowledgeable and current. But regarding everything connected to what's happening in the Middle East, his knowledge is deficient at best – and borders on ignorance at worst. In an interview in Catalonia yesterday, he said, among other things, "We allowed Israel to destroy an entire people, the damage has already been done and it's irreversible," and added, "I cannot imagine anyone in the world who could justify the massacre in Gaza. Our children could have been born there and killed just because of that."

But forget about him not even being in the right direction, if he's already discussing destroying a people and about massacre, perhaps the camel Pep should look backward and see his own enormous hump. Guardiola has coached Manchester City for nearly a decade and earns about £20 million per year. The one paying him this money is essentially the UAE government, which purchased the club in 2008. The actual owner of City is the vice president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Last week, British journalist Barney Ronay wrote in The Guardian that Sheikh Mansour's name appears in a letter that Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn sent to British government ministers in which he repeats a conclusion determined by the UN and the US State Department – that the UAE government (and therefore the owner of City) is providing resources and support for ethnic massacres in Sudan, so brutal that their results can be seen in satellite images from space.

The UN spoke of mass rape, ethnic-based massacre, and the threat of widespread famine. According to satellite images, piles of bodies and enormous blood stains can be seen. There are reports of the execution of 500 people in a maternity hospital. According to reports, the UAE government supports the forces of General Mohamed Hamdan, who, according to testimonies, carried out a massacre and mass rape in the besieged city of Al-Fashir. Since the fighting began about four years ago, more than 12 million people have been displaced from their homes. This is now the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The UAE denies that it's arming any side, but as Tariq Panja reported in The New York Times, the US intercepted phone calls between General Hamdan and leaders in the UAE, including Sheikh Mansour. Jeffrey Feltman, former US envoy to the Horn of Africa, said, "We always knew that behind the scenes in Sudan was Mansour."

Is there any chance that Pep Guardiola isn't aware of the story? Is there a possibility that he doesn't understand or know who his employers are? Has he said a word on the subject? The answer to all three questions is identical: no.

And so, on a humanitarian issue among the most severe in the world, one so close to him at home, Guardiola has nothing to say. However, regarding everything connected to Middle East affairs and Gaza, which he has no connection to, and where he displays embarrassing ignorance, he continues to talk. Someone apparently needs to remind Pep of his visit to Israel 14 years ago. How he enjoyed every moment, the love he received everywhere he went, and of course, to remind him of what he said then: "My family and I are very happy to be here."

Gary Lineker, another famous soccer personality, exposed his antisemitic face in recent years and paid a price for it. Unlike him, Pep Guardiola is not antisemitic – but in his recent statements, the distinguished manager of Manchester City has proven himself to be a hypocritical man.

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Yale University's School of Medicine analyzed satellite imagery revealing piles of bodies and massive pools of blood clearly visible from orbit. These findings came after experts told The Guardian that RSF agents executed more than 2,000 civilians following the group's capture of El Fasher from Sudanese army forces after an eight-month siege.

"We saw many of our relatives being slaughtered," said a man who lost contact with his family in El Fasher, speaking to the BBC. He recounted how the militia gathered people together before shooting them one by one and said communication was completely cut off with all of North Darfur.

Rebel factions declared control of the Sudanese army's last position in western Darfur. Simultaneously, video evidence of men and women killed in gruesome scenes fueled global concerns about ethnic massacres across the region.

Sudan's civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between army forces under Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and RSF troops led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti"), has since killed tens of thousands, displaced twelve million, and left half the nation facing starvation – a tragedy the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

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Amnesty International revealed Thursday that French-made weapon systems have been supplied to Sudan's rebel group, following an analysis of images and materials from the conflict zone in the African nation.

According to evidence published on social media and analyzed by the organization, French-manufactured military systems were installed on armored vehicles supplied to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are fighting government troops and stand accused of numerous massacres and war crimes against civilians and ethnic minorities.

This represents a violation of two separate UN embargo resolutions on the country, dating back to the regime of dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in the country's 2019 coup. One of these embargo decisions specifically concerns the Darfur region in the western part of the country, where terrorists are carrying out massacres against the tribal Christian minority residing in the province.

Our research shows that weaponry designed and manufactured in France is in active use on the battlefield in Sudan." @AgnesCallamard
Read more below; #KeepeyesonSudanhttps://t.co/87W4qz0iYE

— Amnesty Eastern Africa (@AmnestyEARO) November 14, 2024

According to Amnesty International's claims, Galix vehicle defense systems, manufactured by French company Lacroix, were supplied to RSF forces by the United Arab Emirates, a major purchaser of French military equipment. While the armored vehicles were manufactured in the UAE, the defense system, designed to provide screening in case of kinetic attacks, originates from France.

Although the French company sold the weapons to a third party, apparently without direct intention to supply them to Sudan's RSF, countries signing arms deals are supposed to have clauses preventing such situations, and it's possible that France chose to ignore or even approve the UAE's transfer of the defense systems to the Sudanese rebel group.

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The American rapper Macklemore has announced the cancellation of his upcoming October concert in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), citing concerns over the country's alleged involvement in the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the BBC reports.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Macklemore explained that he had been urged for months to call off the show in solidarity with the Sudanese people and to boycott business in the UAE due to its reported role in the "ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis in the region."

The Grammy-winning artist specifically mentioned the UAE's alleged support for Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been engaged in a fierce battle against the Sudanese army. "Until the UAE stops arming and funding the RSF I will not perform there," Macklemore stated.

The conflict in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced approximately 10 million people, according to the BBC. The UN-accredited Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reports that the war has led to the country's worst hunger levels on record.

While both sides have been accused of atrocities, the RSF faces allegations of genocide against the non-Arabic population in parts of the western region of Darfur, which it largely controls. The RSF has denied these accusations, instead blaming local militias.

Macklemore emphasized the urgency of the situation in Sudan, stating that it is "going largely unnoticed globally." He drew parallels to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, noting that the plight of the Palestinian people "has woken the world up."

The rapper, known for addressing social issues in his music, recently released a song titled "Hind's Hall" in tribute to Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza. He donated the song's proceeds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), an organization with proven ties to Hamas. His lyrics comment on the Pro-Palestinian demonstrations currently sweeping the US:

The problem isn't the protests / Block the barricade until Palestine is free / When I was seven, I learned a lesson from Cube and Eazy-E / What was it again? Oh yeah, f*ck the police

He also touches on many buzzwords while blasting Israel:

A state that's gotta rely on an apartheid system / To uphold an occupyin' violent / History been repeating for the last seventy-five / The Nakba never ended, the colonizer lied 

HIND'S HALL. Once it's up on streaming all proceeds to UNRWA. pic.twitter.com/QqZEKmzwZI

— Macklemore (@macklemore) May 6, 2024

He clarified that his decision was not meant to judge other artists who perform in the UAE but rather to encourage his peers to consider using their platforms for collective liberation.

In June, the UAE denied accusations of fueling the conflict, dismissing them as "disinformation" and stating that their focus was on alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. This came in response to claims made by Sudan's ambassador to the UN, Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, who had accused the UAE of providing financial and military support to the RSF.

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US President Joe Biden's top national security aide met Sunday night with Saudi Arabia's crown prince amid long-standing tensions between the White House and the kingdom.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said the meeting between Jake Sullivan and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took place in Jeddah, the Red Sea port city now at the heart of seaborne evacuations from the fighting in Sudan.

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The state news report said only that the men reviewed "strategic relations" in a meeting that included other American officials.

Later, Sullivan took part in a meeting with the crown prince and Indian national security advisor Ajit Doval and Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the national security advisor of the neighboring United Arab Emirates.

A White House statement acknowledged the meetings, saying they aimed "to advance their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world." It did not elaborate.

Saudi state media did not immediately publish either video or photographs of the meetings. Biden campaigned on a promise to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" after the 2018 slaying of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. US intelligence agencies believe the killing came at the crown prince's orders, though Riyadh denies it. However, Biden did make a trip to the kingdom last July as the US sought the kingdom's assistance in keeping energy prices under control as Russia's war on Ukraine rages on.

In the time since, Biden vowed there would be "consequences" over oil production cuts by OPEC+, a group that includes Russia. The benchmark Brent crude now sits at $75 a barrel as global markets remain concerned about nations making interest rate hikes to combat inflation and US banks face turmoil.

For its part, Saudi Arabia has sought a detente with Iran after years of tensions, even as US sanctions remain imposed on Tehran as its nuclear program rapidly advances. That could help see an end to a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen's war. The kingdom also has played a role in bringing Syria back into the Arab League as the US and others remain opposed to President Bashar Assad's rule amid that country's long war.

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Israel is participating in efforts to de-escalate the deadly conflict in Sudan, Israel Hayom has learned.

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At least 56 civilians have died in the clashes between the military and the paramilitary.

Representatives of military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have been in contact with Israel, including in the days after the outbreak in the conflict.

Israeli officials urged their Sudanese counterparts to put an end to violence and restore calm.

The United States too is involved in efforts to calm the situation. A source familiar with the matter said that a full-blown civil war could break out in Sudan in the coming days.

Due to the conflict, Israel's political echelon estimates that the full peace agreement with Sudan cannot be signed until after the conflict is over.

The recent tensions stem from disagreement over how the Rapid Support Forces, headed by Dagalo, should be integrated into the armed forces and what authority should oversee the process. The merger is a key condition of Sudan's unsigned transition agreement with political groups.

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Sudan's Foreign Ministry announced it will move forward to normalize full diplomatic ties with Israel, following a visit earlier Thursday by the Israeli foreign minister to the Sudanese capital.

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During his one-day visit to Khartoum, Eli Cohen met with various Sudanese political figures including Sudan's ruling general, Abdel-Fattah Burhan, according to Sudan's state media outlet, SUNA. This was the first public visit by an Israeli cabinet member ever.

In a statement published after Cohen's departure, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said: "It was agreed to move forward toward the normalization of relations between the two countries.'' Upon returning to Israel, Cohen said the two countries would seek to sign a full-fledged peace accord by the year's end, noting that this would be in the form of "peace for peace."

"The agreement will help the economy, as well as bolster security and tourism in both countries," Cohen said. "I hope that this year will bring good news; the Sudanese want it and as soon as they complete their internal process, the accord will be signed, it will be quick," Cohen added during his press conference at Ben-Gurion International Airport upon his return.

Israel Hayom has learned that the US has made it clear that it would support such a development only after Khatroum's military rulers complete their handover of powers to a civilian government.

In 2020, Sudan stated that it would join Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates as part of the US-brokered "Abraham Accords" to establish full diplomatic ties.

With Sudan, however, the process stalled amid widespread popular opposition in Sudan. A military coup in October 2021 then deposed Sudan's government, upending the African country's fragile democratic transition.

In its statement, the Sudanese ministry added that the talks aimed to strengthen cooperation in various sectors, including security and military. It also spoke of a need to achieve ″stability between Israel and the Palestinian people″ in light of a recent surge in violence.

However, three Sudanese military officials told the Associated Press that full normalization of ties will not be achieved anytime soon. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks with reporters.

Behind-the-scenes talks have been ongoing between Israeli and Sudanese military and intelligence officials, one of the three military officials said, without providing further details. In early 2022, Sudan's ruling general, Abdel-Fattah Burhan, publicly defended past meetings between Israeli and Sudanese officials, saying intelligence sharing helped lead to the arrests of suspected militants in Sudan.

During his visit, Cohen also met with Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the Rapid Support Forces, the country's largest paramilitary group, the officials added.

There was no immediate comment from Israel. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to hint that something was in the works before flying to France earlier on Thursday. "We are continuing to expand the circle of peace," he said, noting that Chad, which borders Sudan, opened a new embassy in Israel earlier in the day.

"We will continue to expand and deepen the circle of peace with additional countries, both near and far," added Netanyahu, who returned to office in December. During his previous 12-year term as premier, his government made it a priority to forge ties with formerly hostile countries in Africa and the Arab world.

A new breakthrough with Sudan could help Netanyahu deflect attention from a recent burst of violence with Palestinians and widespread public anger over his plans to overhaul the country's judicial system – which critics say will badly damage Israel's democratic system of checks and balances.

Although Sudan does not have the influence or wealth of Gulf Arab countries, a deal with the African country – even as it is mired in a deep political and economic crisis – would be deeply significant for Israel.

Sudan was once one of Israel's fiercest critics in the Arab world and in 1993, the US designated it a state sponsor of terrorism. The Trump administration removed Sudan from that list in 2020, a move meant to help the country revive its battered economy and end its pariah status, and an incentive to normalize relations with Israel.

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The United States on Saturday appointed the first ambassador to Sudan since 1996, elevating its diplomatic representation in the capital Khartoum from charge d'affaires, Sudanese news agency SUNA reports.

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Veteran Middle East diplomat John Godfrey will serve as the new US envoy.

Godfrey is currently acting coordinator for counterterrorism at the US State Department, as well as acting special envoy for the global coalition to defeat the Islamic State.

Previously, he was deputy head of mission at the US embassy in Riyadh and before that chief of staff to then deputy secretary of state Bill Burns, who is now director of the CIA. Godfrey also held positions at the US embassies in Iraq and Libya.

The US broke diplomatic ties with Sudan in 1996 over its support for Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.

Following the ouster of then-Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, the US announced it would normalize relations with the African country and exchange ambassadors. Sudan sent an ambassador to Washington, but the Trump administration did not reciprocate.

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Sudan's deposed prime minister signed a deal with the military on Sunday that will see him reinstated, almost a month after a military coup put him under house arrest. A key pro-democracy group that has mobilized dozens of protests had dismissed the deal as "a form of betrayal."

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The country's top general, Abdel Fattah Burhan, said in televised statements that Abdalla Hamdok will lead an independent technocratic cabinet until elections can be held. It remains unclear how much power the government would hold. It would still remain under military oversight.

It also remains unclear whether any political parties or pro-democracy groups have signed off on the agreement.

The deal expects the military to release government officials and politicians arrested since the Oct. 25 coup.

The coup, more than two years after a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government, has drawn international criticism.

"The signing of this deal opens the door wide enough to address all the challenges of the transitional period," Hamdok said, speaking at the signing ceremony broadcast on state TV.

Sudanese have been taking to the streets in masses since the military takeover, which upended the country's fragile transition to democracy. The agreement comes just days after doctors said at least 15 people were killed by live fire during anti-coup demonstrations. Hamdok has been held under house arrest by military leaders for weeks.

The deal also stipulates that an investigation shall be conducted to identify those responsible for the killing and injuring of civilians and troops that marred protests following the coup.

Hamdok thanked Sudan's "regional and global friends" who helped in reaching this agreement but he did not name the countries.

The 14-clause deal also stressed that power should be handed over to an elected civilian government after the end of the transitional period.

"By signing this declaration, we could lay a genuine foundation to the transitional period," Burhan said.

The Sudanese Professionals' Association, a group that played a key role in the uprising against Bashir, voiced their vehement opposition to the agreement, accusing Hamdok of committing "political suicide."

"This agreement only concerns its signatories and it is an unjust attempt to bestow legitimacy on the latest coup and the military council," tweeted the group shortly after the deal was signed.

Earlier, the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, an umbrella of many political parties and pro-democracy groups, objected to any deals with the military.

In a statement Sunday, the group reiterated its opposition to any new political partnership with the military, insisting the perpetrators of the coup should be brought to justice.

"We are not concerned with any agreements with this brute junta and we are employing all peaceful and creative methods to bring it down," the statement said.

The largest of the political parties said to be included in the deal, the Umma Party, had also issued a statement implying that it did not sign off on it.

Cameron Hudson, a former US State Department official and Sudan expert at the Atlantic Council's Africa Center, said the deal allows the generals to largely retain their control and avoid accountability for the coup and the deaths of dozens of protesters.

"This is a deal among elites that largely seems to prioritize their preservation over the demands of the street," he said.

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A Mossad delegation traveled to Sudan after last week's military coup, Israeli media reported late Monday night.

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The reigning assessment is that the purpose of the trip was to ensure that the process of normalization between Israel and Sudan, which began when Sudan joined the Abraham Accords in 2020, continued. Sudan has yet to open an official diplomatic mission in Israel or dispatch a diplomatic envoy to take charge of bilateral ties.

Last week, Sudan's military seized power, dissolving the transitional government hours after troops arrested the prime minister, and thousands flooded the streets to protest the coup that threatened the country's shaky progress toward democracy.

Security forces opened fire on some of them, and three protesters were killed, according to the Sudan Doctors' Committee, which also said 80 people were wounded.

The takeover, which drew condemnation from the United Nations, the United States and the European Union, comes more than two years after protesters forced the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and just weeks before the military was supposed to hand the leadership of the council that runs the country over to civilians.

Some three weeks ago, the Saudi Al-Arabiya outlet reported that a Sudanese security delegation had visited Israel. According to that report, the visit lasted two days and participating representatives discussed relations between the two countries.

Not long after the reported visit to Israel, senior Israeli and Sudanese officials held a rare public meeting in Abu Dhabi.

Sudanese Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari met with Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll and Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej, and the officials pledged to strengthen the nascent ties between Jerusalem and Khartoum.

Roll said the sides agreed on future cooperation. "Our goal is to join hands in technological training in order to help young people of all sides" enter the modern labor market. "We also spoke about the importance of normalizing the relations between both countries," he added.

"The two agreed [on] promoting joint projects and activities," Frej said and quoted Abdulbari as saying it was important to "strengthen human bonds."

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