“It’s very difficult to talk about hope now,” said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. He was speaking while flanked by a solemn group of church leaders, gathered in the ancient Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank, to show solidarity with the tiny community as it faces Israeli settler attacks.
“It’s become evidently clear that there is no law here. The only law is power,” Cardinal Pizzaballa added.
It was a starkly bleak assessment from the most influential Christian in the Holy Land, who only recently returned from the papal conclave in the Vatican, having been in the running to become pope. In Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa is perhaps only rivalled in power by US ambassador Mike Huckabee, a deeply pro-Israel, pro-settler Christian Zionist who has the ear of President Donald Trump.
After trudging up stairs in the blazing sun to reach the ruins of the fifth century Church of St George, the cardinal and his peers led a prayer for peace. The small and ageing population of the village chanted the Arabic verses, a group far outnumbered by journalists and diplomats who came to observe the plea for help.
As the only remaining Christian-majority community in the West Bank, life in Taybeh reflects the uncertain future for all Palestinian Christians. Its empty streets show how much smaller the community has become, as migration increases.
Chicken farmer Jerry Salwad’s story tells of the struggle of Christians facing settler violence. His farm on the east of the village is close to the illegal Israeli outpost, from which many of the attacks begin.
“We reached the level that our basic needs to carry on operating the chicken farm, transferring chicks and food, for example, are being stopped by the settlers who prohibit us from travelling,” he said.
“Once, I was coming home from work in my car and the settlers came from the other direction and blocked the road. They took their weapons out and wanted to take my car. I tried to stall time and gave them a key that thank goodness didn’t work. I tried to speak to the Israeli police but there was no answer.”
Church patriarchs and leaders issued a statement on Monday after particularly brutal attacks last week, describing the broader problem of settler violence against residents of the town. “In recent months, the radicals have led their cattle to graze on the farms of Christians on the east side of Taybeh, the agricultural area, rendering them inaccessible at best, but at worst damaging the olive groves that families depend on," the statement said. "Last month several homes were attacked by these radicals, lighting fires and erecting a billboard that said 'there is no future for you here.'"
Church leaders stress that this is not only a problem for Christians, but all Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Father Bashar Fawadleh, of Taybeh’s Catholic congregation, said on Monday that his village represented “a true mirror of what towns and villages across the West Bank endure”.
“Lands cultivated with love are being burnt," he added. "Armed settlers trespass on our lands. We cannot access our own olive trees. Citizens are terrorised at night and besieged by day. We are surrounded by iron gates, choked by military checkpoints, as if we are strangers in our own land."
A short drive along the road from Taybeh, two Palestinians were killed on Friday by settlers in the town of Turmus Aya. Sayafollah Musallat, 20, a US-Palestinian, was beaten to death. Hussein Al Shalabi, 23, was beaten and then shot dead in the same attack.
Like the attacks on Taybeh, the killing of the two men received global media attention, in part because Mr Musallat was American, but also because of the brutal way in which he was killed.
But there are daily incidents that receive little media coverage. In recent weeks, settlers have forced Palestinians to leave their villages and carried out repeated attacks on property and people. An average of two Palestinians a day have been injured in settler attacks this year, the UN’s latest statistics show. This comes amid expanded Israeli military operations in the region since the Gaza war began in 2023.
Even with the extra attention of the past week, which in Taybeh attracted journalists from around the world and more than 20 diplomatic missions, the incidents appear to have barely registered with Israeli authorities.
Israeli police say they have detained people suspected of the killings in Turmus Aya, but if previous cases are anything to go by, charges and sentencing are unlikely. Israel's military said it was investigating the incident. The Musallat family have criticised the US government, saying it is failing to take action.
Shortly before beginning his prayers, Cardinal Pizzaballa – respected in Israel and a fluent Hebrew speaker – was asked whether he expected an effective response from authorities. He said only that “I doubt, but I hope”.
Mr Fawadleh, wh has to live the grim reality of the village, said it was a holy act to remind the world that his community “are not passers-by, nor migrants, nor strangers" in the Holy Land. “This land is not merely a homeland … it is a calling, a mission and a covenant that shall not be broken.”
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Rawat Al Reef, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Noof KB, Richard Mullen, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20Alisson%2C%20Ederson%2C%20Weverton%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDefenders%3A%20Dani%20Alves%2C%20Marquinhos%2C%20Thiago%20Silva%2C%20Eder%20Militao%20%2C%20Danilo%2C%20Alex%20Sandro%2C%20Alex%20Telles%2C%20Bremer.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EMidfielders%3A%20Casemiro%2C%20Fred%2C%20Fabinho%2C%20Bruno%20Guimaraes%2C%20Lucas%20Paqueta%2C%20Everton%20Ribeiro.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EForwards%3A%20Neymar%2C%20Vinicius%20Junior%2C%20Richarlison%2C%20Raphinha%2C%20Antony%2C%20Gabriel%20Jesus%2C%20Gabriel%20Martinelli%2C%20Pedro%2C%20Rodrygo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
On racial profiling at airports
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
