Saudi Arabia's departing ambassador to the UK, Prince Khalid bin Bandar, has warned that Israel's government is “not functioning” as a result of the power of its extremist cabinet ministers.
As he spoke at the Global Strategy Forum on Tuesday, the UK government and a handful of allies were slapping sanctions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for the incitement of about 2,000 settler attacks on the occupied West Bank since the start of last year.
Prince Khalid was speaking of how little trust there was regionally towards an Israeli government acting so brutally. “You hear people in the Israeli government saying, 'Oh no, what he said is not the policy'. He's in the cabinet. How can that not be the policy?
“This Israeli government is not functioning and [that] is making problems much worse. How can you tell the Palestinians you need to find a way to build trust with people who are openly saying they want to remove you.
Departing Saudi ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid bin Bandar. SPA
“It is the same thing you hear from those on the Israeli side who say, 'Well, how can we work with someone who wants to destroy you?'.
“There's an easy way to get around that. Ignore those people who keep saying that and focus on the majority of people who actually just want to live, thrive and survive.”
Also in the room was Palestinian diplomat Husam Zomlot who welcomed the announcement of the sanctions but says this week's development must not come at a cost of pressure over Gaza and recognition of the Palestinian state by the UK government, particularly in light of next week's UN summit sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France to advance the two-state solution.
“We expect the UK government to recognise the state of Palestine,” Mr Zomlot said. “This [the sanctions] is good but does not get us to that point.”
Prince Khalid said countries remained hesitant with a clutch expected to decide one way or another on the issue at the last minute. As for the hopes for normalisation between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the “craziness” coming out of the current government makes that impossible. There is no current route to developing trust with Israel, he added.
Fundamentalist publishing
I had cause to comment this week on the takeover of Tribune – the organ of the left that featured luminaries such as George Orwell, Michael Foot and Stafford Cripps – by the owner of the Islam Channel.
By his own words, Mohamed Ali Harrath has been involved in Islamist and revolutionary causes since he was a Tunisian teenager.
Speaking about how he had the money to keep the channel going over the years, he made it clear that connections stepped in at vital points. “Someone helped me out to start with £300,000, which was big money at the time,” he told an interviewer on the Side by Side podcast. He said the operation nearly shut down four times but each time a way emerged for its survival.
Tribune, the left-wing political magazine, has a new owner. Alamy
For example, an old acquaintance called him “out of the blue” at a time of a cash crisis. The caller was able to ensure the survival of the channel by transferring £120,000 within an hour of making the call.
Another time he asked a friend for £180,000 but the man said he did not have a penny. Twenty minutes later the man was on the phone proclaiming a “miracle”. A debt of £180,000 had been paid and the money was forwarded for the survival of Islam Channel.
It is quite the tale and the UK's newest media mogul is now able to stretch into left-wing politics, where some of the big issues are shared concerns and others are not. Here's my view on what that means.
Tech London
For all the talk of how AI is going to destroy jobs, the focus at London Tech Week is on how to get more work visas to keep the UK competitive as a base for the industry.
Peter Kyle came to the stage with an announcement on job enablers, saying the UK government would “double” the number of places available in its Encode: AI science fellowship. The scheme embeds AI researchers into UK labs. The next cohort is expected to start in the autumn.
An artificial intelligence powered robot named Ameca at London Tech Week. EPA
The Science Secretary also announced the launch of the Turing AI 'Global' Fellowship, to attract five AI experts to the UK. This is in addition to existing Turing AI Fellowships, which have been available since 2019.
Global fellows will receive packages to relocate to Britain and build a team of experts to conduct “frontier” AI research that contributes to the UK's infrastructure.
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
