US President Joe Biden has expressed frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of his warnings over Israel's mounting attacks on Palestinian civilians. Reuters
US President Joe Biden has expressed frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of his warnings over Israel's mounting attacks on Palestinian civilians. Reuters
US President Joe Biden has expressed frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of his warnings over Israel's mounting attacks on Palestinian civilians. Reuters
Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute, and a columnist for The National
February 18, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is growing more tenacious in rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, confident in the Israeli public’s endorsement of his obstinacy against US President Joe Biden and decisive military action in Gaza seeking to crush Hamas, at any cost.
The big dilemma is that Mr Biden is unwilling to use Washington’s arms deliveries and generous funding as leverage to Israel to pressure Mr Netanyahu to stop pursuing this path. The fact that the influential Israel lobby in the US uncritically endorses Israel’s policies despite divisions even within the country on Mr Netanyahu’s character only makes things harder.
Some posit that the global upsurge in support for a two-state solution is a noteworthy development, given the growing anger in the US, both within the government and among the public, at Israel's inhumane conduct against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. But one might worry not just that the world could just as quickly forget the need for the establishment of a Palestinian homeland, but also at the prospect of having to bet once again on America to achieve a two-state solution in the face of Israeli opposition.
Arab states are banking on tangible progress in their pursuit of Palestinian rights represented by the two-state solution, based on the premise that Israel needs normalisation and economic co-operation with them, and that the Biden administration is committed to achieving a major settlement between Israel and the Arab countries, Turkey and Iran.
But the grand settlement US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his team desire so badly will remain off the table if Joe Biden is incapable of shaping Israel’s behaviour.
Is there any other solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict besides the two-state proposal? Israel puts forth one idea with arrogant audacity: Jordan as an alternative homeland for Palestinians, while other Arab nations must absorb displaced Palestinians, starting with Egypt in the Sinai. In Israel's perspective, the rest of the world should allocate “quotas" to accommodate displaced Palestinians, showing them "mercy".
Nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its invasion of the Gaza Strip in October. Reuters
The big dilemma is that Biden is unwilling to use Washington’s arms deliveries and generous funding as leverage
So, what are the other alternatives? An international war is not one of them – not in the least because attrition wars hurt Palestinians – particularly civilians. While these wars may be costly for Israel, the cost for Palestinians is much higher.
Furthermore, the silence from Syria amid Israeli strikes on critical Syrian sites, including Damascus airport, has been deafening after clear warnings from Israel and the US about the high cost of any Syrian involvement. Even Iran, Syria’s main backer, has shown no eagerness for Damascus to respond to Israel.
The “unity of battlefronts” promoted by Iran through its Axis of Resistance has proven to be a hollow promise, embarrassing its forces and exposes its claims. The Iranian proxies are scattered. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean things cannot change. A spark might be enough to ignite more fires. Southern Lebanon remains vulnerable to the possibility of a major confrontation, but also to a settlement based on a mutual American-Iranian desire to avoid a regional war.
Israel currently perceives the war against Hamas as an existential battle, a perspective the Biden administration comprehends. Washington’s concern is with Israel's ruthless killing of civilians using American weapons and ammunition. It has been collaborating with Arab nations on developing the components of a permanent settlement, hoping it will involve a new Palestinian administration led by a technocratic Palestinian Authority instead of Hamas, with a US commitment to establishing a Palestinian state.
This is not the first time it has appeared as though the establishment of a Palestinian state might be possible. Since the Oslo Accords 30 years ago, and the "roadmap" agreed for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, the latter has consistently resisted all efforts and pressures aimed at implementing the two-state solution.
During the presidency of George W Bush, I conducted an exclusive interview with his then secretary of state, Colin Powell, for Al Hayat. At the time, he stated Mr Bush would propose establishing a temporary Palestinian state as a transitional step towards a permanent one. But the White House quickly distanced itself from Mr Powell's idea, saying it represented his own thoughts and not those of the president.
Back then, discussions revolved around the framework of a peace process within an agreed-upon timeline leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Israeli prime minister at the time, Ariel Sharon, opposed such a timeline. Consequently, Mr Bush backtracked, stating he, too, was not prepared to accept it.
That was 22 years ago, and today we still strive to persuade Israel merely to accept the notion of the two-state solution in the future within an open-ended timeframe. The Arab states are approaching the issue pragmatically, encouraging Israel to accept two states and recognise the benefits to it. They are actively engaged with the United States in attempting to broker peace, as they have always been despite coming up against unconditional US allegiance to Israel.
The arrival of the head of the CIA, William Burns, to the region for talks with Israel at this moment of the political confrontation between Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu suggests another attempt to convince Israel to at least consider not entirely rejecting the two-state solution.
Some are appalled by how the President of the mighty US, which allocates over $3.8 billion annually to Israel and continually shields it from accountability, accepts political and personal humiliation from Israel’s leader without taking any practical measures to constrain him.
Perhaps Mr Biden's patience has limits, and he might soon turn his soft ultimatums into firm policies. The dilemma is that Mr Netanyahu not only rides the wave of unyielding extremism but also enjoys popular approval for his aggressive policies. Israel has long proclaimed to the world that it will never accept the establishment of a Palestinian state beside it, insisting that the two-state solution is nothing more than a fantasy in the minds of others.
In the face of all these facts, what options exist against Israel's intransigence? Mr Netanyahu has turned off the light at the end of the tunnel, leaving Mr Biden in the dark.
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
GroupA: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
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
RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
