Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not agree to any deal that stipulated an end to the war in Gaza. Mr Netanyahu said this less than a month after US President Joe Biden announced what he claimed to be an Israeli proposal to end the offensive.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s statement, which follows a similar rebuttal shortly after Mr Biden’s announcement, has further exposed what was Washington’s most confounding move in the context of the war.
Last month, in a televised speech to the nation, Mr Biden announced a three-stage “peace deal” that he said would lead to an end to the conflict. The plan, he added, had already been approved by Israel and the burden was now on Hamas to accept its terms.
The first phase would entail a complete ceasefire; the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza; the release of some hostages and some bodies of hostages; the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes; and a surge in humanitarian aid. The second phase would involve a permanent end to hostilities; the exchange for the release of remaining living hostages; and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The third phase would focus on a major reconstruction plan for Gaza; and the return of the final bodies of hostages to their families.
Shortly thereafter, Mr Netanyahu released a statement that essentially rejected the plan. In a social media post, he noted that the “actual” plan to which he agreed stipulated no end to the conflict until Hamas had been eliminated; no permanent ceasefire until all hostages are freed and victory was achieved; and no end to an Israeli security role in Gaza.
Why the confusion? Or was it intentional deception?
Some of this was noted in a June 1 statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office, which read: “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.
Under the proposal, Israel will continue to insist these conditions are met before a permanent ceasefire is put in place. The notion that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter.”
When asked for clarification about the discrepancy between what Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu were saying, both the White House and US State Department spokespeople appeared to accept the latter’s terms.
On national television, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called Mr Biden’s proposal the “Israeli ceasefire and hostage deal”. He said: “It’s an Israeli proposal ... The Israeli government has reconfirmed repeatedly, as recently as today, that proposal is still on the table, and now it’s up to Hamas to accept it, and the whole world should call on Hamas to accept it.”
The State Department spokesman elaborated further, noting that if Hamas were truly committed to saving the lives of its people instead of simply saving its own position, then it should accept the “deal”.
To make matters more confusing, on June 10, the US was able to secure passage of a UN Security Council resolution that referred to the May 31 ceasefire proposal as one “which Israel accepted” and “calls upon Hamas to also accept it and urges both parties to implement its terms without delay and without conditions”.
The resolution went on to elaborate the three phases of the ceasefire proposal in greater detail.
Israel is not a member of the Security Council and could not vote, nevertheless its ambassador made a point of stating that Israel rejected this resolution, noting that it ran counter to his government’s goals. And Mr Netanyahu continued to publicly insist on Israel’s goal of “total victory” in Gaza.
Adding confusion, the US leaked what it said had been Israel’s detailed response to the proposals put forward by US and Arab mediators. It differed principally in that it only offered a limited withdrawal in phase one and that a complete withdrawal of its forces would only occur in phase two subject to negotiations – none of which were in either the Biden plan or the UN resolution.
For its part, Hamas largely accepted the Biden plan and the UN resolution with some caveats. For example, it insisted that the end of the ceasefire as described in both leads to permanent peace, and that there be a complete withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza.
While the gaps might have been the subject of further negotiations, it was confounding to hear US Secretary of State Antony Blinken say that “Israel accepted the proposal as it was”, before adding that “Hamas could have answered with a single word: ‘Yes’”.
With Mr Netanyahu doubling down on his previous statements last weekend, we are left with serious questions that require answers.
What exactly was the “deal”? Was it what the White House announced, or was it what Mr Netanyahu said was the “actual proposal”?
If Israel’s disagreements with the plan were known to the US, why were Security Council members asked to vote on a resolution that claimed it had Israel’s acceptance? If the goal was to pressure both Israel and Hamas, why not put the deal forward as a US and Arab negotiators’ plan and demand that both Israel and Hamas accept it?
And, finally, why the confusion? Or was it intentional deception?
How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”
A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.
Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.
Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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THE%20FLASH
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Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
