As a follow-up to the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel in November, the two countries agreed to form committees earlier this month to discuss three issues: their outstanding land border disagreements; Israel’s withdrawal from five border hills it still occupies in Lebanon; and the release of Lebanese prisoners being held by the Israelis.
From the beginning, Israel has sought to portray such negotiations as the first step towards diplomatic relations. “The goal is to reach normalisation,” an Israeli official recently declared, quoted by The Times of Israel newspaper. On the Lebanese side, however, the official position is that there is no intention to normalise, only to secure an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, seek the release of Lebanese citizens, and reach an agreement over disputed border points and close this contentious file.
From the Lebanese perspective, allegations that the administration of US President Donald Trump is trying to push Beirut in the same direction as Israel have been even more disturbing. On March 18, Lebanon’s An-Nahar newspaper published an article quoting an unnamed “Lebanese personality” who met US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Doha recently. The envoy reportedly told him that “Lebanon will be asked to move to direct face-to-face political negotiations with Israel and name a civilian official for this task”. The Israelis, Mr Witkoff is believed to have added, would be represented by that country’s Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer.
The envoy also allegedly told his Lebanese interlocutor that there would be no reconstruction in the south, the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs before such a process begins, nor would the inhabitants of “frontline border towns” be allowed to return home. Israel would continue to hold the occupied hills for about a year and would not negotiate over the 13 land border points still in dispute.
Mr Witkoff publicly denied the An-Nahar report, describing it as “baseless, false and misleading”. Yet few in Beirut were reassured, given the Israeli statements on normalisation and how close the Trump administration is to Israel. One can speculate whether such off-the-record remarks were designed to raise the heat on Lebanon, given that Mr Witkoff allegedly told his interlocutor that the Americans were dissatisfied with how Lebanon was dealing with Hezbollah.
If that’s the thinking in Washington, the Americans should be careful. Lebanon is too divided a country today to be able to afford a divisive internal dispute over relations with Israel, particularly when it has much more pressing challenges. Any idea that, because Lebanon is fragile and Hezbollah is weakened, the country can be bludgeoned into a normalisation process that it doesn’t want may crack open its dangerous rifts.
At the same time, if there is some truth in the An-Nahar report, and this echoes the mood in the Trump administration, it’s up to the Lebanese to prepare a pre-emptive approach to address the implications. To assume that such a detailed exchange was simply invented by a Lebanese figure visiting Qatar is unconvincing. Hence, some anticipatory Lebanese steps may be necessary. What might the contours of such an approach be?
First of all, the Lebanese government has to again make clear that normalisation with Israel would be a step too far for a country that needs to rebuild the domestic authority of the state. To push Hezbollah and its communal supporters in such a direction would provoke a backlash that would not only undermine the state’s credibility; it would also be exploited by the group to revive itself, mobilise its base and retain its weapons.
Second, the Lebanese have to bring long-term discussions with Israel back to a format that can be legitimised. The obvious format is the Lebanese-Israeli Mixed Armistice Commission established when the two countries negotiated the Armistice Agreement of March 23, 1949. However, the agreement may need to be updated in light of realities today, which can be done by amending the agreement’s annexes.
With regard to Mr Witkoff’s purported demand that a civilian representative be designated, there is a precedent from which Lebanon can take advantage: the maritime border negotiations concluded in 2022. Ultimately, it was then-president Michel Aoun, a civilian, who carried them out, albeit indirectly through Amos Hochstein, the US envoy at the time.
Direct talks through the Mixed Armistice Commission and indirect talks through President Joseph Aoun on the land border disputes may be a way of nipping any potential American demands in the bud, thereby relying on precedents that can preserve domestic unity. This won’t lead to a peace agreement, but it will revive an Armistice Agreement that guarantees that no military actions again take place across the southern border.
In parallel, the Lebanese should initiate negotiations with the new government in Syria to resolve the contested border in the Shebaa Farms area. Their outcome would end any ambiguity over to which country the farms belong – Syria or Lebanon.
Finally, the Lebanese government must begin a dialogue with Hezbollah on finding a solution to the group’s weapons and implementing UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701. A return to the Armistice Agreement, like the large Lebanese majority’s opposition to the group’s holding weapons, could compel Hezbollah to make concessions on this front.
Such measures may fall short of normalisation, if that is indeed what the Americans want, but they would fall within the confines of what the government could sell at home. By pushing too hard, the US may throw the baby out with the bathwater. Most Lebanese want an end to hostilities with Israel, but do not necessarily embrace normalisation. A formula that balances these aims is what is needed today.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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