Israel is roiling with angry street protests that local observers have warned could erupt into open civil strife – a development Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be encouraging.
For weeks, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have been the scene of large, noisy demonstrations outside the official residences of Mr Netanyahu and his public security minister, Amir Ohana.
On Saturday night around 13,000 marched through Jerusalem shouting "Anyone but Bibi", Mr Netanyahu's nickname. Their calls were echoed by tens of thousands more at locations across the country.
Turnout has been steadily growing, despite attacks on demonstrators from both the police and Mr Netanyahu’s loyalists. The first protests abroad by Israeli expats have also been reported.
Demonstrators protest against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside his residence in Jerusalem on Saturday. AP Photo
The protests, in defiance of physical distancing rules, are unprecedented by Israeli standards. They have bridged the gaping political divide between a small constituency of anti-occupation activists – disparagingly called “leftists” in Israel – and the much larger Israeli Jewish public that identifies politically as on the centre and the right.
For the first time, a section of Mr Netanyahu’s natural supporters is out on the streets against him.
In contrast to earlier protests, such as a large social justice movement that occupied the streets in 2011 to oppose rising living costs, these demonstrations have not entirely eschewed political issues.
The target of the anger and frustration is decidedly personal at this stage – focused on the figure of Mr Netanyahu, who is now Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister. Protesters have renamed him Israel’s “crime minister”.
But also fuelling the protests is a larger mood of disenchantment as doubts grow about the state’s competence to deal with multiple crises unfolding in Israel. The virus has caused untold social and economic misery for many, with as much as one fifth of the labour force out of work. Mr Netanyahu’s supporters in the lower middle-classes have been hit hardest.
Now well into a second wave, Israel has a per capita rate of infection that outstrips even the US. The shadow of a renewed lockdown amid government mishandling of the virus has undermined Mr Netanyahu's claim to be "Mr Security".
Protesters have renamed Benjamin Netanyahu Israel’s 'crime minister'. EPA
Police crackdowns on the protests, using riot squads, undercover agents, mounted police and water cannon, have underlined not just Mr Netanyahu’s growing authoritarianism. There is a sense too that the police may be ready to use violence on dissenting Israelis that was once reserved for Palestinians.
After manipulating his right-wing rival, the former military general Benny Gantz, into joining him in a unity government in April, Mr Netanyahu has effectively crushed any meaningful political opposition.
The agreement shattered Mr Gantz’s Blue and White party, with many of his legislators refusing to enter the government, and has widely discredited the ex-general.
Mr Netanyahu is reportedly preparing for a winter election – the fourth in two years – both to cash in on his opponents’ disarray and to avoid honouring a rotation agreement in which Mr Gantz is due to replace him late next year.
According to the Israeli media, Mr Netanyahu may find a pretext for forcing new elections by further delaying approval of the national budget, despite Israel facing its worst financial crisis in decades.
And, of course, overshadowing all this is the matter of the corruption charges against Mr Netanyahu. Not only is he the first sitting Prime Minister in Israel to stand trial, but he has been using his role and the pandemic to his advantage, including by delaying court hearings.
Israelis protest against the government's response to the financial fallout of the coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) crisis at Rabin square in Tel Aviv, Israel. REUTERS
Police officers arrest a protester as he blocks a main junction during a protest against the government's economy response to the corona virus crisis in Tel Aviv. Getty Images
A general view shows Rabin square as Israelis protest against the government's response to the financial fallout of the coronavirus disease crisis in Tel Aviv. REUTERS
Israelis block a main junction in the city as they protest against the government's response to the financial fallout of the coronavirus crisis in Tel Aviv. REUTERS
Israeli border police confronts protesters during a self-employed business owners demonstration against the Israeli government in Rabin square in Tel Aviv. EPA
Police force stand in front of the protestors as they block a main junction in the city following a protest against the government's response to the financial fallout of the coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) crisis in Tel Aviv. REUTERS
Israelis block a main junction in the city as they protest against the government's response to the financial fallout of the coronavirus crisis in Tel Aviv, Israel. REUTERS
Police detain a protester as Israelis block a main junction in the city following a protest against the government's response to the financial fallout of the coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) crisis in Tel Aviv. REUTERS
Israeli Protester holds a fake bill with a photo of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as she protests against the Government's economy response to the cororna virus crisis in Tel Aviv. Getty Images
Israeli woman holds a sign with photos of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as she protests against the Government's economy response to the cororna virus crisis in Tel Aviv. Getty Images
In a time of profound crisis and uncertainty, many Israelis are wondering which policies are being pursued for the national good and which for Mr Netanyahu’s personal benefit.
The government's months-long focus on the annexation of swaths of Palestinian territory in the West Bank has looked like political pandering to his settler constituency, creating a dangerous distraction from dealing with the pandemic.
Similarly, a one-off handout this week to every Israeli – over the strenuous objections of finance officials – looks suspiciously like an electoral bribe. As a result, Mr Netanyahu is facing a rapid decline in support. A recent survey shows trust in him has fallen by half – from 57 per cent in March and April, when the Covid-19 pandemic began, to 29 per cent today.
Many Israelis increasingly see Mr Netanyahu less as a father figure and more as a drain on resources from the body politic. Capturing the popular mood is a new art work called the "Last Supper" that was covertly installed in central Tel Aviv. It shows Mr Netanyahu alone, gorging on a vast banquet by stuffing his hand into an enormous cake decorated with the Israeli flag.
A doll depicting Benjamin Netanyahu sits on a table simulating the 'Last Supper' during a protest performance by Israeli artist Itay Zalait in Tel Aviv last week. AFP
Observers have wondered whether the protests can transcend party political tribalism and develop into a grassroots movement demanding real change
In another move designed to highlight the case against Mr Netanyahu, better-off Israelis have been publicly organising to donate this week’s state handout to those in need.
Mr Netanyahu’s repeated incitement against the protesters – disparaging them as “leftists” and “anarchists”, and suggesting they are spreading disease – appears to have backfired. It has only rallied more people to the street.
But the incitement and Mr Netanyahu’s claims that he is the true victim – and that in the current climate he faces assassination – have been interpreted as a call to arms by some on the right. Last week five protesters were injured when his loyalists used clubs and broken bottles on them, with police appearing to turn a blind eye. Further attacks were reported at the weekend. Protest organisers said they had begun arranging defence units to protect demonstrators.
Mr Ohana has called for a ban on the protests and urged a heavy hand from the police. He has delayed appointing a new police chief – a move seen as incentivising local commanders to crack down on the protests to win favour. Large numbers of protesters have been forcefully arrested, with reports that police have questioned some on their political views.
Observers have wondered whether the protests can transcend party political tribalism and develop into a grassroots movement demanding real change. That might widen their appeal to even more disadvantaged groups, not least the one fifth of Israel’s citizens who belong to its Palestinian minority.
But it would also require more of the protesters to start drawing a direct connection between Mr Netanyahu’s personal abuses of office and the wider, systemic corruption of Israeli politics, with the occupation its beating heart.
That may yet prove a tall order, especially when Israel feels it can resist external pressure for change.
Jonathan Cook is a freelance journalist in Nazareth
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
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.”
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tamkeen's offering
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
If you go: The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
