In its latest bid to supposedly achieve, in the words of a State Department spokesperson, a "lasting and comprehensive peace that offers a brighter future to Israel and the Palestinians", the US has taken another step to weaken the viability of a two-state solution. On Monday, Washington merged its Jerusalem consulate – a de facto embassy to Palestine – with its embassy in Israel, effectively downgrading its mission to the Palestinian people.
This is part of a larger pattern of behaviour from Washington. The Trump administration’s Palestine-Israel strategy has dealt repeated blows to prospects of Palestinian statehood, allegedly in the name of peace. Last May, the White House moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognising the divided city as Israel’s capital. While the US position was later clarified as moving the embassy to “West” Jerusalem, no clear policy has been articulated on the Palestinian right to East Jerusalem. After the Palestinian Authority severed ties in response, Mr Trump slashed millions of dollars in funding for the UNRWA’s Palestinian refugee programme.
Ahead of the unveiling of America's long-awaited Middle East peace plan by senior US adviser Jared Kushner, the US yet to prove it can provide the needed leadership to bring peace to end this decades-long conflict.
Given the recent string of provocations, one could feasibly surmise that the US now favours a one-state solution. The idea is of course highly unlikely. With the demographics against them, it is unlikely that the Israelis would agree to be outnumbered by Palestinians in their own state. And without any guaranteed rights for the Palestinians, the result would be too much like apartheid for the world to bear.
Meanwhile, Israelis and Palestinians, for their part, are actually in favour of each having their own state. A 2013 poll indicated that 70 per cent of Palestinians in the West Bank, 48 per cent of Gazans and 52 per cent of Israelis support "an independent Palestinian state together with the state of Israel".
The US insists its divisive policy will broker peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, but unless President Donald Trump has been plotting a one-state solution this whole time, cutting out Palestinians will only further undercut peacebuilding efforts.
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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
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Brief scoreline:
Burnley 3
Barnes 63', 70', Berg Gudmundsson 75'
Southampton 3
Man of the match
Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
