Israel tries to keep Egypt as an ally in changing Arab world



JERUSALEM // Already uneasy about the upheaval that has swept the Arab world this year, Israel faces a diplomatic crisis with an ally it can ill-afford to alienate further - Egypt.

Cairo threatened to recall its ambassador from Tel Aviv after Israeli forces killed five Egyptian security officers on Friday while pursuing the militants who carried out the deadly assault in southern Israel a day earlier.

The cross-border raid touched on a central pillar of Israel's regional policy - its 1979 peace agreement with Egypt. Calling the incursion on its territory a breach of the accord, Egypt demanded an apology and said it would withdraw its ambassador from Tel Aviv.

The Sinai attacks prompted renewed fighting between Israel and Hamas. But last night, a Hamas official in Gaza said that all of Gaza's militant groups have agreed to a ceasefire aimed at ending a three-day round of violence with Israel.

The uneasy quiet did not overshadow yet another troubling turn in Israel's relations with Egypt since the removal of its former president, Hosni Mubarak, in February. In the wake of the border shootings on Friday, Israeli officials rushed to appease Cairo.

Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, expressed "regret" for the killings and called for a joint Egyptian-Israeli investigation into the incident. He emphasised that the "Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty has great importance and much strategic value for the stability of the Middle East".

It was unclear yesterday whether Egypt had actually withdrawn its ambassador from Israel, but the military government nonetheless reacted coolly to Mr Barak's conciliatory words, warning that it "does not fit with the weight of the incident and the state of Egyptians' outrage from the Israeli actions". "Egyptian blood is not cheap and the government will not accept that Egyptian blood gets shed for nothing," the government said.

The incident represents another diplomatic setback for Israel, which this month, refused a request by the US to apologise to Turkey over a military raid on an aid ship last year in which nine Turks were killed.

That decision has further undermined ties with Ankara - once considered a firm Israeli ally - and may have also emboldened Cairo's sharp reaction, according to analysts.

Uzi Rabi, the director of Tel Aviv's Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern studies, described it as a situation where "Egypt is trying to re-educate Israel and is following the same line as the Turkish foreign policy". He said: "Israel needs to learn that it is facing a different Middle East."

That was a reference to the revolutionary upheaval that had spread in the region. Israel had depended on support Mr Mubarak. Even though the former leader maintained a so-called "cold peace" with Israel, his support - often at the expense of popular opinion - still proved crucial in upholding Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Amid a hamstrung peace process, the Palestinians, too, were opting out of bilateral diplomacy with Israel for statehood recognition at the United Nations in September. The move has been described by Mr Barak as potentially unleashing a diplomatic "tsunami" on Israel, which in turn has deployed a counter-offensive to erode Palestinian support.

The Palestinians' UN bid was expected to receive backing from Lebanon, which in September would temporarily hold the presidency of the Security Council. On Friday, Beirut's representative to the Security Council thwarted a proposed statement that would have condemned Thursday's attack in Israel that killed eight and wounded more than 40.

Lebanon dismissed it for failing to include a condemnation of Israel's continuing military assault on the Gaza Strip, where Tel Aviv said Thursday's attackers originated.

Daoud Kuttab, a Palestinian political analyst who lives in Jerusalem and Amman, Jordan, believed such support was part of broader regional change that was depriving Israel of much of its influence. "I think the issue here is that Israel can no longer depend on a select number of pro-western leaders, or dictators if you will, that can be bribed one way or another for support," he said.

This would affect the power of its potent military, he said. "I think the days of Israeli military hegemony are over. It can no longer simply cross international borders or enter international waters with impunity."

"People power," Mr Kuttab said, "has really made a big difference."

That sort of power has been displayed in Egypt, where rallies staged outside Israel's Egyptian embassy have seen crowds burn Israeli flags.

One protester, Ahmed El Shehata, scaled several levels of the building and replaced the Israeli flag with an Egyptian one.

With national elections looming, politicians have not lost the opportunity to pander.

Hamdi Sabahi, an Egyptian presidential candidate, issued a statement praising Mr Shehata "who burned the Zionist flag that spoiled the Egyptian air for 30 years".

Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister and presidential candidate, also weighed in with a firm critique posted on Twitter.

"Israel must be aware that the days when it kills our children without getting a strong, appropriate response are gone for ever," he wrote.

* With additional reporting by Reuters

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
England World Cup squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

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Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.

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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021

Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.

Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.

Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.

Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.

Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.

Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.

Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”

Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI. 

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Story of 2017-18 so far and schedule to come

Roll of Honour

Who has won what so far in the West Asia rugby season?

 

Western Clubs Champions League

Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

Runners up: Bahrain

 

Dubai Rugby Sevens

Winners: Dubai Exiles

Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons

 

West Asia Premiership

Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons

Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

 

UAE Premiership Cup

Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

Runners up: Dubai Exiles

 

Fixtures

Friday

West Asia Cup final

5pm, Bahrain (6pm UAE time), Bahrain v Dubai Exiles

 

West Asia Trophy final

3pm, The Sevens, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Sports City Eagles

 

Friday, April 13

UAE Premiership final

5pm, Al Ain, Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins

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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Company profile: buybackbazaar.com

Name: buybackbazaar.com

Started: January 2018

Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini

Based: Dubai

Sector: FinTech, micro finance

Initial investment: $1 million

Tips for taking the metro

- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

Fixtures

Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA

Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland

Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland

Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA

Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland

Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland

Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free