WASHINGTON // The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful lobbying group known for its unwavering support of Israel, kicks off its annual conference here today amid high tensions stemming from a US-Israel dispute over settlement construction in East Jerusalem.
The conference, which brings the Israeli prime minister to the US capital, sets up a week of closed-door meetings and public pronouncements that will provide a clearer picture of how deep the tensions run and how long the diplomatic flap will last.
Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Barack Obama, the US president, who recently postponed plans to visit Indonesia and Australia to make a final push for his top domestic priority, healthcare reform. The announcement of their meeting, putting an end to doubts that it would happen, could be a sign that the countries are ready to enter a more conciliatory phase.
Mr Netanyahu also will meet Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, whom he called last week to discuss "specific actions that might be taken to improve the atmosphere for progress", according to the state department. During the call, Mr Netanyahu offered his much-anticipated response to the US request that Israel halt its plan to build 1,600 new housing units on land claimed by Palestinians. The details of that response were not disclosed but Mrs Clinton referred to Mr Netanyahu's proposals as "useful and productive".
The construction plans were announced during a visit to Israel this month by Joe Biden, the US vice president, spoiling his efforts to build momentum for the peace process.
Mrs Clinton and Mr Netanyahu are scheduled to address the Aipac audience within hours of each other tomorrow, their most public remarks since the dispute began. The words of each leader will be picked apart by analysts and activist looking for more clues as to how each side will proceed. The Israeli prime minister's speech will likely provide a more definitive answer on the controversial settlement project. For Mrs Clinton, meanwhile, the question is whether she will continue to denounce Israeli policies with tough rhetoric or resort to the kind of pro-Israel applause lines that often define political speeches at Aipac conferences.
Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator in Republican and Democratic administrations and now a scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, said he expects Mrs Clinton to do a little of both, giving a speech that is "tough as well as reassuring".
Although Mr Miller said the current dispute is not as serious as some previous ones, such as the 1975 fallout over a US demand that Israel partially withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula, he noted that Mr Netanyahu's visit to Washington has the makings of gripping political theatre for those who track the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
There were signs late last week that the US-Israel relationship was already on the mend. Mrs Clinton seemed to soften her tone when she described the "unshakeable bond" between the United States and Israel during a press conference. But the dispute has not yet been resolved and the way forward for both sides remains unclear.
Steven Cook, an expert on the Middle East at the Council on Foreign Relations, said he expects both sides to wind down the tensions and return to the shared goal of bringing Israelis and Palestinians together for so-called "proximity talks", or indirect negotiations mediated by the United States.
"I think the ones who are going to be sorely disappointed are folks in the region who are expecting the administration to take some sort of different stance," he said, calling the dispute one of many "periodic bumps in the road" in the US-Israel relationship.
Still, he said: "The stakes are high for Netanyahu. I think the stakes are high for the administration as well."
The Aipac conference often involves a heavy dose of politics, and it has served in the past as a venue for US officials to criticise Israel.
At the 1989 conference, James Baker, the US secretary of state at the time, bluntly told the audience that it was time for Israel to "lay aside once and for all the unrealistic dream of a Greater Israel".
In 2006, Nancy Pelosi, the house speaker, heard scattered boos after she called the Iraq war a failure. Last year, Mr Biden criticised Israel's settlement policies, at one point telling the audience "you are not going to like my saying this".
Aipac, for its part, has deliberately staked out a position in the current dispute by issuing a statement that was sharply critical of the administration's tone. It remains to be seen whether the group will soften its position. The annual conference is a tangible expression of Aipac's power in Washington and influence over top US and Israeli policymakers. This year's guests include Tony Blair, the former British prime minister and now envoy to the Mideast Quartet; Tzipi Livni, the Israeli opposition leader and head of the Kadima Party; and several top US legislators and governors.
This year's conference has been billed as the biggest in Aipac's history, with an estimated 7,500 participants. Conference attendees also will visit Capitol Hill to lobby for Aipac-approved legislation, including measures passed by both houses of Congress that would stiffen sanctions on Iran.
Aipac spent nearly US$2.8 million (Dh10.3m) lobbying Congress last year, its highest single-year total of the decade, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group that tracks money in politics.
@Email:sstanek@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
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
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 100 ) US$175,000 1,200m
Winner: Baccarat, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (78-94) $60,000 1,800m
Winner: Baroot, Christophe Soumillon, Mike de Kock
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 $200,000 1,600m
Winner: Heavy Metal, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.15pm: Handicap (95-108) $125,000 1,200m
Winner: Yalta, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 $200,000 1,800m
Winner: Promising Run, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,400m
Winner: Oh This Is Us, Tom Marquand, Richard Hannon
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
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.
More coverage from the Future Forum
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295