Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday revealed plans to annex large areas of the occupied West Bank despite international criticism that it would breach international law and end any hope of a Palestinian state.
"It's time to apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and legalise all the Judea and Samaria settlements, those that are in settlement blocks and those outside of them," he said, using the biblical term for the West Bank.
The Palestinians seek all of the occupied West Bank, captured by Israel in 1967, as the heartland of their state.
The Jordan Valley makes up about 25 per cent of the West Bank.
It provides much of the territory's food and is one of the few remaining open areas that could be developed by the Palestinians.
Most of the international community considers the outposts, built across the territory after Israel won the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, to be illegal.
But the US has effectively approved Israeli plans to annex large parts of the West Bank, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announcing last month that Washington no longer shared the widely held international position that the settlements are illegal.
Mr Netanyahu called on the US to back his annexation proposal, at least for the Jordan Valley, despite widespread condemnation about plans for the unilateral move.
"I want American recognition of our sovereignty over the Jordan Valley. It's important," Mr Netanyahu said.
He said he recently discussed the issue with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a meeting in Portugal, without presenting a formal plan.
“I intend to raise the issue with the Trump administration,” the prime minister said.
Mr Netanyahu has said in the past that the wider moves to annex or "legalise" settlements in the occupied West Bank would be in co-ordination with US President Donald Trump and his long-awaited peace plan.
But on Friday, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution supporting a Palestinian state and against "unilateral annexation of territory".
It is a non-binding resolution bill that passed along partisan lines.
In its first resolution on a West Bank annexation, the House said that a two-state solution "can both ensure the state of Israel's survival as a Jewish and democratic state, and fulfil the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own".
The US should "discourage steps by either side that would put a peaceful end to the conflict further out of reach", the resolution said.
About 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank alongside 2.6 million Palestinians.
The settlements are regarded as major stumbling blocks to peace.
The Trump administration, with its evangelical Christian base that staunchly backs Israel, has not condemned annexation and rallied behind Mr Netanyahu.
Arab states have continued to make clear that they only support a two-state solution.
That position is based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for peace with Israel based on creation of a Palestinian state.
One of the most vocal critics of the Israeli government's moves has been Jordan, which maintains ties with Israel.
Last month, Jordan’s King Abdullah said ties between the kingdom and Israel were at their lowest point since they signed a peace treaty 25 years ago.
Two territories leased to Israel as part of the peace agreement were returned to Jordan last month, with Amman refusing to renew that part of the pact.
The agreement had allowed Israeli farmers to work in the two zones. Jordan had insisted that the agreement would end when the lease concluded.
Mr Netanyahu's remarks on Sunday, at a conference organised by right-wing newspaper Makor Rishon, came alongside an appeal to rival Benny Gantz to form a unity government and save the time and money involved in elections.
"I have offered to Benny Gantz to join a unity government and today too I'm telling him to join a unity government with me," Mr Netanyahu said. "It's not too late."
The September polls yielded no clear winner, and Wednesday is the last day for a member of Parliament to propose a coalition before the country heads to another vote – the third in a year.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Fixtures:
Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm
Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm
Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm
The specs
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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
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
