All speculation over the future of the Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories will run out in the next few days when the Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu meets George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East, wrote Mazen Hammad in the opinion pages of the Qatari daily Al Watan.
"By then, both parties will have taken their final positions on the matter; either clash or concur."
Until this minute, however, the two sides are still sticking to their guns. Whereas the Obama administration is seemingly striving to launch a multiparty peace process, encompassing Israelis, Palestinians, Syrians and the Lebanese, Israeli obstinacy is still clogging all avenues for effective action.
Yet, the Israeli side has been busy fashioning a few "creative ideas" for makeshift solutions. For instance, Mr Netanyahu has suggested that "vertical construction," that is, building giant residential towers, would help curb horizontal expansion, which periodically results in taking over pieces of land in the West Bank.
In fact, Mr Netanyahu pitched his "towers alternative" during his last European tour, especially with the Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi.
According to the Israeli press, if this new proposal, which has been discussed with US diplomats, goes through, Israel will actually stop appropriating Palestinian land, halt expansion of existing settlements and attract thousands of hesitant aliyah candidates.
The regular columnist Nasry al Sayegh discussed in a comment piece for the Lebanese daily Assafir four interrelated points that sum up the "dire" outcome of the Cedar Revolution after more than four years of its genesis.
"Here are the plain results of the Cedar Revolution: first, a perfectly squashed sense of sovereignty, as Lebanon has never witnessed, in time of bloodshed or in time of peace, foreign interference this flagrant in its internal affairs," al Sayegh wrote.
Second, the concept of independence in the Lebanese psyche has dwindled to such dramatic proportions that it has almost become null. Lebanon is sentenced to constant "mandatory consultation" with Saudi Arabia and Syria whenever it is a question of policymaking or electoral calculations.
Third, he said that revolution traded "parity relations" with Damascus for diplomatic subjugation.
Fourth, the national project to establish a Lebanese state predicated on territorial integrity, which by definition entails the unity of the Lebanese people, has become more of a mirage, as foreign influence in the country is taking its toll: British influence in the Druze mountain region; French hegemony in the Maronite north plus Turkish Sunni control of urban areas.
"According to international democracy standards, Arab states are still lagging far behind in every world classification, despite the global political shifts the planet has witnessed to date," commented Khalid al Houroub in the Emirati daily Al Ittihad.
A plethora of arguments tried to account for the continuous failure of democracy in the Arab world, such as: prioritising the conflict with Israel over internal reforms; lack of a large and solid middle class through which democratic practices can be socially injected; urgency for land development projects to which political alterations are purported to be detrimental; the nature of the Arab mindse being non-conducive to democratic momentum.
But the new democratic experiences in Kuwait and Mauritania have proved deeper than the average attempts witnessed in Jordan, Morocco or Egypt. "The traditional forms of government in these two countries are challenged head-on," he writes. The constitution is unconditionally promoted and ethnic, social, gender and class issues are publicly aired.
The major novelty, though, is that change, without being revolutionary or radical, targets the system itself, not merely operates within it and under its own auspices. "Years or decades from now, the Kuwaiti and Mauritanian experiences will have matured enough to make those who are busy gloating now desperate to catch up."
Attempts to understate the volume of commercial exchange between Jordan and Israel have been made by saying that the kingdom's imports did not exceed 31 million Jordanian dinars ($43.5m) in the first quarter of this year, or that fruits and vegetables coming from Israel are limited to particular categories and governed by specific quotas, wrote Yasser al Zaatra in the Jordanian daily Addustour.
"While we have agreed in the past to import goods from the Hebrew state, regardless of their exact provenance. Now there is a grave consideration that comes into play: some of the produces we are importing are actually cultivated in the Israeli settlements, which is a crime pure and simple," he argued.
Some western countries, despite active Jewish lobbies, do boycott produce grown or manufactured in the settlements, considering them illegal. The sit-in organised on Sunday by the anti-normalisation trade unions' committee also reflects awareness on the part of Jordanian workers of the moral absurdity of taking part in business that profits Israeli settlers on Palestinian territories.
Importing such Israeli products bespeaks a deteriorated sense of national and ethical responsibility on the part of merchants, which does not exonerate the layperson who buys those products for measly savings, he said.
* Digest compiled by Ashraf el Bahi
aelBahi@thenational.ae
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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
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The squad traveling to Brazil:
Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
India cancels school-leaving examinations
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
The view from The National
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
HOW TO WATCH
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Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Arrab, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mahaleel, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.
3.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handicap (TB) Dh200,000 2,000m; Winner: Dolmen, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Amang Alawda, Sandro Paiva, Bakhit Al Ketbi.
4.15pm: The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m; Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
4.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: Al Jazi, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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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.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Juventus v Napoli, Sunday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Match on Bein Sports
Sweet%20Tooth
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