TEL AVIV // The top two Israeli newspapers had one word yesterday to describe the relationship between Israel and its staunchest ally, the United States, following US President Barack Obama's Middle East policy speech. The word was "confrontation".
The mass-selling daily papers, Yediot Ahronot and Maariv, referred to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's apparent rejection of Mr Obama's endorsement on Thursday that a future Palestinian state be based on territories captured by Israel during the 1967 war.
The Israeli premier retorted in a statement from his office that such a withdrawal would endanger Israel's security and leave major Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank outside of the country's borders.
The disagreement may further deteriorate ties between Israel and the US, and comes just months after an Israeli rejection of the US and Palestinian demands for a settlement freeze spurred the collapse of US-backed peace talks.
Yesterday's meeting between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Obama may have been clouded by reports this week of Israel's advancement of plans to build hundreds of new homes in the West Bank.
Last year's US-led peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel were abandoned after Mr Netanyahu went against Mr Obama's requests and ended a 10-month settlement freeze.
Late on Thursday, an Israeli interior ministry committee gave the green light to two projects to construct a total of 1,550 housing units in the Har Homa and Pisgat Zeev settlements around Jerusalem.
Yesterday, the Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now announced that the Israeli defence minister in late April gave his nod to a plan to build 294 homes in the Beitar Illit settlement and for a new commercial centre to be constructed in the Efrat settlement.
Mr Obama's speech last night on the Middle East won praise from prominent centrist Israeli politicians but was condemned by the Israeli Right, including settler leaders and Mr Netanyahu's ruling Likud party.
Tzipi Hotovely, a pro-settler Likud legislator who opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, said the "framework of the pre-1967 lines is a catastrophe for Israel".
She described Mr Obama's support for those borders serving as the basis for talks as the "essence of American hypocrisy" and added: "The US is fighting [Osama] bin Laden with its right hand and with its left hand wants to give Hamas a state."
Ms Hotovely referred to the surprise pact clinched in early May between Fatah, the secular movement that dominates the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and its ex-rival Hamas, the Islamic group that Israel regards as a terrorist organisation. The pact calls for the joint formation of a temporary government and the holding of elections within a year.
Gershon Mesika, the head of a regional council of settlers, said that "a thousand speeches by temporary politicians will not succeed in eroding our eternal right to the land of Israel".
Another settler leader, Danny Dayan, said that "Obama is trying to square a circle - Israel cannot have security in the 1967 borders".
Nevertheless, centrist Israeli politicians urged Mr Netanyahu, who heads a predominantly pro-settler governing coalition, to adopt Mr Obama's stances as a way of reigniting suspended peace talks with the Palestinians.
Tzipi Livni, the head of the centrist Kadima party and the opposition leader, said that Mr Netanyahu "needs to create the conditions for the renewal of negotiations during his visit … especially against the background of Mr Obama's speech".
Ilan Gilon, the head of the parliamentary faction of the left-of-centre Meretz, said in reference to the Israeli leader and to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, whom he referred to by his nickname: "Netanyahu and Abu Mazen should warmly adopt the framework suggested by Obama instead of engaging in evasion and illusions."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan
Four stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wes%20Ball%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Owen%20Teague%2C%20Freya%20Allen%2C%20Kevin%20Durand%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
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.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.