TEL AVIV // A three-month deadline for Israelis and Palestinians to advance peace talks expired yesterday but low-level negotiations are expected to continue.
Despite Palestinian remarks this week that the talks had failed, the European Union's foreign policy chief says the dialogue is not at a dead end.
"I don't think there's an impasse," Catherine Ashton said after talks with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. "President Abbas is thinking carefully about how to move forward."
An Israeli official said Israel had in recent days presented the outlines of its stances on territory and security.
"The Palestinians have asked for further clarifications, as we have of them on issues they've presented. It is therefore very important that we continue the direct face-to-face discussions on these and other issues," the official said.
Mr Abbas will consult with the Arab League on February 4 in Cairo on whether to continue the talks.
While frustrated with the lack of progress, the Palestinian president is under pressure to extend the talks, which have been taking place in Jordan.
Analysts said the struggle to keep the talks alive may spur the European Union, which appears to be spearheading the international community's mediation efforts, to sharply raise pressure on Israel to curb its settlement activities in a bid to reignite negotiations.
Yaron Ezrahi, a veteran Israeli political analyst, said the European Union's move this week to toughen sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran's nuclear programme would force the bloc to act as well against Israel's settlement drive, to avoid appearing one-sided.
"The EU sanctions against Iran would not appear sensible from the point of view of the Arab world if they don't consider unprecedented sanctions on Netanyahu and his total rejection of anything other than helping settlements," Mr Ezrahi said.
Indeed, Israel's expansion of Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has been a key dispute with the Palestinians and has largely contributed to the stalemate in the peace process.
The Middle East Quartet - made up of the US, EU, United Nations and Russia - announced a three-month deadline last October for the Israelis and Palestinians to bring forward proposals on issues tied to security and territory. The Quartet's plan envisaged a peace deal by the end of this year.
This week, top Israeli and Palestinian negotiators completed their fifth round of talks within a period of three weeks in Amman. Mr Abbas's talks with the Arab League, analysts say, could include advancing a UN membership bid and moving ahead with reconciliation talks with Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip and rivals Mr Abbas's secular Fatah movement. Israel opposes both initiatives.
Israeli analysts say little progress is expected in the peace talks unless aggressive pressure is applied on Mr Netanyahu, who heads a predominantly hard-line, pro-settler government. Mr Netanyahu may be especially receptive to the demands of his supporters on the right, mainly the settlers, as he heads towards a leadership primary in his Likud party on Tuesday.
The primary, called by the prime minister last month, raises the possibility of an early general election next year, which polls indicate Mr Netanyahu's party would win.
"Netanyahu is the most extreme right-wing leader in Israel's history and he only wants to be the prime minister of the settlements and not of the entire state of Israel," Mr Ezrahi said. "As long as he is preparing for elections, he will stick to his refusenik approach about everything that has to do with the peace process."
Some Palestinian analysts expressed pessimism about the EU or US acting to exert pressure on Israel, because they are more concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Abdul Sattar Kassem, a political science professor at An-Najah National University, said the recent negotiations in Amman were meant to serve as an "excuse" for Gulf countries to team up with Israel and the US against Iran's nuclear programme, which they all view as a major threat.
"The talks were not meant to discuss the basic national rights of the Palestinians. They were meant to solidify the Arab-American-Israeli alliance against Iran, Hizbollah and Syria," Mr Sattar Kassem said.
The Amman meetings were aimed at creating an impression among the Arab public that Israel and the US were "serious about giving the Palestinians something", thereby allowing Arab regimes to justify their cooperation with Israel on Iran, he said.
Mr Sattar Kassem and other Palestinian analysts have said Mr Abbas is now unlikely to take steps that would anger Israel or the US because the financially strapped Palestinian Authority depends on donations from the US, EU and Arab world to survive. The West Bank government also receives badly needed tax revenue transfers from Israel every month.
"Those who do not feed themselves cannot decide for themselves," he said. "Unless we decide to free ourselves from money received from the US and its allies, we won't adopt policies that contradict their interests."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
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India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
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.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
