US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Knesset on Wednesday. EPA
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Knesset on Wednesday. EPA
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Knesset on Wednesday. EPA
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Knesset on Wednesday. EPA

Nancy Pelosi: Israel is 20th century's 'greatest political achievement'


Rosie Scammell
  • English
  • Arabic

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the “unbreakable bond” between the US and Israel during a visit to the country’s parliament in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

“The greatest political achievement of the 20th century was the establishment of the state of Israel,” said Ms Pelosi, who is leading a Congressional delegation to Israel.

Despite a change of leadership in both countries last year, the bilateral relationship has remained firm with Washington providing substantial funding to the Israeli military.

Ms Pelosi spoke about the latest $1 billion defence aid package, approved by the House in September, and the “terrorism posed by Iran”.

“The nuclear threat of Iran is a global one, it’s a threat to the world. Israel’s proximity to Iran is a concern to all of us,” she said.

Washington is trying to revive a 2015 nuclear deal signed between Tehran and world powers, which was scuppered when Donald Trump, who was US president at the time, withdrew from the accord.

Israel was firmly opposed to the landmark agreement and influencing the current talks from afar is a foreign policy priority.

While visiting the Israeli parliament, Ms Pelosi also reaffirmed Washington’s “commitment to a just and enduring two-state solution” for Israelis and Palestinians.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, between House Armed Services Committee chairman Adam Smith, right, and US ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides during a meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 16. AFP
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, between House Armed Services Committee chairman Adam Smith, right, and US ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides during a meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 16. AFP

“Our nation will continue to work with Israel towards this solution as we pave a path towards peace with your leadership,” she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett opposes a Palestinian state and there have been no substantive peace talks for more than a decade. Ms Pelosi said that a peace deal and two state solution would be, “one that embraces, enhances stability and security for Israel, Palestinians and their neighbours."

Ms Pelosi has faced turmoil in her own Democratic caucus over Israel, including a brief and unsuccessful revolt by progressives against funding for Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system last fall. The House passed it and Ms Pelosi said she hopes the funding passes the Senate “soon.”

"Passage of this bill reflects the great unity, in Congress on a bipartisan and bicameral basis, for Israel. Security assistance to Israel is vital, because Israel security is an imperative for America’s security," she said at the time.

Ms Pelosi backed the bill to provide $1 billion to Israel to replenish Iron Dome interceptor missiles, many of which were used during the May conflict between Hamas and Israel.

The congressional delegation included Republican Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Barbara Lee, chairwoman of the subcommittee on foreign operations and Ted Deutch, who chairs the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Mideast.

The US is at loggerheads with Israel over Washington’s plans to reopen its consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem consulate was subsumed into the US embassy to Israel, which Mr Trump relocated from Tel Aviv, a controversial move that broke with international consensus.

Israel is refusing to permit the move and claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians view the eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state.

Ms Pelosi’s official agenda made no mention of visiting Palestinians and her office would not comment on whether such meetings were expected to take place.

Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history

Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)

Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.

 

Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)

A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.

 

Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)

Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.

 

Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)

Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.

LUKA CHUPPI

Director: Laxman Utekar

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon​​​​​​​, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana

Rating: 3/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Combating coronavirus
HWJN
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Company%20Profile
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Key findings
  • Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
  • Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase. 
  • People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”. 
  • Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better. 
  • But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Honeymoonish
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

FIGHT%20CARD
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Results:

First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15

Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24

Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

SWEET%20TOOTH
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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

OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE

1. Liverpool 101 points

2. Manchester City 80 

3. Leicester 67

4. Chelsea 63

5. Manchester United 61

6. Tottenham 58

7. Wolves 56

8. Arsenal 56

9. Sheffield United 55

10. Everton 50

11. Burnley 49

12. Crystal Palace 49

13. Newcastle 46

14. Southampton 44

15. West Ham 39

16. Brighton 37

17. Watford 36

18. Bournemouth 36

19. Aston Villa 32

20. Norwich City 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Alan%20Wake%20Remastered%20
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
THE BIO

Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain

Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude

Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE

Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally

Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science

UAE Tour 2020

Stage 1: The Pointe Palm Jumeirah - Dubai Silicon Oasis, 148km
Stage 2: Hatta - Hatta Dam, 168km​​​​​​​
Stage 3: Al Qudra Cycle Track - Jebel Hafeet, 184km​​​​​​​
Stage 4: Zabeel Park - Dubai City Walk, 173km​​​​​​​
Stage 5: Al Ain - Jebel Hafeet, 162km​​​​​​​
Stage 6: Al Ruwais - Al Mirfa, 158km​​​​​​​
Stage 7: Al Maryah Island - Abu Dhabi Breakwater, 127km

Updated: February 16, 2022, 10:19 PM