Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Middle Eastern states to back Palestinian statehood at the UN and “rescue” Jerusalem at the Arab League on Wednesday.
Mr Abbas’ call comes amid growing concern in Ramallah over the possible return of former right-wing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is still facing corruption charges, following Tuesday’s election in Israel.
The surge in support for his Likud party during Tuesday’s poll could propel him back to the prime minister’s office in one of the country’s most right-wing coalitions in its history.
"Israel, by its insistence on undermining the two-state solution, violating international law and the agreements signed with it, and its unilateral measures, left us with no choice but to reconsider the entire existing relationship with it," Mr Abbas told Arab leaders.
"They want to Judaize Jerusalem and Al Aqsa”.
Neither Mr Abbas nor other Arab leaders made explicit mention of Israel's election during the many speeches about Palestinian rights at the summit in Algiers.
The final communique of the conference simply continued Arab support for the Palestinian cause and, as in previous meetings, it said Jerusalem must be protected, it condemned Israel's use of violence against Palestinians and urged Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza.
However, in Ramallah and Gaza, Palestinian officials went further.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the projected election results highlighted "growing extremism and racism in Israeli society".
Bassam Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters that the result would likely see the occupation of Palestinian lands worse.
"No doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme," he told Reuters.
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has fought several wars with Israel over the past decade, predicted the results meant more potential violence.
"It is clear that the Israelis are leaning towards more extremism, which also means aggression against our people would increase," Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Reuters.
"Netanyahu-led governments that launched several wars against our Palestinian people, and the presence of the most extreme figures in a coalition means that we are going to face more of the Zionist terrorism," he said.
Mr Netanyahu has long opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel and his potential coalition partners could include Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, a nationalist polemicist who has softened his stance of advocating for the expulsion of all Palestinians to now calling for the expulsion of just those deemed to be traitors.
Reports suggest that Mr Ben-Gvir’s surge in the polls has also worried Israel’s allies in Washington, with unnamed sources reportedly telling the Israeli media that, “this is not someone we want to see as part of the government.”
Arab-Israeli lawmaker Aida Touma-Suleiman said Mr Netanyahu might be on track to form a government "with fascists by his side".
Leader of the Arab-Israeli party Ra'am Mansour Abbas, the first politician from an independent Arab party to enter an Israeli Cabinet, said he would never serve in a coalition that included Mr Netanyahu.
In an interview with Israel's /Channel 12/ last month, the politician blamed Mr Netanyahu for being responsible for "everything that has happened in Arab society".
But many Palestinians, including refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, said they saw no difference between Mr Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians.
"Certainly the situation is going to move from bad to worse. He will continue from where his predecessor left,” said Khaled Shriteh, 29, a Ramallah taxi driver.
"For us, the right and left parties are the same, both are our enemies," said Jamal Mansour, a Palestinian refugee in Bourj Al Barajneh camp in Beirut.
"The Palestinian people will get nothing from this government except war, destruction, killing, bloodshed, house demolition, razing of land and the building of more settlements at the expense of the Palestinian people," said Youssef Khattab, a TV director in Gaza.
Additional reporting by agencies
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
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Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
