Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's future was on Monday hanging in the balance as he delayed a statement over the future of a judicial overhaul after splits emerged in his coalition government and strikes brought the country to a halt.
Mr Netanyahu called for calm “on both sides” as reports emerged of pro-government protests outside the Knesset.
“I call on all the demonstrators in Jerusalem, on the right and the left, to behave responsibly and not to act violently. We are brotherly people,” he wrote on Twitter.
Mr Netanyahu is being pressed to pause the judicial overhaul after overnight protests in which 600,000 people took to the streets across the country.
On expectation of a u-turn, the Israeli shekel was up by about 1 per cent against the US dollar and all the indexes on the Tel Aviv stock exchange were trading higher on Monday afternoon, with the main TA-125 index up 2 per cent.
Flights from Israel's main Ben Gurion Airport were suspended on Monday as a general strike against the government's plans widened, an airport representative said.
Far-right counter-demonstrators called for rallies in Jerusalem on Monday evening. Football hooligans and Jewish supremacist organisations called on members to use violent means against anti-reform protesters.
Israel’s domestic security service Shin Bet has expressed “significant fears” over extreme-right attacks. Meanwhile, in his first comments since he sacked Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday evening, Mr Netanyahu called on protesters on both sides to “act responsibly and not act violently.”
Israel's top trade union chief called a general strike to protest against the proposed changes, which would weaken the powers of the judiciary and which demonstrators have for months decried as a threat to Israeli liberal democracy.
“I am calling a general strike,” Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David said in a televised address. “From the moment this press conference ends, the State of Israel stops.”
Israel's Foreign Ministry Union called on embassy staff worldwide to join the strike.
The government’s legal overhaul would significantly weaken Israel’s judiciary, which Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition says has too much power in the country’s politics.
Critics of the plans say the reforms would deal a fatal blow to democracy in Israel.
On Monday morning, the parliamentary constitution, law and justice committee approved the legislation for final readings despite months of high-level domestic and international opposition.
In response, demonstration leaders called for a general strike, calling it a “week of paralysis”.
Mr Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition government on Monday also survived a no-confidence motion filed by the opposition in protest at its judicial overhaul plan.
The motion failed by a vote of 59-53, the Knesset Speaker said.
Protests and strikes are expected across the workforce, including in health care and education.
Protesters across the country clashed with police. They blocked motorways and police used a water cannon and horses to clear one road, including the main entrance to Jerusalem.
Earlier, Mr Gallant had called publicly for a halt to the reforms, which he said posed a “tangible danger” to Israel’s national security.
According to Israeli media reports, Mr Gallant had earlier told a closed parliamentary meeting that “there is a clear identification of the situation being an opportunity [for enemies] to attack Israel”.
'Very difficult scenes'
Senior members of the country’s security establishment have raised the alarm in recent weeks after an increasing number of reservists refused to show up for duty in protest at the legal reforms.
Israeli military chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, warned the government in a public letter that he may have to cut the number of army operations because of a large number of reservists refusing to report for duty in protest over Mr Netanyahu’s judicial reforms.
Israel “has never known such days of external threats combining with an internal storm”, he wrote.
“Our enemies must know that we are standing guard and nobody is deserting. I am responsible that every mission given to you will be aimed at defending the security of Israel and its citizens.”
President Isaac Herzog has urged Mr Netanyahu to halt the process.
“Last night we witnessed very difficult scenes. I appeal to the Prime Minister, members of the government, and members of the coalition: there are harsh and painful feelings. The entire nation is rapt with deep worry. Our security, economy, and society — all are under threat. The whole people of Israel are looking at you. The whole Jewish people are looking at you. The whole world is looking at you,” he wrote.
“For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of the necessary responsibility, I call on you to halt the legislative process immediately.”
Mr Netanyahu’s decision to sack the Defence Minister has also caused deep rifts in his far-right coalition, for which the radical judicial reforms were a centrepiece policy. Some of his coalition allies are urging him to push through with the reforms.
Senior factions in the coalition have said they will stand by Mr Netanyahu, but a minister from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party said his colleagues were not “ready to stop the legislation”.
The Religious Zionism party has said pausing the reforms would lead to “anarchy”.
Channel 12 reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to quit the government, potentially bringing down Mr Netanyahu’s administration, if he did not go through with the reforms.
Heavy criticism
On Sunday, Israel’s Consul General in New York publicly resigned over the reforms. In a letter, Asaf Zamir said: “It is now time for me to take action and to join the fight for Israel’s future alongside fellow citizens.”
Mr Netanyahu has come under heavy international criticism for the judicial plans and for his far-right nature government.
Following the sacking of Mr Gallant, the Biden administration said it was “deeply concerned by the ongoing developments in Israel, which further underscore the urgent need for compromise”.
Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition in parliament and former prime minister, has called on Mr Netanyahu to reverse his decision to dismiss Mr Gallant.
Mr Lapid told a meeting of politicians from his Yesh Atid party that Israel could not afford to change its defence minister at this time.
“Let us go to the President's residence, and start a national dialogue at the end of which we will have a constitution based on the Declaration of Independence, and a state in which we all live together with mutual respect,” he said.
Economy Minister Nir Barkat called for coalition parties to unite behind Mr Netanyahu’s expected call to halt the overhaul legislation.
“I call on all my colleagues in the government, in Likud and the partner parties in the coalition, to unite behind the Prime Minister and support him in stopping the legislation,” Mr Barkat said.
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Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
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Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
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“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
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