Palestinian residents of Jenin city and its adjacent refugee camp have expressed apathy and feelings of hopelessness towards the government as President Mahmoud Abbas visited the area for the first time in more than a decade.
Jenin has been subjected to deadly Israeli raids in recent weeks that left at least 17 people dead and more than 100 people injured. The incursion also destroyed homes and 80 per cent of the camp, the Palestinian representative to the UN said.
The Palestinian Authority has become increasingly unpopular in recent years amid allegations of corruption, negligence and co-operation with Israel, with a poll conducted last year showing that only 27 per cent of people were satisfied with their performance.
Those who spoke to The National before Mr Abbas's visit agreed to do so anonymously for fear of reprisals from their employers and the government.
“I was one of the people who helped in evacuating some of the women and children from their homes in Jenin camp during the Israeli raid. People from the Palestinian Authority were nowhere to be found,” said Rabea, 29.
“They were following the news like ordinary civilians. For them to come now to Jenin to see the damage and say a few words is meaningless. The whole visit is meaningless. Abbas wasn't there when we needed him,” the father of two told The National.
Anti-corruption group Transparency International found that “favouritism (wasta) and nepotism constitute the most common manifestations of corruption” in the Palestinian government.
“We have many demands but nobody listens. We need an anti-corruption mechanism in place,” said a 27-year-old married man from Jenin, who travels to Israel every day for work.
He gave an example of a roundabout in Jenin, which he claimed hinders traffic flow instead of helping it. He alleged that the owner of the petrol station “had paid the authorities to build it in order to help divert traffic” to his petrol station, adding that it was just one example of corruption in the city.
Others expressed a general sense of dismay towards Mr Abbas.
Khalid, a delivery man in his 20s from Jenin camp, said: “Nobody wants to see him. We don't care about him. His people from Ramallah will come and cheer him on but the people in Jenin, including myself, we don't think he's worth our concern.”
Most of those surrounding Mr Abbas during his speech from the Jenin camp were people in military uniform or members of the Palestinian Authority.
Jenin has been a flashpoint for armed groups that pride themselves in “fending off” attacks by Israeli forces, including one this month which lasted for 48 hours, killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100.
People in Jenin camp in particular are living among members of “resistance groups” like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad or the Jenin Al Qassam brigades.
“We just want the Palestinian Authority to stop hunting down members of our brigades,” a citizen journalist from a Telegram group that publishes news from Jenin told The National.
Before the visit, a video emerged showing Palestinian Authority forces seemingly stopping Israeli armoured vehicles from heading into Jenin.
“Abbas's visit to Jenin is a desperate attempt at proving to the people that he feels them and cares for them. The evidence of that is the army's stopping of Israeli forces, which certainly took place in agreement with the other side,” one resident said.
“But the real question is: Where was the president when the number of martyrs was escalating and the screams of children and mothers were reaching to the skies? And why didn't the Palestinian Authority stop the Israeli army in the last operation in Jenin?”
A poll of 1,200, conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in March 2022, showed that 27 per cent of people were satisfied with the performance of Mr Abbas, while “dissatisfaction” was at 70 per cent.
“Moreover, 73 per cent of the public want President Abbas to resign while only 23 per cent want him to remain in office,” the findings showed.
On Sunday, US President Joe Biden said the Palestinian Authority “has lost its credibility, not necessarily because of what Israel's done, just because it's just lost its credibility, number one, and, number two, created a vacuum for extremism”.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Brief scores:
Southampton 2
Armstrong 13', Soares 20'
Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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The specs: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
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THE POPE'S ITINERARY
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
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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)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Match info:
Wolves 1
Boly (57')
Manchester City 1
Laporte (69')
The years Ramadan fell in May
