Jordan's King Abdullah met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Amman on Tuesday to discuss “respecting the historical and legal status quo in Al Aqsa Mosque”, the Royal Palace said, three weeks after regional tension resurfaced over Israeli action near the site.
It was the first meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister and an Arab leader since Mr Netanyahu returned to power, forming the most right-wing government in Israel's history at the end of last year.
The palace said they discussed the situation in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque compound and “the importance of respecting the historical and legal status quo”.
Mr Netanyahu, who previously served as prime minister from 2009 to 2021, returned to power last month at the head of a coalition that includes extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties. He last met King Abdullah in Jordan in 2018.
In 2019-2020 moves by Mr Netanyahu to annex the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, which did not materialise, prompted Jordan to describe relations with Israel as at a nadir.
Jordan also warned of risks to the 1994 peace treaty between the two countries and has been wary of Mr Netanyahu returning to power.
On January 3, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the sensitive Jordan-administered Jerusalem holy site, sparking a wave of international condemnation.
Mr Netanyahu's office said the Israeli leader discussed “regional issues” and bilateral ties with the Jordanian king.
The two leaders last met in Jordan in 2018.
Tuesday's visit to Amman was Mr Netanyahu's first official trip abroad since taking office.
The Prime Minister was joined by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency, as well as national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Mr Netanyahu's military secretary Avi Gil, an Israeli official said.
Jordan, which has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1994, has kept open channels with previous governments led by Mr Netanyahu and other right-wing Israeli politicians.
But a visit on January 3 by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the religious compound housing the Al Aqsa Mosque was strongly condemned by the kingdom, which called it a breach of international law.
Other Arab countries also condemned the visit and a UN Security Council meeting was convened to discuss it, helping to defuse tensions.
In a separate incident last week, Israeli police intercepted Jordan's ambassador on his way to the mosque, leading the Foreign Ministry to summon Israel's ambassador to Jordan.
The palace said the king told Mr Netanyahu about “the need to maintain calm and cease all acts of violence to pave the way for a political horizon for the peace process”.
He “reaffirmed Jordan’s steadfast position in support of the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital”.
Jordan said it has custodianship over Al Aqsa, a claim supported by Arab League states and western powers. The mosque and other holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City were captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
The 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel, however, states that Israel respects a “special role” for Jordan in Muslim sites in Jerusalem but does not directly endorse the kingdom’s claims of custodianship.
A large proportion of Jordan's 10 million population is of Palestinian origin, descendants of refugees who fled their homes when Israel was created in 1967, and when Israel captured most of historical Palestine in the 1967 war.
Jordanian officials fear a perceived Israeli land grab in East Jerusalem and other occupied territories could eventually prompt another mass migration of Palestinians to the kingdom.
Mr Netanyahu, the veteran hard-line politician, has been a fixture of Israel's political landscape for much of the past 27 years. King Abdullah succeeded his father, the late king Hussein, in 1999.
The intelligence chiefs of Jordan and Israel attended the meeting, as well as Israel's national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, officials from the two countries said.
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Big%20Ape%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20LucasArts%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20PlayStation%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
