LATEST: Live updates as Norway, Spain and Ireland recognise state of Palestine
In a co-ordinated move, Norway, Spain and Ireland on Wednesday announced their intention to officially recognise Palestine next week.
The announcement was spearheaded by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been lobbying a number of other countries to recognise Palestine as a state in the hope of relaunching peace talks and end the Israel-Gaza war.
The US and the EU support a two-state solution to the conflict but only nine EU countries have recognised Palestine so far. Many did so in 1988 under communist rule and have since shifted alliances closer to Israel.
Sweden was the last EU country to make a move in 2014, triggering a diplomatic spat similar to Israel's decision on Wednesday to withdraw its ambassadors from Ireland and Norway.
Moving forward, what is the likely impact of the triple announcement?
What is the view among other western countries?
Erwin van Veen, senior research fellow at Dutch think tank Clingendael, said for much of western Europe, the legacy of the Holocaust, Christian affiliation with the Jews in the context of the Holy Land and a "good dose of Orientalism" represent major incentives to support Israel.
The US, the UK, Germany and France are unlikely to recognise a Palestinian state soon for reasons that are historical, religious and interest-based, Mr van Veen told The National.
The UK's position is closely related to its colonial legacy and the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which paved the way for a Jewish state.
"For the US, it's more complicated. Christian evangelicals consider Israel to be the Holy Land where the last judgment will be rendered," said Mr van Veen. "But there is also the shared notion that both countries are frontier nations, as well as realpolitik-style interests with Israel serving as US military outpost in the Middle East."
In a recent UN General Assembly vote, Washington was among nine states to reject recognition.
The UK has sent more mixed signals by choosing to abstain, as did France and Germany.
In a statement, Germany's Foreign Ministry said while it believed in a two-state solution, it abstained because the vote would not achieve peace.
France's President Emmanuel Macron has said recognition was "not taboo" but has not signalled an intention to move forward with it any time soon.
A representative for Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne on Tuesday said "conditions were not met" to bring about a two-state solution.
Speaking to French daily Le Monde, French diplomatic sources said it may weaken negotiations with Israel. "We are depriving ourselves of a [pressure] tool at a time when Israel is least sensitive to external pressures," they said.
This recognition is part of a broader puzzle that's starting to come together
Hugh Lovatt,
senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations
Such arguments fall flat after decades of failed negotiations and increased illegal Israeli settlements, said Mr van Veen. "They confuse cause and effect," he said.
Why is it important?
The recognition of Palestinian statehood by three western countries is an important symbol that comes two days after the International Criminal Court said it would request arrests warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders.
Roughly three quarters of the world recognises a Palestinian state but most of those holding out are in Europe and the Americas.
"The Rubicon has been crossed," said Mr van Veen.
"It will set a precedent to increase pressure on others to follow suit, if only because civil society organisations, political parties and protesters can use it in their own home countries."
Hugh Lovatt, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said: "This is not just three European countries recognising Palestine in a vacuum.
"It's happening in close co-ordination with other European countries and in co-operation with Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, which has been leading Arab efforts to develop a political plan to revive Israel-Palestine negotiations in support of a two-state solution."
Steps previously viewed as taboo have taken place, such as imposing sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers, announced by the US in February and followed by the EU in April.
"This recognition is part of a broader puzzle that's starting to come together," said Mr Lovatt.
Spain's lead on the matter looks to be linked to strong public opinion in support of recognition, a full decade after the Spanish Parliament voted emphatically in favour.
"Spain is saying 'someone needs to do something'," said Haizam Amirah-Fernandez, professor of international relations at IE University in Madrid.
"Making no attempt to change a decade-old formula is not an option. It creates a major risk for Europe itself," he told The National.
What other countries may follow?
Belgium, Slovenia, and Malta have said they might be interested in recognising Palestinian statehood alongside Spain but have so far not made any announcements.
Like his Spanish counterpart, Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium, has been the target of Israeli criticism for drawing attention to the suffering of civilians in Gaza as early as November.
But Belgium is unlikely to recognise Palestinian statehood due to divisions within the government, imminent elections and because it currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said Koert Debeuf, distinguished adjunct professor at the Brussels School of Governance.
"There has been more public debate on the matter in Belgium, unlike the Netherlands, for example,” he said.
Support for Israel in the Netherlands is linked to a mixture of a shared Christian biblical tradition, identification with Israel as a liberal western democracy and a view of Palestinians as "the other" in the context of decades of anti-Muslim political speech acts, Mr van Veen said.
Dutch MP Raymond de Roon, from far-right party PVV, recently described Palestinians as a "fake people". Mr de Roon is chairman of Parliament's foreign affairs committee.
The Netherlands also abstained at the UNGA vote on Palestinian statehood.
Slovenia remained silent on Wednesday but its Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon previously told The National that recognising Palestinian statehood could not wait any longer.
A final decision on recognition requires a parliamentary vote.
What territory is being recognised?
No Palestinian state exists on the ground today despite a 1948 UN decision to divide the UK's mandate over Palestine into two states, one for Jews and another for Arabs.
The Gaza Strip has been ruled since 2007 by Hamas, a militant group that is viewed as a terror organisation by the West. The occupied West Bank is in part overseen by the Palestinian Authority. But the illegal presence of 700,000 Israeli settlers is widely viewed as hindering prospects of a future Palestinian state. Israel seized East Jerusalem and the West Bank in a 1967 war.
A Palestinian state should be based on pre-1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital of both states as set out by the 1949 armistice agreement, the Norwegian government said in a statement.
"In the longer term, we hope that the recognition of Palestine as a state will encourage the parties to restart peace talks with a goal of finding solutions to the outstanding final status issues. A Palestinian state will also enhance security for the Israelis,’ said Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
Both the PA and Hamas welcomed Wednesday's triple announcement.
Mr Eide said the PA needed to be strengthened and govern Gaza after a ceasefire. "The goal is to achieve a Palestinian state that is politically cohesive, and that derives from the Palestinian Authority," he said.
What happens for Palestinians now?
A lot of work is needed to change Israeli public opinion from support for occupation and to revive the Palestinian national movement, Mr Lovatt told The National.
Mounting pressure on the current far-right Israeli government has caused it to lash out against the PA in a move that analysts warned may backfire. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Mr Netanyahu to take punitive steps that include freezing tax transfers held by Norway on behalf of the PA.
"This is opportunism," said Mr Lovatt. "Israel is punishing the PA at a moment when it is extremely vulnerable financially because it is the weaker party that Israel can most harm. It doesn't change in any fundamental way the situation as it existed yesterday. Europe and the US cannot allow themselves to be blackmailed."
Human rights organisations say Palestinians living in Israel are the target of discriminatory laws, while Palestinians in occupied territories including the West Bank are the subject of harassment, forced displacement and murder at the hands of settlers, with the support of the Israeli army. Some have described this situation as apartheid, a claim rejected by Israel.
Speaking on the second day of an Israeli raid in Jenin during which eight people were killed, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday said he would repeal a 2005 disengagement law, a move approved by the Knesset last summer. This would allow Israeli settlers, evicted by the law, to return legally to settlements in the West Bank.
Mr van Veen warned a "bigger train crash" is to come if Israel continues to refuse Palestinians' right to self-determination.
"Israel may say it doesn't care about the opinion of countries like Spain, but this kind of pressure will accumulate with time and produce effects that are difficult to foresee," he said.
Two hundred days of Israel-Gaza war - in pictures
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Griselda
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RESULTS
Mumbai Indians 181-4 (20 ovs)
Kolkata Knight Riders 168-6 (20ovs)
Mumbai won by 13 runs
Rajasthan Royals 152-9 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 155-4 (18.4 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab won by 6 wickets
1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
More on animal trafficking
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Honeymoonish
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WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
