Israelis wave flags near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem's Old City, during the disputed Flag March in 2022. EPA
Israelis wave flags near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem's Old City, during the disputed Flag March in 2022. EPA
Israelis wave flags near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem's Old City, during the disputed Flag March in 2022. EPA
Israelis wave flags near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem's Old City, during the disputed Flag March in 2022. EPA

‘If this explodes, it’s regional war’: Far-right Flag March puts Jerusalem on edge


Thomas Helm
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

“Flag March is an abomination,” says Daniel Seidemann, a lawyer who has spent his life studying Jerusalem and its role at the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

He is deeply worried about Wednesday, when tens of thousands of Israelis will join the ultranationalist march through the most sensitive district of the city as part of events for Jerusalem Day, which commemorates Israel's full capture of the city in 1967.

“Every year it’s an abomination: the shouts of abuse, the raging through Al Wad Street, far-right Israelis pounding on doors behind which Palestinians are cowering,” Mr Seidemann adds.

“The police announcing they won’t do anything in response to chants, which include ‘death to Arabs’ and ‘may your villages burn’ and not one public figure in Israel condemning them.”

Mr Seidemann is speaking to The National the day before this year’s Flag March, which traditionally goes through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

The route passes Al Aqsa Mosque – the third holiest site in Islam that many of the marchers want to replace with a third Jewish temple.

The event always causes extreme tension, not only for Palestinians but for people across the Middle East.

The Al Aqsa Mosque is one of the most emotive symbols in the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. EPA
The Al Aqsa Mosque is one of the most emotive symbols in the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. EPA

In 2021, tensions over the Flag March helped spark 11 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas.

This year it comes after nearly eight months of a far worse conflict in Gaza which has also dragged the occupied West Bank to the brink of explosion and pushed Israel and Hezbollah to the verge of war.

Jerusalem has stayed relatively calm, at least in comparison with the violence of these other arenas.

But there is a chance tomorrow's march might change that. If it does, the ramifications would be huge, Mr Seidemann says.

“This year is special circumstances. If I was asked to evaluate what the odds are of violence in Jerusalem, I would say it’s gone from 4 per cent to 8 per cent, so it likely won’t explode, but it’s far from impossible,” he says.

“If it does explode, that’s a regional war.”

Sami Abu Shehadeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and chairman of the opposition party Balad, says Jerusalem Day is “the most racist day on the Israeli calendar, because it touches the most sacred and sensitive issue for Palestinians: Al Aqsa Mosque”.

He believes far-right politicians in the current government, particularly National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, want the day to spark a regional war.

“Ben Gvir is a pyromaniac and a very dangerous man for Israelis, Palestinians and the Middle East,” Mr Abu Shehadeh says.

Mr Ben Gvir vowed in an interview on Tuesday morning to go to the Al Aqsa compound on Jerusalem Day.

“I wish Itamar Ben Gvir was the only issue: a racist, crazy, pyromaniac. The problem is he’s a minister in the Israeli government, within which you don’t find anyone attacking his dangerous, racist behaviour,” Mr Abu Shehadeh says.

“It gives you a feeling that there is a consensus on racism and provocation.”

Mr Ben Gvir might be the politician most closely associated with the Flag March, but both Mr Seidemann and Mr Abu Shehadeh lay blame for the risk it poses at the feet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The decision of whether Ben Gvir is to go to Al Aqsa tomorrow is not his, it’s Netanyahu’s,” Mr Seidemann says.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has vowed to go to the disputed Al Aqsa compound as part of Flag March. Reuters
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has vowed to go to the disputed Al Aqsa compound as part of Flag March. Reuters

“This is not something that any responsible government would allow to happen under these circumstances.”

Mr Seidemann stresses that Jerusalem has weathered other tense moments since the latest Gaza war began on October 7.

“There was another far-right march that was supposed to take place in December, but under high-level international pressure was cancelled. There was Ramadan, but that was kept calm. There are any number of dangerous episodes that have taken place. This is one of the more serious ones.”

Mr Abu Shehadeh feels that events have reached a point where the Flag March is unlikely to make things worse.

“There is nothing uniquely worse about Flag March. Terrible things have been happening every day since October 7. Not just in terms of war crimes in Gaza but all over the West Bank and Jerusalem. Palestinians are being killed daily. So I don’t expect tomorrow to be worse – the situation is already bad enough.”

Israel's police said they would deploy more than 3,000 officers for the march and that they “will act decisively against any attempt to disrupt order and law”.

EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

Company%20Profile
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Scoreline

Germany 2

Werner 9', Sane 19'

Netherlands 2

Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs
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SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

TOURNAMENT INFO

Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5

8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers

Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends

Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.

TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.

UAE squad

Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.

If you go

The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.

The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).

When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.

Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community

• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style

“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.

Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term. 

From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”

• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International

"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed.  Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."

• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org

"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."

• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com

"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.

His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.

Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."

• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher

"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen.  He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”

• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org

"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

UAE squad

Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

Scotland's team:

15-Sean Maitland, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Nick Grigg, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Byron McGuigan, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Ali Price, 8-Magnus Bradbury, 7-Hamish Watson, 6-Sam Skinner, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Ben Toolis, 3-Willem Nel, 2-Stuart McInally (captain), 1-Allan Dell

Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Greig Laidlaw, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris

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Turkish Ladies

Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

Updated: June 05, 2024, 3:58 AM`