Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
After two weeks of attacks on Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Israel’s beleaguered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can expect a boost in popularity despite trailing in polls for almost a year after the October 7 attacks, analysts have told The National.
Recent polls suggested that Mr Netanyahu was already seeing a spike in ratings as Israel intensified attacks on Hezbollah. These have included heavy bombardments and a widespread deadly sabotage of communication devices, which have killed more than 1,000 civilians. The assassination of the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday was likely to add to Mr Netanyahu’s popularity, the experts said, although how durable the boost will be is uncertain.
The flurry of Israeli assaults on Lebanon come at a time of great uncertainty about the future of Israel's campaign in Gaza and 11 months of tit-for-tat strikes between Hezbollah and Israel in the north, which have depopulated parts of northern Israel and forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate, a humiliating security failure for Mr Netanyahu’s government.
Israeli pollster Dahlia Scheindlin told The National she predicts some rise in support for Mr Netanyahu in the coming days because the assassination makes it look like “Israel is taking back the initiative and returning to an image of the country that Israelis like to remember about themselves: that they can outsmart enemies on the battlefield and respond to very serious public demand to retake sovereign Israeli territory in the north”.
It remains to be seen how long this would last, Ms Scheindlin said, highlighting that a languishing military campaign in Gaza “is still dragging the country down and it doesn’t play well for [Netanyahu] in surveys”.
“There’s no strategy, no plan, no day after, no alternative leadership that Netanyahu is willing to at least discuss or reveal. So, I think he won’t be able to escape the legacy of October 7 and what it’s done to the situation.”
In the October 7 attacks, Hamas entered southern Israel where 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were abducted into Gaza. In the year since, about 41,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as the Israeli military launched a bombardment which has levelled most cities in the enclave and left millions displaced.
Anshel Pfeffer, who wrote a biography of the prime minister, said he did not think the rise in popularity would be “more than temporary because he’s not getting away from any of [Israel’s] core problems”.
“The war in Gaza isn’t ending and the war in Lebanon may well turn out to be a quagmire despite this initial success. The bigger issue is that Israelis still blame [Netanyahu] for October 7 and Israel being so divided before it. He’s going to try to frame [the assassination] in a kind of Churchillian narrative, as if we went through this period of blood, sweat and tears but now we’re coming out on top,” he added.
“I don’t think in the long run this will save his career and won’t salvage his historic record, not least because even though Netanyahu wants to take credit for what happened over the last few days, a lot of people realise it’s not because of Netanyahu – he barely gave the OK for these operations – it’s actually the much maligned intelligence, security and [military] services. Ultimately, I think Israelis will credit them rather than Netanyahu.”
Any rise in popularity, however temporary, nonetheless underlines once again that Mr Netanyahu, who many thought would be deposed in a matter of months after October 7, has been one of the most resilient politicians in the first quarter of the 21st century.
Israeli elections are not due until 2026, according to the usual schedule, and there are relatively few ways a sooner vote could be called.
“For there to be early elections part of the coalition would have to turn against him or if he fails to pass the budget by the end of march, which is still six months away,” Mr Pfeffer said.
Results
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Al Suhooj, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) 68,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
3pm Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Alla Mahlak, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m
Results
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,000m, Winner: Hazeem Al Raed, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: Ghazwan Al Khalediah, Hugo Lebouc, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Dinar Al Khalediah, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Faith And Fortune, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Only Smoke, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: AF Ramz, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mass, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Stage 3 results
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:56
General Classification after Stage 3:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb) 0:02:06
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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The%20specs
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SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
