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Donald Trump's “transactional” nature, close ties to Saudi Arabia and keenness to end the war in Gaza provide an opportunity for Palestinians to engage with the incoming US administration after a year in which the Palestinian Authority has been seen as “missing in action”, experts have told The National.
In his first term as president, Donald Trump took several unilateral steps detrimental to the Palestinian cause including closing the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) office in Washington, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognising Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.
However, in his second term, Mr Trump will be operating in a radically different political environment in the region – one where Arab states and Iran have formed closer ties, and where support for Palestine is significantly stronger than it was four years ago, said Ghaith Al Omari, a former foreign policy adviser in the Palestinian Authority.
“There’s a regional desire to resolve the conflict and I think the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian people in general are very frustrated with the Biden administration’s support for Israel,” Mr Al Omari, now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said.
There is hope that the Trump administration will be different, he said. He pointed to recent comments by vice president-elect J D Vance on ending the war in Gaza as soon as possible. “Trump doesn’t want to start his term dealing with a war in Gaza,” Mr Al Omari said.
Mr Vance also recently said the US was not interested in a war with Tehran, as Israel continues to frame its attacks on Lebanon, Syria and Yemen as a fight against Iran.
Dalal Iriqat, associate professor at the Arab American University in the occupied West Bank, said Palestinians' approach to the new administration needs to be more “pragmatic”.
“We should learn from our past experiences, when the Palestine Liberation Organisation decided to boycott the US administration, hoping that justice and international law would prevail,” she said.
“On the ground, years later, nothing was reversed and more settler colonialism is being practised on Palestinian land” with far-right Israeli ministers such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir assuming that Mr Trump's return is a “carte blanche” for annexation, Ms Iriqat said.
However, Mr Trump's former Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt has said Israel should not assume that the president-elect will be in favour of annexation of the West Bank, thereby “dampening the excitement of Israel's far-right”, Mr Al Omari said.
Saudi Arabia's staunch pro-Palestine stance, just over a year after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom was closer to normalising ties with Israel, will also play a role in Mr Trump's position on the Palestinian issue, both experts agreed.
“The Saudis have been very clear there will be no normalisation with Israel without concrete, credible steps towards a two-state solution and a commitment to it,” Mr Al Omari said. “Trump is transactional and wants to get a deal and if he believes it’s a firm Saudi position, he’ll pressure the Israelis to accept it.”
Palestinian government
It is worth noting, Mr Al Omari said, that the Palestinian Authority has been largely seen as “missing in action” over the last year of war – despite reforms made towards a technocratic government earlier this year.
“The Palestinian Authority has never been weaker than it is now – even among the Palestinian public, which polls show believe it is unpopular and believe that it has become a liability rather than an asset, especially President Mahmoud Abbas,” Mr Al Omari said.
But a political reshuffle of the Palestinian Authority could present a viable option for the “day after” in Gaza, he said, and a real partner for Arab states to work with on rebuilding Gaza and governance.
Mr Al Omari said he believes Mr Trump will want a clear plan on who would take over Gaza administratively, something he considers the current Palestinian Authority incapable of doing in its current form. However, hope remains for a revamped Palestinian leadership, he said, as expressed by UAE officials who signalled the country's willingness to be part of post-war efforts in Gaza at the invitation of “a reformed Palestinian Authority”.
Ms Iriqat said Palestinians must be included in determining their own future, in order to achieve a comprehensive solution for peace in the region. “There is an opportunity if we all engage on a pragmatic level, inspired by a win-win scenario where all parties are involved and share their interests, and Palestinians are treated as a primary party to this conflict's resolution.”
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
RACE CARD AND SELECTIONS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
The National selections
5pm: RB Hot Spot
5.30pm: Dahess D’Arabie
6pm: Taamol
6.30pm: Rmmas
7pm: RB Seqondtonone
7.30pm: AF Mouthirah
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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
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Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Kelela
(Warp)
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
