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A conference to fight anti-Semitism kicked off in Jerusalem on Thursday, tainted by heavy criticism of its guest list of far-right European politicians, which has led to high-profile boycotts from leading Jewish and Zionist groups and possibly even the president of Israel himself.
Organised by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, the event was supposed to include the Chief Rabbi of the UK, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance heads and German officials in charge of fighting anti-Semitism, all of whom eventually withdrew in response to the attendance of far-right foreign politicians, some of whose parties have origins in the Nazi era.
These include Jordan Bardella, the head of France’s National Rally, whose co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen worked alongside early officials that included members of the Waffen SS and militiamen belonging to the collaborationist Vichy regime. Other far-right Europeans will be attending from Spain, Sweden, Hungary and the Netherlands.
The event highlights the strained relationship between the Israel and traditionally staunchly supportive groups and allies abroad, who are increasingly uncomfortable at the direction of the country’s politics, which for more than two years has been defined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition. The event comes as Jewish communities across the globe report an increase in anti-Semitism since the Gaza War began.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli has defended the guest list, arguing that invitations were sent to a broad group of political parties and that the far-right European parties in question and their anti-immigration and anti-Islam policies protect Jews in Europe and have given Israel clear and consistent backing throughout the war in Gaza.
The justification did little to stem the exodus of attendees. At one point it appeared that Israeli President Isaac Herzog would entirely withdraw from the conference, despite originally being supposed to open it. Mr Herzog then said he would meet invited Jewish representatives at separate meetings. Mr Chikli’s Ministry issued a statement claiming that meeting was part of the wider conference. Mr Herzog’s photos still appear on the conference website.
The conference will included addresses from Mr Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Mr Bardella.
A meeting at Israel’s parliament last week saw diaspora Jewish leaders criticising Mr Chikli for failing to consult global communities about the controversial guest list. President of the European Jewish Congress Dr Ariel Muzicant said that the conference “is stabbing Jews in the back”.
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Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Scoreline
Swansea 2
Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'
Man City 3
Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'
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RESULTS
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List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
