Fear is mounting in Israel that US President Donald Trump is building a Middle East policy that increasingly excludes Israel, as signs emerge that even the country’s most important allies are growing frustrated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultranationalist government.
Despite Israelis overwhelmingly supporting Mr Trump in the US elections last year, recent days have seen actions by the American administration that appear to contradict Israeli interests.
These include the US striking a deal with Yemen’s Houthis to stop the rebels firing at shipping, which does not extend to the group’s missile attacks on Israel. The deal was struck days after the Houthis bombed Israel’s main international airport, leading to a spate of global airlines cancelling services.
The US also reportedly no longer requires Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel in exchange for American consent to the kingdom beginning a civil nuclear programme, according to a Reuters report.
On Monday Hamas released the US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, believed to be the last surviving American held by the Palestinian group in Gaza.
Mr Alexander was handed over to Red Cross staff in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, in what Hamas called a goodwill gesture before the US President landed in the Middle East on Tuesday.
Mr Netanyahu said the release of Mr Alexander would not lead to a ceasefire in Gaza or the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The Israeli leader is facing growing criticism of his handling of the Gaza war, including from families of hostages held by Hamas.
Mr Trump will not visit Israel during his trip to the Middle East this week, in which he is visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE in the first official foreign trip of his second term.
Reports have also emerged in Israeli media that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth cancelled a trip to Israel that, according to an initial report in Axios, was supposed to take place on Monday.
These apparent setbacks in the relationship come as Israel faces increased international anger about the Gaza war, particularly its recently announced plans to entirely occupy the strip.
Washington's moves represent a clear departure from the first Trump administration, during which Israel secured major wins from the US, including moving the American embassy to Jerusalem and Mr Trump withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal that was agreed in 2015.
They also heap domestic pressure on Mr Netanyahu, who is being accused of destroying the strong relationship with the US by being an unreliable partner and insincere in efforts to bring about a ceasefire-hostage deal, so that he can maintain his grip on power.
Fears in Israel of a growing rift prompted the new American ambassador, Mike Huckabee, to downplay the possibility of major tension.
Addressing the fact the President is not visiting Israel during his trip, Mr Huckabee said it “is not because he’s snubbing Israel”.
“There are 200 nations in the world, almost, so there are a lot of them he hasn’t gone to yet,” Mr Huckabee added.
The forum representing most of the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza condemned Mr Netanyahu for “acting contrary to President Trump's policy” of a “comprehensive regional agreement that will transform the Middle East, end the war, and secure the return of all 59 hostages”.
“This represents an unprecedented historic missed opportunity. Every citizen should understand tonight that Israel is heading towards ‘the missed opportunity of the century’. A historic chance will be wasted due to the insistence on continuing the war and abandoning the hostages,” a statement said.
Yair Golan, the leader of Israel’s centre-left Democrats party, said the government's “preoccupation with the Houthis distracts attention from the government's most serious security failure: that Netanyahu destroyed the special relationship with the US”.
“While the United States is making alliances and signing agreements that are changing the regional reality, the Netanyahu … government is abandoning the hostages and sending the IDF to wallow in the mud in Gaza for political considerations and messianic delusions, without real operational goals, without vision, and without achievements.”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
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The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
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
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
1999 - 1st round
2000 - 1st round
2001 - Quarter-finalist
2002 - 1st round
2003 - Winner
2004 - Winner
2005 - Winner
2006 - Winner
2007 - Winner
2008 - Finalist
2009 - Winner
2010 - Quarter-finalist
2011 - Quarter-finalist
2012 - Winner
2013 - 2nd round
2014 - Finalist
2015 - Finalist
2016 - Semi-finalist
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20Shipsy%3Cbr%3EYear%20of%20inception%3A%202015%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Soham%20Chokshi%2C%20Dhruv%20Agrawal%2C%20Harsh%20Kumar%20and%20Himanshu%20Gupta%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20India%2C%20UAE%20and%20Indonesia%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20logistics%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%20more%20than%20350%20employees%3Cbr%3EFunding%20received%20so%20far%3A%20%2431%20million%20in%20series%20A%20and%20B%20rounds%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Info%20Edge%2C%20Sequoia%20Capital%E2%80%99s%20Surge%2C%20A91%20Partners%20and%20Z3%20Partners%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
