The likelihood of two hard-right Israeli government ministers being sanctioned by Britain moved forward on Wednesday after the UK Prime Minister announced that action was being considered after fresh incendiary comments from the pair.
Momentum is growing behind the idea of placing tough restrictions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich after they were labelled “extremist” towards Palestinians by senior UK government figures.
In an impassioned question in parliament, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey recalled Mr Smotrich's statement that starving two million people in Gaza “might be justified and moral”, and Mr Ben Gvir's that illegal settlers who killed a teenage Palestinian were “heroes”. He called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to sanction the pair.
“We are looking at that because these are obviously abhorrent comments,” Mr Starmer responded. He also raised the “really concerning activity” of illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank, widely championed by Israel's far-right, and the “dire humanitarian situation in Gaza”. Britain, along with France, has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to address the Israel-Gaza conflict, he confirmed.
Extremist pressure
Britain’s relationship with Israel has changed since Labour came to power, with a partial arms export ban imposed, UNRWA Gaza refugee funding reinstated and the withdrawal of opposition to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Relations could substantially deteriorate if the two senior Israeli ministers are sanctioned.
Pressure for that is now growing after they were labelled “extremists” in parliament on Tuesday, with former Prime Minister David Cameron also disclosing that he had considered sanctioning them during his last days as foreign secretary.
At a press briefing following Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Starmer's spokesman hinted that the matter was actively being examined but said “we don’t provide more detail on sanctions under review”.
“As the PM said we will be looking into going further when appropriate,” he added. Asked by The National what the nature of the restrictions might be, the spokesman said: “We can’t get ahead of future sanctions, and it will depend on any policy introduced. We will continue to look at future measures as appropriate.”
Thirty-day threat
Further pressure has been placed on the Israeli government to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the last year, after the US said it would withhold military aid if the situation did not improve in the next 30 days. Asked if he concurred with Washington’s stance, Mr Starmer stated: “I do agree with those remarks”.
“There is an urgent need, and has been now for a very long time, for more aid to get into Gaza,” he added. “It's a desperate situation, but Israel must comply with its international humanitarian law obligations.”
IRGC sanctions review
With the continued backing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for Hezbollah and participation in extremist activities, pressure has also grown on the Labour government to proscribe the IRGC as “terrorists”. When he was in opposition, the current Foreign Secretary David Lammy and other senior Labour politicians called for the government to outlaw the IRGC.
But since entering government they have dodged the issue, with Foreign Office sources stating that proscribing the IRGC would lead to a significant diplomatic breach with Iran. Asked by The National why the group had still not been proscribed, the PM's spokesman said the government did not comment on specific organisations but that the list of proscribed groups was “under constant review”.
“We have 400 sanctions against Iranian individuals and organisations including members of the IRGC and we will continue to work at pace to identify Iranian state threats and take action when appropriate,” he added.
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Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
The specs
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
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- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Specs
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
