The Knesset legislation says that a Palestinian state would pose 'an existential danger' to Israel and its citizens. AFP
The Knesset legislation says that a Palestinian state would pose 'an existential danger' to Israel and its citizens. AFP
The Knesset legislation says that a Palestinian state would pose 'an existential danger' to Israel and its citizens. AFP
The Knesset legislation says that a Palestinian state would pose 'an existential danger' to Israel and its citizens. AFP

UN and US express disappointment over Israeli parliament vote against two-state solution


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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was “disappointed” over the Israeli parliament vote rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, his spokesman said on Thursday.

And the US said it was still behind a two-state solution.

“You can't vote away the two-state solution, so the Secretary General is very disappointed by the decision of the Knesset to pass a motion opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, west of the Jordan River,” said Stephane Dujarric.

Mr Dujarric said the solution was the only viable path to sustainable peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The resolution was passed in the Knesset on Wednesday with 68 votes in favour and nine against in the 120-member chamber.

“The motion passed is, first, clearly inconsistent with UN resolutions, international law and prior agreements,” Mr Dujarric said.

The Israeli legislation states that a Palestinian state would pose “an existential danger to the state of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilise the region”.

The State Department said that US was still behind a two-state solution, and that its “approach” and “prioritisation” of it has not changed.

“The United States is committed to advancing enduring peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

"And we believe that the practical way for that is a two-state solution: a Palestinian state that is standing side by side with Israel.

“We believe that is the only way to advance an enduring peace, and it is also something that we believe is in Israel's security.”

The symbolic move by the Knesset goes against decades of international peace efforts, especially the Oslo Accords, a 1993 agreement aimed at the eventual creation of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The US is Israel's staunchest ally, but the resolution goes against policy under President Joe Biden and past administrations.

“I think it can be safely implied that piece of legislation that is in opposition to the two-state solution is not something that we would be thrilled about,” Mr Patel said.

The Knesset vote took place days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington to address a special joint session of Congress.

Mr Netanyahu in January publicly said a two-state solution would not be possible after Israeli military operations in Gaza conclude.

Mr Biden has said he believed it could still happen.

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Normal People

Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
 

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

ETFs explained

Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.

ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

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On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: July 18, 2024, 7:55 PM`