The Senate on Wednesday rejected resolutions that would have blocked the sale of offensive weapons to Israel, in a historic – albeit doomed – vote that for the first time saw significant efforts in pro-Israel Washington to crack down on unchecked support to the US ally.
Three joint resolutions of disapprovals on military support to Israel were put up to a vote and all were certain to be blocked.
The resolutions, led by progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, hinged on the argument that President Joe Biden's administration has breached the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act with its continued support of Israel, which has been accused of blocking humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza. Sending military assistance to foreign nations blocking humanitarian assistance is against US law.
The vote on the resolutions marked one of the highest-level displays of the rare splintering on Capitol Hill over support for Israel, including notable support from nearly half of Senate Democrats.
The military offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 43,900 people, has cracked a bipartisan wall of unity in support of Israel which has been most deeply felt in the Democratic Party.
Mr Sanders directed his Wednesday evening remarks towards members of Congress who have been outspoken about human rights abuses occurring in other parts of the world.
“You cannot condemn human rights around the world and then turn a blind eye to what the United States government is now funding in Israel – people will laugh in your face,” he said on the Senate floor ahead of the landmark vote.
“If we do not demand that the countries we provide military assistance to obey international law, we will lose our credibility on the world stage.”
The resolutions were not a blanket block on weapons, but took aim at specific sales, including 120mm tank rounds worth about $774.1 million, 120mm high explosive mortar rounds worth about $61.1 million, and joint direct attack munitions worth $262 million.
Israel's ambassador to Washington, Michael Herzog, spoke out against the resolutions before the Senate vote, saying in a statement on X that “anyone urging you to ban critical arms to Israel during an existential war is not pro-Israel”.
The majority of Senate Democrats, clinging to their final weeks of control in the upper chamber, voted against the measure. Many in the Senate have mirrored the Biden administration's use of verbal warnings about Israel's conduct in Gaza without taking action.
Chief among them is Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish-American elected official in US history, who made waves this year when he called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step aside over the war in Gaza.
Mr Schumer, however, lobbied hard to get his fellow Democrats to reject the resolutions.
“Voting to block assistance today could well very embolden Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran and endanger Israel security on into the future,” he said on the Senate floor.
“I know there are many in this chamber who have been strongly critical of Prime Minister Netanyahu's policies. I am certainly one of them … However, our security assistance to Israel transcends any one prime minister or any one government.”
This position echoes what US media reported on Wednesday said that the White House had been telling Democratic senators, including a memo “suggesting lawmakers who vote against the arms are empowering American and Israeli foes from Iran to the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah”, the Huffington Post reported.
White House Jewish liaison Shelley Greenspan elevated a tweet that stated the Biden administration is “not the lame duck the left was hoping for” on Israel and Gaza.
Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, was among the Democrats who forcefully opposed the effort on the Senate floor, asking: “Why isn't the focus on Hamas?”
He pointed out that the munitions affected by these resolutions would not directly impact the current conflict in Gaza, highlighting that some of the munitions “have a delivery date three years from now”.
“These are replenishments. This is so Israel has the capacity to defend itself against future threats that we know are in the region, that are real. It's not engaged in the current conflict in Gaza,” he said. “I am somewhat confused – I don't understand these resolutions as furthering the cause [Mr Sanders] has indicated.”
The progressive US senators who co-sponsored the resolutions said they are making a simple request of the Congress: follow US law.
“The truth of the matter is that, from a legal perspective, these resolutions are not complicated. They're cut and dry,” Mr Sanders told reporters this week. “The United States government is currently in violation of the law, and every member of the US Senate who believes in the rule of law should vote for these resolutions.”
Senator Peter Welch, who co-sponsored the bill, added: “Is the US forced to be blind to the suffering before our very eyes particularly when it’s our ammunitions being used? … Our view is no.”
The failed legislation managed to pick up significant momentum in recent days from prominent Democrats, attracting progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's running mate in 2016.
Mr Kaine announced his vote in a statement early on Wednesday morning, emphasising that “the United States must prioritise the transfer of defensive weapons – such as those used to defeat drone and missile attacks – to Israel instead of offensive weapons that cause severe civilian harm in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon”.
Prominent Jewish groups aligned with the Democratic Party endorsed the resolutions as well.
Americans for Peace Now, a progressive Jewish-American group, told The National that it was “strongly supporting” the resolutions and had “been urging senators to vote in favour”.
Hadar Susskind, the organisation's president and chief executive, said that despite the resolutions' ultimate failure, it is a significant step for Washington:
“I don't look at these votes as some kind of defeat, because its quite remarkable that there's going to be a vote on the floor in which a large number of senators are going to vote to condition aid to Israel,” Mr Susskind told The National. “This is something that has never happened before … and it was inconceivable a year or two years ago.”
The vote also comes after the Biden administration failed to act on a 30-day deadline it had set for Israel to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Officials claimed Israel had made “number of steps to address the measures laid out”.
“To be pretty blunt, I think the Biden administration has failed to follow the law and failed to follow its own policies,” Senator Chris Van Hollen, another co-sponsor of the resolutions, told reporters.
“You would think after a letter like this was sent, things would at least get a little better. They've gotten a lot worse. So what's the point in setting a letter if you don't mean what you say?”
The US is preparing for major changes after national elections that delivered Republicans complete control in Washington, and there is no rift over Israel in the Republican leadership, as there is among Democrats.
Hawkish Republican Senator Lindsey Graham spoke in opposition to the resolutions, arguing that the regional chaos is “not about Bibi, folks – it's about a strain of Islam that will kill every Jew, including Bibi, and come after us, unless they're defeated”.
Mr Graham added that Washington has “a historic opportunity here to give Israel what they need to finish the war they can't afford to lose, come up with a day-after plan that would replace Hamas with a better life, try to get Lebanon in a better space and build on the Abraham Accords”.
“This effort by my colleagues undercuts all that,” he said.
Before Wednesday's vote, incoming Senate majority leader John Thune criticised the resolutions and said the new Republican majority in Congress will increase Washington's support to Israel in the new year.
“For the past year plus, Democrats have struggled to support our ally Israel and it has literally fractured the Democratic Party … the refusal to have our ally's back and the hesitation to call out anti-Semitism in our own country has consequences,” he said at a press conference.
Mr Thune also pledged that his party will move to sanction the International Criminal Court over its efforts to arrest Israeli officials.
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Company%20Profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20electric%20motors%20with%20102kW%20battery%20pack%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E570hp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20890Nm%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%20428km%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C700%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Hugo Lebouc (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Karaginsky, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Sadeedd, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
3pm Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Blue Sovereign, Clement Lecoeuvre, Erwan Charpy.
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Bladesmith, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raha%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kuwait%2FSaudi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tech%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2414%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Soor%20Capital%2C%20eWTP%20Arabia%20Capital%2C%20Aujan%20Enterprises%2C%20Nox%20Management%2C%20Cedar%20Mundi%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20166%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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Favourite things
Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery
Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
The five pillars of Islam
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
