A deeply disturbing barometer of American passions inflamed by the Israel-Gaza war is the spread of vitriolic anti-Palestinian hate speech and political violence. There has also undoubtedly been a surge of anti-Semitic hatred, but the two most shocking incidents have involved murderous violence aimed at defenceless Palestinian Americans.
On October 14, a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy, Wadea Al Fayoume, was stabbed 26 times and killed by his family’s landlord in Illinois, who also stabbed his mother repeatedly. The suspect, Joseph Czuba, aware of their West Bank origins, reportedly accosted them over the war. When the boy’s mother suggested they pray for peace together, he allegedly began wildly stabbing them.
That’s still the most horrifying Gaza-related terrorist attack in the US, although there have been numerous anti-Palestinian and anti-Jewish incidents and hate crimes since October 7. But a recent attempted triple murder in Vermont comes a close second.
Three Palestinian-American university students were reportedly shot in Burlington by suspect Jason Eaton, who apparently took offence at their mixed English-Arabic conversation and the fact that two of them were wearing distinctive Palestinian black-and-white kuffiyat (scarves). According to police, the suspect did not speak but simply opened fire on the group before fleeing. Two of the three friends are reportedly in stable condition, but the third, Hisham Awartani, may never regain the use of his legs.
These apparent hate crimes, which may include two additional similar murders quite possibly motivated by the conflict, arise in a context of poisonous dehumanising rhetoric against Palestinians in Israel and among notable American figures, especially on the political right.
Florida Senator Rick Scott has predictably rushed to the forefront. As the Biden administration has been trying to organise a bill that would combine humanitarian aid for Gaza with additional support for Israel and Ukraine, Mr Scott countered with legislation that would block all aid intended for Gaza. Other legislation would potentially redirect any Gaza aid to support the Israeli military.
Mr Scott’s bill also seems intended to block even private support for UN agencies that care for Palestinian refugees, including in Gaza. Several Republican senators have repeatedly denounced all aid to Gazan civilians on the spurious grounds it could help Hamas.
Not to be outdone, a group of House Republicans introduced legislation in early November that would block any new visas, refugee or asylum status, or other temporary protected status for anyone with Palestinian Authority travel documents and even revoke visas and protected status for Palestinians who received them on or before October 1. For good measure, it orders immigration authorities to expel all Palestinians who accordingly lose their status.
“This is the most anti-Hamas immigration legislation I have seen, and it’s well deserved,” declared the bill’s main author, Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana, shamelessly conflating all Palestinians with Hamas. He is best known for his numerous ethical scandals when he served as Donald Trump’s secretary of the interior.
Mr Trump, inevitably, has used the Gaza conflict to try to resurrect his notorious and failed “Muslim ban” barring all immigration from a list of seven Muslim-majority societies.
He used his bespoke social media platform, Truth Social, to trumpet the incoherent and bizarre claim that: “The same people that raided Israel are pouring into our once beautiful US, through our totally open southern border.” Most other Republican presidential candidates rushed to join him in suggesting that the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel somehow demonstrates why President Joe Biden’s border policies – which are anything but “totally open” – are dangerously misguided.
His closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has never been to Gaza and knows less than nothing about Palestinians, stated flatly: “If you look at how [people in Gaza] behave, not all of them are Hamas, but they are all anti-Semitic.” Mr DeSantis is one of several state, university and school leaders who have shut down pro-Palestinian student groups, often citing the slogan, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, as evidence of intolerably anti-Semitic and even genocidal sentiments.
Not only is the phrase highly ambiguous, although many reasonably infer it to reject a two-state solution, totalising territorial ambitions are hardly restricted to some student groups.
Much of the Israeli power structure either openly or implicitly embraces exactly this idea in its Jewish context, as demonstrated when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN in September brandished a map depicting Israel including all of the occupied Palestinian territories. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – also known for his affinity for such maps – observed in March that “there is no such thing as Palestinians because there is no such thing as a Palestinian people”.
Nonetheless, genuinely anti-Semitic rhetoric and hate crimes in the US have also been flourishing during the conflict.
Brian Levin of the Centre for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino (on whose advisory board I serve), notes that: “The bigoted backlash from the Israel-Hamas war is causing online invective and disinformation to skyrocket, while anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crime incidents are spiking to possible decade highs, and in the case of anti-Jewish hate crimes, a possible record in the US.”
In several notorious and disgraceful incidents, students and even professors on university campuses appeared to praise the October 7 killing spree in southern Israel. There has been, alas, virtually no end of voluble encouragement throughout US society of Israel’s war in Gaza often coupled with an implicit or even explicit assertion that the innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza, children included, have brought all this death and devastation upon themselves.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog insisted that “it is an entire nation out there that is responsible” because the Palestinians in Gaza “could have risen up” against Hamas, but because they didn’t, “it is not true this rhetoric about civilians not being aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true”. The implications are unmistakable.
This logic has been on full display in a great deal of American discourse since October 7, and especially on the Republican far right, with deadly consequences. So, it’s hardly surprising, yet highly alarming that there’s been more of a spillover of the Hamas-Israel violence in the US than almost anywhere beyond the immediate environs of Israelis, Palestinians, and their hundred years of ever-crueller warfare.
Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
MATCH INFO
Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')
Olympiakos 2 (El-Arabi 06', Semedo')
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
ANALYSTS’ TOP PICKS OF SAUDI BANKS IN 2019
Analyst: Aqib Mehboob of Saudi Fransi Capital
Top pick: National Commercial Bank
Reason: It will be at the forefront of project financing for government-led projects
Analyst: Shabbir Malik of EFG-Hermes
Top pick: Al Rajhi Bank
Reason: Defensive balance sheet, well positioned in retail segment and positively geared for rising rates
Analyst: Chiradeep Ghosh of Sico Bank
Top pick: Arab National Bank
Reason: Attractive valuation and good growth potential in terms of both balance sheet and dividends
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
RESULTS
Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fighter profiles
Gabrieli Pessanha (Brazil)
Reigning Abu Dhabi World Pro champion in the 95kg division, virtually unbeatable in her weight class. Known for her pressure game but also dangerous with her back on the mat.
Nathiely de Jesus, 23, (Brazil)
Two-time World Pro champion renowned for her aggressive game. She is tall and most feared by her opponents for both her triangles and arm-bar attacks.
Thamara Ferreira, 24, (Brazil)
Since her brown belt days, Ferreira has been dominating the 70kg, in both the World Pro and the Grand Slams. With a very aggressive game.
Samantha Cook, 32, (Britain)
One of the biggest talents coming out of Europe in recent times. She is known for a highly technical game and bringing her A game to the table as always.
Kendall Reusing, 22, (USA)
Another young gun ready to explode in the big leagues. The Californian resident is a powerhouse in the -95kg division. Her duels with Pessanha have been highlights in the Grand Slams.
Martina Gramenius, 32, (Sweden)
Already a two-time Grand Slam champion in the current season. Gramenius won golds in the 70kg, in both in Moscow and Tokyo, to earn a spot in the inaugural Queen of Mats.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
