Some expected all hell to break loose when Ben & Jerry's, the ice cream company, announced that as of 2022 it would no longer license the sale of its products in occupied Palestinian territories. After an initial furious response from Israel and its supporters in the US, the story has largely faded from the news. This should not be interpreted to mean that it's over. Rather it's just another episode in a long-playing drama that will continue to unfold in the months and years to come.
There were several reasons why the official Israeli response to Ben & Jerry's decision was so intense: it is the most prominent American business to have taken such a stance; the company's commitment to promoting social justice has given it exemplary status among American progressives; and its founders are Jewish Americans.
Fearing that the Ben & Jerry's decision might embolden others to follow suit, the Israeli reaction was an exaggerated one, with various leaders trying to outdo one another in expressing indignation in hopes that the "sound and fury" would be enough to discourage them.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the boycott an effort "to undermine the very existence of the state of Israel”, terming it "a new form of terrorism”. Others accused Ben & Jerry's of committing "a blood libel" and "a shameful surrender to anti-Semitism advocated by the global BDS Movement that seeks the destruction of the state of Israel”.
Israel's foreign ministry announced that it was writing to the 35 states across the US that have passed legislation against BDS, a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments and economic sanctions against Israel. It also said it would ask them to enforce their laws by punishing Ben & Jerry's. Prompted by some pro-Israel US groups, a handful of elected officials in a few states announced that they would be reviewing options – but thus far, little has been done.
The initial furore, the scurrilous charges of anti-Semitism, and the effort to link Ben & Jerry's decision to BDS demand a response.
Ben & Jerry's has a long history of support for progressive causes. It has a board that helps shape company policies on issues from climate change to racial and social justice. For years, activists in the company's home state of Vermont and nationally have been pushing for this boycott noting that Israel's policies in the occupied lands were inconsistent with Ben & Jerry's mission to support social justice. The company has now agreed and taken the courageous step to pull its product out of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
As Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the company's co-founders, noted in a New York Times op-ed they penned last month, it was justice, human rights and respect for international law that moved them to act, not hatred for Israel and most certainly not direction from BDS.
This is what the Israeli government and supporters of its policies fail to understand. Since they either cannot bring themselves to find fault in Israeli behaviour or are simply incapable of breaking ranks with the Israeli government, they need to cast blame elsewhere. Instead of addressing the issues of the occupation and its attendant human rights abuses, they have worked to defame critics or criminalise the actions of those who, like Ben & Jerry's, dare to say that in conscience they cannot continue to contribute to these abuses.
The effort to silence critics has failed
In recent years, Israel has poured tens of millions of dollars into the campaign to make boycotting Israel illegal – with some limited success. To date, some 35 American states have passed laws to that effect. Each time these laws have been challenged in court, however, they have been struck down as violations of free speech. And almost every month, students at yet another college campus or leaders of yet another religious body affirm their intention to boycott Israel or call for sanctions against that state because of its violations of human rights and international law. Clearly, the effort to silence these critics has failed.
Israel is also losing the debate in US public opinion – especially among progressives and Democrats. A recent poll commissioned by the Arab American Institute found significant support for the boycott effort. Up to 43 per cent of American voters said that it was legitimate for opponents of Israel's settlement policies to call for boycotts or the imposition of sanctions to show displeasure with these policies. Only 26 per cent said it was not. Among Democrats, the margin was 57 per cent to 15 per cent. And 49 per cent of Americans agreed with Ben & Jerry's decision to withdraw its product from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, with only 31 per cent disagreeing. Among Democrats, the margin was a substantial 65 per cent to 18 per cent.
And so, after all of the name-calling and fortunes spent to silence critics, the challenge to Israeli policies continues to grow. As for Ben & Jerry's, the company appears to have weathered the storm. It's still in business and continues to be a leader in the progressive movement for social justice. It's not guaranteed that other companies will follow their lead. That will depend on whether grassroots activists are able to replicate the pressure campaign they mobilised to convince Ben & Jerry's to take action. One argument on their side in future boycott efforts is that companies needn't be afraid. That bridge has been crossed.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
POSSIBLE ENGLAND EURO 2020 SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
