Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
April 19, 2022
It is only the latest chapter in a seemingly never-ending story. Most Ramadans in recent memory have seen an escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel. This one has been no different. Last Friday, as morning prayers at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque were ending, Israeli police barged through the doors of the prayer hall, firing tear gas and stun grenades at the Palestinians, injuring more than 150. One was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet.
It is far from the first time Israeli security forces have violated the sanctity of the mosque, which is formally under the custodianship of Jordan and the Islamic Waqf, a religious trust. Last year, a similar incursion occurred after protests at the site from ultranationalist Israelis, along with counter-protests from Palestinians. That led to a major conflict with the Hamas militant group controlling Gaza in which 250 Palestinians and at least 13 Israelis were killed.
The days leading up to this year’s conflagration followed a similar pattern of antagonism. At the start of Ramadan, several Israelis were killed in a spate of lone-wolf attacks by Arab Israelis and Palestinians. Last week, a group of extremist Jewish Israelis threatened to enter Al Aqsa compound and conduct animal sacrifices for Passover, in breach of a ban on such rituals there. Friday’s police raid occurred in response to reports that some Palestinians were hoarding stones at the mosque in anticipation of a confrontation with the extremists.
It is far from the first time Israeli security forces have violated the sanctity of the mosque
But the fact that all of this has happened before has, if anything, only strengthened the condemnation around the region, including in many Arab states, such as Jordan and the UAE, that have sought to work with the Israeli government in recent years to achieve a lasting peace. For that to happen, Israel’s government must play its part. It must take meaningful steps to protect holy sites. Ultimately, the occupation of Palestinian land must end, because as long as it lasts, there will be an atmosphere of permanent risk for everyone.
Even as the occupation continues, however, this Ramadan might have been different. It is Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s first in office and also the first in 30 years to coincide with Passover and Easter. Although Mr Bennett has been hawkish throughout his political career, Israel’s Arab citizens, Palestinians and the country’s neighbours had all hoped he might seize this moment. His government, a fragile coalition of widely disparate parties, certainly had every incentive to do so. It is already on thin ice after losing its majority in the Knesset last week, when one of Mr Bennett’s party members defected.
Partly with this in mind, Israeli authorities had sought this month to project the image that they had the country’s volatile security situation under control. While the lone-wolf attacks had triggered a severe response, officials had emphasised a commitment to avoiding a repeat of last year’s violence.
But with Friday’s raid, that promise may be unravelling. This may present a fatal blow to Mr Bennett’s government, as Raam, an Arab party, has now frozen its membership in the coalition. But most alarmingly, it threatens to take Israelis and Palestinians back to the same place they find themselves in all too often – fearing for their lives, and afraid for their countries’ future. Their story needs a new chapter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
HOW TO WATCH
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Dubai World Cup Carnival Thursday race card
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m 7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m 7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m 8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m 8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m 9.25pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,400m 10pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m
8.15pm Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions $100,000 (D) 1.900m
8.50pm Al Fahidi Fort Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections
6.30pm: Gifts Of Gold
7.05pm Final Song
7.40pm Equilateral
8.15pm Dark Of Night
8.50pm Mythical Magic
9.25pm Franz Kafka
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight) Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am) Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
