The atrocities witnessed today in Palestine are the consequence of decades of violent events, tragedies, unfulfilled promises, mushrooming illegal settlements and victimhood. Some acts that were committed contradict our Arab culture, as well as Islamic beliefs and values, and resulted in an escalation of violence and misery that brings no gain to anyone – only losses.
The conflict did not start on October 7, nor will it end with a ceasefire. The international community is sadly witnessing the heavy cost of missed opportunities, having turned a blind eye to unimplemented UN and Security Council resolutions, violations of international law and peace initiatives.
Our region deserves peace, and its people, when given the right tools, can together create an environment that dignifies their heritage and ancient civilisations, as well as bringing prosperity. The Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 will remain the most plausible and equitable solution to this injustice.
What was confirmed in the past three weeks, and over the last century, is that violence can bring out the worst in people, and that passions can reach far and wide. It is the duty of responsible leaders to extinguish this fire before it spreads out of control.
Nothing can be achieved by an Israeli invasion of Gaza. It can exacerbate the situation and it should be neither sanctioned nor justified. Israel knows, and must be reminded, that the human cost of such an attack will create global repercussions with unpredictable consequences for decades to come.
The recent events were neither unexpected nor surprising. We have seen that violence only breeds more violence and extremism. This pattern is clear, and sadly has repeated itself. Leaders in and outside the region failed to act by ignoring the fundamental message that the question of Palestine remains central, and that no durable solution can be achieved without an equitable justice for the Palestinian people, and peace for all.
Precedents to the current violence are many, and leaders should have acted much earlier. As recently as April this year, Israeli forces attacked worshipers in the Al Aqsa mosque and others celebrating the holy month of Ramadan in Jerusalem. Rockets were fired from Gaza in retaliation for violence by Israeli settlers and security forces.
Israel knows, and must be reminded, that the human cost of such an attack will create global repercussions
This has been happening at regular intervals, with no shortage of provocations and reactions. The 2006 Gaza war was triggered on June 25, the night that Fatah and Hamas were about to sign an understanding based on a document proposed by prisoners from both sides in Israeli jails. Since then, violence has been virtually uninterrupted.
In each flare up, thousands of Palestinians were killed, and countless homes destroyed. The tightening of the blockade and siege of Gaza has transformed it into the largest open-air prison in the world. The violence has also spread to the West Bank, as we have seen in 2002 when the refugee camp of Jenin was destroyed, and earlier this year. The long list of human rights abuses in the West Bank includes separation walls, restricting mobility of civilians to make life impossible and the expansion of illegal settlements.
The situation should never have been allowed to progress as far as the recent attack by Hamas on October 7, which brought the largest number of civilian and military Israeli casualties and hostages to date. The Israeli response in the form of collective punishment – with massacres and atrocities in Gaza against civilians, hospitals, churches and mosques – is an affront to international law and human rights. The two million civilians in Gaza are victims of a continued failure to implement a comprehensive, just and lasting solution.
The plight of the Palestinians can no longer be ignored. Peace in the region cannot happen without justice, and half-measure solutions are no solutions.
The parameters of peace are included in the Arab Peace Initiative that was proposed by the then Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and unanimously adopted during the Beirut Summit of the League of Arab States in April 2002. It was also endorsed by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. The main premise is that a military solution will not achieve peace, or provide security, and that only a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East constitutes the strategic option for the Arab countries. The conditions are the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem and the right of refugees to return to Palestine according to UN resolutions, in exchange for a permanent peace between Israel and the Arab countries.
Peace should be a sufficient goal in itself, but nothing can make it more urgent than the abyss we see before us in the present crisis. There are many challenges, but they should be turned into opportunities by wise people, when the right ingredients are there, with good intentions and courageous leaders.
The Arab Peace Initiative was overshadowed by the Passover Massacre, in which a Hamas suicide bomber killed 30 people during a Passover celebration on the same day the initiative was launched. Another example of violence and extremism defeating moderation and creating chaos.
Twenty-one years later, circumstances have changed but the objectives remain the same: peace, justice and moderation should prevail.
Every crisis brings with it opportunity, and the bigger the crisis the more urgency to seize the ensuing opportunity to implement peace and justice. We live in dangerous times, with escalating violence and war in Ukraine threatening world peace.
Paradoxically, the West has intervened to support extremist reactions in Israel under the pretext of self-defence. This is not a wise policy; moderation needs to prevail on all sides.
There is an old Arab proverb that says: “Persistent injustice and oppression will lead to destruction, whereas durable justice builds up to prosperity.” This is a call to change course, to stop the war on Gaza and bring justice to the people of Palestine and end this conflict that will continue to threaten global security and regional peace.
What is needed is vision, courage, goodwill, and the determination of the international community to bring peace and prosperity to all.
Our common belief in human dignity deserves nothing less.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
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Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
The years Ramadan fell in May
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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).
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.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
MATCH INFO:
Second Test
Pakistan v Australia, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am daily at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Entrance is free
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