After six months of immutable support for Israel in its campaign in Gaza, US President Joe Biden has wavered for the first time.
“Outraged” by the Israeli military’s killing of seven aid workers, one of whom was a US citizen, Mr Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week to tell him that American policy would change unless Israel works towards a ceasefire, or if it continues to fail to protect civilians in Gaza.
READ MORE BY THOMAS WATKINS
The move marked a potential turning point in the conflict, which erupted on October 7 when Hamas militants stormed southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages.
Immediately after the phone call, Israel moved to allow more aid into Gaza, which teeters on the brink of famine and where health authorities say more than 33,100 people have been killed.
But for Mr Biden’s critics, his attempt to put pressure on Israel comes as too little, too late, and is offset by the fact the US continues to supply its ally with billions of dollars of military aid.
Where, they asked, was his outrage when about 200 other aid workers were killed? Why has it taken Mr Biden six months to use America's power to force Israel to reduce the civilian death toll?
And why does he still refuse to put conditions on military aid to ensure it is used in a way to avoid civilian casualties?
Progressive senator Bernie Sanders said Mr Biden's occasional sharp words for the Israeli Prime Minister feel empty given continuing overall US support.
“One day the President is 'angry' at Netanyahu, the next day he is 'very angry', the next day he is 'very, very angry'. So what? At the same time, there is support for more military aid [to Israel] in a supplemental bill,” Mr Sanders told Pod Save America.
“You cannot continue to talk about your worries about a humanitarian situation in Gaza and then give Netanyahu another $10 billion, or more bombs. You cannot do that. That is hypocritical.”
The timing of Mr Biden’s call suggests he was acting at least partly out of political self-interest and not merely because of the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in the Israeli air strike.
Doubtless he has been feeling the pressure from his Democratic base. Progressives and Arab Americans alike have vowed not to vote for him in November, even if that means a victory for former president Donald Trump, known for his Muslim travel ban in 2017.
Aside from some occasional sharp words for Israel, Mr Biden has largely sat on his hands while the death toll in Gaza has reached staggering levels.
The electoral numbers are particularly bleak for Mr Biden in key swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, where Democrats have sworn off voting for the President in numbers far greater than he won the states by in 2020.
Mr Biden needs his base to turn out in huge numbers in November if he is to beat Mr Trump.
But as of today, there seems to be little indication that they will, even though another Trump presidency could leave Israel free to take unfettered action in Gaza, and potentially the occupied West Bank.
A lot can happen before the presidential election, but Mr Biden’s actions last week have not immediately placated the base he needs to turn out to vote for him on November 5.
Similarly, it probably won’t do much to endear him to conservatives, many of whom consider his pressure on Mr Netanyahu to be a betrayal of Israel.
“To help his polls in Michigan, Joe Biden just strengthened Hamas's negotiating position. He effectively encouraged Hamas to hold out and not release the hostages. Shameful,” Republican senator Tom Cotton said on X.
Republicans have by and large been happy to stay quiet on how they would handle the Israel-Gaza war differently, borrowing from Napoleon’s adage: “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”
Mr Trump's Republican Party is even more hawkish than Democrats in supporting Israel and has factions calling for the annihilation of Palestinians in Gaza.
For example, Tim Walberg, a Republican representative from Michigan, said during a recent town hall meeting that Gaza should be treated “like Nagasaki and Hiroshima”, the Japanese cities the US dropped atom bombs on at the end of the Second World War.
And following the phone call with Mr Netanyahu, the Republican-led House Rules Committee announced it would consider a resolution that “opposes efforts to place one-sided pressure on Israel with respect to Gaza, including calls for an immediate ceasefire”.
By doing so little to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza for six months, Mr Biden has left himself little room to manoeuvre now, and any actions he does take will be seen as unsatisfactory by progressives and conservatives alike.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
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
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
