With the war in Gaza in its seventh month, one of its most striking features is the ability of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to effectively bend the Biden administration to his own priorities. Mr Netanyahu has shown an uncanny ability to take what he wants from the Americans, even create mini-crises with them over disagreements, assuming the US will make concessions to him in exchange for his flexibility.
The Israeli retaliation against Iran last week may be a case in point. Initially, after the Iranians had launched missiles at Israel, most of which were shot down, President Joe Biden had urged Mr Netanyahu to “take the win” and avoid retaliating. The Israeli Prime Minister made it fairly clear that Israel would decide on its own. However, he also realised, once Mr Biden had told him that if Israel responded, it would have to do so without US involvement, that his margin of manoeuvre was limited.
What appears to have happened is that the Israelis played on US anxieties about a regional escalation to extract a concession from the Biden administration on Israel’s aim to mount an invasion of Rafah. According to Egyptian sources, cited by the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on April 18, the Israelis allegedly secured US acceptance of their entry into Rafah in exchange for a limited response against Iran.
Reports in the US media on April 19 painted a more complicated picture, and an American spokesman denied such an agreement was reached. The administration reportedly remains unconvinced by the Israeli plan for Rafah, forcing Mr Netanyahu’s government to modify its military tactics. However, one thing is apparent, namely that the two sides are now discussing the specifics of an invasion.
From the outset, the Biden administration said it would consider a credible plan for taking Rafah, so that’s not what’s new. However, repeatedly there were US indications that none of the Israeli plans was realistic, even as the Americans said Israel should adopt a different tactic of making limited incursions into Rafah, without endangering the population.
A few weeks ago, Mr Netanyahu appeared to comply with that request. He withdrew most of his soldiers from Gaza and began limited operations in Rafah. However, for the Israeli leader, the symbolism of taking Rafah and killing senior Hamas officials is a ticket to his political survival, therefore he remains adamant about going into Rafah. He appears to have secured a US willingness to continue addressing the specifics of such an operation, amid newspaper reports where US officials have been quoted as saying it is up to the Israelis to decide what to do.
But US backtracking is hardly an anomaly. When Israel attacked an Iranian diplomatic complex in Damascus on April 1, it did not inform the US. This may have been an attempt by the Israelis to draw the Americans into a war with Iran, which would be necessary to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities and military targets. Israel’s claim that it did not expect Iran to respond as it did on April 14 seems laughable. Mr Netanyahu must have known when he provoked the crisis that it would force the US to reaffirm its defence of Israel.
If Netanyahu stays true to form, he will continue to criticise the Americans, knowing that this will win him backing at home and provide him with leverage in future disagreements with Washington
Indeed, after the Damascus bombing, the Americans suddenly shifted to “protect-Israel” mode. US anger at being ambushed by the Israelis was forgotten, at least publicly, though NBC News did report that Mr Biden had expressed concern that Mr Netanyahu was trying to push America into a regional confrontation. Nevertheless, a coalition of western countries came to Israel’s defence, bolstering the Prime Minister’s position.
Much the same has happened with Mr Biden’s requests that Israel avoid civilian casualties in Gaza. There is no sign that Mr Netanyahu ever took this advice seriously. On the contrary, he exploited his divergences with Washington to bolster his popularity domestically. When the Americans asked Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, the Israelis said they would do so, only to continue to restrict the entry of food into the territory until recently.
Rather than force Mr Netanyahu to open crossing points into Gaza for food deliveries, avoiding starvation in the territory, the US came up with an absurd plan to build a jetty to do so, a project that would take many weeks. Mr Netanyahu grasped that there was a wide chasm between US rhetoric and action, therefore that Washington would refrain from using its leverage over Israel, such as restricting arms sales, to impose its will.
In fact, on April 20 the US Congress okayed another $17 billion in military aid to Israel. Shortly thereafter, the Biden administration sanctioned Israeli military units accused of human rights violations. Mr Netanyahu condemned the move as a “moral low”, while a parliamentarian close to him accused the US of “anti-Semitism”. If Mr Netanyahu stays true to form, he will continue to criticise the Americans, knowing that this will win him backing at home and provide him with leverage in future disagreements with Washington.
This is an election year in the US and there are important constituencies in the Democratic Party that would turn against Mr Biden if he opposed Israel. The election is likely to be close, so the President does not want to concede the Israel card to the Republicans. His thinking may backfire if Arab-American anger costs him in vital battleground states, but for now Mr Biden sees no political advantages in a major clash with Mr Netanyahu.
Within the US, some supporters of Israel are continuing to circulate the canard that the Biden administration is pro-Iran. The White House would welcome going back to a nuclear deal with Tehran, but if months of tacit support for Israel’s horrific campaign in Gaza fail to prove the US commitment to Israel, nothing will do so.
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
All Blacks line-up for third Test
J Barrett; I Dagg, A Lienert-Brown, N Laumape, J Savea; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).
Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, M Fekitoa.
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.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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