US President Donald Trump has returned from his successful Gulf visit to the difficulty of delivering on his grand promises, including to end the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. This is happening at a time when Europe is reassessing its strategic relationship with America and other entities around the world.
But how should we understand Europe’s position on the global map, including with regard to the Middle East?
Let’s begin with Gaza, a source of European moral guilt, born of its inability to pressure Israel to stop its brutal, immoral rampage against ordinary Palestinians. Indeed, the conduct of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government – backed by a substantial portion of the Israeli public – has reached a point of moral bankruptcy. Some European states have therefore concluded they can no longer pretend to not see what is happening.
The UK, Germany and France have threatened punitive measures against Israel and discussed the possibility of recognising the Palestinian state. These threats have yet to materialise into action, nonetheless the continent’s stance matters because if does take action, it carries political, psychological and even economic weight.
This shift in position has enraged Mr Netanyahu and his governing coalition, which has launched a counteroffensive in Gaza, invoking the attacks of October 7, 2023. It has also exploited the recent, dastardly killing of two Israeli diplomats in Washington, using the familiar cries of “anti-Semitism” as a shield to avoid accountability for breaking international law and committing crimes against humanity.
Europeans are leaving the challenge of dealing with Iran in Trump’s hands
There is a growing sense of disgust around the world at the current Israeli government’s brazen excesses and moral decay. But this disgust is not yet a full-fledged campaign. One reason for this is the lingering memory of Hamas’s actions in October 2023.
Europe’s shifting position follows growing public anger over Israeli conduct, but it falls short of mobilising the full toolkit available to its states. But unless the continent’s leading powers impose effective sanctions and take bold stands in international forums, their gestures will remain largely symbolic.
To be clear, the responsibility to act is not Europe’s alone. It also lies with Arab states – and in particular with Palestinians themselves, especially Hamas. As long as the group clings to the mirage of “victory” in Gaza, it will drag all of Palestine down with it. It is notable that the Palestinian Authority under President Mahmoud Abbas has taken some steps towards internal reforms. During his recent visit to Lebanon, Mr Abbas called on Palestinian groups in the country to respect Beirut’s sovereignty and its exclusive right to bear arms.
Europe, in a way, is compensating for America’s failings on the Palestinian issue, but it is not seeking to compete with anyone over ownership of the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Rather, it is playing a complementary role to key Arab states, which are exerting pressure on Israel through Washington, sending a clear message: there can be no normalisation without a Palestinian state.
The US-Gulf train has left the station, leaving behind the stop of normalisation – albeit with a window left open for a return (should the Israeli state ever return to its senses). Mr Trump is said to be frustrated with Mr Netanyahu and may even try to clip his wings, but he won’t abandon Israel.
Europeans, meanwhile, are leaving the challenge of dealing with Iran in Mr Trump’s hands. If he succeeds, they will applaud. If he fails, the burden falls on America, not on Europe. Many within the EU consider the Iran nuclear weapons programme to be the US’s problem – unless Israel opts to act independently and launch unlikely attacks on Tehran’s nuclear sites.
There are those in Europe who believe that during his negotiations with Iran, Mr Trump will encounter the same dance he has encountered during the Ukraine-related talks with the Russians: a never-ending ballet, masterfully choreographed to buy time. Europe won’t get entangled in the Iran negotiations – apart from fulfilling its obligations to snap back sanctions under the auspices of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran lost European favour when it sided with Russia in the Ukraine war. And so, the Europeans are no longer willing to bend over backwards for Tehran as they once did.
Europeans no longer fear Mr Trump and his unpredictable policies either. The US President has lost his leverage over the continent. He shifted America’s policy regarding Moscow’s war in Ukraine, and now he finds himself staring at what appears to be an insurmountable wall. Mr Trump thought he could end the war, only to be confronted by the harsh geopolitical and battlefield realities.
In the European eyes, next month’s Nato summit represents a serious test for the US President. He will arrive either with an unlikely peace breakthrough in Ukraine or burdened by the war’s consequences. He will also have to make serious decisions about America’s role in Nato, beyond bluster or demands for more European financial contributions.
Mr Trump has yet to fulfil his campaign promises to end wars and secure grand bargains. This is because the political realities in Iran, Russia and Israel are shattering this objective. For some of these establishments, after all, their very survival appears to trump their respective national interests.
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The UAE's journey to space
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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