Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
October 28, 2021
The last thing most Israelis want right now is another election; they have been through four in just three years. For the past month, however, fears have grown across Israel that a fifth election is on the horizon, if the country’s broad coalition government fails to secure enough backing within the Knesset – Israel’s parliament – for a new state budget by a November 14 deadline. If the budget vote fails, the government will fall.
The coalition led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett comprises left-wing, centrist and right-wing parties – a big-tent political alliance unprecedented in Israeli history. And it has resulted in a chain of other unprecedented events, one of the most striking of which is the inclusion of an independent Arab party, Raam, in the administration.
Getting such a diverse team to agree on major policies has proved difficult; at the start of October, the coalition members reportedly agreed not to submit any controversial bills that could divide the government until after the budget is passed.
Within a week, however, Raam’s party leader Mansour Abbas issued a letter to Mr Bennet, in which he outlined a list of demands to alleviate some of the vast inequalities between Jewish and Arab citizens. They included changes to construction and planning laws that discriminate against Arabs; the legalisation of Bedouin villages housing 90,000 people in the Negev Desert (Israel considers the villages informal settlements); a path to citizenship for families formed by marriages between Israelis and West Bank Palestinians; and a financial package to upgrade infrastructure in Arab communities.
In the Cabinet’s fraught negotiations – which have been complicated by further disagreements, including one over the defence ministry’s decision to designate six Palestinian NGOs as terrorist organisations – only the last of Mr Abbas’s demands has been agreed so far. But the scale on which it is to be implemented is significant. This week, the Cabinet approved a package of nearly $10 billion to be included in its budget proposal, allocated to an array of development projects for Israel’s Arab community over five years.
Similar initiatives have been promised before, but never fully implemented, and of nowhere near the size proposed now. If passed, the plan will invest in urban infrastructure upgrades, improved access to health care (particularly for women) and employment (including in Israel’s burgeoning technology sector), among other things.
Similar initiatives have been promised before
The justification for such a plan is clear. It would go some way in correcting the extreme economic inequality that has been allowed to fester between Jewish and Arab Israelis, and which has only undermined peaceful co-existence. More than half of Arab Israeli citizens live in poverty. Arabs are denied access to many public benefits, and their cities and neighbourhoods have suffered neglect, leading to heightened social tensions.
Even so, Mr Abbas’s critics from other Arab parties have accused Raam of ignoring larger issues, such as the preponderance of illegal settlements on Palestinian land and persistent abuses towards Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, for the sake of winning what they feel will ultimately become empty promises.
They have a point. A plan to invest $4bn in Arab communities was announced in 2016, but much of it never reached its intended recipients – instead getting held up by bureaucracy, or misappropriated. And the reality is that while a path to prosperity for Arab Israelis could rectify several historical injustices, it will not reverse entirely the structural problems that prevent long-term co-existence – the most serious of which is continued conflict with Palestinians.
Nonetheless, the new plan would be a step in the right direction. And it demonstrates to Israelis – Jews and Arabs alike – that when Arabs are given a voice in government, Israel has a greater chance of raising prospects for all of its citizens.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
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
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), EsekaiaDranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), JaenBotes (Exiles), KristianStinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), EmosiVacanau (Harlequins), NikoVolavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), ThinusSteyn (Exiles)
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars
Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke
Two stars
