On Monday, Gazan hip-hop artist MC Abdul released a new track titled What is it Worth?. It came out the same day that Israel and Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad (PIJ) agreed a ceasefire to end a four-day spate of violence that killed at least 44 Palestinians, 15 of them children.
MC Abdul is only 13, but the political themes in his music are anything but adolescent – hardly surprising for someone who has grown up in one of the most dangerous areas on the planet.
His lyrics are desperate, too: "What is it worth? Living my life under siege, I pray for the day I am free."
While he and his compatriots are still not free, Saturday's ceasefire is an important step in protecting lives. But it is far from stable. Tor Wennesland, the UN's top Middle East envoy, has warned the Security Council that Monday’s agreement is "fragile”. Both sides have said they reserve the right to respond if it is breached. Shortly after the ceasefire was announced, a Palestinian security official connected to President Mahmoud Abbas was shot dead in a refugee camp in Lebanon. A motive has not been established, but the timing is peculiar. Hours later, the Israeli military conducted a raid in Nablus, killing three.
However bleak the situation, the ceasefire has shown that international diplomacy can still help even in Palestine and Israel’s darkest moments. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was instrumental in mediating the agreement and UN Security Council member states, including the UAE, quickly called for an urgent meeting into the violence.
Gazans are taking advantage of this tentative respite to try to pick up the pieces and get back to normal. They are used to rebuilding their lives, though they should not have to do it so often. The last significant period of violence happened only a year ago, when Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war. This time around, casualties included Gaza's only power plant, which was forced to shut down temporarily due to a lack of fuel. That led to a cut in electricity supply to just eight hours a day. It has now restarted, after Israel reopened border crossings, allowing fuel trucks to enter.
The damage to private property is also significant. MC Abdul's music video shows a number of incinerated vehicles and buildings reduced to rubble. “Our lungs are full of dust, we're struggling to breathe," he says. “We Gaza kids want to see the future, not rubble in the streets.”
These lines reveal the significant mental burden of the violence, particularly on young people. So does footage of children startled and running from missile strikes that hit a street on which they were gathered. Save the Children, a charity, reported in June that 15 years of life under blockade has left 80 per cent of children in Gaza with feelings of depression, fear and grief.
PIJ, a violent group that has destabilised and threatened both Palestine and Israel, is now greatly weakened. But without any semblance of a political solution to the decades-long occupation of Palestine on the horizon and without a two-state solution, it is certain that violence of this kind and worse will be repeated, with or without PIJ.
“What is it worth? Seeing my nation in mourning, seeing innocent lives destroyed?" Gazans will be mulling this question as they pick up the pieces. The world should, too.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
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