When the revered Ottoman architect Sinan designed Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate in the 16th century, he intended for it to be an aperture to the rest of the Muslim world. The doorway, which now serves as an entrance to the Old City, was historically the departure point for a road that linked Jerusalem to Nablus and on to Damascus.
Today, the Damascus Gate is known better as a site of frequent protests by the city’s Palestinian residents to highlight just how isolated they have become under occupation. Last week, demonstrations focused on the closure by Israeli authorities of the public space around the gate, using metal barricades to prevent young Palestinians from gathering there after sunset to socialise during Ramadan. They soon escalated into violent clashes, after a group of Jewish far-right extremists marched towards the gate on Thursday evening and harassed the protesters, chanting “Death to Arabs”.
In all, 50 people were arrested and 100 Palestinians were injured, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Editorials from The National
Israel’s Arab neighbours were quick to condemn the extremists’ actions, with the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers both calling on Israel to do a better job of tackling anti-Arab racism within its borders. The UAE also expressed “grave concern”, urging Israeli authorities “to assume responsibility for reducing the escalation and putting an end to all attacks and practices that lead to a continuing state of tensions”.
The escalation, especially during Ramadan, is of concern to Arabs and Muslims globally. The UAE statement stressed the need "to preserve the historical identity of occupied Jerusalem, to restore calm and to exercise maximum restraint to avoid the region drifting to new levels of instability and threatening peace".
These kinds of incidents pose a significant threat to efforts at fostering peace. They have been helped by the cynicism that prevails in some of Israel's party politics, with mainstream politicians often drifting opportunistically to the extreme right of the political spectrum in order to outflank their conservative opponents.
Relatively small bouts of unrest can easily spiral into much larger bursts of violence and instability, and these can render long-term, peaceful solutions to the Palestine-Israel conflict more remote. In response to last week’s events, Hamas, the extremist militant organisation that controls the Palestinian territory of Gaza, has launched a barrage of rocket attacks on Israel. The Israeli military has responded with air strikes, adding to the broader sense of alarm in the region.
In a sign that Israeli law enforcement seem to recognise the need to de-escalate, police looked on calmly in front of the Damascus Gate on Sunday as Palestinians removed the metal barriers, restoring their access to the area. Thousands gathered to cheer them on, with some waving Palestinian flags. The celebrations were dampened, however, when the flags were swiftly confiscated. It was a reminder that even with this small victory, many more barriers lie ahead.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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
Company%20profile
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The%20specs
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Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
