Another hunger striking Palestinian prisoner in an Israeli jail is close to death. Mohammed Allan, a 31-year-old Islamic Jihad activist from the West Bank, began a hunger strike two months ago to protest against his imprisonment without trial by Israel since November last year. Mr Allan’s nonviolent protest extends far beyond one individual protesting against an unjust detention. It is evidence of a sea change in resistance to Israel’s continuing military occupation. Fellow Islamic Jihad activist Khader Adnan, who undertook a 66-day hunger strike to protest against his imprisonment without trial in 2012, said last week that hunger strikes are a deterrent to Israel.
Israel is panicked about this spike in nonviolence from formerly militant Palestinians. The evidence for this fear can be found in a recently enacted law permitting doctors to administer nutrition to hunger strikers against their will to try to keep them alive. It was rejected by Israel’s medical association, which said that it constituted a form of torture. So, why does this Palestinian pivot towards nonviolence prompt such a hysterical response from Tel Aviv?
For many, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the quintessential example of a violent confrontation without end. It has been a saga of domination and rebellion played out over the course of decades. While it is predicated on domination – settler colonialism has traditionally required some form of violence to establish and maintain itself – there has long been hope that some form of nonviolence would bring about an equitable solution. In the battle of narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Palestinians have the most to gain by embracing nonviolence.
Therefore, Palestinian society has turned to nonviolent efforts to change perceptions and erode support for Israel in the international community. Initiatives like the boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) movement, which began in 2005, have helped change the way the world understands the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By forgoing violence, activist groups have been able to portray Israel as the primary aggressor that continues to make life unbearable for Palestinians under its control.
The actions of hunger strikers like Mr Allan are helping to write this new chapter and hopefully sow the ultimate resolution. The international community understands that violence will not resolve this conflict and even Palestinian militants are realising the potential of non-violent protest to end this tragic cycle of misery.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
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%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20S.J.%20Clarkson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Dakota%20Johnson%2C%20Tahar%20Rahim%2C%20Sydney%20Sweeney%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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)
On sale: Now
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
Sunday's Super Four matches
Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan
Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
