Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed welcomes opening of American Jewish Committee branch in UAE


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The American Jewish Committee has opened an office in Abu Dhabi, the group said at its annual global forum on Monday.

The AJC is one of the world’s leading global Jewish advocacy groups.

The branch, called the Sidney Lerner Centre for Arab-Jewish Understanding, will be led by the former US ambassador to Oman, Marc Sievers.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, welcomed the move at an online forum.

“We are thrilled to have you,” Sheikh Abdullah told Jason Isaacson, AJC’s chief policy and political affairs officer.

"I hope that your team here in the UAE will feel at home and we will do everything possible to make your presence here worthwhile."

Sheikh Abdullah and Mr Isaacson discussed the Abraham Accords and the recent violence between Israel and Hamas.

Sheikh Abdullah said the pandemic was an important factor in bringing about the normalisation of relations with Israel, and he saw many opportunities for the countries to collaborate.

“The recognition of science will play a much bigger role in our thinking moving forward and it's only possible when you have successful technological countries like the UAE and Israel in the region who can come together," he said.

"I think such a partnership is due. But Covid has made us move in that direction much faster."

While science is an important part of the UAE and Israel’s relationship, Sheikh Abdullah said that as tourism and cultural exchanges between the two nations continued, it would become a “people-to-people relationship, a people-to-people peace".

He said he hoped the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would hold and stressed the need for “strategic thinking on both sides” to pave a new path towards peace.

Sheikh Abdullah said he hoped the UAE-Israeli agreement would help to inspire other countries in the region to reimagine the future.

“I really hope that the Abrahamic Accords can excite the people of the region, that this goes beyond peace and it gets to a point where we are partners in seeing a better future for our kids,” he said.

The Sidney Lerner Centre’s aim is to promote Arab-Jewish and Muslim-Jewish dialogue and co-operation, and to build on the Abraham Accords by strengthening relations between Israel and Gulf states.

It will also fight anti-Semitism and form partnerships with Jewish communities in the region.

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From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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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

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Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland

Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal

Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal

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Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)

Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal

Mar 05  Arsenal 1-4 ipswich

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Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal

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Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

MATCH INFO

Quarter-finals

Saturday (all times UAE)

England v Australia, 11.15am 
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm

Sunday

Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm

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UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

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Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

Brief scores

Toss India, chose to bat

India 281-7 in 50 ov (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79; Coulter-Nile 3-44)

Australia 137-9 in 21 ov (Maxwell 39, Warner 25; Chahal 3-30)

India won by 26 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets