Since the assassination in Beirut this month of Hamas’s Saleh Al Arouri, in an Israeli strike, much has been said about his different roles with the Palestinian militant group. Mr Al Arouri was the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, a founder of the Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades – the organisation’s military wing – and was a leading figure in the West Bank, his place of origin. But chief among his roles was that as architect of Hamas’s most important alliance – a position whose details reveal much about the movement’s political evolution over the past decade or so.
When a series of uprisings swept much of the Arab world in 2010 and 2011, Hamas, under the leadership of Khaled Meshaal, became supportive of those uprisings, in no small part because of its close relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group influential in many of them. But Hamas's geopolitical focus began to shift after its leadership election in October 2017, when Mr Al Arouri was voted into his role as deputy bureau chief.
Prior to his death, the extent to which he remoulded Hamas’s geopolitics went largely underreported. Mr Al Arouri, who spent 18 years in Israeli jails due to his militant activism against Israel’s occupation in the West Bank, had played a key role not only in restoring relations and trust with Iran and Hezbollah, but also in upgrading the relationship to unprecedented levels of co-ordination. He helped to birth the idea of a “unity of fronts” among Iran-backed groups – a kind of Nato of militant groups fighting Israel.
Mr Al Arouri was the right figure to guide this strategic shift for a few reasons. First, by the time he was voted into his leadership role, he had only been out of the Palestinian Territories for seven years and had spent a great deal of his life in Israeli jails. He was also a military man, who ascended to the political leadership from Hamas’s armed wing. These two traits were important in setting his priorities, away from the organisation's traditional links with the Muslim Brotherhood and its politics towards Iran’s “axis of resistance”. He shared these traits with Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader in the Gaza Strip and who today is Israel’s most wanted man.
What Mr Al Arouri had – a fighting background within Hamas, a long history of activism and an upbringing in the Palestinian Territories – stood in sharp contrast to Mr Meshaal – who moved to Kuwait as a 10-year-old and spent most of his life abroad – or another Hamas figure who was supportive of the Arab uprisings, Musa Abu Marzouq, who studied in Egypt and the US and worked in the Gulf. The 2017 Hamas vote for a new leadership represented the sidelining of these men and showcased a thirst within the organisation for a paradigm shift in its strategy.
The discrepancy between the pre and post-2017 Hamas leaders also applies to their intra-Palestinian politics, as both Mr Sinwar and Mr Al Arouri had built and maintained relations with non-Islamist Palestinian groups during their long years of imprisonment and in their activism. They were generally more open to reconciliation efforts with other Palestinian movements, even allowing Fatah – Hamas’s rival that controls the West Bank – to carry out activities in the Gaza Strip. Mr Sinwar and Mr Al Arouri were both in Israeli jails in 2006 when Palestinian prisoners from all factions produced a national accord document, calling for reconciliation amid growing discord between Fatah and Hamas. The prisoners played a leading role in pressuring their factions to join the effort.
It was once widely assumed that the damage done by the Syrian war to the relationship between Hamas and the Hezbollah-Iran axis would require years to repair. That turned out not to be the case
While in jail, Mr Sinwar and Mr Al Arouri had shared with Hamas’s rival factions the grievance of being left out and forgotten. Mr Al Arouri spoke of this sentiment during his jail time, highlighting the need for unity among Palestinians and for the plight of prisoners to be recognised all over the world. A 2007 Al Hayat newspaper article reported that when Mr Al Arouri was told of the UN secretary general’s tears in front of the wife of an Israeli prisoner, he felt the urge to scream from his cell that there are 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom also had wives, mothers and children, with no one crying for them.
All of this is to say that Mr Al Arouri and Mr Sinwar prioritised a united armed resistance rather than the Islamist politicking of the Muslim Brotherhood, and that applied to intra-Palestinian affairs as well as regional geopolitics.
Finally, Mr Al Arouri had witnessed the decline of Hamas's regional alliances in Syria – the country he moved to in 2010 and eventually had to leave following the revolution – as well as Turkey and Qatar, from which he was pressured to leave a few times.
Hamas’s relationship with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group controlling Lebanon, dates to 1992, when Israel expelled 400 Palestinians, including Hamas leaders, to Marj Al Zuhoor, a Lebanese border town. There, the two groups had their first contact. Since then, the relationship saw greater co-operation over the years, and Israel even assassinated three Hezbollah officials involved in developing these ties. Egypt had imprisoned an alleged Hezbollah cell active in smuggling towards the Gaza Strip. But when the Syrian revolution and ensuing conflict began in 2011, the groups parted ways, often fighting on opposite sides.
Shortly before his rise to the senior leadership of Hamas alongside Mr Sinwar in Gaza, Mr Al Arouri moved to Lebanon in 2015. There, he started with a focus on restoring ties with Hezbollah. A week before the 2017 Hamas change in leadership, he travelled to Tehran, and just days later the pro-Hezbollah network Al Mayadeen called him the “godfather of the rapprochement with Iran and Hezbollah”.
It was no easy task. Trust between both sides was ruptured with criticism of Iran’s role in Syria, often in sectarian language, as well as accusations and reports of Hamas’s role in training Syrian rebels. Syrian television had aired confessions to that effect from Maamoun Al Jaloudi, allegedly Mr Meshaal’s bodyguard, while dozens of Hamas operatives were arrested – many of them now either missing or presumed dead.
In Lebanon, Mr Al Arouri weaved an alliance not only with Iran and Hezbollah, but also beyond, forging closer ties with Lebanon’s branch of the Muslim Brotherhood – Al Jamaa Al Islamiya – activating its armed wing, Al Fajr. For the first time in its history, Hamas was expanding its influence and network in Lebanon, including in Palestinian refugee camps dominated largely by Fatah.
It was once widely assumed that the damage done by the Syrian war to the relationship between Hamas and the Hezbollah-Iran axis would require years to repair. That turned out not to be the case. With new leadership, in just two years a relationship characterised by distrust was transformed into a regional alliance that is coming to shape the war unfolding in the Levant before our very eyes. Mr Al Arouri’s killing and its aftermath start a new chapter in this tale, which is still being written.
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
Honeymoonish
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Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Fixtures
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
The%20Kitchen
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Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
Company%20Profile
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