Very few people are more capable of assessing the mood in Jerusalem’s Old City than Abu El Walid Dajani.
For decades he has looked out of the window of his office over Jaffa Gate, at the pilgrims, tourists and soldiers that mill around in the eastern Israeli-occupied side of the city.
He was there when Israel seized control of all Jerusalem in 1967.
Since then, he has welcomed guests, dignitaries and patriarchs who come to his hotel, The Imperial, to hear what one the area's most prominent businesspeople has to say about one of the most contested cities around.
But today, for the first time, the hotelier and raconteur is lost for words.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” he says, looking across his desk towards the empty reception desk.
“You might as well be talking to a dead man."
I get the feeling that the Old City is ageing. It’s as if it’s a sick elderly patient who is not getting its intravenous medicine
Abu El Walid Dajani,
hotelier in Jerusalem
Visitors to the Old City in East Jerusalem have dropped sharply since the Israel-Gaza war began in October.
“We’re in the desert, waiting for someone to save us. The whole Old City is bankrupt. It is like walking through a cemetery,” Mr Dajani says.
“One day or another the Gaza war will end, but I don’t see how you revive the Old City and get Palestinian businesses back.”
The statement of defeat is quite something from a man who has just weathered the economic impact of Covid-19 and who has stood strong for decades against the harsher realities of life for Palestinians in Jerusalem.
He has been locked in legal battles with Israeli settlers who colluded with Greek Orthodox officials to gain control of The Imperial, one of the most important and recognisable buildings in the Christian Quarter.
Among the jars of sweets, photos and artefacts that fill his office spill are scattered ring binders and folders stuffed full of court documents from the various battles he has fought to keep his hotel.
Mr Dajani’s love of the city is clear even with all this stress, although one of his friends says the hotelier has barely slept in years.
“I get the feeling that the Old City is ageing. It’s as if it’s a sick elderly patient who is not getting its intravenous medicine,” Mr Dajani says.
“But don’t talk to me or economists about our problems. Talk to nine-year-old boys about what do they expect, what are they looking for, whether they like school. I’m sure they will tell you they do and that they have hope,” he adds.
“Come back and ask the same questions when they are 15. You will feel the anger. Maybe some of them will say they want to stab a soldier.”
“I think we’ll need all the psychiatrists of the world to come here for three years to deal with this emerging crisis.”
And nothing is being done to deal with the brewing disaster, according to Mr Dajani.
“The Israelis don’t have a vision. They’re not getting new blood to deal with the crisis. The occupation can’t continue for another two or three hundred years, like it did with the Turks,” he says.
“It wasn’t always like this. If people were unhappy in 1967, the governor or the municipality would act immediately. Now, nothing.”
Despite the pain in his eyes, he vows to keep coming back to his hotel, no matter how long the war drags on. The lights might be off, the rooms empty and his staff gone for now, but Mr Dajani cannot leave the office from where he has seen so much.
“If you take me out of this hotel, I’d be like a fish out of water,” he says.
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Upcoming games
SUNDAY
Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)
MONDAY
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT)
Tuesday
Mairobr v Liverpool
Spartak Moscow v Sevilla
Feyenoord v Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City v Napoli
Monaco v Besiktas
RB Leipzig v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur
Wednesday
Benfica v Manchester United
CSKA Moscow v Basel
Bayern Munich v Celtic
Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag v Atletico Madrid
Chelsea v Roma
Barcelona v Olympiakos
Juventus v Sporting Lisbon
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
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
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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