NEW YORK // The latest Gaza war has brought into focus — and perhaps accelerated — a new trend in recent years: growing criticism in the United States of Israel’s policies and increasing sympathy for the plight of Palestinian civilians.
There are no signs, however, that this small but significant shift in public opinion is being felt in Washington, where support for Israel was underlined this week in Congress.
Over the past decade, consecutive Israeli governments have invested in establishing a massive public relations machine that works to promote a positive image as the unavoidable realities of settlement building, occupation and repression make Tel Aviv’s positions increasingly harder to defend.
A messaging strategy guidebook created by US Republican pollster Frank Luntz for the Israel Project after the 2008-9 Gaza invasion is considered a framework document that sheds light on Israel’s PR approach for “leaders who are on the front lines of fighting the media war for Israel”.
The guide urges these leaders to “show sympathy” for civilian deaths, while squarely placing blame on Hamas and framing Israeli violence as an act of self defence while constantly reminding people that Israel only wants peace.
This strategy was used successfully in 2012, but in the latest round of fighting was badly dented by the rise in social media, which has given Americans an unfiltered view of Palestinian suffering.
Even Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged to CBS News on Sunday that Israel was losing the PR war, but stuck to the script, adding that Hamas is responsible for “[piling] up more and more dead bodies of Palestinian civilians”.
“We’ve been on this trajectory since before the war with more and more Americans becoming … willing to discuss and debate [Israeli policies],” said Brent Sasley, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who studies Israel. “The war is exacerbating these problems [for Israel].”
It has been not just pro-Palestinian activists, but also journalists with major outlets who have told stories from a Palestinian perspective to an unprecedented degree. Many used social media to publish images and first-hand accounts of the violence in real time and painted a picture different than what Americans have come to expect from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
While the rise of social media as a news source for a number of Americans is not the sole factor, “there is a correlation”, Mr Sasley said.
A poll by Gallup last week found that 51% of young Americans between 18 and 29 years of age thought Israel’s actions in the latest crisis were “unjustified”. But support for Israel continues to be overwhelming. A Pew poll this week found that Americans overall were twice as likely to blame Hamas for the fighting.
Yet, on Capitol Hill, members of Congress from both parties are scrambling to demonstrate their unfaltering support for Israel. Many have condemned the White House for its efforts to broker a ceasefire and urged the US president to not put any pressure on Israel to end the war, while pledging to help bolster Israel’s military.
“At times like this, people try to isolate Israel,” House Speaker John Boehner said on Monday. “We are here to stand with Israel, not just as a broker or observer but as a strong partner and a trusted ally.”
Obama administration officials have voiced anger at their Israeli counterparts, who have blamed secretary of state John Kerry for trying to broker a ceasefire that they claim provided too many concessions to Hamas.
“It’s simply not the way partners and allies treat each other,” said state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
tkhan@thenational.ae
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1
Calvin Harris
Columbia
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
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Specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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
