Ramallah // The last-minute formation of a pro-settlement, right-wing Israeli government that includes ultrareligious hardliners was met with frustration in Palestinian political circles and pessimism among ordinary West Bankers.
Benjamin Netanyahu had to settle for a narrow majority to form his fourth and most right-wing government to date, after an agreement was forged with the pro-settler Jewish Home party. The party’s leader, Naftali Bennet, who will become education minister, extracted major concessions before throwing Mr Netanyahu a lifeline of eight seats for his coalition. This helped secure him 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Mr Netanyahu’s scrambling to make the constitutional deadline came after Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party pulled out of the government and committed to opposition. Mr Lieberman, once viewed as the most right-wing member of Mr Netanyahu’s cabinet, gave up his position of foreign minister. The new coalition was not “national” enough, he said.
Talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been frozen since April 2014, and the coalition’s hardline nature leaves little hope for a resumption of the peace process. The full extent of the new government’s decision-making will only be determined after the entire composition of Mr Netanyahu’s cabinet is revealed in the coming days.
For now, the prime minister wants to increase the size of his cabinet from 18 to 22 ministers – to secure his Likud party colleagues more positions – and needs to pass a law in parliament to do so.
For Palestinians, whatever the final make-up is, the outcome seems clear: Mr Netanyahu has very little interest in reaching a just solution to the continuing conflict in the territories.
“Such a coalition ... promotes an anti-peace agenda and the language of racism, extremism and violence,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive committee member.
Mr Netanyahu’s choice of ministerial spots is a giveaway: he placed the education and justice ministries in the hands of Jewish Home, which has its roots in the settler movement. Mr Bennet, who will become education minister, has openly called for the expansion of settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem and the annexation of about 60 per cent of the West Bank to Israel, thereby shattering any hopes for an independent Palestinian state.
Mr Bennet’s appointment will likely mean instilling his own religious, hardline views in the government education curriculum. His party’s website lists as an urgent priority the promotion of “love for the land and [Jewish] people” throughout state schools. It also wants to introduce a so-called “Jewish-Zionist education” unit in public schools, according to Natasha Roth, writing for the blog +972.
Just last week, Israeli authorities advanced plans for 900 new units in the settlement of Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem, according to Israeli watchdog Peace Now. This was part of a March 2010 plan to build 1,600 settler homes there.
In 2014, Netanyahu’s government set a 10-year record for the number of tenders issued for settlements, and construction increased by 40 per cent over 2013.
The new government will also be at the mercy of two religious parties, which have called for exclusion from mandatory military service and increased government spending for the Haredim or ultra-Orthodox.
Moshe Kahlon, the man expected to become finance minister, has insisted he will cut public expenditure, however, and that may be put him on a collision course with the pro-settlement members seeking more public spending.
Some pundits posit that it is these divergent interests of the coalition parties that make it inherently self-destructive, and Palestinians may take comfort in the fact that the government may not last long. With such a composition, it may take very little to pull the coalition apart.
Mr Netanyahu also appointed Mr Bennett’s party colleague, Ayelet Shaked, to the justice ministry.
In July, the then-legislator posted an article on Facebook by the late Israeli journalist and former speech writer for Mr Netanyahu, Uri Elitzur, that justified the killing of Palestinians.
“Appointing Shaked, who openly advocated for the genocide of the Palestinian people and stated that ‘the entire Palestinian people is the enemy’, as the new justice minister is not only a threat to peace and security, but generates a culture of hate and lawlessness within Israel,” said the PLO’s Ms Ashrawi.
The notoriously hardline settler Uri Ariel, who is slated to become agriculture minister, will be responsible for an agency that provides funds for and leases West Bank land to settlements.
For now, the foreign minister position remains vacant, as Mr Netanyahu strives to bring the Zionist Union’s Isaac Herzog on board. It is difficult to see how Mr Herzog would join such a coalition, given that he has already called it a “national failure” in a Facebook post.
For some Palestinians, this coalition, compounded by the legacy of Mr Netanyahu’s past three governments, is enough to foresee a continuation of the same stalemate of the past few years, complete with more settlements and land confiscation.
“The Al Aqsa mosque is being desecrated, children are being arrested, trees are being uprooted,” said Hidaya Bayadseh, a seamstress from Ramallah. “These things all happened during Netanyahu’s reign and nothing will change with his new government.”
As Mr Netanyahu’s coalition will be at the whims of the settler movement and religious parties, things are looking increasingly bleak for Palestinians, especially in light of their own internal schisms that have pitted Hamas and Fatah against one another.
One of the ways to deal with this new government is for the two Palestinian factions to come together, said senior Fatah official Mohammad Shtayyeh. “This Israeli coalition is characterised by extremism,” he said. “It will make every attempt to dilute Jerusalem’s Palestinian identity – through increased settlement – and keep Gaza under siege. We must achieve reconciliation.”
In mid-March, during the final days of Mr Netanyahu’s election campaign, the prime minister admitted that a Palestinian state would not be formed on his watch. In the aftermath, Palestinians vowed to cease security coordination with Israel. But so far this has not happened.
“There needs to be a clear game plan. Palestinians usually take a reactionary stance to changes in the Israeli political arena, instead of having their own strategy,” said Khalil Shaheen, a Ramallah-based political analyst. “The only practical step is confronting Israel diplomatically on the international arena, especially at the UN and the ICC.”
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
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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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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'Ashkal'
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
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Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto
Price: From Dh39,500
Engine: 1.2L inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed auto
Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 122Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0L / 100km
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
