JERUSALEM // What seemed like an agreement 11 days ago that could break deadlocked Mideast peace talks has failed to gain traction with a sceptical Israeli government.
At his weekly cabinet meeting yesterday, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, did not put to a vote whether to introduce another freeze on settlement construction, let alone mention the issue.
If he had, and the measure passed, Israel could expect a raft of US gifts. At a meeting in New York on November 11, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, reportedly offered unusually generous security and diplomatic guarantees in return for a 90-day freeze. The administration of the US president, Barack Obama, hoped such a move would persuade Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, to return to the talks. He walked out of negotiations after Israel refused in September to renew a partial freeze on settlement building in the West Bank.
Instead, both sides seem to be digging their heels in more firmly, casting further doubt on Washington's ability to cajole them back to the bargaining table. After a meeting with the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, in Cairo yesterday, Mr Abbas said that "if there is no complete halt to settlements in all of the Palestinian territories including Jerusalem, we will not accept".
Earlier, Mr Abbas had agreed to enter direct negotiations merely with an Israeli pledge of a freeze only on building in West Bank settlements.
Israel is demanding more concessions, too. It was reported after the New York meeting between Mrs Clinton and Mr Netanyahu that the American offer involved US$3 billion (Dh11bn)worth of 20 F-35 stealth aircraft and a pledge to oppose Palestinian attempts to unilaterally declare statehood - all for a one-time-only, three-month extension of a freeze that would exclude East Jerusalem. Since then, the Israeli leader has demanded a written guarantee from Washington to placate his pro-settler cabinet. Philip J Crowley, the US State Department spokesperson, said on Friday that his country would agree to this.
But Israel's extreme-right Shas party, holding the swing vote in the cabinet, has upped the demand, asking that the guarantee explicitly state that East Jerusalem is off limits. Meanwhile, officials in Mr Netanyahu's Likud party have publicly scoffed at the idea of another freeze.
Complicating matters even more, there seem to be serious differences as to what was agreed on in New York. US officials initially said the fighter jets would be offered if the Israeli prime minister struck a final peace deal with the Palestinians, The New York Times reported on Friday.
Israel may now get them for simply agreeing to another freeze. The newspaper reported that the Israelis expected the planes for free while US officials thought they would be given at a subsidised price. Pundits have called the offers little more than bribes that reward Israel's "bad behaviour" regarding its internationally condemned settlements, as Daniel Kurtzer, a former US ambassador to Israel, said in The Washington Post yesterday.
"For the first time in memory, the United States is poised to reward Israel for its bad behaviour", he wrote, adding the offer is "a very bad idea".
Even with a three-month freeze, few expect the process of delineating the outlines of a Palestinian state, as is hoped by the US, would lead anywhere. That feat has failed to happen in nearly two decades of Israel-Palestinian negotiations.
"It won't bring the Palestinians closer to agreeing to the borders in which Israel seeks to confine them, or solve the refugee problem, Jerusalem's status or the division of water resources," Zvi Barel, a columnist for Israel's Haaretz, wrote yesterday.
Mustafa Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian commentator, said this sort of sentiment would likely persuade the Palestinians to push harder for unilateral statehood. "The whole process seriously calls into question the United States as an impartial, honest broker," he said.
hnaylor@thenational.ae
Stage result
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:42:34
2. Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
5. Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
6. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar Team
8. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
10. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirate
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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MANDOOB
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week