The first meeting between Lebanon and Israel to demarcate their hotly contested maritime border has pushed Iran-backed Hezbollah into a communications battle to ensure that it does not look like it is giving in to the demands of its arch-enemy.
Just nine hours before the one-hour meeting in the border town of Naqoura – the base of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon – on Wednesday, Hezbollah and its local ally Amal put out a statement saying they disapproved of the composition of the Lebanese team because two out of four of its members were civilians, not members of the military.
This means negotiations could become more political, and less technical, paving the way to normalising ties with Israel, a deeply unpopular idea among the base support of the two Shiite Muslim parties.
Hezbollah built its popularity during decades of bloody insurgency against Israel, eventually forcing it to retreat from south Lebanon in 2000. The two parties then fought a 33-day war in 2006, although Lebanon and Israel have technically been at war since the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
“Hezbollah is afraid of losing its grip on its own narrative because the event is being covered as the beginning of normalisation of a new Arab state with Israel,” said Karim El Mufti, professor of political science and international law at Universite La Sagesse in Beirut.
“It was devastating for Hezbollah when the Israeli flag was raised a few days ago above the Unifil headquarters, because they stand on Lebanese soil,” he said. “Hezbollah feels that it is losing a bit of the image battle here.”
Hezbollah tried to save face with its last-minute press release, but cannot stop negotiations from going ahead, Prof El Mufti said. They have been widely interpreted in Lebanon as a gesture of goodwill towards the US from the group's main backer, Iran.
“Iran’s agenda is different from Hezbollah’s, which has a local base to maintain. It has a larger overview of the region and wants to reach out to the West before the US elections,” he said.
But at the same time Lebanese leaders have been pushing to improve relations with the US after two politicians close to Hezbollah were hit with sanctions in September, said Laury Haytayan, Mena director at the Natural Resource Governance Institute.
"The Americans were telling the Lebanese that during his last month in office, [US President] Donald Trump would put more pressure and sanctions," she told The National.
Presidential elections in the US are scheduled to take place on November 3.
The fact that the head of the Lebanese delegation, air force Brig Gen Bassam Yassin, is a Shiite Muslim was seemingly not enough to reassure Hezbollah and Amal. The other members of the team are Col Mazen Basbous, who conducted a study on the maritime border issue a decade ago, geologist Wissam Chbat and border expert and cartographer Najib Massihi.
“So there is one member of the military who is symbolically good to appease fears of the Shiite community, one member of the military who understands the technicalities, one geologist, and an expert with a PhD on the border dispute,” Ms Haytayan said.
“We have had a maritime border issue for years. Why did the authorities not set up a team a long time ago, instead of asking if discussions are technical or political today?”
On October 1, Amal leader Nabih Berri announced a framework for the US-mediated maritime border negotiations, saying it had been decided in July. The US has been trying to bring Lebanon and Israel to the negotiating table for nearly a decade.
Lebanon and Israel each claim about 860 square kilometres of the Mediterranean Sea as being within their respective exclusive economic zones. By demarcating the border, they hope to be able to make lucrative oil and gas discoveries. Lebanon is currently suffering from its worst economic crisis.
The Lebanese army said that the next round of talks with Israel is scheduled for October 28. Nobody knows when they will end.
“It’s not starting on a great foot but it’s not dead either,” Prof El Mutfi said. “What we can be sure is that it won’t end quickly.”
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Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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The view from The National
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PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
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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
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Barcelona 3
Messi (27’, 32’, 87’)
Leganes 1
El Zhar (68’)
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
