After the Jerusalem embassy move, deep cuts to the UN agency that serves Palestinian refugees and a visit to the region by US Vice President Mike Pence that Ramallah snubbed, it appeared that US-Palestinian relations had hit an all-time low.
But those ties went into freefall again on Friday as Washington cut a further $200 million in aid to the West Bank and Gaza to redirect that money and "address high-priority projects elsewhere", the US State Department said. The slashing of funds, which now totals more than $500 million this year alone, have not only left the Palestinians more isolated than ever but threaten to increase the intractability of the conflict that has raged for seven decades.
US President Donald Trump had come into office promising to live up to his dealmaker reputation and strike the “impossible” agreement that could end years of bloodshed, turmoil and acrimony. But, in the eyes of the Palestinians, his actions have only deviated from his words.
The man that believes he can get what he wants through unilateral and punishing moves on the world stage – be it trade war with China or sanctions on Iran – appears to have picked the wrong strategy if he truly wants to cajole the Palestinians to the table.
If the billionaire believes that recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, cutting Palestinian aid and squeezing the life out of those who rule in the West Bank and Gaza will make them more willing for concessions to the Israelis, he may find he is sorely mistaken.
At a rally on Tuesday, Mr Trump said Jerusalem was off the table but that something “very good” would await them if they abandoned their claim to Jerusalem. For Palestinian leaders, this would represent political suicide.
The latest cuts have again shown them that the American leader does not appear to be serious about peace but, as Ramallah’s ambassador in Washington called it, “anti-peace”.
Behind the scenes on Capitol Hill, Mr Trump’s team of Middle East advisers, son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Jason Greenblatt, are crafting what they say is the ultimate peace deal. But neither side wants it.
In the middle of his Lithuania trip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he does not “see any urgency on the matter” when asked about the plan. Palestinians have publicly said they do not care what Mr Trump has to offer, although privately they are at least interested to see what Washington’s idea of peace looks like.
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Mr Kushner is spearheading the shaping of that very plan, but in emails leaked last month, he spoke of a deliberate effort to “disrupt UNRWA”. That disruption cost hundreds of already-impoverished Palestinians their livelihoods. In a moment of despair, one man who had his Gaza contract nixed tried to set himself on fire, only stopped by his colleagues who were on hand to save his life. The latest missile to the Palestinian cause, by denying them millions in aid, appeared to be the latest salvo in that effort.
Even before the latest cuts, the Palestinians had cut all ties with American officials and said the US can no longer be a mediator in the conflict. For Mr Netanyahu, who seeks to maintain the status quo of a non-sovereign Palestinian entity next to Israel’s borders, this is a situation that only helps him and the Israeli far-right’s cause.
So by dismantling decades of US engagement with the Palestinians, the president has effectively left them out in the cold unless they give up core tenets of the Palestinian vision of statehood. For Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the next move will inevitably be to again ramp up his “diplomatic Intifada”, calling upon the international community to help the Palestinians.
Yet, ever since Mr Trump came into power, all the Palestinians have received are words of support and words of opposition to Mr Trump’s moves. Little action has been forthcoming. Against the most powerful country in the world, that may not be a surprise.
To that end, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza looks set to continue unabated. UNRWA is mired in its biggest crisis since its founding in 1949 and so too are the millions of Palestinians it supports. Hamas, after a year of deadly protests and back and forth shots with Israel’s military, may turn its eyes to a new conflict if ceasefire negotiations aided by Egypt do not bear fruit.
West Bank Palestinians, both in the territory’s cities and its refugee camps, who are seeing their land appropriated and their leaders become ever more ineffective, will only become more disillusioned with the situation on the ground.
All the while, this spiral of hopelessness will continue to chip away at the dignity of the average Palestinians who have suffered years of war, occupation and subjugation at the hands of Israel.
So, thanks to Mr Trump and his backers, it appears that peace prospects are once again off the table and consigned to the cabinet draw in both Washington and Ramallah, at least until he leaves office.
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20LEAGUE%202
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.
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
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
MO
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The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
