From the Madrid conference in 1991 until the Obama administration’s trilateral summits between the Palestinians and Israelis two decades later, successive US presidents have tried to secure the presence of both parties at the table in negotiating peace. But that changed on Tuesday.
As US President Donald Trump unveiled his “deal of the century”, outlining a proposal for peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, on Tuesday, only one of the major stakeholders in the conflict was present.
No Palestinians were on stage with Mr Trump and the Jordanians declined an invitation to come to the White House. No representatives from Egypt or Saudi Arabia, historically two of the main interlocutors in the peace initiative, attended.
Riyadh championed the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, and its role has been heavily sought by successive administrations to sponsor a solution. Egypt, having formal relations with Israel, is a key conduit for negotiations and regularly brokers ceasefires between Hamas in Gaza and Israel.
Instead, the Trump plan roll-out on Tuesday featured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was indicted on three corruption charges that same morning.
The plan is a shift in US approach. In the past, the US hosted the parties, or issued parameters (under Bill Clinton), or supervised secret negotiations with the help of the Europeans (Oslo) or Egyptians (Taba).
Under George W Bush, it presented a “road map for peace” that left any final settlement to negotiations between the parties on five main issues: settlements, refugees, borders, Jerusalem and security.
But the 180-page plan that Mr Trump endorsed allows Israel to keep all settlements in the West Bank, and to impose its law in the Jordan Valley.
It also opposes the return of Palestinian refugees to the state of Israel and does not include a timeline for the end of Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
In a briefing, US ambassador to Israel David Friedman said when asked if Israel would have to wait to annex settlements: "No, Israel does not have to wait at all.”
Jordan and the Palestinian Authority rejected the plan and called for a Palestinian state on 1967 borders.
But speaking on CNN, Mr Trump’s son-in-law and main architect of the plan, Jared Kushner, said: “I’m not looking at the world as it existed in 1967. I’m looking at the world as it exists in 2020.”
While Mr Trump endorsed for the first time a two-state solution, it relies on Palestinians meeting conditions set out for them in the document, such as “complete dismantling" of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and abandoning extremism.
Ghaith Al Omari, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, did not foresee any Arab state accepting the plan.
"Looking at the map that President Trump tweeted, I can't see any Arab state accepting this," Mr Al Omari, a former negotiator for the Palestinians, told The National.
“Settlements remain in place, the map radically diverges from the 1967 borders as laid out in the Arab Peace Initiative, and it allows the annexation of the Jordan Valley, which is a core issue for both the Palestinians and the Jordanians.”
He said that these were all reasons that the plan would not gain Arab support.
The Palestinian leadership cut all diplomatic communications with the Trump team after the embassy move to Jerusalem in December 2017.
“They [the Palestinians] are not focusing on the content of the plan but the Trump administration, which they view as an unacceptable mediator due to its previous policies,” Mr Al Omari said.
As Israel heads into its third election in a year in four weeks and Mr Trump faces an impeachment trial, a breakthrough in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains unlikely.
The fate of the current plan, and future negotiations, may hinge instead on the US presidential election in November and whether Mr Trump wins a second term or is succeeded by a Democrat who views the conflict differently.
Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC
2009 Finalist
2010 Champion
Jan 2011 Champion
Dec 2011 Semi-finalist
Dec 2012 Did not play
Dec 2013 Semi-finalist
2015 Semi-finalist
Jan 2016 Champion
Dec 2016 Champion
2017 Did not play
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule
12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)
2pm Formula One final practice
5pm Formula One qualifying
6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)
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Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
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
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
