The top diplomat heading US efforts to combat and monitor anti-Semitism is taking her first trip to the Middle East since assuming the role, with stops in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel.
Deborah Lipstadt, a renowned historian and scholar of Jewish history who was confirmed to the position in April with bipartisan congressional support, spoke exclusively to The National before leaving on the trip this weekend and described how she hopes to capitalise on changes and new opportunities in the region.
She sees new momentum and room for improvement in combating anti-Semitism.
“In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there's an opportunity for movement,” she said, pointing to some of the social reforms that the country has undertaken in the last three years.
These include the increasing participation of women, stripping the religious police of their privileges and the opening of Saudi airspace for flights headed to Israel.
But Riyadh has also come under heavy criticism for the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as the executions and jailing of activists.
Ms Lipstadt acknowledged those issues but summed up her modus operandi as: “If there's someone, an autocrat, a democrat, or anything in between who is willing to address this issue [of anti-Semitism], and potentially do something about it, I'm willing to go and talk.”
The 75-year-old historian has dedicated most of her professional life to countering anti-Semitism and discrediting Holocaust deniers.
In 1996, she was sued for libel by British Holocaust denier David Irving after she wrote about him in a 1993 book.
The case dragged on for four years and ended with Mr Irving losing, with the judge describing him as someone who is an “active Holocaust denier, anti-Semitic, racist and associates with right-wing extremists who promote neo-Nazism”.
Ms Lipstadt will travel to both Riyadh and Jeddah, where she will meet Saudi Cabinet and civil society members. She will not be bringing a to-do list and instead is looking forward to a two-way conversation and “pushing against an open door”.
“We are not perfect,” she added, recalling the rise of anti-Semitic attacks and far-right nationalist movements in the US.
“We're not coming [to the Gulf] to say we've solved the problem and here's what we think you should do. We're coming to say, we know we have a problem.”
The US has pushed in the past for Saudi reforms that fight radicalisation, promote interfaith dialogue and tackle anti-Semitic references in school curriculums.
Ms Lipstadt says all these issues will be on the table but with the broader goal of “potentially normalising the way in which Jews, Jewish history and Jewish culture have been viewed in the Middle East”.
Her optimism is partially grounded in the Abraham Accords that were signed in September 2020 and established peace between Israel and the UAE, with Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan following soon after.
She sees a “moment of tremendous excitement” and describes the UAE as “a model for what can be done”.
Following the historic accords normalising relations between Israel and the UAE, the two countries witnessed a boom in travel, scientific, culinary and security co-operation.
Barbara Leaf, the US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, suggested on Wednesday that President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel next month could bring new developments pertaining to the Abraham Accords.
Ms Lipstadt will spend three days in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the last leg of the trip. She will meet Emirati officials and others who work on promoting interfaith and cultural diversity in the country.
The biggest challenge on her mission is breaking stereotypes and unconscious racism around what is Jewish, she said.
She studied Judeo-Arabic history and is confident of the possibility to build on common traditions and deep-seated values.
The US envoy said settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would help alleviate anti-Semitism, but is not the “sole cause” behind it.
She saw commonalities between the spectre of prejudice against Jewish people and that against Muslims.
“Anti-Semitism is often the canary in the coal mine. It begins with the Jews — it doesn't end with the Jews,” Ms Lipstadt says.
She decried the rise of Islamophobia in the West including the decision by a French court this week that bans “burkinis” in swimming pools.
“It is ludicrous,” she said.
“Anti-Semitism is like a virus … It doesn't stop and it morphs, and changes. There are certain connections certainly between Islamophobia, hatred of Muslims, attacks on Muslims and anti-Semitism,” Ms Lipstadt argued.
Her trip will last about a week and is the first for a US envoy in the position to Saudi Arabia since 2011. Mr Biden will visit Jeddah in mid-July on his first trip to an Arab country as president.
MATCH INFO
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Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
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THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
UPI facts
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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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Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
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Lily Allen
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
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Company%20profile
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
