Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Speaker of the Israeli Knesset Amir Ohana is in Washington this week to mark the inaugural “House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group”, yet another show of how the US is, by every metric, Israel's strongest ally.
But with this Congress defined by dysfunction, even bipartisan support for Israel has not resulted in increased funding for the war in Gaza.
The Israeli delegation's visit comes during a dramatic week in Congress, with partisan rifts holding up two Israel funding packages – both doomed to remain “still, just a bill”.
Even with growing concerns from progressive corners of Washington over the war in Gaza, the vast majority of leaders in the US capital have insisted on increasing support for Israel.
After months of negotiations, the Senate at the start of the week seemed close to a breakthrough with the White House in reaching a deal on a massive $118 billion funding package for Israel, Ukraine and immigration reform for the US southern border.
But the Republicans in the House of Representatives, who blame the Biden administration over a mass migration “crisis” at the southern border, assured that the Senate package would be “dead on arrival” when it arrived in the lower chamber for a final vote.
Following that opposition from the House, many Senate Republicans flipped on the bill they had helped to negotiate, declaring the mega package “dead”.
The conservative party has since spiralled into an internal blame game over the stalemate.
But President Joe Biden pointed the finger for the Republican about-face at Donald Trump, his presumed Republican challenger in the 2024 presidential election.
“Because Donald Trump thinks it's bad for him politically. He'd rather weaponise this issue than actually solve it,” Mr Biden said in a press conference this week.
Republican James Lankford said on the Senate floor: "I had a popular commentator four weeks ago that I talked to that told me flat out ... if you try to move a bill that solves the border crisis during this presidential year, I will do whatever I can to destroy you, because I do not want you to solve this during the presidential election."
He added that the commentator "has been faithful to their promise".
Meanwhile, the House also failed on Tuesday to pass a Republican $17.6 billion Israel supplemental funding bill in a 250-180 vote.
Republican Congressman David Kustoff, speaking alongside the Israeli delegation, said the vote was “a temporary setback”.
“Israel needs that aid, and we also know that the world is watching,” he added.
Despite it picking up a few notable Democratic votes, including from former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Mr Biden had warned he would veto the stand-alone Israel bill had it passed.
Some progressive Democrats, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, opposed the legislation. But for most of the representatives voting against these bills, their vote has everything to do with the partisan split over the bigger deal in the Senate.
Gregory Meeks, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, voted no on the Israel-only bill, despite arguing Washington “urgently needs to help Israel defend itself”.
He argues that “Israel funding should not be used for political ploys” amid Republican rejections of the broader Senate package.
“We are cynically being asked by the GOP to support an Israel-only supplemental because they are taking orders from Donald Trump, who seeks chaos on our border and success for [Russian President] Vladimir Putin,” Mr Meeks said in a statement.
House Armed Services Committee ranking member Adam Smith also gave a statement justifying his “nay” vote on the stand-alone.
“I voted against the stand-alone supplemental bill for Israel today because I cannot support a national security supplemental that abandons Ukraine and fails to provide humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza,” Mr Smith said after the vote.
“We are facing many national security threats across the globe. These challenges are increasingly interconnected, and we must advance a US national security strategy that supports all these interests in lock step to be in the best position to succeed.”
As of Wednesday morning, Senator Chuck Schumer said he would force a vote on a “clean” foreign aid bill that takes out the border issues at the centre of debate in the $118 billion package, according to reports.
At the press conference with Israeli Speaker Ohana, Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman told reporters that Washington needs “to deal with the crises around the world as a package”.
“I'm confident that that will happen within the next 30 to 40 days,” he said.
But it is still unclear if the Democratic plan B on a “clean” foreign policy package could pick up enough Republican support.
From the steps of Capitol Hill, far-right Republican Matt Gaetz hailed the week of legislative failures as a victory.
“There's a celebratory mood about killing that bad Senate amnesty war bill, and we may have to kill a few more.”
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Griselda
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MATCH INFO
South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8)
Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
SPECS
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more from Janine di Giovanni
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
Read more about the coronavirus
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Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
More on Quran memorisation:
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
