Much of the Middle East ranked extremely low in terms of media freedom last year, according to Reporters Without Borders. This year, the situation does not look to be improving. The Palestinian Territories is a case in point.
Activists say that the government of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank is clamping down on journalists, bloggers and opponents. Several journalists and bloggers have been arrested in recent months for "defaming" Mr Abbas. Officials deny that the government is orchestrating the crackdown, saying that security forces and public prosecutors are responsible. Activists counter that Mr Abbas can and must put an end to the worrying trend.
The growing clampdown is indicative of a growing unease towards the government's performance. Fatah's chronic failure to deliver on promises made by the PA in previous years of institution-building and economic development is driving frustration.
The authority's failure to carry out its so-called "national project", along with a rhetoric that is increasingly detached from the populous, have created a schism between the people and the government, making it harder for the government to win support for necessary economic austerity. Also, the endless tussle with Hamas in Gaza has prompted Palestinians to lose faith in their leadership's willingness to forge closer ties and bring about unity and peace.
The PA's ability to address rising economic and political concerns in the West Bank is of course shackled by the Israeli occupation. And Hamas's refusal to come to the table and discuss reconciliation with Fatah weakens the Palestinian hand.
But Mr Abbas also appears detached from the realities on the ground, which exacerbates the situation and leads to more criticism.
In publicising complaints about perceived deficiencies, Palestinians are calling for change from within. They have every right to do so, and Mr Abbas's government would do well to listen. Only with strong, unified and responsive Palestinian leadership will peace with the neighbours be possible.
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPECS
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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km