King Abdullah of Jordan said on Wednesday that violence is costing both Israelis and Palestinians, a day after the shooting of five Israelis near Tel Aviv, reportedly by a Palestinian.
A palace statement quoted the king as telling Israeli President Isaac Herzog that it was necessary to work for peace so that "the Palestinians and the Israelis do not continue to pay the price".
The king said that Jordan "condemns violence in all of its forms" and that "every life matters", in reference to the attack on Tuesday.
The shooting occurred in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox city near Tel Aviv. Israeli media said a Palestinian man killed five men in their 30s and 40s.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the country was facing a wave of terrorism after six people were killed in two earlier attacks, which were claimed by supporters of ISIS.
The Israeli president was in Jordan on a rare, announced visit to Amman. King Abdullah regularly meets Israeli officials, without announcing the meetings.
The royal palace gave out a photo of the two men shaking hands in front of the Jordanian and Israeli flags.
Mr Herzog said came to Jordan as people in Israel were burying the victims of the attacks in his country.
"We must fight together against any type of terror and cooperate for the benefit of the security of our nations," he said during the meeting with the king.
Jordan since the election of US President Joe Biden in November 2020 has sought to raise its profile in the Middle East, in particular in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It is an issue where Jordanian officials regard the kingdom as having been sidelined during the Donald Trump presidency.
Relations between Israel and Jordan deteriorated during the 11-day war in May last year between Israel and Hamas, with Amman accusing the Israelis of unjustified repression of the Palestinians in the months leading to the war.
The king later in the year met senior Israeli officials and the two countries struck a barter agreement that would see Israel provide Jordan with water in return for electricity from a proposed solar power plant.
But Jordan was absent from a meeting in Negev, Israel, this week between senior ministers from the UAE, Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt and the US.
The focus of the meeting was building up deterrence against Iran.
A Jordanian official said on condition of anonymity that Jordan was invited but chose not to attend. He indicated that it was not in the kingdom's interest to attend the meeting, without elaborating.
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
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.
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
