Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank is continuing apace after the collapse of the coalition government in Israel.
Meanwhile, new settlement plans that critics say could jeopardise the viability of a Palestinian state will not be discussed during US President Joe Biden's visit on Wednesday.
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, voted to dissolve itself last month, spelling the end of the ruling coalition and triggering elections that will happen in November.
The continuing settlement construction — including plans to develop 4,400 new homes in the West Bank — will test the Biden administration’s stated commitment to pursuing a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine crisis.
On July 3, 29 Democrat members of the House of Representatives urged Mr Biden to push back against Israeli settlement plans in an area called E1, or East 1. This comprises an existing Israeli settlement but also an area of land that would create a continuous arc of Israeli construction in the West Bank, to the north east of East Jerusalem.
In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Democrat politicians called the plans for E1 a “red line” and said it would severely damage a potential two-state solution by bisecting the West Bank.
Crisis in the Knesset
In June 2021, eight parties — a diverse grouping that included the United Arab List, also known as Raam, the first Israeli Arab party to join an Israeli government — formed to unseat former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The coalition, led by former prime minister Naftali Bennett — who handed over his role to former coalition partner Yair Lapid last week, part of a deal struck when the coalition formed — was initially under pressure from the Biden administration on settlement construction.
"We are deeply concerned about the Israeli government's plan to advance thousands of settlement units…many of them deep in the West Bank," State Department spokesman Ned Price warned Mr Bennett’s government in October last year.
Mr Bennett came under political attack from right-wing Israelis, who accused him of limiting approvals for settlement construction. However, in April his government advanced plans to build 4,000 new settler homes in the West Bank.
The US State Department warned it would “strongly oppose the expansion of settlements which exacerbates tensions and undermines trust between the parties.". However, Reuters reported on Monday that expansion has continued apace.
In May, the Israeli government approved 4,400 new homes for Jewish settlers. Plans for a further expansion of settlements, that will effectively cut through the area Palestinians hope will form the basis of a future state, are set to be discussed after Mr Biden's visit to the region.
Israel strongly rejects accusations from international and local rights groups that the settlement enterprise has created a system of apartheid — one of the main claims by those opposed to Israeli construction in the West Bank.
Data collected by Israeli authorities shows a trend of expanding Israeli presence.
In the area of the West Bank where Israel has full control and where most Jewish settlements are located — a zone referred to as Area C under the Oslo Peace accords agreed in the 1990s — only 33 building permits for Palestinians have been approved in the last five years, Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Alon Schuster told the Knesset in February.
During that time, more than 9,600 housing units were started for Israeli settlers in the West Bank, according to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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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The winners
Fiction
- ‘Amreekiya’ by Lena Mahmoud
- ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid
The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
- ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi; translated by Ramon J Stern
- ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres
The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
- ‘Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah
Children/Young Adult
- ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
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