Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi. EPA
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi. EPA
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi. EPA
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi. EPA

Israeli minister’s comments draw Arab, EU condemnation


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Israel has come under a barrage of Arab and European criticism after its finance minister denied the existence of the Palestinian people.

It was the latest controversy involving members of the ultra-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which came to power in December and took what Palestinian and Jordanian officials describe as provocative actions aimed at undermining the two-state solution.

“There are no Palestinians, because there isn't a Palestinian people,” Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday.

He was speaking at a memorial service in Paris attended by members of France's Jewish community He spoke from behind a flag depicting expanded Israeli borders that incorporated Jordan and the Palestinian territories.

In early January, days after Mr Netanyahu's government took office, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, another hardline Israeli official, entered the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, in action seen widely seen in the Middle East as provocative.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi said on Tuesday that Mr Smotrich's remarks and the optics of his speech were provocative and "exclusionary".

Mr Al Safadi said the actions "will not undermine us, nor the rights of the Palestinian people".

"The right of existence of the Palestinian people is not cancelled by extremists' statements," Mr Al Safadi said. He called for the revival of the two-state solution to achieve Palestinian-Israeli peace.

Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994.

"Killing the two-state solution will ingrain racial separation [in Palestine] and lead to more tension," Mr Al Safadi said.

An official source told Reuters that Israel's national security advisor had called Mr Safadi to assure him that Israel respected his country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Mr Safadi said his government could adopt further steps if Israel repeated such provocations, but did not elaborate.

Israel's Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter: "Israel is committed to the 1994 peace agreement with Jordan. There has been no change in the position of the State of Israel, which recognizes the territorial integrity of the Hashemite Kingdom."

Jordan was stepping up a diplomatic campaign to pressure Israel to lift heavy-handed security measures during the fasting month of Ramadan beginning later this week, Safadi said.

The comments by Mr Smotrich prompted Jordan on Monday to summon Israel's ambassador to Jordan, Eitan Sorkis, to receive a rebuke.

The UAE has also condemned the speech.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation said the UAE “rejected the incitement rhetoric and all practices that contradict moral and human values ​​and principles”.

Oman also issued a "total rejection" of Mr Smotrich's "irresponsible and provocative" comments.

On Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called Mr Smoprtich's remarks conterproductive, especiallu in the situation which is already very tense".

"Could you Imagine if a Palestinian leader would say that the Israeli state doesn’t exist," he said. "What would have been the reaction?”.

Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said ahead of a cabinet meeting on Monday the "inflammatory statements" made by Mr Smotrich provided "conclusive evidence of the extremist, racist Zionist ideology... of the current Israeli government".

Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab country to recognise and sign a peace treaty with Israel, condemned the "inflammatory and unacceptable" as well as "racist" remarks, Cairo's foreign ministry said in a statement.

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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Race 3

Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars

MIDWAY

Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Programme

Saturday, October 26: ‘The Time That Remains’ (2009) by Elia Suleiman
Saturday, November 2: ‘Beginners’ (2010) by Mike Mills
Saturday, November 16: ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ (2013) by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
Tuesday, November 26: ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976) by Alan J Pakula
Saturday, December 7: ‘Timbuktu’ (2014) by Abderrahmane Sissako
Saturday, December 21: ‘Rams’ (2015) by Grimur Hakonarson

If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

Australia tour of Pakistan

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi  

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi 

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Updated: March 21, 2023, 5:53 PM