French President Emmanuel Macron must move swiftly to set a new date for a UN conference on Palestinian statehood after the Iran-Israel war derailed plans to hold it on Tuesday, activists have told The National.
Mr Macron had said he may recognise a Palestinian state during the conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia, raising some hope European countries would follow suit and increase diplomatic pressure on Israel to accept the proposal.
The Iranian-Israeli conflict and track is itself part of the wider sort of issue emanating from the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict
John Lyndon,
Allmep executive director
The French President has vowed to push on with diplomatic efforts to achieve a two-state solution despite the delay, which he justified by saying that neither Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas nor Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could fly to New York after Israel bombed Iran on Friday. The attack has triggered retaliatory attacks and the closure of the airspace of several countries in the region.
Peace organisations who came to Paris for a conference on Friday on the two-state solution will be campaigning to ensure he delivers on his promise, said Brussels-based activist Dan Sobovitz, who took part in the meeting that was organised to contribute to this week's conference in New York.
About 400 participants in Friday's conference were invited to the Elysee Palace to talk to the President, who reportedly told them he remained focused on supporting Palestinian statehood. "His main message was: you can count on me," Mr Sobovitz told The National. "He should commit to a date." The next UN General Assembly meeting is scheduled for September.
In a closed-door meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, the organisers of Friday's conference, the Alliance for Middle East Peace (Allmep), a network of 170 civil society organisations, highlighted concerns that the Palestinian issue would be sidelined by the latest Iran-Israel escalation. At least 15 Palestinians were killed on Sunday by Israeli fire near an aid centre in Gaza, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed in the enclave since October 2023 to more than 55,200.
"The number one priority has to be ending Gaza's war," said John Lyndon, Allmep's executive director. "The situation between Iran and Israel is deeply concerning. It's incredibly destabilising for the region, but the Iranian-Israeli conflict and track is itself part of the wider sort of issue emanating from the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
France may reorganise the conference in the "coming weeks", Mr Barrot said, without giving a date. "The momentum is unstoppable," he told TV network Public Senat.
Israel's ally
For now, most French politicians, including Mr Macron, have rallied behind Israeli claims that the bombing was justified because of its right to defend itself in the face of Iran's nuclear programme. Some have called on President to remain focused on Palestine.
The French government views Iran's nuclear programme as an existential threat for Europe and Israel, and Paris's relations with Tehran have become increasingly tense over Iran's three-year long detention of two French citizens in conditions "akin to torture". Last week, the UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board of governors declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years.
"France must take Iran's threats against Israel seriously, while at the same time pushing for a solution to the Palestinian problem," Raphael Glucksmann, a leading socialist politician, said in an interview with national broadcaster TF1 on Monday.
Some French analysts suggest Mr Macron had been struggling to gain momentum for the New York conference. Delaying it may give him more time to rally international support after a US campaign to discourage states from taking part.
The President's initial hope of a "mutual recognition process" involving more Arab countries establishing ties with Israel, alongside other western countries, faced difficulties as Gaza ceasefire talks broke down.
"It's catastrophic that once again, the decade-old Israeli-Palestinian question is pushed aside and taken hostage by war," said international affairs commentator Pierre Haski.
"Postponing the conference is also a way of not exposing oneself to failure, though comments made both by Mr Macron and Mr Barrot show they're strongly committed to the idea of holding the conference considering the amount of energy and political capital they've invested in it," Mr Haski told The National.
Shaddad Al Attili, head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's negotiation unit, welcomed the delay, saying the Iran-Israel war would have overshadowed any announcements. "In these conditions, it's best to wait," he said.
No empty gestures
Yet the latest war has left many peace activists – both Palestinian and Israeli – wondering what comes next, as concerns mount over regional instability. One Palestinian NGO worker, who asked to remain anonymous due to online threats to participants of Friday's conference, said the postponement was understandable given that Palestinian cities including Ramallah and Jericho had been closed by Israel because of the Iranian attacks.
"It's a horrible time," they said, speaking from Ramallah after returning from Paris via Jordan. "The bombings are not just on Tel Aviv, they're also near us." About 224 people in Iran, including senior officials and nuclear scientists, have been killed in Israeli bombing since Friday, and 24 in Israel have died in Iranian missile attacks.
In Israel, Mr Macron's two-state solution initiative has been rejected by the government and viewed by many as a hostile move.
Many Israeli peace activists who took part in Friday's conference were left stranded in Paris by the closure of Israeli airspace, which remains in place. "Recognition is too important to be offered as an empty gesture. It needs to be done at a time when people can give priority to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," Israeli analyst Gil Murciano told The National. "It should be used as a tool to promote a two-state solution. Right now, people care about whether they'll be alive tomorrow."
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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Price: From Dh117,059
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The five pillars of Islam
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Results
Final: Iran beat Spain 6-3.
Play-off 3rd: UAE beat Russia 2-1 (in extra time).
Play-off 5th: Japan beat Egypt 7-2.
Play-off 7th: Italy beat Mexico 3-2.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
