Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The Israeli government's failure to plan for the “day after” the Gaza war ends is a “huge strategic mistake”, a leading opposition politician has told The National.
Knesset member Shelly Tal Meron also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government's conduct of the conflict had led to it “losing the faith of the public and Israel”.
She argued that while it would take time for Israeli society to heal from the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, the country would ultimately need to “re-establish the relationships” with Palestinians to stop the generational conflict.
Day after scenarios
Ms Tal Meron said Israel must address what it plans to do with Gaza, where more than 35,700 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli fire if it achieves its war objective of eliminating Hamas in the enclave.
“Israel must discuss the ‘day after’ right now, if not yesterday,” Ms Tal Meron insisted. “Not discussing the ‘day after’ is a huge strategic mistake for the state of Israel.”
She said she did not want her two daughters, aged 17 and 14, to be caught in the “endless cycles” of violence in “10 years, 20 years and 30 years”.
Gaza, where more than two million Palestinians live, would have to be demilitarised because “we need to have our borders safe again”, she said, suggesting that some of the civil governance could be done by the estimated 25,000 people who worked for the Palestinian Authority in the enclave.
Mr Netanyahu has rejected any role for the Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza.
Arab countries have called for a UN-led peacekeeping force to be deployed, but nothing has been decided at the international level yet.
The October 7 attacks, in which Hamas killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel, had made Israelis more hardline, said Ms Tal Meron, who is seen as a rising figure in the centre-left Yesh Atid, the main opposition party led by former prime minister Yair Lapid.
“In war, the public goes to the right wing because they're afraid for their lives and have lost trust in humanity,” she said.
Trust also needed to be rebuilt with Palestinians after the traumas suffered by both sides in the war.
“We need to re-establish the relationships as we have lost faith,” she said. “So, it will take time for Israeli society to heal but we have to start the process.”
'What is the strategy?'
Ms Tal Meron, speaking to The National at her Knesset office, made trenchant condemnation of Mr Netanyahu’s coalition, in which he relies on the support of far-right parties.
“If he wants to stay in power, the Prime Minister has to listen to the extremists within this government, and that's a problem because they are extreme and they do not represent the majority of the state of Israel.”
The “failing” government should be immediately replaced with elections if necessary or by another coalition formed within the Knesset, led by Yesh Atid, the second biggest party, she said.
“It's been seven months and where is this war going? What is the strategy? Where are you taking the state of Israel? I think that we can run this war in a better way and a new government can do that,” Ms Tal Meron said.
She said the release of the remaining 128 hostages seized by Hamas on October 7 should also be the top priority, but suggested that politics was “involved in the decision-making process” for a deal, “and that concerns me a lot”.
Violence against women
Ms Tal Meron was speaking shortly after chairing a multinational conference on sexual violence as a weapon of war in which crimes against women in the current conflict were highlighted.
“The main goal is to bring awareness around the world because people are not talking about this enough,” she said.
“This is not an Israeli problem, this is a problem for the entire world. This could be at the doorstep of every country in the world.”
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
SHAITTAN
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVikas%20Bahl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAjay%20Devgn%2C%20R.%20Madhavan%2C%20Jyothika%2C%20Janaki%20Bodiwala%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
More on animal trafficking
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
