The foreign ministers of five Arab countries who had planned to visit the occupied West Bank this weekend have condemned Israel's decision to block their plans.
In a joint statement released by Jordan's Foreign Ministry on Saturday, the delegation described Israel’s move as "a blatant violation of Israel’s obligations as an occupying power".
The ministers had planned to visit Ramallah and meet President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian officials. The delegation, including foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, had been expected to take part alongside Turkey.
"[The decision] reflects the arrogance of the Israeli government, its disregard for international law and its continued illegal practices and policies that besiege the brotherly Palestinian people and their legitimate leadership, entrench the occupation and undermine prospects for a just and comprehensive peace," the statement added.
Israel's move will further escalate tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the country's Arab neighbours.
US President Donald Trump made the inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the Abraham Accords, agreements to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab countries, a top foreign policy priority. However, Israel’s move shows how far that goal remains from being achieved.
"The committee has decided to postpone the visit to Ramallah due to Israel’s obstruction, as it refused to allow the delegation to enter through the airspace over the occupied West Bank, which is controlled by Israel," the Foreign Ministry statement read.
Commenting on that, Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Varsen Aghabekian, told The National on Saturday: "I don’t think this comes as a shock to anybody. Israel has been following the exclusion policy for decades and is failing to understand that it needs to integrate in the region."
Most of the countries reportedly scheduled to visit Ramallah had normalised ties with Israel. The fact that even these are not being allowed in is "very telling and impedes further normalisation", the minister said.
She noted that by not letting these countries visit - even to discuss peace - Israel is further propagating the idea that it does not wish to comply "with anyone" and would continue its aggression against the Palestinians.
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
