Israel's Diaspora Affairs Minister has called for Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara to be "eliminated", after a ceasefire failed to put an end to three days of violence in southern Syria against the country's Druze minority.
Amichai Chikli has often stirred controversy, both outside and within Israel with his frequent attacks on media outlets he considers left-wing, anti-Palestinian comments, support for annexing the occupied West Bank and for his ties to European far-right politicians.
Mr Chikli, 43, has held the position since 2022 and before entering politics he was a combat officer in the Israeli army. The son of a conservative Rabbi, he has deep ties to the progressive Jewish movement – although he does not publicly affiliate himself to it.
He rose to prominence in the Israeli political sphere by voting against his former party Yamina in the previous Knesset and then joining the Likud party – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing party. He was the first lawmaker to break away from former prime minister Naftali Bennett over his decision to enter an alliance with left-wing and Arab parties.
As the diaspora affairs minister, one of his main tasks is to cultivate Israel's ties with Jews around the world, but Mr Chikli has often come at odds with American Jews, one of the largest diasporas. He has spoken out against Reform Judaism, the largest denomination in the US.
He equates criticism of Israel and its actions against Palestinians or war in Gaza as anti-Semitism. Last month, he was part of a heated debate with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, calling him anti-Semitic for criticising Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip where it has been waging a devastating war for 21 months.
He has described pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the US as a “pandemic spreading on American campuses … not so different and not less dangerous than the fentanyl epidemic”.
Mr Chikli has frequently attacked media outlets that he considers left-wing. He has often accuses the Hebrew daily Haaretz of incitement and causing damage to the country, and has called for the government to close down the public broadcaster Kan.
He also stirred controversy in March when he opened the government's International Conference on Combating anti-Semitism with an apology to far-right European politicians for the controversy surrounding their participation in the event.
The anti-Semitism event, organised by Mr Chikli's ministry, was boycotted by leading Jewish and Zionist groups due to the attendance of far-right foreign politicians, some of whose parties have origins in the Nazi era.
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a non-profit group based in Brussels, said in January that its president, Dyab Abou Jahjah, had filed a criminal complaint against Mr Chikli. He claimed that HRF, which is pursuing legal action against Israeli soldiers, is linked to Hezbollah and Hamas.
He had been due to meet members of the Jewish community in Brussels that month, but pulled out due to security concerns, likely linked to the legal case initiated by the HRF. More than 40 relatives of families of Israeli hostages in Gaza and leaders and representatives of Jewish communities across Europe cosigned a letter asking them to cancel Mr Chikli's invitation.
The letter expressed concern over Mr Chikli's opposition to a hostage rescue agreement, his support for far-right European politicians and his apparent backing for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanon.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Brief scoreline
Switzerland 0
England 0
Result: England win 6-5 on penalties
Man of the Match: Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
