Israeli soldiers raided the home of Palestinian activist and Oscar-winning director Basel Adra in the occupied West Bank after a settler attack on his village.
Settlers entered At Tuwani on Saturday evening, injuring two of his brothers and a cousin, Adra told the Associated Press.
He accompanied them to the hospital and while there, he said he heard from his family that nine Israeli soldiers had entered his home in search of him and had looked through his wife's phone. One of his uncles was also briefly detained, he said.
The Israeli military said it had received reports that “a number of terrorists hurled stones at Israeli civilians” in the village, so troops were sent to the scene.
Adra said he was unable to return home to check on his family because Israeli soldiers were blocking the way to the village. He described it as “horrific.”
“Even if you are just filming the settlers, the army comes and chases you, searches your house,” he said. “The whole system is built to attack us, to terrify us, to make us very scared.”
Adra spent most of his career documenting settler violence in Masafer Yatta, southern occupied West Bank. No Other Land, which won an Oscar this year for best documentary, depicts the struggle residents face. The film has won several other international awards and has sparked condemnation from Israel.
Israeli co-director on the film and journalist Yuval Abraham said he was “terrified” for Adra.
In March, Hamdan Ballal, who is also credited as a co-director, was attacked in his village of Susya. The global film industry condemned the attack he faced by armed settlers.
Israel’s military declared Masafer Yatta, a collection of Palestinian hamlets, as a military training zone in the 1980s, a move that paved the way for the expulsion of Palestinian residents.
Many have stayed, but face constant raids by the Israeli military to demolish property. The communities also face violence from nearby settlements, which has greatly increased since the Gaza war began.
Racecard
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
