British Justice Secretary Jack Straw says decisions made in Palestine during the Mandate era continue to reverberate in the region. Photo: EPA
British Justice Secretary Jack Straw says decisions made in Palestine during the Mandate era continue to reverberate in the region. Photo: EPA
British Justice Secretary Jack Straw says decisions made in Palestine during the Mandate era continue to reverberate in the region. Photo: EPA
British Justice Secretary Jack Straw says decisions made in Palestine during the Mandate era continue to reverberate in the region. Photo: EPA

Britain should send a strong message about Palestine


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  • Arabic

Tomorrow, the British House of Commons is expected to vote on a resolution to recognise the "State of Palestine". Passage of the motion will not create a state nor will it end the Israeli occupation, but a "Yes" vote is, nevertheless, important for several reasons.

Though symbolic, passage will provide a much-needed boost to the beleaguered Palestinian people. It will send a message that the world is paying attention to their plight and recognises their rights. Passage will also provide an incentive to those in the Palestinian leadership who have embraced a non-violent, diplomatic strategy to securing their rights.

Since the behaviour of the Netanyahu government in Israel has effectively shut the door to a just solution to the conflict, Palestinians are despairing of peace. In the face of new settlement expansion plans and land confiscations, with Gaza still in shambles following the devastating Israeli assault and years of Hamas rule, and with Jerusalem on the brink of an explosion resulting from renewed Israeli provocations, success in the House of Commons will send a message to Palestinians that there is a way forward to independence and freedom.

Following the Swedish government’s recent recognition of Palestine, a British affirmation of Palestinian rights can generate momentum hopefully spurring other western governments to add their voices. All of this is, as I have said, symbolic, but a wave of symbolic victories can create a new dynamic that will empower Palestinians while fostering a much-needed debate within an increasingly isolated Israel. This vote will strengthen not only the Palestinian leadership that supports peace but the pro-peace elements in Israel as well.

As long as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been able to demonstrate his ability to maintain the support of the US Congress and successfully stymie the US president and the international community, he has been in a position to sustain his hard-line government. With no price to pay for his actions, Mr Netanyahu has been able to retain control. What the Israeli left and centre have needed is pressure from the outside to force a debate on the damage Mr Netanyahu has done.

British recognition of Palestine and new European sanctions against exports from West Bank settlements will send Israelis a strong message that their government’s policies are resulting in international isolation and require a re-examination and change.

We should expect that a British vote for recognition will produce an uproar in the US Congress. A predictable group of pro-Israel members will be tripping over themselves to be the first and loudest voices denouncing the British move. When Congress reconvenes after the November elections, there may even be those who will propose a host of silly bills – but it will all be sound and fury, signifying nothing. They can’t cut aid to the United Kingdom, as some might say is mandated by legislation that calls for terminating all US assistance to entities that recognise a Palestinian State. This was done, with near devastating results, to Unesco. In this case, however, they can’t cut aid, because there simply isn’t any aid to cut. And they certainly can’t sever ties with America’s most important trans-Atlantic ally, especially now that the countries are jointly engaged in combat against ISIL.

So, with no recourse but to bellow, the bizarrely obstructionist Congress may find itself increasingly isolated, especially should other European nations follow suit and also call for recognition of Palestine. This could have the salutary effect of producing a much-needed American debate on Palestinian rights.

There is another reason why a British “Yes” vote is important. It was nearly a century ago that the British government issued the infamous Balfour Declaration and signed the Sykes-Picot agreement. With the former they committed to give Palestine to the Zionist movement to establish a Jewish homeland. With the latter they designed to carve up the newly liberated Arab East between themselves and the French.

Balfour was a colonialist of the first order. When US president Woodrow Wilson raised some concerns with the British scheme and commissioned a survey of Arab opinion to determine their aspirations, Balfour responded: “In Palestine, we do not propose even to go through the form of consulting the wishes of the present inhabitants of the country ... Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is ... of far profounder import than the desire and prejudices of the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land.”

Reflecting on the fateful decisions made a century ago, former British foreign secretary Jack Straw said in 2002: “A lot of the problems I have to deal with now are a consequence of our colonial past. The Balfour declaration and the contradictory assurances which were being given to the Palestinians in private at the same time as they were being given to the Israelis – again, an interesting history for us but not an entirely honourable one.”

And so, should the House of Commons do the right thing and pass the motion recognising Palestine, it will be taking an important step in regaining that lost honour. It will also be setting in motion a positive dynamic that could create new conditions to foster peace.

All this can happen. But first, the motion must pass.

Dr James Zogby is the president of the Arab American Institute

On Twitter: @aaiusa

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Thursday’s fixtures

6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors

10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters

Teams

Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.

Squad rules

All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.

Tournament rules

The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.

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Company profile

Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018

Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: Health-tech

Size: 22 employees

Funding: Seed funding 

Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors

If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

Bert van Marwijk factfile

Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder

Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia

Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands

Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
  • Brentford v Arsenal
  • Burnley v Brighton
  • Chelsea v Crystal Palace
  • Everton v Southampton
  • Leicester City v Wolves
  • Manchester United v Leeds United
  • Newcastle United v West Ham United
  • Norwich City v Liverpool
  • Tottenham v Manchester City
  • Watford v Aston Villa
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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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nabil%20Ayouch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nisrin%20Erradi%2C%20Joud%20Chamihy%2C%20Jalila%20Talemsi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
%3Cp%3EElena%20Rybakina%20(Kazakhstan)%3Cbr%3EOns%20Jabeur%20(Tunisia)%3Cbr%3EMaria%20Sakkari%20(Greece)%3Cbr%3EBarbora%20Krej%C4%8D%C3%ADkov%C3%A1%20(Czech%20Republic)%3Cbr%3EBeatriz%20Haddad%20Maia%20(Brazil)%3Cbr%3EJe%C4%BCena%20Ostapenko%20(Latvia)%3Cbr%3ELiudmila%20Samsonova%3Cbr%3EDaria%20Kasatkina%3Cbr%3EVeronika%20Kudermetova%3Cbr%3ECaroline%20Garcia%20(France)%3Cbr%3EMagda%20Linette%20(Poland)%3Cbr%3ESorana%20C%C3%AErstea%20(Romania)%3Cbr%3EAnastasia%20Potapova%3Cbr%3EAnhelina%20Kalinina%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3EJasmine%20Paolini%20(Italy)%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Navarro%20(USA)%3Cbr%3ELesia%20Tsurenko%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Raducanu%20(Great%20Britain)%20%E2%80%93%20wildcard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets