Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute, and a columnist for The National
March 17, 2024
The Democratic Party in the US is acutely aware that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s brazen disregard for American President Joe Biden could prove costly for his bid to retain the White House. Unless Mr Biden and his senior party colleagues stand up to Mr Netanyahu, the outcome could be dire for them.
There is a battle between two fates currently playing out.
First is the fate of the US President, who faces tough electoral odds. He is likely to lose to predecessor Donald Trump if he continues to show weakness in the face of an Israeli leader confident of continued US arms supplies to his government, regardless of its actions. Second is the fate of Mr Netanyahu and his far-right government.
Mr Netanyahu views Israel’s war on Gaza as an existential one for him politically, and he probably fears a grim end to his term unless he receives assurances within the framework of a deal that would prevent his prosecution on several counts. Meanwhile, Mr Trump will view the Biden-Netanyahu clash as an opportunity to expose Mr Biden’s frailties.
Whether or not US diplomatic efforts will lead to a “peace pause” between Israel and Hamas, much damage has been done. Indeed, what ensues after this pause – which is still anticipated at the time of writing this article, but not guaranteed – poses even greater challenges for Mr Biden, as humanitarian ceasefires are temporary and fleeting, and permanent political solutions are significantly more difficult to find.
In a significant departure from the norm, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a speech levied harsh criticism at Mr Netanyahu, deeming him a “major obstacle to peace”. The Senate’s senior-most Democrat emphasised that if the Netanyahu government remains in power after the war, the US must take more effective measures to achieve comprehensive peace.
Israeli politicians have been stung by US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's remarks about the Netanyahu government. Bloomberg
Whether or not US diplomatic efforts will lead to a 'peace pause' between Israel and Hamas, much damage has been done
Mr Schumer also called for new elections in Israel. Most notably, he did not limit his discourse to merely addressing the need for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the suffering of Palestinians resulting from the war on Gaza. Instead, he elevated the discourse to a crucial political level by stating that Israel’s rejection of the two-state solution is a “grave mistake” that must be rectified.
The speech was effectively a warning from the US that a decision by Mr Netanyahu to invade Rafah in a way that disregards American conditions would be a “red line” due to the humanitarian catastrophe that is expected to follow.
Mr Schumer is not a marginal figure in the Senate or the Democratic Party. He is even among America’s staunchest supporters of Israel. His stance is probably the result of concerns that Mr Biden’s toleration of Mr Netanyahu’s behaviour will lead to his defeat in the presidential election. American voters, it seems, have little respect for a president who tolerates humiliation from foreign leaders.
Israeli politicians were quick to emphasise that their country is an independent state, and that Mr Netanyahu’s policies enjoy popular support.
The governing Likud party asserted that the Israeli public supports complete victory over Hamas, rejects international dictates for establishing a Palestinian state, and opposes the Palestinian Authority’s return to Gaza. It also asked Mr Schumer to respect the elected Israeli government and not undermine it.
At home, the Republican Party was also quick to criticise the senator’s comments, when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused his colleague of calling for removing the democratically elected leader of Israel while rejecting interference in American politics. Likewise, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, also a Republican, characterised Mr Schumer’s positions as wrong and inappropriate, demanding to stand by Israel and extend full support to America’s friends and allies.
This electoral one-upmanship is expected to further deepen the divisions in America. But ultimately, it is Mr Biden who will most likely pay the price for his position, given that the spotlight is on him.
The Biden administration is aware of Israel’s attempts to drag the President down, despite the continuous shipments of weapons it has approved. But its reliance on soft diplomacy, aimed at persuasion and appeasement, could be seen as a lack of assertiveness on its part.
To be fair to the Biden team, it has so far restrained Israel and Iran from escalating the war in Gaza. It has also persuaded the Palestinian Authority to initiate structural reforms, which has led to Mohammad Mustafa’s appointment as Prime Minister.
Palestinians perform the first Friday prayers of Ramadan near the ruins of a mosque in Rafah, southern Gaza. Reuters
A Palestinian man reads the Quran as he waits to break his fast in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. Reuters
Children wait to receive food in Rafah. The UN has warned that many in Gaza are facing famine. Reuters
Palestinians break their fast amid the rubble of their destroyed home in Rafah. Reuters
Displaced Palestinians in Rafah decorate their homes with sheets to mark the holy month. AFP
Palestinians shop for Ramadan lanterns in Rafah. AFP
A displaced Palestinian woman bakes bread for iftar in Rafah. AFP
A family break fast amid the ruins of their home in Deir al-Balah, the central Gaza Strip. AFP
Palestinians share an iftar meal at a camp in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
A displaced Palestinian man prays in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
Palestinians pray taraweeh on the rubble of Rafah's Al Huda Mosque, which was destroyed in Israeli air strikes. Getty Images
Palestinians walk past kiosks set up next to destroyed buildings in Al Nusairat refugee camp, the Gaza Strip EPA
Palestinians collect food before the first iftar of Ramadan in Rafah. AFP
Palestinians gather to collect food in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
A Palestinian child plays with a sparkler in Rafah, in southern Gaza, on the eve of Ramadan. AFP
Displaced Palestinians in Rafah decorate their tent in preparation for Ramadan. Getty Images
Palestinian children carry traditional lanterns in Rafah on the eve of Ramadan. AFP
Children play at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah. AFP
A girl plays with a cat at a camp in Rafah. AFP
A child carries a small Ramadan lantern in Gaza city. AFP
A displaced Palestinian child sells handmade Ramadan lanterns in Rafah. AFP
A Palestinian street vendor sells traditional 'fanous' lanterns in Rafah. AFP
A child touches decorative lights and lanterns at a shop in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. AFP
Mr Mustafa is an independent economic adviser who understands the language of reform. He played a pivotal role in launching the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism in 2014 when he served as deputy prime minister in the national unity government, formed in collaboration with Hamas. He also previously served as chairman of the board of directors at the Palestine Investment Fund and spent 15 years at the World Bank in Washington.
Another noteworthy achievement of the Biden team is the ongoing behind-the-scenes work with Arab leaders playing important roles in achieving “peace pauses” as well as preparing for a permanent settlement.
That said, both Israel and Iran see Mr Biden as a president of half measures.
The US’s secret negotiations with the Iranian regime will remain a half measure as long as they are patchy and selective in addressing the problems posed by Tehran’s proxies in the Middle East. These include the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Hezbollah’s low-intensity battles with Israel that have made Lebanon much less secure.
Mr Biden must be firm and decisive with Iranian leaders who need him, especially since they do not wish for him to lose the White House. Avoidance behaviour is not a policy. Procrastination and prevarication are not policies either.
The crux of the matter is that Israel’s actions have led to the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Palestinians. Despite opposition from the international community – including the US – it has imposed this as a fait accompli after Hamas’s October 7 attacks.
There is little doubt that its squabbles with the Likud party do not bode well for the Democratic Party. If the world’s only superpower cannot show decisiveness in the face of the Israeli government’s audacity, this will not only continue to adversely affect the future of millions of Palestinians, but also Mr Biden’s re-election chances in November.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Full list of brands available for Instagram Checkout
Adidas @adidaswomen
Anastasia Beverly Hills @anastasiabeverlyhills
Balmain @balmain
Burberry @burberry
ColourPop @colourpopcosmetics
Dior @dior
H&M @hm
Huda Beauty @hudabeautyshop
KKW @kkwbeauty
Kylie Cosmetics @kyliecosmetics
MAC Cosmetics @maccosmetics
Michael Kors @michaelkors
NARS @narsissist
Nike @niketraining & @nikewomen
NYX Cosmetics @nyxcosmetics
Oscar de la Renta @oscardelarenta
Ouai Hair @theouai
Outdoor Voices @outdoorvoices
Prada @prada
Revolve @revolve
Uniqlo @uniqlo
Warby Parker @warbyparker
Zara @zara
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role.
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE) TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
Flexible work arrangements
Pension support
Mental well-being assistance
Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
Financial well-being incentives
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
