Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashdod, Israel, on May 17, 2021. Reuters
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashdod, Israel, on May 17, 2021. Reuters
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashdod, Israel, on May 17, 2021. Reuters
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashdod, Israel, on May 17, 2021. Reuters

With every missile fired between Israel and Gaza, Biden's clout diminishes


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The reluctance of Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to respond positively to US President Joe Biden’s calls for a ceasefire to end the latest cycle of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities raises worrying questions about Mr Biden’s ability to maintain Washington’s traditional leadership role in the Middle East.

Previously, when fighting erupts between Israel and Palestinians, it has been incumbent on Washington to broker a ceasefire to bring hostilities to an end and prevent further suffering for civilians. Yet, while Mr Biden has made repeated calls for such a ceasefire, Mr Netanyahu has resisted.

Mr Biden’s efforts to end the fighting began soon after the commencement of hostilities. Following his first telephone call with Mr Netanyahu, he made the somewhat optimistic prediction that the fighting would end “sooner rather than later”.

Since then, rather than heeding the ceasefire call, both sides have contributed to a marked escalation in fighting. Israeli warplanes launched a fresh wave of air strikes in Gaza at daybreak on Thursday, even though a senior Hamas official predicted a ceasefire might be possible within days.

Humanitarian organisations say the significant proportion of fatalities caused by Israeli air strikes in Gaza are Palestinian civilians, including many children. In the past 10 days, an estimated 250 Palestinians have been killed in both Gaza and the West Bank, while 12 Israelis have lost their lives.

The Hamas offer has prompted international mediators, including Egypt, Jordan and France, to intensify efforts to halt the bloodshed, with Egyptian President Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi stating that his country was "going to great lengths to reach a ceasefire... and hope still exists".

France has also proposed a resolution with the UN Security Council, in coordination with Egypt and Jordan, calling for a ceasefire.

French President Emmanuel Macron, together with President El Sisi, who is in Paris for summits on Africa, agreed on the resolution in a video conference with Jordan’s King Abdullah II earlier this week.

But Mr Netanyahu continues to insist that he has no timeframe for ending Israel’s deadly assault on Gaza, and that military operations will only end when he is satisfied that sufficient damage has been inflicted on Hamas’s military capabilities, especially the network of underground tunnels in Gaza where its rocket manufacturing operations are understood to be stored.

In remarks reported by Israeli media earlier this week following a closed question-and-answer session with foreign envoys to Israel, Mr Netanyahu was quoted as saying: "We're not standing with a stopwatch. We want to achieve the goals of the operation. Previous operations lasted a long time, so it is not possible to set a timeframe."

Israelis gather to watch the Iron Dome missile defence system intercept rockets fired from the Gaza Strip on May 17, 2021 in Ashdod, Israel. Getty
Israelis gather to watch the Iron Dome missile defence system intercept rockets fired from the Gaza Strip on May 17, 2021 in Ashdod, Israel. Getty

Following his fourth conversation with the Israeli leader since the start of the fighting, Mr Biden said he expects a "significant" de-escalation in hostilities in Gaza. Even as US Middle East envoy Hady Amr met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Biden has faced increasing pressure from his own Democratic Party to do more. His difficulty in persuading Israel is particularly embarrassing given the frantic diplomatic effort that is underway elsewhere to bring the fighting to an end.

The drive for a ceasefire, moreover, comes amid fears of the conflict extending beyond the confines of Gaza and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, after Palestinian militants based in Lebanon were accused of firing rockets at Israel’s northern border.

In many respects, Mr Biden has only himself to blame for the lack of influence he can bring to bear on the Israeli government. That is because of his previous neglect of the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Rather than continuing with the peace process initiated by the Trump administration, which resulted in the ground-breaking Abraham Accords between Israel and a number of Arab states, the Biden administration decided to make reviving the nuclear deal with Iran the centrepiece of its Middle East policy. Mr Biden has also been accused of delivering a diplomatic snub to Mr Netanyahu by making him wait for nearly a month before making his first phone call to the Israeli leader.

There are questions about Biden's ability to maintain Washington's leadership in the Middle East

Washington’s preference for dealing with Iran, moreover, has now backfired following reports that Hamas has relied heavily on Iran to build the arsenal of powerful rockets that are currently being fired at Israel on a daily basis.

Mr Biden’s influence over Israel has also been compromised by deep divisions among Democrats over the policy they should adopt towards it. While the President takes the traditional Democrat position of supporting Israel, activists on the left have suggested imposing sanctions and depriving Israel of its $3.9 billion annual American aid package because of its human rights violations in Gaza.

As a result, Mr Biden now finds his leadership credentials under close scrutiny, with his ability to arrange a ceasefire in Gaza proving to be the most important challenge of his presidency to date.

Con Coughlin is a defence and foreign affairs columnist for The National

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F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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Three ways to limit your social media use

Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.

1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.

2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information. 

3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Brief scores:

Juventus 3

Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'

Frosinone 0

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

Director: Kushan Nandy

Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami

Three stars

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MATCH INFO

World Cup 2022 qualifier

UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm

Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

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CREW
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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Naga
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Surianah's top five jazz artists

Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.  

Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.

Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.

Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.

Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.