In a rare but significant display of defiance against Hamas inside Gaza, hundreds of war-weary Palestinians marched through the bombed-out ruins of the northern part of the strip this week. One voice among the protesters cut to the heart of the matter. Majdi, a demonstrator who did not wish to give his full name, asked: "If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn't Hamas give up power to protect the people?"
It was an incisive question that puts the ball firmly in Hamas’s court. Is the group’s priority its own political and military survival while locking Gaza’s people into an apocalyptic conflict with Israel, or is it the building of the future of the Palestinian nation? Its actions thus far, including building tunnels and shelters for its fighters but not Gaza’s civilians, point to the former.
The result of Hamas’s wild gamble in attacking Israel on October 7, with no way to defend Gaza from the inevitable Israeli onslaught, can been seen in the group’s waning popularity. This is not the first time that Palestinians in Gaza have publicly hit out at the militants – three months before October 7, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza city, Khan Younis and other areas took to the streets, angry at the Hamas government over chronic power cuts and a lack of fuel. Even during the conflict with Israel, dissenting voices among Gaza’s people spoke out, furious with the group for its ruinous war strategy.
The results of a public opinion poll published by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Research in September found that although Hamas still has the highest support of all Palestinian factions in Gaza, there had been a fall in backing for the group’s postwar control over the enclave and a rise in support for a Palestinian Authority-led administration. The poll also found a drop in support for armed struggle and more backing for negotiations to end the Israeli occupation. It is a far cry from the enthusiasm that greeted the militants when they took charge of Gaza back in 2007, ousting the Fatah-led PA whose weak governance and reported corruption had frustrated and angered the enclave’s people.
The protest also undermines the dangerous Israeli narrative that all Palestinians in Gaza are aligned with Hamas
Importantly, this week’s protest also undermines the dangerous Israeli narrative that all Palestinians in Gaza are aligned with Hamas. This assumption has been used to justify a military response to October 7 that long ago became a campaign of collective punishment. Given the Israeli state’s history in encouraging the militants’ rise as a counterweight to the Palestine Liberation Organisation, there is a painful irony in its mischaracterisation of all Gazans being part of the Hamas machine.
In reality, Palestinians are held hostage by their circumstances. Those in Gaza live under the rule of Hamas, an organisation that brooks little dissent. In the West Bank, Palestinians are represented by an ailing PA that has not held elections in nearly 20 years. More than nine million Palestinians live in exile as refugees, with limited control over their destinies. That these are the results of a decades-long Israeli occupation does not take away from the fact that Palestinians deserve a better future from those who purport to fight in their name.
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Maestro
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