The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over the past 30 years has been marked by two great uprisings, or intifadas, against occupation. With violence rising over the past month, the talk is whether a new intifada is brewing.
As someone who covered the outbreak of the second intifada in September 2000 as a reporter, I can see some clear similarities between then and now. Both erupted at a time when the so-called peace process had broken down and there was no hope of progress towards a Palestinian state.
The second intifada broke out two months after Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, returned from failed peace talks in Camp David. This year, following the failure of US secretary of state John Kerry’s attempt to restart a peace process and with the Middle East focus on Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran, the Palestinians feel more abandoned than at any time in recent memory.
The second similarity is the religious symbolism of the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. The second intifada erupted after a visit by Ariel Sharon, then the leader of the Israeli opposition, to the Haram Al Sharif, which includes the mosque and, according to Jewish tradition, is the site of the Jewish temple destroyed by the Romans in AD70.
The visit was provocative for two reasons: Sharon was burnishing his right-wing credentials to fend off a leadership challenge by Benjamin Netanyahu – the current prime minister, who had just been cleared of involvement in a political scandal. And it was aimed at showing that the Israeli right would never compromise on sovereignty over the Haram, as had been discussed at the failed Camp David talks by the then-prime minister Ehud Barak.
Today Al Aqsa is a mobilising force because Palestinians believe that Israel is intent on encroaching on Muslim holy places. There are many signs of this: the rabbinical taboo on Jews visiting the site is no longer applied, and thousands of Jews visit every year. Groups campaigning for a change in the status quo are vocal and include cabinet ministers. Large sums of money are raised for the construction of a Jewish “third temple” on the site.
Mr Netanyahu says he has no intention of changing the prayer arrangements or demolishing the Islamic holy sites. But given the slow advance of Jewish preogative in the shared holy site in Hebron known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs and to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, Palestinians are not inclined to trust him.
Away from these similarities, the differences are far more apparent. The most obvious one is leadership. The first intifada was led by underground civic mobilisation groups. The second was secretly encouraged by Arafat, though he kept his links with the leaders at arm’s length. Weakened by ceaseless encroachment of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, Arafat seems to have believed that an uprising with guns would strengthen his position and, just as the first intifada had led to the Madrid peace conference and then the Oslo peace accords, a second would hasten the establishment of a state.
Arafat was wrong. The Israeli army laid waste to the Palestinian infrastructure built up over a decade.
Today, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, is not in control. Indeed, for many Palestinians, he is as much a part of the problem as the Israelis. The spontaneous nature is not surprising: no leader can see anything concrete to gain from violence, nor much to lose.
Jeff Halper, an Israeli activist for Palestinian rights and founder of the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions, says Palestinians now see no alternative to occupation, imprisonment and apartheid. “Israel is saying to the Palestinians, the conflict is over, there is no more peace process. There will never be a Palestinian state. You are going to be imprisoned. Submit, leave or die.”
If there is one lesson from the intifadas it is that each one increases the separation between the Palestinian and Jewish communities. Up until the late 1980s, Palestinians crossed freely into Israel to work, prompting an economic boom in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. By the end of the first intifada, the Israelis had instituted a policy of regular “closures”, sealing off the Palestinian territories. By the end of the second intifada, Israel had built a physical barrier from the north to the south, sealing off Israel, the major Jewish settlements and other Palestinian territories it wanted to expropriate.
This has allowed the Israeli public to forget about the Palestinians, hidden behind a wall. The Palestinians who used to work in Israel have been replaced by 200,000 migrant workers mainly from Thailand and the Philippines. Most Palestinians never see an Israeli except in uniform with a gun. Usually they are settlers, armed auxiliaries of the Israeli army who are the presumed culprits of the firebombing in August of the Palestinian Dawabsheh family.
The past week has seen the imposition of “closure” inside East Jerusalem, with checkpoints being set up to isolate some areas of the city. Residents of East Jerusalem are an anomaly in the occupied territories – they have Israeli identity cards (but not citizenship) which allow them to travel freely in the city and throughout Israel. Most of the people who have attacked Israelis over the past month have been East Jerusalemites.
The legacy of this violence will be even harsher security measures against the Palestinians of East Jerusalem, including expulsions of families of attackers and the demolition of their homes.
Ultimately it does not matter whether this year’s violence counts as another intifada or a brief and ill-directed outburst of rage. These are all stages in a process which, for all the years of “peace process”, is seen differently by the two sides. For the Israeli security establishment it is a mopping-up operation at the end of the conflict. For each new generation of Palestinians, it is a continuing struggle for rights.
Alan Philps is a commentator on global affairs
On Twitter: @aphilps
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Shafaf, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Noof KB, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Mekhbat, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The Greatest Royal Rumble card
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.
Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.
The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.
About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)