Dozens of former Israeli security officials have called on the country's hard-right government to not annex the occupied West Bank, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted he might do before next month's repeat election.
In a letter sent to the government on Tuesday, 25 former senior defence figures said that the move would endanger Israel’s security, rather than bolster it.
“Any unilateral annexation of territory or extension of sovereignty to the West Bank will put Israel’s security and safety along with the well-being of its citizens at risk,” the letter said.
The signees of the letter included former leaders of the Mossad spy agency, the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security service and three former advisers to Mr Netanyahu.
The call comes after the longest-serving leader in Israeli history said he would seek to extend Israeli “sovereignty” over parts of the occupied West Bank.
In May, more Israeli security officials said Mr Netanyahu should make a U-turn on any annexation move, saying that it would lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, which operates limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank and co-operates with Israeli security forces, and embolden extremist elements.
But it was a call that was met with derision by the Israeli leader and members of his right-wing Likud party, many who believe that the occupied West Bank is part of the historic homeland of the Jewish people.
The Israeli premier used biblical names for the occupied West Bank, writing on Twitter that “swaths of land in Judea and Samaria are not just a guarantee of Israel’s security — they are also our patrimony”.
Israel has controlled the territory for more than 50 years, occupying it after the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, and has slowly developed a network of Jewish outposts across the territory that holds more than 400,000 Israelis live next to almost three million Palestinians.
Much of the world considers the settlements to be illegal under international law. The United States, long opposed to settlement building, has under President Donald Trump remained quiet as Mr Netanyahu’s government has approved a slate of new settlement plans.
Palestinians view Israel’s continued settlement plans as an attempt to stymie any hope of a sovereign Palestinian state that sits side-by-side with Israel. The majority position of the international community is that of a two-state solution, with a Palestinian entity existing next to modern-day Israel.
The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem, which Israel also occupies, as the capital of any future state.
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
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8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
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Transmission: 6-speed auto
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)