Israel's Minster of Defence Benny Gantz is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Wednesday. EPA
Israel's Minster of Defence Benny Gantz is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Wednesday. EPA

US Congress calls for replenishing aid to Israel before Benny Gantz visit



More than 50 members of the US Congress sent a letter to Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on Wednesday asking him to “urgently” replenish Israel's Iron Dome air defence system.

The call came as Israel’s defence chief Benny Gantz travels to Washington to make the same request.

The one-page letter was signed by a bipartisan group of representatives including prominent Democrats including Hakeem Jeffries, Elissa Slotkin, Tom Malinowski, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ted Lieu and Andy Kim.

“We write to express our strong support for the Biden administration’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s safety and security,” the letter said.

"We must ensure that the Iron Dome remains able to protect Israel without running the risk that its stockpile of interceptors becomes depleted.

"Israel must always have the resources it needs to defend itself from incoming rockets when it is targeted again.”

The letter mentions Israel’s double security challenge, with Gaza to the south and Lebanon to the north.

“Although lives were tragically lost, the Iron Dome was extremely effective overall," the letter said.

"It intercepted approximately 90 per cent of the incoming rockets, saving countless civilians in Israel, as well as those in Gaza."

The Israeli army said Hamas fired more than 4,500 rockets in 11 days of fighting last month.

The representatives ask Mr Austin in the letter to work with Congress and  “expeditiously” fulfil any request Israel makes to restock the missile defence system.

In Jerusalem on Wednesday, Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham said he expected Washington to quickly authorise as much as $1 billion for Israel to replenish Iron Dome.

“There will be a $1bn request coming to the Pentagon this week from the [Israeli] defence minister to replenish the Iron Dome and a few other things, to upgrade the system,” Mr Graham said.

The letter comes hours before Mr Gantz is scheduled to arrive in Washington on a visit to discuss security issues.

The Israeli Defence Minister will meet Mr Austin and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

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Natan Sachs, senior fellow and director of the Centre for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, said Mr Gantz’s visit was of more significance to the US due to the possible formation of a new coalition government in Israel.

"Mr Gantz is a potential agent of continuity in the new Israeli government – once it's formed", Mr Sachs told The National.

He said Mr Gantz was “a known quantity” and someone with whom successive US administrations have worked since 2011, when he was chief of general staff for the Israeli army.

Mr Gantz is expected to continue as Defence Minister in the new government.

Although he is likely to address many issues with US leaders during his visit, a major focus will be refilling the Iron Dome stockpile.

“Hamas was successful in firing long-range missiles and, in some cases, getting through the Iron Dome,” Mr Sachs said.

“But Israel remains much more concerned about the threat from its northern border and where Hezbollah has more sophisticated missiles."

Progressive members of the Democratic Party, such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have called on the administration to suspend assistance to Israel.

Mr Jeffries, Ms Slotkin and other signatories on the letter are advocating steadfast support.

Mr Sachs said the party divide on Israel was not a zero-sum game.

“Both trends are true. Yes, there is a shift when it comes to Israel among some Democrats, but nonetheless, the Democratic Party is by and large a major supporter of Israel,” he said.

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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

Chatham House Rule

A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding,  was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”. 

 

The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.  

 

The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events. 

 

Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.  

 

That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.  

 

This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.  

 

These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.  

 

Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.   

 
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Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Key developments

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What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

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Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder

Started: October 2021

Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

Investors: A15 and self-funded 

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