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Tens of thousands of people descended on the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday to voice their support for Israel and to hit back against rising anti-Semitism in the US.
The "March for Israel” comes as the Israel-Gaza war enters its sixth week and shows no signs of abating.
Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped about 240 on October 7. Since then, Israel has waged an intense war against the group in Gaza.
On a crisp autumn day, people turned the green fields of the National Mall white and blue as people waved Israeli flags.
Many in the crowd chanted “bring them home”, a reference to the hostages held by Hamas.
A young man stood on his tip-toe to put up posters featuring those believed to have been kidnapped on to a lamp post.
"It's important to remember what we're fighting for and who we're fighting for," Eli Zajicuk told The National.
The posters have become a lightning rod in the US, with videos of people ripping them down going viral on social media.
Mr Zajicuk, 24, said people defacing the posters were being "disrespectful".
"It invalidates the experience that they're currently enduring," Mr Zajicuk. "It's disrespectful to the inhumanity that they're currently being treated with."
According to the Anti-Defamation League, there has been a major increase in reports of anti-Semitism since October 7. The organisation has documented 832 incidents in the past six weeks, a 316 per cent increase over the same period last year.
Police maintained a huge presence in and around the rally, with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin approving a request from Washington's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency to provide an additional 30 National Guardsmen for support.
The agency labelled the event a Level 1 security alert, one of its highest ratings.
The pro-Israel march comes two weeks after a massive pro-Palestine protest took place in Washington.
The current conflict is by far the most deadly between Israel and Gaza.
Israel has responded with ferocity and intensity to the October 7 attacks, pummelling the Gaza Strip with air strikes that have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.
Despite widespread international calls for a ceasefire, Israeli leaders have said they are determined to completely destroy Hamas.
The Biden administration has urged Israel to take as much consideration as possible for human life, but has refused to call for a ceasefire, despite growing anger from Arab and Muslim Americans.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
