Progressives in Congress request meeting with Biden to demand Gaza ceasefire

Progressive Democratic politicians in Washington on Thursday announced they are seeking a meeting with US President Joe Biden to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.

“We want to hear directly from President Biden,” said Cori Bush, who co-wrote a letter to Mr Biden with Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American congresswoman.

“The majority of voters in this country want a ceasefire … people in this country do not want to be complicit in the atrocities that are happening in Gaza."

The congressional leaders cited a recent poll from Data For Progress that found 77 per cent of Democrats, 69 per cent of Independents and 56 per cent of Republicans wanted "a permanent ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza".

Ms Bush added that she and Ms Tlaib were sending the letter to underscore “the urgency of this growing catastrophe”, with an expected Israeli offensive looming over Rafah, the last area of relative safety for Palestinians in Gaza.

Meanwhile at the White House, Mr Biden warned of additional urgency and complications in continuing ceasefire negotiations after Israel was accused of killing scores of hungry Palestinians waiting for food aid.

“We’re checking that out right now; there are two competing versions of what happened. I don’t have an answer yet,” the President said.

The letter from progressive Democrats also follows party voters in Ms Tlaib's state of Michigan casting more than 100,000 protest votes against Mr Biden in Tuesday’s primary election.

He still won the crucial swing state but the “uncommitted” votes against him are could spell trouble in November’s presidential election.

Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley, who broke down in tears at the press conference over the situation in Gaza, said the Michigan results “made it plain voters are not happy with the United States’ handling of the war in Gaza, and President Biden must change course".

“From Massachusetts to Michigan and all the way to the Middle East, our destinies are tied and our shared humanity is on the line,” Ms Pressley said.

“In case the White House needed any more convincing, I’ll remind them not only is a ceasefire good policy, it is good politics … a ceasefire is the mandate.”

Ms Tlaib has supported the "uncommitted" movement, but when pressed on how that sentiment would translate to the general election, in which Mr Biden is presumed to face off once again against Donald Trump, she emphasised that the President must earn the votes of the pro-ceasefire voting bloc.

“Our democracy is at stake and I'm asking the President – and I think many of us are saying – change course, because you're threatening literally our democracy. Please."

Gaza protest in Washington - in pictures

Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

While you're here

Aya Iskandarani: Why Hezbollah’s man in Iraq is now worth $10 million to the US

Khaled Yacoub Oweis: Hezbollah bids to control Lebanon’s financial system

National Editorial: Hezbollah's murky dealings in Iraq have been unveiled

Match info

Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)

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”.