For one reporter, the evasions of the current US administration had evidently become just too much on Tuesday. Addressing the US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, the Grayzone’s Liam Cosgrove said: “This administration has financed a genocide in Gaza for the last year, and every day you’re up there denying accountability for it. People are sick of the [expletive] in here.”
Mr Cosgrove’s words struck a chord; a clip of him speaking has already had hundreds of thousands of views on X alone.
I had my own moment of sudden ire on Sunday morning. I had to resist the urge to break my coffee mug after I read the headline, “Biden issues terse words to Netanyahu over peace deal”. Because isn’t it time we’re honest about the fact that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been gaslighting us for months and months?
They keep telling us that they’ve been putting pressure on Israel and working “tirelessly” for a ceasefire. Oh, come off it. It strains credulity that they haven’t worked out by now that all they have to do, if they really want a ceasefire, is this: cut off the supply of arms and money to Israel.
In August 1982, then US president Ronald Reagan was so appalled by Israel’s bombing of Beirut that he phoned then prime minister Menachem Begin to tell him it was a “holocaust” and had to stop. It took just 20 minutes for Mr Begin to call him back to say he had ordered an end to the bombing.
Mr Biden has had no end of opportunities to do the same. He hasn’t. And the endless equivocation and covering for Israel’s murderous campaign from his spokespeople, Mr Miller and John Kirby in particular, over the past year have been so awful that I have to switch off after a few seconds every time I watch a clip.
This is terribly damaging for all sorts of reasons. I wrote in these pages last November that the impunity Mr Biden had granted Israel to flout international law, to the point of what no one can doubt are the commission of war crimes, had blown up the so-called “rules-based international order”. It is also, tragically, leading to a huge rise in anti-Semitism around the world, with incidents rising to their highest levels for decades in the US and UK, according to reports published in the past week.
Why should innocent Jewish people far from Israel suffer because of the actions of that country’s administration? First, it’s important to say that they certainly shouldn’t, and second that it is considered anti-Semitic to hold Jewish people anywhere else responsible for whatever the state of Israel does. But many don’t see so much of a distinction, and it doesn’t help when Britain’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, describes Israeli troops as “our incredible heroic soldiers”.
That sounds perilously close to what the historian Deborah Lipstadt calls “the dual loyalty canard”, although having dual nationality myself – and, indeed, having an Irish friend who was called up to serve in the Israeli army during the First Gulf War – I don’t see anything inherently wrong in Jewish people feeling a close connection to Israel as well as their home country. But it does serve to weaken the idea that Israelis and diaspora Jews are two totally different groups. It may not be fair or right, but the latter are being held responsible for the crimes of the former’s government.
And those crimes, the privileging of Israeli lives over Arab lives, the outrage when Iran fires a missile barrage that kills no one and what appears to be a collective shrug by western leaders when huge numbers of Palestinians are killed in the West Bank or Gaza, has become so glaringly obvious that even The Washington Post reported there was “overwhelming anger” at the country at the recent UN General Assembly meetings. Jewish communities around the world are feeling a chill up the spine, and often far worse, as a result.
We should call out Biden and Harris, because you can’t express regret for the tens of thousands of deaths, or the blighting of at least a generation’s future, if you’re the one supplying the arms and money
There’s a further aspect to this, too.
When Malaysia’s then prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, made the claim in front of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in 2003 that “today the Jews rule the world by proxy”, I tried to persuade an old associate of his that this was “unhelpful” to say the least. “But it’s true,” he replied. What Mr Netanyahu is doing is making it all the harder to argue against that awful anti-Semitic trope, because no one who has the power to hold him back is exercising any restraint on him at all. He could be wilfully provoking untold disaster in the Middle East and yet all we hear, from the US and UK at least, is “we stand with Israel”.
This not to say that Israel should have not retaliated after the attacks of October 7 last year. Any administration would have had to do so. Both critics and those of us overwhelmed by the catastrophic destruction wrought by Mr Netanyahu need to acknowledge how much of a life-changing, existential shock the Hamas-led attack was for the vast majority of ordinary Israelis. No, the conflict may not have begun on October 7. But this part of it did for them.
It must also be acknowledged that any long-term peace has to entail not only Palestinian statehood but also an Israel that both is, and feels, secure. Whatever one thinks about the original establishment of the state of Israel, it is a reality, and seven million Israelis are not, and should not, have to go anywhere, any more than seven million Palestinians.
Regional peace agreements should have been a way to start building that peaceful future. The blame for the fact that that happy prospect currently appears to be no more than a mirage lies not with the state of Israel, but with its disastrous prime minister – and with the American president who has enabled him.
We should call out Mr Biden and Ms Harris, because you can’t honestly express regret for any of the tens of thousands of deaths, the children maimed, the desolate moonscapes created, or the blighting of at least a generation’s future, if you’re the one supplying the arms and money.
So cut the “malarkey”, to use one of Mr Biden’s favourite words, Mr President. Let’s hear no more of your “ceaseless” efforts. Because the world knows you could have stopped all this. And you didn’t.
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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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.”
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Majestic Thunder
7.05pm Commanding
7.40pm Mark Of Approval
8.15pm Mulfit
8.50pm Gronkowski
9.25pm Walking Thunder
10pm Midnight Sands
