Israeli settlers set fire to a scrap yard in the town of Huwara on Thursday, continuing an escalation in attacks on Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank that has reached record levels since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.
For most of that time, Israeli authorities and security forces have said and done little to stop these attacks. Some far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government have been supportive of the settlers’ actions, particularly Minister of Finance Bezalal Smotrich and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The situation appears to be changing now amid mounting pressure internally and externally to bring the long-standing policy to a halt.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency meeting with members of his cabinet to discuss the ongoing attacks. No details of the discussions were released, but an Israeli official told the Associated Press that one of the proposals floated at the meeting included getting violators to attend “educational programmes”.
Mr Netanyahu had vowed on Sunday to crack down on the perpetrators of the attacks, saying they do not represent the majority of settlers and warning that they would face “very forceful action”.
Mr Netanyahu’s comments came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the attacks risked creating more instability in the West Bank that could undermine Washington’s peace plan for Gaza.
Israel’s security forces have also begun speaking out against the violence. Israeli army chief of staff Gen Eyal Zamir last week “strongly condemned” the attacks.
Last week, Israeli media published a leaked letter to troops from Col Ariel Gonen, the commander of an Israeli brigade in the West Bank, telling them not to “stand aside” during attacks.
“Internal pressure has come from the military and general security services too,” said Kobi Michael, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli think tank.
“At the end of the day, the police is still loyal to the state and not to Ben-Gvir, and the IDF is obliged to its responsibilities as the sovereign power of these territories,” he said.
The attackers have often been enabled by the lack of action from the Israeli state, whether security forces who are present but fail to intervene during violence against Palestinians, or the failure to punish those responsible.
A look at the past two decades of Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli human rights groups Yesh Din showed that more than 94 per cent of police investigations were closed without indictments and only three per cent ended in a partial or full conviction.
“This is a longstanding and consistent failure, indicative of a deliberate Israeli policy that normalises ideologically motivated violence against Palestinians, supports it and benefits from its outcomes,” the group said in a report released in January.
Last year, Defence Minister Israel Katz further weakened repercussions against settlers by exempting them from administrative detention, which allows the state to hold suspects without trial.
As of June, at least 3,500 Palestinians remain in administrative detention in Israeli prisons without charge, according to the Israeli Prison Service.
Response to pressure
Speaking to The National, Israeli political analyst Ori Goldberg said that Mr Netanyahu’s display of concern is nothing more than a “sham” and a response to pressure from within Israel and externally.
Last month, 23 US lawmakers sent a letter to the Trump administration, pressing for the release of Mohammad Ibrahim, a 16 year-old Palestinian-American who has been detained since February for allegedly throwing stones in the West Bank. His detention was extended earlier this month, although he has yet to be charged.
The legislators cited concerns that Mohammad’s family had not been able to contact him since his detention, and that he had lost weight and showed signs of torture and an overall deterioration of health.
Mr Netanyahu “is concerned because the Trump administration is concerned about an American citizen getting injured and dying. He is proposing ‘workshops’ meant to ‘calm’ settler terrorists. He is balancing this out for his religious voters by having the new head of Shin Bet, a settler himself, publicly support the death penalty for ‘terrorists’. It is all a sham,” Mr Goldberg said.
Member of Knesset Ofer Cassif, who opposes Mr Netanyahu’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank, echoed the sentiment.
“For decades, Israeli governments have been responsible for the rise of settlers’ terrorism in the occupied West Bank and for the overall de facto ethnic cleansing policy,” he told The National.
“I have been pressuring the government to proscribe violent settler gangs as terrorist groups since May 2023, and Netanyahu’s systematic refusal to do so ignites the flames of horrors and promotes bloodshed.”
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections
6.30pm: Final Song
7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo
7.40pm: Dubai Icon
8.15pm: Dubai Legacy
8.50pm: Drafted
9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsThe specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsWhat is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76′ (pen), Van Aanholt 88′
Huddersfield Town 0
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Know before you go
Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4×4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Surianah’s top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political – a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
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
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe – to Real Madrid in 2017/18 – €180 million (Dh770.4m – if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba – to Manchester United in 2016/17 – €105m
3. Gareth Bale – to Real Madrid in 2013/14 – €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo – to Real Madrid in 2009/10 – €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain – to Juventus in 2016/17 – €90m
6. Neymar – to Barcelona in 2013/14 – €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku – to Manchester United in 2017/18 – €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez – to Barcelona in 2014/15 – €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria – to Manchester United in 2014/15 – €75m
10. James Rodriguez – to Real Madrid in 2014/15 – €75m
FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)
Matches on Bein Sports
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
If you go…
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
Political flags or banners
Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
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.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.