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The National
29-05-2025
- General
- The National
Israel approves 22 West Bank settlements in major blow to prospect of Palestinian state
The Israeli government approved 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, in what campaigners are calling the largest development of its kind in decades that will have a profound effect on Palestinian residents and further harm the prospect of a future Palestinian state. The decision legalises nine outposts, typically home to the most violent and ideological edges of the country's settler movement, and establishes settlements in remote areas of the northern West Bank where there is little to no permanent Israeli military presence. This includes a settlement on Mount Ebal, close to the major Palestinian city of Nablus, where settlers say there is a biblical alter. Some of the new communities are on areas that were evacuated in 2005, when Israel evicted several communities in the north of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Settlers have repeatedly tried to re-enter the area and a law banning Israeli citizens from the region was revoked last year. Lior Amihai of Israeli NGO Peace Now, which tracks settlements, told The National that the move 'is very big in terms of changing the landscape of the West Bank'. 'It's part of many other dramatic decisions that show the government is heading towards annexation and sovereignty over the occupied territories. It's showing Palestinians, Israelis and the world that it doesn't want to end this conflict,' he added. The decision was taken by the government two weeks ago, but Israel's Defence Ministry publicly confirmed the move on Thursday, describing it as 'a step that will change the face of the area and shape the future of settlement for years to come'. Most of the international community views Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal. New settlements along the border with Jordan will also be set, which the Defence Ministry said will bolster Israel's security. The decision also includes settlements in the South Hebron Hills, in the south of the West Bank, which has seen a dramatic increase in attacks against Palestinian shepherding communities leading to major forced displacement in recent years. Mr Amihai said the new settlements have three main purposes: to break the territorial continuity of the West Bank and therefore render a future Palestinian state unviable; suppress Palestinian development in communities that neighbour the illegal Israeli communities; and to 'ethnically cleanse' through intimidation the Palestinian populations of smaller communities that border the settlements. Israel's settlement movement has been expanding its presence in the West Bank for decades, but received a massive boost when the far-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came into office in December 2022, based on a coalition that contains prominent settlers. This includes Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position that is influential for the settlement issue in the Defence Ministry, who said the news marks 'a deep strategic change". 'Settlement in the land that our ancestors inherited is a protective wall for the State of Israel and today we have taken a huge step for its strengthening. The next step is sovereignty,' he added. Annexing the West Bank, which has already happened in East Jerusalem, is a primary goal of many Israeli settlers.
The National
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Best photos of May 22: Preparations for Eid Al Adha in Indonesia to 'Dragon's teeth' in Ukraine
Director: Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg Rating: 4/5 Daniella Weiss and Nachala Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts. Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts. Zohar Sabah Runs a settler outpost named Zohar's Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel's State Attorney's Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat. Coco's Farm and Neria's Farm These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to 'serious abuse'. %3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said. Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels. "Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in. "It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises. "The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation." %3Cp%3EDirectors%3A%20Joaquim%20Dos%20Santos%2C%20Kemp%20Powers%2C%20Justin%20K.%20Thompson%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Shameik%20Moore%2C%20Hailee%20Steinfeld%2C%20Oscar%20Isaac%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor Power: 727hp Torque: 1,000Nm Transmission: 8-speed auto Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km On sale: Now Price: From Dh650,000 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 Updated: May 22, 2025, 8:55 AM
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
UK sanctions 'godmother' of Israel's settler movement Daniella Weiss
The UK government has announced sanctions on Daniella Weiss, a far-right Israeli settler known as the "godmother" of the settler Secretary David Lammy said the move "demonstrates our determination to hold extremist settlers to account as Palestinian communities suffer violence and intimidation".Weiss, 79, is the leader of a radical settler organisation called Nachala - or homeland - which has also been sanctioned. For decades, Weiss has been prominent in the founding of Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. In the sanctions sheet, she was described as having been involved in "threatening, perpetrating, promoting and supporting, acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian individuals".An Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson described the sanctions - which also target two other settlers, two illegal settler outposts, and two organisations - as "unjustified, and regrettable." Weiss was recently featured in Louis Theroux's documentary "The Settlers" - and has been active in the movement to rebuild settlements in Gaza. Speaking to BBC News last year, she said: "Gaza Arabs will not stay in the Gaza Strip. Who will stay? Jews.""The world is wide," she added. "Africa is big. Canada is big. The world will absorb the people of Gaza. How we do it? We encourage it. Palestinians in Gaza, the good ones, will be enabled. I'm not saying forced, I say enabled because they want to go."The UK also announced sanctions on two other settlers - Zohar Sabah and Harel David Libi, as well as the outposts Coco's Farm, and Neria's Farm, and the organisation Libi Construction and Infrastructure are settlements built without official Israeli authorisation."The Israeli government has a responsibility to intervene and halt these aggressive actions. Their consistent failure to act is putting Palestinian communities and the two-state solution in peril," Mr Lammy the UK government announced it would pause free trade negotiations with Israel with immediate effect, saying "it is not possible to advance discussions" with "a Netanyahu government that is pursuing egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza". An Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson responded: "If, due to anti-Israel obsession and domestic political considerations, the British government is willing to harm the British economy — that is its own prerogative." The move follows a strongly-worded joint-statement from the leaders of the UK, France and Canada on Monday which called on the Israeli government to "stop its military operations" and "immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza".Israel has said it will allow a "basic amount of food" into Gaza, ending an 11-week blockade of the territory, which it said was aimed at pressuring Hamas to release remaining United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said the amount of aid was a "drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed".
