The US has seen two major “lone wolf” attacks targeting Israel-related events in the past fortnight. On Sunday, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian man in Boulder, Colorado, is alleged to have thrown Molotov cocktails at a group of demonstrators who had gathered in solidarity with Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. Eight of the demonstrators were injured. Mr Soliman, 45, is said to have shouted “Free Palestine” as he carried out his attack.
The same words were shouted by Elias Rodriguez, who shot dead two young Israeli embassy staff members, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, at an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington on May 21.
The Washington attack provoked conflicting reactions. The way in which the attack itself and the subsequent reactions were viewed and used by pro-Israel organisations and a few pro-Palestinian advocates has been disturbing, and has perhaps set the stage for the public conversation that will inevitably follow what has just happened in Boulder.
There is no doubt that what Mr Rodriguez, the man who was charged with killing the two staff members, did was terrorism. It was certainly not heroic, revolutionary or an act of justice.
The classic definition of terrorism is the use of violence or intimidation to create fear in order to accomplish a political objective. There can be no argument about this, as Mr Rodriguez himself acknowledged that this was his goal. There should also be no doubt that the act was anti-Semitic. He went to a Jewish event and randomly shot and killed two people, not knowing who they were or what they did.
All he knew was that it was an event at a Jewish museum and that his victims would most likely be Jews. And, as he allegedly made clear in a since-uncovered manifesto, he thought that while peaceful protests had not stopped the mass murders in Gaza, maybe the shock created by his act held the possibility of hastening political change.
The murders have generated commentary in articles and on social media. A few outlier, pro-Palestinian voices have dangerously argued that the murders were a justified response to the huge loss of life and destruction of properties resulting from Israel’s war in Gaza. They say that defenders of Israel can be held responsible for the crimes committed by that state.
The other side, which has included many of the major institutional voices in the pro-Israel community, has used the murders to dangerously demonise the entire pro-Palestine movement, arguing that their anti-Israel rhetoric has fostered anti-Semitism creating the environment that led Mr Rodriguez to commit his crime.
Though coming at the murders from radically different perspectives, both views engage in perilous reductionism. Israel’s policies are indeed grotesque and have horrified a generation of young people, who, for 19 months, have been witnessing this conflict play out in real time. While Israel’s supporters denounce the growing anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activism on campuses as if it grew out of thin air, they are loathe to give any credence to the reality that Israel’s actions are the root cause of growing anti-Israel sentiment.
With the tide of public opinion turning against Israel, pro-Israel organisations have worked hard to stifle anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian manifestations. They have used their influence with the White House, university administrators and allies in the US Congress to expand the definition of anti-Semitism to include criticisms of Israel, using this to silence protesters through intimidation, punishment and force, when possible.
The reality is that there is a power imbalance in this debate over Gaza. Israel’s backers have the wind in their sails. They have most elected officials and many university administrators with them. The pro-Palestinian activists do not. They can be arrested, suspended from school, silenced or cancelled, and have their diplomas withdrawn.
By ignoring the legitimate outrage that spawned the protests against Israel’s war on Palestinians, and by accusing the protesters of fostering the environment that led to the killings in Washington, pro-Israel advocates cruelly ignore Palestinian humanity and deny the legitimate feelings of solidarity the protesters have for Palestinian suffering. Similarly, those who, in the name of defending Palestinian humanity, strike out against any and all Jewish Americans who identify with the state of Israel, and denounce them as enablers of what many legal experts deem to be a genocide in Gaza, are also guilty of crude reductionism.
In this context, the use of harsh rhetoric, threatening actions or name-calling may provide some a momentary sense of empowerment. But in the end, it is counterproductive and does not advance the cause as much as it fosters deeper hostility and polarisation. Those who use such tactics ignore the fact that, just as the trauma of the Nakba has shaped the Palestinian identity, so too the trauma of the Holocaust, the pogroms and the reality of anti-Semitism have taken a toll on the psyche of many Jewish Americans.
And so, striking out against supporters of Israel only serves to stoke those fears. And given the imbalance of power, they ultimately increase the likelihood of increased intimidation and repression of pro-Palestinian voices.
Given this, the crime Mr Rodriguez has been charged with committing must be seen for what it was – an act of murder that took the lives of two young people who, regardless of where they worked or what they believed, were shot to death because they were at an event at a Jewish museum. Mr Soliman’s actions should be seen in a similar light. In both of these contexts, the chant “Free Palestine” is especially infuriating because the men who shout it have abused this noble cause with an act of deplorable violence in order to serve the narcissistic fantasy that they were advancing the cause of Palestinian freedom and opening the way to a change in policy.
In the end, they have done neither. Their crimes have caused death and injury, damaged the cause they claimed to support and will be used to provide justification for more repression.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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UNpaid bills:
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN budget in 2019
USA – $1.055 billion
Brazil – $143 million
Argentina – $52 million
Mexico – $36 million
Iran – $27 million
Israel – $18 million
Venezuela – $17 million
Korea – $10 million
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN peacekeeping operations in 2019
USA – $2.38 billion
Brazil – $287 million
Spain – $110 million
France – $103 million
Ukraine – $100 million
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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