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Challenges Facing New Israeli Govt

A Weekly Political News Magazine

Saudi Inventor Makes Hajj safer with AntiCovid Protector

A Weekly Political News Magazine

Issue 1859- July- 02/07/2021

Nadine Labaki: Beacon For Change

Issue 1859- July- 01/07/2021

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How is International, Regional Cooperation Driving War on Terror? www.majal a.com

Editorial

A Weekly Political News Magazine

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Deteriorating economic situation resulting from the outbreak of coronavirus is estimated to be one of the drivers of the re-emerging terrorism in the world. In addition, political instability, climate change and conflicts are contributing to the aggravated security situation, organized crime, cyberattacks and other threats to the world peace. Such threats require collective action by world actors, as most forms of terrorism and extremism have become stateless and cross-border in impact. In this week’s cover story, Jassim Mohamed addresses the necessity of preemptive international and regional cooperation to combat extremism and terrorism. He highlights the soft power means by which countries can achieve social cohesion and create opportunities for vulnerable youth. He also mentions the involvement of regional and foreign partners as a means to tackle concerns of regional security and stability. The new Israeli government is facing multiple challenges amid internal, global and regional political and economic crises, which observers doubts it would be able to address. Amal Shehada writes about a study by The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, in which a group of security and military experts explored the post- Netanyahu era. The study addresses issues ranging from Israeli budget crisis to the negativelyimpacted US-Israeli relations in the light of the recent security operation in Gaza and the potential deal between the US and Iran. Read these articles and more on our website eng. majalla.com. As always, we welcome and value our readers’ feedback and we invite you to take the opportunity to leave your comments on our website.

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Ghassan Charbel Editorial secretary Mostafa El-Dessouki HH Saudi Research and Marketing (UK) Ltd 10th Floor Building 7 Chiswick Business Park 566 Chiswick High Road London W4 5YG Tel : +44 207 831 8181 Fax: +44 207 831 2310

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A Weekly Political News Magazine

02/07/21

A Weekly Political News Magazine

A Truly International

28 Criminal Court

Issue 1859- July- 02/07/2021

Erdogan Approaches Washington

34 and Brussels, Shuns Moscow

Calls for Action to Criminalize

42 Domestic Violence in Egypt

Negative Stereotyping of Muslims in Western Media

52 It’s Summer Time

Dancing to India’s Ancient Beat 5

02/07/21

56 Listen to Your Heart

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Queen Elizabeth visits Scotland Britain›s Queen Elizabeth II meets local school children during a visit to AG Barr›s factory in Cumbernauld, where the Irn-Bru drink is manufactured, as part of her traditional trip to Scotland for Holyrood Week, Britain June 28, 2021 )Reuters Photos(

01/07/21

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UAE Art Technology A visitor sits amidst projected images of Danny Rose Studio›s Dreamed Japan exhibit, as part of the digital exhibition titled «Infinity des Lumieres» during a preview in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 28 , 2021. - Shoppers and art lovers will soon be able to step into masterpieces projected onto walls and floors in an immersive experience, through an exhibition in Dubai Mall set up in the mould of the Atelier des Lumieres in Paris, which will open on July 1 to run until mid 2022 )AFP Photos(

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A WEEK IN THE MIDDLE EAST SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans on Tuesday to launch a second national airline as part of a broader strategy to turn the kingdom into a global logistics hub as it seeks to diversify from oil. The creation of another flag carrier would catapult Saudi Arabia into the 5th rank globally in terms of air transit traffic, official state media reported, without giving details on when and how the airline would be created. Prince Mohammad has been spearheading a push for Saudi Arabia, the biggest Arab economy and the largest country in the Gulf geographically, to boost non-oil revenues to about 45 billion riyals ($12.00 billion) by 2030. Making the kingdom a global logistics hub, which includes the development of ports, rail and road networks, would increase the transport and logistics sector's contribution to gross domestic product to 10% from 6%, state news agency SPA said.

IRAQ

The United States told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that it targeted Iran-backed militia in Syria and Iraq with airstrikes to deter the militants and Tehran from conducting or supporting further attacks on U.S. personnel or facilities. Under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the 15-member Security Council must immediately be informed of any action that states take in self-defense against armed attack. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the airstrikes hit facilities used by militia blamed for an escalating series of drone and rocket attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq. "This military response was taken after non-military options proved inadequate to address the threat, with the aim of deescalating the situation and preventing further attacks," she wrote in a letter, seen by Reuters.

YEMEN Fighting between Yemen's warring parties in the gas-rich Marib region, the recognised government's last northern stronghold, intensified late on Saturday, three sources said, at a time the United Nations and United States are pushing for a peace deal. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who have been battling a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia for over six years, have been trying to seize Marib in an offensive described by Washington as the most serious threat to efforts to achieve a truce. Battles had abated as diplomatic efforts ramped up in recent weeks, but three pro-government Yemeni sources said tens of fighters from both sides were killed in fighting after a fresh Houthi assault that was met with intense coalition air strikes.

LEBANON Lebanon's government raised fuel prices by more than a third on Tuesday, a move aimed at alleviating crippling shortages but which will mount pressure on impoverished consumers. The government last week effectively cut fuel subsidies as Lebanon grapples with a catastrophic economic collapse that has sunk its currency by more than 90% in less than two years. The energy ministry said the average price of 20 litres of 95-octane gasoline was increased by 35% to 61,100 pounds. That is the equivalent of $40 at Lebanon's official exchange rate but less than $4 at Tuesday's parallel market exchange rate. Diesel was increased by 12,800 pounds, or 38%, to 46,100 pounds.

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IRAN UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to US President Joe Biden's administration to lift or waive all sanctions on Iran as agreed under a 2015 deal aimed at stopping Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. In a report to the UN Security Council, Guterres also urged the United States to "extend the waivers with regard to the trade in oil with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and fully renew waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects." The 15-member council will on Tuesday discuss the secretary-general's biannual report on the implementation of a 2015 resolution that enshrines the nuclear deal between Iran, the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China. Guterres' appeal to Washington comes amid talks to revive the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action under which Iran accepted curbs on its nuclear programme in return for a lifting of many foreign sanctions against it.

UAE New coronavirus infections in the United Arab Emirates are mostly from more infectious variants leading to an increase in the number of virus-linked deaths, a federal authority has said. The Gulf Arab state, with a population of about 9 million, has had one of the world's fastest vaccination campaigns. However, cases have risen over the past month to more than 2,000 new infections a day, though that is still below a peak in February. On Saturday, the UAE recorded 10 deaths, its highest single daily toll since March, according to the Reuters COVID-19 tracker.

OMAN

Oman on Tuesday said it was expanding its COVID-19 vaccination drive to anyone over the age of 18, as it accelerates what has been the slowest rollout in the Gulf. The wider coverage takes effect on Sunday, the health ministry said in a statement on state media. Previously, people over 45 had been eligible for COVID shots, alongside special categories such as frontline workers and pregnant women. Media reports have said recently that hospitals nationwide were straining amid a rise in cases since January. The country has recorded 266,536 cases and 3,056 deaths in total. Oman aims to vaccinate everyone 12 and over by the end of the year. By mid-April, Oman had given at least one dose to around 5% of the eligible population. This had increased to 24% by June 26, according to health ministry data. A quarter of those vaccinated so far have had two doses, it showed.

KUWAIT

ISRAEL

Kuwait will allow direct flights to 12 countries from July 1, the government communications office (CGC) wrote in a tweet on Monday. The list of the countries include: Britain, the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Kyrgyzstan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Israel's foreign minister said on Wednesday his visit to the United Arab Emirates was just the start of a road to peace with other Middle East countries, signalling an offer of friendship with Arab states still wary of normalising ties. Yair Lapid, the first Israeli cabinet minister to visit the Gulf state since the countries forged ties last year, also reiterated Israel's concern about the Iran nuclear deal being negotiated in Vienna.

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How is International, Regional Cooperation Driving War on Terror? Soft policies, Strict Laws, Networking

By Jassim Mohamad – Bonn The international and regional security cooperation is the cornerstone of com-bating extremism, terrorism and organized crime in the world. It comes in line with the diplomatic, development, security and humanitarian efforts and serves as an actor to achieve stability. According to the European Union (EU), any external action by its member states is essential for promoting its

interests and values at the global level and protect its citizens’ life style. Security is not only the basis of personal safety but also protects basic rights and provides confidence and dynamism in the societies’ economies and democ-racies. Nowadays, the world, and especially European countries, are suffering from the continuous change in the security situation, affected by evolving threats as well as other factors, including climate change, demographic

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Chief Constable of the Central Unit of the Netherlands police Jannine Van der Berg delivers a speech during a press conference by EU police agency Eu-ropol on June 8, 2021 in The Hague. (Getty)

trends and political in-stability. Globalization, freedom of movement and digital transformation continue to bring prosperity, facilitate our lives and stimulate innovation and growth. How-ever, citizens are exposed to terrorism, organized crime, drug and human traf-ficking and all other direct threats that come together with the rise in cyber-attacks and cybercrimes. The security threats further complicate the issue as they thrive on the ability to work across borders and on interconnection and break the boundaries set be-tween the physical and digital worlds. Extremist groups and organized crime networks exploit vulnerable groups and socio-economic differences. Counterterrorism efforts begin by addressing the root causes of extremism. These may include recruitment and other psychological and social factors that make individuals vulnerable to the radical discourse. Therefore, policies to ad-dress extremism come in line with bolstering social cohesion at the local and national levels. Soft policies, such as education, culture, youth and sports may also contribute to preventing extremism, creating opportunities for the youth who are at risk and achieving social cohesion. It is important to work on detecting and manag-ing the risks at early stages, as well as building resilience, disengagement, reha-bilitation and integration into society.

PREEMPTION FOR PROTECTION Security cooperation between the EU and countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is vital to protect EU territories from terrorist attacks. This has prompted the EU to develop cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism with its partners in the MENA region, thus enhancing societal resili-ence, in line with its broader approach towards this region. It is considered a preemptive step to combat extremism and terrorism even if the threat is geographically remote, as terrorism has become stateless and cross-border. There is an urgent need for an international and regional security framework in the Middle East. The United States’ approach, which relies on outsourcing secu-rity to regional actors such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, ap-pears to have stimulated those countries to be more optimistic in their foreign policies and military actions. The US has resorted to regional and external par-ties to create regional security in the Middle East. The region suffers from major security challenges,

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Soft policies, such as education, culture, youth and sports may also contribute to preventing extremism, creating opportunities for the youth who are at risk and achieving social cohesion. topped by the expansion of terrorist groups across the borders, in addition to Iran’s direct threats or its proxies in countries of the region. Since terrorism and extremism have no lim-its, security cooperation and information exchange have become necessary at the regional and international levels. It is important to underscore the need to take advantage of the regional countries’ “data bank” to track wanted persons, reduce money-laundering activities and address Iran’s threats in the region. There is also a dire need of a regional security framework to alleviate tension, resolve conflicts and reduce regional competition across the Middle East. According to those concerned with regional security, stability must be attained through discussion, de-escalation, conflict resolution and the involvement of all regional actors, supported by influential foreign partners. They suggested issuing a declaration that addressed all regional parties and calls for banning all forms of violence as a means of resolving conflicts, while main-taining a clear definition of the right to self-defense. Security experts consider it necessary that the declaration clearly includes rejec-tion of all forms of terrorism (with an unambiguous definition of terrorism) and violence against civilians and determines the moral, financial, logistical and political support for such acts as a violation of the principles of the system. It should be followed by “mobilizing” the means of direct communication among all parties in the region, they argue. The US should continue providing the needed appropriate support for the Pales-tinian Authority and Israel, in line with its laws and regulations, in an attempt to enhance the legitimate governing authorities’ ability to protect all people, es-pecially the most vulnerable who are exposed to the current conflict. There is no sustainable solution as long as people feel threatened by violence. The US plays a role in promot-

ing security and stability and encouraging measures that support democracies, serving both Israelis and Palestinians. In late 2020, many major developments were made in the long-lasting Arab-Israeli conflict, the most important of which was the official signing of the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization between the UAE and Israel in the White House. The agreement aims to ensure lasting peace, stability, security and prosperity and boost development through cooperation in various sectors, including health, ag-riculture, tourism, energy, environment and innovation. Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco later joined the Accords.

According to those concerned with regional security, stability must be attained through discussion, de-escalation, conflict resolution and the involvement of all regional actors, supported by influential foreign partners.

“For the Abraham Accords, the Middle East conflict played an indirect role, at best,” said Kerstin Müller, a former minister of state in Germany’s Federal For-eign Office and a senior associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Re-lations. “Economic relations and joint alliances against Iran were much more significant,” she added.

ABRAHAM AGREEMENT The Accords signed between the UAE and Israel could be used to combat ex-tremism and terrorism and address Iranian threats. Israel has a database on radi-cal groups and information on Iran’s threats and nuclear and missile arsenals. It also has a very high capacity in the field of cybersecurity, the most prominent of which is Unit 8200. It is the largest single unit in the army responsible for collecting signal intelligence (SIGINT) and code decryption and can be compa-rable to the US’ National Security Agency or the UK’s GCHQ. It is referred to as the Central Collection Unit of the Intelligence Corps that is capable of ad-dressing the challenges posed by the digital ecosystem. For instance, it currently provides the Ministry of Health with data science expertise to analyze the evolu-tion of the COVID-19 situation.

REALITY OF TERROR IN EUROPE, MENA Terrorism has become a global trend that is re-emerging

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US President Donald Trump watches as UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed AlNahyan(R) speaks from the Truman Balcony at the White House during the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, September 2020 ,15. (Getty)

Iraqi Yezidi women hold placards with pictures of victims of the 2014 invasion of their region by ISIS group, a day ahead of commemorations at the Temple of Lalish, in a valley near the Kurdish city of Dohuk, about 430km northwest of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, on August 2, 2019. (Getty)

due to the coronavirus pandemic’s after-math. There have been active efforts in fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq, in addition to the restrictions imposed on al-Qaeda, which previously posed a major threat in the MENA region. Although the Sahel region, West Africa, Somalia and Afghanistan represented a fertile ground for extremist groups, yet “lone wolves” in several European countries carried out many terrorist operations. It is estimated that this year will see a hike in the levels of risks and security threats at the international level due to COVID-19. Drivers include the deterio-rating economic situation in many of the countries that are most affected by ter-rorism, international distractions that mitigate effective responses to threats, and the ability to take advantage of competitions among world countries. Lone wolf operations are expected to continue taking place, especially in Eu-rope and the West. In the fields of cyber, internet and social media, they are seizing every opportunity to spread hate speech and extremism within societies. Estimates indicate the ongoing threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism against energy and mining resources in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia in particular. While the escalating insurgency in Mozambique increasingly threatens the gas industry, violence of local armed groups and ISIS in Iraq threatens to disrupt the country’s oil sector. This comes in light of Iran’s efforts to intensify its ac-tivities and threaten regional

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It is considered a preemptive step to combat extremism and terrorism even if the threat is geographically remote, as terrorism has become stateless and cross-border. and international security to pressure the US to ease the sanctions imposed against it. The world has become a global village. The significant advances in technology and communications have intensified the ever-increasing pace of globalization, and the interrelationship between terrorism and globalization is still a matter of debate. Some argue that globalization is not the reason behind the spread of ter-rorism but rather the exclusion of some people from the process. On the other hand, others argue that globalization may be one of the main reasons since it helps terrorist groups deliver their extremist ideologies and impose their views on people in other parts of the world.

MOST PROMINENT RESOLUTIONS Resolutions issued by the United Nations and aimed at

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confronting terrorism and its financing policies are various. For example, resolution 2017 (2013) des-ignated ISIS a terrorist group and demanded that it be combated. The UN also enlisted the group in its arms embargo list and ordered freezing its assets by adding it to its Resolutions 1267 (1999) and 2083 (2012). It further stressed the importance of the immediate and effective implementation of these measures. The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2170 on August 15, 2014, which stipulates imposing sanctions on ISIS. On November 19, 2014, the Council added the Libyan “Ansar al-Sharia” organization to its list of terrorist organiza-tions for links to al-Qaeda and ISIS. On February 28, 2015, the Council condemned the bar-

The region suffers from major security challenges, topped by the expansion of terrorist groups across the borders, in addition to Iran’s direct threats or its proxies in countries of the region.

barian terrorist opera-tions carried out by ISIS armed militants in Iraq, including the destruction of valuable historical and cultural monuments. On November 20, 2015, the Council issued Resolution 2249, which urged world countries to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed by ISIS and Al-Nusrah Front (ANF). The resolution also urged member states to intensify their efforts to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters to Iraq and Syria and to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism.

ROLE PLAYED BY EUROPOL This year is expected to be dynamic in terms of pursuing new policy initiatives and implementing emerging tasks under the Europol mandate. The new EU Drugs Strategy 2021-2025 and the EU strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse for the period 2020-2025 will have a great impact on the society. The EU’s action plan to combat radicalism and terrorism internationally also focuses on firearms trafficking and the Europol’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum. This has already been fully expressed in the Agency’s 2021 agenda. Efforts put in the fight against terrorism will continue to see greater exchange of information between the relevant partners at the EU level, combined with Europol’s commitment to provide better and expanded operational support to the investigations conducted by the EU member states. Moreover, the Hague-based European Counter

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A protester in Kashmir waves an ISIS flag during clashes in Srinagar. (Getty)

Elements of Hezbollah hold a military parade in the town of Riyaq in Le-banon’s Bekaa Valley. (AFP)

Terrorism Center is preparing to address the emerging trend of right-wing extremism and take steps to establish an EU-wide coordina-tion mechanism to tackle this phenomenon. The Europol is keen to set priorities for dealing with external partners. It is ex-pected to apply the prioritization criteria discussed by the Corporate Affairs Working Group in 2019 to determine new external partners. The Agency will also continue to serve as a platform for relevant authorities in the EU member states to interact with these parties. In its fight against the organized crime, counter-terrorism and cybercrime, the Europol will focus in its external relations on developing cooperation in finan-cial investigations, through its newly established European Financial and Eco-nomic Crime Centre (EFECC), travel intelligence function, innovation, foren-sics and states’ collaboration with partners.

This year is expected to be dynamic in terms of pursuing new policy initiati-ves and implementing emerging tasks under the Europol mandate.

case in restyricting their access to firearms and explosive precursors, terrorist financing and the criminalization of travel for terrorist purposes. These efforts have been assessed in reports issued regularly. However, it is needed to double security cooperation and partnership to counter extremist ideologies and better protect public spaces targeted by terrorists. Relevant security environments should be made comASSESSING COOPERATION IN patible and law enforce-ment and judicial authorities INFORMATION EXCHANGE should be provided with the necessary means to combat terrorism by involving the community as a whole, Over the past two decades, the European counter-ter- including citizens, communities, religious groups, civil rorism cooperation has en-hanced the ability of member society, researchers, businesses and private sector partstates to ensure the security of their citizens. Ex-tensive ners. networks for information exchange, backed by interoperable EU data-bases, as well as enhanced police and judi- Jassim Mohamad is a researcher who focuses on intercial cooperation, are now in place, which helps connect national security & counter-terrorism; his work covers the border crossing points. Europe, Middle East (Iraq, Syria, Libya, Iran and Yemen), The EU has succeeded in adopting effective measures to and African Sahel. He is the Head of the European Centre deprive terrorist groups of the means of action, as is the for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies ECCI.

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Challenges Facing New Israeli Govt

Extent to Which Government Will Address Challenges Proves its Resilience

Amal Shehadeh –Tel Aviv Since the Bennett-Lapid coalition government was sworn in, security and political circles have been busy developing work strategies that would enable them to address the new situation in Israel. This government is considered the first in Israel since 1948, in terms of its politi-cal composition, to include a

coalition of parties from far-right to left. It assumed its duties amid internal, global and regional political and economic cri-ses, forcing it to face major challenges that many doubt it will be able to address, in light of differences in opinion, position, and even principles and ideology among its coalition parties. The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, which includes an elite group of security and

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military experts and former diplomats, has been busy conducting research and studies on the new era Israel is entering 12 years after former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s term, who drew a right-wing road map for Israel. It wasn’t easy to put an end to his term, and it will be difficult for the new gov-ernment to carry out major changes on the right-wing policy that left behind deep marks in various aspects of life in the country. Certainly, the greatest challenge faced by this government is the absence of an up-dated budget, which has accumulated many outstanding issues. The prolonged po-litical stalemate has left Israel still using a pro-rated version of a base 2019 budget that was ratified in mid2018. It also failed to implement operational plans in the security, political, military, economic and social aspects. These two major failures will have repercussions on the current government’s ability to manage foreign policy, thus leading to serious gaps in the face of the various security and strategic challenges facing Israel.

IMMEDIATE MAJOR CHALLENGES The INSS conducted a study that highlighted challenges that the authors believed require an immediate and deliberate action by the new government. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks as he chairs the first weekly cabi-net meeting of the new government in Jerusalem, on June 20, 2021. (Getty)

FIRST: NUCLEAR DEAL IS ARCHIMEDEAN POINT US-Israeli relations constitute the first challenge facing Bennet-Lapid’s coalition government. Since its formation, the new Israeli government has faced an unexpected challenge in Gaza Strip, during and after the Flag March that took place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The anger accumulated from the military operation ‘Guardian of the Walls’ (the Israeli name for the recent aggression on Gaza), which was carried out by Netanyahu’s government at the end of its term, could still be stirred. Former security officials said the operation has demonstrated Israel’s critical need of American support politically and militarily and utmost coordination with the US administration in much wider contexts than the fighting in Gaza. “The escalation has revealed the increasing weight of the critical attitude toward Israel among the younger ranks of the Democratic Party and its constituency, as well as American Jewry, and even in its most prominent stronghold of support – US Congress,” the officials explained. “This is a harsh and ongoing blow to Israel’s status as a

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The govt assumed its duties amid internal, global and regional political and economic crises, forcing it to face major challenges that many doubt it will be able to address. bipartisan consensus - one of its most significant assets in the United States, our greatest ally,” they added, warning against moving forward with the previous policy, especially with regard to the Iranian nuclear file. According to the think tank, Netanyahu was in conflict with the administration over the latter’s intention to return to the nuclear deal with Iran. “This battle is futile because it conflicts with Washington’s global strategic agen-da, which seeks to secure its flanks and turn its attention to the struggle over su-premacy against China.” The Institute further said the Iranian challenge and return to the JCPOA have be-come an Archimedean point between Israel and the US that could reflect negative-ly on the overall relations between the two allies. “Thus, Israel’s ability to receive US support and the guarantees it requires may be impeded both with respect to Iran and in a wide range of other arenas.” Regarding US relations with China, the study said that Israeli ties and policies vis à vis China could exclude it from the international front the US is pursuing. Washington has been clear in its messages to Israel, some of which were delivered publicly, voicing its concern about the level of its oversight on Chinese invest-ments, particularly in the technological sector, which place American interests at risk. “The US administration regards victory over China as a historical, almost religious task it is determined to complete.” “It is perceiving the competition with China as a struggle for world order, liberty, and the supremacy of the democratic system,” the study stated.

DISMANTLING THE MINE The Institute urged the Israeli government to “dismantle the mine” and defuse ten-sion with Washington regarding Iran.

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According to the recommendations: - It must restore trust with the Biden administration by shifting from a loud confrontational diplomacy to a quiet intimate dialogue based on a shared view that Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, while relying on the effective collaboration channels between the two countries in areas such as intelligence, defense and operations. - The Israeli government should remove all indications of its intention to take military action against Iran’s nuclear program from its agenda, for such a step makes no sense at present, when a potential return to the nuclear

The INSS said the Iranian challenge and return to the JCPOA have become an Archimedean point between Israel and the US that could reflect negatively on the overall relations between the two allies.

deal is expected to roll Iran’s nuclear capabilities back in the upcoming years. - The Bennett-Lapid government should enter a shared strategic coordination as well as a quid pro quo dialogue of guarantees with the Biden administra-tion in case the latter is unable to achieve its declared goal of reaching a fu-ture stronger and longer agreement with Iran. In the Chinese context, Israel has profound interest in the US winning the race with China and must be incorporated into the democratic states front being estab-lished by the US, including its technology aspects (where Israel brings real assets to the table). The institute called on decision makers in Israel to make a strategic decision that fully supports American interests vis à vis China, while conducting itself in full coordination, cooperation and transparency with the US administration on all as-pects associated with Israel’s relations with China.

SECOND: BUDGET AND MULTIANNUAL PLAN Two of the top strategic processes in Israel, outlining its long-term path, priorities and updated policies in the face of a changing reality have been shut down in recent years: the state budget and the Israeli army’s multiannual plan. In the absence of a forward-facing budget, Israel was left with no organized re-sponse and priorities for the

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2ndL) meets Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (R) in Rome, on June 2021 ,27. Israel’s new foreign minister in his first meeting with the United States voiced concern on June ,27 2021 about talks on Iran but pledged a more cooperative approach with the Jewish state’s closest ally. (Getty)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanya-hu (L) attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on March 2017 ,20 in Beijing, China. (Getty)

unprecedented socio-economic crisis, a growing deficit and no ability to bridge the severe gaps in the home front’s preparedness for emergencies in both health and security contexts. According to Israelis, with no budget, the army’s capability to implement its mul-ti-annual plan was damaged, compromising its ability to develop responses and capabilities required to address evolving security challenges. The Institute recommended that the government form a budget immediately to ad-dress the changing reality and challenges. “Both the cabinet and the army must recalibrate and adjust the army’s multi-annual plan, Tnufa (Momentum), and close severe gaps in the home front’s pre-paredness for war.” While doing so, priorities must be redefined and objectives adapted to the new circumstances.

PALESTINIAN ARENA The issue with Palestine constitutes a difficult challenge for the Israeli government in light of the various internal, Palestinian and Arab complications, faced by rem-nants of the previous government’s policy. “The Israeli strategy has failed. The perception whereby recognizing Hamas’ rule while improving the civil conditions in the Gaza Strip on the one hand, and weakening the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank on the other, will prevent a two-state solution while maintaining a security equilibrium - has collapsed,” the Institute explained.

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The greatest challenge faced by this government is the absence of an updated budget, which has accumulated many outstanding issues. The escalation in Gaza has demonstrated that, when tested, Hamas’ ideological-religious agenda supersedes all other considerations it may have, it added. By contrast, the study authors said due to Israel’s policy, the PA is getting weaker, so much so that it may gradually force Israel to begin managing the life of the Palestinian population. It urged Israel to reverse its priorities vis à vis the Palestinian system. “It should contain and weaken Hamas without compromising on improving the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, as they are in Israel’s best interest.” Meanwhile, it must “fundamentally change its attitude toward the PA, which rep-resents the political alternative to the resolution of the conflict, and should be strengthened in every way as a governing system.” Moreover, Israel should strive to build the PA as an al-

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ternative to Hamas’ rule in Gaza in the longer term.

JORDAN AND IMPORTANCE OF ITS STABILITY The new government assumed its duties amid deteriorating relations with Jordan that reached a peak in the wake of the Al-Aqsa events and operation “Guardian of the Walls.” The Institute warned Israel of the repercussions of the previous government’s pol-icy. It said the government has taken steps in recent years, such as the annexation plan, water quotas dispute, conflicts over Jerusalem and Jordan’s (founded) con-cern about an erosion in its status in the sacred sites that have had a detrimental effect on Israel’s relations with the kingdom, undermining the peace accord with it. The Israeli government must restore its relations with Jordan and take actions in both regional and international arenas to garner assistance for strengthening the kingdom’s internal stability, the Institute said. “It is crucial to strengthen Jordan’s role in preserving and deepening the status quo in the holy sites in Jerusalem, and, as a rule, to avoid demeaning steps that could prove to be destructive to the King of Jordan’s status and his kingdom’s stability” (which would thus harm Israel’s strategic background).

ARAB-JEWISH RELATIONS IN ISRAEL

The study recommends that Israel “fundamentally change its attitude toward the PA, which represents the political alternative to the resolution of the conflict, and should be strengthened in every way as a governing system.”

A TICKING TIME BOMB The new Israeli government was formed amidst the deteriorating relations between Jews and Arabs in the wake of the operation Guardian of the Walls and the inten-sified confrontations between Arab population, known as Palestinians of 1948, and Israeli Jews, especially rightwing and settlers. This came in light of the protests by the Palestinians of 1948 inside their towns against the bombing of Gaza and in solidarity with their Palestinian brothers. During this period, the rift between Arabs and Jews widened in cities such as Lydda, Ramleh, Haifa, Acre and others. In the government’s first research in the Knesset on laws related to the Palestini-ans, a new crisis has arisen related to the family unification law, aka the “Nation-ality Law”, which contributes to dividing Palestinian families between the West Bank and the Green Line. The new government could neither ratify to prevent a crisis within the government coalition. It decided to postpone its ratification, hoping that the Bennett-Lapid government would secure a majority to pass it. The violence that erupted in the Arab population against the backdrop of the esca-lation in Gaza marks a pro-

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Israeli security forces fire tear gas as Palestinian protesters and activists flee, near an Israeli Police checkpoint at the entrance of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbour-hood in east Jerusalem, during a rally demanding the reopening of the roadblock, on May ,29 2021. (Getty)

Former officials said the recent operation has demonstrated Israel’s critical need of American support politically and militarily and utmost coordination with the US administration in much wider contexts than the fighting in Gaza cumulation of decades of al-ienation felt by the Palestinians of 1948 along with hostility and suspicion, which led to the explosion and consequently the break in the relations that “reflect a clear definition of the other (and in this case the Palestinians of 48) as an enemy,” Sela said. “The new government has been formed based on the Jewish-Arab partnership (the support of the Islamist party led by Mansour Abbas to the new coalition) and this is an important step to fix the situation,” she found crack in Arab-Jewish relations, as well as a tick- added. ing timebomb that threatens the “State of Israel” as a Accordingly, the new government should first develop civilized state under the rule of law. a strategic plan to raise awareness about the shared life. Israeli researchers said it was an expression of Israel’s “In the past two decades, after the collapse of the peace longstanding failure in in-tegration, governance and law process in the late 90s, we saw a decrease in investment enforcement when crime and violence soared. in dialogue education for a shared society.” It urged the Israeli government to implement uncom- In this society, the youth learn to know and respect othpromising enforcement to re-store order (intelligence, ers, learn about their diffi-culties and different stories arrests, legal action, deterring punishments), for it is in- and grow up to become peace-loving citizens who seek strumental in getting life back on track, and bridging the to live together, Sela explained. rift between communi-ties in mixed Jewish-Arab cities. As long as Israel chose not to raise its children to respect “At the same time, national plans and budgets should democracy, equality and the aspiration to a shared life, be implemented and expand-ed immediately in order to the gaps in Israel’s society will widen and violence will address Arab society problems.” increase, she stressed. “At the heart of this effort, crime must be eradicated, Sela further underscored the importance of creating a local leaderships encouraged and supported and integra- system of deep and continu-ous acquaintance and ention processes with Jewish society and state institutions counter between Jews and Arabs through professional accelerated,” it added. guidance and joint learning. Commenting on the rift in relations between Palestin- In her opinion, learning Hebrew and spoken Arabic at a ians of 1948 and the Jews, Director of the Center for high level in the educa-tion curricula is a “significant” a Shared Society at Givat Haviva, Michal Sela warned step. of the repercussions of the situation in Arab and mixed It is noteworthy that according to the data obtained from towns during operation “Guardians of the Walls.” the Israel Democracy In-stitute, about 74 percent of Jews do not speak Arabic at all, and about 30 percent of Arabs “The current hiatus between Jews and Arabs is an ac- do not speak Hebrew fluently.

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olitics

A Truly International Criminal Court World Justice System Points to Contradictions of Liberal Order By Oumar Ba The International Criminal Court was created in 1998 with an ostensibly global re-mit, but the focus of its work has long been much narrower. To date, all 44 people indicted by the court have been Africans. In recent years, the ICC has opened investigations of cases from places outside Africa, including Afghanistan, Georgia, and the Palestin-

ian territories. But the court remains fixated on a single continent. Ten out of its 14 active investigations involve Africa. Several African countries—notably South Africa, which attempted to withdraw from the ICC in 2016—have rebelled against the court, with some arguing that its reluctance to investigate Western countries is evidence of its “imperial” character. Aware of this track record, the court has begun

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Exterior View of new International Criminal Court building in The Hague on July ,30 2016 in The Hague The Netherlands. (Getty)

in recent years to set its gaze be-yond the “global South” and bring citizens of Western countries under scrutiny. That has sparked a furious backlash. In 2020, the United States preemptively sanc-tioned ICC officials for opening an investigation in Afghanistan that might reach U.S. personnel. A spate of Western liberal democracies has called for the ICC prosecutor not to open an investigation into war crimes allegedly committed by Israel in the Palestinian territories, claiming that such an investigation reaches be-yond the court’s mandate and jurisdiction. The court’s apparent deviation from its tradition of disciplining Africans raises the stakes for its future and its ability to operate. The ICC is primarily funded by some of the liberal democracies that are now openly challenging the court. But if it fails to truly broaden the scope of its activities, the ICC will remain a symbol of the hy-pocrisy of the liberal international order. In February, the ICC’s member states elected its third chief prosecutor, the British lawyer Karim Khan, who was sworn in on June 16. The new prosecutor must stay the course and fully investigate—and bring to justice—those who have committed atrocities, no matter where they took place and no matter what opposition he faces.

LAW FOR THEE BUT NOT FOR ME The ICC came into being after a decades-long attempt to establish a permanent mechanism to end impunity for the gravest “atrocity crimes”— including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations recognized the need to establish an international criminal court to prosecute these crimes. The project went into hibernation during the Cold War but was resuscitated in the early 1980s. In 1989, as the Soviet Union was teetering, the UN General Assembly asked the International Law Commission, a UN legal ad-visory body, to resume work on an international criminal court. In 1994, the ILC drafted a statute for just such a court. Its final version was adopted four years lat-er as the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC. Only seven states voted against the statute, and 120 states voted in favor. The creation of the ICC marked a pivotal moment in international lawmaking and in the rise of the post–Cold War

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In its operation, the ICC consecrated a much more restricted international legal order, one that effectively presumed that grave atrocity crimes are the province only of the non-Western world. liberal, cosmopolitan world order that presumed the inevitable spread of liberalism and its supposedly universal values. In its operation, however, the ICC consecrated a much more restricted interna-tional legal order, one that effectively presumed that grave atrocity crimes are the province only of the non-Western world. Western powers have reacted with alarm to the ICC’s recent attempts to open investigations outside Africa, heaping pres-sure on the court and leveling sanctions against it. In so doing, they have revealed the tacit understanding that international criminal law applies to some more than others. Some Western states championed the need to establish the ICC in the belief that the court’s jurisdiction would be primarily focused on the global South or at the pe-riphery of Europe. But other states, such as China, Russia, and the United States, did not want to be subject to the court’s jurisdiction and chose not to join the ICC. This concern explains, for example, their insistence that the ICC be placed under the supervision of the UN Security Council—in which they wield disproportionate power—a proposal that an overwhelming majority of states from the global South rejected. States reached a compromise that established a formal relationship be-tween the UN Security Council and the ICC, but it wasn’t enough to convince the great powers to come on board. The United States—the de facto leader of the lib-eral international order—failed to join the ICC because it felt that becoming sub-ject to international law and order was too high a price to pay. Washington was especially concerned that

olitics

its military personnel could end up being prosecuted in The Hague. African countries made various demands concerning the kind of court they wanted to see come out of the Rome negotiations. They wanted the nascent institution to be independent, impartial, and free from interference from UN Security Council members and other powerful states. They hoped that the new permanent court would usher in an egalitarian international system that protected weaker states and provided a check against great powers. But the ICC was not that kind of court.

The United States—the de facto leader of the liberal international order—failed to join the ICC because it felt that becoming subject to international law and order was too high a price to pay.

THE COURT OPENS The first ICC prosecutor, the Argentine lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo, who served from 2003 to 2012, chose to focus on Africa and African defendants. The ICC’s in-terventions irked many African states and the African Union, which claimed that the court’s actions hindered the peaceful resolution of conflicts. African states also argued that heads of states should have immunity from prosecution while in office, in line with customary international law. Two cases, in particular, brought to the fore a rift between African countries and the ICC: the ICC’s issuing of arrest warrants for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2009 and 2010 on charges related to genocide in Darfur and the 2011 summons issued to current Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (then deputy prime minister) on charges stemming from election-related violence in 2007 and 2008. Ocampo’s successor, the Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda, tried to mend the rift between the court and Africa. Part of that effort involved expanding the range of investigations beyond the continent. She opened investigations in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar (to do with the displacement of the Rohingya), Georgia, and the Palestinian territories. On her last day in office, she requested

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Lawyer Karim Khan defending his client Liberian former President Charles Taylor at the start of his client›s trial 04 June 2007, at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in The Hague. (Getty)

International Criminal Court chief prosecutor at that time Fatou Bensouda (L) meets with the governor of Sudan›s state of South Darfur Mousa Mahdi (R) in the state capital Nyala during a 48-hour visit on May 31, 2021. (Getty)

an authori-zation from the court’s judges to open an investigation in the Philippines. Bensou-da’s office also secured convictions related to sexual and gender-based crimes, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and crimes for the destruction of cultural heritage, thus breaking new ground in the jurisprudence of international law. Bensouda’s office showed a greater willingness to challenge major powers at the risk of incurring a backlash and targeted sanctions. Her decision in December 2020 not to prosecute British soldiers for war crimes committed in Iraq was baffling, but the investigations in Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories will take the court into uncharted waters—and could define the tenure of her successor.

THE NEW PROSECUTOR The incoming prosecutor will be closely scrutinized on what he will do next. Unlike his predecessors, who were elected by consensus, Khan was appointed after a tumultuous election cycle in which the court’s member states struggled to agree on a candidate. After multiple rounds of negotiations, they held a vote by secret ballot. Khan was elected after the second round of voting. Khan steps into his new role with extensive ex-

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If it fails to truly broaden the scope of its activities, the ICC will remain a symbol of the hypocrisy of the liberal international order. perience in international criminal law from both sides of the bench. He has worked in a number of international tribu-nals, such as those dealing with Cambodia, Rwanda, and the former Yugoslavia. Khan has previously worked as a defense lawyer, prosecutor, and counsel for vic-tims. He has also served as the defense attorney for highprofile suspects: Charles Taylor of Liberia, William Ruto of Kenya, Saif al-Islam al-Qaddafi of Libya, and Jean-Pierre Bemba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2018, he served as the head of a UN team investigating crimes committed by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in Iraq. What Khan does with the ongoing investigations in Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories will

reverberate well beyond The Hague. The ICC’s investigation in Af-ghanistan focuses on alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the country since May 2003. It will likely cover the conduct not only of Taliban and Afghan national forces but also of U.S. military and intelligence personnel. The United States is not a party to the ICC, but Afghanistan is; the actions of U.S. per-sonnel in the country could fall under the purview of the court. This investigation provoked the Trump administration to place sanctions on ICC officials that sought to freeze their assets and prevent them from entering the United States. The Biden administration has rescinded the sanctions, but the path ahead remains tricky for Khan. If he pro-

The ICC’s investigation in Afghanistan will likely cover the conduct not only of Taliban and Afghan national forces but also of U.S. military and intelligence personnel.

ceeds with an investigation that brings U.S. officials and military personnel under scrutiny, he risks exacerbating tensions with the United States. Opposition to the ICC is a bipartisan issue in the United States, and presi-dents of both parties have refused to endorse or cooperate with the court. But if Khan caves to political pressure from the major powers, he may further damage the court’s image and legitimacy. The open ICC investigation in the Palestinian territories—which focuses on alleged crimes committed in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, since June 2014—poses similar challenges for Khan. The prosecutor’s office believes that both Israeli personnel and Palestinian groups have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and the West Bank. Although Israel is not a party to the court, the Palestinian territories are, so the court could investigate and in-dict Israeli personnel for their actions there. The investigation could explore whether Israeli forces committed war crimes during the 2014 war in Gaza and whether Hamas and other Palestinian groups have committed war crimes by firing rockets indiscriminately at Israeli towns. Israeli officials could also face charges of crimes against humanity for expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The investigation could grow to cover the recent flare-up of violence this year. The ICC has faced tremendous backlash for this

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Sudan’s deposed military ruler Omar al-Bashir stands in a defendant›s cage dur-ing the opening of his corruption trial in Khartoum on August 19, 2019. (Getty)

Myanmar’s State Counsel� lor Aung San Suu Kyi leaves the Peace palace in The Hague, on December 12, 2019 on the the last day of a three-day hearing on the Rohingya genocide case before the UN Interna� tional Court of Justice )Getty(

investigation in the Palestinian territories, and that pressure will only increase as Khan settles into his new role. Benjamin Netanyahu, when he was Israel’s prime minister, insisted that the ICC investigation amounted to “anti-Semitic edicts.” Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United States, among other states, have also condemned the investigation, arguing that the court has no jurisdiction over Israeli citizens because Israel is not a party to the court. They also dispute the status of Palestine as a state for the purposes of ICC membership and referral. Khan will have to decide whether to press ahead with the investigation or not. Crumbling beneath the pressure would further hurt an already embattled court. ternational justice system centered in The Hague The ICC would again appear as an institu-tion point to the contradictions of the liberal world that enshrines a two-tiered international legal sys- order, which espouses universality in theory but tem, holding some countries to a standard that it in practice exonerates the West while disciplining and condemning the rest. But the ICC can doesn’t require of others. Khan must ensure that all parties involved in the earn greater legitimacy and make progress toward conflicts in Afghanistan and the Palestinian terri- a more just world where perpetrators of atroctories receive fair and thorough investigations and ity crimes, regardless of who they may be, will are held to ac-count. The court’s action is needed be held accountable. To do so, Khan will have in both places. The ICC is a court of last resort, to withstand the inevitable pressure, investigate, and states can always investigate and prosecute and, if necessary, indict Westerners accused of their own personnel first. But it is clear that nei- the gravest crimes imaginable. ther Israel nor the United States is willing to do This article was originally published on ForeignAf� so. The stakes are high. The court and the wider in- fairs.com.

The open ICC investigation in the Palestinian territories- which focuses on alleged crimes committed in the occupied territories, including East Jerusa-lem, since June -2014 poses similar challenges for Khan.

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olitics

The Vaccine Donations Aren’t Enough

Wealthier Countries Needs to Support Patent Waivers

By Chelsea Clinton and Achal Prabhala Developing countries now account for more of the COVID19-s daily global death toll, at 85 percent and climbing, than high-income countries. Thanks to high vaccination rates, deaths in these rich countries have fallen from 59 to 15 percent of the global share, an all-time low, according to the Brookings Institution. The signs of this switch are jarring. Vaccinated Americans are reading up on how to make the most of a summer vacation in Europe, while unvaccinated Indians are searching for tips on how to stay alive. Not only are cases high in India, but surges are happening in parts of Africa, Latin America, and Asia. To meet the challenge, leaders of the G7 countries, who gathered last month in the United Kingdom, announced new commitments that would bring their collective vaccine donations to 1 billion doses over 2021 and 2022, mainly through COVAX, a consortium consisting of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; and the World Health Organization. Half of these newly promised doses will come from a U.S.

government deal with Pfizer, of which 200 million doses will be made available toward the end of this year, and 300 million in the next. This news comes after an earlier decision to donate 80 million vaccines from the U.S. stockpile in the next few weeks. These donations are generous. Also welcome is President Joe Biden’s support for a waiver of vaccine patents, and a joint task force between the United States and the European Union to increase COVID19vaccine and drug manufacturing. But the world needs about 10 billion vaccines delivered as quickly as possible. The only way to reach that goal is for Biden to support a comprehensive World Trade Organization waiver that goes beyond vaccine patents to all technologies associated with the vaccines, and for him to persuade other countries to do the same. He also must compel pharmaceutical companies to share their vaccine technology, something well within his power for the vaccines the U.S. has funded. Relying solely on philanthropy or existing manufacturers has not produced enough vaccine doses—and is unlikely to do so in the future. COVAX promised to send 2 billion doses to participating countries

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A worker disinfects boxes of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines, part of the Covax program, which aims to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccinations, after they arrived by plane at the Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on May 8, 2021. (Getty)

this year. Six months in, it has managed to ship only 81 million doses. All four Western manufacturers of the vaccines in use— Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca—have been struggling to overcome production problems and meet their commitments to rich countries, leaving their ability to do any more for poor countries, at least this year, in doubt. “Funding for COVAX is not the problem; the 9.6$ billion pledged by a host of rich countries has ensured that,” Ayoade Alakija, the head of the African Union Africa Vaccine Delivery Alliance, told us. “The problem is that COVAX, like everyone else, has no immediate access to vaccine supply. Relying on pie-in-thesky delivery predictions from major pharmaceutical companies is not the answer either. We need rich countries to share doses immediately and open up manufacturing of vaccines to everyone who is capable of making them.” Producing billions of vaccine doses is a three-step process. In the first phase, manufacturers need permission to make the vaccine. This is what a waiver of vaccine patents at the WTO would partially accomplish. However, any proposal to increase the supply of vaccines has to include waiving patents on technologies involved at every stage of their production as well. Take, for example, bioreactor bags, in which biological material is grown and collected. They’re essential to the production of vaccines, but can be bought only from a small market dominated by four firms, because the bags themselves have up to 2,800 patent monopolies protecting them. The second phase involves the new manufacturer getting the technology transfer—and, if possible, a pledge of technical assistance—from the Western company. The final phase is securing raw materials and other components to actually make the vaccine. We see little advantage in the U.S. government giving manufacturers the permission to make vaccines if it won’t also grant access to the technology. Pharmaceutical companies, however, are using this logic to convince the U.S. government to do nothing. “Intellectual property rights is not the issue,” Thomas Cueni, the head of the pharmaceutical industry’s lobbying arm, told Reuters. “The bottlenecks are the capacity, the scarcity of raw materials, scarcity of ingredients, and … the know-how.” Translation: Making the vaccine is difficult. The solution, therefore, is to make sure nobody is allowed to try. However, Western COVID19- vaccines largely use technologies that make them relatively easy to produce. The vaccines that are hardest to scale quickly are the ones that rely on the oldest technology. India has only a handful of facilities with the heightened safety protocols required for the production of killedvirus vaccines like those developed by Bharat Biotech within the country, or by Sinopharm and Sinovac in China. By contrast, dozens of pharmaceutical manufacturers in India could easily make the J&J vaccine, because the facilities required to do so already exist. An even larger number of them could potentially make the Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccines, which rely on a chemical process and not a biological one, if they start retrofitting their facilities now. Companies currently engaged in producing COVID19- vaccines in India represent a small fraction of the companies that could

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“The problem is that COVAX, like everyone else, has no immediate access to vaccine supply. Relying on pie-in-the-sky delivery predictions from major pharmaceutical companies is not the answer either. produce them in the country, which is, in turn, a fraction of the world’s capacity. Latin America has vaccine manufacturers, as does Asia and Africa. Pharmaceutical companies based in Israel, Canada, and Denmark want to join the effort as well. The scarcity of raw material is a problem, but manufacturers are working their way around it. For example, Arun Kumar, a founder of Strides Pharma Science, told us that his well-funded company has invested 100$ million in a new facility in Bangalore to produce viral-vector vaccines. It is currently being used to produce the Sputnik V vaccine under a technology-transfer agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, in Moscow. Kumar has been preempting raw-material shortages by making advance payments on supplies, occasionally paying more than market value for them, and, when necessary, exploring what the industry calls “second sources”—substitutes for essential products such as resins. Not all companies can afford to pay more, though. Other Sputnik V manufacturers, including Virchow, a modestly funded pharmaceutical company in India, are leveraging existing relationships to get the materials, although they are facing some delays. The WTO announced December 2021 ,3, as the date by which it hopes the patent-waiver proposal will be finalized, but the end of this year is too late to start producing more vaccines in other countries. Biden and other G7 leaders need to make their investments in vaccines work for the world, and they have the power to do that. The U.S. government bankrolled J&J and Moderna; the U.K. government significantly supported AstraZeneca; and the German government financed Pfizer and BioNtech. The G7 must give the world the opportunity to vaccinate itself. The pandemic won’t be over until it’s under control around the world. Wealthier countries still have reason to be concerned about the pandemic. More than 90 percent of new cases in the United Kingdom are attributable to the Delta strain, believed to be more transmissible and more severe than the original coronavirus. But the calculation doesn’t need to be so self-serving. Helping these countries is the right thing to do. The sooner Biden and his fellow G7 leaders recognize that they cannot donate their way out of this pandemic, the sooner it will end. This was originally published on The Atlantic Online.

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Erdogan Approaches Washington and Brussels, Shuns Moscow Taştekin: Turkish President Seeks to Corner Russia in South Caucasus Jiwan Soz – Istanbul Since the beginning of this year, Turkey has been attempting to approach the United States particu-larly after the arrival of the incumbent President Joe Biden to the White House. This practically means that Ankara is shunning Russia to an extent, especially since the Turkish side is seeking closer relations with the European Union in exchange for distancing itself from Moscow. Coinciding with these Turkish attempts, Ankara entered the area south of Caucasus, further anger-ing Moscow which was already annoyed by Turkish support of Azerbaijan and its help which enabled Baku last Fall to reclaim five cities which were under Armenian control in Nagorno-Karabakh re-gions (also known as the Republic of Artsakh,

which is not internationally recognized). Turkish-Russian tensions raise many questions, most important of which is the Turkish President’s visit to the city of Shusha which was reclaimed by Baku since last November. In the light of these developments, Majalla held an interview with Fehim Taştekin, the well-known analyst and journalist who is an expert on Turkish foreign affairs. Q: What does the Turkish President›s visit to Shusha mean? Is this visit a challenge for Russia? A: The Shusha visit can›t exactly be read as a challenge to Russia, but it may be aimed at cornering Russia. In general, Erdogan will inevitably come face-to-face with Russia as he pursues a policy of increasing his influ-

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Erdogan has two main goals. The first is to get Turkey›s maximum share in the reconstruc-tion of the cities that came under the control of Azerbaijan during the latest war. weighs in favor of Azerbai-jan, but also sends a message to Russia not to resort to delaying tactics regarding this ceasefire condition. If this corridor is set up then Turkey will have a passage to Asia via Nakhichevan, Arme-nia, Azerbaijan and Caspian Sea. Q: What does Erdogan intend to do by opening a Turkish consulate in this city?

Fehim Taştekin, the well-known analyst and journalist who is an expert on Turkish foreign affairs. (Supplied)

The opening of the Turkish consulate will increase Turkey›s influence in the areas taken from the Armenians. While targeting economic investments in the region, a diplomatic representation can make things easier. In addition, Turkey wants to closely monitor critical processes such as the re-construction ence in the Caucasus. In other words, there of the region and the return of (Azerbaijani, is always a positioning against Russia on not Armenian) immigrants to the region. The the side of Turkish foreign policy towards consulate is also of symbolic importance. In the Caucasus. The Shusha visit can be con- a sense, this is also a way for Turkey to feel sidered the continuation of Turkey›s inter- its power. vention in Karabakh. The war is over and now he wants to cash it out. Erdogan has Q: Russia denied establishing a Turkish two main goals. The first is to get Turkey›s military base in Shushi. But did Erdogan maximum share in the reconstruction of the say he would estab-lish it? What do you cities that came under the control of Azer- think of these contradictory statements? baijan during the latest war. Many Turkish companies have undertaken road construc- A: Since the ceasefire was declared, there is tion, mines and other projects. The second a claim that a Turkish military base will be is a more strategic goal, namely, opening of established. This is a matter of manipulation. the corridor envisaged in the ceasefire agree- The ceasefire agreement does not foresee the ment between Azerbaijan and Na-khichevan. establishment of a Turkish military base in This corridor will pass through the territory the region. But there is a military cooperaof Armenia. Russia will play a guarantor tion agreement between Turkey and Azerrole in the opening of this corridor. baijan. According to this understanding, With his visit to Shusha, Erdogan not only Turkey can establish a base on the territory

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confirmed the defeat of the Armenians, but did not guarantee the military deployment that Turkey wanted. Here we see the preventive role of Russia. On the contrary, Russia returned to Azerbaijan militarily as a result of a war planned by Turkey. Russia’s guaranty gained im-portance for the Armenians as well. Now Russia has more influence over both Armenia and AzerQ: It seems clear that Erdogan is trying to bai-jan. In other words, Erdogan›s move expand further in the South Caucasus. How strengthened Russia›s hand in the Caucasus. However, his aim was to regress Rusdo you think Russia will react? sia in the Caucasus. If permanent stability A: While Russia is acting in a way to block is sought in the region after the war, what Turkey›s path, it does not want a conflict Turkey should do is normalize relations with Ankara. The ceasefire in Karabakh with Armenia. Then the Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan corridor can be opened. With the participation of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran and Georgia, transportation lines can be opened and strategic partnerships can be developed. It serves peace and stability in the Caucasus. But Erdogan still continues to follow a shrewd policy in favor of Azer-baijan against Armenia. As a contradiction, he hopes that Russia will use its weight on Armenia to further Turkish economic interests. of Azerbaijan. It is enough for Baku to give permission for this. But even if the lands taken from the Armenians came under the control of Azerbaijan, a Turkish base cannot be established. The cease-fire agreement stipulates that Turkey, together with Russia, will only have soldiers in a military ob-servation center. This does not mean base.

The second is a more strategic goal, namely, opening of the corridor envisaged in the cease-fire agreement between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan.

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Russia›s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Turkey›s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu give a joint press conference following their meeting at the Carya Regnum Hotel in Antalya, Turkey. (Get-ty)

conomy

Binance Platform Banned, Bitcoin Next

Has the Battle Against Cryptocurrency Just begun ? By Hala Nasrallah The cryptocurrency world has once again received a blow in the face. This time not from China but from Britain, which decided to ban Binance Group from oper-ating in the country. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has ruled that Binance, the world’s big-gest cryptocurrency exchange,

cannot conduct any “regulated activity” in the United Kingdom. According to media sources, Canada and Japan will soon take a similar approach against the platform. Britain, meanwhile, said no entity in the Group holds any form of authorization, registration or license to operate in the UK, adding that it is potentially being used in money laundering and other illegal activities. This is not the first time that the platform has been

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implicated in money launder-ing charges and in engaging individuals in an unsecured digital world. The United States had previously taken legal measures to investigate into the plat-form’s trading into future contracts. The US government also accused Binance of being involved in laundering criminals’ funds. So far, no evidence on the ground proves the Group’s involvement in any crimi-nal act. It is noteworthy that Chainalysis issued a report in 2019 saying that %27.5 of all illicit bitcoin—bitcoin that went from criminal entities to exchanges—was re-ceived by Binance.

BITCOIN HYSTERIA .. DRUMS OF WAR BEAT

In this photo illustration, Binance logo of a cryptocurrency exchange is seen on a smartphone screen with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) logo in the back-ground. (Getty)

After the hype resulting from the recent news on Binance, many Bitcoin users said the step taken aims to undermine the individual sovereignty fostered by the cryp-tocurrency world through government authorities. It could be described as a silent war or the stage of preparing for war. The drums of war against Bitcoin are beating from several aspects. It is impossible to exclude what Binance is currently facing from the fact that Bitcoin is gradually taking over the world as an alternative to paper cash and gold. In May, Britain’s advertising regulator banned an advertising campaign telling people “If you’re seeing Bitcoin on the Underground, it’s time to buy.” A few days earlier, China announced banning bitcoin mining. The government practices daily massive repression against holders of cryptocurrency. Despite Chi-na’s siege of the crypto space, it has been recently noticed that many Chinese have shifted to trading in Monero, a privacy coin that is untraceable. Also, Chinese miners who were forced to shut down their mining data centers on the Chinese territory shipped their over -10ton mining equipment outside China. Among the new destinations for these miners are Texas, which is classified as pro-Bitcoin, as well as Kazakhstan, which has relatively cheap electric power re-sources. In light of the crackdown on Binance, Bitcoin seems to be next. A report pub-lished by Zero Hedge website revealed a common concern by China and the US about Bitcoin. Anti-Bitcoin news has had a major role in dropping its price. However, China’s decision to ban its mining was considered a painful blow and reduced the ability of the Bitcoin network hashrate to process daily transactions, which negatively af-fected the currency’s value. The coronavirus pandemic also represented a blow to most world countries’ tradi-tional financial measures. China, the US and the European Union are concerned since every financial support incentive they approve to their people is

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Britain said no entity in the Group holds any form of authorization, regis-tration or license to operate in the UK, adding that it is potentially being used in money laundering and other illegal activities. invested in Bitcoin. Previous financial incentives led the price of the world’s most popular cryptocur-rency to tap fresh highs, climbing to 64,000$ in April. The Bitcoin community was of course ready for this battle. For this reason, the report affirmed that the international crackdown on Bitcoin by major world coun-tries was not surprising. Bitcoin presents a huge obstacle to China, and this fear is reflected in the discourse of the most prominent Chinese economists. In May, Qu Qiang, who has influence on China’s economic approach, predicted that “We’re all going to die” if bitcoin becomes widely adopted as a currency. His remarks is correct in terms of his fear of the influence of the currency that at-tracts the world’s smartest human capacities. When asked about the kind of a sys-temic shock it will give to the current financial system if bitcoin is widely used in China or the rest of the world, Qiang said it is “the worst scenario.” Bitcoin actually provides a secure ground and promotes individualism, which is completely incompatible with the Chinese regime, which ensures it intervenes in people’s affairs in all aspects of life. During a conference on Bitcoin, Kevin O’Leary said one trillion dollars will soon be invested in the cryptocurrency world and investors are eagerly awaiting the right moment to enter the market. The situation indicates that the drums of war are beating. The cryptocurrency is slowly turning into a geopolitical event. It is inevitable. Will Bitcoin result in wars? It is not clear yet. But it will certainly result in an ad-ditional oppressing force. Obstacles put to curb people’s ability to access banks or governments’ monitoring of bank accounts will increase. But what is worth noting here is that investment in Bitcoin grew from 40$ million to 200$ billion in 2021 from India alone. News from India says a lot about what to expect in the future. The battle has just begun.

echnology

Saudi Inventor Makes Hajj safer with Anti-Covid Protector

Nanotechnology Used to Protect Pilgrims Against Coronavirus By Menna A. Farouk For the second year in a row, clothing produced with the use of nanotechnology will be available for pilgrims during the hajj season to protect them against coronavirus and offer a safer pilgrimage experience. The clothing was introduced by Saudi inventor Hamad ElYami last year and will also be distributed this year. In an exclusive interview with Majalla, ElYami, 34, said that the ihram (pilgrimage clothing) was used to “protect the safety of the pilgrims, support precautionary measures against the coronavirus pandemic and back the advanced

national industry.» “The new ihram clothing is characterized by preventing the reproduction of bacteria, is made of %100 cotton fabric and can be washed more than 90 times. It has also obtained ISO international quality and is consistent with Saudi standards,” El Yami told Majalla. He added that it was found that when particles in the manufacture of ihram are nano-sized they have the ability to absorb moisture and prevent the reproduction of bacteria. El-Yami, who is a former employee at the Saudi Ministry of Heath, has produced face masks, bags and clothing using this technology to help protect pilgrims for the second year in a row. This technology was used earlier by the Hajj and Umrah Research Institute for Kaaba carpets in 2008, which encouraged El-Yami to apply it in the Ihram robe and other clothing. Saudi Arabia had announced that the hajj season this year will be limited to its citizens and residents inside the Kingdom, due to the continued spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of new mutations around the world. The Ministry of Hajj said that only about 60,000 people will be allowed to perform hajj this year and they will be between 18 and 65 years old, and all of them must have received the vaccination, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. Last year, Saudi Arabia allowed only 1,000 people to

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“The new ihram clothing is characterized by preventing the reproduction of bacteria, is made of %100 cotton fabric and can be washed more than 90 times. It has also obtained ISO international quality and is consistent with Saudi standards”

Saudi inventor Hamad el-Yami posing in a photo with his nanotechnology-based products in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 26, 2021. (Sup)plied

perform the hajj due to the pandemic. Usually, more than two million pilgrims perform the annual pilgrimage. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj said that the pilgrimage will be only for people who have been vaccinated according to the controls and mechanisms followed in the Kingdom for immunization categories. The electronic systems accurately record everyone who took the vaccine and there is no possibility of forged certificates. The Ministry added that «priority for registration for hajj this year will be for those who did not perform hajj during the past five years. It stressed that arrangements for this year›s hajj were based on the Kingdom›s constant concern for the safety and health of pilgrims.”

NANOTECHNOLOGY USEFUL FOR CORONAVIRUS El-Yami said that nanotechnology can be used in to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic according to scientific

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studies and research in several fields. For example, there is the possibility of using nanotechnology in making vaccines, diagnosing infection with the virus, producing nano-drugs as well as manufacturing antibacterial and antiviral surfaces. According to the Arab Scientific Community Organization, nanotechnology may offer valuable solutions to the COVID19- crisis as nanoparticles can be used to successfully eliminate populations of coronaviruses within the human body by utilizing their capabilities to trap, freeze and prevent these viruses from attacking host cells. Researchers have managed to develop a nanoparticle that keeps the air away from coronaviruses and these nanomaterials are degradable and non-toxic. A research team in Germany also succeeded in preparing a nanomaterial that fights the virus by encapsulating the COVID19- virus. This packaging prevents the virus from infecting host cells. One of the advantages of this material is that it attacks the virus only when it infects lung cells. Researchers are also developing nanosensors to improve the methods and accuracy of testing for infection with the coronavirus.

FUTURE PLANS El-Yami hopes that he can open a factory that can produce these products in larger numbers as well as create job opportunities for many Saudi citizens. The young inventor also aspires to have an office to support inventors and to be its president so that registration for inventions can be speeded up. “They can also be transformed into products that advance and boost the country›s economy and create new job opportunities,” he added.

ociety

Calls for Action to Criminalize Domestic Violence in Egypt

Marital Rape Under Spotlight Following Alleged Celebrity Case By Majalla Calls are emerging in Egypt to criminalize domestic violence, including marital rape, after several cases have recently been revealed. The latest controversy over domestic violence erupted after a fashion designer posted a recording on her Instagram account in which she spoke about a marital rape of which she says she was a victim. She hoped that raising this issue would lead to the enactment of a law criminalizing domestic violence. In

the video recording, the designer did not name her exhusband. But after her speech aroused much controversy, her exhusband responded in an Instagram story and denied the accusations and denounced the concept of marital rape. He addressed his followers and posted that he and his family “have never heard of anything like this before.” After her statements, the designer received great support from various celebrities, among others. Testimonies of women who have been victims of domestic violence spread on social media, especially on

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pages that are concerned with supporting victims of harassment, rape and violence in all its forms. In their testimonies, survivors talk about the long-term psychological effects of marital rape, in addition to the physical damage.

CRIMINALIZING THE PRACTICE

Man Hitting Woman In Darkroom. (Getty)

In a post on his social media accounts, controversial preacher Abdullah Rushdi described those denouncing marital rape as “affected by the West” and said that “refusing to have sexual intercourse with the husband without an excuse is forbidden.” “The wife is cursed and her husband has the right to discipline her by beating her badly after preaching and abandoning her,” Rushdi said. Moderate Muslim clerics say that those hardline preachers rely on hadiths which are “objectionable.” In televised statements, Ahmed Karima, Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, described those preachers who agree with this opinion as “intruders to jurisprudential sciences.” Karima said that “forcing the wife to have sexual intercourse is prohibited in Islamic sharia,” and that “sexual and intimate intercourse between the husband and the wife must take place with full consent and emotional compatibility.” Karima refused to use the term “marital rape” and preferred to use “coercion of the wife into sexual intercourse.” Marital rape was described as violence and brutality in a statement by Al-Azhar on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 2018. The statement continued: “After this, is it reasonable for us to stand silent in front of any form of violence against women? Whether this violence is physical, sexual or psychological, in its various forms, such as beating, psychological abuse, marital rape, or killing women.” “What rational mind accepts justifying violence in any form? What is the difference, then, between us and beasts that do not know a language and are not distinguished by reason, just as God distinguished man over his creatures with reason?” For her part, the head of the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights, Nehad Abu el-Qomsan, said in a video on her Facebook page that “anyone who rapes a woman under any justification is a criminal and sadist.” Some commentators who are calling for the enactment of a law explicitly criminalizing marital rape wonder how to prove the truthfulness of the accusation of mari-

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Testimonies of women who have been victims of domestic violence spread on social media, especially on pages that are concerned with supporting victims of harassment, rape and violence in all its forms. tal rape. Many, including Abu el-Qomsan, responded to this question that forensic medicine would prove it. “Forensic medicine in Egypt and the world relies on wellknown methods to prove that a person has been raped,” she said.

TERMS NOT RECOGNIZED

Many women rights activists calling for the criminalization of marital rape say many people have never heard of the term. They add that some of those people consider it “illogical” from their point of view, according to the prevailing ruling in Arab culture that sexual intercourse is one of the duties of a woman towards her husband that does not require thought or approval. Meanwhile, Egyptian law does not explicitly mention marital rape in its chapters dealing with domestic violence, rape, or violence. Article 267 of the Egyptian Penal Code states: “Whoever has intercourse with a female without her consent shall be punished with death or life imprisonment.” “The perpetrator shall be punished with death if the victim has not attained the age of 18 years, or if the perpetrator is one of the victim’s family members, or one of those responsible for her upbringing or observation, or those who have authority over her, or if he was a paid servant with her or with those mentioned above.” Egypt is not alone in omitting the specification of marital rape in its laws. The United Nations says in a report issued in April this year that 43 countries do not have any legislation dealing with the issue of marital rape. The United Nations reported in 2019 that more than half of the countries in the world do not have laws explicitly criminalizing marital rape as based on the principle of consent.

A Weekly Political News Magazine

Issue 1859- July- 02/07/2021

Nadine Labaki: Beacon For Change www.majalla.com

Negative Stereotyping of Muslims in Western Media Misconceptions Fuel Bias Majalla - Washington Last week’s report from the prestigious Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (ASCJ), at the University of Southern California (USC), about the “missing Muslim characters on screen (particularly American films)”, added to the newly-started campaign by Pakistani-British actor and rapper Riz Ahmed, who complained about the same problem, and recently tweeted: “I’m fed up of seeing Muslim characters on screen either negative or nonexistent”.

The USC’s report, titled “Missing & Maligned: The Reality of Muslims in Popular Global Movies,” declared that its purpose was to “explore the prevalence and portrayal of Muslim characters in popular films”. The report contained both quantitative and qualitative analyses of about 200 top-grossing films that were released between 2017 and 2019 in the US (100 films), Britain (63 films), Australia (32 films) and New Zealand (five films). Researching demographic and social factors, the report divided the roles of and by Muslim characters according to gender,

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Riz Ahmed attends the 93rd Annual Academy Awards at Union Station on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty)

race/ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, identification and disability. For each role, the report examined the following two aspects: First, whether it was verbal (direct statements), or non-verbal (apparel, setting and artifacts). Second, whether it reflected specific stereotypes of Muslims. The near-absence of speaking Muslim characters (as opposed to characters who didn’t intelligently speak throughout each film) was the report’s first observation: six percent were speaking Muslims in Australian films; one percent in each of American and British films and none in the New Zealand films. Of the approximately 200 films, only 19 had at least one speaking Muslim character; in other words, 181 films had no speaking Muslim character, and out of the 100 American films, there were only nine. As for gender, of the 144 speaking Muslim characters, 76 percent were male and 24 percent were female, but 185 films did not have any speaking Muslim women or girls. As for race/ethnicity, out of the 144 Muslim characters, 67 percent were Middle Eastern or North African, 21 percent Asian, six percent Black American, and four percent were White. Beside the above-mentioned quantitative analyses, the report contained qualitative analyses about the implications of being a Muslim, “foreigner” or “other”. Seventeen films were completely about Muslims from the fantastical past, without any modern conveniences, like “Aladdin,” the American film, and sixteen films were about modern Muslims, like “Ali’s Wedding,” an Australian film. Most of the rest were about topics that included Muslims and non-Muslims, past and present, in different parts of the world, and in different settings. In almost all of the films, there were clear indications of Muslims’ non-English languages; non-Western citizenships; and non-Western clothes: First, about 76 percent of the Muslim characters wore clothes related to Islam. Second, about 50 percent spoke with a non-Western English accent. Third, about 40 percent didn’t speak English at all. Fourth, about 70 percent were shown as immigrants or refugees. Fifth, accordingly, about 90 percent were shown as “outsiders”. Only four percent were shown as Westerners. Most of these observations were found in American films, and, the report continued, “only one percent of the characters portrayed in the 100 top-grossing U.S. films were Muslim” Consequently, “stereotypical portrayals as foreigners and threatening outsiders may have contributed to the rise of hate crimes against Muslims worldwide”. The report observed that “the number of potential anti-Islam attacks in 2019 exceeded 500 in the U.S. That same year,

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Pakistani-British actor Riz Ahmed announced his support of the report, and called upon world-wide efforts to, first, stop the continuous negative stereotype of Muslims in Western films, and, second, to initiate affirmative actions to push qualified Muslim actors and actresses to the front of film-acting.

A Diagram showing the percentage of Muslim characters across 200 popular films 2017-2019. (From ASCJ’s Report)

nearly half of all hate crimes in England and Wales were targeted against Muslims. In 2019, 51 individuals were killed and more were injured in a shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand”. The report concluded by saying that “violence against Muslims – online and offline – demonstrates dangerous biases … While the causes of such violence are complex, one arena that may exacerbate biased views of the Muslim community, is the mass media.” Pakistani-British actor Riz Ahmed announced his support of the report, and called upon world-wide efforts to, first, stop the continuous negative stereotype of Muslims in Western films, and, second, to initiate affirmative actions to push qualified Muslim actors and actresses to the front of film-acting. Ahmed recently tweeted that “the negative representation of Muslims on screen feeds the policies that get enacted; the people that get killed; and the countries that get invaded. The data doesn’t lie. This study shows us the scale of the problem in popular film, and its cost is measured in lost potential and lost lives”.

Dancing to India’s Ancient Beat

Khalil Al-Ashar: The Only Arab to Explore Indian Dance Form of Kathak By Meera Ravi If there is one thing that dancer Khalil Al Ashar finds particularly challenging, its being ‘exoticised’. But as the world’s only professional Arab performer of the ancient classical Indian dance form called Kathak, it seems inevitable that the confluence of cultures that he represents sometimes takes precedence over his expertise, understanding and passion for Kathak. =“I guess I represent many things for many people,” he smiles, “For Indians, my obvious involvement with Kathak is a matter of pride in the universality of their culture; for Bahrainis, its puzzling that when I have a choice of so many modern, Western dance forms and even Bollywood style from India, I chose to specialize in a dance form that traces its roots to 400 BCE. In fact, most non-Indians are unaware of dance forms outside the popular Bollywood space, sadly. Often, I will get a few non-Indian students who join my Kathak classes and after a couple of sessions, they will ask me, “When

will you teach us to dance like Madhuri Dixit (an Indian film star)?” When they hear that I do not teach these filmi-style dances, I usually don’t see them again.” =Khalil himself discovered Kathak’s beauty in a very globalized way. As a boy growing up in Bahrain, he was familiar with Bollywood dancing, which was popular at family gatherings and weddings. When he landed in California for his university education, he saw a poster for a Kathak performance by Prachi Dixit. Homesick for Bahrain and expecting a Bollywood dance performance, he attended the performance. Although unfamiliar with the grammar and language of the dance, he was captivated and approached Ms. Dixit, a renowned dancer, performer and choreographer in Los Angeles, to teach him. “It took a lot of persuasion because she is a serious Kathak exponent and clearly felt I may not stay the course. However, it is my good luck that she took me on as a student and gave me the foundation to build upon – in my late teens,

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Bahraini dancer Khalil Al Ashar - the only Arab to explore the millenniaancient Indian dance form of Kathak. (Supplied)

I came late to Kathak, since most students in the Indian community begin at seven or eight and it was a completely new cultural experience for me.” Kathak is known for its intricate footwork, pirouettes and grew originally from the routines of ancient travelling bards or storytellers (Kathaakar). It was refined in the Mughal courts, where it took on a more formal structure. The

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stories performed draw from Hindu mythology and religious texts as well as Urdu ghazals of Muslim culture through stylized gestures and facial expressions. Although recognized today as one of the eight major classical dances of India, Kathak was nearly wiped out by the British who saw it as a lascivious dance. It was only after Indian independence that Kathak found revival as part of the rediscovery of Indian arts.

=“Even today, Kathak is not appreciated in its classical format as much as it is recognized as the dance of the movie heroines. In Bahrain, as a male Kathak dancer, I actually face equal degrees of admiration and ostracism,” Khalil says, “You see, in Arab culture, the moving of the body as a dance for pleasure is frowned upon for women as well as men. We have no heritage

Kathak is known for its intricate footwork, pirouettes and grew originally from the routines of ancient travelling bards or storytellers (Kathaakar).

of classical dances, only folk dances for specific occasions such the Ardha dance in which men wield swords and greet leaders or the dances of pearl-divers or wedding dances. So, when I came back to Bahrain and said I wanted to dedicate my life to mastering an Indian classical dance, I met with lot of resistance and lack of understanding. For instance, even today, my father has not seen me dance even once. Only my mother and sisters have seen me on stage. So I focus on performances abroad and on teaching.” =Paradoxically, the large Indian community in Bahrain have embraced Khalil’s Kathak with pride and he is seen as an uncrowned cultural ambassador for Indo-Bahraini relations. When the Embassy was formally inaugurated by the Bahraini and Indian foreign ministers four years ago, Khalil was invited to give a solo performance. He has performed before capacity crowds of an all-Indian audience and says many people are surprised that he understands the nuances of the dance so well. =“Yes, I guess I start off being a novelty for

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Khalil Al Ashar. (Supplied)

many but then they are won over by the dance,” he says wryly, “For that I must thank my teachers Prachi Dixit and the duo, Maulik Shah and Ishira Parikh, who have given me such a pitchperfect understanding of the art form.” =Bahrain being such a small performance space of something this specialized, Khalil draws sustenance from teaching Kathak – mainly to Indian children – and has nearly 60 to 70 students in his Tatkaar School of Kathak. =“Dance is a spatial art form and although we have technology to replicate the dance space online during the pandemic, it is not the same. We dancers need the energy that we get from the shared experience between performer, musicians and audience, the stage space.. all that is missing and it has indeed been a dark time for the performing arts. The pandemic has forced us to dig deep into ourselves to sustain our creativity but it is challenging. The fact is, Kathak is a foreign dance form and despite being part of the Asian cultural mindscape, not as easily accepted, especially if the performer is a male

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It seems inevitable that the confluence of cultures that Khalil Al Ashar represents sometimes takes precedence over his expertise, understanding and passion for Kathak. dancer. “ =For now, Khalil is busy completing his Masters in Kathak from the prestigious Bharatiya Vidyapeeth University in Pune, India. “I dream of learning enough to intertwine the Bahraini and Arabic music and poetry with Kathak choreography so that, like Urdu ghazals and Kathak, a new and Arabic window opens up in the dance,” he said.

ulture

It’s Summer Time

Egyptians Have a whole Set of Traditions to Enjoy the Season By Amira Noshokaty Summer in Egypt has its own rituals: carpets are rolled out and the balconies are opened wide. Though the day seems long, it is not long when compared to the night life. “In the old days, there used to be shutters (shiesh) and glass windows, so people would open the windows and partially open the shutters to allow the air in but keep the sunlight away,” remembered Nahla Emam, Head of the Customs and Traditions Department at the Higher Institute for Folk Arts. There is also the afternoon gathering time, which is still practiced outdoors in front of cafes and shops to evoke a

nice summer spirit, she added. “Summer traditions also include fruits, out of which watermelon really stands out. The watermelon has a lot of uses to traditional Egyptian families. It is their favorite fruit, and, as for the seeds, they are roasted on the stove while people eat the pulp, which is another favorite summer snack. They would eat prickly pear, lupine, and grilled corn as they take a walk along the Nile, or gather in a public garden at night when the weather is cooler,” added Emam. Handmade kites are also an evocative sign of summer in the skies of Egypt. It is a traditional summer game to make and fly your own kite, especially among the popu-

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)Getty( .2019 ,01 An Egyptian buoy vendor walks on a popular beach during summer vacations in the city of Alexandria, on August

Egyptian youths fly kites in the Saft el-Laban district of the Egyptian capital Cairo’s twin city of Giza on June ,15 2020. (Getty)

lous districts. “However, visiting the seaside is a must among all classes, including the lower classes, as nobody works on Fridays. Friday is considered a sacred weekend when people would gather their families and go on the one-day trips to the seaside closest to their village,” noted Emam. As for the housing systems and buildings, Egyptians have always been mindful about ventilation through those long summer days. According to Egyptologist Fatma Keshk, “The design and details of the houses of the ancient Egyptians highly resembles the Nubian house that still exists in authentic Nubian villages. Among the most important features in the building of the house is a design that keeps the temperature cooler during summer and maintains a balanced ventilation throughout the year. The patio (sahn) is the center of the house and is an open air place where the residents of the house can do many activities while the mother makes the food. In the sahn, they can entertain guests, and also sleep there during the summer time. It is typical that there is a balcony on the northern side of the house. They used to make all of the doors and windows on the northern part of the house because this is where the cool air breeze comes from (bahary), added Keshk. “There is also the malaf, (meaning “it captures the cool air”) by making an opening in the ceiling of the house which would allow the cool air currents to enter and cool the air in the house. This concept developed throughout the ages and is still found in historic Islamic houses in Egypt. This malaf is also designed to be closed in winter,” she concluded.

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In the old days, there used to be shutters (shiesh) and glass windows, so people would open the windows and partially open the shutters to allow the air in but keep the sunlight away.

Traditional hall and windows of Beit al-Sehemi (“House of Sehemi”), an old .Ottoman era house museum in Cairo, Egypt

Nadine Labaki: Beacon For Change Majalla Illustration by Ali Mandalawi Nadine Labaki , first Arab female filmmaker to ever be nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign language film category is still continuing her quest to reinvent the film industry and transform the way mainstream media perceives Middle Eastern cinema. The Lebanese actor, screenwriter and director has become a beacon for change. For more than a decade, Labaki has used her awardwinning creative work to shed light on universal societal is-sues, such as child poverty and women’s empowerment, in the hopes it will spur action across the world because, to her, “art is the only medium for change.” She completed her Audiovisual Studies at Saint-Joseph University in Beirut. Labaki grew up dur-ing the years of civil war. Her feature debut Caramel (2017) premiered in Cannes and received many awards. In 2018, Labaki became the first female Arab filmmaker to win a major prize in competition when her latest feature Capharnaüm/Capernaum (2018) received the Jury Prize in Cannes. She was born February 18, 1974 in Baabdet to Antoine, a telecommunications engineer, and Antoinette Labaki, a homemaker. Her affinity towards film began at a young age when she and her sister spent many nights watching “literally hundreds of films” together. She always knew that she would end up in the industry. The Lebanese director and screenwriter is known for tearing down stereotypes and

touching on fundamental issues that have become taboo in a way that has made her one of the most admired filmmakers of her generation in the Arab world. Religion, war, women’s role in society, and the different challenges that the Lebanese person undergoes in daily life are topics Nadine orchestrates with color and music and in humorous and poetic ways in her movies including the global successes “Caramel” and “Where Do We Go Now?” (Halla La Wen). She is known for achieving authenticity by casting non-professional ac-tors based on their actual human characteristics. “I like to give the impression that whatever is hap-pening is true,” she says. After the explosion in Beirut on the 4th of August, 2020, Labaki took to the streets to help out those who had been left homeless and hopeless by the blast -- “the biggest non-nuclear explosion, and the third in magnitude after Nagasaki,” she explains. She also calls what happened “a crime against humanity” which the Western media covered as just another bomb blast in the Middle East. Her Instagram account displays the hashtag #keeptalkingaboutBeirut and along with her husband, composer Khaled Mouzanar they have contributed in making sure Beirut remains in the minds and hearts of people around the world.

UPCOMING PROJECTS Netflix is planning an English-language take on the French feature Les Invisibles which Cannes regular Nadine Labaki is set

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to direct. The Invisibles will take place at a day shelter where, according to the project’s synopsis, “homeless people congregate for food, warmth, and connection. When local officers decide to close the shelter, social workers have three months to reintegrate the women they care for — at any cost.” Also, Beirut-based Empire International and Cairo-based Film Clinic have unveiled a high-profile cast for their upcoming Arabiclanguage remake of Italian comedy Perfect Strangers and announced early 2021 shooting dates. The all-star cast will combine Lebanese talents Nadine Labaki, George Khabbaz, and Adel Karam with Egyptian star Mona Zaki and Jordan’s Eyad Nassar, who is also a star of mainstream Egyptian cinema. Produced by Medusa Film, Leone Film Group and Lotus Productions, Paolo Genovese’s com-edy-drama Perfect Strangers grossed more than $20m at the Italian box office and $31m interna-tionally in 2016. It revolves around longtime friends who decide to play a game over dinner by put-ting all their mobile phones on the table, to reveal every text message or phone call they receive that evening. Gabriel Yammine and Wissam Smayra have adapted the original screenplay for the Arabic-language version. Smayra, who was an executive producer on Labaki’s Capernaum, will also make his feature directing debut on the production.

ealth

)TNS(

Listen to Your Heart How to Monitor Your Pulse ? By Matthew Solan Knowing your heart rate at any time is easier than ever. What are the best ways to use this instant information? There are many ways to track your heart rate nowadays, from fitness watches such as Garmin and Apple to activity trackers. These devices use photoplethysmography sensors to measure your pulse. A light on the watch or tracker’s underside shines onto the skin of your wrist and refracts off the blood flowing beneath. A sensor then translates that information into a pulse reading. It’s simple, fast, and reasonably accurate. But is this information valuable?

“Measuring your heart rate is an easy way to gauge your health in real time, as it provides a snapshot of your heart function,” says Dr. James Sawalla Guseh, director of the Cardiovascular Performance Fellowship Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. “Whether you are healthy and active or have a heart condition, these numbers can guide your workouts and at times highlight irregularities that you should have checked out.”

POINTING A FINGER AT YOUR HEART RATE

Don’t have a heart rate monitor? Use your fingers. Lightly press the index and middle fingers of one hand on the

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opposite wrist, just below the base of the thumb. Or lightly press the side of the neck, just below your jawbone. To calculate your heart rate, count the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply by four. Repeat three times and average the number for a more accurate reading. Keep in mind that some situations can cause your resting heart rate to temporarily rise or fall. The best time to check it is right after you wake up before getting out of bed.

Knowing your heart rate at any given time, especially during workouts or any type of aerobic activity, is essential for people who need to be careful about overexertion and high exercise intensity maximum heart rate per minute is 220 minus your age. “For most people, increases in exercise intensity should be gradual,” says Dr. Guseh. “As you exercise, you can use your heart rate monitor to see if your effort is adequate to stay within your desired target range, or if you need to increase the intensity or slow it down.” (Some monitors let you program desired levels and sound an alarm if your heart rate suddenly goes too high or too low.) You can also use this information to track your progress. “If your average heart rate begins to go down, that’s a sign of improved cardiovascular fitness,” says Dr. Guseh.

)Getty(

FEEL THE BEAT

Traditionally, a normal resting heart rate -- the number of heart beats per minute while at rest -- ranges from 60 to 100 beats. But many healthy people have a resting heart rate in the 50s. Knowing your heart rate at any given time, especially during workouts or any type of aerobic activity, is essential for people who need to be careful about overexertion and high exercise intensity, such as those diagnosed with coronary artery disease or other forms of heart disease. “If you fall into this category, consider asking your doctor for a so-called ‘exercise prescription’ that specifies a good heart rate goal during exercise and an upper limit you should not exceed,” says Dr. Guseh. For healthy older adults, monitoring heart rate can help maximize workout efforts. National guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Moderate intensity is %50 to %70 of your maximum heart rate, according to the American Heart Association, but the range can vary among individuals. In general, the greater your fitness level, the higher your moderate-intensity percentage range. The most commonly used formula to calculate your

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FAST AND SLOW

Another way to use heart rate monitoring is to look for values that are too high or too low, particularly at rest. Consistently unusual resting heart rates above 100 beats per minute or below 50 beats per minute, particularly if you feel unwell, require a conversation with your doctor. A fast rate could be triggered by exertion, dehydration, stimulants, anxiety, or medication. It may also be a sign of infection, an overactive thyroid gland, or anemia. In addition, a fast heart rate may result from atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm abnormality that can emerge with age and is a frequent cause of stroke. A slow heart rate is an expected side effect of certain heart and blood pressure medications, such as beta blockers and certain calcium-channel blockers. Less commonly, an underlying heart condition, an underactive thyroid, or Lyme disease can be the reason. You also might experience nonspecific symptoms like lightheadedness, sudden fatigue, or brain fog. “If you notice a slow heart rate along with new symptoms, it’s worth discussing this with your doctor,” says Dr. Guseh. By Harvard Men’s Health Watch

ook Reviews

Are Whites More Intelligent Than Blacks and Browns? Charles Murray›s Two Unrealistic Truths By Mohammad Ali Salih – Washington In 1994 Charles Murray, a political scientist at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in Washington published a controversial book, “The Bell Curve,” which basically said that Whites were more intelligent than Blacks and Browns. This June, almost thirty years later, he published another book that not only repeated his theory, but confirmed it. The confirmation appeared, first, from the title of the new book which is “Facing Reality.” Although the subtitle, “Two Truths About Race in America,” seems to be contradicting the title, it is actually “Two Truths” about Blacks particularly, viz., that they are less intelligent than Whites and that they commit more crimes than them. In the new book, as in the old one, Murray argues the following: First, he is not a racist. He wrote: “Our sin was to openly discuss the issue, not to advocate a position. But for the last 40 years, that’s been sin enough … In all the critiques of The Bell Curve in particular, and my work more generally, no one ever accompanies their charges with direct quotes of what I’ve actually said.” Second, he uses statistics that are available to everyone, and most of them came from no source other than the US government’s own records. All he wants, he says, is to convince the reader that he is only interpreting the statistics as objectively as possible. Third, he has nothing against the African Americans

(the Blacks) and the Latino Americans (the Browns). But the US government’s numbers, not him, show that American Caucasians (the Whites) and American Asians (the Yellows) have “superior cognitive abilities.” These are the main chapters of the new books: The American Creed Imperiled; Multiracial America; Race

Book cover

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USA, Kansas, Topeka, White and Colored segregation signs. (Getty)

Differences and Cognitive Ability; Race Differences and Violent Crimes; Effects of Race in Cognitive Ability; Effects of Race in Violent Crimes; and, If We Don’t Face Reality. The last chapter about “Reality” confirms Murray’s ongoing argument that the real problem in the US is not about race, but about culture, and particularly about “realism” and “emotionalism.” Whereas the Westerners (Whites) introduced reason since the time of Plato with further development during the Enlightenment, the Easterners (Middle Easterners, South Asians, Africans and Latinos), on the other hand, have tended to be more emotional with the “emotion” of feelings, behavior, mood, temperament and personality, Murray argues. But Murray, in both the first and the new book, probably intentionally ignores the other “Reality” that as Western culture spread among the Easterners, some of them also started becoming less emotional and more rational. Accordingly, it is Western education that has proved to be the magic instrument and in his new book, Murray confirms that position. He wrote about two “Realities:” First, “Race differences between [Blacks] and [Whites] in cognitive test scores narrowed significantly during the 1970s and 1980s;” and, Second, Black Americans in the military have better combined measures of job performance than White Americans. In both cases, particularly in the military which was integrated about two decades before the Civil Rights acts of the 1960’s, Black “intelligence” improved vastly, mainly because of more education and opportunities. But Murray doesn’t seem to be interested in “small

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But Murray doesn’t seem to be interested in “small changes,” and while praising a few individual Blacks and demurring about bi-racial intelligence. changes,” and while praising a few individual Blacks and demurring about bi-racial intelligence, he repeats his two opinions: first, which he deals with groups, not individuals, and, second, that he relies on government statistics. While he might be right that a basic problem during the current racial debate is the disagreement on the definition of “racism,” and that extremists among the Blacks and among the Whites have accelerated the racial divide, he emphasized that “Facing Reality,” the title of the book, is not racism, but cognition (the thinking to acquire knowledge). He added: “to solve a problem, we must accept it,” i.e., Blacks, and other non-Whites, are in denial that their differences with Whites in subjects like education, wealth, power and culture are civilizational, in the sense that a Black, a Latino, a Middle Easterner and a South Asian, should recognize the power of the Western, White and Christian civilization. But the real problem is not the denial of non-Whites as much as it is the arrogance of Whites, who like Murray, could have become a little magnanimous.

pinion

Religious Discourse: Beginning - Maturity - Aspiration

By Gamal Abdul Mabud

Initially, the universe originated by a single word “BE,” when God’s Will was materialized, and eve-rything else is mere detail. The discourse is the means to convey the message between the com-mander and the receiver, so there is no alteration of God’s orders. Discourse methods are varied to include the worldly aspect which is not related to religion and monotheistic faiths. Rather, several literary genres have appeared to express human thought. However, the divine language is not sub-ject to such criteria, and when humans intervened in the discourse, monotheistic faiths were dis-torted and polytheism spread with the aim of getting nearer to God. Our concern here is the Islam-ic religious discourse, including the divine discourse and the human understanding. As for the divine discourse, it is the Noble Qur’an, to which approach is not permissible because it is the divine revelation with which the faithful spirit was sent to our master Muhammad (PBUH). Whoever attempts to philosophize in this context would be subject to accusations of disbelief, deem them fair or not. The story of Dr. Hamid Abu Zaid is a typical example. The man was deemed a disbeliever and was exiled because he philosophized and used linguistic research methods in what is not mundane. At best, he erred and at worst his mind started to doubt what there is no doubt about. In either case, he did not reach a safe destination for logic or reason insofar as he completely forgot that the emotional truths and the beliefs of the heart are above scientific pe-danticism. This was not the way to obtain an academic degree, even if he undoubtedly deserved it due to his abundant knowledge. But beyond divine revelation, the Qur’an contains divine mysteries and codes that will overwhelm human understanding until God takes back the Earth and those on it. This is the miracle of the Qur’an, which makes it fit for every time and place. We can find the Qur’an to be a book of faith, sociology, philosophy, education, and life. As science progresses, we will understand more. Thus, in our conscience we know that the Book of God is not man-made. No one, no matter their scientific title, can claim they know its secrets. Let us leave the book of Allah and talk only about the concerns people have about religious dis-course, which is our own understanding of the words of Allah or the words of the Noble Prophet (PBUH) and most importantly how religious scholars explain this message to people of different re-ligious and educational backgrounds. There are illiterate, half-educated, and highly-educated peo-ple. Therefore, the understanding of human religious discourse is not the same. Everything that is essential in religion is easy for everyone to comprehend. We all know what the qibla is (the qibla

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is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca), the number of prayers, the number of rak’ahs, the halal (permissible) and haram (the absolute forbidden). Thankfully, the confusing aspects are few and most people choose safely so they avoid what is likely to be prohibited. There is no doubt that religious scholars have the most difficult and significant task of keeping the religious discourse up with the modern times. The human jurisprudence set by leaders of madh-habs (Islamic schools of thought) and circulated by the scientific public over centuries has become inadequate. It is important to give credit to all madhhab leaders for their great efforts in instilling religion and sharia provisions in Muslims via their explanations and deep understanding of the purposes of sha-ria in preserving life, money, honor, and mind until the Islamic caliphate moved to Turkey. At the time, in the era of Suleiman the Magnificent, he prohibited ijtihad (independent reasoning). As Turkish hegemony reached its peak over the Muslim world, he was motivated by good faith but feared disagreements and rifts, so he closed the door of ijtihad and recognized only the application of the Hanafi madhhab in all government legislation. Consequently, the mental aspect of life was left behind for the simple reason that jurisprudential rulings were limited, even though life’s inci-dents were not limited. Abu Hanifa al-Numan did not know about computers, organ transplants, genetic codes, etc. Thus, the nation’s scholars have a duty to pursue ijtihad, in compliance with Allah’s command that a group of Muslims, but not all of them, should learn well the religion, and teach it to their people. But scholars were lazy, so ignorant people surfaced, and morals got lost. Now it is no longer feasible to project our past and use parts of our dignified Islamic history, because we are very far away from our past both in form and substance. In terms of form, Muslims are not powerful, and enemies are surrounding us as flies surround a bowl of honey. In terms of substance, the nation has weakened and its scholars have failed it. We lost the direction, and no longer knew how to overcome this. We left it to the doctrinal laziness and the misguided recall of conspiracy theory, which is a disillusioned ploy that is not working an-ymore. We forgot the most important thing which is that a “word” initiated everything. To be continued .. Jamal Abdul Mabud is an Egyptian writer and researcher in the history of religions and philosophy of doctrines.