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France’s Equality Minister Welcomes Sharing Experiences with Saudi Arabia

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A Bosnian Genocide Survivor Issues a Wake-up Call

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Mahmoud Abbas : Loss of Legitimacy and Prestige

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The Egyptian Navy: From Surviving to Thriving

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Editorial

A Weekly Political News Magazine

www.majalla.com/eng Earlier this month Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi inaugurated the Third of July naval base located on the Port of Gargoub, in Egypt’s northeastern coast in the Mediterranean. The base which is the largest in Egypt is the most recent milestone in the country’s drive to upgrade its naval capabilities. It will “play a crucial role in Egypt’s political and military cooperation with Libya”, particularly after the political process failed to drive mercenaries and foreign troops of Turkey and Russia out of Libya. In this week’s cover story, Dalia Ziada explores the journey of the Egyptian Navy over the last decade which included updating its equipment and technologies as well as providing world-class training for its devout personnel. Becoming the world›s seventh strongest fleet, Egypt’s navy is set to serve the political and economic interests of the Middle East in “two of the most critical maritime basins” of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. In an exclusive interview with Majalla, French Minister of Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, Élisabeth Moreno speaks to Khaled Saad Zaghloul about her background, achievements, challenges she met with, and issues she is tackling in her ministerial position. She also talks about her country’s achievements in the field of defending women’s rights and combating domestic violence. In addition, she reveals her belief in women’s diplomacy and interest in global interdependence in the field of fighting for women’s rights. 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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Mexicans do yoga in the border with United States People practice yoga in the Samalayuca dunes in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, 03 July 2021. Dozens of people gathered in the sand dunes of Samalyuca, near Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez, on the border with the United States, to sow ‘hope’ after the covid-19 pandemic, which has placed Mexico as the fourth country with the most deaths in the world )EPA Photos(

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The 74th Cannes Film Festival Bella Hadid arrives for the screening of ‘Annette’ and the Opening Ceremony of the 74th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 06 July 2021. Presented in competition, the movie opens the festival which runs from 06 to 17 July )EPA Photos(

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The Egyptian Navy: From Surviving to Thriving

World’s Seventh Strongest Fleet Serves Regional Geopolitical Interests

By Dalia Ziada Seven years ago, the Egyptian Navy was struggling to barely survive on old and rusty equipment and devout, but modestly educated, personnel.

Today, the Egyptian Naval Forces are among the top ten strongest navy fleets in the world and the Egyptian navy personnel are constantly involved in joint military exercises, all over the globe. The Egyptian administration of President Abdel Fat-

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tah El-Sisi exerted a huge effort, in a record time of only five years, to bring the Egyptian Armed Forces, in general, and the Egypt Navy, in particular, to the current impressive level of superlative personnel and topnotch equipment. The Egyptian Navy’s renovation process ran through three parallel channels: (1) updating equipment and transferring international technology to local navy-affiliated factories; (2) upgrading personnel skills by subjecting them to continued local and international training and education; and (3) building giant naval bases on critical geopolitical spots at the shores of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

THE NEW MASTERS OF THE TWO SEAS

A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency on July 3, 2021 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C), accompanied by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (C-R), riding in a vehicle next to a warship during the inauguration of the new «July 3» naval base in Gargoub, about 80 kilometres west of Egypt›s northwestern Mediterranean coastal city of Masra Matruh. (Courtesy of the Egyptian Presidency/AFP)

According to Global Firepower index for the year 2021, the Egyptian Navy is ranked the seventh strongest navy fleet in the world. That makes Egypt the strongest maritime power in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea basins. Turkey and Greece, Egypt’s immediate neighbors in the eastern Mediterranean, respectively fall at the 20th and the 23rd positions on the same index. The historically powerful Italian and French navies are respectively ranked at the 11th and 17th positions. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Red Sea neighbors on both the Asian and African shores got a very deteriorated ranking; in the hundreds. The journey to refurbish the Egyptian Naval Forces started in January 2017 by the historical decision to split the navy into two fleets: north and south. The north fleet operations cover the Mediterranean region with the purpose to secure Egypt’s northern and western strategic fronts. The south fleet is focused at the Suez Canal and the Red Sea region, and is responsible for securing the eastern and southern fronts. The split of the fleets dramatically improved the performance and flexibility of the several commands of the naval forces and inspired a whole new perspective for armament strategy based on the nature of operations assigned to each fleet, which is defined by

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Upgrading Egypt’s naval fleet is not only serving Egypt’s geopolitical and security goals, but also works in the best political and economic interests of the Middle East and Egypt’s allies in Africa and southern Europe. the geopolitical context of the operation zone. On one hand, the north fleet is designed to cope with the growing geopolitical conflicts in the eastern Mediterranean region over maritime zones and hydro-energy resources. Its primary mission is to protect Egypt’s economic interests, especially the newly built gas fields and the crosscontinental electricity network connecting Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, and Greece via the Mediterranean. In addition, the north fleet is trained and equipped to control the flow of illegal immigration from North Africa to Europe. On the other hand, the south fleet is mostly concerned with deterring the infinite security threats coming from the political mess in Yemen and the Horn of Africa region, where terrorist organizations and Iran-sponsored militia are constantly harassing ships and blocking vital maritime passages. In that sense, the Egyptian Navy’s south fleet is playing a crucial role in securing a smooth flow of international trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

GIANT NAVAL BASES FOR GIANT GEOPOLITICAL MISSIONS On the first week of July, the Egyptian President El-Sisi launched the long-anticipated “Third of July” naval base, on the Port of Gargoub, at Egypt’s northeastern coast in the Mediterranean. The new giant naval base (2650 acres)

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is named the “Third of July” to remember the day of people and military uniting to remove the Muslim Brotherhood regime from power, in 2013. Senior delegations from neighbor Arab countries attended the opening ceremony, including H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed AlNahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces; and the President of the interim Presidential Council of Libya, Mohamed Al-Menfi.

The “Third of July” naval base is believed to play a crucial role in enhancing Egypt’s political and military cooperation with Libya and thus ending Turkish and Russian military intervention there.

The new “Third of July” naval base, in Gargoub, is the third naval base, and the fourth military base, that had been built during the last five years. Other military bases are: the Ras Banas naval base in the south of the Red Sea, the central Port Said naval base at the northeast of the Suez Canal, and the famous Mohamed Naguib military base in the Mediterranean city of Marsa Matrouh. Mohamed Naguib base, which started operation in July 2017, is the biggest military base of its kind in Africa and the Middle East. Its primary mission is to secure El-Dabaa Nuclear Proliferation Plant. It is designed to accommodate special operations by air, navy, and ground troops. In September 2018, Mohamed Naguib base hosted the United States Central Command’s milestone military exercises; “The Bright Star,” with the participation of air, ground, and navy troops from Egypt, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, in addition to 16 observer countries. The “Third of July” naval base, which is located only 70 kilometers away from the landmark Mohamed Naguib military base is believed to play a crucial role in enhancing Egypt’s political and

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A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency on July 3, 2021 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C), accompanied by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (CR), riding in a vehicle next to a warship during the inauguration of the new «July 3» naval base in Gargoub, about 80 kilometres west of Egypt›s northwestern Mediterranean coastal city of Masra Matruh. (Courtesy of the Egyptian Presidency/AFP)

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (C), his Egyptian counterpart Sedki Sobhi (R) and French Marine staff chief Bernard Rogel review the troops on June 23, 2015 in Lorient, western France, during the delivery ceremony of the Egyptian FREMM multipurpose frigate «Tahia Misr» (Long life to Egypt) (at background). (Getty)

military cooperation with Libya and thus ending Turkish and Russian military intervention there. The “Third of July” base is located on the Mediterranean shores between the cities of Marsa Matrouh and Sidi Barrani; on a land distance of 121 kilometers (about one and a half hour by car) away from Libya. The participation of the Libyan interim President, Al-Menfi, in the opening ceremony of the new base, in Gargoub, supports this hypothesis. Libya represents the western strategic depth of Egypt’s national security. The quavering security situation in Libya and the expected failure of the political process is of great concern to Egypt, especially due to the existence of Turkish troops and foreign mercenaries, who are separately commanded by Turkey and Russia, on the Libyan soil.

FROM RUSTY VESSELS TO MISTRALS To put things into perspective, let’s compare the profile of the Egyptian navy fleets today to its status a few years ago. In 2011, the Egyptian navy merely owned four submarines, procured from China in early 1980s, in addition to a couple of

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The journey to refurbish the Egyptian Naval Forces started in January 2017 by the historical decision to split the navy into two fleets: north and south. secondhand surface warships recycled by the U.S. Navy and sold to Egypt in the 1990s. Fast forward to 2021, Egypt has become one of only five countries, in the whole world, that owns assault aircraft carriers. There are only 37 aircraft carriers, in the world. They are owned by the United States, Russia, China, and France. In the year 2000, France manufactured and sold a projection and command ship for Brazil. Egypt owns two of the 37 flagship carriers. They are the mistral-class amphibious assault ships: Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Al-Sadat. In addition, the Egyptian Navy owns FREMM

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frigates especially made for Egypt by Italy and France; hunter-killer submarines Type209/1400mod; and locally/joint manufactured GoWind corvettes. Last January, the Egyptian Navy celebrated the production of the first Egyptian-made GoWind corvette with the name “Port Said.” This is the first warship, in the Egyptian fleet, to be equipped with a built-in complex combat monitoring system that can detect and trace rival ships, planes, and submarines. Since 2018, Egyptian naval factories have been work-

Since 2019, the Egyptian navy personnel have participated in a large number of regional and international military exercises, not only in Egypt’s territorial waters, but also in places as far as the Black Sea.

ing closely with French and German shipbuilding companies on transferring latest technology in that field to Egypt. At the opening ceremony of the “Third of July” naval base, earlier this month, President El-Sisi raised the Egyptian flag on 47 new naval vessels, marking their entry into the Egyptian fleet. That includes 28 pieces of the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (abbreviation: RIB or RHIB), which is a high-speed, high-buoyancy insertion/extraction craft for Sea, Air, and Land teams; known as SEAL teams or navy commandos. RHIB can operate in extreme-weather conditions, despite their light weights.

DEVOTED PERSONNEL WITH WORLD-CLASS SKILLS At the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the “Third of July” naval base, two weeks ago, the Egyptian navy forces and SEAL/commandos teams performed “Kader 2021” drills, with the purpose to showcase the recently procured naval equipment and the superior skills of the naval personnel. The Egyptian navy forces played a heroic role in the 1973 war against Israel. However, in the decades between 1980s and 1990s, the level

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The FREMM multipurpose frigate «Tahia Misr» (Long life to Egypt) is pictured on June 23, 2015 in the Lorient’ s shipyard, western France, ahead of a delivery ceremony to Egypt. (Getty)

French military shipbuilder DCNS CEO Herve Guillou (R) and Egyptian Navy Chief of staff, Admiral Ossama Rabie (L) exchange documents as French Defence Minister JeanYves Le Drian (R, partially hidden) and his Egyptian counterpart Sedki Sobhi (2ndL) look on, after signing documents on June 23, 2015 in Lorient, western France, during the delivery ceremony of the Egyptian FREMM multipurpose frigate “Tahia Misr” (Long life to Egypt) . (Getty)

of the Egyptian navy personnel radically deteriorated due to lack of access to proper international education and training. Therefore, in parallel to building the infrastructure of the naval forces, upgrading personnel level of education and combat skills has also been a priority to the Egyptian leadership.

clashes between the three countries in Libya and the Mediterranean.

STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE: LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL

The majority of Egypt’s borders are on the shores of two of the most critical maritime basins, in the Since 2019, the Egyptian navy personnel have world. The Mediterranean and the Red Sea are participated in a large number of regional and in- connecting the three most-inhabited continents toternational military exercises, not only in Egypt’s gether. They also control a large portion of world territorial waters, but also in places as far as the economy, that is not only because the majority of Black Sea. In October 2020, Egyptian and Rus- international trade flows through them, but also besian naval forces conducted the “Friendship cause of the recent gas discoveries in the eastern Bridge” joint exercise, in the Black Sea, for the Mediterranean. In a record time of five years, the first time in history. This month, the Egyptian Egyptian administration of President El-Sisi has navy personnel are in Ukraine participating in the successfully upgraded the naval fleet to become the “Sea Breeze 2021” drills in the Black Sea (from strongest fleet in the whole Mediterranean and Red June 28th to July 10th), shoulder-to-shoulder with Sea regions. This is not only serving Egypt’s geoponavy and air soldiers from other 32 countries, un- litical and security goals, but also works in the best der the supervision of the U.S. Sixth Fleet. political and economic interests of the Middle East and Egypt’s allies in Africa and southern Europe. It is important to mention, here, that the “Sea Breeze 2021” is the first ever military exercise Dalia Ziada is an Egyptian author and Director of to bring soldiers from Egypt, United Arab Emir- the Liberal Democracy Institute. Her work covers ates, and Turkey to work together, not against military affairs, political Islamism, and geopolitics each other. That is of a huge significance given in the Middle East and North Africa. Tweets at @ the recent diplomatic disagreements and military daliaziada.

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olitics

Israel’s Iran-US Deal Worry Offsets its Biden Policy Optimism

Iran Prepares for N-Deal Agreement & Lifting of Sanctions

By Amal Shehadeh

Recent meetings between Israeli officials and the US leadership reflect the extent to which Israel is conIsraelis are concerned that the United States would cerned about Iran’s possible acquisition of a nuclear reach a new agreement with Iran despite President Joe weapon and the conclusion of an agreement that does Biden’s reassurances to his Israeli counterpart Reuven not respond to its repeatedly stated demands since the Rivlin that Tehran would never get a nuclear weapon time of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule. during his watch. Israel also fears the race against time to prevent Iran Rivlin also expressed concern over the withdrawal of from acquiring a nuclear weapon, prompting it to in- US forces from the region and its impact on Israel in tensify every possible effort to prevent it, without ne- case Arab countries decide to improve ties with Tehran. This reflects other aspects Israel focuses on in its glecting its military capacity research.

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overall research on the Iranian issue and its repercussions on its security, in particular, and the region in general. According to Israeli statements, some Arab countries that have previously opposed Iran are looking for means to approach it if the US retreats from its role and intervention in the region. Meanwhile, the Israeli leadership failed during its meetings with Biden and other US officials to attain its goal in regards to the nuclear deal. It looks forward to the upcoming meeting between Biden and the new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett. However, Israelis do not expect any progress, especially after Biden’s affirmation that Iran will not possess any nuclear weapon during his time in office.

Whether Khamenei or Rouhani takes the final decision, Israelis believe the Biden administration is very keen to revive the 2015 nuclear deal somehow without conditions, including the almost complete waiver of sanctions against Iran.

ISRAEL UNDETERMINED ON IRAN

U.S. President Joe Biden, right, meets with Reuven Rivlin, Israel’s president, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C, U.S., on Monday, June 28, 2021. (Getty)

keen to present these reports to US officials. Israelis believe that any agreement that does not imUnlike previous security researches, Israelis this pose restrictions on Iran will pose a danger not only time did not keep their vague estimates within closed to Israel and the region but also to the whole world. doors, on what security and military research had Some reports pointed to Iran’s preparedness to sign been conducted on Iran. They announced that they the deal. They included recent actions, such as storing are still incapable of determining Iran’s next step: a oil in tanks at sea and on land and in storage depots in new nuclear agreement and the lifting of sanctions or China and India. One report said estimates are that it a military approach, including intensifying efforts to has between 70 million and 200 million barrels of oil possess a nuclear weapon. available and could be pumped to customers within Parties that expect a new nuclear deal consider the 10 to 20 days. It further affirmed that Iran has signifielection of the conservative hardliner President, Ebra- cantly increased its oil production to export about 2.4 him Raisi, as an indication to Iran’s decision to sign million barrels per day. to a new-old deal with the US. They agree with the These givens, according to Israeli estimates, indicate US assessments that the period, until Raisi is inau- that Iran has begun preparing for the post sanctions on gurated, will be an opportunity to benefit from cur- oil period and the signature of the new nuclear agreerent President Hassan Rouhani’s remaining term to ment. reach agreements. However, Israelis are aware that Israelis referred to the talks it is holding with oil imSupreme Leader Ali Khamenei takes the final deci- porters in India, South Korea and China before signsion in Tehran. ing new oil deals and the discussions held by the Whether Khamenei or Rouhani takes the final deci- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries sion, Israelis believe the Biden administration is very (OPEC) in preparation for its return to the market. keen to revive the 2015 nuclear deal somehow without conditions, including the almost complete waiver INCONCLUSIVE INTELLIGENCE of sanctions against Iran. ESTIMATES

FUTURE OF TALKS

Israeli intelligence services have focused their research on the future of talks with Iran and the contents Once Israelis were convinced that the US administra- of the expected nuclear deal. tion will soon reach a deal with Iran, they focused These estimates were divided among Israeli parties: their research and reports on the threats posed from The first pointed out that Iran is interested in signing lifting sanctions on Tehran and giving it the chance to the deal but wants to wait until Raisi assumes his post develop its nuclear capacities. Rivlin, Foreign Minis- in early August, in an attempt to give him the chance ter Yair Lapid and Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi were to obtain international legitimacy. Parties believe that

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olitics

if sanctions are lifted soon, Raisi and the regime will enjoy the flow of cash and begin restoring the economy and attracting foreign investments. The second noted that talks between Iran and the major powers will soon explode. Parties consider Raisi’s appointment an indication of Tehran’s intention to put forward extremist demands during the negotiations. The third is approved by senior international community figures and warns of misleading Iranian actions. According to this scenario, Iran is expected to deliberately slow down the pace of talks with the major powers, which would stall the negotiations for an extra few months. During this period, it will intensify efforts to achieve key goals in the nuclear field, and

Israeli security and military officers thinks that even if Israel reaches an extremely clear situation with the US, it should prepare a pre-emptive military action while escalating its military operations in Syria.

will use these achievements as a tool to pressure various parties, according to Israeli intelligence sources. These sources said their position comes in line with that of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken before his meeting with Lapid last week. Blinken stressed that if Tehran continues to violate the pact, the “breakout time” it needs to amass enough fissile material for a single nuclear weapon will shrink to weeks.

MEANS OF OBTAINING PRECISE WEAPONS Israel’s undetermined position towards Iran came in line with demands for US financial aid to enhance its military abilities. During his meeting with Biden, Rivlin requested US aid to reinforce the Israeli army with precision-guided bombs to reduce civilian casualties. He also requested an additional financial assistance to develop the army’s weapons and enable it to be up to the confrontation in any future war.

DISINFORMATION STRATEGY WORRIES ISRAEL Some political and security parties in Israel question the US administration’s positions and accuse it of being ambiguous. This comes in light of the new government’s attempts to rebuild ties with Biden’s administration. Some Israeli parties accused the administration of launching a “disinformation” campaign ahead of Ko-

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The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Joint Commission gather under the chairmanship of Enrique Mora, deputy secretary general of the European External Action Service, on May 2021 ,19 in Vienna, Austria. Highlevel representatives from Russia, China, Germany, England, France and Iran attended the Joint Commission. (Getty)

These givens, according to Israeli estimates, indicate that Iran has begun preparing for the post sanctions on oil period and the signature of the new nuclear agreement. the transfer of weapons and missiles to Hezbollah through its borders.

Iranian PresidentElect Ebrahim Raisi holds a press conference at Shahid Beheshti conference hall on June 2021 ,21 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty)

havi’s visit in an attempt to keep negotiations with Iran vague and to make it difficult for the new Israeli government to set a clear policy in this regard. According to Israeli parties, Washington is seeking to let Israel face existing facts without being able to protest against them, have its reservations taken into consideration or develop a clear strategy similar to that followed during Netanyahu’s rule. These influential parties say Tehran wants to take advantage of the period before inaugurating Raisi to advance its goals. They expect that all that Israel and its partners in the West are highlighting, regarding Iran’s enhancing of its capabilities in terms of long-range missiles as well as efforts to impose its hegemony, will not prevent the revival of the deal. They considered the various and contradictory intelligence estimates on Iran’s intentions normal, in light of the disinformation strategy adopted by the US and Iran.

BENNETT’S GOVERNMENT AND BIDEN’S ADMINISTRATION

Israelis frankly expressed their satisfaction with the Biden administration’s steps taken to improve ties with Israel after the formation of the Bennett-Lapid coalition government. The steps taken by the US administration, including inviting Kohavi and Rivlin, as well as the recent meeting between Lapid and his US counterpart, followed by Biden’s statements about the importance of Bennett’s upcoming visit to Washington contributed to alleviating tension among Israeli political, security and military services, especially in the research related to the US policy towards Iran. However, the positions on the ground reflects skepticism in the administration’s intentions and its sincerity of relations with Israel. These positions dominate some discussions and some parties and even warn of confusing actions and words in reference to Washington’s decision to sign the nuclear deal with Iran despite Israeli requests and open a PRE-EMPTIVE MILITARY ACTION consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem. Israeli security and military officers did not halt their Lapid, however, made it clear that Israel’s approach is research on the military action due to their uncertain- similar to the US. He stressed that Israel also wants to ty, when faced with the politicians’ optimism after make progress with other Arab countries and with the Palestinians as well. meeting with US officials. In their opinion, even if Israel reaches an extremely “Israel has some serious reservations about the Iran clear situation with the US, it should prepare a pre- nuclear deal that is being put together in Vienna. We emptive military action while escalating its military believe the way to discuss those disagreements is operations in Syria. Israel insists on bombing Iranian through direct and professional conversations, not in and Hezbollah targets in Syria to prevent Tehran’s press conferences,” Lapid stated following his meetcontinued consolidation in the war-torn country and ing with Blinken.

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France’s Equality Minister Welcomes Sharing Experiences with Saudi Arabia Élisabeth Moreno to Majalla: “Women’s Liberation Goes Through Economic Liberalization with Work and Education” Interviewed in Paris by Khaled Saad Zaghloul The beautiful African Élisabeth Moreno was born in the charming city of Traval, Cape Verde, and thanks to her great success, President Emmanuel Macron chose her on July 6, 2020, as a minister in the French government responsible for gender equality, diversity and equal opportunities. She earned a master’s degree in business law from the University of Paris as well as an Executive Double MBA from Mannheim Business School in Germany, and then she completed her studies at the National French Higher School of the Judiciary to become a judge. She spent most of her career in business. Majalla met with her in her office at the Ministry in Paris to learn about her rich experience and policymaking, which has aroused interest from both the French and Europeans alike. So this was a very frank interview:

A FRENCH LAW APPROVED AGAINST GENDER-BASED BIAS AND HARASSMENT Majalla: How could you have achieved remarkable successes and become a minister when you came from a poor family where your parents were illiterate and lived in very difficult circumstances, but today you are a source of pride for foreigners. What’s your secret? Moreno (smiling confidently): I worked very hard. The secret is good education and hard work. I want you to tell all young people that there is no absolute imperative; they can be born into a very poor family, but if they study and work hard, they can make their own destiny with their own hands. Do you know that if someone ever told me, in my home country of Cape Verde, that I would have the professional status that I live in today and that I would have the luck to be a role model to inspire others … I

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“When I started my career, not only was I a woman but a young woman of color, working in a very masculine sector. I had to overcome and impose my personality with success and excellence.” tion, but it’s also full of human satisfaction and happiness. To start in politics, I needed something to inspire me in human terms, you know, I spent the last 30 years of my life in business and corporations, and I never thought I’d be a minister. But I wouldn’t get into politics if it wasn’t this job I’m doing right now. I understand that the themes of gender equality and of diversity and equal opportunities are prominent societal themes that I believe will be further developed in the coming years, especially after this crisis. Health is extremely important for all and for minorities as well, including women in particular.

French Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Élisabeth Moreno. (Supplied)

wouldn’t believe it, but I made my destiny with my own hands like thousands of people in France and the world despite the compelling circumstances. In fact, I’ve always made my differences and weaknesses my strengths. At school, I was the only little black girl. When I started my career, not only was I a woman but a young woman of color, working in a very masculine sector and I had to overcome and impose my personality with success and excellence. Loving the challenge doesn’t mean I don’t see the obstacles. I’m aware of the difficulties, but for me, they don’t impede the course to follow. They’re part of the way. There’s no flowers without thorns. And that’s certainly what drives me most in my life. I was never afraid to start from scratch. On the contrary, I like to overcome obstacles. Success starts here. Majalla: Contrary to prevailing ideas, your position as Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunity is not a gift, it’s one of the most difficult ministries because the task is big and arduous and the problem is very old Moreno: You are so right. It’s really a challenging posi-

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Majalla: Diversity raises a lot of issues. I think your origin facilitates your task? Moreno: Africa and France are part of my identity, I am so African and European and I am so convinced and so proud of this dual culture, and this dual affiliation. I know I’m far from being isolated. We’re millions of people living in a mix of this identity every day. In France as well as in the other countries of the world. I grew up in this country - I’ve lived in France for 45 years; I arrived here when I was seven years old, and I know the value of this country and our obligations, but I also know what rights and topics we have to address to ensure that we embrace our republican principles, but if we do not live in freedom, equality and fraternity, it will be difficult for everyone to find a place in France. Majalla: What are the most prominent tasks under your responsibility? Moreno: It is so many and so diverse, and I will start with the great issue that President Macron holds on to in his mandate: gender equality, because I think the pandemic put humanity to the test, it put the human being at the center of all societal issues, and we are aware that the most economically advanced countries have not recovered from this health crisis yet. We have all learned lessons from what happened, so we have to return the human being to his position as our first concern. Majalla: Should we put the economy aside?

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Moreno: No, I did not mean that. We must continue to develop the economy. Moreover, economic recovery will be at the center of discussions in all countries after this crisis, which has seriously frozen the economies of countries. But we must not forget human beings because if you see the numbers of people who lost their lives in this crisis (over 4 million), that leads us to rethink how we should look at human beings in society. As you know, societies ultimately determine their destiny in the battles they decide to fight or not to fight. Majalla: In France, a woman dies every two or three days under the beating of her husband or her ex-spouse. Violence against women has become a global phenomenon.

“I think the pandemic put humanity to test, it put the human being at the center of all societal issues. We are aware that the most economically advanced countries have not recovered from this health crisis yet.”

What are you doing to combat these crimes? Moreno: Fighting violence against women is one of the pillars of gender equality in our Government. Yes, in France a woman dies every two or three days under the beating of her husband or ex-husband. We’ll never be able to talk about gender equality if we don’t start protecting women who are supposed to be safe in their homes. So fighting this violence is one of the first tasks I did when I took over the Ministry because I noticed that during the health crisis, there was a huge increase in violence against women and domestic violence exploded. Also, we’ve seen an increase in the number of complaints by 9% over 2020, I think that women in France as in the rest of the world, in the past, were afraid and shy and that family members or friends didn’t know what was happening to them. They were panicking about scandal, and just talking (about domestic violence) was taboo, etc., but now all these taboos have been lifted, since we set up homes for victims of domestic violence, which has resulted in 46 actions, and the government has been implementing them since they were established. My goal is to achieve 100% implementation, and among the actions I call for, there is a need to increase the number of emergency accommodations, because women often don’t leave their homes because they don’t know where to go with their children. Thus since 2017, we have increased the number of shelters in all regions by 60% to accommodate women and children who are victims of violence. We have also established care centers for perpetrators because so far we have dealt only by punishing perpetrators, but

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French Minister Élisabeth Moreno. (Supplied)

French Minister Élisabeth Moreno speaking to Majalla in her office at the Ministry in Paris.

we must also prevent, explain to everyone, and to start work at an early age, at school to sensitize perpetrators. Young boys must be taught to respect girls so that they understand that women are not their ‘objects’. Women must also be taught to recognize that there is a problem since the first slap, because a man who loves his wife does not beat her, does not cheat on her, does not insult her, does not despise her and does not impress her. The attitude of fathers is also reflected in the psyche of children who may easily turn to crime and violence against women. Such behavior must be taken into account. Despite being in 2021 we have statistics that some people of our time think it’s normal to beat their wife when the food is too salty or when they wear a short skirt, etc., so this culture of equality is necessary, which is why I work so much with Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister of National Education and Youth, because in school they not only have to learn respect, but they also have to learn psychological and mental awareness. The perpetrators of violence must also be treated psychologically because there is also a relationship between violence, drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, there are still some men who believe that women are their objects and that they have the right to life or death over them. Majalla: Do you have any statistics on the murder of women in France, namely Arab, Muslim, African, Asian or French? Moreno: Unfortunately, we have all kinds of victims,

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“Yes, in France a woman dies every few days under the beating of her husband or ex-husband. We’ll never be able to talk about equality if we don’t start protecting women.” French and foreign, there are also rich women, poor women, Asian women, Muslim and African women, French women, etc. There are all categories. We note that the situation is improving slightly because we see 2020 as the first year that we had the lowest number of femicides. However, even if there was only one woman murdered, it would be a heavy toll. In reality, the number is large, as 102 women died under the blows of their husbands. But since 2005, when we counted the number of victims of domestic violence, the proportion of women killed until then has been between 150 and 180, which proves that we are making progress, but there is still a great deal of work to be done on this subject. A woman is killed because she is the weakest, the youngest, the shortest, and because she is a woman, and this is not permissible in this era. Murder is forbidden in all laws and religions, and it is a terrible

nterview

act, but it is worse when it is the killing of the weak and innocent.

30% OF WOMEN IN MANAGERIAL POSITIONS Majalla: Why do you talk so much about women’s economic empowerment? Moreno: Because it’s an important topic that I know very well. Because I’ve spent 30 years of my life in the business world, I am convinced that women’s liberation depends on their economic liberalization. A bill has been passed unanimously covering all topics of economic empowerment and it can even help women who want to set up businesses or companies where women have much more difficulty than men in finding financing. So it’s a historic step that we’ve taken where we’ve encouraged companies to create jobs for women and given them potential and advantage. Soon we will find more women in companies, in the world of technology, science and mathematics, and in professions where women are rare. This is why we are working to achieve this in the next five years because, in 2021, women in France are not created only to raise and educate children. They are fully trained, well-educated and highly qualified and have proven their abilities in all areas and are therefore capable of taking responsibility, and that is why we assert this law with great will. We must have responsible women in the administration, and it is also necessary that girls enter the scientific sector so that they do not lose this precious opportunity. It is not normal that in France there are only 30% of women in management positions. Balance and social justice must be achieved, so I am proud to announce to you that France is the first country in the world to embark on this adventure. Women’s participation in economic life is very important. You say that women are half of society and this is true. It is not a question of

“Since 2017, we have increased the number of shelters in all regions by %60 to accommodate women and children who are victims of violence.”

charity, but rather a matter of performance, competence and talent. It is a matter of contributing to the country’s economic development after the pandemic.

MORE THAN TWO MILLION WOMEN IN OUR COUNTRY SUFFER FROM INSECURITY Majalla: Have you voted for one law on such a big issue as gender equality since the arrival of President Macron? Moreno: Within 4 years, we voted on 4 laws on the issue of gender equality but other than these 4 laws, there were many other segments put in place by the government such as doubling the maternity leave by approving paternity leave, so that fathers can also participate in attending the birth of the child as mothers do, so the father will not have any block in his work and his salary will remain valid. We believe that it is positive for children as well as mothers to relieve women to allow them to resume their jobs more quietly and more quickly. We also created new public services for more than 70000 single-parent families in France today, and we found that 85% of these families are managed by mothers, divorced or separated. There are many unpaid family expenses that make up 20% of home budgets, so we stepped in to remove all these economic problems that arose and worsened during the Covid-19 crisis. We couldn’t put this issue aside, we also fought against the insecurity of women which was again a taboo subject until now, and so France decided to take up the issue. We have more than 2 million women who feel insecure (because of sexism) at the workplace or at home or in public places in France - while more than 500 million women suffer from it in the world. Do you know that France is the first country in the world to pass the law of contempt for sexism - you know that women are often harassed on the streets and sometimes at work, so France passed a law to

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French President, Emmanuel Macron meets Melinda Gates, co-president of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at the Generation Equality Forum at the Palais de l’Elysee on July 2021 ,1 in Paris, France. (Getty)

punish men who assault women.

A woman stands by a banner reading in French “Not a single one more” during a tribute gathering outside the home where 31-year-old Sandra P was allegedly stabbed to death by her 36-year-old former companion, Mickael F, despite she filed charges twice against him for harassment, in Bordeaux on July 4, 2021. (Getty)

Majalla: As for the law passed in 2018 (Professional Equality Index) to promote equal pay between women and men, is your salary the same as that of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Justice? Moreno: Yes, I get the same salary. All ministers are paid exactly the same. Indeed, the law is a very big step forward on equal pay for men and women. This law states that if a woman does the same job as a man, she should get the same pay, it’s as simple as that. Every year we see how far companies are moving, and we see that there’s progress, but we also see that there’s still a great deal to be done. For example, I noticed that in 43% of the big companies in France there is only one woman among the top 10 high earners. This is little, but the result was zero before that law. Now the machine is working and on its way to more gains, but in general, women earn less than men. But you know that in France, there is a gender wage gap estimated at 9 to 25%, even if you have the same degrees, the same experience. That can’t be explained. Today we’ve made regulations that impose penalties on companies that don’t respect equity in wages, I think that’s the best way forward on this subject. Majalla: Do you agree to work with Saudi Arabia, a country that is fighting for women’s rights after the arrival of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Mohammed bin Zayed and has made significant gains? Moreno: Yes, we gladly want to work with all the countries of the world, because we believe in women’s diplomacy, I have an international personality, and I believe that today the world is much more globalized and that it

“A bill has been passed unanimously covering all topics of economic empowerment to help women who want to set up businesses or companies where women have much more difficulty than men in finding financing.” is already connected as a small village. What is happening in the United States can affect France and what is happening in the Middle East can affect Europe, what is happening in South Africa can affect Germany. This global interdependence is what I find interesting, with its flaws and qualities, but I am convinced that we all have things to learn from each other. My experience, working in the five continents, made it clear to me, and to my surprise, I found out that even the big countries have found injustice for women, and so inequality between women and men everywhere in the world is the same. Women have no real place in the five continents, even in the very advanced United States in many areas. For example, in the United States, there are no quotas for women, there is no equal pay between the sexes, there are many things missing. But in general the problem is systematically based on economy, health and gender discrimination, so we always see the same problems everywhere, which is why we have to pool our strengths together so that we can find solutions and that is why we welcome sharing our experiences with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Majalla: Is France advancing in this area? Moreno: Yes, we are advancing every day. You know that for very long years, indeed for centuries, no one has talked about women’s issues, we previously thought that it was normal for a woman to marry at a very young age and stay at home without studying and that she educates, raises children, cooks and so on, it might have been possible in the past, but it is not acceptable today. In our time, life has changed. A woman who wants to live in Paris has to work. Rent is expensive. There’s no such thing as staying at home. Even a woman with a disability or a handicap works. A woman, like a man, has to live to earn her money, but you cannot tolerate the issue of women being killed, raped, beaten or earning less because they are women.

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olitics

World’s Seventh Strongest Fleet Serves Regional Geopolitical Interests Russian “Unsafe” Behavior Strains Geopolitical Interests

By Maia Otarashvili The Black Sea continues to be embroiled in a tug-of-war amid intensifying great power competition. Russia has made some significant military moves in the region this year and seems to be working hard to secure its strategic gains. While NATO has the Baltic Sea “covered” through its enhanced forward presence, and despite the rising tensions an actual physical war is unlikely, the Black Sea still represents a “black box” for many reasons. One, Russia is a Black Sea nation and enjoys military presence there through its own ports and maritime domain. Two, Russia has obtained additional influence over the Black Sea by taking de facto control of the Crimea peninsula after illegally ceasing it from Ukraine back in 2014. Three, there is a clash of major geopolitical interests as three out of six Black Sea nations are members of NATO, although Turkey has become increasingly anti-Western, and it is difficult to speak of it as deeply committed to the Alliance’s values

and strategic interests. Turkey itself can be seen as an independent Black Sea actor, and the strength of its alliance with Russia serves as one of the major determinants of power balance in the region. Then there is the “grey zone” issue – Black Sea nations that are not NATO or EU members (although they enjoy ally status) and have been subject to ceaseless Russian hybrid warfare efforts as Moscow looks to establish permanent hegemony over as much of the space as possible. Georgia and Ukraine, as well as Moldova (although not directly bordering the Black Sea, can still be considered a Black Sea state) have breakaway conflict zones all backed by Russia and controlled by Russian military presence. Perhaps the most dangerous situation in the Black Sea is currently posed by the conflicting de facto and de jure realities of the Crimean Peninsula. Because Russia’s annexation of Crimea is considered illegal according to the international laws and norms, Russia’s de facto

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control of the peninsula, the ports, and the waters surrounding it, is also seen as illegal and illegitimate under the international law. Crimea is placed under international sanctions and major international ships are not allowed to make port calls there, but Moscow also insists that the surrounding waters are off-limits to Western ships. Most importantly, Moscow enjoys de facto control of the peninsula and has placed significant military forces there. This is essentially a disagreement over two alternative realities, and that disagreement has been regularly causing dangerous incidents.

A land operation takes place on the Oleshky Sands military training ground close to Crimea as part of the Sea Breeze 2021 maritime exercise held by NATO and its partner nations from June 28 through July 10. According to press statements, the multinational military unit has practiced a raid behind notional enemy lines. (Getty)

Back in April, when Russia staged a major military build-up in Crimea and on Russia’s border with Ukraine, the move was seen as a major act of aggression by US and European leaders as well as by Ukraine. Although Russia claimed this was a military exercise, the message was loud and clear – Russia was demonstrating its military might and readiness should the West decide to militarily back Ukraine against Russia, or make any bold moves to undermine Russia’s version of the “reality” in which Crimea belongs to Russia. Later, in June, there was another major incident in the waters surrounding Crimea. A British Royal Navy destroyer named Defender was accused of breaching the Kremlin’s territorial waters on June 23rd. Russia said it chased the warship out of the waters by bombing its path and firing warning shots. Next, the government summoned the British Ambassador to Russia for a “formal diplomatic scolding” and warned her that next time it would actually bomb any British naval vessels that would breach the Russian-controlled waters. The British government denied any wrongdoing and said, “the British warship, which was travelling from the Ukrainian port of Odessa to the Georgian port of Batumi, was acting in accordance with the law and had been in international waters.” But even if the warship had gone into the official Crimean waters, according to the international law those would be Ukrainian, not Russian waters, and thus the warship would not be doing anything illegal. While the two sides can debate the status of these waters for years on end – which they have without resolution, the clear danger of deadly incidents and the likelihood of an armed conflict on the Black Sea only grows. Experience of such incidents also shows that unlike in the Baltic Sea, Moscow has a much shorter fuse in the Black Sea and is almost looking for a conflict. Moscow displays the greatest sense of entitlement and is more willing to challenge any Western presence there. Vladimir Putin has been clear that he views the Black Sea as Russia’s rightful sphere of not just influence but control. But the Black Sea is more complex than Russia presents it to be. The United States, EU and NATO have their own significant presence and influence over the Black Sea maritime domain and although they are less willing to go all in (Ukraine and Georgia are still not membership candidates for the EU or NATO despite their best efforts), they keep on advancing their interests and strengthening their alliances in the region. Over two weeks Ukraine and the US co-hosted Sea Breeze military exercises on the Black Sea. Vessels from 32 nations, including NATO

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Moscow displays the greatest sense of entitlement and is more willing to challenge any Western presence there. Putin has been clear that he views the Black Sea as Russia’s rightful sphere of not just influence but control. member states, took part in the drills which focused on multiple warfare areas “including amphibious warfare, land maneuver warfare, diving operations, maritime interdiction operations, air defense, special operations integration, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue operations.” The exercise involved 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft, and 18 special operations and dive teams. Sea Breeze is an annual, multinational effort. The countries participating include Albania, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Senegal, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. Sea Breeze drills are not designed to pose a threat to Russia, rather, the exercise aims to train the interoperability of different forces – to foster cooperation and collaboration between NATO and its allies. However, given the current geopolitical climate, it is impossible to expect Moscow to not view the drills as a display of aggression. Russia’s Defense Ministry admitted to closely monitoring the exercises and said it is ready to act if it needs to “protect its own national security”. It has already brought back a warship from the Eastern Mediterranean back to Sevastopol. The warship is equipped with long-range cruise missiles and was previously used for Russia’s operations in Syria. There are reports of USS destroyer Ross being shadowed by Russian warships and warplanes during the exercises in international waters. The Netherlands also accused Russian fighter jets of “unsafe” behavior in an encounter with its frigate. Sea Breeze drills end on July 10th. While a full-out war is unlikely, the tensions are palpable and further highlight the insecurity and the volatility of both - the Black Sea maritime domain and the surrounding region. Maia Otarashvili is a Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Eurasia Program. Maia also serves as the Deputy Director of Research at FPRI. Her research interests include geopolitics and security of the Black Sea-Caucasus region, Russian foreign policy, and the post-Soviet “frozen” conflicts.

conomy

Why is Saudi Unemployment Falling?

Improvement in Women’s Employment is Noticeable as More Sectors Opened 32

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More jobs have been created in the past few months with the launch of new mega-projects such as The Line, The Saudi Green Initiative, The Middle East Green Initiative, etc. OIL PRICE DOUBLED IN A YEAR With the launch of Kingdom Vision 2030 in 2017, Saudi Arabia has accelerated its steps to make oil one of the sources of income, but not the only source as previously after the discovery of oil in the late 1930›s. However, the economic transformation needs more years to evolve and yield its fruits. The Kingdom is a rentier state in the sense that it is still oil dependent. The average oil basket price in June 2020 was USD 37.05. The prices have continued to rise to stand at USD 74.84 in July 2021, i.e., the price has doubled in a year. Higher oil prices have helped the government continue spending, financing its current projects and launching many more.

Employees work at the Saudi National Health Emergency Operations Center (NHEOC) in the capital Riyadh on May 3, 2020, during the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis. (Getty)

By Motasem Al Felou - Jeddah The Saudi business sector got a hard blow in 2020. Tens of thousands of employees lost their jobs in different sectors due to the lockdown and the oil price crash. The GDP declined by %4.1 last year according to the estimates of the Saudi General Authority of Statistics (GASTAT). Year 2021 has shown a better performance for the Saudi economy. Based on the Labor Force Survey, GASTAT issued its latest figures on the unemployment rate among Saudis. The rate is now below the pre-Covid19- level at %11.7 in Q2021 1, down from %12.6 recorded in Q4 2020. Majalla English is exploring the reasons behind the decline of unemployment rate in the Kingdom.

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The government is the biggest spender that is able to boost the job market with a huge impact. More jobs have been created in the past few months with the launch of new mega-projects such as The Line, The Saudi Green Initiative, The Middle East Green Initiative, etc. What is equally important to the creation of new jobs is job retention for existing employees. Mass layoffs, which were common during the lockdown, have decreased to minimum levels. Greater amounts of cash in the Saudi treasury ensures that banks have more liquidity, enabling the private sector to get credit facilitation easily and continue growing.

FEMALE UNEMPLOYMENT Opening new sectors for women in the Saudi Army and other security organizations which can absorb more labor has helped women explore new

conomy

career paths and reduce female unemployment. According to the latest unemployment report of GASTAT, the unemployment rate of Saudi females stood at %21.2 during the first quarter of 2021, compared to %24.4 in the previous quarter. The Saudi policy of encouraging the engagement of more women in the job market has had a

Opening new sectors for women in the Saudi Army and other security organizations which can absorb more labor has helped women explore new career paths and reduce female unemployment.

great impact on this demographic segment. Saudi women are known for being more loyal and dedicated to the workplace. The financial side is not the only decisive factor in their career choices. «In our company, the rotation of Saudi female employees is far less than that of males. They have proven to be more loyal despite the wage equality policy we have adopted long time ago. Once they feel fulfilled, respected and satisfied with the workplace, they respond less to new job offers,» said Khalid, an HR manager at a local Saudi company.

INTERNAL PUBLIC INVESTMENTS The Saudi Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia›s sovereign wealth fund, has committed to invest USD 40 bn into new investments every year until 2025 under a new plan called VRP2 (The 2nd Vision Realization Program). The vision refers to the Kingdom Vision 2030.

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A picture taken late on June 3, 2021 shows Saudi staff checking attendant›s mobiles for vaccine certificates or a negative Covid-19 test, at the entrance of a theatre hosting the first concert in the Saudi capital Riyadh since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Getty)

An employee near the blue ammonia injection point compressor at the Hawiyah Natural Gas Liquids Recovery Plant, operated by Saudi Aramco, in Hawiyah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday, June 28, 2021. (Getty)

It is interesting to know that the PIF will invest annually %5.7 of the Saudi Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which was estimated at UDS 701 bn at the end of 2020. When talking about the local Saudi market, the PIF is working currently in two directions: -1Buying stakes/shares from local established companies to fulfill their expansion and growth plans; and, -2Setting up new companies, such as ROSHN, a mega real estate developer, which was launched in 2019. The PIF policy focuses on the employment of Saudis. For example, ROSHN posted on its social media platforms that it will create 170,000 direct and indirect job opportunities for Saudis. IT is just one example of how PIF is becoming a major employer in the Saudi job market. Between 2021 and 2025, the PIF plans to create around 1.8 million direct and indirect jobs in the Kingdom, making it the second largest employer

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after the government.

UNEMPLOYMENT EXPECTATIONS The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has recently targeted a variety of sectors with its Saudization Program including Custom Clearance, Cinema Professions, Driving Schools, Engineering Technicians, Telecommunication, and Private Education. More sectors are localized according to the availability of local talent which can replace the employment of expats. The Ministry has a program to Saudize and create over 200,000 jobs in 2021. The government agencies are playing a bigger role in creating new jobs for citizens and will continue to do so as the Saudi job market has 400,000-350,000 new entrants every year. The upcoming GASTAT report will show the development of employment in the biggest job market in the GCC region.

ociety

Turkish Women Rise Up Against Exiting Istanbul Convention

Erdogan’s Decision Invalid, Head of Women Associations’ Union tells Majalla By Jiwan Soz – Istanbul Following Turkey’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, angry protests have erupted as thousands of Turkish women

have taken to the streets and public areas since early July. The protestors are condemning Ankara’s exit from the Convention it had signed in 2011 and pledged thereby to prevent domestic violence, prosecute its perpetrators and guarantee gender equality.

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Turkey’s official withdrawal of the international treaty has angered its western allies in Europe and US, as well as Turkish women’s associations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has justified its move saying that this convention contributes to the breakup of family ties and promotes homosexuality, and thus it decided to exit it and became no more obligated to apply its provisions. The President of the Federation of Women’s Associations Turkey, Canan Güllü, said that Ankara’s withdrawal from Istanbul Convention on March 20 with the signature of the President is “legally invalid.” “According to the 90th article of our country’s constitution, international agreements are ratified after they are approved by the Parliament and are abandoned with the decision taken there. The convention cannot be terminated with the signature of a single person. In addition, the Istanbul Convention is a human rights document. In Turkey, the President has no authority to sign human rights documents. In other words, the President has taken an action that is not legally authorized,” Güllü told Majalla. Demonstrators take part in a protest against Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, the world’s first binding treaty to prevent and combat violence against women, in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 1, 2021. (Getty)

Erdogan’s government has justified its move saying that this convention contributes to the breakup of family ties and promotes homosexuality, and thus it decided to exit it and became no more obligated to apply its provisions. She said that the issue was raised by Oğuzhan Asiltürk, the head of the discipline committee of the Saadet Party, and was accepted by the AKP. However, she reveals, “Certain people within the AKP do not hesitate to express that they find this decision unlawful which was made without consulting them.”

“In our opinion, Mr. Erdogan shot himself in the foot,” Güllü noted. She confirmed that “There is absolutely no alternative. Because the convention was made in the field of international human rights and since we were the first signatory, it enabled us to be strong in the league of democracy. The argument for a She also added, “As a Federation, we filed a law- national treaty is certainly not reassuring considsuit in the administrative court…The hearing has ering that there is a government that has not imnot taken place yet. In addition, the Council of plemented this convention for 10 years.” Europe took the issue to the Venice Commission for countries whose decision to withdraw from Güllü criticized her government that seemed the convention was unlawful. (We have had) to take steps on women’s human rights since it No response from there yet. That’s why we’ve came to power but did not implement them. “At already started working with local governments this point, we have no confidence left in a govto implement the policy outlined in the Conven- ernment that does not go beyond broadcasting a tion.” condolence message on femicides,” she added. Showing the paradoxical situation, she stated that Güllü described the exit as “a political decision”, “During the hours of the protests, the President pointing out that “the issue emerged in the ne- was announcing the 4th Action Plan on violence gotiations in which the AKP sought support for against women. Ironically, at that time, the police itself in order to stay in power.” were using violence against women.” “Congregations put forward the condition of withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention, which empowers women, destroys the culture of allegiance, and jeopardizes their future, in order to cooperate with the AKP, which is already in a tight spot,” she explained.

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She confirmed that women’s position is getting stronger as “This frivolous stance of the government has enabled women to embrace their struggle even more. The women’s movement, which has a history of 150 years in our country, has made its protests for 3 months without giving up

ociety

its struggle and will continue to do so. There is no stepping back from what has been gained. We are half the population of this country. We demand the implementation of laws that protect us. We will not leave this demand to the wishes of sects and congregations. We will win.” Since the beginning of this year, more than 130 women were killed in Turkey because of domestic violence attacks.

Güllü described the exit as “a political decision”, pointing out that “the issue emerged in the negotiations in which the AKP sought support for itself in order to stay in power.”

In addition to more than 99 women died in suspicious circumstances, according to We Will Stop Femicide group which advocates for women’s rights in Turkey. Spokesperson for the We Will Stop Femicides Platform, Melek Önder, said that one of the applications made to the Council of State for a suspension of execution regarding the decision to withdraw the signature from the Istanbul Convention was rejected. “But we know that this decision is a political one and could not have been taken unanimously. Therefore, it has not reached a legal conclusion yet. Our legal struggle continues in every field. At the same time, this is not just a legal issue, it is a very political issue,” she told Majalla. “On the one hand, the President Erdoğan stated that “We will continue the struggle against femicide, violence against women” but on the other hand, his decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention is a great contradiction. If the government’s aim is for women to live free from violence, live equally and freely (then) the Istanbul

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Turkish President and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the AK Party’s Extended Meeting of Provincial Heads in Ankara, Turkey on July 08, 2021. (Getty)

Women demonstrators clash with Turkish police as they protest against Turkey’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, in Istanbul, on July 1, 2021. (Getty)

Convention must be fully implemented,” Önder added She also went on to say, “Withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention means protecting the perpetrators. Moving away from the universal law means depriving us of the most important convention that currently protects us from violence in the world. The Istanbul Convention is the one that will keep women alive. Therefore, nothing can be put in place of the Istanbul Convention.” “We, the women of Turkey, who have taken the life-giving breath of this convention, will continue to struggle to use our rights arising from Convention. The struggle for the convention has become a symbol for the struggle against all kinds of injustice. We will enforce the constitution, the law, Istanbul Convention,” she reiterated. The approval of Istanbul Convention took place in 2014, three years after the Turkish government discussed and signed it, after which it was included in a law preventing violence against women and protecting families.

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“The women’s movement, which has a history of 150 years in our country, has made its protests for 3 months without giving up its struggle and will continue to do so.” Major Turkish opposition parties rejected the last decision and moved to legally contest its implementation. Two of these parties are Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Advocacy groups and lawyers have accused the Turkish President of surpassing the Parliament and its authorities by taking this decision, which Erdogan was intending to take a year ago, announcing on many occasions that the convention harms family and religious values in his country.

A Weekly Political News Magazine

Issue 1860- July- 09/07/2021

Mahmoud Abbas : Loss of Legitimacy and Prestige www.majalla.com

ulture

Aisha Fahmy: An Italianate Palace on the Shore of Cairo Nile

The Historical Story of a Palace Which Witnessed Tales of Love, Betrayal and Death By Salma Adham In old books and classical movies or in the world of storytelling in general, historical places always witnessed several tales and tragedies! The tragedies that tell us that there was life, with

all its meaning, in that place, people lived here and enjoyed their days with all its beautiful and sad moments, and of course with its all tragedies because this is life as we know, full of unexpected moments and events. Every corner and district of Egypt has such stories. Its streets tell a lot, but

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what Aisha Fahmy’s Palace tells us is near to the novels. Are you excited to read this novel?

THE START OF THE STORY One day, in 1907, on the shore of the Nile in the neighborhood of Zamalek, Egypt, one of the most beautiful palaces in Cairo was built by Ali Fahmy Pasha, brother of Aisha Fahmy, Aisha Fahmy. Designed by the famous Italian architect at that time, Antonio Lachak, the palace was built in the classical style. But this is not the whole start. Fahmy Pasha had four daughters Fatima, Aisha, Aziza and Zainab and only one boy Ali. He enjoyed his life so that the press nicknamed him “the Prince of Youth.” Ali Fahmy was less than twenty years old when he became one of the wealthiest people in the country after he inherited his father’s wealth. He spent money lavishly, lived a leisurely life, knew many women, went to nightclubs, and his news filled society tabloids of that time.

Wide view of Aisha Fahmy Palace in Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

He built the palace and spent a lot of money on it to look like an architectural masterpiece, and he brought the most expensive furniture from Europe. The young Egyptian millionaire ended up falling in love with a French woman called Marguerite Miller. As a result of the spouses’ different cultures, the differences and problems between them increased. After only six months of marriage, in the summer of 1923 and during a trip to London, a quarrel broke out between them, and Margaret fired three bullets at her husband, killing him. Soheir Abdel Hamid, a researcher in the history of Egyptian palaces, pointed out that the palace witnessed many events between stories of marriage, divorce, murder and betrayal as if it had put a curse on its owners. The world-famous English lawyer Sir Marshall Moll, was responsible for the case, and he asked for the innocence of his client Margaret Miller, accusing the husband of being ‘an eastern savage’ Marshall’s argument in the case turned it from

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In 1907, on the shore of the Nile, one of the most beautiful palaces in Cairo was built by Ali Fahmy Pasha, designed by the famous Italian architect at that time, Antonio Lachak. being a quarrel between a married couple, which ended with a crime, to a conflict between the East and the West. Miller obtained her acquittal after days of deliberations in court and came to Egypt to claim her share of her husband’s estate, and although she was acquitted in London under the act of self-defense, she failed because there is a legitimate legal rule in Egypt that the murderer has no right to the inheritance of the murdered. Then, the palace became the property of Ali’s sister, Aisha Fahmy.

THE PALACE IN THE SHADE OF AISHA FAHMY’S PRESENCE Aisha Fahmy was the daughter of the great Pasha Fahmy, Oran of King Fouad I. On May 6, 1924, after her father’s death, Aisha bought her sisters’ share in the palace, thus owning the property, for the amount of 72 thousand pounds. Her first marriage was to Ahmed Saeed, an obstetrician and gynecologist, and then she married the late artist Youssef Wehbe. Wehbe was inspired by the story of his brother-in-law, Ali Fahmy, to produce his movie “Awlad Al-Zawat” which was the first Egyptian film that Egyptians watched in 1932. It was about the Easterners, and it showed European women in a way that angered them, so the European newspapers attacked him and demanded that it be banned. It was said that this movie was the reason for the divorce of Youssef and Aisha. Aisha loved Youssef Wehbe very much to the extent that she asked for a divorce from her previous husband and paid 100,000 pounds at the time to him to agree to the divorce.

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Youssef Wehbe wrote in his book “I lived a thousand years” that like any successful artist, his fame began to increase with the increase in his works and successes, and thus the increase in the number of fans around him, which naturally led to an increase in his wife’s jealousy over him. Aisha Fahmy was afraid of losing her husband for whom she had fought her family. She did many strange things to make sure he did not betray her. For example, she appointed spies to monitor him to find out the places he went to and the people he met as she suspected him of having a relationship with her best friend. Aisha began watching all his movements and behaviors. Although the relationship began with Aisha mentoring Youssef’s artistic journey in the beginning, she became his source of misery because of her possessiveness. The matter ended with him feeling he is in prison, and they got divorced. Aisha expelled him from the palace, and she kept thinking of a way to take revenge on him until she had the idea to marry the Monologist Mahmoud Shokoko. Angered by her marriage, Youssef Wehbe decided that he must spoil this marriage – in this he had the support of Aisha’s family also as they too

disapproved of the marriage. After many failed attempts, the two parties succeed in pressuring Shokoko to divorce her, and they got divorced in a strange scene, similar to movie scenes. Although Aisha lived in one of the most stunning and luxurious palaces in Egypt, she did not find happiness. She lived in the palace until she passed away in 1962, and her story in the palace ended. In 1975, Youssef El Sebaei, the former Minister of Culture, annexed the palace to the Arts and Letters Authority and the Fine Arts Sector. In 1978, a republican decision was issued to allocate it as a museum for the jewels of the Muhammad Ali family, but it was canceled by another republican decision in 1986, after allocating the Fatima Haider Palace in Alexandria as a museum of jewels and the Fahmy Palace returned once again to the disposal of the Ministry of Culture to become a complex of arts which is open to the public until now. The palace’s rooms are distinguished by the presence of silk and linen panels and the European motifs on the sides of the walls.

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Aisha fahmy palace from the inside. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Wide view for a sitting room in Aisha Fahmy Palace. (Photo credit: Egyptian Geographic Page)

Aisha Fahmy Palace consists of two floors. The first floor consists of 6 rooms, and a large hall in the middle of which is a statue called the thinker, and it contains several paintings, including the painting of a harp player by Santer. The palace features a charming view of the Nile, and it contains several paintings by foreign art-

Soheir Abdel Hamid, a researcher in the history of Egyptian palaces, pointed out that the palace witnessed many events between stories of marriage, divorce, murder and betrayal as if it had put a curse on its owners. ists, including a painting of a war battle and another of the Colossi of Memnon. On the second floor, there are many rooms of special archaeological style, including the Japanese room which was dedicated to Aisha Fahmy and designed for her. In this room, there are some Japanese words and pictures engraved on the walls. The palace also includes a private dressing room as well as bathrooms which are distinguished by the heater that worked with gas. All indicate the presence of complete luxury enjoyed by Aisha Fahmy at that time.

Princess Aisha Fahmy.

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‘No Sudden Move’ is the Car Movie of the Summer Sometimes It’s Not Just the Destination or the Journey, But the Detours By Justin Chang One of the slyer jokes in “No Sudden Move,” Steven Soderbergh’s smart, insouciantly twisty thriller set in 1954 Detroit, is how little some of its characters know about cars. The plot hinges

on a document coveted by some of the city’s biggest auto manufacturers, but the various lowlifes hired to steal it are, with one notable exception, happily ignorant of its contents. At one point a gangster mistakes a Cadillac convertible for a catalytic converter, a mistake he’ll pay for sym-

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Don Cheadle, left, and Benicio Del Toro in Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move,” released last week on HBO Max. (TNS)

bolically when two men shove him into the trunk of a vintage Hudson. (This moment could be a nod to “Goodfellas” — the gangster in question is played by Ray Liotta — or to Soderbergh’s 1998 Detroit-set classic, “Out of Sight.”) But while that document might be indecipherable to most, it wouldn’t be accurate to call it a MacGuffin. Unlike most throwaway plot devices, this one is rooted in actual history and its closely guarded secrets will have significant, potentially devastating implications — industrial, sociopolitical, environmental. Those implications are of particular interest to Soderbergh, whose playful sensibility often conceals a deeper rigor about real-world specifics. As in some of his recent big-business milieus — the sports agent industry in “High Flying Bird,” the global shell-company hustle in “The Laundromat” — his vision of ‘50s Detroit is both a simulacrum and a labyrinth, the staging area for a precisiontooled parable of late-capitalist vice and venality. Cars drive the narrative in more than one sense. The executive suites of General Motors, Ford and Studebaker-Packard figure prominently in Ed Solomon’s keenly intelligent screenplay, while some of the most important developments — assignations and getaways, schemings and whackings — take place behind the wheel. The vehicles, popping out amid Hannah Beachler’s richly burnished ‘50s production design, are lavished with loving visual attention, their bulbous bodies and gleaming pastel finishes sometimes taking on funhouse-mirror distortions as they cruise through Soderbergh’s wide-angle images. (The director shot and edited the picture under his usual pseudonyms, Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard, respectively.) Fortunately, the people driving those cars are just as interesting, which may be what distinguishes “No Sudden Move” from “F9: The Fast Saga” as the finest automotive thriller of the season. (Unlike “F9,” however, Soderbergh’s movie is being released on HBO Max and won’t be showing in theaters.) Among the most intriguing are a pair of world-weary hoodlums, Curt Goynes (Don Cheadle) and Ronald Russo (Benicio Del Toro), plucked from the city’s warring Black and Italian criminal factions and hired for a lucrative if exceedingly odd job. Their task is to “babysit” the

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Cars drive the narrative in more than one sense. The executive suites of General Motors, Ford and Studebaker-Packard figure prominently in Ed Solomon’s keenly intelligent screenplay, while some of the most important developments take place behind the wheel. family of a corporate drone named Matt Wertz (David Harbour, making flop sweat interesting) while he fetches the aforementioned papers from a safe at the office. Like so many arrangements involving masked men, drawn guns and a terrified wife (Amy Seimetz) and kids (Noah Jupe and Lucy Holt), the plan goes violently awry in no time. A darker conspiracy looms, forcing Goynes and Russo into an uneasy partnership as they try to avoid becoming bounty fodder and score a potentially huge payday. Cheadle and Del Toro, both Soderbergh veterans, give emotional form to two distinct states of desperation; they maintain a nicely combative rapport that draws you in but also keeps you on your toes. From there, the tricky side hustles and devious reversals multiply almost by the minute as the two men try to maintain the advantage over whoever may be hunting them (and also, of course, over each other). Their allies and rivals include a hulking Brendan Fraser, a trigger-happy Kieran Culkin, a fabulously dressed Bill Duke and a surly Liotta. Jon Hamm, no stranger to a fedora, turns up as an unflappable police detective (and makes a forgivably anachronistic reference to “The $64,000 Question,” which wouldn’t hit the airwaves until 1955). There are also dark-suited movers and shakers played by Hugh Maguire, Kevin Scollin and one

actor whose identity, like most of the story’s late revelations, shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention. That’s a lot of men behaving badly, though happily Soderbergh, fresh off last year’s splendid Meryl Streep-Dianne-Wiest-Candice Bergen boat trip in “Let Them All Talk,” remains one of the most casually and consistently gender-egalitarian American directors of his generation. The ‘50s setting may account for why most of the women are housewives, mistresses or secretaries (some are two out of three), but nearly all of them make the most of — and sometimes even

The noirish cynicism of “No Sudden Move” suggests a grim tonal and moral reversal of his earlier ensemble thrillers, chiefly the “Ocean’s” movies and the marvelous, underappreciated “Logan Lucky.”

subvert — the conventionally supportive, straitjacketed roles they’ve been assigned. No one does this more fully or efficiently than Seimetz (a key force on the Soderbergh-produced series “The Girlfriend Experience”) as Mary Wertz, who shames her caddish husband several times by handling a terrifying situation with impossible wit and courage. Like Lauren LaStrada, who lights up one bittersweet scene as a sympathetic figure from Goynes’ past, Seimetz needs only moments to sketch a character you’d gladly follow into a movie of her own. Close behind them are Julia Fox (so good in “Uncut Gems”) and Frankie Shaw as two women who are involved with men patently unworthy of them — and who prove far more aware of it than those men may realize. If corporate backstabbing and mob double-crossing form the narrative engine of “No Sudden Move,” romantic betrayal provides the lubricant; the James M. Cain-style plot turns on not one but two instances of marital infidelity. The result is a ride that feels smooth and bumpy in all the right places. You are pulled along by the seductive glide of Soderbergh’s filmmaking, by the jazzy riffs of David Holmes’ score and

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In this handout photo provided by A.M.P.A.S., Steven Soderbergh attends the 93rd Annual Academy Awards at Union Station on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty)

(L-R) Bill Duke, Don Cheadle, Julia Fox, Amy Seimetz, Steven Soderbergh, Jon Hamm and Benicio Del Toro attend the “No Sudden Move” premiere during the 2021 Tribeca Festival at Battery Park on June 18, 2021 in New York City. (Getty)

the suavity of the camerawork, only to be jolted into high alertness by the nasty, bloody surprises in Solomon’s script. While Soderbergh’s mastery of the crime caper can hardly be doubted at this point, the noirish cynicism of “No Sudden Move” suggests a grim tonal and moral reversal of his earlier ensemble thrillers, chiefly the “Ocean’s” movies and the marvelous, underappreciated “Logan Lucky.” Rather than leaving behind a warm glow of camaraderie, the movie’s trapdoor-springing final scenes leave us pondering the vagaries of ill fortune, the futility of greed and a few bluntly articulated lessons about how capitalism builds and destroys. What it’s destroying in this particular slice of American history is a sizable chunk of Detroit’s Black population, continually subjected to racist housing policies and zoning laws. Goynes wants to use the spoils of this particular caper to redress some of those injustices, but there are limits to what he can accomplish, and also to what the filmmakers can illuminate in the course of a two-hour commercial entertainment. “No Sudden Move” does what it can to usher those hard truths into the light, particularly in one pointed scene set in a Black suburb that will soon be leveled to make room for a freeway. The moment

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What it’s destroying in this particular slice of American history is a sizable chunk of Detroit’s Black population, continually subjected to racist housing policies and zoning laws. sticks out like a sore thumb, and I mean that as a compliment. Sometimes it’s not just about the destination or the journey, but the detours.

‘NO SUDDEN MOVE’ Rated: R (for language throughout, some violence and sexual references) Running time: 1 hour, 56 minutes Playing: Now streaming on HBO Max This article was originally published on the Los Angeles Times.

Mahmoud Abbas: Loss of Legitimacy and Prestige Majalla Illustration by Ali Mandalawi Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is the head of the Palestinian National Authority as well as the Fatah Movement. He is currently facing a major challenge to his authority as his legitimacy is being disputed due to recent developments among which are his decision to delay the first Palestinian elections to be held in 15 years, his sidelined position on last Gaza war in May, and finally the recent crackdown by his security forces against his own people. All that has seen his popularity plummeting while support for Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers has grown. Earlier this month Palestinians took to streets demonstrating against Abbas and carrying placards proclaiming that The people want the fall of the regime, Abbas leave, No for political assassinations and other slogans denouncing the corruption of the Palestinian Authority (PA). That wave of anger erupted from Hebron through Bethlehem to Ramallah, following the killing of the 43-year-old human rights activist Nizar Banat, only hours after he was arrested by security forces and beaten to death, according to his family. Earlier, in April 2021, Abbas postponed planned elections amid a dispute over voting in Israeliannexed East Jerusalem and divisions in his Fatah party. He issued a presidential decree postponing the May 22 parliamentary and July 31 presidential elections. But many Palestinians regarded the Jerusalem issue as an excuse to avoid elections that Fatah might well lose to its Islamist rivals Hamas, as it did in the last parliamentary ballot in 2006. Moreover, the PA occasionally cracked down

on dissidents, including individuals who criticized Abbas on social media. In 2008 he quickly condemned Hamas for its role in a conflict with Israel while he was slow to condemn Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip. In 2017, after a reconciliation agreement with Hamas faltered, he imposed sanctions on the Gaza Strip which contributed to a humanitarian crisis there resulting from decade-long sanctions imposed by Israel and Egypt. Abbas was born in the village of Safed in Palestine when it was under the British Mandate and then moved to Syria, where he enrolled at the University of Damascus. He later relocated to Cairo to study law, after which he headed to Moscow to obtain his PhD in history. During his exile in Qatar in the late fifties, Abu Mazen contributed to the recruitment of a group of Palestinians who, in subsequent years, became key figures in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Alongside Yasser Arafat, Abu Mazen founded the Fatah Movement and accompanied him into exile in Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. In the early years of the movement’s emergence, Abu Mazen became a respected figure because of the simplicity of his life and the cleanliness of his record. Abu Mazen remained behind the scenes but also established a strong network of contacts with Arab leaders and heads of intelligence services. As a result, he successfully became a Palestinian ambassador who procured donations for the PLO. He assumed an important security role in the early 1970s before being appointed Director of the PLO’s National and International Relations Section in 1980. Abu Mazen was seen as a moderate figure as

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he was among the main Palestinian leaders who opened a dialogue with the Jewish left-wing and peace movements in Israel during the difficult years of the 1970s, before negotiations began between Israel and the Palestinians. He was widely regarded as the architect of the Oslo Accords, and he accompanied Yasser Arafat on his visit to the White House in 1993 to sign the Oslo Accords. As chairman of Fatah, Abbas has received criticism for filling the Central Committee with close allies, and forcing out rivals like Mohammed Dahlan and Farouk Kaddoumi. As PA president, following the Fatah-Hamas split in 2007, he was accused of eroding democratic institutions, weakening the judiciary, and entrenching the PA’s authoritarian policies. As PLO chairman, he has kept a tight grip over the Executive Committee, marginalized non-Fatah parties, and neglected the PLO’s ties to the Palestinian refugee camps. Abbas faced criticism throughout his presidency for his authoritarianism and neglect of the Gaza Strip. Apart from ruling by presidential decree after he dismissed the legislature in 2007, he remained president long after his term expired, at first claiming he should stay an extra year in order to hold presidential and legislative elections simultaneously. But elections were continually delayed because the PA could not hold elections throughout all the Palestinian territories. Another criticism focused on the PA forces’ security coordination with Israeli troops, targeting Hamas and other armed groups that threaten both. The policy is deeply unpopular with Palestinians, many of whom view it as collaboration with an occupying power.

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Russian Designer Gives Hijabis Unique Style with Russian Touch Vera Zolotareva Speaks to Majalla on Her Design Journey By Menna A. Farouk

in love with the country. “On my trip, I got acquainted with a young Egyptian A Russian Muslim designer is giving a unique, exotic man through the Internet, and the story developed bestyle to hijabis in Egypt with colorful clothes, bags tween us quickly, so I returned to travel to Egypt,” and accessories that unite both Egyptian and Russian Vera said. The young man received her and took her to visit his design tastes. “For me, design is a profession that is about life, family and she lived with them for days, until she announced her conversion to Islam. colors and joy,” Vera Zolotareva told Majalla. “I am also not for designing traditional clothes. I love In a family ceremony, she married the young Egyppeople to look unique with their clothing style,” Zolo- tian man who was working as a professor at an Egyptian university. tareva said. Since her childhood, Zolotareva has been noted for The Russian fashion designer decided to wear the hiher talent in arranging fabrics and making dresses. jab, and then suddenly Vera went back to her passion Her grandfather nurtured her innate talent and gave again and started her new journey in oriental fashion her a sewing machine on her tenth birthday, and that design with a Russian touch on Facebook. machine became the family’s livelihood after several years. Vera was the one who supported her family and her small machine became their refuge. She used to make clothes for her family as well as sheets, curtains and small furnishings. The matter did not stop there, as Vera supported her family by selling these products to neighbors and relatives. Vera studied fashion design at a Russian university and learned the arts of sewing and embroidery until her name rose to fame in Russia. She became a fashion designer for the Russian opera and the famous Bolshoi Ballet.

JOURNEY TO EGYPT Going on a vacation to Hurghada and Luxor, Vera fell

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Russian fashion designer Vera Zolotareva working at her house in New Cairo on July 3, 2021. (Photo by Menna A. Farouk)

In her designs, Vera combines Arab modesty and Russian originality. “The general lines of the clothing culture are the same in both worlds. Highlighting beauty is not achieved through nakedness, but is quite the opposite. Beauty lies in covering, which is the goal in all my designs.” Vera believes that fashion should be different from what one can see on the streets, saying that simplicity and uniqueness are the secret to modern fashion’s priorities.

The Russian designer believes that fashion should be different from what one can see on the streets, saying that simplicity and uniqueness are the secret to modern fashion’s priorities.

CUSTOMIZED FASHION Vera deals with customers in a very different way than do other designers. “I get to know everything about the lifestyle of the customer and then I decide which clothes and accessories she should wear,” Vera said. “I believe that people should not wear clothes from the shops. People need to buy high-quality distinctive clothes at affordable prices,” she added. The fashion industry has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic as production has ceased and retailers have closed because demand has plummeted. Indeed, clothing sales declined by 34 percent in March 2020 as much of the world’s population

was unable to travel abroad or even socialize amid lockdown restrictions. Vera also said that amid the coronavirus pandemic people started to look for new trendy things to wear instead of the traditional clothes. “I believe that this economic situation is going to last for some time and the new fashion trend is going to grow among young women,” she added. Vera hopes that her brand gets more popular and she can be a fashion consultant for celebrities. “I find many faults in the clothing of some celebrities and I really hope that I can tell them as a consultant how they can resolve these errors,” the fashion designer said.

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Egyptian Handball Legend Reveals Hopes for National Team in Tokyo Brilliance of Egypt’s Handball on Display Throughout Past Three decades By Sarah Gamal Any player would aspire to be famous and special in the world of sports, but who can dare to imagine being an immortal legend in everyone›s minds and hearts over the course of time. Champions whose names are written in gold by achieving sports records remain present in our minds, and their memory and history continue to speak of them. Hussein Zaki is considered one of the most prominent legends in the history of Egyptian handball, with his career with Zamalek, the

Egyptian national team and some European clubs, led by Real Sociedad and Real Zaragoza of Spain, in addition to a successful professional station in the Asian continent with the Qatari club Al Sadd. Hussein Zaki, nicknamed “Concorde”, soared in the Egyptian handball sky and set many records, top of which was becoming the top scorer of the Egyptian national team throughout his history and his participation in the African Nations Cup with 221 goals. Hussein Zaki is also the historical top scorer for Egypt in the Olympic Games with 77 goals.

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Egypt›s players sing their national anthem ahead of the 2021 World Men›s Handball Championship match between Group G teams Sweden and Egypt at the Cairo Stadium Sports Hall in the Egyptian capital on January ,18 2021. (Getty)

The -42year-old Concorde bid farewell to the stadiums and ended his journey as a player in 2013. Recently, he came back to hold a technical position of training the Zamalek leading the team to snatching the league title last season. «Concorde» spoke to Majalla about his memories with the Egyptian national team in the Olympic Games and gave advice to the Pharaohs before Tokyo Games: Zaki said: «I saw the challenge in everyone›s eyes, and this gave me good energy and great motivation. I have a record during my participation with the Egyptian national team in the Olympics.» he added. “I will be happy if someone from the current generation succeeds in breaking my scoring.”, he continued. Zaki concluded his speech with: “I expect the Egyptian handball team to create an achievement in Tokyo. We have players at the highest level and a distinguished technical staff. All Egyptians motivate you to achieve something memorable, so be responsible.» It is noteworthy that Egypt have been drawn in a tough looking Group B in Tokyo and will go head-to-head with Denmark and Sweden once more this summer, while also facing a rising young threat in Portugal, hosts Japan, and Asian qualifiers Bahrain. Egyptian national handball team for men is trying to write its own modern version by becoming the first non-European team to step onto an Olympic podium at the Tokyo Olympics. Winning a medal at Tokyo Olympics wouldn›t just be an iconic moment

Hussein Zaki (Facing) of Egypt takes a shot at goal as Russian players Alexander Chernoivanov (R) and Dmitry Kovalev defend during their 2008 Olympics Games Men›s handball match on August 2008 ,12, in Beijing. (Getty)

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“I expect the Egyptian handball team to create an achievement in Tokyo. We have players at the highest level and a distinguished technical staff,” Zaki said. in handball as the first non-European team to make the podium - breaking the spell of European domination over the sport - they would also become the first national Egyptian side to make the podium in any team sport. The Olympic Games witnessed the brilliance of the Egyptian handball team thanks to a large number of its stars during this millennium, led by Hussein Zaki, the historical scorer of the Pharaohs in the Olympics with 77 goals, as well as Ashraf Awad and the two giant goalkeepers Hamada Al-Naqeeb and Hamada Al-Rubi, in addition to Amr Al-Juyoushi and Hassan Yousry, as well as Ahmed AlAhmar, the current generation leader of the Pharaohs’ descendants team, and a group of distinguished players. The Egyptian handball team’s first participation was in Barcelona 1992, then in Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and finally the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Also, the Egyptian team is the first Arab and African team to reach the semi-finals of team sport, after reaching the semi-finals of Mundial France 2001 after the Russian bear was ousted from the quarterfinals. The Egyptian team succeeded in achieving sixth place as its best achievement in the Olympic Games at the level of handball, in Atalanta 1996 and Beijing in 2008. The Crowned African champions in January 2020 before the Coronavirus crisis hit, booked their place at the Tokyo Games, and the way they exited the Worlds a year later in Cairo has just made them more determined to prove themselves.

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Fostering Healthy Relationships

Stressful Interpersonal Connections May Lead to Health Problems

By Kelly Bilodeau

However, while positive relationships can boost health, the opposite is often true when it comes to problematic If the pandemic has taught us anything, it›s the impor- relationships. Chronic emotional stress may put you at tance of social ties and human connections. Not only do higher risk for a number of health problems. they improve your emotional well-being, but they can A study published March 2, 2021, in the Journal of the American Heart Association, for example, found that bring physical benefits. «Having nurturing relationships is protective of mental women who reported having high levels of social strain health and overall brain health,» says Dr. Jennifer Gatch- were more likely to have a heart attack or die of carel, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medi- diovascular disease during nearly 15 years of follow-up than women who did not. To determine this, researchcal School.

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ers asked women how many people in their life irritated them, were too demanding of them, excluded them, or tried to «coerce» them in their daily life. Based on their answers, the women were categorized as having low, medium, or high social strain. Those who scored in the high category were 9% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than women who scored in the low category. Another 2019 study, published by the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, found that women who reported high levels of social stress had lower bone density six years later. The authors speculated that stress may harm bone health because stress raises blood cortisol levels, which may be linked to bone thinning. Troubled ties with others may also lead to other physical or mental health problems.

Couple arguing on sofa. (Getty)

While positive relationships can boost health, the opposite is often true when it comes to problematic relationships. Chronic emotional stress may put you at higher risk for a number of health problems.

TIPS FOR HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIPS Do your part to help form healthy relationships with othDEFINING A DIFFICULT RELAers by practicing some good habits, says Dr. Jennifer TIONSHIP Gatchel, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. A stress-inducing relationship can be one with a partner, Be an empathetic listener. Practice paying close attention a family member, a friend, or a professional colleague. when someone is speaking to you, and take the time to People may find themselves at odds with others for many understand what the person is saying. «This can often be reasons. The pandemic and political polarization that has done by reflecting back some of their statements to them, occurred in recent years may be exacerbating factors for to reinforce that you have gotten the point and that they some, says Dr. Gatchel. Relationship stress is often par- are being heard,» says Dr. Gatchel. ticularly challenging for people who are in a role as care- Share the spotlight. When someone is talking to you taker for a child, ailing adult relative, or partner. about a problem, keep the focus on them; avoid turning it «Caring for a spouse or a loved one can lead to increased into a discussion about an issue that you might be facing. stress, which puts you at risk for depression or physical Stay calm. If you can, keep calm during discussions to health problems if the you don›t feel supported,» says ensure that they are constructive rather than destructive. Dr. Gatchel. If you aren›t able to stay calm in the moment, step back and ask to revisit the conversation later when you are in IDENTIFYING A TOXIC TREND a better place. HALT. Remember the acronym HALT. When you are While your relationships with others may seem like they upset about something, first ask yourself if you are hunare outside of your control, there are things you can do gry, angry, lonely, or tired. If so, «halt» in order to first to take them in a more positive direction, Dr. Gatchel address those needs, and then revisit the problem. says. The first step is identifying a problematic dynamic. Interact in person. Sometimes a stressful relationship A trying relationship typically comes with some warning can be made worse by social media. People may have signs, she says. These include more aggressive confrontations online than they do in feeling burned out or depleted after interactions person. «I would say in general, limit social media exhaving negative thoughts about the relationship posure,» says Dr. Gatchel. Reducing time online encourfeeling like the relationship is imbalanced -- that one per- ages direct communication, either in person, by phone, son gives or takes more than the other or on video, which can often be far less contentious than feeling that you are not valued or respected by the other words spoken from behind a keyboard, such as in text person. messages. Look at the patterns of the relationship over time. Has it Emphasize the positive. «Research increasingly supports been more take than give? Is it stressful? «If you recog- associations between intentional practices of gratitude nize those signs in yourself, it›s a red flag to take a closer and positive mental health, which can extend to imlook,» she says. proved relationships,» says Dr. Gatchel. Such practices

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can include getting into the habit of writing down two or three specific things that you are grateful for each day. «These things can include anything, including a positive interaction with a friend or partner,» she says. «If so, don›t be shy about sharing it or making a point of expressing this appreciation to the person.»

MAKING A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER If you do determine that a relationship is detrimental, that doesn›t mean you necessarily have to cut ties with the person, but you will need to make some changes. Establish boundaries. If there is a person in your life who is difficult, setting boundaries can help put the relation-

You should also take steps to mitigate the stress you are experiencing as a result of unhealthy interactions with others. Practice self-care. Make time for physical activity, mindfulness relaxation practices, and activities that you enjoy.

ship back on track. You can be there for someone and still establish limits, so that the relationship isn›t so taxing. While burnout is common in caregiver relationships, it›s a feature of other relationships as well. For example, it may stem from a friendship with someone who is in constant need of emotional support, which may feel draining. Solve the issue by setting clear limits. If the friend calls with a problem, establish a time to discuss it, rather than always jumping the second she calls. «You can express concern; say, ‹I›m sorry to hear that, and about what you are going through. I can›t talk right now, but can I give you a call tonight or this weekend to talk about it,›» says Dr. Gatchel. If you have differences with someone, setting boundaries can also make certain that you aren›t forced outside of your comfort zone. This might occur if a friend calls and asks you for a favor you don›t feel comfortable performing. «You would have to evaluate if you feel safe and comfortable with that. If not, be clear that you want to help them, but you›ll need to do that in another way,» says Dr. Gatchel. Prioritize your own well-being. Establishing boundaries with a child, grandchild, spouse, or other family member can be more challenging than it is with a friend. In these instances, it may be more about designating space for yourself to recharge and reset. This is something that many people have been unable to do during the pandemic. «People were being asked to do more than they ever would and had to maintain a marathon pace for a really long time,» says Dr. Gatchel.

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A grandmother comforts her upset grandchild. (Getty)

Silhouette of couple fighting on smart phone screens. (Getty)

To get needed breaks, hire child care or enlist help from a professional, a friend, or a family member. Don›t underestimate your need to recharge. «There is only so much nonstop care that you can provide,» says Dr. Gatchel. It›s okay to ask for support. It›s like what flight attendants say before takeoff: put the oxygen mask on yourself before you then help someone else, says Dr. Gatchel. Protect your health. You should also take steps to mitigate the stress you are experiencing as a result of unhealthy interactions with others. Practice self-care. Make time for physical activity, mindfulness relaxation practices, and activities that you enjoy. Sometimes activities that tap into the senses, such as gardening, coloring, painting, or even something as simple as sorting beads can help you relax, says Dr. Gatchel. Also, be certain to make time for good friends who are a source of support for you. And pay attention to your physical needs. Try to get the right amount of sleep. «Sleep is central to mood, as well as your anxiety and energy level,» says Dr. Gatchel. The same is true of a healthy diet and getting enough physical activity. Achieve some distance. Sometimes when a relationship is no longer positive, taking a step back can help. For example, if you have a friend who doesn›t make you feel valued or who is critical or negative, you might want to continue the friendship, but take a closer look to see if it should occupy less of your time. “Friendships change, relationships change, circumstances change,» says Dr. Gatchel. «Investing less in some relationships is normal even if you›re not clear why you›re having negative feelings toward that person.»

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Sometimes a stressful relationship can be made worse by social media. People may have more aggressive confrontations online than they do in person. Open the lines of communication. Depending on the relationship, you can sometimes address problems directly. «Just be open with them about it,» says Dr. Gatchel. For example, if a relative doesn›t believe in getting vaccines and you do, it may be worth a conversation. The relationship at its core might not be problematic, but that topic puts you at odds. If you continue to disagree, setting boundaries about what you can and cannot discuss is one way to address these conflicts. When you are talking to someone about a tense subject, be certain to use positive communication strategies. «Use ‹I› statements,» says Dr. Gatchel. «For instance, ‹I›ve noticed that when we have this discussion, things seem to get heated.› And avoid using ‹you› statements that might sound more accusatory, such as ‹You always want to argue about this.›» Ultimately, these strategies can help put many relationships in a better place and protect you from health-harming strain.

ook Reviews

A Bosnian Genocide Survivor Issues a Wake-up Call “A True Story of Love, War and Survival” Told to Young Americans By Mohammad Ali Salih - Washington In 1992, Amra was a teenager in Bihac, Bosnia, just before the start of the Serbian military invasion of Bosnia. She didn’t know what was going to happen when her Serbian best friend told her at school that they couldn’t speak to each other anymore because the friend’s parents forbade this as Amra was a Muslim. Afterwards, waves of Muslim Bosnian refugees started arriving at Bihac, and teenaged Amra still didn’t know the details of what was happening. Then Serbian tanks arrived at Bihac and started shelling homes from a high point, including Amra’s house. That was when she realized that a war was going on. However, she still could not understand the extent and the implications of the war, or that it would continue for many years, resulting in the killing of tens of thousands of Bosnian Muslims by the Serbs. Almost 30 years later, Amra, now an associate professor at the Teachers College in Columbia University, New York, has realized the whole picture and published an emotional and heart-breaking book about what she didn’t know when she was a teenager, and what she knows now: “The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War and Survival.” Amra’s realizations and analysis were twofold: personal and academic. After moving to the US during the war in Bosnia, while at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, she studied, researched and wrote about the war. Later, at Columbia University, she obtained two masters degrees, in international affairs and international education, and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in international education. These degrees seem fitting with her life experience and need to understand how and why countries and societies fall apart, and what role education can help in rebuilding them. Her book’s personal experiences added to that, particularly how

she survived ethnic cleansing as well for more than a thousand days under the Serb military siege. She also describes that when she came to America in 1996, she added to her ambitions and dreams and after only three years, in 1999, she obtained a B.A. from Brown University. Writing in “The Huffington Post,” she acknowledged that “American values seem universal and unimpeachable: democracy, fair play, and hard work. We wonder how anyone

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“The book allowed me to really open a window for young people in America to this idea that hatred has consequences, hatred has a final destination, and that final destination is inevitably always violence.”

Author Amra Sabic-AlRayess. (Credit: Sabic-AlRayess’s FB page)

cannot hungrily embrace such obvious virtues.” But, not forgetting where she came from, she added “to a poor, forgotten person in a ravaged country, the simple helping hand and moral guidance of a caring mentor can prove far more persuasive.” But, Amra’s story was not only about the Bosnian death and the American dream. Her moral compass led her to question the morality of the American dream itself, particularly the morality of the US foreign policy, and particularly towards the Muslims. She wrote – “Rather than wage a hearts and minds battle with bombs and bombast from on high, America must engage with moderate Islamic communities” and “as a Bosnian genocide survivor – I do not want to just warn Americans but I want to scream from the rooftops that if we continue to dehumanize each other and opt for hate over social cohesion, we will soon find ourselves headed to an abyss on a suicidal train with no return ticket.” In 2020, as former president Donald Trump was flaming hate and divisiveness, she wrote, commenting on the increasing rightist militia activities: “The other day a shocking photo came across my Twitter feed. It showed a masked young man proudly holding his AK47- while wearing a “chetnik” – Serb nationalist – insignia. Serb forces wore the same insignia while eradicating Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) during the genocide

Book: “The Cat I Never Named: A True Story ”of Love, War and Survival Author: Amra Sabic-Al-Rayess Publisher: Bloomsbury, New York Print Pages: 366 Price: Hardcover: $18.39; Kindle: $8.53 61

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in the 1990s.” She added: “I cringed not only because I was one of those Bosnian Muslims, but because this time, the young man was not from my past but from the present. He was not a bearded Serb soldier in 1990s Bosnia and Herzegovina, but an American man standing in front of a manicured lawn on a United States street in 2020.” Actually, she said she decided to write this book after her youngest daughter became concerned that Muslims in America might be rounded up and taken away. “That was for me the critical moment that jolted me, made me realize that in some ways, I was abdicating my responsibility as a genocide survivor to share my story with the world,” she wrote. In the book, she wrote: “I spent 1,150 days living under the Serb military siege, cut off from the rest of the world, starving, losing many dear friends and family members that I had loved, simply because we were Muslim.” Why the title of the book, “The Cat I Never Named”? On a day when the Serbs were bombarding Bihac, a nameless refugee cat followed her home and she helped save her life. So the cat became the focus of her book about living through the war. She wrote that the cat “picked us as her family, adopted herself and became a really critical source of hope and love during the war when humans hated us,” she explained. “Whenever I got depressed or really sad about what my life at that time looked like, (the cat) was there.” As shown from the title of the book, Amra intended to address the world through young adults, and the book became appealing to both young and old adults. She had in her mind the future of her new country and the book “allowed me to really open a window for young people in America to this idea that hatred has consequences, hatred has a final destination, and that final destination is inevitably always violence.” Last year, she and her husband, Tamer El-Rayess, an Arab immigrant and a prominent New York financier, established a scholarship for students “who have sought refuge from their homelands …”