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Violence in Jerusalem Puts Arab-Israel Peace to Test

Since the beginning of Ramadan, acts of violence and political tensions have been on the rise in and around the holy sites of Jerusalem. The spirituality of the Muslim holy month, and its rare concurrence with Jewish and Christian celebrations of Pesach and Easter, respectively, did not prevent extremists from hijacking the holiday season to fuel religion-based hatred that perfectly serves and enhances their political agendas. Among the many terrible consequences expected out of the current security turmoil in Jerusalem is putting the newly found Arab-Israel peace trend under a tough test of durability.
A few days before the violence erupts in Jerusalem, Israeli and some Arab foreign ministers posed for a photo, wherein they appeared holding hands in a way that shows solidarity and affinity. The photo was taken at the conclusion of a historic two-day summit, that was held in Negev on March 27-28, to discuss regional action to deter the growing threats of Iran and its militia on the countries of the region, especially Israel and Arab Gulf countries. The summit, which was held a few kilometers away from the grave of David Ben Gurion, the founding father of Israel, brought together the foreign ministers of Israel, the United States (U.S.), Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for the first time ever.
As the U.S. Secretary Blinken noted later, that was a photo that no one would have thought possible a few months before. Indeed! It showed that the Middle East is going through a phase of political maturity, wherein the leaders of the region can effectively cooperate on realistic and pragmatic terms. However, the recent events in Jerusalem are clearly threatening the resilience and sustainability of this most-needed cooperation.
Immediately after the summit, a number of stabbing and shooting attacks against civilians in Tel Aviv were committed by terrorists, who later claimed their affiliation to the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists. Then, in the following week, deadly clashes between the Israeli military and Palestinians took place in the West Bank, when the Israeli army was leading a security sweeping in search for suspects. A few days after that, huge protests at Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Compound) in Jerusalem erupted, leading to deadly clashes between protesters and Israeli soldiers. Up till the moment of writing this article, in the last week of Ramadan, the violence has not stopped.
The current security chaos, especially in Jerusalem, is putting the Israeli government in an unenviable position, either before the Israeli citizens or before Israel’s regional and international allies. If nothing else, it renews the unpleasant controversy about the authenticity and sustainability of the emerging trend of peace between leading Arab countries and Israel. That is despite the sincere efforts of the Israeli coalition government to include all factions in the political process and fix worn ties with its neighbors in the Middle East region.
On the domestic level, Bennett-Lapid government is faced with criticism from the far-right political groups for not taking a strict action against the groups that initiated these protests. The government is careful not to encourage the eruption of a new war similar to the one that took place in Ramadan/May of 2021 and led to the killing of hundreds within only eleven days.
In an interview with CNN, Bennett explained the situation of his government as follows: “My responsibility as Prime Minister of Israel is to provide freedom of prayer to everyone in Jerusalem, including Muslims, which is why I had to send in policemen to remove the rioters. And it worked. Indeed, 80,000 Muslims went on later to pray peacefully. So, you know, when faced with violence, you have to act tough.”
Simultaneously, the United Arab List (Raam Party), which represents Arab Israelis in the coalition government, are clearly taking the side of the Palestinians. Last week, Raam decided to suspend its participation in the coalition government, to protest the injury of 150 Palestinians at the Temple Mount. Raam Party is also threatening to completely withdraw from the government if the turmoil continues, which will threaten the coherence of the Bennett-Lapid government as a whole.
On the regional level, the violence at the Temple Mount stirred a heated reaction from several Arab leaders, including signatories of the Abraham Accords like the UAE, as well as Israel’s closest neighbors and allies – Egypt and Jordan. The UAE airlines withdrew from participation in the show scheduled to celebrate Israel’s Independence Day, last week. Meanwhile, UAE and Jordan, separately summoned the Israeli ambassadors to each of their countries to declare their denunciation of the violence in Al-Aqsa Compound.
A few days ago, UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and Egypt’s President El-Sisi held an urgent meeting in Cairo to discuss the violence in Jerusalem. The three leaders concluded the meeting with a statement condemning violence in Al-Aqsa Mosque and “stressing the need to stop any practices that violate the sanctity of the holy mosque and change the status quo there in addition to avoiding escalation and calming the situation.”
Most importantly, though, is that the statement clearly noted that the success of regional normalization between Arab countries and Israel is conditional to calming the Israel-Palestinian conflict and realizing domestic peace in Israel first. “The region is in need for peace, stability and cooperation in order to promote peace and development and ultimately achieve the aspirations of the peoples of the region for progress and prosperity.”
Nevertheless, the important lesson to learn from the current security turmoil in Jerusalem and the Sheikh Jarrah events of last year is that, the euphoria created by human love replacing decades of political animosity should not blind us from the fact that the core of the disagreement that kept Arabs and Israelis in conflict for decades is still open. That is the Israel-Palestinian conflict. As long as this conflict continues to exist, any efforts for long-term peace between Arabs and Israelis will remain fragile.
BY: Dalia Ziada
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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