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Is the Hamas claim of “victory” justified?

Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) leader in the Gaza Strip, was quick to declare victory after the ceasefire with Israel came into effect on May 21 with the help of Egypt and the belated encouragement of the US. Haniyeh declared that the fight against Israel will continue until the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem is liberated. “Israel’s defeat in the Gaza war will have major consequences for its future,” he explained.
It was a revealing claim that said more about Hamas’ own ambitions than acknowledging the reality of the most intractable and asymmetrical conflict in the Middle East or perhaps the world. Even as Haniyeh made his statement last Friday clashes were continuing between Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers around Al-Aqsa.
It was Hamas’ decision, on May 10, to fire missiles into Israel as a reaction to escalating confrontations in Jerusalem that led to this latest round of fighting, which has captured unusual global attention and underlined the urgency of dealing with this ongoing crisis and not simply reverting to the status quo.
Hamas alone, of course, does not bear full responsibility. Israel’s unilateral annexation of East Jerusalem, which was controversially recognized by President Donald Trump in 2018, was enormously damaging, along with the illegal settlements it has relentlessly built there and across the West Bank since its victory in 1967.
But the Islamist movement that took over Gaza in 2007 and has ruled it for the last 13 years has not served its two million people well. Nearly 250 dead in 11 days – including 66 children – are a stark reminder of that, as is the damage inflicted by Israel on housing, the ability to deal with the covid pandemic, infrastructure and electricity supplies.
And of course the latest round has done nothing to ease the blockade of the Gaza Strip – maintained by both Israel and Egypt since Hamas’ rule began. Palestinian teenagers living in the enclave have almost certainly never left it. And their parents’ generation have to struggle with 47% unemployment.
Not that the Palestinian Authority, under Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, is also without blame. Just before this flare-up began Abbas postponed legislative assembly and presidential elections. He used the excuse of Israel not allowing East Jerusalem Palestinian residents (40% of the city’s population) to vote, but in reality he feared rivals and especially Hamas performing better than his Fatah movement.
Abbas is widely seen by Palestinians as corrupt, self-serving and collaborating with Israel by security coordination with it in the framework of the Oslo Accords of 1993, which should have been an interim agreement but have become a permanent feature. Still, the PLO continues to recognize Israel whereas Hamas refuses to do that.
The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, remains keen to exploit and perpetuate the bitter divisions between Ramallah and Gaza. He has been criticized by his own security officials who argue that it was a grave mistake to allow Qatar to finance Hamas – ostensibly to help Gaza’s civilian population.
And “Bibi” may also have benefited personally and politically from this savage episode. Facing corruption charges, he failed to form a government after the last (fourth round in two years) inconclusive elections in March but the other potential prime minister, Yair Lapid, has not succeeded either – because he had counted on a Palestinian party to take part in his coalition and that is no longer likely because of the rise in Arab-Jewish tensions.
So Netanyahu is likely to remain interim prime minister for now – with the possibility of a fifth election in the coming months. That means that Israel’s domestic rivalries and competing agendas are likely to complicate intensifying international efforts to intervene.
As for President Joe Biden – always keen to differentiate his style and policies from Trump – he needs to take into account the shifting views amongst the Democratic Party, which are less tolerant towards Israel and view it increasingly as an apartheid state deserving of boycott, sanctions and mounting American and international pressure. Attitudes amongst American Jews are changing too, largely thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, reaching the conclusion the Palestinian lives matter too.
Arab countries are also responsible for what has just happened. Egypt exploited its role by highlighting on state propaganda the achievement of President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi and his “present” of $500 million to the people of Gaza – who also suffer from his blockade. Jordan, which also has a long-standing peace treaty with Israel, faced angry protests from its Palestinian population.
The Abraham Accords of last year, signed by the UAE and Bahrain, and followed by “normalization” agreements with Israel from Sudan and Morocco, look increasingly irrelevant to dealing with the core of the conflict. This Gaza episode makes it far less likely that other Arab and Muslim countries will follow suit, thus avoiding validating Netanyahu’s argument of “peace for peace” instead of “land for peace.”
Neither side will be able to claim a resounding victory until this conflict is permanently resolved with self-determination and justice - for both Palestinians and Israelis, doomed by history to somehow share the same land between the river and the sea.
by: IAN BLACK
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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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