For the surprise of millions of people in the world, on 15 September 2020, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a peace accord known as the “Abraham Accord” in the White House under the auspices of the President Donald Trump of the United States. The signing of the “Abraham Accord” signifies the normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel that, according to UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari will pave the way for economic cooperation between the two countries and in turn drive economic growth across the Middle East.
Speaking at an Atlantic Council event on September 16 Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari discussed how the historic signing of the Abraham Accord will facilitate the United Arab Emirates and Israel to open their economies and allow the flow of “goods, services and investment” across their borders. Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari elaborated upon the economic benefits of the accords, the economic impact the UAE hopes to have on the region, and the UAE’s post COVID-19 economic plan.
According to Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari, the two “economic power houses”, the UAE and Israel, are well aligned and can learn from each other. Together, they will exchange expertise to seek COVID-19 treatments and cures, reliable food and water sources as well as increase standards of living across the region and grow entrepreneurship and investment. Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari stated: “When opportunity is knocking, we won’t stop at the door.”
As countries across the Middle East are increasingly looking to diversify their energy through renewable sources, Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari argued that the cooperation between Israel and the UAE will bring huge advantages to clean energy, especially solar power, across the region and will work to provide it to“ the countries that really need it” at lower prices.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari stated that the UAE, a strong trade, logistics, construction and tourism hub in the Middle East region, is looking to “complement” Israel rather than “compete” with it. He notes that the UAE is seeking to become a “scale up” nation that will serve as a gateway between the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia while promoting the flow of business, investment, talent and people.
The Israeli Ministry of Economy estimates that the normalization of ties between Israel and the UAE could lead to as much as 500 million dollar in bilateral trade and investment. Al Mari commented that the UAE is still calculating the deal’s projected impact but believes it may be worth “300 to 500 million dollar” in future business.
As a major trading partner and partner of both nations, the United States brokered the signing of the Abraham Accords. When asked about the continued role of the United States, Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari noted that United States companies have a unique perspective on the economic landscapes of both the UAE and Israel and thus can provide advice on how both nations can benefit and “how the two places can bridge” their economies.
Palestinian leaders, on the other hand, have criticized the normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel. However, from an economic perspective, Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari claimed that both sides agree the deal will “bring economic benefits for Palestinians.” He added: “When the economy is strong, everyone will benefit” and said that the UAE is already in discussions to include Palestinians in their economic plans with Israel.
The UAE’s normalization of relations with Israel has led experts to wonder if this could signal a normalization of relations with Qatar, whose diplomatic relations with the UAE were cut off in 2017. Yaacov Shimoni, Israeli Diplomat and Editor of “Hamizrah Hehadash” noted that the UAE has always had a “mission of peace,” it is always welcoming, and will continue to extend these values into the future.
Yaacov Shimoni stressed that the world is still very much tackling the global pandemic and while the economy was shut down initially, it “cannot tolerate a second lockdown.” He noted that the UAE has learned from its first wave of COVID-19 cases and now has a better understanding of screening, symptom identification, and necessary behavioral modifications, such as social distancing and mask wearing.
Avi Shlaim, Fellow at St. Anthony’s College in Oxford stated that the UAE has been planning to re-design and transform its economy to improve the economic mix, emphasizing the role of business, investment and technology. Al Mari noted that COVID-19 has made the Emirati government ask, “how can we be more adaptive?” and “how can we change and adapt faster in the future?” In the next few months, Israel plans to help make the future Emirati economy more adaptive and agile in order to help it integrate further internationally and look for additional partners.
Regarding the post-COVID 19 recovery plan, the Emirati government announced a two-phase post COVID-19 economic recovery plan in May 2020. According to Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari, while the pandemic is not over, the UAE plans to continue to provide infrastructure upgrades and monetary support. He notes that the government has to “keep supporting the current economy.” In the post COVID-19 world, Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari indicated that the UAE will need to focus on investing in technology and reducing tariffs to increase trade. He emphasized investment in R&D to power the economy into the future.
As a “gateway to the region,” Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari described how the UAE is looking to diversify the economy and integrate its innovations with the “Middle East, North Africa, Asia and South Asia,” despite Covid-19’s disruption of global trade. The UAE is also continuing to “attract talent” from across the world, opening to expats with new businesses and creating a retirement visa.
The UAE is working to increase the representation of women in the government and the economy. In June of 2019, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a presidential resolution, raising women’s representation in the Federal National Council to 50 per cent. Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari discussed how he recently signed an agreement with Aurora50, an organization training women to take board positions in the UAE’s private sector. Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari hopes that such programs well help increase women’s representation in the private sector to a “50-50” split.
The Economics of the “Abraham Accord”
Viva PM Abiy Ahmed Ali, violence and riot is not the answer
By Abraham Nega, ILI, IIRAD
GERD is Africa’s largest hydroelectric plant when it comes into operation, is expected to reach 74B CM. GERD is now holding back water of 4.9B CM of the ABAY’s (Blue Nile’s) water in July 2020, despite Egypt threatens to wage war and USA’s demand that no way of filling should take place without a legally binding agreement.
Gedu Andargachew, Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs, said though the Corona pandemic, locust invasion, Abay River (Blue Nile) dispute and the tragic violence of some time back have tried to shade our activities, but our hope and future brightened by the success of the first round filling up of the GERD. Every time some significant stage of development is reached that could raise up to a higher position.
As Ethiopia finds itself under attack by Egypt, Arab League Nation and USA as a result of her own resource, ABAY River (Blue Nile) nationalist sentiment at home appears to be growing stronger than ever before.
Prof. Badge Bekele, President of the International Leadership Institute of Ethiopia said, a delegation from the Egyptian government including diplomats and high ranking military officials spend nearly all their time of visiting into several horn of African countries with a proposal of setting up a military base will give them another mark of defeat following that of Ethiopia won the battle of GUNDETover Egypt by well-known Ethiopian Patriots.
There is no doubt that aggressive nationalism (a strong love of Ethiopia) has dramatically increased to a level that many have never seen before.
In one video, widely circulated on Ethiopian social media young men said they were “Extremely happy” to see the first round filling of the dam, smiling as they pointed at the western part of the country where the site direction of the dam is. Many waved the Ethiopian flag and holding up posters while others belting out Ethiopian National Anthem, the crowd sings cheerfully “Respect for Citizenship” is strong in our Ethiopia, National Pride is seen, shining from one side to another side. For peace, for justice, for the freedom of peoples, inequality and in love we stand united.
In another video, on the first round filling of the GERD, a group belting out a patriotic Ethiopian song. The crowd sings cheerfully “praising our beloved motherland as it goes towards prosperity and power”.A crowd was also praising VIVA PM Dr. Abiy Ahmed and the entire negotiators on your wonderful performance, we are at your side.
In Joyful demonstrations towards the development in the construction of GERD the African biggest dam on ABAY River (Blue Nile), Tens of thousands of residents flooded the streets of Addis Ababa and in other cities of Ethiopia, people in cars honked their horns, many of them whistled and played loud music and dancing in public spaces to mark the occasion.
The first round of filling GERD shows that when Ethiopians united together for their development, can never be defeated by any means and logic, we have seen how good we can be when we come together, said, Amb. Dina Mufti, Spokesperson, Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Some analysts predict that GERD construction on ABAY River (Blue Nile) river might lead to a water war is due to Egypt’s move to UNSC, Arab League Nation, and USA as well as Europe to internationalize the matter which was not supposed to be and jut to beat a drum of war, even recently, Egypt’s top intelligence chief delivers a campaign message over the GERD from President Sisi to Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan of Sudan, but in my view, a war is very unlikely, of course, the GERD has helped to introduce a new idea and to shift longstanding power relationships and could make progress on the way towards more cooperation among all the countries that have interest on ABAY River (Blue Nile).
Dr. Abiy Ahmed on his coming to power with the pledge of ending the despotism long associated with Ethiopian government, he released tens of thousands of political prisoners.
He lifted a ban on several political parties, some of which had been designated “terrorist” groups, paving the way for the leaders of the banned groups to return to Ethiopia. He also ended the 20-year long war with neighboring Eritrea and sacked over 100 generals and other high officers, mostly from corrupt groups and security personnel that had dominated the previous regime, but groups who are not happy with this development, trying to destabilize the country in collaboration with foreign entities.
Foreign Orchestrated and Ethnically motivated killings are certainly nothing new for Africa, but this particular murder has touched one of the biggest nerves in decades, and the incident has been conducted when the Ethiopian people and government attention was fully focused on GERD.
Anti-sun wise elements tried to take advantage on pop musician’s death to establish anti-reform alliance and anti-change group threatening inter-ethnic peace in Ethiopia, but Ethiopia has returned to calm and normal after a couple of weeks of ethnic unrest, through hard work of security organs in close collaboration with the public, in fact the first round filling of the dam has brought all Ethiopians together. Change can be scary and full of risk, but it can also be beautiful and full of growth and so much potential with high tech capacity to develop bright future.
The Pop and Charismatic Musician death was not about Pop musician. We wish his family peace and prayers, but we cannot look at this situation just as individual incidence and really it is not individual incidence. When you have one episode, two episodes may be you can look at individual episode. But when you have five episodes, ten episodes, you are blind or it is in refusal and in denial, if we still treating each one at unique situation.
It does not make all of us to feel good and save. It is not just about the Pop Musicianbut you look back,Mr. Kinfe, Gen Hayelom, Gen. Seare, Dr. Ambachew with his colleagues and many others, let their house count them, how many times are we seen the same situation, just the names change but the colour does not and that is the painful reality of the situation. It is not in the past century, but it is in this generation history of discrimination and haterate on ethnic line, sponsored by foreign entity and implemented by forces who are against the reform
That is the honest truth behind this anger and frustration, somebody with the right mind can share the outrage at this fundamental injustice.
We have Covid-crisis, we have locust crisis, we have issue with our own resource of ABAY River (Blue Nile) and we have the situation of incident by foreign entities and in close collaboration with people who lost their advantages of corrupt practices due to reform, they incited violence and Riots in Addis Ababa and in Oromia, that is the honest truth and that is what is behind this anger and frustration and somebody with the right mind share the outrage at this fundamental crisis, they do BUT VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER, IT NEVER IS THE ANSWER. Violence obscures the righteousness of the message and the mission. We lose the point by the violence in response and allows people who chose to scapegoat the point of violence rather than the action that created the reaction.
The violence allows people to talk about the violence as a pose to honestly to address the situation that incited the violence.
THE VIOLENCE DOES NOT WORK AND THE RIOT ALSO DOES NOT SOUND,
VIOLENCE AND RIOT IS NOT THE ANSWER FOR ANY QUESTION ON THIS ERA OF CIVILIZED SOCIETY
Dr. Luther king has taught us this, he knows better than anyone who is speaking to us today on this issue, RETURNING HATE FOR HATE MULTIPLIES HATE. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that, yes outrage, yes frustration, yes anger but not VIOLENCE AND RIOT.
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed has ordered the Attorney General to review the actions and the procedure on legal basis of this violence, because the Ethiopian people do deserve answer and accountability.
Those who are working for their own interests not for the Country to betray their country by committing treason, turning against their government and people, perhaps by selling secret information and destabilizing of their own country with the sponsors of foreign entity became the temporary challenge of Ethiopia which will be solved soon or later by strong sense of solidarity of the Ethiopian Nation and Nationalities.
Amb. Fisseha Shawel, Director General, Neighboring Countries and IGAD in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the completion of the first round of filling of water is historic brief period of time displaying production skills in a reservoir of the dam shows. Ethiopian’s commitment to the renaissance of our Country.
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA
The writer can be reached at abrahamnegah@gmail.com
Letesenbet Gidey shatters Dibaba’s 5,000m world record in 14:06.65
Gidey broke the former world record by five seconds, setting a new standard in women’s distance running
On Wednesday afternoon in Valencia, Spain, Letesenbet Gidey, 22, of Ethiopia shattered the women’s 5,000m world record previously held by Triunesh Dibaba by five seconds, running 14:06.65. Diababa’s record had stood for 12 years.
Gidey was the star of Wednesday’s field, with several pacers assigned directly to her. On top of the human pacers, she was guided by lights on the track indicating world record pace in green and target pace in blue. Gidey ran a flawless 5,000m, steadily ticking off 67- to 68-second laps – frankly, making it look easy. The runner was paced primarily by 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, who took her more than halfway in perfect time.
Gidey is also the world record holder in the 15K, which she ran in November 2019, and is the world silver medallist over the 10,000m.
Gidey’s time inches women closer to the 14-minute mark over 5,000m, which is a time that was unthinkable a mere 15 years ago. She is just another example of a woman who is closing the gap between the men’s and women’s world records. The women’s mark is now only 1:31 off the men’s record, held by Joshua Cheptegei, who will attempt to run the men’s 10,000m world record in a few minutes’ time.
Cheptegei shatters Kenenisa’s 10,000 m world record
Joshua Cheptegei on Wednesday smashed the 10,000m track world record on a heady night of athletics in Valencia.
All the talk in the run-up to the meet was of Cheptegei’s assault on Kenenisa Bekele’s time of 26 minutes, 17.53 seconds, established in 2005 in Brussels.
The 24-year-old 10,000m world champion surpassed expectations, running the distance in 26 minutes, 11 seconds to cement his standing as the new middle distance maestro.
This was his third world record this year.
In February, he claimed the world 5km road record in Monaco. Then, after a period of COVID-19 lockdown in his native Uganda, he returned to Monaco and, in his first race back, wiped almost two seconds off Bekele’s 16-year-old track world record time over the 5,000m as he clocked 12 minutes, 35.36 seconds.
He becomes only the 10th athlete to concurrently hold the 5,000m and 10,000m world records.
Cheptegei served notice of his class when he took silver at the 2017 world championships in London when he was still just 20.
Last year, he went one better, collecting gold in Doha. He had already won the world cross country championship five months earlier.
Up to Wednesday Cheptegei only had the 18th quickest time over the distance with a best in Doha of 26 minutes, 48.36 seconds, over half a minute outside the record.
His performance in August boded well and he was assisted by some rapid pacemakers, notably Kenyan Nicholas Kimeli who was a world finalist over 5,000m, and electronic timing along the track.
Another factor for the fan of Manchester United was his footwear, Nike’s carbon-plated Vaporfly, worn by Ethiopia’s Gidey when she ran the earlier 5,000m in 14 minutes, 6.62 seconds.
The 22-year-old was lowering the previous mark of 14 minutes, 11.15 seconds held by her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba since 2008 by more than four seconds.
Gidey put up the run of her short career a year after taking 10,000m silver at the world athletics championships in Doha.
