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King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre Successfully Concludes its Role as a Strategic Healthcare Partner at Global Health Exhibition 2023

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Global Health Exhibition, held from October 29 to October 31, 2023, proved an outstanding success for the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC).

As a Strategic Healthcare Partner, KFSH&RC showcased groundbreaking initiatives aimed at enhancing operational efficiency across crucial medical domains, encompassing the patient care journey, space research, genetic studies, state–of–the–art radiation therapy techniques, organ transplantation advancements (including a world–first fully robotic living donor transplant), capacity management, and the production of radiopharmaceuticals to attain self–sufficiency within the Kingdom.

On the inaugural day, H.E Dr. Majid Al Fayyadh delivered a keynote address focusing on the promising future of Medical Tourism in the Kingdom, underscoring KFSH&RC's continuous efforts to enhance services for international patients. "KFSH&RC's transformative journey into a non–profit institution, primarily focusing on serving patients from the Gulf region, began in 2021. In its inaugural year, the hospital admitted 250 patients, and we've since witnessed an impressive 40% annual growth. We aim to extend our care to 10,000 patients by 2030.”

Dr. Yaseen Mallawi, Acting Chief Executive Officer – Healthcare Delivery at KFSH&RC, participated in a panel discussion addressing “Challenges to accelerating the transformation of the Saudi Health Sector,” where he emphasized the hospital's commitment to prioritizing patients' functional well–being within a value–based healthcare system.

Muhannad Al Kadi, Chief Corporate Communications & Marketing Officer at KFSH&RC, expressed his delight at the forum's success, stating, “It was a pleasure to convene with sector leaders, share our vision, and witness the impact of our collaborations. The Global Health Exhibition has been a remarkable platform to explore new opportunities that will further bolster the healthcare landscape in the Kingdom and beyond.”

KFSH&RC's experts actively engaged in various panel discussions. Dr. Dieter Broering, Executive Director of the Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, shared insights into the potential of cutting–edge surgical technologies to reshape healthcare. Dr. Mohammed Alhamid, Director of the Centre of Healthcare Intelligence, delivered a thought–provoking speech on AI–powered healthcare, shedding light on the future of healthcare intelligence.

Furthermore, the event marked a significant milestone for KFSH&RC as they celebrated their 100th Car–T Cell procedure, a noteworthy achievement in the Middle East. The hospital also received the prestigious “Best Public Services Call Centre of The Year "" Critical” award at the Annual Middle East Call Centre 2023 Awards.

On the sidelines of the Global Health Exhibition, KFSH&RC sealed pivotal MoUs. It partnered with SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals, to drive healthcare product development and innovation. King Faisal Specialist Hospital International Holding Company, the investment arm for KFSH&RC, established a strategic partnership with Solutions by STC to enhance the healthcare business landscape and identify mutual growth areas in the sector.

Additional MoUs were signed with Microsoft Arabia, focusing on sustainability and innovation for enhanced patient care, and with the Hevolution Foundation, emphasizing the advancement of longevity and ageing research. KFSH&RC also partnered with Illumina and signed an MoU with Johnson & Johnson, with the primary vision of revolutionizing surgical training in the region.

Contact information:
kfshrc@mcsaatchi.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8973282)

BrainBox AI dévoile ses déploiements à Dubaï en appui à l’appel à l’action mondial de la COP28

MONTRÉAL, 06 nov. 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BrainBox AI, une entreprise pionnire de la technologie des btiments autonomes, est heureuse d'annoncer qu'elle se joindra aux dlgations canadienne et qubcoise qui assisteront la prochaine Confrence des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques COP28 Duba. Sous la bannire Unir. Agir. Fournir. , les nations se runiront Duba pour cet vnement trs attendu afin de faire face la crise du changement climatique qui devient de plus en plus menaante. La COP de cette anne se veut une confrence d'action, qui prvoit de proposer des solutions et des engagements concrets visant acclrer intensment l'objectif de rduction des missions, l'adaptation, le financement et les pertes et dommages de la plante.

Les frontires n'existent pas lorsqu'il s'agit de gurir notre plante , a dclar le prsident–directeur gnral Sam Ramadori. Chacun des pays participant la COP28 a vcu les effets du changement climatique dans ses rgions respectives et leur cri de guerre est l'action. Ceux et celles d'entre nous qui innovent travaillent sans relche pour rpondre ce cri.

Alors que nous nous runissons cette table ronde mondiale, nous devons imprativement nous attaquer tous les facteurs qui contribuent cette crise. Le rle que l'environnement bti a jou dans cette situation difficile ne peut plus tre ignor. En fait, nous savons que ses effets ngatifs peuvent tre corrigs en tirant parti des nouvelles capacits que l'intelligence artificielle apporte la table. Dans cette bataille, la technologie est de notre ct, et nous devons exploiter sa puissance si nous voulons vraiment gagner.

La vitesse et l'ampleur sont des moteurs cls alors que BrainBox AI propulse sa technologie d'IA autonome dans de nouvelles rgions. L'entreprise continue d'largir son empreinte mesure qu'elle se dveloppe au Moyen–Orient grce au dploiement russi de sa solution rvolutionnaire dans les secteurs de l'immobilier commercial, de l'ducation et du gouvernement fdral de la rgion. cette occasion, l'entreprise organisera un vnement de clbration de premier plan intitul : Building Synergies: Decarbonizing the Middle East with Canadian AI (Crer des synergies : dcarboniser le Moyen–Orient grce l'IA canadienne) le 6 dcembre, qui comprendra des remarques de Yusef K. Shalabi, chef de l'exploitation d'Al–Habtoor Group LLC et Khaled Abbas, prsident et chef de la direction de la capitale administrative gyptienne pour le dveloppement urbain (ACUD) ainsi que d'autres invits de marque de l'cole Ajman, en plus de la participation de reprsentants des gouvernements canadien et qubcois, qui seront annoncs.

Cette anne, BrainBox AI a remport des victoires significatives alors qu'elle poursuit son succs grande chelle. Notamment, l'largissement de son offre de produits de base l'industrie du commerce de dtail multisites, une suite de produits de dcarbonisation, l'acquisition de la division de systmes de gestion de l'nergie d'ABB, une leve de fonds totalisant 30 millions USD, et rcemment une collaboration avec Trane pour lancer Trane Autonomous Control propuls par BrainBox AI. L'annonce d'aujourd'hui souligne non seulement la porte et l'impact de BrainBox AI l'chelle mondiale, mais renforce galement sa mission fondamentale : utiliser l'IA pour sauver la plante.

propos de BrainBox AI

Fonde en 2017, BrainBox AI a t cre pour rpondre deux problmatiques critiques auxquelles est actuellement confront l'environnement bti : les missions de carbone et la consommation d'nergie. En tant qu'innovateurs dans le mouvement de dcarbonisation mondial, BrainBox AI et sa technologie de CVC, qui change la donne, tire parti de l'IA pour rendre les btiments plus intelligents, plus cologiques et plus efficaces. Grce des relations stratgiques l'chelle mondiale, BrainBox AI soutient ses clients du secteur de l'immobilier dans divers secteurs, des immeubles de bureaux et des htels au commerce de dtail commercial, en passant par les piceries, les aroports et plus encore.

Notre sige social se trouve Montral, au Canada, une plaque tournante mondiale de l'intelligence artificielle. Nos plus de 170 employs apportent avec eux des talents de tous les secteurs, avec pour dsir commun de gurir notre plante. BrainBox AI travaille en collaboration avec des partenaires de recherche tels que le Mila "" Institut qubcois d'intelligence artificielle, l'Institut de valorisation des donnes (IVADO) ainsi que des tablissements d'enseignement dont l'Universit McGill. Pour plus de renseignements visitez : www.brainboxai.com

Contact :

Liz Culley–Sullo
Directrice, Relations publiques
l.culley–sullo@brainboxai.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8972991)

BrainBox AI Unveils its Dubai Deployments in Support of COP28’s Global Call to Action

MONTREAL, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BrainBox AI, a pioneer in autonomous building technology, is pleased to share that it will be joining the Canadian and Quebec delegations attending the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai. With the message of Unite. Act. Deliver. nations will be gathering in Dubai for this highly anticipated event, to tackle the climate change crisis that grows increasingly threatening with time. This year's COP aims to be one of action, that plans to bring forth solutions and concrete commitments that aim at fiercely ramping up the planet's emissions reduction goal, adaptation, finance and loss and damage.

"Borders don't exist when it comes to the matter of healing our planet," declared Chief Executive Officer Sam Ramadori. "Each of the countries attending COP28 have experienced the effects of climate change within their respective regions and their battle cry is action. For those of us who innovate, it's a cry that we are working tirelessly to answer."

"As we come together at this global roundtable, it is imperative that we address all of the contributing factors to this crisis. The part that the built environment has played in this predicament can no longer be ignored. In fact, we know that its negative effects can be remedied by leveraging the novel capabilities that artificial intelligence brings to the table. In this battle, technology is on our side, and we need to harness its power if we truly want to win."

Speed and scale are key drivers as BrainBox AI propels its autonomous AI–tech into new regions. The company continues to widen its footprint as it expands into the Middle East with the successful deployment of its ground–breaking solution in the commercial real estate, education and federal sectors of the region. Marking this occasion, the company will host a premier celebratory event called: Building Synergies: Decarbonizing the Middle East with Canadian AI on December 6th that will feature remarks from Yusef K. Shalabi, COO of Al–Habtoor Group LLC and Khaled Abbas, Chairman and CEO of Egypt's Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) as well as other distinguished guests from the Ajman School, in addition to participation from Canadian and Quebec government officials, that are to be announced.

This year BrainBox AI has had significant wins as it continues its scale up success. Notably, the expansion of its core product offering to the multi–site retail industry, a decarbonization product suite, the acquisition of ABB's EMS division, a fundraise totaling $30Million USD, and recently a collaboration with Trane to launch Trane Autonomous Control powered by BrainBox AI. Today's announcement not only highlights BrainBox AI's global reach and impact but also reinforces its core mission: using AI to save the planet.

About BrainBox AI

Founded in 2017, BrainBox AI was created to address two critical issues currently facing the built environment: carbon emissions and energy consumption. As innovators in the decarbonization movement, BrainBox AI's game–changing HVAC technology leverages AI to make buildings smarter, greener, and more efficient. Through strategic global relationships, BrainBox AI elevates real estate clients across various sectors from office buildings and hotels to commercial retail, grocery stores, airports, and more.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, a global AI hub, our workforce of over 170 employees, bring with them talent from all sectors with the common thread of being in business to heal our planet. BrainBox AI works in collaboration with research partners including MILA "" Quebec AI Institute, the Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO), as well as education institutions including McGill University. For more information visit: www.brainboxai.com

Contact:

Liz Culley–Sullo
Director, Public Relations
l.culley–sullo@brainboxai.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8972991)

Fighting Malnutrition and Changing Mindsets in Rwanda

Pupils eat their school lunch in Rwanda. Photo provided by WFP.

Pupils eat their school lunch in Rwanda. Photo provided by WFP.

By Paul Virgo
ROME, Nov 6 2023 – Of the many things one might associate with a modern teenager, passion for wholegrain food is probably not the first that comes to mind. An innovative school-meals project in Rwanda, however, has young people singing its praises.

“Eating wholegrain maize makes our bodies strong and healthy,” said Julienne, a 15-year-old student at Kibirizi primary school in the Nyamagabe district in the south of the country.

“It is very tasty and nutritious.”

Aside from the success of the project itself, what makes it especially worthy of attention is the potential for it to be a model to replicate elsewhere. In fact, fortified whole maize meal is now enjoyed by 180,000 school children in Burundi and another 60,000 in Kenya, with exciting scale-up prospects in all three countries
Tiina Honkanen, WFP

Julienne is one of thousands of Rwandan students who have been getting school meals as part of a UN World Food Programme (WFP) project in which fortified refined maize meal has been replaced by a fortified wholegrain version.

The fortified wholegrain maize meal is used to make “kaunga”, a sort of stiff porridge that is served with beans and vegetables in schools.

It is an exciting trial for WFP, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to provide food assistance in conflict zones and to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war, to integrate wholegrains into school meals.

Food is usually fortified to reduce micronutrient deficiencies in the people who eat it by adding vitamins and minerals to the refined versions of staple grains.

Fortification of wholegrain flours, where virtually all the grain remains in the processed product, has largely been unchartered territory up to now.

But it is potentially a promising way to increase the micronutrient content while maintaining the health benefits of wholegrains, which provide more protein, fibre and micronutrients than refined foods.

Wholegrain foods also have a cost advantage over refined versions because a higher yield is extracted from the raw materials.

So getting people to acquire a taste for wholegrains is a good way to boost nutrition and food security.

The WFP project in Rwanda, which was launched in 2021 in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation, is doing precisely that. The Rockefeller Foundation has also enlisted the help of a local partner, Vanguard Economics, to support the project.

The WFP Country Office has reported a big shift in student preferences thanks to the programme, with 97% saying they preferred the wholegrain versions to the refined equivalent because they liked the rich taste.

It also led to parents asking where they can buy the product on the market.

“The more nutritious foods children eat, the more active they are, and they perform better in school too,” said Faustin, Julienne’s father.

“I like the taste of the wholegrain maize and I would like to add it to the food we eat at home so that Julienne’s siblings can also enjoy it”.

WFP buys the fortified wholegrain maize meal from the same miller it got the fortified refined maize meal from.

“Before the pilot (project), fortified maize meal, purchased from a local supplier, was already a main component of school lunches along with fortified rice, fresh vegetables from school gardens, beans, fortified oil and iodized salt,” said WFP’s Tiina Honkanen.

“Together with The Rockefeller Foundation, we saw that if we could work with the existing WFP supplier miller to fortify the wholegrain maize meal instead of the refined flour, we could further increase the nutritional value of the school lunches, combining the benefits of both fortification and wholegrain, without having to change the school meal.

“We did not try to introduce a completely new product but focused on a food that was already being eaten”.

The project also helps the local economy. WFP supports smallholder farmers to improve their quality and yields and connects them to viable markets to sell their supply. Such is the case for a number of WFP-supported maize farmers, who sell their maize to the WFP supplier miller who produces the fortified wholegrain maize meal.

“Before, getting buyers was not so smooth. What excites me most is knowing that WFP buys [the end product] to distribute in school meals,” said Immaculée, a farmer from Nyaruguru district of Rwanda.

“It feels good to know that your produce is reaching children in your very own community.”

Aside from the success of the project itself, what makes it especially worthy of attention is the potential for it to be a model to replicate elsewhere. In fact, fortified whole maize meal is now enjoyed by 180,000 school children in Burundi and another 60,000 in Kenya, with exciting scale-up prospects in all three countries.

“The pilot demonstrated that the substitution (of refined foods with wholegrain versions) can be feasible, budget-neutral and be well accepted by students and the school community,” said Honkanen.

Number of active GPs in Gulf Cooperation Council doubles as domestic opportunities emerge — Preqin reports

LONDON, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Preqin, the global leader in alternative assets data, tools, and insights, published its Private Capital in the Gulf Cooperation Council 2023: Preqin Territory Guide report. The report explores how the alternatives market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)* is increasingly looking to domestic investment opportunities, beyond oil.

Years of growth paint a picture of optimism

The GCC's assets under management (AUM) in private capital hit $1bn in December 2008, reaching $5.8bn as of December 2021, before more than doubling to $12.3bn in 2022, according to Preqin data. Saudi Arabia holds the lion's share of this AUM in Dec 2022 at $10.0bn, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) AUM with $2.1bn.

Preqin data and insights in the report point to how the GCC is emerging as a potential destination for capital deployment. This trend is demonstrated by the growing number of active fund managers and headline deals being completed by investors such as Blackstone, CVC Capital Partners, Silver Lake, and Apollo. Furthermore, the 529 active GPs in GCC member countries as of 2023 has nearly doubled from 268 in 2018.

An important factor driving change across alternative assets in the GCC is the role of the countries' sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). Middle East–based SWFs, with combined AUM of more than $3.7tn as of March 2023, are among the biggest investors in alternative assets. Average allocations in 2022 surged to an unprecedented 44% of AUM in December 2022, representing an increase from 22% from December 2021.

David Dawkins, report author, at Preqin says, "As GCC leaders focus on domestic employment opportunities for their young population, the region's SWFs are becoming more focused on domestic investments. Even a small uptick of the domestic fund alternatives allocations would have a transformative impact on the GCC's private capital GPs."

Key findings from the Private Capital in the Gulf Cooperation Council 2023 report include:

  • Venture capital: AUM for venture capital in the GCC reached $2.9bn as of December 2022, up from $1.5bn in December 2021. A change in investor sentiment towards the region has attracted capital into venture capital funds, with dry powder quadrupling from $400mn in December 2021 to $1.63bn at the end of 2022.
  • Fundraising: In 2022, 23 venture capital funds closed with aggregate capital raised of around $2.5bn. In real estate, between September 2021 and September 2023 year–to–date (YTD), 81 funds have closed with an aggregate capital raised of $2.3bn. And in private equity, between 2018 and 2020, 38 funds closed at an aggregate raise of $1.7bn. In other words, 142 funds in the GCC, between 2018 and 2023, raised a total $6.5bn.
  • Private equity: AUM for private equity in the GCC reached $2.2bn in December 2022, up from $1.25bn in December 2021.
  • Private debt: Half of the GCC's LPs (50%) surveyed by Preqin earlier this year stated they plan to increase allocations to private debt, compared with just 25% looking to decrease. Not only is this more than any other alternative asset class, it is a full six percentage points higher than our poll of investors globally.

For more information, and to receive a full copy of the report contact, Mimi Celeste Taylor at mimiceleste.taylor@preqin.com

Notes to the editors

* The Gulf Cooperation Counci (GCC) consists of the intergovernmental, political, and economic union of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

About Preqin

Preqin, the Home of Alternatives, empowers financial professionals who invest in or allocate to alternatives with essential data and insight to make confident decisions. It supports them throughout the entire investment lifecycle with critical information and leading analytics solutions. The company has pioneered rigorous methods of collecting private data for over 20 years, enabling more than 200,000 professionals globally to streamline how they raise capital, source deals and investments, understand performance, and stay informed. For more information visit www.preqin.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000897792)

Henley & Partners and Insignia Join Forces to Create Unique Membership Offering for Global Citizens

LONDON, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Henley & Partners, the "firm of global citizens' and leader in residence and citizenship advisory, has partnered with the leading ultra–luxury lifestyle management and card services group, Insignia, to create a distinctive and exclusive membership offering. Henley Global Citizens is a bespoke "by invitation only' service designed to meet the specific needs of wealthy transnational families, entrepreneurs, and investors who do business, invest, and live internationally and who identify themselves as citizens of the world.

Besides priority access, personal introductions, and complimentary consultations with trusted international banks, leading private client lawyers and other top industry professionals in all key jurisdictions worldwide, the Henley Global Citizens offering includes a membership card, which is also a Visa payment card for large, unlimited payments and cash withdrawals, and to make international wire transfers in major currencies. More importantly, it provides access to a dynamic global network of wealthy and influential individuals and families, and an annual calendar of high–level closed–door events, including private dinners at the WEF in Davos, around the UNGA in New York, the Grand Prix in Monaco, and other major business, geopolitical, sporting, and cultural events around the world.

Members and their families can also benefit from complimentary consultation on global education planning and introductions to the world's top schools and universities, as well as strategic health advice, access to preventive medicine and longevity programs, and the scheduling of medical checkups at the most advanced healthcare locations including Switzerland, Germany, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and the USA.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, says bringing together the high–profile clients of both businesses and combining their expertise to create a unique and exceptional international advisory and service offering is a logical extension for "the firm of global citizens'. "For those of us who see ourselves as global citizens, we are not foregoing our other identities, commitment and affiliations to our own countries, culture, religious and even political beliefs. These continue to give us meaning and add value to our lives. But because we are living in an intimately connected and interdependent world, and operating in a global market, we have added another layer of global identity, interest and responsibility. The Henley Global Citizens membership acknowledges and supports this identity and lifestyle in a very practical, everyday way that can add tremendous value for its members."

Nada T. Rouviere, President of Insignia Group, stated, "Our partnership with Henley & Partners represents a new era in luxury lifestyle management. At Insignia, we have always been dedicated to providing our members with unparalleled experiences, and the Henley Global Citizens card is the embodiment of this commitment. Together with Henley & Partners we are redefining the meaning of global citizenship, offering an exclusive gateway to a world of limitless possibilities and connections. We look forward to enriching the lives of our members by facilitating their journey as true global citizens."

Henley Global Citizens will be launched at a bespoke event on Friday, 10 November, following the 17th annual Global Citizenship Conference which takes place this week (8–10 November) at the Shangri–La Hotel DIFC in Dubai, UAE.

The international conference hosted by Henley & Partners, where this year over 400 delegates from over 35 countries are expected to attend, has become the world's largest and most significant gathering on global private wealth and investment migration, bringing together presidents, prime ministers, senior government ministers and officials, leading academics, private client advisors, family offices, and wealth management professionals, as well as many affluent entrepreneurs and investors.

The 2023 conference program features sophisticated, cutting–edge content on the major developments shaping global wealth planning, investment migration, and geopolitics today.

Notes to Editors

For further information and media accreditation to attend the Henley Global Citizens launch (10 November) and/or the 17th annual Global Citizenship Conference (8–10 November) please contact:

Sarah Nicklin

Group Head of Public Relations

sarah.nicklin@henleyglobal.com

Mobile: +27 72 464 8965

About Henley & Partners

Henley & Partners is the global leader in residence and citizenship by investment. Each year, hundreds of wealthy individuals and their advisors rely on our expertise and experience in this area. The firm's highly qualified professionals work together as one team in over 40 offices worldwide.

The concept of residence and citizenship by investment was created by Henley & Partners in the 1990s. As globalization has expanded, residence and citizenship have become topics of significant interest among the increasing number of internationally mobile entrepreneurs and investors whom we proudly serve every day.
Henley & Partners also runs the world's leading government advisory practice for investment migration, which has raised more than USD 12 billion in foreign direct investment. Trusted by governments, the firm has been involved in strategic consulting and in the design, set–up, and operation of the world's most successful residence and citizenship programs.

www.henleyglobal.com

About Insignia

Founded in 1996, Insignia began its journey as a provider of travel–related services and payment cards. Today, it has flourished into a comprehensive global luxury consultancy service, offering a bespoke 360–degree approach customized to meet each member's needs.

With 24/7 access to dedicated personal assistants and an in–house lifestyle team, Insignia brings unprecedented service to its members. Insignia showcases an enviable range of super–premium and premium payment cards, from exquisite jewelry–inspired designs to refined luxury metal finishes. These offer unlimited spending potential and are tailored for business and individual use.

With over 27 years of experience, Insignia has mastered the art of catering to the lifestyle needs of the most influential and affluent individuals across the globe. Membership is by invitation only and is intentionally limited to maintain an atmosphere of exclusivity.

Today it is present in 7 cities "" Dubai, London, New York, Hong Kong, Valletta, Bratislava and Geneva.

www.insignia.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000897511)

Henley & Partners und Insignia schließen sich zur Schaffung eines einzigartigen Mitgliedschaftsangebots für Weltbürger zusammen

LONDON, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Henley & Partners, die "Kanzlei der Weltbrger" und fhrend in der Beratung zu Wohnsitz und Staatsbrgerschaft, hat sich mit der fhrenden Ultra–Luxus–Lifestyle–Management– und Kartendienstleistungsgruppe, Insignia, zusammengetan, um ein unverwechselbares und exklusives Mitgliedschaftsangebot zu schaffen. Henley Global Citizens ist ein mageschneiderter Service, der nur auf Einladung verfgbar ist und auf die besonderen Bedrfnisse von wohlhabenden transnationalen Familien, Unternehmern und Investoren zugeschnitten ist, die international Geschfte machen, investieren und leben und sich als Weltbrger verstehen.

Das Angebot Henley Global Citizens umfasst neben vorrangigem Zugang, persnlichen Einfhrungen und kostenlosen Beratungen mit vertrauenswrdigen internationalen Banken, fhrenden Privatkundenanwlten und anderen Top–Branchenexperten in allen wichtigen Gerichtsbarkeiten weltweit auch eine Mitgliedskarte, die gleichzeitig eine Visa–Zahlungskarte fr groe, unbegrenzte Zahlungen und Bargeldabhebungen ist und mit der Sie internationale berweisungen in den wichtigsten Whrungen ttigen knnen. Noch wichtiger ist, dass es Zugang zu einem dynamischen globalen Netzwerk von wohlhabenden und einflussreichen Einzelpersonen und Familien sowie zu einem Jahreskalender mit hochrangigen Veranstaltungen hinter verschlossenen Tren bietet, darunter private Abendessen beim WEF in Davos, rund um die UNGA in New York, den Grand Prix in Monaco und andere wichtige wirtschaftliche, geopolitische, sportliche und kulturelle Ereignisse auf der ganzen Welt.

Mitglieder und ihre Familien knnen auch von einer kostenlosen Beratung zur globalen Bildungsplanung und der Vorstellung der besten Schulen und Universitten der Welt profitieren. Darber hinaus erhalten sie strategische Gesundheitsberatung, Zugang zu Prventivmedizin und Langlebigkeitsprogrammen sowie die Mglichkeit, medizinische Untersuchungen an den fortschrittlichsten Gesundheitsstandorten wie der Schweiz, Deutschland, Singapur, den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, dem Vereinigten Knigreich und den USA zu vereinbaren.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Group Chairman von Henley & Partners, sagt, dass die Zusammenfhrung der hochkartigen Kunden beider Unternehmen und die Kombination ihrer Expertise, um ein einzigartiges und auergewhnliches internationales Beratungs– und Dienstleistungsangebot zu schaffen, eine logische Erweiterung fr "die Kanzlei der Weltbrger" darstellt. "Diejenigen von uns, die sich als Weltbrger verstehen, verzichten nicht auf ihre anderen Identitten, ihr Engagement und ihre Zugehrigkeit zu ihren eigenen Lndern, Kulturen, religisen und sogar politischen berzeugungen. Diese geben uns weiterhin Sinn und verleihen unserem Leben einen Mehrwert. Aber da wir in einer eng vernetzten und voneinander abhngigen Welt leben und auf einem globalen Markt agieren, haben wir eine weitere Ebene der globalen Identitt, des Interesses und der Verantwortung hinzugefgt. Die Henley Global Citizens–Mitgliedschaft erkennt diese Identitt und diesen Lebensstil an und untersttzt sie auf eine sehr praktische, alltgliche Art und Weise, die einen enormen Mehrwert fr ihre Mitglieder darstellt."

Nada T. Rouviere, President der Insignia Group, erklrte: "Unsere Partnerschaft mit Henley & Partners reprsentiert eine neue ra im Luxus–Lifestyle–Management. Wir bei Insignia haben uns schon immer dafr eingesetzt, unseren Mitgliedern unvergleichliche Erlebnisse zu bieten, und die Henley Global Citizens Card ist die Verkrperung dieser Verpflichtung. Gemeinsam mit Henley & Partners definieren wir die Bedeutung von Weltbrgertum neu und bieten ein exklusives Tor zu einer Welt der unbegrenzten Mglichkeiten und Verbindungen. Wir freuen uns darauf, das Leben unserer Mitglieder zu bereichern, indem wir sie auf ihrem Weg als echte Weltbrger untersttzen."

Henley Global Citizens wird bei einer mageschneiderten Veranstaltung am Freitag, 10. November, im Anschluss an die 17. jhrliche Global Citizenship Conference vorgestellt, die diese Woche (8.–10. November) im Shangri–La Hotel DIFC in Dubai, VAE, stattfindet.

Die von Henley & Partners ausgerichtete internationale Konferenz, zu der in diesem Jahr ber 400 Delegierte aus mehr als 35 Lndern erwartet werden, hat sich zum weltweit grten und bedeutendsten Treffen zum Thema globale Migration von Privatvermgen und Investitionen entwickelt und bringt Prsidenten, Premierminister, hochrangige Minister und Regierungsbeamte, fhrende Wissenschaftler, Privatkundenberater, Family Offices und Vermgensverwaltungsexperten sowie viele wohlhabende Unternehmer und Investoren zusammen.

Das Konferenzprogramm fr 2023 bietet anspruchsvolle, hochaktuelle Inhalte zu den wichtigsten Entwicklungen, die die globale Vermgensplanung, Investitionsmigration und Geopolitik heute prgen.

Hinweise an die Redaktion

Fr weitere Informationen und eine Medienakkreditierung zur Teilnahme an der Vorstellung von Henley Global Citizens (10. November) und/oder der 17. jhrlichen Global Citizenship Konferenz (8.–10. November) kontaktieren Sie bitte:

Sarah Nicklin

Group Head of Public Relations

sarah.nicklin@henleyglobal.com

Mobil: +27 72 464 8965

ber Henley & Partners

Henley & Partners ist der weltweit fhrende Anbieter von Aufenthalts– und Staatsbrgerschaftsdienstleistungen durch Investitionen. Jedes Jahr verlassen sich Hunderte von vermgenden Personen und ihre Berater auf unser Fachwissen und unsere Erfahrung in diesem Bereich. Die hochqualifizierten Fachleute des Unternehmens arbeiten als Team in ber 40 Bros weltweit zusammen.

Das Konzept des Aufenthalts und der Staatsbrgerschaft durch Investitionen wurde in den 1990er Jahren von Henley & Partners entwickelt. Im Zuge der Globalisierung sind Aufenthalt und Staatsbrgerschaft zu Themen von groem Interesse fr die wachsende Zahl international mobiler Unternehmer und Investoren geworden, die wir jeden Tag mit Stolz betreuen.
Henley & Partners betreibt auch das weltweit fhrende Beratungsunternehmen fr Investitionsmigration, das mehr als 12 Mrd. USD an auslndischen Direktinvestitionen beschafft hat. Das Unternehmen geniet das Vertrauen von Regierungen und war an der strategischen Beratung sowie an der Konzeption, dem Aufbau und dem Betrieb der erfolgreichsten Aufenthalts– und Staatsbrgerschaftsprogramme der Welt beteiligt.

www.henleyglobal.com

ber Insignia

Insignia wurde 1996 gegrndet und begann seine Reise als Anbieter von reisebezogenen Dienstleistungen und Zahlungskarten. Heute hat sich das Unternehmen zu einem umfassenden globalen Luxusberatungsdienst entwickelt, der einen mageschneiderten 360–Grad–Ansatz bietet, der auf die Bedrfnisse jedes Mitglieds zugeschnitten ist.

Mit 24/7–Zugang zu persnlichen Assistenten und einem hauseigenen Lifestyle–Team bietet Insignia seinen Mitgliedern einen beispiellosen Service. Insignia prsentiert eine beneidenswerte Auswahl an Super–Premium– und Premium–Zahlungskarten, von exquisiten, von Schmuck inspirierten Designs bis hin zu raffinierten, luxurisen Metalloberflchen. Diese bieten ein unbegrenztes Ausgabepotenzial und sind fr die geschftliche und private Nutzung zugeschnitten.

Mit ber 27 Jahren Erfahrung beherrscht Insignia die Kunst, die Lifestyle–Bedrfnisse der einflussreichsten und wohlhabendsten Menschen auf der ganzen Welt zu erfllen. Die Mitgliedschaft erfolgt nur auf Einladung und ist absichtlich begrenzt, um eine Atmosphre der Exklusivitt zu wahren.

Heute ist das Unternehmen in 7 Stdten vertreten "" Dubai, London, New York, Hongkong, Valletta, Bratislava und Genf.

www.insignia.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000897719)

Henley & Partners e Insignia alinham forças para criar uma oferta de associação como membro exclusiva para cidadãos globais

LONDRES, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Henley & Partners, a "empresa de cidados globais' e lder em consultoria de residncia e cidadania, estabeleceu uma parceria com o grupo lder em gesto de estilo de vida ultraluxuoso e servios de carto, Insignia, para criar uma oferta de associao como membro distinta e exclusiva. Henley Global Citizens um servio personalizado "apenas por convite' desenhado para atender s necessidades especficas de famlias internacionais prsperas, empreendedores e investidores que fazem negcios, investem e vivem internacionalmente e que se identificam como cidados do mundo.

Alm do acesso prioritrio, apresentaes pessoais e consultas de cortesia com bancos internacionais de confiana, advogados particulares lderes e outros profissionais do topo do setor em todas as principais jurisdies em todo o mundo, a oferta da Henley Global Citizens inclui um carto de membro, que tambm um carto de pagamento Visa para pagamentos grandes, ilimitados, retiradas de dinheiro e para realizar transferncias internacionais nas principais moedas. Sobretudo, ele fornece acesso a uma rede global dinmica de indivduos e famlias ricos e influentes, e um calendrio anual de eventos de alto nvel a portas fechadas, incluindo jantares privados na WEF, em Davos, ao redor da UNGA, em Nova York, o Grand Prix, em Mnaco, e outros dos principais eventos de negcios, geopolticos, esportivos e culturais em todo o mundo.

Os membros e suas famlias tambm podem se beneficiar de consultas de cortesia sobre planejamento da educao global e apresentaes nas universidades e escolas de primeiro nvel do mundo inteiro, assim como consultoria estratgica em sade, acesso medicina preventiva e programas de longevidade, e o agendamento de exames mdicos nos locais de sade mais avanados do mundo, incluindo Sua, Alemanha, Singapura, EAU, Reino Unido e EUA.

O Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, presidente do grupo da Henley & Partners, diz que reunir os clientes de alto perfil de negcios e combinar sua experincia para criar uma consultoria e oferta internacionais de servios exclusivos e excepcionais uma extenso lgica para "a empresa de cidados globais'. "Para aqueles de ns que nos vemos como cidados globais, no estamos abdicando de nossas outras identidades, compromissos e afiliaes aos nossos prprios pases, cultura e at mesmo crenas religiosas e polticas. Isso continua adicionando valor e significado s nossas vidas. Entretanto, por estarmos vivendo em um mundo intimamente conectado e interdependente, e operando em um mercado global, adicionamos outra camada de identidade, interesse e responsabilidade globais. A associao como membro da Henley Global Citizens reconhece e apoia essa identidade e estilo de vida de um modo muito prtico e dirio, o que pode adicionar muito valor para seus membros."

Nada T. Rouviere, presidente do Insignia Group, declarou, "Nossa parceria com a Henley & Partners representa uma nova era na gesto do estilo de vida de luxo. Na Insignia, sempre nos dedicamos a fornecer experincias inigualveis aos nossos membros, e o carto da Henley Global Citizens a concretizao deste compromisso. Em conjunto com a Henley & Partners, estamos redefinindo o significado de cidadania global, oferecendo uma porta exclusiva para um mundo de possibilidades e conexes ilimitadas. Estamos ansiosos para enriquecer as vidas dos nossos membros ao facilitar suas jornadas como verdadeiros cidados globais."

A Henley Global Citizens ser lanada em um evento personalizado na sexta–feira, 10 de novembro, aps a 17a Conferncia de Cidadania Global anual, que ocorre nesta semana (8 a 10 de novembro) no Hotel Shangri–La DIFC, em Dubai, nos EAU.

A conferncia internacional organizada pela Henley & Partners, em que, neste ano, se espera que mais de 400 representantes de mais de 35 pases compaream, tornou–se a maior e mais significativa reunio do mundo sobre riqueza particular global e migrao por investimento, reunindo presidentes, primeiros–ministros, ministros e funcionrios seniores do governo, acadmicos de destaque, consultores de clientes particulares, family offices e profissionais de gesto da riqueza, assim como muitos empresrios e investidores prsperos.

O programa da conferncia de 2023 apresenta contedo sofisticado de ponta sobre os principais desenvolvimentos que do forma ao planejamento de riqueza global, migrao por investimento e geopoltica atualmente.

Notas aos editores

Para informaes adicionais e credenciamento de mdia para comparecer ao lanamento da Henley Global Citizens (10 de novembro) e/ou 17 Conferncia de Cidadania Global anual (8 a 10 de novembro), entre em contato com:

Sarah Nicklin

Chefe do grupo de Relaes Pblicas

sarah.nicklin@henleyglobal.com

Celular: +27 72 464 8965

Sobre a Henley & Partners

A Henley & Partners a lder global em residncia e cidadania por investimento. A cada ano, centenas de indivduos com patrimnio elevado e seus consultores confiam em nosso conhecimento e experincia nesta rea. Os profissionais altamente qualificados da empresa trabalham juntos como uma equipe em mais de 40 escritrios em todo o mundo.

O conceito de residncia e cidadania por investimento foi criado pela Henley & Partners nos anos 1990. Como a globalizao se expandiu, a residncia e a cidadania se tornaram assuntos de interesse significativo entre o nmero crescente de empresrios e investidores de mobilidade internacional, quem atendemos com orgulho todos os dias.
A Henley & Partners tambm opera o escritrio de consultoria governamental lder no mundo para migrao por investimento, que levantou mais de US$ 12 bilhes em investimento estrangeiro direto. Com a confiana de governos, a empresa tem se envolvido em consultoria estratgica e no design, preparao e operao dos programas de residncia e cidadania de mais sucesso do mundo.

www.henleyglobal.com

Sobre a Insignia

Fundada em 1996, a Insignia comeou sua jornada como fornecedora de servios relacionados a viagens e cartes de pagamento. Hoje em dia, floresceu em um servio de consultoria de luxo global amplo, oferecendo uma abordagem personalizada de 360 para atender s necessidades de cada membro.

Com acesso 24 horas por dia, 7 dias por semana, a assistentes pessoais exclusivos e uma equipe interna especializada em estilo de vida, a Insignia traz um servio sem precedentes para seus membros. A Insignia demonstra uma invejvel gama de cartes de pagamento premium e super premium, de designs refinados, inspirados em joalheria, a acabamentos de metal refinados de luxo. Eles oferecem potencial de gasto ilimitado, e so personalizados para o uso corporativo e individual.

Com mais de 27 anos de experincia, a Insignia dominou a arte de catering para as necessidades de estilo de vida dos indivduos mais influentes e prsperos em todo o mundo. A associao como membro por convite apenas, e est internacionalmente limitada para manter uma atmosfera de exclusividade.

Hoje, ela est presente em 7 cidades "" Dubai, Londres, Nova York, Hong Kong, Valletta, Bratislava e Geneva.

www.insignia.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000897719)

Henley & Partners et Insignia unissent leurs forces pour créer une offre d'adhésion unique pour les citoyens du monde

LONDRES, 06 nov. 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Henley & Partners, le cabinet des citoyens du monde et leader du conseil en matire de rsidence et de citoyennet, s'est associ Insignia, groupe leader en gestion de style de vie et de services de cartes ultra–luxueux, afin de crer une offre d'adhsion distinctive et exclusive. Henley Global Citizens est un service sur mesure sur invitation uniquement conu afin de rpondre aux besoins spcifiques des riches familles transnationales, des entrepreneurs et investisseurs qui font des affaires, investissent et vivent l'international et qui s'identifient en tant que citoyens du monde.

Outre un accs prioritaire, des prsentations personnelles et des consultations gratuites auprs de banques internationales de confiance, d'avocats de premier plan en clientle prive et d'autres professionnels de premier plan du secteur dans toutes les juridictions cls du monde, l'offre Henley Global Citizens comprend une carte de membre, qui est galement une carte de paiement Visa pour les paiements et retraits d'espces importants et illimits, ainsi que pour effectuer des virements lectroniques internationaux dans les principales devises. Plus important encore, il donne accs un rseau mondial dynamique de particuliers et de familles fortuns et influents, ainsi qu' un calendrier annuel d'vnements de haut niveau huis clos, notamment des dners privs au FEM de Davos, autour de l'AGNU de New York, du Grand Prix de Monaco ainsi que d'autres vnements conomiques, gopolitiques, sportifs et culturels majeurs travers le monde.

Les membres et leurs familles peuvent galement bnficier de consultations gratuites sur la planification mondiale de l'enseignement et de prsentations auprs des meilleures coles et universits du monde, ainsi que de conseils stratgiques en matire de sant, d'un accs des programmes de mdecine prventive et de longvit, et de la planification d'examens mdicaux dans les tablissements de soins de sant les plus avancs, notamment en Suisse, en Allemagne, Singapour, aux mirats arabes unis, au Royaume–Uni et aux tats–Unis.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, prsident du groupe Henley & Partners, affirme que le fait de runir les clients de premier plan des deux entreprises et de combiner leur expertise afin de crer une offre internationale de conseil et de services unique et exceptionnelle constitue un prolongement logique pour le cabinet des citoyens du monde . Pour ceux d'entre nous qui se considrent comme des citoyens du monde, nous ne renonons pas nos autres identits, engagements et affiliations l'gard de nos propres pays, cultures, convictions religieuses et mme politiques. Ces lments continuent de nous donner un sens et d'ajouter de la valeur nos vies. Mais parce que nous vivons dans un monde intimement connect et interdpendant et que nous oprons sur un march mondial, nous avons ajout une autre couche d'identit, d'intrts et de responsabilit au niveau mondial. L'adhsion Henley Global Citizens consiste reconnatre et soutenir cette identit et ce style de vie d'une manire trs pratique et quotidienne, susceptible d'apporter une valeur ajoute considrable ses membres.

Nada T. Rouviere, prsidente d'Insignia Group, a dclar : Notre partenariat avec Henley & Partners reprsente une nouvelle re dans la gestion du style de vie de luxe. Chez Insignia, nous nous sommes toujours engags offrir nos membres des expriences ingales, et la carte Henley Global Citizens constitue la concrtisation de cet engagement. En collaboration avec Henley & Partners, nous redfinissons le sens de la citoyennet mondiale tout en offrant une passerelle exclusive vers un monde de possibilits et de connexions illimites. Nous nous rjouissons la perspective de pouvoir enrichir la vie de nos membres en facilitant leur parcours en tant que vritables citoyens du monde.

Henley Global Citizens sera lanc lors d'un vnement sur mesure organis le vendredi 10 novembre la suite de la 17e confrence annuelle sur la citoyennet mondiale ayant lieu cette semaine (du 8 au 10 novembre) au Shangri–La Hotel DIFC Duba, aux mirats arabes unis.

La confrence internationale organise par Henley & Partners, laquelle sont attendus cette anne plus de 400 dlgus provenant de plus de 35 pays, est devenue le rassemblement le plus grand et le plus important au monde sur la migration mondiale des fortunes prives et des investissements, runissant des prsidents, des premiers ministres, des ministres d'Etat et des hauts fonctionnaires, des universitaires de premier plan, des conseillers de clientle prive, des gestionnaires de grandes fortunes et des professionnels de la gestion de patrimoine, ainsi que de nombreux entrepreneurs et investisseurs fortuns.

Le programme de la confrence 2023 propose un contenu sophistiqu et de pointe sur les principaux dveloppements qui faonnent la planification patrimoniale mondiale, la migration des investissements et la gopolitique d'aujourd'hui.

Notes l'attention des rdacteurs

Pour obtenir de plus amples informations et une accrditation mdias pour assister au lancement de Henley Global Citizens (10 novembre) et/ou la 17e confrence annuelle sur la citoyennet mondiale (8""10 novembre), veuillez contacter :

Sarah Nicklin

Responsable des relations publiques du Groupe

sarah.nicklin@henleyglobal.com

Tlphone portable : +27 72 464 8965

propos de Henley & Partners

Henley & Partners est le leader mondial de la planification de la rsidence et de la citoyennet par investissement. Chaque anne, des centaines de particuliers fortuns et leurs conseillers font confiance notre savoir–faire et notre exprience en la matire. Les professionnels hautement qualifis que compte le cabinet travaillent en quipe dans plus de 40 bureaux travers le monde.

Le concept de rsidence et de citoyennet par investissement a t cr par Henley & Partners dans les annes 1990. Avec l'ampleur de la mondialisation, la rsidence et la citoyennet sont devenues des sujets d'intrt majeur pour le nombre grandissant d'entrepreneurs et d'investisseurs mobiles l'chelle internationale que nous sommes fiers de servir chaque jour.
Henley & Partners dirige galement le cabinet de conseil aux gouvernements le plus important au monde en matire de migration d'investissement, qui a lev plus de 12 milliards de dollars US d'investissements directs trangers. En tant que partenaire de confiance des gouvernements, le cabinet est actif dans le conseil stratgique et dans la conception, la mise en place et l'oprationnalisation des programmes de rsidence et de citoyennet les plus aboutis au monde.

www.henleyglobal.com

propos d'Insignia

Fonde en 1996, Insignia a commenc son parcours en tant que fournisseur de services lis aux voyages et de cartes de paiement. Aujourd'hui, l'entreprise s'est transforme en un service mondial complet de conseil en matire de luxe, offrant une approche sur mesure 360 degrs, personnalise afin de rpondre aux besoins de chaque membre.

Avec un accs 24h/24 et 7j/7 des assistants personnels ddis et une quipe interne ddie aux besoins de style de vie, Insignia offre ses membres un service sans prcdent. Insignia prsente une gamme enviable de cartes de paiement super premium et premium, allant de designs exquis inspirs des bijoux aux finitions mtalliques de luxe raffines. Ces cartes offrent un potentiel de dpenses illimit et sont adaptes un usage professionnel et individuel.

Avec plus de 27 annes d'exprience, Insignia matrise l'art de rpondre aux besoins de style de vie des individus les plus influents et les plus fortuns du monde. L'adhsion se fait sur invitation uniquement et est intentionnellement limite afin de maintenir un esprit d'exclusivit.

Aujourd'hui, Insignia est prsente dans 7 villes : Duba, Londres, New York, Hong Kong, La Valette, Bratislava et Genve.

www.insignia.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000897719)

Where Do We Go Once the Israel-Hamas War Ends? – Part I

Palestinians being displaced amid threats by Israeli settlers in Nablus area. (October 2023). Credit: UN OCHA

 
The unprecedented and unfathomable savagery that was inflicted by Hamas on 1,400 innocent Israeli civilians and off-duty soldiers has shaken to the core every human being with a conscience. Beyond that, it has also rattled the prevailing conditions between Israel and the Palestinians, making it impossible to return to the status quo ante. This incomprehensible massacre offers, though under horrifying circumstances, an unprecedented opportunity to bring a gradual end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This unparalleled breakdown resulting from Hamas’s savagery has fundamentally changed the dynamic of the conflict and created a new paradigm that could lead to a breakthrough of historic proportions to reach a permanent peace agreement based on a two-state solution.

By Alon Ben-Meir
NEW YORK, Nov 6 2023 – Since the 1967 Six Day War, many efforts have been made to reach a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians through mediation conducted by an impartial mediator, face-to face negotiations, international conferences, offering incentives, back-channel talks, interim agreements (in particular the Oslo Accords), and occasionally by an influential party exerting pressure on both sides, especially the US.

None of the above approaches nor several others to reach a peace agreement have worked. The failures to reach an agreement are fundamentally attributed to the fact that both sides claim exclusive ownership to the entire land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, albeit they blame each other for failing to make the necessary concessions to reach a peace agreement.

While the prospect of a two-state solution was viable following the 1993 Oslo Accords, the outlook for such a solution became progressively dimmer as Israel moved to the right-of-center. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was bent on sabotaging the Oslo Accords when he served as prime minister between 1996 and 1999, and has been in power for most of the past 15 years, made it clear repeatedly that there will be no Palestinian state under his watch.

The idea of a two-state solution was steadily losing traction in Israel, the occupation of the West Bank was normalized, and a de facto apartheid state was created, which became a way of life for most Israelis and Palestinians.

The changing dynamic of the conflict

It is well known in conflict resolution that sometimes it takes a major breakdown that precipitates an extraordinary crisis to change the dynamic of a conflict. The shockingly unexpected and devastating Yom Kippur War in 1973, which subsequently led to a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, offers a potent example.

As such, it made it simply impossible to return to the status quo ante. Indeed, neither Israel nor the Palestinians, including Hamas, will be the same following this most heinous and unprecedented massacre and Israel’s retaliation that has already exacted (as of this writing) more than 8,700 Palestinian casualties—not to speak of the unimaginable death and destruction that will occur as Israel undertakes its ground invasion of Gaza.

This unfolding horror should have been expected because of what was happening on the ground in the West Bank and Gaza over the past few years, especially in the last 10 months since the formation of the most extremist right-wing coalition government in Israel’s history (as I pointed out in my article published on October 3, 2022). Indeed, it did not take a prophet to augur what would happen next.

The increasingly violent flareups in the West Bank have been claiming hundreds of Palestinian lives, mostly under the age of 30, each year (so far this year over 300 West Bank Palestinians have already been killed, as of the time of writing, over 100 since October 7 alone). The frequent night raids, evictions, incarcerations, demolition of houses, and gross human rights abuses became the norm.

Despair, depression, and hopelessness swept much of the Palestinian population, akin to the gathering of a ferocious storm that successive Israeli governments led by Netanyahu chose to brush off. Moreover, it is the psychological dimension of the conflict that has now come into full display, exposing decades-old mental and emotional trauma the Palestinians have been experiencing to which the wright-wing Israelis were oblivious and which was bound to manifest in an unprecedented way.

The Palestinians’ resentment and hatred of Israel were intensifying. Since the new government could not formally annex Palestinians territories, it has resorted to intimidation and harassment of the Palestinians under the watchful eye of the criminal Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who gave the settlers free reign to rampage Palestinian communities in order to ‘encourage’ them to leave.

The Netanyahu government’s intent to slowly annex much of the West Bank became abundantly clear. Needless to say, none of the above can justify under any circumstances Hamas’ heinous attack on Israeli civilians. Hamas must pay for it dearly, and pay they will.

But such unthinkable carnage happened because of the perilous “strategy” that successive Israeli governments pursued that enabled Hamas and prevented the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. This also explains why Netanyahu consistently refused to negotiate with any prospective unity government between the PA and Hamas.

The creation of Hamas

Israel created Hamas to counter balance the secular national Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) movement led by Yasser Arafat, which was intended to divide the Palestinians into two camps and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. The creation of Hamas by Israel, which has been confirmed by many top Israeli military and civilian officials over a number of years, is unquestionable.

Former Brig. Gen. Yitzhak Segev, who was the Israeli military governor in Gaza in the early 1980s, told a New York Times reporter that he had helped finance Hamas as a “counterweight” to the secularists and leftists of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Fatah party, led by Yasser Arafat, stating “The Israeli Government gave me a budget and the military government gives to the mosques.” And among many others, Avner Cohen, a former Israeli religious affairs official who worked in Gaza for more than two decades, told the Wall Street Journal in 2009 that “Hamas, to my great regret, is Israel’s creation.”

In a 2015 interview, Bezalel Smotrich, the current finance minister who is also in charge of Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), stated “The Palestinian Authority is a burden, and Hamas is an asset” [emphasis added]. And in an article published in the New York Times on October 18, 2023, entitled “Netanyahu Led Us to Catastrophe. He Must Go.,” author Gershom Gorenberg stated that “Bringing Gaza back under the Palestinian Authority was apparently never part of the prime minister’s agenda. Hamas was the enemy and, in a bizarre twist, an ally against the threat of diplomacy, a two-state solution and peace.”

Indeed, no Israeli prime minister has pursued this disastrous policy of divide and conquer more vigorously than Netanyahu. Although he maintained the blockade over Gaza, he allowed the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars from Qatar and other countries into Hamas’ coffers, knowing full well that more than 50 percent of these funds were used by Hamas to buy and manufacture weapons, including tens of thousands of rockets, and build a massive network of tunnels with command and control while readying itself for the next war.

Gorenberg further stated that “In 2019, for instance, Netanyahu explained why he allowed the Hamas regime in Gaza to be propped up with cash from Qatar rather than have it depend on a financial umbilical cord to the West Bank. He told Likud lawmakers that ’whoever is against a Palestinian state should be for’ the Qatari funding…” Yuval Diskin, head of Shin Bet from 2005-2011, stated in January 2013 that “If we look at it over the years, one of the main people contributing to Hamas’s strengthening has been Bibi Netanyahu, since his first term as prime minister.”

And in a more telling statement from someone who has been deeply immersed in Israeli politics and governance, Ehud Barak stated in August 2019, “His strategy is to keep Hamas alive and kicking… even at the price of abandoning the citizens [of the south] … in order to weaken the PA in Ramallah…”

Netanyahu’s ill-fated “strategy” was an illusion. He believed that he could control the monster that he nurtured over the years, which instead came back to slaughter hundreds of innocent Israelis who have been relying on their government for protection and were tragically let down.

They have been betrayed by a prime minister who has been fixated on bolstering Israel’s security in the West Bank while weakening the security of the southern front along the Gaza border. And while Netanyahu was sparing no efforts to ‘reform’ the judiciary, Hamas was planning, training, acquiring weapons, and perfecting the technique to wage an assault against Israel more daring than anyone could have possibly imagined.

It all happened under Netanyahu’s watch. And worse yet, how is it possible that the world’s most renowned intelligence agency, Israel’s Mossad, failed to detect the planning of an attack of such magnitude that it took perhaps more than a year to prepare? And why did Netanyahu ignore the warning of Egypt’s Intelligence Minister General Abbas Kamel, who personally called Netanyahu and warned him that Hamas was likely to do “something unusual, a terrible operation” only 10 days before the attack?

I do not suggest or even imply that Netanyahu knew what was going to happen but chose to ignore it, but rather that he was simply dismissive of what Hamas is capable of and believed that he had a good handle on what was happening in Gaza. He was preoccupied with passing legislation that would subordinate the Supreme Court and the appointment of judges to elected politicians, which would have destroyed Israel’s democracy and allowed him to assume authoritarian powers, to which he badly aspired.

Although the Palestinians on the whole, be they in the West Bank or Gaza, are innocent civilians, the extremists among them have committed many egregious acts of violence against Israel. The Palestinian leaders missed many opportunities to make peace, and made countless mistakes that aggravated their own situation.

Moreover, by threatening Israel’s very existence, extremist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad allowed successive Israeli governments to make a strong case against the Palestinians by portraying them as an irredeemable mortal enemy that poses the greatest danger to Israel’s national security and hence, the Palestinians cannot be a party to peace.

With these perspectives established by the Israeli government, maintaining the occupation became the state policy, however unsustainable it has been deemed by any keen and informed observer.

What’s next

That said, once the war is over and the dust settles, a growing majority on both sides will come to recognize one irreversible fact. Co-existence is not one of many options, it is the only option, be that under conditions of peace or perpetual violent enmity. The two-state solution has come back to the table, as it has always been the only viable option. Both sides must now face this bittersweet reality.

The question is what will happen now that Israel and Hamas are engaged in fierce fighting on the ground that will surely exact an immense toll on both sides. I maintain that whether Israel limits its ground invasion of Gaza to its northern part, or continues its targeted bombing of Hamas’s encampments while seeking to decapitate as many of its leaders as possible, or simply stops the fighting, which is unlikely, and focuses on releasing the over 240 hostages, nothing will change in any substantial way the irreversible new paradigm that has bitterly awakened both sides to their miserable, unsustainable status quo.

To be sure, what option the Israeli government will choose to bring an end to the conflict will only define the length of time that that might take, the extent of difficulties in the negotiation, the modalities of the negotiating process, the level of public and international pressure to find a solution, and the likely intermittent violence. But none of these issues will change the fundamental point of departure that point to the endgame of a two-state solution, regardless of how many more hurdles might be encountered.

Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University (NYU). He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies.

IPS UN Bureau

 


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