At the conference, Cohen revealed cases where the Mossad during his tenure shared life-saving intelligence, including with Australia. "We gave the Australians probably one of the most critical intelligence items, which saved hundreds of lives, when a bomb was en route to an Etihad aircraft scheduled to depart Sydney for Dubai or Abu Dhabi. This was our intelligence, and what do we receive back from Australia?" Cohen asked, referring to Canberra's recognition of a Palestinian state.

Cohen indicated Israel provides life-saving intelligence to other Western intelligence agencies, primarily the American CIA and British MI6. Cohen emphasized Israel shouldn't stop intelligence sharing, explaining, "We need to trade this coordinated intelligence, which ultimately saves lives, for improved support. I'm not proposing the Mossad or Israel's intelligence forces cease collecting or sharing intelligence with our global partners to protect other people's lives [meaning non-Israelis], but I am proposing we trade it differently."

Earlier this week, the Mossad exposed an Iranian operative who planned attacks in Australia, Germany and Greece. Cohen officially stated at the conference he won't run in the upcoming elections. However, he didn't rule out entering political life later. When asked about running for office in elections a year away, Cohen responded, "The answer is no. Not now. We'll see what develops."

Cohen revealed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously told him he considered him his successor. "When I served as Mossad chief, Prime Minister Netanyahu suggested I was his successor. One day I approached him and asked if he genuinely said this, and he confirmed it, explaining his reasoning. This occurred in 2018 or 2019 I believe, and then my wife responded, 'No, absolutely not. We're not entering this.' But I believe everything shifted dramatically after October 7, and there's a need for fresh leadership. So the possibility can't be completely ruled out. I'm weighing everything, but my decision now is no."

Video: Yossi Cohen at the Shurat Hadin conference with Ariel Kahana / Credit : Ohad Kab

Regarding the war-ending agreement, Cohen stated, "This isn't the perfect agreement, but currently it's time for a ceasefire and this was a price worth accepting for freeing the hostages. I don't believe the US or other parties will block Israel from combating terror going forward. Israel should decide whether to cut all ties with Qatar once all deceased hostages return. We lack genuine relations with them, we merely used them as intermediaries for channeling funds to Gaza, ostensibly for the population's welfare, but actually they reached Hamas. This was an error, designed for humanitarian assistance, but concluded with the money financing terror."

Attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, president of the Shurat HaDin organization and conference organizer, concluded, "The war isn't over yet. The policy threats to create a Palestinian state combined with The Hague court's hostility lead to an unprecedented surge in Israel hatred and antisemitism. We must consolidate all forces addressing this issue to push back. Let the entire world understand it's unacceptable to allow terror to gain strength. We must combat it on the battlefield, in courtrooms and also in the global public opinion sphere. If we work together, we can secure the future of the Jewish people in the Land and throughout the Diaspora."

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The American rapper Macklemore has announced the cancellation of his upcoming October concert in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), citing concerns over the country's alleged involvement in the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the BBC reports.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Macklemore explained that he had been urged for months to call off the show in solidarity with the Sudanese people and to boycott business in the UAE due to its reported role in the "ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis in the region."

The Grammy-winning artist specifically mentioned the UAE's alleged support for Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been engaged in a fierce battle against the Sudanese army. "Until the UAE stops arming and funding the RSF I will not perform there," Macklemore stated.

The conflict in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced approximately 10 million people, according to the BBC. The UN-accredited Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reports that the war has led to the country's worst hunger levels on record.

While both sides have been accused of atrocities, the RSF faces allegations of genocide against the non-Arabic population in parts of the western region of Darfur, which it largely controls. The RSF has denied these accusations, instead blaming local militias.

Macklemore emphasized the urgency of the situation in Sudan, stating that it is "going largely unnoticed globally." He drew parallels to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, noting that the plight of the Palestinian people "has woken the world up."

The rapper, known for addressing social issues in his music, recently released a song titled "Hind's Hall" in tribute to Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza. He donated the song's proceeds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), an organization with proven ties to Hamas. His lyrics comment on the Pro-Palestinian demonstrations currently sweeping the US:

The problem isn't the protests / Block the barricade until Palestine is free / When I was seven, I learned a lesson from Cube and Eazy-E / What was it again? Oh yeah, f*ck the police

He also touches on many buzzwords while blasting Israel:

A state that's gotta rely on an apartheid system / To uphold an occupyin' violent / History been repeating for the last seventy-five / The Nakba never ended, the colonizer lied 

HIND'S HALL. Once it's up on streaming all proceeds to UNRWA. pic.twitter.com/QqZEKmzwZI

— Macklemore (@macklemore) May 6, 2024

He clarified that his decision was not meant to judge other artists who perform in the UAE but rather to encourage his peers to consider using their platforms for collective liberation.

In June, the UAE denied accusations of fueling the conflict, dismissing them as "disinformation" and stating that their focus was on alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. This came in response to claims made by Sudan's ambassador to the UN, Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, who had accused the UAE of providing financial and military support to the RSF.

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The Dubai Green Spine project aims to transform a 64-kilometer stretch of highway into a sustainable urban corridor, incorporating solar panels, a solar-powered tram system, urban farms, and non-motorized transportation infrastructure.

The project will feature over a million trees, and ecological corridors to support biodiversity, regulate temperature, improve air quality, and manage stormwater.

It aims to generate over 300 megawatts of clean energy, reducing CO2 emissions by 1,051,200 tons annually, and includes advanced energy storage solutions, powering thousands of homes.

Solar panels are planned to be integrated into the highway architecture and feature a giant photovoltaic system, mitigating climate change, improving air quality.

The Green Spine project aims to reduce the urban heat island effect, and improve food security.

It will incorporate bioswales for rainwater management, xeriscaping for water conservation, and an Internet-of-Things-enabled infrastructure for real-time traffic and energy management.

Native species like the Ghaf tree, date palm, and Sidra tree, known for thriving in arid environments will be used for water-saving.

The project could be completed in four stages over a 10-year period.

Sources: Newsweek, Fast Company, Yahoo, Sapo, Surface, ArchDaily, Read Movements, MEP Middle East, Stiripesurse, Ziare, Kansas City, Postimees, Informatia Zilei, Thursd, The Weekly Journal, Playtech, Blic, Railway.supply, What's On

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) found itself in an unprecedented situation on Wednesday, attempting to recover from the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the country. This historic weather event, as described by the state-run WAM news agency, surpassed "anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949".

The deluge primarily impacted Dubai, where the city's international airport, a hub for the long-haul carrier Emirates, was inundated with floodwaters. The rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) of rain, according to meteorological data collected at the airport. However, the situation intensified around 9 a.m. local time on Tuesday, with the storms continuing throughout the day, dumping more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall onto the overwhelmed city within 24 hours.

Video: Arab social media

At Dubai International Airport, standing water lapped on taxiways as aircraft landed, forcing authorities to halt arrivals. Passengers struggled to reach terminals through the floodwater covering surrounding roads. One couple, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, described the situation at the airport as "absolute carnage," with people sleeping in the Metro station and the airport itself due to the lack of transportation options.

The airport acknowledged on Wednesday morning that the flooding had left "limited transportation options" and affected flights as aircraft crews couldn't reach the airfield. "Recovery will take some time," the airport said on the social platform X. "We thank you for your patience and understanding while we work through these challenges."

The Sharjah-based UAE carrier Air Arabia has suspended check-in for both inbound and outbound flights until Apr. 18 due to the weather's severe impact.

Paul Griffiths, the airport's CEO, acknowledged continued issues with flooding, saying every place an aircraft could be safely parked was taken. Some aircraft had been diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, the city-state's second airfield. "It remains an incredibly challenging time. In living memory, I don't think anyone has ever seen conditions like it," Griffiths told the state-owned talk radio station Dubai Eye. "We are in uncharted territory, but I can assure everyone we are working as hard as we possibly can to make sure our customers and staff are looked after."

The rains were not limited to Dubai, as precipitation was also reported in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. However, the UAE was particularly affected, with one potential contributing factor being "cloud seeding," a process in which the government flies small planes through clouds, burning special salt flares to increase precipitation.

While rain is unusual in the UAE, an arid Arabian Peninsula nation, it occurs periodically during the cooler winter months. However, many roads and other areas lack proper drainage due to the lack of regular rainfall, leading to flooding. Authorities sent tanker trucks to pump away the water, and some residents had to bail out their flooded homes. As of now, authorities canceled school and instructed citizens to work from home. The government offered no overall damage or injury information, but in Ras al-Khaimah, the northernmost emirate, police reported that a 70-year-old man died when his vehicle was swept away by floodwater.

In neighboring Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, the situation was equally dire, with at least 19 people killed in heavy rains in recent days, according to a statement from the country's National Committee for Emergency Management. Tragically, this figure includes 10 schoolchildren and an adult who were swept away in a vehicle, prompting condolences from rulers across the region.

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A coalition of 53 human rights organizations that operate in the Middle East commended the United Arab Emirates in a new report that was released in early May. 

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On Monday, the UAE is expected to elaborate on the measures it has taken over the past year in accordance with the international obligations it has taken upon itself, which include steps aimed at better abiding by human rights norms. 

The presentation will be part of the Universal Periodic Review, a mechanism designed to help the international body evaluate the human rights situation of all member states. The United Arab Emirates is one of the 14 states to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its upcoming 43rd session from 1 to 12 May 2023.

According to a statement released by the coalition of NGOs, "the UAE has topped the countries in the region following what was monitored by the International Coalition for its leadership in globalism and in devoting commitment to high human values and principles."The information was shared with the more than 100 attendees at a Geneva conference comprising experts and scholars.  

"More than eleven international experts spoke in it, and more than 100 participants representing experts, researchers, and academics attended, during which the efforts and achievements of the UAE over the past fifty years were reviewed, especially in the field of promoting civil, political, and economic rights," the statement read. "In addition to advancing civil liberties such as freedom of opinion and expression, strengthening the justice system, protecting prisoners and detainees, and enhancing community protection through the establishment of counseling, reform, and rehabilitation centers, the country also works on promoting collective rights and developing national mechanisms concerned with the protection and promotion of human rights."

During a symposium held at the conference, experts noted the "UAE's care for national strategies for promoting and advancing human rights at the national, regional, and international levels" with a particular emphasis on women's rights and the treatment of children and vulnerable groups. 

Furthermore, the coalition noted that the experts praised the Gulf nation for its achievements "in the fields of protecting workers' rights, combating human trafficking, tackling extremism and terrorism, and promoting the discourse of tolerance and human coexistence, specifically its efforts to promote world peace and common human coexistence." The coalition stressed that these values are "represented in the Document of Human Fraternity and the establishment of the Abrahamic Family House in the Emirates."

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Dubai opened the doors Friday to an architecturally stunning building housing the new Museum of the Future, a seven-story structure that envisions a dreamlike world powered by solar energy and the Gulf Arab state's frenetic quest to develop.

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The torus-shaped museum is a design marvel that forgoes support columns, relying instead on a network of diagonal beams. It is enveloped in windows carved by Arabic calligraphy, adding another eye-popping design element to Dubai's piercingly modern skyline that shimmers with the world's tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa.

The Museum of the Future projects Dubai's ambitions and its desire to be seen as a modern, inclusive city even as its political system remains rooted in hereditary rule and hard limits exist on the types of expression permitted. It is the latest in a stream of feats for Dubai, which is the first country in the Middle East to host the World's Fair.

The museum envisions what the world could look like 50 years from today. It's a vision that crystalizes the United Arab Emirates' own 50-year transformation from a pearl-diving backwater to a global interconnected hub fueled by oil and gas wealth.

"It was an imperative requirement to develop so fast because we needed to catch up with the rest of the world," said Sarah Al-Amiri, UAE minister of state for advanced technology and chair of the UAE Space Agency. "Prior to 1971, [we had] no basic road networks, no basic education, electricity network and so on."

The UAE last year announced it would join a growing list of nations cutting greenhouse gas emissions, shifting away at least domestically from the fossil fuels that still drive the Arabian Peninsula's growth, clout and influence.

However, the museum's focus on a sustainable future brings to the forefront the inherent tension between the push by Gulf Arab states to keep pumping oil and gas and global pledges to cut down on carbon emissions, including the UAE's 2050 net-zero pledge.

Moreover, the museum invites visitors to reconnect with their senses and disconnect from their phones, but digital screens and experiences flow throughout its installations. The museum also encourages visitors to think about the planet's health and biodiversity in a city that celebrates consumption, luxury and consumerism.

Al-Amiri said the museum's ethos is that the drive toward a sustainable future and healthy planet should not prohibit progress and economic growth.

"It needs to not be prohibitive, but rather an opportunity to create new opportunities out of this challenge that we're all facing," she said.

The museum's creative director, Brendan McGetrick, said addressing climate change "doesn't mean that you have to return to like some hunter gatherer lifestyle."

"You can actually mobilize and continue progressing and continue innovating, but it should be done with an awareness of our relationship to the planet and that we have a lot of work to do," he said.

The museum's goal is to inspire people to think about what is possible and to channel that into real world action, he added.

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Visitors to the Museum of the Future are ushered by an artificial intelligence guide named "Aya." She beckons people to experience a future with flying taxis, windfarms and a world powered by a massive structure orbiting Earth that harnesses the sun's energy and beams it to the moon. The so-called "Sol Project" imagines the moon covered by countless solar panels that direct that energy toward nodes on Earth, where humanity thrives and the planet's biodiversity includes innovative plant species resistant to fire.

"What we tried to do is create a sort of compelling vision of what would happen if we imagine space as a shared resource," McGetrick said.

The museum envisions that humanity's collective energy project is directed by a space station called the OSS Hope, the same word in Arabic the UAE named its real-life mission gathering data from Mars' atmosphere. Last year, the UAE became the first Arab country to launch a functioning interplanetary mission.

The museum's imagined future also draws from Islam's past with a mesmerizing display of the planets in our solar system mapped by astrolabes, the complex devices refined by Muslims during the Golden Age of Islam to aid in navigation, time and celestial mapping.

The museum's Arab thumbprint flows throughout, including in a meditation space that is part of a larger sensory experience guided by vibration, light and water. These three elements underpinned life for tribes in the Arabian Peninsula.

The oil-fueled cities of the Gulf that have emerged from the desert over the past few decades unearthed seismic changes in the ways people in the region live, interact and connect with nature.

"It's always important to continue to evolve and develop and understand what parts of the culture actually push development forward," said Al-Amiri. "Creating new norms and new ways of living and new ways of coexisting is OK."

A stunning centerpiece of the museum is a darkened mirrored space illuminated by columns of tiny glass cylinders with the illusory DNA of animals and species that have gone extinct, including the polar bear whose Arctic habitat is currently threatened by warming temperatures. In this dreamscape future, the health of the planet is monitored like a person's pulse, temperature and vitals are.

The Museum of the Future opens to the public Friday with tickets costing the equivalent of $40 a person. An official launch ceremony Monday evening took place in the presence of Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, whose poetry wraps the building in Arabic calligraphy.

The building was conceptualized by Killa Design, a UAE-based architecture firm. Killa Design says the building, which overlooks Dubai's main thoroughfare, has achieved LEED Platinum status, a worldwide rating reserved for the world's most energy-efficient and environmental designs.

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Flagship observation satellites made by Israel Aerospace Industries have in recent days been on display at a key space-related conference held in Dubai – a development made possible by the 2020 Abraham Accords.

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The International Astronautical Congress, which was held Oct. 25 to 29 in the United Arab Emirates, saw IAI present its OptSat3000 high-resolution satellite and the Tecsar radar observation satellite. The latter is able to use radar waves to collect intelligence during day or night in all weather conditions.

In September 2020, Israel launched the IAI-made Ofek 16 spy satellite, carrying a higher than ever resolution camera in space. Six years earlier, Israel launched its Ofek 10 radar spy satellite.

IAI led Israel's space exhibit at the Astronautical Congress, which took place this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Estie Rosen, IAI's head of media relations, told JNS that the company also exhibited a new mini-communication satellite concept and a cloud computing-based ground station for processing information from satellites.

The cloud-based ground station unveiled by IAI recently is designed to "enable maximum availability of satellite information," she said.

The company also showcased "Beresheet," the lunar lander that nearly brought Israel to the moon in 2019 before crashing into its surface at the last moment.

"The International Astronautical Congress is the most significant global space event," said Rosen. "It is held in a different location every year, and Israel has hosted it as well [in 2015]."

Rosen added that "due to the Abraham Accords, we can take part as IAI and bring Israeli personnel to this event. This is a moving development."

She noted that Israel launched Ofek 16 into space during the peak of the pandemic, achieving a successful launch of the advanced camera-carrying satellite. "It entered orbit quickly, and is used operationally by security forces, providing high-quality images," she stated.

Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate has control of the satellite. Rosen described IAI satellites as being at "the technological forefront in terms of the resolution they provide to the table of security forces."

In January 2020, IAI announced that it signed an agreement with the Israeli government for the development and construction of Israel's next communications satellite, Dror 1. The satellite will enable Israel to retain independent capabilities in the critical domain of space-based communications. Communications satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers.

'A smartphone in space'

Rosen said some countries don't need huge expensive communication satellites, adding that IAI has identified a niche market for lighter satellites, which are cheaper to launch and carry fewer beam antennas, while still retaining "elite, more affordable technology."

Communications satellites need to be highly agile, effectively acting as "a smartphone in space that can load applications from the ground to the satellite and conduct changes of missions," said Rosen, describing the company's design functions.

The company is also developing nanosatellites.

Indeed, she emphasized, it has invested hefty funds in satellite research and development.

In a statement, IAI said that "the field of space is a global growth engine that crosses technological, educational, business and political borders." It added that the Dubai space conference provided "IAI with the opportunity to build new relationships with local companies in the UAE and in the Gulf countries, and to develop new ventures with partners in the local defense industry, government agencies and academic institutions."

In October, the Israeli Space Agency and the UAE declared that they would cooperate on building the "Beresheet 2" lunar lander, scheduled for launch in 2024.

IAI held its first exhibit in Dubai at CyberTech in 2020. It will present at the Dubai Airshow this month, from Nov. 14. to Nov. 18.

"The UAE is a country with advanced space capabilities that are wide and scope. We can find common issues," said Rosen. "Space is important for both countries.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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A Jewish couple got married in Dubai on Wednesday in what is considered the largest Jewish wedding ever to take place in the United Arab Emirates. 

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More than 600 young men and women from Russia and the former Soviet Union attended the celebrations that took place in the heart of the Dubai desert.

The attendees were flown to the Gulf state by the Yachad outreach organization that runs Torah-learning groups throughout the former FSU and is led by Moscow-based Chabad Rabbi Mendy Wilansky. Yachad aims to strengthen Jewish communities abroad and prevent assimilation by teaching youngsters about Jewish values. 

The Dubai trip was the culmination of a year-long weekly Torah-learning program that all 600 youngsters attended. Yachad organizes such trips annually. 

"The first generation to grow up after the collapse of the Iron Curtain came to visit Dubai, to see how it's possible to walk around with a kippah and tzitzit [ritual fringes], as proud Jews, even in an Arab country," said Russian Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar, who officiated the wedding. 

According to Lazar, Emirati officials commended such celebrations taking place in their country and even met with youngsters during their trip.

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Israel Aerospace Industries will lead the Israeli Space Exhibit at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress to be held in Dubai from Oct. 25 to Oct. 29.

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In a statement on Monday, IAI said that as the only Israeli pavilion to present, it will exhibit "a range of cutting-edge space solutions," including two types of spy satellites; a new mini-communications satellite concept; and "Beresheet," Israel's lunar lander.

"The field of space is a global growth engine that crosses technological, educational, business and political borders," said the company. "IAI is leading Israel's space industry from development and manufacturing to launching satellites and launchers, to ground stations for satellite control and operation, among other complementary services."

The event, it continued, provides IAI with "the opportunity to build new relationships with local companies in the United Arab Emirates and in Gulf countries, and to develop new ventures with partners in the local defense industry, government agencies and academic institutions."

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Following the Abraham Accords, IAI has entered business ventures in the UAE and other Gulf states, creating partnerships to promote the transfer of knowledge, advancement of investments, and development and commercialization of joint defense and civilian technologies.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Israel ceremonially opened its gleaming pavilion at the world's fair in Dubai on Thursday, over a year after normalizing ties with the United Arab Emirates and amid a pandemic that has disrupted much of the tourist and cultural exchanges promised by the US-brokered accords.

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The pavilion's arch – chock-full of videos promoting Israel's windmills, high-tech advances, and historic sights – came to life as night fell.

"I am delighted to invite all of you to come and visit my country," Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov told the crowd of revelers after cutting the ribbon.

Israeli officials, in Dubai to cement ties after the two countries inked a long-awaited visa waiver agreement this week, traipsed through the mirrored pavilion, their reflections unfolding around them. Emiratis in traditional floor-length white dress gazed at panoramic views of Jerusalem's Old City gliding across vertical screens as a pop rendition of "Shalom Aleichem" played. Jewish attendees wore kippahs emblazoned with the tourist logo of the UAE.

"It's not only [about]pavilions and visitors' centers," Noam Katz, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said of the Israeli presence at Dubai's Expo. "It's power gathering."

Amir Halevi, the Tourism Ministry director-general, said he expects an influx of Israeli tourists to visit Expo in the coming months as virus-induced travel restrictions ease.

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