Ian Black

Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu’s latest book is well-timed, doubtless intentionally: it was published just a week before Israel’s general election, its fifth in less than four years, on November 1, encouraging supporters to vote for him by recounting his many years in office and his vast experience in dealing with both allies and enemies.

Netanyahu devotes a lot of his memoir entitled, Bibi: My Story, to describing how he persuaded Donald Trump not to trust Mahmoud Abbas, the veteran leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA), who he claims was irrevocably hostile to the Jewish state and wanted a border as close to Tel Aviv as the George Washington Bridge is to Trump Tower. The familiarity of the New York landscape was the key. It is well-written but unashamedly self-serving.

Netanyahu stayed very close to Trump throughout the latter’s time in the White House, between 2017 and 2021. Both are now out of power. Predictably, Netanyahu ticks off policy successes, among them the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, the American embassy moving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and Washington recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which were Syrian before the 1967 war.

Bibi also tells the genesis of the Abraham Accords, the “normalization” deals signed between Israel and four Arab countries. But he also repeatedly describes his frustration as Trump continued with a “fixation with the Palestinians” rather than “a great political deal of peace with Arab states that I believed was around the corner”. Netanyahu tells how he contrived to play Trump a video meant to “adjust his thinking” about Abbas. The tape portrayed the Palestinian leader as two-faced, talking peace in English and praising terrorists in Arabic.

Netanyahu’s 650-page memoir was published under the shadow of corruption charges which affect his ability to secure a workable majority in the Knesset. Based on recent polls, he has a serious chance of being re-elected. A victory could mean immunity from prosecution. That decision will rest with his coalition partners – if he wins.

Latest opinion polls show that neither side will win the 61-majority necessary to form a government. Netanyahu’s Likud got 31 seats in the 120-member Knesset while Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid (There is a Future) was predicted to win 27. Netanyahu's bloc remains stuck at 60 mandates, with the extremist Religious Zionist Party continuing to gain voters at the expense of Likud. That is led by Bezalel Smotrich. “If we get a lot of mandates, we will have the legitimacy to demand significant portfolios such as defence and the treasury,” he said recently.

As leader of the opposition, Netanyahu has tried to focus on criticising government policies. Earlier in the campaign he sought to raise the issue of the high cost of living. He has also heavily criticised the Lapid government’s handling of the security situation, especially the recent maritime deal with Lebanon which Netanyahu claimed signalled a capitulation to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Another familiar tactic has been Bibi’s warning that Lapid will be forced to rely on an Arab party to form a coalition. At the same time, Likud has been active on social media in Arabic. The goal is to reduce antagonism towards Netanyahu since Israeli Arab parties often warn against his victory ahead of elections. In these campaigns, Netanyahu argues that Arab MPs only care about themselves.

Netanyahu has the best chance of forming a coalition of 61. But the policies he would have to adopt in order to get these parties on side – tearing up the justice system (potentially cancelling his own trial), ignoring the teaching of core subjects in ultra-Orthodox education and appointing Smotrich and the even more extremist and avowed racist Itamar Ben-Gvir as senior ministers – would tarnish his political legacy.
Lapid is doing well in the polls but based on the numbers it is difficult to see a permutation where he can form a 61-seat coalition, meaning the most realistic scenario for him is staying as caretaker prime minister as the country heads to yet another general election.

Recent weeks have also seen alarming escalation in the occupied West Bank, in particular with regard to the Palestinian Lions’ Den militant group. This encompasses young men from various political factions who have been mounting resistance to the Israeli army when it raids Nablus city or Jenin refugee camp, or when Jewish settlers, escorted by Israeli soldiers, storm Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus.

Lions’ Den has gained much popularity among Palestinians, as evidenced by the widespread adherence to the group’s call to hold a general strike on October 12 in solidarity with the civil disobedience campaign declared by Shu’fat refugee camp following a lockdown imposed by Israel a few days earlier. Abbas is now 86, and the PA is widely seen by Palestinians as corrupt and having a vested interest in the status quo.

If turnout in the Arab population (20% of Israel’s) is low, it is possible that the most far-right government in Israeli history will come to power – led again by Bibi. The world really needs to pay far more attention to what will happen in one of its most intractable conflicts as soon as tomorrow.

BY: IAN BLACK

The Arab-European Centre calls for urgent international action against the Houthis King Charles III to hold climate event on eve of COP27

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.