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Israel's Hadassah Hospital in Negotiations to Open in Dubai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed signing the normalisation agreement in Washington, DC on 15 September (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed signing the normalisation agreement in Washington, DC on 15 September (AFP)
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Israel's Hadassah Hospital in Negotiations to Open in Dubai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed signing the normalisation agreement in Washington, DC on 15 September (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed signing the normalisation agreement in Washington, DC on 15 September (AFP)

Israel’s Hadassah Medical Center, in West Jerusalem, is in talks with UAE officials to open a hospital in Dubai, announced the hospital’s head.

Political sources said that the director of the Hadassah Hospital, Zeev Rotstein, held several meetings with the UAE officials during his visit to Dubai last week, noting there is a desire for cooperation and exchange of experiences between the medical experts.

Rotstein hailed the offer to build a hospital in Dubai, but stressed negotiations were still at an early stage, describing it as “a revolution — to establish Hadassah Hospital as a medical power in the United Arab Emirates.”

He indicated that he would form a team to study the details of the proposal and provide suggestions on their implementation, including the exchange of doctors and researchers between Dubai and Jerusalem.

The Hadassah hospital is affiliated with the Hadassah organization, and is known as one of Israel’s best hospitals.

However, in recent years the medical center has been facing financial troubles, which were heightened during the coronavirus pandemic.

The hospital wrote a letter to the Israeli Finance and Health ministries on behalf of public hospitals, announcing there was a financial crisis in all public medical facilities, including Hadassah.

Meanwhile, sources in the Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that hundreds of Israeli businessmen and journalists have been in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, since the peace treaty was signed in mid-last month, except for politicians.

Although several deals, including political agreements, have been signed, no Israeli minister has entered the UAE, following a ban from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu informed the ministers who requested approval for their travel in order to advance relations, that he wants to be the first official to visit the UAE.

The directive came after several ministers showed interest in traveling to Abu Dhabi following the normalization deal, reported the Walla news site, citing three political resources. However, Netanyahu used his veto power and requested that such visiting programs be suspended until further notice.

Two weeks ago, Netanyahu and UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to meet in the near future.

The conversation was the first between the two since the agreement to normalize ties between the states was announced on August 13, and they agreed to meet “soon.”

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After US Exemption, UN Says More Significant Syria Sanctions Work Needed

A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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After US Exemption, UN Says More Significant Syria Sanctions Work Needed

A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

A US sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria is welcome, but "much more significant work ... will inevitably be necessary," the UN special envoy on Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council on Wednesday.

After 13 years of civil war, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a lightening offensive by opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group a month ago.

The US, Britain, the European Union and others imposed tough sanctions on Syria after a crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that spiraled into war. But the new reality in Syria has been further complicated by sanctions on HTS - and some leaders - for its days as an al-Qaeda affiliate.

"I welcome the recent issuance of a new temporary General License by the United States government. But much more significant work in fully addressing sanctions and designations will inevitably be necessary," Pedersen told the council.

The US on Monday issued a sanctions exemption, known as a general license, for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance and allow some energy transactions.

"The United States welcomes positive messages from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but will ultimately look for progress in actions, not words," deputy US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Camille Shea told the Security Council.

The foreign ministry in Damascus on Wednesday welcomed the US move and called for a full lifting of restrictions to support Syria's recovery.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said earlier on Wednesday that European Union sanctions on Syria that obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder the country's recovery could be lifted swiftly.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticized the sanctions imposed on Syria by Washington and others, adding: "As a result, the Syrian economy is under extreme pressure and is not able to cope with the challenges facing the country." Russia was an Assad ally throughout the war.

'END THE SUFFERING'

Formerly known as Nusra Front, HTS was al-Qaeda's official wing in Syria until breaking ties in 2016. Along with unilateral measures, the group has also been on the UN Security Council al-Qaeda and ISIS sanctions list for more than a decade, subjected to a global assets freeze and arms embargo.

There are no UN sanctions on Syria over the civil war.

Syria's UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak was appointed a year ago by Assad's government but told the council on Wednesday that he was speaking for the caretaker authorities.

"It is high time to end the suffering, to enable Syrians to live in security and prosperity, to live a dignified life in their country, to build a better future for their country," Aldahhak said.

"For this reason, we call upon the United Nations and its member states to immediately and fully lift the unilateral coercive measures to provide the necessary financing to meet humanitarian needs and recover basic services," he said.

Pedersen said he is seeking to work with the caretaker authorities in Syria "on how the nascent and important ideas and steps so far articulated and initiated could be developed towards a credible and inclusive political transition."

Pedersen said attacks on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop, specifically calling out Israel.

As Assad's government crumbled towards the end of last year, Israel launched a series of strikes against Syrian military infrastructure and weapons manufacturing sites to prevent them falling into the hands of enemies.

"Reports of the IDF using live ammunition against civilians, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure are also very worrying," Pedersen said. "Such violations, along with Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Syria – reported even last week in Aleppo – could further jeopardize the prospects for an orderly political transition."