SHAABAN 30, 1439 AH WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018 Max 36º 32 Pages Min 26º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17533 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net Turkey recalls ambassador In big boost, Modi’s party US First Lady Melania Durant shines; Golden State 6 to Israel for consultations 9 emerges strongest in poll 11 Trump hospitalized 16 Warriors claim the opener Kuwait urges world to recognize Palestine as an independent state Palestinians mark ‘Nakba’; Gazans bury the dead; Death toll hits 60 NEW YORK: Kuwait reiterated yesterday that East terday that along with other demands, calls for con- Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, calling on the ducting a transparent and independent international ‘Al-Nakba’: The saga international community to recognize Palestine as an investigation into the massacres committed against the Amir sends greetings independent state, and the city as the capital of unarmed Palestinians. If the Security Council continues Palestine. This came in a speech delivered by Kuwait’s to be unable to take an action on setting up an investi- Permanent Representative to the United Nations gation mechanism, we support any move either by the From the editor’s desk Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi during the UN UN General Assembly or by the Human Rights Council Security Council’s session held upon a call by Kuwait so as to ensure holding accountable those responsible to discuss the latest developments in Gaza and the for such acts, he said. occupied Palestinian territories. The Kuwaiti envoy called on the UN to intensify its By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan Al-Otaibi condemned in the strongest terms the efforts and endeavors so as to ensure that these viola- massacre committed by the Israeli occupation authori- tions will not be repeated, through submitting propos- [email protected] ties on Monday that killed more than 60 Palestinians als in order to avoid using violence and excessive and wounded thousands others, increasing the number power by the Israeli occupation authorities. Kuwait wonder how many people in 2018 know about ‘Al- of martyrs since March 30, the Land Day, to dozens. backs taking measures aiming to contribute to provid- Nakba’. For the majority who understand Arabic, Last Monday, the United States moved its embassy ing international protection for the Palestinian people, you might be thinking: “Yes, I know what Al- I from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the move which was highly he noted. Nakba means”. However, this is not an Arabic lan- rejected and condemned by many countries, including “We are concerned about policies, measures and guage class and I didn’t mean the literal translation of Arab and Muslim states, all over the world. actions taken unilaterally by Israel, the occupying pow- the Arabic word. If you ask any Palestinian what Al- The move angered Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and er, which aims at changing the reality on the occupied KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Nakba means, they will refer to the events of 70 years the West Bank that organized peaceful protests in territory, topped with the continuation and the expan- Al-Jaber Al-Sabah returned home yesterday after wrap- ago when Jewish militias backed by European powers rejection of the US step. However, Israeli troops used sion of settlement activities which are illegal measures ping up a private visit to Ukraine. — KUNA pushed them out of their lands, expelled them from excessive power against unarmed Palestinian protest- and constitute a flagrant violation of Security Council their homes and massacred their families to make way ers, killing dozens of them and injuring thousands oth- resolutions and international law, mainly the 2334, he KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- for the creation of the so-called state of Israel. ers. Al-Otaibi stressed that Israel repeatedly violated explained. The relocation of some diplomatic missions Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah congratulated the people Al-Nakba refers to May 15, 1948, the day the UN international humanitarian law, human rights law as well to Jerusalem is an explicit violation of relevant UN of Kuwait on the advent of the Holy Month of gave Palestine to the Jews and humanity turned a blind as relevant UNSC resolutions as the Security Council Security Council resolutions, mainly 478,476, he stated. Ramadan, the Amiri Diwan said yesterday. The Amiri eye to the massacre and ethnic cleansing that the did not take an action against it. Such steps, which run counter to international law, Diwan added that His Highness the Amir, along with Palestinians suffered and continue to suffer to this day He expressed regret that the Security Council was contribute to undermining efforts of achieving peace Continued on Page 11 as a result. Seventy years on, Al-Nakba continues, as unable to approve the draft proposed by Kuwait yes- Continued on Page 11 the ‘leader of the free world’ US President Donald Trump and his family opened a new US Embassy in Jerusalem, officially declaring it to be the capital of Israel. The Israeli military celebrated the occasion by further massacring more Palestinians. Palestinian Embassy Jerusalem is a holy city for all three monotheistic religions - Christianity, Islam and Judaism - and it can- marks Nakba, protests not possibly be the capital of a Jewish state or even the capital of an Islamic state or even the capital of a By Faten Omar Monday when it opened its embassy. For Christian state. It should be kept as independent and us, this is the first American settlement free for all. The Arabic word ‘Al-Nakba’ means the KUWAIT: The Palestinian Embassy outpost in Palestine.” He added that the catastrophe or disaster, and unfortunately the biggest held a protest yesterday at its premises US is financially involved in supporting ‘Nakba’ in this saga is the sad state of affairs of the in Bayan on the 70th anniversary of the settlement construction, but now it offi- Arab world and the position that Arab governments Nakba in Palestine in 1948 and coincid- cially opened its outpost in Jerusalem. take. Be it the Palestinian issue, the Syrian refugees ing with the implementation of the deci- “It was clear to the entire world that issue, Iraq or the conflict in Yemen, Arab governments’ sion of US President Donald Trump to the media campaign by US and Israel actions or lack of action is a disaster and a disgraceful transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to proved that their claims are false and ongoing ‘Nakba’ by itself. Jerusalem. The Palestinian Embassy they have no right to Palestine and ‘Arab’ as a national identity is clearly becoming a called on all those who support the right Jerusalem in particular. In their speeches myth, as we seem to turn our backs on our fellow of the Palestinian people to the land and yesterday, they wanted to prove false- Arabs in their time of need. But it doesn’t stop there - eternal capital of the occupied city of hood as truth - they told a lie and some Arab countries didn’t settle for just turning their Jerusalem and all those who love peace believed it. As for the Palestinians, it is backs, but went further by sleeping with the enemy and justice to protest at the embassy. only ink on paper and does not mean and pressuring other Arab countries to succumb to Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait anything to us. Jerusalem is the capital of this shameful submissive position. Rami Tahboub said: “The United States the eternal state of Palestine. In their KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem speaks as Palestinian God protect all the Arab people. participated in the killing of the speeches they said Israel has Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub looks on during a protest held at Palestinian Embassy Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip on Continued on Page 11 in Bayan yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat between the government and the MPs pass early Assembly over an article that prevents Philippines asks for the government from dismissing those employees prematurely. To become ‘creches’ for Filipina retirement law effective, the law must be approved by KUWAIT: MPs yesterday passed the the Cabinet and signed by the Amir. If early retirement law with a big majority the government rejects the law, the Amir housemaids’ day off but all Cabinet ministers present at the will not sign it and it will be rejected and voting rejected the legislation casting returned to the National Assembly. By Ben Garcia doubts that it will be accepted and At this point the Assembly can over- applied. The law allows female and male rule the government’s rejection by pass- KUWAIT: Four days after a Kuwaiti government employees to retire ing the law with a two-third majority in labor deal was signed in Kuwait with full pension benefits after serving this term or a simple majority in the next and after assuring the protec- for 25 years and 30 years, respectively, term. If this happens, it becomes obliga- tion of its workers, a ban on regardless of age. The legislation, which tory for the government to implement it. skilled and semi-skilled workers was passed by 43 votes in favor and 16 The law was passed with little discussion from the Philippines was lifted against, also allows employees to seek because it had already been passed in yesterday. The lifting of the ban retirement even earlier but they will lose the first reading several weeks ago. means new hires for skilled and semi-skilled work can now have some of the pension benefits especially In another development, the National Arnel Ignacio pension pay.