McDonald’s, ‘bringing politics into business,’ boycotts Ariel
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) McDonald’s Israel has said it will not open a branch in the city of Ariel, citing its location beyond the Green Line as the reason, Calcalist reported Wednesday.
According to Tzahi Nahmias, the owner of the Mega Or construction firm, which is marketing space in the Ariel mall that offered to host McDonald’s, other chains have also expressed concern over opening branches in Ariel because of its location, but refrained from naming them because they have yet to finalize their decisions.
“The mediators told us that branches operating abroad and other companies holding rights in Israel for international brand names are worried about the potential negative response toward their businesses [by consumers] abroad if they open shop in the mall,” Nahmias told Calcalist.
Rami Levy, owner of the Rami Levy supermarket chain, which operates beyond the Green Line, told Calcalist that Arabs would be among those hurt by the apparent boycott of the area.
“I don’t agree with bringing politics into business,” Levy said.
McDonald’s Israel released a statement saying that its decision not to operate beyond the Green Line was “always the policy of the franchise.”
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Israel ranks as world’s 6th largest arms exporter in 2012
(JNS.org) Israel was the world’s sixth-largest weapons exporter in 2012, securing defense deals amounting to $2.4 billion, a new report by IHS Jane’s, a business intelligence company specializing in military and national security, said Tuesday.
According to the report, Israel has been able to increase its market share from 2.4 percent in 2011 to 3.5 percent in 2012, according to Israel Hayom.
The report further noted that Israel’s weapons sales have increased by 74 percent since 2008, largely thanks to deals with India, which has become Israel’s biggest weapons client over the past five years.
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IRS classifies pro-Israel groups as ‘occupied territory advocacy’
(JNS.org) In the wake of ongoing accusations by pro-Israel organizations that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been targeting them with extra reviews since 2009, a newly released document shows that the IRS defined “Occupied Territory Advocacy” as a category of nonprofit organizations meriting further inspection.
The document, released by Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, classifies these organizations as “applications [that] deal with disputed territories in the Middle East… Applications may be inflammatory, advocate a one-sided point of view and promotional material may signify propaganda.”
The document also states, “If you see these cases, please forward to the TAG Group, 7830,” which works to identify groups with terrorist ties, according to the IRS Tax Exempt Organizations Determinations group, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
A previous investigation by the Free Beacon revealed at least five pro-Israel organizations that have been audited by the IRS. The pro-Israel organizations believe the IRS’s decision to audit them was coordinated by the Obama administration.
Study: Almost half of Belgian, French, Hungarian Jews mull emigration
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Studies show that despite the fact that European Jewish life continues to be vibrant, 40 to 50 percent of the Jews in Belgium, France and Hungary are considering emigrating, some to Israel and others to North America.
In a report titled “European Jewry—Signals and Noise,” the Jewish People Planning Institute cites a European Union survey on Jews’ perceptions of anti-Semitism showing that anti-Semitic incidents in Europe increased by more than 30 percent in 2012. In France, anti-Semitic incidents increased by 58 percent in 2012, with a staggering 96 violent attacks.
In countries like France and Sweden, anti-Semitism is fueled by Muslim elements and rationalized as a response to Israeli policy against the Palestinians; in Greece and Hungary it draws on calls for ethnic purity and nationalism.
According to a large-scale survey on Jews’ experiences and perceptions of anti-Semitism commissioned by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency, 26 percent of respondents claim to have experienced anti-Semitic harassment at least once in the 12 months preceding the survey, and 34 percent experienced anti-Semitic harassment over the past five years.
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Israeli census report predicts lower percentage of Jews
(JNS.org) Although Israel’s Jewish population will grow from 5.8 million to about 8.3 million by 2035, that number will be about 73 percent of the country’s entire population, down from 75 percent in 2010, a new report from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics shows. According to the report, the Arab population of Israel will grow from 20.5 percent in 2010 to 23 percent by 2035, Ynet reported.
Israel’s fertility rate, which was around 2.95 births per woman between 2006 and 2010, will decline to 2.75 by 2035, but will continue to be well ahead of other developed countries and even several of its Arab neighbors, 2.41 in Jordan, 2.27 in Egypt, 2.23 in Syria and 1.53 in Lebanon, separate United Nations figures showed.
Israel’s life expectancy will also increase, with Jewish women being the biggest winners—by 2035, they are expected to live until nearly an average of 90 years old.
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Erdogan delays Gaza visit due to protests|
(JNS.org) Embattled Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the recent protests against his government have delayed his plans to visit Gaza in the near future.
“Gaza is ready. We could not be ready because of the (protests),” Erdogan said, the Associated Press reported.
But Erdogan added that he still intends to visit the region and could “make a surprise [visit] any time.”
During his nearly decade-long tenure as Turkey’s prime minister, Erdogan has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians, eventually leading to a rift between the two formerly close allies after the May 2010 Gaza flotilla incident.
American officials fear that if Erdogan travels to Gaza and meets with Hamas, the Palestinian terror group in control of the territory, it could cause serious friction between Turkey and Israel and threaten the American-brokered truce between the two countries.
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Preceding provided by JNS.org