Israel-Turkey deal paves way for boost in commerce and tourism
(JNS.org) The reconciliation deal between Israel and Turkey will likely boost commercial activity between the two countries.
Uri Aldubi, chairman of the Association of Oil and Gas Exploration Industries in Israel, told Israel Hayom on Monday that the deal “creates a historic opportunity to boost cooperation on energy projects with Cyprus and Egypt, be it for domestic consumption [in those countries] or for further exportation to Europe.”
In 2015, the scope of Israeli exports to Turkey dropped by about 40 percent, while bilateral trade shrunk by 24 percent from 2014.
Despite the new chapter in Turkish-Israeli relations, it might take a while before Israeli tourists head en masse to Turkish resorts. During the past several weeks, as it became clear that a deal was about to be reached, Israelis have displayed a renewed interest in all-inclusive vacation packages to Turkey. But this will have little impact on the summer months, mainly because large unions—which usually arrange a significant percentage of the trips to Turkey—have already bought packages to other destinations. A large uptick, however, could be expected around the time of the High Holidays this fall.
“We don’t expect a drastic increase in flight reservations for Turkey in the immediate term, mainly because most Israelis have already booked their flights for this summer,” said Aviation Links Ltd. CEO Yoram Mutai. “If the prevailing trends hold, we will start seeing more demand toward the holidays.”
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Presbyterian Church passes resolutions supporting BDS, slamming Israeli settlements
(JNS.org) Presbyterian Church USA passed a series of resolutions at its general assembly in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, while calling on Israel to leave the disputed territories.
Among the measures passed by the Presbyterian Church includes the approval of a report, in a 429-129 vote, that seeks to examine the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The report says that Israel’s “policy trajectory of continued settlements and brutal occupation” is “deeply troubling.”
Additionally, the Presbyterian Church passed a resolution calling for “prayerful study” of both the church’s support for the BDS movement and opposition to that movement. A third resolution urged the real estate company RE/MAX to stop sales of property within Israeli settlements. At its previous general assembly in 2014, the Presbyterian Church narrowly passed a resolution calling for divestment from companies doing business in Israel.
Leading American-Jewish groups criticized the church’s moves.
“We are deeply disappointed with the Presbyterian Church’s decision to embrace motions which forward arguments in favor of a bi-national state and of the anti-Israel BDS campaign,” said Rabbi David Sandmel, the Anti-Defamation League’s director of interfaith affairs.
Emily Soloff, associate director of interreligious and intergroup relations at the American Jewish Committee, said that a “major Protestant denomination in the U.S. with deep roots in the Middle East has chosen to be a cheerleader for those whose vision of peace does not include the State of Israel.”
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British university to pay student compensation for experiencing anti-Semitic abuse
(JNS.org) The student union at University of York in the United Kingdom will pay £1,000 ($1,370) in compensation and issue a public apology to a York law student who experienced anti-Semitic abuse.
Zachary Confino accused the university of failing to deal with two years of anti-Semitic attacks, including 20 incidents in his second and third years at York. Confino said he was called a “Jewish prick” and an “Israeli twat.”
“The experience has been so depressing,” Confino told The Sunday Times. “It ruined my experience at university. I can never get that time back.”
The compensation for Confino is reportedly the first time a British university has ever made a payment of this kind. A university spokesman said the “token payment” and apology came as a result of mediation between Confino and the student union.
“The university is committed to preserving the right to freedom of expression while also combating anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and any other form of race hate. To this end, we have signed joint statements with both the Jewish Society and the Islamic Society on campus. We welcome students from all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities in our diverse community,” the spokesman said.
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Rivlin asks U.N. chief for help on bringing Israelis, bodies home from Gaza
(JNS.org) Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Monday hosted United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon at his residence during Ban’s final scheduled visit to Israel as the U.N.’s leader.
Rivlin used the opportunity to ask Ban for assistance on securing the return of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers who were kidnapped and killed by Hamas in Gaza in 2014, in addition to the return of two Israelis who are currently believed to be held captive by Hamas.
“On the humanitarian side, Hamas still refuses to give—even to the Red Cross—information on the fate of two of our [slain] soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul. At the same time, we are very worried about two Israeli citizens both suffering poor mental health, one Muslim and one Jewish. They are being held by Hamas after crossing into Gaza two years ago. Again, Hamas has refused to give details about their wellbeing or where they are held. I ask you to do all you can to bring an end to this pain,” Rivlin told Ban.
Ban offered his condolences for the four Israelis killed in the shooting terror attack at Tel Aviv’s Sarona market earlier this month, and urged Israel to work with the French-led initiative to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Israeli leaders have so far rejected France’s initiative, which excluded both Israeli and Palestinian representatives at its global summit in early June.
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U.S. Army may buy Israeli missile interceptor for European defense against Russia
(JNS.org) A U.S. Army general said Monday that the U.S. is looking to purchase the short-range missile interceptor used by Israel’s Iron Dome system, which would then be used for European air defense against Russia.
“With all that is happening in Europe, especially the fact that Russia has really awakened itself and has really decided to rebuild its military and is really posing a threat, we are looking at how we can do the multi-tiered defense,” Major General Glenn Bramhall of the U.S. Army’s Air and Missile Defense Command told Reuters at a conference hosted by the Israeli security organization iHLS.
Bramhall said the U.S. has test-launched the Israeli short-range interceptor missile called “Tamir,” with the expectation of eventually complementing the army’s mid-range Patriot and THAAD interceptors.
“We are looking at multiple solutions to actually create a third tier that is missing. Patriot and THAAD are great systems that do what they were designed to do. But I don’t think we would want to waste a Patriot or a THAAD missile on something that can be affected by something that’s lower-cost and is actually designed for that job itself,” said Bramhall.
Each Tamir unit would cost $100,000 for the U.S., according to Iron Dome developer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Bramhall said that price is “within an acceptable range.”
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