Conflict with Hamas takes toll on Israel’s tourism sector
(JNS.org) While outbound flights from Israel are full, incoming flights are comparatively empty as many would-be tourists cancel their travel plans to Israel in response to the current escalation of violence between Hamas and Israel.
“The trends are very clear, and if necessary we’ll cope,” said the president of the Israel Hotels Association, Eli Gonen, according to Israel Hayom. “If [the fighting] ends quickly it will be one thing, but if the confrontation continues, we’ll have to wait.”
Since Israel launched Operation Protective Edge last week, Israeli hotels have noted a sharp decline in occupancy.
Rafi Sadeh, general director of the Dan Hotels chain, said Sunday that most of the cancellations were for the near future, and for individual tourists rather than groups.
“We are accommodating guests who want to cancel their vacations because of the situation, and not charging cancellation fees,” Sadeh said.
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Israeli Air Force aborts mission to avoid civilian casualties
(JNS.org) An Israeli Air Force pilot flying over the Gaza Strip on July 10 decided to abort his mission after spotting Palestinian children in the vicinity of a confirmed terror target, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.
In a video released by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the pilot is clearly heard telling the command center, “It looks like there are people, possibly children, in our targeted area.” The response over the communication system states, “We’re not going to strike this target now, let’s move on.”
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Five Jewish organizations split Ruderman Family Foundation’s $250K inclusion prize
(JNS.org)The Ruderman Family Foundation on Monday announced the recipients of its third annual $250,000 Ruderman Prize in Inclusion, which “honors organizations worldwide who operate innovative programs and provide services that foster the full inclusion of people with disabilities in their local Jewish community.”
This year’s five winners, who will each receive $50,000, are Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) of Toronto, JewishCare Big Brother Big Sister of Sydney, Australia, Bar-Ilan University of Israel, Jewish Family Services of Houston, and the St. Paul Jewish Community Center of Minnesota.
“By recognizing our passion and commitment for including people with disabilities in our programs, the prize provides huge encouragement to continue our groundbreaking work,”JewishCare CEO Claire Vernon said.
Lorie Shekter-Wolfson, president & CEO of JVS Toronto, called the award “a special recognition for the staff who work with [our] students every day and who make the world a better place for them.”
“It is our hope that these awards will inspire Jewish organizations around the world to embrace the inclusion of people with all abilities in our community,”said Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which is headquartered in Boston and Israel.
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Anti-Israel rioters attack Paris synagogues
(JNS.org) Anti-Israel rioters attacked two Paris synagogues as part of a larger violent protest in the city’s Bastille Square against Israel’s ongoing Operation Protective Edge, which is aimed at stopping rocket attacks from Gaza.
Some of the rioters chanted “Death to Jews” and “Hitler was right,”according to reports.
A group of the rioters tried to break into the Don Isaac Abravanel synagogue in eastern Paris wielding chairs and bats. Worshippers were blocked inside until police had arrived to assist them.
Another synagogue on Rue de la Roquette in Paris was attacked by rioters hurling stones. Earlier on Saturday, rioters hurled a Molotov cocktail at a synagogue in Aulnay-sous-Bois, a suburb of Paris.
“What we are witnessing in Paris today is extremely, extremely serious. Jews are in peril for their lives,”New York-based French Jewish artist and activist Ron Agam told The Algemeiner.
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Israeli teen seriously injured in rocket attack on Ashkelon
(JNS.org)An Israeli teenager suffered serious shrapnel wounds to his face and chest during a Gaza rocket attack on Ashkelon on Sunday.
The teen had failed to enter a bomb shelter when a warning siren sounded. In addition to the rocket that struck the boy’s residential neighborhood, another rocket fired at Ashkelon was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, and a third rocket hit an open area.
“The residents must be vigilant,”Ashkelon Mayor Itamar Shimoni said, according to Israel Hayom. “You have to be patient, and follow directions.”
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Neil Young’s Tel Aviv concert canceled due to rocket fire
(JNS.org)The long-awaited Neil Young concert scheduled for Thursday in Tel Aviv was canceled due to security concerns about the ongoing rocket fire from Gaza.
Though organizers tried until the last minute to get permission for the concert to take place, it was determined unsafe to have tens of thousands of people gathered in one place, given the current security situation.
“It is with great sorrow that we are forced to announce the cancelation of the Neil Young and Crazy Horse concert that was to be staged this coming Thursday,”the concert organizers said in a statement.
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Israel’s Iron Dome hailed as ‘more popular than hummus’
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org)Israel’s Iron Dome anti-rocket system has become a media darling during the Jewish state’s current conflict with Hamas, with press around the world praising its ability to prevent civilian casualties.
The Associated Press called the Iron Dome “a game-changer,”saying that not only does it prevent numerous civilian deaths, but it also provides “a much-needed sense of security on the home front.”
BusinessWeek published an article Friday titled “Israel’s Iron Dome is amazing, and that’s a problem,”in which journalist Peter Coy writes that the missile defense system “is more popular in Israel than hummus and falafel,”but explains that its outstanding performance at saving lives has left Israeli citizens with little sympathy from the rest of the world despite ongoing rocket attacks by Palestinian terrorists.
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3/4 of U.S. House to Obama: ‘wise’to consult with us on Iran nuclear deal
(JNS.org) More than three-quarters of the U.S. House of Representatives issued a strongly worded letter to President Barack Obama reminding him that that it would be “wise”to consult Congress on a final deal on Iran’s nuclear nuclear program.
The letter, signed by 344 legislators, comes as the P5+1 powers—the U.S., U.K., France, Russian, China, and Germany—convene in Vienna in an attempt to forge a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran ahead of a July 20 deadline for a deal.
The Congressional letter asserted that “the concept of an exclusively defined ‘nuclear-related’sanction on Iran does not exist in U.S. law.”
“Almost all sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program are also related to Tehran’s advancing ballistic missile program, intensifying support for international terrorism, and other unconventional weapons programs,”stated the letter.
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As rockets hit Israel, Magen David Adom makes appeal for emergency supplies
(JNS.org) Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical response organization, is making an appeal to the international community to help support it in obtaining emergency supplies and funding amid the continued rocket fire on the Jewish state.
Since the current Israel-Gaza conflict began, MDA has treated 104 Israeli civilians, the organization said.
“MDA and Israel’s Home Front Command spend a lot of time and resources educating the public about safety, and the low numbers of Israeli casualties are the fruits of our labor,”said MDA Director of International Affairs Yonatan Yagodovsky. “But MDA is still in need of significant assistance and support because we don’t know how long this operation will last.”
The group said that the most critical emergency supplies it needs during the crisis are emergency medical supplies for ambulances and first-responders, supplies for its national blood center, and communications systems.
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U.S. Jewish leaders taking solidarity trip to Israel amid Gaza conflict
(JNS.org) Leaders from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, a 51-member umbrella group, will visit Israel from July 14-16 in a showing of solidarity for the Jewish state amid the ongoing rocket barrages from Gaza.
“We feel compelled to demonstrate in the most tangible way our deep concern for and solidarity with Israel by being physically present with them,”said Conference of Presidents Chairman Robert G. Sugarman and Executive Vice Chairman/CEOMalcolm Hoenlein. “They must know they are not alone and that the Jewish community as well the vast majority of the American people stand with them and pray for their safety and strive to tell the true story of Israel’s defensive action.”
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