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☆ BP and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company suspend major purchase in Israeli gas firm
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Plans for a 50% stake purchase by energy major BP and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) in Israeli gas producer NewMed are on hold because of regional turbulence, NewMed said Wednesday. The three companies "have agreed, due to the uncertainty created by the external environment, to suspend discussions in relation to the proposed transaction," a NewMed statement said. The statement also said that BP and Adnoc "reiterated [their] interest in the proposed transaction," indicating that the deal was not permanently off the table. At the time, BP and Adnoc said that the deal would result in a joint venture from the two companies to focus on "gas development in international areas of mutual interest including the East Mediterranean." The two companies last month announced a separate gas joint venture in Egypt.

Persons: NewMed, Adnoc Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Tel, BP, CNBC Locations: Nasholim, DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, Egypt

☆ Palantir CEO says his outspoken pro-Israel views have caused employees to leave company
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article PLTR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTwatch nowPalantir CEO Alex Karp said some staffers at his software company have exited due to his public support for Israel. I'm sure we'll lose employees," Karp said in an interview Wednesday with CNBC's "Money Movers." "If you have a position that does not cost you ever to lose an employee, it's not a position." Karp was responding to a question from anchor Sara Eisen about personnel turnover at the company resulting from its controversial stances. Peter Thiel, co-founder and chairman of Palantir Technologies Inc., speaks during a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2019.

Persons: Alex Karp, We've, Karp, it's, Sara Eisen, Palantir, Eisen, Peter Thiel, Kiyoshi Ota Organizations: Israel, Ministry, Israeli Ministry of Defense, New York Times, Palantir Technologies Inc, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Japan

☆ BP and UAE suspend $2 billion gas deal in Israel as Gaza war drags on
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —BP and an oil company owned by the United Arab Emirates have shelved talks to buy a 50% stake in Israel’s leading natural gas producer, judging the $2 billion deal too risky as the war in Gaza rages. “There can be no certainty that discussions will resume or that an agreement will be reached in the future, nor as to the terms of an agreement should one be reached,” NewMed Energy said. But the war has strained those ties, and the UAE has repeatedly called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza. Separately, BP was one of six companies awarded licenses by Israel’s energy ministry in October to explore for natural gas off the country’s Mediterranean cost. Last month, they announced a joint venture to develop natural gas assets in Egypt.

Persons: Abu, Adnoc, NewMed Energy’s, Delek Organizations: London CNN, BP, United Arab Emirates, Energy, Starbucks, McDonald’s, KFC, NewMed Energy, Reuters, NewMed, Chevron Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, UAE, Egypt

☆ U.S.-Israeli Citizen Itay Chen Was Killed in Oct. 7 Attack, Parents Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Itay Chen, a 19-year-old U.S. and Israeli citizen thought to have been a taken hostage on Oct. 7 was in fact killed that day, his parents said on Tuesday. The couple, Ruby and Hagit Chen, said that the Israeli military told them that it had intelligence indicating that their son, a service member, was killed while defending civilians on the border of Gaza during the Hamas-led invasion. A middle child, Mr. Chen said, Itay was multitalented and fun-loving, a Boy Scout who, played basketball and, like many young people, loved his PlayStation. Itay grew up in Israel, in the city of Netanya, just north of Tel Aviv, but his father said the family would frequently visit his own hometown, New York. “I want to take him back to Madison Square Garden.”

Persons: Itay Chen, Hagit Chen, “, Itay’s, Ruby Chen, Chen, Itay, ” Organizations: Times, Boy Scout Locations: Gaza, Israel, Netanya, Tel Aviv, New York, Coney Island, Madison

☆ The 'special relationship' under pressure: Are Biden and Netanyahu on a collision course over Gaza?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

US President Joe Biden (L) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meet in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 18, 2023. "The relationship [between Biden and Netanyahu] is absolutely terrible." A report by Politico in early February cited unnamed Biden administration officials describing the president calling Netanyahu a "bad f—ng guy." Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz (L) meets US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, at the US Capitol on March 05, 2024. Gantz reportedly faced a barrage of harsh questions and critiques from the administration over Israel's handling of the Gaza war.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Israel's, Yasser Qudih, Netanyahu, Hussein Ibish, Benny Gantz, Chuck Schumer, Roberto Schmidt, Axios, Gantz, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Mostafa Bassim, Nimrod Novik, Novik, Ashraf Amra, I've, Ibish, Yonatan Freeman, Israel, Freeman Organizations: GPO, Getty Images, Anadolu Agency, Getty, White, Israeli, Biden, Palestinian, United Nations, Israel, Anadolu, West Bank, U.S, Gulf States Institute, CNBC, Politico, Capitol, AFP, Prime, Islamic Center of Detroit, Defense, Israel Policy Forum, Bank, Israel's Hebrew University, Christian Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Anadolu, Gaza, Rafah, Gaza's, Washington, New York, Michigan, United States, Palestinian, Gaza City, Jerusalem, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ Dubai’s bar scene is being redefined by artisanal champagnes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

While the city has over 13,000 restaurants, its bar scene has largely been confined to Michelin fine dining, nightclubs, and boozy brunches. Look through the gallery and see the region's other top restaurants, as selected by 50 Best list group. The 50 Best has unveiled its 2024 list of the best restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Al Muntaha, which was recognized by Star Wine List as having the best sparkling wine list in the UAE earlier this year, has 166 labels on its champagne list, including around 60 recently added grower champagnes, says Lacroix. Tina HillierAnd the culture around drinking is largely focused on dining or special occasions, with little in between, says Krister Bengtsson, founder of Star Wine List.

Persons: Lana —, Nicolas Caupain, ”, boozy, Caupain, Raz Rahav, Tala Bashmi, Em Sherif, Yasmina Hayek, Fawzi Al Mulki, 3Fils, Khufu's, Solemann Haddad, Moonrise, Gregoire Berger, Berger, Himanshu Saini, Pol Roger, Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, champagnes, Larmandier Bernier, Ulysse Collin, Samuel Lacroix, Al Muntaha, Lacroix, “, Josette, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon, Millau, Lana, Tina Hillier, Krister Bengtsson, it’s, Bengtsson, ” Bengtsson, Jean Imbert, — Organizations: CNN, High Society, United Arab, Michelin, Middle, Gulf, Jordanian, Trèsind, Burj, Star Wine, Arabian, BOCA, Michelin Star, Wine, UAE Locations: Dorchester, Dubai, Emirate, Islam, United Arab Emirates, UAE, East, North Africa, Tel Aviv, Tala, Manama's, Bahrain, Beirut, Giza, Cairo, Ossiano, Atlantis, BOBY, Africa, Emirates, Swedish, Dubai’s, Paris, London , New York, French

☆ UN agency accuses Israel of detaining, coercing staffers into false confessions about ties to Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tel Aviv, Israel CNN —The UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Monday accused Israel of detaining and torturing some of its staffers, coercing them into making false confessions about the agency’s ties to Hamas. “Some of our staff have conveyed to UNRWA teams that they were forced to (make) confessions under torture and ill-treatment. These false confessions were in response to questioning about relations between UNRWA and Hamas and involvement in the 7 October attack against Israel,” UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma said in a statement. UNRWA estimates that at least 4,000 Gazans have been detained by the Israeli military since the start of the war. According to the UNRWA report, some detainees reported being stripped, handcuffed and held in the cold with no access to toilets, food or water for over 24 hours.

Persons: Israel, Juliette Touma, Touma, ” Organizations: Israel CNN —, UN, UNRWA, UN Relief and Works Agency of, CNN, Agency, New York Times Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza

☆ Israel not sending delegation to Cairo for Gaza talks, Israeli official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Richard Allen Greene | Amir Tal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Israel is not sending a delegation to Cairo for talks on a deal for a ceasefire and release of hostages from Gaza, an Israeli official told CNN Sunday. A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday, for the talks that are hoped to bring a halt to the fighting. The decision not to send an Israeli delegation was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in coordination with Mossad director David Barnea – who has been a key Israeli negotiator – after Barnea received a message that Hamas had not responded to the conditions, the Israeli official said. A high-ranking Hamas official did not immediately respond to a CNN question about whether the militant group had responded to Israel’s conditions. On Sunday a Hamas source said there were at least three sticking points remaining before the group would agree to a deal.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, David Barnea –, –, Barnea, Amir Levy, ”, Israel, “ Organizations: CNN, CNN Sunday, Hamas, Getty, Biden Administration, Sunday Locations: Cairo, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel

☆ Biden faces anger from key Arab-American voters in Michigan primary over Israel support in Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Michigan's Arab-American community voted overwhelmingly for Biden in 2020, helping him carry the state and defeat then-incumbent Donald Trump. U.S. President Joe Biden is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, as he visits Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 18, 2023. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters"The U.S. election for President Biden could swing on two or three states," Fred Kempe, CEO of the Atlantic Council, told CNBC. "Take one of those states, Michigan, [which] Biden won by fewer votes in the last election than there are Arab American votes that could go against him, because of what's going on in the Middle East. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march during a visit by President Joe Biden in Warren, Mich., Feb. 1, 2024.

Persons: Mostafa Bassim, Biden's, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Ahmad Hasaballah, Rodriguez, Abdullah H, Hammoud, Biden, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Evelyn Hockstein, Fred Kempe, it's, Jon, Paul Sancya, Gretchen Whitmer, Abdulqader Organizations: Islamic Center of Detroit, Anadolu, Getty, Michigan's Democratic, Israel, Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations, Dearborn, White, CNBC, Democratic, Israeli, Reuters, Atlantic Council, U.S, The New York Times, Michigan, Trump, Israeli Forces Locations: Michigan, United States, Warren , Michigan, Gaza, Dearborn, U.S, Rafah, Dearborn , Michigan, Arab, American, Israel, Tel Aviv, Warren, Mich, Khan Yunis

☆ Middle East Crisis Israel Is Said to Change Strategy in Cease-Fire Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Ronen Bergman | Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Families and supporters of Israeli hostages held since the Oct. 7 attacks gathered Saturday in Tel Aviv to call for their return. International efforts to reach a truce had stalled over Israel’s refusal to release Palestinians convicted of murder and to commit to a permanent cease-fire, two of the measures that Hamas is holding out for. They include five female Israeli soldiers and civilians, including sick, wounded and older people. It does not include male Israeli soldiers, whose release will be the subject of a separate negotiation, one of the officials said. For each of the five female Israeli soldiers in captivity, Israel would release three “heavy” prisoners — those believed responsible for major attacks — and 15 others.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar, Israel, —, Gilad Shalit, Julian E, Barnes Organizations: Hamas Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Egypt, Qatar, United States, Paris, Washington

☆ Israeli military presents plan for evacuating Gaza’s population from ‘fighting areas’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Rob Picheta | Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Tel Aviv, Israel CNN —The Israeli military has submitted a plan to the war cabinet for “evacuating the population” of Gaza from areas of fighting, amid warnings that an offensive on the southern city of Rafah will take place soon. That “upcoming operational plan” was submitted for approval on Monday, Netanyahu’s office said, though its Monday statement did not mention Rafah by name. CNN has not seen a copy of the plan. Israel has already targeted Rafah with near-daily airstrikes, while preparing for a ground offensive in the city. Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty ImagesThe US has warned it would not support a campaign on the city without a “credible” plan to evacuate Palestinians.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, Ahmad Hasaballah, ” Netanyahu, Israel “, it’ll, Jake Sullivan, I’m, ” Sullivan, CNN’s Dana Bash Organizations: Israel CNN, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, White, National, CNN Sunday Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, ”, Qatar, United States, Paris

☆ White House seeks Israel-Hamas hostage deal in 'coming days' — Netanyahu says 'it's too soon to say'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday tempered expectations about the timeline of a potential hostage deal with Hamas, while the White House expressed hope for an agreement to take shape in the coming days. It's too soon to say if they've abandoned them," Netanyahu said on CBS' "Face the Nation." Progress on the new deal gave the White House renewed hope that a final agreement could emerge as soon as this week. Netanyahu said that while he hopes the hostage deal can come to fruition, Israel is planning military operations in the event that the agreement falls through. He said that the hostage deal, and the accompanying temporary ceasefire, would delay the Rafah attack.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, It's, they've, Netanyahu, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Ministry of Defence, Hamas, CBS, White, Union, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, They're, Paris, Egypt, Qatar, U.S, Rafah

☆ Israeli officials to meet on proposed pause in Gaza while Cabinet is set to approve plan for Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a Cabinet meeting at the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defence, in Tel Aviv, Israel on December 17, 2023. Israeli officials will meet Saturday night on the next steps after the latest talks with the United States, Egypt and Qatar in search of a deal on pausing the fighting in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. But Netanyahu announced that he'll convene the Cabinet early next week to "to approve the operational plans for action in Rafah," including the evacuation of civilians. He said that both sides agreed to continue negotiations during the pause for further releases and a permanent cease-fire. Negotiators face an unofficial deadline of the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan around March 10.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, he'll, Osama Hamdan, Israel Organizations: Ministry of Defence Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, United States, Egypt, Qatar, Gaza, Israeli, Rafah, Beirut

According to Israeli officials, about 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza. Qatar and Egypt have been acting as intermediaries between Israel and Hamas, which do not negotiate directly. The talks had appeared to stall last week, after discussions held in Cairo failed to reach a breakthrough. Mr. Kirby said Mr. McGurk intended to press the Israeli war cabinet for its plans for its military operation in Rafah. Israeli and U.S. officials have argued that an immediate cease-fire would allow Hamas to regroup and fortify in Gaza, and reduce the pressure for making a deal to release hostages held in the territory.

Persons: Biden’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, David Barnea, William Burns, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Abbas Kamel, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Israel’s, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Brett McGurk, Yoav Gallant, “, Brett, ”, John Kirby, McGurk, Mr, ” Mr, Kirby, Gallant, Adam Sella, Cassandra Vinograd Organizations: Qatari, White, Mr, National Security Council, United, Security Locations: U.S, Paris, Gaza, Israel, Thani, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Gaza’s, Rafah, Tel Aviv, United States

☆ Netanyahu's first post-war plan seeks security buffer in Gaza — in blow to U.S. diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on as the US Secretary of State gives statements to the media inside The Kirya, which houses the Israeli Defence Ministry, after their meeting in Tel Aviv on October 12, 2023. He is expected to visit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington closes ranks with its ally that has launched a withering air campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed his first official plan for the post-war future of the Gaza Strip, calling for Israel's ongoing military presence in the enclave and for the preservation of a security buffer zone — a step antithetical to the wishes of closely-allied Washington. In the intermediate term, Israel wishes to "maintain its operational freedom of action in the entire Gaza Strip, without a time limit," as well as to retain a security buffer within the besieged territory. "The security perimeter being created in the Gaza Strip on the border with Israel will remain as long as there is a security need for it," the document says.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken, Netanyahu, Israel, Matt Miller, Israel — Organizations: Israeli Defence Ministry, Washington, Hamas, NBC News, Gaza, U.S . State Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, AFP, Gaza, Washington, Palestinian, U.S, Egypt

☆ Israel’s war cabinet agrees to send a negotiating team to Paris for hostage talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tel Aviv CNN —Israel’s war cabinet has agreed to send a negotiating team, led by Mossad Director David Barnea, to Paris on Friday to pursue talks over a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal, an Israeli official said. The negotiating team is expected to be empowered to engage in substantive negotiations rather than simply listening to proposals as they did during meetings in Cairo last week, the official said. The full Israeli cabinet is expected to vote on the matter overnight to give final approval for the trip. The decision came during a war cabinet meeting Thursday night, at the end of a day that saw US President Joe Biden’s Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk meet with top Israeli officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That proof, combined with positive indications from talks in Cairo on Wednesday and prodding from US officials, ultimately triggered the Israeli agreement to send a negotiating team to Paris.

Persons: Tel Aviv CNN —, David Barnea, Bill Burns, Joe Biden’s, Brett McGurk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Ramadan Organizations: Tel, Tel Aviv CNN, CIA, Qatari, CNN, Paris Locations: Tel Aviv, Paris, Cairo, Gaza, Israel

CNN —United Airlines said it will resume flights from the United States to Israel beginning in March. United is the first major US airline carrier to resume flights to Israel following the October 7 Hamas terror attack and ensuing war in Gaza. United said there will be some connecting flights from New York and Newark on March 2 and March 4 and the goal is to begin daily non-stop flights on March 6. “United conducted a detailed safety analysis in making this decision, including close work with security experts and government officials in the United States and Israel. Neither of the other major US airlines that historically offered flights to Israel, Delta and American Airlines, have resumed service yet.

Organizations: CNN — United Airlines, United, “, Air Line Pilots Association, Association of, Washington Dulles, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Air, American Airlines Locations: United States, Israel, Gaza, United, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Tel Aviv, Air France, Delta

☆ Israel’s Druze Arabs, fiercely loyal to the state, feel let down after ‘paying with their blood’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

About a million-strong, the global Druze community is largely spread across Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Some 130,000 Israeli Druze live in the Carmel and Galilee in the country’s north. There have been rumblings of discontent since 2018, when tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to protest Israel’s controversial “nation-state” law. “The (nation-state) law didn’t affect our identity – it affected our sense of belonging,” he said in a video call with CNN. “The Druze community has no dream to have a country – we don’t want it, we don’t believe in it.

Persons: Alim Abdallah, Abdallah, we’d, ” Abdallah’s, Mona, Mona Abdallah Saad, “, ” Mona, ”, Alim Abdallah Saad, Adam, Maya, ” Abdallah, CNN hasn’t, Col, Salman Habaka, Be’eri, Habaka, Gadeer Kamal, Kamal, ‘ I’m, I’m, ’, Corinna Kern, Anwar Saab, It’s, Omri Eilat, Ariel Schalit, Benny Gantz, Bejamin Netanyahu, Bibi –, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, 300th Baram Regional Brigade, Washington DC, Jewish Agency for, Reuters ‘, Saab, University of Haifa, Druze Heritage Center, National Unity, Israeli Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Yanuh, Lebanese, Syria, Carmel, Galilee, Golan, Egypt, Israel’s, Hala, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Druze, Washington, Jewish Agency for Israel, Iran, Isfiya, Yanuh Jat

☆ Where Hostage Families and Supporters Gather, for Solace and Protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Roni Caryn Rabin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Passers-by stopped to commiserate with him and to try to lift his spirits. They brought him coffee, platters of food and changes of clothing, and welcomed him to their homes to wash up and get some sleep. “They were so kind, and they just couldn’t do enough,” said Mr. Brodutch, 42, an agronomist who grew pineapples on Kibbutz Kfar Azza before the attacks on Oct. 7. “There was a feeling of a common destiny.”The one-man sit-in mushroomed in the weeks after the attacks. But the sidewalks outside the military headquarters could not contain multitudes, and some people were uncomfortable with the location, which was associated with anti-government protests last year.

Persons: Avihai Brodutch, ”, Brodutch Organizations: Hamas, Kfar Locations: Tel Aviv, Gaza, ”, Kfar Azza, Israel, mushroomed

☆ Israel's GDP contracts nearly 20% in fourth quarter amid Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An Israeli national flag above produce for sale at Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Nov. 7, 2023. Israel's gross domestic product shrank nearly 20% in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to official figures. It reflects the toll of the country's war against Hamas in Gaza, now entering its fifth month. "The deep GDP contraction occurred despite a strong surge in public sector consumption as well as a positive net trade contribution, with the decline in imports outpacing the decline in exports." Before then, more than 150,000 Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank entered Israel daily for work in a range of sectors, predominantly in construction and agriculture.

Persons: Goldman Sachs Organizations: Carmel, Goldman, West Bank, Israel Locations: Israeli, Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza

☆ Middle East Crisis U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Calling for a Cease-Fire in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

But the donations have become the focus of a legal battle after an Israeli credit card company balked at transferring the funds. The campaign portrayed the family as victims of harassment by the Israeli left and emphasized its financial plight since Mr. Levi’s accounts were frozen. Then the nonprofit group that organized it took it down. The campaign to support Mr. Chasdai has raised 114,000 shekels, roughly $31,000, through a separate crowdfunding platform. But the sweeping nature of the U.S. sanctions means that financial institutions would be reluctant to participate in efforts to direct money to Mr. Levi or others, experts said.

Persons: Biden, Yinon Levi, Levi, Levi’s, David Chai Chasdai, Levi —, Britain —, Sapir Levi, Reut Gez, “, Gez, Chasdai, ”, Eliav Lieblich Organizations: West Bank, Cal, Mr, U.S . State Department, ABC News, State Department, Britain, Mount, Mount Hebron Regional Council, Democratic Bloc, Tel Aviv University, “, U.S . Treasury Locations: U.S, Tel Aviv, Israel, Palestinian, Huwara, Israeli, Hebron, Mount Hebron

☆ 'Hostile elements' tried to take over communications with a flight from Thailand to Israel, trying to divert it, airline says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read preview"Hostile elements" tried to seize control of the communication network of an El Al plane flying from Thailand to Israel over the weekend, The Jerusalem Post reported. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The Post reported that this was the second time in a week that such an incident occurred to an El Al flight. In a statement provided to Kan, El Al said that the disruptions were not aimed solely at its planes. The airline did not respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.

Persons: —, Kan, El Al Organizations: Service, Jerusalem Post, Ben Gurion, Business, El, Horn Observer Locations: El, Thailand, Israel, Jerusalem, Phuket, Tel Aviv, Iran, Yemen, Red, Gaza, Somaliland, Somalia, Mogadishu

☆ Netanyahu Says He Won’t Bow to Pressure to Call Off Rafah Invasion
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Adam Rasgon | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel insisted on Saturday that Israel would not bow to international pressure to call off its plan for a ground invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza that is now packed with more than a million Palestinians. Many of the people now in Rafah are displaced and living in schools, tents or the homes of friends and relatives, part of a desperate search for any safe refuge from Israel’s military campaign, which has dragged on for more than four months. Their lives are a daily struggle to find enough food and water to survive. “Those who want to prevent us from operating in Rafah are basically telling us: Lose the war,” Mr. Netanyahu said at a news conference in Jerusalem on Saturday evening. They filled the same street where mass protests against Mr. Netanyahu’s efforts to weaken the country’s judiciary riled the nation before the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mr, Netanyahu, “, ” Organizations: riled Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Israel

☆ Netanyahu Dismisses Election Calls as Thousands Protest in Tel Aviv
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday dismissed the idea of holding early elections, while thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv for an anti-government protest. Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet in opinion polls since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that sparked the devastating war in Gaza. Still, demonstrators again took to the streets of Tel Aviv Saturday night calling for new elections, which are not scheduled until 2026. Netanyahu was asked at a press briefing about calls within his own ruling Likud party to hold early elections right when the Gaza war ends. "The last thing we need right now are elections and dealing with elections, since it will immediately divide us," he said.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, you've, Ari Rabinovitch, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Saturday Locations: JERUSALEM, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Israel

☆ U.S. President Joe Biden again tells Netanyahu that Rafah civilians must be protected
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

President Joe Biden (L) listens to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he joins a meeting of the Israeli war cabinet in Tel Aviv. U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday again told Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he should not proceed with military action in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect Palestinian civilians, the White House said. U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday again told Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he should not proceed with military action in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect Palestinian civilians, the White House said. The call between the two leaders on Thursday was the second time in less than a week that Biden warned Netanyahu about moving into the southern part of the Gaza Strip without a plan to ensure the safety of some 1 million people sheltering there. They also spoke about ongoing hostage negotiations and Biden pledged to continue to work around the clock to help free the hostages, who have spent 132 days in Hamas captivity, according to the White House read out of the call.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu Organizations: Tel Aviv . U.S, Israel's Locations: Tel Aviv, Rafah, Gaza

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