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☆ Dubai has more ‘best’ restaurants than any other in the Middle East, according to the 50 Best list group
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The 50 Best Restaurants power list has unveiled its 2024 list for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) — and one city is dominating the rankings. The Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants list was launched in 2022, reflecting the rapid growth of the region’s restaurant scene. With a booming culinary landscape of more than 13,000 eateries, Dubai has dominated the list since its inception, with 15 out of 50 restaurants on the list located in the city for the past two editions. The 50 Best awards has helped “put a spotlight” on the evolving food scene, and by platforming more casual restaurants, they’ve created healthy competition among the city’s many eateries. With ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the organizers decided to forgo a live awards event in the region this year.

Persons: — Mohammad, Wassim, Omar —, we’re, ” Mohammad Orfali, William Drew, Grégoire Berger, Berger, “, they’ve, ’ ”, Maryam, Chef Salam Dakkak, Grams, Jason Atherton Organizations: CNN, Dubai, East Locations: East, North Africa, Amman, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Marrakech, Beirut, Dubai, Ossiano, “

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Israeli jets strike Lebanon after rocket fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a media conference in Tel Aviv on October 12, 2023. Jacquelyn Martin/AFP/Getty ImagesIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday reiterated his intention to order concerted military operations in Rafah, vowing that his country will fight “until the absolutely victory.”Netanyahu said “powerful action” would come in the southern Gazan city after the evacuation of civilians from "battle zones." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemned Israel's planned ground offensive, saying it would create a "humanitarian catastrophe.”It comes as the Israeli military said Wednesday that it has struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, as the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff warned of an ongoing offensive against targets in the neighboring country. The strikes follow an earlier deadly rocket attack from Lebanon on a northern Israeli city. Here are the latest headlines:

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Jacquelyn Martin, “, ” Netanyahu, Annalena Baerbock, Israel's Organizations: Getty, Israel's, Red Cross, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Tel Aviv, AFP, Rafah, Gazan, Israel, Lebanon, Israeli

CNN —Talks on a hostage and ceasefire deal for Gaza appear to be at an impasse. During the process, Israeli troops would gradually withdraw from Gaza, hostages would be released and Palestinian prisoners in Israel – including those serving life sentences – would be freed. The Israeli leader has repeatedly said that the war in Gaza will continue until Israel destroys Hamas’ leadership and rescues the hostages. Even as talks continue in Cairo, the Israeli military has been conducting operations in Gaza designed to hunt down top Hamas figures. The Israeli prime minister on Wednesday said that Hamas must change its negotiating position before talks can continue in Cairo.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bill Burns, David Barnea, Israel –, Said Khatib, ”, ’, –, Netanyahu, “, Matthew Miller, Ronen Zvulun, Shin Bet, Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu –, ” Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, “ We’re, we’re, Joe Biden, ” Miller Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, Israeli, Getty, “, US State Department, ’, IDF, State Department, The Washington Post Locations: Gaza, Cairo, Israel, Rafah, Paris, AFP, Qatar, “ Qatar, Doha, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, “, Egypt, Albania, The Washington, Palestinian, United States

☆ Egypt on edge as Israel’s war presses more than a million Palestinians up against its border
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The fortification by the border with Gaza is a “precautionary” measure ahead of an expected Israeli ground operation in Rafah, Egyptian security officials told CNN. Now, Egypt is sounding alarms again as Israel pushes more than a million Palestinians toward its territory and prepares for a military operation in Rafah. The treaty also limited the number of troops stationed on the border between Egypt and Gaza, which at the time was controlled by Israel. A satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows Rafah, Gaza, on February 3. After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it agreed with Egypt on a mechanism to secure the area with only Egyptian border patrol forces on the Egyptian side of the border.

Persons: Israel’s, Gazans, Kerem, Karm, Said Khatib, Bezalel Smotrich, “, Emad Gad, ”, Winter, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, Abed Zagout, Itamar Ben Gvir, Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ahmed Abu Zeid, ” Abu Zeid, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Israel, it’s, Gad, ” Gad Organizations: CNN, Getty, Twitter, Israel, Associated Press, The New York Times, Ahram, Maxar Technologies, Maxar, Ahram Center for Political, Strategic Studies, Institute for National Security Studies, Department of, Islamic, Tel Aviv University, National, Finance, Foreign, Foreign Ministry, Alghad, Reuters, Egyptian, demilitarize, Al, News, Ahram Center Locations: Egypt, Gaza, Rafah, North Sinai, Israel, Karm Abu Salem, AFP, Cairo, Western, United States, Washington, Tel Aviv, Anadolu, Sinai, Israeli, Al

☆ Tesla board silent as investors await next steps after Elon Musk's $56 billion pay package revoked
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Antonio Masiello | Getty ImagesTwo weeks after a Delaware court ruled that Tesla must rescind Elon Musk's $56 billion pay package, the company's board remains mum on what the decision means for shareholders or what's next for the mercurial CEO. CNBC sent requests for additional information to Tesla investor relations, Musk and some board members. "Given the high stakes involved, it is likely that Tesla will appeal the decision," Kastiel said in an email. In the absence of a successful appeal, "any new compensation arrangement with him will have to be assessed" in light of McCormick's decision, Kastiel said. Kastiel also said that the decision likely makes Musk and Tesla more vulnerable to other types of lawsuits.

Persons: Elon Musk, Antonio Masiello, Tesla, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, Musk, Richard Tornetta, Kimbal, Robyn Denholm, JB Straubel, Greg Varallo, Bernstein Litowitz Berger, Grossmann, Varallo, Kobi, Kastiel wasn't, Kastiel, Eric Talley, Talley, wasn't, He's, Walter Isaacson, CNBC's, you'll, Isaacson, Ann Lipton, Lipton, — Organizations: Tesla Inc, Fratelli, Getty, Elon Musk's, SEC, CNBC, Tel Aviv University, Washington University Law, Nasdaq, Columbia Law School, SpaceX, Tesla, Tulane Law Locations: Italy, Rome, Delaware, Texas, Tesla, Nevada, California

☆ A 6-year-old United Airlines passenger was left scarred after her hot meal fell off a faulty tray table, lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A 6-year-old girl was left scarred by a hot meal on a United Airlines flight, a lawsuit says. It alleges that the tray table was "defective" and caused the meal to fall onto the girl's lap. AdvertisementTwo parents are suing United Airlines, alleging their 6-year-old daughter was burned by a hot meal due to a faulty tray table. Michal and Ben Fefferman filed the lawsuit, which Business Insider has seen, in a Chicago court last Wednesday. A flight attendant gave the "unreasonably hot" meal to the girl's mother, who then placed it on her tray table, the complaint says.

Persons: —, Michal, Ben Fefferman Organizations: United Airlines, Service, Business Locations: Chicago, Tel Aviv, Israel, Newark , New Jersey

Other Israeli officials have said only a deal can bring about the release of so many hostages. A deal in late November brought about a brief truce in exchange for the release of about 100 hostages. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive talks with the media. That was viewed as a nonstarter for Israel, which wants to topple Hamas before ending the war. Residents and displaced Palestinians in Gaza were searching through the rubble from Israeli airstrikes that provided cover for the Israeli forces.

Persons: — Israel, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Fernando Marman, Louis Har, David Barnea, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, ” Biden, King Abdullah II, ”, Khan Younis, ___ Jobain, Goldenberg, ___ Organizations: U.S, Health Ministry, Hamas Locations: CAIRO, Gaza, Rafah, Qatar, U.S, Egypt, Israel, Cairo, Western, Gaza’s, Tel Aviv, israel

Asked about Biden's private comments about Netanyahu, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said in a statement that the two leaders have a respectful relationship. His descriptions of his dealings with Netanyahu are peppered with contemptuous references to Netanyahu as "this guy," these people said. And in at least three recent instances, Biden has called Netanyahu an "asshole," according to three of the people directly familiar with his comments. 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. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also decidedly blunt last week after a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel.

Persons: Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Bibi, Biden's Organizations: Israel's, Palestinian, Hamas, National Security Council, Israeli, Sunday, NBC News, NBC, Congress, Israel Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, WASHINGTON, Gaza, Rafah, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia

☆ Israel says two hostages rescued from Gaza in special operation, 128 days after their capture
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Israeli military said Monday it has rescued two hostages during a special operation conducted overnight in Rafah, in southern Gaza. The hostages are 60-year-old Fernando Simon Marman and 70-year-old Louis Har, who were both taken 128 days ago during Hamas’ October 7th attack on Israel. The two are in good medical condition and have been transferred for Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer, said the Israel Defense Forces. The joint operation was done with the Israeli Security Agency and Israel Police, it said. At least two mosques and around a dozen homes were targeted in the strikes, the Rafah municipality said on Monday.

Persons: Fernando Simon Marman, Louis Har, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: CNN, Sheba Medical, Tel HaShomer, Israel Defense Forces, Israeli Security Agency, Israel Police, Palestine Red Crescent Society, ”, United Nations, Israeli Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Tel, Palestine, Egypt, Gaza’s

☆ Rafah airstrikes: Israeli attacks kill more than 100 in Rafah as international alarm mounts over anticipated ground offensive
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 12, 2024. In a statement Monday, Hamas condemned what it said was a “horrific massacre” by Israel against civilians in Rafah. ‘The dead are better than us’For the more than one million Palestinians in the southern city, the expected push into Rafah is causing alarm and fear. Rafah is the last major population center in Gaza not occupied by the Israeli military. Olfat Hamdan said she had witnessed dead bodies on the streets of Gaza City, noting that “nobody was able to drag them or move them.”“What have I seen?

Persons: Abu Yousef Al, Rafah’s, Fernando Simon Marman, Louis Har, Nir Yitzhak, Smoke, Said Khatib, Danial Hagari, …, Jens Laerke, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Stéphane Dujarric, Israel’s, Netanyahu, Joe Biden “, Israel, ” Netanyahu, We’re, ”, ‘, ” Mohammad Jamal Abu, Khan Younis, El, ” Mahmoud Khalil Amer, Al, Tal, ” Abdul Kareem Al, Qaseer, Olfat Hamdan Organizations: CNN, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Najjar Hospital, Israel Defense Forces, Israel Security Agency Shin Bet, Police, Getty, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs, Human Rights, United Nations, UN, United Kingdom, Sunday, UN’s Security, Maxar Technologies, ABC News, IDF, “, Hamas, of Health Locations: Palestine, Gazan, Rafah, Shaboura, Gaza, AFP, Sheba Tel Hashomer, Israel, Israeli, Hamas’s, ”, Aqsa, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United, Saudi, Gaza City, Al Shati, “, People, Tal El Hawa, Khan

☆ Israel Says It Rescued 2 Hostages From Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Mike Ives | More About Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli security forces said early Monday that they had rescued two hostages who were being held in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, in one of the few examples of a successful hostage rescue in Gaza since the start of the war. Mr. Marman and Mr. Har were among more than 240 people captured during the surprise Oct. 7 raid on southern Israel by Hamas and other militant groups, which later prompted Israel to retaliate with massive airstrikes and a ground invasion in Gaza. Israel has been discussing plans to send troops into Rafah, even as aid groups, the United Nations and the United States have warned that the people sheltering there have nowhere to go. About 100 of the hostages taken in October were released during a weeklong cease-fire last year. Hostages’ families have been pressing Israel to prioritize negotiations for their release.

Persons: Fernando Simon Marman, Louis Har, Shin Bet, Israel, Marman, Har, Nir Yitzhak, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu Organizations: United Nations, New York Times, ABC News Locations: Gazan, Rafah, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Egypt, Israel, United States

It is the first time Moody’s has lowered Israel’s credit rating, which is used by investors to measure the riskiness of investing in a global entity or government. Moody’s downgraded Israel from A1 to A2 and said the outlook for the country’s economy was “negative.” The A2 rating nonetheless continues to carry relatively low risk, according to Moody's. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesStill, Israeli officials fear that the Moody’s downgrade could lead other major agencies also to downgrade Israel’s outlook. Israel’s economy bounced back after previous wars with Hamas, but the current war is much longer than any of those. Concerns about Israel’s governance, rising inflation and a worldwide slowdown in tech investments last year also weighed on the economy.

Persons: “, ” Moody’s, Moody’s, Bezalel Smotrich, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Michel Strawczynski, it’s, Amir Yaron, Israel –, Western Europe —, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Moody's Organizations: —, Sunday, Finance, Hebrew University, Bank of Israel, Bank of Israel Gov Locations: TEL AVIV, Israel, Gaza, Jerusalem, Western Europe

☆ Israel’s repudiation of a deal with Hamas draws fury from hostages’ families
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Survivors of the October 7 terror attack and the families of hostages were furious at the uncompromising repudiation of a deal that – ultimately – could have resulted in the return of all the remaining hostages in Gaza. Moshe’s words carried power – she was kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz and held hostage in Gaza for seven weeks. The families of the hostages held in Gaza have emerged as a leading voice and they attract huge support among Israelis. Protesters demand a hostage deal amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, on February 1, 2024. These anti-government protests are still strictly separate from the hostage families’ events, which tend to take place just down the road at what has become known as the Hostage Plaza.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ” Netanyahu, –, Adina Moshe, Netanyahu, Sahar Kalderon, Aviva Siegel, Nili Margalit, Sharon Aloni Cunio, Susana Vera, I’m, ” Moshe, Nir Oz, David, Sa’id, Moshe, Lital Shochat, Shochat, ‘, Shochat Chertow, Shiva, ”, Doron Shabtai, Shabtai, Ivana Kottasova, Yair Lapid, ” “, Bibi ”, Evyatar Cohen, … Organizations: Tel, Tel Aviv CNN, State, Wednesday, Reuters, Protesters, Israel Democracy HQ, Hamas, CNN, Israeli, Yesh Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, Sderot, Jerusalem, Israel’s, Lebanon

Blinken appealed to Netanyahu and other Israelis still reeling from the Hamas attack not to allow vengeance to dictate their continued response. In Qatar on Tuesday, both Qatar’s prime minister and Blinken said the proposal had promise as a starting point for further negotiation. And Blinken talked up Saudi Arabia’s interest in normalizing relations with Israel, provided the Gaza war ends and the Palestinians are given a clear, credible and time-bound pathway to an independent state. “We remain determined as well to pursue a diplomatic path to a just and lasting peace, and security for all in the region, and notably for Israel,” Blinken said in Tel Aviv. However, Netanyahu is opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state and has said Israel will maintain open-ended security control over Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Blinken, There’s, ”, Netanyahu, Israel, “, ” Netanyahu Organizations: —, Washington, UN Locations: TEL AVIV, Israel, United States, Gaza, U.S, Egypt, Qatar, Rafah, Tel Aviv, Palestinian

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza hostage release and sustained cessation proposal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Antony Blinken arrives at Ben Gurion International airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, late Tuesday, on February 6. Mark Schiefelbein/APUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel for high-stakes talks with top officials about a proposal for a sustained cessation in Gaza fighting in exchange for Hamas' release of hostages held since October 7. Hamas gave a “positive” reply to the proposal, according to Qatar's prime minister, but he offered few details. Blinken said the United States is reviewing Hamas' response, as is Israel's foreign intelligence service, according to Israeli authorities. It does not include two of its most prominent and public demands: that Israeli soldiers leave Gaza or for a deal to end the war.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mark Schiefelbein, Blinken, ’ Organizations: Ben, Hamas, CNN Locations: Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, United States

☆ Blinken holding crucial meetings in Israel as efforts to free hostages and halt Gaza fighting intensify
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel Wednesday for meetings with key government officials to press for a “humanitarian pause” as international and domestic US pressure to end the conflict in Gaza continues to mount. Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a little over an hour. He is meeting with Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Herzi Halevi and set to meet with other key officials. “There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible and, indeed, essential. And we will continue to work relentlessly to achieve it,” Blinken said at a news conference in Doha Tuesday.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Herzi Halevi, “ There’s, ” Blinken, Biden, Joe Biden, ”, Netanyahu, ’, “ We’re, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince, Israel, we’ll Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Doha Tuesday, State Department, Monday, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Crown, Doha Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Iranian, Iraq, Syria, United States, Rafah, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, ”, Palestinian

☆ Gaza Ceasefire Hopes Alive With More Talks Planned
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

"Continued military pressure is a necessary condition for the release of the hostages," Netanyahu said. Israel began its military offensive after Hamas militants from Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Netanyahu rejects a Palestinian state, which Saudi Arabia says is a requirement for the kingdom to normalise relations with Israel. But last week Israel said it would expand its campaign into Rafah, where about half the enclave's 2.3 million people are penned against the border with Egypt. On the ground in southern Gaza, residents said Israel stepped up its assault on Rafah in the early hours of Thursday.

Persons: Nidal, Humeyra Pamuk, Antony Blinken, Khalil Al, Hayya, Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken, Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar, Israel, Washington, Khan Younis, Nidal al, Andrew Mills, Bassam Massoud, Cynthia Osterman, Howard Goller Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Israeli, Hamas, NBC News, Israel Democracy Institute, Nakhoul Locations: Humeyra Pamuk DOHA, TEL AVIV, U.S, Qatar, Egypt, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Saudi Arabia, ISRAEL, RAFAH Israel, Gaza's, Rafah, Tel Al, Doha

☆ McDonald's and Starbucks blame the Israel-Hamas war for slower sales — and the recovery might take a while
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

McDonald's and Starbucks , two of the biggest U.S. restaurant companies, both said the Israel-Hamas war hurt their sales at the end of last year. Shares of McDonald's fell 4% in morning trading Monday, several hours after it reported that a sales slowdown in the Middle East contributed to its fourth-quarter revenue miss. Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said Tuesday that the company's sales in the Middle East struggled, but boycotts also hurt its U.S. cafes. Unlike Starbucks, McDonald's did not note any effect on its U.S. sales. Yum Brands is scheduled to report its quarterly results on Wednesday, while Restaurant Brands is slated to share its earnings on Feb. 13.

Persons: Laxman Narasimhan, McDonald's, Cowen, Andrew Charles, Chris Kempczinski, Kempczinski, Papa John's, Burger Organizations: U.S, Starbucks, Starbucks Workers, Workers United, McDonald's, Yum Brands, Restaurant Brands, CNBC PRO Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, Europe

The Biden administration has expressed unwavering support for Israel since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, skirting Congress to rush weapons to Israel and shielding its ally from international calls for a cease-fire. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's national security minister, criticized that approach in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, saying Biden was hindering Israel's war effort and that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump would give Israel greater latitude in fighting Hamas. “Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel (to Gaza), which goes to Hamas,” Ben-Gvir said. Netanyahu, without mentioning Ben-Gvir by name, appeared to refer to his remarks when addressing a weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday. Family members of the hostages, with wide public support, are calling on Israel to reach an agreement with Hamas to bring them home.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Itamar Ben, Donald Trump, ” Ben, Gvir, Trump, Benny Gantz, Ben, Gantz, Yair Lapid, Gvir’s, Netanyahu, they’re, ”, ___ Magdy Organizations: JERUSALEM, Hamas, Wall Street, Republican, Health Ministry Locations: Washington, Gaza, Israel, U.S, Qatar, Egypt, Tel Aviv, Cairo, israel

Tel Aviv CNN —A video obtained by CNN shows two young ultra-Orthodox men spitting at, swearing at and insulting a Christian priest near the Zion Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday evening. She described two young men crossing their path as they walked through the Old City. The priest and journalist continued to walk through the Old City, and were again approached by the same two men as they walked through the Armenian Quarter. “Last night, the police received a report regarding youths who traversed the Zion Gate area in the Old City of Jerusalem. Christians in the Old City are regularly the target of spitting and verbal abuse by Orthodox Jews.

Persons: Natalie Amiri, Father Nikodemus Schnabel, Instagram, Schnabel, Amiri, Father Schnabel, ”, profanities, ” “, Jerusalem, “, Israel’s, Israel Katz Organizations: Tel, Tel Aviv CNN, CNN, German TV, ARD, Israeli Police Locations: Tel Aviv, Zion, Jerusalem’s Old City, Old City, Jerusalem, Israeli, English

☆ Israel to Bring in 65,000 Foreign Building Workers to Replace Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel's government said on Sunday it would bring in 65,000 foreign workers from India, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan to resume construction stalled since Oct. 7 when Palestinian workers were sent home in the wake of the attack on Israel by Hamas. Some 72,000 Palestinian workers were employed on construction sites in Israel prior to the attack, which prompted the government to lay them off and exclude them from Israel for security reasons. Some 20,000 foreign workers remain but almost half the country's building sites have been closed down due to the labour shortage. A housing ministry spokesperson said new groups of foreign workers were expected to arrive in coming weeks as the government seeks to avoid a blockage in supply that would risk reigniting real estate prices as interest rates start to fall. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 Images(Reporting by Steve Scheer; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

Persons: Steve Scheer, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Reuters, Hamas Locations: TEL AVIV, India, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Israel, Gaza

☆ Thailand Deports Dissident Russian Rock Band to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Human rights activists had warned that the seven members of the self-exiled rock band Bi-2 would face harsh punishment if they were sent to Russia. Several band members, however, hold both Russian and Israeli citizenship, and the group had been based in Israel in the 1990s. Earlier this week, Thai immigration officials said the band could choose to be deported to another destination if they felt unsafe to return to Russia. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, welcomed the decision to send the band to Israel. "Human rights concerns won out in Thailand's to let all the Bi-2 band members travel to the safety of Israel," he said(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; editing by Miral Fahmy)

Persons: Surachate Hakparn, Surachate, Igor Bortnick, Vladimir Putin, Phil Robertson, Panu, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Thai, Deputy Police, Reuters, Tel Aviv ., Russia's, Human Rights Locations: BANGKOK, Russian, Ukraine, Thailand, Israel, Moscow, Phuket, Russia, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Asia, Thailand's

☆ The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Long Shadow of 1948
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Emily Bazelon | A Discussion Moderated Emily Bazelon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

In 1948, Jews realized their wildly improbable dream of a state, and Palestinians experienced the mass flight and expulsion called the Nakba, or catastrophe. It’s only in 1948 that the Arabs become Palestinians and the Jews become Israelis. Many Jews became lower-level officers during World War II, and they brought their new military expertise to the 1948 war. Zoltan Kluger/GPO, via Getty Images Palestinian bombers destroyed buildings on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem in March 1948. Bettmann/Getty Images A Palestinian refugee cut off from her home by the border established after the 1948 war.

Persons: Matson, —, Khalil Raad, Yaakov Ben Dov Delegates, Haj Amin al, Husseini, ”, It’s, Avraham Avinu, David, Fox, King David Hotel, David Ben, Gurion, “, Hitler, Hans Pinn, Abd al, Qadir al, Chalil, Zoltan Kluger, Ben Yehuda, Hugo H, Mendelsohn, John Phillips, Palestine ”, UNSCOP, Bettmann, Ruth Orkin, David Seymour, Jordan, Israel, Abdullah, Nadim, Leena Dallasheh, Abigail Jacobson, Moshe Naor, ” Derek Penslar, ” Itamar Rabinovich, Salim Tamari, Emily Bazelon, Herzl, Faisal Al, Hashemi, James Russell &, Bain, Jabotinsky, Abraham Pisarek, Weizmann, Heinrich Hoffmann Organizations: Congress, Institute for Palestine, Palestinian, . Institute for Palestine, Matson, Palestine, Getty, of Congress British, Peel, Zionist, Jewish, British Armed Forces, Allied, King, of Congress Women, Hulton, Biltmore, British, Agence France, Getty Images, Refugees, West Bank, Shutterstock, United Nations, League of Nations, United, United Nations Jewish, Madver, The, Palestine Studies, Columbia University, Columbia University , New York University, Rice University, Islamic, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Center for Jewish Studies, Harvard University, Tel Aviv University, Birzeit University, Institute for Palestine Studies, The New York Times Magazine, James Russell & Sons, of Congress, Israel, Ben, General Photographic Agency, Society, International Affairs Locations: Palestine, City, Jerusalem, Canadian American, Israel, British, Jaffa, Damascus, Old City, Hebron, Safed, Europe, Arab, North Africa, New York City, Middle Eastern, Haifa, Cyprus, Jenin, U.S, United Nations, Iraq, Tel Aviv’s Lod, Lebanon, Eyal, el Bared, Egypt, Syria, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Palestinian, United States, Qatar, Iran, Columbia University ,, Nazareth, Israeli, Husseini

☆ The global cities with the best quality of life show how dire the affordability crisis is
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementLiving in a global city with a high quality of life is increasingly reserved for the wealthiest. The world's most liveable cities — for the wealthyThe rising cost of housing, food, and other household goods is helping worsen the affordability crisis in these cities. Vienna, for example, has kept housing costs remarkably low through its generous social housing system. The average studio apartment in Zurich costs $1.1 million and the average home across the country costs $1.4 million, the Times reported. Like in many American cities, a severe housing shortage in cities like Zurich and Geneva is also contributing to rising home costs.

Persons: —, EIU Organizations: Service, Economist's Intelligence, The New York Times, Times, Swiss Locations: Zurich, Copenhagen, Vienna, Austria Copenhagen, Denmark Melbourne, Australia Sydney, Australia Vancouver, Canada Zurich, Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland, Calgary, Canada, —, Geneva, Singapore, New York, Hong Kong Los Angeles Paris, France Copenhagen, Tel Aviv, Israel, Vancouver, Sydney, Paris

Israel and Hezbollah each have lessons from their last war, in 2006, a monthlong conflict that ended in a draw. A United Nations resolution ending the war called for withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and a demilitarized zone on Lebanon's side of the border. Israeli political and military leaders have warned Hezbollah that war is increasingly probable unless the militants withdraw from the border. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hasn't threatened to initiate war but warned of a fight “without limits” if Israel does. Costs would rise sharply if there's war with Lebanon.

Persons: They've, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Hassan Nasrallah hasn't, Andrea Tenenti, Lisa Abou Khaled, ”, Tal Beeri, there's, Israel's, Orna Mizrahi, Netanyahu, Dina Arakji, ___ Lidman Organizations: United States, United, U.S, Bank of Israel, Alma Research, Education Center, Israel Democracy Institute, Institute for National Security Studies, Gaza's Health Ministry, Lebanese Locations: BEIRUT, Israel, Gaza, United, Lebanon, United Nations, Europe, Iran, Israel's, “, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Beirut, ”, Tel Aviv

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