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☆ Airlines are feeling the impact of the Israel-Hamas war, with bookings already hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Airlines have seen a drop in bookings in the weeks following the start of Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and some expect it to cut into their future profits. Israel's aerial bombing campaign and subsequent ground offensive in Gaza has killed more than 11,000 people, according to health authorities there. In the days following the attack, major airlines suspended or reduced flights to Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. In the three week period after Oct. 7, by contrast, ticket issuance from the Middle East was 12% lower than 2019 levels, marking a difference of 9 percentage points. ForwardKeys draws its data from the International Air Transport Association's industry-wide ticketing database which includes major international carriers, but does not include budget airlines like easyJet or Ryanair .

Persons: Israel's, Ben Organizations: Etihad Airways Boeing, United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates — Airlines, Hamas, International Air Transport, Ryanair Locations: UAE, Israel's Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi, DUBAI, United Arab, Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Ben Gurion, East, Americas, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon

☆ In Israel, Christie Says Trump Ducked Mideast Progress and Fueled Bigotry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | More About Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey who is challenging Donald J. Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, said Mr. Trump’s rhetoric of intolerance — as evident today as it was during his presidency — had fueled the surge of bigotry confronting Jews and Muslims after Hamas’s brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the fierce Israeli response in Gaza. And Mr. Trump’s lopsided adherence to the wishes of Israel’s right-wing government, while widely praised in Republican circles, secured only the “low-hanging fruit” of Middle Eastern diplomacy during his presidency, Mr. Christie said, denigrating one of Mr. Trump’s chief foreign policy accomplishments. He argued that Mr. Trump’s lack of “intellectual curiosity” and foreign policy ambition had led his administration to give up the pursuit of a more elusive peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Mr. Christie delivered a scathing assessment of Mr. Trump’s Middle East policy in an interview as he traveled to Israel on Sunday for what proved an emotional one-day visit in which he toured a kibbutz, Kfar Azza, near Gaza, where 58 residents were butchered by Hamas terrorists last month. Mr. Christie watched raw footage of the attacks at a military base near Tel Aviv, commiserated with survivors and families in a hospital and conferred with Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, in Jerusalem.

Persons: Chris Christie, Donald J, Trump, —, Israel’s, Christie, Trump’s, Isaac Herzog Organizations: Republican Locations: New Jersey, Israel, Gaza, Trump’s, Kfar Azza, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem

☆ International travel demand falls after onset of Israel-Hamas conflict, data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Doyinsola Oladipo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 10 (Reuters) - International flight bookings around the world have fallen since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict especially in the Americas as people cancel trips to the Middle East and around the world, according to travel analysis firm ForwardKeys. International flight bookings from the Americas dropped 10% in the three weeks after the Oct. 7th attack, when compared to the number of tickets issued three weeks before the attack, according to flight ticketing data from ForwardKeys. People in the Middle East have also been traveling less with international flight tickets issued in the region having fallen 9% in the same period. International flight bookings to travel to the region plummeted 26% in the three weeks following the attack. International flight bookings fell 5% across regions on average, impacting the global rebound in international travel from the pandemic.

Persons: Ronen, Olivier Ponti, Ponti, Doyinsola Oladipo Organizations: El Al Israel Airlines, Ben, REUTERS, Global, Thomson Locations: Ben Gurion, Lod, Tel Aviv, Israel, Americas, Palestinian, Gaza, ForwardKeys, New York

☆ When Israel needs to fight Hamas in its tunnels, it turns to an elite band of commandos called the Yahalom unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Clearing out the Hamas tunnels is one assignment for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) amid its ongoing ground invasion of Gaza, now a little more than a week old. To effectively carry out this task, the military has a elite band of commandos who are trained for underground warfare and other subterranean operations known as the Yahalom unit. The unit was created in 1995 and doubled in size after the 2014 Gaza War — known in Israel as Operation Protective Edge — to deal with the growing threat posed by Hamas' tunnels. On Friday, for example, the IDF said Yahalom soldiers working in tandem with other units destroyed Hamas tunnels during "special operations" inside the strip. "Hamas views warfare underground just as it would aboveground, utilizing defense, offense, and retreat," he remarked.

Persons: —, Nir Elias, Krav Maga, Israel, they're, Yaron Beit, Yahalom, John Spencer, Spencer Organizations: IDF, Service, Israel Defense Forces, Combat Engineering Corps, REUTERS, Yahalom Foundation, Military, Telegram, West, Institute, US Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Beit Hanoun

RAMLA, Israel (AP) — Hours after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, the country's new fortified, subterranean blood bank kicked into action. Shiner said the center provided tens of thousands of units of blood in the days that followed the Hamas attacks. The new steel and concrete 51,000-square-meter (550,000-square-foot) building processes all of Israel’s donated blood. In early October, the center received 5,000 units of blood in one day — five times more than usual, said its staff. “During war, blood is part of the resuscitation process and the idea is to have a stock, to be able to give blood as soon as it’s needed,” said Guillemette Thomas, the medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders.

Persons: Marcus, ”, Eilat Shinar, Magen David Adom —, it’s, Shiner, Moshe Noyovich, Magen David Adom, Israel’s, Israel, Guillemette Thomas, ___ Mednick Organizations: Blood Services, American Locations: RAMLA, Israel, Ramla, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Israel’s, Gaza, Hamas, Jerusalem, israel

☆ Missile fired from Gaza caused hospital blast, Britain's Sunak says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media after landing at Ben Gurion international airport in Lod, Near Tel Aviv, Israel October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The explosion at a hospital in Gaza City was most likely caused by a missile fired from within Gaza, and not by a rocket from Israel, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday. "The British government judges that the explosion was likely caused by a missile, or part of one, that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel," Sunak told parliament. Palestinian officials said 471 people were killed in the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital on Tuesday. Gaza's health ministry blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by militants.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Ronen, Sunak, Israel, Alistair Smout, Farouq Suleiman, Paul Sandle Organizations: British, Ben, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Ben Gurion, Lod, Near Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza City, Gaza, British, Al, Ahli, Arabi, United States, France, Canada

El Al Israel Airlines planes are seen on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel March 10, 2020. Insurers for Israeli flag carrier El Al Airlines (ELAL.TA), Israir (ISRG.TA) and Arkia have previously said they can issue such notices due to the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Israeli airlines have now received the notices, two sources told Reuters, without naming the airlines. Israeli's parliamentary finance committee last week approved a plan to provide a state guarantee of $6 billion to cover insurance against war risks to Israeli airlines. Airlines normally take out two types of policy - an "all risks" policy which covers both regular damage to the hull and passenger liability, and a "war" policy to cover war or terror-related losses to the aircraft.

Persons: Ronen, Bruce Carman, Arkia, Israir, Garrett Hanrahan, Hanrahan, Carolyn Cohn, Sinead Cruise, David Evans Organizations: El Al Israel Airlines, Ben, REUTERS, Aviation, El Al Airlines, Palestinian, Hamas, Hive Underwriters, El Al, Lebanese, East Airlines, Airlines, Marsh's Global Aviation, Reuters, Hezbollah, Norwegian Air, Thomson Locations: Ben Gurion, Lod, Tel Aviv, Israel, Lebanon, Europe, United States, London, Turkey, Beirut, Eilat

☆ ‘A Miracle’: U.S. Citizens Recount Flight from Israel to Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Ron and Linda Neumann, American citizens who were staying near Tel Aviv, said they were stranded after the Hamas attack, unable to catch commercial flights home to Florida. On a conference call Monday with reporters, the couple said their area came under regular missile fire, prompting them to seek refuge in a bomb shelter. It was Project Dynamo’s fifth flight in its Israel rescue operation, said Bryan Stern, the nonprofit’s executive director. The state of Florida paid for the planes, and Gov. “How we got on this plane is a miracle from God because we had no way to get out,” said Ron Neumann, the son of a Holocaust survivor, speaking from the couple’s home in Melbourne, Fla.

Persons: Ron, Linda Neumann, Bryan Stern, Ron DeSantis, ”, Ron Neumann Organizations: Dynamo, U.S Locations: Tel Aviv, Florida, Tampa , Fla, Israel, Melbourne, Fla

When the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shut all access to Gaza following Hamas’ deadly attack last Saturday, these men became stuck. Ismail Abd Almagid’s wife and five children – four girls and one boy – are in Gaza while he is staying in the refugee camp. When Abd Almagid got his permit to work in Israel in October last year, it felt like winning the lottery. Many of the men at the Dheisheh refugee camp are in the same situation – they are the only members of their families to have a job. A view of the Deheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank.

Persons: –, Khan Younis, Ismail Abd Almagid’s, Misk, Tala, ’, ”, Abd Almagid, “ I’d, that’s, ” Ismail Abd Almagid, Ivana Kottasova, “, they’d, Marwan Saqer, Dheisheh, ” Saqer Organizations: West Bank CNN, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, IDF, Palestinian Ministry of Health, United Nations, CNN Sunday, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel, Gazans, Palestinian Authority, UN’s, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees Locations: Gaza, Israel, Khan, Egypt, Kafr Qassem, Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, Jerusalem

☆ Who is El Deif, alleged mastermind of the Hamas’ attack?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Sam Kiley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He’s now in charge of Hamas’ military wing, the Al Qassem Brigades. And on the ground, in private conversations, it’s been difficult to find people who are genuinely behind Hamas military campaigning. Men like El Deif, the bomb makers and decision takers, were hunted by Israel. Key to this change, too, was another major figure in Hamas’ military wing, Yahya Sinwar. I think this will spell the end of Hamas.”That may be a zero-sum option that not even the shadowy El Deif had guessed at.

Persons: Khan Younis, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin gasped, ”, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Eric Gaillard, —, ” Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al, Masri, El Deif, He’s, Al Qassem, Mkhaimar Abusada, Yassir Arafat, Mahmud Hams, it’s, El, Israel, Dor Kedmi, Yahya Sinwar, Al, he’s, Karim von Hippel, “, hasn’t Organizations: CNN, British, Hamas, Reuters, Al Qassem Brigades, Al Azah University, Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel, Brigades, Getty, Palestinian Authority, Fatah, West Bank, Islamic, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Gaza, Deira, Israel, Gaza City, El, Oslo Accords, AFP, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Egypt, Aqsa, Iran, Tehran, Rehovot, Hamas, Back, Syria, Yom, Lebanon, London

☆ Hackers infiltrated Israeli smart billboards to post pro-Hamas messages, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two billboards near Tel Aviv were hacked and made to show pro-Hamas messages. Images on social media showed billboards displaying images of Hamas soldiers and rocket attacks. AdvertisementAdvertisementHackers took over two Israeli smart billboards and used them to broadcast pro-Hamas messages, reports said. The billboards in the region of Tel Aviv were hijacked for a brief period on Thursday, CNBC reported. It comes after parents in Tel Aviv were warned to delete social-media apps from their children's phones over fears that Hamas could broadcast videos of hostages.

Persons: —, Gil Messing, Israel Organizations: Service, CNBC, Hamas, Tel, Software Technologies, Wall Street, Bloomberg, Anonymous, IB, Israel National Cyber Directorate Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, cyberattacks, Yemen, Afghanistan, Russian, Anonymous Sudan, Gaza

☆ House lawmakers urge US airlines to quickly resume flights to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

People walk next to a sign directing for Shelter after landing in Israel at the arrivals section of Ben Gurion International airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel October 11, 2023 REUTERS/Marius Bosch Acquire Licensing RightsOct 13 (Reuters) - More than 30 U.S. lawmakers on Friday urged the chief executives of American Airlines (AAL.O), Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and United Airlines (UAL.O) to resume flights to Israel "as soon as possible." The three U.S. carriers have all suspended flights to Israel citing security concerns. The letter to the CEOs Friday led by Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz urged the carriers "to prioritize resuming flight operations" to Tel Aviv and said lawmakers "stand ready to assist you in any way necessary to get the job done." Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ben, Marius Bosch, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, David Shepardson, Chris Reese Organizations: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Thomson Locations: Israel, Ben Gurion, Lod, Tel Aviv, U.S

STOCKHOLM/AMSTERDAM, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Airlines wrestled with the safety risk of evacuation operations in Israel on Thursday, with carriers including Dutch KLM cancelling flights while sister airline Air France mounted a special relief flight chartered by the French foreign ministry. Israel's parliamentary finance committee meanwhile approved a plan to provide a state guarantee of $6 billion to cover insurance against war risks to Israeli airlines. The framework will grant Israeli airlines cover against war risks, thereby ensuring the continuity of air operations. Foreign airlines have struggled to find a common approach and the head of European budget giant Ryanair (RYA.I) said it was up to governments to plot the way forward. PATCHY RESPONSEGermany's Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said it was sticking to its plans for evacuation flights on Thursday and Friday, while continuing to ground commercial flights to Israel.

Persons: Ben Gurion, Ben Smith, Ed Bastian, Sasha Gainullin, Rafael Schvartzman, Obama, Anna Ringstrom, Bart H, Meijer, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, Julia Payne, Carolyn Cohn, Steven Scheer, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Doyinsola, Terje Solsvik, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Diane Craft Organizations: Airlines, Dutch KLM, Air France, Palestinian, Israel's, Norwegian Air, Insurance, Reuters, Foreign, Ryanair, KLM, Boeing, Lufthansa, Dubai's Emirates, Delta Air Lines, International Air Transport Association, Regulators, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, AMSTERDAM, Israel, Palestinian, Tel Aviv's, Ben, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Eilat, Emirates, United States, Europe, U.S, Ben Gurion

☆ Billboards in Israel were briefly hacked to display pro-Hamas messages as cyberwar ramps up
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Israel supporters hold flags as they protest, following Hamas' biggest attack on Israel in years, in Bogota, Colombia October 9, 2023. Cybersecurity threats in Israel are mounting amid the Israel-Hamas war, including two hijacked smart billboards that briefly showed pro-Hamas content, and a cyberattack on a college that published hundreds of thousands of personal records. More than 40 groups are currently attempting, or say they're attempting, cyberattacks, Messing said, adding these threats aren't uncommon. The motivation is more about creating fear and discomfort, not so much about creating damage that is significant." The biggest cyberattack so far this week involved Ono Academic College near Tel Aviv, Messing said.

Persons: Israel, Gil Messing, Messing Organizations: Software Technologies, CNBC, CTV Media Israel, Ono Locations: Israel, Bogota, Colombia, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Jordan

☆ Israeli volunteers prepare hundreds of wreaths for funerals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

She and her teenage daughter are among more than 100 volunteers working to prepare flowers for the more than 1,200 Israelis who have been killed since Hamas gunmen burst into Israel from Gaza on Saturday. "You have to understand that there are no wreaths left in Israel anymore," said flower exporter Lihi Salpeter Danziger, who organised the initiative. "People cannot get and cannot find flowers to take to funerals for the size of this event. Danzinger explains that the women work in shifts as the safe room can only accommodate 100 at a time. Once completed, the wreaths are loaded onto cars and trucks and sent out free of charge to funerals taking place all over the country.

Persons: Janis Laizans, Butcher Tali Yehuda, Yehuda, Lihi Salpeter Danziger, Danzinger, Sharon Singleton, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Zeitan, Tel Aviv

☆ Israel's tech hub is a crucial part of its economy. Now, startups could face tougher funding rounds amid the war, experts say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Getting overseas funding could become difficult for Israel's tech industry amid the war, experts told Reuters. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementIsrael's tech startups have already been facing a tough year attracting funding amid the implosion of a major lender for start-ups, global recession fears, and rising borrowing rates. Investment in Israel's tech startups has already been falling for seven straight quarters even before the war started, according to a report by the think tank Startup Nation Policy Institute, released on September 30. AdvertisementAdvertisementTech insiders also express optimism for the industry, citing Israel's reputation as an established tech hub.

Persons: —, Jon Medved, Avi Hasson, Catalyst, Hasson Organizations: Reuters, Tech, Silicon Valley Bank, Service, Nation Central, Investment, Nation Policy Institute, Israel ., Insight Partners Locations: Israel, Silicon, Tel Aviv, Europe, Israel . New York

☆ Families of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas are pleading for their release and say they have no idea how their relatives are doing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Insider spoke to family members of those believed to be kidnapped to understand what happens now. He added that the American Jewish Committee's offices in Jerusalem and the US were actively "responding when we receive calls from family members" about missing loved ones. "We started getting WhatsApp messages from family members that Hamas was in the kibbutz," Onn said. But, as for those who were taken, Onn said the family has to hold on to hope during an excruciating time. A plea from loved onesInformation about missing loved ones has been hard to come by, people in Israel told Insider on Sunday and Monday.

Persons: —, Jonathan Conricus, Nir Oz, Abbey, Onn, That's, it's, Ted Deutch, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Kenneth Quinn, who's, Quinn, Nahar, Adrienne Neta, Biden, Neta, Rubi Chen, Itay, Chen, Lester Holt, John Kirby, Kirby, Shelly Shem Tov, Omer, Jake Tapper, Shem Tov, Tapper, she'd, Reed Alexander Organizations: Service, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, US State Department, Israel Defence Forces, American Jewish Committee, Democratic, Jewish, Israel, Reuters, State Department, NBC News, National Security Council, White, United, CNN Locations: Gaza, Israel, American, Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Florida, Jerusalem, Hamas, Washington, United States, Israeli

He said in the short-term resources could be diverted if the conflict expands, such as staff at tech companies being called up as military reservists. "They will probably increase the investment in AI," Krosby said. "It could bolster support for more financial resources for tech for the military, which then ultimately transitions to the private sector tech companies," Krosby added. The tech sector has shown resilience in the past, overcoming a number of conflicts with Hamas in Gaza. Apjit Walia the Managing Director at DVN Capital said the Israeli tech sector "has historically bounced back from geopolitical tragedies."

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel, Jack Ablin, Quincy Krosby, Jensen Huang, Benjamin Netanyahu, LPL's Krosby, Krosby, DVN Capital, Max A, Cherney, Mica Rosenberg, Steven Scheer, Kenneth Li, Megan Davies, Jamie Freed Organizations: Intel, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Tech, Hamas, Cresset Wealth, Financial, Intel Corp, Sunday, Nvidia, Tel, Semiconductor, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Google, Facebook, DVN, Thomson Locations: Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv, Israel, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Charlotte , North Carolina, United States, Silicon Valley, Kiryat Gat, Apjit, Francisco, New York, Jerusalem

☆ Photographer's pictures show the moments before Hamas attacked a music festival in Israel up until festival-goers took cover on the ground: 'It changed in a moment'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A photographer captured moments of joy and revelry at the Nova Music Festival in Israel. Ido Derby, Liav Franko, @block_oclock/instagram"It was like the hugest festival to arrive in our country," Derby said. Ido Derby, Liav Franko, @block_oclock/instagramIn some photos, festival goers are giving personal light shows. Ido Derby, Liav Franko, @block_oclock/instagram"I couldn't realize that my life was in danger," Derby said. Ido Derby, Liav Franko, @block_oclock/instagram"It changed in a moment," Derby told Insider.

Persons: Young, —, Ido Derby, Liav Franko, @block_oclock, Derby, I'm, gunning, instagram, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Nova Music, Service, Israel —, Derby, Nova, Ido, Washington Post, instagram Derby, Associated Press, AP, Reuters, Israeli Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rishon LeTsiyon, Tel Aviv, Israel's

☆ Major airlines suspend Israel flights after attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Passengers look at a departure board at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 7, 2023, as flights are canceled because of the Hamas surprise attacks. Several airlines suspended service to Israel this weekend after surprise attacks by Hamas and Israeli retaliation left hundreds dead. United Airlines , Delta Air Lines and American Airlines each scrubbed service to Tel Aviv. United Flight 954, which departed San Francisco Friday night for Israel, turned back near Greenland, according to flight-tracker FlightAware. Lufthansa Group said all of its flights, including those on Swiss International Air Lines and Austrian Airlines, were suspended into Tel Aviv through Monday.

Persons: El Organizations: Ben, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Tel Aviv . United, Lufthansa Group, Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, El Al, Sunday Locations: Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv, Israel, San Francisco, Greenland

☆ Microsoft announces unified AI assistant, new Surface devices
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Yuvraj Malik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Rami Amichay Acquire Licensing RightsSept 21 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) on Thursday announced a "unified" artificial intelligence (AI) for its Windows 11 platform and four new Surface devices, upping the appeal of its products spruced with the latest technology. The new AI tool, called Copilot, will work across the company's web and productivity applications Bing, Edge browser, and Microsoft 365 software suite. The updated AI software will roll out with the latest changes to Windows 11 on Sept. 26. It will be available in Microsoft 365 Copilot on Nov. 1, when the highly anticipated enterprise AI tool will be generally available for purchase. Microsoft on Thursday announced three laptops - Surface Laptop Go 3, Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Surface Go 4 For Business - and Surface Hub 3, the newer version of its interactive whiteboard.

Persons: Rami Amichay, Bing, OpenAI's, Panos, Yusuf Mehdi, Yuvraj Malik, Jeffrey Dastin, Maju Samuel Organizations: Microsoft, REUTERS, Big Tech, Apple, GenAI, Thomson Locations: Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Israel, Redmond , Washington, Panos Panay, Bengaluru, San Francisco

That stirred protests by Palestinian Americans and U.S. calls for a change in policy. Under the pilot, more than 5,400 Palestinian Americans have entered Israel or crossed its boundary with the West Bank, according to Interior Ministry figures. The U.S. Embassy says some Palestinian Americans have complained of being barred from travelling between Israel and the West Bank by car. Between 45,000 and 60,000 Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, a U.S. official estimated. An Israeli official gave lower figures, saying that of 70,000 to 90,000 Palestinian Americans worldwide, 15,000 to 20,000 are West Bank residents.

Persons: Joe Biden, Amir Cohen, Benjamin, blacklists, Hani Almadhoun, Dan Williams, William Maclean Organizations: Ben, Ben Gurion International, REUTERS, Palestinian, U.S, Visa, West Bank, Islamists, Ministry, Embassy, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Ben Gurion, Lod, Tel Aviv, JERUSALEM, GAZA, Gaza, United States, U.S, Egypt, Jerusalem, Palestinian American, Washington ,

☆ Unreasonable? Israel's Judicial Overhaul Dismays Environmentalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Under the changes passed so far, the government and ministers are now exempt from judicial oversight based on the so-called "reasonableness clause". The prime minister's office and ministries involved in the inquiry said they were not responsible. The 15-judge Supreme Court will hear an appeal on Sept. 12 against this amendment. It was launched before the judicial overhaul and sought a ruling based on the application of the reasonableness clause. The prime minister's office and environmental protection minister's office declined to comment for this article.

Persons: Ari Rabinovitch JERUSALEM, Amit Bracha, Adam Teva V'Din, Benjamin Netanyahu, Barry Levenfeld, Arnon Tadmor Levy, ATD, Netanyahu, Aryeh Deri, Silman, Netanyahu's, Lahav, Ari Rabinovitch, Edmund Blair Organizations: Tel, Israel Union, Environmental Defense, Supreme, Likud Locations: Tel Aviv, Herzliya

☆ Exclusive: Israel's El Al in talks to buy Airbus jets in potentially historic shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An Israel El Al airlines plane is seen after its landing following its inaugural flight between Tel Aviv and Nice at Nice international airport, France, April 4, 2019. A decision likely would be made early in 2024, Ben Tal Ganancia said. At list prices the investment would be near $4 billion but El Al would likely pay far less after discounts. "It is serious," Ben Tal Ganancia said of the talks with Europe's Airbus. In the second quarter, El Al earned a net $59 million versus net profit of $100 million a year earlier.

Persons: Israel El, Eric Gaillard, Dina Ben Tal Ganancia, Ben Tal Ganancia, El Al, Steven Scheer, Tim Hepher, David Goodman, Mark Potter Organizations: Nice, REUTERS, TEL, Al Israel Airlines, Airbus, El, Boeing, Reuters, El Al, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Europe's Airbus, Ben Gurion, Revenue, Ben Gurion International Airport, Thomson Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, France, TEL AVIV, United States, El, Asia, Australia, North America, Istanbul, Dublin, Tokyo, Mumbai, Fort Lauderdale

'WE'RE SCARED, WE'RE ANGRY'Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, Monday, July 17, 2023. Tens of thousands of Israelis opposing the judicial changes marched to Jerusalem over the weekend, carrying flags and beating drums under a scorching summer sun. Washington has urged Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges he denies, to seek broad agreements over any judicial reforms. First elected to Israel's top office in 1996, Netanyahu has been both dynamic and polarising. In early October, a few weeks before winning a national election, Netanyahu fell ill during the Jewish fast of Yom Kippur and was briefly hospitalised.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Cyrus, Ohad, We're, we're, Tzivia Guggenheim, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch, Amir Cohen, Dedi Hayoun, Rami Amichay, Ilan Rosenberg, Paul Simao, Richard Chang, Jan Harvey Organizations: Israel's, Sheba Medical, Sunday, U.S, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Turkey, Israeli, Old City, Washington, Israel, Yom Kippur

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