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☆ Lacking land, Israel to cover its rooftops with solar panels
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Ari Rabinovitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows solar panels, installed by Nofar Energy, on the rooftops of cowsheds and chicken coops in Kibbutz Or HaNer, Israel June 19, 2023. Cover it in solar panels. You can't just cover the entire Negev desert in solar panels," Eifer said. Roughly 60% will eventually be dual-use, he said, referring to solar panels that serve as roofing as well as to generate power. He said that developed countries often offer broader economic support, like loans and green bonds to promote renewable energy.

Persons: Amir Cohen JERUSALEM, Ron Eifer, Eifer, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Amit Bracha, Adam Teva V'din, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Nofar Energy, REUTERS, Energy, Thomson Locations: Kibbutz, Israel

☆ Intel to invest $25 billion in Israel factory in record deal, Netanyahu says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, June 18 (Reuters) - U.S. chipmaker Intel Corp (INTC.O) will spend $25 billion on a new factory in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, calling it the largest-ever international investment in the country. Under the deal Intel will pay a 7.5% tax rate, up from the current 5%, the ministry added. In 2017, Intel bought Israel-based Mobileye Global Inc (MBLY.O), which develops and deploys advanced driver-assistance systems, for $15 billion. Announcing the deal in televised remarks to his cabinet, Netanyahu called it "a tremendous achievement for the Israeli economy - 90 billion shekels ($25 billion) - the largest investment ever by an international company in Israel". In a statement, Intel said its Israel operations had "played a crucial role" in the company's global success.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, James Mackenzie Organizations: chipmaker Intel Corp, Israel's Finance Ministry, Intel, Inc, Thomson Locations: Israel, Kiryat Gat

☆ Israel to build fibre-optic link between Europe and Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, June 18 (Reuters) - Israel will build a 254-kilometre (158 mile) fibre-optic cable between the Mediterranean and Red Sea, creating a continuous link between Europe and countries in the Gulf and Asia, the Finance Ministry said on Sunday. The project, said EAPC Chief Executive Itzik Levy, "will position Israel as a communication land bridge connecting the Gulf countries and Asia to Europe." It will be available to any telecom company licensed in Israel under a 25-year lease, the ministry said. EAPC, or the Europe Asia Pipeline Company, offers its pipeline as an alternative to the Suez Canal. The ministry said the fibre-optic deployment along the pipeline route will help monitor any changes in terrain and detect possible leaks.

Persons: Itzik Levy, Ari Rabinovitch, James Mackenzie, David Evans Organizations: Finance, Sunday . State, Israel, Europe Asia Pipeline Company, Thomson Locations: Israel, Red, Europe, Gulf, Asia, Ashkelon, Eilat, Suez

☆ Prehistoric bird-wing flutes music to the ears of archaeologists in Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The research team made replicas of the fragile originals, which they found emitted high-pitched trills resembling the calls of birds of prey. One theory is that the flutes were used attract the birds of prey - namely the Eurasian Sparrowhawk and the Common Kestrel - to frighten waterfowl, making them easier to catch. Over 500 million birds pass through the Hula Valley each year as they migrate between Europe and Africa, making it a popular destination for bird watchers. The use of flutes to communicate with the birds, Simmons said, was "really cementing that transition to a time when the relationship between humans and animals began to change". Reporting by Dedi Hayun and Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jérusalem, Tal Simmons, Simmons, Dedi Hayun, Ari Rabinovitch, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, REUTERS, de Recherche, Israel Antiquities Authority, Tal Simmons of Virginia Commonwealth University, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, Ronen, JERUSALEM, Israel, recherche, Europe, Africa, Ain

☆ OpenAI mulling Israel investment opportunities, Microsoft says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM, June 5 (Reuters) - OpenAI is considering investment opportunities in Israel, Microsoft Israel R&D center quoted the company's CEO, Sam Altman, as saying during a visit to the country on Monday. Microsoft, an OpenAI backer, hosted Altman at its Israel headquarters. (This story has been refiled to add a more specific attribution from Microsoft in paragraph 1)Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by Ari RabinovitchOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch Organizations: Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Israel

☆ Israel demands Egypt help in full probe of deadly attack at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] A soldier reacts near the site of a reported security incident near Israel's southern border with Egypt, Israel June 3, 2023. Soldiers then made contact and during an exchange of fire the Egyptian guard and a third Israeli soldier were killed. On Saturday, the Egyptian military said the three Israelis and Egyptian guard had been killed in an exchange of fire as the guard chased smugglers across the frontier. Coworkers and family members of the Egyptian guard have been interviewed to figure out if he belonged to any political groups or suffered from mental illness, they said. Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel and they share a more than 200-km (124-mile) long border.

Persons: Amir Cohen JERUSALEM, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Daniel Hagari, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Sunday, YNET, Thomson Locations: Israel's, Egypt, Israel, Cairo

☆ Israel watchdog seeks data from banks in interest rate probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a bid to rein in inflation, the Bank of Israel last week raised its benchmark interest rate by another 25 basis points to a 2006 high of 4.75%, its 10th straight hike of the key rate that stood at 0.1% last April. Mortgage and loan payments, often tied to both inflation and the central bank's rate, have in turn jumped. Banks have been slow to pass on the benefits of higher rates to customer deposits, the Competition Authority said. The Competition Authority, formerly the anti-trust authority, said it had launched the investigation in 2022 when interest rates were starting to rise, and based on preliminarily results, it asked banks last week to provide more data. Yair Avidan, the supervisor of banks, last week told reporters that 82% of the rate hikes have been passed on to customers.

☆ Five months in with no deal in sight, Israel's judicial protests endure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Rami Amichay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For five months now, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the street every week to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial overhaul that would give politicians greater sway over selecting judges. Critics see a threat to independence of the courts by the prime minister, who is on trial on graft charges he denies. Eisenkot, in an interview with Israel's Channel 12, called for the proposed legislation to be frozen for a year. Before the sun set on Saturday, ending the Jewish Sabbath, crowds once again gathered in Tel Aviv and other cities across Israel. Mira Marcus-Kalish, a university researcher, said she no longer keeps track of how many protests she attended.

☆ Factbox: What is 'Jerusalem Day' and why is it an Israeli-Palestinian flashpoint?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Israelis and Palestinians stand opposite to each other near Damascus gate to Jerusalem's Old city as Israel mark Jerusalem Day, in Jerusalem May 18, 2023. Here are details on "Jerusalem Day" and why it stirs fears of renewed violence:WHAT IS JERUSALEM DAY? Israel fought a number of Arab armies in a 1967 war, during which it captured territories including East Jerusalem. Israel has since annexed East Jerusalem, in a move that has not won international recognition, and regards the entire city as its eternal and undivided capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

☆ Israel's Bezeq Telecom sees benefits from AI as posts flat Q1 profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, May 17 (Reuters) - Bezeq Israel Telecom (BEZQ.TA) reported flat quarterly profit on Wednesday, and said it expects to reap benefits from an exponential expansion of data created by artificial intelligence (AI) platforms through more lucrative fibre optics growth. Bezeq is working with Nokia to provide broadband speeds of up to 25 gigabits per second (Gbps) and said it plans to offer 10 Gbps in 2024, reaching 25 Gbps by 2027. It currently offers a maximum of 2.5 Gbps. Fischbein also said that he remained comfortable with Bezeq's forecast of 1.2 billion shekels of net profit in 2023. Shares of Bezeq were up 0.3% to 5 shekels in afternoon Tel Aviv trading, but are nearly 18% lower so far in 2023.

☆ Website creator Wix.com Q1 profit beats estimates, raises 2023 outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, May 17 (Reuters) - Wix.com (WIX.O), which helps small businesses build and operate websites, on Wednesday said it swung to a net profit in the first quarter, boosted by growth in subscription revenue. The Israeli company said it had earned 91 cents per share excluding one-time items, compared with a loss of 72 cents per share a year earlier. Wix was forecast to earn 14 cents excluding one-time items, on revenue of $369 million, according to Refinitiv I/B/E/S data. It projects second-quarter revenue of $380 million to $385 million for annual growth of as much as 12%. Citing an "outperformance in Q1," Wix raised its full year 2023 revenue estimate to $1.522 billion to $1.543 billion - growth of 10-11% - from $1.51 billion to $1.535 billion.

The strike, bringing school closures and a halt to garbage collection for millions of Israelis, also complicates a bid to pass a 2023-2024 state budget. The dispute is over a proposed fund that would dip into commercial property taxes collected by municipalities. More than 70 cities, including commercial hubs Tel Aviv and Haifa that will be paying more heavily into the property tax fund, joined the strike. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would not give in and that the property tax fund would be passed as part of legislation for the 2023-2024 budget. Parliament has already given its initial approval for the 2023-2024 budget but it still needs to pass two more votes.

☆ Gaza rocket fired at Israel, militants say in error
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, May 14 (Reuters) - Gaza militants fired a rocket at southern Israel on Sunday, a day after an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire ended five days of cross-border fighting, and Palestinian militant groups said the launch had been a "technical error". Shortly afterwards, explosions were heard in northern Gaza and the Palestinians reported that a militant outpost had been struck by Israel. Israel's military said a single rocket fired from Gaza struck an open area. A source from the joint operations room of militant groups in Gaza said the rocket was launched "due to a technical error." Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU in Israel cancels Europe Day event over far-right minister's participation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, May 8 (Reuters) - The European Union delegation in Israel on Monday cancelled its Europe Day diplomatic reception over the planned participation of far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who criticised the decision as a form of "undiplomatic silencing". Brussels marks May 9 as "Europe Day", honouring a 1950 French declaration that led to the founding of the body that became the EU. National Security Minister Ben-Gvir was set to represent the Israeli government at this year's event. "It is a shame that the European Union, which claims to represent the values of democracy and multiculturalism, is engaging in undiplomatic silencing," Ben-Gvir said in a statement. (This story has been refiled to say 'undiplomatic silencing,' not 'undemocratic silencing,' in paragraph 1)Writing by Henriette Chacar; Editing by Ari RabinovitchOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israel hands lawmaker held in gun-running case over to Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, May 7 (Reuters) - Israel on Sunday handed over to Jordan a member of the Jordanian parliament who had been held on suspicion of trying to smuggle weapons into the occupied West Bank. A Jordanian security source said the case will be brought to trial. Its investigation, Shin Bet said, determined that Adwan was smuggling for money and "indeed received large sums of money". Shin Bet said a number of suspects in Jordan have also been arrested by Jordanian authorities over their alleged involvement. Israel enjoys close security ties with Jordan, the Arab neighbour with which it shares its longest stretch of border, but political relations have soured in recent years.

☆ Israel to boost energy storage with eye on facilitating Sabbath supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, May 7 (Reuters) - Israel approved on Sunday a plan to create an energy storage network in cities to produce off-peak electricity, which will also supply "kosher" electricity for ultra-Orthodox Jews observing the Sabbath. In some neighbourhoods generators are activated ahead of time and provide electricity for the day, which is expensive, polluting and can be dangerous, Israel's energy ministry says. "Storing electrical energy will be one way to allow the expansion of electricity production from renewable energies," said the ministry. "At the same time, in Israel there are populations interested in consuming 'kosher electricity' that was not generated on Sabbath." If successful, hundreds of megawatts in storage facilities will be built nationwide, the ministry said, without giving a timeframe.

☆ Dished up by 3D printers, a new kind of fish to fry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An Israeli foodtech company says it has 3D printed the first ever ready-to-cook fish fillet using animal cells cultivated and grown in a laboratory. Israel's Steakholder Foods has now partnered with Singapore-based Umami Meats to make fish fillets without the need to stalk dwindling fish populations. Steakholder Foods then adds them to a 'bio-ink' suited for special 3D printers. It has the flakiness of traditional fish and when fried and seasoned it is hard to tell the difference. "The number of scientists, you can imagine, working on fish stem cell biology is a small fraction of those working on animal cells and human cells."

☆ Tel Aviv Stock Exchange picks economist Kandel as new chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM, May 1 (Reuters) - The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has appointed veteran Israeli economist and former advisor to the prime minister, Eugene Kandel, as its new chairperson, the bourse said on Monday in a regulatory filing. The appointment still requires shareholder approval. Kandel previously served as chair of Israel's National Economic Council and as an economic adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as CEO of Start-Up Nation Central a group connecting international business and government leaders with Israeli technologies. Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch Editing by Steven ScheerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israeli cyber security firm Check Point Software Q1 profit tops estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM, May 1 (Reuters) - Check Point Software Technologies (CHKP.O) reported on Monday higher than expected profit for the first quarter of 2023, boosted by growth in its consolidated cyber security platform that prevents attacks across networks, mobile and the cloud. The Israeli-based company said it earned $1.80 per diluted share excluding one-off items in the January-March period, up 15% from $1.57 a year earlier. It was forecast to earn $1.74 a share on revenue of $569 million, according to I/B/E/S data from Refinitiv. Check Point said it bought back 2.6 million shares in the quarter, worth $325 million, as part of its ongoing $2 billion share repurchase programme. Reporting by Steven Scheer, Editing by Ari RabinovitchOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jordan says Israel detains lawmaker on suspicion of arms smuggling
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMMAN, April 23 (Reuters) - Israel has detained a Jordanian lawmaker on suspicion of smuggling arms and gold into the West Bank and Amman is working to secure his release, the kingdom's foreign ministry said on Sunday. A spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment on reports of the arrest. Prominent lawmaker Khalil Atiya, known for his vocal opposition to Israel and who has led campaigns to repeal the country's peace treaty with Israel, said the government would be held responsible if it failed to act quickly. "There should be no room left for the enemy to harm the dignity of Jordanians by detaining and jailing a member of the parliament," Atiya said. Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, additonal reporting by Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israel in advanced talks with Germany to sell Arrow-3 missile defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, April 20 (Reuters) - Israel is in advanced negotiations with Germany to sell its Arrow-3 missile defense system, Israel's Defense Ministry said on Thursday. It is the top layer of Israel's missile defense array, which extends from Iron Dome that intercepts short-range rockets to Arrow-3's long-range missiles that destroy any non-conventional warheads at a safe altitude. Talks with the German defense ministry have been accelerated and the aim is to export the system in the near future, said Israel's Defense Ministry. The project has U.S. backing so the sale would require approval from Washington, the ministry said. State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (ISRAI.UL) is the project's main contractor and Boeing (BA.N) is involved in producing the interceptors.

☆ Son of toppled Iranian Shah to visit Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, April 16 (Reuters) - The exiled son of the Iranian Shah toppled in the 1979 Islamic revolution will visit Israel this week, Israel's government said on Sunday, calling him the "most senior Iranian personality" to ever pay a public visit to Israel. Israel and Iran enjoyed warmer ties under the U.S-backed Shah, though they have become enemies since. Israel, in its statement, said the visit by Reza Pahlavi is meant to create "a bridge between Israel and the Iranian people, and expressing joint opposition to the Ayatollah regime." "A democratic Iran will seek to renew its ties with Israel and our Arab neighbours," Pahlavi was quoted as saying in the the Israeli statement. During his visit Pahlavi will take part in Israel's official Holocaust memorial ceremony.

☆ Israeli government says economy strong after Moody's rating outlook cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM, April 15 (Reuters) - Israel's government said on Saturday the economy was strong and that concerns raised by credit ratings agency Moody's were only "natural for those unfamiliar with the strength of Israeli society". Moody's on Friday lowered its outlook on Israel to stable from positive, citing deterioration of governance due to events stemming from the government's proposed overhaul of the judiciary. It affirmed Israel's sovereign credit rating at "A1". "There will be no harm to Israeli democracy and the Israeli economy," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a joint statement. Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israeli leaders rebuff Moody's outlook cut, protests persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] An aerial view shows people during a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government's judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 15, 2023. Moody's report issued on Friday marks the latest warning about a potential economic backlash to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legislative push. Moody's affirmed Israel's sovereign credit rating at "A1", while revising its outlook to stable from positive. They said the concerns raised by Moody's are "natural for those unfamiliar with the strength of Israeli society". At the same time tens of thousands of Israelis again gathered in Tel Aviv and other cities in intensifying weekly protests, waving flags, banging drums and blaring horns.

☆ Israel rejects claim Mossad backed judiciary overhaul protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, April 9 (Reuters) - Israel's government on Sunday rejected claims raised in documents allegedly leaked from the Pentagon that leaders of its foreign intelligence service Mossad had supported nationwide protests against a proposed overhaul of Israel's judiciary. The paper said that while the leaked documents seemed authentic, it did not mean they were accurate. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the report was "mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever". "The Mossad and its senior officials did not – and do not – encourage agency personnel to join the demonstrations against the government, political demonstrations or any political activity," it said. After weeks of intensifying demonstrations, Netanyahu in late March relented and said he would delay the contested reforms to allow for compromise talks with opposition parties.

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