Weekly roundup of world briefs

Bank of Israel hikes interest rate to highest level since 2008

(JNS) — The Bank of Israel Monetary Committee has increased the country’s interest rate to 3.75 percent — representing a 0.5 percent rise, the central bank’s largest since 2008.

“Inflation in Israel is 5.3 percent over the past 12 months,” the Bank of Israel stated, reported Globes. “Economic activity in Israel remains strong, but the growth rate appears to have slowed relative to the first half of 2022.”

Since the Bank of Israel increased the rate from its all-time low of 0.1 percent to 0.35 percent in April 2022, it has subsequently increased rates seven times.

The Bank of Israel expects inflation to reach 3 percent in 2023, up from 2.5 percent in its most recent prediction in October 2022. The Bank of Israel anticipates an interest rate of 4 percent by the end of 2023.

Israel’s GDP is predicted to expand by 2.8 percent in 2023 (down from 3 percent in a prediction in October) and 3.5 percent in 2024.

Meanwhile, the shekel continues to weaken against the dollar, ending the year at around 3.5 NIS to $1 compared to 3.11 at the beginning of 2022.

Blinken calls new Israeli FM Eli Cohen to discuss Iran, Abraham Accords

(JNS) — In a conversation with new Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Monday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken congratulated him on his new position and reaffirmed America’s commitment to the security of Israel and the U.S.-Israel partnership.

“Blinken discussed continued U.S. efforts to advance mutual interests such as Israel’s further regional integration, including through the Negev Forum; address shared challenges, including the threat from Iran; and promote the values that have been at the heart of the bilateral relationship for decades,” said Blinken’s spokesperson in a statement.

Blinken also “emphasized the continued U.S. commitment to a two-state solution and opposition to policies that endanger its viability,” the statement said.

Lasy Thursday, the top American diplomat congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the formation of his government.

“I look forward to working with the new Israeli government to promote peace, security and prosperity in the region, and to advance the interests and values that have been at the heart of our relationship for decades,” Blinken said in a statement.

Earlier in Dec., Blinken was the keynote speaker at J Street’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., where he vowed to “gauge the [Israeli] government by its policies and procedures, rather than individual personalities.”

While the United States would adhere to the standards of the U.S.-Israel relationship established in recent decades, he added, “We will speak honestly and respectfully with our Israeli friends, as partners always should.”

Changes to status quo on Temple Mount would be ‘declaration of war’

(JNS) — The Palestinian Authority said on Monday that changes by Israel to the status quo at the Temple Mount such as permitting Jewish prayer there would be a “declaration of war with serious consequences for everyone.”

The spokesman for the P.A. presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, in a statement carried by the P.A.-run WAFA news agency, said the Biden administration is facing a test in its commitment to a two-state solution and other goals set by Washington for the region.

“Israeli policies, if they are not stopped with serious American pressure, will lead the situation to get out of control,” according to the statement.

Hamas, meanwhile, said that it would “not stand idly by” if National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Temple Mount, adding that his visit would “ignite the region.”

“Criminal Ben-Gvir’s announcement of his intention to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque reflects the arrogance of the fascist settler government and its premeditated intentions to escalate incursions and attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque with the aim of dividing it,” Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanou said, according to a report on Monday by the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen­ website.

He added that “the escalation in Al-Aqsa Mosque represents a detonator.”

US News ranks Israel as 10th-most powerful country

(JNS) — U.S. News & World Report listed Israel as the world’s 10th-most powerful nation in the publication’s country rankings for 2022, citing the Jewish state’s military strength as well as its influential status in politics and in the global economy.

The U.S. was ranked first, followed by China, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, France and Japan. One of the Abraham Accords signatories, the United Arab Emirates, came in ninth, just head of Israel.

Israel maintained a very high military ranking in the “power” category, coming in fourth with a score of 91.1, trailing only China, the U.S. and Russia. Furthermore, Israel was assessed to be “politically influential,” with a score of 78.1.

The Jewish state scored 67.3 for “strong international alliances,” 35.6 for its economy and 25.8 for being a leader.

“Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with cut diamonds, high-technology equipment and pharmaceuticals among its major exports,” stated the report.

“The country is very highly developed in terms of life expectancy, education, per capita income and other human development index indicators,” it added.

Rolling Stone names Israel’s Ofra Haza one of top 200 singers of all time

(JNS) — The late Israeli singer Ofra Haza has been named one of the best singers of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

“Inspired by her Yemeni-Jewish ancestry, Haza combined traditional vocal conventions with modern technique to create something that felt at once ancient and ahead of its time,” Rolling Stone said of the iconic singer.

Born in Tel Aviv to Yemenite Jewish parents who immigrated to Israel, Haza was the youngest of nine children. Haza grew up in the Hatikva Quarter of Tel Aviv, then an impoverished neighborhood. At age 12, Haza joined a local theater troupe, and then became Israel’s foremost pop star at 19 with a successful career in the 1980s and ’90s. News articles have affectionately nicknamed her “the Madonna of the Middle East.”

“We are so proud to see the late Israeli singer Ofra Haza make this Rolling Stone list! Her voice was one-of-a-kind, and she was a true Israeli icon,” the Embassy of Israel to the U.S. posted on Twitter.

Rolling Stone praised Haza for some of her critically acclaimed albums such as 1984’s “Shirei Teiman,” 1988’s “Shaday” and 1992’s “Kirya.” Haza’s songs have also been part of the film soundtracks of “Colors” (1988), “Dick Tracy” (1990), “Wild Orchid” (1990), “Queen Margot” (1994) and “The Prince of Egypt” (1998). In 2000, the beloved singer died of AIDS at age 42.

Haza is one of only two singers on the Rolling Stone list to originate from the Middle East, the other being Umm Kulthum of Egypt. The top three slots on the magazine’s prestigious list were granted to Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Sam Cooke.

118th Congress has 33 Jewish lawmakers

(JNS) — Thirty-three Jewish lawmakers were sworn into the new 118th Congress on Tuesday, according to the Pew Research Center.

Despite having one fewer member than in the 117th Congress, Jews continue to account for about 6 percent of all U.S. representatives and senators, an analysis from the Washington-based think tank also states, adding that they make up about 2 percent of the adult population.

Jewish members make up 6 percent of both freshmen legislators and returning members.

Twelve percent of the Democrats are Jewish, as are two Republicans: returning Rep. David Kustoff of Tennessee and freshman Rep. Max Miller of Ohio.

Jews have a wider presence in the Senate (9 percent) than in the House (5.5 percent). The analysis also highlights that Jews make up a slim majority of the non-Christian members of Congress. 

The 118th Congress also has Rep. George Santos of New York, who identified as Jewish during his campaign but is now categorized as “Don’t know/refused” following his admission that he lied about his supposed Jewish heritage and that his grandparents fled the Nazis.

Newly-elected Rep. Anna Paulina Luna from Florida identifies alternatively as the Congress’s first “Messianic Jew” and a Christian.

There are three Muslims in Congress, all Democratic representatives—André Carson of Indiana, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

Congress remains largely untouched by two trends that have long marked U.S. religious life: a decades-long decline in the share of Americans who identify as Christian and a corresponding increase in the percentage who say they have no religious affiliation. 

Since 2007, the share of Christians in the general population has dropped from 78 percent to 63 percent. Nearly three in ten U.S. adults now say they are religiously unaffiliated.

2.67 million tourists visited Israel in 2022

(JNS) — Last year, 2,675,000 foreign tourists visited Israel, compared to 397,000 in 2021 and 831,000 in 2020, when international travel was curbed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Revenue from incoming tourism in the past 12 months stood at just under $4 billion.

Israel’s borders were only officially opened to incoming tourism last March, and all restrictions were dropped in May.

Incoming tourism to Israel in 2022 was about 40 percent lower than in record-setting 2019. However, more than 20 million overnight stays by Israelis were recorded last year, more than in 2019, reflecting a surge in domestic tourism.

“2022 was a year of recovery from the corona crisis. The trend is positive and breaking the incoming tourism record of 2019 is a realistic goal on the horizon,” said newly minted Tourism Minister Haim Katz.

“Domestic tourism has proven itself as an economic force just as essential as incoming tourism. Our goal is to reduce obstacles, to launch projects that increase the accommodation supply and develop infrastructure, to fully realize the tourism potential in the country,” he added.

Meanwhile, some 70,000 people from 95 different countries immigrated to Israel in 2022, the most olim in 23 years and a dramatic increase from 2021, when about 28,600 immigrants arrived in the country.

Also in 2022, Israel’s population increased by 2.2 percent to a total of 9,656,000, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Of the country’s residents, 7,106,000 are Jews (73.6 percent), 2,037,000 are Arabs (21.1 percent) and 513,000 are of other denominations.

The population increase dwarfed the 1.8 percent growth in 2021, with the difference being attributed in part to a larger number of immigrants in the past 12 months.

Robert Kraft makes spiritually significant donation after NFL player suffers cardiac arrest

(JNS) — The cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin after suffering an injury in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night has generated an outpouring of support and charitable donations — including from the Jewish owner of the New England Patriots.

In the initial 17 hours after Hamlin was taken off the field and hospitalized, his toy drive charity saw an average of 2.5 donations every second.

One of those showing well-wishes has been New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who provided $18,003 to the toy drive being held in Hamlin’s name. In Hebrew, letters correspond with numbers — 18 represents the word “chai,” which means life, and the 3 refers to Hamlin’s jersey number.

Hamlin started the toy drive as a GoFundMe project two years ago with the initial target of raising $2,500. Since his injury, the charitable mission has taken off, with over $6 million donated and counting.

Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady donated $10,000 to the cause and tweeted the message, “We’re praying for Damar and his family this morning in Tampa. Moments like this put into perspective what it means to play this game we love. Thankful for our communities in Cincinnati and Buffalo for the overwhelming level of care and support I know they’ll continue to provide.”

NBA star LeBron James also called for prayers for Hamlin and his family.

As of Wednesday, Hamlin remained in critical condition.

Rocket launched from Gaza falls in Palestinian territory

(JNS) — Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched a rocket at Israel on Tuesday night, but the projectile fell in Gazan territory, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The launch was detected, but in accordance with standard operating procedures no alert was sounded as no area of Israel was under threat, the IDF said in a statement.

“Full routine continues on the Israeli home front,” the statement continued.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Hamas terror group had threatened to “cleanse” the Al Aqsa Mosque of “the filth of the occupation,” following a visit to the Temple Mount a few hours earlier by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The day before, Hamas said that it would “not stand idly by” if Ben-Gvir ascended the Mount, adding that his visit would “ignite the region.”

The Palestinian Authority called the visit an “unprecedented provocation.”

Following his early-morning visit to the site, Ben-Gvir said that Israel’s new government would not surrender to terrorist threats.

The Temple Mount was the most important place for the people of Israel, he said, adding, “We maintain the freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians, but Jews also go up to the site, and those who make threats must be dealt with with an iron fist.”

Israel’s longest-serving security prisoner released after completing 40-year sentence

(JNS) — The Israel Prisons Service released the country’s longest-serving security prisoner, Karim Younis, an Arab Israeli jailed for murdering Israel Defense Forces Cpl. Avraham Bromberg in the Golan Heights in 1980.

Under directives from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Younis, who had completed a 40-year jail term, was driven to the Ra’anana central bus station and not released directly from Hadarim Prison, north of Tel Aviv, in order to avoid a “victory picture,” Hebrew media reported.

Younis, who was arrested by Israel in 1983, contacted family members from the junction and received a ride to the Arab Israeli town of ‘Ar’ara, in northern Israel.

He then visited his mother’s grave, stating, “I am prepared to sacrifice another 40 years for the freedom of our people. My consolation is that today prisoners are united against the barbarity of the occupation,” according to Israel National News.

“Until we pass the death penalty for terrorists, I will do everything so that God willing they leave prison in shame,” Ben-Gvir tweeted.

Indian FM urges taking ‘cooperation forward’ in call with Israeli counterpart

(JNS) — Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Thursday phoned his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen to congratulate him on assuming his post.

“Look forward to partnering [with Cohen] in taking our cooperation forward. Value his many insights, including on economy and security,” Jaishankar wrote in a follow-up Twitter post.

Great to talk to the new foreign minister of Israel @elicoh1 .

The top Indian diplomat invited Cohen to visit New Dehli.

“We discussed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the countries, promote joint projects in the field of innovation, and promote a free trade agreement,” wrote Cohen on Twitter.

On Jan. 29, India and Israel celebrated 30 years of full diplomatic relations, kicking off a year of joint cultural and educational events.

Then-Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited New Delhi in June. He was hosted by his counterpart, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.