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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Municipal rabbi publicly apologizes for questioning Jewishness of Ethiopian mikveh attendant
Two weeks ago, and about eight years after the incident first occurred, the religious municipality of Kiryat Motzkin, along with Druckman, issued a public personal apology to Ishta. When Tehila Ishta, an Ethiopian Jewish mikveh (ritual bath) attendant, said she received a phone call in 2016 from the municipal rabbi where she lived in Kiryat Motzkin, Rabbi David Druckman, asking when she had converted to Judaism, she did not know then that she would have to spend the foreseeable future fighting to save her reputation and good name. The phone call took place a short while after Ishta began working as a mikveh attendant. She was technically free to return to her work a few weeks after the phone call, but by then, word had spread - via phone calls and WhatsApp messages - and she had lost the trust of many of the women who wanted to undergo the process with her. This, according to ITIM, an advocacy organization and legal aid center that works at the cross-section between religion and state, and had taken on Ishta's case in 2019. Two weeks ago, and about eight years after the incident first occurred, the religious municipality of Kiryat Motzkin, along with Druckman, issued a public personal apology to Ishta, clarifying that her identity and status as a Jew were never in doubt. Ishta made aliyah to Israel in the 1990s from Ethiopia, along with her brothers, after spending a few months in a refugee camp in Sudan. One of the oldest and most unique Jewish communities, Beta Israel (the title of the Ethiopian Jewish community) maintained their oral traditions in survival for thousands of years, until the aliyah operations of the late 20th century brought them to Israel. In 1991, the family reunification immigration military plan Operation Solomon airlifted about 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in the span of two days. This operation was preceded by and followed several other aliyah operations of the Ethiopian Jewish community, which continued to trickle over. By the end of 2023, the Central Bureau of Statistics calculated around 171,000 Ethiopian-Israelis. According to the Association of Ethiopian Jews, basing his halachic decision on the legal precedent set by Rabbi David Ben Solomon Ibn Zimra in the sixteenth century, then-Sephardic chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said in 1973, 'Beta Israel are Jews that must be saved from assimilation [from where they are]. We must advance their immigration process…' Two years later, then-Ashkenazi chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren told the community: 'You are our brothers,' establishing the collective, widely agreed-upon precedent of the validity of the Jewishness of the Beta Israel community, and certainly of any conversions made within. These two statements, issued by two figures who served as umbrella halachic authorities for nearly the entire Jewish community, made it so that the validity of Beta Israel's Jewish identity is, broadly, not questioned. After three years of litigation, which began in 2020, Druckman had to issue a public apology, per a Haifa Regional Labor Court ruling. A February settlement between the two parties held that both Ashkenazi and Sephardic chief rabbis would publicly acknowledge Ishta's credentials, so as to restore public faith in her. Ishta, like thousands of other Ethiopian olim, was born Jewish and was recognized as such by the chief rabbinate. Which is why the phone call on a random night in 2016 from Druckman was surprising. Ishta herself lives an ultra-Orthodox lifestyle, which she said is part of what motivated her to take a job as a mikveh attendant, to 'help others observe the laws of family purity,' per ITIM. The job requires trust and a consistent good word of mouth, for assistance to women in an act that is both personal and private - in the context of religious family purity laws. The mikvaot - and their attendants - are run by the religious councils, which are mostly funded by the Religious Services Ministry, but also by local municipalities. Ishta, through ITIM, claimed before the court that Druckman called and asked her if she underwent a more stringent type of conversion, usually done when there arises a doubt as to the person's Jewishness. She said she replied that she is Jewish, so there is no need. She added then that after that conversation is when the messages began to circulate. In court, Druckman denied all the claims against him, the conversation itself, and any connection to the messages. He said he operated only out of his halachic responsibility. Ishta said she only ever wanted to clear her name so as to be able to return to her professional services. ITIM founder Rabbi Seth Farber said, 'This isn't a victory only for Tehila; it is a victory for immigrants to Israel and for the voices of reason over the voices of racism.' Shortly after the phone call, messages began to circulate in the community warning against acquiring Ishta's services. She reached out to whoever she could, including haredi rabbis she knew, but none of her efforts bore fruit. Eventually, her children directed her to ITIM. Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef confirmed her qualifications in a meeting that ITIM set. She is now able to apply to be a permanent mikveh attendant. Attorney Ela Skat, who heads ITIM's legal department and represented Ishta, said, 'This case serves as a warning sign to anyone who takes the law into their own hands and acts unlawfully and harmfully toward any population.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Economic uncertainty prevails in Israel with budget focusing on defence expenditure
In the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, Israel's economy experienced a moderate recovery, as a temporary ceasefire in Gaza enabled businesses to rebound before hostilities resumed in mid-March. A ceasefire had come into effect on 19 January 2025 and ended in mid-March 2025. Separately, a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon has held since late November 2024, although Lebanese authorities have claimed about 3,000 violations of the ceasefire, which have resulted in more than 200 deaths. According to the preliminary estimates of Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, the country's economy grew by 3.4%, on an annualised basis, in the first quarter of 2025; this was preceded by growths of 1.9% in Q4 and 5.7% in Q3 2024. The moderate growth in Q1 2025 was driven by an annualised 8.7% growth in fixed-asset investment and a 6.2% rise in exports, excluding diamonds and startups. Despite the growth momentum, private consumption fell by 5% on an annualised basis in Q1 2025, following a growth of 4.1% in Q4 2024. A decline in private consumption is generally seen as an indicator of declining consumer confidence and increasing concerns about the economic future. The economic risks in Israel have been rising in recent weeks, due to the end of the ceasefire in Gaza and the resumption of fighting. Israel resumed military operations in Gaza in mid-March 2025, following the end of a two-month ceasefire; this has led to a sharp escalation in violence and civilian casualties. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, at least 145 people were killed and over 450 people were injured in the first 24 hours alone. The resurgence of the war is likely to impact economic growth due to the mobilisation of reservists (a member of the military reserve forces), as businesses will have to find replacements for the employees who are called back to reserves. Additionally, the expenses related to mobilising reserve soldiers increase, thereby negatively impacting the economy; according to a study by Israel's Ministry of Finance conducted in 2024, the economic cost of a reserve soldier is approximately NIS48,000 ($12,741) per month. Moreover, financing the war requires raising the debt in enormous amounts; as a result, the debt raised in 2024 exceeded that raised during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis in 2020. According to government data, the country raised NIS278bn in debt in 2024, compared to NIS265bn in 2020. Another key factor that is likely to weigh on Israel's economic growth is the approval of the country's largest state budget ever. Although the approval of a budget represents a political achievement for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, it also presents a likely economic risk for the country, with the Bank of Israel and the Ministry of Finance repeatedly stating that the current government's priorities do not align with the economic challenges facing the country. Subsequently, there is a significant gap between the recommendations of professional bodies for the 2025 budget and the budget that was approved. In late March 2025, Israel's legislature - the Knesset - approved the 2025 state budget. The budget includes an expenditure of nearly NIS756bn, of which NIS136bn is intended to service the national debt. The government had allocated a significant portion of its overall budget towards the Ministry of Defense, amid its ongoing war against Hamas and Lebanon. The Ministry of Defense accounts for approximately NIS110bn of the remaining NIS620bn in spending. The budget, however, lacks policies aimed at promoting economic growth, contains no significant cut to the unnecessary coalition funds, and excludes funds promised under the 'Tkuma Law' for the rehabilitation of the communities along the Gaza border and in the north. In another setback, despite the minister of finance's December 2024 promise that the deficit would not exceed 4% of gross domestic product (GDP), the planned deficit in the approved 2025 budget already stands at 4.9%. This follows two years in which Israel did not meet its planned deficit target due to the war; in comparison, the deficit reached 4.1% of GDP in 2023 and 6.8% in 2024. The budget also places most of the burden on Israel's working population, with increases in National Insurance contributions, freezing of income tax brackets, reduction of paid convalescence days, and an increase in VAT; all these factors are likely to further impact economic growth. Although the budget includes across-the-board cuts in the education, health, and welfare sectors, the government had allocated the second- and third-largest budgetary allocations towards the education and healthcare sectors. The Ministry of Education received NIS92bn as part of the 2025 budget while the Ministry of Health received NIS59bn. The Israeli Ministry of Finance reported in mid-May 2025 that the country's budget deficit for the 12 months to April 2025 narrowed to 5.1% of GDP; this figure is, however, above the government's deficit target, which is capped at 4.9% of GDP. The country registered a budget deficit of NIS7.2bn in the first four months of 2025, compared to NIS38.1bn during the same period in 2024. This improvement is due to a 24.5% year-on-year (YoY) increase in tax revenues during January-April 2025, which was bolstered by stronger economic activity. The government's spending during the same period has, however, increased by 3.9% YoY, to NIS202.8bn. The increase is due to a rise in defence expenditure amid its ongoing war against Gaza and Lebanon, and additional allocations under the newly enacted annual budget. The Israeli Ministry of Finance has also reported that the government has implemented 32.8% of its original budget expenditure (excluding credit) as of April 2025. In comparison, the Ministry of Defense has implemented 39.2% of its total budget while the Civilian Ministries implemented 30.2% of its total budget, as of the same period. The implementation rate of some of the Civilian Ministries as of April 2025 were 33.9% by the Economic Ministries, 31.6% by the Social Ministries, and 26.6% by the Administrative Ministries. In April 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised down its economic growth projections for Israel for 2025 and 2026, despite expectations that these two years would mark a period of recovery following a year of war and sluggish growth in 2024. The IMF now expects the Israeli economy to expand by 3.2% in 2025 and 3.6% in 2026 - down from its previous forecast of 3.5% growth in 2025 and 4% in 2026. The IMF also expects inflation in Israel to be slightly higher this year (2.7%) than the Bank of Israel's estimate (2.6%), but slightly lower in 2026 (2%) compared to the central bank's projection (2.2%). "Economic uncertainty prevails in Israel with budget focusing on defence expenditure" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Foreign tourist overnight stays in Israeli hotels up 53.7 pct in Jan.-April
JERUSALEM, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Foreign tourists' overnight stays at Israeli hotels reached some 874,900 in the first four months of 2025, up 53.7 percent year-on-year, according to data issued Wednesday by the country's Central Bureau of Statistics. In April alone, Israeli hotels registered 317,300 tourist stays, marking an 88.2-percent increase compared to the same month last year. The rise followed a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon on Nov. 27, 2024, and a temporary ceasefire in Gaza on Jan. 19, 2025, which have prompted several international airlines to resume flights to Israel. Despite the increase, tourist stays remain well below pre-conflict levels. In the first four months of 2023, before the outbreak of the conflict, the figure stood at 3.17 million.
Mint
18-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Israel's Q1 GDP rises 3.4% in 2025 amid ongoing war against Hamas
Reuters Published 18 May 2025, 04:41 PM IST JERUSALEM, May 18 (Reuters) - Israel's economy grew moderately in the first three months of 2025, as the war in Gaza against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues to take its toll. The Central Bureau of Statistics said in an initial estimate on Sunday that gross domestic product grew by an annualised 3.4% in the January to March period from the fourth quarter, largely in line with a 3.5% consensus in a Reuters poll. On a per capita basis, GDP gained 2.2% in the first quarter. The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas' cross-border attack on southern Israel in October 2023. A ceasefire that came into effect on January 19 this year ended in mid-March, although a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon since late November has held up. (Reporting by Steven Scheer Editing by Gareth Jones)
Reuters
15-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Israel inflation rate jumps to 3.6% in April in surprise gain
JERUSALEM, May 15 (Reuters) - Israel's annual inflation rate rose unexpectedly in April to 3.6%, according to data on Thursday from the Central Bureau of Statistics that will likely keep policymakers from reducing interest rates soon. The rate (ILCPIY=ECI), opens new tab had been forecast in a Reuters poll to slow to 3.1% from the 3.3% annual reading in March, still above the government's 1%-3% annual target range. Government officials have largely blamed war-related supply issues for a spike in inflation over the past year, even as price pressures eased globally. The central bank believes demand is also helping to keep prices high. Annual inflation reached 3.8% in January, its highest level since September 2023. The central bank in April projected a 2.6% rate for 2025. On a monthly basis, the consumer price index (ILCPI=ECI), opens new tab rose by a bigger than expected 1.1% in April from March on higher costs of transportation, entertainment, fresh fruits, clothing and housing. These were only partly offset by declines in the price of furniture and fresh vegetables. A Reuters poll had expected a 0.7% rise month-on-month. The CPI's rise was widely expected since prices on a host of goods including water and electricity as well as some taxes have risen at the start of 2025. At the same time, the statistics bureau adjusted its inflation basket by boosting the weighting of housing, telecommunications and transportation, while lowering the weighting for food. The Bank of Israel has left its benchmark interest rate unchanged since cutting it in January 2024. At its most recent April 7 policy meeting, it said there was too much global uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war, and over Israel's war in Gaza, to lower borrowing costs. The bank, which forecasts inflation easing in the second half of 2025, next decides on rates on May 26. The shekel was 0.2% weaker versus the dollar at 3.55.
