Latest news with #Pales
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Israel and UN clash over aid to Gaza
Israel accused the United Nations Wednesday of seeking to "block" Gaza aid distribution, as the global body said it was doing its utmost to gather the limited assistance greenlighted by Israel's authorities. The humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has imposed a two-month aid blockade, is dire, with food security experts saying starvation is looming for one in five people. "While the UN spreads panic and makes declarations detached from reality, the state of Israel is steadily facilitating the entry of aid into Gaza," Israel's United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon told the Security Council. He said the assistance was entering by trucks -- under limited authorization by Israel at the Kerem Shalom crossing since last week following the blockade -- and via a "new distribution mechanism developed in coordination with the US and key international partners." Danon was referring to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private, US-backed aid group that has established its own distribution system, one the United Nations considers contrary to its humanitarian principles. A chaotic distribution of aid at a GHF center Tuesday left 47 people wounded. Israel's ambassador blamed Hamas for the tumult, saying the Palestinian group set up roadblocks and checkpoints to block access to the distribution center. He accused the UN of "trying to block" the aid. The United Nations "is using threats, intimidation and retaliation against NGOs that choose to participate in the new humanitarian mechanism," Danon added. - 'Will not participate' - Danon specifically accused the United Nations of having removed these nongovernmental organizations from a database listing groups working in Gaza, an accusation rejected by the UN. "There are no differences between the current list and the one from before the launch of the GHF," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told AFP. But the UN reiterated its opposition to coordinating with GHF. "We will not participate in operations that do not meet our humanitarian principles," insisted Dujarric. He also said the UN was doing all it could to gather the aid arriving through Kerem Shalom. Since last week 800 truckloads were approved by Israel but fewer than 500 made it into Gaza, according to Dujarric. "We and our partners could collect just over 200 of them, limited by insecurity and restricted access," he said. "If we're not able to pick up those goods, I can tell you one thing, it is not for lack of trying." Danon had said "more than 400 trucks" full of aid were already on the Gaza side of the crossing and that Israel had provided "safe routes" for the distribution. "But the UN did not show up," the Israeli envoy said. "Put your ego aside, pick up the aid and do your job." Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed at least 54,804 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry there. The UN considers the figures reliable. The punishing offensive has reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble -- including hospitals, schools and other basic infrastructure -- and resulted in the displacement of almost all of its roughly two million people. Israel launched its operations in response to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which killed 1,218 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. abd/ph/mlm/aha
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The U.S. is halting foreign student visa interviews — here's why
Students and scholars from countries outside the United States have long been woven into the educational and cultural tapestry at Utah's colleges and universities. Higher education institutions across the Beehive State remain popular destinations for students from across the globe. In fact, more than 3,500 international students and scholars are associated with the University of Utah, the state's flagship university. And students from over 100 countries are enrolled at Brigham Young University. Even at a smaller regional public school such as St. George's Utah Tech University, the student body is represented by 36 nations. Those local student figures are reflective of higher learning institutions across the United States. More than 1 million international students from more than 210 foreign countries studied at U.S. colleges and universities during the 2023-2024 academic year — a 7% increase from the previous academic year, according to the IIE Open Doors report. So the impact of a new Trump administration policy regarding international student visas will likely be felt across Utah colleges and beyond. The State Department has halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. while it prepares to expand the screening of their social media activity, The Associated Press reported. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not apply to applicants who already had scheduled their visa interviews. A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press says the State Department plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting. 'Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity' until the guidance is issued, the cable says. Asked about the suspension at a briefing Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.S. uses every available resource to vet people applying for visas. 'We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,' Bruce said. According to a Politico report, which first reported the State Department's visa interview move, the Trump administration had earlier imposed some social media screening requirements — but those were largely aimed at returning students who may have participated in protests against Israel's actions in Gaza. The cable doesn't directly spell out what the future social media vetting would screen for, but it alludes to executive orders that are aimed at keeping out terrorists and battling antisemitism. Many State Department officials have complained privately for months that past guidance — for, say, vetting students who may have participated in campus protests — has been vague. It's unclear, for example, whether posting photos of a Palestinian flag on an X account could force a student to undergo additional scrutiny, according to Politico. Randy McCrillis, the University of Utah's senior international officer, said in a statement Wednesday that the university typically has around 350 new international undergraduate and 500 new international graduate students each fall. 'The current process will impact those that do not already have visa appointments and we are reaching out to see how many of our students will be impacted by this change,' said McCrillis. 'We do have several offices that rely on funding from international students and a drop in their enrollment will potentially impact the International Student & Scholar Services budget significantly.' Meanwhile, Fanta Aw, the executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, decried the State Department's decision — saying it unfairly cast aspersions on hardworking students. 'The idea that the embassies have the time, the capacity and taxpayer dollars are being spent this way is very problematic,' Aw told Politico. 'International students are not a threat to this country. If anything, they're an incredible asset to this country.' Simon Marginson, a professor of higher education at the University of Oxford, told NBC News that a downturn in international students would affect American universities' 'talent pipeline' and income, while benefiting U.S. competitors. 'China will become significantly more attractive than before to students and researchers from the Global South,' Marginson said, adding that 'Western Europe will also gain significantly.' This week's news regarding halts on visa interviews for foreign students comes days after President Donald Trump announced a ban on Harvard University's enrollment of international students — affecting 6,800 students. The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Harvard fostered a community of 'anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators,' referring to allegations that Harvard allowed Chinese paramilitary troops to train on its campus, as well as previous claims that Harvard allowed and even supported antisemitic discrimination. On Friday, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the ban. Hours later, federal Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the ban, per wire reports. Burroughs said Harvard had shown in its lawsuit that, unless the restraining order was granted, 'it will sustain immediate and irreparable injury before there is an opportunity to hear from all parties.' Trump made clear his belief that many institutes of higher education are corrupt even before he reentered the Oval Office in January. Pro-Palestinian protests, centering on the Israel-Hamas war, have only inflamed his feelings against Ivy League schools like Harvard and Columbia. The president of Harvard, Alan Garber, somewhat agreed with Trump when he said that Harvard needed 'greater intellectual diversity,' including more conservative voices. Harvard investigated itself and found legitimate instances of harassment against Arab and Israeli students, leading it to promise to combat such instances, per school reports. But Harvard has pushed back at Trump's attempts to repeal its tax-exempt status, stem federal research funding and now block student enrollment. Last month, the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement temporarily revoked the legal status of hundreds of international students — including several studying at Utah colleges and universities. Many of the affected international students said their records were terminated based on charges that had been dismissed or for minor offenses when legally their status could only be revoked if they were convicted of violent crimes, Reuters reported. Following a series of lawsuits across the country and wide public outcry, the Trump administration restored the legal statuses of scores of foreign students while it reportedly develops a new policy that will provide a framework for potentially ending them in the future. The recent experiences of Brigham Young University Ph.D. student Suguru Onda, whose own legal status was stripped and then later restored, drew wide attention. Outside of a couple of speeding tickets, Onda had only one legal hiccup during his six years of study in the United States. He was reportedly cited for harvesting more fish than his fishing license allowed during a 2019 outing with his Latter-day Saint church group. The fishing charge was later dismissed and, last month, Onda learned his legal student status had been reinstated.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-05-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
The crisis in Gaza is only growing. Here's what to know
JERUSALEM (AP) — The crisis in Gaza has reached one of its darkest periods, as Israel blocks all food and supplies from entering the territory and continues an intensifying bombardment campaign. Humanitarian officials caution that famine threatens to engulf the strip. Doctors say they are out of medicine to treat routine conditions. Israeli leaders are threatening an even more intense ground offensive. The military is preparing for a new organization with U.S. backing to take over aid delivery, despite alarms raised from humanitarian groups that the plans won't meet the massive need and could place restrictions on those eligible. It's unclear when operations would begin or who would fund them. 'This is the deadliest and most destructive phase of Israel's war on Gaza, yet the world has turned away,' said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory at the humanitarian nonprofit Oxfam. 'After 19 months of horror, Gaza has become a place where international law is suspended, and humanity is abandoned.' Here's what to know about the state of affairs in Gaza. Casualties soar from increased Israeli bombardment Israel ended a six-week ceasefire in mid-March and resumed its attacks in Gaza, saying military pressure against Hamas was the best way to push the militant group into freeing more hostages. But ceasefire talks remain deadlocked, and scores of civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. On Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed 108 — raising the death toll over the past three days to more than 200 Palestinians. Those numbers come from the Palestinian Health Ministry, a body directed by the Hamas government that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The strikes — often at night, as people sleep in their tents — have directly targeted hospitals, schools, medical clinics, mosques, a Thai restaurant-turned shelter. The European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza, was put out of service. Israel says it targets only militants and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. But the death toll has reached the same level of intensity as the earliest days of the war, when Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, said Emily Tripp, executive director of Airwars, an independent group in London that tracks recent conflicts. She says preliminary data indicate the number of incidents where at least one person was killed or injured by Israeli fire hovered around 700 in April. It's a figure comparable only to October or December 2023 — one of the heaviest periods of bombardment. In the last 10 days of March, UNICEF estimates that an average of 100 children were killed or maimed by Israeli airstrikes every day. Almost 3,000 of the estimated 53,000 dead since Oct. 7, 2023, have been killed since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. Among those killed in recent days: A volunteer pharmacist with the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, killed with her family in a strike on Gaza City on May 4. A midwife from Al Awda Health and Community Association, killed with her family in another strike on May 7. A journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, along with 11 members of his family. Motaz Al-Bayyok, age 1. His older brother, Yusuf, 11, screamed as a shroud was parted to expose young Motaz's face. Israeli officials threaten new ground operation Israel shows no sign of slowing its operation in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised this week to use even more force against Hamas, against the objections of families of hostages begging him to agree to a deal instead. An Israeli official said the strikes Friday were preparatory actions for a larger operation, intended to send a message to Hamas that it will begin soon if there isn't an agreement to release hostages. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023, intrusion into southern Israel. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its attack, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three. No food has entered Gaza for 75 days, and Palestinians go hungry Israel has blocked food, water and supplies from reaching Gaza — where the U.N. says the entire population is reliant on aid — for more than two months. Most community kitchens have shut down. The main food providers inside Gaza — the U.N.'s World Food Program and World Central Kitchen — say they are out of food. Vegetables and meat are inaccessible or unaffordable. Palestinians queue for hours for a small scoop of rice. Food security experts said in a stark warning Monday that Gaza would likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign, Nearly half a million Palestinians face possible starvation — living in 'catastrophic' levels of hunger — and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Israel is preparing south Gaza for a new aid program Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show what appear to be Israeli preparations for a new aid distribution program in Gaza, one that has come under heavy criticism from aid workers. Satellite photos from May 10 show four bases in southern Gaza — two that are newly built in the last month and two that have been enhanced. One, at the southwestern corner of Gaza, has been fortified with new walls. A new road connects the base to a sandy expanse of newly bulldozed land. Another base, in the center of Gaza, appears to have been fortified with new defensive sand berms. Adjacent is a newly bulldozed lot. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The photos appear to correspond to a new aid distribution program being developed by a new group supported by the U.S. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — made up of American security contractors, former government officials, ex-military officers and humanitarian officials — says it would initially set up four distribution sites, guarded by private security firms. Each would serve 300,000 people, covering only about half of Gaza's population. The GHF proposal said subcontractors will use armored vehicles to transport supplies from the Gaza border to distribution sites, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid. ___ Sam Mednick contributed from Tel Aviv.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The crisis is Gaza is only growing. Here's what to know
JERUSALEM (AP) — The crisis in Gaza has reached one of its darkest periods, as Israel blocks all food and supplies from entering the territory and continues an intensifying bombardment campaign. Humanitarian officials caution that famine threatens to engulf the strip. Doctors say they are out of medicine to treat routine conditions. Israeli leaders are threatening an even more intense ground offensive. The military is preparing for a new organization with U.S. backing to take over aid delivery, despite alarms raised from humanitarian groups that the plans won't meet the massive need and could place restrictions on those eligible. It's unclear when operations would begin or who would fund them. 'This is the deadliest and most destructive phase of Israel's war on Gaza, yet the world has turned away," said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory at the humanitarian nonprofit Oxfam. "After 19 months of horror, Gaza has become a place where international law is suspended, and humanity is abandoned.' Here's what to know about the state of affairs in Gaza. Casualties soar from increased Israeli bombardment Israel ended a six-week ceasefire in mid-March and resumed its attacks in Gaza, saying military pressure against Hamas was the best way to push the militant group into freeing more hostages. But ceasefire talks remain deadlocked, and scores of civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. On Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed 108 — raising the death toll over the past three days to more than 200 Palestinians. Those numbers come from the Palestinian Health Ministry, a body directed by the Hamas government that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The strikes — often at night, as people sleep in their tents — have directly targeted hospitals, schools, medical clinics, mosques, a Thai restaurant-turned shelter. The European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza, was put out of service. Israel says it targets only militants and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. But the death toll has reached the same level of intensity as the earliest days of the war, when Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, said Emily Tripp, executive director of Airwars, an independent group in London that tracks recent conflicts. She says preliminary data indicate the number of incidents where at least one person was killed or injured by Israeli fire hovered around 700 in April. It's a figure comparable only to October or December 2023 — one of the heaviest periods of bombardment. In the last 10 days of March, UNICEF estimates that an average of 100 children were killed or maimed by Israeli airstrikes every day. Almost 3,000 of the estimated 53,000 dead since Oct. 7, 2023, have been killed since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. Among those killed in recent days: A volunteer pharmacist with the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, killed with her family in a strike on Gaza City on May 4. A midwife from Al Awda Health and Community Association, killed with her family in another strike on May 7. A journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, along with 11 members of his family. Motaz Al-Bayyok, age 1. His older brother, Yusuf, 11, screamed as a shroud was parted to expose young Motaz's face. Israeli officials threaten new ground operation Israel shows no sign of slowing its operation in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised this week to use even more force against Hamas, against the objections of families of hostages begging him to agree to a deal instead. An Israeli official said the strikes Friday were preparatory actions for a larger operation, intended to send a message to Hamas that it will begin soon if there isn't an agreement to release hostages. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023, intrusion into southern Israel. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its attack, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three. No food has entered Gaza for 75 days, and Palestinians go hungry Israel has blocked food, water and supplies from reaching Gaza — where the U.N. says the entire population is reliant on aid — for more than two months. Most community kitchens have shut down. The main food providers inside Gaza — the U.N.'s World Food Program and World Central Kitchen — say they are out of food. Vegetables and meat are inaccessible or unaffordable. Palestinians queue for hours for a small scoop of rice. Food security experts said in a stark warning Monday that Gaza would likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign, Nearly half a million Palestinians face possible starvation — living in 'catastrophic' levels of hunger — and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Israel is preparing south Gaza for a new aid program Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show what appear to be Israeli preparations for a new aid distribution program in Gaza, one that has come under heavy criticism from aid workers. Satellite photos from May 10 show four bases in southern Gaza — two that are newly built in the last month and two that have been enhanced. One, at the southwestern corner of Gaza, has been fortified with new walls. A new road connects the base to a sandy expanse of newly bulldozed land. Another base, in the center of Gaza, appears to have been fortified with new defensive sand berms. Adjacent is a newly bulldozed lot. The photos appear to correspond to a new aid distribution program being developed by a new group supported by the U.S. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — made up of American security contractors, former government officials, ex-military officers and humanitarian officials — says it would initially set up four distribution sites, guarded by private security firms. Each would serve 300,000 people, covering only about half of Gaza's population. The GHF proposal said subcontractors will use armored vehicles to transport supplies from the Gaza border to distribution sites, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid. ___ Sam Mednick contributed from Tel Aviv.
Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
The crisis is Gaza is only growing. Here's what to know
JERUSALEM (AP) — The crisis in Gaza has reached one of its darkest periods, as Israel blocks all food and supplies from entering the territory and continues an intensifying bombardment campaign. Humanitarian officials caution that famine threatens to engulf the strip. Doctors say they are out of medicine to treat routine conditions. Israeli leaders are threatening an even more intense ground offensive. The military is preparing for a new organization with U.S. backing to take over aid delivery, despite alarms raised from humanitarian groups that the plans won't meet the massive need and could place restrictions on those eligible. It's unclear when operations would begin or who would fund them. 'This is the deadliest and most destructive phase of Israel's war on Gaza, yet the world has turned away,' said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory at the humanitarian nonprofit Oxfam. 'After 19 months of horror, Gaza has become a place where international law is suspended, and humanity is abandoned.' Here's what to know about the state of affairs in Gaza. Casualties soar from increased Israeli bombardment Israel ended a six-week ceasefire in mid-March and resumed its attacks in Gaza, saying military pressure against Hamas was the best way to push the militant group into freeing more hostages. But ceasefire talks remain deadlocked, and scores of civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. On Friday, Israeli airstrikes killed 108 — raising the death toll over the past three days to more than 200 Palestinians. Those numbers come from the Palestinian Health Ministry, a body directed by the Hamas government that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The strikes — often at night, as people sleep in their tents — have directly targeted hospitals, schools, medical clinics, mosques, a Thai restaurant-turned shelter. The European Hospital, the only remaining facility providing cancer treatments in Gaza, was put out of service. Israel says it targets only militants and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. But the death toll has reached the same level of intensity as the earliest days of the war, when Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, said Emily Tripp, executive director of Airwars, an independent group in London that tracks recent conflicts. She says preliminary data indicate the number of incidents where at least one person was killed or injured by Israeli fire hovered around 700 in April. It's a figure comparable only to October or December 2023 — one of the heaviest periods of bombardment. In the last 10 days of March, UNICEF estimates that an average of 100 children were killed or maimed by Israeli airstrikes every day. Almost 3,000 of the estimated 53,000 dead since Oct. 7, 2023, have been killed since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said. Among those killed in recent days: A volunteer pharmacist with the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, killed with her family in a strike on Gaza City on May 4. A midwife from Al Awda Health and Community Association, killed with her family in another strike on May 7. A journalist working for Qatari television network Al Araby TV, along with 11 members of his family. Motaz Al-Bayyok, age 1. His older brother, Yusuf, 11, screamed as a shroud was parted to expose young Motaz's face. Israeli officials threaten new ground operation Israel shows no sign of slowing its operation in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised this week to use even more force against Hamas, against the objections of families of hostages begging him to agree to a deal instead. An Israeli official said the strikes Friday were preparatory actions for a larger operation, intended to send a message to Hamas that it will begin soon if there isn't an agreement to release hostages. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an Oct. 7, 2023, intrusion into southern Israel. Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its attack, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three. No food has entered Gaza for 75 days, and Palestinians go hungry Israel has blocked food, water and supplies from reaching Gaza — where the U.N. says the entire population is reliant on aid — for more than two months. Most community kitchens have shut down. The main food providers inside Gaza — the U.N.'s World Food Program and World Central Kitchen — say they are out of food. Vegetables and meat are inaccessible or unaffordable. Palestinians queue for hours for a small scoop of rice. Food security experts said in a stark warning Monday that Gaza would likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign, Nearly half a million Palestinians face possible starvation — living in 'catastrophic' levels of hunger — and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises. Israel is preparing south Gaza for a new aid program Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show what appear to be Israeli preparations for a new aid distribution program in Gaza, one that has come under heavy criticism from aid workers. Satellite photos from May 10 show four bases in southern Gaza — two that are newly built in the last month and two that have been enhanced. One, at the southwestern corner of Gaza, has been fortified with new walls. A new road connects the base to a sandy expanse of newly bulldozed land. Another base, in the center of Gaza, appears to have been fortified with new defensive sand berms. Adjacent is a newly bulldozed lot. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The photos appear to correspond to a new aid distribution program being developed by a new group supported by the U.S. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — made up of American security contractors, former government officials, ex-military officers and humanitarian officials — says it would initially set up four distribution sites, guarded by private security firms. Each would serve 300,000 people, covering only about half of Gaza's population. The GHF proposal said subcontractors will use armored vehicles to transport supplies from the Gaza border to distribution sites, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid. ___ Sam Mednick contributed from Tel Aviv.
