Ep 391 Wed. July 13th, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden to arrive in Israel; Will Saudi Arabia and Israel normalize relations during Biden’s Middle East trip? And several drownings on Israeli beaches.

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Music: What They Mean; Erika Krall (Not published)

Now. Let’s get to the news.

1. Biden no longer meeting with dignitaries. United States President Joe Biden arrives in Israel today at around 3:30 pm. Press are supposed to arrive an entire three hours before he lands. Before Biden began his diplomatic visit to the country, he was supposed to meet a long line of dignitaries and notables on the tarmac upon landing. This has been canceled due to the hot weather, having a tight schedule, and not wanting to shake hands due to Covid-19. Biden will still meet with lawmakers at his welcoming ceremony this afternoon, but he will not be greeted by them immediately upon his arrival. This is a break from the traditional welcome given to leaders, but Biden requested a simple airport ceremony with greetings from only Prime Minister Yair Lapid, President Isaac Herzog, and possibly former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. He also said no to any personal photos. His wishes are going to be accepted.
2. Speculation is peaking in Israel and many say Biden’s visit will produce a huge breakthrough in Israel’s relationship with Saudi Arabia. Biden has made it clear that Israel-Saudi ties are a focus of his trip, but yesterday a senior Israeli official said there will soon be an announcement regarding the “immediate materialization” of a normalization process between Israel and Saudi Arabia. More than likely, the announcement will come out while Biden is in Saudi Arabia, where he will participate in a regional summit with six Middle Eastern countries. He goes there on Friday. Ahead of Biden’s visit to Israel, a series of gestures intended to ease Palestinians’ daily life were announced, including legalizing the status of 5,500 undocumented Palestineans living in the West Bank and Gaza, approving six Palestinian housing projects in the West Bank, and increasing the number of Gazan work permits by 1,500. Israel has also delayed a meeting to advance Jewish housing projects in East Jerusalem. When Biden visited Israel in 2010, Israel announced its plans to build 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem, which Biden said and I quote, “counter to the constructive discussions that I’ve had here in Israel.” This time, talks about contentious items like building Jewish homes in highly populated Palestinian areas will be delayed until at least a week after Biden’s visit. Biden’s schedule is packed — he will be traveling from the airport to Yad Vashem to talk with current Prime Minister Yair Lapid, President Isaac Herzog, and former Prime minister and head of the former opposition party before the government fell… Binyamin Netanyahu. He is also expected to give opening announcements at the Maccabiah games in the opening ceremony. The Olympic style games include competitors from the extended Jewish world and are held here in Israel.
3. A lot of roads are going to be closed. Wednesday afternoon, the entrance to Jerusalem will be closed from Ginot Sahrov Junction until Yad Vashem as well as Weizmann Street and Herzl Boulevards until Holland Junction. As Biden leaves Yad Vashem, Holland Junction and Shmu’el Bait will be closed in both directions. There are many other road closures in Jerusalem, so keep it in mind if you’re traveling by car or bus.
4. Three people are dead and more have been hospitalized for several drowning incidents over the past week. A father and daughter pair from the Bedouin city of Hura were found dead in the water at an unauthorized beach in Palmachim, south of Tel Aviv. Doctors tried, but were sadly unable to save the 55-year-old father and 18-year-old daughter after finding them lying on the sand at 10 pm without a pulse or breath. It’s thought that they were maybe swimming under the light of the full moon, but emergency service operators couldn’t say how long they had been there. A few days before this incident, a 60-year-old French tourist drowned on a beach in Netanya. These deaths come after a crazy and devastating week of lifeguards and medics trying to save many people drowning at various beaches across the country. At least five people, including children, are in serious condition. The beaches are particularly crowded this week due to Eid-al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday often celebrated with beach outings. We hope everyone stays safe at the beach.

For the first time in 20 years, the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro reached parity. This Tuesday, the euro’s value became nearly equal to $1, dropping from its value of $1.13 this past February. Israeli economy experts believe the euro’s increasing weakness may help the Israeli economy. Data from the Bank of Israel for 2021 and 2022 reported half of all imports to Israel came from Europe while Israeli exports to Europe remained low. The reverse was true for the United States. “In 2021, Israel imported 297 billion shekels worth of goods, 151 billion shekels which came from Europe.” Those working with the U.S. dollar can now make more shekels, while those working with the euro will lose money.