Latest news with #HebrewUniversityofJerusalem
Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
China evacuates 119 citizens from Israel to Egypt - Foreign Affairs
China evacuated 119 Chinese citizens from Israel to Egypt on Thursday via the Taba border crossing in Egypt's South Sinai governorate, Chinese News agency Xinhua reported. According to Xinhua, the evacuees entered Egypt from the crossing around 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and were then guided onto buses after completing the necessary procedures. The group included 117 students and two Hong Kong residents, who will be transferred to Cairo, the embassy said. "China is highly concerned about our compatriots overseas. Their well-being and safety are always our priority," Xinhua quoted Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang. "We completed all preparatory work efficiently within 24 hours and dispatched an action group to Taba overnight to organize the process of entry," Liao said. He added that the embassy worked closely with the Egyptian government overnight to request passage permits, necessary assistance, and security guarantees. Sun Xue, a postdoctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that the journey from Jerusalem to the Taba border crossing took about four hours. He noted that during the entry process at the crossing, staff and volunteers from the Chinese embassy in Egypt provided assistance and coordination. 'We are truly grateful to them," Sun said. China is the latest country to use the Taba border as a safe exodus path for its citizens from Israel, after Poland, France, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, following the Iranian retaliation on Israeli attacks. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
RTHK
15 hours ago
- Politics
- RTHK
2 HKers among Chinese nationals evacuated from Israel
2 HKers among Chinese nationals evacuated from Israel Foreign nationals have been leaving Israel since the conflict with Iran began last week. Photo: Reuters The Chinese Embassy in Cairo said 119 Chinese citizens have been evacuated from Israel to Egypt on Thursday through the Taba border crossing in South Sinai province. After completing the necessary procedures, the evacuees entered Egypt from the crossing around 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and were then guided onto buses. According to embassy officials, the people evacuated from Israel included 117 students and two Hong Kong residents, who would be transferred to Cairo. "China is highly concerned about our compatriots overseas. Their well-being and safety are always our priority," said Liao Liqiang, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt. "We completed all preparatory work efficiently within 24 hours and dispatched an action group to Taba overnight to organise the process of entry," Liao said, adding the embassy worked closely with relevant Egyptian departments overnight to request passage permits, necessary assistance, and security guarantees. Sun Xue, a postdoctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the journey from Jerusalem to the Taba border crossing took about four hours. "During the entry process at the crossing, staff and volunteers from the Chinese Embassy in Egypt provided warm assistance and coordination. We are truly grateful to them," Sun said. (Xinhua)
The Star
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
119 Chinese evacuated from Israel to Egypt
TABA, Egypt, June 19 (Xinhua) -- One hundred and nineteen Chinese citizens were evacuated from Israel to Egypt on Thursday through the Taba border crossing in Egypt's South Sinai province. After completing the necessary procedures, the evacuees entered Egypt from the crossing around 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and were then guided onto buses. According to the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, the people evacuated from Israel include 117 students and two Hong Kong residents, who will be transferred to Cairo. "China is highly concerned about our compatriots overseas. Their well-being and safety are always our priority," said Liao Liqiang, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt. "We completed all preparatory work efficiently within 24 hours and dispatched an action group to Taba overnight to organize the process of entry," Liao said, adding the embassy worked closely with relevant Egyptian departments overnight to request passage permits, necessary assistance, and security guarantees. Sun Xue, a postdoctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that the journey from Jerusalem to the Taba border crossing took about four hours. "During the entry process at the crossing, staff and volunteers from the Chinese Embassy in Egypt provided warm assistance and coordination. We are truly grateful to them," Sun said.
France 24
2 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Iran-Israel war: a lifeline for Netanyahu?
On the eve of launching strikes on Iran, his government looked to be on the verge of collapse, with a drive to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews threatening to scupper his fragile coalition. Nearly two years on from Hamas's unprecedented attack in 2023, Netanyahu was under growing domestic criticism for his handling of the war in Gaza, where dozens of hostages remain unaccounted for. Internationally too, he was coming under pressure including from longstanding allies, who since the war with Iran began have gone back to expressing support. Just days ago, polls were predicting Netanyahu would lose his majority if new elections were held, but now, his fortunes appear to have reversed, and Israelis are seeing in "Bibi" the man of the moment. – 'Reshape the Middle East' – For decades, Netanyahu has warned of the risk of a nuclear attack on Israel by Iran -- a fear shared by most Israelis. Yonatan Freeman, a geopolitics expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said Netanyahu's argument that the pre-emptive strike on Iran was necessary draws "a lot of public support" and that the prime minister has been "greatly strengthened". Even the opposition has rallied behind him. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is my political rival, but his decision to strike Iran at this moment in time is the right one," opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote in a Jerusalem Post op-ed. A poll published Saturday by a conservative Israeli channel showed that 54 percent of respondents expressed confidence in the prime minister. The public had had time to prepare for the possibility of an offensive against Iran, with Netanyahu repeatedly warning that Israel was fighting for its survival and had an opportunity to "reshape the Middle East." During tit-for-tat military exchanges last year, Israel launched air raids on targets in Iran in October that are thought to have severely damaged Iranian air defences. Israel's then-defence minister Yoav Gallant said the strikes had shifted "the balance of power" and had "weakened" Iran. "In fact, for the past 20 months, Israelis have been thinking about this (a war with Iran)," said Denis Charbit, a political scientist at Israel's Open University. Since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Netanyahu has ordered military action in Gaza, against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen, as well as targets in Syria where long-time leader Bashar al-Assad fell in December last year. "Netanyahu always wants to dominate the agenda, to be the one who reshuffles the deck himself -- not the one who reacts -- and here he is clearly asserting his Churchillian side, which is, incidentally, his model," Charbit said. "But depending on the outcome and the duration (of the war), everything could change, and Israelis might turn against Bibi and demand answers." – Silencing critics – For now, however, people in Israel see the conflict with Iran as a "necessary war," according to Nitzan Perelman, a researcher specialised in Israel at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France. "Public opinion supports this war, just as it has supported previous ones," she added. "It's very useful for Netanyahu because it silences criticism, both inside the country and abroad." In the weeks ahead of the Iran strikes, international criticism of Netanyahu and Israel's military had reached unprecedented levels. After more than 55,000 deaths in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, and a blockade that has produced famine-like conditions there, Israel has faced growing isolation and the risk of sanctions, while Netanyahu himself is the subject of an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. But on Sunday, two days into the war with Iran, the Israeli leader received a phone call from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has held talks with numerous counterparts. "There's more consensus in Europe in how they see Iran, which is more equal to how Israel sees Iran," explained Freeman from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday that Israel was doing "the dirty work... for all of us." The idea that a weakened Iran could lead to regional peace and the emergence of a new Middle East is appealing to the United States and some European countries, according to Freeman. © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Iran-Israel War: A Lifeline For Netanyahu?
The Iran-Israel war has helped strengthen Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu domestically and overseas, just as his grip on power looked vulnerable. On the eve of launching strikes on Iran, his government looked to be on the verge of collapse, with a drive to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews threatening to scupper his fragile coalition. Nearly two years on from Hamas's unprecedented attack in 2023, Netanyahu was under growing domestic criticism for his handling of the war in Gaza, where dozens of hostages remain unaccounted for. Internationally too, he was coming under pressure including from longstanding allies, who since the war with Iran began have gone back to expressing support. Just days ago, polls were predicting Netanyahu would lose his majority if new elections were held, but now, his fortunes appear to have reversed, and Israelis are seeing in "Bibi" the man of the moment. For decades, Netanyahu has warned of the risk of a nuclear attack on Israel by Iran -- a fear shared by most Israelis. Yonatan Freeman, a geopolitics expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said Netanyahu's argument that the pre-emptive strike on Iran was necessary draws "a lot of public support" and that the prime minister has been "greatly strengthened". Even the opposition has rallied behind him. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is my political rival, but his decision to strike Iran at this moment in time is the right one," opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote in a Jerusalem Post op-ed. A poll published Saturday by a conservative Israeli channel showed that 54 percent of respondents expressed confidence in the prime minister. The public had had time to prepare for the possibility of an offensive against Iran, with Netanyahu repeatedly warning that Israel was fighting for its survival and had an opportunity to "reshape the Middle East." During tit-for-tat military exchanges last year, Israel launched air raids on targets in Iran in October that are thought to have severely damaged Iranian air defences. Israel's then-defence minister Yoav Gallant said the strikes had shifted "the balance of power" and had "weakened" Iran. "In fact, for the past 20 months, Israelis have been thinking about this (a war with Iran)," said Denis Charbit, a political scientist at Israel's Open University. Since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Netanyahu has ordered military action in Gaza, against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen, as well as targets in Syria where long-time leader Bashar al-Assad fell in December last year. "Netanyahu always wants to dominate the agenda, to be the one who reshuffles the deck himself -- not the one who reacts -- and here he is clearly asserting his Churchillian side, which is, incidentally, his model," Charbit said. "But depending on the outcome and the duration (of the war), everything could change, and Israelis might turn against Bibi and demand answers." For now, however, people in Israel see the conflict with Iran as a "necessary war," according to Nitzan Perelman, a researcher specialised in Israel at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France. "Public opinion supports this war, just as it has supported previous ones," she added. "It's very useful for Netanyahu because it silences criticism, both inside the country and abroad." In the weeks ahead of the Iran strikes, international criticism of Netanyahu and Israel's military had reached unprecedented levels. After more than 55,000 deaths in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, and a blockade that has produced famine-like conditions there, Israel has faced growing isolation and the risk of sanctions, while Netanyahu himself is the subject of an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. But on Sunday, two days into the war with Iran, the Israeli leader received a phone call from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has held talks with numerous counterparts. "There's more consensus in Europe in how they see Iran, which is more equal to how Israel sees Iran," explained Freeman from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday that Israel was doing "the dirty work... for all of us." The idea that a weakened Iran could lead to regional peace and the emergence of a new Middle East is appealing to the United States and some European countries, according to Freeman. But for Perelman, "Netanyahu is exploiting the Iranian threat, as he always has."
