israel ministry of tourism new york

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Attractions

From Soho House Tel Aviv to New Direct Flights, Israel Will Be Better Than Ever Once It Reopens to Tourists

New hotels, flights, and conservations projects have been in the works during Israel's lockdown.

While traveling to Israel isn't in the cards right now, this might also be the best time to plan a future trip.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism is hopeful that the country will be able to welcome back tourists from the U.S. and Canada as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Given the number of new and exciting projects happening in the country, tourists will also be tempted to make Israel their first post-pandemic trip.

First off, getting to Israel from the U.S. will be easier than ever in 2021. American Airlines recently announced the launch of a direct daily flight from JFK in New York City to Tel Aviv starting May 6, 2021, as well as a nonstop flight from Miami to Tel Aviv, three times a week beginning in June. Delta, United Airlines, and EL AL Airlines also have some daily options.

Once you arrive, new accommodations will be waiting for you to set down your suitcase and relax. On Aug. 5, the Six Senses Shaharut hotel will officially open in the Arava Valley of the Negev Desert. This highly anticipated hotel features 58 luxurious and sustainable suites and villas (not to mention a gorgeous views of the desert). This resort is a must-stay for adventure travelers, with an Earth Lab, camel stables, spa, and an authentic Bedouin dining experience, as well as off-roading, mountain climbing, mountain biking, rappelling, and more.

In addition, Soho House is coming to Tel Aviv sometime in the spring of 2021. This stunning spa and resort will be built within a former convent in the historic Jaffa neighborhood. With 24 bedrooms, terrace, and outdoor pool, guests can enjoy a small, boutique experience from a hotel chain with 27 locations around the world.

Other hotel openings in the country include the Nobu Hotel Tel Aviv , the Sofia Sea of Galilee Hotel (which is built in a historic, stone house from the 19th century), and the contemporary Port Tower Hotel that has a stunning view of the sea.

Outside of your hotel, there are many ancient wonders to enjoy across Israel. Many sites of interest have been renovated and upgrade while tourists were away, including the Tower of David , which is under a multi-million-dollar renewal and conservation project. In addition, the Terra Sancta Museum , a museum network that includes all the places of conservation of historical, artistic, and archaeological heritage of the Custody of the Holy Land, is undergoing renovation, while Magdala, a holy site near the sea of Galilee, has been organizing virtual pilgrimages throughout the pandemic. The Emmaus Trail, too, is being constructed to allow visitors to hike from the Saxum Visitor Center to Emmaus Nicopolis.

Throughout the country, officials have been implementing new strategies in order to ensure health and safety for travelers in the wake of the pandemic, creating a so-called "Purple Standard" for sanitation protocols. And, according to CNBC , the country's vaccination program is becoming one of the fastest in the world.

For more information and inspiration for your next trip to Israel, visit the Israel Ministry of Tourism website .

Andrea Romano is a freelance writer in New York City. Follow her on Twitter @theandrearomano.

To learn more about the guidelines about travel to Israel - click here

SITES TO SIGNIFICANCE

Itineraries.

• LATEST INFORMATION AND UPDATES
• ISRAEL GOVERNMENT TOURISM OFFICES
• ISRAEL IN THE MEDIA
• STATISTICS AND RESEARCH

Photographers: Guy Yehieli, Adam Primer, Kfir Boltin, Linnea Andres, Kfir Sivan, Haim Yafim, Dana Fridlander, refael Ben Ari, Itamar Greenberg, Moshik Lindbaum, Ori Ackerman Video Credits: Israeli food channel, National Geographic

• OFFICIAL BROCHURE
• TERMS OF USE
• PRIVACY POLICY

FOR MORE DEALS:

• Tour Operators
• Destinations
• Hotels & Resorts
• Agent Feedback
• Deals & Incentives
• On Location
• Industry Experts
• Sphere – HomeBased
• Digital Editions
• Subscribe today!

• Hotels and Resorts
• Types of Travel
• Subscribe Now

Israel Ministry of Tourism appoints new Tourism Commissioner for North America

Post date: Oct 17 2019

Date: Oct 17 2019

By: Travelweek Group

NEW YORK — Following last week’s official announcement of its new Director of Tourism-Canada, the Israel Ministry of Tourism has appointed Eyal Carlin as its new Tourism Commissioner for North America.

In this new position Carlin will oversee all business partnerships and developments, marketing strategy and public relations efforts across Canada and the United States to promote Israel as a top destination for business, leisure, faith-based and MICE travellers.

Based in New York, Carlin has been with the Israel Ministry of Tourism for over nine years serving a variety of positions. From 2013-2017 he oversaw the Ministry’s Israel Government Tourist Office in Atlanta where he was responsible for promoting tourism to Israel in the United State’s southern region. Prior to coming to New York, he was the Director of the Americas Department and Acting Director of the Overseas Department in Jerusalem’s head office.

On the value Carlin will bring to the role, Amir Halevi, Director General for the Israel Ministry of Tourism, said: “Eyal has been an incredible asset to our team for almost a decade. He is very familiar with the Israel brand and what we’re trying to accomplish, and I am confident he will continue to allow our tourism numbers from these countries to increase for years to come.”

Carlin added: “I’m excited to be in New York working with the incredible team to promote Israel and all this beautiful country has to offer for travellers here in the United States and Canada. Israel has such a diverse landscape that lends itself to travellers of all types, whether they are looking to visit the holy sites, an adventure in the South, a wine trip in the North, and so much more. I look forward to sharing my passion and continuing my work in inspiring people to choose Israel for their next vacation.”

Visitors from Canada have grown by 21% over the past two years, while those from the U.S. have increased by 26%. Israel hopes to surpass these numbers in 2020.

Tags: Israel Ministry of Tourism, Wired

Israel Ministry of Tourism

Photos & videos, location & hours.

Suggest an edit

800 2nd Ave

New York, NY 10017

Midtown East, Murray Hill

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

I have worked in planning trips for an international Christian businessmen's group and their help was phenomenal. I also requested someone to come to a convention to share about Israel and they were wonderful and helped us immeasurably.

Search Travel Market Report

• Packaged Travel
• Hotels & Resorts
• Destinations
• Retail Strategies
• Niche & Luxury
• Training & Resources
• Brian Israel
• Briana Bonfiglio
• Dan McCarthy
• Dori Saltzman
• Jennifer Arango
• Kelly Fontenelle
• Keri-Anne Slevin
• Louis Intreglia
• Sarah Milner
• Tom McCarthy

Israel’s Tourism Ministry Appoints Three to Leadership Positions

Lorin Maugery . Credit: Israel Ministry of Tourism  

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has appointed three professionals to leadership positions, including the promotion of longtime staff member Lorin Maugery to Consul for Tourism Affairs for the southern United States, the organization announced last week.  

Maugery a former lawyer, has worked in the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s Foreign Investor Relations Office for nearly a decade. He has helped bring international investors to Israel’s hospitality industry by forming relationships with developers and hotel brands from outside the country and guiding their projects in Israel.  

As the new Consul for Tourism Affairs, Maugery has already implemented the Israel Hotel Investment Summit (IHIS), an annual international conference hosted in Tel Aviv to address hotel investment opportunities in Israel.  

Israel’s Tourism Ministry has also hired Allen Kantorowitz as the new business development manager for the ministry’s northeast team. Kantorowitz was previously director of sales for a group of Manhattan hotels, and has also worked on convention and visitors' bureaus, including New York City and Houston, as well as serving in a leadership role at Delta Air Lines.   

Kort Weldon has also joined the ministry as its new faith-based marketing director. In this position, Weldon will work closely communities and religious-based organizations in regions of the southern United States. Weldon has a ministry and spiritual background as the son of a Texas-based pastor who most recently lived in Nashville to pursue a songwriting career before taking the position at the Israel Tourism Ministry.  

More information about the Israel Ministry of Tourism is available at goisrael.com .  

MOST VIEWED

• Report: Delta Air Lines Plans to Drop Baggage Recheck on Arrival to U.S.
• Four Spots Onboard the All-New Sun Princess We’re Not in Love With
• Op-Ed: Why I Won’t Use Costco for Travel Again
• Delta Air Lines Is Changing the Way It Boards Flights
• Catering Strike Causes Delays at Toronto Pearson Airport
• Testing the Waters with Dori: The NCL Stranded Passenger "Fiasco"
• Margaritaville at Sea Offers Advisor-Only Pricing
• Taiwan Earthquake Update: Train Services Resume, Flights Operating Near Schedule
• Horseshoe’s Jubilee Tower Becomes the Versailles Tower at Paris Las Vegas
• California Bans Drip Pricing: What It Means for Travel Advisors
• The NCL Stranded Passenger “Fiasco”: Your Replies
• Here's What Each River Cruise Line Includes

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Andrew Weir has been on the Destination Toronto leadership team for 18 years.

The newly created position will focus on implementing travel trade and communications strategies across the U.S.

The Karisma execs tease a new advisor program for the Nickelodeon properties.

The Jamaica Tourist Board’s presentation highlighted innovation and excitement.

The Level 2 advisory warns travelers about civil unrest, crime, and kidnapping. 

The all-inclusive resort is Playa’s first Wyndham Alltra resort in the Dominican Republic.

Founding Member

Visit duesseldorf, ole friedrich, germany, miss razan hawwa, courtyard by marriott burlington, ontario, mudi astuti, strategi komunikasi utama, jakarta, indonesia, caribbean office of trade & industrial development limited, christopher byneal, trinidad & tobago, bangladesh international hotel association, h.m. hakim ali, dhaka, bangladesh, ambis university: dr. alžbeta kiráľová, prague, czech republic, honeymoons and get-a-way, nancy barkley, north wales, pa, usa, rudolf herrmann, penang, malaysia, prof. geoffrey lipman, sunx, brussels, belgiu, & malta, protected: frank szczepanski, ivdiagnostics, hi, usa, tarita davenock, travel for all, nanaimo, bc, canada, protected: raju arasaratnam, jetwing travels pvt ltd, colombo, sri lanka, juergen steinmetz, travelnewsgroup, hi, usa, dr. peter tarlow, safertourism, tx, usa, dr. taleb rifai, jordan, hon.edmund bartlett, jamaica, alain st. ange, seychelles, protected: tom jenkins, european tourism association (etoa) , uk, ministry of tourism and wildlife-kenya, h.e. hon. najib balala, nairobi, kenya           , vijay poonoosamy, singapore.

Israel Ministry of Tourism, Israel

Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) is Israel’s government tourism board. Its mission is to promote, brand and market travel to Israel through various channels. It has five regional offices throughout North America. In addition to advertising, the tourist offices’ activities include media relations, marketing, and support for tour operators and travel consultants, airlines, and other travel partners. IMOT participates in trade shows and general conferences and offers many opportunities for the travel industry to learn, specialize and facilitate a way in offering this beautiful destination to clients.

Authorized by Dina Orenbach, Director Los Angeles, CA, USA

[email protected]

www.israel.travel

Search in Site

Travel Services

MINISTRY OF TOURISM ALLOCATES 160 MILLION ILS FOR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

Share with your friend.

Friend’s name: *

Friend’s email: *

Your name: *

Your email: *

Hello, I just stumbled upon this page and thought you might like it. Just check it out.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

70% of the budget is intended for the “core cities” of tourism.

The Israeli Ministry of Tourism will provide a budget of approximately 160 ILS million to local authorities and public bodies for the development of public infrastructure for the use and well-being of the Israeli tourist public and those coming from abroad.

The budget, given against the backdrop of the “Iron Swords” war, is intended to improve tourism infrastructure throughout the country. Seventy percent of the budget is allocated to the “core cities” of tourism, which include Mitzpe Ramon, Jerusalem, Acre, Nazareth, Eilat, and the coast (excluding the section between Herzliya and Bat Yam).

The ministry established a number of indicators for ranking the projects that will receive funding, as part of the invitation distributed to local authorities. Among the criteria that will be examined are preparation and response to tourist loads; establishment of infrastructures that improve transportation accessibility to tourist sites, economic development that expresses the interest of several authorities, accessibility for people with disabilities, development of overnight products; and infrastructure supporting hotels.

Another indicator that will be examined is whether the project proposed to the Ministry of Tourism is part of a geographical regional concept that expresses a unique idea, such as Judea and Samaria, which have historical, archaeological, and cultural touristic values, and the potential inherent in them has not yet been reached.

The Ministry of Tourism says that they will give special emphasis to the diversity of the tourist product, innovation, and sustainability in the selection of the projects. It was also decided that the minimum participation rate required from the authority will be determined according to its financial strength. That is, the more established the authority, the less the office funding will be. Alongside this, in projects that involve an entrance fee, the participation rate of the office will be lower than those that are open to the public for free.

Minister of Tourism, Haim Katz: “We continue to develop infrastructure that will improve the experience of visiting tourist centers throughout the country. We will prioritize projects that will bring value and a significant contribution to large areas and those that will be carried out quickly and efficiently. Our guiding principle is development in places with touristic values based on the culture, religion, and history of the Land of Israel.”

(IMTM) 2024

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Israel’s tourism industry remains strong as hotels pivot from hosting evacuees

A fter the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7 , tens of thousands of Israelis were evacuated from towns around Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Gaza. At the onset of the war, the Israeli Tourism Ministry helped 125,000 displaced residents find temporary housing. Under the leadership of Tourism Minister Haim Katz, the ministry secured 50,000 hotel rooms for displaced residents and set up a daily subsistence allowance program.

The Tourism Ministry paid hotels 3.2 billion shekels ($850 million US dollars) and allocated 2 billion shekels for 100,000 displaced residents through Israel’s National Insurance Institute. 

More than six months since the outbreak of the war , approximately 7,000 evacuees are still living in hotels. Around 50,000 have returned home, having been given a special grant from the Tourism Ministry. 

The Media Line spoke to the Tourism Ministry and the hotels that hosted evacuees about the experience of housing evacuees, the war’s impact on the tourism industry, and the future of tourism in Israel. 

“Tourism stopped completely at the beginning of the war, as happened in every place in the world,” Tourism Ministry spokesperson Anat Shihor-Aronson told The Media Line. “From almost reaching the record of incoming tourism in 2023, as it was in 2019, to nothing-from 100 to 0.”

Shihor-Aronson said that the Tourism Ministry initially did not plan to participate in the evacuation efforts. But when it was announced that displaced residents would be housed in public buildings such as schools, Tourism Minister Haim Katz proposed an alternative solution.

Housing 90,000 evacuees amid war crisis

“He said, ‘No way,’” Shihor-Aronson recounted. “We at the Tourism Ministry know how to work with hotels and immediately connected with the Israel Hotel Association . We established a situation room in Tel Aviv in the hotel association building and brought tens of our employees and the people from the hotel association.”

The team succeeded in placing evacuees in 50,000 hotel rooms in just a few days.

About 90,000 evacuees were housed in hotel rooms at the beginning of the war, Shihor-Aronson said. As the war dragged on, many evacuees sought out other options for housing. 

“The conditions are not easy, even though the hotels provided their best facilities and went beyond their duty to accommodate the evacuees,” Shihor-Aronson said.

She added that the ministry provided displaced residents who preferred not to stay in hotels grants of 200 shekels ($53 US dollars) per adult and 100 shekels ($27 US dollars) per child daily for alternative housing.

“It gets to 18,000 shekels [$4,770 US dollars] a month for a family of two parents and two children and 21,000 [$5,570] for a family of three children, allowing them to rent an apartment by themselves and still have money to live,” Shihor-Aronson said. “Many evacuees chose this.”

The current governmental support for displaced residents is set to last until July 7. If the ministry’s services are still needed beyond that, they may be extended. 

“Who knows what’s going to happen? We hope the war will end, but if we need to continue our services, we are completely ready to do so,” Shihor-Aronson said.

Yossi Glazer, the southern district general manager of Fattal Hotels, Israel’s largest hotel chain, told The Media Line that the chain’s hotels housed over 20,000 people who were displaced from their homes. 

“These evacuees were welcomed at all of our 40 hotels across Israel, from north to south, and hosted with great love and compassion,” Glazer said. 

He said that about 90% of rooms in the hotels were used by evacuees. Most of those evacuees have returned home or moved to alternative residences by now, with many hotels no longer hosting any displaced residents. 

“We opened our doors to evacuees only,” Glazer said. “Some stayed for weeks, some for months. For now, the majority left, except for two hotels: one in Eilat and one in Tel Aviv.”

Although the period was highly challenging, the hotels were prepared for the crisis, Glazer said. 

“Our work is to know how to adjust to every guest’s needs,” he explained. “In wartime, we have the opportunity to become a home for people. Besides all the basic needs, the room and amenities, we know how to adjust the food and change our menu so people have a variety that can fit for six months.”

Glazer noted that the kindergartens, schools, and medical, dental, and mental health centers were opened at the hotels in order to meet the evacuees’ needs. 

He said that helping the evacuees was a pleasure and honor and said that the families appreciated the hotels’ efforts.

“They became our family, and we became theirs,” he said. “Our maids know the names of every dog in the hotel, every child, and every family. We celebrated weddings, bar mitzvahs, and birthdays. We have seen the births of more than 30 babies of Jewish families in our hotels.”

“Some evacuees were very traumatized, and still, our staff knew how to hug them, listen, and host with much love,” he continued, “And more than that, we have more than 300 team members, men and women, who were called up for military service during these difficult times.”

Koby Hatzoel, Fattal’s general manager for Tel Aviv and Herzliya, told The Media Line that the financial aspect of housing evacuees was not discussed at the beginning of the war. 

“We didn’t even think about the finances. We just wanted to help the people pass this difficult time,” he said. 

He said that the hotels began receiving financial compensation from the Tourism Ministry about one month after the war broke out. 

While the costs of rooms were covered, the hotels will need additional funds for repairs after the evacuees leave. 

“When people stay at the hotel so much time, with animals and with all their stuff, you need to renovate the rooms afterwards. We hope to get some support to do it,” Hatzoel said. 

Tourism Ministry spokesperson Shihor-Aronson expressed optimism about the future of tourism in Israel. 

“We are already preparing for the day after the war,” she said.

“We keep in touch with everybody,” she continued. “We organize events to make the world keep Israel in mind all the time. We support our marketing routes, and we also participate in almost every tourism fair all over the globe, and the interest in Israel is still there.”

Hatzoel expressed his gratitude for the domestic tourism still happening in the country. He noted that the chain’s hotels in Eilat, the Dead Sea, and Tel Aviv are fully booked. 

“People want to go back to their routine and go on vacation,” he said, predicting that the hotels will do well during the upcoming Jewish holiday of Passover and over the summer vacation. 

Glazer, who manages hotels in southern Israel, said that Israelis are interested in domestic tourism as a way to relax during a tense year. He said that demand is highest in resort areas and in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The hotels have also begun hosting foreign visitors who are traveling on business or on solidarity visits, he said. 

With strong demand amid a complex reality, Israel’s hotel industry has proven its resilience.

“Tourism is no longer a luxury,” Glazer said. “It’s a basic need. We all know that Israel had some other crises in the past. We hope that we will return to normal levels of tourism, even in the third quarter of this year.”

• Share full article

Advertisement

The Morning

Chaos and oppression.

The central question for universities responding to protests is whether to prioritize the preservation of order or the desire of students to denounce oppression.

By David Leonhardt

Arnold Kling, an economist, published a book a decade ago that offered a way to think about the core difference between progressives and conservatives. Progressives, Kling wrote , see the world as a struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed, and they try to help the oppressed. Conservatives see the world as a struggle between civilization and barbarism — between order and chaos — and they try to protect civilization.

Like many frameworks, Kling’s is a simplification, and it’s easy to find exceptions. But his book has been influential because the framework often sheds light on political arguments.

The debate over pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and other universities has become an example. If you want to understand why university leaders are finding the situation so hard to resolve, Kling’s dichotomy is useful: The central question for colleges is whether to prioritize the preservation of order or the desire of students to denounce oppression.

In today’s newsletter, I’ll lay out the cases of the dueling sides.

Confronting injustice

For the student protesters, the injustice in Gaza is so horrific that it takes precedence over almost anything else.

The death toll in Gaza since Oct. 7 is more than 30,000, the Gaza Ministry of Health reports. Entire neighborhoods are rubble. Israel has slowed the entry of basic supplies into Gaza, and many families are hungry. (My colleagues Vivian Yee and Bilal Shbair profiled two families trying to find their children enough to eat .)

The protesters view this suffering as an atrocity that demands action, much as Jim Crow laws, the Vietnam War and South African apartheid did for earlier students. In a statement yesterday, a pro-Palestinian group at Columbia cited as inspiration the anti-Vietnam War demonstrators who were killed at Kent State University in 1970.

If classes must be canceled and graduation ceremonies can’t happen, all the better, the students say. The disruptions will force the world to confront what the protesters describe as a genocide. “Big picture, genocide is happening, and this is where we stand,” one Columbia graduate student told the publication Hell Gate .

Many protesters specifically call for their universities to divest from companies that do business in Israel or help produce military equipment.

Some students have framed the debate as being about free speech, and free-speech principles do play a role. But I don’t think they are as central as Kling’s frame. Both sides, after all, have tried to restrict speech. Supporters of Israel have doxxed pro-Palestinian students and tried to penalize slogans like “ From the river to the sea .” Pro-Palestinian protesters have ripped away Israeli and U.S. flags and tried to prevent pro-Israel students from speaking.

The protesters’ abiding principle is not freedom of speech. It is justice for the oppressed.

Preventing chaos

For the protesters’ critics, the breakdown of order is the central problem — because a community that descends into chaos can’t function.

Protesters have frequently violated colleges’ rules. They have erected tents in public places and overwhelmed those areas. Columbia has switched to hybrid classes because of the turmoil.

Even worse, some protests have involved harassment and violence. The University of Michigan had to cut short an honors ceremony for students. At Vanderbilt, more than 20 protesters stormed the president’s office, injuring a security guard and shattering a window. At Columbia , videos have shown protesters threatening Jewish students with antisemitic vitriol, including a sign talking about Hamas’s “next targets.”

If universities do not enforce their own rules against such behavior, the rules have no meaning, administrators fear. Other protesters, seeing their own causes as existential, could likewise halt normal life. Perhaps they would be climate activists or students outraged by China’s oppression of Uighurs — or even demonstrators with right-wing views unpopular on American campuses. If anti-abortion protesters were to take over a quad for days, would university administrators ignore their own campus rules?

Jason Riley, a Wall Street Journal columnist, has compared the protesters’ tactics to those of the white residents of Arkansas who tried to use physical intimidation to prevent the enforcement of a law they didn’t like: school desegregation. President Dwight Eisenhower responded by proclaiming that “disorderly mobs” could not triumph, Riley noted.

College administrators are not making such analogies. Many express sympathy for the protesters’ concerns. But some insist that society can’t function if people violate rules without consequence. “We cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,” Minouche Shafik, Columbia’s president, wrote to the campus this week.

What’s next?

I recognize that not everybody will accept Kling’s framework for this debate. Pro-Palestinian students will say that Israel is the true source of disorder, while pro-Israel students will say that Hamas is the true oppressor.

Still, I think the Kling dichotomy captures the dilemma that university leaders face. The protests continue, and graduation season is approaching. Those leaders will have to make difficult decisions about what values to prioritize.

The latest on the protests

“Go back to class,” Speaker Mike Johnson told protesters while visiting Columbia. He suggested calling in the National Guard .

At the University of Texas, police officers in riot gear blocked protesters and arrested at least 20 of them. The protests at Columbia, and the school’s response, have galvanized demonstrations at universities across the U.S.

Columbia’s president is fighting for her job. Some professors now oppose her , but she has the support of the school’s board.

Benjamin Netanyahu called student protesters in the U.S. “antisemitic mobs.”

Trump said the demonstrations were worse than the violent 2017 white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, where a woman was killed.

Brandeis, a historically Jewish university outside Boston, extended its deadline for transfer applications , promising an environment “free of harassment and Jew-hatred.”

THE LATEST NEWS

Foreign aid bill.

President Biden signed a bill with aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, calling it “a good day for world peace.” The administration plans to send Ukraine more weapons this week .

The bill includes $1 billion in humanitarian aid. “Israel must make sure all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay,” Biden said.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, was a linchpin in winning aid for Ukraine, pushing back against isolationists in his own party.

An Arizona grand jury charged Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and others over their efforts to help Donald Trump overturn his 2020 election loss. The indictment names Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator.

Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial resumes this morning. This graphic shows the links between Trump and other figures in the case.

Biden mocked Trump for suggesting as president that disinfectant injections might treat Covid. The bleach “ all went to his hair ,” Biden said.

More on Politics

Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, is in China. Economic tensions are high .

The Supreme Court sounded divided over whether to allow doctors to perform emergency abortions in states with strict bans. Today the court will hear Trump’s claim that he’s immune from prosecution over Jan. 6.

Three Arizona Republicans voted with Democrats to repeal the state’s 1864 abortion ban . The bill heads to the State Senate.

Building union leaders endorsed Biden. They plan to mobilize their members to support him in swing states, CNN reports .

Donald Payne Jr., a six-term Democratic congressman from New Jersey known for wearing bow ties, died at 65 .

International

Floods across Kenya have killed at least 32 people and displaced more than 40,000.

The U.S. secretly shipped new long-range missiles to Ukraine .

Hamas released a video showing for the first time that Hersh Goldberg-Polin , an Israeli American taken hostage on Oct. 7, remains alive.

Other Big Stories

The Justice Department is investigating the consulting firm McKinsey over its role helping drug companies sell opioids .

The Agriculture Department finalized new school meal guidelines with less salt and sugar .

To combat avian flu, the Biden administration will require tests for cows that cross state lines .

NPR is in turmoil : The broadcaster’s audience is shrinking, its sponsorship revenue is declining, and its leaders are struggling with political strife.

Trump’s criminal trials make him seem like a victim . That could help him on Election Day, Stuart Stevens , a Republican political consultant, writes.

The federal government should test people for avian flu now, before an outbreak starts, Zeynep Tufekci writes.

Here’s a column by Charles Blow on the Vietnam War and the Gaza protests.

MORNING READS

Athens: A Saharan dust cloud has turned the city orange .

Meet Cait Bailey: She’s a publicist to major celebrities, and her boyfriend is a famous chef. But she’d prefer to keep a low profile .

Diet: Could calorie restriction or intermittent fasting help you live longer? Read what scientists know .

Broods: Trillions of cicadas are emerging after more than a decade of feeding on tree roots. Get ready .

Lives Lived: Helen Vendler’s power as a poetry critic derived from her close and impassioned readings. A fellow critic called her a “colossus.” Vendler died at 90 .

Queens Park Ladies: An under-12 girls’ soccer team in England joined a boys’ league — and went undefeated . “They definitely underestimated us,” Edith Wragg, one of the players, said.

N.F.L. Draft: Four quarterbacks are expected to go in the first round tonight .

N.B.A.: The Miami Heat shocked the Boston Celtics in a 111-101 road win to even the series at 1-1.

College football: Reggie Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy was reinstated , nearly 14 years after he forfeited it during a scandal.

ARTS AND IDEAS

The Venice Biennale, the world’s best event to discover new art, opened with a Prosecco-soaked weekend. Artists, along with critics and collectors, filled the city.

The Times’s critic Jason Farago was one of them. While he loved some of the work, he didn’t love the theme, “Foreigners Everywhere,” which he felt reflects a problem in our culture. “It’s often preachy, but that’s not its biggest problem. The real problem is how it tokenizes, essentializes, minimizes and pigeonholes talented artists,” he writes. Read his review .

Related: Venice is trying to limit tourism with a small fee on busy days .

More on culture

“Challengers,” from the director Luca Guadagnino, is about love and tennis. The Times spoke with its stars, including Zendaya, about the film and life in the public eye .

The American Film Institute is giving Nicole Kidman a lifetime achievement award this week. See what makes her work singular .

The Getty Museum agreed to return an ancient bronze head to Turkey.

A long-lost Gustav Klimt painting sold for $37 million at auction.

Jimmy Kimmel dunked on Trump’s billion-dollar stock bonus .

THE MORNING RECOMMENDS …

Toss a 20-minute lemony orzo with asparagus and garlic bread crumbs.

Navigate grief with these books .

Understand the new airline refund rules .

Buy a gift for a green-thumbed friend.

Here is today’s Spelling Bee . Yesterday’s pangram was topiary .

And here are today’s Mini Crossword , Wordle , Sudoku , Connections and Strands .

Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David

P.S. Lauren Jackson — one of the Times journalists in London who update this newsletter while you’re sleeping — has been promoted to associate editor .

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox . Reach our team at [email protected] .

David Leonhardt runs The Morning , The Times’s flagship daily newsletter. Since joining The Times in 1999, he has been an economics columnist, opinion columnist, head of the Washington bureau and founding editor of the Upshot section, among other roles. More about David Leonhardt

World Brief: Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters Arrested at U.S. Campuses

Create an FP account to save articles to read later and in the FP mobile app.

ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN

World Brief

• Editors’ Picks
• Africa Brief

China Brief

• Latin America Brief

South Asia Brief

Situation report.

• Flash Points
• War in Ukraine
• Israel and Hamas
• U.S.-China competition
• Biden's foreign policy
• Trade and economics
• Artificial intelligence
• Asia & the Pacific
• Middle East & Africa

Fareed Zakaria on an Age of Revolutions

Ones and tooze, foreign policy live.

Spring 2024 Issue

Print Archive

FP Analytics

• In-depth Special Reports
• Issue Briefs
• Power Maps and Interactive Microsites
• FP Simulations & PeaceGames
• Graphics Database

From Resistance to Resilience

The atlantic & pacific forum, redefining multilateralism, principles of humanity under pressure, fp security forum.

By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.

Your guide to the most important world stories of the day

Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent

The latest news, analysis, and data from the country each week

Weekly update on what’s driving U.S. national security policy

Evening roundup with our editors’ favorite stories of the day

One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture

Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors

A curated selection of our very best long reads

Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters Arrested at U.S. Campuses

From columbia university to the university of texas at austin, demonstrations have been met with police responses amid accusations of antisemitism..

• Human Rights
• United States

Israel-Hamas War

News, analysis, and background on the ongoing conflict

More on this topic

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. universities, extensive flooding in East Africa , and Russia vetoing a U.N. resolution on nuclear weapons in space.

Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.

U.s. university arrests.

Police this week arrested hundreds of pro-Palestinian student demonstrators on college campuses across the United States as university administrators struggle to find a balance between allowing free speech and maintaining a safe environment for all students and faculty.

Among students’ demands, they have urged their universities to stop investing in companies that provide support to Israel and to cut ties with Israeli academic institutions as well as called for a cease-fire in Gaza and the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Although reports suggest that the protests have been largely nonviolent, some students and faculty—including many who are Jewish—have reported feeling intimidated or unsafe because of the demonstrations and even being targeted in antisemitic attacks.

Photos and videos have circulated on social media of protesters in some instances expressing antisemitic slogans and support for Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Some activist groups involved in organizing the protests have made public statements denying antisemitism and saying their criticism is reserved for the Israeli state and its supporters.

The protests gained national attention last Wednesday at Columbia University in New York City after students formed an encampment on campus to demand that the school stop its “continued financial investment in corporations that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and military occupation of Palestine,” including companies involved in weapons manufacturing.

The protests came the same day that Columbia University President Minouche Shafik testified before a U.S. House of Representatives committee about how the school responds to charges of antisemitism on campus. Shafik was the latest university president to face criticism for allegedly failing to combat antisemitism, with House Republicans interrogating the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on their policies late last year. Harvard and Penn’s presidents have since resigned after evading questions about whether students should be punished for calling for the genocide of Jews.

Seemingly in recognition of the spotlight on her, Shafik requested that New York police disband the school’s pro-Palestinian encampment, saying students were trespassing and threatening the university’s security. More than 100 people were arrested. The Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute condemned the arrests, and the school’s newspaper, the Columbia Daily Spectator , compared the incident to crackdowns on the university’s anti-war protesters in 1968.

Since then, solidarity protests have arisen at universities across the country, and many have been met with similar police responses that have seen hundreds of students and faculty arrested . Some schools have canceled classes or moved them online.

The tumult has also reignited an ongoing national conversation about free speech—and its limits—on university campuses and beyond that has seen high-profile politicians weigh in. Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose daughter was arrested during last Thursday’s demonstration at Columbia, has expressed support for the protesters. On Wednesday, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and several of his fellow Republican lawmakers held a press conference at Columbia calling on the school’s president, Shafik, to resign “if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos.” He was met with boos from nearby protesters.

U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on Monday that he condemns the “antisemitic protests” but added, “I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that Biden believes in the importance of free speech, debate, and nondiscrimination on college campuses , adding that “students should feel safe.”

Today’s Most Read

• New Zealand Becomes the Latest Country to Pivot to the U.S. by Derek Grossman
• Ukraine Is Still Outgunned by Russia by Jack Detsch
• A Tale of Two Megalopolises by Jan-Werner Müller

What We’re Following

Climate woes. Torrential rain and flash floods have wreaked havoc across East Africa this week. On Thursday, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said at least 155 people had been killed and more than 230 others injured, urging anyone living in low-lying areas to seek higher ground. Officials report that the storm has affected around 200,000 people and damaged more than 10,000 homes. Majaliwa blamed the El Niño climate pattern for worsening the country’s rainy season.

In Kenya, at least 38 people have been killed and more than 40,000 others displaced in the flooding, over 30,000 of whom were living in Nairobi. Thousands of acres of crops have also been destroyed, and at least 118 inmates at a facility near the capital escaped on Wednesday after heavy rains damaged the prison. Local government is “ clearly overwhelmed ,” Edwin Sifuna, the Nairobi County senator, wrote on X. The nation’s Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that government agencies were beginning a joint operation to conduct search and rescue operations and evacuate those at risk.

Weapons in space. Russia vetoed a United Nations resolution on Wednesday that called on all countries not to develop or deploy nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction into space. This would reaffirm a principle established in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. The United States and Japan co-sponsored the draft, which only Moscow out of the U.N. Security Council’s 15 members voted against; China abstained.

Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, condemned the draft as “absolutely absurd and politicized,” arguing that it doesn’t go far enough in banning all types of space weapons. Moscow and China co-proposed an amendment “to prevent for all time the placement of weapons in outer space, and the threat of use of force in outer spaces.” Seven council members voted against that measure, including Washington.

In response, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Wednesday reiterated previous claims that Russia “is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Kremlin is “ categorically against ” the use of such weapons in space.

State-backed executions. Human Rights Watch published a report on Thursday accusing Burkinabe forces of killing at least 223 civilians in February. The massacres took place in two northern villages during a state-backed counterinsurgency campaign against people who allegedly collaborated with Islamists who attacked a military camp near the provincial capital, Ouahigouya. At least 56 children were among the dead.

More than 20,000 people have been killed in Burkina Faso since jihadi violence emerged there around nine years ago, with many Islamist fighters linked to al Qaeda or the Islamic State. Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a military coup in September 2022, promised to combat militant violence, but the army itself has been responsible for numerous atrocities . Last November, state forces killed at least 70 people, including infants, for allegedly cooperating with militants.

Odds and Ends

Namibian authorities have blacklisted three foreign tourists from entering the country’s national parks after they posed naked at Big Daddy dune, one of Namibia’s top attractions. “It is very sickening, and it really [creates] a bad image for Namibia,” Kenneth Nependa, the vice chair of the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations, told the Namibian Sun . Public indecency is punishable under Namibian law; however, some people argued that there’s nothing wrong with a little sunbathing.

Alexandra Sharp is the World Brief writer at Foreign Policy. Twitter:  @AlexandraSSharp

Join the Conversation

Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription.

Already a subscriber? Log In .

Subscribe Subscribe

View Comments

Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now.

Not your account? Log out

Please follow our comment guidelines , stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs.

Change your username:

I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required)

Confirm your username to get started.

The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language.

Sign up for Editors' Picks

A curated selection of fp’s must-read stories..

You’re on the list! More ways to stay updated on global news:

Where Global Governance Went Wrong—and How to Fix It

Xi’s imperial ambitions are rooted in china’s history, democracy has run out of future, the u.s. military is getting kicked out of niger, what columbia’s protests reveal about america, editors’ picks.

• 1 Democracy Has Run Out of Future
• 2 What Columbia’s Protests Reveal About America

The WTO and Where Global Governance Went Wrong

Blinken, xi discuss russia's war, product dumping in beijing, what the u.s. military withdrawal from niger means for counterterrorism in the sahel, more from foreign policy, arab countries have israel’s back—for their own sake.

Last weekend’s security cooperation in the Middle East doesn’t indicate a new future for the region.

Forget About Chips—China Is Coming for Ships

Beijing’s grab for hegemony in a critical sector follows a familiar playbook.

‘The Regime’ Misunderstands Autocracy

HBO’s new miniseries displays an undeniably American nonchalance toward power.

Washington’s Failed Africa Policy Needs a Reset

Instead of trying to put out security fires, U.S. policy should focus on governance and growth.

Blinken-Xi Talks Highlight Continued Areas of Disagreement

A tale of two megalopolises, new zealand becomes the latest country to pivot to the u.s..

Sign up for World Brief

FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day, written by Alexandra Sharp . Delivered weekdays.