Questions and Answers about
Israel
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in SportsWhy was David Teeger, a South African cricketer, removed from his captaincy role days before the Under-19 World Cup?
Answer: David Teeger was removed from his captaincy role before the Under-19 World Cup in January 2024 by Cricket South Africa due to security concerns after he dedicated an award to the state of Israel.
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in SportsWhat action by Israeli soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel led to his arrest in Turkey for “actions against Turkey’s values?”
Answer: Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel was detained in Turkey for revealing a message on his bandage that referenced a Hamas attack on Israel, leading to his dismissal from Antalyaspor in January 2024.
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in PoliticsWhich nation has recently sued Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide?
Answer: South Africa accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and took the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with the trial starting on Jan. 11, 2024.
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in BusinessIn January 2024, McDonald’s Malaysia took legal action against the Anti-Israeli Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. But why?
Answer: McDonald’s faced backlash over its Israel branch’s decision to donate meals to IDF troops, leading to boycott calls and a lawsuit by McDonald’s Malaysia in January 2024.
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in PoliticsWho’s this political rebel who stirred up the US Congress with a video?
Answer: Rashida Tlaib, the trailblazing Michigan congresswoman and sole Palestinian American in Congress, has recently made waves with a video accusing President Joe Biden of backing what she termed the “genocide of the Palestinian people,” a statement as subtle as a sledgehammer and as well-received. This political firecracker was dropped on social media on Nov.…
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in PlacesWhat is a kibbutz?
Answer: A kibbutz is, traditionally. a collective community in Israel based on agriculture and known for its communal living ethos. The kibbutz concept aimed to create a society where all members contribute according to their ability and receive according to their needs, though most, if not all, kibbutzim are privatized today. The Oct. 7, 2023,…
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King Charles III is crowned on May 6, anointed with a special oil made from what?
Answer: The oil used to anoint King Charles III is called Chrism oil. It was created using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives, a mountain ridge east of Jerusalem’s Old City, Israel. The olives were pressed just outside the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born. The ceremony…
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in PlacesHow old is Israel?
Answer: Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, after the British mandate over Palestine ended. This year, according to the Hebrew calendar, Israel marks its 75th anniversary on April 26, 2023. However, the celebrations are overshadowed by a political crisis that has divided the country for months._x000D__x000D_Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces widespread opposition and protests…
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in PoliticsWhich law did Netanyahu pass just before delaying his flagship judicial changes?
Answer: On March 26, 2023. thousands of Israelis protested the country’s planned judicial overhaul after Prime Minister Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who said the judicial overhaul must be stopped due to the damage it is doing to the military. The next day. Netanyahu agreed to delay his flagship judicial changes to the next…
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in PoliticsWhat caused hundreds of Israeli military reservists to say they wouldn’t show up for duty?
Answer: Hundreds of elite officers in Israel’s military reserves said they would not show up for duty starting Mar. 19, 2023. This is in protest against the ruling coalition’s planned overhaul of the judicial system. The protesters say the plan undermines democracy by restricting the power of the Supreme Court. The protests paused after the…
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in PoliticsWhat did Israel’s Finance Minister say after a terror attack that sparked international fury?
Answer: Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also the leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, made this shocking statement after a gunman killed two Israeli brothers in the West Bank village of Huwara on February 26, 2023, and just after 400 Israeli settlers executed violent revenge on the village. He also said the…
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in PlacesWhat is the largest religious minority in Iran?
Answer: While the Constitution of Iran specifies Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians as the only recognized religious minorities, the Baháʼí Faith is the largest religious minority in Iran. About 350,000 members of the Baha’i faith live in the Muslim country.
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in TVWhich language did Glenn Close learn for her role in “Tehran”?
Answer: Towards the new season of Apple TV+’s Tehran, premiering May 6, 2022, Glenn Close had to learn Farsi for her role as Marjan Montazeri, a British agent living in Tehran. The series revolves around an Israeli agent and computer hacker who is tasked with infiltrating an electric company in Iran.
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in FilmsWho’s the actress behind the heavy Golda Meir make-up in this picture?
Answer: Helen Mirren portrays Israeli late Prime Minister Golda Meir in Guy Nattiv’s biopic revolving around the 1973 traumatic Yom Kippur war.
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in PlacesWhat is the world’s most expensive city to live in, in 2021?
Answer: Israel’s Tel Aviv has been ranked the world’s most expensive city to live in, according to an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report published Nov. 30, 2021. The Israeli seaside city climbed five spots in 2021 to take the title from last year’s joint winners of Paris, Hong Kong, and Zurich. More answers inside!
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in ArtsWhat’s Spencer Tunick best known for?
American artist Spencer Tunick is a 54-year-old photographer best known for his large-scale nude photoshoots. He has staged dozens worldwide, including outside Sydney Opera House and in London’s Selfridges.
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in PoliticsNaftali Bennett is the first Israeli Prime Minister who…
Naftali Bennett is the first Israeli Prime Minister who wears a yarmulke – which in Israel means he’s practicing Orthodox Judaism: Keeps kosher, visits a synagogue at least once a week, and avoids work on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath (except for vital assignments). This is the first time a religious Prime Minister governs Israel, as…
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in PoliticsWhat is Naftali Bennett’s net worth?
Naftali Bennet made some fortune as a software entrepreneur and then high tech investor, but he’s by far NOT Israel’s richest politician. Bennet’s net adventures earned him around $10 million (not far behind former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s $14 million of private equities). Bennett is, however, expected to see around $5 million income from his…
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in PoliticsHow many non-Jewish ministers were sworn in Bennett and Lapid’s cabinet?
While Bennet and Lapid’s coalition includes the Islamic United Arab List party for the first time in Israel’s history, the two non-Jewish cabinet ministers in Israel’s new government come from other, primarily Jewish parties. The two non-Jewish cabinet members of Bennett and Lapid’s government are Muslim Essawi Frej from the Leftist Meretz party and Druze…
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in PoliticsWho was Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister?
Benjamin Netanyahu served in office for 15 years, making him the longest-serving Israeli prime minister in history. Israel’s national founder David Ben-Gurion is the previous Israeli record holder with 13 years in power.
