Israeli government

Large numbers of Israeli tourists who had made holiday plans in Turkey for this summer have canceled their reservations, as experts expect a drop to the levels that followed the raid on the Mavi Marmara in 2010.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading international Jewish rights NGO, has issued a travel advisory, labelling Turkey’s current climate as a “prescription for disaster" in reference to the pro-Palestinian protests that led the Israeli government reduce its diplomatic presence in Turkey.

Israeli prosecutors indicted three Jews on July 17 over the kidnapping and murder of a Palestinian teenager who was burned to death this month, the justice ministry said.

The identity of those charged was not disclosed by the ministry, which simply stated that one was a 29-year-old from the West Bank settlement of Adam.

Violence flared in Jerusalem as angry Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli police following the kidnap and murder of a Palestinian teen in an apparent revenge attack, prompting international calls for calm.

Hundreds of masked Palestinians July 2 hurled stones at Israeli riot police, who responded by firing rubber bullets, tear gas and sound bombs. Clashes continued into the night.

Hamas warned Wednesday that Israel would pay for the kidnap and murder of a Palestinian teenager in annexed east Jerusalem, in suspected revenge for the murder of three Israeli teens.
      

Talks in Athens on Thursday between Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos and his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman indicated that the possibility of a pipeline being built to carry natural gas from Israel to Greece via Cyprus has diminished.