Ashkenazi Jews

Major airlines blocked flights to Israel July 23 after a rocket from Gaza struck near airport runways, as the U.N. chief urged an end to a conflict that has killed 636 Palestinians and 31 Israelis.

As the violence entered its 16th day, neither Israel or Hamas appeared willing to end hostilities, despite days of diplomatic efforts to coax them into a truce.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday ended a 20-month political alliance between his party and the ruling rightwing Likud, although his faction will remain in government.
      

Seizing on the mayhem in Iraq, Israel's prime minister on June 29 called for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan as part of a broader alliance with moderate forces across the region, and asserted that Israel would have to maintain a long-term military presence in the West Bank to keep a jihadi juggernaut from powering its way to the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
     

AGERPRES special correspondent Doroteea Purcarea reports: Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Tuesday expressed full solidarity with the Israeli people, following the alleged kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers by the Hamas Islamist militant group.

Israel's foreign minister said Sunday a final decision has yet to be made on his threat to expel the UN's peace envoy for offering to help transfer Qatari funds to Gaza.
      
Avigdor Lieberman was reported to have said by Channel Two television that he wants to declare Robert Serry persona non grata and expel him from Israel over the alleged offer.
      

Israel's foreign minister has threatened to expel the UN's special envoy for offering to help transfer Qatari funds to the Gaza Strip, Channel Two television reported.
      

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski is due to meet his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, the second day of his visit to the country.`

Economic ties between Sofia and Tel Aviv and the fight against terrorism are among the main issues to be discussed during their talks.

No specific details have been disclosed around their meeting.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski is on a three-day visit to Israel.

During his visit, Oresharski will meet with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and with President Shimon Peres, Bulgarian National Radio reports.

Among the discussed topics will be the economic relations between the two countries, the fight against terrorism, as well as current political issues.

Ehud Olmert, Israel's former Prime Minister, was sentenced to 6 years in jail, thus becoming the first head of government in the country to go behind bars.

A fine of ILS 1 M (USD 289 M) was also imposed on him, while another ILS 500 000 (USD 145 M) is to be seized from him, as judge David Rozen ruled according to the Jerusalem Post.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been found guilty of bribery in the "Holyland affair".

The case has been known as one of the worst corruption scandals in Israel's history.