Israel has established full diplomatic ties with Bhutan, a small, majority-Buddhist landlocked kingdom in the Himalayas neighboring India and China. The agreement was signed on Saturday at a ceremony held at the residence of Israel’s Ambassador to India Ron Malka, with Bhutan’s Ambassador to India Major General Vetsop Namgyel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the development, calling it an “additional fruit of the peace agreements,” adding: “We are in contact with additional countries that want to join and establish relations with us.”
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi spoke with his Bhutanese counterpart, Foreign Minister Tandy Dorji, last week. The two top diplomats agreed on the signing date as well as a plan to collaborate in the areas of water management, agriculture, and health.
Jerusalem’s previous lack of relations with Thimphu was not linked to the Palestinian issue, but was rather a result of Bhutan’s isolationist policies. The remote kingdom has a population of just over 770,000 people and only began allowing foreign tourists into the country in 1970. TV and Internet were only legalized in 1999.
Jewish history and culture in Morocco will soon be part of the school curriculum – a first in the region and in the North African country where Islam is the state religion. The decision “has the impact of a tsunami,” said Serge Berdugo, secretary-general of the Council of Jewish Communities of Morocco.
This development comes on the heels of last week’s news of Morocco becoming the fourth Arab nation since August to announce a US-brokered agreement to normalize relations with Israel, following the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
The decision to add Jewish history and culture to the school curriculum was discreetly launched before the diplomatic deal was finalized. The new lessons will be included beginning next term for children in their final year of primary school, aged 11, Morocco’s education ministry said.
Meanwhile, the United States adopted on Saturday a new official map of Morocco that includes the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The map will be presented to the country’s ruler, King Mohammed VI.
#AmbFischer: Tonight, I am thrilled to present you with the new official U.S. government map of the Kingdom of Morocco. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/mipzx6NjR8
— U.S. Embassy Morocco (@USEmbMorocco) December 12, 2020
United States Vice President Mike Pence and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien are reportedly expected to arrive in Israel within the coming days. O’Brien is likely to land next week, while Pence will probably reach the Jewish state early in the new year, before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
These high profile visitors follow Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s whistle stop tour of several nations in the Middle East, including Israel. His arrival was significant as it heralded a shift in certain long-standing US policy positions – most notably allowing Israeli products made in the West Bank to be labeled “Made in Israel.”
That followed a State Department directive, which said it would withdraw support from any entity supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Ever since the Abraham Accords were announced in August – a historic deal that normalized ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel – Israeli tourists have been flocking to the desert nation.
Subsequently, the introduction of easily attainable tourist visas, the existence of a Coronavirus travel corridor, and a boom in kosher provisions have made the city of Dubai a must-visit hotspot for Israelis.
These developments along with it being the holiday season – Hanukkah – have resulted in a rush of tourists visiting the city of Dubai. In response to the sudden influx, local businesses have moved quickly to cater to a new clientele.
Indeed, Dubai is set to add synagogues, kosher restaurants, and even a Jewish school to a landscape best known for its towering skyscrapers, high-end hotels, and mammoth shopping malls.
The Washington Wizards launched a Hebrew-speaking Twitter account to feature exclusive content by their newest star – Israeli basketball player Deni Avdija – for fans in the Jewish state.
Last month, the 19-year-old Avdija was selected from Maccabi Tel-Aviv by the Wizards as the ninth overall pick of the NBA Draft, the highest-ever pick for an Israeli player.
On Friday, Avdija met with Ron Dermer, the Israeli Ambassador to the US, for a meet-and-greet, in which they officially launched the account.
??? ????? ?@AmbDermer pic.twitter.com/v7dL2nmssJ
— Washington Wizards ?? (@washwizardsil) December 11, 2020
- Israel-Morocco Deal Follows History of Cooperation on Arms and Spying (Ronen Bergman, New York Times)
- The Abraham Accords: Will They Transform the Middle East? (Varsha Koduvayur, Steven Cook, CQ Researcher)
- Polish Diplomat in Istanbul Rescued Hundreds of Jews From the Holocaust, Report Says (Cnaan Liphshiz, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
- An Epic Israeli TV Drama Exposes War Wounds Old and New (Isabel Kershner, New York Times)
