B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
MARCH 18, 2021
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The Week In News Babis and the Czech Republic for recognizing the importance Jerusalem plays for Judaism and the State of Israel. “The changes in the Middle East should be based on a recognition of the reality and historical truth that the city of Jerusalem has been the spiritual center of the Jewish people and its capital for over 3000 years, and the capital of Israel,” said Ashkenazi. Ashkenaz also thanked the Czech government for recently adopting the definition of IHRA anti-Semitism. The Czech Parliament’s lower house had approved a resolution in 2019 adopting the international IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism, allowing law enforcement to prosecute hate crimes more effectively. The definition defines anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” and includes attacks against Jewish religious and community institutions. The Czech Republic is the latest country to follow the U.S.’s relocation of its diplomatic offices to Jerusalem. Since former President Donald Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, and now the Czech Republic have followed suit. A handful of others have promised to do so as well, including Honduras, Brazil, and Serbia, but have not yet made the move.
Tensions with Jordan Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shuttered Israeli airspace to flights to and from Jordan after the Kingdom torpedoed his scheduled visit to the United Arab Emirates. Netanyahu had been slated to make his first-ever visit to the United Arab Emirates last Thursday when Jordan banned him from crossing its airspace. The ban followed a dust-up between Israeli border guards and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah a day earlier that saw the monarch turned away after attempting to enter Israeli with too many bodyguards. In retaliation, Netanyahu shuttered Israeli airspace to Jordan-bound flights, ordering the Transportation Ministry to close the skies immedi-
ately. Netanyahu issued the order without first consulting with the Foreign and Defense Ministries, which enjoy a close working relationship with Jordan. Netanyahu’s comprehensive flight ban is unprecedented and violates the 1994 Peace Agreement between the two countries. The directive was strongly opposed by the Transportation Office, who warned that it would cause international airlines significant financial damage and harm Israeli-Jordan ties irreparably. According to reports, Transportation Ministry officials slow-walked Netanyahu’s order, hoping that the government would block it before it could be enacted. Two hours after it was enacted, Netanyahu directed that the skies be reopened to Jordanian flights following pressure from the IDF. No Jordan-bound flights had been turned back during the two hours the ban was in effect, avoiding a significant diplomatic crisis experts say may have scrapped the Israeli-Jordanian peace agreement. On Wednesday, Israel had prevented Crown Prince Hussein from visiting the Temple Mount after he arrived at the border crossing with more than the number of agreed-upon bodyguards. While Israel allowed up to 10 security officials to accompany the royal, he insisted on arriving with a protective delegation consisting of over 30 people.
Kosovo Opens Jerusalem Embassy
Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it has formally opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. The move was made after the establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel on February 1 and a Kosovo-Serbia summit held at the White House in September. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
