Israel announced on Wednesday that it will allow visa-free entry to US citizens, including Palestinians with dual citizenship, after reaching an agreement to join the US Visa Waiver Program, which will be reciprocal.

The Israeli ambassador in Washington, Michael Herzog, and his US counterpart, Tom Nides, have signed a memorandum of understanding on this matter, which allows travel for tourism, business and airport transit for less than 90 days.

Herzog has indicated that he has had “the privilege of representing the Israeli Government” in this signing”, which he has described as an “important milestone for Israel to join the program”, as indicated on his profile on the social network Twitter.

The United States government has explained that US citizens will be able to take advantage of these measures as of July 20, when Israel’s change in short-term travel procedures comes into force.

However, the Israeli government is working “closely” with the US State Department in “its efforts” to meet the necessary requirements to enter the program. Thus, Washington “will monitor the implementation of its policies.”

The spokesman for the US State, Matthew Miller, has welcomed Israel’s announcement to change travel procedures for short visits to the country, considering that it is about “guaranteeing equal treatment for all US citizens, regardless of origin, religion or ethnicity.”

“The updated travel policies (…) will allow all US citizens to travel to Israel through all ports of entry,” Miller explained, referring to the inclusion of Palestinian US citizens living in the Palestinian territories.

The director of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, explained that the “full application of the procedure will be addressed to any American, regardless of who they are, including Americans with dual citizenship, Americans living in Judea and Samaria (the Biblical name for the West Bank) and Americans living in the Gaza Strip,” reported The Jerusalem Post.

Source: dpa

(Reference image source: Briana Tozour, Unsplash)

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La entrada Israel approves visa-free entry for US citizens apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The Government of Israel has confirmed the seizure of a series of cryptoassets linked to the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Lebanese Shiite militia party Hezbollah worth several million dollars, in the first operation of its kind by part of the Israeli authorities.

The Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, has detailed that the operation was carried out several days ago and has stressed that it was “extensive” and that it “sets a precedent”. Likewise, it has said that it has allowed “exposing a way of financing terrorism through digital currencies.”

“It is the first incident of this magnitude in which an infrastructure headed by Hezbollah and the Iranian Quds Force that transferred millions of dollars to be used by terrorist elements is dismantled,” he explained, as reported by the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel.

Thus, he has maintained that members of Hezbollah, the Quds Force – the branch of the Revolutionary Guard dedicated to operations abroad – and “Syrian elements” have used these cryptocurrencies so far this year to finance their activities, while who has warned that those who provide money for these operations “are a target.”

“As you can see, this time there is also a clear line behind terrorism originating from Iran. Iran is a funder, trainer and propagator of terrorism against Israel and many countries around the world, both directly and through its agents in the borders”, Gallant pointed out, specifying that these funds will be delivered to the Israeli Treasury.

The Israeli authorities indicated in May that since 2021 about 190 cryptocurrency accounts had been seized on the Binance exchange platform that would be linked to Palestinian armed groups and Islamist formations, according to local media.

Source: dpa

(Reference image source: Unsplash, in collaboration with Getty Images)

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La entrada Israel seized millions of dollars in cryptoassets linked to Iran and Hezbollah apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, Manuel Tovar, and the Minister of Economy and Industry of Israel, Nir Barkart, have signed this Wednesday a memorandum of understanding on trade and have agreed to start negotiations to achieve a free trade agreement between the two countries.

The objective of both governments is to start said negotiation in the last quarter of 2023, as reported by the Costa Rican Ministry in a statement. For the country’s government, the Middle East region offers ample space to strengthen its global position in terms of trade and investment.

As Tovar has stated, there are evident and undeniable positive synergies between the two economies, which can be capitalized to promote mutually beneficial results, such as participation in global value chains for advanced manufacturing and highly sophisticated services. “Both countries have a lot to offer each other,” he said.

On the one hand, Israel could contribute to Costa Rica its knowledge in innovative industries such as high technology, cybersecurity, agrotechnology and clean technologies. For its part, the Central American country has an outstanding manufacturing industry and agricultural products.

Commercial opening

This same week, the Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica has also visited the United Arab Emirates (USA), where he has met with his counterpart to announce the launch of negotiations for a trade agreement.

In this way, the small Middle Eastern country would sign its first trade agreement with a Latin American nation, in line with its objective of diversifying its economy.

It is expected that this will be a comprehensive agreement that covers issues of trade in goods and services, investment or health. The rounds of negotiations will begin at the latest in the second half of this year.

Source: dpa

(Reference image source: ComexCR, Europa Press)

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La entrada Costa Rica will negotiate a free trade agreement with Israel apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The second largest financial entity in Israel, Bank Leumi, announced on Thursday March 24 the commercialization of cryptocurrencies through its Pepper Invest digital platform, in association with the Laxos purchase, sale and custody platform. Once approved by the regulatory authorities, it will become in the first Israeli bank to offer cryptocurrency trading services to its clients.

According to the information outlined, users will initially be able to acquire, maintain and sell cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) by making transactions starting at $15.49, which is equivalent to 50 shekels, and they estimate that in the future they will be able to trade other cryptocurrencies.

To offer this type of service, the regulatory authorities must approve the initiative, for which there is not yet a scheduled date, but according to the statement, the bank’s platform “will collect taxes in accordance with the guidelines of the Israel Tax Authority for that customers do not have to deal with the complexities of taxes.”

Clear and necessary legislation

Anat Guetta, head of the Israel Authority, recently expressed that the country needs clear legislation that would allow the country to attract investors to develop its crypto market.

It is important to note that the country is working on legislation that guarantees that cryptocurrencies are not used for illicit purposes. In this connection, in early March, the Israeli Defense Minister seized “30 cryptocurrency accounts related to terrorist groups.”

The Israeli authorities are quite strict with the management of the crypto market, to the point that Binance had to stop its operations in the country after the regulatory authorities made such a request.

M. Rodríguez

Source: diariobitcoin.com 

La entrada Bank Leumi announces the trading of cryptocurrencies in Israel apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The new economic and migration plan for the United Arab Emirates is expected to attract investments of 150,000 million dollars for the next nine years. This was reported by Abdulla bin Touq, the Emirati Minister of Economy, who also explained that the national executive will provide some 13.6 billion dollars, equivalent to approximately 11.5 billion euros for the same period.

In order to win over investors, the country will hold a “global investment summit early next year to attract 550 billion dirhams ($ 150 billion).” The minister also highlighted the development of an alliance with different international markets, including Israel for about 11 million dollars, equivalent to about 9,000 million euros.

For his part, the Minister of Industry and Technology, Sultan al Jaber, defined the process as “a new era of prosperity and development” and stressed that the government, together with the Emirates Development Bank, will make investments in the order of 1,360 million dollars in the digital sector.

Exceptional visa

The presentation was also attended by Zani al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, who explained the measures that will be implemented to make more flexible the legal aspects related to obtaining the “residence permit in the country, a controversial issue for the kafala system o sponsorship of various countries of the Persian Gulf that leaves foreign workers at the mercy of their employers”.

The country will be implementing a new visa for citizens “with exceptional abilities” such as investors, entrepreneurs and “exceptional students”, who will not require an “employer or company” to receive their residence permit. Likewise, a particular visa will be established for self-employed workers and the grace period will be extended up to 180 days.

M. Rodríguez

Source: bancaynegocios

La entrada UAE announces plan to revive the economy apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, approved 60 to 59 votes the inauguration of Naftali Bennett of the nationalist Yamina movement, as the new prime minister, a vote that ends more than a decade of Benjamin Netanyahu’s mandate.

Just before the vote, the Knesset appointed Mickey Levy, of the Yesh Atid party, as the new president, after obtaining 67 of the 120 votes in the House and thus beating his rival from the Shas party, Yaakov Margi, who has obtained 52 votes. Levy thus replaces Yariv Levin of Netanyahu’s Likud party.

The session was followed from the streets by supporters of the parties of the new governing coalition that have celebrated the success of the inauguration, while hundreds of religious Israelis have gathered at the wailing wall to pray in rejection of Bennett and Lapid.

Bennett comes to power thanks to a broad government coalition that covers almost the entire political spectrum and that will allow him to serve as prime minister for the next two years, until he is replaced by the leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid.

In his speech prior to the vote, Bennett accused Netanyahu of “fomenting a storm of hatred” in his final months in office, which have culminated in “a clash of brothers and a paralyzed country.”

“I am proud of the ability to sit with people with very different opinions. We have taken responsibility at the decisive moment”, he added in a speech where he mentioned the support of the Arab List. “A new episode of relations with the Arabs begins”, he declared.

K. Tovar

Source: dpa

La entrada Israel Parliament approved the new government apareció primero en Bitfinance.