Antalya, #Turkey
An #owl is treated at a wildlife park that since the beginning of the year has cared for and rehabilitated 545 animals, including birds of prey
They know that the words of US and Israel is not even worth a dog fart so they want to sign an agreement with international backers in order to have some kind of guarantees. Not that any of those countries will lift a finger to help the Palestinians when (not if, but when) Israel breaks the agreement.
#France canceling Israel's participation in a major defense exhibition.
The #Maldives banning Israeli citizens from entering the country.
A British coffee shop chain, Pret a Manger, canceling its franchise agreement with an Israeli company.
McDonald's facing a boycott in some countries due to its Israeli operations.
The Israeli hi-tech industry, which is a significant contributor to the country's economy, is also being affected by the boycotts.
[...] "McDonald's network also faced a pro-Palestinian boycott that hurt its sales worldwide, according to its reports. In April, the global network acquired the Israeli operation, which consists of 225 branches, from franchisee Omri Padan, [...] McDonald's entry into Israel was one of the harbingers of the end of the Arab boycott that Israel had faced since its establishment. The acquisition of the Israeli operation by the global network was intended to reduce friction between the network and Muslim customers worldwide - among other things, by reducing the identification of the local operation with IDF soldiers and the captives held in Gaza [...] After October 7, Padan led an unprecedented operation of offering a 50% discount to soldiers in uniform at all network branches - and this increased the pressure on the global network. Estimates are that after the deal is completed, McDonald's will reduce or cancel the discount - in the hope of weakening the criticism and boycott against it worldwide."
Possible long-term effects these boycotts will have on the Israeli economy: higher living costs and reduced competitiveness. But the Israeli government's policies and actions are leading to increased international isolation and economic damage, and Israelis will, ultimately, bear the costs of these decisions.
Despite the announcement of the suspension of Turkish trade with Israel, a large number of ships continue to import and export daily between Israeli and Turkish ports.
The Turkish British writer Elif Shafak has published 19 books, many of which are bestsellers, and her novels have been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the RSL Ondaatje Prize and the Women's Prize for Fiction. Yet she's also one of Turkish literature's most attacked authors, the victim of a campaign that started with fringe nationalist groups and has now been taken up by individuals associated with the ruling Justice and Development Party. Kaya Genç writes for The Dial about how this case is part of a wider trend in President Erdoğan's "new Turkey."
Today in Writing History May 9, 1946: Ayşe Nur Zarakolu, Turkish author and activist was born on this day. Along with her husband, she cofounded Belge publishing house. She published books on the Armenian Genocide and the human rights of Turkey’s Kurdish population. As a result, the government imprisoned her repeatedly. Amnesty International designated her a prison of conscience.
#ICJ / Turkey to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel
[…] "Upon completion of the legal text of our work, we will submit the declaration of official intervention before the ICJ with the objective of implementing this political decision,"