ISRAEL – Page 2 – Ukraine open for business

Gold rises to $5,418 amid US and Israeli war with Iran

The price of gold and other precious metals rose sharply on Monday due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

By 9:57 a.m. ET, April gold futures on the Comex exchange rose about 3.3% to $5,418 per ounce.

Silver futures rose 3.3% to $96.38 per ounce, and platinum futures rose 2% to $2,422 per ounce.

As reported, on Saturday, the US and Israel launched military action against Iran. They carried out more than a thousand missile strikes on Iranian cities, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and a number of Persian Gulf countries. In particular, residential areas of the capital of Bahrain were affected, and damage to a number of hotels and the airport in Dubai was reported.

Meanwhile, the price of aluminum on the London Metal Exchange jumped nearly 3% on Monday to $3,231 per ton. It is noted that Iran’s neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, are major aluminum producers. According to AZ China, the Middle East accounts for about 9% of global production of this metal.

Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center presented an analysis of the world’s leading gold-producing countries in its video on YouTube channel — https://youtube.com/shorts/DWbzJ1e2tJc?si=BywddHO-JFWFqUFA

EXPERTS CLUB, GOLD, IRAN, ISRAEL, USA

Escalation between US, Israel, and Iran increased cryptocurrency volatility over weekend

According to Fixygen, the escalation around Iran, including strikes by the US and Israel and Tehran’s subsequent response, has been a factor in increased volatility in the cryptocurrency market: Bitcoin fell below $64,000 on the news, while Ethereum fell even further.

At the same time, markets reassessed the risks to commodities and inflation expectations. In particular, Barclays allowed for Brent to rise to $80 per barrel in the event of significant supply disruptions amid tensions between the US and Iran. Against this backdrop, some investors shifted to defensive assets: some materials noted an increase in interest in tokenized gold amid a decline in BTC and ETH.

Possible scenarios: with further escalation and increased oil risks, the crypto market may remain in risk-off mode with increased volatility for longer; with de-escalation and a return of risk appetite, a rebound is likely; if sanctions and payment restrictions are expanded, demand for stablecoins may increase, but compliance risks for infrastructure will also grow.

CRYPTOCURRENCY, Escalation, IRAN, ISRAEL, US

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry urges citizens to refrain from traveling to Israel and Iran

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry urges citizens to refrain from traveling to Israel and Iran due to the escalating security situation in the Middle East and the threat of missile attacks.

This was reported by the Consular Service Department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Facebook on Saturday.

Due to the escalating security situation in the Middle East and the threat of missile attacks, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry recommends that Ukrainian citizens refrain from traveling to Israel until the situation stabilizes. It also reminds citizens of the current recommendation to leave Iran, which was announced in early January.

Citizens who are already in countries in the region are advised to remain vigilant, closely follow official reports, and always carry identification documents with them.

IRAN, ISRAEL, TRAVEL, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

Israel will provide Kyiv region with 117 generators to assist in shelling conditions

Israel will provide communities in the Kyiv region, which is suffering from Russian shelling of energy infrastructure, with 117 mobile generators, according to Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky.

“Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had a telephone conversation with Rabbi Meir Stambler, head of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU). The conversation took place on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Brodsky wrote on Telegram on Tuesday.

According to him, during the conversation, Minister Saar informed the rabbi that on February 25, Israel would transfer 117 mobile generators to the Kyiv region.

During the conversation, Minister Saar inquired about the situation in Ukraine and the condition of the country’s Jewish communities, and wished them a happy Purim holiday.

ISRAEL, KYIV REGION, ГЕНЕРАТОР

Israel donated water purification system to Kyiv Regional Hospital

The Embassy of the State of Israel in Ukraine, together with the Israeli international cooperation agency MASHAV, donated a water purification system to the Kyiv Regional Clinical Hospital No. 2.

The handover ceremony was attended by Michael Brodsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine, Mykola Kalashnyk, Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Daria Melnyk, Director General of Kyiv Regional Clinical Hospital No. 2, as well as the management and staff of the medical facility.

“The transfer of water purification systems is part of a broader project to assist Ukraine, which Israel began even before the start of the full-scale war,” said Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky. “Israel provides comprehensive support to the Kyiv Regional Hospital: its employees underwent rehabilitation training in Israel. We will continue to assist Ukraine. Israel stands with Ukraine. Together, we will overcome all difficulties. When the war in Israel ends, the war in Ukraine will end – and our cooperation will continue.”

Hospital Director Daria Melnyk gave the guests a short tour of the physical rehabilitation department, where patients undergo recovery using methods including Israeli medicine. She noted that MASHAV rehabilitation courses have received positive feedback not only from doctors in the Kyiv region, but also from medical professionals in Bucha and Obukhiv.

“The hospital constantly needs high-quality water. We have many patients who are recovering from injuries for a long time. The donated unit provides filtration of up to 3,000 liters of water per day, which is sufficient for the hospital’s needs,” Melnik said.

The head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, Mykola Kalashnyk, said that the regional administration plans to build an open rehabilitation area with exercise equipment on the hospital grounds, next to the new water purification unit.

“Such assistance motivates us to move forward. This is important because enemy attacks often lead to power outages. The installation will allow the hospital to have a stable water supply even under such conditions. Thank you for your support, for the equipment, and for the training programs for our medical staff. I wish your people victory as well,” Kalashnik emphasized.

ISRAEL, water purification

European broadcasters to vote on expelling Israel from Eurovision 2026

The European Broadcasting Union has confirmed it will hold an online vote in November that could see the Israeli broadcaster Kan expelled from next year’s Eurovision song contest.

In a letter sent to participating broadcasters on Thursday, the EBU president, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, wrote there was an “unprecedented diversity of views” on Israel’s participation in Eurovision, and the issue required “a broader democratic basis”.

In a statement, the EBU said: “We can confirm that a letter has been sent from the executive board of the European Broadcasting Union to directors general of all our members informing them that a vote on participation in the Eurovision song contest 2026 will take place at an extraordinary meeting of the EBU’s general assembly to be held online in early November.”

The decision comes after several European broadcasters, including those from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia, threatened to boycott the next edition of the world’s largest live music event if Israel was allowed to take part.

Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Meanwhile Israel, which has won the contest four times since its debut in 1973, has continued to compete for the past two years despite disputes over its participation.

Both the 2024 contest in Malmö, Sweden, and this year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, were marked by pro-Palestine protests around the concert halls.

Next year’s Eurovision, the 70th anniversary of the song contest, is due to be held in the Austrian capital, Vienna, in May.

Its hosting broadcaster ORF earlier this week expressed optimism that the event would go ahead even in the case of boycotts and resulting loss of broadcasters’ contributions.

“The Eurovision song contest will take place in Vienna in 2026,” an ORF spokesperson said. “The event will take place irrespective of the number of participating broadcasters.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/25/european-broadcasters-to-vote-on-expelling-israel-from-eurovision-2026

EUROVISION, ISRAEL