Latest news with #travelBan
Washington Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
With only six Jews left in Syria, émigrés now have a chance to return
BEIRUT — Henry Hamra vividly recalls the day he was allowed to leave Syria. His uncle, the Jewish community's rabbi, was called in for a meeting with Syria's president at the time, Hafez al-Assad. 'He told him, 'You could go anywhere in the world except Israel,'' recalled Hamra, who was only 15 at the time. Assad had decided to lift a decades-old travel ban on the Jewish population, and soon the Hamras and thousands of others left the country. At the time, Hamra thought he would never return. But today, he is leading efforts to rebuild and renovate Jewish religious sites after the Assad regime fell in December and most American sanctions were lifted in May. Jews have lived in Syria for more than a millennium and have a rich history there. Their numbers, however, dwindled to only six people due to years of hostility. Now, those who left can finally go back, if just for a visit. Hamra, like many Syrians living in the United States, was glued to his television the night that more than 50 years of Assad family rule came to an end. He said he immediately started making plans to return and with the help of Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the D.C.-based Syrian Emergency Task Force, was able to go back with his father and others in February to meet with Syria's new rulers. 'It was very emotional to come back after 33 years,' said Hamra. On his first night, he sneaked out of his hotel without government-assigned escorts. 'I took a taxi and I went right next to my house, right next to the synagogue. I was just walking in the dark.' he recounted. His joy quickly soured after he and his father, Rabbi Yusef Hamra, visited Syria's ancient Jobar Synagogue. 'It was demolished. The whole synagogue was demolished. There's nothing Jewish there,' said the younger Hamra. Photographs reviewed by The Washington Post show rubble strewn across the site, though a few walls are intact and one archway survives with a Star of David carved on the capstone. Following his first visit, Hamra began lobbying the U.S. State Department for a sanctions waiver to rebuild the synagogue. The Caesar Act, passed by Congress in 2019, prevents outside financing of reconstruction in Syria. For a while, it appeared that a waiver would not be forthcoming, but that changed in May when President Donald Trump granted a 180-day waiver, paving the way for the community to proceed with rebuilding. Congress is now expected to consider repealing the law altogether. 'It's a start for Syria for sure, and it's a great help for us to start rebuilding the synagogue,' said Hamra. The process, he said, will be daunting as the site is littered with unexploded ordnances. What was once a bustling community of merchants, religious figures and politicians is now just six residents in Damascus, says Bakhour Chamantoub, 75, the head of the Jewish community. 'Only four men and [two] women remain, most of them are old in their eighties and nineties,' he said. Despite the restrictions and antisemitism, Chamantoub said he never left Syria and lived openly in Damascus. 'I was not scared of the Palestine Branch or anyone else,' he said, referring to the notorious Damascus prison. 'I am a Jew, and I am proud.' Jews have lived in Syria since biblical times, mainly in Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, but also in the northeastern city of Qamishli, where Kurdish Jews resided. In its heyday, the community numbered between 25,000 to 30,000, said Joel Veldkamp, editor of the Syrian Studies Association Bulletin. He noted that the local community had a long history of welcoming Jews from abroad, including those fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, as well as Italian Jews who moved to Syria in the 18th century. 'The community ran hospitals, schools and orphanages. Aleppo was a center for religious studies for Jews,' he said. He added that an Aleppo synagogue housed one of the oldest copies of the Old Testament, known as the Aleppo codex. After the United Nations partitioned British Mandate Palestine in 1947 creating Israel and the ensuing Arab-Israeli wars, Syrian Jews became targets of mob attacks. The synagogue where Hamra's maternal grandfather was a cantor was bombed in 1949. Successive Syrian governments ignored the attacks and even took aggressive measures against the Jewish community, said Jason Guberman, executive director of the American Sephardi Federation. Both Hamra and Chamantoub recalled they were not allowed to leave the Jewish quarter in Damascus. 'It was a travel ban within a travel ban,' said Chamantoub. Guberman said Jewish leaders and entire neighborhoods were surveilled, correspondence was monitored and censored, restrictions were placed on employment and the teaching of Modern Hebrew was banned. A turning point came in April 1992 when then-President Hafez al-Assad lifted the travel ban, allowing the remaining 4,500 Jews to leave the country. A report by The Washington Post at the time noted that nearly 700 Jews had left a few months after the ban was lifted, reducing one kosher butcher's business by a third. Chamantoub said only 30 Jews remained after that and the number gradually declined to 15 by the start of the Syrian Civil War nearly 14 years ago. Hamra and his family were among those who moved to Brooklyn, 'We packed up everything and we left our house.' The move was hard on his family, which had to quickly adjust to their new surroundings. Henry said he had to drop out of school to support his family. Immigration to the U.S. was made easier by earlier generations of Jewish émigrés who supported new arrivals, said Guberman. Many had started to emigrate in the late 19th century to avoid Ottoman military conscription, a declining economy and antisemitic attacks. Those who could not make it to the U.S. settled in Mexico. David Luna 27, whose great-grandparents came from Aleppo, said that his mother still cooks Syrian dishes for the Sabbath. 'A lot of Syrian families here instead of doing Shabbat dinner, they do Shabbat lunch which revolves around all the different Kibbes,' he said. He too was following the news closely on Dec. 8, when rebels stormed into Damascus. 'I remember calling my mom after and feeling like, 'Hey mom, maybe we can finally go,'' he said. Despite positive overtures from Syria's new rulers, the community still faces challenges. In late April, the tomb of a revered Syrian rabbi, Hayyim ben Joseph Vital, was dug up by unknown culprits. Moustafa said officials have vowed to investigate the matter. Chamantoub said the new government has prevented squatters from moving into vacant Jewish homes after he complained but that some still remain occupied. Hamra said his family home is one of these. The Syrian Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Few Syrian Jewish émigrés are planning to move back permanently but like Hamra, some are planning to visit. 'I was dreaming about this day,' he said. 'It was my dream to see my home again, to see my school and my synagogue. It was a dream come true.'
News.com.au
25-06-2025
- News.com.au
‘Absolutely devastated': Man not allowed into Dubai over face tattoos
A heavily-inked British man has vowed to never return to Dubai after claiming he got kicked out for plastering his face in tattoos. Jordan Howman, 34, said he had his passport confiscated and was held by airport workers for six hours before being given the boot – ruining his £3,000 ($A6300) holiday. The plasterer, from Crewe, a town in Cheshire, England, covered his face in tattoos of geometric cubes and words including 'blessed' and 'crazy life' almost a decade ago. Jordan said his ink addiction hadn't caused him any issues during his previous two trips to his 'favourite country in the world', the UAE. 'My missus has been crying her eyes out,' Howman told The Sun. 'It has absolutely devastated me. I feel like I've been massively discriminated against. 'There's no law against face tattoos – there's nothing like that. 'I'm a lovely lad, I get on with anyone. It's made me feel absolutely rubbish. I'm not allowed in a country because of the way I look. It's properly, massively affected me. 'It was my favourite country, but this has absolutely ruined it. Now I'll never go again. I've lost all of my money because of a pattern on my face.' Jordan landed at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday for a dream week-long holiday with his fiancee Theresa, 38, and daughter Kaic, 16. But he said as he ventured through passport control he was pulled to one side. After taking Jordan aside, the worker asked if he'd had his passport stamped before taking it from him. 'Then he snatched my passport out of my hand,' Jordan said. 'There had been nowhere to stamp it – we'd used the electronic gates. It was just an excuse to get the passport out of my hand.' After being held in a waiting room for more than four hours, Jordan was transferred to immigration at around midday, he said. By this time, his family had reached their five-star Anantara hotel. He called his partner and she got a taxi to the airport – but Jordan said airport staff refused to let her go to him and so she got a cab back, costing a total of £250 ($520). Jordan said he was 'terrified' as he was not given his passport back for some time. 'A woman came and took me upstairs to immigration, where they said: 'He's not coming in because of his face tattoos – you're not coming in because of the way you look',' he claimed. 'One of the staff behind the desk said a more senior immigration officer made the decision, saying I was not to enter Dubai and that I must leave the country immediately.' At 2.30pm – six hours after arriving – Jordan was put on another Emirates flight heading back to the UK. 'They sent me on a flight back to Manchester,' he said. 'It was only when I landed that I got my passport back. 'Friday morning was the first time I got to see my daughter, over Facetime.' The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai have been approached for comment. Dubai Airports was also contacted for a response.
New York Times
07-06-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Haiti Reels as Trump Severs a Lifeline
Born in northeast Haiti with a heart defect, Brad Mertens Joseph is 6, has difficulty walking and is still in diapers. His parents, accustomed to a dangerous 11-hour overnight bus ride to see cardiologists in the country's violent capital, had finally found a solution to their son's medical ailment, caused by a hole in his heart. It involved open-heart surgery in Akron, Ohio, arranged by a nonprofit. Those plans collapsed this week when President Trump issued an order banning people from a dozen countries, including Haiti, who don't already have valid travel visas, from entering the United States 'When I heard that, I was really upset, and I wondered, 'What are we going to do?'' the boy's father, Dieudonné Joseph, said. 'I was panicking, and I'm still panicking.' The Josephs are among the many Haitians who are caught in the middle of Mr. Trump's sweeping travel ban. From young professionals to medical residents to longtime visitors whose visas had lapsed, Haitians are bracing for the consequences of having a lifeline abruptly cut. With its proximity to Florida, a long (often difficult) history with the United States, and grave political and social upheaval, Haiti has strong family and economic ties with its northern neighbor. People have businesses in both countries, and most middle-class Haitians have close relatives in South Florida or New York. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Could A Very Public Spat Blow Up The Big, Beautiful Bill?
President Donald Trump has been pushing the 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' which could add an estimated two trillion dollars to our national debt. However, former 'Godfather' of DOGE, Elon Musk, went on X on Thursday, slamming the legislation. FOX News Sunday Anchor Shannon Bream joins to discuss the drama surrounding the budget bill, as well as President Trump's proposed travel ban and the war in Ukraine. Artificial intelligence has become a popular and valuable tool for many students. However, many teachers say the technology is being abused, allowing them to cheat and have models do their work for them. Steven Cicciarelli, a Lecturer of English at Saint Peter's University, joins The Rundown to share his firsthand experiences in the classroom and discuss how students are using AI to cheat, as well as what educators are doing to combat it. Plus, commentary from FOX News Legal Analyst, Gregg Jarrett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Arab News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
World Central Kitchen halts work in Gaza as supplies run out
Lebanon welcomes return of Emirati tourists with pledges to ensure their safety BEIRUT: Three UAE planes arriving at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday are scheduled to carry Emirati nationals for the first time since a travel ban was imposed in 2024 due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the security services 'are ready to ensure the safety and security of our Arab brothers during the summer.' Salam welcomed the UAE's decision to lift the ban on its citizens traveling to Lebanon. During a meeting on Tuesday with the ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Salam expressed hope that 'this will extend to other Arab countries in the coming weeks.' The meeting was attended by the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, as well as the charge d'affaires of the UAE and Kuwait. On the Lebanese side, the meeting was attended by the ministers of defense, interior, tourism, and public works. Salam said he listened to the concerns of the ambassadors and assured them that 'we will work to address them. I informed them of the security changes taking place at Beirut airport and its surroundings.' President Salam's adviser, Mounir Rabie, told Arab News: 'The Gulf diplomats raised their concerns regarding the return of their nationals to Lebanon, including the need to improve and develop airport procedures, as well as security and economic concerns.' Rabie described the atmosphere as 'positive.' He said Lebanon has proposed a plan that will include the formation of a tourism operations room to monitor all security and tourism issues. According to Salam's office, the diplomats were briefed on the measures taken by the Lebanese authorities at Beirut airport and its surroundings, including on the roads leading to it, to reassure these countries before they decide to lift the ban on the return of their nationals to Lebanon. Emirati airlines resumed flights to Beirut last December, but without allowing Emirati citizens to come to Beirut. The announcement comes after Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, after which it was announced that the ban would be lifted. A special reception is scheduled for the UAE passengers at the airport, with Information Minister Paul Morcos participating. Lebanese officials and the public are counting on this step to revitalize tourism and investment activity in the country, especially in light of the stifling economic crisis it is experiencing. A ministerial source said: 'Efforts are focused on sending reassuring messages domestically and abroad that Lebanon is capable of attracting its Arab brothers once again, given the climate of stability it is keen to maintain through the security and political measures being implemented.' The lifting of the ban on the return of Emiratis was accompanied by a series of conditions and procedures they must follow, most notably 'mandatory registration in the Tawajudi service before traveling to Beirut to ensure their safety and the smooth running of the travel process, whether from the UAE or any other country. This is aimed at ensuring effective communication with citizens while abroad and avoiding the suspension of travel procedures or exposure to legal accountability.' Emirati citizens must also 'fill in the required information, including their place of residence in Lebanon, emergency numbers, and reasons for the visit, with the necessity of updating this information in the event of any change.'
