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Russia Threatens Israel with Legal Action to Regain Ownership of 3 Churches in Jerusalem

This picture taken on December 20, 2021 shows a view of an Israeli flag flying near the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene atop the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. (AFP via Getty Images)
This picture taken on December 20, 2021 shows a view of an Israeli flag flying near the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene atop the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. (AFP via Getty Images)
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Russia Threatens Israel with Legal Action to Regain Ownership of 3 Churches in Jerusalem

This picture taken on December 20, 2021 shows a view of an Israeli flag flying near the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene atop the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. (AFP via Getty Images)
This picture taken on December 20, 2021 shows a view of an Israeli flag flying near the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene atop the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. (AFP via Getty Images)

The Russian government has demanded its Israeli counterpart to transfer ownership of three historic churches to Moscow, political sources in Tel Aviv revealed.

Russia wants state ownership of the Maria Magdalena Monastery, the Ascension Monastery, and the Viri Galilaei Church (People of the Galilee) all situated on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

The sources quoted former Russian Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin, who is responsible on behalf of Russia to regain assets in Israel, as saying that he intends to file a lawsuit at an Israeli court to force the Tel Aviv to return ownership of the churches to Russia if refuses to do so through diplomatic means.

According to Israel’s Yediot Aharonot daily, the new lawsuit is intended for internal propaganda in Russia in light of President Valdimir Putin’s declining popularity due to the war in Ukraine.

The newspaper said Russians are concerned about church issues and would like to see their president also interested in them.

“In Russia, they feel that the Israeli Prime Minister-designate, Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing difficulties in forming a government, and therefore, Russian officials believe this is the appropriate timing to put pressure on him to fulfill previous promises he had made to Putin three years ago,” according to a former political activist working in the file of the expulsion of Jews from Russia to Israel.

In 2019, Netanyahu promised Putin that Israel would transfer ownership of the Alexander Nevsky Church and Alexander Square in Jerusalem to Russia.

He said Israel must respond to the Russian claims, because its silence would harm Tel Aviv, especially in light of the war in Ukraine and the West’s united front against Moscow.

Meanwhile, a source close to the Russian Consulate in Haifa said these churches are Russia, and that the Church of Maria Magdalene houses the remains of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia, who was killed during the 1918 coup by the Russian secret police.

The Church also houses the remains of Princess Alice, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Britain.

Ottoman and British documents show that the two churches and the monastery are Russian, said the source.

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Korean Air Says Turbulence is Knocking Instant Noodles Off Menu

FILE - Passengers approach a Korean Air counter at Gimpo airport in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
FILE - Passengers approach a Korean Air counter at Gimpo airport in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
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Korean Air Says Turbulence is Knocking Instant Noodles Off Menu

FILE - Passengers approach a Korean Air counter at Gimpo airport in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
FILE - Passengers approach a Korean Air counter at Gimpo airport in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

Turbulence is knocking a beloved instant-noodle offering off Korean Air's economy menu, The Associated Press reported.
Cups of Shin Ramyun instant noodles, a favorite among Korean Air travelers over the years, will no longer be available for economy-class passengers starting Aug. 15, a spokesperson for the Seoul-based airline said.
“This decision is part of proactive safety measures in response to increased turbulence, aimed at preventing burn accidents,” Korean Air said.
The instant noodles are currently part of Korean Air's in-flight snack service, which is a self-serve bar beyond meals available for economy passengers on long-haul trips. In this week's announcement, the carrier added that it had “renewed” economy's snack options to instead include offerings like sandwiches, corn dogs and hot pockets.
But business- and first-class passengers will still get their noodles. Korean Air told the BBC that the noodles are brought individually to business- and first-class travelers, reducing spill risks.
Concern about the dangers of serving hot food and liquids on airplanes isn't new. Over the years, several carriers have faced lawsuits from customers who say they suffered serious burns after having hot coffee, for example, spilled on them during a flight. And, while legal precedent may vary around the world, the European Union’s highest court ruled in 2019 that an airline can be held liable if a passenger is injured in this way, even if turbulence or other flight-related factors didn’t cause the spill.
But turbulence, of course, still adds to risk. Flying through unstable air can make balancing something like soup or a hot beverage in-flight all the more precarious.
Numerous turbulence-related injuries have been reported over the years, but most incidents are minor — and airlines have made steady improvements in reducing accident rates. Those include suspending cabin service when needed or taking extra caution when distributing certain refreshments.
Still, rough air might be getting harder and harder to avoid. Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note reports of turbulence encounters are on the rise, pointing to the potential impacts climate change may have on flying conditions.