JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel brought 12 Jews from conflict-riven southern Kyrgyzstan to Israel.

The 12 Kyrgyz Jews were brought to Israel on Sunday and were scheduled to attend a welcome ceremony at the Jewish Agency for Israel's board of governors assembly on Monday along with 650 other new immigrants. They were immediately made Israeli citizens.

BERLIN (JTA) -- Several Arab countries strongly favor tougher sanctions on Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, a new poll shows.

Respondents in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon were among the most supportive of such sanctions, according to the ninth annual Pew Global Attitudes Project released Thursday in Berlin and Washington. Most countries favored a tough stance on Iran, with only Pakistan and India disagreeing.

The survey of 25,000 individuals in 22 countries was completed in May, and was co-sponsored by the German-based Bertelsmann Foundation.