Israel news summary

Israel News for 3-29-18

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Terror Payments
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has decided to return to directly providing financial aid to families of terrorists imprisoned in Israel and to families of terrorists killed in attacks against Israel. The PA had been indirectly paying the families of the “martyrs” for four years, but has now decided to pay directly.

The PA move is a show of defiance against the US, after Congress passed the Taylor Force Act last week, which halts economic aid to the PA until it ceases paying stipends to terrorists and to the families of deceased terrorists.

The Palestinian Media Watch group released a copy of the PA budget for 2018, in which NIS 550 million was budgeted as stipends for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and NIS 687 million for the families of terrorists who were killed while carrying out terror attacks or in attempted attacks against Israel.

The total budget for terrorist related stipends, NIS 1.2 billion, makes up 7 percent of the total PA budget and is only slightly less than the budget of the PA’s Health Ministry.

For further reading click here.

Palestinian Numbers
According to new data published by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, there are 2,881,000 Palestinians living in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, and 1,900,000 in Gaza. If you add the Israeli Arab population of 1.84 million, the total Arab population living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean is around 6.6 million. The Jewish population is 6.9 million.

Based on the numbers, a one-state solution that gives citizenship to all Arabs doesn’t look like such a great idea for maintaining a Jewish state. A two-state solution doesn’t look any better.

Any ideas?

For further reading click here.

Fighter Deal
Croatia announced that it plans to purchase around 12 refurbished Israeli F-16 fighter aircraft in a deal worth approximately $500 million. Israel beat out a more expensive proposal ($700 million) by Swedish manufacturer Saab for a new fighter squadron.

For further reading click here.

El Al Sues
El Al has filed a lawsuit against the government for allowing Air India to fly over Saudi airspace on its New Delhi-Tel Aviv flights, which El Al says puts it at an unfair disadvantage. El Al is asking that the Air India flights be halted until Israeli airlines are also allowed to fly over Saudi Arabia.

El Al claims that when it was privatized back in the 1990s, the Israeli government at the time pledged to “encourage fair and healthy competition” between Israeli airlines and their foreign competitors. El Al claims that this pledge is now being undermined.

For further reading click here.

US Style
Urban Outfitters, the US clothing retailer, has opened its first store in Israel, located in the Big Fashion center in Ashdod. Three more Urban Outfitters stores are slated for opening this year: the first on Mamilla Boulevard in Jerusalem in May, followed by a store in the Ir Yamim shopping mall in Netanya and the Dizengoff Center branch (Tel Aviv), which will be the chain’s leading store.

For further reading click here.

Whiskey Imports
Figures provided by the UK embassy in Israel show a record of 4.5 million bottles of Scotch whisky imported into Israel in 2017. In monetary terms, Scotch whisky imports have soared from £10 million in 2012 to over £30 million in 2017. Scotch whisky imports totaled £26 million in both 2015 and 2016.

An alcoholic beverages reform introduced by the government eight years ago greatly reduced the price of expensive alcoholic beverages in Israel. For example, the price of a bottle of 18 year-old Chivas Regal or Johnny Walker Black Label whisky was cut in half at the time.

L’chaim!!

For further reading click here.

Charedi Groupings
A report recently published breaks down the the percentages of the various groups that make up the Charedi community in Israel:
Lithuanian – 29.1%
Hassidic (non Chabad) – 29.7%
Sephardim – 22.9%
Sephardim educated in Lithuanian institutions – 12.4%
Chabad Hassidic – 5.9%

For more info in the report, click here.

Happy Passover
The Passover (Pesach) holiday begins this Friday night and lasts for 7 days in Israel and 8 days outside of Israel. The holiday commemorates the miraculous liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. The story is retold at the Seder, along with the drinking of 4 cups of wine, the eating of Matzah and bitter herbs (Maror), and a lot more singing, eating and celebrating. During the entire holiday no leavened grain based products (like bread, pasta, cookies etc) may be consumed, possessed or benefited from.

May this Passover mark the beginning of our final, permanent and complete redemption, and may we be blessed with health, success and peace.

NOTE: The next IsraelAM issue will be published after Passover.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 3-26-18

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Hezbollah Hit
Arab media outlet Al Arabiya reported Sunday evening that Israel attacked Hezbollah outposts in the Lebanese Beqaa Valley region of Baalbek adjacent to the Syrian border. The Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen network denied the reports. The IDF did not comment.

For further reading click here.

Going National
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat officially announced last Wednesday that he will forego running for a third term as mayor and instead run on the Likud party’s national ticket in the coming elections. He said, “I have decided to serve Israel on the national level and strengthen the Likud movement, whose path I wholeheartedly believe in.” Barkat has been mayor of Jerusalem for the past 10 years.

For further reading click here.

Tariff Exemption
Israel is pressing the US administration for an exemption from the new tariffs on aluminum and steel imports. Israel’s official reason for the request is that its metal exports to the US are marginal, totaling $25 million a year, and pose no threat to the US economy. The request also states that limiting aluminum and steel exports from Israel to the US and setting high customs duties will affect dozens of small and medium-sized companies operating throughout Israel. So far, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, Argentina, Australia and the European Union will be exempted from the tariffs.

The Israel Metal Industries Association in the Manufacturers Association of Israel said that 50-60 companies in Israel would be affected by the high customs duties on steel and aluminum in trade with the US. According to the Metal Industries Association’s figures, exports of steel products to the US market totaled $21 million in 2017, and exports of aluminum products totaled $3-4 million. “The quantity of exports is purely marginal, and poses no threat to the US market, but stopping it will deal a hard blow to dozens of Israeli companies.

For further reading click here.

Syrian Synagogue
In an official complaint filed with the United Nations Security Council last week, Syria accused Israel of smuggling religious books and other artifacts from the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue in cooperation with Turkey and with terrorist groups operating in the area.

The Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, located in the Jobar district of Damascus, is believed to be built on the spot where the prophet Elijah is believed to have hid in a cave and in the place where Elijah is said to have anointed the prophet Elisha. According to a plaque on the building, the synagogue dates from 720 BCE. Jobar was home to a large Jewish community for hundreds of years until the 1800s.

The synagogue was said to have been mostly destroyed in mortar attacks during a May 2014 battle between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar and rebel troops. The synagogue reportedly was looted following the battle.

Syria’s Ambassador to the UN Bashar Ja’afari wrote in the letter of what he called “credible evidence” that “the terrorist groups that are active in the area of Jobar, near Damascus, cooperated with the Turkish and Israeli intelligence services to loot artifacts and manuscripts from the ancient synagogue there.”
The letter continued: “The items were then smuggled through local and foreign intermediaries to Istanbul, where they were received by antiquities experts who certified that they were extremely valuable antique objects. The items were subsequently smuggled to New York.”

For further reading click here.

Colombia Anti-Semitism
A Colombian Jewish journalist, Channel 1’s Cathy Bekerman, was ordered to resign from her TV news anchor post after she refused an order from her boss to cross herself while she was on the air. She refused to resign. The Colombian constitutions guarantees religious freedom. Her boss ended up issuing a public apology.

For further reading click here.

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Israel News for 3-23-18

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Palestinian Antics
In a report titled “Friedman, the Ambassador of Settlements and Lawyer of Extremism,” the PA Ministry of Information in Ramallah yesterday called for placing the US ambassador on a “global terror list” “for violating international law, supporting terrorism, and promoting ethnic cleansing and black racism.” This comes days after PA President Abbas called Friedman a “settler” and “son of a dog”.

It’s unclear what the Palestinians are trying to accomplish other than look like idiots and infuriate the US. So far they’ve succeeding on both accounts.

For further reading click here.

Supreme Court
Israel’s Supreme Court yesterday rejected a petition to demolish the entire home of a terrorist responsible for the murder of three members of the Salomon family in a July, 2017 terror attack. The court rejected the petition filed by members of the Salomon family, appealing a ruling by the court in August 2017 that only the interior of the first floor of the home where terrorist Omar al-Abed lived be destroyed, leaving the second floor of the building intact.

The IDF had initially planned to demolish the entire home where al-Abed lived, but petitions brought by several left-wing NGOs on behalf of al-Abed’s family called on the Supreme Court to intervene and limit the demolition. The court accepted the request, and barred the IDF from demolishing the entire building, arguing that al-Abed had primarily used the bottom floor, while his relatives lived on the top floor.

The Salomon family’s petition argued that the entire building was liable for demolition, since al-Abed’s relatives living on the second floor had been convicted of aiding and abetting the terrorist. The petition also cited a law authorizing the IDF to demolish a house and confiscate the land on which it was built, when one of its residents was an accomplice, or accomplice after-the-fact, in offenses of violence and terrorism.

For further reading click here.

Momentous Flight
Air India flight AI 139 from Delhi to Tel Aviv made history yesterday by becoming the first commercial flight to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia. The flight via the airspace of Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan took seven and a half hours, two hours less than if it had been required to circumvent Saudi Arabia.

On hand to greet the historic flight was Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz and Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin. Katz told reporters, “This is an historic moment. For the first time, there has been an official connection between the State of Israel and Saudi Arabia.”

El Al has not been granted rights to fly over Saudi Arabia on its Tel Aviv – Mumbai route and the Israeli carrier’s CEO Gonen Usishkin is protesting unfair competition. He told Yediot Ahronot, “The government is not acting for our benefit. We expect equal opportunity and it’s a shame that the government and the prime minister do not take that into account.”

For further reading click here.

Visa Regulations
The US Embassy in Israel announced yesterday that it was easing the entry visa requirements for Israelis. Under the new regulations, Israelis who are renewing a valid tourist visa or whose visa expired during the past 12 months will not need to present themselves for a personal interview with an official at the US Consulate. Applicants can request a visa renewal online and if their application is accepted they can send their passport to the consulate by mail or take it personally for the visa to be stamped on.

Israel has still not been placed on the visa waiver program, like 38 other countries, which would allow Israelis to visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa.

For further reading click here.

Shabbat Music
A couple of inspiring music videos to get you ready for Shabbat.
The first is a medley of Shlomo Carlebach shabbat songs sung by a Chassidic trio. To watch click here.

The second is a classic by Mordecai Ben David called Just One Shabbos. To listen click here.

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Israel News for 3-21-18

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Aiding Terror
Police arrested Monday night eight people suspected of not trying to prevent a deadly terror attack in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday which claimed the life of Adiel Kolman. According to the police investigation, the eight traders aged between 15 and 67, who live on HaGai street where the attack took place, were in the area when the bloodletting began and despite realizing what was taking place, did nothing to try and prevent it.

However, the court released all 8 suspects to house arrest until March 25th, due to weak evidence. They are forbidden from making contact with the defendants in the case.

For further reading click here.

Abbas Slur
Speaking to Palestinian leaders in Ramallah on Monday, PA President Abbas lashed out against US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman saying, “The US ambassador in Tel Aviv is a settler and a son of a dog.”

In response, Friedman said, “His response was to refer to me as ‘son of a dog’. Is that antisemitism or political discourse? I leave that up to you.” The White House called the slur “highly inappropriate.”

Jason Greenblatt, top Mideast negotiator, said, “The time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people and lead them to peace and prosperity. Notwithstanding his highly inappropriate insults against members of the Trump administration, the latest iteration being his insult of my good friend and colleague Ambassador Friedman, we are committed to the Palestinian people and to the changes that must be implemented for peaceful coexistence.”

PM Netanyahu said that Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem has caused Abbas to “lose it”.

Abbas was responding to a tweet made by Friedman relating to a terror attack saying “Such brutality and no condemnation from the PA!”

For further reading click here.

Sinai Threat
Speaking at the Negev Conference in Dimona yesterday, PM Netanyahu called the “flooding” of illegal African migrants from the Sinai into Israel the most serious threat Israel faces on the Egyptian border. He praised his own decision to construct a security wall along the entire Egyptian border, from Gaza to Eilat, claiming that it has stopped terror attacks and infiltration by illegal migrants.

The PM said, “How could we guarantee a Jewish and democratic state with between 50,000 and 100,000 infiltrators each year? The number could have risen to 1.5 million.” He added, “We completed a tremendous operation—the construction of a fence that is 200 kilometers long on the Sinai border. There was strong resistance to the idea of the fence from Gaza to Eilat. They said it would cost so much money, who knows if it will work, but I believed in it.”

For further reading click here.

Gaza Relief
Despite mounting tensions along the Gaza border recently, the IDF has decided on the following steps to improve humanitarian conditions there:
1. traders from the strip will be allowed to enter Israel to participate in business dealings
2. the amount of fruit and vegetables allowed to be exported from Gaza was increased
3. entrance permits to younger Palestinians were granted
4. increased truck traffic was allowed to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
5. Gaza fishermen will be allowed to go out to sea for longer periods of time.

For further reading click here.

Tragic Accident
An IDF soldier from the elite Duvdevan unit was accidentally killed yesterday on a base in the center of the country. According to reports, the soldier, 20 year old Shachar Citrog from Givatayim, was sitting in his room with another soldier who was apparently playing with his handgun when it accidentally was discharged. The IDF Spokesperson’s Office stated that the military police has opened an investigation into the incident.

For further reading click here.

Attack Confirmed
Israel has finally officially confirmed that it attacked and destroyed a nuclear reactor in Syria in 2007.
To read more about the details of the attack, click here.

Musk Meeting
PM Netanyahu met with Elon Musk yesterday at the PM’s residence in Jerusalem. He said, “I met with Elon Musk this morning. He told me that Israel was a technological power, and that he appreciates what we’re doing here.” Sources say Musk’s visit to Israel is linked to cooperation with Israeli startup Cortica.

For further reading click here.

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Israel News for 3-19-18

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Old City Terror
Adiel Coleman, a 32 year old father of 4 who was working as a security guard, was stabbed to death by a terrorist in Jerusalem’s Old City yesterday.A nearby policeman shot and killed the terrorist.

The terrorist was 28 year old Abd al-Rahman Bani Fadel, a father of 2 from Nablus. He had a temporary permit for a week that allowed him to enter Israel to search for employment. He had received such permits in the past.

Adiel Coleman was laid to rest today.

For further reading click here.

Ramming Attack
Terrorist Alaa Kabha rammed his car into a patrol of IDF soldiers on Friday afternoon on route 585 between the settlements of Mevo Dotan and Hermesh, killing two of the soldiers—an officer and a conscript—and wounding two others.

An initial investigation into the incident found that when they were spotted by the terrorist, the troops were standing near a pillbox post located between the village of Ya’bad and nearby olive plantations. The two slain soldiers were standing at the front of their jeep, while the other two stood on the vehicle’s other side, near the road.

Upon spotting the soldiers, the terrorist veered from the road, sped up, and hit the officer and the soldier who was standing with him first. The two were killed instantly. Then, the terrorist sped towards the two other troops, wounding one very seriously and the other moderately. At some point, the terrorist also hit the barbed-wire fence that surrounded the pillbox post. The soldiers did not have a chance to fire their weapons.

The terrorist admitted to committing a terror attack under interrogation by the Shin Bet, who believe that he acted as a “lone wolf”, without any support or without anyone else knowing about his intentions.

The two soldiers killed in the attack were laid to rest on Sunday. They are Sergeant Netanel Kahalani (20) and Lieutenant Ziv Daus (21).

Kahalani’s mother eulogized her son saying, “My Netanel. My dear child, how am I going to say goodbye to you today? I always knew we would separate, but I never imagined it would be this soon. You were a wonderful child, you loved living, you were full of life. My good boy with the heart of gold, thank you for 20 years of grace, love and friendship. We will never separate, you will always be in my heart. I love you very much, and I wish we would one day meet in eternity.”

To read more about the slain soldiers, click here.

Hamas Tunnel
The IDF destroyed a Hamas tunnel on Sunday from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to the Eshkol Regional Council inside Israel. The tunnel had initially been destroyed during operation Protective Edge, but Hamas was attempting to “recycle” it. The IDF did not use explosives to destroy the tunnel. Instead, it flooded the tunnel with a certain compound that rendered it unusable. No IDF troops entered Gaza in the operation.

Over the weekend, Israeli aircraft bombed another Hamas tunnel in the central Gaza Strip. Additional Hamas military targets were also attacked, in response to IEDs that were planted near the Israeli border.

For future reading click here.

Slow Buses
Despite huge investments in public transportation, the time it takes to get to a workplace outside a person’s place of residence in Israel has become 20% longer over the past five years, according to a survey published by the Bank of Israel.

For further reading click here.

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Israel News for 3-16-18

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Lebanon Army
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hariri said that his country would increase its military presence along its border with Israel. The move would be an attempt to curb Hezbollah’s power in the region. Hariri is meeting with European leaders to raise funds for the Lebanese army.

For further reading click here.

Budget Approved
After nearly causing a coalition crisis and new elections, the 2019 state budget finally was passed by the Knesset this week. The budget passed by a vote of 62-54.

The largest sums of the budget are earmarked for defense (NIS 73 billion), education (NIS 64 billion), health (NIS 42 billion) and national insurance (NIS 46 billion). Another NIS 20 billion will be pumped into public transport and NIS 19 billion into the Ministry of Public Security. Both higher education and the Ministry of Welfare will receive a financial injection of NIS 11 billion each, while local authorities will receive NIS 6 billion and the Ministry of Housing will get a NIS 5.3 billion boost.

In exchange for supporting the budget, the Haredi parties are getting a Draft Bill passed, to exempt yeshiva students from serving in the IDF.

For further reading click here.

To see the Haredi reaction to the compromise (and the PM), click here.

Stop Deportations
Israel’s Supreme Court has issued a temporary injunction ordering the government to halt deportation proceedings against asylum seekers. According to the ruling by Chief Justice Esther Hayut, Deputy Chief Justice Hanan Melcer and Justice Neal Hendel, the injunction will not apply to anyone agreeing to leave Israel willingly. The order, moreover, will not apply to preparations for the expulsion, which may go through as planned.

Israel is drawing sharp criticism for its plan to deport thousands of illegal African migrants.

For further reading click here.

US Navy Visits
The USS Iwo Jima aircraft carrier is currently docked at the Port of Haifa after participating in the recent joint US-Israel Juniper-Cobra military exercise. The ship is home to over 2,000 personnel.

For further reading click here.

Happy Place
Israel has been ranked as the 11th happiest country in the world according to the 2018 World Happiness Report, which ranks countries according to criteria such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity and absence of corruption. A total of 156 countries were ranked.

The top 10 countries are Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Australia. The US is 18th. Burundi (Africa) came in last.

For further reading click here.

Hidden Jews Return
A fascinating video about hidden Jews, who lived as Catholics for hundreds of years, returning to their heritage in Bello, Colombia. Click here

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Israel News for 3-14-18

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Gaza Conference
Representatives of nearly two dozen countries and international organizations gathered yesterday at the White House for a meeting to discuss aid for Gaza. The meeting was led by top U.S. Middle East negotiator Jason Greenblatt.

Greenblatt highlighted the poverty in Gaza and said, “We asked you here because we believe we can do much better – we must do much better.” Jared Kushner presented concrete ideas to assist the people of Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority boycotted the meeting, in protest of President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. UNRWA, the UN relief organization that provides most of the relief in Gaza, was not invited.

The full list of participants includes: Bahrain, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, the European Union, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, the Middle East Quartet, Qatar, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United Nations.

The White House called the 6 hour meeting a success.

For further reading click here.

Compromise Reached
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation last night unanimously approved a compromise deal to avert a government collapse and new elections. The deal allows for the passage of the Draft Bill, which exempts yeshiva students from military service, while permitting coalition MKs to vote against it if they so choose. That means that Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and members of his party will be able to vote against the Draft Bill without being fired.

To read details of the compromise deal click here.

Assassination Attempt
A bomb was detonated near Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah’s convoy, just minutes after he crossed into Gaza from Israel at the Erez crossing. Hamdallah was visiting the area to inaugurate a desalination plant established within the framework of reconciliation with Hamas. Hamdallah was not harmed, but several of his guards were injured.

PA President Abbas condemned the assassination attempt and said, “this crime was planned and its targets and perpetrators are well-known. It is consistent with the attempts to avoid allowing the Palestinian government to operate in Gaza, undermine the reconciliation and to destroy the national enterprise by separating Gaza from the West Bank in order to establish a questionable state in the Gaza Strip.”

For further reading click here.

Birth Rate
According to Central Bureau of Statistics data on birth and fertility published Tuesday, Israel’s overall fertility rate was 3.14 children per mother in 2016. That’s the highest fertility rate among nations who are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The average OECD rate averages around 2.1 children.

Communities with highest overall fertility rates were Haredi cities and Bedouin communities in the south. Those with the lowest rate, on the other hand, were mostly Druze, or communities housing either the upper socioeconomic echelons of Israel’s population or a relatively high percentage of olim.

A total of 191,405 babies were born in Israel in 2016. By religion, 73.9% of babies born in 2016 were born to Jewish women, 20.7% to Muslims, 1.4% to Christians, 1.3% to Druze, and 2.6% to women whose religion was not classified in the census.

The average age of women giving birth for the first time was 27.6. The proportion of babies born to women 30 years or older rose from 40.2% in 2000 to 51.5% in 2016.

For further reading click here.

Spotify Launches
Spotify, the world’s largest music, podcast, and video streaming service officially launched in Israel on Monday. Spotify will charge 20 shekels a month for a premium subscription, in addition to its free service with ads.

For further reading click here.

The Winner Is
We are happy to announce that the winner of the IsraelAM book giveaway is Amee Sherer, the Executive Director of the Hillel at the University of Washington. Upon hearing that she won, Amee said, “I will be thrilled to add these books to our Hillel UW library!” And we’re thrilled that the books will be put to good use in strengthening college students’ connection with Israel.

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Israel News for 3-12-18

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Coalition Bargaining
After much bargaining and dealmaking, and several failed compromise proposals, late last night PM Netanyahu and United Torah Judaism head Yaakov Litzman reached a compromise agreement whereby the government would support the passing of a draft law exempting yeshivah students and the Haredi parties would support the new state budget for 2019.

The compromise agreement was approved by the UTJ’s Council of Torah Sages, headed by the Gerrer (Gur) Rebbe. The agreement was then approved by the Ministerial Legislation Committee early today and will now proceed to a preliminary Knesset reading.

The only remaining stumbling block to the agreement is Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who previously said that he would reject any compromise agreement that did not originate in the defense establishment. In the event that Lieberman and his Yisrael Beteinu party vote against the agreement, the Knesset will probably vote to hold new elections. If he votes against the bill, since he his a minister, Lieberman will be fired from his position.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahalon has said that if the budget is not passed this week, he will resign and withdraw his party from the government, which will also bring down the government and force new elections. The UTJ is demanding the passing of the draft bill before it supports the passing of the budget.

The compromise agreement for the draft bill is based on a framework put forward by Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur, which states that a goal will be set of 3,800 Haredi recruits joining the IDF and national service with each recruitment cycle—with their number gradually increasing.

In addition, the bill will omit any sanctions or incentives, instead including an article starting that the government will inspect general draft quotas every five years and if it finds Haredi conscripts failed to meet them, the law will expire.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked stressed that after the bill passes its preliminary reading, the rest of the legislation process will be coordinated with the attorney general and with the Defense Ministry.

She said, “The State of Israel is neither a disturbed democracy nor a banana republic. In this crisis, everyone is right and everyone must compromise. The finance minister is right when he says that although the budget doesn’t have to be passed now, a promise has been made to pass the budget and promises must be kept. The Haredim are right when they say that a new draft bill has to be passed, but it doesn’t have to pass three readings right now. There’s still time. And the defense minister is right when he says that the bill has to be coordinated with him.”

For further reading click here.

Asylum Providers
Over 2,000 families from kibbutzim and moshavim across the country have pledged to provide shelter to asylum seekers facing expulsion via three different initiatives opposing the government’s plan. A plan is also being discussed to resettle over 1,000 asylum seekers from south Tel Aviv to locations in the north of the country.

For further reading click here.

Council Bid Abandoned
Israel has decided to abandon its quest for its first-ever seat on the United Nations Security Council after seeing its low chances of success. Israel had been quietly working behind the scenes for more than a year in an effort to win a seat on the 15-nation council in the upcoming elections in June. However, sources within the Foreign Ministry said that Israel did not manage to muster up the necessary majority and will likely inform its allies to remove it from consideration.

For further reading click here.

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Israel News for 3-9-18

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Joint Exercise
The IDF and US Army are participating in a joint military exercise called Juniper Cobra 2018, which began March 4th and will last until the end of the month. The exercise is particularly addressing the scenario of Israel facing thousands of rockets launched simultaneously from Iran, Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Lt.-Col. Richard Clark, commander of the American force said, “This is the biggest, most important exercise held by United States European Command this year. it symbolizes our commitment to Israel’s security. For eight months we’ve drawn conclusions from the previous exercise and thought about ways to improve our ability to defend Israel.”

He said, “Some 2,500 American troops deployed across Israel, Europe and the US are participating in the exercise along with more than 2,000 IDF soldiers. In our operation centers, we have American service members sitting side by side with Israeli defense force members, and this is the glue that is going to hold the inter-operability and the integration together when it comes time for us to execute this mission.”

For further reading click here.

Sudan Aid
A team from the Foreign Ministry headed by Ambassador to South Sudan Hanan Godar distributed 20 tons of food to refugees affected by the civil war plaguing the country. Israel enlisted in a campaign to alleviate the suffering following an international appeal for urgent assistance. Goder also announced that Israel will accept 60 students from southern Sudan for agricultural training next year.

Goder’s announcement was widely covered in the local media where Israel is viewed as a giant contributor in foreign aid and is advancing many building projects in South Sudan.

For further reading click here.

Legalizing Pot
The Knesset is close to passing a bill that would decriminalize marijuana use and possession. Passing unanimously on its first of three legislative readings, the bill proposes a NIS 1,000 ($290) fine on first-time possession of marijuana for adults. Getting caught for a second time would result in a NIS 2,000 fine. A third-time offender would have to complete a community service program. Police would only proceed with criminal charges upon a fourth offense. So using pot would still be illegal, but not jail worthy until a fourth offense.

Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan, who introduced the bill, said policy should focus on education, prevention and drug rehabilitation rather than criminalization.

In explaining the bill, lawmakers wrote that getting caught with marijuana should not impact the future of “a normative person who does not lead a criminal lifestyle.”

Marijuana use in Israel has increased from 5.5% of those aged 18-40 in 2009 to 27% in 2016. Among teenagers, the reported rise is from 5% to 10%.

For further reading click here.

Jerusalem Marathon
About 35,000 runners from 72 countries participated in the 8th annual Jerusalem Marathon today. Kenyan runner Shadrack Kipkogey finished the marathon first in 2 hours, 21 minutes and 27 seconds. It’s his third consecutive win. Last month the Tel Aviv marathon was also won by a Kenyan runner.

For further reading click here.

Music
Here’s a new song sung by Yonatan Raizel and composed by Israeli icon Motti Caspi. To listen click here.

Book Giveaway
IsraelAM is giving away 3 books to help you learn more about Israel.
The first two are historical fiction by bestselling, world famous Jewish writer Herman Wouk. The third is a non fiction work about Israel’s innovations in the field of water technology — and what Israel can teach the world in that vital area.

1. The Hope, by Herman Wouk
2. The Glory, by Herman Wouk
3. Let There Be Water, by Seth M. Siegel

Winner will be announced on Monday. After you enter, make sure you check your inbox for the confirmation email to confirm your entry.

Books can only be shipped within the US…sorry :(

To enter the giveaway click here.

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Israel News for 3-7-18

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Coalition Crisis
The Haredi UTJ party is threatening not to support the new 2019 state budget unless a law is passed that would equate studying in a yeshiva with army service. Yesterday, PM Netanyahu warned that if no solution is found, new elections would be called.

Economy Minister Eli Cohen (Kulanu) said that his party, which is led by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, will not compromise on the budget. He said, “We explicitly said that if the state budget is not approved in the current (Knesset) session, we’re going to elections. You can’t turn the budget into a tool for extortion.”

UTJ leader Yaakov Litzman is demanding that all 3 readings of their proposed law are done, and the law passed, before they agree to the budget, which is scheduled to be passed this week. But some Haredi MKs are willing to settle for just one reading of the proposed law before supporting the budget.

Deputy Minister Meir Porush (UTJ), meanwhile, rejected a compromise to the crisis that entails a more moderate version of the draft law amendment, which does not include a Basic Law that recognizes the value of Torah studies. Such a compromise, which would help those who oppose the legislation “swallow the bitter bill,” will not be enough to guarantee the status of yeshiva students and their immunity from being called up for IDF service.

Could this coalition crisis bring down the government? Everyone is awaiting the PM’s return from Washington on Friday to see what he does.

For further reading click here.

AIPAC News
Haley Speaks
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley addressed the AIPAC Policy Conference yesterday. She said, “What President Trump did, to his great credit, was recognize a reality that American presidents had denied for too long. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. That’s a fact. And President Trump had the courage to recognize that fact when others would not. Sometime in the future, the day will come when the whole world recognizes that fact.”

Haley added, “I hope to be there and join our great ambassador, David Friedman, on the day when we open our brand new American embassy in Jerusalem.”

Regarding Israel at the UN, Haley said, “Israel is a strong country with a strong military. But at the UN, it’s a different story. Israel does get bullied there. It gets bullied because the countries that don’t like Israel get away with it. That just doesn’t sit well with me.”

Pence Speaks
VP Mike Pence addressed the AIPAC Policy Conference yesterday, following ambassador Haley’s speech. Pence said, “I stand before you today in (President Donald Trump’s) behalf to convey a simple message: America stands with Israel—today, tomorrow and always, because we believe in right over wrong, in good over evil, in liberty over tyranny. President Trump promised to ensure that Israel would have the resources and tools to defend itself by itself. And today, American support for the security of the State of Israel is greater than ever before.”

Regarding Jerusalem he said, “While every president in the past two decades promised to recognize the capital of Israel, President Trump did more than promise—he delivered.”

Pence reiterated the US commitment to a peace plan and said that the US would support a two-state solution if that’s what both sides agreed upon. He added, “The US will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish state of Israel.”

Trump Meeting
PM Netanyahu met with President Trump in the White House yesterday. Regarding the decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem, Trump said that it “was a wonderful thing, and I know it was very much appreciated in a big part of the world, not just in Israel.” He added that he might come to Jerusalem for the opening of the new embassy.

Regarding a peace deal Trump said, “If we could do peace between Israel and the Palestinians, that would be a great thing for the world, that would be a great thing for this country, and a great thing for everybody.”

The meeting was the 5th between the two leaders since Trump took office last year.

Netanyahu will address the AIPAC conference today.

For further reading click here.

Saudi Flyover
Last month Air India announced it would launch 3 weekly flights between India and Israel and that the flights would fly through Saudi Arabian airspace. That caused the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh to deny it had granted Air India permission to do so. But yesterday, PM Netanyahu told reporters that the Saudis had now granted Air India permission to fly over its territory.

If the PM is correct, the move would reflect a thawing in the relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, it’s unlikely that El Al will get permission to fly over Saudi territory, which puts the airline at a severe disadvantage, since it must take an extra 2 hours to fly south to Ethiopia to avoid Saudi airspace before heading east to India. India Air will be quicker and significantly cheaper, since it will be saving money on fuel.

For further reading click here. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5147005,00.html

Book Giveaway
IsraelAM is giving away 3 books to help you learn more about Israel.
The first two are historical fiction by bestselling, world famous Jewish writer Herman Wouk. The third is a non fiction work about Israel’s innovations in the field of water technology — and what Israel can teach the world in that vital area.

1. The Hope, by Herman Wouk
2. The Glory, by Herman Wouk
3. Let There Be Water, by Seth M. Siegel

Winner will be announced on Monday. After you enter, make sure you check your inbox for the confirmation email to confirm your entry.

Books can only be shipped within the US…sorry :(

To enter the giveaway click here.