Archive for month: August, 2018

Aid Cut
The State Department announced that the US will cut its aid package to the Palestinians by $200 million. The decision came following a review of US aid to the Palestinian Authority, to the West Bank and to the Gaza Strip, carried out at the direction of President Trump, to examine whether the expenditure served the US national interest and gave the US taxpayer a return for his money.

Following the review, President Trump directed that more than $200 million should be channeled to high-priority projects elsewhere. The amount cut was approved in the 2017 fiscal year for “programs on the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.”

A State Department official said that the decision took into account the challenges with which the international community was contending in its efforts to provide aid in the Gaza Strip. He said that the Hamas regime endangered the lives of the citizens there and worsened a humanitarian and economic situation which was difficult in any case.

In January this year, the Trump administration suspended until further notice $65 million of the budget of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees). At this stage, the US will transfer $60 million to the agency, but will suspend, pending further review, the frozen amount.

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Crossing Reopened
The Erez border crossing between Israel and Gaza will be reopened today, a week after it was closed because of the continued violent protesting on the strip’s border and the ongoing threat of incendiary balloons. The crossing is mainly for pedestrians, primarily patients in need of medical care outside Gaza.

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New Rockets
The Defense Ministry announced Monday it has signed a deal worth hundreds of millions shekels with IMI Systems for the development and acquisition of advanced precision rockets. The rockets will have a range of 30-150 km. and will employ advanced technologies to adapt them to the modern battlefield. The Defense Ministry said, “This precision fire capability significantly improves the IDF’s capabilities and allows for accurate hits in remote launches, at immediate availability, and at a lower cost compared to other combat systems.”

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Drought Continues
The Water Authority announced Sunday that even if the coming winter brings average precipitation, or even above average, the drought will continue.They said that the Kinneret is drying up at a rapid pace and approaching its black line (which is below the red line).

The Water Authority said that the severe drought of the past five years has mainly affected the water sources in the north of the country, but the rest of the water sources also have huge shortages. There is a deficit of about 2.5 billion cubic meters.

In a statement, the Water Authority said, “The Water Authority continues to prepare to respond to the increasing trend of dehydration in the entire region. At the same time, the Water Authority is working to increase efficiency and prevent water waste as a permanent lifestyle.”
 
“In addition, two additional large desalination plants are being planned, as well as other steps, to supplement the water sources for all uses. The Water Authority is also developing tools for forecasting the flow in streams over different periods of time: flood forecasting and intensity to seasonal predictions of the quantities of water expected to be received in a given year as well as over longer time periods in order to enable all elements in the economy to prepare and plan their activities and investments wisely and effectively. Climate change requires us all to carefully manage and prevent water waste as a way of life, during rainy years as well, of which we hope and are confident that there will be.”

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Ceasefire Threatened
A terrorist shot at IDF troops from the northern Gaza Strip today. IDF troops opened fire on the terrorist in response. No soldiers were injured. The terrorist was hit. Yesterday, 3 incendiary devices were fired into Israel from Gaza causing 3 separate fires. In response Israel partially closed the Erez Crossing into northern Gaza. The crossing is rarely used by Palestinians. All this comes in the wake of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas which stipulated the stopping of all terror attacks from Gaza.

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Security Meeting
PM Netanyahu, met with US National Security Advisor John Bolton Sunday evening over dinner at the prime minister’s official residence in Jerusalem. The meeting was also attended by US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer.

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Soda Biz
PepsiCo today announced that it is acquiring Israeli home carbonated drinks company Sodastream International Ltd. (Nasdaq: SODA) for $3.2 billion. The US beverage company will buy all outstanding shares for $144.00 per share in cash, which is a 32% premium on the 30-day volume weighted average price and a 10% premium on last night’s closing price on Nasdaq.

PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi said, “PepsiCo and SodaStream are an inspired match. Daniel and his leadership team have built an extraordinary company that is offering consumers the ability to make great-tasting beverages while reducing the amount of waste generated. That focus is well-aligned with Performance with Purpose, our philosophy of making more nutritious products while limiting our environmental footprint. Together, we can advance our shared vision of a healthier, more-sustainable planet.”

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Draft Bill
PM Netanyahu has threatened to dissolve the government and hold new elections if a compromise cannot be reached with the Ultra Orthodox parties regarding the new draft law, which would make thousands of Haredim eligible for the draft. Even without the votes of the Ultra Orthodox parties, the bill has enough support to pass because the opposition parties will vote for it. But Netanyahu does not want to alienate the Haredi since he will probably need their support if he has to form a new coalition.

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Gaza Balloons
One way to stop Hamas from terrorizing Israel with incendiary balloons is to nip the problem at the source. So over the past few weeks Israel has confiscated 3 shipping containers with tens of thousands of balloons bound for Gaza. But what about all those birthday parties?

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Expensive City
Tel Aviv has been ranked as the world’s ninth most expensive city, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The ranking is based on the cost of a basket of 160 products and services including basic foods, clothing, car rental and purchase, apartment rents, and household maintenance and equipment.

The EIU noted, “Tel Aviv, which was ranked 34th just five years ago, is now the ninth most expensive city in the survey. Currency appreciation played a part in this rise, but Tel Aviv also has some specific costs that drive up prices, notably those of buying, insuring and maintaining a car, which push transport costs 79% above New York prices. Tel Aviv is also the second most expensive city in the survey in which to buy alcohol.”

Tel Aviv is ranked behind Singapore (1), Paris (2), Zurich (3), Hong Kong (4), Oslo (5), Geneva (6), Seoul (7), and Copenhagen (8). Sydney is in tenth place and New York in 13th place (the most expensive US city).

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Runner Blooper
Kenyan born Israeli runner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter was on her way to win a silver medal at a European Athletics Championship race in Berlin, when she mistakenly thought she had finished the race and stopped running a lap too early. When she figured out her mistake she was too far behind to get back into medal contention, although she still ended up coming in 4th and breaking an Israeli record. Salpeter won a gold medal in the 5000 meter race last week.

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Tank Fire
IDF tanks fired at a Hamas position near Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza yesterday, killing 2 Hamas terrorists. The terrorists had initially opened fire at IDF forces. The 9th Battalion of the 401st Brigade shelled the manned Hamas position with a Merkava Mark IV tank mere minutes after the troops came under fire. Unlike previous incidents, the IDF returned fired immediately, without waiting for Hamas personnel to evacuate the position. The incident did not affect the construction of Israel’s underground obstacle on the Gaza border, which continued near the area of the incident.

Earlier Tuesday, firefighters—with help from the IDF, KKL the Nature and Parks Authority and security coordinators in the Gaza border communities—put out four other fires started by incendiary kites and balloons.

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Mossad Work
According to a senior Middle East intelligence source cited in the New York Times on Monday, Mossad was reportedly behind the assassination of Syrian missile scientist Dr. Aziz Asber in Hama on Saturday night. Asber was killed in an explosion in his car along with his driver several minutes after leaving his home. After watching him for months, the Mossad reportedly planted a bomb in his car.

Dr. Asber was involved in Syria’s chemical weapons development as well as in the Iranian Fateh missiles program. He worked on the development of medium- and long-range missiles as well as building a solid-fuel plant for missiles and rockets. He headed Sector 4, a top-secret unit at the Scientific Studies and Research Center in Masyaf.

The source quoted by the Times, a member of an intelligence agency in the Middle East that was updated on the operation, said this was the fourth time over the past three years that Israel had eliminated a weapons scientist at a foreign nation.
 
By Israeli law, only the prime minister can authorize an assassination operation by the Mossad. Spokespeople for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman declined to respond to the Times report.

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Female Commander
A female pilot, Maj. G., will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and will be the first woman in the Israeli air force to command a flight squadron. Maj. G., 34, will command over the IAF’s 122nd Squadron, also known as the Nachshon Squadron, which takes part in covert aerial operations, hundreds and thousands of kilometers away from Israel. The unit uses G550 aircraft made by the Israel Aerospace Industries.

There are already female officers in command of aircraft and maintenance squadrons at the heart of IAF operations, as well as a female deputy commander of a combat squadron and several female officers in key roles at the IAF’s command center. But Maj. G. would be the first to command a flight squadron.

Maj. G. is married with children.

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Nurses Strike
The National Association of Nurses announced Tuesday that significant progress had been made in negotiations with representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health on the matter of hospital violence. A short time later, the Health Ministry spokesman announced that the negotiations had borne fruit and the strike was cancelled. The Finance Ministry agreed to fund a significant increase in hospital security as well as additional health care staff positions.

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New Towns
The National Board for Planning and Building today recommended the establishment of two new communities in the Negev: Daniel and Ir Ovot. The Ministry of Construction and Housing submitted the proposals, which will now be submitted for cabinet approval.

Daniel, a rural community, is slated for the northwestern Negev adjacent to the Aleh Negev rehabilitation village for disabled children and adults and west of the town of Ofakim. Construction of the community will be in stages, with a final total of 450 housing units. The community is designed to provide a housing solution for the families of Aleh Negev patients and the institution’s staff, young couples from the regional council, and permanent army soldiers serving in the area. Ir Avot will have 250 housing units constructed. Several other proposed communities were not approved.

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ISIS Stopped
An Israeli Air Force jet attacked a group of armed ISIS-affiliated terrorists in the Syrian southern Golan Heights early Thursday, killing 7 of them. The terrorists were approaching the border fence. The incident took place near the area still controlled by an ISIS-linked group, which has about 300 fighters and is the only one in the Syrian Golan that has not yet surrendered to the Syrian army.

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Ceasefire Talks
According to a report today in Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel is close to becoming a reality. The agreement is being facilitated by Egypt and a special UN Mideast envoy.

According to Al Akhbar, the first stage of the ceasefire agreement will come into effect within a week and will include an end to “March of Return” protest activities on the Israel-Gaza border. In return, the Kerem Shalom border crossing will resume activity and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt will be reopened on a more permanent basis.

The second stage will include the improvement of living conditions in the Gaza Strip and the complete removal of the blockade. Israel will allow the transfer of goods into the strip and increase the electricity it provides Gaza.
 
The third stage of the plan will include the launch of UN humanitarian projects already proposed in the past, including the construction of a sea port for Gaza in Ismailia, Egypt, an airport in Sinai, and construction of a power plant in Sinai. In addition, the reconstruction of Gaza will move ahead.

Israel’s Security Cabinet is set to discuss the agreement on Sunday.

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Fuel Stopped
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has decided to stop all fuel shipments to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom border crossing as a result of continued terror activity from Gaza. The ban will remain in place until further notice. Last week the crossing was opened as a result of a drop in incendiary balloon launches from Gaza.

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Gaza Water
The European Union announced yesterday that it had completed construction of the largest solar energy field in Gaza, which will power the Southern Gaza Desalination Plant. The desalination plant currently provides clean water to 75,000 inhabitants of Khan Younis and Rafah. The new energy field’s output of 0.5 megawatts, and further investment from the EU, will increase the output to provide drinking water to 250,000 people in Southern Gaza by 2020.

The EU is also working on other projects to ease the water crisis in Gaza. These include supporting an Oxfam plan to rehabilitate brackish desalination plants; working to reduce the amount of water that leaks out of the system, currently a staggering 40 percent; and assisting the Palestinian Water Authority.

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Arms Aid
The US Senate passed legislation approving $500 million in anti-missile defense aid and $50 million in anti-tunnel assistance for Israel. An AIPAC statement said, “This bipartisan legislation authorizes increases in US security assistance to Israel, and it encourages expanded weapons stockpiles and new US-Israel cooperation in anti-drone technologies, cybersecurity and space.”

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Gay Parade
Around 22,000 people participated in the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem yesterday, the largest turnout ever for the annual event. Police said 2,400 police officers, both in uniform and undercover, were stationed in the area and were aided by observers and special forces units.

To our best knowledge there were no gay pride parades in Gaza, the Palestinian authority, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, or any other Muslim country. Maybe the Europeans should think about that when deciding whom to support?

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