israel news

Israel News for 1-7-19

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Terror Attempt
Earlier today, a female terrorist approached Israeli Border Police officers at the Tapuach junction in Samaria. Police ordered her to stop. When she continued approaching they fired warning shots into the air. When she again failed to stop they shot at her lower body. Police suspect that she has explosives tied to her body. The terrorist is fully conscious, with bullet wounds in her lower body.

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Gaza Update
Early today, Iron Dome batteries intercepted a missile fired from Gaza. In reposes Israeli aircraft attacked Hamas military targets in northern Gaza. No injuries were reported on either side.

On Sunday, terrorists in Gaza used a cluster of balloons to fly a styrofoam airplane carrying an explosive device into southern Israel. The plane landed in a field in Sdot Negev Regional Council, near the Gaza border, and was neutralized by police sappers. In response, Israel Air Force helicopters struck a Hamas position belonging to Hamas in southern Gaza. Police also urged the residents of the Israeli communities near the Gaza border to immediately report any suspicious devices and leave the area at once.

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Moshe Arens
Moshe Arens, a former defense minister and foreign minister, died today at the age of 93. An engineer by training, the American-raised Arens was instrumental in developing Israel’s military and aircraft industries and served three stints as the country’s defense minister. Aren’s is also known for “discovering” a young Benjamin Netanyahu and mentoring him in the Likud party.

Arens was born in Lithuania in 1925 but grew up in the United States, where he was active in the Beitar youth movement of Likud’s precursor, the Herut party of Menachem Begin. He served in the American military during World War II before immigrating to Israel in 1948.

After completing his engineering degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology, Arens settled in Israel permanently. He worked as a professor of aeronautics at the Technion — the Israel Institute of Technology — and as an executive at Israel Aircraft Industries before going into politics.

Arens was first elected to the Knesset in 1973. In 1982, he was appointed Israeli ambassador to the United States and named his young protégé Netanyahu as his deputy. The position gave Netanyahu great exposure, led to his posting as ambassador to the United Nations and launched his political career.

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Health Stats
According to a new report, Israel’s infant mortality rate is one of the lowest in the world, standing at 3.1 babies per 1,000 births. The rate is also low in comparison to countries with similar public health systems, such as Belgium, Germany, Holland, Switzerland and France. Life expectancy is also relatively high, at an average of 82.5 years.

In 2017, Israel’s national expenditure on health was only 7.3 percent of GDP (gross domestic product), compared to an average of 8.9 percent in developed countries. Countries that have socialized medicine (like in Israel) spend 11% of GDP. So Israel is lagging behind, which is probably adversely effective its medical care.

Doctors’ wages rose by about 42 percent between 2011 and 2017, which is primarily thought to be as a result of private treatments usually paid for by supplemental insurance. The problem is that doctors are charging for private treatments when, in many cases, they should be providing those treatments through the public care system. That also means that people that cannot afford private insurance or payments are, in many cases, getting inferior treatment.

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Smoking Regulations
The Knesset last week voted overwhelmingly in favor of a law to restrict the advertising and marketing of smoking paraphernalia in the country. The new legalization extends current tobacco-related restrictions to e-cigarettes, and limits advertising only to print media, under significant constraints.

The law, which will come into effect in a year, also mandates that all cigarette packages (including e-cigarettes) be painted with Pantone 448c, chosen as the world’s ugliest color in 2016 by market researchers. The Knesset hopes that the muddy, greenish brown color, already used in the UK, France and Australia, will help dampen the brand appeal of the cigarettes.

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israel news

Israel News for 1-4-19

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Amona Again
Twenty-three police officers and three civilians were wounded Thursday morning when Israeli forces evacuated around 300 settlers who recently returned to Amona, the outpost which was evacuated almost 2 years ago. The settlers returned to the outpost last month in protest of a spate of terror attacks in the area. Settlers barricaded themselves in two mobile homes and threw stones and metal objects at police. Seven settlers were arrested.

The settlers had petitioned the High Court of Justice to allow them to stay at the outpost but were rejected. The state gave them 48 hours to evacuate, which expired on Wednesday night.

PM Netanyahu blamed his military advisor Brig. Gen. Avi Blot for the violent evacuation and for removing the 2 mobile homes, against his instructions. According to an IDF statement, IDF Chief of Staff Eizenkot “made it clear” to Blot that he erred in his handling of the evacuation and should have conducted himself in a more professional manner, and that Blot recognized his mistake and said he had learned from the incident.

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Egyptian Partner
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Egyptian President al-Sisi said that in the battle against ISIS in the Sinai peninsula, “we have a wide range of cooperation with the Israelis.” According to reports, both armies regularly meet to exchange intelligence and that Egypt has given Israel permission to carry out over 100 airstrikes against ISIS in Sinai.

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israel news

Israel News for 1-2-19

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Brazil Meetup
PM Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in Brasilia on Tuesday. Prior to the meeting Netanyahu said, “We’re going to discuss the intense cooperation between Israel and the United States, which will also deal with the questions following the decision, the American decisions on Syria, on how to intensify even further our intelligence and operations cooperation in Syria and elsewhere to block Iranian aggression in the Middle East.”

He added that he was, “very appreciative of the support, strong support and unequivocal support that you and the president gave our efforts at self-defense against Syria and Hezbollah just in the last few days.”

Pompeo said, “Our effort to counter Iranian aggression continues, and our commitment to… the protection of Israel continues in the same way as before that decision was made.” He also praised Israel’s recent efforts at neutralizing Hezbollah terror tunnels on the Lebanese border.

Netanyahu and Pompeo also met with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez to discuss Hondurases plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

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Election Updates
Conservative columnist Caroline Glick has joined the New Right party founded by Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked. Bennett remarked, “Caroline is a relentless Zionist fighter. With her, we are building today the dream team of the Israeli Right in order to expand the right-wing block — and so that Israel can be triumphant again.”

Glick, who is secular, said the New Right would serve as a big-tent which could expand the Israeli right-wing bloc by bringing together both secular and religious voters.

Glick, an American-born immigrant and a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy, has served as chief columnist for The Jerusalem Post and Breitbart News and written for Maariv, Makor Rishon. Glick is a resident of the town of Efrat in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem.

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Meanwhile, Avi Gabbay, leader of the Labor party, announced that he is splitting from the Zionist Union party, which includes the Hatnuah party headed by Tzipi Livni.

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No Cash
A new Israeli law restricting the use of cash for either wages or payments for transactions went into effect in 2019. The purpose of the law is to prevent tax evasion by making large transactions or payroll payments in cash.

For more details on the law click here.

Lower Noise
The City of Jerusalem reportedly intends to implement a plan to lower the voice of the muezzin which emanates from the Arab neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem. The plan is being formulated in agreement with the mukhtars and senior officials in the neighborhoods of Beit Safafa, Beit Hanina, Shuafat and even the mukhtars in Jabel Mukaber.

Under the plan, the old speakers in the mosques will be replaced by small speakers that will reduce the noise. In the nearby streets, noise-reducing loudspeakers will be installed. The voice of the muezzin shall not exceed the level prescribed in the Noise Prevention Regulations. In case of an exception – the police will be given the power to lower the volume.

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