Archive for month: January, 2022

News Update

Syrian media reported that Israel carried out missile strikes on Hezbollah positions, outposts and weapon depots near Damascus early this morning. The strikes are the first since Russia announced last week it was carrying out joint military jet patrols with the Syrian air force of the airspace along Syria’s borders, including in the Golan Heights area. The Israeli missiles were reportedly fired at approximately 3 a.m. from aircraft flying near Beirut.

President Isaac Herzog spoke at Dubai’s Expo 2020 world fair today. Herzog said, “Already our trade has exceeded over $1 billion, more than 120 agreements were signed and a $100 million (research and development) fund was established recently.”

The Health Ministry reported 74,312 new daily COVID cases on Monday, resulting in a 30% infection rate. There are 1,099 patients are in severe condition, of whom 241 are ventilated. The official death toll now stands at 8,724. The ministry also announced that tourists who were vaccinated with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine will now be allowed to enter Israel.

News Update
IDF troops arrested two terrorists attempting to cross the southern border of Gaza into Israel. They were armed with a grenade.

Russian aircraft have begun flying joint patrols with Syrian aircraft along the Israeli border. The Russian Defense Ministry said that sees joint flights would continue. The joint patrol included Russia’s latest fighter jets: the Sukhoi Su-34 attack aircraft; Sukhoi Su-35 multi-mission fighter jet; A-50 command and control aircraft, as well as the Syrian army’s MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircrafts. Israel is concerned that the Russian involvement in the patrols is a message that they want Israel to stop their attacks against Iranian related forces in Syria. Russia could also be sending a signal to the US that they have broad military capabilities, as tensions rise regarding Ukraine.

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of air defense radars and C-130 Super Hercules planes to Egypt for a combined value of more than $2.5 billion.

Isaac Herzog will travel to the United Arab Emirates next week.

Snow began to fall this morning in the Golan Heights, as winter storm Elpis blew into Israel. Jerusalem is expected up to 20 centimeters of snow later today.

Have you heard about the former Israeli commando who is now serving in the Ukrainian army? To read more, click here.

News Update

The UN General Assembly approved an Israeli-sponsored resolution yesterday condemning any denial of the Holocaust and urging all nations and social media companies “to take active measures to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denial or distortion.” The resolution was passed by consensus, without a vote.

Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Malki criticized U.S. President Biden for moving too slowly to reverse all of the Trump administration’s adverse policies against the Palestinians and not using Washington’s special relationship to pressure Israel to abandon “its rejection of a two-state solution and peace negotiations.” To read more, click here.

The foreign ministries of France, Germany, Italy and Spain urged Israel to stop the construction of new housing units in east Jerusalem. Earlier this month, Israel approved the construction of 3,500 new housing units in east Jerusalem. In a statement, the European countries said that the hundreds of new buildings would “constitute an additional obstacle to the two-state solution.

Israel announced it will be buying 3 submarines from Germany for around $3.4 billion. The German government will fund part of the deal through a special grant. In addition, a €850-million agreement was signed with the German economics and technology ministry to invest in Israeli industries, including defense companies.

News Update

Israel has reportedly signed a deal to supply Lebanon with natural gas via Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The pipeline will take several years to construct. The deal was supervised by the United States and Russia, in an effort to provide Lebanon with an alternate solution to its energy crisis that does not come from Iran. Lebanon’s Energy Ministry has issued an official statement denying the existence of a deal. Acknowledging the deal would mean recognition of Israel, which Lebanon will not officially do. To read more, click here.

According to new polls, the majority of Israelis oppose a plea deal for former Prime Minister Netanyahu, and want him to go to trail and receive a verdict.

The Jerusalem Municipality ordered the demolition of a mosque in the Palestinian neighborhood Beit Safafa in east Jerusalem. The Al-Rahman Mosque – built before Israel’s founding in 1948 – reportedly drew criticism from several Israeli NGOs due to its striking similarity to the Dome of the Rock. According to court documents, the municipality approved the demolition based on a floor of the building that was built without a permit and that 700 square meters of the compound were built without a permit or the approval of certified engineers

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz on Sunday instructed senior officials in his ministry to reduce the number of days required for quarantine for people infected by COVID or those who had come into close contact with a confirmed patient to 5 days.

Next month, international indices company MSCI will publish its decision on whether to include Israel in its leading European stock indices. The decision will be made after a survey among leading asset managers and other interested parties in the global market. If included, the Israeli capital market could receive billions of dollars of new investment flow.

News Update

Yesterday, a terrorist rammed his car into a group of soldiers stationed near the settlement of Halamish in Samaria. A 19 year old soldier was injured and taken by helicopter to the hospital in moderate condition. The terrorist was apprehended.  Hamas praised the attack.

Police and military forces have been deployed in the southern Negev as a result of rioting by local Bedouins who are protesting tree planting by the Jewish National Fund on land that belongs to the government that they claim is their territory. The Arab Ra’am party, which is the key member of the fragile 61 seat government coalition, is threatening to leave the coalition if the tree planting efforts are not halted. Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin of the New Hope party, whose ministry oversees the tree planting, is opposed to halting the work. To read more, click here.

The Health Ministry today reported 43,815 new Covid cases on Tuesday, resulting in a 12.09% infection rate. Hospitals are currently treating 781 people for the virus, with 254 of them being in serious condition, out of whom 63 are connected to ventilators. Although the number of infected is skyrocketing, as long as the hospitalization rate remains relatively low, there will most likely not be new lockdowns.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has tested positive for coronavirus. He is quarantining at his home in Tel Aviv and says that he is feeling well. Foreign Ministry Director-General Alon Ushpiz has also tested positive for Covid, as did Public Security Minister Omer Barlev. Last night, PM Bennett said in a speech that millions of Israelis would probably be infected with the virus. He added, “The next few weeks will be tough, but we will pull through. Every one of us must take responsibility and not congregate unnecessarily. There’s no room for panic and no room for hysteria. The tsunami comes and goes.”