Archive for month: February, 2022

News Update

According to Syrian state media, Israel fired several surface-to-surface missiles toward Syrian military positions near the town of Quneitra, which is near the Israeli border. Damage was reported, but no casualties. Israel did not comment on the attack.

IDF troops fired at three terrorists who threw firebombs at passing Israeli vehicles along highway 60, outside the village of al-Khader near Bethlehem. One of the terrorists was shot and succumbed to his wounds, after getting first aid from soldiers. The terrorist was 13 years old.

Israel appointed its visit Muslim member of the High Court of Justice, Judge Khaled Kabuv.

The Nature and Parks Authority has dropped a plan to create a national park on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives that would encompass Christian holy sites, in the face of opposition from the various Christian denominations with sites in the area.

With Israel issuing more work permits to Gaza residents, more Gazans are learning Hebrew. To read more, click here.

Paz Oil Company Ltd. is preparing to set up a network of fast electric vehicle charging points around Israel. The points will be able to deliver up to 180 kilowatts and will be able to add a range of 100 kilometers for electric vehicles, within a few minutes. The network will begin operating in the second quarter of 2022. To read more, click here.

Delek Drilling announced that the company is in advanced negotiations for offshore oil and gas exploration licenses in Morocco. To read more, click here.

Danish toy giant Lego has announced the official opening of its first stores in Israel. The first store will open in Tel Aviv before the summer.

News Update

PM Bennett met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman Bin Hamad al Khalifa in the royal palace in Bahrain yesterday. Bennett also met with Bahraini cabinet ministers to discuss cooperation in various fields including economy, innovation and technology. He also met with representatives of the local Jewish community. In an interview with the local paper the PM said, “I see Israel and Bahrain as close partners in all aspects, such cooperation between us is natural. I expect our mutual commerce to grow, and of course when the COVID pandemic ends, I hope the people of Israel and the people of Bahrain learn more about each other through cultural and other means. Both our countries are faced with great security challenges originating from Iran, which is destabilizing the entire region. We will assist our friends in strengthening peace security and stability.” Bennett also met the commander of the US Fifth Fleet, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper. The fleet is based in Bahrain.

The U.S. Navy is considering adding unmanned Israeli boats to its Middle East operations. A U.S. official said the fleet was examining dozens of unmanned vessels as part of current Gulf exercises, and it was interested in Israeli-made surface drones as possible complements to flying and underwater drones.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the Knesset today that, “The U.S. remains ironclad, I keep using that word, in our support of Israel’s security and its regional stability.” Pelosi is on an official visit to Israel.

Israel will begin exporting natural gas to Egypt via Jordan. Israel also supplies Jordan.

Two small earthquakes were felt in northern Israel yesterday within a few hours of each other. Geologists are warning that a major earthquake could hit Israel in the near future, since Israel is situation along the Great Rift Valley — a particularly active fault line. Major earthquakes in the area happen on average once every 80 years, and the last occurred over a century ago. Geological experts warn that close to a million buildings in Israel are in danger of collapsing if such a devastating tremor does hit, potentially causing countless casualties and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless across the country.

A giant strawberry grown in Israel and weighing 289 grams (10.19 ounces) has been confirmed as setting a new Guinness World Record as the heaviest ever.

News Update
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova yesterday said, “Israel’s continuing strikes against targets inside Syria cause deep concern. They are a crude violation of Syria’s sovereignty and may trigger a sharp escalation of tensions. Also, such actions pose serious risks to international passenger flights.” She added that Moscow “systematically and resolutely opposes attempts to turn Syria into a scene of armed confrontation between third countries.” She said, “Once again we are insistently calling upon the Israeli side to refrain from such use of force.”

Turkish media is reporting that Turkish authorities foiled an Iranian plan to assassinate an Israeli businessman in the country. To read more, click here.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made her first official visit to Israel yesterday. She met with the PM and the FM, and reiterated Germany’s support of a resumption of the Iran nuclear deal and said that the deal would bring greater security to the entire region including Israel. PM Bennett said that it would be a mistake and a threat to the Mideast.

Palestinian Authority President Abbas called Israel’s killing of 3 terrorists in Nablus this week “a brutal act of the Zionist occupiers” and said, “We will not be silenced and cannot allow things like that to take place.” He made these comments when he paid a condolence call to the family of the terrorists. [Are you getting the irony?]

Justice Minister Gideon Saar on Wednesday published a draft list of proposed new temporary regulations that will decriminalize recreational cannabis use in Israel. If approved, under the new regulations recreational cannabis use will not be considered a criminal offense and instead will be changed to an administrative offense – similar to most traffic violations. To read more, click here.

News Update

US President Biden told PM Bennett, in a phone conversation yesterday, that he was planning to visit Israel later this year. The White House released a statement saying, The two leaders also discussed global challenges outside of the Middle East region, including the potential of further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” and that, “The president underscored his commitment to expanding stability and partnerships across the Middle East region, as exemplified by the Abraham Accords, together with Israelis and Palestinians enjoying equal measures of security, freedom, and prosperity.” Biden also emphasized his full support for replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system. Bennett congratulated the President for the successful US raid that killed the leader of ISIS.

A report released today claims that the Israel Police used Pegasus spyware to hack into the phones of senior government officials, mayors, activist leaders, journalists and family members and advisers to former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. To read more, click here.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett have ordered the Judea and Samaria High Planning Committee to suspend discussions on approving the construction plan for the E-1 area, which connects Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem. According to the Israel Hayom report, the directive to stop the discussions and stop promoting the plan followed fierce objections by the Meretz party, which made it clear that it considered the E-1 plan a “red line”, and the US administration.

Israel Hayom notes that for years, there has been an almost complete consensus in Israel regarding the need to connect Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem through the construction of E-1, and in the future – to apply Israeli sovereignty over this area, as part of the permanent borders of the State of Israel. Eight prime ministers, including Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, pledged to build in E-1, but with the exception of the construction of a police station in the area, construction has not advanced due to pressure and opposition from the US and the EU.

Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh urged the African Union to withdraw Israel’s accreditation, as the 55-member bloc opened a two-day summit in Addis Ababa. To read more, click here.

Some Israeli and Palestinian politicians are trying to create a peace proposal that would include an independent Palestinian state, the annexation of major Jewish settlements by Israel, and permission for Jewish settlers to live in the Palestinian state as permanent residents as well as the permission for Palestinians currently living outside of Israel to reside in Israel as permanent residents. To read more about this, click here.

Israel’s Finance Ministry is planning a series of tax and tariff cuts aimed at curbing rises in food and energy prices. The new measures include reductions in the gasoline tax and significant cuts to import taxes on meat, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products.

Over 20% of Israel’s population has tested positive for COVID-19 in 2022. The real number is probably higher. The average daily infection rate this year has been 49,000. Currently, 1,254 are hospitalized in serious condition with complications of COVID-19, with 288 connected to ventilators. The death toll since the start of the pandemic is 9,175.