israel news

Israel News for 8-23-18

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New Housing
The civil administration in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) has given final approval for the building of 384 housing units — 56 in Barkan, 168 in Nofim, 108 in Tzofim, 44 in Ma’ale Adumim and 8 in Avnei Hefetz. An additional 600 units are in the final stages of approval and will be located in Kiryat Netafim, Otniel and Beit El.

The Yesha Council, an organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, released a statement saying, “This is an insufficient amount and the smallest number of housing units approved in the last year and a half. In the previous committees, the number of building permits ranged from 2,000 to 3,000, which is also relatively limited compared to a total number of permits throughout the country, which are in their tens of thousands. We are calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove the restrictions and order a large-scale construction throughout the West Bank … This is something that is required to be done today.”

The Peace Now organization criticized the new housing and urged the government to instead focus on providing more affordable housing within the Green Line.

The US government did not criticize the new housing approvals.

Meanwhile, a delegation of senior US government officials dined with their Israeli counterparts in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem, which is adjacent to the Old City in the Arab neighborhood of Silwan. In recent years Jews have been moving in to the area.

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New Outpost
The Amana organization, which promotes the building of Jewish settlements, has moved it’s headquarters from the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood to the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in east Jerusalem. The land for the building was granted to them 26 years ago by Jerusalem’s then mayor Teddy Kollek (of the Labor party). A new Jewish neighborhood is planned for the area, which is located right next to the Old City and populated almost exclusively by Arabs.

Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi) who served in the past as the movement’s CEO said that Amana’s new building “constitutes a significant reinforcement to the (Jewish) settlement in east Jerusalem and the bolstering of the Jewish territorial contiguity in the area.”

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Navy Participates
For the very first time, an IDF Navy delegation took part in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. During the drill, which took place near Hawaii last month, Israeli officers joined the commanding team. The exercise included 25 participants from 26 countries, 47 warships, 200 fighter planes, and five submarines.

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Israel News for 8-20-18

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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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Israel News for 8-16-18

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Gaza Ceasefire
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect Wednesday evening, although it was not confirmed by either side. Following the authorization of Israel’s security cabinet, the Kerem Shalom border crossing was reopened and 700 trucks carrying urgently needed building supplies, foodstuffs, textiles, animal feed, fuel, gas, hygiene products and more crossed into Gaza.

The ceasefire, brokered by Egypt and the UN, requires the halting of all rocket fire and incendiary balloons and kites from Gaza. Israeli officials said, “the current calm is the result of aggressive Israeli army action that will continue as necessary, and the quiet was achieved following the understandings advanced by the Egyptians and the United Nations.”

The agreement does not provide for the exchange of prisoners, including two Israelis held in Gaza and the remains of two Israeli soldiers taken by Hamas at the end of the last Gaza war. This has evoked protests from politicians in Israel, as well as the families of the prisoners and the dead soldiers.

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The head of Egyptian intelligence, Major General Abbas Kamel, reportedly came to Tel Aviv yesterday to discuss the final details of the ceasefire agreement. Kamel is also scheduled to meet today with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

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Lebanese media reported today that a cargo shipping connection between Gaza and Cyprus will be established as part of the ceasefire agreement. Israel will have security control over the sea lane. The agreement will also include Qatari funding for Gaza’s electricity and for Hamas salaries.

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Israel News for 8-13-18

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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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Israel News for 8-10-18

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Gaza Fighting
Since Wednesday night, more than 180 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza. Rockets hit the cities of Sderot and Ashkelon and many border communities. One rocket even landed as far as Bersheva. Seven people were injured in the attacks, mostly from shrapnel. The Iron Dome defense system intercepted at least 30 rockets. Most of the others fell in open areas.

In response to the rocket attacks, Israeli air force jets attacked more than 150 Hamas targets in Gaza. Last night they destroyed a multi-story building at the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, which was the headquarters of Hamas’s interior security unit that is responsible for all security operations carried out inside Gaza and is considered to be an executive branch of Hamas’s political leadership. Witnesses said the air force fired several warning missiles at the building before the actual strike, to give people a chance to evacuate the building. Hamas claims that the building was simply a cultural center.

The air force also attacked numbers terror tunnels, military bases and training camps. Palestinians claim that 3 people were killed in the Israeli attacks.

According to reports, Israel and Hamas agreed to an Egyptian brokered ceasefire last night that went into effect at midnight. But communities leaders in the south are angry at the government for agreeing to a ceasefire instead of putting a final end to Hamas terror.

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Palestine Recognized
Colombia’s outgoing President Juan Manuel Santos announced on Wednesday that he would recognize the “State of Palestine”. The Israeli embassy in Bogota called the move “a slap in the face by a friendly country” and urged the new incoming president to reverse the decision.

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Israel News for 8-8-18

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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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Israel News for 8-6-18

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Ceasefire Proposal
The security cabinet discussed the proposed ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza for 5 hours last night. No decision was made.

The plan, mediated by UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov and Egyptian intelligence, is the first stage in the effort to reach a broader agreement between Hamas and Israel. But there was not much optimism among the ministers. The chances of reaching a broader, long-term agreement with Hamas were very low, since there are too many obstacles on the way and it is doubtful the gaps can be bridged.

For now the Israelis would settle for a complete halt in the firing of incendiary balloons from Gaza, in exchange for the reopening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza.

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Shabbat Law
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has overruled attempts by five municipalities to permit businesses from opening on Shabbat, which is officially prohibited by Israeli law. The municipalities include Holon, Givatayim, Modiin, Herzliya and Rishon Letzion.

The office of Deri issued a statement saying that in his view it is a “Jewish and social value to allow workers to rest on Shabbat. In addition, the municipalities seeking to allow businesses to open on Shabbat did not prove that there was a need for it, as mandated by law.” It added, “It should be noted that the enforcement of businesses operating on Shabbat is under the sole authority of the local government. The Interior Ministry has no authority or ability to enforce this.”

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Serious Drought
Israel is suffering through a fifth straight year of drought, and it’s having a serious effect on Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, despite Israel’s 5 desalination plants that currently provide around half of all drinking water in the country.

For further reading about the drought, click here.

Punish Johns
The Ministerial committee for Legislation approved Sunday a bill submitted by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to impose fines on prostitution customers. The Knesset will vote on the bill in its next session. If the bill passes into law, paying for prostitutes will become illegal. The ministers also voted to set aside funds for the rehabilitation of prostitutes.

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Sick Chicks
According to a report released Monday by Dr. Sagit Nagar, the head of poultry diseases at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Department’s Veterinary Services, around 30% of the eggs in Israel are infected with salmonella. Director-General of the Agriculture Ministry Moshe Bar Siman Tov said that he “refrains from eating eggs from Israel.”

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China Flights
The first direct flight connecting Tel Aviv with Guangzhou, the capital of China’s southern Guangdong province, landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday. The new route is operated by Hainan Airlines Holding Co Ltd., China’s fourth-largest airline company, which also operates direct routes connecting Tel Aviv with Shanghai and Beijing.

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Rating Up
International credit rating agency S&P announced on Friday that it was upgrading its sovereign rating for Israel to AA-, with a stable outlook. S&P’s new rating is the highest Israel has ever received. Two weeks ago, Moody’s updated its rating outlook for Israel from stable to positive.

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Israel News for 8-3-18

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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?

For further reading click here.

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Israel News for 8-1-18

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Espionage Attack
According to top cyber security and counter espionage experts, Israel is under severe and constant attack from Iran, Russia and China. These attacks are a major risk to Israel’s security and political and economic stability. To read an in-depth eyeopening report on this click here.

Border Cop Wounded
A female Border Police officer was lightly wounded on Tuesday morning after a Molotov Cocktail was thrown at her in the Palestinian refugee camp of Dheisheh near Bethlehem. The officer, who sustained injuries to her hand during security operations in the area, received first aid treatment and was later evacuated to hospital. The attack took place after the outbreak of riots in the refugee camp during an arrest operation of a number of wanted suspects.

For further reading click here.

Syrian Army Returns
The Syrian army and its allies routed ISIS affiliated rebels to retake the last remaining rebel held area in South-Western Syria, along the Israeli and Jordanian borders.

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Iranians Move Back
According to Alexander Lavrentyev, President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to Syria, Iranian and Hezbollah forces have withdrawn from the area near the Israeli border. He said, “there are no units of heavy equipment and weapons that could pose a threat to Israel at a distance of 85 km from the line of demarcation”, although he admitted that Iranian advisors could be among Syrian army forces who remain closer to the Israeli border.

Israel has demanded that Iranian forces withdrew completely from Syria. According to an Israeli official, “First of all, all the long-range weapons must be removed from Syria; precise weapons production must be stopped; other strategic weapons, such as air defense, must be removed as well; the border crossings that allow the smuggling of these weapons must be closed, including on the Syrian-Lebanese border where weapons are smuggled into Lebanon, and the Iraqi-Syrian border through which weapons are smuggled from Iran into Syria itself.” Russia has warned that it is unrealistic to expect all Iranian forces to withdraw from Syria.

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Let Women Run
The Supreme Court has told the ultra-Orthodox UTJ party to allow women to run on its Knesset slate or the court will be forced to issue a legal ruling on the matter. The UTJ, which is made up of Agudat Yisrael (Hasidic) and Degel Hatorah (Litvish), do not permit women candidates because they feel it is inappropriate (immodest), although not strictly forbidden by Jewish law.

For further reading click here.

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Israel News for 7-30-18

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Security Failures
A review of the deadly terror attack by a 17 year old Palestinian in the settlement of Adam, which claimed the life of 31-year-old Yotam Ovadia last Thursday, has revealed the presence of malfunctioned security cameras and an almost 40 year old fence that did no have any infiltration alerts. The terrorist entered the settlement by climbing over the fence. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot visited the settlement after the attack and committed to improving the security systems there.

The West Bank Division’s security officer Shlomo Vaknin said, “Today, 60 of the west Bank’s communities have the same fences as in Adam. The communities are not protected, despite that as opposed to other communities in Israel, the infiltration threat here is the most critical one.” He added that the security maintenance cost for each settlement is estimated at NIS four million per year. Based on the current amount provided by the government, “all the existing security systems will be upgraded only within a decade.”

Today, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman visited Ovadia’s wife and two children, ages 2 and 7 months, as the family is sitting shiva.

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Teen Terror Released
Yesterday Israeli prison officials released Ahed Tamimi, the 17 year old Palestinian woman who was caught on video kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier in the village of Nabi Saleh last December. She was charged with 12 different counts for six different incidents in January, including aggravated assault, hindering a soldier in the line of duty, incitement, threatening a soldier’s life and stone-throwing. Her mother was also indicted for her involvement in the assault, as well as for another incident she was involved in along with her daughter. She was also charged with incitement to terrorism on Facebook.

After her release, Tamimi went to Ramallah, where she met with Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who said that “the Palestinian young woman Ahed Tamimi is an example of the Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence and for the establishment of our independent Palestinian state.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Tamimi to congratulate her and praise her “bravery and determination to fight”.

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Egyptian Offer
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi appealed directly to the Israeli public yesterday, calling on it to seize “a great opportunity” for peace. He said, “We have a great opportunity to achieve peace in the region and solve the Palestinian issue. This solution will not take away from your security or stability.”

On the other hand, el-Sissi said, “Egypt’s policies are clear,” he added. “We support all UN decisions, the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and [an Israeli withdrawal] to pre-1967 borders.”

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Military Modesty
In order to ensure that religious soldiers can serve in the military without compromising on their beliefs, the IDF has the ‘Joint Service’ order which regulates interaction between troops of the opposite gender. The regulations include forbidding physical contact between the sexes, mandatory separate sleeping quarters, and rules defining appropriate attire while on base.

The IDF clarified its modesty guidelines for its female conscripts amid increasingly louder calls attacking the regulations as discriminatory. It made clear that individual commanders may not modify the rules by ordering additional prohibitions, such as prohibiting women soldiers from wearing a white shirt or prohibiting wearing bathing suits in pool areas.

IDF Human Resources Directorate Commander Moti Almoz said, “the orders regarding appearance, dress and the common service are binding orders, and they must be acted upon as they are written. No commander may decide on his own to harshen or lighten them.”

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Food Deal
European online food delivery company Takeaway.com has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Israeli online food company 10bis in Tel Aviv from TA Associates and its founder Tamir Carmel for €135 million.

Founded in 2000, 10bis operates an online food marketplace that provides employee meal benefits plans to corporations. The Israeli company’s technology allows businesses to replace their canteens with not only a delivery service, but also with local restaurants. 10bis serves thousands of corporations, representing hundreds of thousands of employees.

For further reading click here.