Israel News for 10-31-18
Fatal Crash
A fatal car crash near the Dead Sea on Tuesday afternoon claimed the lives of 8 members of one family including Yariv (45) and Shoshi (47) Atar and their six children—Yaakov Yisroel (12), Ateres (11), Ayala (9), Moriah (7), Yedid (5) and Avigayil (3). The family was driving in a van when it was hit by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by a 50 year old man and carrying his wife (53) and daughter (12). The mother and daughter were moderately injured and the father, lightly injured.
“The father was hysteric and crying, saying ‘I killed them, I killed them,'” said Sarah Israeli, an MDA paramedic who was first on the scene. He told police in the hospital, “I don’t remember what happened there. I know I killed people. I’m never driving again.” The man is being held in police custody under suspicion of having been under the influence of drugs during the accident.
The stretch of Rt. 90, where the accident occurred, has just recently been widened and repaved. It has only 2 lanes — one going in each direction. According to the Israel National Road Safety Authority, 240 people have been killed in car accidents in 2018 so far, compared to 310 in the same time period in 2017.
For further reading click here.
Female Mayor
Einat Kalisch Rotem became the mayor of Haifa and the first female mayor of a major Israeli city when she defeated the incumbent yesterday in municipal elections. Tel Aviv’s mayor Ron Huldai won a fifth term. In Jerusalem there will be a runoff election between yesterday’s top 2 winners, both secular, since no candidate got the required 40% minimum share of votes. Other cities also having runoffs include Rishon Letzion, Ramat Gan, Raanana, Bat Yam, Kfar Saba, Hod Hasharon and Safed.
For further reading click here.
Minister Dies
Minister of Religious Services David Azoulay (Shas) passed away on Tuesday at the age of 64. Azoulay, who served as a member of the Knesset from 1996 to March this year, had been battling cancer. Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) said, “I am crying for my dear friend, my beloved, my partner for decades, who has now passed away after enduring horrible pain at the age of 64. Rabbi David, the honest, modest, merciful man, the man of action, a true tzaddik, died and left his family, the family of Shas and the people of Israel, hurt and lacking. May his memory be a blessing.”
To read more about Azoulay’s life click here.
Israel in Syria
A senior Israeli official said on Monday that Israel has carried out attacks in Syria since the accidental shooting down of a Russian surveillance plane by Syrian anti-aircraft defenses last month. He did not provide any details.
For further reading click here.
Security Cooperation
The Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Central Council called on Monday to end the security coordination with Israel and suspend recognition of the Jewish state until it recognizes the Palestinian state. However, the PLO Central Council left the decision on whether to implement its recommendations to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO Executive Committee.
For further reading click here.
New Ambassador
Amira Oron has been appointed as Israel’s ambassador to Egypt. Oron will be the first female ambassador to Cairo since the Egypt-Israel peace treaty was signed in 1979. She is the second woman to serve as an ambassador in an Arab state after Einat Klein, who was Israel’s ambassador to Jordan. Two other women were also appointed ambassadors: Rodica Radian to Spain and Orly Gil to Latvia.
For further reading click here.
