Israel News for 12-5-17
IDF Hits Syria
According to Al Mayadeen, a news outlet affiliated with Hezbollah, Israeli aircraft fired six missiles at a military scientific research center in the Jamraya area on the outskirts of Damascus late Monday night. Three of the missiles were reportedly intercepted by Syrian aerial defense missiles. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights corroborated the report. No casualties were reported. The Jamraya area contains many military facilities as well as what is likely a chemical weapons production and storage site.
On Friday night, Arab media reported Israel had attacked an Iranian military base in the al-Kiswah area.
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Embassy Move?
Anticipation is building as to whether President Trump will officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy there. The White House said that announcement on the decision will be made “in coming days”. Senior US officials have said that Trump will probably sign a waiver postponing the embassy move for at least another 6 months. But they also said that Trump will most likely give a speech on Wednesday unilaterally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The US administration has instructed its consulates and embassies in the Middle East to raise their alert level for fear of protests against American institutions. Israel’s security forces are preparing for possible violence by Palestinians and attacks by Hamas.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his parliament that Turkey “could go as far as us cutting diplomatic ties with Israel.”
Yair Lapid, the head of the opposition Yesh Atid party, responded to Erdogan’s threat saying that all of the world’s embassies should be located in Jerusalem and that Israel cannot be threatened. Israeli government officials across the board echoed Lapid’s reaction.
The Arab League has warned the US against recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, calling such a move “naked aggression”. The Palestinian Authority warned that the move would destroy Washington’s role as mediator between Israelis and Palestinians and that the Palestinians would stop all contacts with the US.
Now we wait.
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Terrorists Arrested
The Shin Bet announced that they have arrested two suspects in the terror attack last Friday in Arad that killed IDF soldier Ron Yitzhak Kukia. Both suspects are Israeli citizens. No further information has been released.
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Modesty Signs
For almost three years, women in Beit Shemesh have been asking the municipality to remove “modesty signs” placed around the city by Haredi activists. The signs warn women not to walk on the street unless they are dressed in a way that reflects Haredi standards of modesty as relates to clothing. The municipality has not removed the signs even though a administrative court ruling in 2015 demanded the signs come down by July 2017, and fined the city NIS 10,000 for every day the signs remained up.
On Monday the Supreme Court issued an ultimatum to the Beit Shemesh municipality ordering the removal of modesty signs by Sunday, December 12th.
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Clean Energy
Speaking at the Israel Energy and Business Convention, Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources Dr. Yuval Steinitz said, “By 2030, Israel will no longer use any gasoline or coal.”
Citing statistics showing that 2,200 Israelis die of air pollution each year, Steinitz said, “Our new national task, now that the natural gas reservoirs and renewable energy are making it possible, is to wean Israel from polluting fuel. I intend to adopt the Dutch vision – by 2030, Israel will have no air pollution. This means using no polluting fuels – coal, fuel oil, and diesel fuel – in electricity production, transportation, and industry.”
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