Israel News for 3-13-19
Terror Network
The IDF has uncovered a secret Hezbollah terror network on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. The network was set up without the knowledge of the Syrian government and is currently in the process of stockpiling weapons, recruiting members, building infrastructure and gathering intelligence.
Hezbollah operatives patrol the border with Israel to identify areas along the fence vulnerable to infiltration attempts and to collect information on the activities and routines of the IDF troops stationed there. The operatives apparently also use positions of the Syrian army to gather intelligence information, with the help of Hezbollah fighters involved in the civil war.
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Temple Mount Unrest
A Border Policewoman was lightly wounded Tuesday after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a police station near Lions’ Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. The police entered the Temple Mount following the attack and closed off all the entrances and exits to the compound in order to locate the perpetrators. That let to violent clashes between police and worshippers. Police arrested 3 suspects.
PA President Abbas said, “We call on the international community to intervene urgently in order to prevent the escalation … we are holding urgent talks with all relevant parties, particularly with Jordan, in order to put pressure on Israeli government to put a stop to this dangerous escalation.”
Earlier in the day a terrorist with a knife charged at soldiers in Hebron. The soldiers managed to shoot him dead. No soldiers were injured.
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Election Updates
New polls this week show the far-right Zehut party, led by Moshe Feiglin, winning 4 seats in the upcoming election. That’s up from zero in earlier polls. One of the issues on Zehut’s agenda is the legalization of marijuana. As a result, PM Netanyahu has said that he is looking in to the possibility of also supporting its legalization.
But not so fast. Yesterday, police arrested 42 people for using Telegrass, an app for buying and getting marijuana delivered to your home.
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US Aid
The 2020 fiscal plan sent by the White House to Congress on Monday includes the full $3.3 billion in assistance promised under a 10-year memorandum of understanding, despite spending cuts throughout the proposal. The $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding, a 10-year defense agreement signed under President Barack Obama, went into effect in October.
The budget document says, “The Budget fully supports the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding and includes $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing grant assistance to bolster Israel’s capacity to defend itself against threats in the region and maintain its qualitative military edge.”
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Golan Recognition
Joining the PM on a tour of the Golan, US Senator Lindsey Graham promised to to push for U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan. He said, “The Golan is not disputed. It is in the hands of Israel and will always remain in the hands of Israel. My goal is to try to explain this to the administration.”
The PM responded, “I think it’s very important that the international community recognize this fact, and accept it, and most especially our great friend, the United States of America.” He also thanks Graham for his “unbelievable support.”
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Startup Nation
US company Nvidia has purchased Israeli company Mellanox for $6.9 billion in cash, in the second largest acquisition of an Israeli tech company. Nvidia develops and sells graphics processors, with AI components, for the gaming, autonomous vehicle, data center, cryptocurrency, and other industries. Mellanox develops and sells high-speed communications equipment using InfiniBand and Ethernet technologies. Mellanox was founded in 1999 by its CEO Eyal Waldman, Michael Kagan and Shai Cohen.
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Lung Story
Nechama Rivlin, wife of Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin, received a lung transplant this week. The lung came from 19 year old Yair Yechezkel Halbali, whose family donated his organs after he drowned in an accident in Eilat.
To read more about this amazing story click here.
