Israel News for 5-18-2020
News Update
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There have been no new deaths or coronavirus cases in Israel since yesterday. The death toll stands at 272.
Airstrikes hit Iranian-backed militia in Syria, near the Iraqi border, on Saturday, killing 7 militiamen. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.
Israel’s new government was finally approved, by a 73-46 vote in the Knesset. The 36th Israeli government will be the largest in the country’s history, with 36 ministers and 16 deputy ministers. Netanyahu will remain Prime Minister until October of 2021, when Benny Gantz is scheduled to take over the position. Gantz is currently the new Defense Minister. Netanyahu said, “The new government’s first challenge is jobs, jobs, jobs.”
The Lod District Court today found Amiram Ben-Uliel guilty of three counts of murder in a 2015 firebomb attack that killed a Palestinian baby and both his parents. The Shin Bet said that Ben-Uliel had confessed to planning and carrying out the attack in retaliation for the killing of an Israeli by Palestinians a month earlier. Ben-Uliel’s lawyers said they were not surprised by the verdict and that their client’s confession was allegedly made under torture. The sentencing hearing was set for June 9.
Israeli merchants are taking advantage of online opportunities to sell during the current pandemic. The number of Israeli sellers on eBay rose by 40% in April compared with March, and sales rose by 46 percent. Most of the products, ranging from hygiene goods to leisure items, were new. In addition to domestic sales within Israel, the top four overseas countries for Israel eBay sales are the US, UK, Canada and Germany.
German airline Lufthansa will resume flights to Tel Aviv in mid-June. The carrier announced that it will operate six flights each week to Tel Aviv from Frankfurt and Munich.
Jerusalem, Israel’s largest city, continued to grow even larger in both population and industry in the past year. To read more about this click here.
