Israel News for 5-27-2020
News Update
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Restaurants, bars, swimming pools, amusement parks, museums and other entertainment venues are set to reopen today, with social distancing regulations. Synagogues can now allow up to 70 worshippers.
Israel’s school year will be extended into the summer. Children in grades one through four will have classes until July 13 and students enrolled in summer schools will study at least until August 6. Meanwhile, there have been several cases of entire classes, and their families and teachers, being sent into quarantine after being exposed to children or teachers who tested positive for coronavirus.
IDF forces arrested seven terror suspects in overnight raids in Ramallah and Tulkarem. Despite the Palestinian Authority’s assertions that it was no longer abiding by its agreements with Israel, no clashes were reported between Palestinian security forces and Israeli troops, indicating that some degree of coordination between the two was ongoing.
According to a report by Galei Tzahal today citing unnamed sources in the Israeli government, the Trump administration has called for the boundaries set by Israel’s expected annexation of the Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley to become Israel’s eastern border, with Israel agreeing to give up its demands to apply sovereignty over the remaining parts of Judea and Samaria.
Israel is expected to apply sovereignty over approximately 30% of Judea and Samaria, including the Jordan Valley, Dead Sea coast, and all Israeli towns beyond the pre-1967 Green Line. The US will, in keeping with the Trump peace plan, recognize Israeli sovereignty in these areas, while requiring Israel not to expand towns or establish new communities outside of the areas delineated for sovereignty for a period of four years, leaving the door open to final status negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli officials cited by the Galei Tzahal report said the new conditions for US recognition of Israeli sovereignty in parts of Judea and Samaria would require Israel to drop its claims to the remainder of Judea and Samaria.
An Israeli court ruled that Malka Leifer, the principal of an ultra-Orthodox school in Melbourne Australia accused of sexually abusing students, was faking a mental illness to avoid prosecution and was fit to stand trial and be extradited. The extradition hearing was set for July 20th. Australia requested Leifer’s extradition in 2014 on 74 charges of child sex abuse. The police have recommended charges of fraud and breach of trust be brought against former Health Minister Yaakov Litzman for suspicions that he pressured ministry employees to skew Leifer’s psychiatric evaluations in her favor. Litzman denies any wrongdoing.
Iranian President Rouhani has approved legislation banning the use of any Israeli products in Iran. According to the new law, any cooperation with Israel, including use of its products, will be considered an “act against god.” [Does the ban include medicine and vaccines? Hmm]
