Israel News for 6-20-2022
News Update
Russia is reportedly preparing to submit a proposal in the UN Security Council to condemn Israel for an alleged attack on Damascus International Airport last week. The attack targeted Iranian and Hezbollah personnel and weapons, and cause the airport to be out of service for several days. The draft proposal blames Israel for undermining regional stability and violating international law. Even though the proposal is unlikely to pass, the move indicates trouble in the relationship between Russia and Israel and could prevent Israel from carrying out additional strikes against targets in Syria. [I think the irony of Russia condemning Israel while it wreaks massive destruction in its unprovoked war against Ukraine is clear enough.] For more, click here.
The IDF arrested 13 suspected terrorists in overnight raids. The IDF also stopped 2 armed terrorists who were attempting to infiltrate into Israel from Gaza.
A group of Palestinians attempting to damage the security fence near the city of Qalqilya were spotted by troops who opened fire on them. One Palestinian was killed.
An Iranian cyberattack on Sunday caused rocket alert sirens to go off in Jerusalem and in Eilat. No damage was caused by the hack.
A Likud sponsored bill to dissolve the Knesset will be brought before the Knesset for a vote on Wednesday, even though Likud still does not have a majority to form a new government. Likud is negotiating with Yamina MK Nir Orbach, who last week announced that he could no longer support the current government. If Likud does not manage to muster enough votes, they will most likely withdraw the bill before the Wednesday vote.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid plans to visit Turkey this week.
It turns out that the pilot of an Iranian cargo plane seized in Argentina last month was General Gholamreza Qasemi, former chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force. The cargo plane was being used to transport Iranian weapons to Hezbollah in Syria.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv has launched a social media campaign accusing Israel of denying medical treatment to Ukrainian soldiers. [Apparently, the field hospital Israel set up and runs in the western Ukraine doesn’t count.] For more, click here.
The government approved a program to document and preserve the history and heritage of Jewish communities in the Muslim world. The proposal, sponsored by Social Equity Minister Meirav Cohen and Culture Minister Hili Tropper, would allocate NIS 6.35 million ($1.84 million) for “the national effort to preserve the story and heritage of Jewish communities from Iran and Arab countries, which are a cornerstone in the history of the revival of the Jewish people in its homeland, while giving real expression to the diversity of Israeli society, strengthening the sense of belonging of members and descendants of these communities, and as part of promoting social cohesion in Israel.”
The Health Ministry reported over 10,000 new Covid cases. The number of seriously ill patients also increased to 168, double last week’s number. Is Covid back, or did it never really leave?
