Israel News for 7-8-2019
Drone Downed
The IDF said it shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Gaza, in southern Israel. There was no comment from Gaza. Hamas leaders are known to have developed a drone program with Iranian help. The drones are typically used for reconnaissance along the Israeli-Gaza border and it’s unclear if they have potential to carry out attacks.
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Tragic Mistake
IDF released preliminary findings from an investigation into a failed commando raid into Gaza last November that resulted in the death of a Lt. Col. and the injuring of another officer. According to the findings, the officer’s death was a result of friendly fire that took place after the commando unit was uncovered by Hamas militants.
IDF Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi said the military’s examination of the event showed there were mistakes made on the ground that led to the force being compromised. The findings show rescue forces excelled in extracting the troops and are considered for special citations.
The IDF Spokespersons Unit added that the lessons learned from the investigation are already being implemented and the division is currently developing a multi-year program based on these conclusions.
PM Netanyahu (who is also the Defense Minister) said, “the lessons will be learned and the recommendations will be implemented. I welcome the courage of the fighters and pilots who worked under very difficult conditions and the heroic rescue operation.”
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More Protests
Protests by the Ethiopian community are expected to continue this week in the wake of news that prosecutors will recommend against manslaughter charges for the police officer who shot and killed a 19 year old Ethiopian Israeli, Solomon Tekah in Haifa last Sunday.
The police officer, who was with his wife and children at the time, claims that he spotted Tekah and several other teens, who appeared to be intoxicated, attacking a 13-year-old boy. When he intervened and identified himself as a police officer, Tekah and the others attacked him, hurling stones at him. That’s when the officer fired a shot that ricocheted off the ground and struck Tekah, killing him.
Tekah’s family are calling the killing racially motivated. They say, “We won’t stop the protests until the situation changes.”
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Olympic Dream
Hamas officials are planning a grandiose project to build an Olympic village on the ruins of an Israeli settlement abandoned in 2005 when Israel withdrew from Gaza. The planned project on 720 acres where the settlement of Netzarim used to be, will include a state-of-the-art soccer stadium with 25,000 seats, an Olympic size swimming pool and an indoor stadium for competitions and training. The project will be built in stages, over at least 5 years.
Hamas believes is can raise the funds needed for the project internationally because their plan will benefit Gaza’s civilian population. No money has been raised yet. The area is now used for Hamas military training.
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EU Investing
The European Commission will invest up to €15 million in Israeli companies for the purposes of commercializing products, in exchange for shares. The financing will be granted under a new, eighteen-month pilot program within the Horizon 2020 research and development funding framework. The objective of pilot program is for the EU to invest in 20-40 companies using a budget of €100 million.
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Lobster Fest
Israel’s ambassador to Brazil, Yossi Sheli, posted a photo of himself at a dinner with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday. Next to him were plates with what appear to be lobster, sloppily blurred out with black paint. Bolsonaro invited Sheli to lunch at a seafood restaurant in the capital of Brasília before the two made their way to the Maracana stadium to watch Copa América Final.
It’s unclear whether Bolsonaro had the lobsters blurred out to hide his expensive tastes from his cost conscious electorate, or whether Sheli was trying to hide the fact that he was eating non kosher food, which is taboo for Israeli diplomats while in official capacity.
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Equestrians Qualify
Israel’s equestrian team has qualified for the Olympics jumping show. The team beat Poland by one point to qualify. Good luck!
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