Israel News for 8-2-2019
Terror Attack
Yesterday an IDF officer was moderately wounded and two other soldiers lightly wounded after a terrorist breached the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip and opened fire at IDF troops. The IDF said the terrorist, Hani Abu Salah, who was killed during a shoot-out with the soldiers, belonged to a Hamas unit responsible for restraining border violence along the security fence. The IDF shelled a Hamas outpost near the border in response to the attack.
The attack occurred in the area where IDF is currently constructing an underground barrier along the border in order to prevent the terror group from building cross-border attack tunnels.
According to sources in Gaza, the terrorist’s border was killed by Israeli sniper fire during mass protests in the Strip in May 2018.
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Voting Cameras
The Likud Party is requesting the chairman of the Central Election Committee, Judge Hanan Melcer to allow cameras in polling stations in the Israeli Arab sector after they claim voting law violations had occurred in the last elections.
On election day last April, Judge Melcer was alerted to the fact that Likud party activists placed 1,200 cameras in polling stations in Israeli Arab cities and towns.
Though the law is not clear, Melcer had already allowed audio recordings in poling locations but has not allowed any filming inside the voting booth, except under special circumstances.
It was entirely forbidden to film voter lists or protocols but registration of voters as they arrive at the stations, present their I.D cards and receive an envelope in which to place their ballots, was permissible.
Likud is pressing to be allowed to film these procedures again claiming it will prevent illegal acts.
The Likud representative in the election committee David Bitan, claimed after the April 9 vote that violations of the law occurred, alleging that husbands voted on behalf of their wives and that voters were threatened as they arrived to place their ballot.
Israeli media reported earlier this week that the Likud budget for cameras in Arab sector polling stations has been increased to NIS 2 million, and that there is a plan in place to employ hundreds of “observers” on election day and have even sent a request to the Israel Police asking for protection for them on the day.
Supporters of the Likud initiative suggest the presence of cameras will deter those trying to sway the elections, while opponents insist this move besmirches an entire sector of the population and even keeps voters who are suspicious of authorities from exercising their rights.
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Some Perspective
Just to add some perspective to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia published new laws early Friday that loosen restrictions on women by allowing any citizen to apply for a passport and travel freely, ending a long-standing guardianship policy that gave men control over women.
Still in place, however, are rules that require male consent for a woman to leave prison, exit a domestic abuse shelter or marry. Women, unlike men, still cannot pass on citizenship to their children and cannot provide consent for their children to marry.
[Maybe civil rights activists in the US Congress should be focusing countries other than Israel?]
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Jlo Rocks
Jennifer Lopez performed in Israel Thursday evening as part of her global It’s My Party tour celebrating her 50th birthday. Go Jlo!
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