Israel News for 9-11-2019
Annexation Promise
PM Netanyahu said at a press conference yesterday: ”Today, I announce my intention, after the establishment of a new government, to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea. This is a historic opportunity, a one-time opportunity, to extend Israeli sovereignty on our settlements in Judea and Samaria, and also on other important regions for our security, for our heritage, and for our future.”
The PM added, “Out of respect for President Trump and great faith in our friendship, I will await applying sovereignty until release of the president’s political plan.”
Arab leaders, the UN and the EU all condemned any annexation attempts.
The Jordan Valley, which stretches from the Dead Sea in the south to the Israeli city of Beit Shean in the north, makes up around 30 percent of the West Bank. Israel has always said it intends to maintain military control there under any peace agreement with the Palestinians.
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Rockets Fired
Today, terrorists fired three rockets at Israel from Gaza, triggering air raid sirens in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai and Netiv Ha’asara. One of the rockets exploded in a greenhouse near a town. No one was injured.
Yesterday, two rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza. Both were intercepted by Iron Dome and caused no damage. PM Netanyahu was speaking at a rally in Ashdod when the warning sirens went off. He was escorted off the podium by his security detail. Most of the rally attendees as well as several ministers remained in the venue and did not evacuate during the sirens. Likud deleted the video of the event from its Facebook page. His political opponents on the right and left attacked Netanyahu, claiming the rocket fire on Ashdod and Ashkelon was a humiliation.
After the siren, the PM returned to finish speech and tweeted: “Great support in Ashdod. You must vote to stop a leftwing-Arab government.”
Israeli analysts said it appeared that Gaza terrorist deliberately targeted the southern cities, knowing that Netanyahu and other politicians were holding rallies there.
In response to the rocket attacks, IDF jets carried out 15 airstrikes against Hamas military targets.
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Election Update
The latest poll, released on Tuesday, shows Likud leading with 33 potential Knesset seats over Blue and White’s 32. The Arab Joint List would get 10 seats, Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu would get 9 seats, Ayelet Shaked’s Yamina 7, UTJ (ultra Orthodox) 7, Shas 7. The Democratic Union – an amalgam of the left-wing Meretz party, Ehud Barak’s Israel Democratic Party and Labor defector Stav Shaffir – would get 6 seats, the Labor-Gesher union would receive 5 seats and Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) 4.
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Bolton Out
President Donald Trump abruptly announced in a tweet Tuesday that he has asked national security adviser John Bolton to resign, noting that he “strongly disagreed with many” of Bolton’s suggestions “as did others in the administration.” He added, “I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.” Bolton then tweeted, “I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow.'”
In any case, one of Israel’s staunches supporters in the White House is out.
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