Israel News for 9-4-2019
Lebanon Report
A Lebanese newspaper today cited diplomatic sources saying that Israel offered Hezbollah an end to the recent escalation across the Lebanon border and a return to the UN resolution that halted hostilities after the 2006 Second Lebanon War. In exchange, Israel would commit to ending its strikes against Hezbollah operatives in Syria. Hezbollah reportedly rejected the Israeli offer.
According to the paper the Israeli offer was delivered by a Russian intermediary and included mediation efforts from France, Egypt and the United States. The U.S. added its own warning to Lebanon of increased economic pressure should tensions escalate further.
On Sunday Hezbollah fired several anti tank missiles at an IDF base and Israel responded with a massive artillery bombardment.
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IDF Warning
In a statement to media accompanied by satellite images, the Israeli military said that Hezbollah, with Iranian assistance, had been bringing specialized equipment to a weapons factory near the Bekaa village of al-Nabi Sheet with a view to setting up a production line for precision-guidance missiles. And that Hezbollah recently moved some of the equipment to “civilian locations” in Beirut as a precaution against strikes.
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No Shelter
A report published by the Israel Builders Association claims that more than 800,000 civilians in the northern part of the country don’t have a bomb shelter or a secure space to take cover in the event of a missile attack. While the government approved a NIS 5 billion security plan a year ago, nothing has actually been done.
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Diplomatic Handouts
As a result of budget cuts in the Foreign Ministry, some members of Israel’s diplomatic corps are turning to Jewish communities in their host nations to pay for travel and other expenses.
Due to the lack of funding, almost all ambassadorial trips have been frozen and the visits by ministry personnel abroad have been all but cancelled. The only way to circumvent this issue is with external funding and some in the Foreign Ministry say this phenomenon is only growing.
Nizar Amer, the acting spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry, said in response: ” Diplomatic representatives are from time to time invited to venues outside of their offices, and sometimes, in line with procedure, the host covers the expenses of the diplomats’ trips.”
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Fire Team
A team belonging to the Israel Fire and Rescue Services is on its way to Brazil to help fight the massive fires raging in the Amazon. The team is comprised of experts in the fields of rescue, intelligence and bush and forest fires, and is headed by Deputy Commander of the Northern District Yair Elkayam.
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Orphan Born
Four months ago, Pinchas Menachem Prezuazman, a 22-year-old American-Israeli member of the Ger Hassidic community, was killed as he sought shelter from a Hamas rocket in the stairwell of an apartment building in the southern city of Ashdod. He was survived by his pregnant wife and their two young children. Yesterday his wife gave birth to his son.
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