Israel Welcomes Tiny Island Nation | IsraelAM for 6-12-17
Island Relations
President Rivlin welcomed the President of the Republic of Nauru, Baron Waqa, on his official visit to Israel yesterday. The nation is an island in Micronesia in the Central Pacific. The closest major country to it is Australia. Nauru became independent in 1968. It currently has a little less than 10,000 residents (no Jews). Of course, it also has one vote in the UN.
Waqa said, “In the middle of the oceans, is the island of Nauru, a small community, a Christian community, who very much believe in Israel. We support Israel and we will continue to support Israel. As long as we protect our existence, in a time when climate change is affecting the whole world, I know that with God’s help our friendship will continue to prosper even under such circumstances.”
He added, “Thank you for the cooperation and for your help for Nauru over the years in the fields of medicine and water purification. We hope we will be able to advance to the next stage, and show our support for you in international fora. I know that you need much support at the UN, and we have close friendships in the Pacific, and we will work to encourage them to support Israel.”
To read more about Nauru click here.
Gaza Outage
The Security Cabinet yesterday approved a 35% reduction in Israel’s electricity supply to Gaza. This is because the Palestinian Authority has reduced the amount they are contributing to paying Gaza’s electric bill, which they are responsible for.
For further reading click here.
Soldier Sidelined
Earlier this month a female terrorist stabbed and lightly wounded an IDF soldier who was part of a special forces unit. The soldier fled from the 16 year old attacker, who was then shot by another soldier. After an investigation, the soldier who fled has been removed from his post and from being a combat soldier since he did not act in the manner expected from an IDF combat soldier.
For further reading click here.
Letter Delivered
A letter signed by the left wing organization Truah (The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights), which represents 1,800 American rabbis and cantors, was delivered to the Israeli Embassy and Washington and to other Israeli consulates in the US. The letter, addressed to PM Netanyahu, calls on Israel to end the military occupation of the West Bank and lay the groundwork for a Palestinian state.
For further reading click here.
The Lithuanians
The Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) community in Israel is made up primarily of two groups: the Hasidim and the Lithuanians. The Hasidim are divided into sects usually named after the Eastern European town where they first originated and are lead by Rebbes. They also where distinctive clothing similar to what their ancestors wore over 200 years ago in Poland.
The Lithuanians have their origins in, well, you guessed it: Lithuania. They wear black suits and white shirts and are often clean shaven. Most men study full time in yeshivas while close to 80% of the women work. The Lithuanians are led by a prominent sage — currently R. Aaron Shteinman who is 104. Recently a new radical faction called the Jerusalem faction was started, to demonstrate against the drafting of yeshiva students.
To view a short news video describing the Lithuanians, click here.
