Israel News for June 2, 2017
Stabbing Attack
A 16 year old female terrorist stabbed and lightly wounded a soldier using a screwdriver, at the entrance to the settlement of Mevo Dotan in Samaria Thursday morning. The terrorist was shot and wounded by security forces, and later died of her wounds. The wounded soldier was treated at the scene and did not need to be evacuated.
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Embassy Staying
President Trump has signed a waiver temporarily circumventing the law requiring the US to move its embassy to Jerusalem. The six month waiver has been signed by presidents for years.
A statement issued by the White House said:
“While President Donald J. Trump signed the waiver under the Jerusalem Embassy Act and delayed moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, no one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the President’s strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance.”
“President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America’s national security interests. But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.”
PM Netanyahu responded by stating:
“Israel’s consistent position is that the American embassy, like the embassies of all countries with whom we have diplomatic relations, should be in Jerusalem, our eternal capital.”
“Maintaining embassies outside the capital drives peace further away by helping keep alive the Palestinian fantasy that the Jewish people and the Jewish state have no connection to Jerusalem.”
“Though Israel is disappointed that the embassy will not move at this time, we appreciate today’s expression of President Trump’s friendship to Israel and his commitment to moving the embassy in the future.”
The Palestinians and Jordan both welcomed Trump’s decision.
For further reading click here.
Kotel Deal
PM Netanyahu met with leaders of the Haredi parties regarding the agreement to allow egalitarian prayer at the southern part of the Kotel (Western Wall). The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, and MK Moshe Gafni.
Haredi leaders want the agreement to be rescinded. Netanyahu suggested that the agreement be frozen and its implementation delayed instead. He asked for Haredi support of his plan. A bill was recently submitted in the Knesset to recognize the Kotel as an Orthodox synagogue. If passed the bill would make any attempt to introduce non-Orthodox services at the Western Wall illegal.
For further reading click here.
Population Surge
According to data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Israel’s population is set to reach 10 million by 2025 and 20 million by 2065. That means at least 500,000 new apartments will need to be built in the next 7 years and over 1.5 million within the next 20. And forget about living in a detached house. Experts say that the scarcity of land demands high rise construction exclusively, even in the outlying areas of the country.
One expert says that the government should establish at least three new metropolitan cities containing high-rise buildings. And those high-risers will need to be taller — 40 stories instead of the current 20 stories.
For further reading click here.
Israel Parade
The annual Celebrate Israel parade will take place this Sunday in NYC. The Parade will go up Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue from 57th to 74th Streets and is scheduled from 11am to 4pm. The will be a concert in the park following the parade.We will be there on the sidelines (in the 70’s) wearing IsraelAM T-shirts, so please stop by to say hi!!
For information about the parade click here.
For information about the concert click here.
