Tag Archive for: Israel News

News Update

Syrian state media reported that an Israeli airstrike hit the Aleppo airport early Tuesday and put it out of service. According to the state television report, four missiles hit the airfield, activating air defense systems, and large blasts rocked the area.

The U.S. State Department summoned Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog today to protest the passage of the amendment to the Disengagement Law by the Knesset that will allow Israelis to return to evacuated settlements in northern Samaria. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel had no intentions of establishing new settlements in areas from which Israelis were previously banned.

Security forces are on high alert ahead of the start of Ramadan, on Thursday. For more, click here.

The Iron Dome air defense system shot down a Hamas drone flying over Gaza. The drone did not enter Israeli territory.

The man shot and wounded while driving with his wife through Huwara described the attack and how he fired at the terrorist. To read what he said, click here. 

News Update

Prime Minister Netanyahu met with German Chancellor Scholz and German President Frank-Water Steinmeier and discussed the threats posed by Iran as well as the sale of Arrow-3 defense systems to Germany. Scholz urged Netanyahu to accept the compromise proposal presented by Israel’s President Herzog, regarding the judicial reforms. Netanyahu said that Israel will remain a liberal democracy, but that the President’s proposal does not reflect the will of the majority of the people. Scholz also said that expansion of settlements does not contribute to peace in the Middle East and that Germany was working to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Israeli forces conducted a raid in Jenin yesterday to arrest wanted terrorists. A firefight broke out, during which 4 terrorists were killed, including 2 Hamas leaders.

Around 650 reservists in IDF intelligence and cyber units said yesterday that as of Sunday, they would no longer report for duty because of the judicial reform being advanced by the government. Reservists from other elite units and Air Force pilots who have warned they would not volunteer for duty if the judicial reform becomes law.

A Gallup poll published yesterday showed that 49% of US Democrats are sympathetic to the Palestinians vs 38% who are sympathetic to Israel. The poll also showed that 78% of Republicans are sympathetic to Israel vs only 11% for the Palestinians. For more, click here.

[Some readers have asked about my views regarding the judicial reform process. I think Israel’s judicial system has some major issues that need to be worked out. I also think some parts of the judicial reform package need to be compromised on by both sides because they likely are too drastic in their current form. The government’s main argument in pushing ahead with the process to make the judicial reform law is that the voters gave them the mandate to do so by voting for them in the election. While it’s true that democracy is based on majority rule, I think that faced with an issue that splits the country so drastically, the government needs to pause and try to come up with a compromise solution — even if they do have enough votes to pass it as is. Israel is still a very young country, and the systems that govern it need to be developed more, in a thoughtful manner, with all sides participating in the process. It’s time to work together to make Israel a better functioning democracy, and judicial reforms, based on compromise, is a good place to start.]

News Update

Last night a terrorist opened fire on a crowd of Israelis outside a restaurant on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv. Three men in their 30’s were shot and wounded. The terrorist was shot and killed by police. The terrorist, 23, was a member of Hamas from the village of Ni’lin. Security forces raided the village to search for additional suspects and evidence, and to map the house of the terrorist for demolition. They arrested to terrorist’s father and brother, also members of Hamas. Two other men turned themselves in to police in Ramle and are suspected of transporting the terrorist.

Also last night, a terrorist left a bomb in a bag on a bus in the settlement of Beitar — but the bomb failed to detonate.

Security forces conducting a raid in a village near Jenin yesterday came under fire from 3 terrorists in a moving vehicle. Troops returned fire and killed all 3 terrorists. It turns out that 2 of the 3 terrorists were targets of the arrest raid and were planning to carry out shooting attacks against Israelis.

President Issac Herzog addressed the nation yesterday and said that judicial reform legislation being pushed through the Knesset are wrong, destructive, an affront to Israel’s democratic values, and must be replaced. He said he had, over the past 10 weeks, met with all sides and can say that most disagreements have been resolved and that a resolution to the crisis was within reach. He added, “We cannot allow a small detail – no matter how vital, to lead the country to disaster. The time to stop this is now.”

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Saudi Arabia asked the US to provide security assurances and help to develop its civilian nuclear program as a condition for normalizing ties with Israel. For more, click here.

The US has approved a visa for Finance Minister Smotrich, after talk of denying him the visa because of comments he made about destroying the village of Huwara.

News Update

Security forces arrested 14 suspected terrorists in overnight raids. They also mapped the home of the terrorist who killed Elan Ganeles last week, for demolition.

The IDF will seal off Judea, Samaria and Gaza during the holiday of Purim on Tuesday and Wednesday. No Palestinians will be around to leave those areas.

The government has decided to close the Temple Mount to Jews for 10 days during the Muslim Ramadan holiday. The days coincide with the final period of the holiday, when Muslims sleep in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound. The closure occurs every year. Security Minister Ben Gvir is vehemently opposed to the decision and is attempting to get it reversed.

Security Minister Ben Gvir has ordered the police to carry out several evictions of Arab families in east Jerusalem this month, coinciding with Ramadan. The families are illegally residing in homes owned by Jews. Security officials fear that the eviction could trigger major unrest in the capital. For more, click here.

The Biden administration is considering denying entry to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, because he commented that the village of Huwara should be wiped off the map. Smotrich later walked back his statement about Huwara, saying he did not mean it literally and was referring to targeting terrorists and their supporters. But that has not appeased the Biden administration, who claim that Smotrich is inciting violence. Smotrich is planning to attend an Israel Bonds meeting in the US. AIPAC has refused to meet with him.

Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger in Jerusalem on Sunday. discussed deepening the cooperation between Israel and Slovakia, especially in technology, innovation and tourism, as well as regional issues.

A special report on women published by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Israeli women are marrying and having children later, with Jewish women lagging Arab women by a significant percentage. For more, click here.

Tonight and tomorrow is Purim, the holiday celebrating the deliverance of the Jewish People in the Persian kingdom from the annihilation planned by Haman, the prime minister of the kingdom. The salvation is spearheaded by Queen Ester and her cousin Mordecai, the leader of the Jews. While we might not be facing annihilation today, we certainly are in great need for some Divine deliverance. So let us all pray for peace and unity on this Purim.

News Update

Security forces are conducting an anti-terror operation in the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp outside of Jericho. One of the objectives is to capture the terrorist who shot and killed Elan Ganeles, 26, at the Almog Junction near Jericho on Monday. Ganeles was an American who made aliyah and served in the IDF before moving back to Connecticut where he was living and studying. He was visiting Israel this week to attend a friend’s wedding. He will be buried in Ra’anana, Israel.

Security forces are engaged in gunfights with terrorists in Aqbat Jabr. One terrorist is reported killed and 4 arrested. The operation is continuing at the time of this writing.

[On a personal note, my wife and I drove past Jericho and stopped for gas at the Almog Junction on our way to the Dead Sea on Sunday. On our drive back on Monday afternoon, I decided to take an alternative route that did not take us through the territories and past Jericho and the Almog Junction because I felt nervous due to the recent terror attacks and violence. Elan Ganeles was killed at the Almog Junction later that day.

Thousands of Israelis drive through Palestinian areas on highways assumed to be safe every day, including in and around Jerusalem. We should not have to fear being killed each time we go for a car ride. It wouldn’t be acceptable in the US or any other civilized country, and it shouldn’t be acceptable in Israel. The terror must be stopped.

Now I’m pretty sure that I’ll receive some emails telling me that the terror will stop if we leave the territories. To be fair, that is a separate discussion that can be had between Israel and the Palestinians, but it has no bearing on the issue of terrorism. There is NO excuse for terror attacks. They happened before a single Jew was living in the territories and are directed against any Jewish presence in any part of the Land of Israel. Terror will never solve anything. It will only bring suffering on those who support it or simply stand by and let it occur.

The Jewish People are in the Land of Israel to stay, and we will use all the power at our disposal to protect ourselves — that is something that Israelis of all political leanings agree upon. Most of the Arab countries have accepted this reality. Once the Palestinians accept it, we can move forward and find away to for Jews and Arabs to live together peacefully in this land.

Warning: if you feel the need, there’s an unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email. Instead of getting your blood pressure in a boil, just click the link. It’ll be healthier for both of us.]

In the aftermath of the settler retaliatory attack on the village of Huwara, during which 1 Palestinian was killed, 35 homes were burned to the ground and close to 100 cars torched, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said: “We expect the Israeli government to ensure full accountability and legal prosecution of those responsible for these attacks in addition to compensation for the loss of homes and property.” He added that Washington appreciated the statements made by President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu urging Israelis to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. Israeli police have so far made several arrests of suspects related to the attack. Israelis have donated over $270,000 to a GoFundMe campaign for the victims of the Huwara attack.

During a joint press conference with Germany’s Foreign Minister, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that Israeli settlements in the West Bank would continue to be built under the current government.

Large demonstrations throughout Israel today against judicial reform disrupted highway and train traffic. Police have thus far arrested 16 demonstrators and have been attempting to disperse crowds with water cannons and stun grenades.

MK Avi Maoz, a deputy minister in the Education Ministry and known for his openly homophobic views, announced Monday evening his resignation from the government. He felt that he could not implement any of his initiatives. He will remain a member of Knesset.