A mysterious explosion caused an electricity failure at the nuclear facility in Natanz, Iran. This site is used by the Iranians to enrich Uranium, and intelligence experts predict that it will take the Iranians at least 9 months to reactivate the facility. The attack is attributed to Israel, and official Iranian leaders have already threatened to retaliate. Officials in Israel did not comment directly, but indirectly.
In the background to this event, there was a leak about the attack to the New York Times. There are strong suspicions that someone, high in the decision making ranks , bragged about the Israeli ability. Unfortunately the leak was published a day before the explosion. This resulted in a lot of criticism of Netanyahu’s cabinet for “selling” Israel’s security to gain cheap political advantages.
There is deep disagreement among experts in Israel regarding the optimal path for dealing with Iran’s attempts to become a nuclear superpower.
Netanyahu’s trial, the second week: The first witness against Netanyahu and the other 3 defendants (out of more than 300 witnesses) opened the second week of his testimony. The witness was the CEO of the second most popular news site in Israel, Walla. At the heart of his testimony is how the Netanyahu family; the PM, his wife Sara and his oldest son Yair, put pressure on the owner of the website to give positive coverage. As a result, the owner pushed the editorial level through the CEO because he needed Netanyahu, who was then also the minister of communications, to sign off on an approval that would create large profits for him. This is the story behind the accusation of bribery. This week he told the panel of 3 judges at the district court in Jerusalem, how he agreed to let PM Netanyahu’s close advisers to edit an interview with Netanyahu before the general elections in 2015, so it will be a positive one without the tough questions.
Screenshots of tweets commenting on PM Netanyahu’s trial
MK (member of Knesset) from the Arab Joint List, Ofer Cassif was brutally attacked by a police officer at a protest in East Jerusalem. Cassif joined a demonstration against the Israeli policy that supports right-wing organizations gaining control of property in East Jerusalem and then evicting the Palestinian residents. According to Israeli law, if Jews had historical ownership of property in Palestinian areas that were occupied in 1967, they can then regain their ownership, even after tens of years. But that law doesn’t apply to Palestinians who had property rights for areas in Israel. In the last years right-wing organizations are taking possession of many houses in East Jerusalem and evicting the Palestinian residents. These acts are supported by the courts because this is the law.
The brutal police behavior against an MK made headlines and resulted in an investigation. This raised yet again the issue of police brutality. MKs’ have special immunity, and police are not supposed to stop them, let alone beat them. Their position should be respected by all law enforcement agencies. The attack was condemned unanimously across the board by all political party leaders.
Screenshots of tweets and photos from last week’s demonstration in East Jerusalem, where MK Cassif was attacked by police. Photo credits: Mothers Against Police Violence
Within 48 Hours, Israel Transitions from Mourning to Joy, Marks Memorial Day and 73rd Independence Day: formal ceremonies, dedicated to the memories of soldiers who lost their lives on active duty and victims of terror attack, were held at the Western Wall and on Mount Herzl, Israel’s official military cemetery. The Bereaved Families Circle and Combatants for Peace held their annual alternative memorial ceremony via Zoom and through live streaming, drawing more than 200,000 viewers from Israel, Palestine and around the world. This year, as Israel emerges from COVID-19, bereaved families could once again visit the graves of their loved ones and attend ceremonies in their memory. The torch lighting ceremony on Mt. Herzl, which traditionally marks the transition and launches Independence Day celebrations, honored 12 medical staff at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis, longtime volunteers, and Israel’s most famous survivor of femicide and her friend and neighbor who saved her life. As so many mourned the loss of family members, many also criticized the politicization of the days’ events, from PM Netanyahu’s election campaign speech at the Memorial Day ceremony, to him using the torch lighting ceremony to self-aggrandize; with Pfizer CEO Albert Burla addressing the audience in a recorded video address, and soldiers carrying flags marching to create a shape of a vaccine shot. Another topic that drew broad public attention this week, was the state’s treatment of army veterans suffering from PTSD. Earlier this week, Itzik Sa’adiyan, who fought in Gaza during the Protective Edge war, torched himself in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, following the ministry’s failure to provide him with the care and support he needed and deserved.
Soldiers carrying flags form the shape of a COVID-19 vaccine shot
Prof of Mathematics and Computer Sciences Denied the Israel Prize Over His Alleged Support for the BDS Movement: Minister of Education Galant (Likud) announced that Prof Oded Goldreich of the Weizmann Institute will not receive the prize, overstepping his authority by intervening and overturning the decision of the prize committee. The committee appealed to the High Court of Justice, which gave the state 30 days to probe Goldreich’s alleged support for the BDS movement, which he denies. This move met with public uproar, harsh criticism from 7 out of 9 heads of Israeli research universities, and some of the other prize recipients. The trigger for Minster Galant’s move to exclude Goldreich from the prize ceremony was possibly Goldreich’s signing an open letter objecting to continued state funding and recognition of Ariel University, which is located in the West Bank.
For further reading:
Attack on Natanz: Here, here, here
Netanyahu’s trial: Here, here, here
Memorial and Independence Days: Here, here, here, here, and here
Israel Prize: Here, here, here, and here