Israel Weekly News Roundup Aug 18, 2023
5 Things you need to know
Tension Between IDF Chief of Staff and Government Over Warnings of Army’s Reduced Preparedness: the reduced preparedness of the army in the shadow of the judicial overhaul has been the focus of media attention for some weeks. As growing numbers of reservists, including combat pilots, announced their refusal to continue to volunteer for active duty should the anti-democratic legislative initiative continue.
PM Netanyahu ignored the warnings from the IDF Chief of Staff and other senior IDF and security officials and refrained from assembling the security cabinet to hear a briefing from the heads of the security forces, who have signaled the media that they will address the public directly.
IDF Chief Herzi-Halevi hence became the target of a public attack from PM Netanyahu and other members of the government coalition. This, following a statement by the commander of the air-force, regarding the danger of reduced preparedness of the force. According to the media, PM Netanyahu scolded the IDF chief and later said that he instructed him to “ensure the IDF is fully qualified” to carry out its missions.
Yair Netanyahu, son of the PM, who resumed his activity on social media, shared a post naming the IDF chief as “the most incompetent chief of staff in the history of the state”. After hours of remaining silent over his son’s bashing of the IDF chief, PM Netanyahu issued an apology and said that he and his government support the IDF chief. His belated apology was met with harsh criticism from his own party member, MK Tali Gottlieb, who said he has nothing to apologize for and that the IDF chief had in fact provided a stamp of approval to those refusing to continue reserve duties.
Anti Judicial Overhaul Protest Follows PM Netanyahu and His Wife on Vacation Near Sea of Galilee: having postponed his vacation by a few days due to the public controversy over the reduced preparedness of the army, PM Netanyahu and his wife went on vacation to a luxurious resort in the village Ramot, near the Sea of Galilee.
As was the case last week, when the couple were on vacation at a resort in the Golan Heights, hundreds of protestors followed them and protested near the resort and near a restaurant in the city of Tiberias, where the couple had dinner. “Netanyahu will not relax at our expense” said the protestors, who chanted protest slogans, lit torches during the night, and held a “protest flight” of light aircrafts and drones the following morning. In an effort to convey a “business as usual message”, the PM and wife released a TikTok reel, praising the beauty of Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee and encouraging everyone to go out and have fun.
Cases of Harassment and Gender Segregation on the Rise: as the minister of environmental protection insists on promoting the pilot initiative of separate swimming hours for men and women in public parks, cases of gender segregation and harassment of women and teenage girls are on the rise.
This week alone, a woman in Ashdod, a coastal city in the south, was not allowed to board a public transport bus, and was told by the driver that this was a bus “for Haredi men only”. Also in Ashdod, a driver publicly shamed a group of fifteen year old girls and told them to cover themselves and sit at the back of the bus. The driver was recorded saying to the girls that they were badly educated. His wife said that she fully supports her husband’s conduct, and that if she had a gun, she would have shot these girls. Also this week, an Israeli journalist was shamed on social media for refusing to give up her seat on a United airlines flight, at the request of Haredi male passangers.
In addition, the vandalizing and erasure of women’s faces on billboards continues. This phenomenon has once again gained traction in recent weeks, as Israel prepares for local elections in late October.
In response to these and other incidents, MK Ya’ir Lapid, Chair of the Yesh Atid party and head of the opposition, convened an emergency meeting at the Knesset where he announced a legislative package, to be submitted once Knesset is in session in the fall, to combat” discrimination and hatred against women”.
After Eight Years and Billions of NIS - The Light Rail In the Greater Tel Aviv Area Was Launched: Billions of NIS (New Israeli Shekels) were invested in what was supposed to be advanced public transportation for the greater Tel Aviv area. The rail (like a tram) that runs under ground part of the way, connects the city of Petah Tikva in the East to the city of Bat Yam in the south Tel Aviv metropolitan area with the target of relieving congestion on the roads. The festive launch by the minister of transportation, was disrupted by hundreds of protesters who were shouting “Shame” and “Democracy” at her and at PM Netanyahu, who was the main senior leader at the launching, with his wife. Due to his participation, the police blocked major streets and roads in Tel Aviv area for hours, a decision that created heavy traffic. The demonstration was held mainly because the train will not run during the Jewish Shabbat (Saturday, that starts Friday afternoon until Saturday night) and during all Jewish holidays. That means that the train will not run 21% of the time, seventy seven days a year. This will deprive the people of the Tel Aviv metropolis from the convenience and enjoyment of public transportation, and enable them to give up their private cars. This, they say, is an absurd use of public money. It is important to say in this context that no public transportation runs during the Jewish Shabbat or Jewish holidays. There is a constantly growing protest movement against that status quo with the Ultra Orthodox parties in PM Netanyahu’s coalition. The protesters decided to disrupt the opening ceremony, block the stations and even block the lines for the trains.
A Murder of a Palestinian Was Not Solved and the Suspects Were Released and Sent Home: The murder of a Palestinian in the village Burka in the West Bank, allegedly by Jewish settlers last Friday, will not result in charges. Two settlers from an illegal outpost in the West Bank decided to herd their goats last Friday. They went down towards the neighboring Palestinian village of Burka. The people of Burka went out to push them out of their lands, and a violent conflict ensued during which a young Palestine was shot to death. Only the settlers are allowed and encouraged to carry guns. The Palestinians are not allowed to possess or bear firearms and in practice they cannot protect themselves against armed trespassers and invaders. The army arrived only hours after the violence started. This event reflects in a microcosm all the wrongs of the occupation, the double standards employed and the absence of justice for the Palestinians. The two settlers were arrested by police and were subject to due legal process, while the Palestinians who were arrested are subject to military orders and were brought to a military court. The settlers who were accused of the murder refused to speak during the investigation and refused to cooperate with the police. The police did not manage to establish a criminal case against them and eventually they were released. This is not the first case where Jewish settlers use violence and weapons against Palestinians and no-one is held responsible and no one is indicted. The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) which, according to international law is required to protect the Palestinians, usually stands by and prefers to protect the Jewish settlers during any clashes.
For Further reading
Burka: Here, here, here, here
IDF Chief: Here, here, here, here
Netanyahu’s vacation: Here, here, here