Escalation on the Border Between Israel and Lebanon After Two Unexpected Rocket Attacks from Southern Lebanon Towards Northern Israel and an Israeli Retaliation. A small and unknown Palestinian organization shot a few rockets towards Israel on Thursday. No casualties or damage to property was reported, but Israel immediately decided to retaliate through artillery shelling and a few air strikes against Lebanese targets. Israel holds Hizbollah responsible and sees the organization as a proxy of Iran. On Friday morning at least 10 rockets were shot towards northern Israel. Security forces instructed the population in some towns and villages to stay in protected spaces until it is safe. This time Hizbollah immediately took responsibility. These events may cause another deterioration in the already fragile security balance between Israel and Lebanon.
These events occurred in the middle of the summer vacation when thousands of Israeli families are touring northern Israel which is considered a popular resort region during the summer.
A Mysterious Series of Events in the Persian Gulf Caused an Escalation in the Tension Between Iran, Israel and the International Community, Mainly the USA and UK. Last week an oil tanker which is partly owned by an Israeli who doesn’t live in Israel was attacked probably by Iranian forces in the Gulf. Two sailors were killed: one was British and the other Romanian. Israel held Iran responsible. This week a mysterious attack on another oil tanker occurred in the Gulf. The crew reported that they lost control of the vessel for some time and that an unknown Iranian commando group tried to take over the tanker. Shortly after the attack the commandos left the vessel. Other vessels also mysteriously lost control of their ships, which was later regained. Officially Iran denied any connection to the attacks, but US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken and British PM Johnson announced that they are considering their responses. Israeli defense minister Ganz and foreign minister Lapid convened the diplomats of the EU and briefed them on what they defined as the deep involvement of Iran in the series of attacks. Israeli officials already announced that Israel will weigh its’ options independently and according to Israel’s’ best interests. Israeli officials also believe that Iran has gotten much closer to obtaining nuclear capability. It is important to mention here that Israel had attacked several oil tankers which Israel believed were on their way from Iran to Hizbollah in Lebanon. Israel announced that it will not tolerate any Iranian involvement at its’ borders. And all these incidents should be analyzed within the timeframe of the international efforts to re-design a new deal with Iran on its’ nuclear capacity.
Cabinet Approves National Budget for First Time in Three Years. The Budget is for 2021-2022: following night-long deliberations, the cabinet voted earlier this week to move forward with a national budget that introduces several meaningful changes with considerable implications for the economy and society, including additional resources for the health ministry, alongside conservative regulatory reforms. The budget law has yet to pass through several committee stages and three readings in the Knesset plenum by a November 4 deadline. Passing the budget law represents a major challenge for the government, given its narrow parliamentary majority, especially considering gaps and disagreements within the coalition itself regarding several items, including the agricultural reform proposed by the ministry of finance. The reform, which is designed to lower the prices of fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, by opening the market to imports from abroad, has already met with resistance from Israeli farmers and their advocates in the Knesset. Farmers held protests at key road junctions around the country, blocking roads and throwing away fresh produce, including eggs, to express their discontent with the proposed reform.
Israeli Team Wins Gold and Two Bronze Medals in Tokyo Olympic Games: The Israeli team to the Olympics was off to a slow start. This changed over the course of the week, with two bronze medals, one in taekwondo and one in the mixed Judo teams’ competition, as well as a gold medal in floor gymnastics. Indeed, the excitement reached its peak as Israel’s national anthem was played when Artem Dolgopyat won the gold medal for his floor exercise. PM Bennet and other senior politicians were quick to congratulate Dolgopyat and commend him for his achievement on behalf of the Israeli delegation. Dolgopyat said in interviews to the press upon his return: “I don’t know what to say. I made history. I did it all for the people of Israel. I am so proud to represent Israel.”
His achievement brought to the fore an ongoing civil rights issue in Israel as Dolgopyat, son of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother, cannot marry in Israel, since he is not considered to be Jewish under the Halacha (Jewish law). Dolgopyat’s mother said, in an interview, that her son will have to marry his girlfriend of 3 years in a ceremony abroad, since he cannot marry through the Rabbinate, the only option that exists, in the absence of civil marriage in Israel.COVID-19: Government Approves Harsher Green Pass Restrictions, PM Bennet and Senior Health Officials Urge the Public to Vaccinate to Prevent a Lockdown During the Impending High Holidays: as the number of new cases rises, including many with severe morbidity, the government voted on re-instating more strict limitations, which will apply to both outdoor and indoor events and activities. Access to all events and activities will be allowed only to those who are vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19 or can present a recent negative test. Those measures, alongside a massive public campaign urging people to be vaccinated, are intended to prevent the need for yet another lockdown during the Jewish high holidays in September. Several ministers, including Foreign Minister Lapid and Finance Minister Lieberman, expressed their anger and voted against the exclusion of houses of prayer from the new green pass restrictions.
For Further reading:
Lebanon and Israel: Here, here, here