Your Weekly Israel News Roundup, April 14, 2023
5 things you need to know
High Level Security Alert, Three Members of a Family of Seven Were Killed in a Terrorist Attack on the Jordan Valley Road: Two sisters (ages 20 and 14) and their mother were killed while on their way to a family gathering during the Jewish holiday Passover. The family, who lives in Efrat, an urban settlement in the West Bank, were traveling in two different cars. The one car was shot at, and the two sisters were killed on site, while the mother was critically injured. She subsequently died, and the family, after burying the two sisters decided to donate the mother’s organs and then bury her. The shooters were Palestinians from the West Bank and have not been caught to date.
Late Friday evening there was another event, which security forces defined as a terrorist attack. This time it was on a busy road in Tel Aviv, when a car crashed into a group of tourists. An Italian tourist was killed. The driver is an Israeli Arab, from Kfar Kassem, a father of six girls, who worked as a maintenance person in a school. The police claim that he was a terrorist, while his family and relatives claim that he was a regular person and that it was probably an accident.
PM Netanyahu Delivered a Speech to the Nation, In Which He Announced That He Will Not Fire Defense Minister, Galant: Two weeks ago, tens of thousands of people spontaneously went out to the streets to protest, after PM Netanyahu announced that he will fire defense minister Galant. Prior to Netanyahu’s announcement, Gaant stated in a live broadcast that the security situation is fragile and that PM Netanyahu must declare a halt to the legislation procedure and the judiciary overhaul. During the two weeks following, PM Netanyahu failed to provide the documentation required to make the firing official. The protests did not stop, until PM Netanyahu announced that he is not firing Galant. The PM’s change is considered a meaningful success of the protests against the judiciary overhaul.
Meanwhile, PM Netanyahu and other members of his coalition had to face protests while participating in the festive Mimouna traditional events held all over the country on the last day of Jewish Passover by families of Moroccan origin.
Flooding in South-East Creeks: Two Dead, Two Missing: heavy flooding, unusual for this time of year in Israel and caused by heavy rainfall, took its toll during the week of the Passover holiday. Two young people, a brother and sister in their early twenties, were found dead after hours of searching. Their car was swept away by flooding, north of Eilat. The third passenger in the car was found alive and taken to hospital, having suffered mild injuries and hypothermia.
Rescue services reported that during the floods, sixty people were rescued while two more, a soldier and officer, are still missing. Israeli rescue teams are collaborating with Jordanian teams to locate them.
Due of the heavy flooding and resultant damages caused to the road from the north to and from Eilat, Israel’s most popular southern tourism city, road travel was halted for several hours.
Climate specialists say that while heavy rains in mid-April are a known phenomenon, the level of flooding in south-east creeks was less expected.
Thousands Marched Towards an Illegal Outpost in the West Bank That Was Evacuated: The march ended in a big rally and speeches and a call to re-build the settlement. Evyatar was evacuated in 2021 and rebuilt several times as a response to terrorist attacks and as a protest. Three government ministers joined the protest: Itamar Ben-Gvir, minister of national security, the head of Otsma Yehudit (Jewish Power), Bezalel Smotrich, minister of finance and the head of Religious Zionists, and Orit Stook, minister of national missions from the same party . A few extreme right members of Knesset also attended the event. This required a substantial presence of police and army units to protect the march and the rally.
Some people shouted at Ben Gvir that he should resign since he cannot implement the right wing policies he campaigned for and that he has had to lean to the left and make compromises that contradict the original vision of his party.
One of Israel’s Most Acclaimed and Prolific Writers, Meir Shalev, Dies at 74: a prolific novelist, journalist and essayist, Shalev published numerous novels, children’s books and collections of essays. Many of his books became bestsellers, were translated into 20 languages and some were adapted to the stage. Among his most popular books are novels like “A Russian Novel”, “A Pigeon and a Boy” and “Esau”, as well as his renowned “The Bible Now” that offered contemporary and critical reading of biblical narratives. Generations of Israeli children were brought up on his books that addressed complex issues with great humor and compassion.
Following the news of his death, leading politicians – including President Herzog and minister of culture Miki Zohar – made public statements mourning the passing of one of Israel’s most beloved authors. Literary columnists wrote that Shalev was “the quintessential Israeli”, who loved the country deeply, yet often criticized its people.
Shortly after his passing, an excerpt from his living will, addressed to future generations, went viral on social media, and it said: “Well, dear future generations, wherever you are, pay attention: the Third House (Temple) was destroyed because all its governments, one after the other, followed a handful of extremists, messiahs and gods of settlers. It was destroyed because it invested all its power and all its might and the vastness of its soul in occupying another People… It was destroyed because it did not separate religion from politics. It was destroyed because not enough wise and brave leaders arose”.
For further reading:
Terrorist Attack: Here, here, here, here
PM Netanyahu: Here, here, here, here, here, here