With Teachers’ Strike Threat Lifted, School Year Opens: less than 24 hours before the first day of school, after months of negotiations, the finance ministry and teachers’ unions reached an agreement. Classes began for 2.5 million students, in kindergartens and schools around the country. The agreement stipulates a substantial increase in salary for new teachers, and a quicker process for laying off burned out teachers. However, the substantial pay increase is yet to solve the severe shortage of teachers. According to a survey conducted by the Center, according to the Knesset's research and information about two weeks ago, about 85% of the state and state-religious schools face a shortage of teachers for the upcoming school year.
Another Week of Unrest In The West Bank: Two Israelis were injured earlier this week by Palestinian gunfire at Joseph's Tomb near Nablus. The two were part of a group of five worshipers who arrived there to pray in the compound, without coordinating their visit with the IDF. They were rescued by military forces and evacuated to the hospital in moderate condition.
Also, this week, The IDF arrested four wanted persons in several villages in the West Bank and confiscated weapons during a raid in a Palestinian village near the city of Hebron.
And finally, Khalil Awawdeh, an Islamic Jihad operative halted his hunger strike after Israel agreed to end his administrative detention. Awawdeh was hospitalized two weeks ago following a deterioration in his condition, after a 180-day hunger strike.
The Investigative Committee for the Meron Disaster Sent Warning Letters to Former PM Netanyahu, Former Minister of Homeland Security and Police Commissioner: the letters indicate that several senior officials, including former PM Netanyahu and Police Commissioner Shabtai, may be held directly responsible for not acting to prevent the disaster, despite them being aware of and informed of severe safety and security problems at the Mt. Meron compound. Netanyahu supporters were quick to criticize the committee for political bias. Family members of those killed in the disaster expressed their disappointment in Netanyahu’s and Likud supporters.
In an Effort to Block New Nuclear Iran Deal, PM Lapid Speaks with President Biden: Considering the rapprochement in the talks with Iran on returning to the nuclear deal, PM Lapid and the US President discussed the negotiations and the "various efforts to stop Iran's progress towards nuclear power". The 45-minute call took place this week, following media reports that President Biden was avoiding PM Lapid. In a statement after the call, Lapid said he "congratulated the president on the latest US strikes in Syria". The director of the Mossad, Israel’s Intelligence Agency, is expected to travel to Washington next week to brief congressional representatives in the House and Senate Intelligence Committees on the pending nuclear deal. The trip was scheduled before the improvement of negotiations between Iran and the US, during which he is expected to present the Israeli opposition to several articles in the pending agreement.
Syrian Media Reported Israeli Airstrikes Near Damascus and The Aleppo Airport: According to Syrian media sources, several people were killed, an Iranian airplane destroyed, and a fire erupted in nearby hangars in airstrikes attributed to Israel. This, after the Syrian news agency SANA reported that the country's air defense systems were activated in the city of Haleb, in the northwest of the country, and that intense explosions were heard in the vicinity of the city.
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