DAY 130 OF GAZA WAR: Hostage Negotiations Continue, Ultra-Orthodox and the Army, Lebanon

Tel Aviv Diary, February 13, 2024

Bi-Weekly Zoom Briefing on Sunday February 18, 2024 6 PM Israel Time, 11 AM EST

NEGOTIATIONS FOR RELEASE OF HOSTAGES

A meeting took place in Cairo today, involving Mossad Chief David Barnea, Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar, CIA Chief Bill Burns, Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The objective of the gathering was to negotiate the initial phase of a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Representatives from both Egypt and the United States reported significant progress, though the Israeli delegation remains more skeptical. It is important to note that Hamas representatives were not present at the talks, casting doubt on whether Hamas is prepared to alter its demands from their proposal made two weeks ago.

When questioned on Britain’s LBC News about President Biden's assertion regarding the significant progress in negotiations, I suggested that the Americans might be projecting optimism to spur momentum toward an agreement. While I remain skeptical about the possibility of reaching an agreement, I sincerely hope to be proven wrong.

ULTRA-ORTHODOX AND THE ARMY

This evening, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi held a press conference near the Gaza border. Halevi reiterated the usual assertions, e.g., that the IDF has made significant progress in the war, but emphasized that much remains to be accomplished. The war, Halevi stated, is far from over. Halevi made headlines at the end of his speech when he discussed the Army's substantial manpower needs and how, until now, these needs were met primarily by specific segments of society. He noted that there was both an opportunity and a necessity to draw from parts of the nation that had not previously participated. It was clear that Halevi was referring to the ultra-Orthodox community.

As I've previously mentioned, the noticeable absence of ultra-Orthodox individuals serving in the military is becoming a significant concern. The vast majority of the population now believes that it's time to mandate their service. After four months of intense warfare, which has underscored the inadequacy of our military's size and highlighted the need for those already serving to extend their service further, the public's tolerance for the automatic exemption granted to the ultra-Orthodox community has worn thin.

GAZA

This evening, the IDF released a video captured by security cameras in one of the tunnels under Khan Younis, showing Sinwar walking in the tunnel with his family. These are the first images of Sinwar that we have seen since October 7th. However, the video, recorded a few days after the attack, did not provide much new information — despite the hype before its release.

Last night, I mentioned that I anticipated we would wake up to bad news the following morning. Sadly, my prediction was not mere speculation; it was based on information that had been circulating online. Tragically, three soldiers, including a battalion commander, lost their lives when they entered a building rigged with explosives. This incident raises the total number of soldiers killed since the start of the ground operation to 232. Before October 7th, such a number would have been considered unimaginable—too high to even contemplate. However, after the events of October 7th, there has been a realization that this war must be fought and won, regardless of the cost.

Here is the account of today's events in Gaza, as reported by the IDF Spokesman.

IDF soldiers continue to operate in the Gaza Strip; during an operation in the west of Khan Younis, soldiers from the 7th Brigade Combat Team eliminated over 30 terrorists. Paratroopers eliminated terrorists who attempted to move under the cover of the civilian population, and soldiers from Unit 414 located and eliminated terrorists transporting explosives on a motorcycle.

Over the course of the last day, forces from Division 98 continued operations in the west of Khan Younis, during which the 7th Brigade Combat Team soldiers eliminated over thirty terrorists, deepening operational control in the area and conducting raids on terror infrastructures, sniper ambushes, and patrols.

Also, in the west of Khan Younis, paratroopers eliminated two terrorists who tried to move under the cover of the civilian population; when one of the terrorists was identified, pointing a gun towards a protected vehicle of the force, the force responded immediately and eliminated the terrorists.

Additionally, in the Khan Younis area, soldiers from Unit 414 located several terrorists transporting explosives on a motorcycle. The soldiers directed an aircraft that attacked and eliminated the cell. The artillery of Division 98 directed attacks on two ammunition warehouses located inside terrorists' houses.

In the center of the Gaza Strip, the combat team of the Nahal Brigade eliminated about ten terrorists during the last day. As part of the operation, the brigade's artillery identified a terrorist cell that entered a building from which anti-tank fire was conducted against our forces; within minutes, the loop was closed on the terrorists, and a combat aircraft eliminated the cell.

LEBANON

It was a particularly violent day on the Lebanese border. Hezbollah launched two missiles at Kiryat Shmonah, severely wounding a mother and her teenage son. According to the latest reports from the hospital, the mother and son are not in mortal danger, but their injuries are serious. Out of the town's 18,000 residents, about 3,000 currently remain in the town. The mayor of Kiryat Shmonah has urgently requested everyone to evacuate.

It is important to note that all residents are entitled to free hotel accommodations. There has been discussion indicating progress towards an agreement on a ceasefire and the redeployment of Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River. However, today, Nasrallah delivered a speech responding to the mediation efforts:

We have made it clear: There will be a ceasefire in Lebanon only after the aggression stops in Gaza. We are here to support Gaza and to pressure Israel until it agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza. We are not in a position of weakness that allows others to dictate our actions.

FROM THE TAUB CENTER REPORT: EDUCATION

Educators tend to downplay the importance of the education system budget and claim that what is important is not the size of the budget, but rather how it is used. While this may be true, it must be recognized that, “If there is no flour, there is no Torah,” i.e., without a sufficient budget, there is no possibility of having an optimally functioning education system. Therefore, it is important to examine whether the budget has grown in real terms during this past year, with respect to both the previous year and the number of students in the system, and how funds were divided among the different sectors and segments of the system.

As has been shown in previous reviews, it can generally be said that the disparities in budgeting between sectors and schools with different socioeconomic levels have narrowed. Furthermore, we have shown that at least some of the disparities in budgeting originate in explicit budgeting formulas rather than as the result of covert discrimination (Blass & Bleikh, 2020; Blass & Bleikh, forthcoming) 1. We emphasize this because the claim that there is significant discrimination — on a tens of percent scale—between the system's various parts is heard periodically in the media and elsewhere, and it is often implied that the education system consciously discriminates against certain population groups. In the last review, we examined the developments in the budget between 2000 and 2019 and showed that the budget in general and the budget per student had grown realistically (Blass, 2022). Between 2019 and 2022, the number of students in schools and preschools grew by about 6% (from 2.318 million to 2.457 million), while the original budget grew by 12% (Table 1). The budget per student has thus clearly grown.

As can be seen in Table 2, the total education budget for 2024 is 21% larger than in 2022. The main changes are in the following budget items:

• The reserve budget — As will be described, this budget item includes coalition funds. It doubled between 2022 and 2023 and increased again between 2023 and 2024. A large part of this addition is designated for equalizing the budget of the recognized unofficial education system3 (primarily consisting of Haredi [ultra-Orthodox Jewish] schools) and other items that are offset by the reduction in the budget item for support of Jewish studies.

• The special education budget — This budget grew by 19% in 2022–2023 and by 24% between 2022 and 2024. The increase in this budget is based on the projected increase in the number of special education students, primarily those with costly disabilities, such as students on the autism spectrum or students with serious behavioral disorders.

• The primary school and middle school budget — This budget grew by 29% between 2022 and 2023 and by 35% from 2022 to 2024. Most of the increase is meant to cover the cost of the wage agreement with the Israel Teachers Union (Histadrut Hamorim). It is important to mention that money has not been set aside in the current budget for the wage agreement with the Teachers Organization (Irgun Hamorim), which will apparently also involve several billion shekels.

• Between 2022 and 2024, there were particularly large declines in the funding for Jewish studies (49%), construction of new schools and renovation of old ones (14%), and the Teachers Authority that is in charge of training and continuing education of the teaching cadres (10%). The declines in the latter two items are particularly concerning given the Ministry of Education’s repeated claims of a shortage of teachers and a shortfall of thousands of classrooms, primarily in special education.

BUSINESS

Here’s some information on an interesting startup:

AgriTech start-up SaliCrop, Ltd., has pioneered climate-smart seed enhancement technology to transform arid terrain into flourishing landscapes to growing food. Leveraging its expertise in desert technology, the company developed a novel, non-GMO approach to bolster seeds’ resilience to abiotic stresses brought on by extreme climate challenges. This process harnesses the innate stress-response mechanisms of the plants helping them thrive even during periods of intense heat, prolonged dry spells, and low water. SaliCrop’s benefits are already taking root in Spain’s tomato industry, boosting the yields and quality of tomatoes grown in 30-hectare-sized fields.

Photo by Guy Shery

BioCatch has recently completed its third secondary funding round within a year. The Australian fund Macquarie Capital invested 32 million dollars in the company's shares, which it purchased from its early investors at a valuation of just over one billion dollars, the same valuation at which its previous secondary round in October was conducted. Similar to the previous deal, the proceeds will not go into BioCatch's coffers.

A PIECE OF HISTORY

NILI Founded

World War I pitted the British against the Ottoman Empire. Some of the Jews of Palestine were convinced that supporting the British would help bring about a Jewish State. Led by Avshalom Feinberg and Aaron Aaronson, this group recruited other members of the Zichron Ya'acov community to work on behalf of the British. They named their organization N.I.L.I. (Netzah Israel Lo Yeshaker, meaning, ”the Eternal One of Israel will not lie”), an acronym from the phrase in the First Book of Samuel. Contact was made with Britain, and in 1916 and 1917, N.I.L.I. transmitted important intelligence information to British forces

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In 1917, Feinberg and Joseph Lishansky were ambushed by Bedouins near El Arish, and Feinberg was killed. In September of that year, a carrier pigeon used by N.I.L.I. was ambushed. Two weeks later, a member of N.I.L.I. was arrested and after torture, disclosed some of the group's secrets. In early October, the Turks surrounded Zichron Ya'acov and arrested Sarah Aaronson. They tortured Aaronson for three days, during which she refused to betray her friends. After three days, she managed to commit suicide, ending her agony. Two of the others -- Joseph Lishansky and Na'aman Belkind -- were executed by the Ottomans on December 16, 1917.

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