It is believed that this afternoon, Israeli forces eliminated one of Nasrallah's advisors in Syria near the border. This advisor who was involved in smuggling Iranian weapons into Syria, once served as the terrorist leader’s bodyguard. In response, Hezbollah launched 40 rockets at the Golan Heights. Tragically, one of those rockets struck a car carrying two civilians, both of whom were killed. The chance of a rocket hitting a moving car is extremely low, but sadly, the magnitude of this barrage broke those odds.
Earlier today, the Air Force intercepted two suicide drones before they entered Israeli territory from Lebanon. Additionally, last night, the Air Force intercepted a drone originating from Iraq before it could reach Israel’s border.
HOSTAGES
Tomorrow, a large group of Israeli negotiators will travel to Qatar, including the heads of the Mossad and the Shin Bet (Shabak/Security Services), to try to successfully negotiate a hostage release and ceasefire agreement. The Egyptians claimed that the talks conducted today in Cairo were productive, and they are optimistic that this round of talks will finally bear fruit. Unfortunately, we have been here before.
POLITICAL TURMOIL
Political chaos continued today as the conflict between Minister of National Security Ben-Gvir, members of his party, and the Shas party escalated. The Shas party did not remain silent. They responded robustly by criticizing Ben-Gvir’s credentials to serve as Minister of Security and questioning why he was ever awarded the appointment. Ben-Gvir then called Shas a “leftist party.”
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It's hard to believe I am even writing about this … but it has reached the point where Ben-Gvir’s party is withholding its vote from the government, and the Shas party is also abstaining. Consequently, the government has withdrawn all its bills from the Knesset. Ben-Gvir is adamant about becoming part of Netanyahu’s select advisory group, which replaced the War Cabinet. So far, despite Ben-Gvir’s insistence, Netanyahu has denied him entry. Ben-Gvir has declared that until he is included in the elite advisory circle, he will continue to oppose the government’s actions. In a separate development, the political hostilities have paused due to the passing of Aryeh Deri's brother Yehuda this evening. For the moment, Ben-Gvir’s party has ceased its attacks on the Shas party.
ULTRA-ORTHODOX, THE PROCESS BEGINS
Meanwhile, the Army is set to begin issuing notices to the ultra-Orthodox to attend the “initial call up” (for conscription). This is where potential draftees undergo medical and other assessments to evaluate their capabilities. Interestingly, the plan is to ask Gemara (Talmud) questions to ascertain the prospective recruit’s “DAPAR” (which is an intelligence/aptitude battery).
The first wave of draft notices to the ultra-Orthodox will primarily be sent to young men who claim to be full-time yeshiva students, but are actually employed. The Army announced today that this group would not be the only ones receiving draft notices. The goal is to draft 50% of ultra-Orthodox students up to age 21, 40% between ages 21-23, and the remaining 10% between ages 24-26. There is significant speculation about how the rabbis will react to this policy. Some rabbis have expressed indifference to whether their students are genuinely studying, insisting that military service is forbidden regardless. Combined with disagreements within the coalition over a potential hostage deal, this additional crisis is leading most observers to predict that the days of this government are limited. While most people believe that the coalition will survive the next few weeks until the current session ends; the day Benny Gantz left the government, his party filed a motion to dissolve the Knesset— ready to be activated if the time became right. This motion can now be called to a vote at any moment before the Knesset adjourns for vacation.
GAZA
Fighting continues in Gaza. The Army reported that it found and destroyed six significant tunnels in Shuja’iyya, including two that came close to the Israeli border. Another tunnel they located was identified as the main tunnel used by Islamic Jihad. Shuja’iyya is one of the areas that the IDF has cleared before. Hopefully, before they leave Shuja’iyya this time, they will have located and eliminated all of the tunnels in this area.
The IDF Spokesman wrote the following about actions in Gaza today:
Forces of Division 99 continue to operate in Gaza City, following prior intelligence indicating the presence of terrorist infrastructures belonging to Hamas and PIJ in the area. So far, the forces have eliminated dozens of terrorists and discovered numerous weapons in the area.
Forces of Division 98 are operating in Shuja'iyya, both above and below ground simultaneously. In the course of their operations, the forces have eliminated several terrorists and uncovered numerous weapons, including sniper equipment, RPGs, grenades, "Kalashnikov" rifles, and more. Additionally, the forces destroyed terrorist infrastructures and underground tunnels in the area.
In the last 24 hours, brigade combat teams under the command of Division 162 have eliminated dozens of terrorists in Rafah in face-to-face encounters, in cooperation with fighter jets and aircraft of the Air Force.
In the last 24 hours, Air Force aircraft and fighter jets attacked terrorist targets in the Strip. Among the targets attacked were military structures, underground shafts, terrorist infrastructures, and more.
IRAN INFLUENCES ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines stated:
In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests (in the U.S.) regarding the war in Gaza. We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters.
I often listen to a podcast from The New Yorker called “The Political Scene”. Today, I tuned in to an unusual episode dedicated to exploring how Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, initially expected to be a “progressive”, seemingly turned against the progressive movement. Surprisingly, it wasn’t his stance on LGBTQ rights, abortion, school prayer, or any other typically progressive issues that redefined his alignment. Rather, Fetterman’s support for Israel in our war was sufficient evidence to accuse him of abandoning his progressive ideals.
INTRODUCING: AIR HAIFA
Monday, during a working meeting attended by Minister of Transportation Miri Regev, the Haifa Municipality it was revealed that a new airline, “Air Haifa” would begin operations by the end of July. Air Haifa's inaugural flight will be from Eilat to Cyprus, despite earlier reports that the airline would initially operate domestic flights from Haifa to Eilat — with flights to Cyprus commencing at a later stage.
This morning (Tuesday), Air Haifa officially confirmed that the first aircraft in its fleet will land in Israel at the end of July 2024. The aircraft will take off from Blagnac Airport in Toulouse, France, and land at Haifa International Airport at the end of the month. This aircraft is brand new, an ATR 72-600 model with 72 seats. Plans are in place to expand the Air Haifa fleet in the coming months
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BUSINESS
Izzy, A New Streaming Service
Today, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nati Dinnar, CEO of IZZY, a relatively new streaming service for Israeli movies and TV shows. Dinnar, a veteran of the Israeli media business and producer in his own right, became involved in the service to provide an outlet for Israeli media in the larger world, a mission that has become more challenging since October 7th. Dinnar seems resolute in trying to build Izzy into a significant niche player in the streaming market.
Here’s how IZZY describes themselves:
IZZY is a streaming platform dedicated to the power of storytelling, bringing the best of Israeli content to a global audience and showcasing the diverse and vibrant culture of Israel through films, series, and documentaries. With a subscriber base of 65,000 from over 60 countries, IZZY offers a subscription model priced at $15 per month, with a 50% discount for an annual subscription. The extensive library includes over 800 hours of Israeli-produced content, with new content added every week, all with English subtitles, ensuring accessibility for a worldwide audience.
Highlighted content on IZZY features a variety of acclaimed TV series, such as "Shtisel," a poignant drama exploring the life of an ultra-Orthodox family in Jerusalem; "The Women's Balcony," a heartwarming series about a close-knit community dealing with a crisis of faith; and "The Chef," a culinary drama that delves into the lives and challenges of chefs in Israel. The platform also offers award-winning films like "Sabena Hijacking," a thrilling retelling of the 1972 hijacking of Sabena Flight 571, and "Between Worlds," a touching story of faith, family, and secrets set in a Jerusalem hospital; and more.
The documentary selection on IZZY includes "Kosher Beach," which examines the lives of Orthodox Jewish women finding solace at a secluded beach; "Golda," an intimate portrait of Israel's first and only female Prime Minister, Golda Meir; and "Under the Iron Dome," which explores the lives of those living under the threat of rocket attacks in Israel; and more.
In the coming months, I hope to review several of the movies available on the IZZY platform. Working together with IZZY, we will be able to make even the premium content (available to others for a fee) accessible to our readers. You can check it out here
A BRIEF HISTORICAL NOTE…
In my research for the book I am working on, I came across the following quote from former MK and Minister, the late David Levy, who had been part of Likud until 1996, when he established the Gesher Party. Levy stated:
I didn't immigrate to Israel and raise children and grandchildren here so Bibi could send them to war … The thought of him as Prime Minister should keep every Israeli citizen from sleeping.
Levy ended up merging Gesher into Likud and ultimately served as Netanyahu’s Foreign Minister.
In May 1991, Israel executed a meticulously orchestrated mission known as “Mivtza Shlomo” (Operation Solomon) to evacuate Ethiopian Jews from the war-torn country. Originally planned to span 10-15 days, the operation was condensed into a mere 36 hours due to the swift advance of rebel forces threatening Ethiopia's capital. On May 24th, the Israeli government launched the airlift, deploying 34 Israeli planes to conduct 40 continuous flights over the ensuing day and a half.
The urgency of the situation was palpable, as Operation Solomon needed to conclude before rebel forces reached the capital. Thanks to careful planning and execution, by midday Saturday, May 25th, over 14,000 Ethiopian Jews had been safely transported to Israel. This massive undertaking involved both the Israeli Air Force and the national carrier El Al, which dedicated the majority of their transport fleets to the mission. Notably, one El Al plane set a world record for the largest number of passengers aboard a commercial aircraft during this operation
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Operation Solomon was made possible through diplomatic negotiations and a $35 million bribe to the Ethiopian President. This airlift successfully relocated nearly the entire remaining Ethiopian Jewish population to Israel, marking a significant moment in both Israeli and Ethiopian history. The success of the operation demonstrated Israel's commitment to the ingathering of Jewish communities from around the world and showcased its capability to execute complex logistical operations under challenging circumstances.
It’s amazing how Israel brings in their own & how trump does just the opposite. Most countries don’t want any outsiders but Israel sees things differently. 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱
It's very worrisome to me that Israeli keeps assassinating top Hezbollah and Iranian operatives, prompting heavy barrages in response. As you noted, two civilians were killed on the Israeli side by one of these tit-for-tat attacks by Hezbollah. Civilian casualties can easily trigger retaliatory strikes which could lead things in the north to spiral into all-out war.
It’s amazing how Israel brings in their own & how trump does just the opposite. Most countries don’t want any outsiders but Israel sees things differently. 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱
It's very worrisome to me that Israeli keeps assassinating top Hezbollah and Iranian operatives, prompting heavy barrages in response. As you noted, two civilians were killed on the Israeli side by one of these tit-for-tat attacks by Hezbollah. Civilian casualties can easily trigger retaliatory strikes which could lead things in the north to spiral into all-out war.