ZOOM BRIEFING SUNDAY JULY 21, 6 PM Israel, 4 PM GB, 11 AM EDT, 8 AM PDT
It appears that Prime Minister Netanyahu is determined not to take actions that will improve our country’s image unless absolutely forced to do so. Yesterday, I intended to commend what I thought was an intelligent move by Defense Minister Gallant when he announced that Israel plans to establish a temporary hospital for Gazan children who lack access to hospital care —something I believed we should have done all along. However, what I did not know yesterday is precisely how unpopular such an initiative would be, specifically among the Likud base. Today, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office announced his opposition to the temporary hospital, effectively canceling the plan.
Galant responded that two weeks ago, Netanyahu agreed to a plan to transfer sick Gazan children through Israel to a third country. However, he had not received any cooperation from government ministries to conduct the transfers. Galant announced that today he finally obtained assistance from the relevant ministries today to facilitate this process.
Netanyahu visited IDF troops in Rafah today
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POPULISM
The Knesset seems unable to stop itself from wasting time on populist measures. Last night, the coalition passed a bill stating that there would never be a Palestinian state on the West Bank of the Jordan. While I understand the sentiment — especially at this time — but what is the purpose of advancing such legislation on the eve of Netanyahu's trip to the U.S. — especially when we are facing the possibility of punitive rulings from international courts?
This new bill essentially declares that the preferred solution of the entire international community to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will never occur. I believe it will never happen in my lifetime. Nevertheless, without divine intervention, there is no other solution. It does no good to, once again, poke a finger in the eye of the world … and we wonder why we don’t have good “Hasbara” (public diplomacy). Beyond the fact that no one is officially tasked with this role, we also never act with diplomacy in mind.
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BEN-GVIR VISITS TEMPLE MOUNT, AGAIN
National Security Minister Ben-Gvir made a provocative visit to the Temple Mount today for no reason other than the fact he was able to do so. While on the Mount, Ben-Gvir stated,
I came here, to the most important place for the State of Israel, to pray for the hostages and for their return — but without a reckless deal, without surrender. I am praying and working hard so the Prime Minister will have the strength not to fold and to continue to victory, to increase military pressure, to cut off their fuel, and to win
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IF YOU ABANDON UKRAINE, YOU WILL EVENTUALLY ABANDON ISRAEL
I read all the celebrations about JD Vance's pro-Israel stance. While his support may seem steadfast for now, the notion that one can disregard the situation in Ukraine yet remain concerned about Israel is unsustainable. Ukraine was invaded by Russia, a long-standing foe of the United States, and is currently supported by a NATO coalition led by the United States. This conflict embodies the classic American battle between democracy and tyranny. If the US abandons Ukraine, then whatever deterrent power the US still has will further evaporate.
There is a coalition of NATO Naval forces trying to battle the Houthis off Yemen; the only reason French ships, British ships, German ships, and Danish ships are fighting together there is because of US leadership in NATO. The idea that an isolationist "America First" foreign policy will permanently offer unique protection to Israel is unrealistic. If American ships are not committed to defending NATO allies, they will not be available in the Eastern Mediterranean to assist us if needed. An America that is actively engaged internationally can exert influence on Europe and other countries in ways that a disengaged U.S. cannot. A U.S. that is fully involved globally is significantly more capable of supporting Israel.
SOLDIER DIES OF WOUNDS
Sergeant First Class (res.) Efraim Ben Amram (25) passed away today, succumbing to injuries sustained in a Hezbollah suicide drone attack on June 30, 2024
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NORTH
As I was finishing tonight's update, the IAF attacked a building in the town of Majdal Selm in Southern Lebanon. Initial reports indicate that at least five were killed, including commanders in Hezbollah's Radwan force. Previous targeted attacks against top Hezbollah commanders resulted in the terror organization responding with heavy barrages launched into Israel. Earlier today, the IDF killed a Hezbollah engineer and the leader of Hamas in Lebanon in two separate strikes.
Fighting in Gaza has subsided to a lower level of intensity over the past few days, but it has not stopped. The IDF Spokesman described current combat in Gaza as follows:
With intelligence guidance from the Shin Bet, Military Intelligence, and the Navy, an Air Force aircraft attacked and killed Anas Murad, the commander of the naval force in the Gaza City area for the terrorist organization PIJ.
In another strike, an Air Force aircraft, directed by Military Intelligence, the Shin Bet, and the Southern Command, attacked and killed Ahmad Al-Masri, who is affiliated with the PIJ terrorist organization and participated in the deadly massacre carried out by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Envelope on October 7. Additionally, Al-Masri was responsible for numerous rocket launches from the Shuja'iyya area towards southern communities.
In the past 24 hours, combat troops from the Givati Brigade discovered several tunnel shafts in the Rafah area and, in cooperation with the Air Force, eliminated several terrorists who posed a threat to our forces in the area.
Yesterday (Wednesday), terrorists from the Hamas organization fired an RPG missile at IDF forces along the humanitarian route while aid trucks were traveling on it. IDF forces operated in the area to thwart the cell. As a result of the fire, an IDF soldier from the Givati Brigade was moderately injured and was evacuated for medical treatment at a hospital; his family has been notified.
Following the shooting, the humanitarian route was closed for several hours, after which the distribution of aid along the route resumed to normal.
The IDF, through COGAT, will continue to operate in accordance with international law to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip.
In a joint attack by the IDF and Shin Bet, an aircraft struck and eliminated approximately 20 Hamas militants from the Shati Battalion, including Nakba operatives, observers, and snipers of the organization.
In the attack, Muhammad Abu Khatab, a section commander in the Shati Battalion who served as a sniper, was killed. During the war, he executed several sniper attacks against IDF forces maneuvering in the Gaza Strip, including the sniper attack that killed Staff Sergeant Tal Lehat during a Maglan Unit operation to destroy terrorist infrastructure at the UNRWA headquarters in the Gaza City area on July 9, 2024.
Additionally, Nakba operative Ismail Shkshka, who participated in the massacre carried out by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7, was also killed.
Noam Bardin: From Google to TRYING to save Israel
Here’s a very intriguing interview with Noam Bardin, founder of WAZE, which he sold to Google. Bardin continued to work for Google in California as VP until 2021. Returning to Israel on October 8th, Bardin rejoined his Army reserve unit after more than a decade away. Now back to stay, Bardin hopes to bring about change in the country. When We Sold Waze, I Told Netanyahu to Invest the Money in Education. He Chose Settlements.
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS FROM THE SHORESH STUDY
Below is the second installment findings from the interesting study titled: “Jerusalem and the increasingly Haredi towns: A PARABLE FOR ISRAEL” by economist Professor Dan Ban-David of the Shoresh Institute.
1. On the basis of each town’s socioeconomic ranking, the Shoresh Institution study was extended to all 183 Israeli towns that were ranked in both 1995 and 2019.
The average rank of Arab-Israeli towns in 1995 was above 25 percent of all municipalities. This average rank was almost identical in 2019, above 26 percent of the municipalities.
The average Druze town ranked above 32 percent of all towns in 1995. The relative situation of the Druze towns improved over the years, raising their average to above 41 percent of the towns in 2019.
The average rank of all other non-Haredi towns was relatively stable, exceeding 69 percent of the towns in 1995 as well as in 2019.
In sharp contrast to the other municipal groupings, Ben-David shows that the average for predominantly Haredi towns was above 29 percent of the municipalities in 1995 – falling to above just 6 percent of the municipalities by 2019.
2. When all those joining a Jewish stream are added to those who remain since childhood, the Shoresh study shows that
The Haredi stream grows by 12 percent;
The secular stream grows by 9 percent;
The traditional stream remains relatively stable;
and the religious group falls by 24 percent as group’s leavers outnumber those who join the group
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3. However, this does not provide a full perspective since it leaves out the primary determinant of Israel’s demographic changes: fertility rates.
Haredi fertility rates are roughly three times those of traditional and secular Jews, and two-thirds greater than religious Jews’ fertility rates.
To the extent that each groups’ retention and migration behavior remain unchanged in the future, the resultant effective fertility rates only exacerbate the fertility differences even more.
4. The Shoresh study finds that the Haredi share in Israel’s population doubles roughly every 25 years – or, roughly every generation. For example, while haredi grandparents are just 6 percent of all 50-54 year old grandparents, their grandchildren are 26 percent of all infants and toddlers ages 0-4
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5. In a comparison of Israel to all 36 OECD countries that have participated in at least 17 of the 18 PISA exams (in math, science, and reading) administered between 2006 and 2022, Israeli achievement levels are below nearly all of the developed world.
Prof. Ben-David notes that this outcome is not due to Haredi boys in Israel. The vast majority of them do not study the material and do not participate in the exams – otherwise, the Israeli average would be even lower.
The average multiyear score (between 2006 and 2022) in the PISA exams for the secular Jewish schools was 493, placing them below the majority of OECD countries.
Israel’s religious Jewish schools attained an average score of 480, which placed them below 80 percent of the OECD countries.
The average score of Israel’s Arabic speakers (383) placed them below all of the OECD countries and many third world ones as well. In the most recent exam, administered in 2022, Israel’s Arabic speakers placed below three of the six Arab countries that participated in the exam.
ECONOMICS
Private investors, angels, and angel clubs invested approximately $5 billion in Israeli tech companies between 2015 and 2023. Following the surge of prolific investments, private investors significantly increased their capital infusion during 2020-2022. However, according to IVC Data and Insights, a downtrend began in 2023, with investments decreasing by 36%. Total investments by private investors fell to $321 million across 612 deals, compared to $898 million across 1,387 deals in 2022. This decline continued into 2024, with investments totaling only $42 million across 242 deals by mid-July
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BUSINESS
CTERA
The American PSG fund is leading an $80 million investment round in CTERA, a veteran cloud computing company. This significant investment, where PSG is acquiring several dozen percent of CTERA's shares (but less than 51%), allows early investors to realize returns and values the company at several hundred million dollars - an increase from its 2018 valuation. CTERA, founded in 2008, has grown substantially due to its focus on public and private cloud data management, particularly for remote sites. The company has been experiencing about 30% annual revenue growth and has maintained positive EBITDA for several years, with annual revenue estimated in the tens of millions of dollars. This investment reflects the growing interest in mature, profitable tech companies in the cloud computing sector, as PSG targets growth companies in the technology market.
Waltz
Waltz, a platform enabling non-U.S. citizens to purchase real estate in the United States, has secured $12.5 million in a Series-A funding round led by Aleph Fund. TLV Partners, which previously led an undisclosed $11.5 million seed round, also participated. The investment round attracted over 40 prominent angels and private investors, including notable figures such as Ofir Ehrlich, Talmon Marco, Eyal Lifshitz, and Gil Barak. This significant funding boost comes as Waltz aims to revolutionize the process of international real estate investment in the U.S. market.
The Waltz platform offers a comprehensive "investor kit" that allows foreign investors to set up a U.S. business entity, complete identity verification, obtain an LLC with an EIN, and receive preliminary mortgage approval in about 20 minutes. Waltz also provides customers with a digital American bank account for managing rent collection and tax payments. According to CEO Yuval Golan, the platform is designed to handle large financial transactions reliably and includes features such as insured accounts and fee-free currency exchange. While primarily operating on a B2C model, Waltz is also developing B2B partnerships with real estate professionals to expand its reach and streamline the property purchase process for international investors.
Following the large rally in Jerusalem and other demonstrations against Rabin and the peace process, Rabin's advisors grew concerned that the public might perceive widespread opposition to the peace process. To address this concern, Rabin’s advisors convinced him to hold a rally in support of peace. The event was scheduled for Saturday night, November 4, just after his return from the UN General Assembly. Mayor Shlomo Lahat chose Tel Aviv’s Malchei Yisrael (Kings of Israel) Square as the venue. Promotional materials for the rally carried the message, "YES to PEACE, NO to VIOLENCE.”
In the days leading up to the rally, Rabin was concerned about the potential turnout. Mayor Lahat reassured him that the event would draw a large crowd. On the afternoon of the rally, Rabin worked from home. At 7:45 PM, he left his Tel Aviv residence for the rally. At around the same time, Yigal Amir (Rabin’s assassin) departed his home from Herzliya by bus, heading to the same event in Tel Aviv. Rabin arrived at the rally at 8:15 PM to find over a hundred thousand people already gathered in the plaza, with thousands more arriving.
When Amir arrived at the rally, he managed to enter a restricted area, meant to be sterile, close to where Rabin's car was parked. At the rally, Rabin spoke immediately after Shimon Peres, his occasional adversary. In a rare display of unity, the two put their arms around each other. Rabin then delivered what would be the final speech of his life, during which he declared, “Violence is undermining the foundations of democracy.” Rabin continued,
I was a military man for 27 years. I fought as long as there was no chance for peace. I believe there is a chance now, a great chance, and we must take it.
The rally concluded with the politicians, including Rabin, singing “Shir L’Shalom” (A Song for Peace). After the event, Rabin bid his farewells and briefly returned to the stage to thank Mayor Lahat for the very successful rally. He descended the stairs next to City Hall. Amir, who had evaded the attention of security personnel, was lurking below. As Rabin neared his car, Amir jumped out and managed to squeeze off three shots before he could be subdued. The training received by the protective detail, i.e., that the second shot fired would be theirs, proved thoroughly ineffective. The first bullet struck Rabin’s upper back and wounded a security guard, and the third hit Rabin's lower back.
Rabin was immediately rushed into his car and sped off to Ichilov Hospital, just a very short distance away. When Rabin arrived at the hospital, he was barely alive. Surgeons immediately took the Prime Minister into the operating room in a desperate attempt to repair the damage caused by Amir’s hollow-point bullets. Despite the valiant efforts of all of the hospital's top surgeons, it was a losing battle.
At 11:02 PM, 80 minutes after the shots rang out, the surgeons were forced to declare the Prime Minister dead, prompting some surgeons to weep. At 11:15 PM, Eitan Haber, the government secretary, stepped outside to address the waiting press and announced:
The government of Israel announces with shock, great sorrow, and profound grief the death of Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was murdered by an assassin this evening.
Where can I find the Zoom info?
America is $34T in debt. She can't pay the price to police the rest of the world. I'm sorry, but she's broke, and broken.