DAY 293 OF THE WAR: Netanyahu Meets Biden, Harris, Additional Bodies Recovered From Gaza, Two Soldiers Die, Knesset Rushes to Pass Problematic Bills
Tel Aviv Diary, July 25, 2024
Tonight (Israel time), Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Biden in the White House for the first time during the Biden Presidency. The primary item on the agenda was the state of the hostage/ceasefire negotiations. After the two men concluded their one-on-one meeting, they were joined by staff, after which they held an additional meeting with the families of the hostages.
Following the discussions, the families of the hostages issued the following statement:
We met with President Biden and his team, and with the Prime Minister of Israel and his advisors. We arrived with a sense of urgency. With each passing day, the return of our loved ones alive becomes less likely. Therefore, we made it clear to both leaders that a deal must be made to bring back all the hostages and end the suffering of Gaza's residents. Once the hostages return, the killing [in Gaza] will stop. At the close of the meeting, we feel more optimistic than we have at any point since the previous hostage release agreement in November. Biden and Netanyahu committed that they understand there is no time now to waste and that the current deal on the table must be completed with as few changes as possible.
After meeting Biden and the families of the hostages, Netanyahu met with Vice President Harris. Further details from these meetings will undoubtedly emerge in the coming hours. We will report all additional developments on Saturday night.
MURDERED HOSTAGE BODIES RETRIEVED FROM GAZA
As I mentioned briefly in last night’s entry—since the news was still developing as I sent out yesterday’s update, the IDF successfully retrieved the bodies of five kidnapped hostages from Gaza. The Discovery of the bodies in a Khan Younis tunnel was based on intelligence gathered from prisoners and other sources. The tunnel was located deep in Khan Younis in what was designated as part of the humanitarian zone, and this was the reason Israel announced the contracting of the zone. This intelligence was a primary factor in the decision to reenter Khan Younis. During the course of this operation, the IDF killed 30 terrorists.
Unfortunately, the tunnel entrance had been destroyed earlier in the war, which required the Army to spend 12 hours excavating to reach it. The Army then entered the abandoned tunnel, located 20 meters underground, and proceeded to extract the bodies. A reservist who assisted in transporting the bodies back to Israel for identification took a photo with the bodies—which led to my knowledge of the recovery yesterday afternoon, long before the official announcement. Today, the reservist was sentenced to 10 days in jail for violating the directive that prohibits even possessing a phone inside Gaza.
The five murdered hostages the IDF returned to Israel for proper burial were:
Maya Goren (56), legendary nursery educator from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Goren was severely wounded on October 7th and subsequently kidnapped to Gaza, where she succumbed to her wounds.
Sgt. Kiril Brodski (19), from Ramat Gan, was killed near Kibbutz Nirim on October 7th.
Staff Sergeant Tomer Yaakov Ahimas (20), from Lehavim, was killed near Kibbutz Nirim on October 7th.
Oren Goldin (33), member of the Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak's Emergency Defense Squad, on October 7th.
Warrant Officer (res.) Ravid Aryeh Katz (51), from Nir Oz.
CPT. ARIEL TOPAZ AND First Sergeant Noam Douek
This morning, it was announced that Cpt. Ariel Topaz (24), of Pardes Hanna, who was struck by a terrorist in a ramming attack last week near Tzrifin in central Israel, has succumbed to his injuries. This evening it was announced that First Sergeant Noam Douek died this morning in Southern Gaza.
KNESSET RUSHES TO PASS BILLS
Late last night, while all eyes were on Washington, the Knesset passed several bills. The first reinstated the Rabbinical Committee on Communications’ control over the phones of the ultra-Orthodox community. The previous government had implemented a reform that allowed ultra-Orthodox citizens to switch phone providers while retaining their number. This enabled them to utilize mainstream phone companies discreetly, without their Rabbis or community knowing. This reform faced objections from the Rabbis for two main reasons: First, it allowed ultra-Orthodox individuals to use smartphones unnoticed. Second, the previous government’s reform threatened the income some Rabbis and other functionaries received from the telephone companies. One of the commitments made by the current government was to repeal this telephone reform, effectively reducing a freedom previously extended to the ultra-Orthodox community.
The second law that was passed transferred enforcement powers regarding real estate matters from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of National Security, headed by Ben-Gvir— who is particularly focused on demolishing homes built by Arab Israelis without proper zoning approvals. This issue has arisen because the Ministry of Interior has not updated the plans for many of these towns for years.
The third law, a private bill introduced by Simcha Rothman, seeks to alter the appointment process for the judges' ombudsman. Currently, the position is filled jointly by the Justice Minister and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Rothman's proposal would change the appointment process, allowing the Justice Minister and ten Knesset members to designate the official. There is significant opposition to this move, which is seen as politicizing the position. Nevertheless, the bill passed its first reading last night.
The final bill that was passed authorized the initiation of work on the Tel Aviv Area Metro. The legislation allocated funds to support businesses affected by construction, a provision not included in the previous Tel Aviv law. The good news is that the planning can now commence; however, the bad news is that the first trains are not expected to be operational until 2040.
NETANYAHU’S SPEECH— THE DAY AFTER
As I wrote yesterday, Netanyahu's speech was a remarkable display of rhetorical skill. For those who want to teach public speaking, Netanyahu’s presentation serves as a master lesson on how to give a powerful address.
From what I can hear, many Jewish Americans who support Israel appreciated the speech, as did people in Israel who love Bibi. Even for those who are not Bibi fans, there was a sense of satisfaction in hearing a rebuttal to all the harsh criticisms directed at us.
However, regarding the Prime Minister's speech, a former senior member of Israel's security council commented on an afternoon news broadcast: “If I didn't live here [in Israel], I would have considered it a great speech.” The panel of commentators unanimously agreed that while Netanyahu's speech was filled with truthful, compelling soundbites, it lacked both detail and any clear plan of action—elements that are difficult to accept ten months into the war.
This sentiment was echoed by everyone I spoke with today, including a former general, a senior intelligence officer, a former diplomat, and everyday residents of Tel Aviv. They all agreed Netanyahu delivered a powerful speech that excellently defended Israel but was completely disconnected from our reality. He continued to speak about “total victory,” a concept that nobody in Israel knows how to define. Unfortunately, nothing in Netanyahu’s speech offered anyone in Israel any hope for the future.
In a strange way, Netanyahu’s trip to Washington D.C., helped the country in an unexpected way. Many of us feared the anti-Israel demonstrations his visit would spark. However, the actions of the demonstrators, who burned American flags and defaced monuments, ultimately backfired. Their actions undermined their own case and reinforced what Netanyahu said in his speech that the demonstrators were “Iran’s useful idiots” who harbor hatred towards America.
VP HARRIS SPEAKS OUT
This afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris released the following statement regarding the demonstrations:
Yesterday, at Union Station in Washington, D.C., we saw despicable acts by unpatriotic protestors and dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric.
I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation.
I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way.
I support the right to peacefully protest, but let's be clear: Antisemitism, hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation.
TRUMP AND NETANYAHU
Today, a day before his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump stated that Israel needs to swiftly conclude the war. Trump criticized Israel's public relations efforts and emphasized the urgency of ending the conflict fast.
DEADLY AMOEBA
As if we did not have enough problems, two weeks ago, a young boy died from an amoeba virus, a very rare infection that attacks the brain. Yesterday, another boy was hospitalized in critical condition. Both boys had visited a water park on the Sea of Galilee, which has since been temporarily closed. The amoeba, also known as “Naegleria fowleri” (brain-eating amoeba), typically infects individuals when contaminated water enters the body through the nose, resulting in a severe and often fatal brain infection.
WEST BANK
Terrorists carried out a drive-by shooting targeting a military detail assigned to protect the route near Nabi Elias in the Ephraim Brigade. The IDF has been actively pursuing the terrorists. In this incident, two IDF soldiers sustained minor injuries, and another soldier was moderately injured. The injured soldiers have all been hospitalized
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U.S. Central Command Update [July 24]
In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi missiles on launchers in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure.
BUSINESS
Dazz
The startup Dazz, which develops software for prioritizing and quickly fixing security vulnerabilities, announced a $50 million fundraising round. Several million dollars of the amount were part of a secondary deal, in which the holdings of early angel investors, entrepreneurs, and employees at Dazz were sold, with the proceeds going to them. The rest of the amount went into Dazz's coffers.
The current fundraising round was entirely from existing investors of Dazz who had invested in previous rounds and was led by the American fund Greylock. The funds Index, Cyberstarts, and Insight Partners also participated in the round. Including this current round, Dazz has raised $110 million since its establishment in 2021.
Zest
Zest Security, a startup founded at the end of last year by Shani Ben Shimon and Uri Aharonovitch, recently revealed a $5 million Seed round from Hanaco Ventures, Silvertech Ventures, and other private investors. Despite being a young company, Zest has already secured paying customers, demonstrating the value of their innovative approach to cloud security.
Zest Security's platform is designed to not only identify vulnerabilities in companies’ cloud infrastructures but also to provide solutions for them. The startup connects its product to clients' cloud infrastructure, searches for the source of vulnerabilities, and then generates solutions at the code level. This approach sets Zest apart in the crowded cloud security market, as it addresses a critical gap: many existing tools can identify weaknesses but fail to offer concrete fixes.
To achieve this, Zest combines artificial intelligence, including a large language model (LLM), with proprietary algorithms and open-source products. The system is capable of understanding organizational systems, unifying problems, and generating intelligent responses to reduce risks. Zest's solution is particularly valuable because it can solve critical cloud vulnerabilities in a matter of days, potentially saving thousands of man-hours and significantly reducing an organization's attack surface. This efficiency is especially crucial given that, according to the founders' research, many cyber attacks occur through vulnerabilities that security teams were aware of for months but couldn't address due to technological or operational limitations.
Addionics
The Israeli startup Addionics, which develops technologies aimed at improving battery performance and reducing production costs, announced that it has completed a $39 million funding round. The round was led by GM Ventures, the investment arm of General Motors, and the Deep Insight fund.
Addionics was founded in 2017 by three researchers at Imperial College London: the Israeli Dr. Moshiel Biton (CEO), Dr. Vladimir Yufit, and Dr. Fred Torrisi (both currently serve as advisors to the company). Addionics employs 75 people, 60 of whom are in Israel, and this funding brings the total capital raised by the company to approximately $79 million.
Addionics is developing a component called the D Current Collector 3, which can be integrated into batteries during the production phase. According to Addionics, this component allows for a reduction in the amount of copper and aluminum used in battery production, as well as improving their performance: increased electricity generation, shorter charging times, and more. Unlike other companies in the field, Addionics is not trying to develop a new battery from scratch or change its chemical structure. Their development focuses on the physical structure of the battery, and this technology can be integrated into existing production lines.
Scopio Labs
The company Scopio Labs, which develops an innovative method to assist in diagnosing diseases and infections, has raised $42 million in a Series-D round, bringing its total funding to $130 million. The current round was led by the Fortissimo Fund with participation from existing investors. Scopio was founded in 2015 by two physicists, CEO Itai Hayut and Erez Naaman. Scopio's platform provides digital imaging of thousands of cells, allowing lab workers to examine blood tests at high resolution, replacing the need for manual microscopes. The platform offers AI-based tools for efficient blood cell analysis, enabling remote collaboration as well. The company employs 110 people, most of whom are based in Israel.
Hayut explained to Calcalist (Israel's premier daily financial newspaper):
The manual microscope has been and continues to be an important tool for characterizing cells, including blood cells, for the past two hundred years. Once you digitize the sample, a whole world of possibilities opens up – starting with the ability to diagnose remotely and continuing with computer vision-based systems that organize the cells by types and help the expert make decisions. The next stages are even more exciting when the technology begins to exceed human capabilities – counting ten or a hundred times more cells than the expert can do alone, identifying cells that are considered rare today and quantifying information about them for the first time, and gaining insights into how these cells in our bloodstream enable early detection and monitoring of diseases, including infections, anemia, and malignant diseases like leukemia. We are very proud that laboratories are adopting the tools we are developing.
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A PIECE OF HISTORY
Netanyahu Directly Elected Prime Minister
Immediately following Rabin's assassination on November 4, 1995, polls indicated that Shimon Peres would defeat the then-Likud leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, by 30% if elections were held immediately. Peres's advisors encouraged him to call snap elections, a move that no one would have questioned given the circumstances and could have solidified his mandate.
However, Peres decided against holding elections immediately, not wanting to win as a result of sympathy due to the Rabin assassination. Peres ultimately called for new elections on February 11, 1996, facing off against Netanyahu, who had risen to prominence as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
Netanyahu entered the election as the clear underdog. Succeeding Rabin, Peres had the dual advantages of incumbency and the public's sympathy for Rabin's legacy. This would be the first direct election in Israel's history (as a law had been passed in 1992 to mandate the direct election of a Prime Minister.) Netanyahu, who saw himself as an expert regarding American practices, decided to hire an American election advisor. Netanyahu brought on the well-known Republican strategist Arthur Finkelstein, who devised a campaign centered around two slogans: one claiming that Peres would divide Jerusalem and the other asserting that Netanyahu would bring peace through strength. Finkelstein's research identified a vulnerability in Peres's campaign related to concerns that he might divide Jerusalem.
But before Netanyahu could begin campaigning, he had to clear the field of other contenders. The most formidable was MK David Levy, who had been active in Likud for two decades and was now attempting to start his own party. Netanyahu tried reaching out to Levy but was initially rebuffed. Levy declared, “I didn't immigrate to Israel and raise children and grandchildren here so Bibi could send them to war.” He further expressed that the prospect of Netanyahu as Prime Minister should prevent every Israeli citizen from sleeping. Ultimately, Levy, along with other potential rivals, capitulated.
Netanyahu’s campaign was also bolstered by a series of bombings that diminished the popularity of the peace process. Additionally, Netanyahu benefited from his right-hand man, Avigdor Lieberman, who maintained strong ties with the new and growing Russian immigrant constituency. Furthermore, Netanyahu made successful overtures to the ultra-Orthodox community.
The campaign culminated in a one-on-one debate where Netanyahu, having spent days preparing, clearly outperformed Peres, who had only prepared for an hour or two and appeared overconfident. The outcome of the debate was widely regarded as a decisive win for Netanyahu. Despite this, polls on the eve of the election still showed Peres slightly ahead. Early vote counts suggested a Peres victory, but as the counting continued overnight, Netanyahu emerged victorious with 50.5% of the vote, securing 29,457 more votes than Peres.