DAY 298 OF THE WAR: Israel Kills Military Leader of Hezbollah, Implications of Yesterday's Riots, Israel Withdraws from Khan Younis

Tel Aviv Diary, July 30 , 2024

Tonight, Israel responded to Saturday‘s horrific attack on the soccer field in Majdal Shams with a strike in Beirut, specifically targeting the Dahieh district, a known Hezbollah stronghold. The target of the attack was Fuad Shukr, one of the original members of Hezbollah and its highest military leader. In addition, Shukr has been the leader of Hezbollah’s missile project. Tonight, the IDF confirmed that Shukr has been successfully eliminated.

It is important to note that the US had placed a $5 million bounty on Shukr, who is believed to be responsible for the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. Service personnel. This tragic event claimed the lives of 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers. Tonight's action was carried out with the understanding that it could escalate into a wider conflict with Hezbollah. Currently, people all across Israel are anxiously waiting to see how Hezbollah will respond.

NIR POPKO

Earlier today, 28-year-old Nir Popko, a member of Kibbutz Goshrim near the Lebanese border, was killed by a Hezbollah rocket. Three rockets landed by the Kibbutz. This attack was part of a larger barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah.

SDE TEIMAN

The events that unfolded yesterday at Sde Teiman and Bet Lid Army bases have been the focal point of discussions and have captured everyone's attention. I am not sure I can fully put this incident into perspective. Some are comparing these violent protests and unlawful break-ins to America's January 6th, but in some ways, the situation here is even more severe. Here, we saw Knesset Members and even Ministers forcibly entering an army base.

I'd like to go over the facts once more. I apologize if I repeat the details mentioned in yesterday’s update. The story is complex and multi-layered. Let's start by examining the known facts:

Nine soldiers were asked to surrender themselves for interrogation, accused of torturing a Hamas prisoner two months ago. The case drew the attention of the military police after a critically injured prisoner was brought to the hospital, where doctors detected signs of torture, including a foreign object inserted in his body.

Consequently, the military police collected evidence implicating nine soldiers and proceeded to detain them. Some soldiers agreed to be taken without issue, while others refused and released video messages that rallied a mob, including ministers and MKs, to converge on Sde Teiman in the Negev and later to Bet Lid near Netanya. The situation escalated as the mob overpowered the guards and forcibly entered the base in both instances.

There are three significant issues with what happened …

First, some people, perhaps the majority of the rioters, felt that the soldiers should not be investigated because they believed the terrorist deserved whatever treatment he received. This reflects a lack of understanding that we are a nation governed by laws. While it might be acceptable to kill a terrorist on the battlefield, once captured, we are obligated to adhere to the law. Additional reluctance to subject soldiers to interrogation stems from empathy for our troops, who serve under difficult conditions for extended periods, and some feel they should be spared further scrutiny.

Secondly, there has been a troubling escalation in incitement by right-wing Knesset members and the right-wing media and their followers against all levels of the judiciary, which has extended to the military judiciary. This incitement has escalated to the point where the Chief Military Officer requires round-the-clock security. Right-wing activists have published the Chief Military Officer’s home address and told demonstrators to go there. Remarkably, some ministers have even gone as far as to forcibly enter an IDF base, an act without precedent.

Finally, the police response was wholly inadequate. The officers failed to arrive in time to prevent the riots at the Sde Teiman base, which is just a few minutes from Beersheva’s main police station. Even more egregious, the police did not show up at Bet Lid (the main base of the military police) despite having six hours to prepare. As a result of the police's failure, the Army was forced to deploy three brigades from the West Bank to protect the base at Bet Lid.

It’s clear that yesterday's events crossed a significant red line. Today, some cabinet members continued to justify the rioters' actions, while others roundly condemned them. It is hoped that enough people will recognize the danger of yesterday's events and step back from the brink of a potential abyss.

Yesterday’s events did not happen in a vacuum. They were precipitated by the legitimization of figures such as Minister of National Security Ben-Gvir, whom Prime Minister Netanyahu once vowed never to appoint to the cabinet. Yet, instead, Netanyahu placed Ben-Gvir in charge of the police and the prisons. This, together with the failure to address the unlawful actions of right-wing extremists in the West Bank, has normalized behavior that was previously considered out of bounds. Coupled with the relentless attacks on the judiciary that began with Netanyahu's indictment, a highly volatile situation has been simmering. All of this is happening against a backdrop of profound frustration over our inability to conclude the war with a “Total Victory.” Consequently, the risk of further violence is alarmingly high.

SOLDIER INDICTED

Unrelated to the investigation into the nine soldiers, the IDF announced today that a different soldier has been indicted for misconduct involving a Palestinian prisoner:

Today, the military prosecutor filed an indictment against a reservist soldier for several offenses of aggravated abuse and unbecoming conduct. The indictment alleges that in several incidents between February and June 2024, while securing the transport of security detainees, the defendant used severe violence against the detainees he was responsible for guarding.

In some of the transports, without any threat from the security detainees, and while the detainees were handcuffed and blindfolded, the defendant beat the prisoner, sometimes using a baton and on another occasion using his personal weapon. The defendant documented these actions in video recordings.

The IDF acts and will continue to act out of a deep commitment to the rule of law and adheres to its obligations under Israeli and international law.

An important note, both for this incident and the incident at Sde Teiman, the only way that Israel can prevent its troops from being investigated by the International Courts (e.g. ICC) is by demonstrating that we internally investigate any potential incidence of crime committed by our soldiers.

GAZA

The IDF announced today that it has concluded its operations in Khan Younis. Here is what the IDF stated about its activities in Gaza.

Division 98 completed its operations in the Khan Younis area last night. The brigade combat teams of the 7th Brigade, Paratroopers, and Commando operated in the area for about a week, eliminating over 150 terrorists, destroying terror tunnels, weapons depots, and terror infrastructures, and locating weapons. Additionally, in a joint operation with the Shin Bet, they rescued the hostage who was murdered, Maya Goren, and recovered the remains of the kidnapped and murdered reservists Raviv Arieh Katz, Oren Goldin, Tomer Achimas, and Kiril Brodsky, who were abducted and killed by the Hamas terrorist organization during the brutal terror attack on October 7.

Air Force aircraft, in collaboration with the Gaza Division, attacked Ibrahim Hijazi, who served as the anti-tank manager in the Nuseirat Battalion of the Hamas terrorist organization. Hijazi was involved in planning and executing numerous terror operations against our forces and was a key knowledge center in this field.

Division 252 is operating in the center of the Gaza Strip. The division's forces are conducting targeted raids, eliminating terrorists, and destroying terror infrastructures. Air Force aircraft, in collaboration with the Alexander Brigade combat team, eliminated a Hamas terrorist cell that was operating inside a building in the area.

A WORTHWHILE READ

Israel’s Five Wars, by Bret Stephens

BUSINESS

TSG

TSG, a company jointly held by Formula Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, has announced plans for an initial public offering (IPO) to raise approximately 70 million shekels. The offering values the company at around 442 million shekels, with the public expected to hold 14.9% of shares post-IPO. This valuation represents a significant increase from TSG's book value in the 2023 annual reports, potentially resulting in substantial profits for the current shareholders.

Established in 1999, TSG operates primarily in the defense sector, developing systems for military and security organizations while also providing solutions for local authorities in the civilian sector. The company has shown strong financial performance, with revenues reaching 295.4 million shekels in 2023, a 19% increase from the previous year. TSG also transitioned to profitability, recording a net profit of 12.6 million shekels and an EBITDA of 46.8 million shekels, representing 27% growth compared to 2022.

Faye

The insurtech company Faye, which was ranked first in Calcalist’s 2024 list of the 50 most promising startups, raised $31 million in a Series-B round, bringing the company’s total fundraising to $49 million. The current round was led by the American venture capital firm Portage Ventures, with participation from Lumir Ventures, along with existing investors F2 Venture Capital, Viola Ventures, and MunichRe Ventures. This is Faye’s second fundraising round in the past 12 months.

The company was founded in 2019 with its first investment from the F2 fund. In the coming months, the company plans to focus and invest in further growth, the development of new products, and expanding its activities in the insurance, travel, and fintech sectors. The company has 70 employees in Tel Aviv, Virginia, New York, California, and Florida. Faye plans to increase its headquarters in the U.S. and its offices in Tel Aviv by adding dozens of employees in the coming months.

The product developed by Faye covers all the needs of travelers, including travel, accommodation, health, luggage, and even their pets. The American travel insurance market has been awakening in recent years. While it is rare to find an Israeli without some form of travel insurance when on a plane, among Americans, less than 40% of travelers have such insurance. However, 68% say today that they are interested in such insurance.

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A PIECE OF HISTORY

The Bar-On Affair

The signing of the Hebron Accords occurred simultaneously as Netanyahu’s first political and legal scandal unfolded. Historically, the Likud party had championed the rule of law, but many younger members believed that the Supreme Court, perceived as dominated by left-wing judges, was obstructing their conservative agenda. In response, Netanyahu sought to appoint Yaacov Neeman, a religious conservative lawyer, as Justice Minister. However, six weeks after his appointment, Neeman was arrested and charged with suborning a witness and perjury, forcing him to resign. Neeman was subsequently found not guilty. Netanyahu then appointed a close confidant, Tzachi Hanegbi, as the next Justice Minister.

On January 10th, 1997, Netanyahu announced the appointment of Ronny Bar-On as the new Attorney General, a surprising move given Bar-On’s relative obscurity compared to the prominent jurists who previously held the position. Following widespread criticism, Bar-On opted to decline the Attorney General position. Instead, Elyakim Rubinstein was appointed to the position. Israel Channel 1 alleged that Bar-On’s brief appointment was part of a scheme to secure a favorable plea deal for Aryeh Deri, leader of the Shas party, in exchange for Shas’s support of the Hebron agreement. Consequently, Netanyahu faced accusations of bribery.

The police investigated the case and concluded that, despite Netanyahu’s denials, he was involved in the deal. The decision on whether to indict Netanyahu and his aide, Lieberman, then fell to Rubinstein. Rubinstein decided there was not enough evidence to convict Netanyahu and Lieberman and only charged Deri. AG Rubinstein issued a public report suggesting that Netanyahu's actions were questionable. Netanyahu promptly declared on the airwaves that he had been exonerated. Despite the controversy, none of his ministers resigned. Through this, Netanyahu navigated his way out of his first major crisis.

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