It was another day of anxious waiting. The best joke I heard today was that the reason the Iranian missiles haven’t yet arrived is that they were sent via the notoriously slow Israeli postal system (the definition of "snail mail”). Clearly, Nasrallah is toying with us and driving us a little crazy. Some are comparing today’s tension to what was called the period of fearful prelude to the Six-Day War.
I was young and did not live in Israel at that time. However, I have studied the period of the Six-Day War closely, and it was markedly different. There was a very real fear of a second Holocaust, with mass graves being prepared in parks. While we are all worried now, we do not currently fear a second Holocaust. That period, of course, ended in our most significant victory. Then, our army was ready to fight and win the war; now, after ten months of war, our army is not in a position to greatly expand the conflict.
HOSTAGES
It was reported tonight that the United States, Egypt, and Qatar issued a joint statement announcing that the Israel-Hamas deal has been finalized and urged both sides to resume negotiations. The statement included the following call to action: “It is the time to conclude a ceasefire agreement and release hostages and prisoners.”
This statement, issued by President Biden, the Emir of Qatar, and the President of Egypt, calls for talks to resume in Cairo or Qatar on August 15th, a week from today.
THE NORTH
The war of attrition continues in the North. Today, Hezbollah fired 25 rockets at the Western Galilee, targeting areas including Nahariya and Shlomi. While there were no injuries, the attack did ignite fires. In response, the Air Force carried out strikes on Hezbollah targets.
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GAZA
Meanwhile, several developments have occurred in Gaza. Israel conducted an air strike on a school (used as a Hamas command center), with foreign media outlets reporting on the resulting Gazan casualties. Here is the statement released by the IDF Spokesman regarding the incident:
A short time ago, Air Force fighter jets, in a targeted manner and with the intelligence guidance of the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Shin Bet, and Southern Command, attacked command and control complexes disguised within the 'Abd al-Fattah Hamouda' and 'Al-Zahraa' school areas in the Daraj Tuffah neighborhood, where Hamas terrorists were located.
The school complexes served as command and control centers for terrorists and commanders of the Hamas terrorist organization, from which Hamas terrorists planned and executed terrorist activities against IDF forces and the State of Israel.
Before the attack, many steps were taken to minimize the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence information.
The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law, cruelly exploiting civilian institutions and populations as human shields for terrorist activities.
Additionally, the Israeli Army has requested that Gazans leave parts of Khan Younis as it prepared to re-enter the area. Rockets have recently been launched from Khan Younis into Israel. The scale of this new operation in Khan Younis is not yet clear, but this marks the fourth return to the area. The Army issued the following additional statement
:
The past week, the 605th Battalion has been operating in the Philadelphi Route area to identify terrorist infrastructure. Last night, the forces located and destroyed rocket launch pits in the Philadelphi Route area, just tens of meters from the largest fuel depot in the Gaza Strip.
The fuel depot is the main and largest reservoir in the Gaza Strip, serving the residents of the area. Any damage to the facility could endanger the lives of tens of thousands of Gazan civilians in the depot area.
In destroying the rocket launch pits, the IDF did not damage the fuel depot.
U.S. Central Command Update [August 7]
In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles, one Houthi ground control station, and three Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security.
A WIN FOR AN INDEPENDENT PRESS
Two months ago, the board of directors of Channel 13 appointed Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich, a politician with clear ties to Likud, as the CEO of the news channel. Historically, Channel 13 and its predecessor, Channel 10, have been known for their critical stance toward the government, irrespective of the ruling party. One of their star reporters, Ravid Drucker, has been instrumental in bringing significant issues to light. He first exposed the submarine scandal to public attention through his investigative reporting. More recently, he conducted an in-depth investigation into the actions of Miri Regev, the Transportation Minister, revealing how she allocated funding to various municipalities and regions based on their level of support for her within the Likud party.
Clearly, Channel 13 and many of its correspondents have been at odds with the government, which has actively campaigned against the media, particularly targeting Channel 13. Consequently, Channel 13 correspondents have frequently faced attacks by right-wing demonstrators. The staff of Channel 13 protested the appointment of Shamalov-Berkovich with support from the National Association of Journalists. A few weeks ago, I wrote about a meeting I attended to protest the appointment, which was attended by nearly all of Channel 13's journalists–along with many prominent journalists from competing networks. Subsequently, they filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the appointment.
It should be noted that Channel 13 is privately controlled but partially publicly owned. A major concern was whether the Supreme Court would take the case. Once they did, the journalists had the upper hand. The controlling owner of the channel, a British Jew, is reported to have strong ties to Netanyahu. However, the owner ultimately seemed to realize that he had a losing hand. Fighting against all of your own employees, particularly when many of the best ones could easily secure positions elsewhere (indeed, some have already left in the past two months), and risking a potential loss in the Supreme Court appeared to be a losing strategy, prompting him to concede.
Channel 13 employees and management reached an agreement to immediately dismiss Berkovich and replace her with someone who has experience as a journalist. As a result, the workers agreed to withdraw their lawsuit. Nadav Eyal, formerly a respected political commentator on Channel 13, now at Channel 12, and a popular columnist for Yediot Ahronot, captured the essence of this legal victory perfectly:
A breath of fresh air. This is the significance of the victory at Channel 13 News. Israeli democracy is certainly not winning, but it is effectively managing a holding battle. It fights for freedom of speech and media, for an independent judicial system. A holding battle will not suffice. We all know this. But without the determination of the Channel 13 News employees, an important stronghold of democracy would have fallen.
SDE TEIMAN CONTROVERSY
A few days ago, I wrote about the riots by right-wing protesters triggered by the detention of soldiers at Sde Teiman for questioning. These soldiers were accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee by inserting foreign objects into his rectum. This controversy has widened significantly, prompting demands for the closure of the Sde Teiman detention center and sparking numerous reports of routine prisoner abuse at this facility.
The alleged indecent actions of these soldiers might be easier to comprehend if those held at this temporary detention center were known perpetrators of the October 7th atrocities. However, this is not the case. Those detained at Sde Teiman are a group of individuals taken into custody in Gaza for further investigation. Many are subsequently released back to Gaza after it is determined they are not guilty of any crimes. Regrettably, before their release, some detainees are subjected to treatment that is unthinkable. It is disheartening to hear discussions in which some people attempt to justify such treatment.
Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib posted an altered opinion survey showing that 49% of Israelis favor raping Palestinian prisoners. Although she eventually deleted the post, there are a small number of people continuing to defend such behavior and a larger group who believe that soldiers committing these wrongdoings should not be punished. This issue represents a deeper problem within growing segments of Israeli society: our enemies have ceased to be seen as human. While these problems existed before the war, they have intensified. Being a society at war for over 100 years has compounded these effects. Maintaining a normal Western society under these conditions may seem impossible, but we must find a way to do so.
Meanwhile, the Military Appeals Court has rejected the appeal of the five soldiers accused of torturing the Palestinian detainee. The court stated there was sufficient evidence to suggest that the accused soldiers might indeed be guilty of the alleged crimes.
Yonatan ZeigenIn these heartbreaking circumstances, I would rather know that my beloved mom Vivian's name is helping to feed children in Gaza than see it engraved on a missile that kills them. Vivian Silver was killed on October 7th by Hamas terrorists.
NETANYAHU’S TIME MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
Prime Minister Netanyahu was interviewed by Time Magazine, though he has avoided interviews with serious Israeli media outlets throughout this war to dodge tough questions. In the interview, Netanyahu expressed regret about the country’s abject failures on October 7 and over the course of the ongoing war. Yet, he refused to accept responsibility for what happened, asserting that these failures were not his fault. Additionally, Netanyahu affirmed his intention to continue serving as Prime Minister.
ECONOMY
The deficit surged in July, reaching 8.1% of GDP, compared to a forecasted 6.6% by year-end and an actual 7.7% in June. The Finance Ministry expects the deficit level to decrease in the coming months. The rise is mainly due to a sharp 33% increase in government expenditures compared to last year, largely related to the war but also including other expenses. Revenue increased by 3.1% compared to the previous year.
In July alone, the government incurred an 8.5 billion shekel budget deficit, compared to just 600 million shekels in July 2023, accumulating a deficit of 155.2 billion shekels over the past 12 months. From January to July, the government spent 350 billion shekels, about 60% of the total planned expenditures for 2024, indicating a higher-than-expected spending rate, resulting in a growing deficit. The Finance Ministry believes the deficit will decrease in the last quarter as the deficit-heavy months of late 2023, due to the war, will be excluded from the annual calculation.
State revenues from taxes grew by only 0.8% in real terms from early 2024 compared to the same period last year. Direct tax collection decreased by 0.2%, while indirect taxes saw a 1.7% increase.
BUSINESS
Elbit Systems Ltd.
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today that it was awarded a contract worth approximately $130 million to supply Iron Fist Active Protection Systems (APS) to BAE Systems Hägglunds. The systems will be installed on the CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) as part of a European country's project. The contract will be performed over five and a half years.
The Iron Fist APS is an advanced Hard Kill system aimed at enhancing the self-defense capabilities of armored platforms against modern battlefield threats. It is the Israel Defense Force's Second-Generation APS and is characterized by high performance and low volume, weight, and power requirements. The system provides armored platforms with 360-degree protection from a wide variety of anti-armor threats, such as Anti-Tank Rockets (ATR), Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM), UAS, and Loitering threats, in both open terrain and complex urban environments.
Israel Shipyard and Rafael
According to a report on the Max Defense website, the Philippines is expected to receive two new attack ships produced by Israel Shipyards by the end of August or early September. These ships will be equipped with MLR-NLOS launchers and Rafael's Spike NLOS missiles. The Spike series includes electro-optical missiles with fire-and-forget capabilities, learning and updating abilities, autonomous guidance, and the capacity to strike concealed targets.
Spike missiles can be launched from around 45 platforms at sea, on land, and in the air. More than 39 countries are already using Spike missiles, including 19 countries in the European Union and NATO alliance members. To date, more than 36,000 missiles have been supplied to various countries worldwide, and approximately 7,000 have already been fired in combat. The NLOS missile has a range of 25-30 kilometers and, like other missiles in the series, can also be launched from land and air platforms.
For over a year, the U.S. attempted to broker an agreement between the Netanyahu government and the Palestinian Authority (PA) for a further withdrawal from the West Bank beyond what was mandated by the Oslo Accords. The negotiations proved very difficult and were hindered by the ongoing terror attacks and Netanyahu's reluctance to cede additional land. Finally, under the guidance of President Clinton, a summit was convened at the Wye Plantation.
For nine days, from October 15–23, 1998, the two sides met and ultimately signed the Wye River Memorandum. Under this agreement, Israel consented to withdraw from an additional 13% of the West Bank. In exchange, the Palestinians committed to intensifying their efforts to crack down on Hamas and other militant groups, including collecting arms and arresting suspected terrorists. Moreover, safe passage was established between Gaza and the West Bank, and Israel agreed to release Palestinian prisoners.
During the signing ceremony on October 23, 1998, President Clinton praised the determination of both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat. Clinton highlighted the intensive nine-day negotiations that involved numerous sleepless nights. President Clinton emphasized that the agreement required significant political risks from both leaders and their teams, demonstrating their commitment to peace despite facing potential backlash from opponents.
The agreement encompassed security measures to which the Palestinian side pledged to adhere—such as combating terrorist organizations, prohibiting illegal weapons, and curbing incitement to violence. It also outlined steps for bilateral and trilateral security cooperation, involving regular meetings to assess threats and enhance coordination.
Clinton also underscored the economic advantages for Palestinians, which included expanded areas under Palestinian authority, new economic opportunities, and infrastructure projects such as an airport and industrial zone. President Clinton expressed hope that this agreement would reinvigorate the peace process and pave the way for a future where Israelis and Palestinians could coexist peacefully as neighbors.
