DAY 338 OF THE WAR: Barrages in the North, Future of Gaza, Supreme Court vs. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Temple Mount
Tel Aviv Diary, June 8, 2024
PLEASE NOTE: No update will be posted tomorrow—If you can, join me in Elmira.
7:30 PM on Sept. 9th @ JCC, Elmira, NY;
7:45 PM on Sept. 11th @ WJC, Mamaroneck, NY, and
7:45 PM on Sept. Sept 12th @ Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley, Woodcliff Lake, NJ.
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At 9 AM, a Jordanian truck driver arrived at the truck inspection checkpoint, exited his vehicle, and shot three crossing employees. Among other things, this checkpoint serves as a crucial conduit for aid to Gaza. Three Israeli were killed instantly. Until now, the Jordanian border has been relatively quiet. The victims were Yohanan Shchori (61), a father of six from Ma’ale Efraim; Yuri Birnbaum (65), from Na’ama; and Adrian Marcelo Podzamczer (57), from Ariel.
IN THE NORTH
Last night was a particularly combative period of conflict in the North, with two separate barrages totaling an additional 50 rockets fired. By this morning, a total of 100 rockets had been fired since nightfall. There were four more barrages in the course of the day. The IDF claims to have destroyed over 7,000 Hezbollah rockets in the past month.
GAZA
Combat continues in Gaza. The Army issued the following report regarding its operations in Gaza today:
Division 162 forces continue to operate in the Rafah area, eliminating terrorists, raiding terror infrastructure, and discovering numerous weapons in the region.
Additionally, an Air Force aircraft, under the direction of the Southern Command, eliminated Ra'ef Omar Suleiman Abu Sha'ab, the rocket unit commander in the Eastern Khan Younis Battalion, on Tuesday. Ra'ef was responsible for launching rocket salvos toward the Gaza border communities and central Israel from the Khan Younis area since the beginning of the war.
Division 252 forces continue fighting in the central Gaza Strip, and over the past 24 hours, the forces eliminated several terrorists who posed a threat.
In the past 24 hours, fighter jets and Air Force aircraft have targeted about 25 Hamas objectives throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorist squads, military buildings, and military infrastructure.
Tonight, two rockets were launched from northern Gaza, targeting the city of Ashkelon. This marks the first time in a month that city was targeted. One rocket was intercepted, and the other fell into the sea. No harm was caused.
GALLANT TOURS GAZA
Defense Minister Gallant toured part of Gaza today. He stated that the Sinwar brothers [Hamas leaders Yahya and younger brother Mohammed] will one day make a mistake and we will eliminate them as well.
A FUTURE OF GAZA?
Today, long-Time Mid-East Peace Activist Gershon Baskin posted the following:
Most Israelis don't believe that Sinwar will ever agree to release all of the Israeli hostages — that is the main reason that we don't yet have more than one million Israelis on the streets every day demanding an agreement. Once it becomes clear that Hamas will accept the deal of releasing them all, we will see many more Israelis demanding that Netanyahu accept the agreement to end the war and withdraw from Gaza.
On the day after the war ends, the Palestinian people have to begin to implement a coherent plan to establish a credible, legitimate temporary government in Gaza which is not Hamas. If Hamas continues to control Gaza, not one single dollar of international aid will enter Gaza for reconstruction. The people of Gaza will continue to suffer the horrific consequences of the war that Hamas started. The majority of Gazans want Hamas to never govern and control them ever again. The Palestinians in the West Bank must replace its weak and no longer legitimate leadership in the Palestinian Authority (in the Government of the State of Palestine) because it holds the legal responsibility to appoint the Gaza Temporary Governing Authority which should be mainly a technocratic government charged with creating law and order and mapping out the reconstruction of Gaza. Hamas's military abilities are severely destroyed but they can continue to kill and to harm both Israelis and Palestinians and the primary responsibility for removing them from power is on the Palestinian people themselves.
While I agree with Gershon. I wish to share his belief that the plan he lays out could indeed ever happen. Although Gershon is undoubtedly a greater expert on Palestinian affairs than I am, I nevertheless find myself remaining much more pessimistic.
THIS WOULD HAVE CREATED AN UPROAR IF TIMES WERE NOT SO CRAZY
This is the headline from today's edition of Yediot Ahronot, Israel's most widely read newspaper, which reports: “Senior military officials state: high-level politicians are encouraging an escalation of the situation in the West Bank territories.”
In a normal world, this headline alone would cause an uproar, but today, it’s merely another milestone along the path of a disastrous government. In addition, it should be noted that reports today indicate the Minister of National Security personally intervened with the police, instructing them not to exert too much effort in controlling or arresting protesters who stormed the Bet Lid Army base during demonstrations against the arrest of soldiers accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner.
U.S. Central Command Update [Sunday, September 8th]
In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles and two missile systems in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
It Saad’s was determined these systems presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and 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 for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.
SUPREME COURT vs. JUSTICE MINISTER YARIV LEVIN
In a unanimous decision that was widely anticipated, the Supreme Court ordered Minister of Justice Yariv Levin to convene a meeting of the Committee to appoint judges to select a new Supreme Court President. The court has been without a President for nearly a year. To appoint a Supreme Court President, the Justice Minister must call a committee meeting. However, Levin has refused to convene this meeting as long as the court adheres to the traditional method of selecting a President based on seniority. Appointment of a President based on seniority avoids political maneuvering within the court.
The next judge in line is Justice Amit, whom Justice Minister Levin reportedly dislikes for reasons that are not entirely clear. Part of the halted proposed judicial reform, included a provision to allow the government the authority to appoint the justices. Several Likud politicians have urged Levin to disregard the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the appointment of justices, which would lead to an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Levin stated that he would not cooperate with the new High Court President, declaring the appointment would be illegitimate. Overall, the contentious judicial reform—that tore the country apart and led to October 7—is being revived by the current government which seemingly learned nothing.
Today, leading Israeli journalist, Nadav Eyal, tweeted the following:
Political logic and patriotism should have led Levin to cancel his judicial overhaul. Or at the very least, postpone his initiatives until after the war. Levin hates our judicial system more than he loves the country; faced with his failure to achieve results and change, he chose to try to crush the judicial system through delay. He got his answer today.
HOSTAGES
For the first time, the Americans are not optimistic about reaching a ceasefire/hostage release agreement. The issues stem not only from the US government's problems with the Israeli stance but also from apparent changes in Hamas's position, which now includes demands for the release of a greater number of Palestinian prisoners per hostage. It's conceivable that the ongoing killings of hostages are affecting the potential number of live hostages to be releases, and Hamas does not seem willing to accept this impact.
INTELLIGENCE LEAK TO GERMAN NEWSPAPER
A document recently published by the German news site Bild, purportedly outlining Yahya Sinwar's intended negotiating plans, has sparked extensive discussion across Israeli media. The IDF has confirmed that Sinwar did not author the document; instead, it was written by a lower-level Hamas functionary. It remains uncertain whether Sinwar ever reviewed the document. The IDF is currently investigating how Bild obtained the document, which had not been shared with higher-level military officials or political leaders, as it was among thousands of raw intelligence documents still under analysis. Given these factors, the seriousness and implications of the document are unclear.
EDUCATION
The Teachers’ Union has just temporarily suspended the current high school teachers’ strike. The Union Head stated that this decision was made despite a lack of progress in negotiations with the Ministry of Finance, citing teachers’ desire to avoid further harm to the students.
TEMPLE MOUNT
At the start of tonight's security cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that there has not been—and there will not be—any change in the status quo on the Temple Mount. Netanyahu also reiterated that no Minister shall visit the Temple Mount without the approval of the Prime Minister’s Office.
BUSINESS
Israeli cybersecurity startup Zafran Security, which developed a platform to neutralize the risk of exploiting vulnerabilities identified in organizations, raised $40 million, led by Sequoia Capital's Growth fund and with participation from all existing investors. Zafran's platform prevents potential cyber attack scenarios for organizations. It connects to the organizations' security tools to expose, fix, and reduce the risk of vulnerabilities across the entire security infrastructure. Zafran has hired around 45 additional employees this year, and by the end of the year, it plans to have a total of 100 employees in Israel and the U.S.
Before this new round of funding, Zafran had raised $30.5 million in a seed round from leading investors. Zafran Security was founded in 2022 by Sanz Yashar (CEO), Ben Sari (CTO), and Shnir Hebdala (CPO). Sanz, who was born in Tehran and immigrated to Israel in her youth, served for around 15 years in elite units of the Intelligence Corps. Shnir is a graduate of the Talpiot program in the Air Force and served for about a decade in Unit 8200, where he won the Israel Defense Prize and the Chief of Staff's technological award, and was discharged with the rank of major. Ben Sari served in Unit 81 and also won the Israel Defense Prize.”
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A PIECE OF HISTORY
Columbia Space Shuttle Tragedy
On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia tragically disintegrated upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the deaths of all seven astronauts aboard. Among them was Colonel Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut. Ramon’s journey aboard the Columbia was a source of immense pride for Israel, symbolizing hope and achievement in a region often marred by conflict. His participation in the Columbia mission was historic, not just because he was an Israeli astronaut but also because Ramon brought with him significant mementos of Jewish heritage, including a miniature Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust and a pencil drawing by a 16-year-old Holocaust victim, each emphasizing the resilience of the Jewish people.
Ramon's Columbia mission was seen as a unifying event for Israel. Amidst ongoing tensions in the Middle East, his voyage was a moment of national triumph, showcasing Israel’s technological prowess and scientific contributions. Ramon's presence aboard the shuttle had captivated the Israeli public, who closely followed the mission's progress. His wife, Rona, and four children, along with millions of Israelis, awaited his safe return, which tragically turned into a national day of mourning when the shuttle was lost.
The loss of Ilan Ramon had a profound impact on Israel. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon described the tragedy as a "blow to the heart" of the nation. For Israelis, Ramon was more than just an astronaut; he was a war hero who had fought in the Yom Kippur War and participated in the daring 1981 bombing of Iraq’s nuclear reactor. Ramon’s personal pilgrimage to space transcended scientific achievement, representing Israel’s enduring spirit and dreams for peace and progress.
In the aftermath of the disaster, memorials for Ilan Ramon were held throughout Israel, and his legacy as a symbol of national pride remains strong. He was remembered for his humility, bravery, and deep connection to his Jewish roots.
Ilan Ramon’s eldest son, Captain Asaf Ramon, was killed in a training accident on September 13, 2009. Asaf, an Israeli Air Force pilot, was flying an F-16 fighter jet during a routine training exercise when the tragic crash occurred. His death was a devastating loss to the Ramon family and the nation, especially as Asaf had followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a fighter pilot.