Tel Aviv Diary August 5th
Prison Scandal,Gaza Standoff, High-Tech Still Booming, Restaurant Review, Israel Art Museum
GAZA/WAR ON TERROR
On Tuesday night, Israeli security forces entered Jenin and captured Bassam Al Saadi, leader of the Islamic Jihad in the West Bank. Al Saadi’s arrest was part of an ongoing campaign to stop terror attacks before they happen. Special attention has been paid to Jenin, where the Palestinian Authority seems to have very little control.
From the moment the Jihad leader was arrested, concern arose that the Jihad would retaliate by attacking Israel from Gaza. As a result, all summer camps along the border were canceled, roads were closed, and train traffic halted. For the last three days, the residents along the border have been hostages, owing to fears of possible Jihad retribution.
UPDATE
Late this afternoon, in a surprise move, the IDF killed the head of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, who was planning their retaliatory attack. The IDF succeeded in pulling off a complete tactical surprise. The IDF has attacked only Jihad targets in the hope that Hamas will not become involved. Israel is expecting a military response, and Israel’s missile defense system is on high alert.
PRISON SYSTEM SCANDAL
A scandal that actually took place four years ago has rocked the country. An allegation surfaced a few months ago that female soldiers were raped by prisoners — with the knowledge of the guards at the Gilboa Security Prison — in exchange for obtaining information. This past week, several women came forward claiming they had indeed been raped at the prison. The idea of such a work plan is so profoundly repugnant that it's difficult to even comprehend. As a father of two daughters who dutifully served in the IDF, I am devastated. Even more utterly abhorrent and simply impossible to understand is that when Defense Minister Gantz announced he would immediately stop sending female soldiers to serve in the prison service, he received pushback from other Knesset members who contended the prisons are perfectly safe.
I had no idea that female soldiers served in prisons. This practice is simply abominable. As someone who had two daughters in the army, the idea they could be assigned such duties is inconceivable to me. Placement of women soldiers in such assignments to fulfill their compulsory service must end. All in all, the government views soldiers in mandatory service as free labor, and that also needs to end.
LEBANESE MARITIME BORDER DISPUTE
The Lebanese maritime border dispute continues, with the United States attempting to mediate. It has been reported that the intelligence community is very concerned Hezbollah is just looking for an excuse to start a confrontation, i.e., to change the dialogue in Lebanon from the terrible job Hezbollah has been doing helping run the country. Moreover, the intelligence community warns that a war could break out, if an agreement is not reached.
Politics:
This is garbage time in Israeli politics; the Likud is busy with its primary, which will happen next week. Both Prime Minister Lapid and Former Prime Minister Netanyahu made worthless promises on economic action they will take. Here is my take yesterday on ILTV
DEFENSE
In a sign of the changing times, Squadron 144 has been transformed into a squadron of UAVs. The squadron, which first flew Nesher planes in 1972, downed 40 enemy aircraft during the Yom Kippur War. Over the years, Squadron 144 transitioned to fly Kfirs, and then to F-16s; and moving their base of operation from Hatzor to Navatim. The squadron’s new home is back in Hatzor. Squadron 144 will be the first squadron to be equipped with the new Nitzotz ‘Spark’ UAVs.
The Israeli Navy and the US Navy completed the 'Noble Rose' joint exercise. Together, the two navies simulated various operational scenarios deep in the Red Sea.
ISRAELI HI-TECH
While there is concern as to the health of the high-tech world worldwide, last year was an excellent year for Israelis in that field. According to a report by the Israeli tax authority, 562 Israelis made an average of 26 million shekels after taxes on the sale of stock in their companies. This sum is up from 2020 when 260 Israelis made an average of 6 million shekels. The minimum after-tax profit to enter the list of those who averaged 6 million in profit was NIS 3 million. Furthermore, in a surprise development, despite the highly publicized layoffs in the high-tech world, the number of Israelis working in high tech went up in May, reaching 383,000, which represents a 1% rise from April and a 11.8% gain from one year ago.
BUSINESS
Nova, producer of instruments for semiconductor manufacturing, had an excellent quarter and has reached its strategic goal of $500 million in annual sales a year and a half early. In the second quarter of the year, the company reported profits of $40 million.
Talon, developer of a secure browser, raised an additional $83 million, bringing the total sum raised by the company to date to $126 million. Evolution Equity Partners led the latest funding round.
A LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY
TEL AVIV ART MUSEUM
Tel Aviv’s Art Museum began in the private residence of the first mayor of Tel Aviv, Meir Dizengoff, in 1932. Believing in the future of Tel Aviv as a world-class city, Dizengoff moved to the top floor of his house, to allow the Museum to utilize the rest of the building. In 1933, Dr. Karl Schwarz, an art historian, and head of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, made Aliyah and took over running of the Museum. Schwarz served as the museum’s director until 1947. Under Schwarz’s caring direction, the Museum developed a high-quality collection. Finally, the Museum moved into its first permanent home on Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard — where, on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was declared.
The Museum remained on Rothschild Blvd. until 1971, when its new and final premises on Shaul HaMelech Blvd. was inaugurated. The Museum continued to grow, and in 2011, a new wing was added — the Herta and Paul Amir Building. The Museum has hosted many renowned international artists, including Vik Muniz, Jeff Wall, Michaël Borremans, Anri Sala, Marina Abramović, and Louise Bourgeois.
The Tel Aviv Art Museum receives over a million visitors each year
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RESTAURANT REVIEW
CICHUKAI
Today, we travel to another market in the city, “Shuk Hapishpushim,” in Yafo (Jaffa). Amongst the second-hand goods and chic boutiques, don't miss out on Cichukai, the little sister of Japanese restaurant Sales (also very worth visiting). Cichukai’s raw, fish-centric dishes are small, but incredibly flavorful and unique, in a bar focused on Japanese-style small plates. Chef Or Ginsberg (winner of משחקי השף — a popular Israeli chef show) is a master of raw fish. Between his two fabulous spots, Ginsberg is responsible for some of the best raw fish dishes in the entire city. A couple of my favorite dishes at Cichukai include Black Mamba, a spectacularly delicious bite of tuna tartar, inside a perfectly crunchy twill, as well as the very instagramable, “Out of The Box” (pictured below). This spot is still under the radar, so make sure to pay them a visit before everyone finds out!
For more Tel Aviv restaurant recommendations, find me on Instagram @talischulman — all my food adventures are saved in my highlights!
ISRAEL, ON YOUR SCREEN
BEAUTY QUEEN OF JERUSALEM
Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is a Netflix series, set in Jerusalem during the British Mandate period — featuring, among others, actor Michael Aloni (of Shtissel fame). Based on a novel of the same name, Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is a story of unrequited love, which took place in the holy city between 1917-1945. I have not watched enough of the series to talk competently about the plot. Though, while I have heard objections regarding inconsistencies in the historical context of the film, I have not seen any basis for criticism so far. I did notice that the series brings forth a historical fact that has been lost to some extent. In mandatory Palestine, it was Sephardim who were considered the upper class, while many of Ashkenazim were underprivileged. In addition, the complicated relations between local residents and the British serving in Palestine also seems to be well portrayed in this series. What is really nice, is the actors and scripting’s easy transition from Hebrew to English, and even to a little bit of Arabic. For those who seek to improve their Hebrew, watching Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is a must.
