Tel Aviv Diary June 30, 2023
Security, Protests, A Personal Encounter, Netanyahu Trial, Economy, Business and Reviews
SECURITY
The West Bank was the central focal point in Israel for the majority of the week. While there were thankfully no severe terror attacks on Israelis, the fear of additional acts of violence against Palestinians by settlers remained palpable. This led to an unprecedented joint statement by the heads of the IDF, the Police, and the Shin Bet — condemning the assaults on Palestinians. The joint statement was issued after IDF Colonel Eliav Elbaz, Commander of the Benjamin Division, was chased out of a Jewish settlement while attempting to pay a condolence visit to one of the families by the Eli terror attack.
In response to their statement, Minister Orit Strook from the Religious Zionist party berated the heads of Israel’s security establishment. Strook questioned their “audacity” in issuing a statement without government approval. She further compared them to Russia’s Wagner Army. Following a tidal-wave of criticism, Strook retracted the final part of her statement, but stood firm on her objections to the security establishment's condemnation of settlers attacking Palestinians.
IDF OFFICERS’ & PILOTS’ COURSE GRADUATION CEREMONIES
On Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, spoke at the graduation ceremony of the Officers’ Course. Halevi stated that any officer who fails to stop settlers from attacking innocent Palestinians is not fit to be an officer in the army. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who spoke at the same ceremony, chose not to address the issue. Instead, Netanyahu used the platform to criticize those threatening to withhold their services for volunteer reserve duty if the government’s proposed Judicial reforms are passed. A number of parents in attendance at the ceremony silently protested Netanyahu's speech by standing in silence with their backs turned to the Prime Minister. Even more parents protested in this same manner on Thursday, when Netanyahu spoke at the graduation ceremony for the latest cadre of pilots.
ADDRESSING JEWISH TERROR
This week, Defense Minister Galant issued an order to hold four of the organizers of the attack on Palestinians in administrative detention for six months without trial — a measure akin to the US handling of 9/11 suspects in Guantanamo Bay. While such a measure is routinely used against Palestinians suspected of terror activity, it has seldom been applied to Jewish settlers. That being said, this punishment should not be used against anyone, whether Palestinian or Jew. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, the perpetrator should be charged and, if they pose a threat to society, held without bail. However, no one — neither Palestinian, nor Israeli — should be detained without trial.
A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER
Earlier this week, I had a disconcerting experience during my appearance on i24News Arabic Edition, where I was invited to discuss recent events in Israel. The other two panel participants were a right-wing settler, and a Palestinian political analyst from Ramallah, known for his close ties with the Palestinian Authority. My role was ostensibly to discuss what the US could do to lower the tensions in the West Bank. A prospect which, in my opinion, seems non-existent, especially after hearing the other two panelists.
The Israeli-Jewish panel participant, while claiming to disapprove of the settler attacks on Palestinians, blamed Palestinians for terrorism and demanded that the Palestinian panelist denounce the terror attack that took place in Eli. The Palestinian panelist refused to do so, and instead justified such attacks as legitimate under international law when resisting occupation. I felt compelled to interject at that point, clarifying that international law does not condone deliberate attacks on civilians, under any circumstances.
In another exchange, the Israeli panelist criticized me, an “American Jew,” for not supporting Trump and for backing President Biden, whom he described as “the worst President in US history.” His comments intensely struck a nerve, and I felt compelled to respond, reminding the Israeli settler panelist that I am an Israeli, who served in the IDF, as have all my children.
Towards the end of the discussion, I believe for the first time, I publicly expressed my personal despair over the seemingly endless conflict with the Palestinians. My only hope is that a resolution might occur within the lifespan of my great-grandchildren (my oldest grandson is currently about to turn 8). After the show, I shared my frustration with the host, an Arab-Israeli, asserting that people like the two other guests were the ones standing in the way of peace. When asked if I truly believed there was no hope in reaching a two-state solution, and what I thought about one single country for both peoples — My response was that there is simply too much hatred on both sides for that to happen. I will further discuss this experience in the Entertainment review below.
ROCKETS FROM JENIN
It's worth mentioning that on Monday, Palestinians in the Jenin area fired two rockets towards Israel. Both rockets traveled just a few hundred yards. Their goal, however, is seemingly to start launching rockets from the area. It is also worthwhile to keep in mind that the first rockets fired at Sderot from Gaza were launched while Israel still occupied the Gaza Strip. At that time, one of my mistaken beliefs was that if Palestinians continued to fire rockets at us after we withdrew, we could respond with overwhelming force. This development is cause for concern, and how to address this developing threat is not readily apparent.
JUDICIAL WEAKENING
This week, the Knesset Law Committee held a hearing on one aspect of the proposed Judicial overhaul package— i.e., limiting the Courts’ ability to rule against the government, based on the decision being considered unreasonable. At the moment the legislation would prevent the court from ruling against actions taken by any government body. There is talk that the final legislation of the reasonability clause will only apply to government appointments. It should be noted that over the last 19 years the Supreme Court has received 64 lawsuits based on the disputed reasonability of proposed appointments of government officials. Of those 64 cases, the Court only blocked seven.
The decision to proceed toward approval of this legislation without seeking broader agreement from the Opposition has revitalized the grass-roots protest movement. This week, in response, both former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Yair Golan have called for a non-violent, civil revolt. However, what this means exactly is not yet clear. On Thursday evening, during rush hour, protesters briefly blocked the Ayalon highway, the main road traversing Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Netanyahu convened a meeting with MK Ben-Gvir, Justice Minister Levin, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, to discuss strategies to limit the demonstrations. Both Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu were recorded voicing complaints that the demonstrators have not been dealt with harshly enough.
Earlier in the week a protest organizer from Petah Tikva, Izik Medina, was arrested while eating dinner with his children. The police claimed he was arrested based on Shabak intelligence that he was planning violence. He was interrogated and then released. The arrest brought out hundreds of protesters to the Petah Tikva police station.
This week, a group of 100 pilots and other airmen sent a letter stating that if the current legislation passes, they will cease to volunteer for reserve duty. Similar statements have been issued by reservists from other key units.
Also on Thursday, Netanyahu gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal in which he announced his intention to proceed with the Judicial Reform, but claimed the idea of a clause allowing the Knesset to override the Supreme Court was off the table. Netanyahu seemed to hope this statement would be enough to dampen criticism from the United States and secure him the invitation to the White House he has been longing to receive. However, in Israel, Netanyahu’s political allies criticized him, indignantly insisting that no one agreed to drop the override clause — which is particularly important to the ultra-Orthodox parties. Moreover, word from Washington, that in their view, only Judicial reform reached with broad agreement in Israel would be needed to secure Netanyahu an invite to the Oval Office.
Meanwhile, it was announced that President Herzog will address a joint session of Congress on July 17th— and of course, Herzog will meet with President Biden
.
THE NETANYAHU TRIAL
This week, there were several developments in Netanyahu's trial. In the courtroom, Arnon Milchan, who allegedly bestowed tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts upon Netanyahu and his family, testified remotely from Manchester, England. Sara Netanyahu flew to England to be present in the courtroom, and Netanyahu, who has largely avoided most of the trial, spent three days in the Jerusalem courtroom, so that Milchan could see him. During the prosecution's examination, Milchan confirmed almost all aspects of the alleged crime, making it clear he was expected to bring gifts as a means of ensuring a warm welcome from the Netanyahus. Milchan also confirmed he had sought Netanyahu's assistance on several matters, including his American visa. However, during the cross-examination by Netanyahu’s lawyer, Milchan attempted to assert that Netanyahu had not actually helped him.
The justices issued a written summary of the meeting they held last week with the lawyers on this case. Leaked information confirmed that the judges informed prosecutors they believed it would be difficult to prove bribery, thereby implying the charge of public corruption could be proved. The judges also suggested that, for the good of the country, a plea agreement should be reached by the sides.
A minor controversy arose when former Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh gave an interview stating he had expected Netanyahu would resign in the event he had been indicted. Immediately, Likud Ministers began a campaign claiming Roni Alsheikh’s statement was an attempt to remove a Prime Minister through illegitimate means. The issue was that many people, including Likud Ministers at the time, believed that if Netanyahu were indeed indicted, he would in fact resign. After all, regular Ministers are required to resign if indicted. Although Prime Ministers are not required to do so, most people believed Netanyahu would do the right thing and step down. He did not.
ISRAEL and the UKRAINE WAR
Israel's lack of overt support for Ukraine in its war with Russia has been revisited. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel issued a harsh statement on the matter, prompting a reprimand from Israel’s Foreign Ministry. My view has always been clear: We need to stand with our traditional allies and be on the right side of history. Israel has always claimed its stance of non-involvement regarding Ukraine was due to concern over Russian involvement in Syria. However, Russia’s involvement in Syria has greatly diminished, as Russia has been forced to allocate all its military manpower to Ukraine.
Recently, Israel signed an agreement with Russia related to land in Jerusalem, and Russia agreed to establish a consulate there. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen lauded the agreement as a major diplomatic achievement. Yet, who makes diplomatic agreements with Russia in the current climate? It pains me to see Israel’s leaders prioritizing our country’s perceived interests over what is right — and it is triply painful when we fail to realize that our current position is actually against our interests. If we are not on the side of right, standing with our allies, then what do we stand for?
TEL AVIV
Last night was “White Night” in Tel Aviv. Tens of thousands celebrated late into the night as concerts, circus act and parties sponsored by the city took place all throughout the city. Stores and restaurants stayed open until the wee hours of the morning.
HIGH-TECH FUNDING LANDSCAPE
56 Israeli VCs raised $4.5B last year, making in the second ever record year, and a 15% decrease from the $5.6B record of 2021. The first quarter of 2023 shows a deep decline as compared to these numbers.
The story this year is a little different: After an unprecedented boom in 2020 and 2021, followed by a slowdown in 2022, investments by Israeli and foreign funds in Israeli high-tech came to a sudden halt in 2023. According to a report by the law firm Gornitzky GNY and the research company IVC.
The Gornitzky report reveals that the 10 funds most active in Israel made only three initial investments in start-up companies in the first quarter of 2023. This is in stark contrast to the 30 initial investments made by the same entities in the equivalent quarter of 2022. For instance, the American fund Insight Partners, which was the most active fund in Israeli high-tech in 2022— with no fewer than 29 initial investments — made just one initial investment in the first quarter of 2023.
TRAVEL
El Al and Delta have signed a code sharing agreement. While the two compete on the TLV US routes this will allow El Al passengers to continue in the US on Delta, or Delta passengers to fly to Europe and continue seamlessly to Israel on El Al. More interesting it is reported that the agreement includes El Al entry into the Skyteam Alliance. This will allow usage of EL frequent flyer points on a whole range of additional airlines and vice versa
.
BUSINESS
On Tuesday, in-game ad company Anzu.io announced a $48 million Series-B funding round, bringing its total funding to $65 million. The new round clocks in at more than triple the $15.5 million Anzu.io raised since 2019. The company’s immediate plans for reinvesting its new capital include: hiring more executive leadership to spearhead sales and partnerships, growing its engineering team, and expanding its presence in the US and Japan, said CEO Itamar Benedy.
CoffeeTech start-up Ansā Roasting Inc., is applying new green technology to redefine the way coffee lovers indulge in their favorite beverage. Its sleek, fully autonomous mini-roaster, designed to elegantly perch on any office countertop, introduces on-demand roasting of raw green coffee beans. Ansā’s pioneering initiative offers a more earth-friendly approach to savoring coffee, and promises a new dimension to the enjoyment of the world’s most beloved aromatic brew.
The augmented reality company Augmedics, which develops a device for navigating spine surgeries, has completed a funding round of $82.5 million led by the American investment firms CPMG and Evidity. Augmedics developed a system that includes a head-mounted device with a transparent screen that is located close to the surgeon's eye. The device projects a three-dimensional image of the patient's spine, with precision and depth depiction. The surgeon ostensibly "sees" through the patient's skin and tissues as he looks at the operated area, and can thus accurately navigate the medical tools and implants during the surgery. The system uses a three-dimensional scanner similar to a CT that is located inside the operating room, and transmits the information to the surgeon's glasses
.
The struggle against road accidents, traffic congestion, and air pollution, coupled with the massive budgets allocated by the US government to combat these issues, all forecast a promising future for the traffic light technology of the Israeli company NoTraffic. The company uses advanced algorithms to control traffic lights and other traffic related controls. This outlook led the British fund M&G Investments to lead a Series-B funding round in the company, raising $50 million. The funds are expected to be used to expand all areas of the company's activity, beyond rapid growth and a potential IPO in the future
.
The Swedish fund VNV Global, owner of GETT, also joined this fundraising round. Existing investors in the company - Mita-Tech, Grove Ventures, UMC Capital, Vektor Partners, North First Ventures, Next-Gear and TMG investment fund also participated in the round. This brings the total amount raised by the company to date to $75.5 million.
Two years after its establishment and a year after raising $60 million, the Israeli cyber startup Cyera has raised an additional $100 million. Cyera's unique approach involves embedding its product into an organization and mapping all cloud assets. Unlike systems that protect these assets, Cyera seeks to locate an organization's sensitive data. Within minutes, it can automatically identify all cloud databases, categorizing sensitive information like personal, financial, medical, or proprietary details. It then flags security vulnerabilities and regulatory contradictions, suggesting solutions and management tools for improvement. This capability helped a major retailer that unknowingly stored sensitive personal and financial data, which was rectified within hours.
A PIECE OF HISTORY— OPERATION MAGIC CARPET
The first wave of Yemenite Jews arrived in Palestine in 1881. By 1919, the Yemenite population in Palestine had increased to 4,234. Over the span of 1917 to 1948, a total of 15,340 Yemenite Jews immigrated to Palestine
.
In 1949, the Jewish Agency dispatched Rabbi Yaakov Shraiborn to Yemen to engage with the community. He was taken aback to discover that almost the entire community had an interest in migrating to Israel. At a time when Israel was already grappling with an influx of Holocaust refugees, Ben Gurion hesitated to immediately bring the Yemenite community to Israel, but eventually acquiesced.
Operation Magic Carpet airlifted a total of 48,818 Yemenite Jews to Israel on 430 flights. Not only did it transport the vast majority of the Yemenite community, but it also airlifted the small Jewish communities from Aden, Djibouti in French Somaliland, and Asmara in Eritrea.
The assimilation of these immigrants into Israeli society proved challenging. There continues to be debate regarding the fate of some immigrant infants who were reported to have died during this period.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT— THE LESSON (ZERO HOUR)
A new show on Netflix is Kan’s Zero Hour. “Zero hour” is a term in Israeli schools that represents home room. The show is based on a true story. The six-episode show is set in a high school in Kfar Saba, and the protagonist is well regarded veteran Civics teacher, with a reputation as someone who really cares about his students. His career goes off the rails when, in an attempt to help one of his students, the teacher asks her to reveal something that really bothers her, and to suggest ways that problem could be solved. It turns out the student's problem is with Arab youngsters at the pool she frequents. What quickly develops in his classroom is a wave of anti-Arab sentiment, with most of his students chanting “Death to Arabs”. As a counterpoint, the teacher brings up some of bad things that the IDF has done.
While I have only seen three of the six episodes, I have found the acting to be gripping, and impressive, given the intense and very important subject. One of the questions I have not been able to answer is — Why has there been a very clear rise in anti-Arab hatred? Why all of a sudden now, when there have not been any recent wars, and thankfully terrorism has been low, by Israeli norms? I don’t have an answer, other than blaming social media and some of our right-wing politicians who seem to live to sow hatred. However neither of these is a satisfactory answer to a pressing problem.
I strongly recommend this show!
A TASTE OF TEL AVIV — WINEBERRY
RESTAURANT REVIEW, by Tali Schulman
Returning to the vibrant wine bar scene of Tel Aviv, WineBerry stands out as an exceptional addition. With its two locations on Lillenblum and Yedidya Frankel in Florentine, WineBerry offers something unique to both neighborhoods. Setting itself apart from other trendy wine bars in the city that provide a full menu, WineBerry places a strong emphasis on wine. Not only does it boast a remarkable wine bar experience, but it also operates as a wine shop and an online store with free delivery within Tel Aviv. Furthermore, their prices are surprisingly reasonable. While it may not be an ideal dinner destination, WineBerry is definitely worth a visit for an exquisite selection of wines, a delectable cheese board, and an overall enjoyable experience.
For more Tel Aviv restaurant recommendations, you can find me on Instagram @talischulman where I save all my food adventures in my highlights!