Tel Aviv Diary March 3, 2023
Despair, Protests, Terror, El Al is profitable, a movie and restaurant review plus a bit of history
A PERSONAL NOTE
Having first moved to Israel in 1975, I have a deep connection to this country. Although I spent a significant amount of time in the United States since then, I have been living in Tel Aviv for the past 11 years. Throughout my youth, I was a passionate advocate for Jewish causes, demonstrating for Iraqi Jews, Soviet Jews, and Israel on countless occasions. While in seventh grade, I even participated in my first rally during the Six Day War in Washington, DC and was arrested while protesting for Soviet Jewry while in high school.
Since my return to Israel, I have continued to attend rallies as a journalist. However, over the past eight weeks, I have attended rallies every Saturday night — and a few times during the week— as a citizen; in what seems like a hopeless effort to stop our government from seriously weakening our democracy. Within the Tel Aviv bubble, where I reside, every person I meet seems distraught, in one way or another, about what is going on now. Whether they are retired Army generals, high-tech workers, investors, or average citizens, they all share a deep concern over the direction in which our government is taking us.
Walking the streets of Tel Aviv, it's hard not to overhear snippets of conversation about the government's actions. It's the topic that appears to be on everyone's mind. While I don't know exactly where we're headed, I can't help but feel a sense of discomfort and pessimism about our future.
PALESTINIAN TERROR AND JEWISH TERROR
On Sunday, a Palestinian terrorist shot two Jewish Israeli brothers at close range, near the town of Huwara in the West Bank. The brothers were driving through the town when they were attacked. The terrorist managed to escape. Soon after calls went on social media platforms to exact revenge on the citizens of Huwara. Later that evening, hundreds of settlers descended on Huwara, burning down homes, cars, and warehouses. The visual images of the aftermath were truly horrifying. The army only regained control after four hours of burning and looting. The Commander of the Central Command stated the fact this tragedy took place was a total failure on the army’s part.
While Israeli government ministers, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotritch, eventually condemned the attack on the Palestinian village, their messaging was focused on reminding settlers not to take justice into their own hands, and instead leave matters to the IDF. Their statement talked about furnishing justice and not how the collective punishment waged on an entire village was totally unjustified.
The following day, MK Tzvi Fogel, of the National Religious Party, and Chairman of the National Security Committee in the Knesset applauded the settlers who carried out the Huwara attack, asserting that it created deterrence. Fogel was later forced to retract his remarks. On Wednesday, Finance Minister and Co-Defense Minister in charge of the West Bank, Smotritch made an outrageous statement at a conference, suggesting that the Palestinian village of Huwara “should be wiped off the face of the earth.” Although Smotritch later attempted to clarify and soften his remarks, the fact that a government official could make such a statement is absolutely appalling.
Settler violence against Palestinians is an ongoing issue that regularly goes unreported. Despite the frequency of these incidents, the Jewish perpetrators are rarely held accountable for their actions. While there is always hope that justice will be served, past experience suggests otherwise. Only 8 of the estimated 200 settlers who attacked Huwara were arrested, they were released the next day by a judge in Jerusalem. After their release, two of the perpetrators were rearrested, at the recommendations of the Security Services, and are now being held in Administrative Detention.
This is a disheartening moment in our history.
On Monday evening, two Palestinian terrorists went on a shooting spree on the road to the south of Jericho. While they missed many of their targets, they tragically killed Elan Ganeles of West Hartford, Connecticut, who had served in the IDF before returning to the US to attend Columbia University. Ganeles was in Israel to attend a friend’s wedding. On Wednesday, Security Services tracked down and captured the two suspected responsible for the attack.
WEAKENING OF THE COURTS
Meanwhile, the government continues moving forward with its controversial Judicial reform. On Wednesday, the Knesset passed the first of three readings on a law stating the Supreme Court could only override a Knesset law by an affirmative vote of 12 out of 15 justices. Moreover, the Knesset would then have the power to override the Supreme Court's decision with a regular 61-vote majority. In addition, the Knesset also approved the first reading of a bill instituting capital punishment for terrorists; a policy that the security services have consistently opposed.
PROTESTS CONTINUE
Over the past few days, protests in Israel have escalated to unprecedented levels. On Saturday night, one the largest nationwide protests in Israel's history took place, with 150,000 people gathering in Tel Aviv alone. Wednesday was designated as a “national day of protest and disruption,” where 40-50,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv.
Unfortunately, towards the end of the demonstration, police used excessive force to disperse the crowds, discharging stun grenades, deploying patrol horses, and rolling in water cannons. 37 demonstrators were arrested; 17 required medical attention at Ichilov Hospital. The intensification occurred after National Security Minister Ben-Gvir ordered police to take a more aggressive approach towards the protests.
Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the country later that evening, however, his speech was far from conciliatory. Instead, Netanyahu compared peaceful opposition toward the proposed judicial overhaul legislation to the actions of the pogrom perpetrators in Huwara. Netanyahu then related the current protests to the opposition mounted against the “Hit’nat’kut” (the 2005 Gaza disengagement).
The Prime Minister failed to acknowledge the fact that the opposition then (at the time of the disengagement) was violent. It included not only blocking roads, as protestors have done now, but also killing two Arabs. Furthermore, Netanyahu did not disclose the fact that he had been in the government — and voted for the Gaza disengagement before leaving the government. Netanyahu offered no compromise, nor did he suggest delaying the vote. According to a report on Channel 13, Netanyahu had planned to propose a delay in the proceedings, but his Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, who has been spearheading the Judicial reform, threatened to resign. As a result, Netanyahu backed off.
Adding fuel to the fire, on Wednesday evening, Sara Netanyahu was in the midst of having her hair styled at a salon in North Tel Aviv, when a spontaneous non-violent demonstration erupted with hundreds of people showing up outside the salon to protest. In response, a massive police presence—totaling hundreds— arrived to escort the Prime Minister’s wife out to safety. The situation in Israel is clearly spiraling out of control. It's a worrisome time for the country, and it's unclear how the government will respond to the growing hostility towards its proposed legislation.
BUSINESS
Leading Israeli economists who had previously warned about the impact of the Judicial reform have sent a new letter saying that the situation is likely to worsen very quickly.
The Histadrut (Israel’s Trade and Labor Union) and the Ministry of Finance have reached an agreement on the pay for public sector workers. These government workers will receive a one time payment of NIS 6,000 in April, to make up for the fact they have been working without a contract since 2000. Over the next year, their paychecks will increase by NIS 400.
El Al announced it earned $8.5 million in the fourth quarter— the first Q4 to show profit since 2015. The company reported income of $561 million, up from $265 million last year in the same quarter, and an increase from the $219 million in Q4 of 2019 (i.e., before the pandemic). For all of 2022, El Al reported income of $2 billion, up from $857 million in 2021. El Al plans to grow increase its fleet of 787 aircraft from 16 today, to 22
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Wizio raised $300 million, based on a valuation of $10 billion. CEO Assaf Rappaport announced that the newly pledged funds will not be brought to Israel, due to the attempted “coup d’etat”.
Hexa raised $20.5 million in a Series-A funding round. This brings to a total of capital the company raised to $27.2 million. The company product converts 2D images to 3D images to be used on the web. Investors include: Point72 Ventures, Samurai Incubate, Sarona Partners, and HTC.
Elbit Systems announced that its Romanian subsidiary, Elmet International SRL, was awarded a follow-on contract, valued at $120 million from General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) to supply unmanned turrets, Remote Controlled Weapon Stations (RCWS) and mortar systems for the ‘Piranha V’ Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) of the Romanian Armed Forces. This work will be performed in Romania, over a three-year period.
Elbit also announced it was awarded two contracts with an aggregate value of $252 million, to supply artillery rocket systems to a European NATO member country. Under the first contract, in the amount of $119 million, Elbit Systems will supply a battalion's worth of ATMOS (Autonomous Truck Mounted Howitzer) 155mm/52 caliber truck-mounted howitzers systems. The contract will be performed over a period of two years. Under the second contract, in an amount of $133 million, Elbit Systems will provide two batteries worth of PULS™ artillery rocket-launcher systems, including a package of rockets and missiles. This contract will be performed over a period of three years
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The ATMOS modular artillery system is a combat-proven wheeled Howitzer solution, capable of firing all NATO-certified 155mm projectiles that possess an effective range of over 40km, with standard projectiles and offers extended range with Rocket-Assisted Projectiles (RAP). The ATMOS is designed for rapid deployment and operation enabling provision of fire support for a broad range of missions.
A PIECE OF HISTORY
Against the background of a possible German invasion of Palestine on May 16, 1941, the Palmach was created to establish an elite ready reserve for the Haganah. The Palmach consisted of full time soldiers, who worked 14 days per month on kibbutzim, and trained for another 10 days. Between 1941 and 1943, there was close cooperation between the Palmach and the British, with the British using Palmach units for behind-the-lines assaults in Vichy-dominated Lebanon and Syria. By 1943, as the Axis threat receded, the British began to fear the Palmach might become a threat to their continued rule in Palestine. Therefore, they began to make unsuccessful attempts to suppress the Palmach. From late 1945 to mid-1946, the Palmach worked together with the Irgun, in attempts to undermine British rule in Palestine. From 1946 until 1947, the Palmach concentrated on helping facilitate Jewish immigration to Palestine. When the War of Independence began, the Palmach was the only ready standing army available to repel the Arab attack. The Palmach fought valiantly during the war, but sustained heavy casualties. In the midst of the war, Ben-Gurion dissolved the independent structure of the Palmach, and merged it into the IDF
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THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT— “THE WEDDING PLAN”
FILM REVIEW
LA’AVOR ET HA’KIR (“The Wedding Plan”; literally, “Through the Wall”) is a 2016 Israeli film, currently available on Netflix, which tells the story of a religious woman whose wedding is abruptly called off by the groom. Undeterred, she presses onward with her plans, believing that fate will intervene and provide her with a new groom to marry on the original wedding day, just one month later. While the premise may seem unlikely, the film's superb acting kept me riveted to my screen, causing me to stay up past my intended bedtime just to watch the ending. Overall, I highly recommend this movie
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A TASTE OF TEL AVIV —
RESTAURANT REVIEW, Tali Schulman
Located on Menachem Begin, hiding in the back of one of the office buildings, you will find Taizu. Since opening in 2013, Taizu has been one of the most consistently popular Asian fine dining restaurants in town. Influenced by Chef Yuval Ben Neriah’s time in South East Asia, Taizu brings an elevated interpretation of the flavors, with a twist from the local Mediterranean kitchen. Personally, I recommend sitting at the bar, and allowing the bartender to build your meal for you — and if you go during lunch, at a discount…while drinking the delicious cocktails, a fabulous bottle of wine, or my personal favorite — sake. While they do offer a lunch deal during the week, the best fixed-price menu option is actually lunch on Saturdays, when you can get 3 courses for 169 NIS. My favorite dishes include the Shanghi Dumplings (veal cheek soup dumplings), and the Taizu Tartar (served in a crispy rice cone), but you cannot go wrong with pretty much anything — just make sure not to skip dessert!
For more Tel Aviv restaurant recommendations, you can find me on Instagram @talischulman where I save all my food adventures in my highlights!
Judicial reform necessary to preserve Israeli democracy. In a democracy elections must be respected.