Tel Aviv Diary November 11, 2022
Coalition Negotiations,Investments Down,New Oral Pregnancy Test, and Restaurant Review
POLITICS
This is a week of speculation, peppered with very little hard news emanating from Israeli politics. President Herzog held meetings with all of the parties in the new Knesset to ask them whom they recommend he entrust the formation of a new government. This time, as opposed to previous elections cycles, the Prime Ministerial recommendations are only a formality. Soon-to-be-Prime-Minister Netanyahu has met with all of the heads of the parties that will make up his future government and knows their demands. His negotiating team, lead by MK Yariv Levin has started meeting with the various coalition member parties. Netanyahu wanted to have a two fold process — first an agreement on division of the spoils (i.e., cabinet positions), and then once the government has been sworn in, a discussion on the agenda. However, Netanyahu’s coalition partners did not agree to that arrangement, and insist upon a written and signed understanding before they enter into the government.
There is speculation Netanyahu plans to appoint Shas head, MK Arye Deri to the position of Finance Minister. Such an appointment would ignore the fact Deri recently pled guilty to tax evasion, and promised to resign from public life. The expectation is that the Supreme Court will rule Deri cannot hold that post, and then, the promised Knesset “override clause”— which will no doubt be one of first bills the government passes — will be employed and with one simple majority vote, the Knesset will nullify a decision of the Supreme Court.
Planned passage of the override clause is the issue of greatest concern among those who fear the new government. The bill, which is vigorously being promoted by the religious parties, will allow the Knesset to overturn any decision by the Supreme Court with a vote of 61 Knesset members — the minimal number possessed by any coalition government. For Netanyahu, enactment of the override clause will allow the Knesset to pass a law that will stop his trial, and then stop the Supreme Court from interfering. For the religious parties, it will allow them to establish a law which states Yeshiva study is equivalent to army service — the potential list of abuses of such unchecked power is long and frightening.
Another question that keeps coming up is whether MK Itamar Ben Gvir has changed, as he continues to assert, or if his mild-mannered transformation has all been a show for the elections. On Thursday, Ben Gvir attended a memorial service for Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was expelled from the Knesset due to his racist views. Some of Netanyahu’s inner circle were appalled by Ben Gvir’s continued show of reverence for the disgraced late Rabbi, but they should not have been surprised. A leopard does not change its spots, nor likely has Ben Gvir.
US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said the following:
“Celebrating the legacy of a terrorist organization is abhorrent. There's no other word for it. We remain concerned by the legacy of Kahane and continued use of rhetoric among violent right-wing extremists. We've condemned violence and racism, in all of its forms. There is good reason why Kahane remains a specially designated terrorist organization.”
As one left wing activist told me Thursday night — “We’re heading into interesting times.” — Great!
DEFENSE
Israel is said to have destroyed a convoy of Iranian arms, as it crossed the border from Iraq into Syria. Israeli rarely attacks in that part of Syria.
An armed Israeli RPV crashed in Southern Israel, near the city of Arad, on Wednesday. The cause of the accident appears to have been engine failure
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BUSINESS
Investments in Israeli start-ups are down sharply, with a total of 534 million raised by 18 startups this October. This is the lowest number since the middle of the Corona lockdown. Three startups garnered 2/3 of the total sum raised.
Verti, the cyber-defense firm, raised $12 million in a rounds led by Insight Partners.
Everybody Games, maker of “Lucky Buddies” has raised 12 million in a seed round.
Porsche announced plans to open a new Cyber-research center in Tel Aviv.
Israeli startup Salignostics, developer and provider of rapid saliva-based tests, is set to mass-market SaliStick – the world’s first rapid saliva-based pregnancy test kit. Starting in the first quarter of 2023, SaliStick is expected to be available for purchase in several European countries, as well as South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Israel. Salignostics is currently conducting discussions with various distributors in these territories.
The SaliStick kit has already been approved by the European CE certification and has received Medical Devices and Accessories approval from Israel’s Ministry of Health. Salignostics has completed a 510(K) initial Q-submission of SaliStick to the FDA in the US. To support the commercialization of SaliStick, Salignostics has established a new manufacturing facility in the Lavon Industrial Zone in Northern Israel, with a monthly production capacity of 1 million units.
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced it was awarded a contract valued at approximately $25 million from the Finnish Ministry of Defense to supply radio communications systems to the Finnish Army. The contract will be executed over a two-year period. In addition, Elbit reported it has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $215 million to provide an aerial intelligence solution to an Asia-Pacific country. This contract will be delivered over a period of two years
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A PIECE OF HISTORY — Tel Aviv Founded
In 1909, the decision was made to form a clean, new suburb near Jaffa. A ceremony was held on the sand dunes north of the ancient city, on April 11, 1909. A few hundred Jewish settlers attended, to mark the establishment of this new suburb, named Tel Aviv (hill of spring). A lottery was held to allocate plots of land in Tel Aviv. By 1914, this new area was home to 1,500 settlers. Tel Aviv had already become the cultural and political hub of Jewish settlement in Palestine. The city continued to grow, and throughout the British mandate, Tel Aviv served as the center of Jewish life in Palestine.
A TASTE OF TEL AVIV — by Tali Schulman
Found on the outskirts of Shuk Hapishpeshim, Selas offers some of the best Japanese fusion Tel Aviv has to offer. Sit inside for the beautiful ambiance and a fantastic overall service experience, and be blown away by some of the freshest raw fish you’ll find in Tel Aviv. My personal recommendation is to choose the tasting menu, curated by chef Or Ginsberg, and be surprised with every dish to arrive at your table. If you’re looking for a lighter meal, they also offer a la carte. Truth is, the entire menu is incredibly delicious, and nothing disappoints. My personal favorites are the chef nigiri and the T&T roll. I promise you won’t regret it!
For more Tel Aviv restaurant recommendations, you can find me on Instagram @talischulman where I save all my food adventures in my highlights!