The Times of Israel liveblogged Tuesday’s events as they unfolded.

Likud, National Unity spar over overhaul talks

The Likud party lashes out at opposition party chief Benny Gantz, releasing a statement that “Gantz continues with boycotts and again runs away from any attempt to reach agreements. Zero leadership, zero statesmanship.”

It comes after Gantz dismisses Netanyahu’s calls for direct talks as spin, saying the prime minister can’t deliver on compromise while beholden to Justice Minister Yariv Levin and far-right elements of his coalition.

Gantz’s National Party swipes back at Likud, implying that the prime minister was disingenuous in offering his olive branch before Gantz’s prime-time statement.

“At 19:55, ‘we’re both Benjamin,’ at 20:15, ‘zero leadership,” National Unity responds.

“The unfortunate truth is it’s not clear if Netanyahu wants agreements, what is certain is that at this moment, he’s unable [to reach them],” National Unity continues.

US denies Blinken calls to Abbas, Netanyahu related to Saudi normalization breakthrough

(L) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. (Saudi Press Agency via AP); (C) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem (Alex Kolomoisky/Pool/Flash90); (L) US President Joe Biden on November 2, 2022 in Washington, DC (Michael A. McCoy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
(L) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. (Saudi Press Agency via AP); (C) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem (Alex Kolomoisky/Pool/Flash90); (L) US President Joe Biden on November 2, 2022 in Washington, DC (Michael A. McCoy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a Tuesday White House briefing that while Blinken’s calls with Netanyahu and Abbas were more than just routine, they do not “portend any imminent breakthrough or action with respect to the question of normalization.”

“It’s an important moment for a check-in at a high level, and Secretary Blinken is well-placed to do that given his relationships with both men and the central role that he is playing in efforts to explore whether in fact a broader normalization is possible,” Sullivan says.

Former Mossad chief Shabtai Shavit dies at 84

Former head of the Mossad, Shabtai Shavit, attends a press conference organized by 'Commanders for Israel's Security' in Tel Aviv on January 15, 2017. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Former head of the Mossad, Shabtai Shavit, attends a press conference organized by 'Commanders for Israel's Security' in Tel Aviv on January 15, 2017. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Former Mossad chief Shabtai Shavit has died at the age of 84, the spy agency announces.

Shavit died while on a private vacation in Italy, the announcement says. No cause of death is given.

Shavit was the seventh director of the vaunted intelligence agency and ran it from 1989 to 1996.

Current chief David Barnea lauds Shavit as “a pillar of the world of operations, intelligence, security and strategy of the state of Israel.”

After joining the agency in 1964, Shavit rose through the ranks from an officer in Tzomet, the Mossad’s human intelligence-gathering wing where he worked in Iran, to the head of the Caesarea special operations unit.

After a stint as deputy head of the organization, he became chief in 1989.

“During his tenure as head of the Mossad, Shavit worked to expand and strengthen the secret relations between the Mossad and organizations and countries in the regional and global arena, chief among them his contribution to the establishment of the peace agreement signed between Israel and Jordan,” the statement says.

In recent years, Shavit was a staunch critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Nir Barkat rallies behind Netanyahu call for compromise talks on overhaul

Economy Minister Nir Barkat attends a conference at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on July 10, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Economy Minister Nir Barkat attends a conference at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on July 10, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Economy Minister Nir Barkat throws his support behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s calls for direct talks with the opposition to reach a deal on the judicial overhaul.

“I give my backing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and support a move to reach a broad agreement on the issue of the judicial legislation,” says Barkat who has been largely silent on the issue.

“Israel is facing serious challenges to its security, foreign relations and economy. In these days when our enemies are watching us fight each other, we have to put our disagreements aside and reach broad understandings among the people of Israel,” he says.

He says reaching a compromise will “not be a surrender, but a sign of courage.”

Gallant issues call for compromise on overhaul, unity

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks at an awards ceremony for outstanding officers, at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, September 3, 2023. (Shahar Yorman/ Defense Ministry
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks at an awards ceremony for outstanding officers, at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, September 3, 2023. (Shahar Yorman/ Defense Ministry

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issues a call for compromise over the government’s controversial judicial overhaul plans.

“The citizens of Israel and the IDF need cohesiveness and unity,” Gallant posts on X.

“This is the time to put aside disagreement and find what is common and unites us. I call on my friends in the Knesset to reach a compromise quickly for the state of Israel and the security of Israel,” he says.

Gallant has been one of the few coalition members to call for compromise on the overhaul, frequently warning that the fallout was severely harming the military.

US confirms high-level delegation heading to Saudi Arabia for talks

In this file photo provided by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs the Arab summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. (Saudi Press Agency via AP)
In this file photo provided by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs the Arab summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. (Saudi Press Agency via AP)

US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel says White House Middle East czar Brett McGurk, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking will be in Saudi Arabia this week, confirming The Times of Israel’s earlier reporting on the matter.

Patel says the US delegation will discuss “a range of regional and bilateral matters” and insists that this was a “long-scheduled visit.”

A US and Palestinian official told The Times of Israel earlier this week that the US delegation will be discussing a potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

McGurk will subsequently visit Bahrain in preparation for Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa upcoming visit to Washington, Patel says.

Leaf will proceed to travel to Amman followed by Jerusalem, briefing Jordanian and Israeli officials on her talks in Saudi Arabia, an Israeli official told the Times of Israel on Monday.

Gantz dismisses Netanyahu call for talks as spin, says PM can’t deliver a deal, calls for new elections

Benny Gantz gives a speech on September 5, 2023 responding to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plea for talks on the judicial overhaul. (Screencapture)
Benny Gantz gives a speech on September 5, 2023 responding to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plea for talks on the judicial overhaul. (Screencapture)

In a speech to party members broadcast on national TV, National Unity party head Benny Gantz dismisses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for talks over the judicial overhaul as spin, and calls for new elections.

Gantz says he has examined a proposal for compromise via President Isaac Herzog, and that he was assured it was agreed with the prime minister, but he does not believe that Netanyahu can deliver on such a deal. He notes that the Likud, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and others in the coalition have publicly rejected it.

“What is clear is that Israel is ruled by an extreme minority government,” Gantz says.

Gantz leaves a door open for a negotiated deal, but says Netanyahu first has to show he is capable of delivering over the opposition of Levin and far-right members of the coalition.

He says he told the president yesterday “that I have difficulty seeing the coalition supporting the outline, but it is our duty to try — with the necessary responsibility and caution.”

Gantz says he and his party colleagues therefore closely analyzed the proposal and decided that “if we reached an agreement [with Netanyahu], and we did not reach an agreement, first the “reasonableness [law, limiting judicial oversight] would be corrected,” and then a law would be passed providing for all further judicial overhaul legislation to be frozen.

But “reality has proven that there is no one to talk to at this time,” Gantz says, calling Netanyahu’s partners “barn-burners who have not laid down their torches.”

“Only yesterday, Netanyahu and the Likud denied and rejected their own proposal, and today Netanyahu disseminates a new spin and calls for dialogue,” he lamented.

Gantz calls for Netanyahu to dissolve the government and for fresh elections. “Netanyahu needs to disperse the government and disperse the Knesset, and the State of Israel needs to go to elections that will allow the healing of Israeli society.”

Gantz says “there is no effective prime minister in Israel,” and that Netanyahu “first does what is good for him and only after that what is good for the state.”

He says the country is facing the worst security situation since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, with the IDF “facing disintegration” and losing preparedness.

Israel, he says, “is facing a threat to our democracy, to our system of governance.” This threat is posed by “a government led by extremists, who don’t want to fix and reform but want unrestrained control over the judicial system, and not only over that — also over the media, the education institutions, economic institutions and the entire public system.”

The rift is harming the “Israeli resilience that was always the source of Israel’s power.”

He vows to put the good of the state first and to protect Israeli democracy, even as “Netanyahu and his partners have decided to plunge Israel into the deepest crisis.”

He says he felt a national obligation to examine the framework presented to him by the president, that “it’s really not the framework of our dreams,” but that “we were prepared to discuss it as a basis to stopping the constitutional coup and regime change in Israel, with the assumption that when we are in power — and we will be in power — we will lead a wider process to entrench the rule of law and anchor the rules of governance and democracy via broad and fair agreement.”

Gantz says of the prime minister: “I’ll tell you straight, I don’t know if Netanyahu is a partner of the extremists, because of his personal interests, or their captive, out of weakness. But what’s clear, to our sorrow, is that a minority, extremist government is in control” — a coalition that does not represent the national majority, and “not even the majority of the public that elected it.”

This “extremist minority… has decided to take apart Israel’s democratic values. This minority is dragging us into the abyss.”

He urges coalition moderates “to make their voices heard.”

If, in the future, the moderates in the coalition have the upper hand, “and we can prevent the destruction of democracy, we’ll be there,” he says. “If there is a proven, real possibility in the future… to reach an agreement that will protect democracy … our hands will be outstretched.”

Netanyahu calls on Gantz to meet to negotiate judicial overhaul compromise

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues a video plea to MK Benny Gantz to meet and negotiate over the judicial overhaul on September 9, 2023. (Screencapture)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues a video plea to MK Benny Gantz to meet and negotiate over the judicial overhaul on September 9, 2023. (Screencapture)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls on opposition figure Benny Gantz to put aside preconditions and meet for judicial compromise discussions, minutes ahead of an expected statement by Gantz on the matter.

“I want to turn to Benny Gantz. We have a lot of disagreements but also a lot in common. We’re both called Benjamin. We both fought on the battlefield against a common enemy. And today most of the nation expects us to do something for a common goal. It wants us to reach agreements. But in order to reach agreements, one simple thing must be done: put aside all the prerequisites, all the obstacles, enter the room and talk,” Netanyahu says in a videotaped message.

“Therefore, I invite your team to sit down with our team tomorrow morning and do what most of the people of Israel expect: we will sit down and reach agreements,” he continues.

The prime minister’s message follows on the heels of his evening meeting with Justice Minister Yariv Levin, during which the two are said to have discussed President Isaac Herzog’s latest judicial compromise suggestion.

Levin this morning dismissed the framework as “impossible.”

AG calls to reverse firing of Israel Postal chairperson

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara arrives to casts her ballot for the head of the Israeli Bar Association in Tel Aviv on June 20, 2023. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara arrives to casts her ballot for the head of the Israeli Bar Association in Tel Aviv on June 20, 2023. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara calls to reverse the firing of the head of the Israel Postal Company, reiterating her position that the move had major legal flaws.

Israel Postal Company chair Mishael Vaknin was fired by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem who claimed Vaknin was not competent.

Critics contend that Vaknin’s dismissal was politically motivated, to allow Karhi and Amsalem to appoint loyalists to the service’s board of directors.

Baharav-Miara has already informed Karhi and Amsalem that she won’t represent them in a challenge to the dismissal at the High Court.

“The move made by the ministers leads to a real fear that the independence of company directors will be harmed,” she says. “The decision may cause a chilling effect that will deter the directors currently serving in government companies from continuing to fulfill their duties for the benefit of the company. “

Blinken calls Netanyahu amid Mideast tensions

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a press conference in Jerusalem on January 30, 2023. (Debbie HIll/Pool/AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a press conference in Jerusalem on January 30, 2023. (Debbie HIll/Pool/AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier today, the State Department says.

The two discussed US-Israel ties, expanding Israel’s integration into the Middle East, countering the threats posed by Iran and Israeli tensions with the Palestinians.

“The Secretary reiterated continued US support for policies that ensure freedom, security, and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the State Department readout says, regurgitating the line used by Biden officials in just about every public statement they issue on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

There is no immediate readout from the Israeli side.

Blinken speaks to Abbas about ongoing West Bank violence

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Tuesday, January 31, 2023. (Ronaldo Schemidt/Pool via AP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Tuesday, January 31, 2023. (Ronaldo Schemidt/Pool via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss Washington’s “continued concern about ongoing violence in the West Bank,” according to the US readout.

In yesterday’s call, Blinken “reaffirmed US support for measures to advance freedom and security and improve the quality of life for the Palestinian people,” the State Department adds.

“The Secretary and President Abbas discussed their support for a two-state solution and opposition to actions endangering its viability.”

Barcelona resumes ‘sister city’ relationship with Tel Aviv, reversing ex-mayor’s call

Then-mayoral candidate Jaume Collboni speaks at the Socialist Party of Catalonia's headquarters in Barcelona on May 28, 2023, after the local and regional elections in Spain. (Lluis Gene/AFP)
Then-mayoral candidate Jaume Collboni speaks at the Socialist Party of Catalonia's headquarters in Barcelona on May 28, 2023, after the local and regional elections in Spain. (Lluis Gene/AFP)

Six months after Barcelona’s then-mayor severed the Spanish city’s relationship with Tel Aviv over what she said were Israel’s “apartheid” practices, her successor is renewing the ties.

Jaume Collboni, who became mayor in June, this week announces the restoration of the 25-year “sister cities” relationship between Barcelona and Tel Aviv.

Collboni’s decision elicits relief from the Federation of the Jewish Communities of Spain, which had said the suspension had “caused pain in the Jewish world and among many Barcelonians and Catalans.”

Ada Colau, Barcelona’s liberal mayor, surprised many by unilaterally breaking off the relationship in February, citing what she said was Israel’s “flagrant and systematic violation of human rights.” The surprise move — which the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain decried as “sophisticated antisemitism” — threatened the commercial, cultural and economic bond that the two cities have nurtured over the years.

In announcing the renewed ties, Collboni emphasizes that he was not endorsing Israel or its practices but instead connecting with Tel Aviv, which he notes had been host to weekly protests against the current Israeli government. He also emphasizes that the relationship would allow him to advocate for the Palestinians.

Amid renewed COVID fears, HMOs have early launch of annual flu vaccine campaign

A woman gets her flu vaccine shot on September 5, 2023. (Clalit)
A woman gets her flu vaccine shot on September 5, 2023. (Clalit)

Israel’s health maintenance organizations are offering the new annual flu vaccine beginning today. With the vaccine available earlier this year than usual, the medical community is encouraging people to get the shot now and not wait until the fall and winter virus season starts.

Doses are being rolled out to all clinics and nursing stations around the county and appointments for the shot can be made online, by phone app, or by calling one’s HMO.

The healthcare community is concerned about Israel being hit by both flu and COVID. The spread of the new EG.5 (Eris) and BA.2.86 (Pirola) COVID variants in other countries has doctors worried about the possibility of a combined “Flurona” scenario that would fill up Israel’s clinics and hospitals.

“We are expecting a tough winter in Israel in terms of illness… We urge everyone to get vaccinated for their own health and to help reduce the load on the health system,” says  Dr. Ronnie Farber, head of public health at Meuhedet Health Services.

Everyone is encouraged to get the shot, especially individuals 65 and older and those with chronic illness or immune deficiency. The HMOs also recommend immunization for babies and children, pregnant and postpartum women, as well as women considering getting pregnant. Those who work in the healthcare system, senior residences, and nursing facilities should get the shot.

All the HMOs are promising ample supply of the vaccine. Clalit, Israel’s largest HMO insuring more than half of the population, has ordered 1,125,000 doses of the vaccine comprised of four inactivated flu strains to be given by injection, including a stronger formulation for people 65 and older.

Clalit will also have 25,000 doses of FluMist, the live attenuated influenza vaccine in the form of a nasal spray that can be given to people ages 2-49.

Hundreds gather for funeral of Ukraine-born lone soldier killed in terror attack last week

Family and friends at the funeral of Sgt. Maksym Molchanov, killed in a truck-ramming terror attack at the Maccabim checkpoint last week, in Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery in Tel Aviv, September 5, 2023. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Family and friends at the funeral of Sgt. Maksym Molchanov, killed in a truck-ramming terror attack at the Maccabim checkpoint last week, in Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery in Tel Aviv, September 5, 2023. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Hundreds of people are gathered at the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery in Tel Aviv for the funeral of Sgt. Maksym Molchanov, a soldier who was killed in a terror attack near the central city of Modiin last week.

Molchanov, 20, moved to Israel from eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv in 2017, leaving his family behind.

Molchanov’s parents, Evgeny and Larysa, flew in from Ukraine last night.

The Foreign Ministry reportedly worked to facilitate Molchanov’s father traveling to Israel despite a ban on men leaving Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.

In the truck-ramming attack carried out on the Israeli side of the Maccabim checkpoint on Thursday, six other people, including three of Molchanov’s comrades, were wounded.

The Palestinian assailant was shot dead at a nearby checkpoint after allegedly attempting to carry out a second attack.

One border police officer lightly wounded in Jordan Valley shooting, suspect killed

Police say that Border Police forces operating close to the Argaman junction in the Jordan Valley came under fire by a Palestinian gunman.

The forces returned fire, killing the suspect.

One officer is lightly hurt in the exchange of fire, a Border Police spokesman says.

IDF says suspect ‘neutralized’ after opening fire near Jordan Valley settlement

The Israel Defense Forces reports an incident of gunfire near the settlement of Argaman in the Jordan Valley.

It says the suspect has been “neutralized,” without immediately providing further details.

Lapid meets top Biden administration officials in Washington

Opposition leader Yair Lapid (L) meets with US Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein in Washington DC on September 5, 2023 (Yesh Atid)
Opposition leader Yair Lapid (L) meets with US Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein in Washington DC on September 5, 2023 (Yesh Atid)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid meets with Biden administration officials and senators in Washington, as part of a visit aimed at expressing his view on a burgeoning US-brokered normalization deal with Saudi Arabia.

In his meetings with US Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein and White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk, Lapid “asked that Israel’s security interests be preserved in any future agreement,” says the Yesh Atid leader’s spokesperson.

In addition to discussing “various regional issues related to the Middle East and the Gulf,” Lapid “emphasized the shared values of Israel and the United States as strong democracies.”

Lapid leads the opposition against the government’s ongoing attempts to sap the judiciary of its power. In July, US President Joe Biden took the rare step of publicly calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to slow the pace of judicial changes in order to allow for broad consensus, a suggestion Netanyahu rebuffed.

Lapid also has meetings scheduled with Democratic senators Jon Ossoff, Mark Kelly, Tim Kaine, Ben Cardin, Chris Van Hollen, Chris Murphy, and Jacky Rosen.

He will also meet with the Israeli envoy to Washington, Mike Herzog.

Lapid arrived in Washington last night and is scheduled to depart back to Israel this evening.

High Court nixes government request for delay of hearing on reasonableness law

President of the Supreme Court Esther Hayut (center) together with Justice Uzi Vogelman (left) and Justice Isaac Amit at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, August 3, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
President of the Supreme Court Esther Hayut (center) together with Justice Uzi Vogelman (left) and Justice Isaac Amit at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, August 3, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The High Court of Justice rejects the government’s request to push back the date for a crucial hearing on the reasonableness limitation law, the centerpiece legislation so far of the government’s judicial overhaul agenda.

The court says that since all 15 justices are hearing the case, the resulting “scheduling pressure” means it cannot agree to the request. The hearing is scheduled for September 12, as planned.

The court does, however, grant the government an extension to file its response to the petitions and sets the new deadline for this Friday.

Ilan Bombach, who is representing the government since the attorney general does not support its position, had requested the extension since he said it was impossible to respond to her lengthy filing in the few days remaining before the hearing.

He added that there was no reason the hearing could not be delayed by a month or more.

The law that was petitioned against prohibits the courts from reviewing government action using the standard of reasonableness, whereby it can determine that a decision was invalid because it was made without properly assessing key considerations, or using improper considerations.

The petitioners against the law argue that it could potentially undermine the independence of senior law enforcement agencies, since without the reasonableness standard it will be difficult to challenge arbitrary dismissals of officials.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara opposes the state’s position and in her submission to the court on yesterday called for it to strike down the law for undermining Israel’s democratic character.

Ministers and coalition MKs have argued that the law is necessary to stop the High Court from asserting its own worldview on government decisions and actions and says that the dismissal of senior law enforcement officials will still be subject to other tools in administrative law.

After acquisition deal falls through, Intel to provide foundry services to Tower

Tower Semiconductor headquarters in Migdal Haemek, Israel, February 16, 2022. (AP/Ariel Schalit)
Tower Semiconductor headquarters in Migdal Haemek, Israel, February 16, 2022. (AP/Ariel Schalit)

Chip giant Intel announces that it will provide foundry services to Tower Semiconductor to help the Migdal Ha’emek-based firm serve its customers globally.

The deal comes less than a month after Intel backed out of a $5.4 billion deal to buy the Israeli chipmaker.

Under the terms of the agreement, Intel Foundry Services (IFS), a standalone business unit tasked with becoming a major provider of US- and European-based semiconductor manufacturing capacity, will offer foundry services and 300mm chip manufacturing capacity to Tower. Foundry services involve the production and testing of semiconductor wafers and chips.

As part of the partnership deal, Tower will use Intel’s manufacturing plant in New Mexico and invest up to $300 million to purchase and own equipment and other fixed assets that will be installed at the facility, the two companies announce in a statement.

Commenting on the partnership, Tower CEO Russell Ellwanger says he is “excited to continue working with Intel.”

“We see this as a first step towards multiple unique synergistic solutions with Intel,” Ellwanger remarks.

The acquisition deal between the two companies fell through last month after Intel failed to secure a go-ahead from Chinese regulators for the purchase as demanded by the contract.

Israel supplied arms to Myanmar until 2022 despite embargo, military coup – report

Military vehicles parade during the national Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021 (AP Photo)(AP Photo)
Military vehicles parade during the national Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021 (AP Photo)(AP Photo)

Israel supplied advanced military equipment to Myanmar at least until the start of 2022, nearly a year after a military coup in the Southeast Asian nation, the Haaretz daily reports.

Israel Aerospace Industries sold the Myanmar air force radar systems despite an international arms embargo and an Israeli High Court decision to halt arms supplies to the nation.

The report cites documents and sources.

The report says it is also possible that one of the IAI shipments contained parts for naval vessels that Israel has sold to Myanmar.

Elbit reportedly sent drone parts among other equipment.

An international embargo has been in place on Myanmar’s armed forces since 2016, when the military began a brutal counterinsurgency campaign that drove more than 700,000 members of the Rohingya minority into neighboring Bangladesh in what international investigators branded a “genocide.”

In 2017 the Supreme Court upheld an appeal seeking a prohibition on implementation of a defense cooperation agreement signed between Israel and Myanmar. As a result, military export licenses were revoked.

International efforts to halt arms supplies to Myanmar were further stepped up following a military coup in 2021.

In statements to Haaretz, IAI denies the report, while Elbit declines to comment.

Elon Musk threatens to sue ADL for billions, blaming Jewish group for lost revenue

Elon Musk departs the Phillip Burton Federal Building and United States Court House in San Francisco, on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.  (AP Photo/ Benjamin Fanjoy, File)
Elon Musk departs the Phillip Burton Federal Building and United States Court House in San Francisco, on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/ Benjamin Fanjoy, File)

Elon Musk threatens to sue the Anti-Defamation League for up to $22 billion as he joined a growing number of white supremacists and trolls in posting invective about the group.

The legal threat of indeterminate seriousness — Musk frequently does not follow through on his stated intentions, although he sometimes does — came after Musk joined a white supremacist’s anti-ADL campaign on X, the platform Musk owns and renamed from Twitter.

Over the last several days, Musk tweeted at least 25 times about the ADL or related topics. Several times, he blamed the Jewish anti-bigotry group for a 60% drop in advertising revenue on the platform and said he would seek redress in court.

Musk disputes that he’s been responsible for a rise in antisemitism on X and suggests that the company would file a defamation suit against the ADL. “Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic,” he writes in one post.

“To clear our platform’s name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League … oh the irony!” he writes in another post on Monday evening. “In our case, they would potentially be on the hook for destroying half the value of the company, so roughly $22 billion.”

In another post on Monday, he gives a lower figure: “Based on what we’ve heard from advertisers, ADL seems to be responsible for most of our revenue loss. Giving them maximum benefit of the doubt, I don’t see any scenario where they’re responsible for less than 10% of the value destruction, so ~$4 billion.”

Chikli ‘uninvited’ to London Jewish center due to ‘internal pressure’

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli speaks at the AJC Global Forum in Tel Aviv, on June 14, 2023 (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli speaks at the AJC Global Forum in Tel Aviv, on June 14, 2023 (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

Controversial Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli has been “uninvited” to a London Jewish Center due to “internal pressure” from the local community, the UK’s Jewish News reports.

Chikli, who is on a two-day visit to the UK, was set to visit JW3, also known as the Jewish Community Centre London.

According to the report, the visit was called off due to “internal pressure” and “long-running concerns” about Chikli’s record of making inflammatory statements promoting “vitriol” against anti-government protesters, his previous anti-LGBTQ statements and spreading of conspiracy theories and anti-Palestinian rhetoric.

Chikli faced similar concerns on recent trips to the US, where several Jewish groups declined to meet him and he was photographed apparently giving the middle finger to anti-judicial overhaul protesters.

Chikli denies he made the rude gesture, saying he was telling them to smile.

Netanyahu said planning to meet with Levin, Dermer over judicial overhaul compromise

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Justice Minister Yariv Levin in the Knesset plenum during a vote on the coalition's 'reasonableness' bill, July 24, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Justice Minister Yariv Levin in the Knesset plenum during a vote on the coalition's 'reasonableness' bill, July 24, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will hold a consultation in his office today on how to proceed with a compromise agreement on the judicial overhaul, the Walla news site reports.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who has already said he opposes the deal, will be there alongside Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and lawyer Michael Rabilo, who have represented Likud in talks.

Gafni: Haredi parties need to weigh how to continue with judicial overhaul

MK Moshe Gafni leads a Finance Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on June 12, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
MK Moshe Gafni leads a Finance Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on June 12, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni says the ultra-Orthodox parties need to reconsider how to proceed with the judicial overhaul.

“I personally think that we need to weigh exactly how we go forward — like this or like that — with the reform,” Gafni says speaking at a Knesset Finance Committee meeting.

“We need to do our assessment whether it is better to proceed as we have until now. We in UTJ need to make our assessment, and I assume Shas also does,” he says.

“There are important things that need to be done and I’m not sure this [current path] is the way to do it,” Gafni says. “Maybe we will go on a different path.”

Flight from Tel Aviv to London forced to land in Belgrade due to unruly passenger

View of a Wizzair flight taking off from Ben Gurion International Airport, September 3, 2014. (Moshe Shai/Flash 90)
View of a Wizzair flight taking off from Ben Gurion International Airport, September 3, 2014. (Moshe Shai/Flash 90)

A Wizz Air flight from Tel Aviv to London was forced to land in Belgrade due to an unruly passenger, Channel 12 reports.

The flight departed yesterday but landed in Serbia after the passenger tried to attack the flight crew and open an emergency exit, the report says. The reason for the disturbance was not given.

The other passengers are still waiting in Belgrade for a new flight to the UK.

A statement from Wizz to Channel 12 confirms the incident, ascribing it to an unruly passenger.

“The company is dealing with the onward flight of all customers to London. The safety and security of passengers and crew are the company’s top priority. The company regrets the inconvenience caused by this unexpected incident,” the statement says.

Court extends remand of Palestinian woman who tried to stab cop in Jerusalem

Police are seen at the scene of an attempted stabbing attack in Jerusalem's Old City, September 4, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Police are seen at the scene of an attempted stabbing attack in Jerusalem's Old City, September 4, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

A Jerusalem court extends the remand of a Palestinian woman who tried to stab a police officer in the capital’s Old City last night.

The 44-year-old, from the Jenin area in the northern West Bank, will be held for another six days, until September 10.

Police say that according to an initial investigation, the woman carried out the attack in order “to become a martyr.”

The officer who was attacked was unharmed, as the knife did not penetrate the protective vest he was wearing. He then subdued the assailant without gunfire.

UN warns Israel that expelling Eritreans en masse unlawful

Eritrean migrants who oppose and support that country's regime clash in south Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (Omer Fichman/Flash90)
Eritrean migrants who oppose and support that country's regime clash in south Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (Omer Fichman/Flash90)

The UN urges Israel to refrain from mass deportations of Eritreans following weekend clashes involving asylum seekers, warning such a move would “contravene international law” and could have dire human consequences.

The United Nations refugee agency says it was “deeply concerned” by the clashes that erupted on Saturday in Tel Aviv when a demonstration against an Eritrean government event turned violent, injuring over 200 people.

“UNHCR calls for calm and restraint, and on all parties to refrain from taking any steps that could aggravate the situation further,” William Spindler, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, tells reporters in Geneva.

While stressing that it was “important to establish accountability” for the events, he warns Israel against taking broad measures against Eritreans in the country.

“Any decision impacting all Eritrean asylum-seekers… would contravene international law,” he says.

Gantz said pessimistic about latest compromise with government over judicial overhaul

National Unity party leader Benny Gantz at a conference in Tel Aviv, August 20, 2023. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
National Unity party leader Benny Gantz at a conference in Tel Aviv, August 20, 2023. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

National Unity party leader Benny Gantz is pessimistic about the chances of reaching a compromise deal on the judicial overhaul, the Ynet news site reports.

Citing sources close to Gantz, the report says he feels that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “does not know how to push through a compromise, and does not have the power to stop” the legislative process.

“The voices of the hawks in Likud will win and not allow Netanyahu to reach a moderate proposal,” they say.

President Isaac Herzog’s office confirmed last night that he was hosting indirect talks aimed at finding common ground, but denied the Channel 12 news report that an agreement had been reached.

Military to issue restraining order against settler suspect in killing of Palestinian

Elisha Yered, suspected of being involved in the death of 19-year-old Palestinian Qusai Jamal Maatan in the West Bank village of Burqa, arrives for a hearing at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, August 9, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Elisha Yered, suspected of being involved in the death of 19-year-old Palestinian Qusai Jamal Maatan in the West Bank village of Burqa, arrives for a hearing at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, August 9, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Defense Ministry informs Elisha Yered, one of two Israeli suspects held over the fatal shooting of a Palestinian, that it intends to issue a restraining order against him.

Settler activists publish a copy of the order, which will be in force for six months but does not yet state where Yered will be barred from.

Yered was released to house arrest last after a court found police do not have enough evidence to keep him in custody.

In a statement, Yered condemned the order as part of a “campaign of revenge.”

“The vindictiveness of the Jewish Department of the Shin Bet and the IDF head of the Central Command, following the collapse of the case they invented and inflated, breaks new records,” Yered says.

“After being severely criticized in all the courts that ruled that there was no truth in the accusations against me, the Central Command and the Shin Bet decided to start a campaign of revenge,” he says.

Yered is suspected, along with Yehiel Indore, of killing 19-year-old Qusai Jamal Matan during a clash between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the northern West Bank, just outside the town of Burqa, last month.

Indore is believed to be the person who shot Matan dead. Yered is suspected of involvement in the shooting and obstructing the investigation into the incident by taking the pistol home with him.

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