Shalom and good evening, this is TV7 Israel
News broadcast to you from Jerusalem.
And in today’s top stories:
Hamas complains over Israel’s retaliatory
bombardments – terming them “in-humane”;
after the Islamist-controlled territory declares
a forty-eight-hour closure over a reported
outbreak of the corona contagion.
Israeli lawmakers passed into legislation
a bill to postpone a deadline for approving
the state budget, consequently averting early
elections.
Jerusalem urges Europe to reconsider its actions
vis-à-vis Iran; insisting that aligning its
Tehran-related policy with the policy of the
United States is the only way forward.
Palestinian Islamists continue to terrorize
the residents of southern Israel.
Dozens of balloons strapped with explosive
and incendiary devices were sent sailing from
the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip toward Israeli
territory, sparking dozens of blazes and sporadic
explosions throughout the country’s southern
district.
Among others, two Improvised Explosive Devices
were located in densely populated areas in
the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council and in the
town of Sderot.
“In the southern part of Israel, Israeli
police bomb disposal experts are continuing
to respond to explosive devices that are attached
to balloons and are flown in from the Gaza
Strip and landing in open areas, including
in community areas this morning where are
units responded to.
Heightened security is continuing all across
the south, both in cities, in communities,
in public areas to respond to the possibility
of explosive devices that could land.
This is almost the fourth week consecutively
that are units are on heightened alert in
the southern part of Israel.”
In response to the unrelenting terror that
emanates from the Islamist plagued Gaza Strip;
IDF fighter jets, tanks and aircraft struck
militant installations belonging to Hamas
for the twelfth time in thirteen days.
The IDF Spokesperson’s unit informed TV7
that the retaliatory’ attack focused on
destroying subterranean infrastructure and
observation posts employed by Hamas for terror-related
activities.
Meanwhile,
Israeli Alternate Premier and Defense Minister
Benny Gantz toured an Iron Dome Aerial Defense
battery deployment-site in the country’s
southern region.
Accompanied by the commander of the Israeli
Air Force Aerial Defense Division, General
Ran Kochav; Gantz spoke with soldiers on staff
and was briefed on the division’s operations.
The Defense Minister’s visit comes at a
time when Palestinian Islamists have resumed
their sporadic rocket-fire toward Israel’s
southern communities.
And while Israel’s retaliatory strikes have
been seemingly limited to avoid a wider escalation;
The top Israeli Defense official signaled
to Hamas and the residents of Gaza that the
rules of the game are about to change, since
Jerusalem will not accept the repeated attacks
directed at Israel’s southern communities.
“The IDF is well prepared, defends and will
continue to defend the residents of the (Israeli)
south.
Will target those who attack us and will strike
them in a very devastating manner.
Residents of Gaza suffer because of Hamas.
We continue to protect our southern residents
and the citizens of Israel.”
Meanwhile in Gaza City,
the Islamist Hamas organization released a
statement in which it referred to Israel’s
retaliatory aerial strikes against its militant
installations, alongside “the tightening”
of the blockade as “inhumane.”
The internationally recognized terror group
further threatened Israel that it “shall
be responsible for the repercussions and consequences
of this escalation,” as it put it, and called
“on human rights groups, the international
community, and decision makers in the region
to break their silence and put an end” to
what portrayed as “Israeli aggression against
the Palestinian people and the Israeli siege
on the Gaza Strip.”
The Islamist organization also called on the
Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, which
had for over a year abandoned all administrative
ties to the Hamas controlled enclave, to assume
its role towards Gaza’s besieged residents
and support them in the face of the latest
escalation.
It is important to explained that the evident
distress by the Islamist Hamas, an off-shoot
organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, comes
at a time when its grip over the Gaza Stirp
is weakening.
Furthermore, spokesman for the Hamas-run Government
in Gaza city announced last night that a spike
of Coronavirus has been identified – reluctantly
forcing the residents of the enclave into
a 48-hour general-lockdown.
Turning now to Jerusalem, where
Israeli lawmakers passed into legislation
a bill to postpone a deadline for approving
the state budget, which was set for midnight
last night, consequently averting an impending
dissolution of Parliament, or Knesset in Hebrew,
which would have – consequently - forced
the country into early election.
It is important to explain that while wide-ranging
gaps have challenged the prolonged viability
of Israel’s national unity government, the
coalition-agreement signed upon between Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate
Premier and Defense Minister Benny Gantz have
thus far managed to avert Jerusalem’s descent
into its recent state of political-limbo.
However, in recent weeks, Prime Minister Netanyahu
sought to alter the coalition agreement by
reducing the agreed-upon duration of the state
budge from two years to a single-year budget.
Netanyahu’s demand, however, was vehemently
rejected by Gantz – who remained adamant
on keeping to the agreement that convinced
him to join Netanyahu’s government in the
first place.
And while no agreement was reached by representatives
of Netanyahu and Gantz; both leaders realized
that whomever the Israeli public blames for
forcing the state into another round of elections
– at a time of domestic distress amid the
corona pandemic and its dire economic ramifications
- may lose Jerusalem’s seat of power all-together.
Therefore, until the last moments of last
night’s vote, both leaders sought to distance
themselves from being perceived as responsible.
"Heaven forbid that we go to elections now
- blood will be spilled on the streets.
So now, at this hour, I will not let anyone
threaten the citizens of Israel with elections."
Last night’s vote has effectively postponed
the deadline for approving the state budget
to December the 23rd of this year.
Turning now to the Israeli Foreign Ministry,
where
Jerusalem’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister
Gabi Ashkenazi, welcomed his British counterpart,
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Dominic
Raab to the Israeli capital.
During a joint statement to the press, the
two top diplomats reaffirmed the unbreakable
bond between London and Jerusalem while further
highlighting an increase in bilateral cooperation
in numerous fields.
In contrast, Minister Ashkenazi also seized
the opportunity to voice Israel’s disappointment
over Europe’s refusal to support the United
States effort to advance a UN Security Council
Resolution that would have extended an arms
embargo on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Regarding regional issues, we are disappointed
to see our friends, the E3, not voting to
extend the arms embargo on Iran, and those
prevent its adoption.
The E3 must understand the genuine opposition
to Iran aggression and concern for the security
of the region cannot be only heard in statements
but must be seen in action.”
“It is not too late to change and correct
it.
The way to do so is to support the American
position on this and I hope that that will
happen.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister further remarked
about Iran’s aggressive behavior that jeopardizes
regional stability; including its recent threat
toward the United Arab Emirates of its decision
to make peace with Israel.
Secretary Raab responded to his Israeli counterpart
by underlining London’s foreign policy about
the need to find compromise.
“We share many of the concerns around the
threat from Iran and we want to deal with
all of the issues - nuclear program, destabilizing
activities, support for proxies and the threat
it poses to the State of Israel - and it was
in my view regrettable that a resolution on
the arms embargo, which we absolutely wanted
to see continued was voted on, which could
only muster the support of two members of
the council.
I think it’s important and we have offered,
the United Kingdom, to find the compromises
that can secure an arms embargo extension
that would be viable and would be voted for,
and that’s the spirit in which we approach
all negotiations.
We want to get things done rather than simply
make political points and for that you do
need to forge consensus and forge compromise.”
The British Foreign Secretary also emphasized
Britain’s pleasure with regard to the Israeli-Emirati
agreement.
“More broadly we are big supporters and
welcome the agreement for normalization of
relations with the UAE, this is a very positive
step and with it of course which is very important,
the suspension of annexation.
We think this is a first step and we want
to help you and work with you and with all
of our partners in the region and elsewhere
to make sure that this is a first step to
lasting peace which can only ultimately be
achieved through a two state solution and
negotiations of both sides.”
Thank you for watching us.
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I am Jonathan Hessen, have an Erev Tov U’Mevorach,
and we will see you again tomorrow at the
same time.
