Minister for War against the Plague

A Minister for War on Corona?

Israel’s infection number has passed 3,000, with 13 deaths. (Israel’s Pop. @9 million). Not bad considering a country like Switzerland, Pop. 8.5 million, that has over 12,000 infected and 500 dead. Or the Netherlands, Pop. 17 million with 8,600 infected and over 1,100 deaths. Belgium, Pop @11 million with 7,284 infected and 1,049 deaths. Or New York City Pop. 8.6 million with 23,000 cases, 365 deaths.

As the guy falling for the top of the Empire State Building told a secretary who had her head out the window and asked him how he was doing and he answered, as we all know, “So far so good.”

Personally, I like the old-time comedian Heni Youngman’s schtick. “How’re you doing?” someone asked him. “Better,” he answered. “Better?” the questioner asked. “Yeah, better you shouldn’t ask.”

Israel is gearing up to meet the challenge of the virus. Reportedly, the Mossad has secured 100,000 testing kits. Israel is scouring the markets to buy more inhalation machines. If the infection rate continues to climb, say, experts, physicians may have to choose which patient gets the oxygen and which doesn’t, and dies. Not a pleasant choice. One Israel is trying to avoid.

So far, with a world population of 7.8 billion, the world total of those infected has climbed to over half-a-million and the end is not yet near. According to the data, 191 out of 195 countries have been infected.

However, total deaths, 22,000 deaths so far worldwide, are only a fraction of those who perished in the Spanish Influence of 1918 (Jan 1918 – Dec 1920) where half a billion people were reportedly infected and 10 percent, approximately 50 million, died of the virus.

Today, according to Johns Hopkins University date, “The current global mortality rate now stands at around 4.5%.” Also, according to the World Health Organization, “A variety of factors affects the mortality rate: geography, the quality of health care, age of the population, lifestyle and underlying conditions. In China, the mortality rate for CV-19 has been 4%. In Italy, it’s about 10%. In Iran, it’s about 7.6%. In Germany, it’s less than 1% and in the U.S., where the outbreak is just getting underway, it’s about 1.5%.

"The mortality rate generally drops as testing rises and more patients are identified. But epidemiologists caution that the reverse can be true as U.S. hospitals get inundated and run out of necessary equipment, like ventilators, to treat patients who might have otherwise been saved. They also say it takes weeks for the virus to infiltrate a community and several more before people are sick enough to die. So it will be several months before the true mortality rate can be quantified in the U.S. or elsewhere.”

According to the WHO, “Many scientists think, or are at least hopeful, that the mortality rate will fall as more people are tested and mild cases that have previously gone undetected are identified.”

In Israel pundits have said that the Israeli defense forces should take over the management of the virus.

The ministry of defense has the manpower and technical resources at its disposal that do not exist in the private sector. For that reason alone the proposed appointment of former chief-of-staff Gen (res.) Benny Gantz is a wise choice, say the observers. The ministry of defense has been likened to an old-boys network. An outsider has to struggle to get things done. Gantz, once the star of the army, has an inside track. Coupled with another former chief-of-staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, who is slated to become Foreign Minister, consolidating the considerable resources of the defense establishment should be manageable.

Gantz has run into both criticism and praise for his move to join Netanyahu. Gantz said that in this time of crises a national unity government was imperative and he was not going to stand in the way of fighting the war against the virus based on personal considerations. Some analysts laud him for this path. Others say that he was just looking for a way to become Prime Minister, (he would take that position after 18-months in a rotation agreement). Others say that by alienating his Blue and White partners Lapid and Ya'alon, who now become part of the opposition, Netanyahu will be hard put to pass any legislation in the Knesset. (Gantz says that's why he became Speaker, to get bills assigned to a committee and passed quickly.)

Whatever the reasons, a national unity government will soon be established, assuming Gantz and Netanyahu reach terms, which seems likely, and the business of government could carry on. A budget could be prepared and passed. Resources could be tapped to fight the plague, and the country could unify in the war.

Gantz is to become Minister of Defence, after he gives up his temporary role as Speaker of the Knesset, and Ashkenazi Foreign Minister. Gantz’s scaled-down party, the group left after the disintegration of Blue and White, will garner approximately 11 ministerial seats. Avraham Rabinovitch, political commentator for Channel 12, thought this a bloated and inordinately expensive government that would have over 30 cabinet posts. He also didn’t think Gantz would fare any better than others who trusted Netanyahu. Men like Avigdor Leiberman, and Moshe ‘Bougie’ Ayalon who were cast out by Netanyahu and became his fierce enemies.

However, Gantz also gets the Justice Ministry and has sworn that democracy will be protected. His proposed Justice Minister, Chili Trooper, said on Israel TV last night that there would be no French Law passed, referring to the law passed in the French parliament to ensure that indicted PM Jacques Chiraq would not be prosecuted until he finished his term in office.

Should Gantz really be a patriot and have the countries best interests at heart, or was he out for himself.

Time will tell. If he becomes the general leading the war against the virus and succeeds in keeping that plague from overrunning Israel, he will have justified his dismembering Blue and White. If not?

He’ll be tossed out by Netanyahu like others before him. And the country will still be faced with a pandemic managed by amateurs.

“

UPDATE: GANZ JOINS NETANYAHU
Blue and white party splitting up.
Benny Ganz joined a national unity government with Netanyahu.
He will first run for Speaker of the Knesset instead of Yair Lapid's suggested
candidate. Ganz will then become the Foreign Minister for 18-months and then become Prime Minister in a rotation agreement.
Moshe Yaalon has announced he is leaving Blue and White along with Lapid. Both will join the opposition. Pundits point out that Ganz is worried about the country during the crises and is willing to compromise for the good of the country. Analysts point out that Blue and White really had no chance to take the reins of the government. The coalition was too narrow, mixing Arab parties with

right-wing politicians like Avigdor Leiberman. One analyst said on Israel Radio that Ganz checked the foundations of his building and realized it wouldn't stand in even a mild storm.

                                                                    On The Front Lines

                                  Gil at his hardware store in Avnei Chen (Kaizer) neighborhood, Modiin

Even storekeepers are on the front lines these days in the “hot” neighborhood of Avnei Chen (Kaizer), Modiin. The neighborhood has a population of 12,000 and nearly a third have been or in quarantine.

This is not farfetched. In N. Italy a storekeeper died after contracting the virus at work. Whoever thought shopping or getting into an elevator would be a perilous activity.

The number of those with the virus in Israel has climbed to 2,495, so far. The number climbs as more people are tested. Israel has opened drive-in test centers in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Haifa and soon Modiin.

Israel, population 8.7 million, has more infections than countries like Turkey, pop. 80 million, (2,433 infected), or Poland, pop. @38 million, (1,085 infected) or Japan, pop. @130 million (1,307 infected), or USA states like Michigan, pop. 9.9 million (2,295 infected), or Illinois, pop 12.6 million (1,865 infected) and is closing in on California, pop. 39.5 million (3,158 infected.)and Washington State, with a surprisingly small population of only 7.5 million (2,588 infected). Hard to believe, but true. (see

https://ncov2019.live and Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com

gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com (statistics from March 26, 2020 at 11:30 am Israel time))

Still, far from New York state’s pop. 19.5 million (33,013 infected, with 278 deaths). Israel has only five deaths, so far, mostly octogenarians or older, except one was a 67-year-old woman with “severe underlying health issues.” 41 Israelis are in serious condition, two critical. In the Palestinian territories, 64 infected, most in Bethlehem, with one death, 9 infected have been reported in Gaza, one of the most densely populated places in the world. But these are early days. The Palestinian Authority has asked for help from Israel and the world.

But, much to the chagrin of most health professionals, two nights ago Prime Minister Netanayu caused a mini-panic when he predicted 1,000,000 infected in Israel with 10,000 deaths. These predictions flew in the face of most estimates which were a fraction of those numbers. Prof. Gabi Barbash, former director-general of the Minister of Health is a health expert commentator on Channel 12 (Keshet) news nightly broadcasts. When asked about these numbers he looked pained, even angry, saying the numbers were erroneous and it was irresponsible to say such things. Up until then, Barbash had been an unofficial spokesman for the Health Ministry.

Pundits claim that PM Netanyahu makes this claims to frighten the public. As the media nightly seeks Britain’s PM Boris Johnson for health updates, PM Netanyahu, who is only a caretaker until a new government is appointed, has assumed the role of the General in charge of the War against CODVID-19. Critics claim Netanyahu is using the crises for his own gains, mainly to postpone his trial for corruption, bribery, and breach of trust, or have the charges dismissed altogether. An uproar over his tactics has resulted in charges of “anti-democratic behavior.”

An article in Thursdays Yideot Achranot, Israel’s most popular paper, online opined that much of the

crisis in Israel could have been avoided had PM Netanyahu allow the Ministry of Defense to handle the crises not the Health Ministry and the PM himself. Columnist Yossi Yehoshua wrote that “Netanyahu won the political battle, but Israel lost coronavirus war.” He wrote: “because Netanyahu didn’t want to give an upper hand to his political rival Neftali Bennet (Minister of Defense).” Bennet called for mass testing, for the infected to be removed from their homes to dedicated recovery centers, both moves recommended by the WHO, “The Health Ministry opposed.” The Ministry of Defence, wrote Yehoshua, is now converting simple at-home respirators to a more effective model. But they could have started earlier, had Netanyahu allowed them to. “The prime minister and the health minister have waster valuable time, let us hope it will not cost us human lives.”

In his efforts to stay in power, PM Netanyahu played a trump card. One of Netanyahu’s followers, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein had been ordered by Israel’s High Court to hold new elections for speaker of the Knesset, allowing someone else to set the legislative agenda. Edelstein refused. Analysts say that Netanyahu wanted Edelstein in place to help pass a bill dismissing charges against Netanyahu, or at least postponing his trial until he was out of power. Allowing a Blue and White appointee might result in a bill doing the opposite, demanding a vote to determine if a sitting PM charged with three felonies can stay in office.

Previously, Edelstein had avoided even opening the Knesset to avoid a vote until so ordered by the court. Yesterday he resigned rather than call the vote, risking a “contempt of court” citation by the High Court. The court-ordered Labor Party chief Amir Peretz, as the senior Knesset member, to become temporary speaker and supervise new elections for the speaker today. The High Court did not punish Edelstein, but Chief Judge said that Edelstein’s actions were a threat to democracy.

Netanyahu’s backers have been harshly critical of the High Court. Some claiming the court was run by leftists. According to the Jerusalem Post, right-wing Transport Minister Bezalel Smotrich tweeted the High Court "continues to ... irresponsibly deepen the constitutional crisis that we are in the midst of." "Over time, the Knesset will not remain indifferent to the High Court's gross interference in its affairs and it will put an end to this," warned Smotrich. "There seems to be no one in the right-wing camp who does not understand today, courtesy of the High Court, that this must happen, and quickly." Smotrich also warned of civil unrest if Israelis are locked down in their homes.

But, according to the Jerusalem Post: “Blue and White's number two, MK Yair Lapid, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "sending Yuli to burn down our democracy." He said MKs on the Right should be condemning Edelstein. Blue and White MK Moshe Ya'alon added that if Netanyahu was a private citizen, he would have been arrested by now for "inciting a rebellion."

Even some die-hard Likud supporters saw this move by Edelstein as akin to anarchy. “We must respect the rule of law,” said Yamina’s Minister of Defense Neftali Bennet, a Netanyahu appointee. Benny Ganz, Blue and White leader, who has a paper-thin majority to gather a coalition together, has said “The future of Israel as a democracy is at stake.”

Ron Ben -Yishai, a veteran and well-respected military correspondent for Yediot Achronot, wrote yesterday that “During previous crises, a sense of unity and external threats brought the country back from the brink, but now both the left and the right are entrenched in their positions strengthened only by their mutual hatred.” In his opinion piece, Ben-Yishai says that another major crises is emerging among the two major events, the coronovirus pandemic and the ongoing political stalemate. “As emotions run high the danger of violence increases….we might see the eruption of a civil war. The threat is exacerbated by the continuously eroding public trust in the government and its leader and the growing extremism and deepening rift between the right-wing, religious bloc and the center-left and Arabs.”

Protests have already begun in front of both the Knesset and the Prime Ministers office calling for Edelstein to hold the elections for the speaker, and for Netanyahu to step aside. Ben-Yishai had a dire assessment of this development, “Political demonstrations have already begun, with the center-left Israelis protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political maneuverings and his supporters, in turn, protesting the moves by the "anyone but Bibi" camp. We can expect to see a rise in the level of violence in such demonstrations, deteriorating into increasing verbal and physical attacks and even the use of weapons.” Violence has happened in the past, Ben-Yishai reminds us. Peace Now activist Emil Grunzweig was murdered at an anti-government demonstration 37-years ago. Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing activist in 1995. And what Ben-Yishai doesn’t mention is the civil wars in Israel’s history, from the sons of King David through the fall of the Second Temple.

“The external enemy is a microscopic virus but those on the left see a real threat in the attacks on democracy and the rule of law that the right is perpetrating,” wrote Ben-Yishai.

Last night, Wednesday, March 24, at 5pm Israel time, the new restrictions came into force in the Corona fight - without imposing a full closure. Public transport will be significantly reduced: the train will be completely disabled, but one-quarter of the bus lines will operate to allow workers to get to their place of employment so they can stock drugs and food. Also: Synagogues will be closed. Residents only allowed 100 meters from their homes, unless it is to go for food or drugs. Fines for ignoring the rules range from 500 to 5,000 shekels. ($137 - $1,370)

The struggle over the Speaker of the Knesset is almost over. The vote for a new speaker may be postponed until next Monday, but no later. Pundits say that then, a vote to strip Netanyahu of power will be held. Then Blue and White can enter a national unity government with a Likud but not Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Netanyahu remains Prime Minister and skeptics are likening the situation to the dangerous one that brought men like Italian dictator Mussolini to power.

The Dangerous Hiccup

These days, even a hiccup, a runny nose, or a cough can be a cause for concern. People

begin to wonder if any of these are the precursor to the CODVID-19 overrunning their

immune system. Norman Lear, in a TV interview, said he came up with the idea of the popular TV

sit-com All in the Family by thinking about his own family in Brooklyn when he was young.

“They lived on the edge of their nerves and the top of their lungs.”

Today, the virus is turning a lot of people into members of Norman Lear’s family.

Trepidation over stepping into an elevator, not because the elevator’s brakes might fail,

but because of a lurking glob of CODVID-19 on a button or railing or floating in the air from

the last occupant. Now, people bring napkins to the elevator, use the napkin to push buttons, then stand in the center of the car careful not to touch anything, and even lift up a sweatshirt or t-shirt to cover their mouths. Who knows what works.

A guy is walking through the park and sees another guy, well-dress, normal looking, sitting on

the bench waving his arms. The guy walking past stops. “Why’re you waving your hands?” he asks.

“To keep the elephants away,” the guy on the bench answers.

“Elephants?” says the other guy. “They’re no elephants in the park.”

“See,” says the guy on the bench. “It works.”

These days we see a lot of guys on the bench waving their arms. Malaria pills with bleach. Monolaurin. Vitamin concoctions. Many things that keep the elephants away, until they don’t.

One of the top officials in charge of fighting the coronavirus pandemic is Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). “We’re still seeing the virus going up very, very rapidly, even in hard-hit places like Italy, for example. These countries still have months of this challenge in front of them.” He says that the pandemic is just reaching Africa, and expects an “exponential growth.”

“But the big question, of course, is what’s going to happen when this really starts to take off in those low-income countries where they don’t have as much medical capacity such as in Africa.

It’s one of those things that you don’t want to imagine because the numbers could be so grave. The population distribution could help. Is the humidity and the temperature going to help make a difference? I would hope so, but look at the situation in Singapore, that’s a hot, humid country. So the situation in these countries could be very difficult.”

Still, Aylward is optimistic. “We should be emerging from a bad wave of this disease across a large swathe of the planet.” “And then,” he asks, “A lot of that is going to depend on what we as countries, as societies, do. If we do the testing of every single case, rapid isolation of the cases, you should be able to keep cases down low. If you simply rely on the big shut down measures without finding every case, then every time you take the brakes off, it could come back in waves. So that future frankly, may be determined by us and our response as much as the virus.”

And the big question right now is “Are countries going to use this time during these shutdown periods optimally?” Because if you just shut it down your societies, your economies and hope for the best… This is guerrilla warfare against a virus, the virus is just going to sit you out, it’ll just circulate quietly among households and then you’re going to let them all go again and phoom there’s no reason it shouldn’t take off again unless you’re ready for it.” He said that young people are too cavalier about the virus. “Ten percent of the people who are in [intensive care units] in Italy are in their 20s, 30s or 40s. These are young, healthy people with no co-morbidities, no other diseases.
We don’t understand why some young healthy people progress to severe disease and even die and others don’t. We don’t have clear predictors.”
When asked what should a country's first priority be after a lockdown, he said, “Test, test, test, test, test. Not test, test, test, test, test everyone, but test the suspects, test the suspects, test the suspects. Then, effectively isolate the confirmed cases. The third piece is the quarantine piece.”
Now we come to Israel. The USA we know has been far behind the testing curve. But Israel has started testing. And because of the results of the tests, the number of those infected has been rising steadily. Israel now has nearly 1,700 cases, 31 in serious condition, three deaths. Dr. Ron (not his real name), an Israeli physician who worked as a small hospital on Israel’s coast was recently transferred to a large hospital in the center of the country. The small hospital “Became a corona hospital,” he said. “Now I don’t even have a chair in my latest position.” He said, “The quarantine is giving us time to get the equipment to test people. That’s the goal now.”
Drive-in testing centers have opened up in Tel Aviv and Haifa, although Dr. Ron said he wasn’t sure you could just drive in without being sent for the test. If you have a cough or sniffles, don’t think you need a test, he said. The normal, everyday viruses are still around. Not every hiccup is a coronavirus case. Until it is.

Let's clear the air.

The situation is dire. But maybe not.
According to Johns Hopkins Corona Virus database, compiled by assembling information from databases like the WHO, CDC, ECDC, NHC, DXY, 1point3acres, Worldometers.info, BNO, state, and national government health departments, and local media reports, as of  March 23, 2020, at 13:09 pm, the current statistics are these:
349,211  infected worldwide
15, 308 seriously ill
100,165 recovered.

In Israel, the numbers are rising by the hour. So far, 1,278 infected, 23 in serious condition and one octogenarian Holocaust Survivor dead.

Yet, according to some scientists, this pandemic will not destroy the world. A Times of Israel story on March 13th ran the headline:

Nobel laureate and Stanford professor Michael Levitt unexpectedly became a reassuring figure in China at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. Now he assures Israelis: statistics show the virus is on a downturn.

Levitt predicted the China downturn and said he doubted that more than 10 people would die in Israel. Another epidemiologist, Hagai Levine at Hebrew University, said that the virus can be contained but the health authorities have to act and act fast. According to Shay Arkin, professor of Structural Biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, "You're not going to see a million people die from this virus." He said that the new coronavirus is ’80 percent identical’ to the 2002-3 SARS that petered out within a few months. On the whole, according to Arkin, the virus causes a mild respiratory tract infection. But the elderly are the exception.

Israel has put the country under voluntary quarantine. The idea of the quarantine is to allow the virus to blossom in those people who are infected, and then hospitalize them. By keeping a "safe distance" those infected are less likely to infect others, especially the elderly. The current government is discussing a full quarantine of men over 70 and women over 65 since these are the groups most vulnerable.

Israel has set up temporary testing stations in parking lots in a few locations around the country. 5,000 tests were carried out within the last 24-hours. The increased testing accounts for the higher number of infections discovered. Ten days ago only 300 people were infected. Today the number is 1,238.

But there are shortages of masks and other equipment. This is a direct effect of previous governments paying scant attention to the needs of the Health Ministry, building new hospitals, putting in new equipment, at the expense of what in the USA would be called "pork-barrel" legislation. Money diverted from health to roads in the west bank and new settlements. Money diverted to pay for yeshiva students who do no army service and, if married, receive child support payment and pay no taxes.

As the epidemic rages, the political battle for control of Israeli politics goes on.  Something that directly affects Israel's ability to go to war with the Codvid-19 virus. Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party gained a narrow majority in the third election, 36 seats to the 34 by the rival Blue and White party headed by Gen. Benny Ganz, Netanyahu could not form a coalition of 61 seats that would allow him to take over the government. Ganz, taking a historic, some pundits say desperate, step has sought and received support from the 15 seat United Arab party. The first time a candidate reached an agreement with the Israeli Arab sector. This gives Ganz a theoretical 61 seat coalition. With 61 members of Parliament supporting him, Ganz was charged by Israel's president Ruby Rivlin to form a government.  

However, PM Netanyahu, who has made nightly appearances as the leader of the war against the Cornonovirus in Israel, is not willing to step aside quietly. Netanyahu, who was to go on trial in two weeks for fraud, bribery, and breach of trust, managed to get his trial postponed until May because of the crises. Netanyahu has also skillfully maneuvered the Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Edelstein, a Likud appointee, to keep the Knesset closed, thus denying the Knesset members from forming committees to deal with important matters, like electing a new speaker of the Knesset and setting up a special committee to deal with the epidemic. And approve a new budget.

Netanyahu claims he is a patriot out to save the country. Others in his party tell the media, in words that are nearly identical in each interview, that Netanyahu's rival, Ganz, is seeking to take control by strength and not through a democratic process, even though Netanyahu essentially lost the last election. To make matters worse, without a functioning government there is no budget. The one being used is temporary and frozen. A new budget can only be drawn up by the new government that must then be submitted to the Knesset for approval. Without the budget, the Health Ministry cannot order supplies and equipment to deal with the emergency. Lack of an approved new budget hogties any real progress across the board.

Netanyahu is willing to enter into a "national unity crises government" but only if he is the first to take over as Prime Minister in a rotation agreement where first Netanyahu and then Ganz would become Prime Minister. Ganz has rejected the idea twice before after each of the previous two elections that ended in a stalemate, saying he would not be in a government with an accused felon. Netanyahu has lashed out at Ganz as anti-democratic for not agreeing to allow the Likud, and Netanyahu, as the first PM.

Yair Lapid, number two in the Blue and White party, in an interview on Israel radio this morning, said, "Why doesn't Netanyahu decide to become second and Ganz first? Netanyahu could become the Minister for Fighting Corona, something he's good at." 

So far, no coalition has been formed. No national unity has been formed. Netanyahu has succeeded in pushing off his trial until May and now he is reportedly going to appeal to the court to drop the trial altogether because of the crises. Some pundits think that Netanyahu is using the crises to stay out of jail. Former PM and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said just that both on Israel TV Saturday night, and this morning on Israel radio. He accused Netanyahu of using this crisis for his own personal cold-hearted reasons. Mainly, said Barak, to stay out of jail.

Meanwhile, the numbers of those infected keep climbing. There is no government, hence no budget. And it is possible, as cynics speculate, that Netanyahu will stall any unity government talks until the country heads to the 4th election in a year. That election process would push Netanyahu's trial even further down the line. And, say his critics, he may be able to sneak in a bill suspending his trial indefinitely, or having the Minister of Justice, a Likud appointee, drop the charges altogether.

CORONA COUP?
Here's a question: If PM Netanyahu is so concerned about the safety and security and health of the nation and thinks a national unity government is crucial now, why does he stand like a statue in the way of such a government and allow his rival Benny Ganz from taking over as PM with Netanyahu second? As of now, Netanyahu demands to be first. He has for the last three elections and national unity negotiations following those elections that failed to produce a government. As a patriot, he should step aside.

However, critics say this would not be in his playbook that envisions Netanyahu from dissolving the Knesset and then have his Minister of Justice, a Likud and Netanyahu supporter, dismiss the trial Netanyahu is facing fraud, bribery, and breach of trust. As a patriot, he could step aside, but as a practical man he needs to stay as PM in order to stay out of jail.
Some are calling this the Corona Coup. And warn US President Trump may try to copy Netanyahu using the virus as a way to suspend democracy and stay in power. Israel has, so far, nearly 1,000 infected and suffered the first death, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor.
Israel's health system is being tested. There is no government to decree more money for the crises because there is no government. The country is still functioning on the temporary budget of over a year ago.
The likelihood is that the number of infected will double as Israel ramps up the testing of those suspected of having the virus. This will not be the end of the world or the end of Israel but will surely test the system.
Now is not the time for dithering. Someone has to explain to Netanyahu he needs to step aside. But, so far, no one has.

The New Legislators

The New Legislators

According to reports in the Israeli media, perhaps to frighten the Israeli readers to assume Israel is the safest place in the world for Jews, anti-Semitism has been on the rise around the world. Some commentators believe this rise is fueled by Islamic fundamentalists and their followers who use Israel as their rallying-cry, with others maintaining that Israel is a politically accepted way to say ‘Jews.’

Some would say that Israel should be sacrificed to save the Jews outside of Israel, much as, in the film “High Noon,” some of the Hadleyville townsfolk were willing to sacrifice Gary Cooper to the Miller’s brother before the train carrying the killers reached town. According to this scenario, by sacrificing Israel, anti-Semitism would go away. The fact that anti-Semitism has existed for thousands of years before modern Israel was established is ignored, and with or without Israel anti-Semitism shows no signs of abating.

Iihan Omar, the newly elected Minnesota congresswoman, is the first Muslim woman elected to congress. She has begun her congressional career by bashing Israel, claiming U.S. support for Israel is influenced by payoffs made by AIPAC. She is supported in her claims by liberal-left politicians, like Bernie Sanders, and even AIPAC adversaries like J-Street. AIPAC denies the accusation, claiming it does not make any monetary payments to any politicians. This is true, but AIPAC does sponsor fact-finding trips to Israel for U.S. politicians. And, according to observers, does make plain AIPAC support for favored politicians.

Another Muslim woman elected at the same time was Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). So far, Rep. Tlaib’s comments haven’t caused a stir.

But the question is, does Congresswoman Omar symbolize the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S.? Are Muslim-Americans gaining enough strength to lead an anti-Semitic revolt? Some news articles, perhaps scurrilous, perhaps accurate, claim that Dr. Abdul el-Sayed, an unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, was sponsored by the Moslem Brotherhood, an Islamic Fundamentalist group that wants to impose Sharia, strict Muslim law, around the world. Is Omar the harbinger of yet another dark page in Jewish history?

If the Jews are persecuted, as in the past in “enlightened” countries like England (in the 13^th century) or Germany (in the 20^th century), and forced to flee yet again, where would they go? Israel? Would Israel be safe? Could Israel maintain her military strength without U.S. aide to Israel? Aid that would be stripped by the likes of Omar? Would a weakened Israel be overrun by the Islamic Fundamentalist states like a mudslide seeping down a Mexican mountainside? Can the momentum of Islamic Fundamentalism be stopped? Or at least diverted enough to weaken the momentum?

As Muslim refugees pour into Europe and the U.S. more votes can be expected for people like Omar.

She does wear a head-covering indicating she is, or wants to appear to be, a religious Muslim. That does not mean all religious Muslims want Israel destroyed, or that religious Muslims don’t make a positive contribution to American or European society, but Fundamentalist Islam, like the Moslem Brotherhood, does aim to destroy Israel. According to an Israeli TV report by Zvi Hezkeli on Channel 13, the Moslem Brotherhood is very influential in Muslim communities in the U.S. and Europe. (He went on to say that the Moslem Brotherhood was essentially financed by Turkey’s President Erdoğan.)

Decades ago a white American Christian who had converted to Islam told me that Islam would once again arise and this time take over the world. Similar statements have been made concerning the Middle East, that the Mediterranean would once again become a Mohammedan lake. Much has been said and written about Islamic Fundamentalists wanting to destroy western thought and replace it with Sharia law.

But these are not the only dangers. A recent article in the New Yorker (Letter From Hungary “The Illiberal State” Victor Organ’s vision for Europe, by Elisabeth Zerofsky, Jan 14, 2019 issue) claims that Hungary’s PM Orban has a different solution. Anti-refugee, anti-liberal democratic policies are to be replaced by a right-wing Christian democracy. He also supports the anti-George Soros, a Hungarian-Jewish American billionaire, campaign that many believe is veiled anti-Semitism. Orban’s new political direction is supported by Marion Marechal, the niece of right-wing French politician Jean Marie LePen.

On one hand, Islamic Fundamentalists, on the other a rise of Christian anti-Semitism.

Is there a middle-ground? A few countries in Europe already have a sizeable Muslim population. In total, 25,000,000 Muslims now live in Europe and make up about 5% of the population. But a recent Pew research study says that the number will triple by 2050 to about 15% or 50,000,000 Muslims, while at the same time the non-Muslim population is expected to decline.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, citing the Pew Research Center, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. In fact, if current trends continue, Muslims will surpass Christians as the world’s largest religious group in the second half of this century. Also, by 2050 there will be more Muslims in the U.S. than Jews.

How many of these Muslims will want democracy and how many opt for and vote for Sharia law?

Israel TV’s Zvi Hezkeli went to a town in Florida with a Muslim majority and the town was trying to institute Sharia law, democratically.

Can one be a liberal and still find a future bright with the dawn of Muslim power rising around the world?

Are these scary times for Democracy of just for the Jews? Or is this just Jewish paranoia, the Jewish Survival Gene causing the antennae to twitch? Will this wave of Islamic ascendency dissipate or turn into a tsunami? What would today’s modern prophet, the super-computer, predict?

The French Law or how to keep politicians out of jail.

You may be interested to know the background of the "French Law" the Israeli Knesset is set to vote on that would prohibit the prosecution of an elected government official, like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while in office. Apparently, it was a move by a friend of then French President Jacques Chirac to keep him out of prison.
"In 1995, Roland Dumas was appointed president of the Council by François Mitterrand. Roland Dumas attracted major controversy twice. First, he appeared in scandals regarding the Elf Aquitaine oil company, with many details regarding his mistress, Christine Deviers-Joncour, and his expensive tastes in clothing appearing in the press.[33] Then, the Council put forth some highly controversial opinions in a decision related to the International Criminal Court, in Decision 98–408 DC, declaring that the sitting President of the Republic could be tried criminally only by the High Court of Justice, a special court organized by Parliament and originally meant for cases of high treason. This, in essence, ensured that Jacques Chirac would not face criminal charges until he left office. This controversial decision is now moot since the rules of responsibility of the President of the Republic were redefined by the French constitutional law of 23 July 2008.[34] In 1999, because of the Elf scandal, Roland Dumas put himself on leave from the Council and Yves Guéna assumed the interim presidency."
Les nouveaux rebondissements de l'affaire Elf – Au revoir Dumas, bonjour Sirven ("Breaking news about the Elf case – Goodbye Dumas, welcome Sirven"), Le Nouvel Observateur, N°1843
For more information, and Chirac's eventual indictment for corruption including "food expenses" and the ultimate guilty sentence, " see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Chirac
"Chirac has been named in several cases of alleged corruption that occurred during his term as mayor, some of which have led to felony convictions of some politicians and aides. However, a controversial judicial decision in 1999 granted Chirac immunity while he was president of France. He refused to testify on these matters, arguing that it would be incompatible with his presidential functions. Investigations concerning the running of Paris's city hall, the number of whose municipal employees jumped by 25% from 1977 to 1995 (with 2,000 out of approximately 35,000 coming from the Corrèze region where Chirac had held his seat as deputy), as well as a lack of financial transparency (marchés publics) and the communal debt, were thwarted by the legal impossibility of questioning him as president. The conditions of the privatisation of the Parisian water network, acquired very cheaply by the Générale and the Lyonnaise des Eaux, then directed by Jérôme Monod, a close friend of Chirac, were also criticised. Furthermore, the satirical newspaper Le Canard enchaîné revealed the astronomical "food expenses" paid by the Parisian municipality (€15 million a year according to the Canard), expenses managed by Roger Romani (who allegedly destroyed all archives of the period 1978–93 during night raids in 1999–2000). Thousands of people were invited each year to receptions in the Paris city hall, while many political, media and artistic personalities were hosted in private flats owned by the city.[63]
Chirac's immunity from prosecution ended in May 2007, when he left office as president. In November 2007 a preliminary charge of misuse of public funds was filed against him.[64] Chirac is said to be the first former French head of state to be formally placed under investigation for a crime.[65] On 30 October 2009, a judge ordered Chirac to stand trial on embezzlement charges, dating back to his time as mayor of Paris.[66]
On 7 March 2011, he went on trial on charges of diverting public funds, accused of giving fictional city jobs to twenty-eight activists of his political party while serving as the mayor of Paris (1977–95).[67][67][68] Along with Chirac, nine others stood trial in two separate cases, one dealing with fictional jobs for 21 people and the other with jobs for the remaining seven.[67] The President of Union for a Popular Movement, who later served as France's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alain Juppé, was sentenced to a 14-month suspended prison sentence for the same case in 2004.[69](
On 15 December 2011, the Paris court declared him guilty of diverting public funds and abusing public confidence, and gave Chirac a two-year suspended prison sentence.

Jacques Chirac - Wikipedia

Jacques René Chirac (/ʒɑːk ʃɪˈræk/; French pronunciation: [ʒak ʃiʁak]; born 29 November 1932) is a French politician, who served as the President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra from 1995 to 2007. Chirac served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976, from 1986 to 1988, and as t...

en.wikipedia.org

The Way We Are

Sarah Netanyahu is under a dark cloud suspected of graft and corruption. And she's the Prime Minister's wife. One of her former employees at the Prime Minister's residence was recently awarded a 120,000 shekel (about $30,000) verdict that Sarah had to pay for shorting the guy when he worked for her. Another former employee has made similar claims, even to the extent that Mrs. Prime Minister pocketed the monies collected for returning wine bottles to the supermarket. Another claim, by a caregiver who took care of Sarah's late father when he was infirm, claimed on television, albeit speaking in the shadows with a distorted voice, that she'd never been paid for her work, “nothing, nothing, nothing.” Yet another supplier said that they were indeed paid, and a check was provided to the police during their investigation. But, says the supplier, the check was well short of the monies owed. Lawyers for Mrs. Netanyahu have dismissed the accusations as frivolous. One, they say, the police had no standing making a recommendation for indictment since they have no power to do that. Only the attorney general can recommend indictment. Two, they dispute that Mrs. Netanyahu is not of sound mind, a rumor that has been circulating in the press for several years. Three, they claim that the charges against Mrs. Netanyahu are just more personal attack that have no basis. Even the sum of money she allegedly owes is not worthy of a criminal investigation. In other words, the attorneys, who are well-paid and very competent, are using the classic lawyers tactic of dismissing the claims of the plaintiffs and negating any possible hint of guilt. Some pundits agree and wonder why money issues are not cause for civil not criminal suits.

All of this would have been very amusing if not for a recent report by Yosef Shapira the Israeli State Comptroller who claimed PM Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu could well be guilty of various crimes of his own. Netanyahu has been sullied with suspicions that he 'double-dipped' into State coffers for trips he took abroad while serving as Finance Minister in the mid 2000's. These trips were at the invitation of various Jewish groups who paid for transportation and housing. Netanyahu is suspected of charging the government for the same plane tickets and hotel rooms. The report also states that Netanyahu took money from foreign businessmen for his trips, and even received illicit campaign contributions in cash.

However, the State Comptroller's report took five years to come to light. Raviv Drucker, an investigative reporter for Channel 10 TV news, had witnesses and incriminating evidence of Netanyahu's misdeeds that he turned over to the police five years ago. The police were slow to act. The attorney general at the time, Yehuda Weinstein, was even slower to act. By the time an investigation was completed years had gone by. Witnesses had changed their stories. Charges were never brought. Drucker says he'd even had an interview with one of Netanyahu's drivers who claimed he took cash from businessmen and turned it over to Netanyahu for his campaign, or some other use. Why did it take five years for these charges to come to light? Analysts say that the police and the state's attorney and Micha Lindenstrauss, the State Comptroller at the time, were all appointed by Netanyahu and did as little as possible to implicate him in any misdeeds. Shapira, the new State Comptroller, did eventually issue a report on the matter but according to observers even that was watered down, missing important points. Legal experts claim that the statue of limitations has probably run out on Netanyahu's alleged misdeeds. The current chief-of-police, also a Netanyahu appointee, said after the furor began in the press over Mrs. Netanyahu's alleged graft charges, that the police should never have made their recommendation to indict Mrs. Netanyahu public.

Some observers say that if the situation wern't so serious, the leader of the country and his wife suspected of illicit monetary dealings, and if the previous Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hadn't already been convicted of graft and corruption, then these charges could be ignored. But Israel is surrounded by enemies interested in Israel's destruction. Playing fast and lose with money and morals could erode Israel's ability to defend herself. And send the absolutely wrong message to the general public about acceptable behavior. Analysts say that leaders are supposed to lead, hopefully in a positive direction. The direction received by the PM and his wife, these analysts say, seem to be more schlock than substance.

Now we come to Avigdor Leiberman, leader of the far-right Israel Home party. Leiberman's party has been beset by criminal charges. Members of his party have been indicted for graft and corruption including sweetheart deals, kickbacks, and running up private bills that the State paid for. Leiberman himself was under police investigation for corruption for nearly a decade. The charges were eventually dropped, but some pundits saw the hand of PM Netanyahu in this. Leiberman is a sometime partner of Netanyahu. They ran on a joint ticket in the last election. And once Leiberman was the Director-General of the Prime Minister's office under Netanyahu. Leiberman has often criticized Netanyahu for not being forceful enough with the Palestinians, and ISIS, and Iran. He reportedly said that should Hamas attack Israel again Gaza should become a parking lot. He supported the soldier who shot and killed a disarmed and shackled Palestinian terrorist who had stabbed a fellow soldier. Pundits believ that saying Leiberman takes a hard-line stance is a gross understatement.

The previous Minister of Defense, Gen. Moshe 'Bogie' Ya'alon, criticized the way the police and army were responding to the wave of terrorist stabbings in the streets of Israel. Ya'alon made a statement supporting his deputy-minister, a Lt. General, who started fireworks by saying the trends in Israel reminded him of Germany before WWII. This after the newly appointed army chief-of-staff Gen. Eisenstadt came out in favor of restraint when subduing a terrorist, not shooting and killing someone holding a scissors who was a good distance away from causing harm to anyone.

Netanyahu reportedly saw these statements as a polite military coup waiting to happen. He put a lot of pressure on Ya'alon, who resigned his position, claiming that Israel had lost her “moral compass.” Ya'alon, a former chief-of-staff and highly-respected military man was replaced with Leiberman who had never risen above the rank of corporal.

This all came at a time when Labor party leader Isaac Herzog was in talks to join the coalition with Netanyahu. The Labor party had been holding secret talks with Britain's former PM Tony Blair, US Sec. Of State John Kerry, President Hollande of Holland, and others who were pushing for a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Herzog had long been saying that the time was ripe for Israel to make deals not only with the Palestinians but with “moderate” Arab states under threat by ISIS and other radical Islamic fundamentalist movements. Blair and Kerry even managed to convince Egypt's president Al Sisi to make a speech in support of the peace agreement Egypt had with Israel. Pundits believed that Herzog had made a deal with Blair and Kerry to bring Israel to the negotiating table with the Palestinians in exchange for Israel securing some sort of diplomatic ties with the Saudis and others under ISIS threat all paving the way for Herzog's entry into Netanyahu's government that observers thought would pull Netanyahu back to the political center.

Netanyahu was apparently not interested in the deal but was interested in using Herzog as a bargaining chip to get Leiberman to enter the government without making outlandish demands. Leiberman apparently agreed. Netanyahu surprised Israel by announcing that Leiberman would be the new Minister of Defense. The same Leiberman who had been a harsh critic of Netanyahu's 'liberal' policies. The same Leiberman who had been under investigation for a decade for corruption. The same Leiberman who would now be in charge of one of the largest budgets in Israel's economy.

As the new Minister of Defense Leiberman presented himself as moderate, even going so far as to say he wouldn't oppose a two-state solution. He met with the top ranks of the army and tried to clam them. Some accepted his soft words. Others said non-military men had been Minister of Defense in the past and done well, like Moshe Arens under Yitzchak Shamir, and Amir Peretz under Ehud Olmert.

But, still, some of Leiberman's pandering to the moderate core of Israel didn't sit well with Neftali Bennet, leader of the right-wing Jewish Home party. Recently Bennet said he did not want a two-state solution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, also of the Jewish Home party, said no deals with arab states and the Palestinians would happen on her watch.

Neftali Bennet, Minister of Education, whose parents were American before immigrating to Israel, once worked for Netanyahu, and who reportedly views Sarah as a 'terror,' has instituted policies at the Ministry of Education that some observers say warp the educational system, putting undue stress on religious subjects. Bennet is modern orthodox. He is the leader of HaBeit Hayehuda, (The Jewish Home), the inheritor of the zionist religious party voters. His supporters are those who believe in settlements in the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria. Shaked has made outrageous claims in the past. Pundits say she is part of the group aiming to neuter the Israeli judicial system which many on the right consider “leftist” and against settlement.

Some observers say that Netanyahu managed to neutralize the army's criticism of his policy, drift even farther to the right by signing on Leiberman, and side-step any corruption charges against himself by making certain that by the time the facts came to light the statue of limitation had run out. Other observers believe that Netanyahu exhibited outstanding political skill and strategic thinking. He managed to embarrass leader of the opposition Isaac Herzog, quell criticism by the army, and expand his shaky 61 seat coalition to now include a firmer 66 seat hold on the Knesset. And dismiss any move by Blair and Kerry and Hollande to push him into a peace deal he didn't want or wasn't ready for. In reply to these moves Netanyahu has said he would meet with Palestinian president Abas anytime he wanted, one on one, not as part of a committee at French President Hollande's palace. Netanyahu has said he wanted to make a deal. Pundits are not so sure. Netanyahu, they say, seems to be following in the footsteps of former PM Yitzchak Shamir who did his best to do nothing about signing any peace accords while in office.

Which brings us back to Sarah who reportedly has great influence over Netanyahu. Or does she? My personal story is simple. And Sarah wasn't involved. And the few times I'd had to interview Netanyahu it was always like a meeting with a star. I'd interviewed Shamir, Peres, Rabin, and others, but never felt I was being granted a favor or an audience. With Netanyahu an advance man always showed up to make sure the make-up lady was ready, the sound technician was ready, the camera was in place and the lights on, pointed at the chair waiting for him. Then he'd breeze in, after his staff informed us Netanyahu was late for this or that meeting and had no time, impatiently answer questions, and then streak away.

I'd heard the rumors that Netanyahu would have lunch or dinner with supplicants, friends, or supporters and made certain to leave before he had to pay the check or simply wait until someone else paid. I'd heard about the transport company that moved the Netanyahu's possessions from their private apartment to the PM residence and/or back to another residence and then not paid. Of the electrician who did work for them and thought of it as a patriotic duty. (He is also named in the recommendation for indictment because besides his 'patriotic' duty fixing up the Netanyahu residence he also received contracts from the government without the required three estimates for the work.)

But all these were rumors until I ran into the Netanyahu system for avoiding paying when they could. What happened was I'd received a phone call from a major Jewish organization in the states, who I won't name, that was holding a fund-raising dinner. They'd managed to get video blessings from the governor and the senator and the mayor of their state for their cause. I was to get Netanyahu to make a positive statement, a blessing from Israel. To do this I first called up the PM's office and spoke to the staff-member in charge of such requests, an American-born Israeli, who I also won't name. He said he'd make the arrangements. But the next day I received a call from the local representative of the same Jewish organization. Sorry, I was told, but “Bibi” (Netanyahu's nick-name) had his own guy he used to do video interviews. But, I said, his guy didn't get the phone call to do the job, I had. 'Too bad,' I was told. That's the way it is. Okay, I said, then I'm going to have to go public with this. My reason was simple: I have to make a living. I'm not turning over one of my clients to another guy who I suspected would then become the go-to guy for the major organization, not me, when the PM or anyone else had to be interviewed. “Are you planning to sue the PM,” the representative asked, chuckling. “If I have to,” I answered.

The crises was avoided. I was reluctantly granted the interview. Two cameras, two crews, two angles, lighting guy, make-up persona, all in all a big deal. Took forever to clear security to get into the Knesset, because that's where the interview would be held, and even longer to set-up. But finally we were ready. Cameras in place, lights in place, make-up girl in place, empty chair waiting. And in comes the staff guy. “Oops, sorry, very tight schedule,” he said mentioning a visiting head of state that Netanyahu was meeting with in the Knesset. I was in shock. Here I was, ready and waiting, money on the line, even the major organization's representative on the set having flown in especially for the interview. But what I'd encountered was simply Netanyahu's way of negotiating. I envy his confidence and cool. I was told Netanyahu had agreed to give a video blessing to a friend's son for his bar mitzvah. If I would just change tapes, (this was back in the day when Betacam tapes were used professionally) after the blessing to the major organization, and record the blessing for his friend's son's bar mitzvah, Netanyahu would find the time to give the blessing for the organization. I instantly agreed.

And a few minutes later Netanyahu rushed in, looked around, sat down, the make-up girl put a napkin around his neck and applied the make-up. The cameras started to roll. Netanyahu made a statement, serious, cold, matter-of-fact. Then it was over. We switched tapes and then Netanyahu launched into a warm, smiling, happy blessing for his friend's son. Nice of him. (of course the friend could have been a major donor.) But the PM blew the blessing. Half-way through the blessing he got the kid's name wrong without realizing it. When he reached the end he was out of his chair a second after he'd uttered the last word. “Uh, Bibi,” his aide said. “What?” he asked, turning to him. And the aide told him he'd switched names in the end.

That's when I got the distinct impression that Netanyahu frequently made the same blessing and had it memorized. He sat down and flawlessly began again from nearly the exact spot he'd made the mistake, this time completing the blessing with the correct name. Then he was up again, and out the door. “Hey, wait a second, do you want me to send the tape as is, with the mistake and the correction?” He thought a second, and moved out the door. “Edit out the mistake,” his aide said from amid the slip stream left behind by Netanyahu's fast exit. “Who pays?” I called, but the aide was already out the door. I turned to the representative of the major Jewish organization, who shrugged an acceptance of yet another expense for this production.

Then it was go to an editing studio, rent an editing suite and an editor, buy more tape, and cut the piece together. Then make a home video tape to send to Netanyahu's friend's family. All on the major Jewish organization's budget. And that is only my little personal story. I can only imagine what else Netanyahu has pulled to save a buck.But, hey, is this the way to run a country? That's what many Israel's are asking now. Is this the kind of leadership Israel needs? Or do you simply take the good with the bad. Or, perhaps, that's just the way we are, like it or not.

"Arrested Overnight" A new novel by Larry S. Price

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TNN1DII

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2015

"Arrested Overnight. Harry Glassman steps unwittingly into a spider's web when he makes Amal the subject of his documentary film. Is she a Palestinian Arab terrorist or a Jewish housewife? Is she smuggling bomb-laden vests to suicide bombers? Is TV reporter Mari Lee in love with Harry or just chasing a Pulitzer prize? Who is the mastermind behind all those deadly terrorist attacks? How did Harry get in the cross-hairs of an assassin’s rifle? Fans of Michael Connelly, David Baldacci, or James Patterson will find themselves right at home with “Arrested Overnight.” Set in Israel and the West Bank, this is a story of intrigue and passion, with an unexpected outcome."

Tzuk Eytan (Protective Edge) Day 44

The cease-fire ended when over 100 rockets were fired at Israel on Wednesday. This after Hamas violated a 24-hour cease-fire extension of a five-day cease-fire brokered in Cairo. Israel responded with over 80 air strikes, and recalled 2,000 reservist to the Gaza border. Tuesday night sirens were heard in Jerusalem at 11:53 p.m. and the Iron Dome was called into action, downing a rocket. Other rockets aimed at Ashkelon, Ashdod and Beer Sheva, were also downed by the Iron Dome. Two Israeli homes were damaged by mortars near the Gaza border, but no injuries were reported.
Aafter Hamas fired the first few rockets on Tuesday afternoon, Israeli planes struck at a home in Gaza that intelligence said contained the Hamas military leader Mohamed Def. The house was destroyed, and it is as yet unclear if Def was inside. This would have been the fifth time Israel has tried to assinate Def, a veteran terrorist who is wanted for organizing suicide bombers in Israel as far back as the 1990's.
According to reports, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal, was told by his sponsors in Qatar, where he lives, that if he does not break the cease-fire with Israel he would be ejected from Qatar. Mashal not only lives in luxury in Qatar, but has banked nearly $2 billion in that country. Then at 9:30 p.m. Israel attacked the house where Def was to have been, dropping approximately seven bombs, totaling five tons of explosives on the house. Experts in Israel say that Def was probably injured, if not killed.
However, Hamas spokesmen say that Def is still alive. “Abu Khaled is a great leader,” said a spokesman on Arabic TV in Gaza, using Def's nickname.
Military commentators also pointed out that Def had built a very stable and highly functioning military and even if he were dead the army he built was still quite capable of carrying on without him.
Qatar reportedly is upset with the fact that the Qatar leadership had not been included in the ceasefire talks in Cairo. Egyptian leaders have little patience for Qatar's leadership, who they consider sponsors of attempts to overthrow the Egyptian government under General al-Sissi.
Another factor complicating the situation is the discovery by Israel of a Hamas plot in the West Bank to overthrow the Palestinian Authority's Abu Mazen and replace the PA with Hamas. The plot was hatched by Hamas operatives in both Turkey and Jordan. The same Hamas men also planned the kidnapping of the three Israeli teenagers that ignited the current fighting. Pundits say that ,as would be expected, the PA was having a hard time sitting in Cairo and trying to broker a cease-fire with Israel, shuttling between Hamas and Israeli representatives.
Surprisingly, according to pundits, Israel is still expecting the ceasefire talks to continue in the next few days. However, analysts say that the option to send the Israeli army back into Gaza is also on the table. The Israeli cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the situation. Israeli commentators say that Hamas is not interested in another month of fighting. Rather, one points out, Hamas takes the long view, that one day, maybe tomorrow, maybe next year, maybe in a decade, or two, they would eventually drive out the Infidels.
Reportedly, an agreement had been reached in Cairo that would open some of the Gaza/Israel border crossings, allow Gaza fishermen to work up to a 12-kilometer limit off the coast, and even reached an agreement to discuss the distinct possibility of a Gaza seaport, under international control. The seaport would be stationed off-shore, in Greece or Cyprus, with cargo examined by Israeli officials for weapons and explosives, before the cargo was shipped to Gaza.
Gen. (ret) Giora Eiland told a panel on Channel 10 TV news that Israel had to start thinking of different strategies. He said that the traditional methods, using planes, bombs, artillery, tanks, and ground troops, was not working. He said that Hamas and Gaza were one in the same. The population supported Hamas, and anyone who thought the population was captive to Hamas was mistaken. Once the reality of Hamas as a governmental entity was accepted, then Israel could start using other methods to control Gaza. Eiland pointed out that Israel supplies Gaza with most of the water, electricity and communications used by the population. This conundrum could be used to Israel's advantage by simply stopping the flow of these services. Ironically, these services continued even during the fiercest fighting between Hamas and Israel.
Or Heller, Channel 10 TV's military correspondent, said that the possibility of Israel using ground forces is still possible but he said that this was something Hamas would relish. They have set booby-traps and ambushes in buildings and roads, primed for an Israeli invasion.
Hamas fought well during Tzuk Eytan, said Heller, not like the previous battles, then called Cast Lead, nearly two years ago when Hamas fighters ran from IDF forces. “This time they fought hard, defending every tunnel opening.” Heller pointed out that Israel lost 10 soldiers in the Cast Lead incursion in Gaza and of them four were friendly fire. “This time the IDF lost 64 soldiers. Showing that Hamas was a much better fighting force than it was before.”
In the Hollywood film “Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud” a young boy spends the entire film searching for the lock to a key his late father had hidden in a closet. The father, played by Tom Hanks, had perished in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in NYC.
One commentator made the connection to the current situation. The same terrorist ideology that brought down the World Trade Center, that is shared by ISIS, formally Al Qaeda in Iraq, by Hezbollah, and Hamas forms a tight web of belief binding the groups.
One observer pointed out that the sight of Hamas wounded in Gaza hospitals skews the reality in Hamas' favor.
In fact, Hamas followers, and their allies around the world, those that gather to hold anti-Israeli demonstrations, and organize boycotts of Israeli goods, are the same people, ideologically, who flew those 747's into the World Trade Center, who attacked the Pentagon, and tried to attack the White House. For good or bad, the observers say, Israel is the one facing this rising wave of Islamic fundamentalism on the ground, on a daily basis.
War is a bloody business. And the west should remember who would be stood up and shot, hung, or beheaded, if the Islamists take over.

Tzuk Eytan (Protective Edge) Day 30

Who ever said life was fair.

A French TV24 reporter, safe out of Gaza, showed footage of rocket tubes in the ground a few yards from an apartment building in a densely populated area only 100 yards from a five story UN building.
Pundits are now sitting in TV studios telling the viewers that Israel needs to think up more stuff like the Iron Dome, not rely on the old tanks, artillery, air force bombs.
Something wild, like Entebbe, to neutralizenot only Hamas, today, but Hezbollah, tomorrow, and ISIS, the day after tomorrow..Pundits now wonder if there are not other ways than pummeling Gaza into dust.
New methods are needed to battle these groups, said Nehemia Strassler, an Israeli professor, and Haaretz columnist. Not nice to hear comments like this, said the moderator on the Channel 2 news morning talk show.
Other pundits speculated that all the brainy, creative guys have opted out of joining and staying in the army, as smart guys did when the state was young, rather choosing  high tech jobs. Choosing Armani, an IPO, a Mercedes, and trips to Paris, over
khaki for thirty years and a small apartment. Now the smart guys who do reserve duty, put in their time and go home. Lucky for Israel a surprisingly high number still do reserve duty. Over 90 percent of those called up for this conflict showed up at their bases.
So, speculate the commentators,  who's left to think up the smart stuff?
They point out that Iron Dome was dreamed up by a guy who had to fight tooth and nail to get anyone to even think about this device, and then it was the then Defense Minister Amir Perez, who was part of the debacle of the second War in Lebanon, who approved it. One of the only things he ever did right, said one analyst.
Another commentator asked where were the Gatling guns, and lazer canons,  that were to take out the same mortars that killed over twenty soldiers, and sent the residents of the Gaza border scurrying to shelter, or taking their children and leaving for the north of Israel.
Still another asked where were the tunnel detectors that have been discussed for nearly a decade, reminding viewers that Gilad Shalit was kidnapped back in 2006 and dragged into a tunnel into Gaza.
A reporter for Channel 10 TV lives in a farm along the Gaza border. He reported on the situation in the south every day, how many rockets, how many injuries, how many killed. He worked every day, nearly all day and night. Hardly slept. The moderator of the TV show pointed out that this reporter had been a pilot in the Israeli air force until he finished his service.
The reporter, whose wife and children were with relatives in the north of the country,wondered what will happen after the first mortar lands in the Jewish areas along the border.
Will Israel rush troops in, as the commander of the southern command promised him?
Or do nothing, just absorb the mortars, as Israel has done after the last two wars with Hamas? If the latter than this Tzuk Eytan action only bought a few months or maybe two years.
Another analyst on Channel 2 TV news said that Israel has always been like that. Buying a chunk of time, stretching out the timeline of how long the Jews can last in this country. A few years here, a few years there, adding up to 66 years so far.
Israel's pundits say that the idea of Tzuk Eytan was to duplicate the results of Lebanon in 2006. Demolish enough buildings and shake the ground so much that that the population won't come back for a number of years to start another war.  So far the Israel/Lebanon border has been quiet for 8 years. Analaysts say that the present Israeli government expects the same results from the current Tzuk Eytan conflict.
A period of quiet.
Another patch on the timeline.
One commentator pointed out that in the 1,000 years that Israel held the land from the time of King Saul until the destruction of the
2nd Temple Israel only had about 7 years of peace.
So now what? ask the commentators. Will the PA be able to grab the reins in Gaza from Hamas? Will Egypt supervise what's going to go on there? Will the USA get involved? Or the EU, or Britain? Will the threatened boycotts of goods from the EU, Britain, Germany and others, actually take place?
Time will tell. Hamas was in dire financial trouble before this conflict.And politically isolated. Now billions of dollars will be poured into Gaza. And while Hamas claims they want a settlement, most pundits expect them to steal the cement sent by well-meaning countries to rebuild Gaza and use them to rebuild the tunnels.
Commentators remind viewers that the last time Hamas and the PA vied for control of Gaza, Hamas pushed the PA out, sometimes shot them, sometimes tossed them off of rooftops. These commentators ask why would the PA be able to control Hamas now?
One analyst said that the PA is a partner with Israel in the West Bank, but the IDF is there in force to back up the PA. No one expects the IDF to take up positions in Gaza.
Polls in Israel's papers today say that 44 percent of the population thinks Israel didn't accomplish much in this war. 42 percent thinks they reached their goals. About 37 percent think that the problems aren't solved, 32 percent thought they were.
Only PM Netanyahu came out ahead, with a 72 percent approval rating.
A former general told Channel 1 TV that he'd warned in the past two engagements with Hamas that unless the leadership was taken out the rockets would start again in a short time. He reiterated his opinion for this engagement as well.
The political leadership in Israel is suddenly looking at Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the PA as possible partners for a new Middle East. The peace-talks are going on in Cairo. Hamas says they want to make a peace agreement. A 72-hour ceasefire has been declared, but most analysts expect the talks in Cairo to last a lot longer since so many difficult points have to be ironed out. And the analyst reminded the audience that the negotiations were not face to face. The USA doesn't talk to Hamas, neither does Egypt, or Israel. The PA representatives will be the go-betweens, shuttling from floor to floor, suite to suite, trying to get a lasting truce.
One former general pointed out that the irony was that Hamas, a puny, guerrilla,, although well-organized army divided into 6 divisions of good fighters, had Israelis kissing the asphalt in Tel Aviv when a siren sounded, kept millions of Israelis on edge, closed Ben Gurion Airport, and made a significant dent in Israel's economy.
Economists estimate that the war cost Israel an estimated 8 billion shekels (@$2 billion) and caused a loss of another 4 billion shekels (@ $1.3 billion) to Israeli businesses.
Hamas considers these major achievements.Their leadership sat out the war in bunkers, sacrificing the Gazans up to the Holy War. And when the war is over, Hamas is still around. Still alive. To the leadership that is a major victory.
64 Israeli soldiers fell in this war. Nearly 150 are in the hospital, 11 in serious conditions. Three civilians were killed. Over the last two days three terrorist attacks took place in Israel. A bus was toppled over by a tractor crushing a passerby. A soldier hitchhiking in Jerusalem,was shot and killed by a terroist who escaped on a motorscooter. A guard at the gates of the Israeli town of Maale Adumim, down the hill from Jerusalem, was stabbed by a terrorist who escaped in a taxi cab.
The Israeli police reported that on July 11 they'd arrested Hossam Kawasmeh, who admitted to leading cell which abducted and murdered Gil-Ad Schaer, Eyal Yifrach, and Naftali Frenkel; He said he'd received funds from Hamas.  Kawasmeh said that the two Palestinans, Marwan Kawasmeh and Amar Abu-Eish who carried out the attacks, were sheltered at his house, and then they went underground. The police are still searching for them.
According to Channel 10 TV news' Alon Ben David, Gaza lost approximately 2,000 citizens, among them women and children. 700 Hamas fighters were killed in the fighting.
One pundit thought that perhaps, just perhaps, when the Gazans return to their homes, and see the destruction, they'll pressure Hamas to change their ways, and seek a peaceful solution. According to Ynet on-line news, Palestinians in Gaza attacked Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri out of anger at Hamas for causing the latest round of violence with Israel.
An economist speculated that a truce could help implant a new direction in the region. One that allows Gazan construction workers to return to jobs they had in Israel before the borders were closed. Allow an industrial zone that opened, and then closed, on the Gaza/Israel border where businessmen from the two areas cooperated in trade. The future could be bright, said the analyst, if only....

Tzuk Eytan (Protective Edge) Day 28

Almost all of the soldiers have been pulled out of Gaza.
Hamas is still sending in rockets, about 60 today.
And two terrorist attacks inside Israel, both in Jerusalem.
The driver of a huge tractor with a massive shovel attached to it swung the arm at a city bus and toppled it over crushing a passerby and injuring
several passengers. Luckily the bus was on its first stop and was nearly empty.
Policemen passing by rushed the driver and killed him before he could do any more damage.
An hour later a terrorist approached a soldiers' hitching station and opened fire, seriously wounding a soldier in the stomach. He was rushed to hospital, and the terrorist escaped.
A terrorist alert was just issued for Tel Aviv.
Hamas seems to be reverting to old ways. As you recall back in the 90's Hamas' favorite weapon was suicide bombs.
Meanwhile the world community is about to pounce on Israel for massive inhumane destruction of areas of Gaza.
New investigations seem to show that it was Hamas that exploded a bomb in the UN school, dragged in bodies, and then allowed in the press.
But even if true, and it probably is, that doesn't mean that the public will ever get the scene of the original carnage associated with and probably not even perpetrated by Israel out of their minds.
The soldier who rushed into the Gaza tunnel two days ago chasing after the terrorists ran nearly two kilometers before he turned back. He found enough evidence on the way to determine that 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin was dead. He was buried yesterday.
So much for day 28, so far.