16 aug 2015
Gas plan proposed by Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz passes government vote; Ministers Kahlon, H. Katz, and Galant unable to vote on the plan due to conflict of interests.
Israel's government met Sunday, approving the updated natural gas plan presented to the public last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz. The Knesset will now have to approve the plan as well.
Three ministers did not vote on the proposed gas plan due to possible conflicts of interest: Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, because of his close personal relationship with Isramco head Koby Maimon (one of the gas plan's possible beneficiaries), Welfare Minister Haim Katz, who holds shares of involved companies, and Construction Minister Yoav Galant, who served as CEO of a related gas company in the recent past.
Knesset approval of the plan will likely have to wait. Knesset employees will be sent on a concentrated leave of absence starting Monday and ending in late August, a leave that is unlikely to be interrupted. The next possible occasion for the vote is September 2nd, when the Knesset will assemble for the first round of budget approval votes, but assumptions are that it would be highly difficult to schedule two such dramatic votes for the same day.
The Knesset can assemble at any point if demanded by at least 25 MKs, but it is likely that a gas plan vote will wait until the Knesset's next regularly-scheduled assembly, in mid-October.
Most of the political system's attention is pointed at the new gas price determination structure, which seems to be a difficult source from which to predict gas and electricity prices in the next few decades. According to the current plan, the companies owned by Yitzhak Tshuva will sell their share of the Tamar, Karish, and Tanin Gas Fields within six years, and Noble Energy will dilute its share in the Tamar field in return for 25 percent. Up until that point, gas prices will be supervised. In addition, the proposed agreement includes a commitment to develop the Leviathan field before 2019.
Meanwhile, an economic opinion paper submitted to the government predicts that the tax income resulting from the sale of gas will be lower that predicted, reaching approximately $100 billion in the next few decades - about $20-$30 billion less than previous government and Bank of Israel estimates.
The opinion paper was written by National Economic Council deputy head Morris Dorfman, one of the people behind the gas plan. He mentioned that the importance of working alongside the gas companies is mostly legal, "A lack of agreement will bring about a significant delay in gas deposit development, among other reasons because of the long litigation process that would be expected to follow the application of antitrust law."
Dorfman did not specify what legal proceedings would take place if the government were to act on its own accord, which courts would they take place in, or whether the state would have good arguments in these proceedings.
The implied assumption that concerns of the process' delay implies is of the need to quickly develop most of the gas reserves, especially those in the Leviathan Gas Field, since development that is too slow will lead to a shortage in gas, and to the need for consumption of more expensive fuels.
However, Dorfman also mentions that the shortage is fairly small, and would reach up to 10 percent in 2021. Another reason for urgency is the fears that the use of expensive fuels and the delay in tax income from gas sales will hurt the national economy, but Dorfman's paper indicates that this impact will be limited.
Dorfman also estimates in the paper that the loss of tax income from gas sales in the event of a delay in development is predicted to start in 2019, and would rise gradually: $100 million in the first year, and up to $1.7 billion in 2023. Accounting for the use of alternative fuels, a one year delay in Leviathan's development will cost up to $500 million, a delay of three years will cost up to $1.8 billion, and an especially long five year delay would cost up to $3.4 billion. In the end, the economic impact of the delay on the market as a whole is limited, reaching less that 0.2 percent of GDP after three years.
This is why, Dorfman wrote, the most important argument for quick gas field development is the concern about Israel's dependence upon a single gas field connected to land by a single pipeline. He estimates that the damage to the markets as a result of technical failures or deliberate sabotage of the gas field will be over $12 billion a year, due to the need for more expensive alternative fuels. In addition, the environmental impact and possible electricity shortages during times of peak demand are also a concern.
Israel's government met Sunday, approving the updated natural gas plan presented to the public last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz. The Knesset will now have to approve the plan as well.
Three ministers did not vote on the proposed gas plan due to possible conflicts of interest: Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, because of his close personal relationship with Isramco head Koby Maimon (one of the gas plan's possible beneficiaries), Welfare Minister Haim Katz, who holds shares of involved companies, and Construction Minister Yoav Galant, who served as CEO of a related gas company in the recent past.
Knesset approval of the plan will likely have to wait. Knesset employees will be sent on a concentrated leave of absence starting Monday and ending in late August, a leave that is unlikely to be interrupted. The next possible occasion for the vote is September 2nd, when the Knesset will assemble for the first round of budget approval votes, but assumptions are that it would be highly difficult to schedule two such dramatic votes for the same day.
The Knesset can assemble at any point if demanded by at least 25 MKs, but it is likely that a gas plan vote will wait until the Knesset's next regularly-scheduled assembly, in mid-October.
Most of the political system's attention is pointed at the new gas price determination structure, which seems to be a difficult source from which to predict gas and electricity prices in the next few decades. According to the current plan, the companies owned by Yitzhak Tshuva will sell their share of the Tamar, Karish, and Tanin Gas Fields within six years, and Noble Energy will dilute its share in the Tamar field in return for 25 percent. Up until that point, gas prices will be supervised. In addition, the proposed agreement includes a commitment to develop the Leviathan field before 2019.
Meanwhile, an economic opinion paper submitted to the government predicts that the tax income resulting from the sale of gas will be lower that predicted, reaching approximately $100 billion in the next few decades - about $20-$30 billion less than previous government and Bank of Israel estimates.
The opinion paper was written by National Economic Council deputy head Morris Dorfman, one of the people behind the gas plan. He mentioned that the importance of working alongside the gas companies is mostly legal, "A lack of agreement will bring about a significant delay in gas deposit development, among other reasons because of the long litigation process that would be expected to follow the application of antitrust law."
Dorfman did not specify what legal proceedings would take place if the government were to act on its own accord, which courts would they take place in, or whether the state would have good arguments in these proceedings.
The implied assumption that concerns of the process' delay implies is of the need to quickly develop most of the gas reserves, especially those in the Leviathan Gas Field, since development that is too slow will lead to a shortage in gas, and to the need for consumption of more expensive fuels.
However, Dorfman also mentions that the shortage is fairly small, and would reach up to 10 percent in 2021. Another reason for urgency is the fears that the use of expensive fuels and the delay in tax income from gas sales will hurt the national economy, but Dorfman's paper indicates that this impact will be limited.
Dorfman also estimates in the paper that the loss of tax income from gas sales in the event of a delay in development is predicted to start in 2019, and would rise gradually: $100 million in the first year, and up to $1.7 billion in 2023. Accounting for the use of alternative fuels, a one year delay in Leviathan's development will cost up to $500 million, a delay of three years will cost up to $1.8 billion, and an especially long five year delay would cost up to $3.4 billion. In the end, the economic impact of the delay on the market as a whole is limited, reaching less that 0.2 percent of GDP after three years.
This is why, Dorfman wrote, the most important argument for quick gas field development is the concern about Israel's dependence upon a single gas field connected to land by a single pipeline. He estimates that the damage to the markets as a result of technical failures or deliberate sabotage of the gas field will be over $12 billion a year, due to the need for more expensive alternative fuels. In addition, the environmental impact and possible electricity shortages during times of peak demand are also a concern.
15 aug 2015
Former US president Jimmy Carter said, recently, that the two-state solution has “zero chance” of being realized in the present day, pointing to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for the plan's failure.
In a wide-ranging interview with Prospect Magazine published on Thursday, Carter accused Netanyahu of adopting a “one-state solution,” and lamented that the “US had withdrawn” from making further efforts.
According to Days of Palestine, he further accused the Israeli occupation of denying Palestinians equal rights, but stopped short of labelling the Israeli occupation an apartheid state, a term he utilised in his 2006 book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid".
“These are the worst prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians for years. At this moment, there is zero chance of the two-state solution,” Carter said.
Carter, who served as US president from 1977 to 1981, said he believes that Netanyahu has no intention of pursuing peace, and lamented that “They [Palestinians] will never get equal rights [to Israeli Jews, in a one-state solution].”
Netanyahu “does not now and has never sincerely believed in a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine,” Carter added.
He noted that when he visited the Israeli occupation and the occupied West Bank in April, he did not bother to contact Netanyahu for a meeting, on the grounds that “it would be a waste of time to ask” — expecting that the request would be rebuffed as were previous ones.
The former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner gave the interview ahead of the launch of his new book, A Full Life: Reflections at 90, and shortly after he announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with cancer. He will turn 91 in October.
Responding to a question on the use of the term "apartheid" in relation to the Israeli occupation, Carter said that he is “reluctant to use that word in a news article” but asserted that the argument has legitimacy because of demographic changes in the Israeli occupation and the West Bank.
Either “Palestinians will have a majority in government, or you deprive them of equal rights,” he noted, suggesting that the Israeli occupation would not accept a Palestinian political majority.
In a wide-ranging interview with Prospect Magazine published on Thursday, Carter accused Netanyahu of adopting a “one-state solution,” and lamented that the “US had withdrawn” from making further efforts.
According to Days of Palestine, he further accused the Israeli occupation of denying Palestinians equal rights, but stopped short of labelling the Israeli occupation an apartheid state, a term he utilised in his 2006 book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid".
“These are the worst prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians for years. At this moment, there is zero chance of the two-state solution,” Carter said.
Carter, who served as US president from 1977 to 1981, said he believes that Netanyahu has no intention of pursuing peace, and lamented that “They [Palestinians] will never get equal rights [to Israeli Jews, in a one-state solution].”
Netanyahu “does not now and has never sincerely believed in a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine,” Carter added.
He noted that when he visited the Israeli occupation and the occupied West Bank in April, he did not bother to contact Netanyahu for a meeting, on the grounds that “it would be a waste of time to ask” — expecting that the request would be rebuffed as were previous ones.
The former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner gave the interview ahead of the launch of his new book, A Full Life: Reflections at 90, and shortly after he announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with cancer. He will turn 91 in October.
Responding to a question on the use of the term "apartheid" in relation to the Israeli occupation, Carter said that he is “reluctant to use that word in a news article” but asserted that the argument has legitimacy because of demographic changes in the Israeli occupation and the West Bank.
Either “Palestinians will have a majority in government, or you deprive them of equal rights,” he noted, suggesting that the Israeli occupation would not accept a Palestinian political majority.
Bezalel Smotrich
Bezalel Smotrich, who organized the 'beast parade' in protest of the pride parade, says LGBT community uses control of the media to get public sympathy and silence those who share his views.
Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich, who just recently angered many by referring to the gay pride parade as the "abomination parade," has once again made a controversial comment about the LGBT community.
Earlier this week, Smotrich claimed during an interview with Galey Israel Radio that the gay community was influencing public opinion by using its alleged control over the media. Smotrich specifically avoided using the terms "homosexual," or "gay," and instead referred to members of the gay community as "they" and "those."
"There are a whole lot of prominent figures in the Israeli media, those who have the microphone, and they determine for all of us what to think and what to say," he said.
He asserted that public sympathy for the gay community and the legitimization it has came thanks to their "control" of the media. "For many years I asked myself, 'how could it be that suddenly everyone...' What, has everyone gotten lost? After all, I'm convinced that 95 percent of Israeli citizens would very much want their children to start wonderful families and give them grandchildren.
A healthy person, a normal person, this is what he wants," he said. He went on to claim that the members of the gay community were using the media to advance their own agenda and to silence others.
"These people possess an immense power in the ability to shape our perceptions," he said. "When you look at the list today, it has many dozens of the most dominant figures. So naturally they couldn't listen to an opinion like mine and they cut me off after a quarter of a sentence, and I come out looking bad because I can't explain myself."
Smotrich didn't stop with the gay community, and wasn't afraid to criticize his party leader, Naftali Bennett, as well. He said about Bennett's decision to support the gay community that "if the chairman of my party wants to censor Torah, then good for him. Because I don't censor the Torah."
Bennett's office was quick to distance itself from Smotrich's comments. "Bennett is everyone's education minister: Religious, secular, haredim, Arabs, Jews, and the gay community as well," a statement from Bennett's office said. "The minister believes every person, no matter who they are, deserves respect, and this is the way of Judaism: Respect, and not scorn. The minister rejects any form of debasement of a person based on his beliefs, identity, or orientation."
Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) also slammed Smotrich: "There is no place in Israel for such closed-minded and racist comments."
Members of the opposition also responded with anger. Meretz chairwoman Zehava Galon said that "the cry of the robbed Cossack Smotrich, who accuses the gay community of taking over the media while those who took over were actually from the extremist right wing, is borderline paranoia and impertinence."
MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union), meanwhile, has already filed a request to remove Smotrich of his position as the deputy Knesset speaker. "His comments remind me, in a sickening way, of comments made by the worst of our enemies. He's not the first to claim an entire group was ruling the media - many anti-Semites said that about our people," she said.
"Only two weeks have passed since the horrible murder at the pride parade, and an MK serving as the deputy Knesset speaker dares making such closed-minded comments."
Smotrich's homophobic comments are not new. In 2006, he organized what he called "The Beast Parade" in protest of the gay pride parade in Jerusalem.
Bezalel Smotrich, who organized the 'beast parade' in protest of the pride parade, says LGBT community uses control of the media to get public sympathy and silence those who share his views.
Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich, who just recently angered many by referring to the gay pride parade as the "abomination parade," has once again made a controversial comment about the LGBT community.
Earlier this week, Smotrich claimed during an interview with Galey Israel Radio that the gay community was influencing public opinion by using its alleged control over the media. Smotrich specifically avoided using the terms "homosexual," or "gay," and instead referred to members of the gay community as "they" and "those."
"There are a whole lot of prominent figures in the Israeli media, those who have the microphone, and they determine for all of us what to think and what to say," he said.
He asserted that public sympathy for the gay community and the legitimization it has came thanks to their "control" of the media. "For many years I asked myself, 'how could it be that suddenly everyone...' What, has everyone gotten lost? After all, I'm convinced that 95 percent of Israeli citizens would very much want their children to start wonderful families and give them grandchildren.
A healthy person, a normal person, this is what he wants," he said. He went on to claim that the members of the gay community were using the media to advance their own agenda and to silence others.
"These people possess an immense power in the ability to shape our perceptions," he said. "When you look at the list today, it has many dozens of the most dominant figures. So naturally they couldn't listen to an opinion like mine and they cut me off after a quarter of a sentence, and I come out looking bad because I can't explain myself."
Smotrich didn't stop with the gay community, and wasn't afraid to criticize his party leader, Naftali Bennett, as well. He said about Bennett's decision to support the gay community that "if the chairman of my party wants to censor Torah, then good for him. Because I don't censor the Torah."
Bennett's office was quick to distance itself from Smotrich's comments. "Bennett is everyone's education minister: Religious, secular, haredim, Arabs, Jews, and the gay community as well," a statement from Bennett's office said. "The minister believes every person, no matter who they are, deserves respect, and this is the way of Judaism: Respect, and not scorn. The minister rejects any form of debasement of a person based on his beliefs, identity, or orientation."
Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) also slammed Smotrich: "There is no place in Israel for such closed-minded and racist comments."
Members of the opposition also responded with anger. Meretz chairwoman Zehava Galon said that "the cry of the robbed Cossack Smotrich, who accuses the gay community of taking over the media while those who took over were actually from the extremist right wing, is borderline paranoia and impertinence."
MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union), meanwhile, has already filed a request to remove Smotrich of his position as the deputy Knesset speaker. "His comments remind me, in a sickening way, of comments made by the worst of our enemies. He's not the first to claim an entire group was ruling the media - many anti-Semites said that about our people," she said.
"Only two weeks have passed since the horrible murder at the pride parade, and an MK serving as the deputy Knesset speaker dares making such closed-minded comments."
Smotrich's homophobic comments are not new. In 2006, he organized what he called "The Beast Parade" in protest of the gay pride parade in Jerusalem.
Suspected hit and run: Body of young woman found on Highway 4
The body of a young woman, about 20 years old, was found early Saturday on Highway 4 near Nitzanim.
An Ashkelon resident in his 30s was arrested on suspicion he ran over the young woman and fled the scene.
Police are still investigating the incident.
The body of a young woman, about 20 years old, was found early Saturday on Highway 4 near Nitzanim.
An Ashkelon resident in his 30s was arrested on suspicion he ran over the young woman and fled the scene.
Police are still investigating the incident.
14 aug 2015
Protest over decision to open new cinema multiplex on Shabbat leads to confrontation in the streets, as crowds throw stones at police.
Hundreds of Orthodox Jews protested on Friday evening the opening of a new cinema multiplex in Jerusalem that will be open on Saturday.
Protestors threw stones at police and smashed windows. Following the incident, most of the protestors left the area.
The protests occurred in neighborhoods far away from the new theater.
Following the official opening of the theater earlier, Moshe Greidinger, CEO of Yes Planet's parent company Cineworld PLC, said he was aware of the possibility that haredi groups might protest.
"I believe in live and let live, anytime it doesn't hurt someone else," said Greidinger. "I grew up with the Jerusalem 'Shabbat wars' – in the end you reach a status quo and I believe it will be that way this time as well."
Hundreds of Orthodox Jews protested on Friday evening the opening of a new cinema multiplex in Jerusalem that will be open on Saturday.
Protestors threw stones at police and smashed windows. Following the incident, most of the protestors left the area.
The protests occurred in neighborhoods far away from the new theater.
Following the official opening of the theater earlier, Moshe Greidinger, CEO of Yes Planet's parent company Cineworld PLC, said he was aware of the possibility that haredi groups might protest.
"I believe in live and let live, anytime it doesn't hurt someone else," said Greidinger. "I grew up with the Jerusalem 'Shabbat wars' – in the end you reach a status quo and I believe it will be that way this time as well."
Security increased for Rabbi David Stav after intelligence that radicals view him as a target over formation of alternative conversions court.
Police placed security on the house of Tzohar chairman Rabbi David Stav on Thursday night following intelligence that radicals were planning to hurt him over the formation of an alternative conversion courts.
A police vehicle will be patrolling around Stav's home until further notice. The municipality of Shoham, where Stav serves as the chief rabbi, has also decided to add to his security.
Earlier this week, Religious Zionist rabbis and liberal religious organizations announced the formation of a system of courts independent from the Chief Rabbinate, which will work to convert the non-Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are living in Israel.
The Foreign Ministry and Chief Rabbinate do not recognize alternative conversions in Israel, even if they were done according to Halacha, but the founders of the new courts system hope that if many converters choose this alternative track, the public pressure on the Rabbinate will increase and this policy will change.
Rabbis Yaaqov Medan, Re'em Ha'Cohen, Shlomo Riskin, David Stav and others have joined with Itim (the Right to Live Jewish), the Harry Oscar Triguboff Institute and Beit Morasha of Jerusalem to form these alternative conversion courts.
They promise potential converts a friendly process and leniency. The move is supported by the Jewish Agency. The court will be led by Rabbi Nahum Eliezer Rabinovitch, a leader in Religious Zionism movement.
Meanwhile, Israel's chief rabbis strongly criticized the courts and the more liberal allies. At the first convention of the B'noam organization, a lobby group working to strengthen the chief rabbinate, Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said that the rabbis were acting out of improper motives, for personal reasons, and not in the service of God.
Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau accused the rabbis of fighting against the Torah. He said the rabbinical leadership has always fought attempts to damage the Torah and Jewish law.
"We will not give up the Torah of Israel, the halacha passed to us from generation to generation," said Rabbi Lau. "This Torah will not be replaced and there will be no other Torah. According to it we will act with a soft heart, with caring and love towards all the created."
Police placed security on the house of Tzohar chairman Rabbi David Stav on Thursday night following intelligence that radicals were planning to hurt him over the formation of an alternative conversion courts.
A police vehicle will be patrolling around Stav's home until further notice. The municipality of Shoham, where Stav serves as the chief rabbi, has also decided to add to his security.
Earlier this week, Religious Zionist rabbis and liberal religious organizations announced the formation of a system of courts independent from the Chief Rabbinate, which will work to convert the non-Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are living in Israel.
The Foreign Ministry and Chief Rabbinate do not recognize alternative conversions in Israel, even if they were done according to Halacha, but the founders of the new courts system hope that if many converters choose this alternative track, the public pressure on the Rabbinate will increase and this policy will change.
Rabbis Yaaqov Medan, Re'em Ha'Cohen, Shlomo Riskin, David Stav and others have joined with Itim (the Right to Live Jewish), the Harry Oscar Triguboff Institute and Beit Morasha of Jerusalem to form these alternative conversion courts.
They promise potential converts a friendly process and leniency. The move is supported by the Jewish Agency. The court will be led by Rabbi Nahum Eliezer Rabinovitch, a leader in Religious Zionism movement.
Meanwhile, Israel's chief rabbis strongly criticized the courts and the more liberal allies. At the first convention of the B'noam organization, a lobby group working to strengthen the chief rabbinate, Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said that the rabbis were acting out of improper motives, for personal reasons, and not in the service of God.
Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau accused the rabbis of fighting against the Torah. He said the rabbinical leadership has always fought attempts to damage the Torah and Jewish law.
"We will not give up the Torah of Israel, the halacha passed to us from generation to generation," said Rabbi Lau. "This Torah will not be replaced and there will be no other Torah. According to it we will act with a soft heart, with caring and love towards all the created."
In document released to the public, Eisenkot states that while Israel won't initiate wars, if war is forced upon it, the IDF will go on the offense rather than defense; also differentiates between 'wartime' and 'emergency' situation, stressing the need to define clear objectives to each military campaign.
In an unprecedented move, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot released a document to the public on Thursday defining and detailing the army's national security strategy.
The document details what can be expected from the IDF during three types of situations: Routine time, emergency situations and wartime. Based on this division, conflicts like Operation Protective Edge and Operation Pillar of Defense are considered confrontations limited in their scope and are therefore define as "emergency," rather than "war."
This means these confrontations were meant to bring Israel "back to a situation of calm, without striving for an immediate strategic change," so the IDF cannot be expected to bring down the Hamas regime in Gaza in such a military campaign, unless the political leadership tells it otherwise.
In the first chapter, Eisenkot discusses the "military aspect of the security perception" - deterrence, intelligence, defense and a decisive victory. The IDF chief determines that while Israel will not initiate wars for the purpose of conquering lands or achieving strategic goals, as it did in the First Lebanon War, when a war is forced on it, the IDF will prefer to attack rather than merely go on the defensive. "The basic assumption is that the enemy cannot be defeated with defensive fighting, so an offense is required to achieve clear military results," the document states.
The definition of the "enemy" has also been altered. As the threat of an all-out war against another state or several other states is on the decline, the document redefines the main threat as coming from military organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah or terror organizations that are not affiliated with any one country, like global jihad and the Islamic State.
Because of that, the IDF will favor fighting with smaller forces that can maneuver quickly and easily between different fronts, over large and stationary forces. This statement comes in the midst of the public debate over the defense budget and the IDF's attempt to present itself as a dynamic army that can become more efficient.
While Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic State are all mentioned, Iran is missing almost entirely from the document. Tehran appears as an example of a distant enemy state and is mentioned one more time beyond that - as the puppet master behind Hezbollah and Hamas.
The Iranian nuclear threat, which is presented by the political leadership as the biggest existential threat Israel is facing, is not mentioned - possibly because the army's strategy on that issue is too classified to appear in a public document, or because the agreement signed between Iran and world powers is seen as mitigating the threat.
The document also determines that the chief of staff, being the army's commander-in-chief, would be the only one in contact with the political leadership, and it would be his responsibility to translate the government's instructions into operational orders.
This declaration emphasizes the fact the IDF is subordinate to the government and is only implementing the instructions given to it by the public's representatives.
Other principles detailed in the document include the importance of the strategic cooperation with the United States, strengthening Israel's standing in the region and maintaining Israel's relative advantage over its enemies. In addition to the document released to the public, there is another top secret document, much more detailed, about how the IDF will implement its strategy.
A historic milestone
The document, titled simply "The IDF's strategy," is a historic milestone in Israel's national security. For the first time, the IDF is defining its defense worldview and using that to determine how to act. But most importantly, this document clarifies to the political leadership what is reasonable for them to demand and expect from the IDF, while at the same time demanding the prime minister and security cabinet to define exactly what the objectives of using military force in each instance are, what restrictions and constraints are imposed on the army, and what are the desired results.
This has never happened before. For the first time, the army is telling the political leadership what it needs from it in order to act effectively. It is safe to assume that the prime minister, and mostly the defense minister, approved every letter and comma in that document before they allowed the chief of staff to declare it as a binding document and release it in full to the public.
The fact the defense minister approved the document is also a historic precedent, and Moshe Ya'alon should be given credit for doing something no defense minister had done before him. Some defense ministers appointed committees tasked with formulating Israel's security positions, but such positions have never been agreed upon and certainly not released to the public. At the beginning of the document, the IDF defines the national goals and the principles of Israel's national security perception, which is similar to the principles outline by the Meridor Committee in 2006.
The conclusions of the Meridor Committee, appointed by former defense minister Shaul Mofaz, were never released, not even to all members of Knesset.
The need to finally release a coherent document detailing the IDF's national security perceptions arose after the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and Operation Protective Edge in 2014. Both wars revealed failures that were the result of having no clear objectives for the war, as well as no clear definitions of what a "decisive victory" entails, what is considered a "victory," what should the army aim for and what roles do the IDF and political leadership each have.
The document answers all of these questions. For example, it clearly states that the political leadership can present the IDF with two kinds of demands while fighting an enemy that is not a sovereign state - meaning Hamas, Hezbollah or the Islamic State: A full and clear decisive military victory against the enemy, or a limited and defined strike against the enemy.
During Protective Edge, for example, the political leadership demanded a limited strike against the enemy, rather than a decisive victory. With this document, the IDF wants to prevent some of the criticism that would follow the next round of fighting with regards to whether or not the objective of the military campaign has been reached.
While the IDF chief clearly states that he will do whatever the political leadership instructs, he also goes into great detail about what the political leadership needs to do so he, as the commander of the army, can provide it with the desired outcome. Another reason for the document's release to the public is to match the Israeli public's expectations with what the army can and cannot do. When fighting enemies who are not states, the IDF faces constraints.
For example, Israel needs to have international legitimacy for the campaign, otherwise IDF troops and commanders fighting among civilian populations, as well as the political leadership, could be declared war criminals. With this document, Eisenkot also seeks to show that the IDF is not set on past dogmas and does not use billions in tax payer money to prepare for previous wars, rather than the wars to come.
It is also an attempt to show the army is attuned to public opinion and that it understands that allocating resources to education, health and welfare is just as important as allocating resources to security.
IDF strategy: 'Israel has no enemy states and Iran is not a threat'
Israel's main enemies are Islamist organisations that do not constitute a state, including Hamas, Hezbollah and Daesh, however Iran is not a nuclear threat, a new document signed a by a senior Israeli military official revealed yesterday. The document, signed by Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, entitled the "IDF Strategy" was published after some sensitive military information was removed from it.
In it, the IDF strategy outlines that Israel's main enemies are now Islamist organisations that do not constitute a state, according to Haaretz newspaper. It also states that the main scenario the Israeli army is preparing itself for is a confrontation with such organisations, despite the fact that the abilities being developed are intended to meet the challenge of battle against armies and states.
Victory, according to the IDF document, means "achieving diplomatic aims set for the battle in a way that will lead to the improvement of the security situation after the conflict." These "victories" or "achievements" do not include eliminating organisations such as Hezbollah or Hamas or the long-term occupation of the area.
As for Iran, it is mentioned in the document as supporting Hezbollah and Hamas and not as a nuclear threat as claimed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the document says that against "countries without a common border" with Israel, it will use "ongoing, multidisciplinary action." The purpose of these operations is "a tangible, limited achievement to deter escalation", and its main elements are intelligence, air action, special forces and other security agencies such as the Mossad.
In an unprecedented move, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot released a document to the public on Thursday defining and detailing the army's national security strategy.
The document details what can be expected from the IDF during three types of situations: Routine time, emergency situations and wartime. Based on this division, conflicts like Operation Protective Edge and Operation Pillar of Defense are considered confrontations limited in their scope and are therefore define as "emergency," rather than "war."
This means these confrontations were meant to bring Israel "back to a situation of calm, without striving for an immediate strategic change," so the IDF cannot be expected to bring down the Hamas regime in Gaza in such a military campaign, unless the political leadership tells it otherwise.
In the first chapter, Eisenkot discusses the "military aspect of the security perception" - deterrence, intelligence, defense and a decisive victory. The IDF chief determines that while Israel will not initiate wars for the purpose of conquering lands or achieving strategic goals, as it did in the First Lebanon War, when a war is forced on it, the IDF will prefer to attack rather than merely go on the defensive. "The basic assumption is that the enemy cannot be defeated with defensive fighting, so an offense is required to achieve clear military results," the document states.
The definition of the "enemy" has also been altered. As the threat of an all-out war against another state or several other states is on the decline, the document redefines the main threat as coming from military organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah or terror organizations that are not affiliated with any one country, like global jihad and the Islamic State.
Because of that, the IDF will favor fighting with smaller forces that can maneuver quickly and easily between different fronts, over large and stationary forces. This statement comes in the midst of the public debate over the defense budget and the IDF's attempt to present itself as a dynamic army that can become more efficient.
While Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic State are all mentioned, Iran is missing almost entirely from the document. Tehran appears as an example of a distant enemy state and is mentioned one more time beyond that - as the puppet master behind Hezbollah and Hamas.
The Iranian nuclear threat, which is presented by the political leadership as the biggest existential threat Israel is facing, is not mentioned - possibly because the army's strategy on that issue is too classified to appear in a public document, or because the agreement signed between Iran and world powers is seen as mitigating the threat.
The document also determines that the chief of staff, being the army's commander-in-chief, would be the only one in contact with the political leadership, and it would be his responsibility to translate the government's instructions into operational orders.
This declaration emphasizes the fact the IDF is subordinate to the government and is only implementing the instructions given to it by the public's representatives.
Other principles detailed in the document include the importance of the strategic cooperation with the United States, strengthening Israel's standing in the region and maintaining Israel's relative advantage over its enemies. In addition to the document released to the public, there is another top secret document, much more detailed, about how the IDF will implement its strategy.
A historic milestone
The document, titled simply "The IDF's strategy," is a historic milestone in Israel's national security. For the first time, the IDF is defining its defense worldview and using that to determine how to act. But most importantly, this document clarifies to the political leadership what is reasonable for them to demand and expect from the IDF, while at the same time demanding the prime minister and security cabinet to define exactly what the objectives of using military force in each instance are, what restrictions and constraints are imposed on the army, and what are the desired results.
This has never happened before. For the first time, the army is telling the political leadership what it needs from it in order to act effectively. It is safe to assume that the prime minister, and mostly the defense minister, approved every letter and comma in that document before they allowed the chief of staff to declare it as a binding document and release it in full to the public.
The fact the defense minister approved the document is also a historic precedent, and Moshe Ya'alon should be given credit for doing something no defense minister had done before him. Some defense ministers appointed committees tasked with formulating Israel's security positions, but such positions have never been agreed upon and certainly not released to the public. At the beginning of the document, the IDF defines the national goals and the principles of Israel's national security perception, which is similar to the principles outline by the Meridor Committee in 2006.
The conclusions of the Meridor Committee, appointed by former defense minister Shaul Mofaz, were never released, not even to all members of Knesset.
The need to finally release a coherent document detailing the IDF's national security perceptions arose after the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and Operation Protective Edge in 2014. Both wars revealed failures that were the result of having no clear objectives for the war, as well as no clear definitions of what a "decisive victory" entails, what is considered a "victory," what should the army aim for and what roles do the IDF and political leadership each have.
The document answers all of these questions. For example, it clearly states that the political leadership can present the IDF with two kinds of demands while fighting an enemy that is not a sovereign state - meaning Hamas, Hezbollah or the Islamic State: A full and clear decisive military victory against the enemy, or a limited and defined strike against the enemy.
During Protective Edge, for example, the political leadership demanded a limited strike against the enemy, rather than a decisive victory. With this document, the IDF wants to prevent some of the criticism that would follow the next round of fighting with regards to whether or not the objective of the military campaign has been reached.
While the IDF chief clearly states that he will do whatever the political leadership instructs, he also goes into great detail about what the political leadership needs to do so he, as the commander of the army, can provide it with the desired outcome. Another reason for the document's release to the public is to match the Israeli public's expectations with what the army can and cannot do. When fighting enemies who are not states, the IDF faces constraints.
For example, Israel needs to have international legitimacy for the campaign, otherwise IDF troops and commanders fighting among civilian populations, as well as the political leadership, could be declared war criminals. With this document, Eisenkot also seeks to show that the IDF is not set on past dogmas and does not use billions in tax payer money to prepare for previous wars, rather than the wars to come.
It is also an attempt to show the army is attuned to public opinion and that it understands that allocating resources to education, health and welfare is just as important as allocating resources to security.
IDF strategy: 'Israel has no enemy states and Iran is not a threat'
Israel's main enemies are Islamist organisations that do not constitute a state, including Hamas, Hezbollah and Daesh, however Iran is not a nuclear threat, a new document signed a by a senior Israeli military official revealed yesterday. The document, signed by Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, entitled the "IDF Strategy" was published after some sensitive military information was removed from it.
In it, the IDF strategy outlines that Israel's main enemies are now Islamist organisations that do not constitute a state, according to Haaretz newspaper. It also states that the main scenario the Israeli army is preparing itself for is a confrontation with such organisations, despite the fact that the abilities being developed are intended to meet the challenge of battle against armies and states.
Victory, according to the IDF document, means "achieving diplomatic aims set for the battle in a way that will lead to the improvement of the security situation after the conflict." These "victories" or "achievements" do not include eliminating organisations such as Hezbollah or Hamas or the long-term occupation of the area.
As for Iran, it is mentioned in the document as supporting Hezbollah and Hamas and not as a nuclear threat as claimed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the document says that against "countries without a common border" with Israel, it will use "ongoing, multidisciplinary action." The purpose of these operations is "a tangible, limited achievement to deter escalation", and its main elements are intelligence, air action, special forces and other security agencies such as the Mossad.
13 aug 2015
Ma’ariv Israeli newspaper on Thursday said that the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs has warned the European Union from carrying on with funding building projects in the “C” West Bank, areas.
The C areas, due to the 1993 Oslo accords, make up about 75% of the West Bank. Theoretically, they fall under Palestinian civil administration, and Israeli military control.
Ma’ariv said that the EU responded by saying that Israel was violating the international law by preventing Palestinians from building in the C areas.
The recently appointed deputy director-general for Western Europe in the Foreign Ministry, Aviv Shir-On said that this subject is brought up in almost every conversation with the EU.
Shir-On slammed the funding process calling it “illegal.”
He said that any “illegal building procedure will not be accepted,” adding that the EU knows the Israeli stand from the procedure.
Shir-On concluded by saying that the Israeli occupation authorities told the EU that the built structures might be destroyed, and that the EU receive a demolition threat before it takes place.
The C areas, due to the 1993 Oslo accords, make up about 75% of the West Bank. Theoretically, they fall under Palestinian civil administration, and Israeli military control.
Ma’ariv said that the EU responded by saying that Israel was violating the international law by preventing Palestinians from building in the C areas.
The recently appointed deputy director-general for Western Europe in the Foreign Ministry, Aviv Shir-On said that this subject is brought up in almost every conversation with the EU.
Shir-On slammed the funding process calling it “illegal.”
He said that any “illegal building procedure will not be accepted,” adding that the EU knows the Israeli stand from the procedure.
Shir-On concluded by saying that the Israeli occupation authorities told the EU that the built structures might be destroyed, and that the EU receive a demolition threat before it takes place.
The number of tourists entering Israel has declined 13 per cent in the first seven months of this year, in comparison with the same period during 2014, a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics revealed yesterday.
Middle East Monitor news outlet said, according to the PNN, that some 1.6 million tourists visited the country up to the end of July, compared with 1.84 million tourists during the corresponding period last year.
The figures appear to show that tourism is still influenced by the political events which were experienced by the country last summer, when Israel launched a deadly assault on the Gaza Strip that killed 2,260 Palestinians, mainly children, MEMO said.
Middle East Monitor news outlet said, according to the PNN, that some 1.6 million tourists visited the country up to the end of July, compared with 1.84 million tourists during the corresponding period last year.
The figures appear to show that tourism is still influenced by the political events which were experienced by the country last summer, when Israel launched a deadly assault on the Gaza Strip that killed 2,260 Palestinians, mainly children, MEMO said.
Mostly volunteer unit to see major force reduction; some warn that move will damage Bedouin social integration and strengthen Islamic Movement.
The IDF has decided to make significant cuts in manpower, one of the most notable being the plan to reduce the size of the army's tracker unit by about half. The majority of this unit is comprised of Bedouin volunteer soldiers.
The IDF Ground Forces are discussing the decision this week in the hopes of winning approval for the initiative from senior officers and enact it as soon as next year. The IDF confirmed that the initiative is under consideration, and that officers in the tracker unit have already expressed opposition.
S., who served as a tracker in the Gaza Division in the past few years and lives in the Negev, said: "The tracker unit was always the bridge between Israeli society and the Bedouin sector, and the contribution by the trackers to Israel went far beyond the operational dimension. Shutting down half of the unit and send dozens of trackers home, including many career soldiers who will not be hired in civilian jobs, means shooting the army and society in the foot.
"Islamic Movement operatives will fill the vacuum that will be created, and they are already agitating in the Bedouin towns and trying to prevent Bedouin youths from volunteering in the army," continued S. "The Islamic Movement has been speaking against recruitment in Bedouin mosques for years now." The IDF has recently stepped up attempts to recruit Bedouin soldiers, including sending Bedouin troops to towns to encourage youths to enlist.
Over decades of deployment in places like Gaza and Lebanon, the trackers have exhibited operational efficiency and unique abilities to track enemies during a chase or identifying suspicious signs indicating cross-border infiltration by terrorists.
Most of the Bedouin soldiers in the IDF hail from towns in the north, and the vast majority of voluntary recruits serve in combat roles as trackers or in the Bedouin reconnaissance battalion, which for most of its history has operated in the southern Gaza Strip, and for the first time this year was also deployed in the Judea and Samaria Division in the Jenin area. The tracker unit receives training at the Lachish training base.
The trackers are called to the scene of every terror attack, and their day-to-day activity includes opening restricted roads in the mornings, then in the evenings ensure that no explosives were placed at the border fence and that there were no infiltrations.
The unit has in recent years produced several officers who were promoted to senior positions.
"Of course there are things that only the experienced eye of a tracker, who always leads in front of the troops, can identify and alert soldiers to," a Ground Forces officer told Ynet. "But Operation Protective Edge proved that proliferation of intelligence technology such as a UAV for every battalion commander or sending intel online to troops demands further thought – how we can make the tracker system more efficient in a way that will also minimize danger."
Another officer, who serves in the Southern Command and is involved in integrating Bedouins into the army, added: "Out of 300,000 Bedouins in the country, who are mostly in the south, we have around 1,200 Bedouin soldiers, including career soldiers. If the country invested more in them, we would get more from them. They are mostly under 20."
The IDF has decided to make significant cuts in manpower, one of the most notable being the plan to reduce the size of the army's tracker unit by about half. The majority of this unit is comprised of Bedouin volunteer soldiers.
The IDF Ground Forces are discussing the decision this week in the hopes of winning approval for the initiative from senior officers and enact it as soon as next year. The IDF confirmed that the initiative is under consideration, and that officers in the tracker unit have already expressed opposition.
S., who served as a tracker in the Gaza Division in the past few years and lives in the Negev, said: "The tracker unit was always the bridge between Israeli society and the Bedouin sector, and the contribution by the trackers to Israel went far beyond the operational dimension. Shutting down half of the unit and send dozens of trackers home, including many career soldiers who will not be hired in civilian jobs, means shooting the army and society in the foot.
"Islamic Movement operatives will fill the vacuum that will be created, and they are already agitating in the Bedouin towns and trying to prevent Bedouin youths from volunteering in the army," continued S. "The Islamic Movement has been speaking against recruitment in Bedouin mosques for years now." The IDF has recently stepped up attempts to recruit Bedouin soldiers, including sending Bedouin troops to towns to encourage youths to enlist.
Over decades of deployment in places like Gaza and Lebanon, the trackers have exhibited operational efficiency and unique abilities to track enemies during a chase or identifying suspicious signs indicating cross-border infiltration by terrorists.
Most of the Bedouin soldiers in the IDF hail from towns in the north, and the vast majority of voluntary recruits serve in combat roles as trackers or in the Bedouin reconnaissance battalion, which for most of its history has operated in the southern Gaza Strip, and for the first time this year was also deployed in the Judea and Samaria Division in the Jenin area. The tracker unit receives training at the Lachish training base.
The trackers are called to the scene of every terror attack, and their day-to-day activity includes opening restricted roads in the mornings, then in the evenings ensure that no explosives were placed at the border fence and that there were no infiltrations.
The unit has in recent years produced several officers who were promoted to senior positions.
"Of course there are things that only the experienced eye of a tracker, who always leads in front of the troops, can identify and alert soldiers to," a Ground Forces officer told Ynet. "But Operation Protective Edge proved that proliferation of intelligence technology such as a UAV for every battalion commander or sending intel online to troops demands further thought – how we can make the tracker system more efficient in a way that will also minimize danger."
Another officer, who serves in the Southern Command and is involved in integrating Bedouins into the army, added: "Out of 300,000 Bedouins in the country, who are mostly in the south, we have around 1,200 Bedouin soldiers, including career soldiers. If the country invested more in them, we would get more from them. They are mostly under 20."
