12 jan 2020
Local media reports technical crews rescued from hangars where planes were kept as water levels rose while damage to the aircraft is estimated in the millions
Several Air Force fighter jets were damaged during last week's storms with repair costs estimated in the millions.
Airplane hangars at an undisclosed southern Air Force base were flooded as volumes water from nearby streams rushed towards the base, causing damage to the planes before technical crews were able to move them to dryer ground.
The military censor had blocked reports of the damage for three days and some details still remain under censorship.
This is the second time the base and hangers were damaged by heavy rain in recent years.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the planes will be operational again within a few days and no one was injured in the event, though Channel 12 News reported some of the maintenance crew had to be rescued from the flooded hangars.
Unusual weather that resulted in extreme rainfall over a six-day period had caused the death of five people around the country as well as extensive damage to homes, roads and infrastructure.
Several Air Force fighter jets were damaged during last week's storms with repair costs estimated in the millions.
Airplane hangars at an undisclosed southern Air Force base were flooded as volumes water from nearby streams rushed towards the base, causing damage to the planes before technical crews were able to move them to dryer ground.
The military censor had blocked reports of the damage for three days and some details still remain under censorship.
This is the second time the base and hangers were damaged by heavy rain in recent years.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the planes will be operational again within a few days and no one was injured in the event, though Channel 12 News reported some of the maintenance crew had to be rescued from the flooded hangars.
Unusual weather that resulted in extreme rainfall over a six-day period had caused the death of five people around the country as well as extensive damage to homes, roads and infrastructure.
Insurance data shows private damage claims worth over NIS 1.5 billion ($432 million) have been filed just days after heavy rains pounded central and northern Israel for several days; damage to public infrastructure is also estimated to be in millions
Two powerful storm systems that hit Israel last week have left behind damage, estimated to be worth billions of shekels, authorities said Sunday.
Fierce storms and heavy rain pounded central and northern Israel for over a week as two storms hit the country one after the other. Massive flooding in cities and rivers caused major damage to homes, vehicles and infrastructure. The deadly storms claimed the lives of at least five people.
Roads were washed out by the heavy rain, pipe and drainage systems were damaged, many fences were either badly damaged or collapsed and electric systems as well as traffic lights were wrecked.
From data collected by the Bureau of Insurance Agents, damage to the private property is estimated to be round NIS 1.5 billion ($432 million). Although the estimates of the damage caused to the public property is unclear, it is believed to be in the hundreds of millions, bringing the total cost to over NIS 2 billion ($577 million).
Lior Rosenfeld, who heads the BIA, said that so far at least 50,000 damage claims have been filed by the insurance agents and are set to be submitted to the insurance companies.
According to Rosenfeld, damage to vehicles alone is estimated to be around NIS 900 million ($295 million). The damage to private homes is estimated at NIS 400 million ($115 million), while the damage to private businesses is estimated at NIS 200 million ($58 million).
Rosenfeld said in an interview with Ynet that the agents have received an unprecedented amount of damage claims in recent days.
The northern city of Nahariya that besieged by the floods, suffered the most damage from the unusually inclement weather, with infrastructure in some parts of the city completely destroyed.
The issue of transferring funds to repair the damage in the coastal city, as well as other ares in the country severly battered by the storms, was to be raised at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Accountant General Roni Hezekiah will have to sign off on a special permission to transfer the funds to aid the authorities since the current administration is effectively a caretaker government that cannot approve a budget for the upcoming year.
The state does not currently have a law in place that allows for compensation for damage done to private property as a result of natural hazards.
Therefore, only those who insured their property will have a right to a financial compensation.
According to BIA, cases where damage was a direct result of municipal negligence or poor building standards by local authorities are eligible for a compensation from the government.
Such claims, however, may be subject to a prolonged legal process, and it is doubtful whether the local authority will indeed be obliged in the end to compensate the owners of the damaged property.
Two powerful storm systems that hit Israel last week have left behind damage, estimated to be worth billions of shekels, authorities said Sunday.
Fierce storms and heavy rain pounded central and northern Israel for over a week as two storms hit the country one after the other. Massive flooding in cities and rivers caused major damage to homes, vehicles and infrastructure. The deadly storms claimed the lives of at least five people.
Roads were washed out by the heavy rain, pipe and drainage systems were damaged, many fences were either badly damaged or collapsed and electric systems as well as traffic lights were wrecked.
From data collected by the Bureau of Insurance Agents, damage to the private property is estimated to be round NIS 1.5 billion ($432 million). Although the estimates of the damage caused to the public property is unclear, it is believed to be in the hundreds of millions, bringing the total cost to over NIS 2 billion ($577 million).
Lior Rosenfeld, who heads the BIA, said that so far at least 50,000 damage claims have been filed by the insurance agents and are set to be submitted to the insurance companies.
According to Rosenfeld, damage to vehicles alone is estimated to be around NIS 900 million ($295 million). The damage to private homes is estimated at NIS 400 million ($115 million), while the damage to private businesses is estimated at NIS 200 million ($58 million).
Rosenfeld said in an interview with Ynet that the agents have received an unprecedented amount of damage claims in recent days.
The northern city of Nahariya that besieged by the floods, suffered the most damage from the unusually inclement weather, with infrastructure in some parts of the city completely destroyed.
The issue of transferring funds to repair the damage in the coastal city, as well as other ares in the country severly battered by the storms, was to be raised at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Accountant General Roni Hezekiah will have to sign off on a special permission to transfer the funds to aid the authorities since the current administration is effectively a caretaker government that cannot approve a budget for the upcoming year.
The state does not currently have a law in place that allows for compensation for damage done to private property as a result of natural hazards.
Therefore, only those who insured their property will have a right to a financial compensation.
According to BIA, cases where damage was a direct result of municipal negligence or poor building standards by local authorities are eligible for a compensation from the government.
Such claims, however, may be subject to a prolonged legal process, and it is doubtful whether the local authority will indeed be obliged in the end to compensate the owners of the damaged property.
Several municipalities around the country order schools to open a new school week with tolerance classes in response to Rafi Pererz's contentious comments, implying homosexuality is unhealthy
Several schools around the country held impromptu tolerance classes on Sunday after the education minister angered members of the country's LGBT community by implying that homosexuality was unnatural.
In an interview published on the weekend edition of Ynet's sister publication Yedioth Ahronoth, Rafi Peretz was asked what he would do if one his children had a "different sexual orientation".
"Thank God, my children grew up in a natural and healthy way," Peretz responded. "They are building their homes based on Jewish values. I don't bother my head with 'what if' thinking."
Peretz, who heads the ultra-nationalist Jewish Home party, assumed the education portfolio within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition government in June.
Several municipalities decided on Saturday to hold short classes, educating students on LGBT issues, in response to the contentious comments.
Tel Aviv Municipality - together with the city's LGBT activist groups – published a transcript of a 15-minute-long tolerance course on LGBT families to be taught to students on Sunday morning.
During the class, teachers will ask the students if they ever came across non-heterosexual families, what other types of families do they know and why "there are those who speak badly" about same-sex families?
"Families have many different forms," said the official transcript. "The number of parents or their gender identity does not affect our happiness and does not determine whether the family is good or not. What affects us is how we feel about our home and our parents."
"You cannot ignore the blatant remarks made by the minister, who thinks he has a god-given qualification to decide what is natural and what is normative," said in a statement Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. "There is no choice but to fight for our values and principles as a democratic society, where the citizen has the right to learn, know and decide what is normative and what is natural. "
The furor over Peretz's remarks - who last year spoke favorably about gay "conversion therapy" - reached into the cabinet, one of whose members is openly homosexual.
Likud Justice Minister Amir Ohana, who has children with a same-sex partner, condemned his cabinet colleague's remarks as "wretched, and not for the first time," adding that they "do not reflect the government's position".
"I grew up in a healthy, good and loving family, as are my children and the children of many LGBT members from all parts of the country, from all over the political spectrum," Ohana tweeted.
Several schools around the country held impromptu tolerance classes on Sunday after the education minister angered members of the country's LGBT community by implying that homosexuality was unnatural.
In an interview published on the weekend edition of Ynet's sister publication Yedioth Ahronoth, Rafi Peretz was asked what he would do if one his children had a "different sexual orientation".
"Thank God, my children grew up in a natural and healthy way," Peretz responded. "They are building their homes based on Jewish values. I don't bother my head with 'what if' thinking."
Peretz, who heads the ultra-nationalist Jewish Home party, assumed the education portfolio within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition government in June.
Several municipalities decided on Saturday to hold short classes, educating students on LGBT issues, in response to the contentious comments.
Tel Aviv Municipality - together with the city's LGBT activist groups – published a transcript of a 15-minute-long tolerance course on LGBT families to be taught to students on Sunday morning.
During the class, teachers will ask the students if they ever came across non-heterosexual families, what other types of families do they know and why "there are those who speak badly" about same-sex families?
"Families have many different forms," said the official transcript. "The number of parents or their gender identity does not affect our happiness and does not determine whether the family is good or not. What affects us is how we feel about our home and our parents."
"You cannot ignore the blatant remarks made by the minister, who thinks he has a god-given qualification to decide what is natural and what is normative," said in a statement Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. "There is no choice but to fight for our values and principles as a democratic society, where the citizen has the right to learn, know and decide what is normative and what is natural. "
The furor over Peretz's remarks - who last year spoke favorably about gay "conversion therapy" - reached into the cabinet, one of whose members is openly homosexual.
Likud Justice Minister Amir Ohana, who has children with a same-sex partner, condemned his cabinet colleague's remarks as "wretched, and not for the first time," adding that they "do not reflect the government's position".
"I grew up in a healthy, good and loving family, as are my children and the children of many LGBT members from all parts of the country, from all over the political spectrum," Ohana tweeted.
11 jan 2020
Amos Yadlin presents the INSS annual report to President Reuven Rivlin
All-out war in the north, escalation in Gaza and West Bank, and Iran an increasing threat, says assessment by INSS; Tel Aviv University institute recommends fresh bid for negotiations with Palestinians, restoration of relations with Jordan, making Israel a bilateral consensus issue in U.S. politics
The possibility of war in 2020 has risen, says a new report published this week by the Institute for National Security Studies, a think tank at Tel Aviv University.
At the center of this strategic assessment stands the tension between Israel's growing power and influence in the region, and the possibility of this current strength becoming fragile and temporary.
This tension stems from a list of factors that might lead in the coming year to a wide-scale conflict and even war in the region.
All of this due to Israel's conduct regarding several national security challenges: the growing tenacity and resolve of the Iranian regime, both in regards to its nuclear capabilities and its efforts to increase its foothold in Syria and other areas in order to operate against Israel; Hezbollah's efforts to achieve precision weapons; and Hamas' efforts to calm tensions in the Gaza Strip and influence the terms of its developing agreement with Israel.
These factors are happening while Israel is in the middle of an ongoing political crisis that has paralyzed its government for more than a year.
Soleimani's death – potential for strategic change
The presentation of the report to President Reuven Rivlin earlier this week took place in the shadow of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani's assassination by the U.S., an event that the institute's analysts say gives weight to a possible escalation in the region and the need for a new Israeli strategy.
The general's death might lead to new potential in the strategic reality in the region whose size and influence is yet to be seen.
Iran and the United States may still be contemplating further moves, which exemplifies the uncertainty, lack of stability and volatility that already characterize the Middle East over the past decade.
These moves could lead to a variety of scenarios: an escalation leading all the way to a wide-scale conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which might well involve Israel; a continuation of the current state of affairs between the two nations of proxy battles and targeted strikes; or even the postponement of an Iranian reaction when the level of alertness of the U.S. and its allies is lowered.
A scale of threats
War in the North: According to the Institute, Israel's most critical threat in 2020 is the possibility of a war along its northern border region with the armed forces posted there: Iran; Hezbollah in Lebanon; the Syrian regime and pro-Iranian militias.
Israel's challenges along the northern border have increased in the past year, with the IDF having to prepare for a multi-front war as the leading scenario in the area.
Such an escalation, should it deteriorate into all-out war, could transpire in one of two primary scenarios.
1. A "Third Lebanon War" with Hezbollah, a conflict that would be far more ferocious and deadlier than its 2006 predecessor.
2. "The First Northern War" with Hezbollah in Lebanon, but also with forces in Syria and even Iraq, Iran or other factors in the region.
The risk of such an escalation demands that Israel conduct a thorough debate on the pros and cons of any effort to stall the enemy acquiring better conventional weapons (as opposed to efforts to obtain nuclear capabilities, which has broad opposition).
Israel must hold a comprehensive debate on the concept of a "counter strike" against Hezbollah and the correct timing of such an action. It must also consider alternatives, given the terror organization's latest efforts to better the accuracy of its rocket arsenal.
Iran's nuclear program: The urgency of this threat is still rather low in 2020, but its future potential severity is far higher.
Israel must prepare itself for the most extreme scenario, despite its low immediacy, of Iran achieving a breakthrough on its way to a nuclear bomb.
Israel must simultaneously plan for two more realistic scenarios: A renewal of negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal (a low possibility given Soleimani's death) and the start of the "slow crawl" towards the bomb.
Both scenarios require deep understanding and joint plans, including a military one, with the United States.
War in the South: A potential flare-up between Hamas and Israel remains high, despite the ongoing efforts to reach a long-term agreement for calm. In any event, the threat of an escalation along Israel's southern border is far lower than in the north.
If Israel and Hamas do not implement an agreement, the possibility of wide-scale military confrontation in the Gaza Strip rises - a confrontation for which neither side has any real desire.
If such a battle occurs, Israel must be quick and maneuverable, focusing on the Hamas military wing, destroying the entire organization and conquering the enclave – and ultimately ending the flareup with diplomatic mediation resulting in a strong position for Israel.
2020 challenges
The Palestinians: The institute again urges the government to attempt to restart the peace negotiations. If this fails, steps must be taken to preserve the country's image as a Jewish, democratic, safe and moral nation.
Preparations for the day after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas steps down are necessary, so is the continued endorsement of economic development in the Palestinian Authority.
The institute sees great importance in the long-held publication of President Donald Trump's self-styled "Deal of the Century" Mideast peace proposal.
Such a plan will attempt to set new parameters for talks and recognize the new regional realities created in the past 50 years.
The assessment shows that a lack of new strategic planning regarding the Palestinians is detrimental to Israel and could lead to an escalation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
U.S. presidential elections: America will go to the polls this year.
The institute recommends that Israel emphasize that it has no wish for the U.S. to fight or spill blood on its behalf. Israel is a strategic asset and a trusted ally for America, therefore increasing its own military and diplomatic capabilities are the best course of action.
Israel must do all it can to return to being a consensus issue for both parties. It must also make a renewed effort to bring back the American Jewish public into the fold, a community that has lately distanced itself over the monopoly of Orthodox Judaism over Israeli Jewish life.
Sunni rapprochement: Israel must shatter the glass ceiling of cooperation with the pragmatic Sunni regimes in the Middle East.
The two key efforts for such a breakthrough are the marketing of its technological, economic and defense capabilities, which could assist these nations in their fight against Iran and to cope with economic and innovative challenges they face in the 21st century, and significant advancement of the Palestinian issue - giving these nations cover to increase their ties with Israel.
Jordan: The rebuilding of relationship between Israel in Jordan is a critical effort the institute believes must be taken.
Here too the "Fruits of Peace" (water, defense, gas, and joint projects) can play a role in reaching a settlement with the Palestinians, and are key to ending one of the lowest periods bilateral ties since the 1994 peace treaty.
Defense spending: Considering the increasing Iranian boldness and its continued presence in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, the IDF must increase its levels of preparedness on all fronts: Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, and the Palestinians.
A multi-year plan for the IDF must be implemented, including a foreign financial aid plan that has been on hold for the past two years, improve its striking capabilities against Iran, increase training, and work to implement strategic and operational plans suited to the current capabilities and action abilities developed by Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
"Israel's political stalemate could not come at the worst time," said Rivlin as he accepted the report from INSS Executive Director Amos Yadlin.
"Unfortunately, the central political players are aware of the current danger, but are refraining from working together and tto minimize the gaps between them."
All-out war in the north, escalation in Gaza and West Bank, and Iran an increasing threat, says assessment by INSS; Tel Aviv University institute recommends fresh bid for negotiations with Palestinians, restoration of relations with Jordan, making Israel a bilateral consensus issue in U.S. politics
The possibility of war in 2020 has risen, says a new report published this week by the Institute for National Security Studies, a think tank at Tel Aviv University.
At the center of this strategic assessment stands the tension between Israel's growing power and influence in the region, and the possibility of this current strength becoming fragile and temporary.
This tension stems from a list of factors that might lead in the coming year to a wide-scale conflict and even war in the region.
All of this due to Israel's conduct regarding several national security challenges: the growing tenacity and resolve of the Iranian regime, both in regards to its nuclear capabilities and its efforts to increase its foothold in Syria and other areas in order to operate against Israel; Hezbollah's efforts to achieve precision weapons; and Hamas' efforts to calm tensions in the Gaza Strip and influence the terms of its developing agreement with Israel.
These factors are happening while Israel is in the middle of an ongoing political crisis that has paralyzed its government for more than a year.
Soleimani's death – potential for strategic change
The presentation of the report to President Reuven Rivlin earlier this week took place in the shadow of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani's assassination by the U.S., an event that the institute's analysts say gives weight to a possible escalation in the region and the need for a new Israeli strategy.
The general's death might lead to new potential in the strategic reality in the region whose size and influence is yet to be seen.
Iran and the United States may still be contemplating further moves, which exemplifies the uncertainty, lack of stability and volatility that already characterize the Middle East over the past decade.
These moves could lead to a variety of scenarios: an escalation leading all the way to a wide-scale conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which might well involve Israel; a continuation of the current state of affairs between the two nations of proxy battles and targeted strikes; or even the postponement of an Iranian reaction when the level of alertness of the U.S. and its allies is lowered.
A scale of threats
War in the North: According to the Institute, Israel's most critical threat in 2020 is the possibility of a war along its northern border region with the armed forces posted there: Iran; Hezbollah in Lebanon; the Syrian regime and pro-Iranian militias.
Israel's challenges along the northern border have increased in the past year, with the IDF having to prepare for a multi-front war as the leading scenario in the area.
Such an escalation, should it deteriorate into all-out war, could transpire in one of two primary scenarios.
1. A "Third Lebanon War" with Hezbollah, a conflict that would be far more ferocious and deadlier than its 2006 predecessor.
2. "The First Northern War" with Hezbollah in Lebanon, but also with forces in Syria and even Iraq, Iran or other factors in the region.
The risk of such an escalation demands that Israel conduct a thorough debate on the pros and cons of any effort to stall the enemy acquiring better conventional weapons (as opposed to efforts to obtain nuclear capabilities, which has broad opposition).
Israel must hold a comprehensive debate on the concept of a "counter strike" against Hezbollah and the correct timing of such an action. It must also consider alternatives, given the terror organization's latest efforts to better the accuracy of its rocket arsenal.
Iran's nuclear program: The urgency of this threat is still rather low in 2020, but its future potential severity is far higher.
Israel must prepare itself for the most extreme scenario, despite its low immediacy, of Iran achieving a breakthrough on its way to a nuclear bomb.
Israel must simultaneously plan for two more realistic scenarios: A renewal of negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal (a low possibility given Soleimani's death) and the start of the "slow crawl" towards the bomb.
Both scenarios require deep understanding and joint plans, including a military one, with the United States.
War in the South: A potential flare-up between Hamas and Israel remains high, despite the ongoing efforts to reach a long-term agreement for calm. In any event, the threat of an escalation along Israel's southern border is far lower than in the north.
If Israel and Hamas do not implement an agreement, the possibility of wide-scale military confrontation in the Gaza Strip rises - a confrontation for which neither side has any real desire.
If such a battle occurs, Israel must be quick and maneuverable, focusing on the Hamas military wing, destroying the entire organization and conquering the enclave – and ultimately ending the flareup with diplomatic mediation resulting in a strong position for Israel.
2020 challenges
The Palestinians: The institute again urges the government to attempt to restart the peace negotiations. If this fails, steps must be taken to preserve the country's image as a Jewish, democratic, safe and moral nation.
Preparations for the day after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas steps down are necessary, so is the continued endorsement of economic development in the Palestinian Authority.
The institute sees great importance in the long-held publication of President Donald Trump's self-styled "Deal of the Century" Mideast peace proposal.
Such a plan will attempt to set new parameters for talks and recognize the new regional realities created in the past 50 years.
The assessment shows that a lack of new strategic planning regarding the Palestinians is detrimental to Israel and could lead to an escalation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
U.S. presidential elections: America will go to the polls this year.
The institute recommends that Israel emphasize that it has no wish for the U.S. to fight or spill blood on its behalf. Israel is a strategic asset and a trusted ally for America, therefore increasing its own military and diplomatic capabilities are the best course of action.
Israel must do all it can to return to being a consensus issue for both parties. It must also make a renewed effort to bring back the American Jewish public into the fold, a community that has lately distanced itself over the monopoly of Orthodox Judaism over Israeli Jewish life.
Sunni rapprochement: Israel must shatter the glass ceiling of cooperation with the pragmatic Sunni regimes in the Middle East.
The two key efforts for such a breakthrough are the marketing of its technological, economic and defense capabilities, which could assist these nations in their fight against Iran and to cope with economic and innovative challenges they face in the 21st century, and significant advancement of the Palestinian issue - giving these nations cover to increase their ties with Israel.
Jordan: The rebuilding of relationship between Israel in Jordan is a critical effort the institute believes must be taken.
Here too the "Fruits of Peace" (water, defense, gas, and joint projects) can play a role in reaching a settlement with the Palestinians, and are key to ending one of the lowest periods bilateral ties since the 1994 peace treaty.
Defense spending: Considering the increasing Iranian boldness and its continued presence in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, the IDF must increase its levels of preparedness on all fronts: Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, and the Palestinians.
A multi-year plan for the IDF must be implemented, including a foreign financial aid plan that has been on hold for the past two years, improve its striking capabilities against Iran, increase training, and work to implement strategic and operational plans suited to the current capabilities and action abilities developed by Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
"Israel's political stalemate could not come at the worst time," said Rivlin as he accepted the report from INSS Executive Director Amos Yadlin.
"Unfortunately, the central political players are aware of the current danger, but are refraining from working together and tto minimize the gaps between them."
