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Military prosecutors indicted five Palestinian men suspected of murdering 18-year-old yeshiva student Dvir Sorek in August on behalf of the Hamas terror group. Two of the men are believed to have carried out the stabbing itself, while the other three are accused of helping plan and prepare for the attack, the Israel Defense Forces said. Also this week, Israeli security forces arrested the terrorists involved in the murder of 17-year-old Rina Shnerb, who was killed in a bombing in the West Bank last month that also wounded her father and brother.
Thousands of Arab Israelis held protests and observed a general strike in response to a wave of deadly violence within their communities, demanding police action to stem it. Following a call by Arab leaders, schools and businesses in Arab towns closed up. Out of solidarity, the newly elected Arab lawmakers of the Knesset skipped the official swearing-in ceremony. Organizers claim Israeli police largely ignore the violence in their minority communities, everything from family feuds and mafia turf wars to domestic violence and so-called honor killings.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a snap leadership vote in his Likud party, a spokesman said on Thursday, adding a new twist to Israeli politics after two deadlocked general elections this year. A leadership vote would give Netanyahu an opportunity to win a new mandate from his party, weighing the idea of "shattering the illusion of a Likud rebellion" against him and persuading any political rivals who might be anticipating one that they should join a unity government with him now. Meanwhile, at the swearing in of the 22nd Knesset on Thursday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin reiterated his desire to see a unity government.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps general says Iran has the capability to destroy Israel. The comments of Major General Hossein Salami come just two days after the IRGC's deputy commander threatened that "nothing will be left of Israel" if Israel attacks Iran. In recent months, Israel has reportedly targeted Iranian military assets in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon—actions intended to prevent the regime from attacking the Jewish state.
Israel is quietly allowing Palestinians to enter from the Gaza Strip to conduct business and work jobs as part of an unofficial, Egyptian-brokered truce with Hamas, the ruling terror group. In an effort to minimize rocket fire from the blockaded territory, and to reduce the number of protests along the border, Israel has recently offered various forms of relief.
Defense lawyers representing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have presented their arguments in response to bribery, fraud, and breach-of-trust indictments. The closed-door hearings represent the culmination of three years of investigations, and come as Israel’s longest-serving leader is vying for his political life. By clinching the premiership for an historic fifth term, Netanyahu, if ultimately indicted, may have secured himself an element of protection. By law, Israeli prime ministers are not required to step down unless (and until) they are convicted—a process that could take years to conclude.
As the Jewish High Holidays continue, we wish those observing Yom Kippur an easy fast.
Shabbat Shalom and Yom Tov,
Jackie Congedo, Director, JCRC
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