ICEJ News Briefs

Snow was falling on the Golan Heights Monday morning while much of the rest of the country was hit by rain, wind and freezing temperatures. School was delayed or cancelled in many communities while many private businesses and a handful of government offices also shut for the day. Children in Jerusalem eagerly asked their parents about the possibility of snow, but by early afternoon there was no sign of it and forecasters were projecting a rise in temperatures as the week continues.

Tensions High Between Israel and the Palestinians

Rockets were fired into Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip over the weekend amidst riots and unrest in the West Bank and in neighbourhoods of eastern Jerusalem. One Palestinian rioter was shot dead by Israeli soldiers during a confrontation in the town of Qaffin near Tulkarm, north of Jerusalem. Clashes also took place in Jericho and in several smaller villages.

“The lawless conduct of Hamas leadership is bringing us closer to fatal action against them. We will not announce when or where, but no one will be immune,” Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said following a situation assessment in the Gaza Division on Sunday afternoon. “The State of Israel does not want a war with Hamas in Gaza, but we have a commitment to the security of southern residents. Hamas faces the choice: to choose life and economic prosperity or to choose terror and pay an unbearable price.”

Here is a video giving some analysis of this situation

Please accept all cookies to see this content or watch content here.

Iran Fails to Place Satellite in Orbit

On Sunday, reports indicated that Iran’s latest attempt to launch a satellite into orbit around the earth was another failure. Although the rocket booster managed to reach outer space without exploding on this, Iran’s fourth attempt, the satellite did not reach sufficient speed to enter into a stable orbit. Israel and many Western governments have accused Iran of using its space program as a cover for the development of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles for the purpose of delivering nuclear warheads, a charge the clerical regime in Teheran vehemently denies.

Arab Media Blames Israel and the US for Coronavirus

A review of coverage of the coronavirus outbreak by some of the largest Arab-language media outlets in the Middle East shows that many of these media outlets point an accusing finger at Israel and the US for deliberately planting the virus in China as part of an asymmetric campaign of economic and psychological warfare. Some of the reports even allege that Israel and the US have long used manufactured diseases as part of an evil plot to spread fear among the world population and reap profits from selling medical equipment to desperate governments.

Israel Blesses the World

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) announced recently that they have developed a new technological innovation in the field of renewable energy. The machine turns carbon-containing waste products such as banana peels and egg shells, as well as inorganic materials such as used tires and light plastics, into gases which can be used in the production of electricity. The research was funded by government agencies and private donars.