Israel

Rocket Retaliation

Israeli warplanes pounded a slew of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday in retaliation for a rocket barrage a day prior.

According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, targets included a Hamas training camp, an air-defense system, and a factory that produced cement for terror tunnels.

“The attack was carried out as a response to the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli territory earlier this evening,” said the IDF.

No one was injured in Thursday’s rocket attack, which came in the waning hours of Israel’s 73rd Independence Day. The rockets triggered sirens in Sderot and Nir Amim and landed in an open field.

Israel holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire emanating from the Gaza Strip and commonly retaliates by targeting the group’s infrastructure even when the missiles were fired by competing terror organizations.

Rocket attacks have grown increasingly rare in recent months as Hamas turns its attention to battling the COVID-19 in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has also reportedly ordered a halt to offensive operations ahead of the imminent Palestinian elections in an effort to soften its international image.

Helping Our Wounded Soldiers

vamp its treatment of soldiers wounded during their military service.

The plan is being put together by Ziv Shilon, a former IDF company commander who lost an arm during a terror attack and has since become an advocate for disabled veterans. Shilon was appointed the head of a commission directly subordinate to the defense minister and will present a plan with suggestions to the Israeli government within 30 days.

The planned reforms will focus on treating veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and will include a special request for government funding to provide what officials called “a financial shot in the arm.”

Upon announcing the initiative, Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Eshel admitted that the current treatment afforded to disabled veterans by the Rehabilitation Division is “incompetent” and “lacking” significant resources.

“The quality of service for IDF disabled people is insufficient, and the Rehabilitation Division has failed in its role,” said Eshel.

“We are determined to resolve them,” added Eshel, a former IDF general. “We are talking about adding staff for disabled caregivers directly. We will make some changes within the ministry but it will be difficult and complex.”

The planned reforms come after disabled IDF veteran Itzik Saiden set himself on fire on Yom HaZikaron outside the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Division headquarters to protest what he said was its frequent neglect and insufficient care of wounded vets. Saiden, who has been battling PTSD since 2014’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, had been recognized as only 25% disabled despite being unable to sleep, hold down a job, or drive.

Saiden’s actions sparked an uproar in Israel, a country in which the majority serve in the military. In a series of Facebook posts and then television interviews, hundreds of disabled veterans spoke of the rampant neglect and bloated bureaucracy that made it difficult for soldiers to recover after being wounded in action.

In one viral video, a prominent Channel 12 journalist shot during an arrest in Nablus recounted how doctors measured his shrapnel wounds with a tape measure to lower his disability claim. Others spoke of a system that assumes that most soldiers are embellishing their injuries in order to enjoy larger monthly compensation payments.

On Sunday, hundreds of wounded soldiers blocked traffic in Tel Aviv to raise attention to their plight. Despite causing gridlock that lasted for hours, many drivers waited patiently and even honked their horns to show support for the angry veterans.

Meeting with IDF Disabled Veterans Organization officials on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “completely reform” the “terrible injustice” under his watch.

“The distress of handicapped and wounded IDF veterans is real. We have not updated the arrangements among them in many years. Both first aid and comprehensive reforms are needed,” Netanyahu said.

Israel-Greece Weapons Deal

Israel and Greece signed a mammoth weapons deal this week that will see the Jewish State build a flight training center for the Hellenic Air Force.

The deal was announced by the Defense Ministry on Sunday and is worth $1.65 billion, the largest ever arms procurement package in Israel’s history. As per the terms of the agreement, Israel’s Elbit Systems will build, maintain, and staff the training center in Greece for the next 20 years.

Elbit will also supply Greece with ten M-346 training aircraft known in Israel as the “Lavi” and overhaul its T-6 training jets. The company will also provide the Hellenic Air Force with “simulators, training and logistic support.”

The deal was first hammered out in January and received final approval on Friday. The Defense Ministry hailed the mammoth arms package, calling it an example of the flourishing strategic and security ties between Athens and Jerusalem.

“In the future, the parties will also consider areas of cooperation between the Israeli flight academy and Hellenic Airforce Academy,” said the Defense Ministry.

“This agreement reflects the excellent and developing relations we have with Greece. It is a long-term partnership that will serve the interests of both Israel and Greece, create hundreds of jobs in both countries, and promote stability in the Mediterranean,” added Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

“This contract award attests to the leading position we hold in the area of training, providing tested knowhow and proven technologies that improve readiness while reducing costs,” said Elbit CEO Bezhalel Machlis.

The deal comes amid warming bilateral relations between Greece and Israel that span disparate areas such as the economy, military, and the battle against Turkey’s assertiveness in the Mediterranean Sea.

PM Process Proposal

A new proposal would see Israelis elect prime ministers via direct election rather than the current parliamentary system.

Promoted by Shas leader Aryeh Deri, the proposal attempts to solve Israel’s inextricable political deadlock that has seen the country suffer an unprecedented four elections over the past two years. Unlike the current system, the premier would be elected directly by Israeli citizens as opposed to today’s system, in which he or she is chosen by a minimum of 61 MKs.

The proposal would see Israelis heading back to the polls to pick a prime minister. There would not be another election for the Knesset, which would keep the final tally recorded in last month’s election. Following the vote, the prime minister would still