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Hezbollah Escalation: Defense Minister Benny Gantz issued a clear threat to the Hezbollah terror group while overlooking the northern border on Sunday, saying that the Jewish state was prepared to take harsh action against “anyone who tests us,” as the Lebanese militia was suspected of planning to strike Israel in retaliation for the death of one of its fighters earlier this week. Gantz also indicated that Israel would continue to act in Syria and Lebanon, despite the tensions, in order to ensure its security.
Meanwhile, the deputy leader of Hezbollah played down the prospect of an escalation of violence between the Iran-backed movement and Israel. “The atmosphere does not indicate a war … It’s unlikely, the atmosphere of war in the next few months,” Sheikh Naim Qassem said in an interview with pro-Damascus television station al Mayadeen.
Also on Sunday, Israel said a military drone crashed in southern Lebanon. Israel Defense Forces said the drone went down over Lebanese territory “during operational activities” along the border. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes and drones flew over southern Lebanon throughout Sunday.
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The government on Sunday approved the NIS 6.5 billion “Check for All”stimulus plan, championed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Israel Katz. The plan is designed to offer benefits to Israelis hurt by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the health restrictions imposed by the state. Scaled in relation to children per family, benefits begin with NIS 2,000 for a family with one child and increase by NIS 500 for each additional offspring up to three (NIS 2,500 for two, NIS 3,000 for three). Individuals above the age of 18 who are not parents are to receive NIS 750 to their bank account. The National Insurance Institute (NII) is set to wire the funds.
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A host of politicians, celebrities, high-profile figures, well-known organizations and thousands of users have committed to signing off of Twitter for two days starting on Monday morning to protest antisemitic hate on the social media platform. The protest, promoted under the hashtag #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate, was sparked by Twitter’s handling of a recent antisemitic rant by UK rap artist Wiley, and came as anti-hate groups have stepped up pressure for social media platforms to clamp down on rampant hate speech.
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Antisemitism Watch: The bodies of 286 Jewish people, mostly women and children, were found in a basement below the town square marketplace in Sataniv, Ukraine. During World War II these people were murdered in gas chambers in two separate basements, according to Israel’s Ynet News, citing the KGB’s records as well as eye-witness accounts from those who returned to the city after the war.
Rapper Jay Electronica appeared to call Jews antisemites in a series of tweets railing against Rabbi Abraham Cooper, who recently spoke with Nick Cannon about comments made on the TV star’s online show. “Rabbi Abraham Cooper is a COWARD who LIED to our brother Nick Canon about the history of the caucasian race. Ask him does he stand behind the VILE TEACHINGS of the Talmud? Don’t be a coward next time Cooper you DEVIL,” Jay Electronica tweeted on Saturday.
Jewish groups in Philadelphia have called for the firing of the head of the local NAACP, Rodney Muhammad, who posted a known antisemitic meme on his public Facebook page. The meme, known as “the Happy Merchant,” is an antisemitic image used by extremists that the Anti-Defamation League says is commonly used by white supremacists.
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