US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed a “collective response” to Iran’s alleged drone attack last week on the Israeli-managed Mercer Street shipping vessel. Israel, the US and the United Kingdom have all said that Tehran was behind the deadly attack, in which a British security guard and a Romanian crew member were killed.
“We are in very close contact, in coordination, with the United Kingdom, Israel, Romania and other countries. And there will be a collective response,” Blinken told reporters.
Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with his incoming Israeli counterpart Eyal Hulata. According to a White House statement, the two discussed “the strategic challenges in the region, including the threat posed by Iran.”
The two reportedly agreed to consult closely on all issues. Sullivan and Hulata also exchanged views about “advancing the normalization of relations between Israel and countries in the Arab and Muslim world and recent positive developments in Israel’s relationship with Jordan.”
Israel has slammed the European Union’s “shameful” decision to send a diplomat to the inauguration of Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi. Enrique Mora, the Deputy-Secretary General of the European External Action Service, will reportedly attend the ceremony presided over by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Known as the ‘butcher of Tehran,’ Raisi is accused of green-lighting extrajudicial executions of political prisoners and is on a blacklist of Iranian officials subject to US sanctions.
“The participation of the EU representative in the ceremony comes just a few days after Iran killed two civilians, one of whom was from an EU member state, in an act of state terrorism against civilian shipping,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The missive added: “Flattery and subservience to violent totalitarian regimes only invites more violence and aggression. We strongly urge the EU to quickly cancel its shameful participation.”
Israel’s Supreme Court offered Arabs living in contested homes in the Sheikh Jarrah/Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem a compromise. Under the proposal, the residents would be granted “protected status,” a designation that effectively prevents their potential eviction in the “coming years.”
In return, individuals from the four families in question would be allowed to stay for two decades while paying a small — essentially symbolic — rent fee of 1500 NIS per year ($465) to the Jewish trusts that owned the land before Israel’s establishment in 1948 and petitioned for the houses’ return.
“People must continue to live there and that’s the idea, to try to reach a practical arrangement without making various declarations,” said Justice Isaac Amit, one of three judges that heard the case. “We have seen how much this interests the media. We want a practical solution,” he added.
However, both sides in the legal dispute appeared unwilling to accept the court’s suggestion of a settlement. Justice Amit called for further documentation and said a final decision would be issued later, without setting a date.
Last week, local media reported that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was disinclined to evict the Arabs, even if the court upheld the legality of the prospective move. The Israeli leader’s rationale: To maintain a fragile calm in Jerusalem following mass Palestinian rioting in April and May that, in turn, lay the groundwork for the 11-day Hamas-initiated war against the Jewish state.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is reportedly considering imposing a lockdown during the Jewish holidays in September after a wave of new coronavirus cases was recorded on Monday. A total of 3,161 people tested positive for the virus while 217 patients are in critical condition in hospital.
Bennett also warned that not enough Israelis had received a booster dose of the vaccine, despite 55,000 people having been administered a third shot on Monday.
The coronavirus cabinet was set to convene on Tuesday to discuss introducing restrictions in a bid to curb the number of daily cases. “We are considering tightening the green pass [that provides vaccinated individuals with privileges] and additional measures as much as possible, without harming economic activity,” said Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash.
People could be forced to wear face masks while attending large outdoor gatherings and limits on the number of workers allowed in public offices could also be introduced.
The spike in cases comes amid claims the COVID-19 global death toll is more than a million higher than the figure reported. Israeli researchers at the Hebrew University have argued authoritarian regimes are understating the number of people who have died in a bid to downplay the seriousness of outbreaks in their countries.
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Recommended Reading
- Another Huge Mohamed Hadid “Own Goal” (David Lange, Israelly Cool)
- IRGC Networks Exposed in New Report (Lauren Morganbesser, Jerusalem Post)
- Ben and Jerry’s Israeli Boycott is Contrary to Company’s “Human Rights and Decency” Values (Joel Griffith, The Heritage Foundation)
- Spanish Pro-Israel Organization Denounces Political Party for ‘Glorifying’ Palestinian Terrorist Group (Benjamin Kerstein, The Algemeiner)
