The IDF has prepared for the possibility of renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip, following warnings by Hamas regarding Tuesday’s so-called flag march in Jerusalem that traverses parts of the Old City. Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk said that “striking all of Israel’s cities” was an option.
For his part, Defense Minister Benny Gantz has reportedly approved a series of targets likely to be struck by the Israeli military in Gaza if hostilities break out. Additionally, Iron Dome missile defense batteries have reportedly been deployed to various parts of the country.
The original parade was cut short on May 10 when Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem, a move that sparked an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza-based terror groups.
Organizers of the flag march said that they had reached an agreement with Israel Police on the parade’s route. It will begin on Hanevi’im Street and head towards Damascus Gate, where participants will dance with Israeli flags. They won’t enter through that entrance to the Old City — which leads directly to the Muslim Quarter — and instead will head to Jaffa Gate. Participants will then make their way to the Western Wall.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain both reached out to the new Israeli government, indicating that the normalization deals forged under former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and mediated by the Trump administration would remain in effect. UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, with the two discussing “mutual cooperation and Abrahamic Accords.”
I had the great pleasure of speaking to the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates @ABZayed this evening and I look forward to working with him to build on the warm and unique relations between our two countries for the benefit of our peoples and the entire Middle East.
— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid🟠 (@yairlapid) June 14, 2021
Earlier, Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa congratulated Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Lapid on the formation of a new government. “The crown prince expresses his sincere wishes that the newly formed government will enhance development, stability, and peace in the region and the world,” the statement said.
Lapid said that building on the Abraham Accords — which also has as signatories both Morocco and Sudan — was a top priority. Israel’s top diplomat also highlighted improving ties with neighboring Jordan, praising King Abdullah as “an important strategic ally.”
Relations between Jerusalem and Amman have been strained over the past several years.
The United States Senate passed a resolution “unequivocally condemning the recent rise in antisemitic violence and harassment targeting Jewish Americans,” and reaffirming that Washington is “standing in solidarity with those affected by antisemitism.”
Sponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK), the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism’s 58 members — 29 from each party — urged US President Biden to nominate an Ambassador to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. Additionally, the resolution seeks to “ensure the physical security of Jewish institutions and organizations.”
The Jewish Federations of North America praised the move, stating that it “sends a clear message against antisemitism in all its manifestations in the US and around the world.”
In April, the Anti-Defamation League reported that antisemitic incidents rose to historic high levels across the United States in 2020. The ADL also stated that an overwhelming majority of American Jews want to see their federal and state leaders make a greater effort to combat Jew-hatred.
Israel’s Health Ministry has announced that masks are no longer required to be worn indoors. The mask mandate was the last of the major coronavirus restrictions to be lifted.
As a result, businesses and venues around the country will be able to resume operating as they did prior to the pandemic, as masks will no longer be required in places of commerce, workspaces, educational institutions, or other enclosed public spaces.
However, the rollback has several exceptions. Masks will still be mandatory for those who have not been vaccinated; people in long-term care facilities or nursing homes; and individuals either traveling by plane or en route to quarantine upon arrival in the country.
The Health Ministry also noted that should Israel’s ongoing campaign to vaccinate youths between the ages of 12 and 15 prove successful, the requirement to wear masks in schools may be lifted as well.
The near-total lifting of the mask mandate comes as the number of active COVID-19 cases in Israel has dipped to 212, down from 88,000 active infections recorded at the peak of the crisis.
HonestReporting is pleased to inform you that it is organizing a remarkable mission to the Jewish state from October 5-12, 2021.
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Recommended Reading
- Changing the Focus of Israel Advocacy (Larry D. Weiss, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies)
- Is the Biden Administration Enabling PA’s ‘Pay-for-Slay’? (Irit Tratt, Israel Hayom)
- Media Lies About Sheikh Jarrah Feed a False Narrative (James Sinkinson, Jewish News Syndicate)
- What Does Archaeology Tell Us About the Origins of Judaism? (Rossella Tercatin, Jerusalem Post)
