As the Israel Defense Forces early Thursday morning were allegedly striking military targets close to Damascus, Syrian troops launched an advanced surface-to-air-missile whose mid-air explosion sprayed debris deep inside the Jewish state near the nuclear reactor in Dimona.
Incoming rocket siren activated in southern Israel between Beersheba and Dimona. This is not a normal area for an incoming rocket attack https://t.co/cQ8rXNdrbb
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) April 21, 2021
A Syrian military defector said Israel targeted locations near the town of Dumair, some 40km northeast of Damascus, where Iranian-backed fighters maintain a presence. The IDF has repeatedly struck sites in Syria in an attempt to prevent Iranian entrenchment in the country, as well as to halt the shipment of weapons to Teheran’s Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror proxy.
Reports from across Israel’s center, including Jerusalem, described “loud explosions” that “shook the houses.” IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman stressed that the military did not believe this was a deliberate attack on the country’s nuclear facility: “There was no intention of hitting the nuclear reactor in Dimona,” he said.
The exchange between Israel and Syria comes against the backdrop of apparent tit-for-tat military exchanges at sea between the Jewish state and the Islamic Republic, a key ally of Syria. Iran has accused Israel of perpetrating this month’s bombing at the Natanz nuclear facility.
As international negotiations progress towards restoring the 2015 accord limiting Iran’s nuclear program, suspicion is reportedly growing between Israel and the United States. Israel’s National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat has allegedly raised concerns with American officials that Washington is not adequately taking into account Jerusalem’s positions as the White House attempts to re-enter the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
For its part, the Biden Administration reportedly believes that Israel is not sufficiently heeding requests for “no surprises” regarding Iran.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and other officials are on Thursday slated to meet to coordinate upcoming high-level talks with US officials. Among those set to travel to Washington are Ben-Shabbat, Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi and Military Intelligence commander Tamir Hayman.
Netanyahu and other high-ranking government and military officials have publicly expressed opposition to the US’ possible return to the JCPOA.
Facebook disabled accounts used by the Palestinian Authority to spy on journalists, human rights activists and political opponents, the social media giant revealed in a statement. It alleged that the PA’s security services targeted “…people opposing the Fatah-led government…and military groups,” primarily in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Syria.
Among other methods, the Palestinian Preventive Security Service used “low-sophistication malware disguised as secure chat applications” to infiltrate Android smartphones and collect information, including “call logs, location, contacts and text messages,” according to Facebook. The PSS also used fake accounts depicting primarily young women with the goal of spying on political opponents.
Additionally, Facebook announced it had identified and disabled “politically motivated” spying operations by a Gaza-based group thought to be affiliated with Hamas, designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and other countries.
The PA is known to routinely engage in unwarranted arrests and torture of critics.
Starting this week, Holocaust survivors will be able to stay free of charge at a five-star hotel in Jerusalem. The Friends of Zion Museum (FOZ) opened a guesthouse, tailored for and accessible to survivors, featuring seven rooms. The project is an initiative of Dr. Mike Evans, founder of FOZ, and was built at a cost of approximately NIS 10 million ($3 million).
The first five guests checked in this week, and as part of the program they celebrated their bar and bat mitzvahs at the Western Wall. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, chief rabbi of the site, joined in the festivities. During World War II, many Holocaust survivors were deprived of having their bar and bat mitzvahs.
Some 300 Holocaust survivors have already registered to stay at the hotel in the coming year.
Recommended Reading
- Amid Rising Hate Crimes Against Jews, EU Announces $2 Billion ‘Comprehensive Strategy’ to Counter Antisemitism and Intolerance (Ben Cohen, Algemeiner)
- The Strategic Implications of the Damage at Natanz (Eran Lerman, Jewish News Syndicate)
- Sarah Halimi Murder: No Excuse for Killing, Hating Jews (Jerusalem Post)
- It’s Lucky the Palestinians Have Israel to Blame (Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom)
- Is Your Name on This List? Your Jewish Roots Might Be in Cairo, Baghdad or Nearby (Asaf Shalev, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
