Arrow 3 Missile Defense Goes Into Operation

Today’s Top Stories

1. The Israeli Air Force received the first battery of Arrow 3 long range missile interceptors (pictured above in a 2015 test launch). Developed with the US, the system is designed to shoot down inter-continental ballistic missile outside the atmosphere. The Times of Israel notes:

With the Arrow 3 system declared operational, Israel and the United States may now be the only countries capable of shooting down ballistic missiles in space.

The first tier of Israel’s missile defense, Iron Dome, has been operational for several years, protecting Israel from short-range threats like Hamas’s Qassam rockets. Work continues on Israel’s third tier of missile defense — David’s Sling, which is being developed to counter medium-range threats like the lower altitude missiles possessed by Hezbollah.

2. Now it makes sense: The recent Al-Jazeera series purporting to expose Zionist conspiracies in the UK (debunked by Stephen Pollard and Brendan O’Neill, among others) may have been engineered by Labour Party Corbynistas. Were they trying to divert attention from their own party’s anti-Semitism woes?

Harry’s Place dug up a tweeted photo from 2015 featuring all the principals. Seamus Milne pushed The Guardian’s anti-Israel agenda for years before joining Corbyn as his right-hand man. Why apologize for anti-Semitism when you can manufacture a cheap crisis instead?

The people in the photo below are (from left) Ewen MacAskill of The Guardian, Clayton Swisher Director of Investigative Journalism at al Jazeera, Seamus Milne Labour Party’s Executive Director of Strategy and Communications, Phil Rees Investigations Manager at al Jazeera Media Network and Will Jordan Al Jazeera Investigative Producer.

https://twitter.com/claytonswisher/status/570619477471191040

3. A new wave of false bomb threats disrupted 30 Jewish schools and other institutions around the US on Wednesday. Less than two weeks ago, a number of Jewish institutions around the US received similar bomb threats. No bombs were found in any of the locations.

Goldenberg said his organization was consulting with federal authorities, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. He said there was no information as to the perpetrator, but noted an increase in social media threats, particularly from the far right.

4. Conference Speaker Understands Terrorism, Misunderstands Anti-Semitism: Despite the academic veneer, a conference calling for the dismantling of Israel is anti-Semitic.

5. Video: Reuters and Israel: Do Ethics Matter? If Reuters employees like the Jerusalem bureau chief don’t follow their company’s own rules on ethics, is it any wonder we see so much bias?

Israel and the Palestinians

• The Israeli Arab sector held a general strike to protest yesterday’s violence in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran and the demolition of 10 buildings. An Israeli police officer, Erez Levy, was killed after being hit by a Bedouin driver. Police say they shot the driver, Yacoub Abu al Kiyan, for trying to run them over. The Bedouins say Kiyan lost control of his car after being shot for no reason.

Meanwhile, the Times of Israel gauges the mood of Umm al-Hiran’s residents.

• Israel, Jordan began building a free trade zone which, when completed, will create 13,000 jobs. Globes expands on the benefits. It’s more than a free flow of workers and goods, tax exemptions or regulatory concessions:

The two greatest benefits, however, lie elsewhere. The first is that the factories will be able to obtain Jordanian, Israel, and neutral (made in Jordan Gateway) certificates of origin. This will enable the Jordanians to conceal, if only slightly, their cooperation with the Zionist entity, and enable Israeli companies to export to countries previously uninterested in their output.

 

The second great advantage is what is referred to in politically correct language as an “attractive labor force” – in other words, Jordanian labor is cheaper than cheap. The Jordanian worker does not benefit from the labor laws that Israel has (minimum wage and so forth), and is paid something like three dinars (NIS 16) a day. Even if the Israeli enterprise multiples his wages to the huge sum of NIS 1,000 a month, it is very worthwhile for the employer, whether Israeli or foreign. It is also worthwhile for Jordan, by the way – employment there is sky high.

• According to Haaretz, a Knesset bill to annex Maale Adumim will include annexing a controversial adjoining area of land known as E1. Regardless of whether you favor or oppose annexation, E1 doesn’t cut the West Bank in two.

• Donald Trump to Israel HaYom: ‘I did not forget’ promise to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem.

• Likud MK Ayoub Kara to become Israel’s first Druze cabinet minister.

• Outgoing US ambassador Daniel Shapiro sat down for exit interviews with Haaretz and the Times of Israel, reflecting on the ups and downs of six years in Israel and his next steps.

• In a good sign for Palestinian tourism, Ramallah and Bethlehem hotels are becoming increasingly popular.

Around the World

• Bar-Ilan University study reveals manifestations of anti-Semitism in Australian public schools.

According to the researchers, many Jewish students in government primary and high schools prefer to hide the fact that they are Jewish in order to avoid bullying. Their parents minimize the significance of the verbal attacks and prefer to downplay them so as not to arouse attention. Teachers and principals deny that there is a problem. So Jewish students wind up accepting verbal bullying, which they believe they have to adjust to as normal behavior because the undercurrent of anti-Semitism on the playground is endemic and longstanding.

• Prominent white supremacist blogger outed for having a Jewish wife, forced to resign from website he created.

• Swastika drawn in snow at home of Canadian Jewish newspaper columnist Sara McCleary. See McCleary’s response.

• JTA: Two US Senators introduced a bipartisan bill “which would increase legal protection for state and local governments” that pass anti-BDS legislation.

Commentary/Analysis

• Here’s what else I’m reading today . . .

– Amb. Ron Prosor: The lame ducks in Paris did nothing except reward the Palestinians for their stubbornness
– Cnaan Liphshiz: Britain again breaks ranks with Europe — this time over Israel
– Wall St. Journal (staff-ed): The Paris peace charade (click via Twitter)
– Suha Halifa: Trump cast long shadow over tepid Paris conference
– Dominic Green: BDS and the intersectionality of fools
– Dorothy Finlay: Palestinian life in occupied territories not as bad now
– Alex Fishman: Gazans are fed up with Hamas
– Giulio Meotti: Pope Francis strengthens Palestinian refusal to end hostilities with Israel
– Toby Dershowitz, Gardner Lange: Honor Alberto Nisman’s sacrifice by continuing his probe of Iran

Featured image: via US Dept. of Defense;

For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream and join the IDNS on Facebook.

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