Richard Goldstone\’s retraction of key findings in his report to the United Nations on the Gaza war has spurred a new round of anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories in the Arab world, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering withdrawing Israeli troops from the West Bank, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported. Tuesday\’s report comes a day after Netanyahu said during a meeting with the ambassadors of European Union countries that he believes there is little chance of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians resuming anytime soon, and that he is considering what actions to take if negotiations are not resumed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly has canceled a meeting with pop star Justin Bieber after the singer refused to meet with children from southern Israel.
The condition of an Israeli teenager injured in a Palestinian rocket attack on a school bus has worsened. Daniel Viflic\’s condition was downgraded Tuesday to extremely critical and life threatening, according to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
The Israel Defense Forces\’ aid delegation to Japan returned home, leaving medical equipment behind for local doctors to use. The delegation, which brought 62 tons of medical supplies and 18 tons of humanitarian aid to the city of Minami-Sanriko, hard hit by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in March, landed in Israel on Tuesday.
Discussions on new construction in eastern Jerusalem have been postponed reportedly due to pressure from the Prime Minister\’s Office. The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee tabled its talks scheduled for this week on projects to build nearly 1,000 apartments in Har Homa and 600 in Pisgat Ze\’ev until May 5, Haaretz reported.
Despite Israel’s rejection of the Goldstone report on the Gaza war a year-and-a-half ago, the international criticism it engendered has led the Israel Defense Forces to make a number of significant changes in policy and doctrine. And they\’ll stay even though Richard Goldstone has recanted one of the most significant findings of his committee\’s report — that Israel intentionally targeted civilians and may have perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel\’s military is ordering four more Iron Dome missile defense systems, which successfully deployed during recent rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it would order the batteries from the Israel-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems at a cost of up to $80 million each. The units reportedly will be delivered in a year-and-a-half and be ready for immediate use.
Israeli security forces believe that there will soon be a breakthrough in the investigation into the Itamar murders, in which five family members were stabbed to death in their home. On Sunday, Israel Defense Forces soldiers arrested more Palestinian suspects in Samarea in the West Bank, after dozens were already taken in for questioning regarding the Itamar murders.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.