A WAR ON TOP OF ISRAEL'S BLM-LIKE CHAOS

Israel Attacks Syrian Army, Prepares for Assault From Lebanon

 

Israel Today 

July 26, 2020

 

Israel Air Force (IAF) helicopter gunships attacked Syrian army outposts on the Golan Heights on Friday night, even as Israeli reinforcements were being deployed along the border with Lebanon.

The strike on the Syrian army positions left two Syrian soldiers and two terrorist militiamen wounded, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). It came in response to Syrian army gunfire into the Israeli Golan Heights earlier in the day. That gunfire damaged a car and a building in the Israeli Druze town of Majdal Shams.

Following the retaliatory action, the Israeli army (IDF) issued a statement reading: “We hold the Syrian regime responsible and will respond to any violation of Israeli sovereignty.”

 

Looming Lebanon war

Meanwhile, Israel over the weekend sent reinforcements and reconfigured military deployments along its northern border.

IDF officials believe that Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist militia will soon launch an assault on northern Israel after one of its militants was killed last week in an IAF strike on Iranian targets in Syria.

Hezbollah is deeply involved in Syria’s ongoing civil war.

“In light of the assessment of the situation in the IDF and in accordance with the defense plan of the Northern Command, the IDF’s deployment in the military and civilian space will change in order to strengthen the defense on the northern border,” the army said on Saturday night.

Roads along the border have been closed to allow the IDF to maneuver more easily.

Army officials do not expect the Hezbollah response to be too severe. The terror group cannot afford a major clash with Israel having lost so many of its fighters in Syria. Still, Hezbollah has a large missile arsenal pointed at the Jewish state, and any major bombardment or the abduction of Israelis on the border would necessitate a significant IDF retaliation.

There is also the possibility that with Lebanon on the verge of collapse, Hezbollah might see war with Israel as a means of solidifying its position in the country amid growing civil unrest.
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Israel in Crisis

 

By David Lazarus

 

Israel Today

July 26, 2020

 

As tens of thousands of demonstrators are protesting around the country, in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, at his home in Caesarea and at some 250 intersections across the nation, Israel finds itself at a critical junction.

The nation is angry, and as protests gain momentum, and the situation continues to spiral, the nation is being pushed to the brink. There are now 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus every day, and what little trust there was left in the government has soured and turned to outrage.

 

What are people so mad about?

 

Here are some of the main issues bringing the people of Israel to the streets.

Because there is no unified plan to protect the nation from the coronavirus and deal with the financial fallout, the administration has changed the regulations almost weekly, leaving people confused and hopeless. Many small businesses have been out of work for months, and the government still refuses to provide even one shekel of unemployment benefits for the self-employed. Businesses that do try to open are left frustrated when they are told to close yet again as the government changes the rules. Many have given up, shuttered their businesses and taken to the streets. 25% of all Israelis are now unemployed.

Many protestors blame Netanyahu, who has appointed some of his political “friends” with no knowledge of the public health issues, instead of putting professional health experts into positions where they could effectively deal with the virus. And still, the government has yet to provide any financial assistance, though a decision in principle has been made to give every citizen 750 NIS, the equivalent of $220 US. More and more people are literally waiting in breadlines for food. Desperation is leading these people to angry protests as their only recourse.

 

Literally adding insult to “injury,” nurses went on strike this week after finding themselves unable to cope with the overcrowded hospitals and lack of personnel. Some hospitals are now teetering on the edge of a critical breakdown of services.

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trial begins in January 2021, when he will try to defend himself against charges of fraud and breach of public trust. People are protesting that Netanyahu is preoccupied with the trial and not fully focused on leading the country. Whether or not Netanyahu is innocent or guilty, the prospect of finding himself in jail is certainly taking its toll. The prime minister has to work hard on a public relations campaign to protect his political capital.

 

In the midst of all this, Israel’s Knesset Members are in an all-out war with each other and there is talk of another election!? The ball is in the hands of Netanyahu, who must approve the state budget by August 25. Without a budget, the Knesset will dissolve automatically, and Israel will find itself in its fourth election in just over a year! This would also prevent Benny Gantz from the Blue and White party from serving as prime minister, as was agreed in his coalition deal with Netanyahu.

 

Perhaps sensing these internal stirrings in Israel, Hezbollah is threatening a major retaliation against Israel for taking down a squad of their Iranian-backed militants in Syria. The IDF is now on high alert in the Golan Heights and along the northern borders with Lebanon and Syria.