Yom Shleeshee
Tuesday
16 Shvat 5783
February 7 2023
Photos of the Night
An estimated 5000 people were killed in the two earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria in the past two days. Another aftershock measuring 5.2 hit this morning.
After considerable bureaucratic difficulty, Israeli rescue teams arrived on the ground in Turkey last night and will set up a field hospital in one of the hardest hit areas today:
Doctors, nurses, rescue teams, and many others–part of the 150-person Operation “Olive Branches.”
A smaller group:
Members of a rescue team.
By the way, the earthquakes have had an impact here in Israel. Residents of the north–especially in Beit Shean and the Emek Ha’Ma’ain regional council must boil water before drinking and cooking due to unusual turbidity in the water.
The News on the Israeli Street
The weather . . .
One of hundreds of lightning strikes last night.
Winter storm “Barbara” which apparently originated in Greece continues to powerfully pound Israel wreaking havoc everywhere.
Electricity has been knocked out in many places (we have rolling blackouts here in Ashdod where we have had 60 mph wind for the past two days and nights), and flooding is occurring in many locales.
Trees are down in streets and highways (two children in separate locations were badly injured yesterday by falling trees):
The scene on a street in Haifa this morning (photo by Roni Ofer/Flash90).
Hail struck Ashkelon and Kiryat Gat last night, and snow has blanketed the north and is expected to hit Jerusalem today. Click here to see snow falling in Gush Etzion a few minutes ago.
The war in Judea and Samaria . . .
Shooting attacks.
IDF, Shin Bet and Mageb personnel captured 9 wanted terrorists in the Palestinian settlement of Brokin overnight. During the operation, our forces came under massive fire.
Palestinian terrorists also fired on IDF soldiers in Al-Fawwar.
Palestinian terrorists opened fire on IDF troops in Shechem.
A soldier on overwatch in Shechem last night (photo IDF).
A retraction . . .
Several days ago, your humble servant roundly criticized PM Netanyahu for gallivanting to Amman and Paris much as his predecessor had done on many occasions during his short term in office.
However, it turns out that Netanyahu was not merely meeting with Macron, he was also meeting with French business leaders to try to drum up investment in Israel.
In particular, Netanyahu was there to plug his newest pet project: to build numerous tunnels under Judea and Samaria–some of which would connect Israeli communities in Area C whose residents are under constant attack with the rest of Israel, and others that would connect Palestinian towns in Areas A and B.
More specifically, Netanyahu would like for Elon Musk’s Boring Company to lead the project.
Apparently a number of those whom Netanyahu met with expressed an interest in funding such a project.
TODAY’S BLOG:
What’s New On The Legal Reform Front?
On the Left, preposterous statements continue to be made such as this Orwellian one by former PM Lapid yesterday in the Knesset:
“Passing the reform is the erasure of democracy and the disintegration of common life in Israel.”
Say what?
The truth is that passing the reform will enhance democracy by restricting some of the power that the Court has arrogated to itself over the last three decades.
Moreover, legal reform will bring about the integration of groups that have been disenfranchised by the Court into the common life in Israel.
But the Left is trying to step up its protests.
In addition to the weekly leftist lovefest get-together on Saturday nights in Tel Aviv, leftist organizations are calling for a general strike next Monday, February 13, in order to “save democracy.”
Meanwhile, the Knesset Constitution Committee resumes discussions today and plans to vote this week on the amendment to the Basic Laws. The amendment would prohibit the Supreme Court and High Court from judicially reviewing Basic Laws passed in the Knesset.
After the Committee, the amendment will go to the Knesset where it must pass 3 readings to become law. The new target date for approval of this section of the legal reform is April 1.
The sooner the better.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.