13 Elul 5778
24 August 2018
Picture of the Day
Some of the “young people” killed while “protesting” at the Gaza Border
A photo from Gaza of Palestinians marching with a picture of 14 Hamas terrorists who were killed in recent weeks while trying to infiltrate Israel to kill our soldiers (photo: hakolhayehudi, Yiyha Jabarin TPS).
It is simply amazing how the international media ignores the reality of the situation on the Gaza border.
Announcement of the Day
If you can believe this, the office of Federica Mogherini, the Foreign Minister of the European Union, announced yesterday that the European Union will “transfer” 18 million Euros to Iran in order to compensate the terrorists in Tehran for the economic loss caused by American sanctions on the country.
Meanwhile, PM Netanyahu is currently in Lithuania for four days and issued a statement applauding the decision of British, Dutch, and French airlines to stop flying to Tehran. As Netanyahu said: “Iran should not be rewarded for its attempts to spread terror.”
British Airways, KLM, and Air France are the latest companies to cease operations in Iran–joining other companies such as French energy supplier Total, the German insurance company Allianz, and Danish shipping container operator Maersk.
The News on the Israeli Street
Palestinian terrorism in the last 24 hours . . .
*It is not uncommon to see international “human rights” activists participating in violent attacks on Israeli soldiers, Border Guards, and police. This happens regularly in such locations as Qadum, Nabi Saleh, and Bethlehem.
It came to light yesterday that one of the terrorists killed on the Gaza border last week after he fired bullets and threw grenades at our soldiers was a nurse employed by “Doctors Without Borders.”
*More incendiary kites and balloons were launched into southern Israel yesterday landing in such places as Sha’ar Hanegev and Moshav Sharsul. Once again in an interview, our Non-Defense Minister Lieberman ludicrously blathered that such things do not exist: ” . . . in the case of balloons, when I see in the media that there are balloons in the south and call the IDF, to the Southern Command, they tell me that there were balloons, but these are balloons and not firebombs.”
At the same time, Palestinian terrorists attacked IDF soldiers across the border fence again, and two more terrorists were captured after infiltrating across the border at the Karni Crossing.
More news on the impending agreement between Hamas and Israel . . .
More details have emerged that may or may not be accurate:
*The body parts of two of our soldiers as well as the two “mentally challenged” Israeli Bedouin who intentionally went to Gaza will be returned in exchange for the release of the terrorists who were released in the Gilad Schalit swap and subsequently recaptured.
*Hamas will be permitted to operate under Israeli supervision its own airport somewhere in the vicinity of Eilat. This airport will specifically allow transports to and from Gaza to Qatar.
*Israel has agreed not to seek the disarmament of Hamas.
Before we comment on these patently absurd Israeli concessions, let’s find out if they are accurate or not.
Gun ownership in Israel . . .
Due to increasing terror threats and increasing crime on the streets of south Tel Aviv, Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan is proposing that restrictions on private gun ownership be relaxed.
Currently there are approximately 140,000 privately licensed gun owners in the country, a number that Erdan wants to increase to 500,000. Under Erdan’s plan, any IDF soldier who served in an infantry unit will be able to own a private gun as will soldiers who complete active reserve service.
The West Nile fever scare . . .
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A mosquito with the West Nile virus it carries.
For the first time this year, an Israeli died from West Nile fever. His death took place here in Ashdod at the Assuta Hospital. In the last month 68 patients have been diagosed with the fever; 8 of them are in serious condition with six of the eight suffering neurological damage.
Medical authorities are warning people to protect against mosquitoes by wearing long clothing outside, using screens on their windows, and using repellent sprays.
TODAY’S BLOG:
“Israeli Consumers Should Stop Being Friers!”
Why does this car cost about $25,000 in the U.S. and about $60,000 in Israel?
Eli Cohen, Israel’s Minister of the Economy, was interviewed yesterday about the current state of the economy in Israel.
On the one hand, Cohen noted that it has been a particularly good summer for Israel with the increase in the country’s credit rating to AA, the extremely low unemployment rate, and the recent sale of SodaStream to PepsiCo (for $3.2 billion dollars).
However, on the other hand, Cohen pointed out that:
–there is a huge shortage of manpower in Israel. Hi-tech companies cannot find computer engineers to fill positions, and even the most basic jobs are unfilled. More jobs are being created (93 new factories opened in the periphery last year alone), but there are not enough workers to operate the factories leading to workers being imported from other countries.
–50% of Israeli citizens earn less than 7,000 shekels ($1912) a month yet pay 19% more money than citizens of other OECD countries for a basic basket of foods and personal items. In this regard, Cohen said that Israeli consumers should not tolerate such a situation. As he put it, “Israeli consumers should stop being friers.”
This Big Mac meal will cost you about $18 in Israel.
Your humble servant has often wondered why Israelis do not openly rebel against the price of items here. Why should Israelis pay 2.5 times more than people in other countries for a car? Why should Israelis pay $18 for a Big Mac meal at McDonalds? Why should Israelis $20 for a tube of sunscreen that would cost half that anywhere else? Why should Israelis fork out $150 for a pair of Nike shoes which cost $75 elsewhere?
We could go on and on, but the bottom line is that Israeli consumers are indeed “suckers” (or to put it in local parlance “friers“–alternately spelled “freiers”).
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.