US and Israel Discuss Compensation Package for Iran Nuclear Deal
Israel has been unsuccessful in stopping the Iranian nuclear program but is apparently in-line for considerable compensation from the United States. Reports from Washington indicate that President Obama is willing to provide Israel with additional military equipment and arms once the agreement with Tehran is signed. The new package –including the new F-35 jet fighter and additional missile batteries – is seen as a recognition of the increased risk the Jewish state faces as a result of the nuclear deal and as a response to new defense deals between Washington and Arab Gulf states. The US has a long-standing promise to assure Israel’s military edge over its neighbors, many of whom remain hostile.
Netanyahu Places Too Many Cooks in the Foreign Ministry’s Kitchen
As a result of the divvying-up of powers and responsibilities so that enough political currency is available to create a coalition government, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has touched-off a tug-o-war in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where a 36-year old woman was appointed deputy-minister and promised there would be no one in authority above her except the prime minister; and the interior minister, who has been given most of the specific significant powers normally associated with the foreign minister. The result is that both are confident each one is in charge but neither’s clout has yet been tested. Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely said, “I’m in charge,” while Sylvan Shalom, who has reportedly been given control of negotiations with the Palestinians, said that according to Netanyahu, he’s the “de-facto foreign minister.” Both appointments have drawn fire from opposition and from abroad for being aligned with those who reject the concept of a two-state solution. Opponents also mock what they count as six recipients of former responsibilities of the foreign minister.
Sweden Donates $5 Million toward Payment of Palestinian Salaries
Sweden has donated an additional $5 million to the Palestinian Authority to assist with its cash-flow crisis that is preventing Palestinian civil servants from receiving their full salaries. Some 70,000 employees have not received payments or pensions during May. Underscoring the importance the European Union places on becoming more invested in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the need for the Palestinians to end the bifurcation between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, EU Representative John Gatt-Rutter said, “The EU remains the most important donor, reliable and predictable partner for the Palestinian people. It is present at all levels of life in the West Bank including East Jerusalem and of course Gaza.” The putative reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas supposedly enacted last April remains at a standstill with the Palestinian Authority refusing to pay the salaries of employees loyal to the Hamas-run government of Gaza because they attained their positions at the expense of PA-loyalists who were ousted from those positions when Hamas wrestled power from Fatah in the Gaza Strip in 2007.
New “Terror-by-Vehicle” Incident Reported in Jerusalem
Israeli police believe the driver from east Jerusalem who drove his vehicle into two police officers along the road to the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem on Wednesday was committing a “vehicular terror attack.” The two officers – a man and a woman – were taken to hospitals in the capital while the driver was shot and killed by police. Witnesses say the driver intentionally veered-off the road in apparent pursuit of the officers and tried to back over them after the initial contact was made. There have been several incidents during recent months where drivers intentionally plow into pedestrians.
American Tourist Dies after a Fall at Ancient Masada Site
A twenty-year old American tourist from Florida died after falling off of a footpath at the ancient site of Masada, near the Dead Sea. Briana McHam of Pompano Beach, fell from a height estimated at about eight feet, but according to witnesses, survived the fall. By the time emergency medical personnel arrived sometime later, McHam was unconscious, presumably from dehydration in the extreme heat. Attempts to resuscitate her failed and she was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation is under way. The incident reportedly took place on a path that was closed due to the extreme heat. Masada, the fortress where Jews fleeing the Romans committed mass suicide, hosts more than 1,300 visitors each day.