Incoming IDF Chief Appointment In Doubt

Galant in Gaza. Photo: Avi Ohayon, GPO

The appointment of a new Chief of Staff to the Israeli Military is frequently an interesting event. The Chief of Staff, who is appointed by the Government according to the recommendation of the Minister of Defence, is the highest commanding officer in the Israeli Military, and as such receives his orders directly from the Minister of Defence, and is in charge of implementing them.

Racist Atmosphere in Israel is Getting Worse

Here are a few stories from last week, from news sources in Hebrew:

• Two Palestinian Members of Parliament, Taleb a-Sana and Ahmad Tibi, have received death threats. “You’re dead, dirty Arab” said the voice-mail recordings. A-Sana responded by accusing “the right-wing MKs (Members of Knesset—the Israeli Parliament) of fanning the hatred.”

• Hanin Zouavi, an Arab-Israeli MK who was on board the Mavi Marmara when it was boarded by Israeli commandos, stands to lose her parliamentary privileges. The Knesset Committee voted 7-1 to recommend revocation her parliamentary rights. A leaflet distributed in the Knesset by Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, a MK from the right-wing National Union party, featured an image of a smiling Zouavi with the words “erasing the smile from the Terrorists’ face.”

• 400 Palestinian schoolchildren were cursed and abused by a crowd while on a parade celebrating the world soccer championship. The schoolchildren, aged 6-13, carried flags of the participating countries as well as the Israeli flag (although Israel did not make it into the competition, they were advised by the Ministry of Education to carry its flag for safety reasons). Nonetheless, they endured thrown eggs and tomatoes, and cries of “do you think it’s your country that you can do what you want?”

Israel is Preparing for a Prolonged Regional War

Ha’aretz newspaper in Hebrew reports that as a part of preparations for a prolonged regional war, Israel has recently lobbied the United States to purchase more weapons, including more precision-guided JDAM bombs for its air force. Israel has also requested that the US increase its emergency arsenals in Israel.