Authored By Rabbi Ben Packer
This Week Today
Current Events from Israel
I hope everyone had a lovely Shavuos holiday. The Western Wall was packed for prayers… and still no rockets from Gaza. No matter what, Hamas won’t get blamed for the collapse of this government. Who will? Let’s try to find out!
Political Drama Continues
Like an Armenian reality show celebrity couple, there is no end to the drama for this domestic political partnership with the current coalition government in Israel. This week, a bill that has been passed every five years since 1967 by both left and right governments failed to pass. The renewable law extends Israeli law and other provisions to Israeli citizens living in Judea and Samaria, lacking official Israeli sovereignty. Certain members of the coalition either voted against the law or absented themselves from the vote. Consequently, the law was not renewed yet. The current law is set to expire at the end of the month. The recent poll was brought by Justice Minister Gidon Saar, who declared it as a test for the viability of the coalition going forward. Like many an exam from freshman year in college or a Pelosi family breathalyzer test, it was not so shocking did not pass.
Now what? Some members of the Yamina faction were bothered by the events, as were various other parties in the coalition. However, any attempt to punish the rebellious members could lead to more rebellious behavior on their part and/or by others. Everyone agrees this charade of democracy is about over, but it still remains unclear exactly who will end it and how. It seems unlikely that an alternative coalition will be formed and that new elections are the most likely outcome. But with a few current coalition members polling either at or below the electoral threshold to even enter the Knesset, there may be hesitation to go that route. In short, some like it hot, and some sweat when the heat is on….and a lot of folks are sweating right now.
Bombing Iran in Syria
Israel continued to bomb Iranian targets in Syria this week. This is in addition to knocking off Iranian scientists and officers in Iran itself. And a nice amount of trash talk for good measure. Israel is making it clear that they plan to escalate the situation and maybe even go as far as to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Or perhaps it’s a bluff. It’s kind of like the poison scene from The Princess Bride. Inconceivable!
Karish Gas Rig
To add (natural) gas to the fire, Israel has begun to set up the infrastructure to pump gas from the Karish field off the northern coast of Israel in the Mediterranean Sea. Negotiations with Lebanon have been ongoing about maritime rights in the area. Israel claims that the domain is not in the area under discussion and that they have no intention of pumping from the disputed area. Lebanon is screaming holy hell and threatening action. Now Lebanon is about as capable as the new White House press secretary, so there is nothing to worry about. But Iranian-supported Hezbollah is always lurking in the shadows, like the Clintons. If a conflict breaks out, they’ll jump in. And maybe I’ll finally get that vacation house I’ve been dreaming about in southern Lebanon.
Covid Comeback
The overall number of Coronavirus infections is up, but severe cases remain steady. Some are already calling for a return to mask mandates. And some of these people don’t even own mask-making companies themselves. Unbelievable! Like wanting to return to Egypt! If the mask requirement does return, those folks who never took them off will have won. And now they will deserve our collective scorn and ridicule, just like the current Israeli government…
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