Hey everyone. As always, feel free to reach out to me with questions, comments, or concerns at newsofthejews@gmail.com.
You may have seen that there was a flare-up with Gaza today. I’m going to wait until next week to talk about it because it happened while I was writing and I want to make sure all of the information here is accurate and complete.
Also, don’t forget to vote in the World Zionist Congress elections! You can do so here.
Israeli election update:
Does Israel have a government yet? Nope.
What’s new? On Wednesday, Israeli media reported that the Israeli police had recommended opening a probe into Fifth Dimension, the cybersecurity company that Benny Gantz led before its closure. The reports have thus far indicated that Gantz is not a suspect in the case, and it will instead focus on the employees of the firm who allegedly misled the police when marketing a product. The investigation will likely begin after the March 2 elections. Fifth Dimension shut down after one of its founders, Viktor Vekselberg, was sanctioned by the United States.
What does this mean? It’s bad news for Gantz. One of Gantz’s main campaign messages has been that Netanyahu is corrupt and should not serve as Prime Minister because he’s been indicted. Now, Gantz’s messaging will not stick as well because he’s involved in a murky legal affair himself. Indeed, Netanyahu has made gains in some polls since the news broke. They indicated that Likud will earn 34 seats while Blue and White will win 33 seats.
How did people react? Gantz has said that the investigation “has a political aroma,” suggesting the decision to open a probe was political. He also stated that he would resign if he were indicted on criminal charges. Netanyahu said that “the public must know the truth” and that it would be a “sad day” if Gantz becomes Prime Minister.
Anything else? After Netanyahu invited Gantz to a debate, Gantz rejected the proposal. For context, Gantz had challenged Netanyahu in the September elections, but Netanyahu declined. Israel has not had a debate for Prime Minister since 1996 when Netanyahu ran against Shimon Peres (and won). Netanyahu called Gantz a coward, and Gantz said that it was all a ploy.
Further reading: https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Why-Gantz-should-have-said-yes-to-debate-analysis-618143 (JPost)
Israel braces for potential Coronavirus outbreak:
What happened? After nine of a group of 77 South Koreans who recently visited Israel tested positive for Coronavirus, Israel restricted South Korean entrance to Israel. Since the South Koreans had visited national parks and religious sites, the Israeli government released their itinerary and asked any Israelis who may have been near them to self-quarantine. Almost 200 people heeded the government’s request, including 180 school children who were visiting Masada at the same time as the South Korean tourists. To prevent the spread of Coronavirus, Israel has mandated that all Israelis returning from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan quarantine themselves for two weeks.
What else? South Korea is not happy with Israel. Roughly 1,600 South Koreans are currently stranded in Israel because Israel canceled all outbound flights to South Korea and Japan. Although Israel is working on scheduling special El Al flights to South Korea, the South Korean Foreign Ministry believes Israel should pay all of the food and housing expenses the tourists have incurred as a result of the cancellations.
Some also fear that news of a potential Coronavirus outbreak could depress voter turnout for the upcoming Israeli elections. Specifically, the Israeli Public Security Ministry is preparing for potential disinformation campaigns aimed at scaring people away from polling stations.
Further reading: https://www.timesofisrael.com/7-south-koreans-said-to-test-positive-for-virus-after-returning-from-israel/ (TOI)
Israeli health workers in Ramat Gan. Avshalom Sassoni/Maariv via Jerusalem Post
Honorable Mentions:
Foward published a list of the non-Jewish Democratic Presidential candidates’ connections to Judaism.
An Albany JCC was evacuated after a bomb threat.
Despite widespread criticism, the yearly Aalst parade in Belgium again included overtly antisemitic costumes.
Youtube permanently banned antisemitic TruNews from its platform.
If you liked this newsletter, feel free to send it to your friends!