Israel News Blog

BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a government by the midnight deadline. The Knesset passed a resolution to dissolve the government, triggering new elections on September 17.This is the first time in Israeli history that the person tasked with forming a government after an election has been unable to do so.

• On May 14, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) penned an opinion piece in the Washington Post urging the House of Representatives to take a stand against the “toxic” BDS movement. “A particularly troubling aspect of this anti-Semitic trend is that the ugly Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, or BDS — a political and economic attack on Israel’s right to exist — continues to gain steam … In the House and Senate here in Washington, we have worked together to champion bipartisan legislation that would prevent the federal government from obstructing those state and local efforts. It is past time for the legislation to become law,” wrote the lawmakers.
• On May 15, 10,000 people participated in “Nakba Day” riots on the border with Israel. A senior Hamas official delivered a speech saying, "The day of your slaughter, extermination and demise is approaching." The turnout was significantly lower than last year's demonstrations, which coincided with the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem and saw more than 40,000 Gazans flood to the border at the direction of Hamas. The riots did lead to damage on Israel's side of the border, where nine fires were lit by arson kites and balloons.
  • At the same time, tensions between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) continue to rise. It is widely believed by the IDF and others that PIJ – the Iran-backed terror group in Gaza – instigated last week’s rocket fire from Gaza that killed four Israelis. AIPAC sent this memo to congressional offices highlighting Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Iran's support for the terrorist group in Gaza.
• On May 17, Germany’s parliament denounced the global BDS movement, stating that “the pattern of argument and methods of the BDS movement are anti-Semitic [and that] the campaign’s calls to boycott Israeli artists, along with stickers on Israeli goods that are meant to dissuade people from buying them, are also reminiscent of the most terrible phase of German history.”
• On May 19, the Trump administration announced that it would roll out the economic aspect of its Middle East peace plan at a two-day “Peace to Prosperity” summit to be held in Manama, Bahrain in late June. The international economic workshop will encourage investment in Palestinian territories and across the region through public-private partnerships, and will host Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Arab states, among other international partners as well as businessmen worldwide. The meeting will not address long-standing political issues, such as the status of Jerusalem, return of Palestinian refugees, or borders of a potential Palestinian state. Diplomats and lawmakers have been told the goal is to raise about $68 billion for the Palestinians, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
• On May 22, the Palestinian Authority formally rejected its invitation to the conference and has urged Palestinian businessmen to boycott the summit, despite some Arab countries pressuring the PA to attend. During his address to the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt professed disappointment by the decision, arguing that, “It would be a mistake for the Palestinians not to join us. They have nothing to lose and much to gain.”
• On May 22, Greenblatt remarked that UNRWA is a “Band-Aid” that “has failed the Palestinian people,” asserting that it is time to dismantle the U.N. agency. He proposed that host countries or other international or local NGOs take over the services UNRWA provides.
  • On May 23, UNRWA chief Pierre Krahenbuhl rejectedthe U.S. bid to dismantle UNRWA, stating that the body will work with the U.N. General Assembly for a “safe renewal” of its mandate. The U.S. formerly was UNRWA’s largest donor, until it halted its funding to the agency in 2018 due to its fiscal malpractice and stoking of tensions between the Palestinians and the U.S.
• On Iran:
  • According to three U.S. officials, the United States bolstered its warnings about the Iranian threat following new images of missileson small boats that were implemented by Iranian paramilitary forces. This new intelligence stoked fears that the IRGC would fire fully assembled missiles at U.S. naval ships in the Persian Gulf.
  • On May 12, two Saudi oil tankers were attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near the Strait of Hormuz. An initial U.S. assessment indicated that the Iranians were behind the attack.
  • On May 14, Iran's supreme leader said that it would not be difficult for the Islamic Republic to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels.
  • Also on May 14, the State Department released a video showing a new Iranian military base in Lebanon.
  • On May 15, Iran officially stoppedsome commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers following an order from its national security council, an informed official in the country’s atomic energy body told the ISNA news agency.
  • That same day, the State Department ordered a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in response to what the Administration said was a threat linked to Iran.
    • On May 19, Iranian proxies in Iraq launched a missile near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
  • On May 16, top leaders in Congress attended a classified briefing at the White House detailing evidence of the Iranian action. Several lawmakers have released statements expressing their concerns about the potential of a military escalation with Iran. According to press reports, President Trump has sought to dampen speculation that the U.S. is preparing for a military attack.
    • On May 21, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joe Dunford and acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan held a series of briefings on the Hill. Shanahan toldmembers of Congress that the threat posed by Iran has receded.
  • On May 17, A deputy head of the IRGC said that short-range Iranian missiles could reach U.S. warships in the Gulf.
  • Iranian-backed fighters are helping the Assad regime take over Idlib, the last major city in Syria held by rebel forces. Helicopters are indiscriminately dropping barrel bombs over the city, and 200,000 citizens have already fled the fighting.
  • On May 24, various news outlets reported that the Trump administration was preparing to sell certain arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE through an emergency procedure that bypasses Congress. Typically, arms sales require a congressional notification and a 30 day waiting period wherein Congress can object to the sale. Given the heightened tensions with Iran, the administration is waiving this notification requirement. By law, prior to proceeding with any major arms sale to the region, the administration must certify that the sale will not “adversely affect Israel’s qualitative military edge.
• ​On Federal funding:
  • On May 16, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2020 State and Foreign Operations spending bill. The legislation encompasses several vital pro-Israel provisions, including $3.3 billion in U.S. security assistance to Israel. This measure fulfills the second-year commitment in the 10-year U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding.
  • The House Appropriations Committee continued to advance annual spending bills including key pro-Israel provision. The Defense Appropriations bill included $500 million for U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation in accordance with the U.S.-Israel MOU and the president’s budget request. The Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill included $2 million allocated for Binational Industrial Research and Development Energy (BIRD Energy) and $4 million allocated for the U.S. – Israel Center of Excellence in Energy and Water. Lastly, the Commerce, Justice, and Science funding bill included language that supports joint projects between NASA and the Israel Space Agency, and directs a report from NASA detailing current and planned projects between the two agencies. The three bills will now move to the House floor for consideration.
  • The Senate Armed Services Committee passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation authorizes defense programs for the upcoming fiscal year, including $500 million for missile defense cooperation with Israel. The NDAA now moves to the Senate floor for consideration.
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