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1. Israel Discovers Gas!
by Hillel Fendel
The Houston-based Noble Energy company, drilling for Israel’s Delek fuel company, announced that it has discovered a huge deposit of natural gas under the Mediterranean Sea near Haifa.
Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) said that the find was of “historic proportions,” and that it could change the face of Israel’s economy.
Eighty-seven billion cubic meters, or nearly 3.1 trillion cubic feet, of high-quality gas are estimated to be in three deposits in the Tamar Drilling site, which is named for Delek owner Yitzchak Teshuva’s granddaughter. Teshuva said that the find marks a “historic milestone and a great holiday for Israel,” and that he has no doubt it will “supply Israel’s energy needs for many decades to come.”
Stock prices in the Delek company jumped 38% following the announcement, and its daughter company, Delek Drilling, has jumped even higher.
The gas is located 90 kilometers west of Haifa, between Israel and Cyprus, but the rights to the Cypriot drilling sites are also owned by Teshuvah. The depth of the water above the find is 1.7 kilometers, over a mile, and the gas is located another 4.9 kilometers deep in an area 140 meters wide.
In light of the positive results from the finds, a $20 million test drill will be carried out over the next three weeks.
Coal Plant: The End?
The discovery is likely to put an end to plans to build a coal energy plant in Ashkelon. MK Rabbi Michael Melchior, of the Meimad-Green movement, said after the announcement of the gas find, “Until now, proponents for the coal plant said that Israel could not afford to rely on natural gas from hostile countries. But now, we must bury the plans for the coal plant, which would be dangerous to the health of the residents in the area. Instead, a plant fueled by green, Israeli natural gas must be built there, with minimal health risks and great financial benefits to Israel’s economy.”
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by Hillel Fendel
The Houston-based Noble Energy company, drilling for Israel’s Delek fuel company, announced that it has discovered a huge deposit of natural gas under the Mediterranean Sea near Haifa.
Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) said that the find was of “historic proportions,” and that it could change the face of Israel’s economy.
Eighty-seven billion cubic meters, or nearly 3.1 trillion cubic feet, of high-quality gas are estimated to be in three deposits in the Tamar Drilling site, which is named for Delek owner Yitzchak Teshuva’s granddaughter. Teshuva said that the find marks a “historic milestone and a great holiday for Israel,” and that he has no doubt it will “supply Israel’s energy needs for many decades to come.”
Stock prices in the Delek company jumped 38% following the announcement, and its daughter company, Delek Drilling, has jumped even higher.
The gas is located 90 kilometers west of Haifa, between Israel and Cyprus, but the rights to the Cypriot drilling sites are also owned by Teshuvah. The depth of the water above the find is 1.7 kilometers, over a mile, and the gas is located another 4.9 kilometers deep in an area 140 meters wide.
In light of the positive results from the finds, a $20 million test drill will be carried out over the next three weeks.
Coal Plant: The End?
The discovery is likely to put an end to plans to build a coal energy plant in Ashkelon. MK Rabbi Michael Melchior, of the Meimad-Green movement, said after the announcement of the gas find, “Until now, proponents for the coal plant said that Israel could not afford to rely on natural gas from hostile countries. But now, we must bury the plans for the coal plant, which would be dangerous to the health of the residents in the area. Instead, a plant fueled by green, Israeli natural gas must be built there, with minimal health risks and great financial benefits to Israel’s economy.”
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2. Cabinet Okays Unilateral Truce
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The government approved a unilateral truce Saturday night as Hamas continued to attack. Only two Cabinet ministers, Finance Minister Roni Bar-On (Kadima) and Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai (Shas), voted against the decision. Rafi Eitan (Pensioners), Minister for Pensioners' Affairs, abstained, although he had previously threatened to resign if the government approved a ceasefire without the return of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a press conference that the Cast Lead counterterrorist operation has achieved gains beyond expectations in the three weeks since it began. He pointed out that Hamas rocket fire has been reduced and that the IDF has wiped out most of the group's long-range arsenal.
However, he warned residents of southern Israel not to expect an immediate end to rocket attacks.
Minutes after he spoke, Hamas attacked the Be'er Sheva area with a rocket that exploded in an open area. Several minutes beforehand, Hamas fired on Ashkelon and Ashdod, where one home sustained a direct hit. No one was physically wounded, but several people were hospitalized for treatment of shock. The house sustained heavy damage, and power was knocked out in the neighborhood.
The Prime Minister said that four countries - Germany, France, Italy and Britain - have committed to sending personnel to stop smuggling of weapons into Gaza. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said his army will send warships to patrol the Gaza coast.
Olmert held out an olive branch to the Palestinian Authority, saying that Israel considers the Gaza region part of a future Arab state to be created within Israel's current borders.
Hamas Rejects
Hamas earlier rejected the unilateral ceasefire, stating that "resistance and confrontation will continue" until the IDF withdraws from Gaza.
The government truce calls for the IDF to remain in the area but not to attack effective 2 a.m. Sunday (7 p.m. Saturday EST), but allows soldiers complete freedom to retaliate if Hamas continues to attack.
Concerning kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, Prime Minister Olmert said that the issue is a top priority and that it is best not to talk about the matter publicly.
Talks Continue
Meanwhile, negotiations continue in Egypt concerning security along the border between Egypt and Gaza and conditions for the re-opening of the border in the divided city of Rafiah.
In Washington, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed guarantees for stopping smuggling along the border with visiting Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
However, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters, who questioned what is different from previous commitments that have not stopped smuggling, "Well… we are not responsible for, you know, smuggling happening or not. We are able to participate in robust ways to assist others as well in making sure that smuggling, resupply of Hamas, does not take place.
"There are a lot of different moving parts to this problem. And we have been engaged on this problem for a while. I think all of you understand that we sent a team to Egypt – Army Corps of Engineers – to look specifically at tunnels. There are other aspects to this: the air aspect, the sea aspect to this. But we think we have the beginnings of that."
The U.S. signed a "memo of understanding" with Israel on Friday that the American government "will work cooperatively…in the international community to prevent the supply of arms and related materiel to terrorist organizations that threaten either party, with a particular focus on the supply of arms, related materiel and explosives into Gaza to Hamas and other terrorist organizations."
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The government approved a unilateral truce Saturday night as Hamas continued to attack. Only two Cabinet ministers, Finance Minister Roni Bar-On (Kadima) and Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai (Shas), voted against the decision. Rafi Eitan (Pensioners), Minister for Pensioners' Affairs, abstained, although he had previously threatened to resign if the government approved a ceasefire without the return of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a press conference that the Cast Lead counterterrorist operation has achieved gains beyond expectations in the three weeks since it began. He pointed out that Hamas rocket fire has been reduced and that the IDF has wiped out most of the group's long-range arsenal.
However, he warned residents of southern Israel not to expect an immediate end to rocket attacks.
Minutes after he spoke, Hamas attacked the Be'er Sheva area with a rocket that exploded in an open area. Several minutes beforehand, Hamas fired on Ashkelon and Ashdod, where one home sustained a direct hit. No one was physically wounded, but several people were hospitalized for treatment of shock. The house sustained heavy damage, and power was knocked out in the neighborhood.
The Prime Minister said that four countries - Germany, France, Italy and Britain - have committed to sending personnel to stop smuggling of weapons into Gaza. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said his army will send warships to patrol the Gaza coast.
Olmert held out an olive branch to the Palestinian Authority, saying that Israel considers the Gaza region part of a future Arab state to be created within Israel's current borders.
Hamas Rejects
Hamas earlier rejected the unilateral ceasefire, stating that "resistance and confrontation will continue" until the IDF withdraws from Gaza.
The government truce calls for the IDF to remain in the area but not to attack effective 2 a.m. Sunday (7 p.m. Saturday EST), but allows soldiers complete freedom to retaliate if Hamas continues to attack.
Concerning kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, Prime Minister Olmert said that the issue is a top priority and that it is best not to talk about the matter publicly.
Talks Continue
Meanwhile, negotiations continue in Egypt concerning security along the border between Egypt and Gaza and conditions for the re-opening of the border in the divided city of Rafiah.
In Washington, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed guarantees for stopping smuggling along the border with visiting Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
However, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters, who questioned what is different from previous commitments that have not stopped smuggling, "Well… we are not responsible for, you know, smuggling happening or not. We are able to participate in robust ways to assist others as well in making sure that smuggling, resupply of Hamas, does not take place.
"There are a lot of different moving parts to this problem. And we have been engaged on this problem for a while. I think all of you understand that we sent a team to Egypt – Army Corps of Engineers – to look specifically at tunnels. There are other aspects to this: the air aspect, the sea aspect to this. But we think we have the beginnings of that."
The U.S. signed a "memo of understanding" with Israel on Friday that the American government "will work cooperatively…in the international community to prevent the supply of arms and related materiel to terrorist organizations that threaten either party, with a particular focus on the supply of arms, related materiel and explosives into Gaza to Hamas and other terrorist organizations."
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3. Short-Lived Ceasefire in Gaza
by Hana Levi Julian
Fighting resumed Sunday morning in Gaza as Hamas terrorists fired rockets on Israel, just hours after Israel announced it would implement a unilateral ceasefirethe.
By 12:00 noon, at least 10 rockets and mortars had been fired at southern Israel. A long-range rocket landed in a moshav near Kiryat Gat at around 11:45 a.m. The missile exploded in a chicken coop, causing extensive damage but miraculously no physical injuries to anyone other than the chickens.
Another chicken coop was also hit by mortar fire at around 9:30 a.m. in a kibbutz in the Sha'ar HaNegev region. Mortars also hit the Eshkol region at around the same time.
Earlier in the morning, the IDF said that terrorists fired on Israeli soldiers stationed in Gaza. IDF troops responded with tank and helicopter fire.
The terrorists also launched a Kassam rocket attack on the Gaza Belt community of Sderot, located less than a kilometer away from the security barrier. A barrage of six of the short-range rockets exploded in the city at about 9:00 a.m., but all of the missiles landed in open areas. No one was physically injured and no damage was reported.
Israel Air Force pilots struck the terrorist cell that launched the rocket attack on Sderot shortly after. They confirmed hitting the operatives and eliminating the launchers.
The IDF had cautioned residents of northern and central Gaza against returning prematurely to their homes, noting there would be a "harsh response" to any violation of the ceasefire. Likewise, Home Front Command on the other side of the security barrier had also prohibited Israeli citizens from sending their children to school within a 40-kilometer (25 mile) radius of Gaza.
“In accordance with the Cabinet decision to accept the Egyptian proposal… the IDF is currently taking the necessary measures to implement the [ceasefi decision,” said the IDF Spokesman in a statement to the media overnight. Troops will be redeployed “in accordance with security assessments,” and “the forces will be briefed on the specifics of the ceasefire rules of engagement,” he said.
Hamas had announced from the outset that it would not respect the truce and would continue its attacks on Israeli civilians, despite Jerusalem’s willingness to end the fighting.
The IDF had also warned that “its forces will respond to any attack against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, and that any such attack will be met with a harsh response.”
Home Front Command said safety instructions to residents of southern Israel will remain in effect “in light of the possibility that the rocket fire will continue as Hamas cynically seeks to ‘have the last word.’”
Despite the announcement Saturday night by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the government had decided to go ahead with the ceasefire, the IDF spokesman said Operation Cast Lead was not over and that troops would remain in Gaza.
“As ordered by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Maj.-Gen. [ Galant, the operation has not yet ended, and the IDF’s air, naval, ground and intelligence forces will remain alert so as to be ready for any situation,” said the army.
Tens of National Union party activists held a demonstration in front of the Defense Ministry Tel Aviv offices Saturday night against the ceasefire agreement. They called upon government ministers who were meeting there not to back out of the war until the Hamas terrorist organization was crushed. The protestors held signs which read, "IDF are heroes; government ministers are rabbits," and "Destroy the Hamas with No Fear."
The sign designed with rabbit's ears reads: IDF are heroes; government ministers are rabbits
National Union party chairman Yaakov "Ketzaleh" Katz said at the demonstration, "The government should let the IDF vanquish Hamas and enable the residents of southern Israel to live in peace like everywhere else in the world. If we don't take control of the Philadelphi corridor [the Gaza-Egypt borde, then the weapons smuggling will continue. We cannot rely on Mubarak to counter the smuggling for us."
Commentator Michael Freund called the ceasefire "a last minute attempt to transform victory into defeat." In a Sunday post to his blog entitled "We Cease, They Fire," he notes, "Sure, international pressure is mounting for Israel to stop defending itself, and a new administration is about to be inaugurated in Washington which is far less likely to be sympathetic to Israel's cause. But neither of these developments can possibly justify leaving Hamas in place in Gaza, and subjecting 900,000 Israelis in the south of the country to continued rocket fire on their homes."
Very few analysts expected the unilateral ceasefire to be "durable" as the United States had hoped, including those in Arab countries.
Rami Khouri, director of the Lebanon-based Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut told the Al Jazeera satellite news network, "Israel has tried many unilateral approaches and each one of them has simply made the situation worse for Israel."
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by Hana Levi Julian
Fighting resumed Sunday morning in Gaza as Hamas terrorists fired rockets on Israel, just hours after Israel announced it would implement a unilateral ceasefirethe.
By 12:00 noon, at least 10 rockets and mortars had been fired at southern Israel. A long-range rocket landed in a moshav near Kiryat Gat at around 11:45 a.m. The missile exploded in a chicken coop, causing extensive damage but miraculously no physical injuries to anyone other than the chickens.
Another chicken coop was also hit by mortar fire at around 9:30 a.m. in a kibbutz in the Sha'ar HaNegev region. Mortars also hit the Eshkol region at around the same time.
Earlier in the morning, the IDF said that terrorists fired on Israeli soldiers stationed in Gaza. IDF troops responded with tank and helicopter fire.
The terrorists also launched a Kassam rocket attack on the Gaza Belt community of Sderot, located less than a kilometer away from the security barrier. A barrage of six of the short-range rockets exploded in the city at about 9:00 a.m., but all of the missiles landed in open areas. No one was physically injured and no damage was reported.
Israel Air Force pilots struck the terrorist cell that launched the rocket attack on Sderot shortly after. They confirmed hitting the operatives and eliminating the launchers.
The IDF had cautioned residents of northern and central Gaza against returning prematurely to their homes, noting there would be a "harsh response" to any violation of the ceasefire. Likewise, Home Front Command on the other side of the security barrier had also prohibited Israeli citizens from sending their children to school within a 40-kilometer (25 mile) radius of Gaza.
“In accordance with the Cabinet decision to accept the Egyptian proposal… the IDF is currently taking the necessary measures to implement the [ceasefi decision,” said the IDF Spokesman in a statement to the media overnight. Troops will be redeployed “in accordance with security assessments,” and “the forces will be briefed on the specifics of the ceasefire rules of engagement,” he said.
Hamas had announced from the outset that it would not respect the truce and would continue its attacks on Israeli civilians, despite Jerusalem’s willingness to end the fighting.
The IDF had also warned that “its forces will respond to any attack against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, and that any such attack will be met with a harsh response.”
Home Front Command said safety instructions to residents of southern Israel will remain in effect “in light of the possibility that the rocket fire will continue as Hamas cynically seeks to ‘have the last word.’”
Despite the announcement Saturday night by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the government had decided to go ahead with the ceasefire, the IDF spokesman said Operation Cast Lead was not over and that troops would remain in Gaza.
“As ordered by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Maj.-Gen. [ Galant, the operation has not yet ended, and the IDF’s air, naval, ground and intelligence forces will remain alert so as to be ready for any situation,” said the army.
Tens of National Union party activists held a demonstration in front of the Defense Ministry Tel Aviv offices Saturday night against the ceasefire agreement. They called upon government ministers who were meeting there not to back out of the war until the Hamas terrorist organization was crushed. The protestors held signs which read, "IDF are heroes; government ministers are rabbits," and "Destroy the Hamas with No Fear."
The sign designed with rabbit's ears reads: IDF are heroes; government ministers are rabbits
National Union party chairman Yaakov "Ketzaleh" Katz said at the demonstration, "The government should let the IDF vanquish Hamas and enable the residents of southern Israel to live in peace like everywhere else in the world. If we don't take control of the Philadelphi corridor [the Gaza-Egypt borde, then the weapons smuggling will continue. We cannot rely on Mubarak to counter the smuggling for us."
Commentator Michael Freund called the ceasefire "a last minute attempt to transform victory into defeat." In a Sunday post to his blog entitled "We Cease, They Fire," he notes, "Sure, international pressure is mounting for Israel to stop defending itself, and a new administration is about to be inaugurated in Washington which is far less likely to be sympathetic to Israel's cause. But neither of these developments can possibly justify leaving Hamas in place in Gaza, and subjecting 900,000 Israelis in the south of the country to continued rocket fire on their homes."
Very few analysts expected the unilateral ceasefire to be "durable" as the United States had hoped, including those in Arab countries.
Rami Khouri, director of the Lebanon-based Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut told the Al Jazeera satellite news network, "Israel has tried many unilateral approaches and each one of them has simply made the situation worse for Israel."
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7. Israel Opens Clinic for Gazans
by Avraham Zuroff
An emergency treatment center is set to open Sunday afternoon at the Erez crossing into Gaza in the presence of Minister of Welfare and Social Services Isaac Herzog and Minister of Health Yacov Ben Yizri. The center's purpose is to treat Gaza civilians in need of medical care.
The Israel Ministry of Health, through Magen David Adom, will operate the regional medical clinic for Gaza residents. This initiative is part of the Israeli government's humanitarian efforts to assist the civilian population of Gaza, coordinated by Minister Herzog.
Media Advisor to the Ministry of Welfare, Pnina Ben Ami, said that the medical services will be provided within the Erez terminal for civilians who are uninvolved in the Gaza conflict.
According to understandings reached between the ministers of Welfare and Health and the Red Cross, the injured civilians will be brought from Gaza to hospitals in Israel, according to their medical condition. Israeli hospitals have been preparing to accept these new patients.
The treatment center will be fully equipped and staffed by medical personnel, including specialists in trauma, orthopedics, pediatric medicine, family medicine, and gynecology.
Magen David Adom CEO Eli Bin has called on doctors, nurses, and other vital medical personnel to volunteer at the medical treatment center.
The treatment center will have one intensive care ambulance and four regular ambulances to transport patients to Israeli hospitals and back to the treatment center.
“The logistics of establishing a clinic in such short notice is a complex professional challenge. Many officials need to be taken in account. MDA as a national lifesaving organization of Israel and as a member of the International Red Cross sees the establishment of this clinic as a humanitarian mission of the first degree. As far as the MDA is concerned, any injured person without a difference to place of residence or religion – is eligible to receive the best and most professional treatment, in which the MDA knows to give, in the spirit of the International Red Cross.”
The Erez Crossing, located in northern Gaza, is the only pedestrian exit point from Gaza into Israel. The border crossings have frequently been used by Gaza residents to perpetrate terrorist attacks in Israel. On May 30, 2007, two female suicide bombers at the Erez Crossing who received authentic entry permits into Israel using false medical information were arrested. They planned to carry out a double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and in Netanya.
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by Avraham Zuroff
An emergency treatment center is set to open Sunday afternoon at the Erez crossing into Gaza in the presence of Minister of Welfare and Social Services Isaac Herzog and Minister of Health Yacov Ben Yizri. The center's purpose is to treat Gaza civilians in need of medical care.
The Israel Ministry of Health, through Magen David Adom, will operate the regional medical clinic for Gaza residents. This initiative is part of the Israeli government's humanitarian efforts to assist the civilian population of Gaza, coordinated by Minister Herzog.
Media Advisor to the Ministry of Welfare, Pnina Ben Ami, said that the medical services will be provided within the Erez terminal for civilians who are uninvolved in the Gaza conflict.
According to understandings reached between the ministers of Welfare and Health and the Red Cross, the injured civilians will be brought from Gaza to hospitals in Israel, according to their medical condition. Israeli hospitals have been preparing to accept these new patients.
The treatment center will be fully equipped and staffed by medical personnel, including specialists in trauma, orthopedics, pediatric medicine, family medicine, and gynecology.
Magen David Adom CEO Eli Bin has called on doctors, nurses, and other vital medical personnel to volunteer at the medical treatment center.
The treatment center will have one intensive care ambulance and four regular ambulances to transport patients to Israeli hospitals and back to the treatment center.
“The logistics of establishing a clinic in such short notice is a complex professional challenge. Many officials need to be taken in account. MDA as a national lifesaving organization of Israel and as a member of the International Red Cross sees the establishment of this clinic as a humanitarian mission of the first degree. As far as the MDA is concerned, any injured person without a difference to place of residence or religion – is eligible to receive the best and most professional treatment, in which the MDA knows to give, in the spirit of the International Red Cross.”
The Erez Crossing, located in northern Gaza, is the only pedestrian exit point from Gaza into Israel. The border crossings have frequently been used by Gaza residents to perpetrate terrorist attacks in Israel. On May 30, 2007, two female suicide bombers at the Erez Crossing who received authentic entry permits into Israel using false medical information were arrested. They planned to carry out a double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and in Netanya.
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