Israel

A number of rare ancient artefacts stolen from Yemen are to be auctioned in Israel, according to a report by Al-Quds Al-Arabi last week. Citing a Yemeni researcher who specialises in tracing looted antiquities online, Abdullah Mohsen, the report said that the public auction will take place in Tel Aviv in October.

In a Facebook post, Mohsen said that among the exhibits was a bronze frame featuring the embossed faces of two young men and it is “probably from Tamnu, Al-Awd, or Dhafar (referring to areas of ancient Yemeni civilisation).”

24 August 2023; MEMO: A significant increase in the number of Israeli citizens seeking to obtain foreign passports or residence visas has been recorded in recent months, Ynet News said on Wednesday.

JERUSALEM (AP) — A suspected Palestinian attacker killed an Israeli woman and seriously wounded a man in the south of the occupied West Bank on Monday, Israeli authorities said, as violence flared in the restive territory two days after a shooting that killed two Israelis.

19 August 2023; MEMO: Former intelligence officers of the Special Operations Division of the Israeli Military Intelligence on Friday sent what they called a “real alarm” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest against his plan to weaken Israel’s judiciary.

JERUSALEM, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Israel announced on Thursday that it will sell its most advanced missile defense system Arrow-3 to Germany, marking the country's largest-ever military deal.

The Israeli and German defense ministries "will sign the landmark 3.5-billion-U.S. dollar defense agreement," the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, senior officials from both sides will soon sign a Letter of Commitment, with a preliminary payment of 600 million dollars, and the full contract will be signed by the end of 2023.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it has secured its largest-ever defense deal selling a sophisticated missile defense system to Germany for $3.5 billion after the United States approved the deal.

Although Israel has long had close economic and military links with western European countries, the deal with Germany could draw the attention of Russia. Israel has maintained working relations with Russia throughout the war in Ukraine and has repeatedly rebuffed requests to sell arms to Kyiv for fear of antagonizing Moscow.

17 August 2023; MEMO: Hackers have threatened to release sensitive medical information about senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Times of Israel has reported. The hackers said that the information they got from a Haredi hospital is related to politicians and rabbis and they want millions of dollars not to release it. 

15 August 2023; MEMO: More than 900 academics and public figures engaged in cultural activities including artists, museum professionals and art historians, have signed an open letter condemning Israel’s apartheid system, New York’s Hyperallergic magazine has reported.

15 August 2023; MEMO: Ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet sparred, on Tuesday, over the military’s handling of reservists protesting against his coalition’s judicial overhaul plan,  as concerns mounted for Israel’s war-readiness, Reuters reports.

16 August 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s relationship with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is close to boiling over, Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on Tuesday.

The two men are apparently at odds regarding Gallant’s full support for the Israel Defence Forces and its senior leaders despite more and more army reservists refusing to show up for military service in protest against Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul.