"One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away." -- Stephen Hawking
Every day during the current olive harvest, Israeli volunteers travel to Palestinian communities to help residents pick their crops. Their presence does not necessarily prevent violent settler attacks, and sometimes the volunteers themselves become targets. Still, for farmers who are afraid to enter their fields alone, even a small sense of security can make a difference.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that he has ordered the Israel Defense Force to “immediately impose a lockdown on Hebron and prepare for a full lockdown of the entire” illegally occupied West Bank following a gun battle that reportedly left two Palestinians dead and at least five Israeli soldiers wounded.
timesofisrael.com
Channel 13 reports that IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said during a recent private meeting that he doesn’t currently see an operational need to strike Iran before next week’s Knesset election.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused by critics of pushing for a renewal of the war against Iran to influence or delay the October 27 vote — a charge he has denied.
“We do not see any indications of a need to strike Iran before the election. If we determine that a strike on Iran is necessary, we will carry it out,” Zamir is quoted as having said.
Investigation suggests American company Axon still supplies Israel with Taser weapons despite evidence they have been used to torture prisoners
Mustafa Abdel Raouf, theguardian.com
The soldiers drag the man into a section of the prison known as Hell’s Wing, a metaphor for its notoriety for acts of brutality. Shoving him violently into a corner, they take a step back before one of them draws his weapon and fires two rubber bullets at his body. The man, a double amputee, collapses to the floor.
saige miller, npr.org
The pro-Israel political organization AIPAC, or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, announced on Wednesday that it will no longer issue endorsements, make direct PAC contributions or earmark funds for candidates.
A longtime influential lobbying group, AIPAC started its direct political involvement five years ago. Since then, particularly this midterm election cycle, AIPAC has been met with mounting resistance. The group has faced criticism over its stances on various issues, including the wars in Gaza and Iran.
Nadav Rapaport, middleeasteye.net
Nine of the 10 Israeli settlers arrested on suspicion of attacking a Washington Post photojournalist and European diplomats over the weekend have been released from custody, Haaretz reported on Wednesday.
Ahmed Dremly, middleeasteye.net
Ola Shamali and her family of nine have begun cutting back on food, bracing for hunger after the World Food Programme (WFP) announced a one-third reduction in food assistance to Gaza.
Funding shortages will leave half a million people without access to critical aid, the UN agency said earlier this week.
This is the most revealing interview clip from Netanyahu I have ever seen. Netanyahu explains that Israel is facing global sanctions and an end to US aid and proposes the use of blockchain and crypto as a solution. This is very telling: 1) Netanyahu is planning for a future of sanctions evasion. He believes that it is facing a similar future to Russia and Iran. Having seen them both survive that he believes Israel can do it too and seems resigned. 2) He believes Israel has lost active American support and does not think it can fight it.
By Frank Andrews, Khaled Wassef, cbsnews.com