News Digest — 5/30/23
Israel’s President Herzog In Azerbaijan For Historic State Visit
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal on Tuesday morning (30th) arrived for a state visit to Baku, Azerbaijan at the invitation of the country’s President Ilham Aliyev.
Upon their landing, the president and his wife were received at the airport by a guard of honor and 30 children from the Chabad Jewish school in Baku. They were also welcomed by Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyuboy, Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev, the country’s ambassador to Israel Muktar Mammadov and Israel’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, George Deek.
The purpose of the visit to Azerbaijan, a Shiite Muslim country bordering Iran, is to strengthen the strategic ties between the two countries.
“I am now leaving for an important state visit to Azerbaijan, hosted by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the country’s leader. A friendly, close, important country, a key country and we have a lot of areas of cooperation between the countries,” Herzog told reporters before the departure.
“We need to remember that beyond the trade relations, and beyond the historical ties, including the historical Jewish community, Azerbaijan is Iran’s neighbor. Iran is an unstable factor in the region that constantly pursues actions against the State of Israel and against the developing alliance of peace and security in the region, and I will certainly discuss this,” he stressed, adding that talks between the coalition and opposition parties on the judicial reform compromise will be held during his two-day absence under the auspices of the president’s office.
In Baku, Herzog is set to meet with Aliyev and take part in a special event marking the 75th anniversary of Israel’s Independence. Azerbaijan, which has recently opened an embassy in Israel, has abandoned relations with neighboring Iran. In recent months Baku carried out a series of arrests of individuals linked to Iran.
Netanyahu To Erdogan: ‘We’ll Bring The Relations Between The Countries To New Heights’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening (29th) spoke on the phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and congratulated him on his victory in the recent elections.
The two leaders agreed to continue strengthening the relations between the two countries and bring them to new heights.
The President of Turkey once again thanked Israel for the rescue assistance following the earthquake that struck Turkey recently.
Prime Minister Netanyahu told the President of Turkey that he is committed to expanding the peace circle of the State of Israel and strengthening relations between Israel and Turkey.
On Sunday (28th) President Isaac Herzog congratulated Erdogan on his victory in the presidential runoff in his country.
“Congratulations to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey on his election victory. I am convinced that we will continue to work together to strengthen and expand the good ties between Turkey and Israel,” said Herzog.
(isnn.com)
Naval Iron Dome Scores Successful Interception Tests Against Advanced Threats
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system has successfully completed interception tests of advanced threats according to the Israel Defense Forces’ Naval Wing and the Ministry of Defense’s “Choma” Directorate, part of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development, along with the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israel Aerospace Industries.
The initial trial involved the installing of the naval version of the Iron Dome system, known as C-Dome, on Saar 6 “Magen” ships, countering previously uncharted threats. The Steel Fleet’s fighters led the system activation as part of implementing the defense ship’s weaponry.
During the tests, multiple scenarios representing present and future threats to defense ships in times of conflict were simulated. These included rockets, cruise missiles and UAVs
The experiment involved integrating the ships systems into a comprehensive defense system and evaluating novel technologies to enhance the operational efficiency of air defense both at sea and on land.
According to the IDF, “the achievement of this experiment marks a significant advancement in countering existing and future threats across the IDF’s diverse combat arenas.”
Following the successful test, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the C-Dome system signifies a substantial advancement in maritime defense capabilities.
“This system empowers the defense system to maintain its superiority and unhindered operational maneuverability in the face of accelerating threats in the maritime arena. The naval version of this system, alongside Israel’s comprehensive defense apparatus, establishes the nation as a global pioneer in defense technology,” Gallant said.
The head of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development, Brig. Gen. (res.) Daniel Gold, said: “These successful tests are one of the many efforts we are carrying out to improve our air and missile defense systems preparedness for future threats and improve system performance in the face of existing threats.”
He added, “The campaign’s success further strengthens our confidence in the defense systems and their ability to protect extensive areas as well as the State of Israel’s strategic assets on land and at sea.”
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ executive vice president, Dr. Ran Gozali, said: “The success of the latest live trials of the C-Dome missile defense system constitutes another technological breakthrough led by Rafael.”
“We are proud of our role in supporting the development of the latest Israel Navy’s operational capabilities and of the Israel Defense Forces in general. We continue striving toward executing our mission of ensuring technological excellence and the most capable defense for the State of Israel,” he concluded.
Syria Says Israeli Missiles Targeted Sites Near Damascus
Syrian media reported its military air defenses were activated late on Sunday night (28th) in an Israeli missile strike on the outskirts of the capital Damascus and explosions were heard in the area.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group, said the attack came in two waves. One of the targets was a Syrian air defense base that also housed Hezbollah operatives and the second was the area near the Damascus International Airport.
The rights group also said one of the air defense missiles might have fallen in a neighborhood of the capital and ambulances had been rushed to the scene.
This was the first reported Israeli strike on Syria in three weeks. The last time an attack was attributed to Israel was early in May when the airport in Aleppo was targeted. The opposition sources said the strike was directed at pro-Iranian forces in the area, including a weapons storage facility belonging to Hezbollah which was destroyed.
IDF Soldier Injured In Bombing During Samaria Operation
In a joint operation of security forces overnight Tuesday (30th), in Nur Shams, outside of Tulkarem in Samaria, two wanted suspects involved in terrorist activity were apprehended, and a number of suspects were questioned. Also several buildings were searched in the area.
During the activity, massive fire was heard and Molotov cocktails were hurled at IDF forces, who responded with fire.
An IDF soldier was moderately wounded by shrapnel from an explosive device, and evacuated to the hospital where he received treatment and his family was notified.
The forces also operated to remove a blockage in one of the buildings in order to allow the forces to safely exit the town.
The forces also operated in the towns of Silwad and Abu Dis and apprehended three additional wanted suspects.
The soldiers also surveyed the residence of the assailant who carried out the shooting attack in the community of Hamra, in which three members of the Dee family were murdered. Also surveyed, was the residence of the assailant who directed the shooting attack in which Staff Sergeant Ido Baruch was murdered.
The suspects were transferred to security forces for questioning.
(isnn.com)
New Technology Helps Defend Israel’s Airspace – Yoav Zitun
The IDF utilizes an extensive network of sensors that detect every aerial movement, followed by innovative covert methods to bring down enemy aircraft without resorting to missiles or sky-bound explosions. For the past two years, the “Sky Monitor,” the biggest tracking balloon of its kind in the world, has been hovering in the sky in the eastern Galilee, where it can peer hundreds of kilometers into Syria. During critical moments, the balloon can be repositioned to identify missile launches from Iraq or Iran.
Civilian aircraft are seen on screens landing at airports in Damascus or Beirut, while Russian planes are seen taking off in Syria. Every non-IDF aircraft is a target for surveillance. Any deviation from the normal flight paths raises alarms. “Sometimes an aircraft that is ten to twenty kilometers away from Israel’s border on its designated path can suddenly veer toward us,” described IDF officers. “We have only a few minutes to respond, activate all interception systems, and neutralize the threat,” they said.
Israel Enters Palestinian Cities To Fight Terror Only Because The PA Doesn’t – Hodaya Karish-Hazony
Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel’s National Security Advisor and head of the National Security Council, said in an interview on May 25, 2023, that Prime Minister Netanyahu met with King Abdullah in Jordan on January 24, 2023. This followed a period when IDF forces entered Jenin and Nablus in northern Samaria in order to deal with terror cells.
The prime minister explained to the king that the Palestinian Authority had greatly weakened in recent years and had lost the ability to govern, leaving a vacuum. Since the PA no longer controlled the territory, terrorist groups like the Lion’s Den and others had entered the scene, leaving Israel with no choice but to act in those areas.
In their discussions, the idea arose of a “pilot” program in which the Palestinians would renew taking security responsibility for cities in Area A. Israel said, “If they have a force that knows how and is prepared to fight terror effectively, we have no interest in doing that ourselves,” Netanyahu told King Abdullah. However, the “pilot” plan was never implemented because the Palestinians did not accept it, so Israel is doing the job.
(makorrishon.co.il)
