News Digest — 6/14/23
Alleged Israeli Airstrike Near Damascus, Syrian Soldier Seriously Injured
A Syrian soldier was seriously injured in alleged Israeli airstrikes that targeted sites near Damascus early Wednesday morning (14th), according to Syrian state news agency, SANA.
A military source told SANA that Israeli aircraft carried out the strikes from the direction of the Golan Heights and targeted a number of sites southwest of Damascus.
The Capital Voice news site reported that explosions were heard in the area of the headquarters of the Syrian Army’s 1st Division in al-Kiswah, south of Damascus, which is used by Iranian and Iran-backed forces as well. A fire broke out at the headquarters amid the strikes according to the report.
A base used by Iran was reportedly built in the al-Kiswah area in 2017 and alleged Israeli strikes have targeted the area repeatedly in recent years.
Shortly before the airstrikes, a flight operated by Iran’s Mahan Air landed at Damascus International Airport, according to flight-tracking sites.
Mahan Air has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department as it is used by Iran to transport military weapons, equipment and personnel throughout the region and the world.
The airstrikes on Wednesday (14th) come just two weeks after the last reported alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria in late May, when strikes reportedly targeted sites in the Damascus area.
The Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, part of Russia’s Defense Ministry reported at the time that two warehouses were damaged in those strikes and no injuries were caused.
According to the Alma Research and Education Center, those strikes targeted sites north of Damascus near Hafir Fawqa and the Alhama neighborhood, estimating that some of the targets were Syrian air defense batteries.
The strikes are also the first since the IDF’s large-scale “Firm Hand” exercise, which simulated a multi-front conflict in the air, at sea, on land and in the fields of cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Five Israelis, Including Four Soldiers, Wounded In West Bank Terror Shooting
Five Israelis, including four soldiers, were wounded in a shooting attack near Mevo Dotan on the northern West Bank on Tuesday afternoon (13th), the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed.
The terrorists fired from a moving car at a 33-year-old resident, moderately wounding him, before driving further down the road and shooting at a military vehicle and wounding four IDF soldiers, who are in light to moderate condition.
The wounded man managed to drive to the Reihan Crossing and received initial treatment there before being transferred to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center for further treatment.
The four wounded soldiers were also treated at the scene before one of them was transported to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer by helicopter in moderate condition. The other three lightly injured soldiers were evacuated to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan stated after the attack, “This difficult incident , with multiple casualties, took place at an intersection adjacent to the intersection where Meir Tamari was murdered about two weeks ago.”
“We have been begging for years and certainly after the attack, we begged, we cried out to stop abandoning us, and to close the Hermesh checkpoint, and to close the Mevo Dotan checkpoint,” added Dagen. “Whoever made the unfortunate decision to reopen at the entrance to Hermesh, abandoned the lives of our residents.”
Israeli forces searching for the terrorists behind the attack entered the Palestinian town of Ya’abad, located near the scene of the attack, after the shooting, according to Palestinian reports.
The attack came as Israeli forces operated in Balata near Nablus. Armed clashes were reported in Balata as the forces surrounded a home in the town to conduct arrests.
One Palestinian was killed and at least three others injured in the clashes, according to Palestinian reports.
Native American Leaders Seek To Establish Embassy In Jerusalem – Strengthen Ties With Israel
Chief Joseph Riverwind, a leader of the Arawak Taino nation and peace chief between tribal nations, and his wife, Dr. Laralyn Riverwind, who is ambassador-at-large for the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee, has been building bridges with Israel and the Jewish people for decades. After years of bringing delegations of Native Americans to Israel, the Riverwinds have expressed their desire to open a Native American embassy in Jerusalem.
The Riverwinds told The Media Line that they are inspired by the story of the Jewish people and Israel–the story of an exiled people who returned and settled in their native homeland. “The story of the Jewish people, the indigenous people of Judah, brings us hope. For a tribal nation that has been able to return home, to their sacred sites, their culture, their tradition, their language,” said Riverwind.
He added that combating antisemitism is one of their main goals while bringing delegates to Israel repeatedly. “Unfortunately, a lot of anti-Israel propaganda is hitting America and that is starting to slowly get into the indigenous communities of the United States,” he added.
“We desire to educate people about the history, the long-term history of Israel and Judah,” said Riverwind, stressing that teaching ancient history is so important to make people understand the bond between Jews and the Land of Israel.
The Riverwinds are also co-founders of FireKeepers International, a charitable organization committed to preserving and teaching indigenous and modern life skills, traditional holistic healing, feeding the hungry, and helping veterans through their healing process.
(jpost.com; themedialine.org)
Lions’ Den Statement: We’re Preparing For A Confrontation With Israel
The Lions’ Den terrorist organization on Tuesday (13th) ordered the terrorists operating within the group to prepare for the possibility of a military confrontation with Israel in northern Samaria.
In a statement, the organization said that its terrorists engaged early in the morning in a battle with IDF troops who were operating in Nablus, and they managed to surround the soldiers and caused them to retreat from the scene.
The organization also claimed that two days ago, armed terrorists from the Lions’ Den attacked IDF troops who were operating in the Old City of Nablus with gunfire and explosive charges.
“The train of resistance has set off, and it does not know the path of retreat and the train will only bring its passengers to two destinations: Falling in battle in the way of Allah, or victory,” the Lions’ Den statement read.
(isnn.com)
Jerusalem Court: PA Must Compensate Israeli Tour Guides For 2nd Intifada Losses
A Jerusalem court ruled on Tuesday (13th) that the Palestinian Authority must compensate dozens of Israeli tour guides for financial damage incurred during the Second Intifada.
The tour guides’ lawsuit claimed their livelihoods suffered during the Palestinian terror campaign and held the PA responsible.
The Second Intifada, a time of numerous Palestinian terror attacks, Israeli military operations and mass unrest, lasted from between September 2000 to 2005, during which time it was supported by the PA, then led by Yasser Arafat.
The plaintiffs – 59 tour guides represented by the Shurat HaDin law center – said terror attacks and threats of violence caused a severe blow to the tourism ministry at the time.
The lawsuit was filed around 20 years ago, at the height of the Intifada. The compensation for the plaintiffs amounted to a total of $1.5 million.
In a partial ruling on the case in 2019, Judge Moshe Drori held the PA responsible for terror attacks and the resulting economic damage to the Israeli Tourism Industry.
“The Palestinian Authority had several aims – not to just kill Jews and Israelis, but also to damage Israel’s economy, including tourism – and to put pressure on the Israeli government to submit to Palestinian demands,” Drori said, according to Kan News,
The PA is not expected to pay the sum voluntarily, but Israel could potentially deduct the compensation from taxes it collects for the PA.
Of the 59 plaintiffs who first filed the case, 14 have passed away and were represented in the case by their heirs.
(timesofisrael.com; kan.org.il)
Israeli-Made Robotic Spider-Man Cleans Hong Kong Skyscrapers
An Israeli startup that developed a novel artificial intelligence-powered robot to clean and inspect the exteriors of high-rise buildings, signed an agreement in Hong Kong amounting to $5.6 million.
Verbotics is the first company to provide a robot cleaning output ten times the capacity of the traditional cleaning performed by humans,
Using computer vision and AI the robot climbs Spider-Man-style the height and width of a skyscraper. The cleaning is dry mechanical and does not use liquid or chemicals. It attaches to the building using a smart nest allowing simple installation.
The robot also collects and analyzes visual data giving it the ability to offer important maintenance information such as detecting cracks, heat leaks and degradation of materials.
Founder and CEO Ido Ganosar explained what sparked the idea behind the innovative technology.
“My family is the largest manufacturer of curtain walls in Israel,” he said. “I managed the innovation field in the company for a period of time and one of the things that occupied me the most was how the cleaning work is done as it was 100 years ago with the same infrastructure and the same methods.”
“I was looking to bring in robotic technology and did not find a solution that really succeeded in changing the industry. In all the solutions I found, they still used the same infrastructure, they all tried to replace the person who descended the cable or the person in the cleaning elevator.”
“Together we developed a system that is independent and does not rely on the infrastructure of the buildings, a system that is plug and play, easy to operate and move, compared to the existing systems weighing hundreds of kilograms.
“We are talking about a market of tens of billions which is in constant growth and demand.”
In addition to the new Hong Kong deal, the company has carried out several transactions within the real estate markets in Israel, the United States and Australia.
