To provide greater exposure to primary Israeli news sources and opinions in order to become better informed on the issues, and to gain a better understanding of the wide range of perspectives that exist in Israeli society and politics. Issue 1114 • July 13, 2018 • Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av 5778 IDF STRIKES THREE MILITARY TARGETS IN SYRIAN GOLAN HEIGHTS missile intercepted a drone from Syria. (JPost 7/12/18) For Israel, the medical aid program can help win hearts and minds in border The IDF spokesperson confirmed in a statement early Thursday morning that areas where the number of refugees has increased in recent weeks as Israel attacked three military posts in Syria late Wednesday night. Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces advance in an offensive to recover The attack was carried out in response to the crossing of a Syrian drone that southwest Syria. the IDF intercepted earlier on Wednesday, the IDF spokesperson explained. Michael Harari, a paediatrician at Ziv hospital, said medical infrastructure in "The IDF will continue to act decisively and resolutely against attempts to southwest Syria has largely broken down, and groups of Syrian children are violate the sovereignty of the State of Israel and act against any attempt to brought to the facility every two to three weeks. harm its citizens," the statement read, "The Syrian regime is responsible for "We were afraid in the beginning to come (because we regarded Israelis) as what is happening in its territory and is warned against acting against our Zionists and enemies," said one woman, who brought her son for treatment. forces." "It's the opposite." "The IDF is highly prepared for a variety of scenarios and will continue to act as necessary for the safety of the citizens of the State of Israel," the ISRAEL FEARED DOWNING OF SYRIAN DRONE WOULD statement added. OVERSHADOW NETANYAHU-PUTIN MEETING (Ha’aretz 7/12/18) The attack near Hader village at the border of the Israeli Golan Heights Even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plane was en route to caused only material damage, state news agency SANA cited a military Moscow on Wednesday, Israel’s top security officials were dealing with an source as saying. aerial incident in the north. An Israeli Patriot battery had taken down a Syrian Israel has been on high alert as Syrian government forces advance on rebels drone that had penetrated Israeli territory after it had first crossed from Syria in the vicinity of the Golan, worrying Assad could let his Iranian allies over Jordan. entrench near its lines. But the interception was preceded by hesitation. Only after Israel made sure With the help of heavy Russian air power, the Syrian army has seized that the drone did not belong to the Russian air force was final approval given swathes of Deraa province from insurgents in the south in the past three to shoot it down. weeks. The offensive is expected to turn next to rebel parts of Quneitra A calculated risk was taken. The drone was shot down when it was nearly 10 closer to the Golan. kilometers into Israeli air space. One can assume that the preliminary checks included a phone call to the Russians via the dedicated line for preventing DOZENS OF SYRIANS CROSS INTO ISRAEL FOR DOCTOR'S friction that the two countries have maintained for the past three years. APPOINTMENT (YNet 7/11/18) The background to this incident, the second one of its kind in recent weeks, Keeping a doctor's appointment in Israel, Syrian children and their mothers is connected to the campaign Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime is stepped across a tense Golan Heights border in the dead of night under the watchful gaze of Israeli soldiers. Israel Report is a Student Publication of The patients, Israeli medical officials said, were not the walking wounded of the seven-year-old Syrian civil war but children with chronic health problems Alex Ostrin, Yoav Zolty, Editors-in-Chief coming across the frontier for a day's treatment in a hospital in northern Akiva Sturm, Eli Jarashow, Ezra Seplowitz and Bentzion Rotblat, Editors We are proud to be distributed by these institutions, though they do not necessarily support or condone Israel. any of the material published: Israel says it has treated between 4,000 and 4,500 war casualties from Syria Anshei Chesed Cong., Boynton Beach, FL Hillel at Brandeis University since a humanitarian aid program, was begun some five years ago. Bergen County High School of Jewish Studies Hillel at California State University - Long Beach Boca Raton Synagogue, FL Hillel at Columbia University The group of more than 40 mothers and children that crossed over in the pre- Carmel School, Hong Kong Hillel at Johns Hopkins University dawn hours of Wednesday were among the 3,000 Syrians who Israel says Cong. Agudath Achim, Bradley Beach, NJ Hillel at Yale University Cong. Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, NJ Hillel High School, Deal NJ have received separate treatment in what it calls "Operation Doctor's Cong. Ahavath Achim, Fairfield, CT Jewish Center of Teaneck, NJ Appointment". Cong. Anshe Shalom, Jamaica Estates, NY Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi, Cedarhurst, NY Cong. Anshe Sholom, New Rochelle, NY Kemp Mill Synagogue, Silver Spring, MD Watched by Israeli soldiers with night-vision equipment, one woman— Cong. Beth Aaron, Teaneck, NJ Mizrachi Shul, Johannesburg, SA carrying one child and holding the hand of another—stepped through a gate Cong. Beth Shalom, Monroe Twp, NJ North Shore Hebrew Academy HS, NY Cong. Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, NJ Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, NJ built into Israel's security fence in the Golan Heights. Cong. Etz Ahaim, Highland Park, NJ The Learning Shul, Columbia, SC After a brief security check, she joined others at the roadside to wait for a bus Cong. Ohr Torah, Edison, NJ Woodsburgh, NY Minyan that would take them to Ziv Hospital in the northern town of Safed, where a Cong. Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, NJ Young Israel Bet Tefilah of Aberdeen, NJ Cong. Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, NJ Young Israel of Brookline, MA medical clown entertained the children. Cong. Sons of Israel, Allentown, PA Young Israel of East Brunswick, NJ "They are treated in hospital and go back the same day," said Major Sergei Cong. Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck, NJ Young Israel of Fort Lee, NJ Cong. Zichron R. M. Feinstein, Brooklyn, NY Young Israel of Hancock Park, CA Kutikov, an Israeli military health officer. "Sometimes they return twice or Delray Orthodox Synagogue, Delray Beach, FL Young Israel of Holliswood, NY three times for further treatment or ... surgery." East Denver Orthodox Synagogue, CO Young Israel of Houston, TX Flatbush Park Jewish Center, Mill Basin, NY Young Israel of New Hyde Park, NY Israel, which captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, Harvard University Library Young Israel of North Woodmere, NY has largely stayed out of the current conflict. Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, NY Young Israel of New Rochelle, NY Hillel at Baruch College Young Israel of Sharon, MA But it has carried out scores of air strikes on suspected Iranian or Hezbollah YI Shomrai Emunah, Silver Spring, MD deployments and arms transfers in Syria, and only hours after the latest We encourage our readers to subscribe to our sources on the internet. For more information or to batch of patients came across, sirens sounded in the Golan when an Israeli subscribe by e-mail, reach us at [email protected] 2 conducting against the rebels in southern Syria. In the Daraa region it has "What you hear on the news is one-sided. Life here is good, let no one doubt obtained surrender agreements, even though the city itself has yet to be that," Ben Shushan said. "I'm staying here for many, many years to come conquered by Syrian army forces. Accordingly, the regime is moving its because I want to. Ever since Protective Edge things have happened around efforts westward, closer to the Israeli border. here, billions [of shekels] were invested in the security barrier and the The aircraft shot down Wednesday afternoon was an unarmed intelligence communities' defenses. The kite terror will end one day." drone. It’s possible that it strayed from its flight path. But it’s hard to dismiss the possibility that its operators were taking advantage of the chaos at the HERZOG'S PARTING SPEECH: BE CAREFUL HOW YOU TALK (Arutz-7 border to photograph sites in Israel. Israel’s policy in any case, is consistent: 7/11/18) An immediate response to every violation of sovereignty, fire into our Opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog, who will finish in his current capacity at the territory, or a violation of the 1974 cease-fire accords on the Golan Heights (a end of the month, will leave the Knesset and take over as chairman of the recent addition since the regime’s return to southern Syria). Jewish Agency. Now that the fighting is getting closer to the Golan, Israel is upholding its At the end of his speech during the special session marking “Jabotinsky policy more firmly. In the previous incident in late June, a Patriot missile was Day,” which honors the life of Zionist leader Zeev Jabotinsky, Herzog said: fired at a drone (apparently belonging to either Iran or Hezbollah) that was "There may, of course, be other stormy discussions until my retirement at the approaching the area of the dilution of forces on the Golan. The Patriot end of the month from the Knesset, but this is my last official speech on this missed the target, but the feeling in the Israel Defense Forces was that the stage for the time being.