14 Days

What has been happening in Israel over the past fortnight.

By SUSAN LERNER
Reuven Rivlin (Likud) was elected the country’s 10th president June 10, winning the second round of Knesset voting with 63 seats over MK Meir Sheetrit (Hatnua) who received 53. (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS)
Reuven Rivlin (Likud) was elected the country’s 10th president June 10, winning the second round of Knesset voting with 63 seats over MK Meir Sheetrit (Hatnua) who received 53.
(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS)
ABDUCTION Three teenagers hitchhiking on their way home from yeshiva were kidnapped in Gush Etzion, in the West Bank, June 12. A massive multi-security force manhunt in the Palestinian areas and, specifically, Hebron was launched to rescue them. More than 300 Palestinians were arrested in the operation to find Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gil-Ad Shaer, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, 16. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said June 22 there is proof that Hamas, a partner in the Palestinian unity government, is responsible for the abductions.
ABBAS CONDEMNS Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned June 16 the kidnapping of the three youths. He also denounced the ongoing Israeli military crackdown in response to the disappearances.
SYRIA STRUCK The Israel Air Force hit targets in Syria June 23 in response to a cross-border missile fired into the Golan a day earlier that killed a 13-year-old Israeli Arab boy and wounded two other people. The anti-tank missile hit a civilian vehicle belonging to the boy’s father, a contractor carrying out routine maintenance work for the Defense Ministry.
The IAF also struck terror sites in the Gaza Strip after rockets were fired at Israeli targets, injuring no one.
LUPOLIANSKI GETS SIX YEARS Former Jerusalem mayor Uri Lupolianski was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and fined 500,000 shekels June 19 after being convicted in March of bribery. The ruling, the final one in the Holyland trial, is likely to be the most controversial since Lupolianski directed the bribes to his charities.
NON GRATA Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman plans to declare United Nations’ envoy to the Middle East Robert Serry persona non grata, after it was learned he sought to transfer tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, which Israel regards as a terrorist organization, Channel 2 reported June 21.
CHURCH DIVESTS The US Presbyterian Church June 20 voted to divest from specific companies that do business with Israel in the West Bank. The church will divest holdings in Caterpillar, Hewlett Packard and Motorola due to what it said are business dealings with settlements in the West Bank.
TERRACE PLAUDIT Ancient agricultural terraces in the West Bank village of Battir became June 22 the second World Heritage site registered under “Palestine.” A vote to register to Israel the ancient caves of Tel Maresha and Beit Guvrin, located near Beit Shemesh and Latrun, was also scheduled.
FISCHER SWORN IN Former Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer was sworn in as Vice Chair of the US Federal Reserve June 16. Fischer stepped down as head of Israel’s central bank in June 2013, during his second term.
THE POLLARD ISSUE Esther Pollard, wife of Jonathan Pollard who has been incarcerated in an American prison for 29 years for spying for Israel, Compiled by Susan Lerner RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS THE JERUSALEM REPORT JULY 14, 2014 met June 22 President Peres, on the eve of his trip to the US to have a last working meeting with President Barack Obama. Pollard said Peres indicated that a pardon for the prisoner would be a focal issue in his talks with Obama.
REMARKABLE SEASON The Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team capped the most remarkable of seasons June 11 by claiming a 51st Israeli championship.
This was in addition to winning the State Cup earlier in the season and lifting the Euroleague trophy in May.
BLATT TO CAVS Former Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball coach David Blatt was given a four-year contract June 20 to head the Cleveland Cavaliers that could be worth as much as $20 million. The 55-year-old Boston native is the first Israeli to coach in the NBA.
ZOABI STORM MKs accused Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein of not being tough enough on Balad MK Haneen Zoabi (above) for saying June 18 that the kidnappers of the three yeshiva students are not terrorists. Edelstein was critical of Zoabi but stopped short of recommending removing her parliamentary immunity or passing laws that could prevent her reelection – despite demands from dozens of MKs.