Signs of the Times

New Gas Masks Distributed

In February, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began the long-anticipated distribution of gas masks to all of Israel’s residents, according to a report on the IDF Web site. Though masks have been distributed before—most notably in conjunction with the First Gulf War in 1991 when Saddam Hussein fired Scud missiles at Israel—the masks have needed to be upgraded.

IDF Simulates Biological Attack

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In January, the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] Medical Corps held a drill to simulate a mass casualty biological weapons attack in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

UNIFIL Finds Bombs near Lebanon

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Members of the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon report finding a number of bombs planted near the border with the Israeli town of Metula. Described as sophisticated and well made, the weapons each contained about 660 pounds [272 kilograms]  of explosives and are believed to have been set to kill Israeli soldiers entering Lebanese territory, presumably in pursuit of cross-border raiders from Hizbullah.

Missiles: From Iran to Tel Aviv

{image_1}BEFORE THE DUST SETTLES from Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, the Islamic Republic will send its ballistic missiles into the very heart of Tel Aviv. This was spelled out by a deputy of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative in the Revolutionary Guards, Mojtaba Zolnour.

Israel Barred from Turkish Air Space

{image_1}TURKEY, which has recently made political maneuverings to mediate future peace talks between Israel and Syria, warned of dire consequences for Israel if it used Turkish air space against Iran. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would respond harshly if Israel were to infiltrate its air space in an attempt to spy on Iran..

Israel Blasts UN Report

{image_1} ISRAEL BLASTED THE UNITED NATIONS fact-finding mission report, also known as the Goldstone Report—on Israel’s Operation Cast Lead campaign in the Gaza Strip—which declared Israel and Hamas both guilty of actions that amount to war crimes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site said that the report “effectively ignores Israel's right of self defense, makes unsubstantiated claims about its intent, and challenges Israel's democratic values and rule of law.”

Iran’s Nuclear Program…Evolving

{image_1}THE EVER EVOLVING DEVELOPMENTS of Iran’s nuclear program—with weekly, if not daily, new reports—are keeping the world on its toes wondering what’s coming next. The Media Line reported that, on September 23, Iran’s nuclear head said that a “new generation” of centrifuges had been constructed, which were “stronger and faster” and were being tested.

71 Senators Ask Obama to Pressure Arab States

{image_1}Seventy-one US Senators sent a letter to US President Barack Obama asking him to encourage and pressure Arab states to consider “dramatic gestures” toward Israel in order to show their commitment to peace with the Jewish state. In their letter, the senators—Democrats and Republicans—detailed steps taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to signal Israel’s commitment for peace with the Palestinians and the entire Arab world.

HRW accuses Hamas of war crimes

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US Watchdog Human Rights (HRW) accused Hamas of war crimes. Their 31-page report describes Hamas rocket attacks against Israel as war crimes, calling them “unlawful and unjustifiable.” The homemade Kassam and Soviet-designed Grad rockets that have been launched into Israel are considered by HRW to be inherently indiscriminate weapons unable to be aimed with any reliability. “Hamas forces violated the laws of war, both by firing rockets deliberately and indiscriminately at Israeli cities, and by launching them from populated areas and endangering Gazan civilians,” said HRW program director Lain Levine. While the group has also reported on what it considers war crimes by Israel during the 23-day Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, the organization made it clear that “violations by one party to a conflict never justify violations by the other.”

Job Vacancies Hit 12-year Low

{image_1}The Israeli job market’s slump has hit a new low, an Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry analysis revealed. The second quarter [Q2] of 2009 had the market offer just 15,600 positions to job seekers—a 25% drop compared to the previous quarter, and a 70% drop compared to Q2 of 2008. The number also represents a 12-year low in job vacancies.