A short while ago thousands of Syrian civilians breached the Israel-Syria border near the Israeli village of Majdal Shams.
IDF forces fired warning shots in order to prevent the violent rioters from illegally infiltrating Israeli territory. A number of rioters have infiltrated and are violently rioting in the village. From initial reports there are dozens of injured that are receiving medical care in a nearby hospital.
Over the last three days several riots have taken place in the Judea and Samaria region, otherwise known as the West Bank:
A rioter in Bil'in hurls rocks at security forces
On Friday, six riots took place in Palestinian villages:
A rioter in Qalandiya shoots flares at IDF soldiers
The rioters burned trashcans in addition to hurling rocks and firebombs (Molotov cocktails) at security forces.
A young rioter in El-Arrub hurling rocks
Over the course of the morning several more riots took place:
Demonstrators at the riots burned tires in addition to hurling rocks and firebombs. Security forces responded with tear gas and other riot dispersal means.
A rioter hurls a Molotov cocktail (firebomb) in El-Arrub
More updates forthcoming as events unfold.
In accordance with the directives of the Minister of Defense and as part of the situation assessments adopted by the defense establishment, security crossings into the Judea and Samaria Region will be temporarily closed for the next 24 hours. The closure will begin today, Saturday, May 14th, 2011 at 23:59 and will be lifted on the night of Sunday, May 15th, 2011 at 23:59.
For the duration of the closure, persons in need of medical attention, humanitarian aid or exceptional assistance will be permitted to pass for care, with the authorization of the Civil Administration.
The passage of journalists will also be permitted. As always, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit strongly suggests that passage into the Judea and Samaria region be coordinated in advance.
Below is a Civil Administration progress report regarding two of the three approved solid waste facilities in the West Bank (El-Minya in Bethlehem, Ramun in Ramallah). The other waste disposal facility has been successfully running since 2008. The Civil Administration has actively been engaged in promoting and supporting efforts to complete construction and operation of these solid waste sites in order to improve the environmental and human health conditions in the West Bank.
Illegal dump sites which are mostly concentrated around the central and south West Bank are hazardous to the environment by contamination underground aquifers and to the air. The illegal sites also attract waste pickers, many of them children, who hunt for metals in unsafe and unacceptable conditions. The solid waste facilities will effectively treat solid waste in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner.
The report details the expected progress of each future facility as well as the standard procedure for the approval process of a solid waste disposal facility.
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The Israeli Air Force took part in the celebrations surrounding Israel’s 63rd Independence Day, in a flyover which crossed all of Israel from the north to the south and included battle jets, fuel planes and helicopters. The flyover is a customary part of the IDF’s activities on Israel’s Independence Day, which pilots start training for weeks before the actual occasion.
Footage from within IAF planes of drills in preparation for the flyover and aerobatic tricks:
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The flyover consisted of several demonstrations which included three CH53 Sicorsky Helicopters, three Hercules airplanes, a Boeing 707 plane, three F-15I fighter jets, five F-16I fighter jets, five F-16 fighter jets and three Gulfstream V airplanes. In IAF bases throughout the countries visitors could see take-offs and landings, historical aircraft, and fire extinguishing demonstrations by planes.
Other IDF bases opened their doors to visitors and set up exhibitions of military equipment, dog training shows, as well as guided tours and historical artifacts from the army’s earliest years.
More pictures of the IAF’s flyover, in different parts of Israel:
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Today is Yom Ha’zikaron, Israel’s memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror attacks. Since the founding of Israel on May 14th, 1948, 16,724 servicemen in Israel’s defense establishment and civilians have been killed during operational duties and terror attacks.
Sgt. Lior Ziv, of blessed memory, next to the door of his office in the Spokesperson's Unit. The sign reads "Photography Department".
Sgt. Lior Ziv was a photographer in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. During his army service, he took thousands of photos ranging from portraits of senior commanders, combat training exercises, and soldiers serving as IDF musicians.
On April 14th, 2003 during the Second Intifada, Lior set out to photograph the Givati infantry brigade uncover a smuggling tunnel in the Gaza Strip. He and two other soldiers were to follow the Givati soldiers as they entered a terror suspect’s house. Lior snapped dozens of photos at the beginning of the mission, capturing the moment soldiers got out of their armored vehicle, and slowly walked into the house. Minutes after they entered the first house, Lior and the soldiers with him were attacked. Lior was shot and killed on the spot.
After his death, Mimi, Lior’s mother, went through every photo of the several thousand Lior took during his year serving in the IDF, and chose 50 photographs to showcase in exhibits throughout Israel and the United States.
The following is some of Lior’s photography.
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To see the full photos, visit our set of Lior’s photography on our Flickr page.
In accordance with the directives of the Minister of Defense and as part of the situation assessments adopted by the defense establishment, a general closure will be implemented in the Judea and Samaria region for the duration of Israel’s Memorial Day and Independence Day. The closure will begin today, Saturday, May 7th, 2011 at 23:59. The closure will be lifted on the night of Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at 23:59, in accordance with security assessments.
For the duration of the closure, persons in need of medical attention, humanitarian aid or exceptional assistance will be permitted to pass for care, with the authorization of the Civil Administration.
The passage of journalists will also be permitted. As always, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit strongly suggests that passage into the Judea and Samaria region be coordinated in advance.
The IDF will continue to operate in order to defend the citizens of Israel while maintaining the quality of life of the Palestinian population in the area.
The venues are as follows:
Israeli Navy
The Ashdod and Haifa Israeli Navy bases will hold exhibitions of weaponry uncovered onboard smuggling vessels by the Israel Navy.
Israeli Air Force
In addition, IDF parking lots will be opened throughout Independence Day, between 09:00 and 14:00.
In the north: Hatzor Ha’Glilit, Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, Nahariya, Ma’alot, Nazareth Illit, Katzrin, Daliyat al-Karmel and the Golani Junction.
In the south: Metzudat Yoav, Dimona, Sderot, Netivot, Ofakim, Rahat, Meitar, Lehavin and Omer.
In central Israel: Efrat, Neve Tzuf, Beit El, Beit Aryeh, Oranit, Kiryat Arba, Ariel, the Jordan Valley, Beit She’an, Teqoa, Umm Safa reservation, Ma’ale Efraim, Ma’ale Adumim, latrun and Givat Ha’Tachmoshet.
Weapons exhibits will be displayed at Givat Ha’Tachmoshet, Yo’av Fortress and the Golani Junction. In Latrun, an exhibition featuring several IDF forces will be displayed.
As part of the IDF’s celebrations for Israel’s Independence Day, a navy showcase will take place along the country’s shores. The sea demonstration will consist of various naval vessels, including missile ships, security vessels, Naval Commando vessels and the AS565 Panther Helicopter (used for naval patrol). In addition to the naval showcase taking place in the Mediterranean Sea, a navy display take place in the bay of Eilat between the hours of 11:00-12:00 and between the hours 14:00-15:00.
Over the course of the day’s events, IAF airplanes and helicopters will hold several demonstrations in the nation’s skies. One helicopter demonstration will be composed of three CH53 Sicorsky Helicopters, another demonstration will include three Hercules airplanes and a combat airplane demonstration will be composed of a Boeing 707 plane, three F015I fighter jets, five F-16I fighter jets, five F-16 fighter jets and three Gulfstream V airplanes. In addition, a helicopter display will take place above the residence of the President of Israel and an aerobatic display will fly over the country.
Civil Administration Aids German-Funded Building of Medical Clinic in Jordan Valley
Officers from the Civil Administration toured the Palestinian village of Jiftlik in the Jordan Valley on Thursday (April 28th) , accompanied by representatives from the Civil Administration’s Planning and Archaeology Departments, officials from the German Consulate, members of GIZ, a German organization working towards international sustainable development, and the head of the Jiftlik village council, Mr. Abed Kassab. The tour was intended to survey progress in the nearby archaeological digging sites, where a clinic for the village residents is set to be built by GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation).
Following the German consulate’s request to build the clinic, the Civil Administration evaluated the allocation of land. During initial evaluations, archaeological ruins were discovered on the site of the proposed clinic (located on Area C). The Civil Administration decided to contribute 150,000 NIS (approx. 44,200 USD) to fund the archaeological excavations, after which the site would be eligible for construction.
During the excavations, archaeologists unearthed buildings from the ancient Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as ceramic shards, basalt tools, a preserved furnace and 40 historical coins. The coins were transferred to the Head of the Archaeological Department in the Civil Administration, who will determine their origins and help clean and preserve them before presenting the historical artifacts to the public.
The Civil Administration is committed to working to establish the Jiftlik medical clinic, thus improving the medical treatment received by thousands of Palestinians in the Jordan Valley. As such, the Civil Administration is also dedicated to exploring and preserving historical remains in areas of its responsibility. It works closely with Palestinian locals, foreign governments, and aid organizations to achieve these goals.
“Each year, we return to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum – to the place where in addition to the national significance of this occasion, each of us explores his or her personal connection to the Holocaust. Here, in the Family Square, between the Yad Vashem archive and the International Institute for Holocaust Research, between the past of our people and the future of our children; here we stand united, the IDF General Staff, its commanders and soldiers, and promise to be strong as an army, a country, and a people, so that the Holocaust will not repeat itself.”
Thus said the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, at the Yad Vashem Museum during a special day of study in commemoration for the National Holocaust Memorial Day yesterday.
(As the Jewish people’s living memorial to the Holocaust, Yad Vashem safeguards the memory of the past and imparts its meaning for future generations. Established in 1953, as the world center for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem is today a dynamic and vital place of intergenerational and international encounter. Learn more at the Yad Vashem homepage.)
In addition to the various ceremonies, the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, along with other high-ranking army officials, visited Holocaust survivors in their homes and heard their personal stories. Lt. Gen. Gantz visited Justice David Frankel and Mr. Tommy Yehuda Bok, two survivors and Honorary Residents of Jerusalem, and granted them two certificates of appreciation for their lifetime achievements.
Read more about Lt. Gen. Gantz’s visit to the Holocaust survivors.
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