Israel’s National Bank purchased undisclosed amounts of US dollars against shekel. The bank’s move will draw attention of international currency speculators who would dump the US dollars on Israel at a relatively favorable rate sponsored by the Bank of Israel. The bank’s resources fall incredibly short of US dollar amounts available to speculators.
The weakening of US dollar against shekel is prompted by overall weakness of US economy, the historically overvalued dollar, gradual switch to euro in international transactions, but also by the highly distorted Israeli economy. In Israel, the rich grow richer, export more, and bring more US dollars into the country. The poor grow poorer, and have insufficient demands for imported goods, and therefore for the US dollar.

Conservative Jewish activists entered the Arab village of Jabel Mukaber to destroy the house of Merkaz HaRav terrorist. Tearing down terrorists’ houses is a normal practice of Israeli police on the presumption that terrorist’s family had to be somehow involved in the murder. At the very least, such families fostered supportive attitude for terrorism. Also, some terrorists might be dissuaded from acting by their knowledge of some retribution against their family.
The Jewish activists threw some stones at the Arab villagers who cheered the dead terrorist, and clashed with Israeli police which protected the Arabs.

Ex-business consultant Netanyahu filed a libel suit against Israeli TV station which implied that he fled to London during the 2006 Lebanon war where he spent more than $30,000 of public funds in six days on personal matters, such as $1,300 for laundry. Netanyahu objects on two technicalities. First, he conducted some kind of pro-Israeli propaganda in London - presumably, in the hotel bar where he left $1,000+ bill. Second, his expenses were paid not by the Israeli public, but by the Diaspora Jews. Next time you think of donating to your local Jewish organization, ask if they plan to invite Netanyahu, all expenses paid.

Hugely respected halachic authority Rav Haim Kanevsky ruled against employing Arabs in Jewish establishments on the grounds of danger to life. The Rav’s reasoning is straightforward: since we are at war with Arabs, employing them endangers Jews and there absolutely prohibited under the Jewish law. The halachic decision comes in the wake of Merkaz HaRav attack by the Arab driver of the yeshiva.
Rav Kanevsky also ruled that Jews must be given preference in employment before any non-Arab foreigners except in the cases of clear wage disparity.
Rav Kanevsky’s ruling comes just a quarter of century after Rabbi Meir Kahane pleaded with rabbinical authorities of Israel for such halachic decision. During Rabbi Kahane’s speeches, MKs of religious parties walked away from the Knesset, leaving Rabbi Kahane talking in the empty hall.
Rav Kanevsky’s halachic decision will be extremely controversial, as it practically mandates Jewish religious institutions to fire Arab employees. The ruling might be ignored, overturned by the rabbis more subservient to Israeli regime, or even challenged in secular court. According to Israeli laws, the Rav committed the crimes of racism and incitement, and it remains to see whether the leftist crowd would try to charge Rav Kanevsky as they have charged less prominent people for similar pronouncements.

Israeli Foreign Ministry ruled the obvious: since Palestinian Authority is not a sovereign state, it lacks sovereign immunity and can be sued in Israeli courts over the damage from terrorism.