🔻This morning Japan announced sanctions against four Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The sanctions were imposed on Yanon Levy, Zvi Bar Yosef, Moshe Sharvit and Naria Ben Fazi. This is the first time that Japan has imposed sanctions on settlers.

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Hebrew sources:

Continuation of high-intensity combat, poor personnel management, and misuse of reserve duty days are causing significant budget overruns, estimated at 10 billion shekels. To reduce defense spending, it has been decided to implement both punitive and incentive measures to limit the use of reserve duty days in both headquarters units and combat units.

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Seven major labor unions call on Biden to halt Military Aid to Israel & Immediate/Permanent Ceasefire.

Comment: unions would normally endorse anything the Democrats do. This is unusual.

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Israel has assured the Biden administration that the Prime Minister's speech in Congress tomorrow will not include any criticism of the President and his administration.

The message was conveyed by Minister Ron Dermer to National Security Advisor Sullivan, after Sullivan reached out several times on behalf of President Biden to ensure there was no intention to publicly criticize the administration's conduct.

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❤️💚Scenes from the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, in conjunction with the Al-Qassam Brigades, destroying enemy forces northeast of Bureij Camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip with mortar shells in response to the occupation’s crimes against our people.

[G&T]

Reuters: Americans were again demanded to leave Iraq.

Baghdad demands that the United States begin evacuating American troops in September and complete the mission of the so-called international coalition against ISIS (banned in Russia), writes Reuters.

The position of the Iraqi authorities is being discussed with US officials in Washington this week at a security summit, but an agreement has not yet been reached. Currently, the Americans have about 2,500 military personnel occupying the country. They are stationed at three main bases: one in Baghdad, one in the western province of Anbar and one in northern Kurdistan.

The United States is well aware that leaving Iraq will entail leaving Syria, so they are trying in every possible way to delay the withdrawal of troops.

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🔻Several senior lecturers from the Einstein Institute of Mathematics at the Hebrew University are leaving abroad  

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🔻According to the department, about seven are currently in the process. This has become a trend, as previously only a few individuals here and there would move abroad. Now, it looks different. One person received an offer in Chicago, another is going on sabbatical and unpaid leave, and some are maintaining a foothold in the country and will visit occasionally. However, most admit there is little chance they will return.

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Noa Argamani told the Prime Minister during their meeting yesterday, "The hardest moment for me in captivity was when I heard you say that the war is still ongoing. That was a breaking point. We must release them."

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🔺Yair Lapid:

“Two things Netanyahu should say tomorrow in a speech to Congress: fully accepting the abductees deal and thanking President Biden for his support.”  

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On the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, hundreds of Jewish Americans staged a demonstration at the US Capitol in support of Palestine. The peaceful protesters, advocating for Palestinian rights and condemning Israeli policies, faced arrests by the police. This demonstration highlights the growing division within the Jewish American community over Israel's treatment of Palestinians and the increasing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

[EE]