Last update - 01:41 18/03/2008
News in Brief
The Home Front Command will test its warning sirens in in Netivot and Ashkelon this morning. At 9 A.M. a minute-and-a-half rising and falling siren sound will be heard in Netivot, and at 11:30 A.M. in Ashkelon. The Home Front Command said that following recent rocket attacks, the intention is to test the sirens and whether citizens hear them. (Yuval Azoulay)
Compensation to businesses in Sderot and other communities near the Gaza border will be paid retroactively for the period from November 1, 2006 and until December 31, 2008, according to a compromise proposal approved by the Knesset Finance Committee yesterday. The treasury had wanted the money to cover damages starting only as of May 2007. The new proposal will cover indirect damages to area businesses. (Zvi Zrahiya)
The High Court of Justice issued a temporary restraining order against the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), ordering a halt to an archaeological dig in the Silwan neighborhood of Jerusalem, after local Arab residents complained that the excavations were being carried out underneath their homes and without their approval. They claimed that according to the law, the IAA is required to notify property owners if they want to dig under their property. After the suit was filed, the police arrested three of the seven plaintiffs. (Meron Rapoport)