The air strike on Russia’s nuclear shield could well lead to a nuclear retaliatory strike on the West or a radical strike on the Kiev regime HQ.

Russia's retribution will not be trivial.

https://tsargrad.tv/news/slobozhanskaja-mjasorubka-kontrnastuplenie-poshlo-ne-po-planu-kiev-perehodit-v-rezhim-kamikadze_1005710

May 26, 2024

"SLOBOZHANSKA MEAT GRINDER": THE COUNTEROFFENSE DID NOT GO AS PLANNED  - KIEV GOES INTO "KAMIKAZE" MODE

The counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not go according to plan - acting President Vladimir Zelensky is already throwing tantrums at meetings with generals. The command is pulling reserves to the Kharkov direction, thereby exposing other areas, which only benefits the Russian fighters. However, in the border area the situation remains alarming - the cannonade in the Belgorod region is not subsiding. “Operation Slobozhanskaya meat grinder in the sanitary zone continues,” military correspondent Kots describes the situation. According to experts, all this is happening because Kiev has switched to “kamikaze” mode and is trying to at least maintain its position. [Russia has said it needs a sanitary zone or buffer zone of about 300 km from the Russian border in Ukraine so that the Ukronazis can’t reach beyond the border witih their NATO/US-supplied missiles and drones. This is the main reason they are fighting so hard in Kharkov, which is at the border and from which most of the attacks on Belgorod come]

On Sunday, May 26, an enemy attack was again repelled in the Belgorod region. According to the Ministry of Defense, in the skies of the Belgorod region, air defense systems on duty shot down two munitions from the Vilkha multiple launch rocket system (MLRS). Before this, a missile threat was declared in Belgorod and its surrounding areas.

System defense

The situation in the border area remains tense. As military correspondent Alexander Kots notes, from night until late morning our artillery roars, causing windows to rattle near Belgorod. They pile on the “ribbon” generously and systematically.

"The enemy continues to gather forces and prepare formations for a counterattack. It began to come to its senses a little after the first surprise. There is practically no movement in Volchansk. The enemy instantly reacts with FPV drones and artillery with cluster munitions. Our troops continue to methodically knock out enemy equipment on the approaches to the military contact line," Kots points out.

In recent days, our soldiers managed to destroy more than forty enemy artillery pieces, 11 tanks and 11 armored vehicles. Eight missile defense systems and two air defense missile systems were also hit.

Operation Slobozhanskaya meat grinder in the sanitary zone continues, states Kots.

However, Constantinople observer Alexander Orlov points out that the enemy is trying to fight back in the Kharkov direction. For this purpose, the best UAV operators of Ukraine - the Birds of Magyar - were transferred to the positions, as well as the most combat-ready units from near Bakhmut.

In addition, blogger Yuriy Podolyaka adds, the enemy north of Kharkov was able, by gathering strength, to regain some of the lost positions. We are talking about a bridgehead approximately 8 kilometers wide and about two kilometers deep at heights near the village of Liptsy. The heights here are of strategic importance, since they rise approximately 100 meters above the surrounding valleys of the Kharkov River and its tributaries and settlements in the valleys.

Zelensky roars and rushes

At the same time, the situation on the front line at Bankova [Bankova is the street on which is Zelensky’s HQ are located] is not inspiring. According to comments from sources, acting President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky roars and rants at meetings.

Despite the fact that he publicly makes statements that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are about to throw our people back abroad and all military resources are being thrown in to reinforce political theses. However, there are nuances...

This counteroffensive comes at the expense of the enemy’s colossal losses. Our artillery used all means, including the work of TOS in places where enemy forces were concentrated. Aviation is operating, paralyzing logistics.

[TOS-1, also known as Solntsepyok, is a fearsome thermobaric weapon that explodes above the heads of enemy troops, sucks the oxgen out of the air and creates temperatures that instantly incinerate men, equipment and bunkers. It is especially useful for destroying heavy fortifications]

In fact, the Russian offensive near Kharkov threw the highest ranks of the enemy into panic and created an internal split in Kiev. Zelensky is in a real rage and threatens to shoot his subordinates, and the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate criticized the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Syrsky, declaring a complete lack of reserves. [This is reminiscent of the hysteria of angry Adof Hitler when he saw that the war was lost.

All Nazis have a lot in common]

Tsargrad military observer Vlad Shlepchenko analyzed the general situation and cited as an example an insider’s statement about Zelensky’s real reaction to the crisis of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkov direction.

Zelensky was hysterical at night and threatened everyone that they would be shot if Kharkov was surrounded or taken into a semi-circle, as reported by the Win/Win Telegram channel. [This is the “democracy” the US agitators, like Victoria Nuland touted to the protesters on Maidan Square. We are especially reminded of this now that Zelensky’s term has expired on the 20^th and he has been the self-elected president of Ukraine for 6 days now. No, silly, he’s no dictator or anything. He has elected himself by rules that he made up while still the elected president and the people just happen to hate his guts now, nothing serious].

It also became known that Zelensky is putting forward categorical demands to Syrsky: all forces from Kherson and Odessa will be sent to Kharkov, where defenses are being hastily formed for the fortifications that were recently erected on the outskirts of the city.

And serious “purges” have begun in relation to the generals. Thus, on the grounds of violating the state border, the State Bureau of Investigation (analogous to our Sledkom) opened a criminal case against 28 officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Glavkom reports with reference to court registers.

The list of “traitors to the motherland” includes the commander of the operational-tactical group, the brigade commander, battalion commanders, company commanders, and the head of the intelligence department of the headquarters. [But this is unfair since EVERYONE in higher positions in Ukraine has always been corrupt.]

Information has also leaked about the start of investigations of the commanders responsible for the Kharkov direction - unexpectedly, the operational-tactical command (OTC) "Kharkov" had a new commander. Instead of Brigadier General Yuriy Galushkin, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine, Brigadier General Mikhail Drapaty, who previously headed the Kherson operational command, was appointed to this position.

It is worth noting that this is the second change in the leadership of the “Kharkov” operational-tactical command in two months. In other words, the Ukrainian government responded to the most acute tactical crisis

Information also leaked about the start of investigations of the commanders responsible for the Kharkov direction - unexpectedly, the operational-tactical command (OTC) "Kharkov" had a new commander. Instead of Brigadier General Yuriy Galushkin, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine, Brigadier General Mikhail Drapaty, who previously headed the Kherson operational command, was appointed to this position. [Well, obviously, something is irregular in Kharkov, since funds were spent to dragon teeth (large cement pyramid-like blocks to be arranged in rows on the ground as anti-tank fortifications, but even after the Russians entered this supposedly forbidden area, these blocks were found lying in piles. Corruption is one major reason Ukraine is losing badly in this war.]

It is worth noting that this is the second change in the leadership of the “Kharkov” operational-tactical command in two months. In other words, the Ukrainian government responded to the most acute tactical crisis with “ministerial leapfrog.” [possibly the most important factor is the one that no one talks about, namely, that Kharkov citizens have always considered themselves Russians, as you can see from this language map. A fact you need to be aware of is that Russian speakers were targeted for harassment shortly after the Obama regime took over the reins in Kiev in 2014. It is hard to be sympathetic toward a regime that mistreats you, for example, by firing artillery rounds into your living space. The Neocons are rather insensitive to these cultural differences]

Kamikaze mode

Against the background of what is happening, the actions of the Kiev regime, according to observers, resemble the actions of a cornered rat. Kiev has essentially gone into kamikaze mode. The other day it became known that the Ukrainian side attacked a facility of the Russian missile attack warning system in the Krasnodar Territory.

We are talking about the Voronezh-DM over-the-horizon early warning radar. So far there is no official confirmation from the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense; however, there is confirmation from independent sources on our side and from Senator Dmitry Rogozin.

According to him, there is damage to the radar. At the same time, Rogozin is convinced that the “client of the grandiose crime” is the United States, given its involvement in the conflict and “total control” over Kiev’s military planning.

And if this is really the case, we have to admit that a rat driven into a corner becomes deadly, and today the Kiev regime is already operating in the kamikaze mode of the West. The desire to preserve their country and their citizens was completely forgotten, and the goal of the junta was the total destruction of life in Eastern Europe.

The fact is that Voronezh-DM is one of the key elements of Russia’s nuclear missile shield. It provides space control in the southern and southwestern direction to a depth of up to 6000 km.

[It would not be surprising if Russia were able to restore this system rather quickly, but it is still a major blow to the country and I think we can expect severe retribution against the US. One more thing. I suspect one of the main motives for this most likely US-planned strike is the Democrat regime’s desperation to change the tide of the war to make Genocide Joe look good. It is probably way past prime time for making Joe look good though.]

The destruction of such a station corresponds to the concept of “enemy impact on critical state or military facilities of the Russian Federation” and is fraught with a retaliatory nuclear strike, according to the concept of its use, points out Tsargrad military observer Vlad Shlepchenko. Read more in the article in First Russian.

**

Here’s your daily air strike update for May 26, 2024

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

https://military.pravda.ru/2027484-starokonstantinov/

26.05.2024

Version: the Kinzhal strike on the Starokonstantinov airfield hit an F-16

F-16 fighters may have been hit on May 26 at Starokonstantinov airfield

  3:47

Security forces » Military news

On May 26, the Russian Aerospace Forces twice attacked the Starokonstantinov airfield in the Khmelnitsky region, where F-16 fighters transferred to Ukraine may have already been stationed.

F-16 fighters may have been hit on May 26 at Starokonstantinov airfield

Photo: Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16 by Tomás Del Coro is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Double strike of the Russian Aerospace Forces on the Starokonstantinov airfield

According to the Ukrainian side, the attack by the Russian Aerospace Forces on the Starokonstantinov airfield on the morning of May 26 involved the Geran-2 UAV, and Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles launched from Tu-95 TS strategic aviation aircraft. The Russian Aerospace Forces repeated the strike there a few hours later, using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles launched from MiG-31K aircraft.

Ukrainian Su-24Ms equipped with British-made Storm Shadow long-range missiles are based at the Starokonstantinov airfield.

Everything was ready in Ukraine to start using the F-16

This airfield was also being prepared to receive F-16s, which were expected “after Easter,” that is, after the fifth of May. This was stated by the representative of the [Ukrainian] Air Force Ilya Yevlash.

Two days ago, foreign publications reported that pilots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces had successfully completed training and were ready to fly on the American aircraft.

Also, the other day there was a discussion about blocking the sky of western Ukraine from the territory of Poland, Romania, and Germany. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said on May 21 that “there is not a single legal, military or moral argument that would prevent partners from shooting down Russian missiles in Ukraine from their territory.” Poland responded that “this is a matter for discussion, it includes many conditions.”

There is also a practice of supplying Western weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces before this is announced. This is how the Leopard and Abrams heavy tanks were delivered. This is done to ensure that the weapons are not destroyed by attacks by the Russian Aerospace Forces on the road. [In other words, to ensure that these weapons are destroyed AFTER they reach the battlefield. LOL]

It is reasonable to assume that the F-16s had already been delivered to Starokonstantinov, which is why such a massive attack was observed. It is known that Kinhals can destroy underground bunkers up to 30 meters deep.

There could be NATO pilots at the airfield

The F-16 is a dangerous weapon; the aircraft has the ability to carry nuclear warheads, and also has a long-range detection and control system. This means that Russian aircraft can be attacked “over the horizon”, outside the retaliatory reach zone.

Strikes on May 26 were also carried out, according to some sources, at other airfields in western Ukraine. It is possible that we are talking about the Ivano-Frankivsk airfield, where the 114th tactical aviation brigade is based, as well as the Vinnitsa airfield, where the 456th transport brigade is based,

This once again emphasizes that the F-16 may already be in Ukraine.

The monitoring Telegram channel lpr1 provides a list of enemy airfields from which aircraft take off to attack Russian territories: Aviatorskoe (Dnepropetrovsk region), Kanatovo (Kirovograd), Dolgintsevo (Krivoy Rog), Lozovatka (Krivoy Rog), Martynovka (Voznesensk), Uman, Starokonstantinov, Ozyornoe (very rare).

“Also, our friends from Starokonstantinov reported that enemy planes are most likely flown by foreigners,” the channel’s authors noted.

Read on the topic: Scout: NATO officers killed by Kinzhal will be killed a second time for secrecy [This is because it is regular practice for the West to report that NATO officers killed by Russian aerospace forces in Ukraine are actually, supposedly, killed in accidents while they were reportedly vavationing, for example. It has been done in the past to obfuscate the fact that NATO officers were in fact serving in the Ukraine army – which would provide

Russia with the legal pretext to attack the country from which they originate.]

Russia was targeting future F-16 fighter pilots, Kiev said

The head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine aimed a strike of the Russian Aerospace Forces at Storm Shadow [British made long-range missile] carriers

**

Further details on air strikes we have reported on previously:

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackests]

https://tsargrad.tv/articles/v-dva-vagona-s-soldatami-priletelo-desjat-raket-pod-harkovom-ostanovleno-nastuplenie-o-kotorom-molchat-svodki_1004926

ILYA GOLOVNEV

MAY 24, 2024

TEN ROCKETS FLY INTO TWO TRAIN CARS WITH SOLDIERS: AN OFFENSIVE WHICH IS NOT MENTIONED IN REPORTS, IS STOPPED NEAR KHARKIV

Map of general battle front. Lower center with key in red circle: Andreevka, Just above this: Kleshcheevka; Far right: Zaytsevo; Upper row after Bakhmut: Ivanovskoye; just left of that: Chasov Yar; Below this far left: Nikolaevka; Above and right of Kleshcheevka: Opytnoe; Upper name above this: Andreevka;

Krynki has been abandoned - the situation in Chasov Yar is threatening - new aerial bombs are being used in the Kharkov sector. Reports of the special military operation and unofficial news from the front are in this Tsagrad article.

The command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the withdrawal of the remnants of Ukrainian troops from the destroyed village of Krynki. The point of keeping them has long been reduced to zero. Moreover, the opposing sides inflict most of the attacks on each other with the help of drones and artillery. In addition, the Russian Armed Forces use heavy bombs with a glide and correction module, as well as attack helicopters.

Having sacrificed several thousand marines for the sake of PR, the Ukraine General Staff realized that there was no point in holding the piece of land, and they left Krynki. [This senseless squandering of troops is one reason Ukraine is short of manpower and cannot win.] At the same time, they wrote that they “were entrenched in another safe place.” But where is this safe place? On the right bank of the Dnieper? This is reported by the large Ukrainian TG channel "Resident".

KIEV BRAGS THAT THE AF MARINE CORPS IS READY FOR ANY LANDING. SCREEN FROM TG CHANNEL DVA MAYORA (TWO MAJORS)

A fighter from the Kherson direction with the call sign “Ossetian” notes that our soldiers do not yet know who went out and where. He recalled that the Ukrainian military were sitting in the basements of houses located near the coast. To reach them, it was necessary to walk a considerable distance under the open sky, which is teeming with drones on both sides:

If the Ukrainian Armed Forces leave Krynki forever, they will try to land in other places. This also needs to be taken into account. Krynki now makes little sense. Almost the entire village was destroyed. There are only a few half-intact houses left.

Andreevka liberated

In Chasov Yar, a threatening situation is developing for the enemy. The Russian army is rapidly advancing in the northern and southern reaches of the Kanal microdistrict. In addition, our paratroopers crossed the Seversky Donets Canal. Thanks to this, the control zone of the Novy microdistrict was expanded.

At the same time, the enemy defenses south of Bakhmut broke apart.

Military correspondent Alexander Kots confirms the information that the Russian Armed Forces liberated Andreevka. For the line Kleshcheevka - Andreevka - Kurdyumovka - Ozaryanovka and the surrounding heights, heavy fighting had been going on for more than a year. Positions changed hands several times, but the active use of FPV drones by both sides did not make it possible to reliably gain a foothold on them:

Logic dictates that Kurdyumovka and Ozaryanovka are next in line. Their release will allow access to Toretsk from the northeast. And from this city it will already be possible to advance on New York in the south and Konstantinovka in the northwest. [New York is actually the name of a village in the Donetsk People’s Republic]

At the same time, a seriously wounded instructor of the French military legion was captured in Kleshcheevka. The nature of the wounds indicates that they tried to finish him off with a shot in the heart. But he was lucky. TG channel Win/Win writes about this:

While doctors are fighting for his life. If rescued, he could become a valuable source of information. We wish him sufficient health to watch the Paris Olympics.

Western concerns

Here we also have revelations from Hill TV. They say that the Ukrainian army is demoralized and is retreating without a chance of return. American and Ukrainian experts know that Ukraine will not be able to win in the current conflict. The army has collapsed. Therefore, a diplomatic solution to the issue is necessary. The US and EU are afraid that the Russians will completely liberate Ukraine.

Calls for a peaceful resolution of the conflict are increasingly heard in Western media. But now that Zelensky has become an illegitimate president, this is unrealistic.[Zelensky’s term expired 20 May] And it is not profitable for the Office of the President to hold elections in the country, because it could lose power. This opinion is expressed by "Resident":

Western media are doing their best to tell what is happening on the battlefield. A colossal number of soldiers were killed, other servicemen who were “luckier” were seriously injured and will remain disabled until the end of their days. At the same time, they do not receive high-quality or, most importantly, free treatment. None of the corresponding rehabilitation programs promised by Zelensky have materialized.

Has the offensive been stopped?

Meanwhile, the enemy pulled reinforcements to the Kharkov direction - several thousand soldiers. Russian aviation and missile forces carried out attacks on logistics infrastructure in the region throughout the day. A railway junction in Kharkov was hit.

Ten S-300s hit two train cars carrying military personnel and equipment. Bodies were removed for 24 hours, as reported by local residents report on social networks.

At the same time, our Aerospace Forces are actively using ammunition with a universal interspecific glide and correction munitions (UMPG) recently delivered to the troops. They have an increased range of destruction compared to FAB with UMPC.

Against this background, the [German] Bild publication writes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, thanks to Western weapons, managed to stop the offensive of the Russian army in the north of the Kharkov oblast a week and a half after it began. According to the report, they stood still. There is supposedly no progress either in Liptsy or Volchansk.

Link to map including Liptsy and Volchansk: https://gorodovik.com/route/map/76294

Liptsy is at the left end and Volchansk at right end of trough-shaped blue route

Indeed, many note that after a quick breakthrough of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defensive formations on the Belgorod border region [Belgorod is the city where civilians keep getting attacked with missiles, drones and artillery by Ukronazi terrorists from just across the border in Kharkov], Russian troops significantly slowed down - and now the “northerners” [Russian North group] are advancing at the same speed as on other sectors of the front. And such reasoning is partly correct.

However, we must understand that our troops, having passed the enemy’s defense line and entered the center of Volchansk and the outskirts of Liptsy, forced the Ukrainian army to throw a huge number of reserves into battle straight away. This led and continues to lead to huge enemy losses in both men and equipment.

Tanks, combat vehicles and artillery are actively burning in many areas of the direction. Kiev also sent a lot of highly professional FPV drone crews to this front. And they are now the main danger to the Russian Armed Forces. The author of the TG channel “Starshe Eddy” writes about this:

We also use attack drones, and here again I would like to mention the [loitering munition] Lancet. This miracle of our military genius has already destroyed a huge amount of enemy equipment, and our experts are not going to stop the enemy’s disposal.

The Great Northern Battle continues. The author of the channel writes that now we are again fighting not with numbers, but with skill. This, however, despite all the flaws, is the calling card of the SMO.

**

https://tsargrad.tv/news/na-tanke-na-sushkah-i-pod-gimn-rossii-ukrainskie-soldaty-otkazyvajutsja-ubivat-russkih-i-perehodjat-na-nashu-storonu_1005009

https://laroucheorganization.com/

The unipolar world order is pro-genocide and pro-Nazi!

The LaRouche Organization is the most frankly pro-multipolar group I know of.

**

Our thanks to HM for this:

Is Yellen the president of America????

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/25/european-banks-in-russia-face-awful-lot-of-risk-yellen-says.html

European banks in Russia face 'awful lot of risk', Yellen says

President Biden's new secondary sanctions allow the Treasury to cut off banks from the U.S. financial system if ...

**

Anyone who hates Ilhan Omar LOVES genocide!

The Bible mentions people who LOVE bad government:

The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority [and not on the authority of the law]; And My people love to have it so! …

 **

Israel’s response to ICJ ruling – bomb more

https://israelpalestinenews.org/israels-response-to-icj-ruling-bomb-more-day-231/

**

Israel is paying for its genocide in unexpected ways

Don’t discount the contribution of the Houthis in teaching the Israeli war criminals a lesson.

Thanks to the Yemeni Houthis, one of the resistance groups fighting to stop the genocide in Palestine, the transport prices for goods from Turkey to Israel have risen from 1800-2000 euros to 4600 euros per container. Containers from China have seen a price increase from $2000 to $8000. It costs more for Israelis to eat now but at least there is no famine of the kind that kills people in Palestine.

But what’s next?

Translation from Arabic with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

May 24, 2024

The Marker [Israeli publication]: Houthi strikes are the main reason for the rise in prices in Israel

The ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has left its impact on the Israeli economy. The Hebrew newspaper The Marker points out that “Houthi threats and strikes are the main reason for the rise in transport prices to Israel and other countries in recent months. This is due to the increase in the transit time. As a result, there is a shortage of ships and containers. Israeli importers have said that transport prices from China have risen sharply.”… "Compared with other countries." She said in a report translated by Al-Khandaq website, “Trade from Turkey reaches Israel, but with a delay of three or four days, in exchange for transport prices of 4,600 euros per container, compared to 1,800-2,000 euros directly from Turkey.”

Translated text:

In the commercial sphere, they are looking with concern as more countries are taking public positions against Israel. The main question is whether other countries will follow Türkiye's heels and stop their trade with Israel. In such a case, will the government respond in a way that exacerbates the conflict, and thus the situation will worsen in this area?

The intention of Norway, Spain and Ireland to recognize the Palestinian state is a source of concern in the commercial sphere. A source in the food market said, “This is another nail in the coffin of our international relations. It will be difficult for commercial interests to sell their products, and international networks will not want to open their activities here. No one wants to touch us. We saw how McDonald’s recently canceled its franchise in Israel.” [When will the Israelis wake up to the fact that all of these problems could be easily solved by a halt to the bombing and forced starvation of the Palestinians. The Israeli criminal enterprise may consider the Palestinians “animals” but the rest of the world disagrees.]

Even if fears of a "political tsunami" turn out to be exaggerated, importers are now suffering from high transportation prices. They attribute a large part of this to poor political relations with Turkey, and the tremors caused by the Houthis to trade in the Red Sea. [The poor relations with Turkiye are due to pressure from the populace on Erdogan, who was initially more indulgent of Israel than his people. Popular discontent could also cause other pro-Israel leaders in the Arab world to follow Erdogan’s lead and crack down on the genocidal maniacs. As the campus protests have shown, people power can counter Establishment power]

The rise in transportation prices, which began a few months ago, has been gradual. In March, this rise seemed to have stopped. But in recent weeks, transport prices from China have risen significantly.

Houthi threats and strikes are the main reason for the rise in transportation prices to Israel and other countries in recent months. [The US empire and its allies have treated the Houthis and the rest of the Arab resistance with contempt for decades, bombing these poor countries and sending drones to harass them. But the resistance is bigger and stronger now, particularly now that the genocide has raised awareness and anger. The resistance includes: Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Popular Mobilization forces in Iraq, the pro-Assad militias in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas, and a group in Bahrain, which though lacking strict coordination among them, all share the same goal of fighting the genocide in Palestine. They are extremely well motivated and disciplined. Iran itself is also part of the resistance. The Zio-American Satanists now realize they are a force to be reckoned with] This is due to the increased maritime-transit time. As a result, there is a shortage of ships and containers. Israeli importers said that transportation prices from China rose sharply compared to other countries.

“At a time when they saw that Turkey was closed and that dependence on China had increased, transport companies raised transportation prices from China to Israel. Transporting a container from China to Israel gradually increased in the last four months, from $2,000 to $8,000,” said an electrical tools importer.

Israel's response to the boycott by Türkiye raises fears of the development of a similar dynamic in relations with other countries. Importers who hoped to calm tensions with Turkey recently discovered that the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, is working on escalation, in the form of imposing a “punitive tax” on imports from Turkey, if such a thing exists. [Ok. Like all advocates of punitive tariffs, they fail to realize that the tariff is a tax on their own people, not on the target country]

This tax could significantly raise the prices of goods imported from Turkey, which will lead to importing from Turkey becoming economically unviable, even if the Turks request the resumption of imports. In a draft decision in the Ministry of Finance, the draft of which is currently being transmitted between government ministries, it was written that the Minister of Finance intends to cancel, until May 28, all reduced taxes that were in effect according to the free trade zone agreement between Israel and Turkey. Instead, a tax amounting to 100 percent of the product price will be imposed on every product imported from Turkey, with the exception of specified goods. [Imagine the cost of this to the Israeli people]

It was also suggested in the draft resolution that the government would give directions to the Ministers of Economy, Foreign Affairs and Finance “to take the required steps to strengthen local industry in order to help diversify Israel’s import sources. The intention is to find alternatives for goods now imported from Turkey in order to reduce the dependence of markets in Israel on imports from Turkey.” ".

This is essentially a declaratory clause, and for now, it is not accompanied by the allocation of a specific budget to implement these steps.

Importers of electrical appliances and foodstuffs said that although there are alternatives to trade with Türkiye, the solution depends on a relatively high price. “This does not mean that we cannot manage without importing from Turkey. There are alternatives, but they are more expensive,” said Shimon Dadon, the owner of the “Gav” Project Management Company, which specializes in trade, including importing from Turkey and in international projects.

According to him, “Turkish exporters are finding alternatives. Most of them continue to send goods to Israel. The leading solution at this time is shipping via Greece, and there are also those who send from Egypt. They are working to replace papers and containers in Greek ports. Or they are accompanying the container with documents indicating that the goods it contains were purchased from a company in Greece, but their ultimate purpose is not specified.

“In short, trade from Turkey reaches Israel, but with a delay of three or four days, for transport prices of 4,600 euros per container, compared to 1,800-2,000 euros for shipment directly from Turkey.”

Dadon fears that the new dependence on Greece will lead to burdens and delays. “Bottlenecks in Greek ports are a matter of time. If logistics companies open their centers in a port in Greece, this will prevent the expected bottlenecks in advance.”

Source: The Marker