The Ministry of Defense’s Directorate for Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) has selected Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) as the prime contractor to lead further development of technologies for the “Carmel” program, the IDF’s futuristic battle vehicle.

The goal of this program, which is conducted in cooperation with the IDF’s Ground Forces and the Tank and APC Directorate, is to significantly improve maneuvering capabilities.

The “Carmel” concept will be applied to current and future armored fighting vehicles and will include crew members in closed hatches, operating a range of autonomous and AI-driven platforms.

Many of the Carmel’s capabilities will be autonomous, including travel, detection of threats, defense, and acquisition of targets. With the Carmel’s innovative user interface, soldiers in the vehicle will be able to view the battlefield in several dimensions. They will receive intelligence, detect threats and acquire targets automatically, enabling them to effectively assess situations and make optimal decisions.

During the pilot stage of the program, Carmel technologies will be integrated into the “Eitan” Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV).

The Carmel concept is “groundbreaking on a global scale” and has garnered the interest of many international industries and militaries, the Ministry of Defense stated Sunday.

The program combines an innovative operational concept with state-of-the-art technologies, which provide solutions for the future battlefield.

The concept engages small crews and relies extensively on autonomous capabilities and AI, streamlining battle management while minimizing risk to human lives on both sides.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met on Wednesday in Jerusalem with World Bank Group President David Malpass.

Malpass is on a regional tour of Sudan, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

Bennett and Malpass met privately and then held an expanded working meeting with the participation of several key Israeli officials.

Bennett noted “the great potential for cooperation” between the World Bank and Israel.

Among the topics discussed were “regional issues as well as areas of future cooperation in trade, health, climate, energy and water,” Bennett’s office stated.

Malpass stated that he highlighted the challenges facing Sudan, Jordan, and the West Bank, drawing on his recent visits and the World Bank Group’s work in each.

Malpass and Israeli authorities discussed “ways to improve regional economic growth and stability, including through trade facilitation with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza.”

They also discussed the potential for further regional cooperation on key sectors, including banking, water, energy, and electricity.

Malpass and the authorities discussed Israel’s work on digital health and development.

President Malpass also expressed appreciation for Israel’s support for the International Development Association (IDA) replenishment, its fund for the world’s poorest countries.

Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday in Washington and “reaffirmed the strength of the US-Israel partnership.”

Sullivan met with Hulata and a senior Israeli interagency delegation at the White House for a meeting of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group. The meeting was attended by senior US and Israeli defense, military, intelligence, and diplomatic officials.

The White House stated that the two sides, who have previously met, “exchanged views on the most pressing challenges impacting the security and stability of the region,” and “expressed their shared determination to address the threats facing Israel and regional partners.”

Sullivan emphasized President Joe Biden’s “fundamental commitment to Israel’s security and to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”

Sullivan explained that the Biden administration believes diplomacy is the best path to achieve that goal, while also noting that the President has made clear that “if diplomacy fails, the US is prepared to turn to other options.”

Hulata Sullivan and agreed to maintain “an open and constructive dialogue, and to expand the close coordination between their respective interagency teams on vital issues impacting Israel’s national security and regional stability.”

The global collapse on Monday of the networks and social media platforms run by Facebook significantly altered the Israelis use of their phones, data shows.

The Israeli Pelephone carrier reported significant increases in the sending of text messages, with a 580% increase, telephone calls increased by about 25%, and the use of other messaging applications, such as Tiktok and Snapchat, also increased significantly.

The various Israeli channels also reported a marked increase in their ratings, apparently as social media users turned to them for amusement.

Jerusalem’s police rounded up and arrested five Arabs who are suspected of involvement in attacks on Jews and riots in the city.

The police stated Monday that during an operation that involved undercover officers and the dog unit, five rioters were arrested on Sunday night in the neighborhood of Issawiya in eastern Jerusalem.

The five, aged 18-25, are suspected of throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. One of the perpetrators was also arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal weapons.

Earlier Sunday, police arrested another riot.

Following the arrests, the suspects were brought in for questioning, and police are expected to request an extension of their detention in court.

Issawiya if often the scene of violent attacks by Arabs against Israeli security forces.