Israel News for January 4, 2016
New Attacks
There were three terror attacks yesterday. A 20 yr. old female soldier was shot and wounded near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Shortly after, a Palestinian attacked a man with a knife at a bus stop in the Armon Hanetziv neighborhood of Jerusalem. The man was not injured and the assailant fled but was later captured by police. Later that evening, a soldier was shot in the leg by an assailant from a distance, in the South Hebron Hills. The IDF is searching for the shooter.
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Search Continues
Police continue to search for the Arab Israeli terrorist who killed two and injured eight in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv on Friday. The search is now primarily confined to the northern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Ramat Aviv, where the terrorist worked as a delivery man and knows the streets and some of the residents. Police believe that he got into a cab at some point after the shooting and then proceeded to kill the cab driver, also an Arab Israeli, before continuing on foot.
Police have also reached out to the Palestinian Authority for help in apprehending the terrorist, in the event that they have intelligence information or that he might have escaped into their territory. The PA is cooperating.
Schools in Tel Aviv remain open and the majority of children are attending, although security has been tightened.
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Two Funerals
The two victims of Friday’s terror attack in Tel Aviv were laid to rest yesterday.
In Karmiel, over 2,000 people attended the funeral of Alon Bakal, 26, the manager at the Hasimta bar on Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Street where the attack occurred.
Bakal served in an elite unit of the Golani Brigade during his IDF service. He had recently graduated from law school in Netanya and moved to Tel Aviv, where he had been due to start working at a law office. Deputy Interior Minister Yaron Mazuz and Yesh Atid Chairman Knesset Member Yair Lapid were among the mourners.
In Ofakim, a large crowd attended the funeral of Shimon Ruimi, 30. Among the mourners were Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis and Ofakim Mayor Itzik Danino.
Ruimi’s aunt, Mor Peretz, eulogized him as “the child of life, our hero, righteous and smart.” She added, “You were killed by an evil person because you were a Jew. May God avenge you.”
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PM Warns Arabs
A while back we reported on efforts by a special unit of the police to crack down on guns in Arab Israeli communities. Over the weekend, PM Netanyahu called on increased law enforcement in Arab areas in the wake of Friday’s terror attack committed by an Israeli Arab. He said that the times of lax law enforcement in Arab areas is over.
The PM said that he, along with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Police Inspector General Roni Alsheich, put together a plan to dramatically increase law enforcement services in Arab areas throughout the country, including building more police stations and recruiting more police officers.
He said, “We will demand loyalty to the laws of the state from everyone. One cannot say ‘I am Israeli in my rights and Palestinian in my responsibilities.’ Whoever wants to be Israeli, must be Israeli all the way, with rights and responsibilities, and the first and foremost responsibility is to follow the laws of the state.”
Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid also called for increased efforts to collect illegal firearms.
He said, “We have to take care of the problem of guns in the Arab population.There are massive quantities of weapons going around… and the time has come to take care of it. We cannot continue ignoring it.”
Lapid said law enforcement should be doubled in Arab areas, including increasing police stations, in order to collect the illegal guns. Lapid also wrote on Facebook that all citizens with gun licenses should not leave their homes without their firearms.
Many other public officials also have encouraged civilians who have gun permits to carry their weapons with them wherever they go.
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Duma Indictment
After a four month long investigation into the deadly arson attack against a Palestinian family in Duma, which claimed the lives of an 18 month old and his parents, the Central District Attorney’s Office filed indictments against two Jewish suspects with the Lod District Court yesterday.
Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein and head State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan personally approved the indictments filed by prosecutors Rahel Avisar and Yael Atzmon.
Amir Ben Uliel, a 21 yr. old from Jerusalem, was charged with three murder charges and a variety of other charges and could face multiple life sentences. A 17 year old was also indicted on one count of conspiring to commit a nationalistically motivated crime, but his name remains under a gag order since he is a minor. He had planned the attack with Uliel but, at the last minute, failed to show up to carry out the attack.
Police say that the suspects were part of a radical group dubbed the “Revolt Group.” The group’s main objective is to cause chaos in Israel that would lead to the fall of the government and to the crowning of a king. The group seeks to do that by undermining Jewish-Arab relations, as well as Israel’s standing in the world.
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Egypt Returns
Egypt’s new ambassador to Israel arrived in the country on Friday. Egypt withdrew its ambassador from Israel in November 2012 to protest the Israeli offensive against Gaza, Operation Pillar of Defense. At the time, Egypt was led by Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
PM Netanyahu said, “I welcome his arrival and the re-stationing here of an Egyptian ambassador to Israel, something that will enable us to further strengthen relations with this important and key Arab country.”
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