israel news rabbi Lau

Israel News for December 10, 2015

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Terror Attacks
Late Wednesday two Israelis, Shaul Nir and his wife Racheli, were wounded when their vehicle was shot at by terrorists in the West Bank. Nir was seriously wounded and Racheli lightly wounded. The attackers escaped.

The Nirs had been visiting their daughter in the settlement of Avnei Hefetz for Hanukkah candle lighting and were returning to their home in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City when they were attacked. Their daughter’s husband was murdered in a terror attack in Hebron in 2003.

Shaul Nir was convicted for perpetrating a 1983 shooting and hand grenade attack on the Islamic College of Hebron, which killed three students and wounded 33. He was sentenced to life in prison but was released after seven years, in 1990, after being pardoned by then Israeli President Chaim Herzog.

Earlier on Wednesday a soldier and civilian were wounded in a stabbing attack in Hebron. The terrorist was shot and killed at the scene. One of the wounded in the attack is the son of former Bayit Yehudi Knesset member Orit Strock. The terrorist, Abad a-Rachman Yusori Maswada, was the cousin of the terrorist who stabbed an Israeli on Monday in Hebron.

For further reading click here.

Rivlin and Obama
Israeli President Rivlin met with US President Obama at the White House yesterday. At the start of their meeting Rivlin thanked Obama for standing against radicalization and added that Israel agreed with his ideas. He said, “We have no war against Islam. We have a war against those who are using ideas to create extremism and threat against innocent people.”

Rivlin thanked Obama and the US for its military, financial and diplomatic support. He said, “Israel has no greater friend than the U.S. and I want to say this loud and clear. The people of Israel thank you from the bottom of our heart.”

Obama expressed his support for Israel and condemned Palestinian violence, adding that, “Abbas needs to condemn it and end incitement.”

Relating to Hanukkah, Rivlin compared Obama to the shamash candle on the menorah saying,”the shamash is the leader with which you light the other candles. You have been lighting the candles for seven years to show your people and the world the right way – we’re sure that the eighth candle you will light next year will show the world how to walk in the light.”

For further reading click here.

PM and Trump
PM Netanyahu rejected Donald Trump’s recent call for banning Muslims from entering the US. The PM’s office released a statement saying, “The prime minister rejects the recent comments by Donald Trump regarding Muslims. Israel respects all religions and staunchly preserves the rights of all its citizens. At the same time, Israel is struggling against the radical Islamism that targets Muslims, Christians and Jews as one and poses a threat to the entire world.”

Netanyahu will, however, meet with Trump when the Republican party hopeful visits Israel later this month, despite the call to cancel by 37 Knesset members, all except two from the opposition. In response, the PM’s office reiterated that the meeting was scheduled prior to the statement by Trump and that the PM’s policy is to meet with any US presidential candidate while not endorsing any candidate or their positions.

For further reading click here.

Rabbi Reprimands
Israel’s Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi David Lau reprimanded Education Minister Naftali Bennett for visiting a Solomon Schechter Conservative Jewish day school on a trip to New York earlier this month. Bennett, who also serves as Diaspora Minister, tweeted a video of his visit afterwards saying, “Meeting with the pupils of the wonderful Conservative school Solomon Schechter in New York. So much love of Israel and so much love of Judaism.”

Chief Rabbi Lau was not pleased, to say the least. He told an interviewer on the Haredi Kol Chai radio station that Bennett should have consulted with a rabbi before agreeing to visit the non-Orthodox school. He said, “To speak deliberately with a specific community and to recognize it and its path, when this path distances Jews from the path of the Jewish people, this is forbidden. If Minister Bennett would have asked my opinion before the visit I would have said to him explicitly that you cannot go somewhere where the education distances Jews from tradition, from the past, and from the future of the Jewish people.”

Bennett didn’t voice any regrets. His office issued the following statement:
“Minister Bennett believes that public leaders in Israel need to draw Jews close and not to excommunicate them. Diaspora Jewry is in a state of emergency as the phenomenon of assimilation reaches millions of Jews. As someone who is responsible in the Israeli government for the issue of the Diaspora, Minister Bennett is proud that he is concerned for all Jews because they are Jewish and will continue to meet Jews from all denominations.”

For further reading click here.

Women Judges
The government opposed a Knesset bill permitting the appointment of women to Muslim religious (Sharia) courts. The bill was proposed by several Arab Knesset members and supported by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. The only opponents of the bill are the Haredi ministers, who fear that the bill could set a precedent that would then be applied to Jewish religious courts, and some conservative Arab MKs. Health Minister Litzman of United Torah Judaism (UTJ) threatened that the UTJ and Shas would use their right of veto on matters of religion-and-state granted to them in the coalition agreements if the government failed to oppose the bill. The UTJ said in a statement, “On this matter, UTJ is cooperating with the Muslim MKs who oppose the initiative.”

Who said Jews and Arabs can’t work together in harmony?

For further reading click here.

Hanukkah Love
Hanukkah is the kind of feel good holiday that everyone can appreciate. To cite just a couple of examples: the king of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, invited the director of the Conference of European Orthodox Rabbis to light the Hanukkah candles at his palace. Also, the president of Poland, Andrzej Duda, joined Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich and the small Warsaw Jewish community for candle lighting at the presidential palace. Duda said, “let there always be a great hope for the chosen people, for all the Jews in Poland and in the world.” Too bad he wasn’t around during WWII when 3 million Polish Jews were wiped out in his country with the help of his countrymen — but hey, it’s Hanukkah so it’s all good. Right.

Israel News Rivllin US visit

Israel News for December 9, 2015

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Terror Attacks
A terrorist stabbed two men near Beit Hadassah in Hebron today. The men, both in their early 20’s were wounded, one in the upper body and one in the leg. The terrorist was shot and killed. This story is still developing.

For further reading click here.

Terrorists threw four molotov cocktails at cars driving down Highway 443 towards Jerusalem last night. There were no injuries or damage to vehicles. The 443 is one of just two main arteries connecting Jerusalem to the center of the country and Tel Aviv. Keeping it safe is a priority for security forces, which is why they’re moving full force to catch the perpetrators and halt further attacks.

For further reading click here.

Israeli ISIS
The Shin Bet announced yesterday that they have arrested five Israeli Arabs from Nazareth for attempting to form an ISIS terror cell. According to the Shin Bet, the group had already started to meet, had begun training with live arms and were planning ISIS style terrorist attacks. The group had recently sworn allegiance to ISIS and to a “jihad against infidels.”

Is this a trend in the Israeli Arab community or just an isolated incident?

For further reading click here.

Convicted Terrorists
Yesterday, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced four east Jerusalem Arabs for conspiring to carry out shooting and kidnapping attacks against Jews praying on the Temple Mount and security forces posted in east Jerusalem. Three other Arabs were convicted last week on similar charges.

The head of the terror cell, Nor Hamdan, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for contact with a foreign agent, illegal military training and crimes related to illegal weapons possession and development.

Hamdan’s deputy, Imah Shaar, was sentenced to 11 years and Omar Vuzvuz and Amjad Razam were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for similar crimes.

The Shin Bet said that the cell had come into possession of two handguns, a pipe bomb, and ammunition. They won’t need those where they’re heading.

For further reading click here.

IDF Accused
The Legal Assistance Division of the Israeli Justice Ministry filed a petition with the High Court of Justice yesterday against the IDF. The petition alleges that the IDF discriminated against soldiers of Ethiopian background by granting them “poor conduct” discharges.

A “poor conduct” discharge can result in loss of state benefits including national insurance (Bituach Leumi) and can have a negative impact on finding a job.

A 2011 State Comptroller report noted that 66 percent of Ethiopians released early in 2010 were released for “poor conduct,” a percentage far above the frequency that these grounds are given for discharges among the general population.

The test case that the Justice Department is presenting involves a soldier of Ethiopian background who was released on December 31, 2013 for “poor conduct,” despite the fact that on January 8, 2014, a neurologist and the official Medical Committee said that his release should have been based on his “medical condition.”

On the other hand, the soldier attempted to desert on more than one occasion for which he was court martialed — which gives the IDF support for its “poor conduct” discharge.

The High Court will have to decide who is right and whether the IDF did actually discriminate against the soldier. But regardless of this case, it does seem like the IDF needs to review its general treatment of soldiers of Ethiopian background to make sure that it’s all perfectly “kosher”.

For further reading click here.

UNESCO Deal
The US stopped funding the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) four years ago, after it voted to admit Palestine as a member. The UNESCO move triggered an old law enacted by Congress requiring America to stop funding any UN agency that accepts the Palestinians as a full member state. That cost UNESCO $80 million in annual US funding, a quarter of its total budget. But it also cost the US its voting rights in the organization.

The US administration wants the UNESCO funding resumed and has asked Israel not to oppose a waiver to the new US foreign aid budget which would exempt the government from complying with the old law. It looks like PM Netanyahu has agreed to the request. Is this part of a bigger bargain? An even bigger question: can Israel really dictate what bills or waivers Congress passes? Apparently, they can in this case.

For further reading click here.

Israeli Poverty
The annual 2014 report on poverty released by the National Insurance Agency (Bituach Leumi) shows that 1,709,300 of Israel’s citizens live below the poverty line. That number includes 776,500 children. The figures rank Israel in the bottom two countries in the developed world (OECD), just above Mexico. In terms of poor children, Israel also ranks second to last, just above Turkey.

According to the report, the poverty income level is NIS 3,077 a month for an individual, NIS 4,923 a month for a couple and NIS 9,230 for a family of five.

Poverty among Arab families rose from 51.7% in 2013 to 52.6% in 2014. Poverty levels within the Ultra Orthodox community rose to 54.3% in 2014. Two thirds of all children in this sector of the population live in poverty.

Let’s hope that the Startup Nation can figure out a solution to this huge problem?

For further reading click here.

Rivlin in Town
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin arrived in New York yesterday on a commercial El Al flight (probably first class) and took a train to Washington (is there first class on the train?).
Rivlin attended a joint meeting on Capitol Hill with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). He then met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Today Rivlin and his wife will head to the White House where they will be met by the First Family. Rivlin will then meet with Obama. After that the Rivlins will join in a Hanukkah reception in their honor. Fun!

On Thursday, Rivlin is scheduled to deliver a diplomatic speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington, after which he will travel by train to New York for a series of meetings with leaders of the Jewish community.

Good luck!

For further reading click here.

Mr. Universe
Proving his Jewish mother’s claim that her son is the greatest man in the universe, Danny Kaganovich has won the Mr. Universe competition. He’s the first Israeli to ever win the international bodybuilding competition. Is mom proud now, or would she rather Danny have an MD after his name? If you’re reading this Mrs. Kaganovich, please let us know.

For further reading click here.

israel news settlements

Israel News for December 8, 2015

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Hebron Terror
A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli man near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron yesterday. The terrorist, an 18 year old male from Hebron, was shot and killed by Border Police. The victim, in his 40’s, was wounded in his upper body and evacuated to a hospital in Jerusalem in critical condition.

Last night dozens of Jewish men and women gathered in the streets of Hebron to protest the terror attack. Shortly after they began, however, some Palestinians began throwing rocks at them. Police protected the demonstrators and no casualties were reported.

For further reading click here.

You Can Run
Also last night, IDF forces arrested a Palestinian in a hotel in Ramallah who had participated in a terror attack in October. The terrorist had been shot and wounded in the original attack and had been evacuated by a Red Crescent ambulance to a hospital in Ramallah, from where he went into hiding from security forces. He is now in Shin Bet custody.
You can run, but you can’t hide.

For further reading click here.

Price Tag
A 21 year old man, David Or Shachar, from Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion was convicted by a Jerusalem district court for attacking two Palestinians and an IDF soldier who tried to defend them, in addition to several other “Price Tag” (revenge acts against Palestinians by Jewish youth in the West Bank) incidents over the past couple of years. The man admitted his crimes and expressed regret for committing them.

For further reading click here.

Tunnel Busters
Egypt’s military has announced that they found and destroyed twenty tunnels along their border with Gaza in November. Thank you Egypt for fighting terror.

For further reading click here.

Doll Busters
Customs officials in Haifa have impounded a shipment of dangerous items bound for the Palestinian Authority from the United Arab Emirates: dolls. Each of the 4,000 stuffed children’s dolls seized wears a keffiyeh, holds a rock in its hand, and bears the slogans ‘Jerusalem is ours’ or ‘Jerusalem, we are coming!’

What about all those kids who won’t have anything to play with now? Israeli officials are considering sending the PA an equivalent number of “Mensch on a Bench” instead (that’s a joke, but it’s really quite sad and scary to think about the hatred and incitement that’s being instilled in the next generation of Palestinians).

For further reading click here.

Mossad Chief
PM Netanyahu announced last night that National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen will be the new head of the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency (similar to the CIA).

Cohen, 54, is a former deputy chief of the Mossad and former head of the organization’s Tzomet division, which operates agents. He’ll start his new job when the current Mossad chief, Tamir Pardo, steps down in January.

While Cohen, a 30 year Mossad veteran, headed Tzomet, he and his subordinates received the prestigious Israel Defense Prize, which recognizes achievements in improving state security and maintaining Israel’s power and qualitative advantage on the battlefield.

Cohen is a graduate of the Or Etzion religious military preparatory high school headed up by Rav Druckman. He is married with four children and resides in Modiin, which happens to have been the hometown of the Macabbees. That might explain his Hanukkah appointment. Well, you never know.

For further reading click here.

US Donors
According to a Haaretz investigative report, US donors provided $220 million in funding for Jewish communities in the West Bank through a network of around 50 tax exempt organizations between 2009 and 2013. Initial data for 2014 suggests that figures for last year could be even higher.

One of the largest U.S. organizations involved in funding Jewish communities in the West Bank is the Brooklyn-based Hebron Fund. It transferred $5.7 million to the Jewish settlement in Hebron from 2009-2014. Much of the funding has been invested in parks, playgrounds and libraries, in line with the fund’s stated goal of “the improvement of the daily life for the residents of Hebron.”

In general the Israeli government is the primary funder of the West Bank communities, providing security, construction, infrastructure, education and cultural activities. The money from US donors is just icing on the cake.

Does this tax exempt funding from private US citizens mean that the US government is indirectly funding settlements in the West Bank? Haaretz is making that argument, but the US government doesn’t seem to be too troubled by it.

For further reading click here.

Eilat Flop
Did you ever think it would be cool to have a biblical theme park in Israel? Well, you’d be wise to put that thought on the back burner. The Kings City amusement and theme park in Eilat is shutting down after 10 years of lackluster performance.

Kings City was built as a Disney-like Old Testament theme park complete with the Bible Cave, the Illusion Cave, the David Spiral Slides, and of course, the King Solomon Falls. It cost around 160 million shekels to build, and millions more to promote. It attracted over 250,000 visitors on average a year, primarily Israeli. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to make it financially feasible or profitable.

The property will probably be demolished and be used as a site for more hotels.

For further reading click here.

ISRAEL NEWS JERUSALEM TERROR

Israel News for December 7, 2015

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Terror Attack
Last night, a 21 year old Palestinian from the Beit Hanina neighborhood of East Jerusalem rammed his car into two young Israelis in the Romema neighborhood of Jerusalem, lightly wounding them. He then got out of his vehicle with a knife and stabbed a volunteer police officer. Then he went looking for more victims. He saw an Israeli soldier near a bus and charged at him. The soldier managed to draw his sidearm and shoot and kill the terrorist.

For further reading click here.

IAF Strikes Gaza
Last night the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck Hamas targets in northern Gaza in response to a shooting attack against an IDF vehicle that was traveling along the Israeli side of the border. No soldiers were injured in the shooting.

For further reading click here.

PM’s First Light
PM Benjamin Netanyahu lit the first Hanukkah light in a moving ceremony at the Kotel with members of the Border Police. As part of his remarks the PM said,“Israel is a candle in the darkness. Around us is a great darkness and here in Jerusalem, in the State of Israel, we are lifting the banner of the independence and honor of man, for the right of the Jewish People to live free in its land and in its city, the same city that the Maccabees liberated.”

“This battle has continued into our generation. In every generation they have risen up to destroy us and in every generation the Holy One, Blessed be He, has saved us from them, on condition that we hold the banner and candle and also the sword of Israel. And here, we are doing just that. First of all, to defend ourselves, but I say we are defending all of humanity, as well as the culture of all humanity, against the unbridled brutality that the world is today beginning to understand.”

“Here we are, standing near the Holy of Holies, not far from there. We can overcome any obstacle and any challenge and I believe that this is a symbol today, especially at this time, of the restoration of Israel and of the Glory of Israel.”

“With G-d’s help, very many around the world understand this more and more with the passing of time. I want to say the blessing over the first candle of Hanukkah. I want to wish the entire People of Israel a Happy Hanukkah.”

For further reading click here.

Obama’s First Light
US President Obama released a Hanukkah greeting last night.

“Tonight, Jews in America, Israel, and around the world come together to light the first candle of the Festival of Lights. At its heart, Hanukkah is about the struggle for justice in the face of overwhelming obstacles.”

“It’s a chance to reflect on the triumph of liberty over tyranny, the rejection of persecution, and on the miracles that can happen even in our darkest hours. It renews our commitment as Americans – as people who live by faith and conscience – to lead the way and act as unyielding advocates for the fundamental dignity of every human being.”

“During these eight days, let us be inspired by the light that can overcome darkness. As we recall the Maccabees’ struggle to free a people from oppression, let us rededicate ourselves to being the engine of the miracles we seek.”

“May the lights of the menorah brighten your home and warm your heart, and from my family to yours, Chag Sameach.”

For further reading click here.

Compensation Award
The International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration has ruled that Egypt must pay Israel around $1.8 billion as compensation for halting gas supplies.

Egypt stopped selling natural gas to Israel in 2012 after months of attacks on a pipeline by militants in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The Israel Electric Company sued the Egyptian gas providers for $4 billion in damages, claiming that it was forced to buy more expensive fuel to generate its electricity.

There’s one problem with the award. Israel is hoping to export gas to Egypt from its newly discovered gas reserves. Egypt is saying now that it won’t buy the gas unless Israel waives the arbitration award. So, Israel might have to give up the $1.8 billion to make a lot more money in the future.

For further reading click here.

Sarid Memorial
Former cabinet minister and Knesset member Yossi Sarid, who died on Friday, was laid to rest yesterday at Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha.

Sarid, who died at his home in Tel Aviv of cardiac arrest at the age of 75, was a prominent figure on the Israeli left. He was a Knesset member for more than three decades, and served as education minister and environment minister, as well as a leader of the peace movement and a prominent opponent of Israeli rule over the West Bank.

The PM said, “Although we differed on a large number of subjects, I admired his loyalty to his path, his broad knowledge and the precise Hebrew of his mouth and pen. He will also be remembered as an outstanding parliamentarian, a longstanding member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and as an education minister who sought to advance the educational system in Israel.”

Sarid is survived by his wife Dorit, their three children, Yishai, Noa, and Nadav, and his grandchildren.

For further reading click here.

Pay Raise
The cabinet yesterday unanimously approved a proposal by the Minister of Finance to raise the salary for soldiers doing compulsory service by 50%.

The Prime Minister and Minister of Finance said that the increase would become effective in December, and that there would be further increases in the future.

The monthly pay for combat soldiers will rise from NIS 1,077 to NIS 1,616, the monthly pay for a soldIers in combat support positions will rise from NIS 784 to NIS 1,176, and the monthly pay for soldiers in other positions will rise from NIS 540 to NIS 810.

Opening the cabinet meeting, PM Netanyahu said, “There is no better opportunity than now, on the eve of Hanukkah, to increase the pay for soldiers doing compulsory service. The bottom line is that our lives depend on the shield provided by IDF soldiers.”

For further reading click here.

israel news jerusalem terror attack

Israel News for December 4, 2015

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Terror Attacks
Just breaking: An Israeli was wounded in a stabbing attack in the West Bank village of Kfar Abboud, near the settlement of Halamish.

Yesterday a soldier was stabbed and lightly wounded in Hebron. The two Palestinian terrorists were killed by security forces.

Earlier yesterday afternoon, a Palestinian attacked and tried to stab a policeman who was sitting in his patrol car near Haneviim Street in Jerusalem. The policeman fought the attacker until other police officers on the scene shot the terrorist. The policeman was evidently wounded from the gunfire.

According to Palestinian sources, the terrorist who was shot and killed by soldiers in a terror attack earlier on Thursday was an intelligence officer in the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian Authority and Palestinian security forces have yet to respond to the report.

For further reading click here.

Top Cop
Roni Alsheikh, former Shin Bet Director, was sworn in as Commissioner of the Israel Police yesterday by PM Netanyahu and Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan.

Alsheikh was supposed to be sworn in over two weeks ago, but the ceremony was delayed because he fell in his home, broke his leg, and was hospitalized. He joked about it at the ceremony, saying that God caused his left leg to break to allow him to start his new office on the “right” foot.

After the ceremony the PM said, “I’m convinced that there are problems and deficiencies in the police. A healthy body isn’t one that’s totally devoid of disease but one that can be healed, and I’m convinced that Roni will know how to do that.”

Alsheikh’s appointment follows a slew of investigations into the sexual misconduct of high ranking police officers and general criticism of police operations and performance. Let’s hope he can restore to the police the trust and respect it deserves.

For further reading click here.

EU Sanctions
The Israeli Foreign Ministry is recommending to the PM and the Defense Ministry that six EU countries be singled out for “special treatment” based on their leading roles in the EU labeling regulations that discriminate against Israeli products made in the West Bank and the Golan.

The countries — Sweden, Belgium, Ireland, France, Luxembourg and Malta — are all involved in projects and programs in the West Bank and Gaza. In order to do that they require Israeli cooperation. The Foreign Ministry is threatening to make it hard for these countries to carry out their work in the West Bank and Gaza.

In the words of a senior Israeli diplomat, “The aim is to make it clear to the countries pushing the subject of labeling goods that such conduct has a price in the Palestinian sphere. The decision to suspend diplomatic dialogue with the EU is only the beginning. Israel has shown much good will over the years regarding various initiatives by Europe in the Palestinian sphere but it is no longer logical to continue this approach if Europe is becoming more extreme and taking measures like marking goods and encouraging a boycott.”

France is being particularly single out because of its leadership role in the EU regulations and in moving against Israel in the UN Security Council. France also has the largest number of projects in the West Bank and Gaza.

Question: By impeding these European projects meant to assist the Palestinians and rebuild Gaza, will Israel just end up indirectly harming the Palestinian populace and stoking the flames of hatred against her, or is the Palestinian hatred there regardless of what Israel does or doesn’t do?

For further reading click here.

Trump Speaks
Donald Trump addressed members of the Republican Jewish Coalition yesterday. He told the major Jewish donors, “You’re not going to support me even though you know I’m the best thing that could happen to Israel. I know why you’re not going to support me – because I don’t want your money. You want to control your own politician.”

Trump also said that he doesn’t know if Israel is seriously committed to peace, but would find out within six months of taking office. To top it off he refused to say whether Jerusalem should be the undivided capital of Israel.

Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and Gov. Mike Huckabee all blasted Trump for his statements and pledge their full support for Israel.

Sheldon Adelson, the biggest Republican donor and staunch supporter of Israel, hasn’t yet decided which candidate he will support. His political adviser said, “The Adelsons are generally pleased with all of the Republican candidates and feel that the primary process will work its way out.”

Upshot
When you’re self funding your campaign, you apparently can say anything you want.

For further reading click here.

Fun Fact
According to reporters who attended the Republican Jewish Coalition’s candidates forum, Ben Carson repeatedly pronounced Hamas as hummus. He’ll figure things out eventually.

Russian Campaign
Israel is launching a marketing campaign to attract Russian tourists who had been going to Turkey and Egypt before Russia halted flights to Egypt after the bombing of a Russian plane and imposed sanctions against Turkey after the Turks shot down a Russian fighter jet.

Israel’s tourism minister, Yariv Levin, said that Israel is offering two types of trips to Russians – a Sinai-like “sea and sun” vacation in the Red Sea resort town of Eilat, and packages that include stops in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and at the Dead Sea.

He said the Israeli campaign includes traditional advertising, partnerships with Russian tour operators and bringing Russian celebrities to Israel to “spread the word.” He added that the campaign would focus on Israel’s mild weather, its religious and historical sites as well as beaches and nightlife, and the large number of Russian-speaking immigrants from the former Soviet Union. “Russian tourists in Israel really feel at home and can ask and receive information in Russian without any problem.”
Ilanit Melchior, tourism director at the Jerusalem Development Authority, said an estimated 450,000 Russian tourists visit Israel each year, and she hopes the campaign could grow that figure by 10 percent.

For further reading click here.

More Cars
If you’re sick of sitting in traffic on Israel’s main highways, you’re not going to like this. Between January and November 2015, 244,955 new cars were delivered, up 6% from the corresponding period of 2014, and already a new annual record.

Industry sources believe that January 2016 will be a record breaking month with more than 30,000 new cars sold including more than 4,000 luxury off-road vehicles and sports cars.
What were the most popular cars in 2015? Kia took first place with 32,466, Hyundai second with 29,822, Toyota third with 28,801, Mazda fourth with 16,745 and Skoda fifth with 15,811.
No American cars? Hmm.

For further reading click here.

Israel news Terror Hizma

Israel News for December 3, 2015

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Breaking Terror
Earlier today, a Palestinian pulled his car up to a checkpoint in Hizma, near Jerusalem, and shot at soldiers. A soldier was shot in the hand and lightly wounded and an Israeli civilian was seriously wounded in his upper body. The terrorist was shot and killed.

For further reading click here.

Suspects Arrested
A court has partially lifted the gag order on the case relating to the terrorists who burned the Palestinian family in Duma four months ago. The judge revealed in a statement that, “in the last few days several youths suspected of participating in a Jewish terror group were arrested by security forces and are being interrogated about the Duma terror attack.” Further details in the case including the identities of the suspects are still under gag order.

For further reading click here.

IDF Plans
The IDF is rolling out a new multi-year plan known as Gideon. As part of the plan the IDF has decided to cap Israel’s submarine fleet at five. It will also shut down the air force base at Sdeh Dov (just north of Tel Aviv) and transfer planes to the Hatzor base further south.

The IDF will establish a new cyber-warfare brigade and will explore acquiring new technology as well as new artillery and a new Merkava tank.

On the flip side the military is reducing investment in preparations for a potential attack on Iran and is making significant cuts to units “not related to the army’s core activities” such as the military rabbinate, the Education Corps, the military advocate general’s unit and a behavioral sciences unit. Also, the number of headquarters staff members will be cut, including two brigadier-general positions, 24 colonel positions and 80 lieutenant-colonel positions.

None of these changes will adversely affect the IDF’s combat readiness and capabilities.

For further reading click here.

Joint Canal
Israel and Jordan are looking for someone to build a canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. You have until March, 2016 to submit your bid.

The primary purpose of the canal is to replenish the water in the Dead Sea, whose water level has been steadily dropping. The canal actually consists of four pipelines that will carry the water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The first pipeline to be laid will be 200 kilometers long, and will be located entirely in Jordan.

Included in the project will be the construction of a desalination plant in Aqaba, Jordan which will supply water to Israel and Jordan. As part of the deal Israel will supply Jordan with a substantial amount of water from the Kinneret. The brine created in the desalination process will be piped along with Red Sea water to the Dead Sea.

Building the pipeline is estimated to cost $400 million. Israel hopes that it will be financed by donors wishing to help save the Dead Sea. Government sources said that several countries had already expressed interest in helping to finance the pipeline, including France and Japan.

A senior Israeli water sector source with firsthand knowledge of the project asserted that no European countries would finance the project and that the only real option is if the company building the desalination facility finances a large part of it.”

Environmental groups are opposed to the “canal”. They claim that the chemical composition of the Red Sea water will adversely affect the Dead Sea water and harm its ecosystem, including its unique health benefits, which accounts for most of the tourism in the area. Also, the pumping of water from the Red Sea will damage the sea’s coral reefs. In any case, the pipeline is expected to add 10 centimeters a year to the Dead Sea, while its water level is dropping by 1 meter per year. Not much of a boost.

The anti-pipeline groups recommend that the government correct the Dead Sea problem by stopping their diversion of the Jordan River, which is the natural supplier of water to the Dead Sea. In other words, the government is causing the drop in the Dead Sea water level by diverting the Jordan River, and they’re trying to solve the problem by pumping up water from the Red Sea. Makes sense?

Regarding financing, how about tapping the companies making billions from mining the Dead Sea salts and minerals, who are also to blame for causing the depletion in its water level?

For further reading click here.

Germany Rejects Labeling
Prof. Norbert Lammert, the president of the Bundestag (German parliament), called the EU labeling regulation “unnecessary and unwise.”

He reiterated that, “Germany not only didn’t agree to the decision, it rejected it.”

When asked whether the EU’s not having called to label products from places like Tibet or Crimea or the Western Sahara was an indication of anti-Semitism, Lammert said while he could “understand Israel’s anger,” he did not believe that it was anti-semitic in nature.

“Germany can imagine a better law, if it were to apply to everyone, on principle, to all occupied land,” he added. “Because it’s specifically against Israel, I repeat that it is unnecessary and not very smart.”

MP Elisabeth Motschmann (CDU), a member of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committees, said, “Germany has a special responsibility towards Israel, but there are critical positions towards settlements.” She added that she would buy products without looking at where they are from and that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier “doesn’t want” labeling.

For further reading click here.

Berlin Kosher
We usually stick exclusively to Israel news, but this was just too good to pass on.

If you’re in Germany and looking for kosher food, worry not. A large kosher supermarket opened in Berlin a few days ago. And no need to worry about the new EU labeling regulations. The store will have plenty of Israeli products, including those made in the West Bank and the Golan. The owners say they plan to keep the prices low to attract non Jewish customers. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

There are estimated to be over 40,000 Jews currently living in Berlin. There were 160,000 in the city prior to World War II.

For further reading click here.

Righteous Gentile
Yad Vashem has bestowed its highest honor for non Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during WWII on the late Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds.

Edmonds, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, was the highest ranking noncommissioned officer held prisoner in a German POW camp along with over 1,000 other US soldiers, some of whom were Jewish. The standard operating procedure of the German army was to separate Jewish POW’s and send them to slave labor or concentration camps, or just torture and execute them.
When the commandant of the POW camp ordered the Jewish soldiers to identify themselves, Edmonds turned to the rest of the POWs and said, “We are not doing that, we are all falling out.” The commandant turned to Edwards and said, “They cannot all be Jews.” Edwards responded, “We are all Jews here.”

The Nazi then pressed his pistol to Edward’s head and offered him one last chance. Edwards responded with his name, rank and serial number. Then he said, “If you are going to shoot, you are going to have to shoot all of us because we know who you are and you’ll be tried for war crimes when we win this war.” At that, the Nazi backed off.

Edmond’s son, a reverend, estimates that his father’s actions saved around 200 Jewish soldiers. Some of the Jewish soldiers who are still alive agree.

Edmond is the first serviceman to be honored by Yad Vashem. He is also now being considered for the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds — thank you and God bless you for your heroism.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for December 2, 2015

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IDF in Syria
Not that this should be news to anyone here, but now it’s out in the open.

Addressing a conference in Acre yesterday, PM Netanyahu said,”We operate in Syria from time to time to prevent it from becoming a front against us, a second terror front against us. We are also acting to prevent the transfer of deadly weapons from Syria to Lebanon in particular and we will continue to do so.”

So now it’s on the record.

Upshot
But why make the statement now? Because intelligence sources are reporting an increase in attempts by Iran to transfer sophisticated missiles to Hezbollah in Syria. Hezbollah could use those missiles to accurately target military bases and other strategic objectives in Israel in the event of a new war. That’s a scenario that Israel cannot accept, and will do everything needed to prevent. The PM is making that crystal clear.

For further reading click here.

HIV in IDF
The IDF announced yesterday that it will begin enlisting soldiers who are HIV positive. Although the move will only affect a handful of people, it will make Israel one of the most progressive countries in the world in the area of military inclusivity. The US Army does not allow HIV-positive individuals to enlist.

Col. Moshe Pinkert, the head of the military’s medical services department, said that the change came about as a result of new and better HIV treatments. He said that HIV-positive soldiers will be able to serve in many positions except for in combat, where they might be at risk for bleeding.

For further reading click here.

Chain Responds
Yesterday we told you that Channel 10 News reported that Galeria Kaufhof, one of Germany’s largest department store chains, removed Israeli products from its shelves because of EU labeling regulations. Well, the company has denied the report.

Galeria Kaufhof’s head of corporate communications Gerd Koslowski said, “Our company has not removed any of those products from the shelves. We import the goods via European importers who are responsible for correct declaration. We do not get involved in politics with our assortment. Our core customer’s demands set the standards for the products we sell.”

So it seems like the store’s suppliers stopped sending the merchandise to the stores. The most likely reason is that the importers of the products needed to relabel them before distributing. Maybe the shouts of “boycott” were a little premature?

For further reading click here.

High Court
Yesterday the High Court of Justice rejected an appeal by the state to demolish the home of the family of the terrorist who murdered IDF soldier Almog Shiloni in 2014. The reason was apparently because the family didn’t own the house, but were only short term renters. The court approved the demolition of the home of the family of one of the terrorists involved in the Henkin murder.

Earlier today around 1,200 Israeli Police, Border Police and IDF combat engineers entered the Shuafat refugee camp and demolished the home of a terrorist who killed two Israelis last November.

For further reading click here.

Child Support
The rabbinic establishment might be moving towards egalitarianism, at least in one case.
The Chief Rabbinate has ruled that women who get divorced can be ordered to pay child support if they have a source of income. Until now, rabbinical courts have automatically assigned responsibility for child support to fathers when ruling on divorce cases. But under the new rule, proposed by Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau, rabbinical courts will have to consider the financial means of both parents before deciding who should pay how much child support.

Rabbi Shimon Yaakobi, director of the Rabbinical Courts Administration said, “It was necessary to provide an up-to-date interpretation of the regulation, so that it would accord with our sense of justice and the value of equality.” He also explained that the new rule might help reduce the number of cases in which men refuse to grant their wives a get, since it doesn’t automatically place the financial burden on the husband.

For further reading click here.

Housing Discrimination
A real estate video ad for a new housing development in Kiryat Gat targeting national religious (dati leumi) public has created a huge outcry in Israel for being blatantly racist and offensive. The ad features a national religious family, whose Chanukah candle lighting ceremony is interrupted by two rowdy Sephardic looking neighbors who proceed to toast marshmallows on their menorah. The ad ends with the tagline, “join the National Religious community in Karmei Gat today”.

In response to the ad, the Deputy Attorney General Erez Kaminitz announced yesterday that there could be illegal discrimination in the marketing of the homes which could lead to punitive action including cancellation of the tender (right to build). The Attorney General will investigate the matter further before reaching a decision.
The director general of BeEmuna, the developer responsible for the ad, apologized saying “we just wanted to show that it’s natural that people would want to live close to people similar to them – in a religious sense only”, a weak apology for a horribly offensive marketing gimmick.

For further reading click here.

israel news terror

Israel News for December 1, 2015

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Arab Terror
At around 8:00am today, a Palestinian attempted to stab an Israeli man at the Gush Etzion junction but was shot and killed by soldiers at the scene. A bystander was hit in the hand and lightly wounded by a piece of shrapnel from the shooting. The junction has been the site of ten previous terrorist attacks.

Just moments later, a 25 year old man was stabbed in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Jerusalem. He said his attacker was an Arab man. Police are searching for the attacker.

Later this morning, a Palestinian woman was found near the settlement of Efrat with a knife in her bag. She was taken in for questioning.

Also today, a Palestinian woman tried to stab an IDF officer at a checkpoint near the West Bank settlement of Einav. She was shot and later died.

For further reading click here.

Jewish Terror
Israeli police and the Shin Bet have revealed that they have made significant progress in the investigation of one of the worst recent Jewish terror incidents, and that they are optimistic that they will solve the case and bring the perpetrators to justice. Since the case is under a strict gag order, the details of the investigation are barred from publication. According to Channel 2 News, the gag order is likely to be lifted in the next couple of days. Any guesses as to what terror incident they’re referring to?

For further reading click here.

The Handshake
In their first face to face encounter since 2010, PM Netanyahu and PA President Abbas shook hands at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris yesterday.

The two found themselves in the same row in a group photo of leaders. Only New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key stood between them. After the group photo, they shook hands and exchanged a few words. No one thinks the handshake represents any improvement in relations between the men.

The PM also had a 10-minute conversation with U.S. President Obama, which U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry joined toward the end.

For further reading click here.

Minister to Resign
Knesset Member Yinon Magal of the Bayit Yehudi party informed party leader Naftali Bennett yesterday that he would resign from the Knesset.

Police are investigating harassment complaints filed by four women against Magal relating to when he was editor-in-chief at Walla news.

Magal told Bennett that he was sure that there was no criminal aspect to anything he had done, but that he understood that there were those who had been hurt by his behavior in the past and he therefore wanted to resign from the Knesset.

In response Bennett said, “I have received the notice of Yinon’s resignation, and this is the right thing to do. I hope that the proceedings in which he finds himself will be concluded as swiftly as possible, and that he will be able to devote himself to his family and to his future career.”

Avi Wurtzman, the former deputy education minister, will take over Magal’s Knesset seat.

For further reading click here.

Arab MK to US
The chairman of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh, is set to visit the US on the first diplomatic visit ever for an Arab Knesset member. The Joint List is the unity party formed by the individual Arab political parties in order to gain more seats in the Knesset. The party is currently the third largest faction in the Knesset. That makes Odeh the defacto leader of the Arab Israeli population, and worthy of an invitation to Washington.

Odeh is expected to meet with senior White House and State Department officials. His staff is still attempting to arrange meetings with other highest-ranking Washington personalities. During his stay in Washington, Odeh is scheduled to attend a special event in his honor, hosted by billionaire Daniel Abrahams. Dozens of ambassadors from around the world are expected to attend. Odeh is also expected to visit UN headquarters in New York and meet with a number of UN ambassadors.

Odeh said, “The issues that matter to Israel’s Arab citizens are hardly represented in international dialogue. I’m going to the US to bring that voice with me to influential sources and opinion leaders, and to create contacts and connections with the progressive and civil rights movements.”

He added, “I go so that I may tell the hard truth about Netanyahu and the government in Israel, which rose to power through racist incitement against Arab citizens.”

For further reading click here.

ISIS and Israel
This could be embarrassing. According to reports in the Arab and Russian media, Israel is the major buyer of oil produced and sold by ISIS. The terrorist state produces between 20,000 and 40,000 barrels a day in Iraq and Syria, generating between $1m and $1.5 million in profits.

The oil is transported to the Kurdish city of Zakhu, near the borders of Turkey, Iraq and Syria. From there the oil is smuggled to the Turkish city of Silop, marked as originating from Kurdish regions of Iraq and sold for $15-$18 per barrel to an Israeli broker. The market price for crude oil is currently between $41 and $45 per barrel.

Back in August we quoted the “Financial Times” report that Israel obtained 75% of its oil supplies from Iraqi Kurdistan. Well, a nice chunk of that oil is made in the Islamic State.

If these reports are true, Israel is indirectly supporting ISIS to get oil for less than half the market price. And of course, ISIS is also bolstering the Jewish State.

Let’s hope the reports are false.

For further reading click here.

German Boycott
According to Israel’s Channel 10 news, Galeria Kaufhof, one of Germany’s largest department store chains, has removed Israeli products from its shelves in response to the new EU labeling regulations. The store has over 100 branches and 21,000 employees.

For further reading click here.

Google Denies
Yesterday we reported that the Foreign Ministry had announced that it had reached an agreement with Google for the company to cooperate in removing videos that incite terrorism. Well, after hearing the news, Google denied reaching any agreement with the Foreign Ministry, or with any government, to do anything beyond what it already does to police YouTube.

The Foreign Ministry corrected its original statement but reiterated that Israel was, “extremely grateful for the good relations with Google. Our common objective is to remove dangerous incitement to violence on social media. We have full confidence in the Google teams dealing with this removal.”

For further reading click here.