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Israel News for November 14, 2016

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IDF Attacked
An improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated next to an IDF patrol near the Palestinian town of al-Khader, outside of Bethlehem, this morning. There were no injuries. The IDF is searching for the terrorists.

For further reading click here.

Too Loud
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill Sunday evening to ban mosque muezzins from announcing prayer times via loudspeakers in the streets, which they do five times a day, including at the crack of dawn.

In his opening remarks at the ministerial meeting, PM Netanyahu said, “The Ministerial Committee for Legislation will discuss a proposed bill today to restrict the noise level of the public address system of houses of worship in Israel. Both Muslims, Jews and Christians suffer from this. I cannot count the number of times that civilians have approached me from all strands of Israeli society who complain about the choice and the suffering which is caused by the excessive noise from houses of worship.” 
 
MK Motti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi), a co-sponsor of the bill, explained that, “with all the technological advances of today, there is no justification for waking people up at 4 o’clock in the morning who don’t want (to attend prayer services). There are cell phone applications, alarm clocks, and other technologies to use. There is no need to wake up the whole neighborhood.”

Members of Israel’s Arab community were quick to criticize the bill with MK Issawi Freij (Meretz) calling the move “anti-Semitic” and claiming that it was not motivated by noise concerns, but rather an ongoing anti-Muslim sentiment that has become popular in the current coalition.

Palestinian Authority President Abbas warned that the bill “would drag the area to disaster.” Palestinian Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs Youssef Ideiss said that the bill threatens to drag the region into a religious war over the violation of the freedom of worship, adding it “will not change the religious reality, rather only make the Muslims more committed to their holy places.” The PA also threatened to bring the issue before the UN Security Council.

The bill will have to be passed by the Knesset, which similar bills have failed to do in the past.

For further reading click here.

Regulations Bill
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation last night also approved the “Regulations Bill”, which would legalize settlement outposts by permitting the government to use private Palestinian land without taking ownership of it. Palestinians with proof of ownership would receive compensation. The law would prevent the evacuation of the Amona settlement, scheduled to take place before the year end.

PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Lieberman both opposed the legislation, claiming that it would go against international law and be stuck down by the Supreme Court, based on the opinion of the Attorney General, and cause dangerous international fallout. The PM tried to persuade Bayit Yehudi Chairman and Education Minister Naftali Bennet to hold off on proposing the legislation, but Bennet refused, claiming that the government has had a year to come up with a solution to the Amona crisis and has failed to do so. Bennet said, “You all had a year to take care of this and nothing happened. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are second class citizens and now it is time to move forward.”

After the bill was approved Bennet said, “the State of Israel began today a historic move to regulate the settlement in Judea and Samaria. I congratulate the prime minister and his party’s ministers, who bore the responsibility required of a right-wing government and voted in favor of realizing the national vision. With determination and governance, we will continue to fulfill the objectives we were elected for.”

The bill will now have to make its way through the Knesset.

For further reading click here.

Mount of Olives
The government’s finance committee has added 2 million shekels to the budget of the Jerusalem Cemetery Council to increase security on the Mount of Olives. The Mount, which is east of and adjacent to the Old City, has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years and holds approximately 150,000 graves.

Between 1948 and 1967, when the Mount was under Jordanian rule, Arab residents uprooted tombstones and plowed land in the cemetery, destroying close to 40,000 graves. Jordan’s King Hussein permitted the construction of the Intercontinental Hotel at the summit of the Mount of Olives together with a road that cut through the cemetery, which destroyed hundreds of Jewish graves, some from the First Temple Period. Graves were also demolished for parking lots and a gas station and tombstones were used in paving and even in latrines at a Jordanian Army barracks.

Since 2010 Arab vandals have regularly targeting the cemetery and have assaulted Jewish mourners and visitors. Many important graves have been vandalized, including those of Menachem Begin and Gerrer Rabbi.

As the finance committee was making its decision, a groom who was visiting the grave of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kook on the Mount of Olives was attacked with a barrage of stones. No one was injured, but the groom’s car suffered damage. An Arab youth was arrested for throwing stones.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 11, 2016

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Terrorists Arrested
The Shin Bet, IDF and Israel Police arrested eight terror suspects in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The men are suspected of planning to manufacture and use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against IDF forces. Laboratory equipment and raw materials used to manufacture the explosives were also discovered.

For further reading click here.

Court Sends Message
The Jerusalem District Court sent a message to juveniles who carry out terror attacks that they will be severely punished for their actions. Earlier this week, Judge Yoram Noam sentenced a 14 year old who carried out a stabbing attack in Pisgat Ze’ev last October to 12 years in prison. He also sentenced a 14 and 15 year old to 11 years each for carrying out a stabbing attack at Damascus Gate in the Old City in January.

The sentences for minors are considered unprecedented in their seriousness. The judge explained, “In today’s harsh reality, stricter punishment is inevitable. Under these circumstances, the need to keep terrorists behind bars is growing, and real weight must be given to the principles of deterring the many and the individual are real considerations for the strictness of the penalties.”

He also said, “Recently we have seen that even young children aged 14 to 16 are taking an active part in acts of terrorism. However, being a minor doesn’t grant impunity from appropriate punishment when committing a serious crime. The punishment needs to express society’s dislike of these acts intended to kill a person for nationalistic reasons…and lightening the sentence could send the wrong message to the public.”

For further reading click here.

Israel and Russia
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a joint press conference in Jerusalem with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev yesterday during which they both agreed to cooperate in the fight against terror.

Medvedev said, “First and foremost it is terrorism that threatens the entire globe but here, in your area, it is felt particularly harshly. The Russian Federation also suffers from terror and it is part and parcel of the same thing. In light of this fact,” he said, “we have to fight terror together and that relates to security cooperation. With joint efforts we need to destroy the seed of terror which lies in the hands of ISIS.”

He also described Israel as the “biggest partner in the region for economic affairs” and stressed the importance of joint economic and commercial activity.

Netanyahu said, “We are determined to do two things: to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and preventing Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria.” He also thanked Medvedev for Russia’s efforts in trying to facilitate the return of the bodies of IDF soldier’s held in Gaza by Hamas.

For further reading click here.

No Girls Allowed
Education Minister Naftali Bennet has come under fire from a group of prominent rabbis for what they consider to be his role in encouraging young religious women to enlist in the IDF. Religious women have traditionally chosen to volunteer for National Service instead of army services, following an official ruling by the Chief Rabbinate directing them to do just that.

The Education Ministry under Bennet has begun funding organizations that assist religious women who want to enlist in the IDF, and the rabbis consider that to be contrary to religious law. Dozens of rabbis signed a petition expressing their opposition and demanding that the ministry cease encouraging the women. The ministry denies that it is trying to encourage the women to enlist.

For further reading click here.

Museum Opening
For all you museum goers, there’s a new one that just opened which you might want to check out: the Yasser Arafat Museum. You heard right. The museum honoring the former PLO terror-in-chief and chairman of the Palestinian Authority cost $7 million and is located in Arafat’s compound in Ramallah, just behind his grave. So you can also pay tribute to the arch terrorist after viewing the exhibits on display including his rifle, one of his famous keffiyehs, the sunglasses that he wore in his 1974 UN address, the eyeglasses that he used for his last decade alive and, of course, his Nobel Peace Prize. Pictures of the Arafat with various world leaders hang in the hallways.

To view photos of the museum click here.

israel news settlements

Israel News for November 10, 2016

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Trump on Settlements
In an interview with Israel Army Radio today, Trump Israel advisor Jason Greenblatt said that Trump, “does not view the settlements as being an obstacle to peace. I think he would show [the expulsion of Jewish communities in Gaza, which didn’t bring peace] as proof of that. The two sides are going to have to decide how to deal with that region, but it is certainly not Mr. Trump’s view that settlement activity should be condemned and that it is an obstacle for peace – because it is not the obstacle for peace.”

Greenblatt also said that Trump would not impose a “peace process” on Israel. “He thinks that Israel is in a very tough situation and needs to [do what it has to in order] to defend itself. He is not going to impose any solution on Israel. He thinks that the peace has to come from the parties themselves.”

Regarding moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, Greenblatt said, “He said that he’s going to do it. He’s different for Israel than any recent President has been and I think that he’s a man who keeps his word. He recognizes the historical significance of the Jewish people to Jerusalem unlike, let’s say, UNESCO.”

Netanyahu and Trump spoke on the phone yesterday. Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his victory and Trump invited the PM to meet with him in the US “at the first opportunity.”

[Looks like the PM is in love]

For further reading click here.

Israeli Flag in Morocco
UN climate talks are taking place in Marrakesh, Morocco and the Israeli flag is flying high among the 195 national flags of UN members. The sight of the Israeli flag displayed in a major Arab city cause around 200 protesters to gather outside the parliament building in the capital city of Rabat and chant “Death to America, death to Israel!” while burning the Israeli flag and parading anti-Israel posters.

Morocco’s Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar responded to the protests saying, “UN meetings around the world welcome all nations” and that the fight against climate change “requires all governments to commit”.

For further reading click here.

Russian Kotel Visit
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev cocked off an official visit to Israel with a visit to the Kotel. He was accompanied by Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and the Chief Rabbi of the Kotel R. Shmuel Rabinovitz, who praised the friendly relationship between Russia and Israel and reiterated the Jewish connection to the holy place.

Medvedev referred to the recent UNESCO vote that denied a Jewish connection to the Kotel and Temple Mount and said that it was unimportant and that Russia accepts the strong Jewish connection to the both places.

For further reading click here.

Shas in Heaven
The reaction from Israeli leaders, particularly those on the Right, to Trump’s presidential victory have been extremely positive, to put it mildly. But the reaction of Shas (Sephardic Ultra Orthodox party) leader and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri takes it to the next level.

Deri said, “It is too early to discuss the possible repercussions of Trump’s election as president, but there is no doubt that we should thank God that all the desecrators of the covenant and impersonators of Judaism [referring to the leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements] who wished to take control of the Land of Israel and introduce their destructive reforms- received a significant blow.

“Their influence and threat came from their connection to the administration in America, they realize that they have lost this power and we can, God willing, continue to strengthen the traditional religion which we received from previous generations.”

“Many Jews said over the last few days that if such a miracle happens, it must be the days prior to the advent of the Messiah. We must truly be in Messianic times when everything will turn out favorably for the people of Israel.”

[ Does that make Trump the messiah? Hmm…]

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 9, 2016

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Terror Attempt
A Palestinian tried to stab an IDF soldier with a screwdriver and was shot and wounded by soldiers at the scene. The soldier who was stabbed was wearing a bulletproof vest, which protected him from the stabbing. He was not injured. The attack took place at a checkpoint outside of the town of Huwara in the northern West Bank.

For further reading click here.

PM Congratulates Trump
Prime Minister Netanyahu released a statement congratulating Donald Trump on his victory saying, “President-elect Trump is a true friend of the State of Israel. We will work together to advance the security, stability and peace in our region. The strong connection between the U.S. and Israel is based on shared values, shared interests and a shared destiny. I’m certain that President-elect Trump and I will continue to strengthen the unique alliance between Israel and the United States and bring it to new heights.”

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) congratulated Trump on Facebook: “Warm wishes to the president of the strongest and biggest global power: Donald J. Trump!”

In an announcement to the press, Herzog added that “the U.S. elections are a continuation of a global trend of rejecting the old ruling elites and a wish for a clear and emphatic change. Trump’s election is the continuation of a social, economic and political tsunami which we’ve seen in many countries, which will also bring about a change in Israel.”

Education Minister Naftali Bennett expressed his hopes in a Trump presidency saying, “Trump’s victory is a tremendous opportunity for Israel to immediately announce its intention to renege on the idea of establishing Palestine in the heart of the country, a direct blow to our security and the justice of our cause. This is the president-elect’s outlook as it appears in his platform, and that definitely should be our way. Salient, simple and clear. The era of the Palestinian state is over.”

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked called Trump, “a true friend of Israel.” She added, “I am certain Trump will know how to lead the free world to success in the goals of the global war against terror. This is an opportunity for the American government to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel. This will symbolize the close relationship and courageous friendship between the two nations.”

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely echoed those sentiments saying, “Congratulations to the new President Donald Trump. I look forward to the fulfilling of the promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. That would be an important historic move.”

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat also referred to Trump’s promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, saying, “Mr. President-elect, you were always a staunch supporter of the city of Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel and the beating heart of the Jewish people, and for that I thank you. I’m certain that throughout your term you will continue strengthening the status and sovereignty of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. Embassy to the city.”

Will Donald Trump be the president who finally follows through and moves the embassy to Jerusalem?

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 8, 2016

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Housing Crash
The real estate market in Israel is one of those things that seems to keep going up perpetually, regardless of anything else happening in the country. It’s become practically impossible for young families, or not so young families, to purchase a home. Finance Minister Moshe Kahalon has been working on fixing the situation by increasing the supply of new homes by making it easier for construction companies to build and by taxing real estate investors.

Now one Israeli think tank has released a report predicting a massive real estate crash as a result of too much supply and a withdrawal of investors from the market. It doesn’t say when the housing crash might happen, but when it does, it will have a severe impact on the Israeli economy.

According to the report, “Even if falling prices make it easier for families interested in buying a home, it will seriously harm the construction industry and households that have invested their savings in buying homes for investment. Property developers have bought land and taken on long-term debt based on home prices remaining high for the long term. Declining prices are likely to push many of them into bankruptcy and to fire employees. In this scenario, property investors will see a big part of their paper profits disappear and their rental income is likely to fall.”

The math is simple: in two years, at the current rate of construction, there will be significantly more new housing units than the expected demand for them. As a result of increased taxes, investors will pull out of the market, thus further decreasing the demand. While that might be good news for new home buyers, existing owners and investors will see their equity erode.

But for the time being, the prices of homes keep on rising.

For further reading click here.

Rabbis Get Tough
A rabbinical court has confiscated the US passport of a 60 year old Hasidic real estate mogul, preventing him from leaving the country until he “persuades” his son to provide a divorce (Get) to his (the son’s) estranged wife. The son lives in the US and works with and is supported by his father.

According to the court documents, the wife suffered a stroke on a visit to Israel with her husband in 2005. Shortly after, the husband returned to the US. His wife and their two children stayed in Israel and she became an Israeli citizen. The court says the husband has ignored her request and a court ruling for a divorce as well as another ruling demanding that he pay alimony.

The father was in Israel last year on a family visit when he was summoned to the court, told to hand in his and his wife’s passports and barred from leaving the country. He was later sentenced to 30 days in prison for contempt of court.

The rabbinical court argued that by providing his son with a job and stipend, the father was responsible for his son’s intransigence. His lawyers argued he is being used as leverage to pressure his son and are appealing to the Supreme Court. They also claim that he fired his son and has tried to persuade him to give the divorce. Advocates for the wife claim that the husband, who has a girlfriend, spends his time in his home in Brooklyn and a luxury apartment near Miami, which are both owned by his parents.

The husband told an interviewer last year that he would grant the divorce on the condition that his two children would return to the US. The wife is now in her mid 30’s.

The US Embassy in Tel Aviv requested that the court return the father’s passport, but the rabbis rejected the request and called the embassy’s involvement in the case “unacceptable and intolerable.”

Don’t mess with this rabbinical court.

For further reading click here.

Security Sweep
Security forces arrested nine suspects in a sweep of several East Jerusalem neighborhoods last night. The individuals are suspected of throwing of Molotov Cocktails, rocks, the launching of fireworks and firing bullets into Jewish neighborhoods nearby.

The IDF also closed down two weapons factories in the West Bank overnight.

For further reading click here.

Wedding Gunfire
The IDF is cracking down on Arab wedding halls and other venues where guns are fired during wedding celebrations, which is an old Arab custom). It closed one wedding hall near Jerusalem today, after reports of gunfire at a wedding there on Sunday.

A senior official in the IDF’s Judea and Samaria Division said that “By acting in advance to prevent gunfire, we reduce the impact of illegal weapons, reduce the potential for lethal disaster and demonstrate better governance.”

For further reading click here.

France Rebuffed
Israel has rejected a French invitation to attend an international Middle East peace conference to be held in Paris later this year. In June of last year the French held a preliminary conference which included representatives from the UN, EU, US and major Arab countries, but did not include the Israelis or Palestinians.

Israel maintains its position that only direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians can lead to peace.

For further reading click here.

Interpol Rejects
As a result of intensive diplomatic efforts by Israel, INTERPOL, the International Criminal Police Organization, has rejected the Palestinian application for membership. Israel feared that Palestinian access to the organization’s sensitive intelligence information could very likely fall into the hands of terror groups.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 7, 2016

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Jerusalem Arabs Squatting
As the deadline for the implement of the Supreme Court’s order to evacuate the settlement of Amona nears, Jerusalem’s mayor Nir Barkat has sent the Attorney General a unique request. Since the eviction of the Amona residents is based on the court’s ruling that the settlement is built on Palestinian owned land, Barkat is requesting that the AG investigate the passibility of applying the ruling to Arab’s illegally living on Jewish property in East Jerusalem.

Apparently thousands of Arabs currently live on Jewish property abandoned when the Jordanians expelled all Jews from Jerusalem in 1948. Barkat is suggesting that the Arab squatters be evicted from those properties, based on the Supreme Court ruling that is calling for the eviction of the Amona residents.

Barkat said to the AG, “If the judgement of the court is to stand, it is not right for there to be one law for the Jews and another law for the Arabs. So I ask you to hold a hearing to determine the state’s legal position on this matter.”

For further reading click here.

EU Recommends Reparations
The European Union committee responsible for relations with North Africa and the Middle East has recommended that member states seek reparations from Israel for buildings destroyed by Israel which were financed by the EU.

The buildings in question are all located in Area C of the West Bank, which is fully administered by Israel and comprises about 60% of the territory, including all Jewish settlements. The buildings demolitions were constructed without the proper permits.

The Foreign Ministry pointed out that according to the Oslo Accords, Israel alone is responsible for civilian issues in Area C, including planning and building. It said, “As is customary in every country of laws, Israel does not allow construction without proper permits. In this case the construction is done without government approval in a non-residential area and therefore Israel executed its authority and demolished the buildings.”

Germany strongly opposed the EU committees decision. The decision is non-binding.

For further reading click here.

Missing Soldier
In August of 1997, IDF soldier Guy Hever left his artillery base in the Golan and has not been seen since. The IDF has conducted several searches over the years but no information has ever been found on what happened to Hever. It will conduct a new search this week, focused on the Golan Heights and Jordan Valley, although it claims that the search is not based on any new information obtained.

The IDF released a statement saying, “The State of Israel and the IDF are deeply committed to its missing sons and to those who are in captivity. The IDF will continue to do everything in its power to resolve the case of Guy Hever.”

For further reading click here.

No Phone Searches
The IDF will no longer be allowed to search the phones of soldiers without a warrant, even if they have the soldier’s consent. An appellate court overturned the conviction of a soldier that was based on a search of his phone without a warrant.

Each year the military police search over 2,000 phones of soldiers with their consent, which is usually obtained through threats of confiscation of prosecution. The searches are done in a cellphone laboratory and provide access to a vast amount of data, including data the user has erased. This can include personal correspondence, medical documents and even legal advice that might be covered by attorney-client privilege.

For further reading click here.

israel terror attacks

Israel News for November 4, 2016

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Terror Attack
Yesterday afternoon a Palestinian attempted to stab soldiers at a bus stop outside of the settlement of Ofra in Samaria (West Bank). The terrorist was shot and killed by soldiers before causing any harm.

Last night terrorists opened fire on an IDF position outside of the Palestinian Authority city of Tulkarem in Samaria, just east of Kfar Saba. One soldier was lightly wounded. The terrorists fled the scene and are being searched for by IDF forces.

In an unrelated development, the Shin Bet and police arrested three terrorists in connection with an October 2015 Molotov cocktail attack that wounded a three-year-old girl north of Jerusalem. The terrorists were ages 43, 34 and 27.

For further reading click here.

Supreme Court Battle
There is a battle going on between Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Supreme Court President Justice Miriam Naor. Shaked wants to push legislation through that would prevent the Justices from vetoing new appointments to the court. The court is vehemently against that.

The issue is heating up particular now, as four new Justices are due to be appointed. There are a total of 15 Justices on the Supreme Court, and the political and philosophical leanings of the new appointees could significantly impact the court’s rulings going forward. Shaked wants the court to move to the Right.

To read more about this issue click here.

Israeli Ambassador in Dubai
The Foreign Ministry has revealed that Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, participated in a conference in Dubai a few days ago along with other UN ambassadors, in his role as chairman of the UN Legal Committee. The visit was the culmination of months of secret, behind the scenes work to get the necessary approvals and permissions to enter the country. The trip was kept secret, since Israel has no official relations with the Arab country. The Prime Minister of Dubai also participated in the conference. Danon also met with other Dubai government officials.

For further reading click here.

Israel Canada Agreement
Israel and Canada have signed an agreement to promote cooperation between Israeli and Canadian universities. The agreement was signed this week during the visit of a Canadian delegation of parliament members and other leaders to Israel, Jordan and the West Bank.

The Canadian-Israeli agreement will promote joint research, provide scholarships and arrange for student exchange visits. The budget will initially be half a million shekels.

Israel’s Science, Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis, who signed the agreement, remarked, “This is the first agreement of its kind with Canada at a federal level. We expect it will expand and lead to the arrival of entrepreneurs from both countries. The accord expresses the recognition of Israeli abilities, creativity and clarity of thought.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 3, 2016

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Jerusalem Construction
The Jerusalem municipality approved the construction of 181 new housing units in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo yesterday, which is considered to be part of occupied territory according to international law.

Later in the day, the US State Department condemned the new construction as an obstacle to a two-state peace solution and saying that it raises questions as to Israel’s commitment to a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.

Seven hundred housing units, intended mainly for the ultra-Orthodox community, are planned for at the site. The new area of construction, called “Gilo Slopes,” slightly extends the neighborhood toward the valley that separates it from the Palestinian village of Wallajah.

For further reading click here.

Terrorist Sentenced
The terrorist who brutally murdered Dafna Meir, a mother of six, last January outside her front door in Otniel was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His family was also ordered to pay 1.75 million shekels in compensation.

Natan Meir, Dafna’s widower, reacted to the verdict saying, “It’s hard to be happy and receive some solace. I was hoping that this person would not be granted an ounce of compassion to someone who committed such an act, and I feel that this happened here.”

He added, “There was a point when the murderer’s father asked for compassion. I told the judges that compassion should be given to the injured party and not the one who caused harm and to the man asking for compassion for his son after he committed such an act, which shows that his education was lacking. I told the judges that if God forbid I was standing in his shoes, I would ask them to punish my sons in the most severe way possible.”

For further reading click here.

PM Responds to Kotel Protest
The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement today in response to yesterday’s Kotel demonstration in which Reform and Conservative rabbinic leaders carrying Torahs led hundreds of marchers to the Kotel to protest the fact that the government has not implemented its agreement to create an egalitarian prayer area at the southern end of the Kotel. The statement reiterated that the PM had urged the Reform and Conservative leaders to be “patient” and that, “unilateral breaches of the status quo at the Kotel harm our attempts to reach a compromise. The regretful events that took place at the Kotel plaza do not help advance an agreed solution to prayer arrangements.”

The non-Orthodox leaders responded by trying to give the PM the benefit of the doubt by placing the blame for the government’s inaction on the Ultra Orthodox coalition members. But they added, “After a frustrating year without implementation of the resolution [and with] an unprecedented incitement campaign against Reform Judaism … the government should meet its commitment to the Jewish world. We call on the Prime Minister to announce the full and immediate implementation of the cabinet resolution.”

It turns out that the protesters had received a special permit from police allowing them to bring Torah’s to the Kotel, something that is ordinarily prohibited. The security personnel at the scene were apparently unaware of the permit, which is why they tried to prevent them from entering the area, forcing them to push their way through.

To see video and images of the demonstration click here.

Israelis in Sinai
The battle against ISIS related terrorist groups in Sinai is not stopping Israelis from visiting. According to the Israeli Airport Authority, over 60,000 Israelis crossed the border at Eilat to enjoy Sinai’s Red Sea beaches in September and October. The total number of Israelis visiting Sinai is on track to hit 200,000 by the year end. That’s almost double the number for 2015, but only half of the 400,000 that visited in 2004.

For further reading click here.

Voting Error
The new state budget for 2017-2018 was voted on in the Knesset yesterday and passed by a massive margin of 92-17. But it turns out that 30 members of the opposition mistakenly voted in favor of the budget because they thought they were only voting for a specific clause in the budget. It wouldn’t really have made a difference, since the budget would still have passed its first reading with a wide margin, but the embarrassing mistake gave MK’s from the coalition the chance to take some shots at the opposition, questioning their ability to govern — “Is this an example of how you would run the country?”

Everyone makes mistakes, right?

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 2, 2016

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Kotel Demonstration
Early this morning, hundreds of protesters led by a delegation of prominent Conservative and Reform rabbis carrying Torah scrolls marched towards the Kotel to protest the governments inaction in creating an agreed upon egalitarian prayer area at the southern end of the Kotel.

The demonstrators were blocked from entering the Western Wall plaza by security personnel. Scuffles between marchers and security guards broke out. Eventually the rabbis succeeding in breaking through and making their way to the Kotel with their Torahs. Kotel regulations prohibit bringing your own Torah to the site.

At the Kotel they were confronted by Orthodox protestors, both male and female. There was pushing and shoving and lots of angry words. A few of the rabbis, including Yizhar Hess, the head of the Conservative Movement in Israel, were reportedly pushed to the ground.

The demonstration was scheduled to coincide with the monthly prayer service held by the Women of the Wall on Rosh Chodesh, the first of the Jewish month (today is Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan).

Leaders of the protest included Rabbi Steven Wernick, chief executive officer of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Last night PM Netanyahu tried to dissuade the protestors from marching, saying, “We have one people and one wall — it’s our wall,” he said. “The less publicly we talk about it, the better chance we have to resolve it. The last thing we need is more friction, as that will make a solution more difficult.”

For further reading click here.

Coming Home
Earlier today, 250 new immigrants from Ukraine arrived in Israel. They included 117 families and 52 children. Many of the new olim had lived in areas involved in the fighting between Russia and Ukraine. The new immigrants will receive assistance from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), including the cost of the flight plus $1,000 for each adult and $500 for each child.

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, President of the IFCJ: “As a part of our engagement with Aliyah we are often exposed to moving stories of Jews from all around the world that have been through numerous troubles and now at last are fulfilling their Zionist dream and coming to live in Israel. We assist thousands of Jews from tens of countries from the Ukraine through Brazil to come and live in Israel. We help all immigrants when integrating into the Israeli society and economy by closely following up and providing financial aid so that we can assure the best possible integration.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 1, 2016

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Terror Shooting
Yesterday, a Palestinian Authority police officer approached an IDF checkpoint at the entrance to Ramallah and opened fire with a Kalashnikov automatic rifle. Three soldiers were wounded, one moderately and two lightly. The terrorist was shot dead by soldiers. He was identified as Muhammad Turkman, a 25 year old from Jenin who worked as a guard at the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Ramallah. He apparently walked to the checkpoint after finishing his work shift, without revealing his plans to any of his co-workers.

Last night IDF forces raided Turkman’s home, arrested his brother and confiscated the family’s work permits that allow them to enter Israel.

For further reading click here.

Amona Request
The State Attorney General has petitioned the Supreme Court to postpone the evacuation of the Amona settlement that is scheduled to take place on December 25th. In its petition, the state claims it is seeking to carry out the evacuation peacefully and without incident, but that it is unable to provide alternative living solutions for residents within the next two months.
 
The state emphasized that if the court rejects the request, it will be prepared to carry out the evacuation by the date set in its ruling.

The Amona residents oppose any relocation and have pledged to fight for their homes.

Right wing Knesset members are pushing a so-called “regulations bill” that would legalize Amona and other illegal outposts in the West Bank. In its request for extension, however, the state emphasized that it is not seeking to legalize the outpost in its current location. The extension request included a statement saying, “The attorney general expressed his opinion that there is a legal impediment to promote the above-mentioned bill proposal in light of the illegality it entails, being contradictory to international and national law.”

Left wing MKs and officials blasted the request for extension, claiming that the government has already had nearly two years since the court’s initial evacuation order to figure out the logistics of the evacuation and that it is just stalling to try and eventually legalize the settlement.

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Hospital Rush
Israelis are apparently getting sick a lot these days. All the major hospitals in the country are reporting that their emergency rooms and departments are reaching the 200% capacity level. Wait times in some places are as long as six hours.

According to Dr. Mickey Halberthal, the deputy director of Rambam Medical Center, “This is a catastrophe, and it isn’t even winter yet. We are calling on people to exercise judgment and to seek assistance from their healthcare providers and their clinics before going to the hospital.”

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Kotel Train
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz has announced his intention to extend the soon to be completed, new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem high speed railway to the Kotel, via a tunnel that would end just outside the Old City.

The new railway line is expected to cut commuting time between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to 28 minutes from 78 minutes. The trains will reach speeds of up to 160 kph (100 mph) and depart every 15 minutes in each direction carrying up to 1,000 passengers.

Construction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 and train will begin operations for passengers in time for Passover 2018.

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Impure Runways
The Israel Airport Authority has began making repairs and upgrades to the runways at Ben Gurion Airport. While that’s good news for future travelers, it’s bad news now for Kohanim (members of the Jewish priestly class).

For the next two weeks, one of the runways that will be used as an alternate to the one under repair will cause planes taking off to fly a flightpath that will take them directly over a cemetery in Holon, which Kohanim are forbidden to do.

Knesset member Uri Maklev (UTJ) is working with Ben Gurion Airport and a committee of rabbis (and kohanim) to find a solution. In the meantime, Kohanim leaving Israel, who want to avoid passing over the cemetery, will have to do so via Jordan or by cruise ship from Haifa. But they’ll be able to get refunds on their El Al tickets already purchased or postpone them for later dates.

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