Defense Meetup
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman met on Tuesday in Washington with U.S. Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis. The two discussed security issues shared by Israel and the US including Iran, Syria and Lebanon. They agreed on the need to act to strengthen the moderate forces in the region and create a coalition to fight terrorism.
Lieberman told Mattis, “We need an active America in the region.” He also said, “The strategic cooperation between Israel and the U.S. is vital and crucial not only for the security of Israel, but for security and stability throughout the Middle East and this also has implications on global security.”
Lieberman also met with US Vice President Mike Pence. According to a White House statement, the vice president underscored the “unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to upholding Israel’s qualitative military edge.” The two agreed on the need to “counter threats posed by Iran and its proxies as well as terrorist organizations,” and discussed ways in which the American and Israeli militaries could cooperate to address threats. Syria and other issues in the Middle East were also discussed.
Lieberman thanked Pence for his condemnation of recent antisemitic incidents in the United States.
According to a statement by the defense minister’s office, Lieberman told Pence that he expects to see the US embassy move to a new site in Jerusalem soon.
For further reading click here.
UN Discussions
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley met for the first time with Palestinian UN envoy Ambassador Riyad Mansour. After the meeting Haley tweeted that the Palestinians should “meet with Israel in direct negotiations rather than looking to the UN to deliver results that can only be achieved through the two parties.”
Mansour said that Haley “raised the desire to see the two parties engaging in negotiations” and indicated that the United States was considering a fresh bid to revive talks. He added, “I don’t know at what level they want to do that, but once we receive a request to that effect, we will respond to it accordingly.”
For further reading click here.
Women in IDF
IDF Chief Rabbi Yigal Levinstein condemned the idea of women serving in combat positions in the IDF, during a speech at the Bnei David pre-army preparatory yeshiva in Eli. He called the idea “insane” and questioned the femininity of women who serve in combat. He said that religious women must, under no circumstances, serve in combat roles.
Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman responded to Levinstein’s comments Tuesday, saying, “Since the founding of the state, women have served in the IDF and made a tremendous contribution to the security of Israel. Rabbi Levinstein’s tirade is not only an insult to Israeli women, but also to the IDF and its heritage and to the basic values of the State of Israel. When I return from the United States, I will reconsider the position of Rabbi Levinstein in preparing our young men for IDF service.”
Speaking at a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel was “proud” of its history of integrating females into its fighting forces, going back to biblical times.
He said, “Female Jewish fighters, from the time of Yael the heroine to the present — with Hannah Senesh and the fighters in the Etzel, the Palmach and the Lehi and the IDF, heroic warriors in the police and Border Police that we see here on the streets — are an active, and sometimes very senior, part of our national defense. We are proud of it, and will will further it. It’s important to say this in the most clear fashion.”
For further reading click here.
Eilat Expansion
Under a new agreement signed between the government and Eilat, nine new neighborhoods with a total of 18,372 housing units, 6,930 new hotel rooms and additional industrial zones will be built in the city. The agreement also budgets funds for transportation and other infrastructure, development of the town’s coastal strip, an international sports center, municipal parks, and a waste facility.
Eilat Mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevi commented, “The agreement, which was reached after lengthy negotiations, will cause a dramatic turnaround in construction of major infrastructure. In a city like Eilat, bypass roads, parks, beaches, and so forth will put it on the road to economic independence, and turn it into a metropolis. This is big news for Eilat residents.”
For further reading click here.
PM Smoking
One of the allegations that the Israel Police is investigating the Prime Minister for is that Netanyahu allegedly received pink champagne for his wife and cigars worth hundreds of thousands of shekels from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan. But the PM has announced that the cigar accusation cannot be true because he could not possibly have smoked such large quantities of cigars “due to a problem in his nasal cavity.” Apparently, there are several months a year when he cannot smoke at all. Netanyahu has referred the investigators to his personal physician for confirmation.
[If there’s no smoke, there’s no fire, right?]
For further reading click here.
Israel News for March 13, 2017
/by Arnie SingerTerror Attack
Around 4am today a terrorist stabbed two Border Police officers in a small security station near the Lion’s Gate in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.
According to Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, “What we know is the terrorist arrived in the area and parked his vehicle while police officers were stationed at that checkpoint as part of general security. He then took the opportunity to follow them when they entered the entrance to the police point and stabbed both of the officers, moderately wounding them. The officers responded in a life-threatening situation and opened fire and shot and killed the terrorist.”
Both officers were treated at the scene by Magen David Adom paramedics and transferred to Hadassah University Medical Center in moderate and light condition.
The terrorist was identified as a 25 year old resident of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabl Mukaber. Following the attack police searched the terrorist’s house and arrested four of his relatives. They also prevented a mourner’s tent from being erected outside the terrorist’s home.
For further reading click here.
US Negotiator
Jason Greenblatt, US President Donald Trump’s special representative for international negotiations, is scheduled to arrive in Israel today. He will meet with PM Netanyahu, President Rivlin, acting National Security Council head Yaakov Nagel and Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories head Maj.-Gen.Yoav Mordechai. Greenblatt will also meet with PA President Abbas.
Greenblatt will discuss guidelines to govern construction in settlements. Netanyahu and Trump agreed during their meeting in Washington last month to establish a mechanism to work out these guidelines and Greenblatt is to head that mechanism.
This comes in the aftermath of a phone conversation between Trump and Abbas in which Trump, “emphasized his personal belief that peace is possible and that the time has come to make a deal.” He stressed that such a deal would have to “be negotiated directly between the two parties,” and that the US could not impose a solution. Trump also invited Abbas to the White House “in the near future.”
Greenblatt’s discussions are expected to go beyond the settlement issue and include exploring ways to restart the peace process.
For further reading click here.
Jerusalem Purim
Whereas most of the world celebrated the holiday of Purim yesterday, Jerusalem is celebrating today. That’s because according to the Book of Esther the Jews of Shushan, the Persian capital which was surrounded by a wall, fought their enemies for an extra day and celebrated a day after the Jews in cities without walls. Therefore, all cities that were walled at the time of the Purim story celebrate Purim on the 15th day of Adar instead of on the 14th. Party lovers have the opportunity to celebrate two days of festivities!
If you missed our special Purim issue [which has received rave reviews] and what to read it today on Shushan Purim, click here.
Space Photos
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet took photos of the Dead Sea from outer space. To see the photos click here.
The Israel News Purim Issue – 2017
/by Arnie SingerWikileaks Bombshell
Wikileaks has just uncovered documents and recordings proving that the US election was definitely rigged — by Israel. According to the documents, the Russian ambassador to the US was actually an agent for the Mossad, and was used to make everyone believe that Russia as behind the election hacking.
A telephone conversation recorded between Netanyahu and Trump several weeks before the election had the PM assuring Trump that Israeli intelligence along with a secret consortium of high tech startups had figured out a way to hack into election computers. He also was heard telling Trump, “from now on you had better damn well be the best friend Israel has ever had. Remember, we can make you and we can just as easily break you.”
Trump and Netanyahu both deny the veracity of the documents and recordings, blaming Radical Islamic Terror for orchestrating the forgeries. Presidential advisor Steve Bannon placed the blame on a secret international Jewish cabal. Jared Kushner and Trumps group of Jewish advisors, aides and confidants were in a closed door meeting in the White House basement and unavailable for comment.
Culinary Controversy
The latest controversy to engulf the White House revolves around a recent request by Ivanka Trump to make the White House kitchen kosher. Presidential advisor Steve Bannon reportedly is willing to accept a separate kosher kitchen in addition to the existing one.
Ivanka is adamant about a one kitchen solution, claiming that there’s absolutely no reason why everyone, kosher or not, cannot eat from the kosher kitchen. Bannon is sticking to his two kitchen solution saying, “every American should have the freedom to choose the food they want to eat without interference from the Jewish controlled food industry.” He added, “there’s no way in hell I’m eating gefilte fish!”
President Trump weighed in on the issue say, “I like one kitchen and two kitchens…whatever they agree upon.” He added, “And by the way, Ivanka makes the best gefilte fish you’ve ever tasted…the best!”
UN Condemnation
The UN General Assembly passed an Iranian sponsored resolution condemning Israel for the massacre of thousands of Persians during the reign of King Ahashverosh. The Iranian ambassador read passages from the Book of Esther as proof of the carnage. The Israeli ambassador denied responsibility, pointing out that the Sate of Israel only came into existence in 1948. In addition he held up a copy of the bible and reminded the assembly of Israel’s biblical right to its ancient homeland.
Annexation Agreement
In an unexpected turn of events, the far right and far left Knesset factions have reached an agreement regarding the annexation of large Jewish settlement blocks. According to the deal, Israel will annex areas of NYC, Long Island and New Jersey which have heavy concentrations of Jews.
The Chief Rabbinate, along with most rabbinic leaders, are fully behind the idea. The rabbis assert that according to Maimonides, any territory conquered (or annexed) by Israel automatically becomes part of Israel and attains the status of holy land.
Orthodox Jewish groups in the New York area are celebrating the plan. A statement released by an umbrella organization representing them said, “we welcome the opportunity to be able to fulfill our spiritual potential and halachic obligations without having to disrupt our comfortable lifestyle and move to the hot and dangerous Middle East.”
The majority of Israelis are also in favor of the plan, which will allow them to finally move to NY guilt free. Real Estate prices in Israel are expected to plummet, as demand in overpriced Anglo populated areas disappears.
The annexation plan is facing strong opposition from Nefesh B’nefesh. The Republican lead Congress and the White House have expressed interest in the plan and are anxious to remove New York and New Jersey from the electoral map.
Baseball Warning
The Israel National Baseball team currently competing in the World Fall Classic tournament in S. Korea has unexpectedly pulled off several victories and is plowing forward towards the championship. The team is doing so well that PM Netanyahu has issued them a special warning: In the event that they play the US team in the championships, they are to lose the game. According to a high ranking source in the Prime Ministers Office, the PM is afraid of upsetting US President Trump and wants to make sure that nothing occurs that could in any way ruffle the President’s feathers.
A senior White House advisor categorically denied the report, saying that Trump was the best friend Israel and the Jews ever had. When asked directly by a reporter, Trump responded, “I think the Israeli baseball team is doing really great things and we will always support them. But they should probably hold back just a bit, for the time being.”
It’s still unclear what the Israeli team will do if they play against Russia.
Women’s Rights
Women’s rights groups are in an uproar regarding a recent pronouncement by the Supreme Haredi Council of Sages to change the name of the Book of Esther to the Book of Mordecai and to make changes in the text diminishing the queen’s primary role in the story.
The Council claims that having a woman in such a prominent and visible position is contrary to the laws of female modesty. It also points out that the name Esther is derived from the pagan deity Astarte – “Queen of Heaven”, and therefore should not be uttered. In addition, the sages fear that saying the feminine pagan name could lead men to impure sexual thoughts, which combined with alcohol on Purim could be spiritually fatal.
[The council denied that the origins of the name Mordecai derived from the pagan deity Marduk.]
Hundreds of women from women’s rights groups joined by followers of pagan deities dressed up in I Dream of Jeannie costumes to protest in the streets of Meah Shearim. Thousands of Haredi men came out to watch.
Israel News for March 8, 2017
/by Arnie SingerDefense Meetup
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman met on Tuesday in Washington with U.S. Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis. The two discussed security issues shared by Israel and the US including Iran, Syria and Lebanon. They agreed on the need to act to strengthen the moderate forces in the region and create a coalition to fight terrorism.
Lieberman told Mattis, “We need an active America in the region.” He also said, “The strategic cooperation between Israel and the U.S. is vital and crucial not only for the security of Israel, but for security and stability throughout the Middle East and this also has implications on global security.”
Lieberman also met with US Vice President Mike Pence. According to a White House statement, the vice president underscored the “unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to upholding Israel’s qualitative military edge.” The two agreed on the need to “counter threats posed by Iran and its proxies as well as terrorist organizations,” and discussed ways in which the American and Israeli militaries could cooperate to address threats. Syria and other issues in the Middle East were also discussed.
Lieberman thanked Pence for his condemnation of recent antisemitic incidents in the United States.
According to a statement by the defense minister’s office, Lieberman told Pence that he expects to see the US embassy move to a new site in Jerusalem soon.
For further reading click here.
UN Discussions
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley met for the first time with Palestinian UN envoy Ambassador Riyad Mansour. After the meeting Haley tweeted that the Palestinians should “meet with Israel in direct negotiations rather than looking to the UN to deliver results that can only be achieved through the two parties.”
Mansour said that Haley “raised the desire to see the two parties engaging in negotiations” and indicated that the United States was considering a fresh bid to revive talks. He added, “I don’t know at what level they want to do that, but once we receive a request to that effect, we will respond to it accordingly.”
For further reading click here.
Women in IDF
IDF Chief Rabbi Yigal Levinstein condemned the idea of women serving in combat positions in the IDF, during a speech at the Bnei David pre-army preparatory yeshiva in Eli. He called the idea “insane” and questioned the femininity of women who serve in combat. He said that religious women must, under no circumstances, serve in combat roles.
Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman responded to Levinstein’s comments Tuesday, saying, “Since the founding of the state, women have served in the IDF and made a tremendous contribution to the security of Israel. Rabbi Levinstein’s tirade is not only an insult to Israeli women, but also to the IDF and its heritage and to the basic values of the State of Israel. When I return from the United States, I will reconsider the position of Rabbi Levinstein in preparing our young men for IDF service.”
Speaking at a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel was “proud” of its history of integrating females into its fighting forces, going back to biblical times.
He said, “Female Jewish fighters, from the time of Yael the heroine to the present — with Hannah Senesh and the fighters in the Etzel, the Palmach and the Lehi and the IDF, heroic warriors in the police and Border Police that we see here on the streets — are an active, and sometimes very senior, part of our national defense. We are proud of it, and will will further it. It’s important to say this in the most clear fashion.”
For further reading click here.
Eilat Expansion
Under a new agreement signed between the government and Eilat, nine new neighborhoods with a total of 18,372 housing units, 6,930 new hotel rooms and additional industrial zones will be built in the city. The agreement also budgets funds for transportation and other infrastructure, development of the town’s coastal strip, an international sports center, municipal parks, and a waste facility.
Eilat Mayor Meir Yitzhak Halevi commented, “The agreement, which was reached after lengthy negotiations, will cause a dramatic turnaround in construction of major infrastructure. In a city like Eilat, bypass roads, parks, beaches, and so forth will put it on the road to economic independence, and turn it into a metropolis. This is big news for Eilat residents.”
For further reading click here.
PM Smoking
One of the allegations that the Israel Police is investigating the Prime Minister for is that Netanyahu allegedly received pink champagne for his wife and cigars worth hundreds of thousands of shekels from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan. But the PM has announced that the cigar accusation cannot be true because he could not possibly have smoked such large quantities of cigars “due to a problem in his nasal cavity.” Apparently, there are several months a year when he cannot smoke at all. Netanyahu has referred the investigators to his personal physician for confirmation.
[If there’s no smoke, there’s no fire, right?]
For further reading click here.
Israel News for March 7, 2017
/by Arnie SingerTerror Stabbing
A 40 year old Haredi resident of Betar Illit (located near Jerusalem in the West Bank) was getting his car fixed at an Arab garage in the area. When the repair was done and Arab man asked him for a lift. Thinking that he was a worker at the garage, the Haredi man agreed. Before reaching a checkpoint the Arab asked to get out. But before he left he took out a knife and stabbed the driver in the side. He then fled the scene. The Haredi man was treated by paramedics at the checkpoint and then evacuated to Sharei Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem. The incident is under investigation.
For further reading click here.
Military Appeal
The Military Advocate General has filed an appeal against the lenient 18 month sentence given to IDF soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter after allegedly shooting dead a wounded Palestinian terrorist in Hebron.
According to the appeal, “The prosecution will argue that according to the law, the respondent (Azaria) should receive a harsher sentence, and his punishment should be 36 to 60 months, or the punishment determined by the minority opinion at the military court (30 months).”
The appeal also noted, “In its verdict, the military court delivered a decisive and clear message about the sanctity of life and the purity of arms, and emphasized that the needless killing of a person, even if he is a terrorist, is illegal, morally wrong and goes against the IDF’s values.”
For further reading click here.
No Entry
The Knesset has passed a bill denying entry visas to anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident in Israel, if he, or the organization or body for which he works, knowingly and publicly calls to boycott Israel or who participated in a boycott against Israel. The new law is a blow to the BDS movement.
The law passed despite vehement opposition. MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) slammed the bill as one “which opposes freedom of expression, serves as political censorship and is designed to silence dissent.” MK Roy Folkman (Kulanu), one of the MK’s who proposed the bill, said that “we can feel national pride and also believe in human rights. We can defend Israel’s name and honor, and there’s no shame in it.”
For further reading click here.
Israeli Baseball
Israel’s national baseball team (yes, you heard right) has qualified for the the World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament in Seoul, South Korea , and it’s hitting the ball out of the park. Team Israel beat Korea 2-1 in ten innings on Monday and then smashed Chinese Taipei 15-7 today. Israel will take on the Netherlands tomorrow.
The WBC tournament is held every four years and includes 16 teams. The top two teams from each of the four groups in the tournament will advance to the second round of the World Baseball Classic next week in Japan.
Team Israel includes several current and former Jewish American Major League Baseball players. World Baseball Classic rules state that players who are eligible for citizenship of a country may play on that country’s team.
In an article published on Sunday, ESPN described the Israeli team as “the Jamaican bobsled team of the WBC.”
For further reading click here.
Holy Graves
As the holiday of Purim approaches, you might be interested to know that the tombs of Mordecai and Esther are located in the Iranian city of Hamedan and are visited by Iranian Jews and Moslems. The tomb of the Prophet Habakuk is also located in the Iranian city of Shushan, the ancient Persian capital made famous in the Book of Esther.
There is a Chassidic rabbi from Israel who travels to Arab countries to inspect and pray at the graves of holy Jews located there. He has been to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and even Gaza.
To watch a short video about this fascinating story click here.
Israel News for March 6, 2017
/by Arnie SingerAnti-Terror Operations
Early today, a special anti-terror unit of the Border Police shot and killed a wanted terrorist while attempting to arrest him in Al-Bireh near Ramallah. The terrorist, Basel Al-Araj, 31, was the leader of a terror cell that planned attacks against Israelis and was in charge of procuring weapons for the attacks.
IDF forces also arrested 12 other terror suspects in the West Bank and confiscated thousands of shekels destined for terror financing.
Yesterday afternoon, Border Police officers arrested two suspects at the Tapuach Junction. One of them was found to be carrying a knife. They are suspected of planning to carry out a terror attack at the junction.
For further reading click here.
No Annexation
Defense Minister Lieberman told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that extending Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank would be a mistake and lead to a diplomatic crisis with the United States and the Trump administration. He said, “I am saying it as clearly as possible: We received a direct message from the United States saying that Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank will lead to a crisis with the new administration.”
In addition to the international diplomatic repercussions of annexation, Lieberman pointed out that by Israeli law the Palestinians “would have to receive Israeli residency, like Palestinians in east Jerusalem. This means that Israel will have to pay them a minimum of NIS 20 billion in social security on the first day.”
Lieberman’s comments came amid a renewed drive by right-wing politicians and the Knesset Land for Israel cuacus to annex the third largest West Bank settlement, Ma’aleh Adumim, which is located just outside of Jerusalem.
It’s part of a larger drive by right-wing politicians to annex Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli military and civilian rule. The politicians want to transform military rule into sovereignty. All of Israel’s West Bank settlements are located in Area C of the West Bank, which is also home to some 300,000 Palestinians. The bulk of the Palestinian population lives in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which are under the autonomous civilian rule of the Palestinian Authority.
A debate and vote on the annexation of Ma’aleh Adumim was supposed to take place yesterday but it was postponed due to pressure from PM Netanyahu.
Lieberman also addressed the situation in Gaza and security in the West Bank.
For further reading click here.
Jerusalem Logo
Culture Minister Miri Regev (Likud) presented the new official logo that will mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem on Sunday at a cabinet meeting. Jerusalem was liberated and reunited in June, 1967 during the Six Day War.
The tag line of the logo is, “Jerusalem – united and unifying”. The logo also proclaims, “50 years since the liberation of Jerusalem.” Regev pointed out, “If we are unable to say to ourselves that we liberated Jerusalem from generations of foreign occupation, how can we complain about the world.” She added, “This logo tells the true story of Jerusalem.”
The color of the logo is gold. The number five is in the form of a lion and a harp and the zero contains a Star of David above the Western Wall.
To see the logo and read more about it click here.
Pot OK
The Cabinet has voted to approve a proposal to decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana. The proposal must be drafted into legislation, which must then be approved by the Knesset.
Under the proposed policy, first-time offenders in possession of up to 15 grams and smoking publicly would be fined and not receive a criminal record. The fines would continue, doubled, until the fourth offense, when the possessor of the marijuana can be indicted. First-time minor offenders would be referred to a treatment program.
Selling and growing marijuana would remain criminal offenses. Medical marijuana is already legal.
Prior to the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “This must be done cautiously and in a controlled manner. On the one hand, we are open to the future. On the other, we also understand the dangers and we will try to balance between the two.
For further reading click here.
Israel News for March 2, 2017
/by Arnie SingerTerror Attack
A Palestinian terrorist infiltrated the Mor Farm outpost near the settlement Teneh Omarim in the southern Mount Hebron area of Judea. A resident, Shabtai Kushelevski, heard noises and exited his house, where he saw the terrorist holding two knives. He ran home to get his gun, chased by the terrorist. They both entered the home, where the terrorist stabbed him before his wife and children.
Luckily, the Kushelevski family dog Sofie jumped into action and attacked the terrorist, allowing Kushelevski to grab his gun and shoot and kill the terrorist. Kushelevski was only lightly injured.
Yekutiel Ben Yakov, Director of the Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a non-profit organization that helps place protection dogs throughout Judea and Samaria said, “We continue to urge Jews to arm themselves with dogs, which have proven to be the most effective biological weapon. The proper use of dogs can save many Jewish lives.”
For further reading click here.
Rocket Strike
A rocket fired from Gaza landed in an open area near the coastline south of Ashkelon. There were no reports of damage or injuries. There were also no claims of responsibility, although Israel holds Hamas responsible for any attacks emanating from Gaza.
For further reading click here.
PM Praises Trump
In the wake of President Trump’s public condemnation of anti-semitism in his address to Congress on Tuesday night, PM Netanyahu, in a pre-recorded message to the Jewish People Policy Institute’s annual conference, told participants he “appreciate[s] the fact that in the last few weeks and days, President Trump and Vice President Pence have taken a strong stance in condemning anti-Semitism.”
He said, “This is what we expect too from European leaders. Most of them have done it and this is what we must demand from governments around the world because Jews around the world should not live in fear. World leaders need to unequivocally condemn anti-Semitism wherever it is found.”
For further reading click here.
Israel News for February 28, 2017
/by Arnie SingerSuspected Terrorist Shot
Soldiers at the Qalandiya checkpoint north of Jerusalem shot a 20 year old Palestinian woman they suspected of attempting to carry out a stabbing attack. The woman approached them on a road meant for vehicles while holding an unidentified object in her hand. When the soldiers ordered her to stop she continued walking towards them while holding her bag in a way that raised their suspicion. When she was searched after being shot and lightly injured, no weapons were found in her possession.
For further reading click here.
Evacuation Protests
Hundreds of protesters, mostly young men and women, have gathered in one of the nine houses in Ofra slated for demolition on Wednesday. The deputy commander of the Judea and Samaria Division of the Israel Police yesterday came to the junction where the nine homes are built and officially pronounced the evacuation order. Police then began physically evacuating people. Clashes between police and protesters began early today. Two protesters has been arrested for attacking police, and five police officers have been injured thus far. The Supreme Court had ordered the evacuation and demolition of the nine homes, ruling that they were built illegally on privately owned Palestinian land.
For further reading click here.
Trump and Settlements
PM Netanyahu told Likud MKs in a closed meeting on Monday that Israel and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump have not reached an agreement regarding settlement construction. He said, “Things are not as simple as you think.” The PM added, “We will develop a mechanism to try to reach understandings… [but] on this specific issue, there is no agreement.”
Several sources described a heated argument at the Likud Knesset meeting, between MKs who support Israeli annexation of the West Bank and those who seek a withdrawal from most of the occupied territories along with security arrangements.
The PM reportedly said that he agrees that Trump’s presidency is “historic,” but noted that “we should know what the limits of this opportunity are.”
For further reading click here.
Azrieli Online
Azrieli Group Ltd., the large Israeli shopping mall operator, has launched an online shopping website at azrieli.com. The website is offering free delivery and interest free installment payments to attract customers. This summer the BIG shopping mall operators will be launching their own commerce site. Competition is good for consumers!
For further reading click here.
Good Stats
According to statistics recently released by the Central Bureau of Statistics, 89 percent of Israelis who are over the age of 20 claim to be satisfied with their lives. At the same time, 27% claimed to feel depressed occasionally (who doesn’t?) while 7% claimed to be depressed often. On the bright side, 88.4% of Israelis felt satisfaction from their jobs and 81% felt safe walking alone at night in their neighborhood.
For further reading click here.
Israel News for February 27, 2017
/by Arnie SingerRockets Strike
A rocket apparently fired from Gaza exploded in an open area in southern Israel last night. There were no physical injuries or damages. No one claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Today the IDF attacked five Hamas military outposts and infrastructure targets, including a concrete factory, in Gaza in response to the attack.
Hamas said in response that it “won’t stand by in the face of continued Israeli aggression against the forces of the resistance and the intentional escalation on Israel’s part.”
Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activity in the Territories, Major-General Yoav Mordechai, said in a Facebook post that “Israel isn’t interested in escalation, but cannot ignore rockets fired toward its sovereign territory. This is why the IDF retaliated.”
Also over the weekend, Egyptian forces detonated a Hamas tunnel under the Rafah border killing three and injuring five. In its condemnation of Saturday’s anti-tunneling operation, Hamas renewed its call to permanently open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, portraying Cairo as complicit with “Israel’s unfair siege on Gaza Strip.” The Egyptians are looking to Hamas for help in dealing with the Islamist terror groups in the Sinai Peninsula.
Israeli government sources have reported that there are currently at least 15 Hamas terror tunnels that cross the Gaza border into Israel.
For further reading click here.
Ofra Evictions
Security forces have begun evicting residents from nine homes in Ofra (Samaria – West Bank). The Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the homes were built without the proper construction permits, on privately owned Palestinian land.
For further reading click here.
Israeli Stabber
A Jewish Israeli, Shlomo Pinto, was convicted for attempted murder and sentenced to 11 years for stabbing a Jewish supermarket worker who he thought was an Arab.
The attack took place in October 2015 during the height of a wave of stabbing terror attacks that swept the country. Pinto entered a supermarket in Kiryat Ata armed with two knives. After observing Uri Rizken, a worker at the supermarket, Pinto concluded he was Arab and stabbed him several times in the back and waist before chasing him through the store and seriously wounding him.
In their ruling, the Haifa District Court judges said that the perpetrator, Shlomo Pinto, “acted out of a sense of revenge and ideology in order to inspire people to act like he did, when the only goal is to kill an Arab victim.” The 11 year sentence was in line with that given to terrorists convicted of attempted murder.
For further reading click here.
IDF Integration
The IDF is integrating women into many IDF units and making certain bases “egalitarian”. Not everyone is happy about that. A group of senior religious Zionist rabbinic leaders have criticized IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot over the policy, claiming that it changes the spirit of the IDF, which agreed to conditions for the service of religious soldiers (that includes separation of the genders).
A senior religious Zionist rabbi told Arutz Sheva: “Eizenkot has been deceiving the IDF chaplains and the religious Zionist rabbis for a long time. In closed discussions, Eizenkot has said that he is very afraid that religious soldiers seek to change the spirit of the IDF, and he has therefore decided to respond to this phenomenon and try to put a stop to it now.”
The rabbi added: “The Chief of Staff has declared war on the world of Torah. We will sit together and decide how to deal with this new conduct of Eizenkot, which threatens to harm thousands of religious and traditional soldiers.”
An IDF Spokesperson replied: “These are fake arguments which seek to divide the army and belittle women who serve in it. The quotes attributed to the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, are without any foundation.”
For further reading click here.
Knesset Unit
The elite Knesset security unit conducted an anti terror training exercise yesterday.To see photos click here.
Israel News for February 24, 2017
/by Arnie SingerDrone Destroyed
The Israel Air Force (IAF) shot down a Hamas drone yesterday as it left Gaza on its way to infiltrate Israel. The drone fell into the Mediterranean. An IDF spokesman said, “the IDF will not allow any airspace violation and will act resolutely against any such attempt.”
For further reading click here.
Iron Dome
An upgraded version of the Iron Dome missile defense system has successfully passed a series of tests in recent days, in which the new Tamir interceptor missile destroyed several projectiles. The tests were conducted in the south and meant to test the ability of the Iron Dome to intercept a variety of targets fired simultaneously at different ranges. The Tamir contains components that were jointly designed and built by both Israel and the United States under an agreement signed in 2014.
To watch a video and see images of the test, click here.
Missiles to India
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the $2.5 billion purchase of Barak 8 advanced anti-aircraft missile system. The system was jointly developed by India’s Defense Research & Development Organization and Israel Aerospace Industries. It is designed to defend against airborne threats including aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, UAVs, cruise missiles and fighter jets at a strike range of about 30-45 miles.
The system is scheduled to be deployed by 2023.
In addition to the Barak 8 system, Israel and India are also cooperating on a long-range surface-to-air system, which will be deployed on Indian Navy warships.
In 2014, India bought 8,356 Spike anti-tank missiles and 321 launchers from Israel in a deal worth 32 billion rupees ($525 million). India’s foreign minister has said that his country intended to further strengthen its ties with Israel, stressing the relationship is of “utmost importance to the Indian people.”
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More Gas
Texas-based Noble Energy will begin developing Israel’s offshore Leviathan gas field. The company will begin immediately with the first phase of the project, and said in a statement issued Thursday that it expects the first gas to flow in 2019.
Leviathan, discovered in 2010 in the Mediterranean Sea west of Haifa, is estimated to hold 16 trillion to 18 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Noble CEO David Stover said, “Bringing Leviathan online will expand Israel’s supply of natural gas, further support the State’s commitment to convert coal-fired power generation facilities to cleaner burning gas, and provide affordable energy resources to Israeli citizens and neighboring countries in the undersupplied region.”
PM Netanyahu tweeted, “This is a day of good news for the Israeli economy and Israeli citizens. The process will provide gas supply to Israel, and will advance cooperation with regional states.”
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Hospital Treats Syrians
The Western Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, several miles from the Lebanese border, has treated around 1550 Syrian civilians in the last four years. But that will end unless the government reimburses the hospital the NIS 300 million it has spent treating the Syrians, according to Health Minister Yaakov Litzman.
It costs Western Galilee Medical Center an average of NIS 10,321 per day to treat the Syrians, while the government transfers only NIS 1,300 daily to the hospital. This situation is leading to the collapse of the state-owned 772-bed hospital.
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TA Marathon
Around 40,000 runners took part in the Tel Aviv marathon today. Over 1,800 runners came from other countries. The winner of the marathon was from Ethiopia. He finished in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 13 seconds. The first Israeli crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 27 minutes.
For further info and images, click here.
Israel News for February 23, 2017
/by Arnie SingerSoldier Wounded
A soldier from the Paratroopers Brigade’s 101st Battalion was lightly wounded by an explosive device thrown at him while securing the entrance to Joseph’s Tomb near Shechem (Nablus). The soldier was treated by his fellow soldiers on the scene and was later taken to the hospital for further treatment. The Tomb is visited by Jewish worshipers every few weeks in coordination with the military. Around 1,200 Jewish worshipers visited last night.
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New Judges
Last night the Judicial Selection Committee selected four new Supreme Court judges – Yosef Elron, George Karra, Yael Vilner, and David Mintz. The judges are all conservative, and are supported by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi). Yael Vilner will be the first religious woman to serve on the court. David Mintz is the first judge to reside in a settlement (Dolev in Gush Etzion). George Karra is a Christian Arab from Jaffa. The appointments are seen as a victory for the conservative camp.
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Goldins Meet Haley
The parents of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin, who was killed in Gaza in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge and whose body is still being held by Hamas, met on Wednesday with the new US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
During their meeting, the Goldin family requested that Ambassador Haley assist in their efforts for the return of the bodies of their son and Sgt. Oron Shaul, also held in Gaza, for burial in Israel.
A spokesperson for the US Mission to the UN said that during the meeting, Ambassador Haley pledged to advocate on behalf of Hadar Goldin and work with the Goldins, the Israeli Mission and other US partners at the UN for the return of Hadar to his family.
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon thanked Haley for meeting with the family, saying, “Hadar was killed and kidnapped by despicable terrorists during a UN sponsored ceasefire and we won’t rest until this organization ensures his and Oron’s return for proper burial in Israel.”
For further reading click here. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Parents-of-slain-Israeli-soldier-meet-US-envoy-at-UN-482356
ISIS in Golan
ISIS forces have launched a major offensive in the Syrian Golan against rebel forces currently in control of the area. ISIS has reportedly captured several villages and killed hundreds of rebel fighters. The area involved borders both Israel and Jordan. The prospect of having an ISIS controlled area next door is troubling to both countries.
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Court Overrules Bargain
The Jerusalem District Court overruled a plea bargain agreement that sentenced former Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger to 3.5 years in prison and increased the sentence to 4.5 years and a fine of 5 million shekels. Metzger was convicted on a slew of bribery and corruption charges.
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Rabbinate Hacked
Hackers attacked the computers of the Chief Rabbinate in Jerusalem, locking down all the data on the computers. The hackers demanded a ransom of thousands of dollars in bitcoin to release the data. The Israeli government refused to negotiate. The data was reportedly unblocked by IT specialists.
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