Israel News for June 22, 2016

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Red Alert
When rockets are launched from Gaza into Israel, residents hear a “red alert” siren. Now residents will hear the “red alert” in the event of an active tunnel discovery. The only difference is that in addition to the siren, residents will also receive an SMS message saying, “Due to terrorist digging, residents are requested to go into their homes and switch off the lights until further notice.” An IDF official noted that, “it’s important that the civilians understand that not every alarm means terrorists have penetrated into Israel.” Good to know.

For further reading click here.

PM Tricks
Back in November of 2015, PM Netanyahu appointed Dr. Ran Baratz to be the head of PR at the Prime Minister’s Office. But because of Baratz’s tendency to post negative Facebook messages relating to public figures including Israeli President Rivlin, Barak Obama and John Kerry, his appointment was opposed by many ministers and officials.

To make it official, the Civil Service Commission, which has the last word in the matter, refused to approve Baratz’s appointment. But did that stop the PM? Of course not.

To get around the hurdles before him, Netanyahu has made Baratz a senior consultant in the Prime Minister’s Office with a salary of just 5% below what he would have made as PR director. He’ll also be performing the same duties including formulating PR strategy, writing speeches, and assembling briefings.

The current PR and media director Boaz Stempler will continue in his position, although it’s unclear how both he and Baratz will function together, since they pretty much have the same job.

The reaction from government officials: “The Prime Minister is making a mockery of civil service rules, and sending ministers a message that says they can act just like him.”

So, two salaries for one job and the PM wins again. Gotcha.

For further reading click here.

Believe it
In 2013 Police Commander Ilan Mor was found guilty of sexually harassing two subordinate junior female police officers. Mor reached a plea bargain agreement with the Justice Ministry and was fined 4,000 shekels and reprimanded by an internal Police tribunal.

Soon after his conviction, Mor was sent to study at the prestigious National Security College, which also trains senior staff in Mossad and the Shin Bet security service. He was then appointed as head of the traffic police.

But wait, it gets better. Mor was recently appointed to be the Israel Police representative in the US. That was just too much, even for Israel. Hundreds of civilians wrote letters of protest to Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan. Zazim, a nonprofit organization campaigning for social and political change, launched a campaign against the appointment.

Yesterday the police announced that Mor met with Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich and declined the posting on “family and medical grounds.” Alsheich accepted Mor’s position but asked him to remain with the police force.

So Mor, a convicted sex offender continues to be commander of Israel’s traffic police. Believe it.

For further reading click here.

Arab Poverty
According to new data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, 82 percent of East Jerusalem’s 300,000 residents lived below the poverty line in 2014, up from 76% in 2013. In 2006 the poverty rate was at 66%. The general poverty rate in Israel is 22% and the poverty rate in Jerusalem is 48%.

Reasons offered for the huge poverty rate in East Jerusalem include the separation barrier, which cuts Jerusalem off from the West Bank impeding commerce between the two areas. Another cause is thought to be the surge of violence that began in 2014, which cause a drop in tourism and loss of jobs.

However, some officials claim that flaws in the polling mechanism are adding to the increased poverty numbers. They say that the sample size is too small and many residents refuse to take part in the survey. Nevertheless, there’s still a huge poverty rate in East Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem municipality says it has launched several projects aimed at improving the situation, including setting up professional training centers and hiring 20 additional social workers to cover East Jerusalem.

“There’s been an improvement in the welfare and education systems, and I hope that within two years, we’ll see results,” said Boni Goldberg, head of the city’s social services department.

For further reading click here.

Fighter Unveiled
American aircraft maker Lockheed Martin will present the first of 33 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets to Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Leiberman and Israel Air Force (IAF) chief of staff Brigadier General Tal Kelman in Fort Worth, Texas today. The aircraft is called “Adir” or mighty in Hebrew.

The F-35, with its stealth abilities and the most advanced avionic systems, is viewed by Israel’s defense establishment as Israel’s plane of the future. Israel will be purchasing an additional 17 planes, making 50 in total.

Price of each plane: $85 million. Price to fly the plane for 1 hour: $35,000.

Israel’s first two F-35s will be flown to Israel by US pilots on December 12 2016. The following day, Israeli pilots will fly the aircraft in Israel’s skies. More aircraft will follow after Israeli pilots undergo training in the US.

For further reading and to see video of the new plane, click here.

Civilian Heroes
Citations were presented to 13 Israeli civilians who risked their lives to fight terror, by the Shaurat Hadin organization. To read their stories click here.

Israel News for June 21, 2016

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Terror on 443
Terrorists threw rocks and firebombs at vehicles traveling on a stretch of route 446 near Modiin at around 1am today. They also dumped on oil on the highway, which connects the center of the country to Jerusalem. One Israeli on a bus and two tourists in a car were injured.

Shortly after the attack an officer and soldiers of the Kfir brigade passed through and launched a hunt for the terrorists. According to initial reports the soldiers apparently spotted a Palestinian vehicle, which they thought belonged to the terrorists, and opened fire on it. A 15 year old boy was killed and two adults were wounded. Two suspects were arrested and taken in for interrogation. The IDF spokesman released a statement saying that the 15 year old was probably not a terrorist.

Also last night, Israeli forces destroyed the house of Bashar Massalha, the terrorist who killed American tourist Taylor Force and injured ten others in an attack in Jaffa earlier this year. The house was located in the village of Kafr Haja near Nablus.

For further reading click here.

Lieberman in DC
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman met with US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter in Washington on Monday to discuss the military aid deal currently being negotiated. An Israeli source related that, “the conversation was good and practical, and there is a willingness to reach an agreement on aid for Israel’s missile defense system, regardless of the presidential elections in the United States. The goal is to reach an agreement as fast as possible.”

The Pentagon released a statement after the meeting saying, “Secretary Carter and Minister Lieberman reaffirmed the strength of the US- Israeli defense relationship and the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. They also discussed regional security challenges in the Middle East and areas of mutual defense cooperation.”

For further reading click here.

Divorce Rate
Moving to Israel must be help you stay married. According to a recent survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel’s divorce rate is only 13 percent. That ranks Israel 25th out of 39 developed countries. Denmark, the US and Sweden have the highest rates. Mexico, Ireland and Chile have the lowest.

The Israeli cities with the highest divorce rates are led by Eilat, with 25%, and followed by Bat Yam (22 percent), Upper Nazareth and Kiryat Yam (20 percent each), and then by Arad, Sderot and Acre (19 percent each). Most of those cities happen to have a predominantly lower income population with high proportions of Sephardim and Russian immigrants.

The places with the lowest divorce rate, all ultra Orthodox, are Rechasim (5 percent), Elad (4 percent), Betar Ilit (3 percent) and Modi’in Ilit (2 percent).

Now we need a survey that indicates the happiness level of married couples vs. those who divorce.

For further reading click here.

Sheep Aliya
If you’re planning to fly El Al to Israel from Canada this summer, you might find yourself sitting next to sheep. That’s because El AL announced that will be flying a flock of 113 sheep to Israel — biblical sheep.

The sheep, which are owned by Gil and Jenna Lewinsky (related to Monica?) of British Columbia, Canada, are apparently the only ones in the world to look like the ones described in the bible that belonged to Jacob (when he worked as a shepherd for his uncle Lavan). They have speckled skin, spots on their wool, and bands on their ankles and knees.

The Lewinskys are heeding the advice of Rabbi Amram Vaknin, a kabbalist living in Sderot, who claims that the sheep of Jacob must return to the Holy Land to hasten the redemption. They believe the animals came with Jacob through Canaan to Egypt, then with the Exodus to North Africa, and from there to Spain, England and then to North America. Quite a journey.

The deal was brokered by Israel’s embassy in Ottawa, which last month publicly offered its support to the effort. In February, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Rafael Barak, visited the family’s farm in Abbotsford, about 40 miles east of Vancouver, and reportedly witnessed the birth of a lamb.

The sheep are currently extinct in Israel. Is this the breakthrough we’ve all been waiting for?

For further reading click here.

Yoga Pics
American art photographer Robert Sturman photographs yoga practitioners in poses throughout the world. He’s now added Israel to his portfolio. To see some of his amazing Israel based yoga photos, click here.

settlements israel

Israel News for June 20, 2016

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Settlement Budget
The government has approved a NIS 72 million budget for the security of settlements in Judea and Samaria. But not all the money is going to “security”. Funding is allocated for construction, education, economic development and tourism.

For further reading click here.

Shabbat Busing
Last week we told you about a proposed bill in the Knesset that would allow local authorities to allow public buses to operate on Shabbat. Yesterday the Knesset Ministerial Legislation Committee rejected the bill.

YeshAtid MK Yael German, who sponsored the bill, said, “We won’t give up. We’ll submit the bill again in six months, and again in a year, and again and again until it passes. The current situation is discriminatory. Public transportation on Saturday is a social matter. It’s for young people and adults who don’t have cars, and for people who can’t afford to run a car.”

The presence of the religious parties in the coalition makes passing the bill nearly impossible.

By law, the Ministry of Transport is obligated to allow the local authorities to operate public transportation on the Sabbath. However, Section 386A of the Traffic Ordinance states that a license to operate a public bus on the day of rest will not be granted, except in certain cases, including rides to hospitals, border communities, and non-Jewish communities, plus transportation essential for public security or essential for the existence of public transportation.

Last week the Herzliya municipality announced that it would begin limited public transportation on Shabbat. Will it be overruled by the government?

For further reading click here.

Modesty Signs
The Jerusalem District Court gave Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul three weeks to remove “modesty” signs that warn women to dress according to Haredi norms of dress or to keep off sidewalks near synagogues and yeshivas where men tend to congregate.

The court ruling upholds a 2015 ruling by a lower Beit Shemsh court ordering the signs and removed and compensation paid to the plaintiffs.

In 2013, the Israel Religious Action Center, the advocacy arm of the Reform movement in Israel, filed suit against the municipality and the mayor on behalf of four Orthodox women, all residents of Beit Shemesh, for refusing to remove the signs as required by a government report published that year.

For further reading click here.

Iron Dome
After its incredible success at protecting Israel from Hamas missiles, you’d think that the Iron Dome missile defense system would be sought after by other countries. Despite lots of interest and speculation, not a single sale of the system has been made. That’s probably because no other country is being subjected to missile attacks against it, or even the threat of missile attacks. And if it were, it would probably go to war to destroy the aggressor. That would make perfect sense, except when the country subjected to the attacks is Israel.

For further reading click here.

Olympic Hopefuls
Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team has raised hopes for Israeli medal success at the upcoming Rio summer olympics. The team won the gold medal in the clubs and hoops category at the European Championships, which are being held in Holon, Israel. The team also won a silver medal for their ribbons routine and a bronze in the all around competition.

Meanwhile, a Syrian boxer bowed out of a qualifying round for the Olympics in Azerbaijan, to avoid fighting an Israeli boxer.

The boxer, Ala Ghasoun, told Arab media, ”I quit the competition because my rival was Israeli and I cannot shake his hand or compete against him while he represents a Zionist regime that kills the Syrian people. If I fight against him, it would mean that I, as an athlete, and Syria, as a state, recognize the state of Israel.”
Ghasoun added that “the decision to quit was not mine” but mandated by senior Syrian officials and the Syrian Sports Federation.

The Israeli boxer moved up to the next qualifying round. And yes, Syria actually has an olympic team.

For further reading click here.

Error Correction
Last week we reported about an Israeli judge who permitted a class action suit against Facebook to be heard in an Israeli court. The suit is for $400 million — not $400. The entire process could take years to play out in court.

New Holiday
The Knesset has approved a new holiday: Aliyah Day. The bill was spearheaded by the Tel Aviv Internationals organization led by American Oleh and activist Jay Shultz.

Shultz said, “Aliyah Day is an opportunity for the State of Israel to reach out to all Jews across the world, and to say that Israel is more than a place to consider living; Israel is their home. For us, young immigrants have a lot of strength, and Aliyah is something that we are extremely proud of. We come to Israel in order to give. We choose to be pioneers and we feel a lot of pride about this. It is a good thing that now the State of Israel will dedicate an official holiday to Aliyah.”

The holiday will be observed in the Hebrew month of Nissan, at the start of spring.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for June 17, 2016

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Jerusalem Terror
Terrorists threw four firebombs at a home in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Armon Hanetziv today. The firebombs were thrown from a street in neighboring Jabel Mukaber. Shortly after the attack, Police arrested four Arabs, all from Hebron.

For further reading click here.

PM Contender
Former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has declared that he will run for Prime Minister in the next election saying, “Last month I resigned from my position as defense minister and Knesset member, and made it clear that I would return to public service. I intend to run for the leadership of Israel in the next elections.”

In his speech at the Herzliya Conference Yaalon said, “The State of Israel and its citizens deserve a stately leadership that stops cynically zigzagging (on its position) every other day. We deserve a leadership that doesn’t choose the corrupt system of divide and rule. I can’t stand the fact that the leadership in Israel of 2016 is busy fanning the flames, inciting, intimidating and dividing Jews and Arabs, the right and left wings, and different sectors of society. It does all of this just to survive, stay in government for another month or another year.”

He said that Israel did not face an existential threat to its survival from outside enemies, including Iran. “The State of Israel is the strongest in the region. I can confidently say that at this time and in the foreseeable future there is no existential threat to the state of Israel. I say this as someone who knows every last detail of the security situation in Israel, and who knows the power and strength of the IDF and its intelligence capabilities. The Iranian nuclear project likewise does not pose an immediate threat to Israel and the countries in the region.”

Yaalon added, “The leadership in the State of Israel should stop scaring civilians and giving them the feeling that we are on the brink of a second Holocaust.”

For further reading click here.

Moskowitz Passes
Dr. Irving Moskowitz, the American Jewish philanthropist donated tens of millions of dollars to Jewish settlement efforts in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, died yesterday at the age of 88.

The Moskowitz Foundation he founded in 1968 along with his wife, Cherna, was a major supporter of El’ad and Ateret Cohanim, two organizations involved in moving Jews to live in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. It also was a major donor to the One Israel Fund, which supports projects in Judea and Samaria.

Moskowitz was born in New York City in 1928, the ninth child of Jewish immigrants from Poland. He grew up in Milwaukee, where he earned his medical degree, later moving to California, where he created a business building hospitals and ran a legal gambling business. He later moved to Miami Beach.

He will be buried in Jerusalem. May his memory be a blessing.

For further reading click here.

Israel vs Facebook
An Israeli judge has approved a $400 million class action suit against Facebook for violating users’ privacy by using their private posts to determine which advertisements they should see, without obtaining their knowing consent to this policy. The suit also accused Facebook of violating Israeli law by not registering its database in the national database registry.

Facebook argued that its terms of use, agreed to by users, explicitly requires all suits against it to be heard by one of two specified California courts. It also claimed that its relationship with users is governed by California law, which would preclude Israeli courts from hearing such suits.

But Judge Esther Stemmer rejected these arguments, despite acknowledging that legal precedent does award jurisdictional priority to the courts stipulated in the users’ agreement.

She said, “Perhaps the time has come to examine the issue from a different angle, from the customer’s standpoint, especially when he’s the customer of huge international corporations that deal with customers all over the world.”

Stemmer added, “It’s not clear that Facebook’s right to litigate in one single place in the world, as stipulated in the uniform contracts it had users’ sign, overrides the right of all the users to readily obtain legal remedy in their own countries.”

The judge charged Facebook 10,000 shekels for court costs and gave it 90 days to respond to the suit.

For further reading click here.

Syrian Kosher
Many of the rebel groups fighting in the souther region of Syria near the Israeli border might be going kosher. Well, not exactly, but they have been eating Israeli made food products including rice, flour and sugar. It’s unclear how the products are getting to the rebels, but they’re probably brought back by wounded soldiers treated in Israeli first aid stations and hospitals near the border. The rebels bring their wounded and leave with food, medicine and other Israeli aid.

Of course, the Arab press and social media is condemning the groups for collaborating with the evil Zionist enemy. Meanwhile, the Syrian rebels are enjoying the fruits (and medicine) of the Holy Land.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for June 16, 2016

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Gaza Wall
Israel’s Defense Ministry has announced that Israel will build a wall along the entire 60 mile Gaza border that will extend tens of meters below as well as above ground. The wall will cost over 2 billion shekels, and guess whose going to pay for it: no, not Mexico. The Israeli taxpayer will have to foot the bill, unless the PM can pick up some negotiating tips from … you know who.

Meanwhile, the IDF is also building a wall along sections of the Lebanon border adjacent to Israeli towns. Will these new walls help make Israel great again? But isn’t Israel already great? We’ll settle for just keeping the terrorists out.

For further reading click here.

Terrorist Law
The Knesset yesterday passed a new Terrorist Law that expands the tools used to handle terrorism via criminal and legal mechanisms, extends the maximum sentence for carrying out various terrorism-related crimes to 30 years, anchors in law administrative detentions, and sets sanctions for multiple kinds of terrorism-related offenses.

The law was passed with broad approval across the political spectrum, with the exception of Meretz and the Arab Joint List. It will hopefully aid in Israel’s fight against terrorism.

To read more about the details of the new law, click here.

US Clarifies
The White House clarified its opposition to a Congressional proposal to increase funding for Israel’s missile defense by explaining that it does not reflect a desire to cut military aid to Israel, but rather reflects a disagreement as to how to budget for the aid.

The White House believes the missile defense funding should be included in the 10-year military aid agreement the two countries are now negotiating, and not in the 2017 defense budget, as Congress proposed. This would be better for Israel, they claim, because it would obviate the need for Congress and the administration to renegotiate the sum every year.

A senior White House official said, “We are prepared to make an unprecedented multi-year missile defense commitment as part of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Israel on military assistance. This commitment, which would amount to billions of dollars over 10 years, would be the first long-term pledge on missile defense support to Israel, affording Israel robust support for its missile defense, as well as predictability and facilitating long-term planning for missile defense initiatives.”

The administration claims that including the Israeli missile aid in the budget would reduce the amount available for developing US missile defense systems. Instead, the administration would give Israel special emergency grants for missile defense on top of the regular funding, something it has done several times over the past few years. For instance, they noted, during the 2014 war in Gaza, Washington gave Israel an extra $225 million to purchase additional Iron Dome batteries.

So it’s really not as bad as it seemed. Apparently.

For further reading click here.

New City
There’s a new, modern, affordable city in the process of being built around 25 miles north of Jerusalem in the West Bank. No, this one won’t provoke the condemnation of the EU or State Department as being an obstacle to peace. That’s because it’s a Palestinian city.

The city, Rawabi, is the first planned city to be built for Palestinians. It boasts high-rise apartment buildings, a shopping center, a 12,000 seat amphitheater, schools, playgrounds, mosques and an industrial zone. The city, that reminds you of Modiin, is planned to hold 60,000 residents when construction is completed in five years. There are currently 250 families living there, and more are moving in as apartments become ready for occupancy. The price of a three bedroom apartment is around $100,000, which is 25% less than an equivalent unit in Ramallah.

Rawabi is the brainchild of Palestinian-American developer Bashar Masri and is being funded by a Palestinian company run by Masri as well as the Qatari holding company Diar. Construction costs have so far topped $1.2 billion.

Residents are excited with the prospect of living in a clean, well planned city which stands in stark contrast to the chaotic Palestinian towns and villages in the area.

A church is currently under construction to service the Christians who are expected to form around ten percent of Rawabi’s population.

Masri said, “I’m a strong believer that a Palestinian state is in the making and part of the pillars of building a proper state is to have a strong economy and higher standard of living.”

To see photos of Rawabi, click here.

Eruv Controversy
Opposition to erecting Eruv’s occasionally arises in the US. But you wouldn’t expect it in Israel, right? Well, think again.

The village of Kfar Bilu, not far from Rehovot in central Israel, is refusing to erect an Eruv of the moshav because they want to make sure the moshav doesn’t become “haredi”.

Far Bilu, founded in 1932 has just a few religious residents out of a population of around 1,500. One of them is a wounded soldier confined to wheelchair, who recently became religious. Because of Shabbat restrictions, he is unable to leave his home on Shabbat without an Eruv. So he asked the village council to put one up and got the money to pay for it from the Religious Affairs Ministry. Their response: “If you want to be religious, then don’t be with us. The fact that you became religious is your problem.”

The council also refuses to erect a Mechitzah in the village synagogue, even though it is only used by the religious residents.

Huh.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for June 15, 2016

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Jerusalem Fire
A large fire is raging in the Jerusalem forest at the entrance to the city near the Givat Shaul neighborhood. The fire is being fought by 35 firefighting units along with eight aircraft. The fire is approaching the main Electric Company power station and is spreading towards the Har Nof neighborhood. Electric Company employees have been evacuated.

To see images and video, click here.

Obama vs Israel
In response to a decision by Congress to increase US military aid to Israel by $455 million, The White House sent Congress a memorandum opposing the new aid package. The additional money was earmarked for anti-missile defense systems.

Last month, the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $600 million in funding for fiscal year 2017 – an increase of $113 million from last year and $454 million over President Obama’s request.

According to the Senate appropriations committee proposal, Israel was supposed to receive $270 million for missile defense R&D programs, $62 million for procuring Iron Dome short range missile defense batteries, $150 million for medium range David’s Sling systems, and $120 million for the Arrow 3 long-range missile defense system. Instead, Israel will have to make do with the $150 million in the White House’s original proposal, subject to Senate legislation.

In a “Statement of Administration Policy” released by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday, the administration said it “opposes the addition of $455 million above the FY 2017 Budget request for Israeli missile defense procurement and cooperative development programs.”

AIPAC criticized the White House position saying:

“On a bipartisan basis, Congress has increased funding above administration requests this year, as it has done for well over a decade. These cooperative programs – including the Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome – are critical for Israel’s defense against a growing array of missile threats and make an important contribution to U.S. missile defense programs. We applaud Congress for consistently supporting these key programs, and urge their full funding in both the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization and Appropriations Acts.”

A large part of the money appropriated for Israel’s missile defense would, in any case, be used for purchasing parts and components made in the US, which is good for the US economy. Israel’s missile defense technology and its practical application in actual combat situations is also extremely valuable for the US. So why is The White House against the increased funding?

Sources in the Israeli government deny that there is any problem and that the White House opposition doesn’t effect the core US military aid. The PM Office issues a statement saying, “In the wake of numerous misleading reports, the Prime Minister’s bureau would like to clarify there has been no cut in American assistance.”

So maybe there’s no real problem after all?

For further reading click here.

Hamas Defection
Senior Hamas member Bassam Mahmoud Baraka has defected to Israel from Gaza. He brought with him his wife, children and, more importantly, his laptop and maps displaying at least part of the Hamas tunnel infrastructure. This should be helpful. Kudos to Israeli intelligence for making this happen.

For further reading click here.

Herzliya and Shabbat
The Herzliya municipality yesterday decided to institute limited bus service on Shabbat, making it the first predominantly Jewish city to allow public transportation on Shabbat. Until now, the only cities that provided regular public transport on Shabbat and holidays were those with large non-Jewish populations such as Haifa.

The new bus service will be limited to main roads and primarily provide access to the beach, the hospital, the park and the main entertainment district. Buses won’t run through religious neighborhoods.

Israeli law forbids public transportation on Shabbat and holidays in most cities and defines public transport as a service for which the user pays. The new Herzliya bus service will be free, so it does not violate the law.

A poll commissioned last September by the Hiddush organization, which opposes religious coercion, found that 72 percent of Israelis support some kind of public transport on Shabbat, but only 27 percent think cities should offer full bus service; the remaining 45 percent favor a more limited service.

On Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation will discuss a bill that would allow any municipality to provide public transportation on Shabbat within its boundaries, and also on intercity roads, but only in minibuses and not through religious neighborhoods.

For further reading click here.

Terror Victim Miracle
Assaf Bar, 27, was shot in the head twice in the recent terror attack at the Sarona Market in Tel Aviv. Miraculously, he’s pretty much ok and will soon be released from Ichalov Hospital. Doctors removed one of the bullets but decided to leave the other one in place, since they determined that it posses no danger.

Bar was sitting at the cafe with his girlfriend when he was shot. He recounted, “I saw the terrorists. They sat at a table near us but I did not suspect anything. I was hit first. I was shot in the head at the very beginning of the event, just before paying the bill, a moment before we intended to leave.” His mother died of cancer 3 weeks ago, after a 2 year battle during which he took care of her.

Doctors say Assaf can expect to make a full recovery from his injuries and return to a completely normal life. When asked how he felt, Assaf said, “I’ve got some headaches and hearing problems, but every day I feel stronger and I hope to continue to do so.”
 
The Director of Neurosurgery at Ichilov Hospital, Professor Tzvika Ram stated, “Assaf is a great example that despite having been shot twice in the head, with lots of luck and the quick and immediate treatment by Dr. Strauss, he stands before you today.” The doctor ended his statement with a joke regarding the bullet (only in Israel), “It won’t bother him at all. It may serve as an amulet and will help stop more bullets.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for June 14, 2016

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Peace Proposal
In recent weeks, as the French sponsored international peace summit took form, reports circulated about the openness of PM Netanyahu to a 2002 Saudi Arabian sponsored peace proposal adopted by the Arab League. Newly appointed Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman also seemed to indicate hope in a potential peace agreement. The Egyptian president announced his intention to organize a peace summit in Cairo that would bring the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table using the Arab League proposal as the framework. The PM reacted enthusiastically. He invited opposition leader Isaac Herzog to join the government to take part in the historical opportunity to make peace.

Hold on. At a meeting with Likud MKs last night, the PM made it clear that unless the Arabs maKe major changes to their proposal, it was a non starter. He said, “If the Arab nations grasp the fact that they need to revise the Arab League proposal according to the changes Israel demands, then we can talk. But if they bring the proposal from 2002 and define it as ‘take it or leave it’ – we’ll choose to leave it.”

Netanyahu was positive about the fact that the Arabs were interested in a peace deal with Israel, but rejected the conditions of their proposal, which include Israel’s withdrawal from the Golan and the West Bank (with minor adjustments) and the return of Palestinian refugees.

The Saudi foreign minister recently said in an interview that he rejected any dilution of the Arab League proposal saying, “Why should the Arab Peace Initiative be changed?”

Is this just the beginning of a negotiation or the end to another false hope for peace?

For further reading click here.

UN First
For the first time since the establishment of the UN, Israel’s Ambassador has been appointed to head a UN committee. After months of behind-the-scenes diplomatic struggles, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon was elected to head the UN Legal Committee yesterday. The committee deals with sensitive topics including fighting global terrorism.

Despite fierce anti-Israel lobbying by the Palestinian and Iranian UN representatives, 109 nations voted in favor of appointing Danon. His appointment was strongly supported by the US and most European countries.

For further reading click here.

Israel and Russia
PM Netanyahu has spoken in the most positive terms about his recent visit to Moscow and his work deepening Israel’s relations with Russia. But based on an article in Pravda, one of Russia’s premier newspapers, Netanyahu’s recent Moscow visit “created the impression of failure.”

The Pravda commentator pointed out that despite protests by Israel, Russia has continued to supply weapons to Lebanon, which are being used by Hezbollah. Moscow sees Hezbollah as part of the legitimate government of Lebanon and “an essential element of structure of the Middle East.” He also points out other issues which show the tension between Israel and Russia.

The truth probably lies somewhere between the PM and Pravda.

For further reading click here.

Flag Fine
The Knesset Interior and Environment Committee has approved a substantial hike in the fine for desecrating the Israeli flag from the current 300 lirot (the old Israeli currency) to 58,400 shekels ($15,137). The committee is also discussing increasing the prison sentence for flag desecration. Under current law, the maximum punishment for debasing the flag of a foreign country is three years imprisonment, while desecrating the Israeli flag, besides the fine, carries a punishment of only one year.

Zionist Union MK Zouheir Bahloul attacked the measure, sating, “I’m against undermining freedom of expression and I think a year is a proportionate sentence. Why make it three years? It’s strange that in an enlightened nation, one of the most enlightened in the world, the flag is turned into idolatry. Soon we’ll reach the point where whoever doesn’t kiss the flag every morning will be punished.”

Israeli flag burners beware.

For further reading click here.

Temple Mount
PM Netanyahu has lifted the ban on Knesset Members and cabinet ministers visiting the Temple Mount. The ban had been in place for eight months, and applied to both Jewish and Arab Knesset Members. The Knesset’s Ethics Committee is expected to end its own ban on Temple Mount visits today.

Arab MKs had vowed to visit the Temple Mount during the current Ramadan holiday. Now they’ll be able to do so legally. Now they’ll be able to do so legally.

Will Jewish MKs resume visits as well? If they do they might be treated to a sermon by preacher Ali Abu Ahmad who was recently recorded preaching to hundreds of followers on the Mount and ending his sermon with this sweet prayer: “Oh Allah, protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews! Oh Allah, annihilate all the Jews! Oh Allah, enable us to kill them!”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for June 10, 2016

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UN Responds
The UN Security Council last night condemned Wednesday’s deadly Tel Aviv terror attack and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.

In a statement, the 15-member Council expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Israel, wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.

“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” the statement indicated.

“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice. They stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,” it added.

The Security Council also reiterated that “any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.”

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon noted that the council statement was the first official condemnation of “terrorism” in Israel since the current wave of attacks began eight months ago.

 He called the condemnation “an important and moral statement” and called on all countries to oppose “Palestinian incitement that directly leads to violent terrorism.”

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PA Responds
In a carefully worded statement released yesterday, the Palestinian Authority condemned terror attacks against civilians but failed to mention Wednesday’s terror attack in Tel Aviv.

The statement said that the PA, “reaffirms its rejection of all operations that target civilians from any background regardless of the justifications. Achieving a just peace and creating a positive climate is what (will) contribute to removing the causes of tension and violence in the region. Achieving peace requires everyone to stop taking any action that will increase tensions and resorting to violence.”

Meanwhile, Joint Arab List leader MK Ayman Odeh did refer to the Tel Aviv shooting itself when condemning “this horrific attack on civilians.”

He said, ”My heart goes out to the families. Harming innocents is always condemned; there is no and there can be no justification for shooting civilians in the street.”

But he also made sure to blame the government saying, “The government is only intensifying hate and violence. All Israeli and Palestinian civilians should be removed from this circle of horror and blood. We must fight together in a just way to bring an end to the occupation, (and usher in an era) of justice and peace for the two peoples.” 

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TA Mayor Responds
Ron Huldai, the longtime Mayor of Tel Aviv responded to Wednesday’s terror attack by blaming it on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.

In an interview on Army Radio he said, “We are probably the only country in which another people is living under occupation without civil rights and the leadership is saying the situation will (make conditions ripe) in favor of an agreement.”

He said, “I know the reality and I know that courageous leaders need to aspire to take action and not just pay lip service. The fact that we are tolerating this misery will not lead to the change that needs to be made.”

Huldai concluded that, “You can’t hold people in a situation of occupation and hope they’ll reach the conclusion everything is all right.”

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Hard to Believe
Here’s a story that seems too incredible to be true, but it is. During Wednesday night’s terror attack in Tel Aviv, a policeman and his family who were at the scene ran back to their nearby apartment building. When they got there another man that they didn’t recognize ran inside with them. The cop’s wife asked him who he was, but he didn’t answer. He just asked for water, which she gave him. They tried talking to him but he didn’t respond, so they thought he was in shock from the attack.

The policeman grabbed his weapon and ran outside to join security forces responding to the attack. When he saw the terrorist who was captured by police, he realized that the man in his home was dressed the same way. Oh no.

The cop ran back home and subdued the terrorist who was sitting at his kitchen table. They called out for assistance. Unfortunately, one of the police officers who came to help accidentally discharged his weapon, lightly wounding the first cop.

And that’s how a bit of old fashioned hospitality led to the capture of the second terrorist.

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Shavuot 1925
Tens of thousands of Jews will pray at the Kotel during the upcoming holiday of Shavuot this Sunday, but the situation in 1925 was much different.

To watch a video of Jews praying at the Kotel in 1925, click here.

Israel News for June 9, 2016

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Terror in TA
Two Arab terrorists opened fire in a crowded Max Brenner restaurant in Tel Aviv’s popular Sarona Market, which is adjacent to the headquarters of the IDF and Ministry of Defense, killing four people and wounding 16. Police managed to shoot both terrorists and take them into custody. One of the terrorists died of his wounds.

The terrorists were wearing black suits, white shirts and ties, and ordered food at a table before removing their weapons from bags and opening fire. According to the branch manager of the restaurant, “I was sitting in the restaurant and they were acting like regular customers. They had bags and they ordered something to eat. Suddenly they pulled guns out and started firing. They didn’t shout anything. The two of them simply took the guns out and opened fire.”

Witnesses said that the terrorists fired inside and outside of the restaurant. Pandemonium ensued as people tried to escape or hide. The area was locked down as police searched for the terrorists and paramedics treated the wounded.

The four people killed were: Idan Ben-Ari, 42, from Ramat Gan; Ilana Naveh, 40, from Tel Aviv; Dr. Michael Feige, 58 from Ramat Gan; and Mila Mishayev, 33, from Rishon Lezion.

PM Netanyahu had just landed at Ben Gurion airport from his Russian visit and immediately headed to the Defense Ministry for an emergency security cabinet meeting.

The terror attack was clearly well planned and unlike the lone wolf attacks that have been rampant during the recent wave of terror.

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The Victims
Ido Ben Ari, 42, from Ramat Gan was the father of two. He was dining at Benedict restaurant at Sarona Market with his wife and two children when he was shot twice. His wife was wounded in the shooting. Ben Ari had served in Sayeret Matkal, the most elite commando unit in the IDF and worked in a senior management position at Coca Cola. Ben Ari’s organs were donated by his family according to his wishes. His parents said, “now his beautiful eyes will continue with someone else.”

Mila Mishayev, 33, from Rishon Lezion and originally from Ashkelon leaves behind her parents and siblings. Gila was waiting for her boyfriend in the restaurant when the shooting started. She attempted to flee but was shot. She then managed to call her boyfriend and tell him that she had been shot. They were planning to marry in a few months.

Ilana Naveh, 40, from Tel Aviv leaves behind her four children, husband and parents. Her husband is a police officer and she worked part-time in a store. She didn’t leave the house in order to protect her four girls. When she finally did, she was murdered.

Dr. Michael Feige, 58 from Ramat Gan was married and the father of three daughters. He was a sociologist and anthropologist, and the head of a department at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, specializing in Israeli society, collective memory and political myth. He was known for his honesty and modesty.

May their memories serve as a blessing for us all.

To read more and see photos of the victims, click here.

The Terrorists
Police revealed today that the two terrorists involved in last night’s attack in Tel Aviv, Khalid and Muhammad Musa Mehamara, were cousins and part of the prominent Mehamara clan in Yatta, south of Hebron.

An uncle of the cousins, Taleb Mehamara, was a member of a terror cell that in 2002 targeted Israelis in southern Judea, killing four in a shooting attack. He was captured and is currently in an Israeli prison.

Israeli forces sealed off Yatta overnight, raided the home of Muhammad Musa Mehamara and detained relatives of the two terrorists.

Security officials say the pair infiltrated Israel and resided in the country illegally for months prior to the attack. Officials reported that the IDF and Shin Bet security agency are investigating the possibility that the two terrorists received aid in planning and preparing the attack, with members of the Mehamara clan prime suspects.

Israel has rescinded over 80,000 entry permits (into Israel) for Palestinians that had been granted for the month of Ramadan, which began last Sunday.

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Responses
Barely an hour after the deadly terror attack in Tel Aviv, Palestinians in the West Bank town of Tulkarem handed out cookies and sweets. In Hebron, fireworks celebrated the attack. Photos of celebrations in Yatta, the hometown of the terrorists were posted on social media.

Hamas released a message saying “these acts of bravery in Tel Aviv are the first signs of Ramadan, and the first surprise waiting in store for the Zionist enemy this Ramadan.”

A spokesperson for Palestinian Islamic Jihad said that “the attacks tonight revealed the fragility of Israeli security. These are natural reactions to the crimes of the occupation.”

Social media was flooded with Palestinian praise, photos and caricatures.

To see some of them click here.

The U.S. State Department condemned the terrorist attack “in the strongest possible terms. These cowardly attacks against innocent civilians can never be justified. We are in touch with Israeli authorities to express our support and concern.”

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini condemned the attack saying, “Wednesday night’s terror attack in the Sarona complex in Tel Aviv exposed scores of innocent civilians and families to indiscriminate fire. Four people were killed and more seriously injured. Our thoughts are with the families of the dead and injured,” she said. Those responsible for these murders must be brought to justice. Those who praise this attack must be condemned,”

For further reading click here.

Family Expulsions
In the wake of yesterday’s terror attack in TA, Yeah Atid party leader Yair Lapid called on the government to adopt legislation to enable authorities to expel the families of terrorists.

Lapid wrote, “In the face of evil terror there is no coalition and opposition. We will support the government, the security cabinet and especially the IDF in the fight against terror. But we must also use additional tools to win this battle. There is a law before the Knesset proposed by Israel Katz (Likud), David Biton (Likud), Yaakov Perry (Yesh Atid) and myself which will allow the Israeli government to expel the families of terrorists.The time to pass that law is now.”

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said, “I don’t plan on detailing the steps we’ll be taking, but I certainly have no intentions of settling for lip service.”

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Israel News for June 8, 2016

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IAF Strikes
Syrian military sources quoted on a Syrian opposition sponsored news site claim that Israeli planes attacked a military position 13 kilometers north of Homs, which is about 100 miles north of Damascus just north of Lebanon.

The sources report that the IAF attack, which occurred two days ago, was directed against Hezbollah weapons caches. The caches were destroyed, while the Syrian government anti aircraft battery in the same location was left unscathed.

Sounds about right.

For further reading click here.

PM in Moscow
Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Russian President Putin in Moscow yesterday, marking 25 years since the renewal of diplomatic relations between the two countries back in 1991. That was also the year that the massive aliyah of over 1 million Jews from the former Soviet Union began.

After the meeting, Putin spoke about the deepening relationship between Russia and Israel and the potential for economic development between the two countries. He also recalled that the Soviet Union was the first country to vote in favor of Israel’s establishment during the momentous vote in the UN in 1947.

The PM echoed Putin’s remarks and expressed Israel’s gratitude for the role that the Red Army played in defeating the Nazis in WWII.

Putin also gave Netanyahu a personal tour of the Kremlin along with a lengthy history lesson, something the PM most likely appreciated given his own propensity at giving history lessons to other leaders (remember the one he gave Obama).

As a sign of the deepening relations between the two countries, an agreement is expected to be signed which will enable citizens who moved from former Soviet Bloc countries to Israel in 1992 to be eligible for Russian pensions. Those Jews were forced to give up their Soviet citizenship in order to leave, which made them ineligible to receive their pensions. The agreement will correct that injustice.

The agreement will also in effect fulfill Avigdor Liberman’s demand of the government to increase the pensions of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, without costing Finance Ministry a shekel. Nice.

For further reading click here.

Electricity to Gaza
Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Yuval Steinitz recently approved a plan to supply more electricity to Gaza to enable the Gazans to operate their new sewage treatment facility. The plant will lower the level of pollution in the sea, which will benefit the Israeli desalination plant in Ashkelon. The Ashkelon desalination plant’s operations have been disrupted several times in the past few months due to heavy water pollution.

Sounds like a win-win situation, as long as Gaza pays its electric bills, which they haven’t been so good at doing in the past.

For current reading click here.

Church Repair
For the first time in over 200 years repairs have begun to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem. The project is focused on reinforcing and preserving the ancient chamber which, according to Christian tradition, houses Jesus’ tomb.

The landmark church is shared and managed by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches, which have big trouble agreeing on just about anything. Agreeing to the current renovation was no simple matter. Could it be a sign? Probably not.

For further reading click here.

Auschwitz Items
The Auschwitz Museum has announced the recent discovery of 50 boxes containing around 16,000 personal items that belonged to Jews in the camp. The items include flatware, brushes, pipes, lighters, kitchenware, penknives, buttons, jewelry, watches, keys, stamps, medical kits, shoes and documents. They will be transferred to the museum to be analyzed and eventually displayed.

For further reading click here.

Holocaust Hero Honored
The city of Netanya named a street in honor of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Lithuania who issued visas to Jews enabling them to escape Lithuania and travel across the Soviet Union to Japan.

Sugihara’s actions, which were made without the permission of the Japanese government, allowed 6,000 Jews, including the entire Mir Yeshiva, to escape the Nazis. Sugihara began issuing the visas in late July 1940, writing them day and night until he closed the consulate about a month later. Even as he left he was writing visas and handing them out the window as his train pulled away, bowing and apologizing to those who still remained on the platform.

Sugihara was forced to resign by Japan’s Foreign Ministry for his actions, which were contrary to official government policy. He died in obscurity in 1986. But his memory and heroism will forever hold an honored place in Jewish history, and in the streets of Netanya.

To watch a video clip of the ceremony, click here.