Israel News for February 23, 2017

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Soldier 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.

For further reading click here.

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.

For further reading click here.

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.

For further reading click here.

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.

For further reading click here.

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.

For further reading click here.

israel air force

Israel News for February 22, 2017

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Israel Attacks
According to Lebanese and Syrian media reports, Israeli aircraft carried out several airstrikes against outposts of the Syrian army’s third division near the Lebanese-Syrian border, destroying weapons cache and vehicles belonging to Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied the reports. The IDF had no comment.

For further reading click here.

Holy War
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday called on Palestinians to pursue a holy war against Israel, calling the Israeli government a “cancerous tumor” that should be confronted until Palestinians were completely liberated.

“The Palestinian intifada continues to gallop forward in a thunderous manner so that it can achieve its other goals until the complete liberation of Palestine,” Khamenei said.

Khamenei did not mention any Iranian military attack against Israel in his comments and was focused on gains that Palestinians could make in any confrontation with Israel.

The Supreme Leader’s comments were made during a two-day pro-Palestinian conference in Tehran.

For further reading click here.

Australian Support
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull defended Israel and criticized the United Nations, vowing never to support “one-sided resolutions” calling for an end to Israeli settlement building on occupied land.

Turnbull wrote, “My government will not support one-sided resolutions criticizing Israel of the kind recently adopted by the UN Security Council and we deplore the boycott campaigns designed to delegitimize the Jewish state.”

He also told reporters, “We support an outcome which has two states where Israelis, the Israeli people, the Palestinian people live side-by-side as a result of direct negotiations between them.”

Turnbull welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday as the first Israeli prime minister to visit Australia and reiterated Australia’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. While in Australia, Netanyahu is scheduled to sign agreements fostering closer economic and defense cooperation.

For further reading click here.

Reactions to Sentence
The military court’s decision to sentence Sgt. Elor Azaria to 18 months in prison for shooting Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, the neutralized terrorist who carried out a stabbing attack in Hebron last year, was met by a significant public outcry to pardon him, most notably from several senior political figures.

Bayit Yehudi leader and Education Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted,
“The security of the Israeli people demands the immediate pardon of Azaria who was sent to protect us. The process (Azaria’s trial) was tainted from its base.” He added, “Elor must not be imprisoned, or we will all pay the price.”

Minister of Construction Yoav Galant also called on Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and IDF Chief of General Staff Gadi Eisenkot to take measures to pardon Azaria.
 
Galant said, “The whole Azaria affair has taken a toll on the army and the Israeli people. In light of the punishment he received during his remand and for the purpose of healing the cracks within the public, we must show a measure of sense and compassion. I call the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief of General Staff to pardon Azaria, even today.”
 
Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz also joined the call to pardon Azaria, tweeting, “the court has said its piece, the legal proceedings are over. It is now time for pardon. Bring Elor back home.”

Commenting on the court’s verdict on his Facebook page, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman indicated that no pardon would be forthcoming, and that the court’s ruling would be upheld.

The family of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif expressed anger over the sentencing. Sharif’s father said that Azaria’s punishment “of a year and a half is a slap on the wrist. They’re laughing in our face. It’s all a show.” Sharif’s uncle added “If he was Palestinian, they would have thrown him in jail for the rest of his life like a dog.”

For further reading click here.

Nursing Reform
Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is demanding reforms in elderly care following reports of violence towards senior citizens in nursing homes, which shocked the country. Litzman contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon on Monday in a request to step in, in what he calls “a national crisis.”

Litzman suggested installing cameras in the nursing departments, reinforcing the workforce by 2,400 foreign workers and adding 95 supervisors, all of which requires immediate funding estimated at around a quarter of a billion shekels.

The proposed reforms include incentive packages to the community clinics for them to make house calls and visit elderly patients, and by doing so, perhaps prevent their deterioration.

In order to fund the reforms, Litzman suggested a 0.6 percent raise in health taxes, according to income. The Finance Ministry is against this and one of the proposed solutions is that in the first two years, the state would finance the reform and if it proves successful, the tax will be raised.

In Israel, there are currently 21,000 geriatric beds in 800 departments spread out over 300 nursing home facilities across the country. This population is currently treated by approximately 8,800 nursing staff—too small a number for a developed western country.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for February 21, 2017

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Tough Talk
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is talking tough about Israel, again. In an interview with Iranian television, Nasrallah warned that Hezbollah will have “no red lines in the next war with Israel.” He said, “Israel should think a million times before it goes to war with Lebanon. Hezbollah is ready for any threat.” He added that Hezbollah was ready and willing to attack Israel’s nuclear facilities in Dimona.

Regarding his view on peace between Israel and the Palestinians saying, “Even if there is a peace deal with Israel, it won’t remove the terror label and the occupation from it [Israel],” and that, “Israel is lying when it comes to the two-state solution, and will be deceiving the Palestinians if they agree to it.”

Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman responded to Nasrallah’s threats saying, “a dog that barks doesn’t bite,” and that, “I advise him to continue sitting there in his bunker, making these small cameos. I don’t intend to have any kind of public argument with him.”

For further reading click here.

Rocket Attack
Yesterday morning two rockets fired from Sinai landed in an open area in Israel near the Gaza border causing no damage. The rocket attack came the day after Islamic State-linked media claimed that an unmanned Israeli drone had bombed and killed five members of ISIS in Egypt in the northern Sinai. There was no comment or response from the IDF.

For further reading click here.

Soldier Sentenced
Sgt. Elon Azaria, the soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting a neutralized terrorist in the head in Hebron, was sentenced by a military court to to a year and a half in prison. The prosecution had originally asked for a sentence of between three and five years, while the defense demanded that Azaria not spend a single day behind bars.

In reading the sentence the presiding judge, Col. Maya Heller, said, “The defendant shot a terrorist without any justification. The only value that was harmed by the defendant’s actions was the value of life. Azaria also defiled the purity of arms which is upheld by the IDF.”
 
The defense is planning on filing an appeal, based on information that one of the trial’s central witnesses has recanted their testimony. In addition, the defense is also filing a request for a postponement of incarceration until such a time as the appeal is ruled upon.

For further reading click here.

IDF Rabbi
The new IDF Chief Rabbi, Col. Eyal Karim, declared his allegiance at the President’s Residence on Sunday, thus joining the Chief Rabbinate Council, which examines Jewish law and modern-day halachic decrees.

In his address Karim said, “In Israel, there’s a freedom of speech. The problem is that only few are willing to hear and listen,” adding, “As I join the Chief Rabbinate Council as a member, I wish that we all be wise enough to know not just how to talk, but also how to listen, understand, and learn so we can fix what needs to be fixed.”

President Rivlin told the new IDF chief rabbi that his job is “the mission of your life—to serve as a link between the Torah and the army; between the places of Torah study and the training bases; between the desire in the IDF and among many in the Israeli society to integrate as many different sectors in the military in an appropriate manner.”

After the ceremony Rivlin said that, “The job of unification is no less complicated than that of Moses. This is because Moses didn’t have to contend with the IDF chief of staff, the government, chief rabbis and the heads of yeshivas and counselors. Nor did he have the media waiting to shine a light on every chasm and crevice.”

Rivlin added that, on the other hand, “Moses also didn’t have the IDF chief of staff on his side, or the chief rabbis for any problem, the heads of yeshivas and counselors to ask for advice and the media to communicate messages of true dialogue and a desire to listen to each and every soldier, male of female. You have all of these tools.”

For further reading click here.

Singapore Visit
PM Netanyahu visited Singapore yesterday where he held talks with government officials. It is the first visit of an Israeli Prime Minister to Singapore in 30 years. The PM also visited and addressed the Jewish community in the Magen Avot Synagogue.

To watch a video of Netanyahu visiting the synagogue click here.

Israel News for February 17, 2017

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US Confusion
On Wednesday President Trump lifted the spirits of PM Netanyahu and the entire right leaning Israeli political spectrum by dismissing the longstanding US two-state solution policy . It seemed to be a huge game changer.

But wait. Yesterday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said, during a press conference, that the United States “absolutely” supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and anyone who thinks it doesn’t is in “error.” In fact, she repeated and stressed several times, “We absolutely support a two-state solution.”

Earlier Thursday, the United Nations and the Arab League issued a joint statement in support of the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, saying the two-state solution is “the only way to achieve comprehensive and just settlement to the Palestinian cause.”

When asked whether the United States would carry out its obligations under a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for the establishment of two states, Haley said, “Understand that the United States supports the two-state resolution. That’s never been wavered.”

She added, “What we’re saying is, ‘OK, let’s not just talk about the old way of doing things.'” She said, “Come to the table with all the fresh atmosphere and perspectives that we now have, and think, ‘OK, what can we do knowing all of the factors, knowing where we sit present day, and how can we move forward.'”

So does the US support a two state solution or not? It seems like it does, if that’s what the Palestinians and Israelis agree upon. But if they don’t, then the US isn’t going to force them to. Everything is on the negotiating table.

In other words, the rest of the world is adamant that the two-state solution is, in the words of the U.N.’s Mideast envoy Nickolay Mladenov, “the only way to achieve the legitimate aspirations of both peoples.” The US feels that there could be other solutions, and that it will support the one that both parties agree upon — including the two state solution…and the one state solution. The art of the deal.

Also in her press conference, Haley blasted the UN’s constant bias against Israel and said, “I’m here to emphasize the United States is determined to stand up to the U.N.’s anti-Israel bias.”

For further reading click here.

Ambassador Hearing
President Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as part of his confirmation hearings. In his opening remarks Friedman apologized for a slew of remarks he made in the past against liberal Jewish groups and politicians. For example, he called the liberal Middle East policy group J Street “kapos” and the Anti-Defamation League “morons.” He also likened Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister who appeased Adolf Hitler. Friedman said that there was “no excuse” for the remarks and that they were simply “partisan rhetoric” during the heated presidential election campaign.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., the ranking member of the Foreign Relations committee (who happens to be Jewish), which must approve Friedman to advance his nomination to the full Senate, said the terms seemed to go beyond partisan rhetoric.

Cardin said he and Friedman had in common that “our parents were proud Zionists who worked and did everything they could in support for the State of Israel.” But noting his father was the president of a synagogue Cardin added, “My father taught me to respect different views.”

Cardin also said, “I’m having difficulty understanding your use of those descriptions and whether you really can be a diplomat.”

Protesters interrupted the hearings at least three times.

With a republican majority, it’s unlikely that Friedman will not be confirmed.

For further reading click here.

Hamas Rejects
A senior Hamas leader has rejected Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s offer of massive assistance to Gaza in return for Hamas giving up their rockets and attack tunnels, saying that if Gaza wanted to be like Singapore, it would have done so already. He also said that Hamas would release the bodies of Israeli soldiers held in Gaza only if Israel releases all of its Hamas prisoners.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for February 16, 2017

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Trump Meeting
The long awaited meeting between Netanyahu and Trump took place yesterday. What happened behind closed doors is unknown, but from the press conference held after the meeting, it seems that the leaders discussed some sort of strategy for achieving a new kind of peace agreement which would involve the participation of moderate Arab nations in the region who are all afraid of Iranian expansion.

It also seems that Trump is approaching the Middle East peace process with a very open mind — like a true negotiator. It’s still unclear what exactly his plan is, but judging by Netanyahu’s smiles and hard to contain excitement during the press conference, it seems as though the PM is totally on board with it.

One of the reasons for the excitement is undoubtedly the fact that the two-state solution is no longer the stated objective of the US administration. When asked directly whether he supported the long standing US policy of a two-state solution Trump replied, “So, I’m looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like. I’m very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. I thought for a while the two-state looked like it may be the easier of the two but honestly, if Bibi and if the Palestinians — if Israel and the Palestinians are happy, I’m happy with the one they like the best.”

In other words, while the two-state solution is apparently no longer US policy, it isn’t off the table either. US policy is now — whatever works best to reach a peace agreement. It’s all about the negotiation. Makes sense, considering that traditional diplomacy based on preconceived notions and requirements hasn’t gotten very far.

When asked whether this new US policy goes against his own statements in which he supported the two-state solution, Netanyahu replied that he still is in favor of a two-state solution under the following 2 conditions:

1. That the Palestinians clearly and definitively accept the existence of Israel as a Jewish State.

2. That Israel maintains military control over the western bank of the Jordan river.

Even if the Palestinians would accept the first condition, which at the moment seems unlikely, especially given that Hamas rules Gaza and has growing influence in the West Bank, they will not accept the second condition as it would negate the full sovereignty of their state.

Most people believe that Netanyahu never really supported the kind of two-state solution envisioned by the Palestinians or the prior US administrations, but that he said he did in order to seem in line with the US. But that’s no longer necessary, which is probably one of the main reasons for his enthusiasm and near giddiness at the press conference.

Regarding settlements, Trump turned to Netanyahu and said, “I’d like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit,” implying that this was necessary as part of Trump’s negotiating strategy. What holding back on settlements for a little bit really means is unclear. Does it include building in East Jerusalem, or in established settlement blocks? Trump did not condemn or criticize Israel for recently approving the construction of around 5,000 new homes in the settlements.

When asked about moving the US embassy to Jerusalem as he promised, Trump replied, “I’d love to see that happen” and, “We’ll see what happens.”

So the hawkish Right Wing elements in the Israeli government are probably not as ecstatic as they initially were when they assumed that Trump would immediately move the embassy and that he would turn a blond eye to unlimited settlement expansion and possibly even annexation. But the PM seems pleased with the direction things are going in.

Trump emphasized that Israel would have to be flexible in any future talks saying, “As with any successful negotiation, both sides will have to make compromises.” Then turning to Netanyahu, he asked, “You know that, right?” Netanyahu responded with a smile and emphasizing, “Both sides.” Trump then remarked jokingly that the PM didn’t sound too enthusiastic about that and that he was a great negotiator. Netanyahu replied, “It’s the Art of the Deal.” Smiles all around.

When asked about rising anti-semitism in America and about those “who believe and feel that your administration is playing with xenophobia and maybe racist tones,” Trump first reiterated his amazing victory in the elections and said that he would do everything in his power to stop “long-simmering racism.”

He then said, “As far as Jewish people, so many friends — a daughter who happens to be here right now, a son-in-law and three beautiful grandchildren.” He added, “You’re going to see a lot of love.” [Awesome!]

Netanyahu praised Trump for taking a tough stance on Iranian violations of the Iran nuclear agreement (which Trump made sure to emphasize that it was the worst deal that he had ever seen) as well as hailing him as the greatest friend that Israel has ever had. Trump also praised Netanyahu as well as the PM’s wife Sarah, whom he thanked for her friendliness towards Melania and asked to stand for applause during the press conference.

Regarding the potential for a peace agreement Trump said, “I think we’re going to make a deal,” adding, “It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand.” Let’s hope and pray.

Reactions
PA President Abbas, the UN Secretary General, some left wink Israeli Knesset members, many liberal Jewish groups and others voiced their continued support of a two-state solution as the only path towards peace.

To watch the entire press conference click here.

Israel News for February 14, 2017

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UN Appointment
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is considering appointing Israel’s former foreign minister Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union) to the senior position of of Under-Secretary-General (there are 91 officials currently holding that title). The appointment is apparently part of an attempt to get former Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad to lead the UN political mission in Libya, which was blocked by the US. PM Netanyahu remarked that he would consider approving Fayyad’s appointment if Israel also received a senior level appointment. So the Livni appointments seems to hinge on the US removing its objection to the Fayyad appointment.

A Palestinian official has never been appointment to such a senior position and Israel is worried of the precedent of appointing a Palestinian official to such a high-ranked position.

US Ambassador Haley said the Trump administration “was disappointed” of Guterres’s intentions to appoint Fayyad. She said, “For too long the UN has been unfairly biased in favor of the Palestinian Authority to the detriment of our allies in Israel.”

She added that the US does not recognize a Palestinian state and does not support the message Fayyad’s appointment would send.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon welcomed the American statement, saying “This is the beginning of a new era at the UN, an era where the US stands firmly behind Israel against any and all attempts to harm the Jewish State.”

The Under-Secretary-General (USG) is one of the highest ranks in the UN and includes a staff, an office, a salary of $200,000-$250,000 a year, and an expense account of some $1 million a year.

For further reading click here.

Germany Cancels Meeting
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has decided to cancel the annual government-to-government meeting with Israel, scheduled for May 9, apparently as a result of scheduling difficulties. Israeli officials believe the cancelation was due to anger in Berlin over the passing of the Regulation Law. German officials suggested the real reason for the cancelation was the feeling that the two governments were too far apart on the issue of Middle East peace to make such a meeting worthwhile. According to one senior German official, “Our relations have been completely pared back. We have practically given up on making progress in the current environment.”

For further reading click here.

More Annexation
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said in an interview yesterday that annexing major settlement blocks (like Gush Etzion and Ma’aleh Adumim) in areas which would ultimately become part of the country in any final peace agreement would be beneficial to Israel. This is in contrast to the statement by President Rivlin yesterday who advocated annexing the entire West Bank and granting the Palestinians citizenship. Annexing exclusively Jewish areas would avoid having to grant citizenship to Palestinians.

For further reading click here.

Rabbi Released
Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman was released this morning from Maayanei Hayeshua hospital in Bnei Brak. The 103 year old leader sage and Haredi leader had been in intensive care for the past two weeks. The public is requested to continue praying for his full recovery.

For further reading click here.

Big Wedding
The daughter of the Bobov (Hasidic) Rebbe got married recently in Boro Park (NY). If you missed it you can see photos of some of the festivities – click here.

Coming Home

Here’s an amazing opportunity to help fulfill the words of the prophets.

2700 years after their ancestors were exiled from the Land of Israel, more than 100 Bnei Menashe from northeastern India will be making Aliyah this week thanks to the Shavei Israel organization (www.shavei.org). The Bnei Menashe immigrants, descendants of a lost tribe of Israel, will settle in the Galilee. Their Aliyah this week marks the launch of #OperationMenashe2017 in which Shavei Israel plans to bring a total of 700 Bnei Menashe home to the Jewish state over the next 12 months. This is in addition to the 3,000 Bnei Menashe that the organization has brought on Aliyah over the past 15 years. Founded by Michael Freund, Shavei Israel relies on donations to continue its important work with the Bnei Menashe and other lost and hidden Jewish communities worldwide.

If you want to assist in the historic return of the Bnei Menashe to Zion, please CLICK HERE and make a donation today.

Israel News Rivllin US visit

Israel News for February 13, 2017

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Annexation Support
While addressing a pro settlement conference in Jerusalem today, President Rivlin blasted the new Regulation Bill recently passed by the Knesset which allows appropriating privately owned Palestinian land. Rivlin said that the law goes against international law. However, Rivlin made clear that he is in favor of annexing the West Bank on the condition that Palestinians living there would be giving full Israeli citizenship.

He said, “I, Rubi Rivlin, believe that Zion is entirely ours. I believe the sovereignty of the State of Israel must be in all the blocs [referring to the entire West Bank].”

He also said, “Applying sovereignty to an area gives citizenship to all those living there. There is no [separate] law for Israelis and for non-Israelis. It must be clear: If we extend sovereignty, the law must apply equally to all.”

Regarding the Regulation Law Rivlin said, “The issue of the expropriation of land must be a law [enacted] by the sovereign, correct and equal for all citizens, and not an extraterritorial law that is applied as needed. International law also applies to us.”

Rivlin himself owns land in the West Bank that he purchased from a Palestinian.

For further reading click here.

Embassy Move
Senator Bob Corker (R-TN,) the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview to Politico’s Global Podcast that Trump at one point was “ready to move the embassy at 12:01 on January 20th. Maybe even 12 and thirty seconds.” Corker added that announcing the relocation of the embassy “was going to be their first move,” but that ever since entering the White House, Trump’s team has been going through an evolution and “they get a greater sense of some of the complexities that exist.”   

Corker said that the embassy move could still happen, but that it would have to be done only after consultations with the important Arab states in the region. “I think they got to communicate to the Arab world that this isn’t doing away with the two-state-solution. There’s a lot of communication that’s got to come with it.” He also said the administration could be waiting with the move until after Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is confirmed by the Senate. Friedman’s first confirmation hearing before the committee chaired by Corker will take place on Thursday. 

Corker said, “My sense is they’re still moving there, but they’re doing some of the things that need to happen,”

For further reading click here.

UNESCO Exhibit
In the aftermath of last year’s UNESCO’s resolution which conspicuously failed to make any mention of Jewish ties to the Temple Mount, Israel will be placing a permanent exhibit at UNESCO headquarters of a replica of the seven-branched Menorah featured on the Arch of Titus in Rome. The replica will showing Jewish slaves carrying the Menorah into exile to Rome and include a written explanation in English, French, Hebrew and Arabic.

Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO, Carmel Shama Hacohen said, “The decision to place the scene from the Arch of Titus—which depicts Jews, the Menorah and other holy symbols following the destruction of the Second Temple going into exile—in UNESCO presents an objective, historical truth engraved in stone by a non-Jewish ruler 600 years before the appearance of Islam in the world.”

Hacohen added, “The exhibit and the statue are not meant to be a competition for Jerusalem or to hurt another religion’s connection to their holy place. This is just an additional step in explaining the truth that we were expelled from the Temple Mount by force to the coalition of lies of the Palestinians and Arab countries who claim we were never there and have no holy connection.”
 
For further reading click here.

North Korea Fun
An Israeli tourism company has received an exclusive franchise for issuing official tourist visas for visiting North Korea, which only a few Israelis have visited up until now. Rimon Tours group subsidiary Tarbutu will offer visits to the tyrannical and closed country starting this spring and summer.

Tarbutu program manager Haim Peres said, “North Korea is without question one of the most fascinating countries in the world today. It is a closed country cut off from the world, including its neighbors. More is unknown than known about the country.”

According to figures from Tarbutu, only 100 Israelis have visited North Korea in organized tours. Up until now, Israelis have been granted tourist visas for North Korean only through parties in China. Now, however, KISTC, the North Korean national travel agency, is accepting tourist visas for Israelis.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “There is no travel warning for North Korea, and no specific ban on traveling there. We of course recommend extreme caution, since there are no diplomatic relations with North Korea, but it is not classified as an enemy country.”

Vacation and touring packages to North Korea will run in the $3,850-4,150 range, not including personal expenses, insurance, or tourist visas to China.

Passover in North Korea??

For further reading click here.

Survey Says
A survey by InterNations, the world’s largest network for people who live and work abroad, rated 43 different aspects of life abroad on a scale of 1-7. Expats rated everything from childcare and education, to children’s health and safety. Each country had to have at least 31 respondents who are raising dependent children abroad, for the nation to be included in the index.

Out of 45 countries in the index, Israel ranked number 3, behind Finland and the Czech Republic and ahead of Austria and Sweden.

To see the complete list with explanations click here.

Israel News for February 10, 2017

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Terror Attack
A 19 year old Palestinian terrorist opened fire on people near a crowded market in the Israeli city of Petah Tikva yesterday afternoon. The terrorist ran from the scene while continuing to shoot at people until his homemade firearm jammed, while he was in front of a sewing machine shop. He then started attacking people with a screwdriver until he was finally neutralized when someone threw a sewing machine at his head.

Three people suffered gunshot wounds to the lower parts of their bodies and two suffered stab wounds. There were no fatalities. All of the wounded, including the terrorist, were taken to the city hospital.

Late last night IDF forces raided the family home of the terrorist in the Nablus area, where they questioned people and confiscated entry permits into Israel. The IDF also raided other locations and arrested terror suspects.

Early this morning a car with PA license plates attempted to ram soldiers near Hebron. The driver missed and fled the scene.

For further reading click here.

UK Condemns
The United Kingdom House of Commons passed a resolution on Thursday that condemned Israeli settlement activity and affirmed United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 that call on Israel to halt such action.

This comes just days after PM Netanyahu met with British PM May in London.

For further reading click here.

Trump Interview
An interview with President Trump was published in Israel Hayom, the Israeli daily owned by Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson. It was the first interview granted to an Israeli media outlet since Trump took office [coincidence that the paper is owned by Adelson, who had dinner with Trump last night?]

In the interview Trump praised Netanyahu and promised, “we’ll have better relations with Israel.” Regarding settlement expansion Trump said, “I don’t want to condemn Israel. Israel has a long history of condemnations and challenges. I don’t want to condemn Israel during my administration. I understand Israel very well and respect it very much. Israelis have gone through very difficult periods. I want peace between Israelis and Palestinians and even more than that. I think peace for Israel would be great for Israel, not just good.”

However, while declining to condemn settlement expansion, Trump said he doesn’t think they are helpful for achieving peace. He said, “There is limited land left, and every time you take land for settlements, there’s less land left. I’m not someone who believes that advancing the settlements is good for peace. But we’re checking all the possibilities.”

When asked about moving the embassy to Jerusalem he said, “I’m thinking about it. I’m learning the subject, and we’ll see what happens. It’s not an easy decision. It’s already been debated for years. No one didn’t want to make the decisions, and I’m thinking very seriously about it.” That’s not quite what he said during his election campaign, when he unequivocally promised to move the embassy asap.

Regarding reaching a peace agreement Trump said, “No deal is good if it’s not good for both sides. Right now we’re in a process that’s lasted for years, decades. A lot of people think that it is impossible to do this [to reach a final status agreement], a lot of smart people around me say it is impossible to reach an agreement. I don’t agree with them. I think that it is possible to reach an agreement, and we need to reach an agreement.”

New Website
The Defense Ministry has launched a new Arabic language website to provide Palestinians with information about the corruption and civil rights abuses by the PA and Hamas leadership. It also will publish news that is being suppressed by the Palestinian leadership. Palestinians will also be able to download work permit forms and other useful forms.

For further reading click here.

Tu Bishvat
Tomorrow is Tu Bishvat (the 15th day in the Hebrew month of Shvat), which is the new year for trees. It marks the time when the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. It also represents the idea that renewal and redemption begins even in the darkest times. Tu Bishvat is marked by eating fruit of the Land of Israel, such as dates, figs, pomegranates, grapes etc.

To read more about Tu Bishvat click here.

Israel News for February 9, 2017

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ISIS Attacks Eilat
Last night at around 11:00pm four rockets were fired at Eilat from Sinai. Three of the rockets were intercepted and destroyed by the Iron Dome missile defense system. One rocket fell in an open area causing no injuries or damage. Four individuals were reportedly treated for shock.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and released a statement saying, “A number of rockets were launched at Jewish centers in Eilat, known as Umm Rashrash. The Jews and Crusaders should know that the war of the apostles will not save them in any way.”

Meanwhile, the Egyptian military reportedly attacked a tunnel on it’s border with Gaza, killing two and injuring five. The tunnel is alleged to be controlled by ISIS and used to smuggle weapons. ISIS reportedly controls all of the tunnels used for smuggling weapons on the Egyptian-Gaza border.

Earlier Wednesday evening, a mortar shell fired from a tank in Syria exploded in open territory in the Golan Heights along Israel’s northern border, prompting the IDF to attack a Syrian army post in retaliation.
 
For further reading click here.

German Trust
In response to the Knesset’s passage of the Regulation Bill, which legalizes the confiscation of privately owned Palestinian land that has settlements built on it, the German Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying, “Many in Germany who stand by Israel and feel great commitment toward it find themselves deeply disappointed by this move. Our trust in the Israeli government’s commitment to the two-state solution has been fundamentally shaken.”

The statement concluded with, “In view of the many reservations which the Israeli attorney general, among others, has affirmed once more, it would be good if the bill could soon undergo a critical legal review. We hope and expect that the Israeli government will renew its commitment to a negotiated two-state solution and underpin this with practical steps.”

The EU, UK and France have also issued statements against the new law. The US has remained silent. It’s still unclear what the US administration’s official position is regarding the two-state solution. The truth is, we’re not even sure what PM Netanyahu’s real position is on the issue. Things should hopefully clear up after Trump and Netanyahu meet on Feb. 15th.

The Regulation Law is expected to be challenged in the Supreme Court and overthrown on the basis of its being contrary to international law. The Attorney General has stated that he will not defend the law before the court.

For further reading click here.

Russian Promise
Russian Ambassador to Israel, Alexander Shane, said that his country is working to prevent the transfer of Russian weapons to Hezbollah. According to Shane, Israel presented red lines to the Russians about events in Syria, the most important of which were the transfer of modern, advanced weapons to Hezbollah and the establishment of an anti-Israel base with Iran in the Syrian Golan. He said, “Russia promised Israel that Russian weapons will not make it to Hezbollah.”

As Hezbollah is a proxy of Iran, impeding Hezbollah could be a way for Russia to show the US that it is working against Iran, even though it is clearly cooperated with the Iranians in its Syrian campaign.

For further reading click here.

 

Foreign Ministry
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has been facing budget constraints, which has led to embassy and consular closings. Over the past year, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has closed four missions—El Salvador, the Caribbean Islands, Marseille and Philadelphia—leaving the country with 98 embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions in addition to four representative offices. That leaves Israel’s total diplomatic missions at 102, which is one less than the number of diplomatic mission’s of the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, while Israel only has representation in 78 countries, the Palestinians are represented in 95 countries.

For further reading click here.

Haredi Protests
Earlier this week hundreds of Haredi protesters, members of the radical Jerusalem faction, engaged in violent protests in Jerusalem over the arrest of a yeshiva student for desertion from the IDF and against serving in the IDF in general. Sixty seven people sere arrested and several policemen were injured. In response, Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) has begun work to cancel the draft deferment agreement and financial subsidies with two yeshivas, whose students were the prime agitators in the protest riots.

Lieberman said, “I do not agree under any circumstances for riots and incitement against IDF soldiers to become part of our daily routine. The very existence of these protests against the draft undermines the authority of the state and we will not allow this phenomenon, or the intimidation of those who wish to draft, to occur. We will work within the framework of a range of possibilities open to us at the Ministry of Defense and other government ministries to work against those who participate in such actions against the IDF to ensure they receive no relief or benefits.”
 
For further reading click here.

Airport Bus
Starting next week Bus No. 485, operated by the Afikim company, will travel directly from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport. The line will operate 24 hours a day, cost NIS 16 and have wireless internet. The bus will make several stops in Jerusalem before heading directly to the airport. There is currently no direct bus service from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion. The new railway line connecting the capital with the airport is not expected to be completed for at least another year.

For further reading click here.

Chassidic Dance
Dancing at Chassidic weddings is strictly gender segregated. But there’s one exception in which the bride and groom actually do a dance together. If you don’t believe me, here’s a video of a bride a groom doing their dance, while the Bobover Rebbe joins them — sort of.

To watch the video click here.

israel news settlements

Israel News for February 7, 2017

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Regulation Bill Passes
Despite requests by the PM to postpone the vote, the Regulation Bill was passed by the Knesset by a vote of 60-52 yesterday. The vote was pushed through by Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett. The bill confiscates privately owned Palestinian land on which settlements are built, and offers the owners financial compensation or alternate land plots. The bill is expected to be challenged in the Supreme Court and struck down as contrary to international law.

PM Netanyahu denied trying to postpone the vote and claimed that he had updated the US administration about it to avoid surprising them.

For further reading click here.

UK Meeting
PM Netanyahu and British PM Theresa May met in London yesterday. Prior to the meeting May said, “Britain remains a very strong, close friend of Israel, with lots of areas in which we already work together, such as science and trade, but also other areas like security.” She also said, “We remain committed to a two-state solution. It’s the best way of building stability, peace and prosperity in the future.”

While confirming Israel’s desire for peace, Netanyahu turned to the Iranian threat saying, “Iran seeks to annihilate Israel, it seeks to conquer the Middle East, it threatens Europe, it threatens the West, it threatens the world, and it offers provocation after provocation. That’s why I welcome President Trump’s insistence of new sanctions against Iran. I think other nations should follow suit, certainly responsible nations.”

For further reading click here.

IDF Strikes
IDF tanks and aircraft destroyed a total of six Hamas positions throughout the day Monday, after a rocket was fired toward the Hof Ashkelon area in the morning and Hamas forces opened fire on an IDF force working near the Gaza border fence in the southern Gaza Strip in the evening.

PM Netanyahu commented on the incident saying, “I have instructed in no uncertain terms that we will respond to all shooting with heavy fire. That has been my policy over the last two years, since Protective Edge…Our policy is consistent and determined in our response.”

There were no reports of injuries or deaths from Hamas.

For further reading click here.

Mail Terror
The police and Shin Bet have confiscated hundreds of postal packages that were bound for the West Bank and Gaza. The packages contained accessories that could be used either to create weapons or as devices in terror attacks. The items included drones, micro engines, concealed cameras, micro cameras, laser pointers, laser sights and other weapon parts. Most of the items were ordered from the internet, many from Ebay.

For further reading click here.

Rabbinic Courts
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation voted on Sunday to approve a bill that would allow state run Rabbinical courts to rule in monetary cases. The Rabbinical courts currently only have jurisdiction over issues of Jewish identity and conversion, marriage and divorce, including financial settlement, and kashrut. The bill still needs to pass through several reading in the Knesset, but the committee approval means that it will have the support of the coalition.

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau praised the ministerial committee’s decision saying, “The proposed legislation that was approved today by the Committee for Legislation is right and proper. Many Jews want to have a judgment based on Torah and it doesn’t make sense that it is withheld from them.”

For further reading click here.