Israel News for 10-23-17
Carrot and Stick
In a move to both clamp down on terror activity and improve living conditions in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Isawiya, last night Israeli police and Border Police forces arrested 51 terror suspects in the neighborhood while municipal employees find and installed lighting in public spaces, cleared garbage dumps and safety hazards, removed and repaired street signs, erased graffiti and checked safety standards in local businesses. Isawiya residents didn’t know whether to praise or curse the Israelis! Most probably did just the former.
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No Immunity
Israel’s Attorney General (AG) and State Prosecutor have united in their opposition to a proposed Likud bill that would provide the Prime Minister with total immunity from investigation for illegal behavior.
State Prosecutor Shay Nitzan said, “There are those who maintain that because of the ‘dignity’ of kings and leaders, we should not investigate too much if suspicion is raised against them so that the public’s confidence in them is not compromised, and that is a total mistake.”
He added, “Allowing a sitting president or any other leader to continue his term while ignoring real criminal suspicions that have arisen against him is what harms the state, its respect and stature and it also damages respect for public officials.”
AG Mandelblit agreed with Nitzan. Supporters of the bill dismissed the criticism and vowed to push the bill forward through the Knesset.
Reality Check
Imagine for a moment that supporters of President Trump would try to pass a bill in Congress to prohibit any investigations relating to the President. How do you think that would go over? Well, that’s exactly what Netanyahu supporters are trying to do in Israel. How does that sound to you?
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Police Mistake
In a seemingly insensitive and thoughtless move, police branded Haredi protesters that were arrested at an anti-draft demonstration on Thursday by writing numbers on their arms. The imagery of Nazi concentration camp number tattoos was obvious to just about everyone except for the police officers that implemented the crude accounting system.
Police have also been accused of using excessive and brutal force against Haredi demonstrators. The Police internal investigations unit is investigating the allegations and Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh responded to videos of police violence saying, “I felt bad watching the videos. I’m not condoning what they did. If an officer lost control, they’ll pay for it and some officers may face charges.”
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Haredi vs Haredi
Haredi Rabbinic leader and sage Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky from Bnei Brak castigated Haredi anti-draft extremists, part of the Jerusalem Faction, who organized mass demonstrations last week during which 120 were arrested for violence.
In a letter published in the Haredi paper Yatid Ne’eman, Rabbi Kanievsky wrote, “I have been sick to my stomach over recent harm to the sanctity of the Torah, which has been degraded to the very depths of hell by some empty and reckless (youths—ed). Kanievsky wrote. “Woe to us that this is the case today.”
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Combat Boots
The IDF has decided to provide all of its soldiers with the new and improved boot currently reserved for combat infantry and special forces units. The boots have been in use since 2006, and were being sold on the “black market”. So now all IDF soldiers, regardless of job, will be able to walk in comfort. A “step” in the right direction for the IDF?
For further reading click here.
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