Israel News for 3-5-18
Terror in Acre
A 51 year old Israeli-Arab ran over an IDF soldier near the Acre (Akko) city market yesterday morning. He then proceeded to ram his vehicle into 3 other people including a Border Policeman and another soldier. The terrorist was shot, possibly by one of his victims, and taken into custody. The terror victims were either lightly or moderately injured.
The terrorist’s family expressed their shock, saying, “It is hard for me to believe that this was a nationalistically-motivated incident. Maybe he was angry over receiving a ticket and that’s why he did it. He never thought about hurting people. He doesn’t have those types of thoughts.”
The terrorist’s defense attorney insists that he is not a terrorist and committed his crime out of anger after receiving a 1000 shekel traffic ticket.
The police and shin bet are still investigating the incident.
For further reading click here.
Hamas Busted
Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Maj.-Gen. Yoav Mordechai uploaded footage to his Facebook page showing Hamas operatives hooking up illicitly to a Gaza power line Saturday in order to siphon electricity. He wrote, “The Hamas terror group continues stealing from the people of Gaza,” and that, “This power was intended for hospitals and schools, but Hamas is uninterested in the populace and even exploits it. Watch the daylight robbery.”
For further reading click here.
Netanyahu and Trump
PM Netanyahu will be meeting with President Trump later today in Washington. This will be their 5th meeting since Trump became president. Netanyahu will also be addressing the AIPAC conference.
Championship Medals
Israel’s ju-jitsu team won two gold medals, four silver medals, and seven bronze medals at the Ju-Jitsu World Championship Juniors and Aspirants 2018 in Abu Dhabi. Israel was the only country whose national anthem was not played or whose flag was not displayed at the competition.
The event was the second international sports competition in Abu Dhabi in which the Israeli team was not allowed to wear or show the Israeli flag or to have Hatikva played. In October the Israeli delegation to the the Grand Slam Judo competition was forced to compete as as part of the International Judo Federation instead of as Israelis. The jujitsu team was likewise forced to compete under the banner of the Ju-Jitsu International Federation.
The event organizers stated that the Israeli team could not be identified as Israeli due to “security concerns.”
However, the Israeli team stated that they were warmly received by the organizers of the event.
Erez Alroy, the head of the Israel Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “Hosts went out of their way during the competition to provide us with quality hosting—an excellent hotel, transportation everywhere, separate warm-up area and so on.”
For further reading click here.
Iran Wrestling
The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Wrestling Federation, Rasoul Khadem, announced his resignation Wednesday, only two months after being approved for the position, in protest of Iran’s rigid stance on competing against Israeli athletes. It’s not that Khadem is pro-Israel. He just feels that the decision to boycott Israeli athletes should not be made by individual athletes or coaches, as was the case when an Iranian wrestler was ordered by his coach to lose a match to a Russian opponent at a tournament in order to avoid facing an Israeli wrestler.
Khadem explained, “If we must continue with the policy of non-competition against the Zionist regime’s athletes. The responsibility cannot fall on the shoulders of the coach and the athlete. Forcing an athlete to accept defeat or run around all night looking for a doctor’s note is not right.”
For further reading click here.
Major Traffic
Major traffic jams at the entrance to Jerusalem from Highway 1 are expected for the next 4 years due to a massive construction project that will create three times the amount of office space than there is in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Center.
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