Israel News for 6-15-18
IDF Attacks
IDF planes attacked a location in southern Gaza Thursday afternoon where terrorists were assembling incendiary kites. Warning shots were fired prior to the attack. There were no casualties reported. Several fires broke out earlier Thursday as a result of incendiary kites and balloons, including a brush fire near Kibbutz Be’eri and two other brush fires in the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council. Firefighters and foresters put out the fires. No one was hurt.
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Indonesia Meeting
PM Netanyahu had an unscheduled meeting yesterday with Yahya Staquf, secretary general of the 60 million member Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization. Staquf, an advocate of interfaith coexistence, is visiting Israel at the invitation of the American Jewish Committee.
In an interview, Staquf said he remains committed to the visit and hopes the controversy can bring more attention to his message of tolerance. He remarked, “Some people here are amazed by my decision to come, because they think it must be dangerous for this man to come, thinking that many, many Muslims must be threatening him with death or something.” Earlier this week, Staquf addressed the American Jewish Committee’s conference, appearing alongside a rabbi in his discussion. His schedule also included meetings at Hebrew University, and talks with local Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders.
In Indonesia, Twitter and Facebook have been filled with negative comments about the visit. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and support for the Palestinians there is strong. Indonesia recently revoked tourist visas for Israeli visitors to protest Israeli actions in Gaza. In response, Israel has threatened to ban tourist visas for Indonesians.
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Jaffa Hotel
Marriott International will open a 121-room luxury hotel in Jaffa on July 22. The Jaffa – a Luxury Collection Hotel will be housed in a renovated 19th century building on the corner of Yefet and Louis Pasteur Streets that formerly served as the French Hospital, alongside a new building designed by world famous London-based architect John Pawson and local architect Ramy Gill. The hotel is the result of 20 years of planning and construction. Prices per night will range between $620 for a deluxe room and up to $6,000 per night for a large suite.
The Jaffa – a Luxury Collection Hotel is one of three boutique hotels that have opened in Jaffa this year. Last month the Nakash brothers opened the 120-room Setai in an historic building that served as an Ottoman prison and an Israeli police station, while this month the 42-room Drisco Hotel opens in a 19th century building in the American Colony on the seam between Jaffa and Tel Aviv.
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Commando Raid [VIDEO]
Watch this video of the IDF’s Duvdevan special operations unit on the raid in the refugee camp where an IDF soldier was killed when a terrorist dropped a marble slab on him from a window. Click here.
Party Time [VIDEO]
This is how the Sadigora Rebbe celebrated the engagement of his daughter. The rebbe is the one in the center wearing the shtreimel with the pointed top. To his left, with the long white beard, is the Vasloy Rebbe. To watch the video click here.
