Israel News for December 15, 2016
Amona Rejects Compromise
Amona residents voted 59-20 against accepting a compromise proposal proposed by the government which would transfer their homes to a plot of land adjacent to the current settlement. The residents justified their decision on the grounds that the proposal contained no concrete guarantees that all those currently residing in Amona would be permitted to remain on the mountain. They did, however, express their willingness to accept other proposals by the government. But the government has already stated that they have no other proposals to offer. That means the evacuation of Amona will take place, as scheduled, on December 25th.
Thousands of supporters have arrived in Amona to resist the evacuation. They have begun barricading roads, but claim that all resistance will be non violent. In the words of one activist, “It isn’t an active resistance rather than a passive one. In other words, we won’t hit anyone or curse the police, but we won’t enable them to remove us so easily. They will need to drag me from the buildings. They will need to chase me and maybe even throw me from the rooftops. It won’t be easy for them, but the resistance will not include illegal acts or hitting the police.”
Right wing leaders including Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennet, who supported the compromise, are upset and disappointed at the decision of the Amona residents to reject the compromise, which they felt was fair as it provided the residents with alternate housing on the same mountain. But the Amona residents insist on keeping their homes and making a statement that Jews have the right to live anywhere in the land of Israel.
For further reading click here.
ISIS Rocket
ISIS claimed responsibility for a rocket that was fired at Israel on Tuesday but ended up falling short and landing in the northern Sinai. ISIS claimed that they were retaliating for three airstrikes that they accused Israel of launching against targets in Sinai. The claim was uncorroborated by any source.
For further reading click here.
Happy Anniversary
Did you know that it was the 29th anniversary of the founding of Hamas? They didn’t forget in Gaza. Tens of thousands of Gazans, including hundreds of masked armed terrorists, marched through the streets of Gaza firing weapons, carrying signs and blasting anti-Israel messages through loudspeakers. Signs in Hebrew and Arabis proclaimed, “Coming from Underground” referring to the terror tunnels.
To see photos of the event click here.
Rabbits and Tigers
During his meeting with the president Kazakhstan, PM Netanyahu responded to a prediction by Iran’s supreme spiritual leader that Israel was cease to exist within 25 years by saying, “Don’t threaten us, we are not a rabbit, we are a tiger.” [ No, he did not follow that with a roar. ]
The PM also signed agreements for economic and technical cooperation between Israel and Kazakhstan and urged the president to support Israel’s bid to obtain a temporary seat on the UN Security Council.
Kazakhstan has a Muslim majority of 70% and a Jewish community numbering between 20 and 30 thousand. It is the 9th largest country in the world by area but has a population of only 18 million.
For further reading click here.
Skirt Protest
In protest of the recently revised Knesset dress code that prohibits short skirts, 15 Knesset aides arrived wearing short skirts and were denied entry by Knesset guards. Several Knesset Members joined the women in a show of solidarity. MK Manual Trajtenberg (Zionist Union) really got mad when his aide was asked to remove her overcoat so that her skirt could be checked, and removed his shirt saying, “If I can enter the Knesset like this, so can you!” [ did he mean that she should be allowed in without wearing a top? Whatever, you get the meaning behind his words…] He also reportedly said, “Tomorrow all of you will have a burqa.”
In the end, after 6 hours, all the aides were allowed into the building. Knesset Speaker Uli Edelstein announced that he will set up a taskforce to review the dress code. Until further notice the new dress code regulations are suspended.
Responding to the protest the Knesset released a statement saying, “Today’s event was no more than a premeditated provocation that respected no one. Despite this, and as opposed to several reports on the matter, all aides were allowed to enter, apart from one. The women and men of the Knesset Guard standing at the entrance are dedicated to their work, which they do based on a dress code that has been used at the Knesset for years, which aims to protect the Knesset’s dignity and distinction.”
For further reading click here.
More Watching
If you need more stuff to watch in addition to cable TV and Netflix, you’re in luck. Amazon Prime Video is launching in 200 countries including Israel. The service will cost $3 a month, at least for the first 6 months. Netflix is $10 per month.
For further reading click here.
Winter Weather
Severe winter weather is rocking Israel with heavy rain from the Golan down to Eilat. There are also high winds, cold temperatures, some snow and poor visibility, all of which is wreaking some havoc in a country not used to the joys of the winter season. But how can you complain about rain in Israel?
To see photos click here.
