Israel News for March 6, 2017
Anti-Terror Operations
Early today, a special anti-terror unit of the Border Police shot and killed a wanted terrorist while attempting to arrest him in Al-Bireh near Ramallah. The terrorist, Basel Al-Araj, 31, was the leader of a terror cell that planned attacks against Israelis and was in charge of procuring weapons for the attacks.
IDF forces also arrested 12 other terror suspects in the West Bank and confiscated thousands of shekels destined for terror financing.
Yesterday afternoon, Border Police officers arrested two suspects at the Tapuach Junction. One of them was found to be carrying a knife. They are suspected of planning to carry out a terror attack at the junction.
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No Annexation
Defense Minister Lieberman told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that extending Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank would be a mistake and lead to a diplomatic crisis with the United States and the Trump administration. He said, “I am saying it as clearly as possible: We received a direct message from the United States saying that Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank will lead to a crisis with the new administration.”
In addition to the international diplomatic repercussions of annexation, Lieberman pointed out that by Israeli law the Palestinians “would have to receive Israeli residency, like Palestinians in east Jerusalem. This means that Israel will have to pay them a minimum of NIS 20 billion in social security on the first day.”
Lieberman’s comments came amid a renewed drive by right-wing politicians and the Knesset Land for Israel cuacus to annex the third largest West Bank settlement, Ma’aleh Adumim, which is located just outside of Jerusalem.
It’s part of a larger drive by right-wing politicians to annex Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli military and civilian rule. The politicians want to transform military rule into sovereignty. All of Israel’s West Bank settlements are located in Area C of the West Bank, which is also home to some 300,000 Palestinians. The bulk of the Palestinian population lives in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which are under the autonomous civilian rule of the Palestinian Authority.
A debate and vote on the annexation of Ma’aleh Adumim was supposed to take place yesterday but it was postponed due to pressure from PM Netanyahu.
Lieberman also addressed the situation in Gaza and security in the West Bank.
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Jerusalem Logo
Culture Minister Miri Regev (Likud) presented the new official logo that will mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem on Sunday at a cabinet meeting. Jerusalem was liberated and reunited in June, 1967 during the Six Day War.
The tag line of the logo is, “Jerusalem – united and unifying”. The logo also proclaims, “50 years since the liberation of Jerusalem.” Regev pointed out, “If we are unable to say to ourselves that we liberated Jerusalem from generations of foreign occupation, how can we complain about the world.” She added, “This logo tells the true story of Jerusalem.”
The color of the logo is gold. The number five is in the form of a lion and a harp and the zero contains a Star of David above the Western Wall.
To see the logo and read more about it click here.
Pot OK
The Cabinet has voted to approve a proposal to decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana. The proposal must be drafted into legislation, which must then be approved by the Knesset.
Under the proposed policy, first-time offenders in possession of up to 15 grams and smoking publicly would be fined and not receive a criminal record. The fines would continue, doubled, until the fourth offense, when the possessor of the marijuana can be indicted. First-time minor offenders would be referred to a treatment program.
Selling and growing marijuana would remain criminal offenses. Medical marijuana is already legal.
Prior to the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “This must be done cautiously and in a controlled manner. On the one hand, we are open to the future. On the other, we also understand the dangers and we will try to balance between the two.
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