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Israel News for March 30, 2017

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Terror Attempt
A Palestinian woman attempted to stab Border Police officers with a pair of scissors outside of Jerusalem’s Old City’s Damascus Gate yesterday. Police shot and killed her before she could cause any harm.

The woman, Siham Nimr, 49, from the Shuafat refugee camp in eastern Jerusalem, was the mother of a man shot by police when the car he was a passenger in rammed through a checkpoint. The driver of the car was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Police assumed that the ramming was terror related.

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Terrorist Released
Haitham Faiz Muari, one of the terrorists convicted in the lynching of two IDF reservists in Ramallah in 2000, was released from prison yesterday and sent to Gaza. Muari had requested a retrial and his original murder conviction was converted to lesser charges due to new evidence which made definitive identification of Muari difficult at the level required in a criminal case.

Muari had been a Palestinian police officer who had arrested the two soldiers and beat them at the station. He was originally convicted of murder. Following the new trial he was convicted only of not preventing a criminal action and of attacking a soldier. Based on a new plea bargain agreement, his time already served was deemed acceptable, allowing for his release.

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Hit List
Hamas has released a hit list video of seven Israeli leaders with targets over their faces. This comes after a senior Hamas commander was gunned down by unknown assailants in Gaza last Friday night. Hamas blames Israel for the assassination and has vowed to avenge the killing.

The seven Israeli leaders in the video are Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman; IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot; Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman; Mossad Director Yossi Cohen; IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi; Minister of Public Security and Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan; and Oz Brigade Commander David Zini.

Meanwhile, Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman warned the the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee earlier this month that Hamas and other organized terror cells will try to carry out attacks over the Passover holiday. IDF forces are on high alert.

For further reading click here.

Arab League Summit
The one day Arab League Summit in Jordan yesterday culminated with the Arab leaders relaunching their 2002 peace plan, which normalizes relations with Israel in exchange for Israel ceding territory captured in 1967 to a Palestinian state. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, “The summit has ended with a message of peace.”

Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt attended the summit as an observer and met with Arab leaders and other foreign delegations to discuss U.S. perspectives and policies. According to a White House statement “the dialogue at the meetings was open, frank, and helpful.”

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New Ambassador
David Friedman was sworn in yesterday as the new US Ambassador to Israel by VP Mike Pence. Friedman’s wife, Tammy, their five children and most of their grandchildren watched. At the ceremony Pence said, “The president of the United States of America is a lifelong friend of Israel and the Jewish people and, under his leadership, if the world knows nothing else the world will know this: America stands with Israel.”

White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that Trump “is glad that Ambassador Friedman will be officially on board as we strive for a lasting peace in the Middle East,” and that, “Mr. Friedman’s strong relationships in Israel will be a tremendous asset to the president in furthering that mission.”

The Senate approved Friedman’s nomination last week by a vote of 52-46. He has resigned from the law firm that he founded to take on his new post.

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Anti BDS
Thousands attended a conference opposing the BDS movement at the United Nations headquarters in New York yesterday. The conference, sponsored by the World Jewish Congress and Israel’s mission to the U.N., focused on ways to combat the movement on campus and on social media. Israeli UN Ambassador Danon and US Ambassador to the UN Haley addressed the conference in the UN General Assembly.

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Airport Carts
Starting in July, travelers at Ben Gurion airport will have to use their credit cards in order to use a luggage cart. The carts have always been free (unlike most other airports) but now will require a NIS 10 deposit, which will be credited back to the user after they return the cart to its designated place. So it’s still free, but now you have to clean up after yourself. No more leaving a mess!

For further reading click here.

Israel News for March 29, 2017

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Soldier Attacked
On Monday an IDF soldier driving a water truck made a wrong turn while driving in the Gush Etzion area and ended up in the Arab village of Sa’ir, the home of many terrorists in the last two years. Palestinians began throwing stones at him. He was wounded. Local residents came to his aid and brought him into a nearby structure. Palestinian police were called to the scene and extracted the soldier from the village. He was then picked up by IDF forces and taken to Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.

For further reading and to view a video click here.

Arab League
The annual Arab League Summit kicked off at a location near the Dead Sea in Jordan with an address by Jordan’s King Hussein. The king said, “Israel is continuing to expand settlements and wreck chances of peace … There is no peace or stability in the region without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause through a two-state solution.”

This should be fun.

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Haredi Protests
Around 10,000 Haredi (ultra-orthodox) protesters demonstrated in Jerusalem against the IDF drafting of yeshiva students. There have been numerous smaller demonstrations throughout Israel, organized by an organization called the Peleg Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Faction), headed by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach.

The rabbi addressed the demonstration saying, “This is the uprooting of all that is sacred and holy. Our job is to stand guard and not be swayed by any compromises or offers of facilitation.” He added, “We cannot make peace with this reality.”

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Minister’s Limitations
Following recent remarks by IDF Chief Rabbi Yigal Levinstein which were seen as disparaging of women serving in the IDF, Defense Minister Lieberman summoned him for a hearing and threatened to impose sanctions against the pre-army preparatory yeshiva that he heads. Not so fast.

The Attorney General has determined that the Defense Minister does not have the authority to cut funding or revoke official recognition of the yeshiva because that would fall under the authority of the Mistry of Education. He also can’t remove Rabbi Levinstein from his position as head of the yeshiva.

However, Lieberman can still use other means to make life tough for Levinstein and the yeshiva if he so decides.

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Greece Exercise
Israeli air force pilots will be participating in a two week long joint military exercise along with pilots from Greece, the US and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

For a video report click here.

Diplomatic Relations
Speaking at a memorial ceremony for former heads of state, PM Netanyahu said, “Today, we are blessed with excellent relations with more than 160 countries. That number is growing. Next week, another country will announce the establishment of relations with the State of Israel.” Sources predict that the country the PM was referring to is Nicaragua, which severed relations with Israel in 2010.

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Court Strike
You’ve heard of teachers, bus drivers, pilots, garbage men and every other category of worker going on strike in Israel. Well, believe it or not, now Israel’s judges are threatening to go on strike and shut down the court system over demands for better retirement benefits. Will they be wearing their robes in the picket line?

For further reading click here.

Rabbinic Ruling
The rabbinical court of the Be’er Sheva region issued a monumental ruling. The case involved a woman who got married in Georgia (USSR) 60 year ago. Then, without divorcing her husband, she moved to Israel and registered as a widow. She then proceeded to have a daughter with another man. That gave the daughter the Jewish legal status of “mamzer”, which would prohibit her or any of her offspring from ever marrying another Jew. Since she did in fact marry and have children (before the mother’s marriage was revealed), they all would be prohibited from marrying.

After a thorough investigation including testifies from people who witnessed the wedding 60 years ago, the rabbinical court ruled that the original marriage was invalid because the witnesses were not kosher, there was no rabbi officiating and the ring might not even have belonged to the husband.

The court’s ruling, made by three respected senior rabbinical judges, retroactively removes the status of mamzer from all of the offspring and permits them to marry.

Mazal Tov!!

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