Israel News for March 15, 2016
Terror Averted
Earlier today an Arab man drove up to the entrance of the Sdeh Dov airport near Tel Aviv and attempted to stab a soldier. The soldier managed to get away and the attacker fled.
Also today, Border Police at the Tapuach junction in Samaria arrested a 17 year old Palestinian woman after finding a large butcher’s knife in her possession. The police had previously received intelligence of an Arab teenage girl who had left her home with the intention of carrying out a terror attack.
For further reading click here.
Widow Victorious
Last week we told you about how the widow of First Sergeant Tuvia Yanai Weissman, the soldier killed while trying to prevent a terror attack in a supermarket, was fighting to get the army to inscribe the words “killed in battle” on her husband’s tombstone. The army claimed that they could only use the words “killed in a terror attack”.
Yesterday, army Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot declared that Weissman did in fact fall in battle. The words will be added to his tombstone. Yael Weissman has succeeded in defending her late husband’s honor. May his memory be a blessing.
For further reading click here.
Divorce Case
In a groundbreaking move, the Tel Aviv Rabbinical Court has ordered the imprisonment of the father of a husband who has refused to grant his wife a divorce for more than 11 years. The husband abandoned his wife in Israel in 2005 after she suffered a stroke during a family visit, and fled to the US. He is being protected by his wealthy family and has refused several rabbinic court rulings ordering him to divorce his wife.
The man’s father, who is a big donor to ultra-Orthodox causes, was slapped with a restraining order prohibiting him from leaving the country and was sentence to 30 days in jail. The court ruled that the father is a major factor behind his son’s refusal to grant his wife a divorce. The court is hoping that the jail term will persuade both father and son to change their ways.
Rabbinical Courts director Rabbi Shimon Yaakobi said, “The decision by the court – like others in the recent past – expresses the deep and unequivocal commitment of the rabbinical courts to assist agunot [women denied divorces] and to prevent recalcitrance… The court has made worthy use of the halachic [Jewish legal] and [secular] legal tools at its disposal to expose the help the parents are giving to the recalcitrant husband.”
Prof. Aviad Hacohen, who has represented the woman together with the Yad L’isha organization, said the ruling was “a true revolution. Dayan Shatsman (the chief judge of the rabbinical court) deserves praise for his courage, determination, and willingness to overturn every stone for a woman refused a divorce.”
For further reading click here.
Rabbinic Tunnel Buster
Yesterday another Hamas tunnel collapsed in Gaza, killing a senior Hamas military commander. Since the start of this year 17 Hamas terrorists have been killed in nine tunnel collapses. While the unusually heavy rains have been assumed to be the cause of the collapses, many in Hamas blame the Israelis. Maybe they’re right.
According to the students of Rabbi Netanel Shriki, a 36 year old kabbalist living in Netivot (near the Gaza border), the rabbi began praying for the destruction of the tunnels about two months ago. On five separate occasions since then, the rabbi has gone out to the border and prayed for the destruction of the tunnels and each time his prayers have been answered.
Soldiered stationed in the area have requested to join the rabbi in his prayers, but the army denied their request, leaving the rabbi to beat Hamas on his own.
There doesn’t seem like there’s much Hamas can do to stop the tunnel busting rabbi. Let’s hope his prayers continue to be answered.
For further reading click here.
Another Angel Strikes
A while back we told you about the man who grabbed the phone from a young soldier in tears and paid her electric bill. He was called an “angel”. Well, he’s not the only angel prowling the Israeli trains.
According to a recent Facebook post by another young soldier, he was on the train and talking with a young man he had just met when he received a call from his cellphone company regarding a long overdue bill of 1,500 shekels that he had been unable to pay. A heated argument ensued. Suddenly, the man grabbed the phone and paid the entire bill.
The angel’s name was Samuel Levi, a French Jew. When the soldier asked how he could thank him, Samuel replied, “continue serving your country, put on Tefillin and honor your parents. I love all of you soldiers, and I want to thank you for protecting us.”
Amen to that!
To see a photo of the two men, click here.
