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Israel News for October 19, 2016

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Terrorist Shot
A female Palestinian attempted to stab Border Police officers stationed at the Tapuach Junction checkpoint in Samaria (West Bank) today. She was shot and killed by the officers before she could cause any harm.

IDF Review
A military committee has released its report on Operation Protective Edge (the last Gaza war), in which it found that the IDF was not adequately prepared to handle Hamas tunnels. The report claims that the IDF did not have plans and procedures in place as to how to neutralize tunnels and that the destruction of tunnels was done in an improvised fashion by battalion and company commanders.

The committee also found that Hamas succeeded in effectively commanding its forces throughout the course of the war despite hundreds of daily, accurate IDF attacks.

The committee is now deliberating whether to release the report to the public. Some fear that the government will attempt to prevent this from happening.

Education Minister and Bayit Yehudi Leader Naftali Bennett praised the report, calling it “a testament to transparency.” He added,”The political echelon should act like the army. This is exactly how you should investigate, and I’m proud of the IDF for being able to examine itself.”

For further reading click here.

Kotel Prayer
Tens of thousands of Jews flocked to the Kotel this morning to attend the bi-annual mass Birkat Cohanim (Priestly Blessing). A fitting response to the recent UNESCO resolution denying any jewish connection to the Western Wall and Temple Mount. Both of Israel’s Chief Rabbis and the Chief Rabbi of the Kotel were there to meet worshippers in a large succah.

To see photos of the event click here.

Brotherly Love
A young soldier stationed in Jerusalem was trying to get home to Nahariya for Yom Kippur when he found himself stranded in the Haifa bus terminal just a few hours before the start of the fast. All public transportation had already been halted for the holiday and he only had around 100 shekels in his pocket, not nearly enough for a cab. Then another young man ran into him in the station, took him to the taxi stand outside the terminal, put him in a cab and paid for his trip to Nahariya. The “good samaritan” remained anonymous.

When the soldier arrived home and told his parents his story, his father was so overwhelmed with gratitude that he decided to find the young man who had so kindly helped his son. So after the holiday he posted the story on Facebook and asked if anyone could identify the man. After thousands of “likes” he succeeded. He then called the man and thanked him for being an “angel” and helping his son. He then called on everyone to help soldiers in need and for all Jews to help each other.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for July 7, 2016

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Terror Attack
Yesterday afternoon, a Palestinian terrorist rammed his car into an IDF vehicle on Rt. 60 in Gush Etzion, causing it to overturn. Three soldiers were lightly wounded and the terrorist was taken to hospital in serious condition. Rout 60 is the same highway where Rabbi Miki Mark and his family were attacked on Friday. Security forces are on alert throughout the highway.

PM Responds to US
In a press conference in Rwanda, where he is visiting as part of his African diplomatic tour, PM Netanyahu responded to the US State Department condemnation of Israel’s decision to approve the construction of 800 new housing units in East Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.

The PM said, “we recognize that American position, it isn’t new to us, and it is not acceptable to us. The construction in Jerusalem and in Ma’ale Adumim is not what is preventing peace. What is preventing peace is the constant incitement against Israel’s right to exist within any borders. And the time has come for the nations of the world to recognize this simple truth.”

For further reading click here.

Abbas Rejects Quartet
Palestinian President Abbas called on the UN Security Council to reject the report recently issued by the Middle East Quartet, which called on Israel to cease settlement construction and on the Palestinians to halt violence and incitement. He was apparently disappointed that the report didn’t blame the failure of the peace process on the settlements and that it didn’t call for Israel to return to its pre-1967 borders.

Surprisingly, the report was actually pretty even handed, listing Israeli settlements as only one of ten issues relating to the ongoing conflict. That was probably due to US pressure. The Quartet is comprised of the US, Russia, EU and UN.

Mohammad Shtayyeh, a top Palestinian official, reacted to the report saying, “The Quartet has lost its credibility” and has become “totally useless when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

Maybe now the Palestinians will actually have to work directly with Israel to make peace?

For further reading click here.

Rabbinic Court Deliberate
The Supreme Rabbinical Court of the Chief Rabbinate is in the midst of deliberating whether to overturn or accept the ruling of a Petah Tikva rabbinical court that rejected the validity of the conversion of a woman who was converted by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, a prominent US Modern Orthodox rabbinic leader.

What is the issue?
The case revolves around the question of whether or not Rabbi Lookstein is on a Chief Rabbinate list of approved rabbis. The Petah Tikva court claims that it checked with Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz, the head of the state conversion system, who said that Lookstein was not on the list. But the Chief Rabbis themselves have said that he is on the list. So why not just check the “list”? Apparently, there isn’t one central list that can be accessed by everyone.

In my own experience, when I went to the Rabbinate offices in Tel Aviv to register for marriage, I presented the rabbinic registrar with a copy of my parents’ Ketubah (religious marriage document), which was signed by the officiating rabbi, a prominent Modern Orthodox rabbi from Lakewood (before Lakewood was “Lakewood”). The registrar, a distinguish looking rabbi with a grey beard, examined the document and then took out a small, old, worn black book filled with names. It was “the list”, or at least “a list” of approved rabbis in the US. Luckily, the rabbi who married my parents was on the list. Relief.

Unfortunately, the process doesn’t always go as smoothly for immigrants who try to register for marriage with the Israeli rabbinate, especially if they come from non Orthodox homes and don’t have the required documentation to present. One of the documents you need to present is a letter from an Orthodox rabbi attesting that you are Jewish. Of course, the rabbi has to be on “the list”. What if you don’t have an Orthodox rabbi, because you aren’t Orthodox? You got trouble.

I know one female Olah from Germany, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, who presented a letter from her Orthodox rabbi in Germany when she registered for marriage. Unfortunately, the rabbi was not in good standing with the Chief Rabbinate, for matters relating to some kosher supervision dispute. So they refused to register her. The fact that she has blonde hair and doesn’t have a particularly “Jewish look” probably didn’t help her case. She ended up registering in another town, run by a more “enlightened” Chief Rabbi.

So the case of the Lookstein convert should be a simple matter of breaking out the official list and checking for his name, which according to the Chief Rabbis should be there. But it’s obviously not simple. That situation needs to be changed. Just put the “official” list online for all to see, and fight about.

Strange Karma
On February 14th, a bus traveling from Jerusalem to Beni Brak on Route 1 collided with a truck. Six passengers were killed and numerous others were injured including Sarah Sperling, who was supposed to be married several weeks later. The wedding was postponed until the bride could recover, which still has not happened.

Last night, Sperling’s fiancé, Yaakov Kestelnitz, was hit by a bus on a busy street and suffered a head injury. He was treated at the scene and is in moderate condition.

So it looks like the wedding will be postponed for a bit longer. Go figure.

Wishing them both a full and speedy recovery.

For further reading click here.