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passover

Passover 2019

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Passover Break
As PM Netanyahu begins the process of forming his fifth governing coalition, the Israeli government and most of the country shuts down for the Passover holiday, so we’ll be doing the same. We’ll see you back after the holiday. Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful Passover!

Destroying Haughtiness
The Torah commands us to destroy our chametz – leavened products — before the onset of Passover. Jewish law dictates that we conduct a search for any chametz in our homes, to make sure that none remains in our possession during Passover. In a spiritual sense, chametz represents haughtiness and misplaced pride and self importance. In preparation of our redemption (on Passover) we are meant to destroy the chametz within us. It is then that true redemption, both personal and national, can be achieved.

Getting rid of physical chametz is not too difficult. But vanquishing our spiritual chametz is a challenge of epic proportions. For it is that chametz that gives us the permission to belittle, mistreat, mock or simply ignore those whom we deem to be not quite good enough for us. It’s what often makes us feel good about ourselves when we do things that we shouldn’t and directs us to put our own interests before those of others, even if those interests are ethically or morally corrupt — or simply not very nice.

So here’s a challenge: in addition to getting rid of our physical chametz, let’s put at least as much attention into getting rid of our spiritual chametz. Doing so will allow us to experience redemption in its truest sense.

Is it Enough?
One of the most famous and beloved songs we sing at the Passover Seder is Dayenu, which means “it would be enough for us”. The song enumerates the great miracles performed for the Jewish people from the Exodus until their entrance into the Land of Israel and after each one proclaims “Dayenu”. For example, “If God had just taken us out of Egypt but not split the sea, that would have been enough for us”. But would it really have been enough if God had taken us out of Egypt but not split the sea? The same question can be asked about nearly every even mentioned in the song. Would it really have been enough?

In order to answer this question, we need to understand that Dayenu is really a love song. When someone is truly in love, every moment and memory with their beloved is precious. Of course we’d love to have it all – – the best house, car, job, vacations, clothing, jewelry etc. But if we truly love our spouse, family or friends, then we can still be happily fulfilled with less. When you have love, then the other stuff isn’t that important.

Let’s use this Passover holiday as an opportunity to appreciate the love in our lives. If we do, we’ll find that the other things are not so important after all. And we’ll also gain a greater appreciation for the things we have been blessed with.

Israel News for June 5, 2017

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New Construction Slashed
Prior to Trump’s Israel visit the government had indicated that it would approve the construction of 4,000 new housing units in the West Bank. But now reports say that the government has slashed that number to 2,291, out of which only a few hundred are planned for immediate construction. The reduction is apparently out of fear of clashing with the Trump administration, which is attempting to spark negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) urged the government to consider, saying, “The Likud government’s construction policy should be very clear: free construction in Jerusalem and free construction in accordance with the needs of settlement in all of Judea and Samaria, in an orderly process. The return to the quotas system is wrong, morally unacceptable, and is similar to the British policy toward the Jewish community before the establishment of the State of Israel.”

Settler leaders expressed disappointment and frustration at the decision. Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, alluded to potential political replications saying, “if necessary, it will have political consequences. I hope it won’t come to that because I really think that this is a good government and a good prime minister, but the statement today is a clear one. No more, we’ve had enough.”

For further reading click here.

Embassy Move
UN ambassador Nikki Haley told CNN that Trump still intends to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, but that he is using the embassy as a bargaining chip in his negotiating strategy. She said, “I think that he knows that it could be very much a part of the peace process. And so I think that what he did want to do is make sure that he wasn’t interrupting the negotiations that are happening with the peace process. I think that they feel like it’s moving forward in a constructive way, and he didn’t want this to get in the way.”

The White House press secretary also told reporters on Friday that Trump intends to move the embassy and that the question was only “when” not “if”.

For further reading click here.

Gulf Turmoil
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed their ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism, including the Muslim Brotherhood and Iranian interests. The three Gulf States and Egypt announced the closure of transport ties with Qatar and gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their countries. Qatar was also expelled from a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.

In a statement Egypt said that Qatar’s policy “threatens Arab national security and sows the seeds of strife and division within Arab societies according to a deliberate plan aimed at the unity and interests of the Arab nation.” 

Did Trump help make this happen?

For further reading click here.

Holocaust Volumes
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has released the first two volumes of its comprehensive work titled, Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933—1945. The 4,000 page work is available in searchable PDF form on the Museums website.

The first volume called EARLY CAMPS, YOUTH CAMPS, AND CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND SUBCAMPS UNDER THE SS-BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MAIN OFFICE contains entries on 110 early camps, 23 main SS concentration camps (including Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau), 898 subcamps, 39 SS construction brigade camps, and three so-called youth protection camps. The volume is more than 1,700 pages, with 192 photographs and 23 maps.

The second volume, GHETTOS IN GERMAN-OCCUPIED EASTERN EUROPE, provides a comprehensive account of how the Nazis conducted the Holocaust throughout the scattered towns and villages of Poland and the Soviet Union. It covers more than 1,150 sites, including both open and closed ghettos. Each entry discusses key events in the history of the ghetto; living and working conditions; activities of the Jewish Councils; Jewish responses to persecution; demographic changes; and details of the ghetto’s liquidation. The volume includes personal testimonies as well as hundreds of previously unknown or overlooked ghettos.

Six more volumes have yet to be published.

To gain access to the volumes in their entirety, click here.

Israel Parade
According to reports around 40,000 people participated in the Celebrate Israel parade yesterday. But from a spectator’s perspective (mine), most of those thousands must have been marching because the crowd watching on the sidelines was very thin. The weather could have been partially to blame (it drizzled a bit and was unseasonably chilly), but I think the reason goes much deeper. There are a few million Jews in the NYC area. So where were they all?

Well, the ultra-Orthodox community, which makes up a hefty portion of that number was absent for the most part, except for the radical Satmar hassidim who came out in force to demonstrate against Israel’s existence. The ultra-Orthodox absence doesn’t mean they don’t support or care about Israel. They might just not be into parades (Jews don’t parade, right?).

So what about the rest of the Jews? Well, the day schools were all there and many of the parents came too. Then there were the zionist groups and some of their followers. And of course the politicians, dignitaries, Israel organizations and African American marching bands. But the fact remains that most American Jews have never even visited Israel and don’t feel any connection to it. And among those that do, there are better things to do on a Sunday than shlepping out to the city, right?

The numbers of people attending the parade appear to be dropping, at least according to my memory. Years ago the sidewalks of Fifth Avenue were crowded. Yesterday they were pretty much empty. Maybe it’s time to re-energize the parade, or maybe the parade is fine and we need to re-energize ourselves?

passover

The Passover Issue

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Passover Break
As the Israeli government and most of the country shuts down for the Passover holiday, we’ll be doing the same. We’ll see you back after the holiday. Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful Passover!

Air Water
Israeli company Water Gen, which literally makes water out of air, has signed deals with India and Vietnam worth over $150 million. In India, Water Gen will deploy its technology to supply drinking water to remote villages. The Vietnam project will generate tens of thousands of liters of water a day for the people of Hanoi. Water Gen devices use thin plastic leaves to condense water from warm, humid air. The company says that its largest unit can produce 825 gallons of water per day for only 10 cents a gallon (mostly in energy costs).

For further reading click here. http://www.jta.org/2017/04/04/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/israeli-firm-to-provide-drinking-water-from-the-air-for-india-and-vietnam

Destroying Haughtiness
The Torah commands us to destroy our chametz – leavened products — before the onset of Passover. Jewish law dictates that we conduct a search for any chametz in our homes, to make sure that none remains in our possession during Passover. In a spiritual sense, chametz represents haughtiness and misplaced pride and self importance. In preparation of our redemption (on Passover) we are meant to destroy the chametz within us. It is then that true redemption, both personal and national, can be achieved.

Getting rid of physical chametz is not too difficult. But vanquishing our spiritual chametz is a challenge of epic proportions. For it is that chametz that gives us the permission to belittle, mistreat, mock or simply ignore those whom we deem to be not quite good enough for us. It’s what often makes us feel good about ourselves when we do things that we shouldn’t and directs us to put our own interests before those of others, even if those interests are ethically or morally corrupt — or simply not very nice.

So here’s a challenge: in addition to getting rid of our physical chametz, let’s put at least as much attention into getting rid of our spiritual chametz. Doing so will allow us to experience redemption in its truest sense.

Is it Enough?
One of the most famous and beloved songs we sing at the Passover Seder is Dayenu, which means “it would be enough for us”. The song enumerates the great miracles performed for the Jewish people from the Exodus until their entrance into the Land of Israel and after each one proclaims “Dayenu”. For example, “If God had just taken us out of Egypt but not split the sea, that would have been enough for us”. But would it really have been enough if God had taken us out of Egypt but not split the sea? The same question can be asked about nearly every even mentioned in the song. Would it really have been enough?

In order to answer this question, we need to understand that Dayenu is really a love song. When someone is truly in love, every moment and memory with their beloved is precious. Of course we’d love to have it all – – the best house, car, job, vacations, clothing, jewelry etc. But if we truly love our spouse, family or friends, then we can still be happily fulfilled with less. When you have love, then the other stuff isn’t that important.

Let’s use this Passover holiday as an opportunity to appreciate the love in our lives. If we do, we’ll find that the other things are not so important after all. And we’ll also gain a greater appreciation for the things we have been blessed with.

Israel News for April 4, 2017

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Terror Attack
Terrorists opened fire at the settlement of Shavei Shomron in Samaria yesterday, hitting the security fence surrounding the community. No one was hurt. The IDF is on high alert to prevent prevent expected terror attacks during Passover.

For further reading click here.

Exporting Gas
At a press conference in Tel Aviv today, the Israeli, Cypriot, Greek, and Italian energy ministers expressed unanimous strong support for exporting natural gas from Israel and Cyprus to Europe through the planned 1,300-kilometer undersea gas pipeline. Such a pipeline, if built, would be the world’s longest such pipeline. They emphasized that the first stage of the pre-feed feasibility study had been completed successfully, and that it was now time to move to the second stage: a more detailed examination of the feasibility of the front-end engineering development.

For further reading click here.

IDF Pesach Prep
In preparation for the Passover holiday, the IDF Food Center has purchased 61.5 tons of matzo, 8.5 tons of fish, 52 tons of chicken, turkey, roast beef and grilled meats, 115,000 schnitzels, a ton of horseradish, two tons of haroset, two tons of artichokes and 8.5 tons of kosher for Passover cakes and cookies. And you thought you had a lot of shopping?

The IDF will provide thousands of soldiers in camps, bases and outposts with food for the seder and the rest of the holiday.

Included in the food prep are vegan, gluten free and various allergy free menu items.

For further reading click here.

Model Seder
Rabbi Yitzhak David Grossman, Israel Prize laureate, Ashkenazi Rabbi of Migdal Ha’emek, and head of the “Migdal Or” national education network, held a model seder that was viewed by over 100,000 students (2nd to 6th grades) in schools in Israel, the US, Mexico, Russia and the UK.

Rabbi Grossman said, “In reading the Passover Haggadah, we commemorate the birth of the Jewish people and their exodus from Egypt to eternal life,” said Rabbi Grossman. “In this way, we fulfill the commandment of ‘You shall tell your son’ and thus dedicate the holiday to educating our children and instilling faith in future generations. I am happy to take part in this innovative project that connects thousands of children from Israel and abroad to their past and history of their people. These children are the future generation and investing in their education will serve as a basis for a better future for them and for Israeli society.”

For further reading click here.

Sacrificial Offering
From the time of the Exodus from Egypt throughout the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, the primary Passover service revolved around the Korban Pesach, the Passover sacrificial offering. Without a Holy Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, offering the sacrifice is impossible — or is it? According to a new video released by the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, there are traditional sources in Jewish law that permit the offering of the Korban Pesach today.

To view the video click here.

Kotel Cam
Want to see what’s happening at the Kotel right now? Well, thanks to the Arutz Sheva Kotel Cam, you can do just that. For a small fee you can even control the camera view.

To view the Kotel Cam in action click here.

Israel News for December 23, 2016

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No UN Vote
The UN Security Council vote on an Egyptian sponsored resolution to condemn Israeli settlement building in the West Bank was postponed indefinitely after Egypt abruptly withdrew their proposed draft.

According to Western officials, the Obama administration was prepared to allow the US to abstain from the vote, allowing the resolution to pass. This was confirmed by US officials. The Israelis found out about this and implored the White House to veto the resolution.

When they felt that the US would still abstain, they reached out to Trump, who tweeted his Facebook post that said:

“The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed.

As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations.
This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis.”

Earlier in the year, when referring to negotiating a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, Trump told CNN, “I don’t like the United Nations getting involved in the negotiation. This has to be a deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis. This has to be that. You can’t force a deal down the throats of both but you know it will be a bad deal for Israel if they do that. So … if the United Nations forces a deal, I would veto that deal immediately.”

Israel put a lot of pressure on Egyptian president al-Sisi, who then spoke with Donald Trump. Egypt then withdraw the draft resolution. An Egyptian spokesman said, “The presidents agreed on the importance of affording the new U.S. administration the full chance to deal with all dimensions of the Palestinian case with a view of achieving a full and final settlement.”

Trump also attempted to convince the White House to veto the resolution.

The resolution can still be submitted for a vote by another country. New Zealand, Venezuela, Malaysia and Senegal had expressed interest in the resolution and will be meeting today to decide whether to push for a vote.

There was no comment from the White house or State Department regarding the United State’s planned abstention.

For further reading click here.

Terrorists Captured
The Shin Bet has busted a terror cell with more than twenty Hamas terrorists from across the West Bank. The cell, based around Nablus, was recruiting and training terrorists to carry out suicide bombing attacks in Jerusalem and Haifa. The cell established a bomb-making factory in Nablus and acquired M-16 assault rifles. Most of the terrorists have previously spent time in Israeli prisons.

A Shin Bet spokesman said, “The Shin Bet investigation unearthed a well-organized, structured Hamas cell. Had it not been discovered, it would have carried out grave terror attacks. Thanks to excellent intelligence and operational activities of Shin Bet and IDF forces, the cell was discovered in time. This investigation reveals, once again, the efforts that Hamas is investing into creating terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria to carry out attacks against Israelis.”

For further reading click here.

Amona Extension
The Supreme Court has accepted a government petition and granted a 45 extension to the scheduled Dec. 25th evacuation of Amona. The new date is Feb. 8, 2017. The court stressed that “this is a final and last extension, even if no alternative solution is found.”

Amona residents welcomed the decision saying, “Now, the responsibility is entirely on the state and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who committed to erect in the next 45 days homes on the mountain for the residents of Amona, and preserve the town. The ball is in their hands.”

The government plans to relocate most of the families to a nearby plot of land on the same mountain. Some of the families will be relocated temporarily to housing near Ofra.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 21, 2016

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IDF Patrol Attacked
An IDF patrol vehicle came under heavy attack from Palestinian rock throwers south of the Gush Etzion Junction. The soldiers came out of the vehicle, warned the attackers to cease and fired a warning shot into the air. When the attackers continued, the soldiers followed standard engagement protocol and opened fire. One attacker was killed. One soldier was lightly injured in the rock attack. The IDF is investigating the incident.

For further reading click here.

Terror List
The US State Department has added Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai to its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, which “imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a serious risk of committing acts of terrorism.”

The US Treasury Department also sanctioned Tabatabai and three other individuals and one company under a standing executive order that prohibits US banks from having any dealings with “persons who commit, threaten to commit or support terrorism” and blocks any property or assets they may have in the United States. The Treasury said it was a joint action with Saudi Arabia aimed at “disrupting Hezbollah’s worldwide commercial and financial infrastructure.”

For further reading click here.

Post Election Action
If you want to promote any anti Israel resolutions in the UN Security Council, you should wait until after the US presidential elections to do so. At least that’s the message that the US and Egypt have sent the Palestinians. The US is a permanent member of the council and Egypt currently holds a rotating seat there.

The US has made it clear that it will veto any resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian issue before the election. The Palestinians are heeding the warning and biding there time. Regarding their planned anti-Israel resolution, one senior Palestinian official said, “We’re at the consultation stage now, and we’ll advance our move after the elections. At the moment, there’s no agreement on the final wording, and it’s not clear to us what the American position will be and if, after the elections, the administration really will be willing to cooperate, or will still cast a veto.”

For further reading click here.

Amona Protest
Thousands of people demonstrated in Amona, the settlement that is slated for evacuation by the end of the year, calling on the Prime Minister to go against the Supreme Court decision ordering the evacuation. Likud and Bayit Yehudi MKs were in attendance.

Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan (Bayit Yehudi) said, “We were here on the eve of Yom Kippur when we told the residents of Amona that we are committed to solve the issue of the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, with Amona included. We won’t give up, and if that doesn’t happen, we will present the Resolution Bill ourselves at the beginning of the next Knesset session. There won’t be a government without a resolution.”

The Likud issued a statement in response to the rally saying, “Prime Minister Netanyahu is calmly and responsibly leading a concerted effort to find a solution to the problem of Amona and its derivatives together with the minister of defense, minister of justice and attorney general. It is unfortunate that some people cannot handle the pressure, so that instead of joining forces as part of a real effort would rather charge ahead with a baseless and irresponsible political battering ram that only hurts Amona and the settlement project in general.”

For further reading click here.

Priestly Tombs
Did you know that the tombs of Elazar, the son of Aaron the High Priest, and his son Pinchas (the one who the torah portion is named after) are located in the Arab village of Awarta in Samaria? The village is also the home of two of the terrorists who massacred the Fogel family in their home in nearby Itamar in 2011. Samaria Brigade Commander Colonel Gilad Amit will participate in a special prayer service at the tombs.

Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan said, “Wherever you go in the land of Israel there is proof that the land belongs to the Jewish people. This proves how ridiculous the UNESCO resolution that tries to deny the connection between the land and the Jews is. Not only on the Temple Mount, but here in this village in Samaria, where those evil murderers came from, there is proof that this land was always Jewish. Even the most heinous murders fail to break the connection between the Jewish people and their land.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 14, 2016

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UNESCO Votes
As expected, UNESCO voted in favor of a resolution which denies any Jewish connection to the Temple Mount or the Western Wall. Twenty-four countries voted in favor of the resolution, six against, 26 abstained and two were absent.

The U.S., Britain, Germany, Holland, Lithuania and Estonia voted against the resolution. None of the European countries, including France, Spain and Sweden, voted for the resolution. Neither did India and Argentina.

Israeli and Jewish leaders across the political spectrum slammed the UNESCO vote. PM Netanyahu said, “To say that Israel has no connection to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall is like saying that China has no connection to the Great Wall of China and that Egypt has no connection to the Pyramids. With this absurd decision, UNESCO lost the little legitimization it had left. But I believe that the historical truth is stronger and the truth will win.”

Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who also leads Israel’s National Commission for UNESCO, suspended all activities and participation with the organization.

For further reading click here.

Security Council
The UN Security Council will be holding an informal session today entitled, “Illegal Israeli Settlements: Obstacles to Peace and Two-State Solution.” The session, spearheaded by the Palestinians, will be co-chaired by Angola, Egypt, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela.

B’Tselem, the left wing Israeli human rights watchdog, will make a presentation at the session. B’Tselem’s executive director, Hagai El-Ad, said, “This will be one of the most important diplomatic opportunities in the history of B’Tselem, and that “the occupation is not an internal Israeli matter, and the Israeli public is not authorized to decide if it wants it to continue. It is a clear international matter.”

A press release from B’Tselem stated, “The responsibility for ending the occupation and the human rights violations that it entails lies first and foremost with Israel, yet this reality will not change as long as the international community stands idly by.”

Peace Now announced that it would not participate in the meeting, but Lara Friedman of Americans for Peace Now (which is affiliated with Peace Now) will speak.

Israel’s permanent representative to the UN, Amb. Danny Danon, criticized the meeting, saying, “The Palestinians continue to look for a way to bypass direct negotiations and are generating diplomatic terrorism against Israel. It’s sad and disappointing that precisely on days of self evaluation and prayers for the unity of the people of Israel, Israeli organizations are giving moral cover to the persecution of Israel at the UN.”

B’Teselem, in turn, attacked Danon for attacking them.

For further reading click here.

Spiritual Meeting
Jewish and Muslim religious leaders participated in a forum in Jerusalem to discuss ways of countering religious driven violence. The forum was hosted by Israeli President Reuven Revlon and included Israelis and Palestinians.

The Jewish delegation was led by Israel’s Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef. The Muslim-Palestinian delegation was led by the Palestinian Authority’s Chief Sharia Justice and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Advisor to Muslim Affairs Sheikh Mahmoud al-Habbash.

Rabbi Yosef called on Muslims and Jews to overcome the minority of extremists on both sides and to live in peace, as he claimed Muslims and Jews had done in the past (although the Muslims were always in control back then).

He also spoke out against the “genocide” in Syria saying:

“As we sit here, people not far from us, women and children in nearby Syria are being murdered with chemical weapons, biological weapons and air bombs. Millions of refugees are without a roof over their heads, hundreds of thousands of others are starving under siege. They may not be our friends, but they’re people going through a small Holocaust.”

“The people of Israel went through a terrible Holocaust 70 years ago. Millions of Jews were murdered, millions of others remained refugees without a safe haven. The Nazi beast murdered all those millions, while the world saw this and stayed silent. We, as Jews who physically paid the price for that silence, let out a cry all those years, asking how the world knew and stayed silent.”

“I want to take advantage of this stage to say that as Jews, we cannot be silent. Let the call come out of here: we cannot move on from genocide, not in Syria nor anywhere or with any people, even if they are not our friends.” He added that “we are all human beings. I call on you, leaders from all religions—lift up your voices. Let each person use their influence. If this happens, perhaps we will be able to prevent such atrocities.”

For further reading click here.

Dore Gold Resigns
Dore Gold, the American born and educated Director General of the Foreign Ministry, has resigned from his position due to personal reasons. Gold previously served as Israel’s Ambassador to the UN and as a political advisor to PM Netanyahu.

Gold was apparently not allowed to participate in talks with Turkey, Egypt, the US or the Palestinians, but was instead relegated to dealing with African leaders as well as internal budgetary matters in the Foreign Ministry. But Gold gave spending more time with his grandchildren as his main reason for resigning.

PM Netanyahu currently serves as Foreign Minister and Tzipi Hotovely as Deputy Foreign Minister.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for September 29, 2016

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Peres in State
The casket of Shimon Peres is laying in state outside of the Knesset in Jerusalem as dignitaries and thousands of ordinary Israelis pay their respects. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin and Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein were first to pay their respects, followed by a procession of Knesset members. Former US President Bill Clinton also paid respects.

The funeral will take place Friday morning. Many world leaders and dignitaries are expected to attend including US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, former President Bill Clinton, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, Prince Charles, French President François Hollande, German President Joachim Gauck, King Felipe VI of Spain and the presidents of Ukraine, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Latvia and Mexico.

Peres will be buried on Mt. Hertlz, in between former prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Yitzhak Shamir. His wife is buried in Moshav Ben Shemen. The shiva will only last until Sunday afternoon and be terminated by the onset of Rosh Hashanah.

For further reading click here.

Arab Reaction
The reaction to the passing of Shimon Peres by Arab leaders has been muted, save for a couple of exceptions. Today Bahrain’s Foreign Minister tweeted, “Rest in peace President Shimon Peres, a man of war and a man of the still elusive peace in the Middle East.” Bahrain has no official diplomatic relations with Israel.

Yesterday PA President Abbas tweeted in Arabic, “Shimon Peres’s death is a heavy loss for all humanity and for peace in the region.” He also sent a condolence letter to the Peres family in which he said that Peres had been partner to the “peace of the brave” signed by former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 1993 and that he had striven for peace until the day he died.

Representatives of Egypt, Jordan and Morocco are expected to attend the funeral. A Jewish adviser to the king of Morocco will represent his country, but it is still not known who will represent Egypt or Jordan.

For further reading click here.

Flag Tribute
In an extremely rare show of honor to a foreign leader, President Obama has ordered that American flags at all government buildings and grounds and all military installations, bases and ships be flown at half-mast tomorrow in tribute to Shimon Peres.

The last two foreign leaders to receive that honor were Nelson Mandela in 2013 and Pope Joh Paul II in 2005.

Upon hearing of Peres’s passing, Obama released a statement saying, A light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever. Shimon Peres was a soldier for Israel, for the Jewish people, for justice, for peace, and for the belief that we can be true to our best selves — to the very end of our time on Earth, and in the legacy that we leave to others. For the gift of his friendship and the example of his leadership, todah rabah, Shimon.”

For further reading click here.

Victims Compensated
In 2001, 23 people were killed and 250 injured when the dance floor at the Versailles wedding hall in Jerusalem collapsed. The construction method used to build the floors of the hall were banned prior to the construction after being proven to be unsafe.

In addition to this, the Versailles hall was designed to be a two-story structure, but a third story was later added. The story on which the wedding party took place was therefore intended to be a roof, and was not designed to carry the same load as the other floors.

After years of lawsuits and disagreements regarding the allocation of compensation, the State has finally agreed to distribute all of the compensation funds without any admission of guilt.

According to the compensation outline, whoever wasn’t physically injured will receive NIS 50,000 plus interest, while those more than 20% handicapped with receive NIS 6,000 for every additional percentage of disability. The estates of those killed in the incident will be compensated with NIS 75,000 along with an additional NIS 10,000 for every year of expected decrease in life expectancy. Upon passing of victims, NIS 10,000 plus interest will also be provided for funeral expenses.

The three owners of the hall were convicted in 2004 of negligence and wrongful death and sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

For further reading click here.

Startups of the Year
The Israeli business publication “Globes” has named WalkMe, the enterprise guidance and engagement platform, as Israel’s most promising startup for 2016. The Globes also named 15 other Israeli startups as the most promising for 2016. The startups are divided into five different industry groupings including medical technologies, cyber securities, internet technologies, big data and transport.

To see a list of the companies and what they do, click here.

Israel News for March 31, 2016

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More Corruption?
The Attorney General has opened an investigation into corruption allegations against Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, head of the Shas party. There are also corruption allegations and investigations against opposition leader Herzog and the mayor of Nazareth Ilit.

Frankly, I’m sick and tired of writing about political corruption in Israel and you’re probably sick of reading about it. Seriously, what’s the point of going into a whole long report of what they think he did and what he says he didn’t do — and keep repeating that for the next 18 months until it either goes to trial or doesn’t?

To be totally honest, one of the reasons this newsletter didn’t go out yesterday was because these corruption stories were basically the only major items in all of the Israeli media outlets, and I just didn’t have the stomach to write about it. The other reason was because my internet went down in the morning (it happens to the best of us).

So here’s the deal: if any of these finally do go to trial and there’s an actual conviction, I’ll let you know and give you all the gory details. Well, nobody really cares about the mayor of Nazareth Ilit, so I won’t even bother with that one.

If you really need to know more about this now, click here.

Senator vs Israel
Senior Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, along with 10 Democratic Congressmen, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to investigate the alleged involvement of the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli police forces in carrying out extrajudicial killings of Palestinian terrorists. The letter comes in light of the military aid agreement being negotiated between the US and Israel.

Leahy, head of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of Defense, is considered one of the most senior senators in Congress. The Leahy Law, enacted in 1997, prohibits U.S. funding from equipping or training foreign military forces suspected of human rights abuses or war crimes. As a result, the U.S. Department of Defense – among other things – filters foreign officers and soldiers who come to the U.S. for training.

The letter says, “There have been a disturbing number of reports of possible gross violations of human rights by security forces in Israel and Egypt. [These] incidents that may have involved recipients, or potential recipients, of U.S. military assistance. We urge you to determine if these reports are credible and to inform us on your findings.”

The letter also lists several incidents reported by Amnesty International in which Israeli security forces killed terrorists and concludes with, “In light of these reports we request that you act promptly to determine their credibility and whether they trigger the Leahy Law and, if so, take appropriate action called for under the law.”

To read the entire letter click here.

US Condemns UN
The US yesterday condemned a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution that calls for setting up a database of businesses operating in the occupied West Bank. The resolution was adopted by a 32 to 0 vote, with 15 mostly European nations, abstaining.

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby accused the UN council of bias against Israel and criticized the motion at his daily briefing saying, “We continue to unequivocally oppose the very existence of that agenda item and therefore any resolutions … that come from it.”

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Land Day
On March 30, 1976, Israeli Arabs declared a general strike in protest of government decisions to expropriate Arab lands in the Galilee. A day before the strike, violent clashes broke out between security forces and residents of the villages Deir Hanna, Arraba and Sakhnin in the Galilee, in which six protesters were killed and 38 wounded.

On the annual anniversary of that day, called Land Day, Israeli Arabs in the Galilee and Negev hold a general strike and protest demonstrations. This year was no different.

Businesses, public institutions, and medical centers in the Arab sector were closed Wednesday, while protests organized by the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel were held in the Galilee and the Negev in the afternoon.

Thousands of people protested in the villages of Arraba and Sakhnin in the Western Galilee and the village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev. Protesters called to continue the fight against home demolitions and land expropriation. They waved Palestinian flags and banners that said: “Give me land or give me death.”

To be fair, many (probably the vast majority of) Israeli Arabs don’t think the strike is effective and don’t consider the High Follow Up Committee to be their representative. That’s good news, right?

For further reading click here.

Another Tunnel
While a Hamas delegation met with Egyptian officials in Cairo regarding the border between Gaza and Egypt and the smuggling tunnels there, the Egyptian military located and destroyed the longest smuggling tunnel found to date.

The tunnel’s opening point, located in the house of an Egyptian smuggler from the Al Barazeel neighborhood in Rafah, Egypt is made out of concrete and steel. In addition to high quality engineering equipment, lighting, generators, communications devices and mortars were found. The tunnel was 3 kilometers long.

Nice to know Israel isn’t alone in its tunnel busting efforts against Hamas.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for February 26, 2016

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Terror Attack
A 47 year old security guard was found unconscious with several stab wounds to his upper body early this morning at the Ma’ale Adumim mall south of Jerusalem. The wounds were apparently made by an ax. Security forces suspect the attack was nationalistically motivated and have closed off the city to all Palestinian workers until Sunday. The victim was rushed to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, where he is fighting for his life.

For further reading click here.

Terrorist Payback
Palestinian terrorist Naif Hassan Omar Zaid, 51, was convicted of murdering yeshiva student Eliyahu Amadi in Jerusalem’s Old City back in 1986. He was sentenced to life in prison, but escaped while being transferred to a hospital during a hunger strike, and has been living in Bulgaria for the past 22 years. In December 2015, Israel demanded Bulgarian authorities extradite. Since then, Zaid has taken refuge at the Palestinian Authority embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city.

This morning local media reported that Zaid was found dead at the embassy. The Palestinians claim that he was assassinated by the Mossad. Israel claims no connection to the attack.

Everyone agrees that the terrorist is dead. Good enough?

For further reading click here.

PM vs. Cameron
Yesterday we reported that British Prime Minister David Cameron criticized Israeli construction in East Jerusalem. PM Netanyahu has responded saying, “My friend David Cameron, who is undoubtedly a friend of Israel, probably forgot some basic facts about Jerusalem. Only Israeli sovereignty is preventing ISIS and Hamas from setting fire to the holy sites in the city, like they do elsewhere across the Middle East.”

He added that, “Only Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem guarantees the rule of law for everyone, something that doesn’t exist in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya or other parts of the Middle East, including the Palestinian Authority and Gaza.”

So there.

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Kotel Controversy
While 150 Reform rabbis held an egalitarian prayer service at the site of the soon to be opened southern section of the Kotel, the Chief Rabbinate Council sharply criticized the Chief Rabbi of the Kotel, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, for endorsing the compromise agreement that permitted the establishment of the new section.

Just before the release of the critical statement by the Rabbinate, the Chief Rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem, Rabbi Nebenzahl, issued a letter supporting Rabbi Rabinowitz, concluding it with a strong endorsement saying, “I trust him with all my heart to work to save the remains of our Holy Temple and to act with sanctity and purity worthy of praise.”

Meanwhile, the Council of Sages of Agudas Yisroel, the political faction representing the Chasidic communities in Israel, released a statement instructing their representatives to cooperate with the government only on condition that it passes legislation to preserve the status quo, which grants control of official religion (Judaism) in Israel exclusively to the Orthodox. The Council of Sages is comprised of prominent Chasidic Rebbes of the communities of Ger, Viznitz, Sanz, Boyan, Belz, Slonim, Biala, Modzhitz and Sadigora.

Despite the harsh words, there have been no threats by the religious parties to leave the government, which would cause it to fall. Not yet.

For further reading click here.

Marriage Dilemma
All Jewish marriages in Israel must be registered by the local Rabbinate and must be conducted by rabbis approved by the Rabbinate. Jewish couples must meet certain religious requirements in order to be registered and married by the rabbinate.

Tzohar, a religious zionist rabbinic organization whose members are approved to perform weddings by the Chief Rabbinate, has become an attractive alternative for couples when seeking a rabbi to perform their wedding. The Rabbinate doesn’t like that very much, because it feels undermined. There’s also the matter of the income lost by Rabbinate representatives who don’t get the chance to perform as many weddings (and collect as many gratuities) as they used to before Tzohar came on the scene.

The ongoing friction between the Israeli Rabbinate and Tzohar might be the cause of a new obstacle for engaged couples who want to get married. Over 100 couples from the Haifa region who registered to get married in recent months through Tzohar and not directly through the rabbinate have received judgments from the Rabbinate claiming that they are ineligible for marriage either because they are not Jewish, they have been previously married or that they are illegitimate (Mamzer). These claims have been proven to be false.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has promised to investigate the situation.

Trouble in Egypt
The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported yesterday that the Egyptian parliamentarian Tawfik Okasha had dinner on Wednesday with Israeli ambassador Haim Koren and the two talked politics. Okasha reportedly discussed several local and regional issues with Koren, including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the construction of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The dinner sparked outrage on social media by many users who criticized Okasha for “hypocrisy” since he has made his opposition to “an American-Zionist conspiracy to destabilize Egypt” a hallmark of his one-man television show, which airs on the local Faraeen TV channel.

Mostafa Bakry, an MP and TV presenter who also subscribes to the American-Zionist conspiracy theories, slammed Okasha’s actions as “unforgivable treason” and a “shame”, according to Al-Ahram. Veteran radio host Hamdi El-Konayesi also blasted Okasha and said his behavior was “unacceptable”.

The report of the “scandalous” meeting appeared just hours after President Reuven Rivlin accepted the credentials of Egypt’s new Ambassador to Israel, Hazem Ahdy Khairat, marking the end of a more than three-year period without any Egyptian Ambassador to Israel.
At least we still have the peace treaty, for the time being.

For further reading click here.

German Bestseller
Guess what the newest bestselling book is in Germany: Mein Kampf. A new annotated edition of Adolf Hitler’s notorious autobiography, which served as the foundation for the Final Solution, was released last week for the first time in 70 years by the Institute for Contemporary History.

After World War II, the government of Bavaria, which owned the copyright, forbade its publication. But the copyright has expired and there’s nothing to stop the book’s publication and distribution.

According to Dr. Efraim Zuroff, Director General of the Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem, “Over the years, those who really wanted to read the book could find a copy despite the ban, the book has even been translated into Hebrew. However, in this scientific edition, the text does not stand alone. The Institute that issued the book certainly does not support the Nazis, they are serious people and the book definitely came out in good hands.”

But still, it’s Mein Kampf. And it’s sold out. Think about it.

For further reading click here.