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Israel News for November 7, 2016

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Jerusalem Arabs Squatting
As the deadline for the implement of the Supreme Court’s order to evacuate the settlement of Amona nears, Jerusalem’s mayor Nir Barkat has sent the Attorney General a unique request. Since the eviction of the Amona residents is based on the court’s ruling that the settlement is built on Palestinian owned land, Barkat is requesting that the AG investigate the passibility of applying the ruling to Arab’s illegally living on Jewish property in East Jerusalem.

Apparently thousands of Arabs currently live on Jewish property abandoned when the Jordanians expelled all Jews from Jerusalem in 1948. Barkat is suggesting that the Arab squatters be evicted from those properties, based on the Supreme Court ruling that is calling for the eviction of the Amona residents.

Barkat said to the AG, “If the judgement of the court is to stand, it is not right for there to be one law for the Jews and another law for the Arabs. So I ask you to hold a hearing to determine the state’s legal position on this matter.”

For further reading click here.

EU Recommends Reparations
The European Union committee responsible for relations with North Africa and the Middle East has recommended that member states seek reparations from Israel for buildings destroyed by Israel which were financed by the EU.

The buildings in question are all located in Area C of the West Bank, which is fully administered by Israel and comprises about 60% of the territory, including all Jewish settlements. The buildings demolitions were constructed without the proper permits.

The Foreign Ministry pointed out that according to the Oslo Accords, Israel alone is responsible for civilian issues in Area C, including planning and building. It said, “As is customary in every country of laws, Israel does not allow construction without proper permits. In this case the construction is done without government approval in a non-residential area and therefore Israel executed its authority and demolished the buildings.”

Germany strongly opposed the EU committees decision. The decision is non-binding.

For further reading click here.

Missing Soldier
In August of 1997, IDF soldier Guy Hever left his artillery base in the Golan and has not been seen since. The IDF has conducted several searches over the years but no information has ever been found on what happened to Hever. It will conduct a new search this week, focused on the Golan Heights and Jordan Valley, although it claims that the search is not based on any new information obtained.

The IDF released a statement saying, “The State of Israel and the IDF are deeply committed to its missing sons and to those who are in captivity. The IDF will continue to do everything in its power to resolve the case of Guy Hever.”

For further reading click here.

No Phone Searches
The IDF will no longer be allowed to search the phones of soldiers without a warrant, even if they have the soldier’s consent. An appellate court overturned the conviction of a soldier that was based on a search of his phone without a warrant.

Each year the military police search over 2,000 phones of soldiers with their consent, which is usually obtained through threats of confiscation of prosecution. The searches are done in a cellphone laboratory and provide access to a vast amount of data, including data the user has erased. This can include personal correspondence, medical documents and even legal advice that might be covered by attorney-client privilege.

For further reading click here.

israel terror attacks

Israel News for November 4, 2016

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Terror Attack
Yesterday afternoon a Palestinian attempted to stab soldiers at a bus stop outside of the settlement of Ofra in Samaria (West Bank). The terrorist was shot and killed by soldiers before causing any harm.

Last night terrorists opened fire on an IDF position outside of the Palestinian Authority city of Tulkarem in Samaria, just east of Kfar Saba. One soldier was lightly wounded. The terrorists fled the scene and are being searched for by IDF forces.

In an unrelated development, the Shin Bet and police arrested three terrorists in connection with an October 2015 Molotov cocktail attack that wounded a three-year-old girl north of Jerusalem. The terrorists were ages 43, 34 and 27.

For further reading click here.

Supreme Court Battle
There is a battle going on between Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Supreme Court President Justice Miriam Naor. Shaked wants to push legislation through that would prevent the Justices from vetoing new appointments to the court. The court is vehemently against that.

The issue is heating up particular now, as four new Justices are due to be appointed. There are a total of 15 Justices on the Supreme Court, and the political and philosophical leanings of the new appointees could significantly impact the court’s rulings going forward. Shaked wants the court to move to the Right.

To read more about this issue click here.

Israeli Ambassador in Dubai
The Foreign Ministry has revealed that Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, participated in a conference in Dubai a few days ago along with other UN ambassadors, in his role as chairman of the UN Legal Committee. The visit was the culmination of months of secret, behind the scenes work to get the necessary approvals and permissions to enter the country. The trip was kept secret, since Israel has no official relations with the Arab country. The Prime Minister of Dubai also participated in the conference. Danon also met with other Dubai government officials.

For further reading click here.

Israel Canada Agreement
Israel and Canada have signed an agreement to promote cooperation between Israeli and Canadian universities. The agreement was signed this week during the visit of a Canadian delegation of parliament members and other leaders to Israel, Jordan and the West Bank.

The Canadian-Israeli agreement will promote joint research, provide scholarships and arrange for student exchange visits. The budget will initially be half a million shekels.

Israel’s Science, Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis, who signed the agreement, remarked, “This is the first agreement of its kind with Canada at a federal level. We expect it will expand and lead to the arrival of entrepreneurs from both countries. The accord expresses the recognition of Israeli abilities, creativity and clarity of thought.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 1, 2016

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Terror Shooting
Yesterday, a Palestinian Authority police officer approached an IDF checkpoint at the entrance to Ramallah and opened fire with a Kalashnikov automatic rifle. Three soldiers were wounded, one moderately and two lightly. The terrorist was shot dead by soldiers. He was identified as Muhammad Turkman, a 25 year old from Jenin who worked as a guard at the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Ramallah. He apparently walked to the checkpoint after finishing his work shift, without revealing his plans to any of his co-workers.

Last night IDF forces raided Turkman’s home, arrested his brother and confiscated the family’s work permits that allow them to enter Israel.

For further reading click here.

Amona Request
The State Attorney General has petitioned the Supreme Court to postpone the evacuation of the Amona settlement that is scheduled to take place on December 25th. In its petition, the state claims it is seeking to carry out the evacuation peacefully and without incident, but that it is unable to provide alternative living solutions for residents within the next two months.
 
The state emphasized that if the court rejects the request, it will be prepared to carry out the evacuation by the date set in its ruling.

The Amona residents oppose any relocation and have pledged to fight for their homes.

Right wing Knesset members are pushing a so-called “regulations bill” that would legalize Amona and other illegal outposts in the West Bank. In its request for extension, however, the state emphasized that it is not seeking to legalize the outpost in its current location. The extension request included a statement saying, “The attorney general expressed his opinion that there is a legal impediment to promote the above-mentioned bill proposal in light of the illegality it entails, being contradictory to international and national law.”

Left wing MKs and officials blasted the request for extension, claiming that the government has already had nearly two years since the court’s initial evacuation order to figure out the logistics of the evacuation and that it is just stalling to try and eventually legalize the settlement.

For further reading click here.

Hospital Rush
Israelis are apparently getting sick a lot these days. All the major hospitals in the country are reporting that their emergency rooms and departments are reaching the 200% capacity level. Wait times in some places are as long as six hours.

According to Dr. Mickey Halberthal, the deputy director of Rambam Medical Center, “This is a catastrophe, and it isn’t even winter yet. We are calling on people to exercise judgment and to seek assistance from their healthcare providers and their clinics before going to the hospital.”

For further reading click here.

Kotel Train
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz has announced his intention to extend the soon to be completed, new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem high speed railway to the Kotel, via a tunnel that would end just outside the Old City.

The new railway line is expected to cut commuting time between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to 28 minutes from 78 minutes. The trains will reach speeds of up to 160 kph (100 mph) and depart every 15 minutes in each direction carrying up to 1,000 passengers.

Construction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 and train will begin operations for passengers in time for Passover 2018.

For further reading click here.

Impure Runways
The Israel Airport Authority has began making repairs and upgrades to the runways at Ben Gurion Airport. While that’s good news for future travelers, it’s bad news now for Kohanim (members of the Jewish priestly class).

For the next two weeks, one of the runways that will be used as an alternate to the one under repair will cause planes taking off to fly a flightpath that will take them directly over a cemetery in Holon, which Kohanim are forbidden to do.

Knesset member Uri Maklev (UTJ) is working with Ben Gurion Airport and a committee of rabbis (and kohanim) to find a solution. In the meantime, Kohanim leaving Israel, who want to avoid passing over the cemetery, will have to do so via Jordan or by cruise ship from Haifa. But they’ll be able to get refunds on their El Al tickets already purchased or postpone them for later dates.

For further reading click here.

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 September 26, 2016

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Netanyahu Meets Clinton
Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in NY yesterday for about an hour.

Clinton reaffirmed her strong commitment to Israel’s security and emphasized that if elected president, she “will continue to strengthen the security and intelligence bond between the two countries, and will work closely with Israel in order to ensure Israel’s military advantage.” She also emphasized her, “commitment to dealing with attempts to delegitimize Israel, including through BDS.”

Netanyahu laid out Israel’s position “on regional issues related to the security of Israel and its efforts to achieve peace and stability in our region,” and Clinton promised to work closely with Israel to enforce the Iran nuclear deal and to combat Iranian sponsored terrorism.

According to a statement released by the Clinton campaign, “Clinton has confirmed her commitment to work towards a two state solution and to direct negotiations between the parties to ensure the future of Israel as a Jewish, secure and democratic state with recognized borders, which would provide the Palestinians independence, sovereignty and dignity. Clinton reaffirms her opposition to any attempt by external forces to impose a solution, including the UN Security Council.”

For further reading click here.

Netanyahu Meets Trump
PM Netanyahu met with Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump yesterday at Trump’s NY home in Trump Tower. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also attended the meeting, along with Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer.

Among the topics discussed were the nuclear deal with Iran, the battle against ISIS, military assistance provided by the US to Israel and other security issues.

According to a statement released by the Trump campaign, “Trump recognized that Israel and its citizens have suffered far too long on the front lines of Islamic terrorism. He agreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu that the Israeli people want a just and lasting peace with their neighbors, but that peace will only come when the Palestinians renounce hatred and violence and accept Israel as a Jewish State.”

Trump also promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a promise that many presidents have made prior to being elected but none have followed through on.

Of course, they also discussed Israel’s wall building expertise and experience and Trump promised, “extraordinary strategic, technological, military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries” if elected.

Trump and Netanyahu have a long and friendly relationship. In 2013 Trump endorsed Netanyahu during the Israeli elections. Netanyahu will not be endorsing either of the US presidential candidates this time around.

For further reading click here.

Tunnel Barrier
A senior IDF official said yesterday that the tunnel barrier being built along the Gaza border should be completed in the next few months. The 60-kilometer underground barrier is expected to stretch dozens of meters deep and block Hamas terror tunnels attempting to penetrate into Israel.

Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas official in Gaza, said the Israeli efforts would fail. “They must realize that they will not enjoy security as long as the Palestinian people don’t enjoy it.The language of threats no longer terrifies our people.”

[ Who said anything about threats? ]

For further reading click here.

IDF Order
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot has issued a new order granting unit commanders the power to issue waivers to soldiers who request to be exempt from unit events due to religious convictions. The new order was in response to a growing number of instances where religious soldiers would refuse to attend ceremonies or events that included female singers or women they considered to be immodestly dressed.

Now, each commander will be able to decide to grant exemptions from being present at events that they determine will offend the sensitivities of religious soldiers. The order does include official IDF ceremonies, including Memorial Day ceremonies or those attended by the chief of staff.

The order also mandates separate swimming hours for men and women in units where the situation warrants it, and it permits religious soldiers to request a male instructor for activities requiring physical contact.

A senior IDF officer explained, “The new order is based on the IDF’s being a state army, the army of the people, in a Jewish and democratic state, without damaging the dignity of those serving.”

For further reading click here.

China Route
Travel between Israel China is steadily increasing. China’s Hainan Airline has added a fourth flight from Tel Aviv to Beijing, since launching it’s service in April. The average coach ticket for a round trip flight is $600. According to the company 70% of the passengers on the flights are Israeli and 30% Chinese. El Al and Turkish Air also fly from Tel Aviv to Beijing.

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism wants to drastically increase tourism from China from the current 50,000 visitors a year. Hotels are preparing for Chinese guests by adapting their rooms and menus, and the tourist websites will have information translated into Mandarin Chinese.

The potential is obviously enormous.

For further reading click here.

Play Ball
Israel will for the first time be represented in the World Baseball Classic tournament, to be held in South Korea next March (2017). The tournament is held every four years, modeled after the World Cup soccer tournament. The Israeli team routed Great Britain 9-1 in a game in Brooklyn yesterday to win the final spot in the tournament.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for September 15, 2016

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IDF Hits Gaza
In response to several mortar shells that fell near the Gaza border fence in Israeli territory, the IDF hit Hamas military targets near the border with airstrikes. No injuries were reported. Israel holds Hamas responsible for all military activity within Gaza, even though the mortars wee probably fired by a splinter terror group not directly affiliated with Hamas.

For further reading click here.

Peres Condition
Simon Peres remains in serious condition in Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer three days after suffering a stroke, but has regained consciousnesses. Dr. Ze’ev Feldman, Director of the neurosurgical unit in the hospital, said, “the fact that he returned to consciousness is extremely significant and may enable a recovery in the future and a return to fuller functionality, as opposed to a person who remains unconscious and cannot communicate. His situation is still serious but stable and the danger still exists considering his situation and age.”

PM Netanyahu visited Peres in the hospital last night and remarked, “I was impressed that there is an exceptional team taking care of an exceptional person. Peres has great vitality, he is young and energetic and there is hope.” He asked that everyone continue to pray for Peres’ recovery.

For further reading click here.

Bullets for US
Israel Military Industries (IMI) manufactures bullets primarily for the IDF and NATO armies. But over the last year IMI sales to the American civilian market has skyrocketed to NIS 250 million from only NIS 30 million two years ago. Apparently Americans are stocking up in expectation of the implementation of new gun control regulations. In fact, all weapons and ammunition manufacturers operating in the American market have also seen their sales go up.

For further reading click here.

Sewage Treatment
Israel’s sewage treatment plants produce hundreds of millions of cubic feet of water for use by farmers for irrigation. But they have been dumping the wastewater, or sludge, into the Mediterranean. In 2015, the Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant (Shafdan) channeled 39,000 tons of sludge into the sea. The sludge is one of the greatest pollutants of the Mediterranean.

To solve this problem the plants will begin treating the sludge and turning it into hundreds of tons of fertilizer, which will be given to farmers for free. The process will also create energy.

For further reading click here.

Salt Please
Over two thirds of Israel’s drinking water comes from desalination plants. In some areas 100% of the water is desalinated. While that might be solving the water crisis, researchers are finding that drinking saltless water might be causing iodine deficiencies, which can lead to Thyroid disorders including hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer.

But it’s more than just drinking water. Desalinated water is also used in agriculture for watering plants and animals and for industrial processing of food products.

This could be a business opportunity for iodine supplements. Or maybe it’s just time to start adding more salt at dinner?

For further reading click here.

Chicken Crisis
There might be less chickens on Shabbat tables this week. That’s because there’s a four day Muslim holiday this week (Id al-Adha) and many of the workers at slaughterhouses in Israel are Muslims who took off for the holiday. Some slaughterhouses were closed for the festival.

Supermarket chains said that because they last received supplies of fresh chicken on Monday, many of their stores have already run out. Stores that still have chicken are expected to run out by this afternoon.

For further reading click here.

Belated Bar Mitzvah
Yisrael Kristal, a Holocaust survivor living in Israel, will finally celebrate his bar mitzvah — 100 years late. Kristal is 113 years old, the oldest man in the world. He was born in 1903 in the town of Zarnow, Poland and missed his bar mitzvah celebration as a result of World War I.

Kristol was deported to Auschwitz in 1944, where his wife was killed. His two children were killed previously in the Lodz ghetto. After the war Kristol remarried and moved to Haifa in 1950. He has two children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

When asked at the time he was certified as the oldest living man what his secret was to long life, Kristal said: “I don’t know the secret for long life. I believe that everything is determined from above and we shall never know the reasons why. There have been smarter, stronger and better-looking men than me who are no longer alive. All that is left for us to do is to keep on working as hard as we can and rebuild what is lost.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for September 14, 2016

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Peres Condition
Former Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres is in serious condition, fighting for his life, after suffering a stroke yesterday. Peres is 93.

In a statement this morning, Prof. Yitzhak Kreiss, Director of Sheba Medical Center, said “Mr. Peres made it through the night safely. His condition is stable. Serious, but stable. We are moving him to the intensive care unit of the neurology department for further treatment and observation. He is still under the supervision of a multidisciplinary team of experts and will undergo another assessment in the afternoon. We are in close contact with the family, which has accompanied him and not left his bedside. We are sharing all decisions with the family.”

Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau called on the public to pray for Peres, saying “Mr. Peres has earned many credits in his many years of service to the people of Israel (in working to) strengthen the security of the State of Israel from its day of formation, and it is appropriate for everyone to join the prayer for his recovery at this time.”
 
The Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, also called for prayers for Peres, saying “to his credit is the saving of the world of Torah by establishing the exemption (from IDF service) to yeshiva students and his great appreciation to the Torah.”

For further reading click here.

US Israel Defense Pact
The US and Israel will sign the agreement by which the US will give Israel $38 billion in military aid over the next 10 years. The previous aid package was around $30 billion. PM Netanyahu had reportedly requested $45 billion.

The new agreement will include aid for missile defense, which in the past has been granted by Congress in addition to the regular aid package. The agreement stipulates that Israel will have to spend all the money on purchases from US contractors. In the past Israel has used around 26% of the aid money on purchases from Israeli contractors. Israel will also no longer be able to use the money on fuel purchases. In the past Israel was permitted to spend up to 13% of the aid on fuel.

So the new aid package could hurt Israel’s defense industry and will force Israel to find hundreds of millions of dollars within its budget to pay for fuel, which cause cuts in other government programs. But it is still the largest US aid package to any foreign country and a 20% increase from the previous aid package.

The fact that the new agreement is being signed by a liberal Democratic President is seen as a significant show of bipartisan support for Israel, and it might help Hillary Clinton, who can claim allegiance to Obama’s policies.

David Makovsky, director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said, “I think President Obama sees this as vindication of his belief that there’s an iron-willed distinction between his commitment to Israel’s security and whatever policy differences might exist between the two countries.” He added, “By ensuring that a liberal Democrat has signed this deal, it’s a way of locking in bipartisan support.”

PM Netanyahu will be attending the UN General Assembly in NY next week, where he is expected to meet with President Obama.

For further reading click here. http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/13/politics/us-israel-military-aid-package-mou/

Electricity Deal
Israel has signed an agreement with the Palestinian Authority which gives the PA control over distribution of the electricity provided by the Israel Electric Company (IEC). The PA currently owes the IEC 2 billion shekels, which has caused the EIC to intermittently cut power to the Palestinian territory. Under the terms of this agreement, the PA will give Israel a one-time payment of NIS 570 million and Israel will forgive NIS 500m. of its bill. The remainder will be paid out in 48 payments.

The US has agreed to cover NIS 100 million of the PA bill.

For further reading click here.

Israel Attacks Syria
In response to several mortal shells fired from Syria into Israeli territory, the IDF conducted airstrikes against Syrian government artillery positions. Yesterday the Syrian army reported that it had shot down an Israeli aircraft, but the report was false and all Israeli planes returned safely. But the Syrians did fire surface to air missiles at the Israeli jets, which is the first time they’ve done that.

For further reading click here.

Satellite Launch
Israel Aerospace industries and the Ministry of Defense successfully launched the Ofek 11 satellite into space yesterday from Palmachim Airbase near Rishon LeZion. The Ofek 11 is an observation satellite and will be used primarily by the IDF and security services.

But there might be some problems with the launch. Officials said, “There are indications according to which things aren’t working as we expected, and so we are trying to stabilize (the satellite). There are things that make us worried. The satellite orbits the earth once every hour and a half. It’s possible that some systems are not in the correct condition.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for September 8, 2016

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Chabad and IDF
The Chabad Lubavitch Hassidic movement recently negotiated an agreement with the IDF which stipulates that 85% of Chabad yeshiva students will be drafted, while 15% will receive exemptions to study and work as emissaries. Those students drafted will also receive a two year deferral to allow them to study at a yeshiva in Crown Heights, NY (Chabad headquarters).

Haredi draft opponents are furious about the agreement. Last night a group of about twenty anti draft extremists broke into the home of the Chabad Rabbi Moshe Havlin, who serves as Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Gat. They broke furniture and shouted and cursed at the rabbi and his wife. The rabbi’s wife fainting during the attack and was hospitalized. Police arrested three of the demonstrators and are investigating the incident.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman responded to attack by saying that the anti draft elements have crossed a red line and must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law as a warning to those who incite violence against Haredim serving or seeking to serve in the IDF.

For further reading click here.

Secular Protest
A group of secular activists is calling on people to gather at a location in the heart of the Haredi city of Bnei Brak next Shabbat to protest the attempt to force stores in Tel Aviv to close on Shabbat.

The event organizer wrote on Facebook, “it is impossible to keep quiet any more to the status quo interruptions. It is impossible to reduce the movement of people on Shabbat and on weekdays due to Haredi political whims. I call to you to come to Bnei Barak (address omitted) next Shabbat, with music, megaphones and lots of spirit to prove to everyone that the secular community are not suckers and quiet. You have crossed the line and now the border protection (secular folks) will come to you.”

Another step towards brotherly love and harmonious existence.

For further reading click here.

Israel Attacks
Israeli warplanes attacked a Syrian government military position today after several mortar shells fell in Israeli territory yesterday. The mortar rounds were apparently stray rounds that mistakenly ended up in Israel as spillover from the fighting going on between rebel and government forces in Syria. But Israel is adamant in that it will not not accept any violation of Israeli sovereignty and that it will hold the Syrian government responsible for all military actions in Syria. There were no reports of casualties from the Israeli airstrike.

For further reading click here.

Music BDS
British composer and producer Brian Eno, who has produced albums for bands including U2, Cold Play and Talking Heads, has demanded that the Israeli Batsheva dance company stop using his musical compositions in its performances.

Eno has been a supporter of the BDS movement for several years and is one of over 1,170 British artists to sign the Artists Pledge for a cultural boycott of Israel that was launched in February 2015 by Artists for Palestine UK.

The dance company was scheduled to perform a routine using his music at a dance festival in Italy this week. Eno wrote, “To my understanding, the Israeli Embassy (and therefore the Israeli government) will be sponsoring the upcoming performances, and, given that I’ve been supporting the BDS campaign for several years now, this is an unacceptable prospect for me.”

For further reading click here.

Israeli Wages
According to figures released by Israel’s National Insurance Institute, the average monthly wage rose 2% in 2014 to NIS 9,939, with men earning an average of NIS 11,826 and women NIS 8,026. But half of Israel’s employees earned NIS 6,426 or less a month.

An average Tel Aviv family earned NIS 25,444 per month, ahead of Haifa (NIS 22,901), Rishon Lezion (NIS 22,453), Petah Tikva (NIS 21,663), Netanya (NIS 17,852) and Jerusalem (NIS 12,492).

The towns with the highest income in Israel were Kfar HaOranim and Savyon, with average monthly per capita incomes of NIS 19,332 and NIS 19,026, respectively. The poorest towns in Israel were Modi’in Ilit and Jisr az-Zarqa, with average per capita monthly wages of NIS 5,573 and NIS 5,690, respectively.

All salary figures are gross (pre-tax).

For further reading click here.

Israel News for August 31, 2016

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Radio Bust
IDF forces raided a radio station in the village of Dura, near Hebron, last night. The station was accused of inciting terror by praising past acts of terror and calling on listeners to commit new ones. Forces arrested five employees of the station and confiscated broadcasting equipment.

Dura is known to be a hotbed of terror activity and is the hometown of numerous terrorists including one who participated in the murder of Rabbi Mickey Mark and two who carried out the Panorama stabbing attack in Tel Aviv. The IDF has also been cracking down on other radio stations in the area accused of incitement.

Meanwhile, IDF and border police forces arrested 8 other wanted suspects in the West Bank. Six of them were suspected of involvement in terrorist activities and violence against police and civilians. Several are members of Hamas.

For further reading click here.

Abbas Corruption
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman believed that Palestinian Authority President Abbas is the main obstacle to the peace process because of his “reign of corruption.”

Lieberman said, “We’ve met dozens of economists and businessmen from the Palestinian Authority, and when you ask what’s most important for the Palestinian economy, they all reply that the most important thing is to get rid of Abu Mazen (Abbas). He has imposed a reign of corruption that encompasses everything. He has people in every economic sector — in real estate, the fuel market, the communications market. Abbas’ people take a tithe from every deal, and aside from the people in the inner circle, the PA leadership doesn’t allow anyone there to develop economically. That’s why it’s so important for him to go. As long as Abbas is there, nothing will happen.”

For further reading click here.

Racial Profiling
Racial profiling of Arabs by Israeli police has always been accepted as a necessary evil, as a result of Arab terror against Israel. But racial profiling doesn’t stop with Arabs.

Israel Police Chief Roni Alsheich, speaking at an Israel Bar Association (IBA) conference yesterday, implied that police officers apply racial profiling to Ethiopian Israelis too. Regarding Ethiopian Israelis and Israeli Arabs, Alsheich said, “When a police officer encounters a suspect, it’s natural for his brain to suspect him more than he would have if (the suspect) were someone else, it’s natural.”

He explained, “When there’s a community that’s more involved in crime, Arabs or East Jerusalem residents as well, and the statistics are (publicly available), then when a police officer encounters a suspect, it’s natural for his brain to suspect him more than he would have if (the suspect) were someone else, it’s natural. We, I believe, have understood this and have begun taking care of this a little late, but there has been a very-very tight plan in place for about a year, (in which we cooperate with) leaders inside the community, whose role is to—among other things—minimize over-policing.”

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan defended Alsheich’s statement saying, “The police chief didn’t justify the over-policing phenomenon against Israelis of Ethiopian descent. He did exactly the opposite.” He added, “Israelis of Ethiopian descent are an inseparable part of Israeli society and of Israel Police, and we’re working together with members of the community and its leaders to mend the past’s mistakes.”

The police issued a statement saying, “Israel Police invests deep thinking into understanding the existing rift between officers and Israelis of Ethiopian descent. The chief of police made an honest admission that after deep internal examination we found that there was over-policing at the interface between cops and members of the Ethiopian community in Israel.”

For further reading click here.

Syrian Rebels
Islam Aloush, the spokesman for the Syrian rebel confederation Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam), gave an interview to an Israeli researcher in Turkey recently. On the rare occasions that rebel leaders agree to be interviewed by an Israeli, they do so anonymously, in order to protect themselves from being branded as “collaborators” with Israel. Surprisingly, Aloush allowed the interviewer to use his real name. Big mistake for Aloush.

When asked about his group’s position regarding a peace agreement between Syria and Israel, Aloush said, “this issue and other issues of Syrian foreign policy will be determined by the government institutions which will be founded once the Syrian revolution succeeds and the Syrian people are able to vote freely. We will not deny any decision made by the Syrian people, as the Assad regime has done for the past 40 years.”

The fact that he even implied that peace with Israel was possible unleashed a torrent of attacks from the Arab media, which completely distorted the interview and painted Aloush as a collaborator and traitor. A few days later Aloush resigned from his spokesman position.

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Hasidic Expansion
The Satmar Rebbe announced that a prominent Satmar leader has donated a $100 million parcel of property adjacent to the Satmar village of Kiryas Yoel in upstate NY, which will be used to build 2,000 new housing units. This is the first major expansion of the village since its founding forty years ago. There are currently 5,000 families who live in Kiryas Yoel.

The prices of the new apartments will be set by the Satmar leadership in order to make them affordable and to prevent price inflation in the Kiryas Yoel real estate market.

The Rebbe also warned French Jews not to make aliya, in order to protect them from the Zionists. Oh well.

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Israel News for August 30, 2016

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Home Demolition
Early today IDF forces destroyed the house of Mohammad Amairah, one of the terrorists responsible for the murder of Rabbi Micky Mark in an attack two months ago that also severely injured his wife and daughter. The house was located in the village of Dura, near Hebron. Amairah was a member of the Palestinian Security Forces in the West Bank.

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Human Rights
The international human rights group Human Rights Watch has declared that the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are “arresting, abusing, and criminally charging journalists and activists who express peaceful criticism of the authorities.” The group added that “activists and journalists said that security officers beat or kicked them, deprived them of sleep and proper food, hosed them with cold and then hot water, and made them maintain uncomfortable positions for long hours.”

A spokesman for the PA denied the allegations saying, “The government is working on creating a better environment for press freedom. We believe in and support the freedom of speech and the right for journalists to operate freely in Palestine.” Hamas officials declined to comment.

For further reading click here.

Earthquake Aid and Risk
The first foreign aid organization to arrive on the scene in Italy after the major earthquake that his the region last week was from…you guessed it…Israel. IsraAID’s team of professional trauma therapists worked alongside Italian medical and rescue teams to assist families throughout the process, from the identification of bodies to decisions about the burial and funeral arrangements. The Israeli team included Italian born volunteer professionals.

What would happen if a similar earthquake hit Israel (which is quite possible, since Israel lies on a major rift)? According to experts the results would be devastating, since about 99% of all older buildings in the country are not fortified to withstand a quake. This is despite a law passed over a decade ago calling for fortifying these buildings.

Approximately half of all the older buildings in Israel are three stories high or more, and many of them would completely collapse in the event of an earthquake, due to proximity to the Great Rift Valley that runs from Africa to Syria. Tiberias, Safed, Kiryat Shmona, Beit She’an and Eilat are all quite close to this potential earthquake focal point.

According to a government created disaster scenario simulating a powerful earthquake (7.5) centered around Beit She’an, over 16,000 people would be killed and 6,000 injured. In addition, 377,000 people would be displaced from their homes, 10,000 buildings would be destroyed and 20,000 damaged.

The Israel Engineers Association for Construction and Infrastructure sent a letter to the government last week, stating, “It is only a matter of time until the earth will shake in Israel, as well.”

Let’s pray that it never happens.

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National Service
Thousands of volunteers will begin their National Service (Sherut Leumi) this week. The service is in lieu of military service for people who are unable to serve in the army due to medical or religious reasons. The volunteers usually serve in educational social welfare or medical programs or frameworks. In recent years some volunteers have apparently begun working for NGOs (non governmental agencies) which receive most of their funding from foreign countries. Some of these organizations are viewed as being critical of the IDF or Israeli government, or even outright pro-Palestinian.

MK Amir Ohana (Likud) has proposed a bill in the Knesset that would prohibit any organization that gets more than 50% of its funding from foreign countries from being able to participate in the National Service program.

Ohana said, “Something is rotten in the immunity system of the State of Israel. It is unthinkable that we ourselves should provide subsidized manpower to organizations that work in the interests of foreign governments to portray Israel as a war criminal, as well as defending the biggest terrorists and slandering IDF soldiers who are protecting us day and night. I tried to bring a stop to this absurd situation by presenting a query to the Agriculture minister responsible for the National Service but unfortunately we saw no chance in the policies. There is no other option available besides bringing a proposal to change the law.”

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Arms to Lithuania
The state owned arms manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. has signed a deal worth 100 million euros to supply the Lithuanian army with advanced, remote-controlled, Samson Mk2 weapon stations enabling the launch of accurate Spike missiles, also produced by Rafael.

Just over 70 years ago Lithuanian soldiers, along with the Nazis, perpetrated the mass murder of close to 200,000 Jews in Lithuania. Now they’ll be using Jewish weapons made in Israel. Go figure.

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