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Israel News Rivllin US visit

Israel News for December 9, 2015

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Terror Attacks
A terrorist stabbed two men near Beit Hadassah in Hebron today. The men, both in their early 20’s were wounded, one in the upper body and one in the leg. The terrorist was shot and killed. This story is still developing.

For further reading click here.

Terrorists threw four molotov cocktails at cars driving down Highway 443 towards Jerusalem last night. There were no injuries or damage to vehicles. The 443 is one of just two main arteries connecting Jerusalem to the center of the country and Tel Aviv. Keeping it safe is a priority for security forces, which is why they’re moving full force to catch the perpetrators and halt further attacks.

For further reading click here.

Israeli ISIS
The Shin Bet announced yesterday that they have arrested five Israeli Arabs from Nazareth for attempting to form an ISIS terror cell. According to the Shin Bet, the group had already started to meet, had begun training with live arms and were planning ISIS style terrorist attacks. The group had recently sworn allegiance to ISIS and to a “jihad against infidels.”

Is this a trend in the Israeli Arab community or just an isolated incident?

For further reading click here.

Convicted Terrorists
Yesterday, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced four east Jerusalem Arabs for conspiring to carry out shooting and kidnapping attacks against Jews praying on the Temple Mount and security forces posted in east Jerusalem. Three other Arabs were convicted last week on similar charges.

The head of the terror cell, Nor Hamdan, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for contact with a foreign agent, illegal military training and crimes related to illegal weapons possession and development.

Hamdan’s deputy, Imah Shaar, was sentenced to 11 years and Omar Vuzvuz and Amjad Razam were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for similar crimes.

The Shin Bet said that the cell had come into possession of two handguns, a pipe bomb, and ammunition. They won’t need those where they’re heading.

For further reading click here.

IDF Accused
The Legal Assistance Division of the Israeli Justice Ministry filed a petition with the High Court of Justice yesterday against the IDF. The petition alleges that the IDF discriminated against soldiers of Ethiopian background by granting them “poor conduct” discharges.

A “poor conduct” discharge can result in loss of state benefits including national insurance (Bituach Leumi) and can have a negative impact on finding a job.

A 2011 State Comptroller report noted that 66 percent of Ethiopians released early in 2010 were released for “poor conduct,” a percentage far above the frequency that these grounds are given for discharges among the general population.

The test case that the Justice Department is presenting involves a soldier of Ethiopian background who was released on December 31, 2013 for “poor conduct,” despite the fact that on January 8, 2014, a neurologist and the official Medical Committee said that his release should have been based on his “medical condition.”

On the other hand, the soldier attempted to desert on more than one occasion for which he was court martialed — which gives the IDF support for its “poor conduct” discharge.

The High Court will have to decide who is right and whether the IDF did actually discriminate against the soldier. But regardless of this case, it does seem like the IDF needs to review its general treatment of soldiers of Ethiopian background to make sure that it’s all perfectly “kosher”.

For further reading click here.

UNESCO Deal
The US stopped funding the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) four years ago, after it voted to admit Palestine as a member. The UNESCO move triggered an old law enacted by Congress requiring America to stop funding any UN agency that accepts the Palestinians as a full member state. That cost UNESCO $80 million in annual US funding, a quarter of its total budget. But it also cost the US its voting rights in the organization.

The US administration wants the UNESCO funding resumed and has asked Israel not to oppose a waiver to the new US foreign aid budget which would exempt the government from complying with the old law. It looks like PM Netanyahu has agreed to the request. Is this part of a bigger bargain? An even bigger question: can Israel really dictate what bills or waivers Congress passes? Apparently, they can in this case.

For further reading click here.

Israeli Poverty
The annual 2014 report on poverty released by the National Insurance Agency (Bituach Leumi) shows that 1,709,300 of Israel’s citizens live below the poverty line. That number includes 776,500 children. The figures rank Israel in the bottom two countries in the developed world (OECD), just above Mexico. In terms of poor children, Israel also ranks second to last, just above Turkey.

According to the report, the poverty income level is NIS 3,077 a month for an individual, NIS 4,923 a month for a couple and NIS 9,230 for a family of five.

Poverty among Arab families rose from 51.7% in 2013 to 52.6% in 2014. Poverty levels within the Ultra Orthodox community rose to 54.3% in 2014. Two thirds of all children in this sector of the population live in poverty.

Let’s hope that the Startup Nation can figure out a solution to this huge problem?

For further reading click here.

Rivlin in Town
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin arrived in New York yesterday on a commercial El Al flight (probably first class) and took a train to Washington (is there first class on the train?).
Rivlin attended a joint meeting on Capitol Hill with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). He then met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Today Rivlin and his wife will head to the White House where they will be met by the First Family. Rivlin will then meet with Obama. After that the Rivlins will join in a Hanukkah reception in their honor. Fun!

On Thursday, Rivlin is scheduled to deliver a diplomatic speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington, after which he will travel by train to New York for a series of meetings with leaders of the Jewish community.

Good luck!

For further reading click here.

Mr. Universe
Proving his Jewish mother’s claim that her son is the greatest man in the universe, Danny Kaganovich has won the Mr. Universe competition. He’s the first Israeli to ever win the international bodybuilding competition. Is mom proud now, or would she rather Danny have an MD after his name? If you’re reading this Mrs. Kaganovich, please let us know.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for December 2, 2015

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IDF in Syria
Not that this should be news to anyone here, but now it’s out in the open.

Addressing a conference in Acre yesterday, PM Netanyahu said,”We operate in Syria from time to time to prevent it from becoming a front against us, a second terror front against us. We are also acting to prevent the transfer of deadly weapons from Syria to Lebanon in particular and we will continue to do so.”

So now it’s on the record.

Upshot
But why make the statement now? Because intelligence sources are reporting an increase in attempts by Iran to transfer sophisticated missiles to Hezbollah in Syria. Hezbollah could use those missiles to accurately target military bases and other strategic objectives in Israel in the event of a new war. That’s a scenario that Israel cannot accept, and will do everything needed to prevent. The PM is making that crystal clear.

For further reading click here.

HIV in IDF
The IDF announced yesterday that it will begin enlisting soldiers who are HIV positive. Although the move will only affect a handful of people, it will make Israel one of the most progressive countries in the world in the area of military inclusivity. The US Army does not allow HIV-positive individuals to enlist.

Col. Moshe Pinkert, the head of the military’s medical services department, said that the change came about as a result of new and better HIV treatments. He said that HIV-positive soldiers will be able to serve in many positions except for in combat, where they might be at risk for bleeding.

For further reading click here.

Chain Responds
Yesterday we told you that Channel 10 News reported that Galeria Kaufhof, one of Germany’s largest department store chains, removed Israeli products from its shelves because of EU labeling regulations. Well, the company has denied the report.

Galeria Kaufhof’s head of corporate communications Gerd Koslowski said, “Our company has not removed any of those products from the shelves. We import the goods via European importers who are responsible for correct declaration. We do not get involved in politics with our assortment. Our core customer’s demands set the standards for the products we sell.”

So it seems like the store’s suppliers stopped sending the merchandise to the stores. The most likely reason is that the importers of the products needed to relabel them before distributing. Maybe the shouts of “boycott” were a little premature?

For further reading click here.

High Court
Yesterday the High Court of Justice rejected an appeal by the state to demolish the home of the family of the terrorist who murdered IDF soldier Almog Shiloni in 2014. The reason was apparently because the family didn’t own the house, but were only short term renters. The court approved the demolition of the home of the family of one of the terrorists involved in the Henkin murder.

Earlier today around 1,200 Israeli Police, Border Police and IDF combat engineers entered the Shuafat refugee camp and demolished the home of a terrorist who killed two Israelis last November.

For further reading click here.

Child Support
The rabbinic establishment might be moving towards egalitarianism, at least in one case.
The Chief Rabbinate has ruled that women who get divorced can be ordered to pay child support if they have a source of income. Until now, rabbinical courts have automatically assigned responsibility for child support to fathers when ruling on divorce cases. But under the new rule, proposed by Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau, rabbinical courts will have to consider the financial means of both parents before deciding who should pay how much child support.

Rabbi Shimon Yaakobi, director of the Rabbinical Courts Administration said, “It was necessary to provide an up-to-date interpretation of the regulation, so that it would accord with our sense of justice and the value of equality.” He also explained that the new rule might help reduce the number of cases in which men refuse to grant their wives a get, since it doesn’t automatically place the financial burden on the husband.

For further reading click here.

Housing Discrimination
A real estate video ad for a new housing development in Kiryat Gat targeting national religious (dati leumi) public has created a huge outcry in Israel for being blatantly racist and offensive. The ad features a national religious family, whose Chanukah candle lighting ceremony is interrupted by two rowdy Sephardic looking neighbors who proceed to toast marshmallows on their menorah. The ad ends with the tagline, “join the National Religious community in Karmei Gat today”.

In response to the ad, the Deputy Attorney General Erez Kaminitz announced yesterday that there could be illegal discrimination in the marketing of the homes which could lead to punitive action including cancellation of the tender (right to build). The Attorney General will investigate the matter further before reaching a decision.
The director general of BeEmuna, the developer responsible for the ad, apologized saying “we just wanted to show that it’s natural that people would want to live close to people similar to them – in a religious sense only”, a weak apology for a horribly offensive marketing gimmick.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 25, 2015

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More Terror
A 20 year old Israeli man was stabbed and seriously wounded by a Palestinian at the Al Fawar junction near Kiryat Arba today. The terrorist was shot and wounded by soldiers at the scene.

For further reading click here.

Obama Calls
According to a JTA report, President Obama called the parents of Ezra Schwartz Z”L on Monday to offer his condolences.

“The president offered his profound condolences and condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack that took his life,” a senior administration official told JTA. “The president also underscored that Ezra’s studies in Israel strengthened the bonds between Israel and the United States and, as we mourn his death, those bonds only grow stronger.”

The President’s call comes amid protests from some Jewish groups and activists who were upset that he did not acknowledge and condemn Schwartz’s murder by terrorists on the day it occurred. A condemnation came a day after the murder from the State Department, not the White House.

There were further complaints when Obama, in remarks during a news conference in Malaysia on Sunday, singled out for mention two other Americans killed in recent terrorist attacks, in Mali and Paris, but did not mention Schwartz.

So now he called.

For further reading click here.

Kerry Talks
Regarding the meeting yesterday between PM Netanyahu and Secretary of State Kerry, an Israeli diplomatic source said that the PM told Kerry that he would not freeze Israeli construction in the West Bank or east Jerusalem and that he would tie Palestinian building permits to international recognition of Israel’s right to build in those areas.

Netanyahu blamed the PA for taking an active role in the incitement, related mainly to Al Aqsa, that he believes is the primary cause of the current wave of violence, and that his first condition for the return to normal economic and security conditions was the end to that violence.

Kerry strongly condemned the violence and terrorism, and acknowledged Israel’s right to defend herself. He said, “I expressed my complete condemnation for any act of terror that takes innocent lives and disrupts the day-to-day life of a nation. Israel has every right in the world to defend itself and it has an obligation to defend itself, and it will and it is.”

For further reading click here.

Getting Tougher
The PM and the Defense Minister are considering expelling the families of terrorists to the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, they’ve decided that in addition to destroying the family homes of terrorists, close family members will also have their Israeli work permits and their exit permits to Jordan cancelled. The hope is that these measures will persuade family members to prevent their relatives and offspring from committing acts of terror.

For further reading click here.

No Draft
The Knesset yesterday passed the second and third readings of an amendment to the law passed by the previous government to impose restrictions on Haredim who do not register for the IDF draft. The amendment permits a six year delay in the law’s implementation and removes sanctions from those who avoid the draft.

The amendment passed by a vote of 49 – 36, as a result of political agreements between Likud and the Haredi parties.

Yesh Atid and the National Union of Israeli Students are both expected to submit a petition to the Supreme Court opposing postponement of the law’s implementation.

Yair Lapid, whose Yesh Atid party spearheaded the original law, said: “During a week full of security incidents, while there are funerals and people being evacuated to hospital, while security forces are stretched to their limit – this is when the Israeli Knesset will vote against IDF soldiers.”

According to a poll by the Smith Institute, 76 percent of the Jewish public opposes the main amendment to the bill, which postpones the drafting of yeshiva students by six years. The poll also shows that a wide majority of right wing voters are opposed to the bill.

For further reading click here.

Israeli Predators
Does it make you feel good to know that you’re eating produce from fields treated with chemical pesticides? Most people would answer no. Well, Israeli knowhow might soon make chemical pesticides obsolete.

Some 600 million carnivorous spiders that were raised in Bio-Bee labs in Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu will be flown to agricultural fields in Colombia, to be used as natural pesticides. The tiny spider mites, marketed as Bio® Persimilis, are twice the size of the spider mites that harm crops.

The company says that the Israeli mite can eat large quantities of their harmful counterparts. When the Persimilis encounters a harmful mite, it chases after it, bites down into it, and sucks it dry. The natural predators are kept in refrigerated conditions until they arrive at their designated dispersal site; when they are released into the warm air, they begin reproducing and hunting at a rate of tens of thousands of mites per day.

Bio-Bee also recently exported 400 million fruit flies that were radioactively sterilized. The sterile flies from Israel were sent to agricultural lands on the border between Croatia and Bosnia to displace other fruit flies that were causing massive damage to the local crops.

These “natural” alternatives to chemicals sound amazing, but they’re still more expensive than chemical pesticides. Are you willing to pay more for chemical free produce? Lots of Americans are. Have you ever been to Whole Foods?

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 24, 2015

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More Terror
This morning a Palestinian from Jenin rammed his car into soldiers at the Tapuach junction in the West Bank. Four soldiers were wounded, none seriously. A Border Policeman at the scene shot and wounded the terrorist.

Yesterday, two Israeli soldiers were waiting for some roadside assistance near a gas station on Highway 443, not far from Modiin, after a small accident. A Palestinian attacked and stabbed them.

Pvt. Ziv Mizrachi, 18, from Givat Ze’ev, was pronounced dead by paramedics on the scene who tried to resuscitate him. The female soldier he was with was also stabbed and lightly wounded. She was evacuated in stable condition. Another woman was lightly wounded from gunshots fired in the attempt to stop the terrorist. The terrorist, 16, was shot and killed by soldiers at the scene.

Mizrahi’s uncle, Alon, was killed in the terrorist bombing of the Cafe Hillel in Jerusalem in 2003. Alon was the security guard who blocked the suicide bomber from entering the cafe.

Mizrahi’s mother arrived at the scene shortly after and screamed, “They’ve taken Ziv from me.”

For further reading click here and here.

Kerry Calls
US Secretary of State John Kerry called the family of Ezra Schwartz, the American teen killed in a terrorist attack last week in Israel, to offer condolences. The Schwartzes live in the Boston area.

Kerry, who had once been the US Senator from Massachusetts, was on a visit to Abu Dhabi when he made the call. Kerry told reporters there that there is no justification for Palestinian terror attacks against Israel.

He said, “Look at Ezra Schwartz, who got shot, and another young life cut short. It happens almost every day over there and it’s terrible, and too many Israelis have been killed and stabbed, and too many Palestinians. And there’s no excuse for any of the violence. There’s just no rationale. Even if you’re unhappy and you’re disappointed in the lack of whatever the political horizon is, whatever, violence is not the solution.”

Kerry arrived in Israel today to try and put an end to the violence, at least temporarily. He met with the PM and said that Israel has the right to defend herself against terror attacks on civilians and expressed “complete condemnation for any act of terror that takes innocent lives and disrupts the day-to-day life of a nation.”

Kerry added that, “It is very clear to us that the terrorism, these acts of terrorism which have been taking place, deserve the condemnation that they are receiving.”

Following his meeting with Netanyahu, he will meet President Reuven Rivlin and opposition leader Isaac Herzog. Then, he will head to Ramallah for a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Let’s hope for a miracle, because that’s probably what it will take to stop the violence at this point.

For further reading click here.

Silence for Ezra
In a show of support and deep sadness for the murder of Ezra Schwartz last week, there was a moment of silence before the start of the Monday night football game between the Buffalo Bills and Schwartz’s favorite, the New England Patriots. The game was nationally televised. So regardless of whether or not government officials do or do not acknowledge Schwartz’s death at the hands of terrorists, the American people have spoken loud and clear.

For further reading click here.

Chelsea Arrives
English soccer Premier League champions Chelsea are in Israel for their Champions League game with Maccabi Tel Aviv, which takes place today. Before their departure, the UK government published a warning regarding trips to Israel due to what they termed a “high threat of terrorism.”

When asked about the security situation, Chelsea defender Gary Cahill said, “I think you just have to rely on people who know a lot more than me about the whole situation to make sensible decisions.”

These days Israel seems a lot safer than Europe.

For further reading click here.

Gaza Land Grab
Ever wonder what happened to all the land that Israel abandoned when it evacuated the Jewish settlements from Gaza in the 2005 disengagement?

Well, Hamas has announced that it’s giving the land as compensation to thousands of its government’s officials and employees who haven’t been paid by the Palestinian Authority Ramallah based government in well over a year.

The PA has refused to pay on the grounds that the appointments made by Hamas were illegal. They claim that Hamas should pay, but not from the land that they claim belongs to the Palestinian people — or more realistically, to the PA government.

In any case, PA officials say that Hamas employees will never really see any compensation from Hamas. But neither will the Palestinian people in the West Bank. The real question is which government’s leaders will boost their Swiss bank accounts with the real estate — the PA or Hamas.

This should be good.

For further reading click here.

IDF Responds
Israeli warplanes struck a Hamas military compound in the center of the Gaza Strip on Monday night, after a rocket was fired from the Strip at Israel earlier in the day. The rocket landed in an empty area, and no warning sirens were sounded.

According to an IDF statement, the army considers Hamas to be the “sole responsible party for goings-on in the Gaza Strip, and will continue to act with severity to keep the calm in southern communities.

For further reading click here.

Mother Complains
The mother of a female soldier who was drafted into the military police last week is complaining. While a complaining Jewish mother might not seem very newsworthy, the reason for her complaint is a bit over board. The mother is upset that her daughter participated in an IDF sponsored Challah separating ceremony in Kfar Chabad.

Wha?? According to Jewish law, when someone kneads a significant amount of dough, they are obligated to separate a piece of the dough to be given to a Cohen (these days the piece is burned). It’s called “separating or taking” Challah, and it’s one of a select number of commandments reserved specifically for women.

So yes, mom is upset that her baby girl broke off a piece of dough as part of her military service. Religious coercion at its best. Some mothers are just impossible to please. Go figure.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 18, 2015

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Terrorist Killed
IDF soldiers from the Haredi “Netzah Yehuda” battalion on a routine patrol came under fire from three Palestinian gunmen near the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya yesterday.

The soldiers were in a military vehicle. The terrorists pulled up in a car, got out and opened fire. The soldiers returned fire, killing one terrorist and wounding the other two. None of the soldiers were injured.

Earlier today, the Shin Bet announced that seven residents of Jaljulia, an Israeli Arab town near Kfar Saba, were arrested for planning to join and fight for ISIS in Syria. Two of them were related to the Israeli Arab who paraglided into Syria from the Golan several weeks ago.

For further reading click here.

PA vs. Terror
Apparently, the Palestinian Authority is now doing it’s part to curb the wave of terror. The governor of Jenin, Ibrahim Ramadan, told Ynet that Palestinian forces recently thwarted three attempted stabbing attacks at the Gilboa crossing next to Jenin. Plainclothes Palestinian security personnel who were stationed on the Palestinian side of the crossing in order to prevent stabbing attacks, arrested three women before they managed to carry out their attacks.

Before these undercover officers were deployed, there were four attempted stabbings at that very crossing during the recent wave of terror. According to PA officials, Palestinian security personnel also intervene when there is unrest in the West Bank to prevent any shooting at the IDF and Border Police.

The IDF also think that Abbas is reigning in the violence. A month ago IDF intelligence said that Abu Mazen (Abbas) is not inciting attacks on Israelis and is even instructing his forces to take action against violence. There is currently ongoing cooperation between Palestinian security officers and the IDF to restore the calm.

For further reading click here.

Israel’s Bride
Sara Techiya Litman, who lost her father Rav Yaakov Litman and brother Netanel in the shooting attack last Friday, was meant to get married last night. Instead she is sitting shiva. But she told Ynet, “we will not let terrorism destroy us” and that the wedding has been rescheduled for next Thursday at Binyanei Hauma in Jerusalem. Sara Techiya and her fiance Ariel called on the public to come celebrate with them saying, “all of the Jewish People are invited to arise with us from the dust and rejoice in our celebration”.

Last night, an evening of enrichment and learning for women was organized at the wedding hall where the wedding was meant to take place in order to provide inspiration and support during these difficult times. Speakers included Rabbanit Yemima Mizrahi, Chief Rabbi of Tzfat Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Meitar and father of the groom Rav Beigel and other public figures..

For further reading click here.

Soldiers Protest
A couple of weeks ago we told you about the synagogue in Givat Ze’ev that that High Court ordered to demolish on the grounds that it was built on privately owned Palestinian land. The court subsequently postponed the demolition based on a request by the government claiming that the demolition would incite violence by Jewish extremists. The deadline the court set for the demolition to take place is this coming Thursday. The government has come to a compromise agreement with the community, pledging to build a new synagogue nearby. But there is still much opposition to the destruction of the synagogue.

In an unprecedented demonstration of protest, a new Facebook page has photos of IDF soldiers and Border Police holding signs saying, “I too won’t demolish a synagogue.” The signs cover the faces of the IDF and police personnel, but their uniforms are clearly visible. One sign said: “Mosques and churches are not demolished but synagogues are? Have you gone mad?”

Among the units represented on the Facebook page are the Border Police, the Tank Corps, the Golani Brigade, the G’dud 46 Brigade, the Kfir Brigade and field intelligence.

IDF soldiers are not expected to be used in the demolition, which will be carried out by Police and Border Police personnel.

Some hardline rabbis have issued statements prohibiting soldiers from following orders to demolish the synagogue. Will any of the security forces assigned the unpleasant task choose to disobey orders?

For further reading click here.

Survey Says
A survey conducted by Haifa University Sociology Professor Sami Samucha, who is an Israeli Arab, reveals some disturbing results.

According to the survey, 57% of Arab citizens of Israel feel that the recently outlawed Islamic Movement in Israel faithfully represents them. The movement incites violence related to the Temple Mount and has connections to Hamas. The survey also reveals that 18.2% of Arab Muslim citizens of Israel, and 28.1% of all supporters of the Islamic Movement, do not consider ISIS to be a radical terrorist organization, and are not ashamed of the group.

Prof. Samucha commented that the high level of support for ISIS is very troubling, particularly given that the Arab leadership in Israel and leaders of the Islamic Movement have strongly denounced the group. You think?

Upshot
The Israeli government, and the majority of Israelis, have always asserted that Israeli Arabs are loyal to the state. Is this just a delusion? If Samucha’s survey is accurate, Israel might need to rethink the way it views its Arab citizens.

For further reading click here.

Restricted Videos
Several weeks ago Israel agreed to allow the Jordanian controlled Waqf, the Muslim religious authority that administers the Temple Mount area, to place video cameras on the Mount. The cameras are meant to defuse tensions by serving as a tool to monitor Israel’s observance of the “status quo”, which prohibits non Muslims from praying on the Temple Mount. The initiative was praised by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Well, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has thrown a wrench in the seemingly well intentioned plan. The King has announced that he intends to personally monitor the video footage from the cameras and decide which segments will be released to be seen by Israel and the world.

In response to Abdullah’s announcement, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi) has called on Netanyahu to cancel the camera initiative until it is agreed to place cameras in all corners of the Mount, including the mosques, and Israel is promised full access to the footage.

In a letter to the PM Ariel wrote, “Not installing cameras in the Al-Aqsa Mosque means immunity…for the rock hoarders and throwers from inside the mosque. For the firecracker shooters, and all the inciters.”

He added, “Giving the Kingdom of Jordan, a foreign sovereign state, the right to run security cameras on the Temple Mount, without any cooperation with the Israeli Police, means one thing: an additional significant concession on the degree of Israel’s sovereignty on the Temple Mount.”

In a related story, the Jordanian King’s office is looking to hire some talented video editors.

For further reading click here.

Dutch Join Swedes
Yesterday we reported about the controversy surrounding the Swedish Foreign Minister’s apparent attempt to connect the ISIS terror attack in Paris to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Now the chairman of the Dutch Socialist Party in the Netherlands, Jan Marijnissen, has followed in her footsteps.

Referring to ISIS in a radio interview, Marijnissen said, “Their behavior eventually is connected also to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” and that the conflict in Israel “is the growth medium for such an attack.”

Will the next anti-semite in the European political leadership please stand up.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 6, 2015

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Breaking News
A terrorist stabbed a 30 year old man in Sha’ar Binyamin (Samaria). The man was seriously wounded and the terrorist escaped.

Earlier this morning a female terrorist attempted to run over soldiers during a violent demonstration north of Hevron. Soldiers shot and wounded her. No soldiers were hurt.

These stories are still unfolding.

Super Soldier
A 19 year IDF soldier shot a terrorist who tried to stab another soldier at a bus stop in Gush Etzion yesterday. It turns out that the same soldier was the one who shot and killed two terrorists last week. He’s only been in the army for 8 months, but he seems to have gotten the hang of things pretty quickly. This guy is a hero!

Meanwhile, the soldier’s photo has been publicized throughout the Palestinian press and social media as the murderer of martyrs and the “Terminator”, along with an abundance of threats against his life. But they already want to kill all Israeli soldiers, don’t they?

For further reading click here.

Baratz in Trouble
Yesterday we told you about the controversy raging around the Facebook comments by the PM’s newly appointed director of Hasbara (information and PR) which disparaged Israeli President Rivlin, US President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry.

Kerry spoke to Netanyahu about the comments, and the PM promised to review Baratz’s appointment. The US State Department spokesman John Kirby called the comments, “troubling and offensive” and just plain rude. He added, “We obviously expect government officials from any country, especially our closest allies, to speak respectfully and truthfully about senior U.S. government officials.”

Baratz apologized on his personal Facebook page Thursday for the post writing,
“I apologize for the hurtful things I posted. I am sorry I did not update the prime minster of these things in advance. The things I posted were written recklessly, and sometimes in jest, in a language that befits the social networks and a private individual. It is very clear to me that in my official role I have to behave and express myself differently. I asked the prime minister for an opportunity to clarify things in the coming days.”

We’ll see if an apology is enough to hold on to his job.

For further reading click here.

Joesph’s Tomb
Two weeks ago a Palestinian mob set fire to Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem, causing extensive damage. The Palestinian leadership, led by PA President Abbas, condemned the attack and pledged to repair the tomb.
Two days ago Israel made the repairs and installed a brand new iron door, and gave a copy of the keys to the Palestinians. Yesterday the PA ripped off the door and sent it back to Israel with the keys. They claim that they are responsible for fixing the tomb and the work was done without their authorization or coordination.

They’ll hopefully leave the rest of the repairs in tact. Anyone want to buy an iron door, never used?

For further reading click here.

Haredim in IDF
A record number of Haredim, 2,300, were drafted into the IDF last year. The previous year saw a total of 1,700 recruits. According to a senior IDF personnel officer, there are currently 4,600 Haredim serving in all areas of the IDF, of which 1,900 are in combat. Included in those numbers are Religious Zionist men (Hardalim) who choose to join the religiously strict environment of the Nahal Haredi (combat units). How do you define Haredi?

For further reading click here.

Mishpacha Apologizes
After publishing a letter in Arabic and Hebrew begging terrorists not to attack Haredim since they do not visit the Temple Mount, Mishpacha Magazine yesterday published an apology.

Under the headline “Sorry,” Mishpaha’s Deputy Editor Aryeh Ehrlich profusely apologized for the letter that he wrote saying that it was a “gimmick” that spun out of control and that it was huge mistake that tarnished the reputation of the Haredi community, the magazine and himself. He obviously never intended to plead with terrorists or to imply that one Jewish life was more valuable than the other. It’s still unclear what exactly the “gimmick” was meant to accomplish.

At least some Arabs took the letter literally. The Arab news outlet Quds News reported the plea to spare Haredi lives and said, No way in hell, “the intifada continues!”

Our enemies see us as one people, without differentiating between religious or secular, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, rich or poor. We should learn from them.

For further reading click here.

Out of Aleppo
An exclusive report by the Jewish Chronicle (London) has revealed the story of how the last remaining Jews of Aleppo, Syria were spirited out of the country. The rescue was organized and funded by Israeli born NY businessman Moti Kahane who sent operatives to the Aleppo home of 88 year old Mariam, her daughters Sara, in her 60s, and Gilda, in her 50s, and Gilda’s Muslim husband and three children. The men acted as if they were kidnapping the family, in order to get them to leave their home, which they had refused to do because of the constant warfare in the city. They then drove the family out of Syria, passing through numerous checkpoints manned by all sorts of Islamic terrorists, and made it across the border into Turkey.

In Istanbul, the family was placed in an apartment financed by Kahane, and handed over to the Jewish Agency to arrange for their entry into Israel. That worked out well for the Mariam and Sara, but since Gilda had converted to Islam several years before, she was told that she did not qualify for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return. So she ended up returning to Syria with her husband and kids. Very sad.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for November 3, 2015

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More Terror
In Netanya on Monday evening, a 22 year old Palestinian stabbed a 70 year old Israeli man, seriously wounding him. Police shot the attacker and arrested him.

Earlier on Monday, a 19 year old Palestinian from Hebron stabbed an 80 year old woman and two men aged 35 and 26 in Rishon Letzion. Police arrested the terrorist.

In both terror attacks the police had to protect the arrested terrorists from angry mobs.

In a recent interview with Yediot Ahronot, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid insisted that the only solution to the terror is for Israel to completely separate from the Palestinians. He didn’t explain the logistics of such a separation, but he was clear that it cannot be a unilateral separation but rather one that is agreed upon by both sides. He also said that Saudi Arabia would be open to helping this occur. In Lapid’s vision, the IDF would be permitted to enter the Palestinian zone whenever necessary.

Has Lapid forgotten that the Palestinians want their own state, complete with sovereign borders and a military to defend them, with Jerusalem as its capital? Lapid is offering them basically what they already have, surrounded by a hermetically sealed wall to keep them out of Israel. Does he seriously think that they’ll accept that, or that Saudi Arabia will help convince them to? Seems like some very wishful thinking.

Watch the interview here.

Returning Bodies of Terrorists
Despite the cabinet’s decision not to return the bodies of terrorists to their families, the IDF has decided to return the bodies. Palestinian clan leaders and activists have been carrying out a campaign consisting of private discussions with Israeli military officials as well as organized protests to convince the Israelis that not returning the bodies will cause more unrest and violence. The campaign seems to have worked.

Five bodies were recently returned to families in the Hebron area. The bodies were given elaborate funerals and official Palestinian Authority ceremonies and honors. As a result, Israel is now demanding that all funerals of returned terrorists take place at night, so as to minimize the attendance and fanfare.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said on Sunday morning that returning the bodies will continue if there’s a guarantee that the funerals will be kept low key. Otherwise, he’ll have the bodies buried in Israel.

For further reading click here.

Jail Time
The Knesset yesterday approved a law to impose a minimum prison sentence of 2 – 4 years on rock-throwers if there is evidence proving intent to harm. The law was approved by a vote of 51-17.

The law also approved fines and law suits against families of minors convicted of throwing rocks for nationalistic reasons or as an act of terrorism. In addition, National Insurance benefits (including child support) will be revoked from parents of such a minor.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, the architect of the law, said Israel needed to find creative solutions to stop the recent wave of terror, adding the law will “force parents to take responsibility and pay the price for their children’s actions”.

If being killed or going to prison is not enough of a deterrent for these kids, maybe hitting their parents where it really hurts will be.

For further reading click here.

Police Ban Visits
Several weeks ago PM Netanyahu banned members of knesset from visiting the Temple Mount. But it seems that the police didn’t get the message, or maybe just ignored it. That’s changed.

On Monday, acting Police Chief Commander Bentzi Sau placed a temporary ban on all MKs from visiting the Temple Mount. This comes in the wake of the unauthorized visit of Joint List MK Basel Ghattas to the Mount last week, which several ministers and public officials claimed was a direct incitement to violence.

For further reading click here.

No more fireworks
Economy Minister Aryeh Deri signed an order yesterday banning the import of garden fireworks to Israel at the request of Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan. The fireworks are frequently used in attacks on Israeli security forces during violent demonstrations on the Temple Mount and in Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem. They have also been used in attacks on Jewish homes in these neighborhoods. The police say these fireworks can be lethal and the harm they can cause far outweighs any economic damage to the importers.

Fireworks are commonly used at Muslim wedding celebrations. We’ll take dull Muslim wedding over terrorism any day.

For further reading click here.

Netanya Expands
If you’re thinking of moving to Netanya, or if you happen to own land there, you might be in luck.
Construction is beginning on a new neighborhood in the western part of the city that will include 3,000 housing unit, over 2 million sq.ft. of commercial space, public buildings and a park.
Owners of plots of land included in the building plan made a nice return on their investment. Lucky them.

For further reading click here.

Stray Cat Strut
In these times of ongoing terror and heightened stress, it’s comforting to know that Israel’s cabinet is totally focused on dealing with the crisis. Well, maybe not all cabinet members.

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel is focusing his attention on solving what he believes to be a major issue for Israel: stray cats. If you’ve been to Israel you know that there are stray cats just about everywhere. The Environmental Protection Ministry spends over one million dollars annually on neutering and spaying stray cats, in an attempt to control their numbers.

Ariel, who is a member of the religious Bayit Yehudi party, believes that neutering or spaying animals is against Jewish law. He therefore suggested that Israel’s cat population be transferred to a foreign country. His idea didn’t go over very well with just about everyone, from politicians to animal rights groups.
Ariel subsequently retracted his proposal, but still wants to end the government’s neutering program and instead use the money for research into the stray problem.

Is he serious?

For further reading click here.

Israel Film Festival
The Other Israel Film Festival, taking place from November 25 – 12, presents dramatic and documentary films, as well as engaging panels about history, culture, and identity on the topic of minority populations in Israel with a focus on Arab citizens of Israel,, who make up twenty percent of Israel’s population. The festival will present the films Colliding Dreams, Censored Voices, Dégradé, Jeruzalem, Mussa, Oriented, Partner With The Enemy and more.

For more info click here.

Israeli Soldiers Mistakenly Shoot and Kill Jewish Man

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Last night, in another tragic case of mistaken identity, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 28 yr old Jewish man at a bus stop in Jerusalem.

Background
According to police, two soldiers were waiting to get on the bus when a man getting off the bus asked them to show him their identification. They got suspicious and asked him for his ID. An argument ensued and he allegedly attacked them and tried to grab one of their guns. A civilian security guard in the area saw the scuffle, wrongly identified the man as a terrorist and shot at him. Then the soldiers opened fire, killing the man.

The victim was an immigrant from Russia who had served in the IDF in the Nahal Haredi (Ultra Orthodox) Brigade and had worked as a security guard in a school. He was currently studying at a yeshiva in Har Nof, Jerusalem. The rabbis at the yeshiva interviewed by Walla News couldn’t believe how something like this could have occurred. They all described the victim as a quiet, well mannered person who evidently made a bad mistake by arguing with the soldiers.

shooting Jewish man

Scene of shooting.

Police and IDF investigators are sorting through numerous testimonies that include very different facts. In one account the man shouted, “I am ISIS!” (could it have been like, “what, you think I’m ISIS?”). In another, a girl screamed, “Terrorist! Shoot him!”

The facts of the case will probably become clearer as the investigation continues.

Upshot
So many factors in this case point to a very tragic and deadly mistake. The soldiers were part of the reinforcements sent to bolster security on buses. They weren’t trained to do police work and handle this kind of situation. The security guard shot before positively identifying who he was shooting at. He probably should have let the soldiers handle the situation. Fear and hysteria took over.

In a culture where arguing is commonplace and can often turn violent, this seems to be a case where mistakes were made and shots were fired when they shouldn’t have been. And a man is dead.

Israel News for October 21, 2015

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New Terror Attacks
A Palestinian driving a car with Israeli license plates rammed into a police officer at a checkpoint near the settlement of Ofra in the West Bank. The officer was lightly wounded and the assailant fled on foot to the nearby village of Silwad.

Earlier this morning a Palestinian woman approaching the settlement of Yitzhar wielding a knife was shot and wounded by IDF troops.

Two Palestinian terrorists, aged 15 and 17, stabbed an IDF soldier near Beit Hashalom in Hebron last night, lightly wounding him, before a fellow soldier managed to shoot and kill both of the assailants.

Earlier yesterday, a terrorist tried to ram his car into Israelis waiting at a bus stop at the Gush Etzion junction in the West Bank, but was stopped by the concrete blocks placed there for just that purpose. He was, however, able to lightly wound a 20-year-old IDF soldier and a 21-year-old Israeli civilian. The terrorist then left his car with a knife drawn and tried to stab the injured Israelis. Thankfully, an IDF soldier stationed in the area shot and killed him.

Near the Gaza border fence, dozens of Gazans clashed with IDF forces, who fired tear gas and live ammunition. One Palestinian was killed and 14 wounded.

According to a high ranking IDF officer, the man killed was part of a sniper cell that was preparing to fire on IDF forces. The cell was responsible for several recent shootings at Israeli vehicles.

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv special anti terror police squads are raiding building sites in search of illegal Palestinian workers. The raids are meant to calm the fears of the Israeli public and scare the hell out of Arab workers to dissuade inciters and potential trouble makers. We’ll see how well this strategy works.

For further reading click here.

UN in Jerusalem
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid a surprise visit to Jerusalem yesterday to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an attempt to end the wave of violence. In a press conference with PM Netanyahu, Ban said that he deplored the terror attacks against civilians and hoped to find a way to end the violence. Was he referring to attacks against Israeli or Palestinian civilians? Anything is possible at the UN.

The PM told Ban that PA President Abbas “has joined ISIS and Hamas in claiming that Israel threatens the al-Aqsa mosque,” which he said was a blatant lie. He said that Abbas has incited the violence by saying that he, “welcomes every drop of blood spilled in Jerusalem” and that he has not condemned a single one of the attacks.

The PM also reiterated that Israel has always protected the holy sites of all religions and is maintaining the “status quo” on the Temple Mount, whereas the Arabs are breaking it by bringing in explosives and preventing Jews and Christians from visiting.

For its part, the executive board of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is set to vote on a resolution proclaiming the Western Wall as part of the Al Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Unesco director general, Irina Bokova, reportedly appealed to the UN agency’s organizing committee to postpone the vote after meeting with Israeli and Palestinian UNESCO envoys. The vote was meant to take place yesterday but was postponed until today. Several countries are attempting to postpone the vote further. But the fact that this resolution is even on the table says it all.

What’s next, the Vatican? No, they probably wouldn’t go that far.

For further reading click here.

Silwan Synagogue
Enforcing a ruling by the High Court of Justice, police evicted Arab squatters from the historic Yemenite Great Synagogue in the predominantly Arab neighborhood of Silwan, which is adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem near the Temple Mount. Silwan is located above the ancient City of David, which is where Jerusalem was in the time of King David. The area now includes an archeological site.

The Yemenite synagogue was built in 1885, three years after 144 Yemenite Jewish families established a village in the area. The Jews were forced to leave in the late 1930’s due to Arab riots and violence. In 2004, Jews began to purchase property in the old Yemenite village from the Arab inhabitants and move back in.

The case to evict the Arab squatters from the legally purchased synagogue lasted for seven years until the High Court’s ruling in February and the final forcible eviction.

The synagogue will be renovated and its main sanctuary will be called Heichal Yonatan, in honor of Jonathan Pollard.

For further reading click here.

No Vigilantes
A Tel Aviv judge ordered police to arrest a man who kicked an Arab woman who was subdued and held on the ground by several people who saw her assault a man and thought that she was a terrorist.

A video of the incident taken by a witness shows one man kicking her in the head as she lay on the ground, her hands held behind her back. The woman wasn’t carrying a weapon and was sent for psychiatric evaluation. The judge said, “Even if the accused were a terrorist, it is unacceptable for Israeli citizens to kick in the head persons who pose no threat.”

Police released a statement saying, “We wish to emphasize to the public, required to be more vigilant these days, that when a danger is over and the suspect is disarmed or incapacitated, there is a strict prohibition on using violence — citizens are expected to refrain from taking the law into their hands.”

For further reading click here.

Christian Victim
One of the victims of the stabbing attack on bus #78 last week was a Dutch Christian woman, Marike Veldman. She left her home in Holland 37 years ago to volunteer in Israel, and never left. A few years after settling in Israel she opened a foster home for Arab children in East Jerusalem where, over the years, she raised 20 children.

Recounting the terror attack, Veldman said that she saw two men, “laughing, exchanging maybe a joke or something, and then all of sudden they got up and started screaming ‘Allahu Akbar,’ and then one of them started stabbing me and he stabbed me several times, I yelled ‘Jesus help me!’”

Feldman was moderately wounded in the attack. She says that although she pities the attackers and understands their frustrations, she feels that their actions were pure evil.

Regarding Arabs she said, “Right now I’m afraid of them. I have a lot of Arab friends, but it will take me some time to trust them, and I need to heal.”

Feldman said that we will not leave Israel. “The terror must not control my life.”

For further reading click here.

PM Blunders
Talk about rewriting history. In a speech to the World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem yesterday, PM Netanyahu made a statement that’s caused just about everyone to say WTF. He basically said that it was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini who, in late 1941, gave Hitler the idea to exterminate the Jews. Before that, Hitler just wanted to expel them.

Granted the Mufti was an evil fellow who absolutely was in favor of wiping out the Jewish people, but have you read Mein Kampf? Hitler’s war against the Jewish people was one of the foundations of his ideology, if not the primary one. Netanyahu must know that. Everyone does. So why did he say what he said?

We’ll probably hear some sort of apology later today. I doubt he’ll try to explain his way out of this one. He better not.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 19, 2015

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Terror in Beersheva
Yesterday, a terrorist entered the central bus station in Beersheva, stabbed a soldier, grabbed his gun and started shooting. The soldier, Sergeant Omri Levi, was killed and 10 other people, including five police officers, were wounded. Security forces shot and killed the terrorist, who was identified as Mouhand al-Okbi, a 21 year old Bedouin Israeli citizen from the Negev town of Hura. He had no prior criminal record.

The Bedouin leadership condemned the terrorist attack, saying it is wrong, unacceptable, and harmful. Israeli Bedouin serve in the IDF with distinction and live peacefully with their Jewish neighbors. But there have been isolated instances of radicalization and suspected connections with terror groups among some Bedouin youth.

In a tragic twist, a security guard mistakenly identified an Eritrean man as the terrorist and shot him. A crowd then gathered around the wounded man and began assaulting him verbally and physically. He later died of his wounds.

This latest terror attack comes in the wake of five stabbing attacks, in addition to numerous rock and molotov cocktail throwing incidents, over the weekend. Not surprisingly, Hamas praised the attack and encouraged more.

Later in the week the Knesset is set to vote on a law to allow police to stop and frisk anyone for any reason. The current law allows police to frisk someone only if they have a reasonable suspicion that the person is carrying a weapon or some other object intended for use in committing a crime.

For further reading click here.

Police Build Wall
Israeli police put up a tall concrete barrier, basically a wall, to separate the Arab neighborhood of Jabal Mukkaber from the adjacent Jewish neighborhood of Armon Hanetziv in Jerusalem. The wall is meant to stop rocks and firebombs.

Upshot
The new wall looks a lot like the one that separates the West Bank from Jerusalem in many areas. Some Israelis don’t like that, because they feel it sends the message that parts of East Jerusalem are really not part of a united Jerusalem. If it’s only temporary, then they can live with it. But if it becomes a permanent fixture, it could cause a real identity crisis for a “united” Jerusalem.

For further reading click here.

Terror hurts Arabs
The recent Palestinian wave of terror is having an unexpected victim: Arab workers. In a move that many view as unfortunate but unavoidable, a growing number of municipalities are banning Arab workers from entering schools during school hours. Some are only barring cleaning and maintenance workers, while others are barring all Arab workers. Some of the larger municipalities include Tel Aviv, Hod Hasharon, Nes Tziyona, Modiin, Givatayim and Rehovot.

As an example, Rehovot city officials announced that, “minority workers will not be allowed entry to educational institutions.” They added on their website that, “The contractors responsible for building sites near educational institutions will be contacted and asked to position a guard at the educational institutions near their building sites.”

Arab Knesset members and groups promoting equal opportunity for Arab workers are calling the moves racist and discriminatory and are demanding that the government take action.

Upshot
This is truly an unfortunate situation where no one is to blame and everyone loses. The municipalities are acting based on fears that any parent can understand. Considering the totally random “lone wolf” terror spree, parents are nervous about having their kids in close proximity to Arabs, even if the chance of something happening is a million to one. On the other hand, innocent Arabs are suffering simply because they happen to share similar origins with the attackers.

There isn’t a simple solution. Putting the lives of children at risk, even if that risk is minute, doesn’t seem to be the answer. Ending the violence does.

For further reading click here.

Corpse Returned
Last week we reported that the Security Cabinet had decided that Israel would no longer return the bodies of terrorists to their families. Well, on Friday the IDF returned the body of Iyad Al-Awawda, who dressed up as a press photographer and stabbed a soldier near Kiryat Arba.

There seems to be a major debate between Internal Security Minister Erdan, who is in charge of the police and the architect of the “no return” regulation and Defense Minister Yaalon, in charge of the IDF. Erdan wants to prevent Palestinians from turning the funerals of terrorists into tools of further incitement. Yaalon feels that holding the bodies will only make things worse.

So at this point it really depends on who controls the body. If the terrorist is killed by police, then the body won’t be returned. If the IDF does the job, then it will.

For further reading click here.

Hasidim Enter Tomb
Thirty Breslov Hasidim entered Joseph’s Tomb Saturday night, a day after it was torched and damaged by Palestinians. The Hasidim were following the orders of their leader, Rabbi Berland, who is currently in hiding in South Africa for various improprieties. Palestinian Authority police arrived at the scene and beat five of the Hasidim, including three minors. IDF forces arrived and detained the five and escorted the rest out of the area.

The Chief Rabbi of the Kotel and Holy Places, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz, condemned the Hasidim for trying to enter the tomb. He said that they put their lives in danger as well as the lives of security forces. He said that every effort should be made to stop them from repeating their act.

For further reading click here.

French Reprimanded
France has recently been pushing for a resolution in the UN Security Council that would recommend the deployment of international troops on the Temple Mount. Israeli officials blasted the proposal and reprimanded the French Ambassador to Israel. US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US opposes the idea too. Even the Jordanians are against it. That daily dose of red wine might have finally gotten to the French.

For further reading click here.

Israelis Save Syrians
Members of an Israeli sailing club based in Ashdod were sailing the waters off the coast of Greece on a leisurely cruise. They spotted a 15 year old boy wearing a life vest floating nearby and pulled him in. Then they saw 10 more people and saved them too.

It turns out that the people were Syrian and Iraqi refugees sailing from the Turkish coast to the Greek island of Kastellorizo. Their boat capsized Saturday evening, and they were in the water for 12 hours until being rescued. Four people didn’t make it, including a 6 month old baby.

The Israeli captain said, “After we told them that we Jews from Israel, they kissed us and thanked us.”

There is hope.

For further reading click here.