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Israel News for October 16, 2015

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Joseph’s Tomb Attacked
About 150 Palestinians set fire to Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) yesterday. The tomb of the Jewish biblical figure contains a synagogue where Jews regularly come to pray. The fire caused extensive damage to part of the synagogue and the surrounding area. Palestinian security forces who arrived at the scene pushed back the mob and put out the fire. Thankfully, no Jews were present.

During the second intifada in 2000, Palestinians drove IDF troops from the tomb, ransacked it, painted the dome green and dedicated it as a mosque. Israel subsequently took back the tomb and renovated it.

PA President Abbas condemned the attack on the tomb calling it “irresponsible”. Israeli ministers and Knesset members across the political spectrum decried the attack. The IDF will begin repairs on the tomb immediately.

Jewish holy places under Arab rule don’t have a history of benevolent treatment (remember the Jewish Quarter under Jordanian rule?). Looks like things haven’t changed.

For further reading click here.

Terror vs. Economy
The current wave of terror could have a strong negative impact on the already fragile Israeli economy.

According to a study conducted by the Makor Rishon newspaper, the recent wave of terror attacks could cost Israel 10.5 billion shekels if it lasts for two months. If it transforms into a long term intifada or an escalation on the Gaza border the cost will run much higher.

The economic hit will be most felt in tourism and foreign investments, which are most susceptible to the security situation. Domestic spending in Jerusalem and other large cities has already dropped, as it has in Arab towns across the country as Jewish visitors stay away.

Economists fear there could be an economic chain reaction with an increase in defense spending combined with a decrease in income from taxes that could lead to an increased deficit and government debt.

Government spending on welfare and education will be drastically cut as the defense budget is increased. Unemployment could also rise.

So far the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) remains relatively unaffected by the recent wave of terror. Whether it will stay that way could depend on the duration of the current spate of violence. The index rose in both Operation Protective Edge (2014) and Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009), both of which lasted under two months, whereas it fell 200 points during the two years of the second Intifada (2000-2002).

On Tuesday, when there were three deaths, share prices fell drastically, but that was due at least as much to declines in Europe as to the attacks that day

Many TASE companies, including the bluest of its blue chips, are little affected by what happens in Israel because most their business is done overseas.

Upshot
If worrying about their safety wasn’t enough, now Israelis need to worry about how this terror spree might harm their economic future.

For further reading click here.

Excessive Force
At a daily press briefing on Wednesday, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Israel has a right and responsibility to protect its citizens.

He added: “Now, we have seen some – I wouldn’t call the checkpoints this – but we’ve certainly seen some reports of what many would consider excessive use of force. Obviously, we don’t like to see that, and we want to see restrictions that are elevated in this time of violence to be as temporary as possible if they have to be enacted.”

His comment about “excessive use of force” raised an uproar of protests from the PM, Defense Minister and other government officials and ministers. The PM remarked, “What do you think would happen in New York if you saw people rushing into crowds trying to murder people? What do you think they would do? Do you think they would do anything differently than we are doing?”

Yesterday, Kirby clarified his remarks saying, “I want to be very clear that we have never accused Israeli security forces of excessive force with respect to these terrorist attacks.” So what then was he referring to when he clearly indicated that Israel was using “excessive force”?

Upshot
Based on videos and photos of recent incidents, it looks like the police have been careful to protect neutralized terrorists from any bystanders. But when an attacker is brandishing a weapon and is in the midst of an attack, or is deemed to be a clear danger to civilians, the police have a duty to stop them without endangering their own lives.

Compared to law enforcement standards in other countries, including the US, it seems like the performance of the Israeli has been equal or better.

For further reading click here.

Terrorist Bodies
As part of a slew of new security measures in response to the ongoing wave of terror, the Security Cabinet approved Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan’s proposal not to return the bodies of Arab terrorists killed while conducting attacks.

The decision was applauded by Simcha Goldin, father of Hadar Goldin, the soldier who was killed in Gaza during Operation Protective Shield and whose body is believed to be help by Hamas as a bargaining chip.

He said, “For too many years the State of Israel has enabled the moral injustice which allows the bodies of terrorists killed during attacks to be returned to their families who bury them as heroes in glorious funeral processions.” He added, “We must remember that Hadar and Oron [Shaul] remain captive in Gaza, and their bodies have not been brought to Israel for burial.”

The Cabinet is also considering Erdan’s suggestion to bury terrorists at cemeteries belonging to the IDF that are located at the extreme edges of the country, where terrorists have in past been buried.

Will these measures stop potential terrorists from carrying out attacks? If there’s a chance that they will, then it’s worth trying.

For further reading click here.

Home Destruction
The families of seven terrorists involved in attacks over the last few months received notice from the IDF that their homes would be demolished.

Background
The process of destroying the homes of terrorists as a punitive measure could take months to implement. On Wednesday the security cabinet shortened the process significantly.

Ten days ago homes were destroyed in East Jerusalem belonging to the terrorists who attacked the synagogue in Har Nof and the terrorist who killed using an excavator.

Homes set for destruction include those belonging to the Henkin murderers and the terrorist who murdered R. Nehemiah Lavi and Ahron Bennet in the Old City.

Upshot
This could be what pushes parents to keep a tighter watch over their children and dissuade them from carrying out acts that would put their family homes at risk. It might even make the young people themselves think twice before making their families homeless.

For further reading click here.

Lapid Blasts Left
Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party, blasted the Left for remaining silent in the face of PA President Abbas’ lies regarding the 13 year old terrorist who is recovering in Hadassah Hospital but who Abbas claimed was killed by Israeli police.

Lapid echoed PM Netanyahu’s response to Abbas’ statements, calling them incitement and lies. He added that because of their silence, the Left has shown that they have “lost their way”. He added that, “Jewish blood will not be Hefker (free for the taking)”

There might be hope for a unity government after all.

For further reading click here.

police in tel aviv

Israel News for October 15, 2015

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Breaking News
Acting on new intelligence reports, Shin Bet and Police officers closed off several major roads in Tel Aviv and arrested two Arabs from East Jerusalem in Givatayim (bordering Tel Aviv) on suspicion of planning to carry out a terror attack.

For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2897645

Two More Terror Attacks
A 72 year old woman was stabbed and moderately wounded yesterday evening on Jaffa street near the central bus station. A bus driver helped her onto his bus and closed the doors on the terrorist, who then tried to stab a policeman but was shot dead. The entire bus station was shut down while police searched for accomplices. The terrorist was a 23 year old resident of East Jerusalem who was incarcerated from 2012-2015 for terror related crimes.

Earlier in the day, a 19 year old Palestinian from Hebron brandishing a knife charged at police near the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Border policemen shot and killed the assailant. Two people were lightly wounded from the gunfire.

Israeli security forces have begun taking measures approved by the cabinet yesterday to beef up security. The IDF deployed 300 soldiers to reinforce police in cities across Israel. Authorities also erected concrete barriers and checkpoints at the entrances of some Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, where many of the terrorists come from.

A senior IDF official said that closures of Arab neighborhoods is not a good long term solution, since terrorists still find ways out while the rest of the population remains stuck at home and grows angrier.

Abbas Speaks Out
Despite calling for calm just over a week ago, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, gave a 5 minute address on the official “Palestine” television station that was far from calming.

Abbas called on the “Palestinian heroes” to continue their struggle for peace, and for all Palestinians to unite in their nationalistic cause. He held up a picture of Ahmed Manasra, the 13 year old attacker who stabbed a Jewish boy a few days ago, and claimed that he had been killed by the Israeli government. I guess Abbas wasn’t informed that Manasra was only wounded. He obviously wouldn’t lie about something like that, right?

Abbas told Palestinians to protect the sanctity of the Haram Al Sharif (Temple Mount) and to resist Israel’s efforts to change the status quo, which prohibits non Muslims from praying there.

PM Netanyahu called Abbas’ words “inciting and lies”. He explained why, but we already know the answers, and the Palestinians aren’t interested in hearing them.

So much for calm.

For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2897471

Israelis Against Closures
There’s one group of Israelis who are adamantly against closing off Arab neighborhoods with roadblocks and checkpoints. No, they aren’t leftists. In fact, they are probably further to the right than most.

We’re referring to the Jews who live in the Arab areas of East Jerusalem, who feel that the closures are sending the message that Jerusalem is not united, but is split into two separate cities: East and West. That defeats their whole purpose of being there — to demonstrate that Jerusalem is one united city.

The Jewish residents of East Jerusalem aren’t surprised by the recent violence, and they aren’t taking any extra security measures. They claim that they live under these same circumstances on a daily basis, so they’re already well prepared.

The residents are used to hearing nightly calls from the mosque loudspeakers relating to Jews, Israel and Netanyahu — in not very positive terms, to say the least. They also get their share of molotov cocktails thrown at them. But they’re determined to stay put.

For further reading: http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4711552,00.html

Gun Control
In many instances during the recent wave of terror, civilians have assisted police in subduing or apprehending terrorists. Yesterday, Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan approved regulations to make it easier for Israelis to obtain and carry guns, in light of the security situation. He said that citizens trained to use guns strengthens the fight against terror. Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat urged citizens licensed to carry guns to do so. Gun sales are soaring.

Upshot
So what they’re saying is that the more Israelis carrying guns, the safer everyone will be. As strange as that sounds to American ears, it seems to be true in Israel, where so many people are already armed but gun violence (in non criminal circles) is almost non existent. Gun control proponents, take note.

For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2897266

Building Fences
The current fence separating Gaza from Israel hasn’t been very effective recently. Gazans have stormed the fence and broken through it on several occasions. Now the Israeli government is planning to build a new fence, similar to the one that runs along the Egyptian border. The new high tech fence will replace the existing barbed wire one and will extend along the entire 40 mile border with Gaza. Good luck breaking through this one.

Knives for Sale
The Rami Levy supermarket chain is taking it’s own security precautions to the next level. The chain will be checking all customers and employees entering the store, for weapons. It will also remove all knife displays in the store. Customers will have to get their knives at the customer service desk.

There is Hope
Just when it looks like Jewish Arab relations are doomed, a glimmer of hope arises. Hundreds of Arabs and Jews from the Jezreel Valley in the Galilee demonstrated together on the main road of the Bedouin village of Zarzir. They carried Israeli flags and signs and chanted, “end the violence”. A similar demonstration took place in the Negev.

When extremists are removed from the equation, peace is possible.

For further reading: http://www.nrg.co.il/

israeli border police

Israel News for October 14, 2015

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Security Measures
Last night, the government’s security cabinet approved several measures in response to the recent wave of terror.
– It gave police the power to impose lock-downs on violent areas of Jerusalem.
– It prohibited the rebuilding of the homes of terrorists destroyed by the IDF.
– It ordered revoking the permanent residency or citizenship of terrorists (subject to authorization of the Attorney General).
– It authorized expanding the police force, using IDF forces to reinforce the police, and hiring 300 security guards for the public transit system, at a cost of more than 80 million shekels. Initially, IDF troops will be used to secure buses until the security guards are trained.

The cabinet will meet again later today to continue discussion.

For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2897174

Rabbis and Terrorists
The recent terror attacks by Palestinians have spurred debate among Israelis about how to treat terrorists who have already been subdued. Is deadly force against a terrorist permitted if he or she is no longer a threat? How about non deadly violence, like beating?

Three major Israeli Zionist rabbinic leaders have offered rulings on the issue.

Rabbi David Stav, the Chief Rabbi of Shoham and head of the Tzohar rabbinic organization, has ruled that it is NOT permitted to harm a terrorist who is subdued and poses no further threat. R. Stav said that the primary reason for his decision is so that Jews do not damage their moral compass and sink to the level of the terrorists. He also thinks that photos of Jews beating subdued terrorists will damage Israel’s standing in the world community. R. Stav said, “even though the terrorists deserve it, it is not our way.”

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, the head of the Ateret Cohanim yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem, agreed that civilians must not take action against subdued terrorist who are no longer a threat. He is, however, in favor of the death penalty for terrorists, as long as it is administered by the court. He believes that prison is not a sufficient deterrent.

On the other side of the debate Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the Chief Rabbi of Safed, ruled last week that “it is forbidden to leave a terrorist alive after he has committed a terror attack. If he’s left alive there’s a possibility that he will go free and kill more people.” He said that only in special situations where shooting the terrorist could cause explosives to detonate or if they need to interrogate him can he be taken alive.

R. Eliyahu went so far as to demand a special investigation into the circumstances which lead to terrorists being taken alive to determine if the security forces had been negligent in their duties.

For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2897134

Ex Chief Rabbi Indicted
R. Yona Metzger, the former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, was indicted yesterday. The charges included accepting bribes of up to 8 million shekels (of which he personally kept 5 million), theft, fraud and tax evasion. Metzger’s attorneys tried to reach a plea bargain but the prosecutor refused.

One of the most serious, and disturbing, charges against him are related to conversions. It seems that Metzger made a deal with a Los Angeles rabbi, Gabriel Cohen, whereby he would send foreigners who wished to convert (who were either unable or unwilling to do so in Israel) to the rabbi who would do the conversion in exchange for payment, giving Metzger half.

In one case, from 2011, Metzger referred to Cohen a Russian businessman who had immigrated to Israel and wanted his two children converted. After the conversion, Metzger and Cohen allegedly split the $360,000 the man paid.

Metzger is also accused of getting kickbacks from money he raised for charity organizations and yeshivas as well as for receiving gifts and bribes and concealing funds from tax authorities.

He denies all of the charges and pledges to fight for his vindication.

For further reading: http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/1.680292

Jews in Yemen
If you thought Yemen was a bad place for Jews, it seems like it just got a lot worse. According to a Jew who recently escaped from Yemen, by pretending to be a Muslim, and arrived in Israel, the government of Yemen recently issued a warning to the Jews in the country: “Get out of Yemen or convert to Islam.”

Over 150 Jews fled Yemen between 2009 and 2013. Those remaining were under the protection of Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh, until he was ousted in 2012. Now they are effectively under the control of the Houthi rebels who took over the capital, Sana, earlier this year.

The remaining 80 to 100 Jews in Yemen are living in a protected compound in Sana called Tourist City and in the town of Raida in the north. Despite their often precarious existence, most of the Jews don’t seem eager to leave. They continue to practice Judaism and live much as they have for over 2000 years and they’re set on continuing, at least for now. Hard to believe that Jews would choose to live in Yemen, but who are we to judge?

In an interesting twist, the Israeli Knesset member advocating for their rescue is a Druze member of Likud.

For further reading: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/10/12/israeli-politician-says-yemens-last-jews-need-help-to-get-out/

Believe It
Yes, it’s true. The Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, UAE and Qatar are in talks to purchase the Israeli made Iron Dome missile defense system. They won’t be buying it directly from Israel, because how would that look? But they’ll still be using Jewish technology to protect against potential Iranian missile attack. Sweet.

For further reading: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.680291

Henkin murderers arrested

Henkin Murderers Arrested Just Days After Attack

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Five members of a terror cell affiliated with Hamas in Nablus in the West Bank were arrested Monday during a joint operation conducted by the Shin Bet security agency, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police.

According to the Shin Bet, each of the Palestinian men arrested had a defined role in the attack. One checked the route, three were in the vehicle used in the attack – a driver and two gunmen, and a cell commander, who was not in the vehicle. Several additional suspects have also been arrested on suspicion of aiding the cell.

During questioning, the cell members said that after they opened fire on the car carrying the Henkins, they left their vehicle, approached the car and fired on the couple at close range.

During the shooting, one of the cell members was accidentally shot by one of his colleagues and dropped his pistol, which was left at the scene and found by Israeli forces. After carrying out the shooting, the terrorists fled toward Nablus.

The cell members also admitted to being involved in two other shooting attacks in recent weeks, neither of which resulted in casualties.

PM Netanyahu issued a statement on Monday saying, “We are acting with a strong hand against terrorism and against inciters. We are operating on all fronts. We have brought an additional four IDF battalions into Judea and Samaria, and thousands of police into Jerusalem. The police are going deeply into the Arab neighborhoods, which has not been done in the past. We will demolish terrorists’ homes. We are allowing our forces to take strong action against those who throw rocks and firebombs. This is necessary in order to safeguard the security of Israeli citizens on the roads and everywhere.”

On a visit to the murder site, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon announced that the government will install a network of security cameras on the roads of Judea and Samaria which he believes will, “significantly change our ability to prevent these sort of attacks and to apprehend the perpetrators.”

On a related topic, Israeli forces destroyed the family homes in Jerusalem of the two terrorists that murdered four Jewish worshippers in a Har Nof Synagogue last year.

Upshot
How amazing is it that Israeli security forces were able to arrest the Henkin’s murderers only two days after their attack? You can’t not be impressed. They’ve undoubtedly also prevented scores of attacks, but with every Israeli civilian a target, it’s simply impossible to prevent them all.

According to Israeli sources, the Shin Bet actually sent in undercover operatives into a Nablus hospital to nab one of the terrorists before he could hide and probably disappear.

For further reading: http://www.jta.org/2015/10/06/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/terror-cell-members-that-killed-israeli-couple-arrested

Watch video of the PM’s statement here – http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=1151399

Israel News for October 7, 2015

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New Stabbing in Jerusalem
A Palestinian female stabbed a 36 year old Israeli man in the back near the Lion’s Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem last night. After being stabbed, the man was able to draw his weapon and shoot the terrorist, seriously wounding her. Both were taken to Hadassah Hospital.
This story is still unfolding.
For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2895110

Abbas Finally Speaks Out
After weeks of Palestinian violence and terror attacks against Israeli targets, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas finally called for calm yesterday.

Speaking to senior officials of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Ramallah, Abbas said that he has told the Israelis that the Palestinians don’t want “military and security escalations.” He said the message had been delivered to Palestinian security forces and activists but added that, “at the same time, we will protect ourselves.”

Abbas also said he was ready to renew dialogue with Israel.

Meanwhile, in Qalandia, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, demonstrators hurled burning tires, rocks and a firebomb at Israeli forces, injuring one police officer. Security forces opened fire with rubber bullets and small .22-caliber rounds, shooting demonstrators in the legs. Clashes also erupted in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah, Jenin and Hebron.

An eighteen month old Israeli baby and her mother were injured when stones were thrown at their car near the settlement of Eli in Samaria.

Jerusalem was quiet.

Upshot
The real question is, does Abbas really have the power to stop Palestinian attacks against Israeli targets? If the attackers are “lone wolves” acting independently, then it’s unlikely that anything he says will stop them. If they are motivated by religious fervor, he’s also not the man they’ll be looking to for direction.

However, he does control the Palestinian security forces which probably do have the power and the informants to crack down on likely terror sources and arrest them before they have a chance to act. Let’s see if this most recent statement of “calm” will have the desired effect (at least the effect that Israel desires).

For further reading: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS

Henkin Murderers Arrested
Five members of a terror cell affiliated with Hamas in Nablus in the West Bank were arrested Monday during a joint operation conducted by the Shin Bet security agency, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police.

According to the Shin Bet, each of the Palestinian men arrested had a defined role in the attack. One checked the route, three were in the vehicle used in the attack – a driver and two gunmen, and a cell commander, who was not in the vehicle. Several additional suspects have also been arrested on suspicion of aiding the cell.

During questioning, the cell members said that after they opened fire on the car carrying the Henkins, they left their vehicle, approached the car and fired on the couple at close range.

During the shooting, one of the cell members was accidentally shot by one of his colleagues and dropped his pistol, which was left at the scene and found by Israeli forces. After carrying out the shooting, the terrorists fled toward Nablus.

The cell members also admitted to being involved in two other shooting attacks in recent weeks, neither of which resulted in casualties.

PM Netanyahu issued a statement on Monday saying, “We are acting with a strong hand against terrorism and against inciters. We are operating on all fronts. We have brought an additional four IDF battalions into Judea and Samaria, and thousands of police into Jerusalem. The police are going deeply into the Arab neighborhoods, which has not been done in the past. We will demolish terrorists’ homes. We are allowing our forces to take strong action against those who throw rocks and firebombs. This is necessary in order to safeguard the security of Israeli citizens on the roads and everywhere.”

On a visit to the murder site, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon announced that the government will install a network of security cameras on the roads of Judea and Samaria which he believes will, “significantly change our ability to prevent these sort of attacks and to apprehend the perpetrators.”

On a related topic, Israeli forces destroyed the family homes in Jerusalem of the two terrorists that murdered four Jewish worshippers in a Har Nof Synagogue last year.

Upshot
How amazing is it that Israeli security forces were able to arrest the Henkin’s murderers only two days after their attack? You can’t not be impressed. They’ve undoubtedly also prevented scores of attacks, but with every Israeli civilian a target, it’s simply impossible to prevent them all.

For further reading: http://www.jta.org/2015/10/06/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/terror-cell-members-that-killed-israeli-couple-arrested

Israeli Arabs Riot
Israeli Arabs, citizens of Israel, took to the streets of Jaffa in an illegal demonstration organized by the northern branch of the Islamic Jihad movement in Israel against what they believe to be an Israeli attack on the Al Aqsa mosque.

The police allowed the demonstration to take place even though the organizers did not have the required permits, in a show of good faith towards the Arab community.

The demonstration quickly turned violent when protesters threw rocks and bottles at police officers, passing cars and buses, and at a local yeshiva. Six officers were injured. Windows on a bus full of passengers were shattered, but thankfully there were no casualties.

Police chiefs communicated with local Arab community leaders who got the demonstrators to disperse. Two protesters were arrested for assaulting police officers, and four others were arrested for vandalism.

Earlier on Tuesday, the chairman of the Joint Arab List party, MK Ayman Odeh, told Army Radio that he cannot tell the Palestinian nation how to fight the occupation. Odeh said that he opposes violent resistance, but added that he “won’t set red lines to the Arab people. They will decide how to fight the occupation. I will always blame the Israeli occupation.”

Upshot
Israelis have already gotten used to violence in the West Bank and even in Jerusalem. But when Arab demonstrators turn violent in Jaffa, just a short walk from the center of Tel Aviv, that’s something that the average Israeli just can’t accept. The demonstration might turn out to be the straw that breaks the Israeli back and forces the government to make sure it never happens again.

For further reading: http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/729/348.html

Coalition tensions
Coalition tensions are rising during the recent wave of terror. At the security cabinet meeting yesterday, PM Netanyahu demanded that Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked stop publicly criticizing him.

Netanyahu rebuked the Bayit Yehudi Ministers saying, “What happened during Operation Defensive Shield will not happen again”. During the operation (Gaza War) Bayit Yehudi Ministers complained that the commanders in the field were not getting enough support from the government.

To Bennett’s chagrin, Netanyahu’s advisers have said that, at this time, the government will not allow construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank so as not to further ignite the security situation. Netanyahu told settler leaders in a meeting that he cannot change this decision because of intense international pressure. Settler leaders called the decision a “huge strategic mistake”.

For further reading: http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4707659,00.html

Gaza Smart Fence
The Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that it completed construction on the “smart fence” surrounding twelve communities bordering Gaza. The smart fence, which uses advanced technology, is part of a 30 million shekel government project to reconstruct and strengthen the communities following Operation Defensive Shield last year. The smart fence is meant to prevent infiltration from Gaza and warn the security forces if the fence is touched.

This isn’t the only treat for residents neighboring the Gaza strip. This month a new radar system will be activated that promises to reduce the number of rockets that hit with no warning. It will also provide some of the residents a full seven to eight seconds warning to get to a protected area.

For further reading: http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=1151380

Red Shirt Protest
Thousands of school kids returned to school this morning after the Jewish holidays wearing red to identify with the terror victims and to protest the deteriorating security situation. The students, both religious and secular, came from different towns across the country. They organized the protest on Facebook. The organizer, Yair Buchnik, explained that he could not go back to school as if nothing happened. “The red shirts are to show that all the blood spilled pains us.”
For further reading: http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4707813,00.html

Israel News for September 8, 2015

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Third Duma Victim
Just over a month ago Jewish assailants threw firebombs into a house in the Arab village of Duma in the West Bank, killing an 18 month old boy and wounding his parents and brother. Soon after, the boy’s father succumbed to his wounds.

Yesterday, the mother, Rihad Dawabsheh, 27, died in an Israeli hospital. Thousands of Palestinians attended her funeral. Some threw rocks at Israeli soldiers afterwards.

PM Netanyahu issued a statement expressing his condolences and saying “security forces are doing their utmost to apprehend the assailants and bring them to justice.”

The four year old brother is still undergoing treatment in Israel.

The Russians are Coming
While the US and the Europeans continue to be reluctant to put “boots on the ground” to combat ISIS or to put an end to the fighting in Syria, the Russians don’t seem to have the same reservations.

Intelligence sources report that the Russians are building bases in Syria and providing military support, including commando troops, to boost President Assad’s dwindling control over his ever shrinking territory.

The Russians have their only Mediterranean naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus. They sell weapons to Syria and vote against UN condemnations of Syria. With most of the Middle East under US influence, Syria could be the Russians great hope to get back into the Mideast power game.

US Secretary of State Kerry warned the Russian Foreign Minister that Russian involvement could potentially lead to a confrontation with coalition forces.

Upshot
How does this affect Israel? If the Russians can bring stability to Syria and get rid of ISIS, there will be some lively Vodka toasts in the Knesset. And with over a million Russian-Israelis, there could be a lot of people toasting Russia’s success in Syria.

More Fencing
Israel already has security fences along its borders with Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. Now it’s building one on its border with Jordan. The reason seems to be to prevent Syrian refugees from entering the country via Jordan.

The PM has empathized with the “human tragedy” of the Syrian civil war, but has made it clear that Israel is too small to start taking in refugees. Opposition leader Isaac Herzog has said that Israel should take in a limited number of Syrians.

Upshot
Are Syrian refugees really so anxious to resettle in Israel? Doubtful. But the southern portion of the fence which is being constructed first and which will stretch from Eilat to Timna (18.6 miles) will probably be used to prevent African migrants from crossing into Israel. And the Africans are seen as the main threat to Israel’s demographic balance. So far, the Sinai border fence has been extremely successful at stopping the Africans.

More Time for South
The IDF’s “Color Red” early warning radar system has done an excellent job in warning Israelis about incoming rocket attacks. Israeli communities near the Gaza border get about a full 15 seconds to find shelter before the rockets hit. Not a lot of time, but better than the warning they get for mortar attacks. Currently, when a mortar shell is fired from Gaza, residents get maybe 5 seconds or less of warning. That’s hopefully going to change.

The IDF announced a new tactical radar system that will give residents a full 15 seconds of warning for mortar attacks. About 25 of the new systems have been deployed in communities along the Gaza border. They’re set to become operational in October.

See what you can do in 15 seconds. Go.

Swiss Snub BDS
The Swiss has given the BDS movement a slap in the face. Last night, both houses of the Swiss parliament approved a massive deal to purchase six Israeli made Hermes 900 unmanned military aircraft for $256 million.

The Swiss approved the deal after months of deliberations despite protests by pro Palestinian BDS supporters. The Swiss defense minister claimed that they were buying the planes from a private company, Elbit Industries, and not from the State of Israel. Not a very convincing argument in BDS land.

Upshot
The hope is that more European countries will now follow Switzerland’s lead and choose Israeli weapons over BDS threats. After all, business is business.

New Year’s Gift
Israel’s Public Utilities Authority is giving Israelis a special Rosh Hashanah gift: lower electric bills. On Sunday the average household electric bill will drop by 6.2%, making the total price cut for this year 15.6%. If you’ve ever gotten an electric bill in Israel, you’ll know that that’s a nice chunk of change that Israelis will be able to hold on to.

The price cut was made possible by the electric company’s increased use of coal to produce their power. Coal prices have plummeted over 17% this year.

But wait. This is Israel, so there’s got to be someone who’s complaining. The IEC (Israel Electric Corporation), which is the publicly traded company that actually produces the electricity and is regulated by the Public Utilities Authority, thinks that cutting prices isn’t the right fiscally responsible decision to make. They’ll be appealing the decision.

I guess they haven’t heard of: never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Israel News for September 4, 2015

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Jews Attacked in Hebron
Five Chassidic yeshiva students visiting Israel from America decided to pray at the Ma’arat Hamachpela (Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron yesterday. They used Waze for driving directions. Unfortunately for them, Waze doesn’t always take politics into account when it gives directions. In Israel that can be deadly. The directions took them into an Arab area of Hebron, where they were attacked by rock throwers.

The five found refuge in the nearby home of Fayez Abu Hamdia for about 40 minutes until IDF forces rescued them. Two of the men were injured. Their car, along with some of their personal possessions, was torched.

According to IDF data, last year 538 Israelis found themselves in Area A (PA controlled) of the West Bank and were returned by Palestinian security personnel.

Upshot 1: Check your Waze directions when traveling near Arab areas.

Upshot 2: High five to the Arab man who saved the men from the mob. There is hope for a better future.

Upshot 3: The terror needs to end.

Funding with a Catch
If you want government funding for your cultural institution or program, you’ll need to follow the new regulations released by Israel’s Culture and Sports Ministry. That means you won’t be allowed to: deny Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic nation, incite terror, violence or racism; express support of an armed struggle or acts of terror by enemy states or terror organizations against the State of Israel, present Israel’s Independence Day as a day of mourning, and defame state symbols, like the flag. If you do any of these the state can decide not to fund you.

Makes a lot of sense. Why should the State of Israel fund organizations that work against it? At least that’s what Culture Minister Miri Regev believes, which is why she created the regulations. The Attorney General seems to feel differently. He doesn’t think it’s legal to condition state funding on cultural content.

Upshot
When the government attempts to enforce the new regulations and withhold funding, they’ll have to get approval from the Attorney General. That means the case will probably end up being decided by the courts. Business as usual in Israel.

Tax Collectors on Fire
It looks like Israel’s tax collectors are performing their jobs amazingly well. In July and August, tax collections were 5 billion shekels above projections. What is the government going to do with all that cash? No, they aren’t going to give it back. But they are going to lower taxes.

PM Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon announced yesterday that they would drop the VAT (Value Added Tax) from 18% to 17% and the corporate tax from 26.5% to 25%.

The PM said, “I think this will help growth. I think it will give us exactly the encouragement that the economy needs when we hear of a global slowdown and a slowdown here. We want an engine for growth and lowering taxes is one means to do so.”

The Bank of Israel is not happy. It wants to raise taxes, fearing that the current surplus is just a one time event stemming from higher home sales or increased capital gains. It would rather use the extra cash to pay down national debt. “A reduction in VAT will make it tough to stand by fiscal targets in coming years and is not consistent with tax policy that aims at achieving long-term goals,” the central bank said.

Kahalon’s response to the central bank’s fears is simple: if tax collection slows down, we’ll call a “do over”. But for now, live for the moment!

Israeli Fences for Sale
Israel isn’t involved in the tragic refugee crisis unfolding in Europe, but it might play a part in helping the Europeans control it. According to an exclusive Reuters report, Hungary and Bulgaria have made inquiries into purchasing the kind of security fence that Israel built along its 143 mile border with Egypt. They would install the fencing along their northern and western borders, to prevent migrants from crossing into Germany and other Western European countries.

Bulgaria has already built a security fence on their border with Turkey, and Hungary is completing one on their border with Serbia. But the Israeli designed fencing will be taller, more fortified and contain sophisticated electronic defenses.

Frontex, the EU agency responsible for border management, is opposed to fences and has made clear the European Union will not help member states finance them.
“When you talk about the management of migratory flows, the fence itself is not the solution, just as border control is not the panacea for migration flows,” said spokeswoman Izabella Cooper. “You have to stabilize the countries of origin from which the refugees flee.”

Upshot
Destroying ISIS would go a long way in stabilizing Syria and Iraq and stemming the flow of refugees, but the Europeans don’t seem eager to send troops in to get the job done. Instead, they’ll spend their Euros building fences and dealing with refugees.

PM Claims US Support
Despite losing the battle to nix the Iran nuclear deal, PM Netanyahu told participants at a pre Rosh Hashanah reception at the Foreign Ministry yesterday that, “the overwhelming majority of the American public sees eye-to-eye with us on the danger emanating from Iran.” The statistics don’t exactly back him up.

According to a Sept. 1 Reuters poll, 30 percent of Americans were in favor of the agreement, 30.7 percent against it, and 39.4 percent were undecided. If you break that down along political lines, about 60 percent of republicans oppose the deal while only 19 percent of non-Republicans are against it.

So really, the PM should have said that the majority of Republican Americans see eye to eye with him. Is that what he meant, or is he engaging in some wishful thinking?

Israel News for September 3, 2015

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Shots from Gaza
Several shots were fired from Gaza yesterday at Israeli moshav Netiv Ha’asarah. Three homes were hit. Miraculously, no one was injured even though the inhabitants were home. In one of the homes a bullet hit the TV that the kids were watching at the time.

The IDF is sure that the shots came from Gaza, but not so sure that the shots were deliberate. Hamas has a training camp right near the border in the area.

In any case, the air force quickly responded by hitting the Hamas military area where the shots originated from. The IDF said that they hold Hamas responsible for any attacks coming from Gaza and for keeping their side of the border quiet.

Budget Approved
The Knesset yesterday approved the 2015-2016 budget in its first reading with a narrow margin of 57 in favor and 53 against. It still needs to be approved in two additional readings to become law. 

In presenting the budget, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said “this budget includes a significant increase for the social ministries, with an increased budget for education, health, welfare and public security.”

The main challenges Kahlon faced in getting the budget approved were the promises that had been made to individual parties, especially the charedi parties, during the coalition building process. Many of those promises could not be honored within the proposed budget.

Economy Minister Aryeh Deeri of Shas was noticeably absent from the vote and threatened that if his proposal to eliminate all VAT (value added tax) for the poorer sectors is not implemented, his party will vote against the budget in the second and third readings.

One of the largest bones of contention is the size of the defense budget. According to the Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist, it stands at 55 billion shekels, but the political establishment is estimating the final number to be much larger. Any increase in the defense budget is likely to mean cuts in the welfare budget or an increase in the national deficit.

The opposition strongly opposed the budget.

PM Gets Tough
PM Netanyahu is getting tougher on security. In a meeting yesterday regarding the security situation in Jerusalem and on Highway 443, he told the IDF to reassess its standing order on opening fire on stone and fire-bomb throwers.

The current order, which was issued after the Duma attacks, prohibits soldiers from firing at stone throwers unless the soldiers feel that their lives are in immediate danger. The order was meant to prevent increased violence by avoiding Palestinian casualties. That seems to be working. Unfortunately, stone and fire-bomb throwing seems to have increased.

The PM wants the attacks to end. He stressed that his policy is, “zero tolerance for stone throwing and terror.”

As a result of the meeting, two new Border Police companies and another 400 police officers will be added to the existing forces in Jerusalem and additional security will be added along the 443.

Firemen Attacked
A fire broke out in a building in an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem last night. Five firefighting units responded. Firemen entered the building and rescued five people, including a mother and her children. They put out the fire. Then the neighborhood came out to attack them with stones. Police forces that were on the scene protected the firefighters from their grateful audience.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. It seems that rescue workers that respond to calls in Arab neighborhoods routinely get attacked. Not very nice.

Charedi Minister
It finally happened, without hell having to freeze over. For the first time in over 50 years, there will be a charedi cabinet minister in the Israeli government.

Yesterday, Yaakov Litzman was sworn in as Minister of Health after a Knesset vote of 83 to 10 in favor of his appointment. Among those who voted for him were opposition leaders Isaac Herzog and Yair Lapid, as well as all of the Labor party Knesset members.

Litzman had held the position of Deputy Health Minister in accordance with the charedi position of not accepting government ministerial portfolios based on their ideological objections to secular government in the Holy Land. But when the High Court ruled that he must either become full minister or quit, the Council of Torah sages of his Agudas Yisroel faction gave him the green light to become minister.

After his swearing in Litzman received congratulations from most of the Knesset members. He even got some hugs, but just from the men.

Druze Shortchanged
The Israeli Druze population contributes more than its fair share of combat fighters to the IDF. Many Druze soldiers fought valiantly and were decorated for their service during Operation Protective Shield (Gaza War) last year. Unfortunately, many of their homes aren’t even connected to the electrical grid. That’s caused a group of veterans to return the decorations they received during Protective Shield to protest their situation.

MK Nissan Slomiansky of Bayit Yehudi met with representatives in the Druze town of Dalit Al-Karmel to hear their grievances. He sympathized with their problems, but tried to convince them to keep their commendations.

So the Druze have their ribbons and medals, but still not much electricity.

They deserve better.
 

Israel News for September 1, 2015

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Fighting in Jenin
IDF, Shin Bet and Police counterterrorism forces entered the West Bank Arab town of Jenin last night to arrest Ba’saam Alsaudi, a senior Islamic Jihad commander. Palestinian sources say that the forces surrounded his house and destroyed it. They were fired upon and there was a shootout. Hamas claims that two of its operatives were arrested. One Israeli soldier was wounded in the shootout. At least four terrorists were killed.

Increased Security
PM Netanyahu told ministers in a weekly cabinet meeting that the IDF and police force will increase security in the wake of an escalation in terror attacks in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. He said, “We will augment our forces and expand our fortification of vehicles in order to preserve the security of Israel’s citizens.”

On the subject of police, the PM also expressed his support for Gal Hirsch, the Public Security Minister’s nominee to head up the Israel National Police. Netanyahu said, “Gal Hirsch is the right person at the right time. He was a moral and ethical officer, he has great abilities to make change and contribute to the strengthening of the Israel police and the strengthening of law and order in the state.”

Hirsch is being investigated by the attorney general for alleged money laundering and other business improprieties. No evidence has so far been found against him.

Egypt, Fish and Tunnels
Israel isn’t the only country bent on destroying Hamas tunnels coming out of Gaza. This week the Egyptian army began a project to construct 18 fisheries along their 9 mile border with Gaza. The fisheries will grow mullet fish and shrimp. More importantly, the water will make digging tunnels impossible and cause the existing ones to flood.

Some Gazan smugglers are already installing water pumps to suck the water out and keep their tunnels operating. But it seems like just a matter of time before the twenty tunnels currently in operation get shut down, putting an end to smuggling and terrorist movement across the border.

Maybe Israel should consider creating fish farms along its border with Gaza? Salmon and whitefish might just solve Israel’s Gaza border problems.

Israeli Tunnel
Speaking of tunnels, Jerusalem police have uncovered the entrance to a 30 meter long tunnel in the yard of an East Jerusalem house adjacent to the Rockefeller Museum, just outside the Old City. The museum contains a major collection of artifacts from archaeological digs conducted during the British Mandate period.

Museum officials don’t seem to think that the purpose of the tunnel was to steal artifacts, but the police are investigating the possibility. They’ll keep digging until they figure it out (sorry for the tunnel humor).

Where there’s Smoke
Smoking seems to be on the rise in the Palestinian Authority, but PA tax coffers aren’t benefitting. Neither is the Palestinian run Jerusalem Cigarette Company. That’s because huge quantities of cigarettes are being smuggled in from Jordan every day, bypassing PA customs officials.

Most of the cigarettes are smuggled in by women, who strap them to their bodies, and delivered by Israeli taxis, which can’t be searched by PA authorities.

The Jordanian made cigarettes cost half as much as those made in the PA. According to one report, the smuggling is costing the PA over $100 million in lost revenue. Sales at the Jerusalem Cigarette Company have dropped significantly too. The instances of lung cancer can’t be too good either, but that’s just our guess.

Charedim Must Not Discriminate
One of the most prestigious charedi girls seminary will need to be a bit less discriminatory in their acceptance practices. The Jerusalem district court has ordered the seminary, Hayashan, to accept 21 girls into its ninth grade class that they had previously rejected. Most of the girls are from Sephardic families.

Background
The story began when the 21 girls were rejected from enrolling in the school, even after the Jerusalem Municipality insisted that they be accepted. The school’s headmaster, Rabbi Levin, denies allegations of discrimination against Sephardim and claims that the girls just do not have the qualifications required by the school.

Aryeh Deri, the head of the Shas Sephardic-Charedi party, warned against a repeat of the discrimination case in the charedi town of Emanuel. In that case there were two girls schools, one primarily for Ashkenazim and one for Sephardim. Some Sephardic parents sued because their girls were denied acceptance to the Ashkenazic school. The case caused lots of strife and infighting within the charedi community. No one in the community wants that to happen again.

Upshot
Rabbi Levin says that he will fight the court’s ruling claiming that it has no right to meddle in the affairs of the charedi education system.

Israel News for August 31, 2015

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Trouble for Top Cop Nominee
The appointment of Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch as the new chief of the Israel National Police is facing further delays. Allegations against him surfaced on Friday accusing him of illegal business activities. The tenure of acting police commissioner Bentzi Sau was extended for 45 days to allow the Attorney General to conduct an inquiry into Hirsch’s appointment.

Background
Hirsch’s nomination by Erdan met strong opposition from senior police brass who were not too pleased by an external nomination, especially someone who was essentially rejected by the IDF. Families of fallen soldiers from the 2006 Lebanon war also strongly protested his nomination, as they (and Maj. Gen. Almog ) hold him directly responsible as the commander of the Galilee Division to prevent the Goldwasser and Regev kidnapping, which sparked the war.

The Israeli police and the FBI are reportedly investigating allegations against Hirsch for money laundering related to arms deals made by his company Defensive Shield Holdings. But apparently there is no evidence that directly ties Hirsch to these allegations.

Hirsch strongly denies doing anything illegal. His attorney has questioned the motives of the police for bringing all this to light only now that Hirsch has been nominated. Senior police officials aren’t pleased to say the least. Not exactly the ideal way to gain the loyalty of the people you’re going to lead.

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein will investigate whether there are any significant legal issues with Hirsch’s appointment and present his opinion to the Government prior to a vote on Hirsch’s appointment. He will look into whether the nomination process was legal and whether Hirsch engaged in illegal conduct, both during his IDF service and in his business dealings.

Upshot
Weinstein is not expected to reject the nomination, but Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is checking out alternative candidates, just in case. PM Netanyqhu fully supports Hirsch’s appointment.

Soldiers, Women and Teachers
On Friday Palestinian and foreign activists staged a violent demonstration near the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh during which protesters threw rocks at IDF soldiers. One of the soldiers chased down one of the attackers, who turned out to be a twelve year old boy, and restrained him.

Suddenly, the soldier was surrounded by several Palestinian women who started attacking him to get him to release the boy. The soldier refrained from hitting or pushing the women away. The press photographers and camera men who just happened to be on the scene (coincidence?) recorded the incident and hailed it as a victory for the Palestinian women. Other soldiers finally moved the women away and the unit commander decided to release the boy to avoid further violence.

Reactions
The Palestinians claim that the boy never threw any stones and was unjustly assaulted by the soldier.

The IDF claims that the boy was recorded throwing rocks in an observation video, but that they didn’t realize that he was a minor.

The soldier’s father told Army Radio that he’s proud of his son’s restraint in a volatile situation which could have escalated into a very unpleasant affair had one of the women gotten injured.

The mayor of Ramat Gan, Israel Singer, called for the dismissal of a Ramat Gan high school teacher who was identified in the video of the assault on the soldier. It seems that the teacher, Hertzl Schubert, attended the demonstration as a member of an extreme left wing anti-zioniist Israeli organization called Matzpen. The fact that he even indirectly participated in an assault on an Israeli soldier makes him, according to Singer, who is also the head of the local board of education, unfit to teach Israeli students who will one day serve in the IDF. Many parents of Schubert’s students agree.

A bunch of parents of Schubert’s students don’t really care about his political views and claim that he’s an excellent teacher and should not be fired.

The mother of the twelve year old boy will hopefully keep her son out of any more trouble, and the boy will hopefully have learned his lesson and not throw rocks at Israeli soldiers anymore. Or maybe not.

Turks Coming to Israel
For the first time since relations between Israel and Turkey were put on ice in 2010, after the fight between Israeli soldiers and activists on a Gaza bound Turkish registered ship, a Turkish diplomatic delegation will be visiting Israel.

The purpose of the visit is to discuss the establishment of an industrial zone near the Palestinian town of Jenin in the West Bank. Turkey is planning to invest $100 million in the project including the possible transfer of some car manufacturing currently done in Turkey to the new zone (Turkey currently manufactures about 1 million cars per year). Everything produced there will be exempt from US tariffs.

As a further sign of diplomatic thaw, last week Israel began exporting defense related products to Turkey.

So while Turkey will be fighting ISIS with Israeli weapons, Israelis might soon be driving cars made in Jenin.

[bctt tweet=”Turkish Israeli relations are warming up again.”]

UN in Israel
A United Nations conference on the protection of endangered species kicked off in Tel Aviv yesterday. This was the first time an official UN conference of this size was held in Israel that is totally unrelated to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Over 200 delegates from 57 countries are attending the four day conference, some of them from countries that don’t have formal diplomatic relations with Israel or that support the BDS movement. That’s a huge testament to the amazing work Israel is doing in environmental preservation, which the international community cannot ignore regardless of their political biases. It’s a start.

Electricians for Boycott
The US United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers union has voted in favor of a resolution at their national convention last week to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The 37,000 member strong union is the first US union to endorse BDS.

The resolution accuses Israel of a “long history of violating the human rights of the Palestinians, starting with the ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians in 1947-48 that turned most of Palestine into the State of Israel.”

The resolution also calls for cutting off U.S. aid to Israel as well as U.S. support for a peace settlement on the basis of self-determination for Palestinians and the right of return.

It endorses the worldwide BDS movement in order to “pressure Israel to end its apartheid over the Palestinians just as similar tactics helped to end South African apartheid in the 1980s.”

The Union also voted in favor of the Iran nuclear deal.

Remember this next time you need to hire an electrician.

Israeli Football
The Israeli American Football team beat Spain 28 – 20 in their first international win to advance their bid to qualify for the International Federation of American Football’s B-Group International Tournament in 2016.

Background
Yes, Israel has a national football team. No, not soccer. Real, good old, American football. The team was formed in 2012 and consists of players from the Israeli Football League (IFL), which is sponsored by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and family. The IFL teams play with only eight players per team on the field, which is only 60 yards long. They had to make the change to 11 men and 100 yards for the international tournament.
So far, so good.

Rebbe Nachmun vs. ISIS
A 37 year old British citizen fighting with Kurdish forces against ISIS in Syria does something unusual each time his unit conquers an ISIS occupied building. He spray paints “Na Nach Nachman M’Uman” in Hebrew on the walls. The phrase is the mantra of the Breslov Chassidic sect whose founder Rebbe Nachman is buried in the Ukrainian town of Uman.

The man’s name is Timothy Paul Jacobs-Woodworth and he’s the grandson of a Holocaust survivor who converted to Christianity after the war. He plans on making Aliyah next year. Meanwhile, he continues fighting ISIS and spreading the light of Rebbe Nachman on the walls of liberated buildings throughout northern Syria.