Tag Archive for: Israel News

Terror Investigation
The investigation by the Shin Bet into the vicious terror attack this week in which 2 Israelis were murdered has revealed that the terrorist forced an Arab cleaner in the building, at gunpoint, to bind Kim Levengrond Yehezkel’s hands with cable tie taken from the company’s storeroom. The terrorist then allowed the cleaner to flee the building before proceeding to murder the young woman. The cleaner, a 20-year-old resident of Nablus, was questioned by the Shin Bet, but at the moment he is not under arrest. There is still no known reason for why the terrorist wanted Kim’s hands bound.

For further reading click here.

Meanwhile, Sarah Vettori, who was shot and wounded by the terrorist said that a Palestinian warehouse worker saved her life by pulling her under the table and helping stop the bleeding with tissue paper. The worker, Basel, comes from the same village as the terrorist.

Vettori said, ”Basel saved my life. I was vaguely conscious and Basel, who ran into the office where I was hiding, pulled me under the table and reassured me when he said: ‘Habibti, habibti (My dear, my dear).’ He stroked my face in an attempt to keep me conscious until the ambulance arrived.”

She added, “When I was lying there wounded, I asked Bassel for a glass of water because I felt thirsty, but he said that water shouldn’t be given in these situations, and when I arrived at the hospital the doctors said it is forbidden to drink water (in the case of gunshot wounds), so Basel was correct.”

Vettori, a mother of three, was released from the hospital on Monday since it turned out that the bullet that struck her went right through her body.

The Alon Group, which owns the recycling factory where the attack took place, has decided to keep the factory closed until further notice.

For further reading click here.

Student Detained
In a first-of-its-kind case, the state has held an American graduate student at Ben Gurion Airport for a whole week, accusing her of supporting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. Lara Alqasem, a 22-year-old American citizen with Palestinian grandparents, landed at Ben-Gurion Airport last Tuesday with a valid student visa, but she was barred from entering the country and ordered deported. Alqasem is a former president of the University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. She remains in custody while she appeals.

Last year, the Knesset passed a denying entry to any foreigner who “knowingly issues a public call for boycotting Israel.” Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said yesterday that he would drop his efforts to expel her if she apologizes and renounces her BDS support.

In her appeal, Alqasem has argued that she never actively participated in boycott campaigns, and promised the court that she would not promote them in the future. Her attorney claims that all she wants to do is to study in Israel.

For further reading click here.

Ancient Find
the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem announced yesterday that archaeologists have uncovered the oldest known instance of the word “Jerusalem” spelled out in full, on an ancient stone carving that was once part of an ancient pottery workshop. The carving says “Hananiah son of Dodalos from Jerusalem” — dates to the first century A.D., making it about 2,000 years old.

For further reading click here.

UN Out
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat accused UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees) of operating illegally and promoting incitement against Israel, and plans to remove the agency from Jerusalem. Barkat said schools, clinics and sports centers, among other services operated by UNRWA in east Jerusalem, will be transferred to Israeli authorities. The municipality did not provide an exact timeline but it said schools serving 1,800 students would be closed by the end of the current school year.

Barkat said, ”The US decision (to cut $300 million in aid to UNRWA) has created a rare opportunity to replace UNRWA’s services with services of the Jerusalem Municipality. We are putting an end to the lie of the ‘Palestinian refugee problem’ and the attempts at creating a false sovereignty within a sovereignty.”

UNRWA was founded after Israel’s War of independence in 1949 to support around 700,000 displaced Arab refugees. The agency currently aids over 5 million descendants of those original refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza.

For further reading click here.

Terrorist Shot
Early yesterday, a terrorist threw an explosive device at soldiers during a military operation in the Qalqilya refugee camp in Jerusalem. Soldiers opened fire on the attacker, wounding him. No soldiers were injured. During a strip search of the terrorist, several additional explosive devices and a Molotov cocktail were found strapped to his body.

Later in the day, an 8 year old boy was caught on video running up to a security checkpoint, throwing a knife at the soldiers there and then fleeing the scene. No one was injured. The IDF is searching for the boy. So much for, “I believe the children are the future”.

For further reading click here.

To watch Whitney Houston singing the classic song, click here.

More Troops
The IDF has decided to send reinforcements to the Southern Command amid the high tensions on the Gaza border over the next few days. The IDF said in a statement that the decision was made “to continue the determined policy to thwart terror attacks and prevent infiltrations into Israel in the border fence area of the Gaza Strip. The IDF is prepared and ready for a variety of scenarios and considers the Hamas terror organization responsible for everything that happens in and from the Gaza Strip.” In recent weeks, there has been a spike in Palestinian rioting in Gaza, as well as in the launch of incendiary balloons and kites.

For further reading click here.

Morocco News
Morocco’s King Mohammad VI has decided to include Holocaust education into his country’s high school curriculum. The King called antisemitism the “antonym of freedom of expression,” and that, “It manifests the negation of the other and is an admission of failure, insufficiency and inability to coexist.”

He said, “For all that, the battle against this plague can not be handled carelessly. [The battle] is fought neither with the military nor with money, it above all depends on education and culture,” he added, explaining that, “This battle has a name: education. And in the interest of our children, it is important for us to win it because they will be the beneficiaries and our ambassadors in the future.”

Only around 2,000 Jews currently live in Morocco. While the country has no official diplomatic relations with Israel, it does permit Israel tourists to visit.

For further reading click here.

Late Flights
According to the flightstats website, which tracks information about dozens of airlines and airports all over the world, El Al was ranked 39 out of 41 airlines for punctuality. According to flightstats, 65.5% of El Al’s flights landed on time and 34.5% landed late. The only rated airlines with higher rates of delay than El Al were Ethiopian Airlines (a 36% rate of late flights) and EgyptAir (36.6% late flights).

The most on-time airline in September 2018 was Sri Lankan Airlines, with Delta a close second (87% on time).

For further reading click here.

New Apartment
US billionaire and Republican supporter Sheldon Adelson has bought a $40 million penthouse apartment in the Akirov Towers in Tel Aviv. The Adelsons already own another apartment in the complex.

For further reading click here.

Terrorists Hit
Israeli aircraft attacked a terror cell in northern Gaza yesterday that was launching incendiary balloons into Israeli territory.

For further reading click here.

Demolition Order
The IDF has informed the family of terrorist Islam Yousef Abu Hamid, who killed Duvdevan soldier Staff Sgt. Ronen Lubarsky, that it plans to demolish their four-story house. According to the IDF Spokesman’s Office, the family already received notice about the intention to demolish two floors of the structure some three weeks ago. In recent weeks, the IDF has conducted further examination of the matter, at the conclusion of which it was decided to demolish the entire building.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman praised the decision to demolish the entire house. He tweeted, “We’re fighting terrorism with determination! We’re going to demolish, down to the foundations, the entire four-story building that housed the despicable terrorist—may his name and memory be blotted out—who murdered IDF soldier Staff Sgt. Ronen Lubarsky. The demolition will be done as soon as possible.There are no compromises in the war against terror. Only an iron fist.”

For further reading click here.

Warning Violence
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot warned the Security-Cabinet that there is a more than moderate chance that a violent conflagration could erupt in the West Bank, adding that the US decision to cut funding for the Palestinian Authority (PA) is counter productive for Israel and could inflame matters in the area.

Other security officials have made clear that maintaining the PA’s stability was in Israel’s best interest. They have also noted that the US’s $60 million in funding for the Palestinian security services was not affected, but all civilian aid budgets were stopped. The officials blamed Abbas for working to sabotage Israeli indirect negotiations with Hamas to put an end to the daily border violence in Gaza. According to the officials, Abbas is deliberately seeking to ensure an intensification of the humanitarian crisis gripping the strip.

The officials have accused Abbas of choking the Gaza residents in order to foment further conflict between Hamas and Israel, hoping that Israel will attack the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave and deal a fatal blow to the terror movement, which competes with Abbas for power. An Israeli offensive against Hamas would also give Abbas ammunition to attack Israel in international forums.

For further reading click here.

Report to Moscow
Israeli Air Force (IAF) chief Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin presented a 40 page report to military officials in Moscow detailing the events that resulted in the downing of a Russian military plane with 15 service members by Syrian anti-aircraft fire.

According to the report, the coordination system between the IDF and the Russian army prior to the attack operated according to procedure and fixed orders, as shown in more than 200 similar attacks in the last two years.

Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz said in a studio interview with Ynet Friday that “inside Syria itself, soldiers who targeted the Russian plane were arrested by the Russians or by Syrian officials with Russia’s cooperation. Obviously, Syria made a serious mistake here. It irresponsibly launched missiles. Israel acts according to the same rules that were agreed upon, and of course will continue to abide by these rules in the future us as well.”

Russia’s President Putin absolved Israel of any blame in the incident.

For further reading click here.

Trump Meeting
The White House announced Thursday that US President Trump will meet with PM Netanyahu next week during the UN General Assembly in New York.

For further reading click here.

SUKKOT 2018
The holiday of Sukkot begins on Sunday night, lasts for 7 days and is followed by the holiday of Shmini Atzeret – Simchat Torah (which share one day in Israel and are 2 days everywhere else). During Sukkot Jews “live” — eat, study and (some people) sleep — in a hut-like structure called a Sukkah.

The Talmud states two reasons for the mitzvah of living in the Sukkah for seven days.

The first is to commemorate that our ancestors dwelled in Sukkahs in the wilderness. The second is to remember the “clouds of glory” that surrounded and protected the Jews in the desert. The Talmud seems to lean towards the second explanation. If this is the case, then why do we use a hut to represent the clouds? Wouldn’t it make more sense for us to live out in the open air, under the clouds? Wouldn’t that give us more of a feeling of complete dependence on the protection given us by God?

Although, in truth, living out “under the clouds” does starkly represent total dependence on God, real life isn’t as clear cut. We all try to build structures to provide us with security and protection. We live in these structures and feel safe and in control. We view these structures as permanent and without them we could not function. The reality, however, is that our structures are really just flimsy huts that create for us the illusion of permanence and security. They fall apart when we least expect them too.

The Sukkah that we live in for seven days reminds us that our own structures of security – our houses, careers, social status – are just temporary. They last for a week, a month, a year, several years, but are then taken down. The Sukkah reminds us that our real security and protection comes not from the walls that we build but from the graces of God.

May we all be blessed with the wisdom to differentiate between the security that is true and comes only from God and the false security of the hut that just looks real, but is only an illusion.

Taken from Deep Waters.

BOOKS
On Simchat Torah, in a little over a week, we will complete the reading of the Torah and begin again from Genesis. Then we’ll read one parsha (Torah portion) each week. In a book called Deep Waters: Insights into the Torah and the Jewish Holidays, I’ve included original insights and lessons on each of the 52 Torah portions and on all of the Jewish holidays. Each lesson is usually no longer than a page or two, so you can absorb it minutes. The book is for people of all levels of Jewish knowledge, from beginner to advanced. And the book is available on Amazon Prime, so you can get it quickly and return it if you don’t like it (but you will like it).

To get your copy of Deep Waters click here.

WE WILL BE ON BREAK FOR THE ENTIRE HOLIDAY OF SUKKOT UNTIL WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3.

Terror Attack
Yesterday morning, a 17 year old Palestinian terrorist stabbed to death Ari Fuld, a father of 4 from Efrat. Fuld was outside the Harim Mall at the Etzion junction (Judea) when the terrorist stabbed him in the back. Fuld managed to chase and shoot at his attacker before succumbing to his fatal wounds. Another passerby also shot the terrorist, who was moderately wounded and taken to Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem. Fuld was rushed to Jerusalem’s Shaare Tzedek Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The Harim shooping mall, where the attack occurred, is used by both Jews and Arabs from the surrounding area.

The terrorist’s mother reportedly warned security forces that she thought her son was planning an attack. But the warning was too late. Hamas praised the attack, while Palestinian Authority President Abbas apparently condemned all violence by Palestinians against Israel. Last night the IDF mapped the terrorist’s house for demolition. The house is in the the village of Yatta, near Hebron, which is a hotbed of terror activity and the home of many past terrorists.

Ari Fuld, 45, was a US citizen who immigrated to Israel and served in a combat unit in the IDF during the Second Lebanon War. He worked for Standing Together, a non-governmental organization that provides support to Israeli soldiers. He was known as a staunch advocate defender of Israel on social media and via speaking engagements throughout the world. He also recorded and distributed weekly videos with Torah thoughts and ideas. For the intro paragraph on his Facebook page he wrote, “Living the dream! I have a love for the Nation of Israel, Land of Israel and Torah of Israel.”

Fuld was buried in Gush Etzion late last night. Thousands of mourners attended the funeral. PM Netanyahu paid a visit to the house of mourning. Afterwards he said, “This evening I met the parents and siblings of the Israeli hero Ari Fuld. I embraced them in the name of the whole nation of Israel during this terrible time for them. We owe our lives to heroes like Ari. We will always remember him.”

Fuld’s sister-in-law said that Ari, “believed in the people of Israel, in the Land of Israel, according to the Torah of Israel. He loved the country, was an educator, a teacher, and persistently fought for the truth … The people of Israel and the Land of Israel lost a true knight today whose entire soul and actions were for the sanctity of God and the people of Israel.”

Fuld’s brother Hillel said, “My brother lived his life as a hero and died as a hero, he was a hero until the last moment.”

May his memory serve as a blessing. And may God bless Israel with peace.

To watch a full video of the emotional funeral click here.

Soldiers Wounded
Two IDF soldiers and a female officer from the mixed Karakal combat battalion were lightly wounded Sunday in the Qalandiya refugee camp by Palestinian stone throwers, when their bus accidentally entered the camp. The officer sustained injuries to her face and limbs caused by broken glass shards.

Border Police and Karakal forces—assisted by Palestinian policemen—extricated the bus from Qalandiya shortly after the Palestinian defense establishment and the IDF activated their rescue protocols.Border Police officers detained three Palestinian in their 20s and 30s suspected of attacking the bus. During the rioting, a Border Policemen suffered a head injury and evacuated to the hospital.

For further reading click here.

Frozen Funds
The US has decided to freeze all bank accounts belonging to the PLO in the US. The Palestinian envoy to the US Husam Zomlot also said on Sunday that his permit to stay in the US has been annulled, his families’ bank accounts have been closed and that he and his family have been requested by authorities to immediately leave the country.  This follows last week’s decision by the US administration to close the PLO mission in Washington.

For further reading click here.

Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins this Tuesday at sunset and lasts until nightfall on Wednesday. It is a day on which the Torah mandates that we “afflict” ourselves. We accomplish “affliction” by refraining from eating, drinking, wearing leather shoes, bathing for pleasure or engaging in marital relations. We spend then day asking God for forgiveness, but not nearly enough time asking the same from our fellow man. Let’s focus a bit more this year on treating our fellow man with the respect and dignity that every person deserves. In that merit, may we all be granted forgiveness and be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life.
Wishing you all an easy fast and a Gmar Chatima Tova.