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Israel News for April 27, 2017

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Trump Tax and Israel
US President Trump revealed a new tax plan that proposes to reduce corporate taxes from 35% to 15%. That’ll be great for US companies, but potentially not so great for Israel. Many Israeli startups that do most of their their business in the US may decide to incorporate in the US to take advantage of the favorable tax rate.

According to Jonathan Irom, a partner at the International and High Tech Department at the GKH law firm in Tel Aviv, “If the corporate tax rate in the US will be cut to 15% as proposed by Trump, this will put a lot of pressure on Israeli startups to succumb to investors’ demands and incorporate in the US.”

He explained, “Up until now the US tax rate was higher than in Israel — an average US rate of 35% compared to the Israeli rate of up to 25%. Israeli entrepreneurs have been able to use the lower tax rate as an excuse to incorporate here in Israel. But once the rate is cut in the US that excuse will no longer be valid, and this will drive a lot of startups to seriously consider incorporating in the US rather than in Israel. That means less foreign investment in Israel, less companies in Israel that are paying taxes locally and lower revenues from M&A deals under certain structures.”

Israel also stands to lose a significant amount of tax revenue from companies like Apple and Google who have recognized income in Israel because of lower tax rates. With the drop in US rates the companies will move their profits back to the US, which is exactly what Trump wants.

The Israeli government is working on a new plan to significantly lower corporate taxes. But will it be good enough to compete against the Trump tax cuts?

For further reading click here.

Trump Visit
President Trump is expected to visit Israel next month, and he won’t be coming alone. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as well as US Ambassador David Friedman and Jared and Ivanka, will accompany the president on his visit.

For further reading click here. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4954695,00.html

Another UNESCO Vote
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is set to vote on Tuesday, Israel’s Independence Day, on a resolution against Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. Despite efforts by the Israeli Foreign Ministry to convince countries to vote against it, the resolution is expected to pass. The US administration is also working to pressure UNESCO and the member nations to postpone the vote or to oppose it.

For further reading click here.

Gaza Skirmish
Israeli troops patrolling near the Gaza border cam under fire yesterday from Gaza. None of the soldiers were hit or injured. Shortly after, in response, an IDF tank destroyed a Hamas position in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza. Although no terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack against the soldiers, Israel holds Hamas responsibility for all military activity within Gaza.

For further reading click here.

Cyber Attack Foiled
The National Cyber Authority (NCA) announced that it recently blocked a massive cyber attack on Israeli businesses and infrastructure. According to the authority, the attacker posed online as a legitimate organization, sending emails in the name of that organization while simultaneously trying to attack about 210 other organizations, government ministries, public bodies, and private individuals.

In response to the attack, the NCA said it will publish instructions for individuals, businesses, and government ministries to protect themselves against technology attacks.

For further reading click here.

NBA in Israel
The NBA is preparing to head to Israel this summer to run its Basketball Without Borders program. The camp will take place from Aug. 13-16 in Netanya. The top teenagers from over 30 countries, including Israel, Spain, Germany and France, will get coaching and tutoring from NBA and FIBA players, coaches and former stars, including former Spurs All-Star David Robinson. The teens will also perform community outreach in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Kathy Behrens, NBA president of social responsibility and player programs, said, “We’re looking forward to the chance to bring all communities together for this program. This is going to be about bringing the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Druze and other communities together.”

Regarding Israel she said, “It’s a country that loves basketball. I think they will be a great host. It has an extraordinarily rich history. So I think the people who are going to be at the camp participating will learn a lot and certainly appreciate that aspect of it.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for April 4, 2017

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

For further reading click here.

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

For further reading click here.

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

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

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

For further reading click here.

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

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

For further reading click here.

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

To view the video click here.

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

To view the Kotel Cam in action click here.

Israel News for March 31, 2017

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New Settlement
The Security Cabinet unanimously approved the establishment of a new settlement for the former residents of Amona, which was evacuated last month. Other government ministers were contacted after the vote to obtain their approval. This is the first time in over 20 years that the government has decided to establish a new settlement. The former Amona residents praised the move.

A senior US administration official said that President Trump has accepted the construction of the new town as an exception to his request that Israel “hold off” on settlement construction.

The official said, “We would note that the Israeli prime minister made a commitment to the Amona settlers prior to President Trump laying out his expectations, and has consistently indicated that he intended to move forward with this plan. Going forward, and as we move into more detailed discussions regarding the possibilities for advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace, the Israeli government has made clear that Israel’s intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes President Trump’s concerns into consideration.”

A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the decision to build the new settlement saying, “The Secretary General has consistently stressed that there is no Plan B for Israelis and Palestinians to live together in peace and security. He condemns all unilateral actions that, like the present one, threaten peace and undermine the two-state solution.”

The Palestinian Authority as well as Peace Now also condemned the building of the new settlement.

For further reading click here.

Limiting Settlements
The Security Cabinet also decided last night to restrict all construction beyond the Green Line to within the boundaries of existing settlements. The decision comes after nearly three weeks of discussions with US officials in Israel and Washington. Sources said the decision was taken out of consideration of the position of US President Donald Trump, and that Israel will also significantly curb building to enable efforts to advance a diplomatic process with the Palestinians.

The decision implies that Israel will make every effort to build within existing settlements where possible. However, if no land is available within a settlement, then building will take place as close to the settlement as possible. So the decision basically bans the establishment of outposts or brand new settlements.

For further reading click here.

Pro BDS Jews
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) will kick off its national conference in Chicago today. According to its mission statement, the JVP “seeks an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem” and “a just solution for Palestinian refugees based on principles established in international law”, among other things. The organization has been a vocal supporter of the BDS movement.

One of the speakers at the conference will be convicted Palestinian terrorist Rasmea Odeh, who participated in two bombings in Jerusalem in 1969 in which two were killed and nine injured. Odeh was released in a prisoner exchange in the 1980s. She later moved to the US, but in 2014 she was convicted by a US federal jury of immigration fraud, for concealing her arrest, conviction and imprisonment for the 1969 bombings. Last week, she agreed to plead guilty to this.

In response to outrage over Odeh’s participation in the conference, the JVP said that it is honored and proud to feature her and that, “The accusations against Odeh stem from a context of long-standing anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim persecution by both the Israeli state and the United States, policies which are escalating under the Trump administration.”

Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said: “The JVP is an antisemitic organization which incites against Israel. It regularly cooperates with extremist organizations which seek Israel’s destruction. It is inexcusable that the organization chose to host at its conference a terrorist who was convicted for her involvement in murdering two Israeli students.

I will continue to lead a determined struggle against those who seek to harm Israel and undermine its legitimacy. As a Jew I am ashamed that a conference that is filled with hatred for Israel, and whose sole purpose is to harm the homeland of the Jewish people, is led by a Jewish organization.”

For further reading click here.

Flight Compensation
If you’ve been stuck at the airport waiting for an El Al flight that’s been delayed, you might have some recourse. The Rehovot Magistrates Court has ordered EL AL to pay NIS 92,000 to 35 passengers (NIS 2,050 each) who’s flight to Moscow was delayed for 17 hours.

According to the Aviation Services Law, compensation is awarded based on the length of the flight. The law exempts airlines from paying compensation in cases in which the cancelation or delay of a flight was caused by “special circumstances.”

El Al did provide the passengers with dinner and hotel rooms.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for March 7, 2017

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Terror Stabbing
A 40 year old Haredi resident of Betar Illit (located near Jerusalem in the West Bank) was getting his car fixed at an Arab garage in the area. When the repair was done and Arab man asked him for a lift. Thinking that he was a worker at the garage, the Haredi man agreed. Before reaching a checkpoint the Arab asked to get out. But before he left he took out a knife and stabbed the driver in the side. He then fled the scene. The Haredi man was treated by paramedics at the checkpoint and then evacuated to Sharei Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem. The incident is under investigation.

For further reading click here.

Military Appeal
The Military Advocate General has filed an appeal against the lenient 18 month sentence given to IDF soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter after allegedly shooting dead a wounded Palestinian terrorist in Hebron.

According to the appeal, “The prosecution will argue that according to the law, the respondent (Azaria) should receive a harsher sentence, and his punishment should be 36 to 60 months, or the punishment determined by the minority opinion at the military court (30 months).”

The appeal also noted, “In its verdict, the military court delivered a decisive and clear message about the sanctity of life and the purity of arms, and emphasized that the needless killing of a person, even if he is a terrorist, is illegal, morally wrong and goes against the IDF’s values.”
 
For further reading click here.

No Entry
The Knesset has passed a bill denying entry visas to anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident in Israel, if he, or the organization or body for which he works, knowingly and publicly calls to boycott Israel or who participated in a boycott against Israel. The new law is a blow to the BDS movement.

The law passed despite vehement opposition. MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) slammed the bill as one “which opposes freedom of expression, serves as political censorship and is designed to silence dissent.” MK Roy Folkman (Kulanu), one of the MK’s who proposed the bill, said that “we can feel national pride and also believe in human rights. We can defend Israel’s name and honor, and there’s no shame in it.”

For further reading click here.

Israeli Baseball
Israel’s national baseball team (yes, you heard right) has qualified for the the World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament in Seoul, South Korea , and it’s hitting the ball out of the park. Team Israel beat Korea 2-1 in ten innings on Monday and then smashed Chinese Taipei 15-7 today. Israel will take on the Netherlands tomorrow.

The WBC tournament is held every four years and includes 16 teams. The top two teams from each of the four groups in the tournament will advance to the second round of the World Baseball Classic next week in Japan.

Team Israel includes several current and former Jewish American Major League Baseball players. World Baseball Classic rules state that players who are eligible for citizenship of a country may play on that country’s team.

In an article published on Sunday, ESPN described the Israeli team as “the Jamaican bobsled team of the WBC.”

For further reading click here.

Holy Graves
As the holiday of Purim approaches, you might be interested to know that the tombs of Mordecai and Esther are located in the Iranian city of Hamedan and are visited by Iranian Jews and Moslems. The tomb of the Prophet Habakuk is also located in the Iranian city of Shushan, the ancient Persian capital made famous in the Book of Esther.

There is a Chassidic rabbi from Israel who travels to Arab countries to inspect and pray at the graves of holy Jews located there. He has been to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and even Gaza.

To watch a short video about this fascinating story click here.

Israel News for February 9, 2017

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ISIS Attacks Eilat
Last night at around 11:00pm four rockets were fired at Eilat from Sinai. Three of the rockets were intercepted and destroyed by the Iron Dome missile defense system. One rocket fell in an open area causing no injuries or damage. Four individuals were reportedly treated for shock.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and released a statement saying, “A number of rockets were launched at Jewish centers in Eilat, known as Umm Rashrash. The Jews and Crusaders should know that the war of the apostles will not save them in any way.”

Meanwhile, the Egyptian military reportedly attacked a tunnel on it’s border with Gaza, killing two and injuring five. The tunnel is alleged to be controlled by ISIS and used to smuggle weapons. ISIS reportedly controls all of the tunnels used for smuggling weapons on the Egyptian-Gaza border.

Earlier Wednesday evening, a mortar shell fired from a tank in Syria exploded in open territory in the Golan Heights along Israel’s northern border, prompting the IDF to attack a Syrian army post in retaliation.
 
For further reading click here.

German Trust
In response to the Knesset’s passage of the Regulation Bill, which legalizes the confiscation of privately owned Palestinian land that has settlements built on it, the German Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying, “Many in Germany who stand by Israel and feel great commitment toward it find themselves deeply disappointed by this move. Our trust in the Israeli government’s commitment to the two-state solution has been fundamentally shaken.”

The statement concluded with, “In view of the many reservations which the Israeli attorney general, among others, has affirmed once more, it would be good if the bill could soon undergo a critical legal review. We hope and expect that the Israeli government will renew its commitment to a negotiated two-state solution and underpin this with practical steps.”

The EU, UK and France have also issued statements against the new law. The US has remained silent. It’s still unclear what the US administration’s official position is regarding the two-state solution. The truth is, we’re not even sure what PM Netanyahu’s real position is on the issue. Things should hopefully clear up after Trump and Netanyahu meet on Feb. 15th.

The Regulation Law is expected to be challenged in the Supreme Court and overthrown on the basis of its being contrary to international law. The Attorney General has stated that he will not defend the law before the court.

For further reading click here.

Russian Promise
Russian Ambassador to Israel, Alexander Shane, said that his country is working to prevent the transfer of Russian weapons to Hezbollah. According to Shane, Israel presented red lines to the Russians about events in Syria, the most important of which were the transfer of modern, advanced weapons to Hezbollah and the establishment of an anti-Israel base with Iran in the Syrian Golan. He said, “Russia promised Israel that Russian weapons will not make it to Hezbollah.”

As Hezbollah is a proxy of Iran, impeding Hezbollah could be a way for Russia to show the US that it is working against Iran, even though it is clearly cooperated with the Iranians in its Syrian campaign.

For further reading click here.

 

Foreign Ministry
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has been facing budget constraints, which has led to embassy and consular closings. Over the past year, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has closed four missions—El Salvador, the Caribbean Islands, Marseille and Philadelphia—leaving the country with 98 embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions in addition to four representative offices. That leaves Israel’s total diplomatic missions at 102, which is one less than the number of diplomatic mission’s of the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, while Israel only has representation in 78 countries, the Palestinians are represented in 95 countries.

For further reading click here.

Haredi Protests
Earlier this week hundreds of Haredi protesters, members of the radical Jerusalem faction, engaged in violent protests in Jerusalem over the arrest of a yeshiva student for desertion from the IDF and against serving in the IDF in general. Sixty seven people sere arrested and several policemen were injured. In response, Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) has begun work to cancel the draft deferment agreement and financial subsidies with two yeshivas, whose students were the prime agitators in the protest riots.

Lieberman said, “I do not agree under any circumstances for riots and incitement against IDF soldiers to become part of our daily routine. The very existence of these protests against the draft undermines the authority of the state and we will not allow this phenomenon, or the intimidation of those who wish to draft, to occur. We will work within the framework of a range of possibilities open to us at the Ministry of Defense and other government ministries to work against those who participate in such actions against the IDF to ensure they receive no relief or benefits.”
 
For further reading click here.

Airport Bus
Starting next week Bus No. 485, operated by the Afikim company, will travel directly from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport. The line will operate 24 hours a day, cost NIS 16 and have wireless internet. The bus will make several stops in Jerusalem before heading directly to the airport. There is currently no direct bus service from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion. The new railway line connecting the capital with the airport is not expected to be completed for at least another year.

For further reading click here.

Chassidic Dance
Dancing at Chassidic weddings is strictly gender segregated. But there’s one exception in which the bride and groom actually do a dance together. If you don’t believe me, here’s a video of a bride a groom doing their dance, while the Bobover Rebbe joins them — sort of.

To watch the video click here.

Israel News for January 31, 2017

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Jordan in DC
Yesterday Jordan’s King Abdullah held private meeting with US VP Pence followed by a meeting with US Defense Secretary James Mattis at the Pentagon. Among other issues, like the fight against ISIS and the war in Syria, the King discussed the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the proposal to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. Trump is expected to greet Abdullah at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday.

Abdullah is the first Arab leader to meet with the new US administration. He will apparently not be meeting with the president. PM Netanyahu is due to meet with Trump on February 15th.

When announcing Netanyahu’s upcoming visit, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters,
“I think that with respect to Israel and the Jewish people specifically, there’s been no better friend than Donald Trump when it comes to protecting Israel, building a better friendship with Israel. You look at what Prime Minister Netanyahu’s talked about: He welcomes this administration. He appreciates the friendship and respect that he has shown to Israel and the Jewish people.”
 
For further reading click here.

Embassy Move
President Trump discussed the issue of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem in a recent interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. He said, “We’re studying it very long and hard. You know it’s a very big decision because every president for the last number of presidents, large number, they’ve come in and they were going to do it and then all of a sudden they decide they don’t want to get involved. I’ve always liked the concept of doing it, I will tell you that.”

He also said, “We are doing very detailed studies on that, and we’ll come out very soon. I hate to do that because that’s not usually me — studies — usually I do what’s right. But this has two sides to it; it’s not easy, and I will make a decision over the not-too-distant future.”

Do you think Trump will move the US embassy to Jerusalem?

For further reading click here.

Pathetic Reaction
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer called the reaction of Jewish groups to the omission of Jews from the Presidents Holocaust Remembrance Day statement, which was apparently written by Jewish aide Boris Epshteyn, “pathetic”. We’ve already said our piece regarding this in yesterday’s issue, so if you want to read more about Spicer’s statement click here.

Bus Crash Heroes
Last week’s tragic bus crash that killed two passengers and injured seven also produced some unlikely heroes. Moments after the Egged bus broke through the barrier and tumbled down a thousand foot cliff, the twelve members of the Azzeh family, a Palestinian family living in a nearby village were rushing down the hill in their pajamas to help.

After calling authorities to report the crash the family members did what they could to help the wounded until rescue teams arrived. Then they worked together with the rescue workers throughout the night.

Jamal, Samih, and other members of the Azzeh family said they didn’t think about the broader political context around them when they went to aid the bus crash victims. “We acted because the victims of the bus crash are people. Our lord does not allow us not to help them. It did not matter that they were Jews – we would have helped anyone.”

Jamal added that he and his wife believe it is important to consider other people’s humanity before anything else. “We grew up with the values of love, tolerance and peace, and we teach our kids these values as well. We gain nothing from despising and hating others.”

The Azzeh family have received numerous phone calls of thanks along with visits from IDF and security officials. The army coordinator’s office also presented them with certificates of appreciation for their heroic actions.

Most of their neighbors have praised their actions, while a small number criticized them for helping Jews.

For further reading click here.

Israel Books
If you’re searching for any book on Israel or the Holocaust, Click here. We get a small commission for anything you buy on Amazon for a full 24 hours after you use the link. In other words, if you end up buying a computer and lawnmower, we get the commission on that too. It’s a great way to support us while getting great deals on your shopping. And it doesn’t cost you a cent! So please use this link for all your Amazon shopping.

Israel News for January 27, 2017

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Bus Tragedy
An Egged passenger bus (462) traveling from Jerusalem to Ariel yesterday veered off of Route 60 during stormy weather and fell 300 meters (1000 ft.) off a cliff into a ravine near the settlement of Eli. Two men were killed and seven injured. One of those killed was the bus driver, 37-year-old Avishai Kroani from Ariel, a husband and father of five. The other person killed was Ofir Rahmanov, a 23 year old resident of the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem.

United Hatzalah volunteer, Michael Chai Cohen, who arrived on scene stated: “We had to walk for 10 minutes in the rain and mud until we reached the bus. We requested helicopters to help evacuate the injured. Unfortunately, upon arrival, we found several victims who were unconscious and without a pulse. Others sustained varying degrees of injuries.”

To see photos of the crash and rescue click here.

Embassy Move
When asked about moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, President Trump told Fox News today, “I don’t want to talk about it yet. It’s too early.” Apparently it’s a bit more complicated than he thought when he promised, “We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem,” at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in March.

Regarding the $221 million that was transferred  to the Palestinian Authority by former President Obama shortly before Trump was sworn in as president, the president said “We’re going to see what happens. I don’t want to talk about it.” But yesterday PA officials announced that they have already received the money, so it’s unclear what Trump could do about it now.

Regarding the importance of repairing the US-Israel relationship, Trump responded,  “It is repaired. It was repaired the minute I spoke to Netanyahu.”

For further reading click here.

Aliyah Drop
In 2016, a total of 27,000 people immigrated to Israel versus 31,000 in 2015, according to Immigration Ministry numbers. That represents a 13% decline in the overall rate of Aliyah. Around 7,000 immigrants were from Russia, 5,500 from Ukraine, 5,000 from France, 2,900 from the US and hundreds from Brazil, UK, Belarus and South Africa.

For further reading click here.

Iceland Flights
Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW Air has requested slots from the Israel Airports Authority for six weekly flights between Ben Gurion International Airport and Icelandic capital Reykjavik. WOW is planning to start the flights in June.

WOW Air hopes not only to encourage tourism between Israel and Iceland but primarily to eat into the lucrative Israel – North America stopover flight market. Passengers traveling from Tel Aviv to Reykjavik will then have the choice of vacationing in Iceland or travelling onto nine locations in Canada and the US: Montreal and Toronto, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

For further reading click here.

Holocaust Remembrance
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in 1945 by the Russian army. The day was designated by the UN in 2008.

As part of Holocaust Remembrance Day I’d like to share the story of my own family.

My father’s family lived in a small town called Mosciska in Eastern Poland, which is today part of the Ukraine. The town had around 2,500 hundred Jews, about half of the entire population, included scores of our relatives.

Not long after the Nazis occupied Mosciska in the summer of 1941, they launched an aktzia to roundup the Jews, most of whom were deported or murdered. My father, who was then 8 yrs old, hid in the fields along with his older sister and mother. My grandfather hid in the forest, but was captured by a farmer and taken to the train station. Luckily, the train had already left and he ended up being released. The family moved into the ghetto along with all of the remaining Jews.

At that point my grandparents decided to send my father away to hide with a Christian woman in a city in central Poland. There he posed as her nephew for over two years. Meanwhile, my grandmother’s uncle and his son had gone into hiding (after his wife and other children were murdered) with a Polish farmer in the area. He arranged for another farmer, who had been employed by our family, to hide them.

To make a very long story very short, for the next two years my grandmother and grandfather, along with their daughter (my aunt), and my grandfather’s two single brothers, hid in a barn behind a secret wall they constructed. Unlike most Jews who attempted to hide in Poland and the Ukraine, they survived.

After liberation they picked up my father and went on to build a new life in America. Other than one of my grandmother’s sisters who survived in a labor camp with her husband, where she gave birth to her first child, and my grandmother’s uncle and his son, the rest of our very large family perished in the Holocaust.

My mother was just 2 yrs old when the Nazis attacked Warsaw in 1939. My grandparents decided to flee the city. They ended up in Uzbekistan with thousands of other Jewish refugees. My grandfather joined the Polish People’s Army (communist). He fought on the front lines to help drive the Nazis out of Poland. After the war they returned to Poland where they lived for over 10 years until immigrating to Canada. Other than one of my grandfather’s six brothers and one of my grandmothers sisters, their entire families perished in the Holocaust.

May the memories of the millions of martyrs be blessed and remain with us forever.

Holocaust Resistence
In commemoration of Intenational Holocaust Remembrance Day we wanted to recommend an excellent book called Isaac’s Army: A Story of Courage and Survival in Nazi-Occupied Polandby Matthew Brzezinski, that recounts the gripping story of Jewish resisitence in the Warsaw Ghetto and afterwards through the eyes of several fighters. To read more reviews and get the book, click here



If you’re searching for any book on Israel or the Holocaust, Click here. We get a small commission for anything you buy on Amazon for a full 24 hours after you use the link. In other words, if you end up buying a computer and lawnmower, we get the commission on that too. It’s a great way to support us while getting great deals on your shopping. And it doesn’t cost you a cent! So please use this link for all your Amazon shopping.

Israel News for January 20, 2017

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Embassy Move
The incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer held his first news conference yesterday during which he told reporters to “stay tunes” for details on Trump’s plan to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. He said, “There will be a further announcement on that. The president has made clear that Israel has not gotten the respect it deserves.”

Spicer said that Trump had been consulting with his choice for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, on whether to make the move.

Friedman is the only one of the three who has publicly stated his desire to move the embassy. Do Kushner and Tillerson agree?

Would moving the embassy immediately be a good negotiating tactic in what Trump has called the toughest negotiation ever, or would the mere threat of moving it be a more powerful tool to pressure the Palestinians into making a deal?

Regarding Kushner’s potential to succeed at his new role as Senior White House advisor with a special focus on the Middle East, Trump addressed Kushner saying, “If you can’t produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can. OK. All my life I’ve been hearing that’s the toughest deal in the world to make. And I’ve seen it, but I have a feeling that Jared is going to do a great job.” [Looks like Trump is feeling some “nachas”]

If you’re wondering what the leftist academics think about Trump and his Jewish advisors and supporter, here’s what Columbia University Professor of Modern Arab Studies Rashid Khalidi recently said:

“So they have a vision whereby the occupied territories aren’t occupied, they have a vision whereby there is no such thing as the Palestinians, they have a vision whereby international law doesn’t exist, they have a vision whereby the United States can unilaterally cancel a decision in the United Nations.

And unfortunately, these people infest the Trump transition team, these people are going to infest our government as of January 20. And they are hand in glove with a similar group of people in the Israeli government and Israeli political life who think that whatever they think can be imposed on reality.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians participated in PA sponsored demonstrations against the planned embassy move in Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron.

For further reading click here.

Better Travel
Traveling between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem just got a lot easier and safer with the opening of the new Harel Tunnels on Highway 1. The road, which connects Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is infamous for its extreme curves and traffic congestion. The new tunnels, which run under the city of Mevasseret Zion and the most dangerous stretch of road, will hopefully change that.

At a ribbon cutting event PM Netanyahu said, “The Harel Tunnels that we are inaugurating, together with a bridge that eliminates the dangerous curve, which they called the curve of death — and with the train that will soon run on these tracks — all these will provide a boost for Jerusalem.”

According to estimates by the Transportation Ministry, the tunnels and bridge are expected to cut travel time from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to about 30 minutes (from about 50) if there is no traffic congestion. [That’s a big if.]

For further reading click here.

Must See
Israeli artist Shahak Shapira has created a unique online collection of images called “Yolocaust”, which communicates a clear and shocking message. The photos are of people taking selfies at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin. But when you mouse over the image, something happens. Instead of explaining it to you, you need to see it for yourself. Click here.

Israel Books
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Israel News for January 19, 2017

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New Missile System
After years of research and development, the Ministry of Defense Homa Administration (Israel Missile Organization), part of the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, and the US Missile Defense Agency delivered the first new Arrow 3 advanced air defense system interceptors to Israel air force air defense units.

The Arrow 3 can intercept ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads while they are still in outer space. That means if someone (like Iran?) launches a nuclear missile at Israel, the Arrow 3 can intercept and destroy it before it reenters the atmosphere, thus avoiding any damage or fallout from the explosion. In the event that the Arrow 3 misses, the Arrow 2 missile defense system will kick into action and get the job done. Of course, there’s always Iron Dome as a last resort.

For further reading click here.

Funeral and Protest
Hundreds attended the funeral of Sgt. Maj. Erez Levi, the police officer who was killed in yesterday’s terror car ramming attack in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran. Levi leaves behind a widow and two small children.

Police were in the village to carry out demolition orders on several illegally built structures when the terrorist rammed his car into them, killing Levi and injuring 5 others including another police officer and an Arab MK. The terrorist was shot and killed. Several Arab MKs participated in the protest and violence against police in Umm al-Hiran.

Many Arab communities have called a general strike today to protest the demolitions. The Arab Monitoring Committee also announced three days of mourning as an expression of solidarity with the family of the car rammer, claiming that he was not a terrorist but just someone killed intentionally by police.

For further reading click here.

Trump Forgets Not
Donald Trump spoke to Yisrael Hayom reporter Boaz Bismuth in Washington yesterday who asked him, “You haven’t forgotten your promise about the embassy in Jerusalem?” Trump replied, “Of course I remember what I told you about Jerusalem. Of course I haven’t forgotten and you know I’m not a person to breach promises.“ Trump added, “I can’t wait to start working with Israel. At the end of the week the relationship between us begins in earnest.”

For further reading click here.

PA Vacation
If you’re using the travel website hotelcombined.com to plan your next vacation getaway to Israel, you might end up in Palestinian territory. That’s because several luxury hotels in the Palestinian Authority are getting rave reviews on the site.

One of the leading PA hotels is Movenpick, a 170 room five-star hotel in Ramallah, which received a near-perfect rating of 9.6 from the website. The rating weighs indices such as cleanliness, service, diversity of facilities and services, and meals.

Another five star Ramallah hotel, the Palestine Plaza, received a 9.0 rating. It’s 100 rooms are located on the 15th to 20th floors of the tallest building in the PA.

If you’re looking for a more pilgrimage oriented experience, the Jacir Intercontinental, a five-star hotel in Bethlehem, rated 8.9. The 250-room hotel offers its guests a tennis court, heated swimming pool, spa, and nightclub.

A night in one of these hotels can run you anywhere from NIS 440 to over NIS 1,000 per night. Tourists are coming from abroad as well as from Israel.

Apparently things aren’t as bad as you think in the PA.

[But I’d recommend sticking with Tel Aviv and Jerusalem over Ramallah and Bethlehem, for so many reasons…]

For further reading click here.

Israel Books
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Israel News for January 18, 2017

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Ramming Attack
A Bedouin, believed to be a member of the Islamic Movement terror group, rammed his car into police early this morning in the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in southern Israel. Israeli police officer Sgt. Maj. Erez Levi, 34, was killed. Five people were wounded including another policeman and Arab MK Ayman Odeh, the head of the Joint List party. The terrorist was shot dead.

The police and security forces had arrived at the village to carry out demolition orders against several illegally constructed homes. Residents of the village also fired on the police, who returned fire. Police described the attack as similar to the one in Jerusalem last week, where a terrorist rammed his truck into soldiers.

For further reading click here.

Stabbing Attack
Last night a terrorist holding a knife charged at soldiers manning a checkpoint near Tulkarm. The soldiers from the Home Front Command’s Shahar Battalion warned him to stop. When he did not, the battalion’s deputy commander, a major, shot at the terrorist and killed him.

To watch a video of the attack click here.

Ma’aleh Adumim
MK Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi) announced in the Knesset that the Ministerial Committee on Legislation will debate a bill, on Sunday, to annex Ma’aleh Adumim. The city of over 37,000, considered to be a settlement, is located just minutes to the east of Jerusalem along Highway 1 in the West Bank (Judea).

Right-wing lawmakers believe there is enough support in the Knesset for its passage, given that the government and many Israelis hold that Ma’aleh Adumim will be part of Israel’s final borders in any final status agreement with the Palestinians. The debate on the annexation bill taking place days after the inauguration of Donald Trump is no coincidence.

But will Trump support annexation? Does it fit into his negotiation strategy? Is pushing the issue just days into his new administration such a good idea?

For further reading click here.

Brazil Approves Ambassador
After a year and a half without one, Israel finally has an ambassador in Brazil. The Brazilian government approved Israel’s appointee Yossi Shelly, a close confidant of PM Netanyahu. Brazil refused to endorse Israel’s original appointee, Dani Dayan, because of his history as a settlement leader. Dayan is now serving as Consul General of Israel in New York.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement following Shelly’s nomination, saying that it marks a new chapter in the two countries’ relationship, and that the nomination is sure to strengthen their ties in the fields of trade and commerce.

For further reading click here.

Traffic Fines
The Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee approved an order yesterday to increase punishments for serious crimes, including traffic violations. Drivers who run a red light will now be fined NIS 1,500. However, failing to yield to pedestrians will only cost drivers NIS 250. Last year 376 Israelis died in traffic accidents. Will stricter fines help?

For further reading click here.

Israel Books
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