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search for TA terrorist

Israel News for January 4, 2016

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New Attacks
There were three terror attacks yesterday. A 20 yr. old female soldier was shot and wounded near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Shortly after, a Palestinian attacked a man with a knife at a bus stop in the Armon Hanetziv neighborhood of Jerusalem. The man was not injured and the assailant fled but was later captured by police. Later that evening, a soldier was shot in the leg by an assailant from a distance, in the South Hebron Hills. The IDF is searching for the shooter.

For further reading click here.

Search Continues
Police continue to search for the Arab Israeli terrorist who killed two and injured eight in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv on Friday. The search is now primarily confined to the northern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Ramat Aviv, where the terrorist worked as a delivery man and knows the streets and some of the residents. Police believe that he got into a cab at some point after the shooting and then proceeded to kill the cab driver, also an Arab Israeli, before continuing on foot.

Police have also reached out to the Palestinian Authority for help in apprehending the terrorist, in the event that they have intelligence information or that he might have escaped into their territory. The PA is cooperating.

Schools in Tel Aviv remain open and the majority of children are attending, although security has been tightened.

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Two Funerals
The two victims of Friday’s terror attack in Tel Aviv were laid to rest yesterday.

In Karmiel, over 2,000 people attended the funeral of Alon Bakal, 26, the manager at the Hasimta bar on Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Street where the attack occurred.

Bakal served in an elite unit of the Golani Brigade during his IDF service. He had recently graduated from law school in Netanya and moved to Tel Aviv, where he had been due to start working at a law office. Deputy Interior Minister Yaron Mazuz and Yesh Atid Chairman Knesset Member Yair Lapid were among the mourners.

In Ofakim, a large crowd attended the funeral of Shimon Ruimi, 30. Among the mourners were Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis and Ofakim Mayor Itzik Danino.

Ruimi’s aunt, Mor Peretz, eulogized him as “the child of life, our hero, righteous and smart.” She added, “You were killed by an evil person because you were a Jew. May God avenge you.”

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PM Warns Arabs
A while back we reported on efforts by a special unit of the police to crack down on guns in Arab Israeli communities. Over the weekend, PM Netanyahu called on increased law enforcement in Arab areas in the wake of Friday’s terror attack committed by an Israeli Arab. He said that the times of lax law enforcement in Arab areas is over.

The PM said that he, along with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Police Inspector General Roni Alsheich, put together a plan to dramatically increase law enforcement services in Arab areas throughout the country, including building more police stations and recruiting more police officers.

He said, “We will demand loyalty to the laws of the state from everyone. One cannot say ‘I am Israeli in my rights and Palestinian in my responsibilities.’ Whoever wants to be Israeli, must be Israeli all the way, with rights and responsibilities, and the first and foremost responsibility is to follow the laws of the state.”

Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid also called for increased efforts to collect illegal firearms.

He said, “We have to take care of the problem of guns in the Arab population.There are massive quantities of weapons going around… and the time has come to take care of it. We cannot continue ignoring it.”

Lapid said law enforcement should be doubled in Arab areas, including increasing police stations, in order to collect the illegal guns. Lapid also wrote on Facebook that all citizens with gun licenses should not leave their homes without their firearms.

Many other public officials also have encouraged civilians who have gun permits to carry their weapons with them wherever they go.

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Duma Indictment
After a four month long investigation into the deadly arson attack against a Palestinian family in Duma, which claimed the lives of an 18 month old and his parents, the Central District Attorney’s Office filed indictments against two Jewish suspects with the Lod District Court yesterday.

Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein and head State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan personally approved the indictments filed by prosecutors Rahel Avisar and Yael Atzmon.

Amir Ben Uliel, a 21 yr. old from Jerusalem, was charged with three murder charges and a variety of other charges and could face multiple life sentences. A 17 year old was also indicted on one count of conspiring to commit a nationalistically motivated crime, but his name remains under a gag order since he is a minor. He had planned the attack with Uliel but, at the last minute, failed to show up to carry out the attack.

Police say that the suspects were part of a radical group dubbed the “Revolt Group.” The group’s main objective is to cause chaos in Israel that would lead to the fall of the government and to the crowning of a king. The group seeks to do that by undermining Jewish-Arab relations, as well as Israel’s standing in the world.

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Egypt Returns
Egypt’s new ambassador to Israel arrived in the country on Friday. Egypt withdrew its ambassador from Israel in November 2012 to protest the Israeli offensive against Gaza, Operation Pillar of Defense. At the time, Egypt was led by Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

PM Netanyahu said, “I welcome his arrival and the re-stationing here of an Egyptian ambassador to Israel, something that will enable us to further strengthen relations with this important and key Arab country.”

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Terror attack thwarted

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Two minors aged 12 and 13 from a Palestinian village north of Jerusalem were caught today in downtown Jerusalem carrying knives. According to the police investigation the two were planning to carry out a stabbing attack in the area.

The two boys were seen wandering around downtown Jerusalem at around 6pm this evening Israel time. Their behavior aroused suspicions of passersby and police who stopped them for questioning. The police officers noticed they had their hands in their pockets so they searched the boys and found knives in their possession. The two suspects were taken away for questioning.

The Riot Police commander in charge of the officers who caught the boys said “the professionalism of the police officers probably prevented a terror attack and innocent people from getting hurt”.

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israel news

Israel News for December 21, 2015

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Shalom Resigns
Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom has resigned following several allegations of sexual assault. The allegations by a former employee at Shalom’s office first came to light in a Haaretz report last week. Since then, several other women have also alleged that the minister sexually assaulted them.

Shalom denies the allegations. He said in a statement, “For some 23 years I have been faithfully serving the public as a MK and minister in different ministries, out of a sense of purpose and a drive to promote very important social and public goals. I had enough of the torments that befell me and my family, my wife, kids, and my elderly mother. My family completely supports me, but there is no reason for the price they are forced to pay. Under these circumstances, I decided to resign from my position as a minister and a member of parliament.”

Channel 10 News broadcasted the testimony of one of Shalom’s former bodyguards last night. He told of two incidents that he witnessed Shalom having intimate relations with women in toilet stalls. In one of the two cases he recognized one of the women as an employee in the minister’s office.

After meeting with the head of Police investigations last night, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has decided to order the police to investigate the allegations.

Attorney Amir Ohana, head of the Likud’s LGBT caucus, will take Shalom’s place in the Knesset and will be the first openly gay MK from Likud.

For further reading click here.

Israeli Payback
An Israeli airstrike near Damascus on Saturday night killed Samir Kuntar, a Hezbollah terrorist leader who had been working to set up Syrian resistance groups to “liberate” the Golan Heights. Seven other terrorists were killed along with Kuntar in the airstrike, including senior Hezbollah field commanders. The Syrian government has not blamed Israel for the airstrike, probably out of a desire to avoid a conflict with Israel. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the airstrike.

Kuntar spent 30 years in an Israeli prison for one of the most heinous crimes in Israeli history. Kuntar was 16 and a member of the Palestinian Liberation Front when he killed a policeman and kidnapped and murdered Danny Haran and beat his 4 year old daughter to death with a rifle butt. During the attack, the girl’s mother hid in a crawl space inside their home and accidentally smothered their crying two year old daughter, fearing Kuntar would find them.

In 2008 Kuntar was released as part of a prisoner exchange with Hezbollah. He received a hero’s welcome in Lebanon and was awarded Syria’s highest medal by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

In an apparent revenge attack, three rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon yesterday. Lebanese sources said that the rockets were fired from a location south of Tyre.

The IDF responded to the rocket attack with “targeted artillery fire.” Let’s hope there are no more revenge attacks so that this doesn’t escalate into a full blown conflict.

For further reading click here.

Duma Suspects
Hundreds of protesters attempted to block the entrance to Jerusalem at the Chords Bridge yesterday. Six people were arrested in disturbances that erupted during the protests.

The demonstrators were protesting the treatment of the three Jewish suspects being held in the Duma arson case. They claim that the Shin Bet has tortured the men during its month long investigation and interrogation.

One suspect reportedly told his attorney that interrogators were bending his back, holding him upside down for extended periods of time, and other forms of torture. He supposedly told the lawyer that he had begged interrogators for poison so his suffering would end. Another of the suspects, who is a minor, is reported to have attempted suicide by slitting his wrists.

Since the Duma case is still under gag order, the details of the investigation and treatment of the suspects has not been released by the press.

For further reading click here.

Shabbat Fines
The Knesset’s ministerial legislative committee approved a bill prohibiting businesses from operating on Shabbat. The proposed bill would fine violators three times their revenue earned for the day. The businesses would also be liable to be sued by competitors claiming damages due to the Shabbat violation.

The bill is meant to replace local municipal Shabbat by-laws and will give the Economy Minister authority to appoint inspectors to enforce the law and to issue exemptions. The bill would not apply to restaurants, gas stations, hotels or places of entertainment. It would apply to food stores, retail stores and shopping malls.

The bill was proposed after the High Court of Justice found that the Tel Aviv municipality was not enforcing its Shabbat laws. If passed, it will take Shabbat regulations out of the hands of local government and make it a national matter. The Knesset has also appointed a committee to investigate the possibility of making Sunday into a national day of rest.

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Doll Policy
A few weeks ago we reported that a shipment of 4,000 terrorist dolls were confiscated at the Port of Haifa, on their way to the West Bank. Each of the 4,000 stuffed children’s dolls seized wears a keffiyeh, holds a rock in its hand, and bears the slogans ‘Jerusalem is ours’ or ‘Jerusalem, we are coming!’

Instead of just destroying them, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely decided to use them to show the world how the Palestinians incite violence, even using toys. So she ordered samples of the dolls distributed to all Israeli embassies. The Foreign Ministry sent the dolls via diplomatic mail, accompanied by instructions for demonstrating them.

At least one ambassador is not pleased with the decision. Dan Ashbel, the Israeli Ambassador to Finland wrote that, “sending more than 100 such dolls to our embassies abroad could expose us to demands for payment from the importers. Pictures of the dolls are sufficient as is the dismaying fact that there are people producing, selling and buying such dolls. Please refrain from using these dolls for demonstration purposes.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News Hanukkah Menorah Kotel

Israel News for December 14, 2015

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Terror Attack
A Palestinian woman tried to stab an Israeli in the Givat Avot neighborhood of Hebron yesterday. She was shot and critically wounded by soldiers. No Israeli casualties were reported.

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IDF Vet in ISIS
An Israeli security official confirmed a media report that an IDF veteran has joined ISIS in Syria. Wallah News identified the man as a Muslim from an Arab village in northern Israel who served in Givati, the elite infantry brigade that often operated in Gaza. Recent ISIS videos have featured Hebrew speaking Arab terrorists, presumably from Israel. Now they’ve scored one with some quality military experience. Let’s hope he doesn’t live long enough to use it.

For further reading click here.

Gaza Strikes
The Israeli air force last night struck two targets affiliated with Hamas in Gaza in response to a rocket that was fired from Gaza into Israel earlier Sunday. Although the rocket exploded in an open field and did not cause any damage, it did force residents of the Israeli border communities to seek shelter and rattle their general sense of security. Israel’s message to Hamas was clear: you will be held responsible for everything that happens in your territory.

For further reading click here.

Cop Investigated
A counter terrorism police officer who shot and killed a sixteen year old female terrorist and injured her fourteen year old cousin in Jerusalem’s Mehane Yehuda market on November 23 is being investigated by the department’s internal affairs division for using excessive force. The two assailants stabbed and injured a seventy year old man with scissors.

The investigation was initiated by Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein based on allegations that the policeman continued shooting even after the terrorist no longer posed a danger. Footage of the incident shows the officer continuing to shoot at the terrorist while she is lying on the ground motionless.

The police officer’s defense attorney said that he followed standard protocol. He saw that the terrorists posed a clear and present danger and took action to neutralize them. He was also concerned that they might be wearing hidden explosives. The officer was released from questioning without any restrictions and was allowed to hold on to his firearms, an indicator that he will not be indicted.

Jewish Home MK Shuli Muallem and Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Leiberman vociferously opposed the investigation. Paraphrasing a Talmudic phrase, Leiberman said that “those who have mercy on a terrorist with scissors will in the end be cruel to the many Israelis who will be stabbed by those scissors…”

For further reading click here.

Commish Lights
Israel’s newly appointed police commissioner Roni Alshich lit the menorah at the kotel on the eighth night of Hanukkah along with Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Chief Rabbi of the Kotel Shmuel Rosenbaum. Before the actual candle-lighting, Alshich presented a special Book of Psalms (Tehilim) to Naor Shalev, a 13 year old boy who was badly injured in a terror attack at Pisgat Ze’ev two months ago.

Alshich was also joined by representatives and officers of the Israel police force, whom he praised saying, “Even when we are in our own independent state we must continue to fight to protect our citizens. This is a good opportunity for me to light the menorah on behalf of the brave people doing this – the police who respond at all times to those who seek to make our people their targets of murder. Our defense forces fight the darkness, allowing our people to add light.”

For further reading click here.

First Lady
First Lady Sarah Netanyahu lit the eighth night’s Hanukkah candles with Holocaust survivors at a home for senior citizens in Jerusalem. She was joined by her son Yair and Minister of Social Equality MK Gila Gamliel.
Sarah told the residents that she and her husband were committed to supporting Holocaust survivors, and that their welfare and happiness was of utmost importance to them. She also recounted how her father was the sole survivor of his family during the holocaust and how she grew up with that knowledge as a child. She said that it was our duty to never to forget and to not let something like that ever happen again.

For further reading click here.

Fire Compensation
Five years after the worst fire in Israel’s history, which killed 44, displaced 17,000 and burned down millions of trees in the Carmel forest, the State has agreed to compensate municipalities and businesses that suffered losses in the fire. The total compensation sum is 58 million shekels. Recipients of the funds include the municipality of Ein Hod, businesses in Daliat El Carmel (a large Druze town) and Osafia, Hotel Ya’arot Hacarmel, Kibbutz Beit Oren and several insurance companies.

The massive and deadly fire caused the government to reorganize and greatly improve the country’s fire fighting resources.

For further reading click here.

Snow Rail
If you count on the Jerusalem light rail to get around the city, you better hope for good weather. The operators of the light rail have announced that the rail will not be able to operate in more than 5 centimeters of snow. That is, unless the municipality makes sure that the snow is cleared off the rail lines. The chances of that happening are even worse than … hell freezing over? But the light rail folks promise to try their hardest to keep it operational and on schedule. What more can you ask?

For further reading click here.

Jordan Confirms
Last week we told you about a story where Jordanian border guards snatched the kippot off the heads of a family of Israeli tourists and did not permit them to enter Jordan with them. Yesterday, a Jordanian diplomatic source admitted, in an interview with a Jordanian newspaper, that Jordanian security forces routinely prohibit Israelis with “Jewish symbols” from entering the country. He said that Jordan has had this policy for many years and that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is well aware of it. He added that Jordan has the right to enforce any policy it sees fit relating to entrance into its borders.

So if you want to express your Jewish identity in the open, save that trip to Jordan for better times. There are plenty of other places to visit, which frankly, are a heck of a lot nicer and more fun (fyi, we’ve been to Jordan).

For further reading click here.

brides temple mount

Israel News for November 13, 2015

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Terror Parents
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked drafted a proposed law fining parents of minors who throw rocks but cannot be prosecuted because of their age. According to the draft, a minor under the age of 12 who commits a criminal act of terror including rock throwing, or any other form of violence, will be placed under the supervision of an officer who will warn the parents. If the minor commit further crimes, the parents will be fined by the court unless they can prove that they did everything possible to stop the crimes.

Earlier this month a law was approved that allows authorities to revoke National Insurance benefits and to fine families of minors convicted of throwing rocks for nationalistic reasons or as an act of terrorism. Under the proposed law the family could still face a fine even if they’re too young to be convicted.

For further reading click here.

Home Demolition
The High Court for Justice has approved the demolition of the homes of six terrorists. The court rejected motions filed by the families of the terrorist to overturn the demolition orders. Homes include those of the terrorists who murdered Rabbi Eitam and Naama Henkin.
It’s about time this order was carried out. The sooner the better.

For further reading click here.

US Supports EU
The US is supporting the recent decision of the European Union to require distinct labeling of Israeli products made in the West Bank.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, ”We do not believe that labeling the origin of products is equivalent to a boycott. And as you know, we do not consider settlements to be part of Israel. We do not view labeling the origin of products as being from the settlements as a boycott of Israel.”

Toner added that American laws for Israeli settlement exports are somewhat similar. They must be marked as “products of the West Bank,” though the U.S. does not differentiate between goods from settlements and those coming from elsewhere in the territory.

But just when you thought that everyone was against Israel, an unlikely friend emerges. Germany’s ruling party criticized the EU regulation saying that is was not constructive in facilitating negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The German spokesman said, “As a signal to our friends in Israel, I would have appreciated, if the European Commission in this case would have abstained from the implementation of the European regulation,”

For further reading click here.

Temple Mount Brides
Despite increased violence and tensions on the Temple Mount, there’s one group of people who will not be deterred from visiting – Jewish brides from the National Religious community (Dati Leumi).

Some sixty brides have visited the Temple Mount over the past year and the trend is only growing according to Yael Kabilio, a guide from the Women for the Temple group, who has accompanied many brides on their visits to the mount. According to Kabilio, the trend stems from both a spiritual and halachic (Jewish legal) place.

Some rabbinic authorities permit women to visit the Temple Mount only if they have immersed in a mikvah, but prior to having sexual relations with their husbands. Brides are required by Jewish law to immerse in a mikvah (for the first time, since single women do not go to the mikvah) prior to their wedding, usually the night before. Thus the wedding day is the perfect day for these women to visit the Temple Mount.

The wedding day is a very spiritual day for the bride and groom, and there is a connection between the wedding day and Jerusalem, since the destruction of Jerusalem is recalled under the wedding canopy. These brides want to connect building their own private home with the rebuilding of the Temple.

But getting up to the mount is no simple feat. Brides cannot visit in their wedding dresses, as it is considered a provocation, and they can wait in line for hours until they are allowed up. They can also be denied access, since only a restricted number of Jews are allowed up each day.

Many of the brides are assaulted by the abusive calls of the Murabitat (female Muslim activists who charge themselves with defending the Dome of the Rock). Once on the mount all non muslims are forbidden from singing, praying, dancing or making any kind of “religious displays”. Many brides have found ways around the restrictions by pretending to talk on their phones or hiding their mouths in a scarf or sweater.

The brides claim that police are hostile towards them, rushing them along and shouting at them for the slightest movement that seems “out of line”.

The most famous bride to visit the Temple Mount on her wedding day was Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotoveli, who got a VIP tour. She described the experience as “immense excitement blended with sorrow and pain. It’s not easy to see children playing soccer on the mount, disrespecting this holy place.”

Source: Yediot Ahronot Print Edition

Ethiopian Aliyah
A proposed law before the Knesset, which is expected to be approved, will facilitate the organized aliyah to Israel of the remaining Jews in Ethiopia. There are currently a little over 9,000 people in special camps set up by Israel and Jewish organizations in Addis Ababa and Gondar who have not been allowed to make aliyah because they do not meet the necessary requirements for proving that they are Jewish. Many of these people have family members in Israel.

The proposed law notes that, “issue of the families awaiting aliyah in Addis Ababa and Gondar is unique: These are people who left their home villages many years ago, and while some of their family members were allowed into Israel, they remained in Addis Ababa and Gondar, and have been maintaining a Jewish lifestyle, with active synagogues, ritual baths, observance of Shabbat and holidays, Hebrew lessons, Jewish studies, and more.”

The people in question are from the Falasha Mura community, who were compelled to convert to Christianity in the 19th century. One of the requirements of the proposed law is that the new immigrants will convert to Judaism in Israel.

Once these 9,000 are brought to Israel, no more Ethiopians will be considered eligible for aliyah.

“And the children will return to their borders” — Jeremiah 31:17

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Israel News for November 3, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

Watch the interview here.

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

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

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

For further reading click here.

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

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

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

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

For further reading click here.

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

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

For further reading click here.

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

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

For further reading click here.

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

For further reading click here.

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

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

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

Is he serious?

For further reading click here.

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

For more info click here.

Israel News for October 30, 2015

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More Terror
Breaking news: Two Palestinians arrived at the Tapuah intersection a short time ago and attempted to stab Border Police officers protecting the site. The officers shot and killed the terrorists.

A pregnant 26-year-old woman was hit in the face by shrapnel on Thursday evening when Arabs threw rocks at her car near Karmei Tzur on Highway 60, in Gush Etzion.

In another attack on the same highway, a rock thrown by Arabs damaged a car driven by Rabbi Re’em Hacohen, head of the yeshiva in Otniel and Yehuda Glick, the chairman of the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation. They were not injured.

Also last night, terrorists carried out a drive-by shooting at a hitchhiking station near the town of Ofra (Samaria). IDF troops fired at the car, which escaped. No one was hurt at the station.

Ahmed Mansara, the 13 yr. old Palestinian who stabbed and wounded two Israelis in Pisgat Ze’ev earlier this month, was charged today with attempted murder and possession of a knife. According to Israeli law a minor cannot be imprisoned. He can only be transferred to a probation officer at a rehabilitation center.

For further reading click here.

Suing Facebook
Richard Lakin, the American educator and peace activist who died from the wounds he sustained in a Jerusalem bus terror attack this month, is still in the fight.

Days before he died, the Israel-based rights group Shurat Hadin filed a lawsuit in the US against Facebook naming Lakin as the lead plaintiff. The suit accuses Facebook of allowing “gruesome Palestinian pages that incite violence”.

Lakin’s son Micah Avni said his father was shot in the head and then stabbed multiple times – in much the same way as described in some of the videos posted online. He added that one of the Palestinians who killed his father had previously made his intentions clear on Facebook and his posts were widely reposted on social media afterward.

Shurat Hadin say that 20,000 Israelis are suing Facebook over the Palestinian incitement.

Upshot
Social media companies need to start taking responsibility for keeping all incitement to violence off their sites. They obviously have an ethical and moral obligation to do so. Now the courts will decide whether they have a legal responsibility too.

For further reading click here.

Demolition Delays
The High Court of Justice has ordered the State to produce records of all the demolition proceeding against the homes of terrorists for the past two years. It seems as though the government has been lax in carrying out the actual demolitions after acquiring the legal judgements to do so.

High Court Justice Noam Sulberg echoed the feelings of two of his colleagues saying, “There are cases in which the verdict is handed down, and plenty of time passes until its execution. It has a negative effect on the stated urgency. A verdict is given then many months pass.”

Upshot
What is holding up these demolitions? Let’s hope the judges can figure it out and get the process back on track.

For further reading click here.

Protectsia
If you’re looking for a high level position in a prominent international zionist organization, you better make sure that you’re a member of a select group of major Israeli political parties.

At last week’s World Zionist Congress conference in Jerusalem, the major political parties and movements including Likud, Labor, Kulanu, Meretz, Shas, National Union, Yisrael Beiteinu and Mizrahi, signed a secret agreement to distribute jobs at Zionist institutions. Yesh Atid was the only major party not to sign the agreement.

According to the agreement revealed by Globes, Labor and Meretz obtained the posts of Jewish National Fund (JNF) chairman, head of the Zionist enterprises department in the Jewish Agency, and head of the education department, which is responsible for many activities of overseas emissaries and the budgets for the Reform and Conservative movements. Likud and Shas are keeping the posts of Jewish Agency chairman (occupied by Natan Sharansky), vice-chairman of the World Zionist Organization, and a bunch of other positions relating to PR and Anti-Semitism.

The Mizrahi movement, together with Yisrael Beiteinu and the National Union Party, received the positions of World Zionist Organization chairman, head of the settlement division, JNF vice-chairman, and the Aliyah department.

Apparently, it pays to be connected.

For further reading click here.

Culinary Pressure
The BDS movement is calling on world renown chefs who are scheduled to participate in a major culinary event in Tel Aviv to boycott it.

Some 26 top chefs and restaurateurs from famous restaurants around the world are expected to participate in the event, Open Tables, and cook in upscale restaurants in Tel Aviv throughout the month of November.

The BDS movement sent the chefs a letter signed by more than 130 civil society groups, stating: “We urge you to reconsider your involvement in this initiative aimed at using haute cuisine to mask Israel’s denial of Palestinian basic rights. Please cancel your participation in the Round Tables event until everyone has a place at the table.”

The letter went on about what they consider to be Israel’s war crimes, civil rights abuses, expulsions, apartheid … you name it and it was there. It ended with, “We urge you not to lend your culinary talents to mask Israel’s crimes.”

The organizers of the event wrote this in response: “The project will take place as planned. All the guest restaurants and chefs are on their way to Israel. Some of them have already landed in the country and have begun their activity in the hosting restaurants. All the international chefs are happy to take part in the initiative out of great interest and an acknowledgement of the developing culinary scene in Tel Aviv and Israel.”

Sounds amazing! Who wants to go to Tel Aviv?

For further reading click here.

Raining rats and dogs
Record breaking amounts of rain have fallen on Israel’s coastal towns and surrounding areas. Some areas received more than six times their average amount of rain for October.

The weather system that has barraged Israel with rain for the past few days has caused extensive damage, flooding and power outages. According to Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, the damage caused by the storm is the worst in the history of Israel. Tens of thousands were left without power for days. A labour dispute with electric company employees did not help the situation.

In Tel Aviv, sewers overflowed creating huge (smelly) puddles and forcing hordes of rats to the surface. Yuck.

The floods even reached the Negev, where a couple had to be rescued by helicopter yesterday and highways and roads were closed due to flash floods.

Unfortunately, the storm did not hit the more mountainous areas or the Kinneret, so it didn’t do much to replenish the water supply.

More rain is in the forecast.

For further reading click here.

New Israel App
Talk Israel is the first mobile app to bring you pro-Israel digital content from dozens of sources tailored to your personal preferences and interests using machine learning. It’s available for iPhone and Android, so look for it in the app store.
Read more about it here.

Israel News for October 28, 2015

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More Terror
Two Palestinians approached two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the Jewish area of Hebron last night. One of them tried to stab one of the soldiers. The other soldier shot and killed both attackers. The soldiers were not injured.

Several hours earlier, two Palestinians stabbed a 19 year old Israeli soldier in Gush Etzion. Another soldier shot and killed both attackers. The wounded soldier is in stable condition at Sharei Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem.

For further reading click here.

Jail for Leader
The head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Raed Salah, will start serving his 11 month prison sentence on November 15th. Salah’s appeal was rejected yesterday by the Jerusalem district court. The court also rejected the state’s appeal to extend his sentence to three and a half years.

Salah was convicted of incitement last March, based on a sermon he delivered back on 2007. Arab leaders, including Knesset members, are calling the sentence unjust and discriminatory. They claim that Jewish leaders and rabbis have made statements that they consider incitement against Arabs, but they have not been arrested and tried for them.

Israeli defense officials believe that keeping Salah behind bars will reduce incitement and help curb the wave of violence and terror. However, his imprisonment could provoke demonstrations that could turn violent. There’s also some fear that Salah’s replacement, who is considered to be even more radical, might stir up trouble.

By the way, this won’t be Salah’s first prison experience. He was previously imprisoned for funneling money to Hamas. So maybe he’s not such a good guy after all.

For further reading click here.

Amir’s Brother
After serving more than 16 years in prison for his involvement in the conspiracy to murder Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Hagai Amir, the brother of Rabin’s assassin Yigal Amir, is up to no good again.

Twenty years after Rabin’s murder, Hagai Amir has been detained by Israeli police on suspicion of incitement following a Facebook post claiming that Rabin’s murder was preordained and predicting that God would also cause Israeli President Rivlin to “pass from the world”. His post was in response to Rivlin’s recent statement that Rabin’s assassin would never be released as long as he was president.

Amir stands by his statement with no regrets.

For further reading click here.

Boy Recovers
The 13 year old Jewish boy who was stabbed and critically wounded in a terror attack in Pisgat Ze’ev earlier this month was discharged from Hadassah Hospital yesterday in “good condition”. The boy was initially hospitalized with no pulse, and hovered between life and death for days.

The second victim of the same terror attack, a 21 year old man, who was seriously wounded was discharged from the hospital on Sunday.

For further reading click here.

Return to Wall
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, the Chief Rabbi of the Western Wall (Kotel), urged Jews to continue visiting the Kotel. The number of visitors has dropped dramatically since the beginning of the terror wave.

The rabbi assured people that the way to the Kotel through the Jewish quarter was extremely secure and safe. He added,”I believe that during this period it is our duty to visit the Western Wall, hold the planned bar mitzvahs and pray to God. Let’s be strong and avoid rewarding terror.”

For further reading click here.

Live Streaming
Israeli and Jordanian officials said yesterday that new surveillance cameras should be installed within days at the Temple Mount, with the goal of streaming the footage live on the Internet for maximum transparency.

A Jordanian official said that both Muslim clerics and Israeli officials will monitor the images for now, but that “the ultimate goal is for the footage to be seen on the Internet, by everyone.”
Israeli officials confirmed the plan, and in a statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said it hopes to start the process “as soon as possible.”

The sooner everyone can see exactly what happens on the Temple Mount, the better for everyone. Well, maybe just for Israel.

On a related note, Israeli Arab Knesset member Basel Ghattas visited the Temple Mount today, in defiance of PM Netanyahu’s directive prohibiting lawmakers from visiting the site. Ghattas, who is Christian, claims to have seen Jews praying on the Temple Mount. It won’t be long before we can go to the video tape to see for ourselves.

For further reading click here.

Israel Supports US
The UN General Assembly voted 191-2 in favor of a resolution to condemn the commercial, economic and financial embargo against Cuba by the US. The only country to join the US in voting against the resolution was Israel. What else is there to say?

For further reading click here.

German Army
Who would’ve ever thought this could happen? Three weeks ago 110 soldiers from the German Army’s 1st Panzer Division, led by Brig. Gen. Ernst-Peter Horn, arrived in Israel for joint urban warfare training exercises with Israeli troops. The general visited Yad Vashem and the soldiers toured Jerusalem and joined Israeli families for Shabbat dinner.

A lot of dead men are turning over in their graves, both German and Jewish.

For further reading click here.

Trick or Treat
This Halloween, don’t be surprised if you’re greeted by an IDF trick or treater. That’s because Walmart is selling Israeli soldier costumes for kids. Walmart’s website displays a child wearing the uniform with the Hebrew word for IDF (Tzahal) on the shirt and a red beret with an Israeli army insignia on it. The kid is holding a toy Uzi machine gun, which is not included with the $27 costume. I guess a lot of Jewish kids are going trick or treating this year. But maybe they should consider skipping Arab neighborhoods.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 23, 2015

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Another Mistake
A 28 yr. old Haredi man was arrested early this morning in Jerusalem for striking a security guard with an iron bar. He claimed that he thought the guard, who had a handgun in his belt, was a terrorist. A judge ruled leniently due the heightened tension and fear brought about by the wave of terror, and placed the assailant under house arrest.

Four men suspected of beating the Eritrean man in the Beersheva bus station “lynching” were released on bail yesterday.

Looks like a pattern here. If you’re not sure, shoot first, ask questions later, and pick up your “get out of jail free” card. The victims lose but hey, it’s an honest mistake due to the prevailing atmosphere of fear, so it’s all good.

For further reading click here.

Opinion: Troubling Case
The shooting to death of a Jewish man by soldiers in Jerusalem is still under investigation. The case is troubling. The victim, at least from his photos, clearly did not look Arab and, since he was religious, was probably wearing a kippah. Of course, none of that means he couldn’t have been a terrorist.

There was some sort of argument between him and two soldiers, which escalated into a physical scuffle. Witnesses testify that he tried to grab a soldier’s weapon. The bus driver stunned the man with a “shocker rod”. Then a civilian security guard saw the scuffle and shot the man. Then one (or both) of the soldiers shot him and killed him.

Some reports say that the man yelled, “I am Da’ash (ISIS)”. Was he saying that as a threat or maybe he was responding to the soldier’s demand that he identify himself in a sassy (and stupid, but typically Israeli) fashion? According to his former employer, he had a language problem and wasn’t totally fluent in Hebrew.

Does anyone else find this story troubling? Was the man on the ground as a result of the “shocking” when he was shot? Did the security guard have any right to shoot the man, who he couldn’t conclusively identify as a terrorist? Once the guard shot him, did the soldiers need to shoot him again? Did the soldiers feel that their lives were in danger from an unarmed, wounded man? Even if the guy was a nut case, was shooting him to death warranted? Should they have tried to shoot him in the legs?

The whole thing just doesn’t add up, but it’s unlikely that it ever will. The two soldiers will tell their side of the story in their own way, and they’ll probably be believed. In these difficult times, no one wants to accuse soldiers of anything that might make them hesitate in a real life threatening situation. So, just like the lynching of the Eritrean man, this killing will also be chalked up to mistaken identity, chaos and hysteria.

The problem now is that there are 300 soldiers patrolling the public transportation system who are not trained in police work, which is what this incident most likely was. Soldiers are trained to shoot to kill, and not ask questions. That could lead to more unfortunate incidents.

Kerry and Netanyahu
PM Netanyahu met for four hours with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Berlin yesterday. They talked about ending the violence, restoring calm, Temple Mount, status quo, incitement, yeah, yada, yada…you know the drill. Nothing new to say here. But something tells me this isn’t going to bode favorably for Israel. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

Iran Nukes
PM Netanyahu and the Israeli Government have been arguably the greatest opponents of the recent Iran Nuclear deal. But Israel’s top nuclear experts see things differently.

According to a Haaretz report, Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, which advises the government on nuclear issues, has endorsed the deal. It believes that the deal will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, since any Iranian violation would be easily detected due to the outside surveillance and analysis methods put in place. In fact, a lot of the technology used to detect and analyze nuclear activity was developed by Israel.

The commission members believe that the 24 hour warning required to be given to the Iranians prior to inspection is irrelevant, since any illegal activity can be detected via technology.

According to the commission, even if the Iranians could somehow build a nuclear bomb, it would be too heavy to mount on a ballistic missile that could reach Israel.

This is all based on a Haaretz source. The commission declined to issue an official statement.

Upshot
Even if the commission is right, which is really good news, it doesn’t mean that the Iran deal was a good one. Lifting the sanctions against them gives Iran much freedom and money to finance and perpetrate lots of terror and other evil things. That’s not good for anyone, except the terrorists, and maybe Assad.

For further reading click here.

Israeli Weapons
All the wars and conflicts in the world don’t seem to be helping Israel’s military exports. According to defense experts this could be the worst year for Israeli defense companies in a decade. Israel’s own defense budget won’t be of much help.

It’s so bad that the heads of the leading defense firms in Israel have requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss “a significant crisis in the defense industries.”

In a letter to the PM the defense industry leaders point out that, “there have been major changes in the defense sector – smaller budgets, more competition, less desire for Israeli-made products, and the growing demands to transfer know-how and work abroad.”

I guess peace on earth would put these guys out of business. Unfortunately for the rest of us, they probably don’t have to worry that much.

For further reading click here.

ISIS in Hebrew
ISIS has released its first video in Hebrew, featuring a masked terrorist threatening Israel and the Jews with all sorts of evil tidings. The Hebrew is pretty good.

Watch it for yourself here.

Enough Talk
Despite the incitement that PA President Abbas has been delivering in speeches and statements, Abbas might have to give Israel a huge thank you. Well, at least he should.

It was just revealed that Israel allowed Abbas’s brother-in-law to receive an emergency life saving operation at the Assuta Medical Center hospital in Tel Aviv, where he is currently recovering. Security personnel are protecting him, probably from the other patients.

So, can Israel expect a big thank you and change of heart from Abbas? Ok, back to reality.

For further reading click here.

Drivers Rejoice
Good news for Israeli drivers. Gas prices are continuing to fall, due primarily to the dropping price of crude oil in international markets. A gallon of gas in November will cost around $5.60. That’s pretty darn good for Israel. You can’t really drive very far there anyway, so you can make a tank last a bit longer than in the US. Unless you’re driving to Eilat or the Golan.

For further reading click here.

Israeli Soldiers Mistakenly Shoot and Kill Jewish Man

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

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

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

shooting Jewish man

Scene of shooting.

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

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

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

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