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The Terror Continues
This morning a terrorist stabbed a border policeman in his flack jacket at the Lion’s Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. The terrorist was killed. The border policeman was not injured.
Last night a 22 year old Israeli-Arab rammed his car into people waiting at a bus stop and then jumped out his car and proceeded to stab them. The attack occurred near Kibbutz Gan Shmuel north of Hadera. A 19 year old female soldier was seriously wounded, a fifteen year old girl was moderately wounded and two others were lightly wounded. It was the fifteen year old girl’s birthday. The terrorist tried to escape but was apprehended shortly after. Shin Bet identified him as Alaa Raed Ahmad Ziwad of the Israeli-Arab town of Umm al-Fahm. he was originally from near Jenin in the West Bank, but received Israeli citizenship through his father’s family unification.
Israeli Arab Knesset members condemned the attack saying the terrorist was not the norm and that Israeli Arabs support a non violent struggle. “Violence is not our path and it never has been,” said Aiman Uda, chairman of the Joint Arab list. He then blamed Netanyahu and the government for the violence.
Yesterday morning a Palestinian woman detonated an explosive device in her car while being stopped for driving violations at the A-Zaim checkpoint near Ma’aleh Adumim, just outside of Jerusalem. The 45-year-old male police officer who stopped her was lightly wounded as a result of the explosion. The terrorist suffered moderate wounds.
Early Sunday morning the IAF struck Hamas weapons manufacturing sites in Gaza. This was in response to rocket fire from Gaza after two Palestinians were killed in a demonstration near the border fence. The rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome over the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. More rockets were fired late last night from Gaza. There were no injuries or damages caused by any of the rockets. A pregnant woman and her two year old baby died after their house collapsed as a result of the Israeli airstrike.
Yesterday evening there were demonstrations in Israeli-Arab towns across northern Israel. There were also several demonstrations in the West Bank and near the border fence in Gaza. Shots fired from Gaza hit a vehicle near a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council in the afternoon.
For further reading: http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4709573,00.html
PM vs. Zoabi
PM Netanyahu has asked Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to open a criminal investigation against Knesset member Haneen Zoabi of the Joint Arab List for incitement to violence.
Background
This isn’t the first time that the Attorney General is investigating Zoabi, the first and only female Arab Israeli Knesset member, because of her anti-Israel statements and actions.
In 2010 Zoabi participated in the Gaza flotilla and was on the ship when Israeli commandos boarded it under attack, killing nine and wounding dozens. In the Knesset Zoabi called the raid a “pirate military operation” and asked for an international investigation. She was stripped of the right to participate in Knesset discussions and to vote in parliamentary committees.
In 2012 she was almost banned from running for election in the 2013 elections for Knesset, but the rulings against her were overturned by the High Court of Justice.
In 2013, five days after the kidnapping of three Israeli teens, Zoabi said, “Is it strange that people living under occupation and living impossible lives, in a situation where Israel kidnaps new prisoners every day, is it strange that they kidnap? They are not terrorists. Even if I do not agree with them, they are people who do not see any way to change their reality, and they are compelled to use means like these.”
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein ordered an investigation of Zoabi on charges of incitement and public disgrace. She was suspended from the Knesset plenum for a duration of six months.
The PM’s current case against Zoabi is based primarily on this statement made by her that was quoted in the Hamas newspaper over the weekend:
“Hundreds of thousands of worshipers must ascend to Al-Aqsa to stand against the Israeli plot to allow the blood of East Jerusalem residents to be spilled,” one of the quotes said. Another quote stated that if “thousands of [our] people turn out, these incidents will turn into a real intifada.”
Upshot
For the sake of democracy, Israel has accepted the presence of Arab Knesset members who seem to act against the best interests of the State. But inciting violence against Israelis is unacceptable. It might also be criminal.
For further reading: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.679817
New Top Cop
The cabinet unanimously approved the appointment of Roni Alsheich as the new Commisioner of Israel’s national police. Alsheich, 52, has been the deputy director of the Shin Bet and will begin his new position as top cop on November 11. Alscheich wears a kippah, is the father of seven and lived for many years on a settlement in the West Bank. Will any of that make a difference in how he carries out his police duties?
For Further reading: http://www.jta.org/2015/10/11/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/shin-bet-no-2-approved-as-head-of-israel-police
Arab Mayor Blasts MKs
Israelis aren’t the only ones upset about the role that Arab Knesset members have been playing in inciting the recent Arab unrest in Israel. The Arab mayor of Nazareth, Ali Salam, is mad as hell.
According to Salam around 20,000 to 30,000 Jews visit Nazareth every weekend, spending approximately 10 million shekels. This past weekend, no Jews came.
Salam directs most of his anger at the Arab MKs. “They staged a parade, and after the parade they left the young people, who started throwing stones and burning things. Yesterday, it was the Hadash Party’s parade. Before that, it was the parade by Shabaab members. Each time, somebody else is responsible for the destruction. We can’t have everyone coming to make a parade in Nazareth. The business owners want to demonstrate against what’s happening.”
“Most of the MKs want to come for the publicity, to be seen and photographed. I’m sick and tired of them. Let them do something for the benefit of the people who voted for them. I asked the MKs to get out of town – to leave us in peace. I told Aiman Udeh, ‘Get out of here. I don’t want you to come to Nazareth. You’ve destroyed my city.’
Salam summed up his feelings like this: “I want to tell all the people who call themselves leaders: we have no other way. The only way is to live together. What I’m afraid of now is another intifada. If that happens, it will be different than anything we’ve been through before. It will be worse.”
For Further reading: http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-nazareth-mayor-the-situation-is-ruining-our-businesses-1001072714
Jordan Says No Tefillin
According a report on Israel radio, a Jordanian security official at the border crossing prohibited a group of religious Israeli tourists from bringing their tefillin into the country.
The Jordanian official said that Jordan did not allow ritual objects into the country for fear of provoking Muslims and endangering the safety of the tourists.
It seems that Israeli travel agents are aware of the regulation but choose not to inform Israeli tourists because enforcement is at the discretion of the border officials and can vary depending on the specific situation.
Upshot
Maybe this isn’t the best time for Israeli tourists to be traveling to an Arab country, with or without tefillin?
For Further reading: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/201725#.VhsH1RNVikp
