Israel News for October 29, 2015
More Terror
A Palestinian attempted to stab a soldier in Hevron today but was shot and killed before harming anyone.
A 23 year old Palestinian stabbed a soldier near Hevron today. The terrorist was shot and killed.
An Israeli woman was stabbed and moderately wounded in a supermarket parking lot in Gush Etzion yesterday. Soldiers arrested the attacker.
Haredim Beg Arabs
Aryeh Erlich, the associate editor of the Haredi magazine Mishpacha, published a special message in Arabic for the Arab population.
The basic gist of the message, loosely translated, is: “We, the Haredi community, take no part in going up to the Temple Mount. We are fiercely against doing so.” He goes on to explain that halachic reasons forbid Haredim from visiting the Mount.
He concludes with, “If you have information that Israel is trying to change the status quo on the Temple Mount — which to our knowledge is incorrect — the Haredi community has no connection to it. So please, stop killing us.”
Readers, including Haredi ones, have slammed the magazine for pleading with terrorists not to kill “them”, implying that they should rather kill other Jews.
Upshot
Terrorists don’t differentiate between religious levels of Jews, and treat all Jews equally. Maybe Mishpacha Magazine, and some in the Haredi community, can learn a lesson from that.
For further reading click here.
Lynching Defense
In an interview with Walla! News, Ron Cohen, the Israel Prisons Authority Officer, defended his role in the alleged lynching of an Eritrean man mistakenly identified as a terrorist during a terror attack in the Beersheva central bus station earlier this month.
Cohen said, “I kicked him in the back, we threw a bench on him so that he couldn’t move. I’m not embarrassed nor do I regret what I did. I did it all in order to neutralize a terrorist, who only later turned out not to be a terrorist.”
Cohen is one of two prison authority officers, along with two other men, accused of participating in the lynching. According to his account of the events, he was walking by the station when he heard shots. He ran in and saw the Eritrean man on the floor, wounded and surrounded by police and soldiers. Then there was more shooting and the police and soldiers ran off in the direction of the shots. When the Eritrean started to move, Cohen and the other men around feared that he might have a weapon and would try to attack, so they “neutralized” him. Cohen reiterated that he was under the impression that the man was a terrorist and that he acted in order to safeguard the people around him.
Police investigators have determined that the Eritrean man died of the gunshot wounds he sustained.
Cohen feels that he is the one being lynched by law enforcement and treated like a criminal for doing the right thing.
For further reading click here.
Non Terrorist
The Arab woman who tried to stab a police officer at the central bus station in Afula earlier this month and was shot and wounded by police will apparently not be tried as a terrorist.
The prosecutor in the case has determined that the 30 year old mother from Nazareth, Isra Abad, was mentally unstable and wanted to commit suicide by forcing police to kill her. This is proven by the fact that Abad stood right next to a young Haredi man in the station and had the opportunity to stab him but instead decided to confront the police at the scene, draw her knife and scream “terrorist!” at them. The police then shot her in the legs, lightly wounded her.
The woman’s father, a local Sheikh, claims that the police could have subdued her without shooting at her six times and that the case reveals how police discriminate against Arabs.
Watch the video and judge for yourself.
Life and Death
A Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic asked Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the chief Rabbi of Safed, a halachic (Jewish law) question: Is she permitted, according to Jewish law, to treat and save the life of a terrorist before treating a Jewish victim? The question was based on the policy of MDA which requires paramedics to treat terrorists and victims equally.
Rabbi Eliyahu answered that she should ignore her orders and treat the Jewish victim first and that she should continue treating the Jew even if it means that the terrorist will die. There is no mitzvah (commandment) to save the life of a terrorist.
He added, “they desperately want to ascend to heaven as martyrs (shahids), so why prevent them from doing what they so desire?”
The rabbi also said that even if there is no Jewish victim, the paramedic should wait until the terrorist is checked for explosives or other weapons before treating him/her.
The MDA responded to the rabbi’s ruling in a statement saying, “paramedics treat all wounded when they arrive at the scene without discriminating or weighing other factors. This is our duty…”
Upshot
Question for you: if you came to a scene and saw a wounded victim and a wounded terrorist, who would you treat first? That’s what I thought.
For further reading click here.
Taxpayer Beware
As if taxes in Israel weren’t high enough, the state comptroller has discovered that the Israeli Tax Authority has failed to refund billions (yes, that’s Billions) of shekels to taxpayers over the last three years.
His findings show that the Tax Authority is great at collection, with this year’s collection already above projections by NIS 9 billion. But if someone overpays, it doesn’t bother informing them and simply “holds on” to the money in the state coffers.
The Tax Authority also didn’t inform the public about a new tax deduction which could have saved taxpayers millions.
So basically, if you’re a taxpayer in Israel, you better be on your toes and on top of your case. Taxpayer beware.
For further reading click here.
Walmark Reverses
Yesterday we reported that Walmart was selling an IDF uniform costume for kids on its website. Well, if you didn’t get it already, you lost your chance. After several US Muslim groups threatened to boycott the retailer and after taking lots of flak from some customers, Walmart halted sales of the costume. You think they’ll be back on sale for Hanukkah?
For further reading click here.
Israel Events – NYC
If you’re in New York City, check out a huge Kumsitz on the red steps in Times Square to raise awareness and support for Israel in these tense times. Invite your friends and bring your flags!
There are already over 1000 people confirmed to be there. It should be an amazing and super meaningful experience.
This Sunday at 6:00pm, the Red Steps in Times Square, NYC.
For details check out this Facebook page.
