Israel News for October 26, 2015
More Terror
This morning a 19 year old Israeli man was stabbed and seriously wounded by a 17 year old Palestinian man near Kiryat Arba. The attacker was shot and killed by soldiers.
Read more here.
Yesterday Ohad Hertz, a 25 year old Israeli man, got of a bus at a hitchhiker station on his way to his yeshiva in Elon Moreh. He noticed a suspicious 26 year old Palestinian waiting there and told him to move along to a nearby bus stop that was for Palestinians. The Palestinian said “It’s alright, don’t worry”, then turned on Ohad and kicked him to the ground. There was a fierce struggle during which the Palestinian stabbed Ohad several times. Ohad was able to throw the attacker off and draw his weapon, at which point the assailant fled towards nearby Arab villages. He was apprehended by Israeli forces soon after. Ohad sustained moderate wounds and is recovering.
Earlier in the day, at a checkpoint near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, a 17 year old Palestinian girl was asked for her ID by border police. She pulled out a knife and ran towards them. The officers shot her. She later died from her wounds.
Yesterday morning, a 58 year old man got out of his car after it was hit by stones and was then stabbed by a Palestinian at the Sair Junction in Gush Etzion. The man shot the Palestinian, who succeeded in escaping. The Israeli man’s gun was confiscated and has yet to be returned. The search for the Palestinian continues. According to Palestinian news reports a 20 year old Palestinian is in critical condition in Hebron Hospital after being shot at the Sair Junction Gush Etzion. The IDF is investigating whether it’s the same incident. Hmm, sounds about right.
On Saturday a 16 year old Palestinian disguised as a chocolate seller and holding a box of chocolates approached soldiers at a checkpoint north of Jenin in the West Bank. He suddenly threw the box down and tried to stab a security guard. He was shot and killed. No one else was hurt.
For further reading click here and here.
Rabbi Haim Yechiel Rothman, the sixth victim of the terrorist attack on the Har Nof synagogue last November, died of his wounds on Saturday and was buried yesterday in Jerusalem. He was survived by his wife, ten children and numerous grandchildren. May his memory be a blessing.
Glide to Syria
Israeli forces on the Syrian border are focused on making sure nothing comes into Israel from the Syrian side. But they’re evidently not that focused on things going the other way.
On Saturday afternoon a 23 year old Israeli Arab citizen from Jaljulya (Galilee) paraglided over the border into Syria. Israeli lookouts spotted the glider and sounded the alarm, assuming that a recreational paraglider had gone off course and accidentally blown over the border. A large number of troops converged on the area and aircraft flew over to identify the landing site.
It turns out the Arab man had recently become religious and apparently had become enamored with ISIS philosophy. The man’s father received a call from an unidentified man with a bedouin accent who assured him that, “Your son is fine. He’s with us. Don’t worry.”
Over the past two years 50 Israelis have left Israel to join ISIS forces. Ten of them have returned and been arrested.
Maybe Israel should open the border one way (out) and let anyone who wants to, leave and forfeit their citizenship? Let their people go!
For further reading click here.
Mounted Cameras
Arab leaders, including PA President Abbas, have used the Temple Mount as their main source of incitement, claiming that Israel is attempting to change the “status quo” and take over the site of the Al Aqsa mosque. Israel has consistently asserted that is has done no such thing, and has meticulously enforced the existing prohibition preventing non Muslims from praying on the Temple Mount.
Well, it took US Secretary of State John Kerry to come up with what he believes to be a fool proof way of monitoring the situation: cameras. Kerry announced the placement of the 24-hour-a-day cameras at an appearance before reporters on Saturday with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Amman.
“This will provide comprehensive visibility and transparency, and that could really be a game changer in discouraging anybody from disturbing the sanctity of this holy site,” Kerry said, calling it a “first step” toward bringing Israel and the Palestinians back together to discuss long-term peace.
Yesterday, Netanyahu defended the decision to install the cameras. “Israel has an interest in stationing cameras in all parts of the Temple Mount,” he said. “First, in order to disprove the claim that Israel is changing the status quo. Second, to show where the provocations really come from and to foil them before they ever happen.”
Upshot
So let’s try to understand this. The Arab leaders are going to watch the videos and admit that Israel is doing everything right and that they themselves are to blame for the incitement and violence. Are you kidding?
PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki called the plan “a new trap” on Voice of Palestine radio, accusing Israel of planning to use footage to arrest Muslim worshipers it believes are “inciting” against it.
Does John Kerry or his president understand how Arab incitement works or are they just living in a utopian fantasy? I assume PM Netanyahu knows that having cameras on the Temple Mount won’t change anything, but it can’t really make things worse. Can it? Only if the Palestinians control the videos.
For further reading click here.
Editor Fired
Not wanting to be left out of the controversy over PM Netanyahu’s recent statements regarding the Mufti and his role in convincing Hitler to murder the Jews, an editor of the Ynet news English language website decided to do a really stupid thing and post a photoshopped image of Netanyahu wearing an SS uniform on his Facebook page.
Netanyahu discovered it and filed a police complaint. The editor’s bosses found out about it too and fired him. He’ll probably think twice before posting something like that again. Hope it was worth the laugh.
For further reading click here.
It’s Pouring
Rain at this time of year in Israel is considered to be a blessing. But for tens of thousands of Israelis left without power, it might have been too much of a good thing.
The Israel Electric Company said that due to flooding, collapsed trees, and resulting traffic delays, repairing the damage could take quite some time. It’s also blaming the union for not putting their workers into emergency mode. The union says that their workers are going way beyond the call of duty.
The rain is expected to continue throughout the week. How can you complain about that?
Speaking of rain, the Israel Water Authority Council announced yesterday that water charges will fall by 3% from January 1st. Charges have been cut by a cumulative 20% in the past three years. The current cut is thanks to a 16% fall in the price of electricity in Israel in the past year. Electricity is the main cost in water desalination, which produces much of the water consumed in Israel.
So maybe so much rain is not such a blessing anymore after all?
For further reading click here.
Stock up
If you’re in Israel and planning on serving chicken for dinner this week, you better stock up. That’s what the Ministry of Agriculture is advising Israelis to do, in anticipation of a planned strike by veterinarians. All meat and poultry producers in Israel are required to have their facilities inspected by veterinarians of the Agriculture Ministry’s Veterinary Service several times a week. Without those inspections, any “live” food – meat, chicken, or fish – may not be legally sold.
So buy now, or pay up or go hungry later.
For further reading click here.