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Israel News for September 23, 2016

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Terror Attack Stopped
A 14 year old Palestinian tried to stab soldiers at the Elias junction in Kiryat Arba today, but he was shot in the leg and neutralized before causing any harm.

For further reading click here.

Abbas Addresses UN
PA President Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly yesterday and called for the return to the borders originally proposed in the UN’s 1947 Partition Plan, which divided the then British mandate of Palestine into to countries, one Arab and one Jewish. He said, “Regrettably, however, the Security Council is not upholding its responsibilities to hold Israel accountable for its seizure of the territory allotted to the Palestinian State according to the partition resolution. I appeal to you read this resolution once again.”

Apparently Abbas forgot to mention that the Arab nations and the Palestinians rejected that UN partition and attacked Israel in 1948 to try and wipe it off the map.

Abbas also called on the UK to apologize for issuing the Balfour Declaration in 1917, which expressed Britain’s support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the land of Israel, and asked the UK to recognize the state of Palestine. He said that the Balfour declaration had lead to, “the perpetration of the most heinous crimes against a peaceful people in their own land that never attacked anyone or partook in a war against anyone.”

He called on the international community “to exert all efforts, more than any other time in the past, to bring an end to the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, which, as you all know, is the longest and last occupation in contemporary history.”

Abbas concluded by asserting that “there is no way to defeat terrorism and extremism, no way to achieve security and stability in our region, without ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine and ensuring the freedom and independence of the Palestinian people. As such, terrorism will end.”

For further reading click here.

Netanyahu Addresses UN
PM Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly shortly after Abbas, and invited the Palestinian leader to speak at the Knesset. He said, “You have a choice to make. You can continue to stoke hatred, as you did today, or you can confront hatred and work with me today. President Abbas, I invite you to come and speak at the Knesset in Jerusalem and I will gladly come to speak at the parliament in Ramallah.” He added, “The road to peace runs through Jerusalem and Ramallah, not through New York.”

Responding to Abbas’s call for a return to the 1947 UN partition borders, Netanyahu reminded the audience that had the Palestinians and Arab nations accepted the partition and not attacked Israel, they would in fact have had those borders with their own state.

Regarding Abbas’s attack against the UK for the 1917 Balfour Declaration, the PM asked sarcastically, “Why not bring a class action suit against Abraham for buying land in Hebron?” [comment: does sarcasm really work in a speech to the UN? I’ve been told it doesn’t go over that well in a daily newsletter…]

Netanyahu denied that settlements were the main obstacle to peace, claiming instead that “the Palestinian refusal to accept a Jewish state in ANY boundaries” was the core and ongoing reason for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said, “The real settlements they’re after are Haifa, Jaffa, and Tel Aviv.”

The PM said, “the State of Israel is ready. I am ready to negotiate all final status, but one thing I will never negotiate is the right to a one and only Jewish state.” When met with applause he remarked, “Prolonged applause for the prime minister of the State of Israel in the United Nations General Assembly? Change may be coming sooner than I thought!”  

Netanyahu reinforced his support for a two-state solution but rejected attempts by the UN to impose its own peace plan saying, “Does anybody really believe that Israel will let the UN determine our security? We will not accept any attempt by the UN to dictate terms to Israel,”

He continued to blast the UN for its seemingly endless condemnations of Israel, noting that the UN has passed 20 resolutions against Israel, and three against “the rest of the countries on the planet.” He said, “as women are being systematically raped, murdered, sold into slavery across the world—which is the only country that the UN’s commission on women has condemned? Yup. You guessed it: Israel.”

The PM praised the US, condemned radical Islam and proclaimed that “Israel will not allow Iran to establish nuclear weapons. Not now, not in a decade, not ever.” He also called on the international community to pressure Hamas to release the remains of Israeli soldiers being held in Gaza.

Netanyahu concluded by saying, “Israel wants to be your partner in seizing that future. I call on all of you: embrace Israel. Dream with Israel. A future of security, prosperity and peace. A future where even at the UN, even in this hall, where Israel will take its rightful place among the nations.”

For further reading click here.

PM Meets Africans
PM Netanyahu and his wife Sarah participated in a special event with over 15 leaders of African Countries in the the wake of the UN General Assembly gathering. The PM addressed the group saying, “I believe that Israel can be a great partner to your nations,” and said that Israel wanted to share its technology with them. Sarah Netanyahu was them invited by the First Lady of Rwanda to participate in a conference on women’s rights in Africa.

For further reading click here.

Satellite Working
The Israeli-made Ofek 11 satellite that experienced major technical difficulties after being launched on September 13th is reported to be working fine now, exactly as designed. Officials have described the Ofek 11 as the Israel’s most sophisticated spy satellite, which will keep tabs on Iran and other adversaries.

For further reading click here.

EU Labels Israel

Israel News for November 11, 2015

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Terror Thwarted
A terrorist ran towards Border Police officers at a checkpoint near Abu Dis yesterday, bearing a knife and shouting Allahu Akbar (never a good sign). Luckily he didn’t get too far. After warning him to stop several times, which he refused to do, the officers shot and killed him.

European Labels
The EU has adopted a resolution ordering distinct labels for Israeli products made in the West Bank. EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem andreprimanded. The Ministry called the move “unusual and discriminatory,” claiming that it will only lessen the chances of peace by bolstering the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to hold direct negotiations with Israel.

Yuval Steinitz, the Minister or National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources, accused the EU of unfairly singling out Israel when it has not taken similar action toward products made in areas like Chinese-controlled Tibet or Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus. He told reporters yesterday,”We cannot conceive it but as some disguised anti-Semitism.”

The good news is that the economic impact of such a measure will likely be minimal, although it could deter some customers from purchasing individual products. While the EU is Israel’s largest trade partner, settlement products make up just a tiny portion of Israeli exports.

For further reading click here.

Pollard and Obama
Jonathan Pollard, after serving 30 years for spying for Israel, is set to be released within the next two weeks. But it doesn’t look like he’ll be allowed to join his wife Esther in Israel. US law says that he needs to be monitored in the US for five years after his release. The only way that the law can be circumvented is if President Obama uses his powers to waive that condition. But Obama’s deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, has made it clear that the President will not interfere in the US judicial process, without exception. Unless something changes, Pollard will be spending the next few years in exile…in New York City.

Regardless of where he lives, Pollard’s service to Israel will not be forgotten. Knesset House Committee Chairman MK David Bitan (Likud) has proposed a bill for the State of Israel to support him financially for the rest of his life. Bitan said, “After everything that Pollard has gone through, and in light of his contribution to Israel, the state must ensure that he will live in dignity,”

For further reading click here.

Religious Equality
In a speech before the Jewish Federations General Assembly, PM Netanyahu pledged government and Jewish Agency support for Reform and Conservative Jewish congregations in Israel. He said, “As prime minister of Israel I will ensure that all Jews – Reform, Conservative and Orthodox – feel at home in Israel.”

Rabbi Gilad Kariv, director of the Reform Movement in Israel, welcomed Netanyahu’s statement saying it “has to be the first step on the way to ending ongoing discrimination against Reform and Conservative communities in Israel,” and that “Discrimination against these communities, which constitute the majority of the Jewish people, damages the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and overshadows Israel’s relationship with the Diaspora. “

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) parties were furious. Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) said, “The prime minister’s remarks in favor of the Reform insult us and clearly go against the coalition agreement signed with us.” Litzman said Reform and Conservative Judaism “tears apart the Jewish people and they must not be helped to hurt the Torah of Israel. It is a pity that the prime minister gave them expression and we will do everything we can so that this commitment is not met.”

MK Moshe Gafni, also of United Torah Judaism, added that Reform Jews “stick a knife in the Torah of Israel. What Netanyahu said is very serious and requires clarifications when he returns to Israel.”

Let’s see how the PM gets out of this one.

For further reading click here.

Pay Raise
Salaries are going up in Israel…well, at least for Knesset members. On Tuesday the Knesset voted in favor of a pay raise of 800 shekels per month for MKs. Many in the opposition are not happy.

Yesh Atid Party chairman MK Yair Lapid said, “It’s a scandal that MKs insist on continuing to decide their own salaries. Today was an opportunity to do the most appropriate thing by implementing the recommendation by Prof. Haim Levy’s committee to divest MKs of responsibility for pay raises. We’ll go on fighting against this, because it’s insufferable and scandalous that MKs are raising their own pay when people can’t make ends meet.”

MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union) said, “The decision to keep the excessive pay raise for MKs … is a disgrace to the Knesset and the MKs. It unfortunately appears, however, that all sense of shame has been lost.

For further reading click here.

Kingdom of Palestine
Is there are a legal requirement to officially refer to the Jewish state as the “State of Israel”? Apparently not, or at least not yet. According to MK Oren Hazan (Likud), “The current situation allows any MK to sign their name as a member of the Kingdom of Palestine.” That’s because there is no law on the books that establishes or regulates the country’s name. Hazan is aiming to change that by proposing a new law that would establish the country’s name as the “State of Israel” and confirm its national anthem and flag.

The bill was unanimously approved in the first reading at the committee on Tuesday, and will now be brought for a vote at a Knesset plenary session. Kingdom of Palestine came in a distant second. Not really.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 20, 2015

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Breaking News
A masked Palestinian stabbed an Israeli officer in the face during a violent demonstration near the Jewish settlement of Negohot near Hebron. The officer, a captain in the tank corps, suffered light wounds. The terrorist, 24 year old Mohammed Masalma from the nearby village of Kfar Ava, was shot and killed.

For further reading click here.

In another incident, Palestinians threw rocks at an Israeli car near the Palestinian refugee camp of Al-Fawar south of Hebron. The 50 yr. old driver got out of his vehicle and was hit by a car and killed. It’s still unclear who hit him and whether it was intentional.

For further reading click here.

Israeli forces arrested 35 Palestinian terror suspects in the West Bank last night, including a top Hamas official, Hassan Yousef.

For further reading click here.

A Tragic Case
The tragic death of an Eritrean man who was mistakenly identified as a terrorist and shot by a security guard and beaten by a mob of bystanders is raising condemnation and calls for action by Israeli government officials. The Prime Minister condemned the vigilante violence and sent his condolences to Zerhom’s family.

The victim, Habtom Zerhom, a 20 something Eritrean migrant ran into the bus station to seek cover from the terrorist attack when he was shot by the security guard, who yelled, “terrorist!” Security cameras captured footage of Zerhom laying on the ground in a pool of his own blood while Israeli bystanders kicked him in the head and rammed him with a wooden bench. A police officer and some bystanders tried to protect him from the mob, even though they too believed that he was a terrorist.

Members of the mob who were interviewed said that had they known that Zerhom was not a terrorist they would also have protected him, but they trusted the call of the security officer. One man said, “If I would have known he wasn’t a terrorist, believe me, I would have protected him like I protect myself. I didn’t sleep well at night. I feel disgusted.” Police are reviewing the security video to identify the members of the mob, and have begun calling in witnesses and suspects for questioning.

Upshot
Some are blaming Jerusalem Mayor Barkat and other officials who have urged civilians to carry weapons and help the security forces. More likely, Zerhom’s death was the result of a tragic case of mistaken identity combined with people furious from constantly living in fear of unexpected terror attacks.

Citizens should obviously be allowed, and encouraged, to defend themselves, but lynching anyone, even a terrorist, doesn’t seem very kosher. As the PM said, “People at the scene of these incidents should evacuate the area and allow security and rescue services to work.We are a law-abiding country. No one should take the law into their own hands.”

For further reading click here.

Bedouin Security Guards
The fact that the Beersheva terrorist was an Israeli Bedouin is impacting other Bedouin, in a bad way. It seems that a large number of Bedouin work as security guards throughout the city, including at the central bus station where the attack occurred. At least one private security company has dismissed Bedouin guards who work in schools. Other security companies are feeling uneasy and might also decide to dismiss workers. For the guards that are still on duty, the suspicious looks thrown their way are not making for a pleasant work environment.

For further reading click here.

ISIS Rallies Palestinians
ISIS is trying to get involved in the wave of terror in Israel. The group released a series of videos urging Palestinians to carry out attacks against the “Jews” using every means at their disposal, including knives, vehicles, poison and explosives.

In a video titled “Return Terror to the Jews,” a masked fighter praised Arabs who are attacking Israelis, describing them as “lone wolves who refuse to be subdued and who spread fear among the sons of Zion.”

ISIS has also published several articles by prominent writers in the group to incite more anti Jewish terror. It looks like they’ve launched a full blown content marketing campaign that, combined with all the social media incitement, is turning this terror wave into a digital marketing driven horror show. Blocking their Facebook and Twitter access and jamming their internet connections might be more effective than concrete barriers and assault rifles. It’s certainly worth a try.

For further reading click here.

Are You Kidding?
Unfortunately, this is no joke. If you had any doubts about the UN being anti Israel, this should pretty much make up your mind. UNESCO, the U.N.’s cultural body, is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a proposal to declare the Western Wall (Kotel) a Muslim holy site. Yup. Six Muslim Arab countries submitted the UNESCO proposal on behalf of the Palestinians, referring to Jerusalem as, “the occupied capital of Palestine.”

Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Tzipi Hotovely, condemned the proposal, saying, “This shameful and deceitful Palestinian attempt to rewrite history will fail the test of reality.” But when did “reality” ever play a role at the UN? If Saudi Arabia can chair the UN Human Rights committee, is anything real?

For further reading click here.

Scandinavian Airlines
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has announced that they will be canceling their four weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Copenhagen due to “political instability”. They’re also canceling their flights to Moscow and Ankara. The airline did state that it would resume flights to Israel in the winter of 2016. Who wants to go to Scandinavia in the winter anyway?

For further reading click here.

Humus Peace
Is Humus the secret weapon in the search for Arab-Israeli peace? A restaurant in Kfar Vitkin, near Netanya, is testing it out by offering a 50% discount on Hummus served to mixed tables of Arabs and Jews. Management says that several tables have already taken advantage of the offer. Perhaps this test just shows how far both Arabs and Jews are willing to go to get a discount? Maybe we’re not that different after all.

For further reading click here.

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Abbas Incites Palestinians With Huge Lie

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Despite calling for calm just over a week ago, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, gave a 5 minute address on the official “Palestine” television station that was far from calming.

Abbas called on the “Palestinian heroes” to continue their struggle for peace, and for all Palestinians to unite in their nationalistic cause. He referred to Palestinians minors killed in the recent wave of violence and said the blood of our youth are on the Israeli governments and settlers hands. He held up a picture of Ahmed Manasra, the 13 year old attacker who stabbed a Jewish boy a few days ago, and claimed that he had been killed by the Israeli government. I guess Abbas wasn’t informed that Manasra was only wounded. He obviously wouldn’t lie about something like that, right?

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Footage of Manasra was released Thursday morning showing him alive and kicking, well maybe not kicking but eating hospital food. His doctors at Hadassa Ein Kerem reported that his condition is improving and he should be released from hospital over the next couple of days.

israel-palestinians-manasra

Abbas told Palestinians to protect the sanctity of the Haram Al Sharif (Temple Mount) and to resist Israel’s efforts to change the status quo, which prohibits non Muslims from praying there. He called for international protection of Haram Al Sharif and the Palestinians. He said “Israeli incitement is threatening the stability and could ignite an all out religious war”.

PM Netanyahu called Abbas’ words “inciting and lies”. He explained why, but we already know the answers, and the Palestinians aren’t interested in hearing them.

So much for calm.

For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2897471

rabbi murdered in jerusalem

Israel News for October 13, 2015

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Breaking News
A Total of 3 Israelis were killed and 24 wounded in 4 terror attacks today.

In Jerusalem two terrorists boarded the number 78 bus in Armon Hanetziv, shooting and stabbing. Two Israelis were killed and 16 wounded. Police shot and killed one of the terrorists and injured the other.

Also in Jerusalem, an Arab employee of Bezeq (Israeli phone company) rammed his Bezeq vehicle into a crowd of people at a bus stop on Malchei Yisrael street. He then got out of his car and stabbed people. One Israeli man was killed. Three more Israelis were injured.The terrorist was killed by police. He was related to the terrorists who attacked the shul in Har Nof last year.

In Raanana a resident of East Jerusalem stabbed a man before being subdued by people at the scene. Later, another East Jerusalem resident stabbed four Israelis. People chased down the terrorist and subdued him until police arrived.

These stories are still unfolding.

Terror Youth
There were four terrorist attacks in Jerusalem yesterday.

At around 8:30pm a Palestinian, screaming Allah Ahkbar, tried to grab a soldier’s gun on a bus. When he failed he stabbed the soldier in the head. A border policeman who was also on the bus tried to stop the terrorist and was also stabbed. A passerby with a pair of nunchucks noticed the commotion, hopped on the bus and hit the terrorist. Then police officers boarded the bus. There was a struggle. They shot and killed him.

Earlier in the day two Palestinians stabbed a 21 year old man and a 13 year old boy who was riding his bike, in the Pisgat Zeev neighborhood of Jerusalem. The terrorists were 15 and 13 years of age, from East Jerusalem. One was run down by a car and injured. The other was shot to death by border police when he refused to drop his knife. The Israeli victims are in serious condition.

Shortly before that, on Ammunition Hill, a 16 year old girl from East Jerusalem stabbed a border policeman in the back. He then shot and wounded her.

In the morning, an 18 year old Palestinian stabbed a border policeman in his flak jacket at the Lion’s Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. The terrorist was shot and killed. The border policeman was not injured.

Upshot
One of the striking and most disturbing common denominators of the recent terror spree is the young age of the terrorists. Almost all of them are teenagers, most attending high school. They seem to be getting their inspiration via social media, which is where they are usually posting warning signs of their impending attacks.

The real battle to stop these attacks might have to be fought in the classrooms and on Facebook and Twitter, to change their way of thinking before they have a chance to act on their impulses. Unfortunately, it might be too late for this generation of Palestinian youth. That leaves heightened security, intelligence and aggressive prevention as Israel’s only options — which in turn fuels Palestinian hatred. And so, round and round it goes — where (or how) it stops, nobody knows.

For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2896727

Guns for Terrorists
The nightmare scenario of Arab terrorists trading in their knives for automatic weapons could be getting closer to fruition.

A few days ago there was a burglary at Kibbutz Naot Mordechai in the Galilee. Six M16 assault rifles were stolen from the kibbutz armory. It’s unclear whether the robbers had nationalistic motives, but the threat of these and other weapons ending up in the hands of Arab terrorists is very real.

The money to be made from selling weapons is substantial. An M16 goes for 55,000 shekels on the black market, a handgun 25,000 and a grenade 2,500. A bullet for a handgun runs 8 shekels.

Special police units have been operating in Nazareth, Karmiel and Shafram for past four years to investigate and combat illegal arms in the Israeli Arab population. In that time period they have confiscated 133 handguns, 146 rifles and 186 grenades. And there’s a lot more where that came from.

Analysts believe that the weapons are primarily being used for criminal purposes and are unlikely to be used for terror. In fact, local Arab leaders are happy that the police is cracking down on illegal weapons and hope that it will help reduce crime in Arab areas.
But the possibility of these weapons getting into the hands of terrorists exists, and is scary as hell.

For further reading: http://news.walla.co.il/item/2896706

India Goes Both Ways
In a speech at the University of Jordan in Amman on Sunday, India’s president Pranab Mukherjee declared his support for both Israel and an independent Palestinian state. “India’s traditional support to the Palestinian cause remains steadfast and unwavering while we pursue strong relations with Israel.”

He also quoted a statement made by modern India’s founder Mahatma Ghandi in 1938 where he said, “Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English and France to the French,” and that it would be “a crime against humanity to reduce the proud Arabs so that Palestine can be restored to the Jews partly or wholly as their national home.”

Mukherjee is scheduled to visit Israel today for a three day visit. He will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, and opposition leader Isaac Herzog. He’ll visit Yad Vashem and the grave of Theodore Hertzl. He’ll also lay a wreath at the grave of former Palestinian Authority chair Yasser Arafat before meeting with current president Mahmoud Abbas.

In July, India abstained in a vote on a UN Human Rights Council resolution that backed a report critical of Israel’s behavior during last summer’s war in Gaza. That shocked the Palestinians and put a huge smile on the Israelis.

Upshot
India is traditionally known for its lack of anti-semitism. They seem to earnestly want to be friends with both sides, and particularly reap the benefits of Israeli military and weapons technology. But they also have a population of over 130 million muslims to placate. Will they be able to be BFF’s with everyone? With all the Israelis trekking through India, they just might.

For further reading: http://www.timesofisrael.com/indian-president-declares-support-for-palestinians-ahead-of-israel-trip/

Salad Crisis
In a previous issue we reported that prices of tomatoes and cucumbers, the mainstay of Israeli salad, were going through the roof. One of the primary reasons for the veggie inflation was the severe summer heat wave. Well, the director general of the Ministry of Agriculture, Shlomo Ben-Eliyahu, told the Knesset Economics Committee yesterday that, “the shortage in tomatoes will continue until the beginning of December,” and that, “farmers can only produce about 50% of demand,” of fruits and vegetable in general.

What happened to all that amazing Israeli agro-technology that can turn sand dunes into Whole Foods suppliers? It could be that Israeli brains are focusing more on cyber security, biotech and other successful venture capital type startup ventures and less on the less sexy world of farming.

Could this be the end of Israeli salad for the masses who can’t afford to pay the price of a local tomato? Let’s pray for the health of Israeli salad. Without it, what would an Israeli breakfast (or lunch) be?

For further reading: http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-israels-tomato-shortage-to-continue-until-december-1001072977

Israel News for August 26, 2015

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New Top Cop
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has chosen a new police inspector-general to head up Israel’s national police force. The nominee, who still needs to be approved by a government committee, is 51 year old IDF Brigadier General (reserve) Gal Hirsch.

Background
Hirsch, originally from Arad, had a distinguished military career, holding numerous commands in elite combat units. He resigned from the IDF in 2006 amid allegations of mishandling an incident during the second Lebanon war, but was exonerated by an investigative committee.

Hirsch is currently chairman of the Israel Leadership Institute, an educational NGO, and Defensive Shields Holdings, a security consulting company.

Challenges
The new police chief will have his work cut out for him. Sex scandals that have forced out several senior police commanders and allegations of corruption in several recent high profile cases have further depleted the top echelons of command, which Hirsch will have to rebuild most likely by bringing in people from outside the force.
The scandals and corruption have eroded the respect people have for the police. Recent surveys show that 70% of Israelis do not have faith in their police force. This could be one reason why there are 1,000 job openings for police officers that the force is having a hard time filling.

Upshot
Hirsch’s nomination ruffled lots of feathers among the top brass in the police force, who thought one of their own should get the top job. They’re hoping that that he doesn’t get approved by the committee. Some of them might quit if he does. Whoever ends up with the job will have a lot of hard work ahead of him.

Terror in Jerusalem
According to statistics compiled by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, there were 580 documented terror attacks against both civilian and security forces during June and July in the Jerusalem areas that include the old city, the Mount of Olives, the Silwan (Shiloah) neigborhood and the City of David. That’s an average of almost ten per day.

Arad Blocks Africans
As we reported in yesterday’s email, the government is set to release close to 1,500 asylum seekers being held at the Holot detainment center in the Negev. The African migrants, who entered Israel illegally, have been banned from living or working in Tel Aviv and Eilat. Most of them have worked in those cities for years. Yesterday, twenty Africans released from Holot were arrested by immigration officials for just being in Tel Aviv.

Not to be outdone, the mayor of Arad, a southern city assumed to be a prime destination for the released detainees, declared his intention to keep them out. He sent police and inspectors to set up checkpoints at the entrances to the city to turn back asylum seekers looking to make Arad their new home. There are currently already several hundred asylum seekers living in Arad.

So where should these asylum seekers go? The government and many Israelis hope they choose another country.

Vatican Opposes Palestinians
The Palestinian mission to the UN drafted a resolution that would allow non-member observer states to fly their flags alongside member states at the UN headquarters in New York City. There are only two non-member states at the UN: Palestine and the Vatican.

The Palestinians explicitly included the Vatican in their resolution draft, hoping that doing so would compel member nations to approve it, especially since Pope Francis is due to address the UN General Assembly next month.

The Vatican was not pleased. In a note circulated to some U.N. members, the Vatican made clear that while it did not object to the Palestinians proposing a resolution to fly their own flag, the Holy See had no plans to join the initiative – even though the Vatican formally recognized the State of Palestine earlier this year.

“The Holy See does not intend to co-sponsor a draft resolution that the State of Palestine may eventually present on the matter,” the note said. “The Holy See asks the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations kindly to remove in its draft resolution any reference to the ‘Holy See’ and any generic reference ‘on behalf of the Observer States’.”

The Palestinians have yet to respond.

Upshot
Even though most member states are usually more than willing to vote against Israel’s interests, agreeing to fly the flag of a state that the US doesn’t recognize in the heart of US territory and in a heavily pro Israel city is going too far, even for them. Even the pope gets that.

Fined for Shabbat Observance
Many Israeli cities have regulations that impose fines on businesses that stay open on Shabbat. One establishment, called Henry’s, is being fined by its parent company for closing on Shabbat.

The shop, which has a kashrut certificate, is located in a new upscale shopping center in Tel Aviv. The owners of the center claim that the contracts they signed with their shops requires them to be open seven days a week. They’re fining the Shabbat observing store owners 3,500 Shekels per month for violating their contract. The Tel Aviv religious council is protesting.