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Israel News for December 26, 2016

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UN Vote
On Friday the UN Security Council voted 14-0 to condemn Israeli settlement building in the West Bank. The resolution, which was withdrawn by Egypt after pressure from Israel and Donal Trump, was reintroduced by Venezuela, New Zealand, Malaysia and Senegal. In an unprecedented move, the US did not use its veto power, allowing the resolution to pass. Israel had feared the Obama would take action against Israel in the UN in his final days in office, and this is exactly what happened.

Senior Republican leaders lashed out at Obama’s decision to abstain from the vote. Donald Trump vowed that things would be much different after he takes office.

Ambassador Samantha Power explained the administration’s vote this way: “Today, the Security Council reaffirmed its established consensus that settlements have no legal validity…. President Obama and Secretary Kerry have repeatedly warned – publicly and privately – that the absence of progress toward peace and continued settlement expansion was going to put the two-state solution at risk, and threaten Israel’s stated objective to remain both a Jewish State and a democracy … This resolution reflects trends that will permanently destroy the hope of a two-state solution if they continue on their current course.”

But while the Obama administrations claims that it was just voicing its opposition to the building of new settlements, the reality is much different.

According to the text of the resolution, “any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem have no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law.” 

That means that everything built in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall plaza, is illegal. It also means that all the Jewish neighborhoods located in “East” Jerusalem, and the roads leading to Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital, are illegal.

Did Obama not fully understand the contents of the resolution, or does he truly believe that Israel has no right to any property located over the “Green Line”, including the Western Wall (which is clearly over the line)?

PM Netanyahu remarked, “Over decades, American administrations and Israeli governments have disagreed about settlements, but we agreed that the Security Council was not the place to resolve this issue. As I told John Kerry on Thursday, friends don’t take friends to the Security Council.”

Apparently the Obama administration wasn’t such a friend after all. Quite a goodbye gift from the outgoing president. Best of luck to you too.

For further reading click here.

Israel Reacts
In the wake of the UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity, Israel has taken action against the UN and the countries that voted against her.

Israel will cut its $8 million of funding to the UN and also work to cancel appointments of anti-Israel UN officials and impede the functioning of UN relief agencies operating in the West Bank and Gaza who are anti-Israel. Israel is hoping that the Trump administration and its new pro-Israel UN ambassador Nikki Haley will help facilitate its moves.

PM Netanyahu also summoned the ambassadors of the 14 countries who voted for the resolution for a “talking to” and ordered Israeli officials not to hold meetings with representatives of those countries, including England, France, Spain, Japan and Russia.

For further reading click here.

Special Rep
Donald Trump has appointed Jason Greenblatt, the Trump Organization’s chief legal officer, as special representative for international negotiations, with a focus on Israel-Palestinian peace talks, trade agreements and the diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba.

Greenblatt, an Orthodox Jew and Yeshiva University graduate, has said that he believes in a two-state solution as long as it is reached through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and not imposed by the UN or any other foreign element. He also firmly believes that settlements are not an obstacle to peace.

While Greenblatt admits that he has no professional foreign policy experience, that doesn’t seem to bother him or Trump. Judging by the development in the peace process over the last 20 years, it doesn’t seem as though the experienced diplomats have done such a great job. Perhaps the lawyers and businessmen can do better? The next US presidents is doubling down on that belief.

Greenblatt is expected to start shuttling between Jerusalem and Ramallah soon after the inauguration to try and restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

A Teaneck resident and father of six, Greenblatt visits Israel often with his family and has even written several Israel travel guides. Greenblatt is also a loyal reader of this daily email newsletter. We wish him the best of luck in his new position and are confident that he will apply his staunch support for Israel and his negotiation skills to achieve great things.

For further reading click here. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4898600,00.html

Rebbe Lights
If you need some inspiration when saying the blessings over your Hanukkah menorah, this might help. To watch how the Rachmastivka rebbe does it, click here.

Israel News for June 10, 2016

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UN Responds
The UN Security Council last night condemned Wednesday’s deadly Tel Aviv terror attack and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.

In a statement, the 15-member Council expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Israel, wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.

“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” the statement indicated.

“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice. They stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,” it added.

The Security Council also reiterated that “any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.”

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon noted that the council statement was the first official condemnation of “terrorism” in Israel since the current wave of attacks began eight months ago.

 He called the condemnation “an important and moral statement” and called on all countries to oppose “Palestinian incitement that directly leads to violent terrorism.”

For further reading click here.

PA Responds
In a carefully worded statement released yesterday, the Palestinian Authority condemned terror attacks against civilians but failed to mention Wednesday’s terror attack in Tel Aviv.

The statement said that the PA, “reaffirms its rejection of all operations that target civilians from any background regardless of the justifications. Achieving a just peace and creating a positive climate is what (will) contribute to removing the causes of tension and violence in the region. Achieving peace requires everyone to stop taking any action that will increase tensions and resorting to violence.”

Meanwhile, Joint Arab List leader MK Ayman Odeh did refer to the Tel Aviv shooting itself when condemning “this horrific attack on civilians.”

He said, ”My heart goes out to the families. Harming innocents is always condemned; there is no and there can be no justification for shooting civilians in the street.”

But he also made sure to blame the government saying, “The government is only intensifying hate and violence. All Israeli and Palestinian civilians should be removed from this circle of horror and blood. We must fight together in a just way to bring an end to the occupation, (and usher in an era) of justice and peace for the two peoples.” 

For further reading click here.

TA Mayor Responds
Ron Huldai, the longtime Mayor of Tel Aviv responded to Wednesday’s terror attack by blaming it on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.

In an interview on Army Radio he said, “We are probably the only country in which another people is living under occupation without civil rights and the leadership is saying the situation will (make conditions ripe) in favor of an agreement.”

He said, “I know the reality and I know that courageous leaders need to aspire to take action and not just pay lip service. The fact that we are tolerating this misery will not lead to the change that needs to be made.”

Huldai concluded that, “You can’t hold people in a situation of occupation and hope they’ll reach the conclusion everything is all right.”

For further reading click here.

Hard to Believe
Here’s a story that seems too incredible to be true, but it is. During Wednesday night’s terror attack in Tel Aviv, a policeman and his family who were at the scene ran back to their nearby apartment building. When they got there another man that they didn’t recognize ran inside with them. The cop’s wife asked him who he was, but he didn’t answer. He just asked for water, which she gave him. They tried talking to him but he didn’t respond, so they thought he was in shock from the attack.

The policeman grabbed his weapon and ran outside to join security forces responding to the attack. When he saw the terrorist who was captured by police, he realized that the man in his home was dressed the same way. Oh no.

The cop ran back home and subdued the terrorist who was sitting at his kitchen table. They called out for assistance. Unfortunately, one of the police officers who came to help accidentally discharged his weapon, lightly wounding the first cop.

And that’s how a bit of old fashioned hospitality led to the capture of the second terrorist.

For further reading click here.

Shavuot 1925
Tens of thousands of Jews will pray at the Kotel during the upcoming holiday of Shavuot this Sunday, but the situation in 1925 was much different.

To watch a video of Jews praying at the Kotel in 1925, click here.

Israel News for January 21, 2016

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PA Security
The head of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service Majid Faraj stated in an interview with Defense News that Palestinian security agents have thwarted 200 potential terror attacks against Israel and arrested more than 100 Palestinians.

He confirmed that security cooperation between PA security services and Israel will continue, in order to prevent further chaos and to stop extremists, including ISIS members, from entering the country.

While warning about the danger from religious extremists, Faraj estimated that 90 percent of the Palestinian public is opposed to organizations such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining the Palestinian Authority and preventing its collapse, claiming that its collapse would allow extremist groups to fill the vacuum and gain control.

For further reading click here.

Security Council
The Palestinian Authority is diligently lobbying to get the UN Security Council to pass a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank and declaring them illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace.

The Palestinians have been talking to current Security Council members France, Spain and Egypt to draw up and support the resolution. Israeli diplomats are worried that French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius might try to advance a pro-Palestinian UN resolution as one of the last things he does before leaving office in a few weeks. France already inserted a clause in a recent EU resolution distinguishing Israel from the West Bank, calling for the consideration of taking action in the Security Council in an effort to formulate a multilateral approach to the peace process.

The big question mark is what the U.S. position will be. While Israel has always relied on the U.S. to veto anti-Israel resolutions in the Security Council, Israeli officials are worried that President Obama, in his final year in office, might choose not to veto, given his outspoken criticism of Israeli settlement policy.

On the other hand, the Palestinians are sure that America will either veto, or pressure other countries from voting for, any resolution in their favor. In recent years the U.S. Has either vetoed or helped defeat several resolutions viewed as anti-Israel.

During an election year in the U.S., it seems highly unlikely that Obama would hold back the veto and risk jeopardizing Democratic chances at winning the presidential election.

For further reading click here.

Supermarket Suit
A class-action suit for 450 million shekels ($113.4 million) was filed yesterday with the District Court in Haifa against Shufersal, the massive Israeli supermarket chain, claiming that the chain discriminates against Israeli Arabs by not allowing them to buy from its online store.

The suit was filed by two Israel Arab residents of towns in northern Israel who claimed that they were not allowed to shop in the chain’s online store because their addresses were beyond the store’s distribution area. In other words, Shufersal does not deliver to Arab areas. They also claim that Shufersal delivery vehicles drive through Arab towns on their way to make deliveries to residents in Jewish towns.

The plaintiffs, together with experts in the field, analyzed the chain’s distribution area maps and the range of possible criteria that could have guided Shufersal in setting the distribution areas, such as distance from the branch, size of the community or type of community. They assert that there was no economic or marketing criterion that could explain the distribution, other than the ethnic character of the community.

Shufersal stated:”Shufersal provides service to the entire population of Israel irrespective of religion, race or sex. We have yet to receive the lawsuit, and when it is received we will respond through legal proceedings.”

For further reading click here.

Exodus Flag
The Silversteins, two Jewish brothers from Chicago who own a real estate company, have purchased, at auction, the flag that flew over the “Exodus” ship. The Exodus carried 4,500 holocaust survivors from France to Palestine in 1947. On its way to Palestine the ship was attacked by British destroyers and in a battle waged on its decks three passengers were killed, with dozens more injured. When the ship anchored in Haifa the would-be immigrants were arrested and deported back to Europe. The unfortunate event helped sway international public opinion to support the establishment of Israel.

The brothers paid $147,000 for the flag, which they subsequently donated to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The Silversteins, along with the director of the museum, drew comparisons between the Exodus story and the current refugee crisis and said that they hoped that the flag would serve as a reminder to the world not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Reactions from Israel were not so positive. Yad Vashem commented, “we regret that an item connected to the state’s history has been removed. It’s too bad it didn’t go to a suitable museum in Israel.” The comparison between the holocaust survivors on the Exodus and today’s Syrian refugees was also viewed as inappropriate.

For further reading click here.

Russian Sanctuary
You might think that hell has actually frozen over when you read this: Vladimir Putin has invited European Jews to come to Russia to flee anti-semitism. Yup, you heard right. The Russian president met with members of the European Jewish Congress at the Kremlin and heard Dr. Moshe Kantor, the congress’ president, speak about growing anti-semitism in Western Europe.

Kantor said, “The situation of the Jews in Europe is the worst it has been since the end of the Second World War. Jews are again living in fear and there is a very real prospect of an exodus of Jews from certain parts of Europe. There are more Jews who are escaping from France, which is thought to be very safe, than from the war in Ukraine.”

Putin responded, “They can come here. During the Soviet era Jews would leave, but now they can come back.”

You think anyone will take up his offer?

For further reading click here.

israelAM for August 21, 2015

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Hunger Strike Ended
Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Allaan decided to end his hunger strike yesterday as a result of the High Court’s decision to suspend his administrative detention. He’s still too sick to eat, but he should be able to in a couple of days. (clearly there’s a difference between being on a hunger strike and just not eating).

Who Won?
While Allaan’s family and supporters are claiming victory, the High Court’s decision doesn’t really do much to change Allaan’s long term situation, other than allowing him visitors. As soon as he gets well enough, the administrative detention order gets reinstated. Ironically, the only way Allaan wins by getting set free immediately is if he is found to have irreversible brain damage. Doesn’t seem like much of a victory in that scenario.

The real winner in this case seems to be the government. It avoided being blamed for the death of a prisoner, ended a hunger strike without having to force-feed, and can continue detaining a terror suspect once he gets well or release him if he is no longer a security threat due to irreversible brain damage.

Israel Strikes Syria
After four rockets were fired into northern Israel from Syria yesterday, the IDF hit back hard. The Israeli army used tanks, artillery and aircraft to attack 14 military targets in the Syrian government held Golan Heights, from where the rockets were launched. Israel claims that the Iranian backed Islamic Jihad is behind the attack, and holds the Syrian government responsible for not securing their territory. Syrian state radio confirmed the attacks but claimed minimal damage.

There has been occasional shooting into Israel from Syria that has spilled over from fighting inside of Syria. But yesterday’s rocket attack into Israel was clearly intentional. A senior IDF officer said, “For us this is a clear act of aggression meant by the Iranians to use the chaos in Syria to escalate tensions in the region,” he said.

The officer said that although the rocket attack was carried out by Islamic Jihad forces, it is not connected to the threats of reprisal by Islamic Jihad related to the hunger strike of their operative Mohammed Allaan. He claimed that the attack is part of an Iranian strategy to use the chaos in Syria to “heat up” Israel’s northern border.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon openly blamed Iran and warned Western nations not to ignore Iran’s attempts to destabilize the region and harm Western interests and Israel. He said, “Following the signing of the nuclear deal with Iran and the removal of the economic sanctions imposed on it, what we saw tonight might be the promo to a richer and more murderous Iran. One that can streamline money and large amounts of weapons to terrorist organizations to harm Israel and Western interests in the region and beyond.”

Update
Early this morning the Israeli airforce penetrated 10 kilometers into Syria and destroyed a car carrying the four Islamic Jihad militants believed to be responsible for firing the rockets into Israel yesterday.

UN vs. Israel
The United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman is not very happy with some of Israel’s recently passed anti-terror laws. In a speech to the Security Council yesterday he criticized the law increasing the penalties for stone throwers, the law permitting force-feeding of prisoners, and the administrative detention law, saying that they threatened to worsen an “already-precarious human rights situation.”

Background
The stone-throwing law passed by the Knesset in July says that stone throwers proven to have acted with the intention of causing bodily harm can be imprisoned for up to twenty years. Otherwise, they can get up to 10 yrs for attacking civilian targets and 5 yrs for attacking police or military targets.

The force-feeding law that was also passed in July gives the government the right to force-feed prisoners who go on hunger strikes. The government has yet to force-feed anyone, in part due to the refusal of Israeli doctors to perform the procedure, which most consider to be inhumane.

The administrative detention law allows authorities to detain terror suspects for six month intervals (that can be renewed) without revealing the charges or holding a trial. The law has been primarily used against Palestinian terror suspects where the authorities believe that revealing the charges would pose a security risk. Recently, several jewish terror suspects were also placed in administrative detention.

Upshot
So while innocent civilians are being beheaded bombed and terrorized just hours away by ISIS, Assad and just about everyone else with some power, Israeli anti-terror legislation is on the UN agenda for human rights violations. Seems a bit distorted, don’t you think?

Cops and Crime
According to Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, there are 132 police officers on active duty who have been convicted of criminal offenses. He also said that 21 policemen were fired this year after being convicted of crimes or following disciplinary procedures. Last year the number of convicted cops who were fired was 34, and in 2013 it was 40.

Erdan didn’t reveal the nature of the active duty officers’ offenses, but most of the penalties ranged from suspended sentences through community service to fines. That implies that the crimes weren’t that bad. Should police officers really be committing any crimes at all?

Soccer Players Win
The players who protested the scheduling of National League (Liga Leumit) soccer games on Shabbat brought their case to labor court, and won. Labor Court Judge Arielle Giltzer-Katz decided in favor of the players and informed management that since it lacked a permit for working on Shabbat, it would be breaking the law by doing so.

The Israel Premiere League, the first tier soccer league, does play games on Shabbat. None of their players seem to be protesting.

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