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Israel News for March 14, 2016

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Terror in Kiryat Arba
Two armed terrorists in a car opened fire on a group of soldiers at a bus stop in Kiryat Arba, near Hebron, today. A 20 year old soldier was lightly wounded. Both terrorists were shot and killed at the scene.

Moments later, while soldiers were active at the scene of the first attack, a Palestinian rammed his car into an officer at the scene. The terrorist was shot and killed when he tried to exit his vehicle. Two other soldiers were lightly wounded by shrapnel from the shooting.

Following the attacks the IDF raided the homes of the three terrorists in Hebron.

To watch videos of the attacks, click here.

Indonesia Barred
Israel denied permission for the Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to enter the Palestinian Territories to dedicate an honorary consulate there, after she refused to first meet with Israeli officials in Jerusalem.

Indonesia does not have official diplomatic ties with Israel, but the two states communicate quietly and maintain economic and tourism ties. In 2013, 300,000 Indonesian tourists visited Israel, which reflects a huge increase over the past few years since 2009, when less than 10,000 visited.

Indonesia asked Israel, through diplomatic channels, to allow its foreign minister to visit Ramallah, but the Prime Minister’s Office instructed authorities to bar her entry. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki will meet the foreign minister in Jordan.

The Indonesian government recently appointed a Palestinian to serve as Indonesia’s honorary representative to the Palestinian Authority. He will work to strengthen economic, social, and cultural ties and to encourage tourism and business exchanges.

For further reading click here.

Sweden vs. BDS
Following a meeting with MK Tzipi Livni of the opposition Labor Union party in Stockholm, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström has agreed to publicly denounce the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Wallstrom has previously made controversial statements against Israel, including accusing Israel of extrajudicial executions and of being a cause of radical Islamic terror.

Livni was in Stockholm to give a speech for “Israel Day,” an anti-BDS conference organized by the Jewish community in Sweden. In her speech and in meetings with members of Swedish parliament, Livni talked about ways to effectively isolate the movement – with a sharp distinction between “the small organization which denies the legitimacy of Israel, and which hopes to flood it with refugees, and those who get swept up in the movements through a misunderstanding of their goals.”

Livni’s next stop is Berlin. Keep up the good work!

For further reading click here.

Top Cop Decision
Despite a recent wave of sexual harassment allegations and trials against senior police officers, Israel’s Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich declared last week that, “Anonymous letters have turned into a culture of settling scores in the police force, and as such, from now on the police will not deal with anonymous letters that raise suspicions of violations by policemen. In an organization that requires reporting by policemen, there is no need for such letters.”

While Alscheich’s goal is to prevent baseless accusations that can ruin the reputations of innocent officers, the fact remains that most of the major investigations launched in sexual harassment cases that resulted in guilty verdicts were in response to anonymous tips.

The Justice Ministry’s police investigation unit announced on Sunday that it would continue to look into all anonymous accusations and tips saying, “The department is authorized to investigate complaints leading to suspicion of the commission of a crime by a policeman even when they come from unidentified sources. Every complaint that reaches the department will be investigated as has been done until now.”

For further reading click here.

Download Tax
The Israeli Treasury is proposing that overseas companies be required to pay VAT (value added tax) on electronic products sold via download. Currently, when Israelis download products such as songs and ebooks from overseas vendors, they are technically required to voluntarily declare their purchases and pay VAT on them. Obviously, very little tax is collected. If the new proposal passes, the overseas companies will be required to register with the Israel Tax Authority and pay the VAT, which is currently at 17%. That means higher prices for consumers.

For further reading click here.

Beware of Dog
If you’re planning to visit the Prime Minister’s residence, you might want to be especially careful around the PM’s dog. Kaiya, the Netanyahu’s “First Pooch”, has been known to sink her teeth into select individuals. At a Hanukkah lighting ceremony at the residence last year Kaiya bit MK Sharren Haskel (Likud) and the husband of Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely. Just recently she struck again, this time biting a security guard.

The Netanyahus don’t seem bothered, and are sticking with Kaiya. If you’ve got a problem, then don’t visit!

For further reading click here.

Israel News for January 13, 2016

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Gaza Airstrike
According to an IDF spokesperson, the Israel Air Force launched an airstrike today against a terror cell that was planting a bomb and preparing to attack Israeli troops near Gaza border fence. The operation was carried out in coordination with the Shin Bet. Officials in Gaza reported that one person was killed and three were wounded in the attack. Hamas has threatened to retaliate for the attack.

For further reading click here.

Methodist Divestment
The United Methodist Church, the largest Protestant denomination in the US with 13 million members, has banned five Israeli banks from its pension fund in what it claims is a broad review meant to weed out companies that profit from abuse of human rights.

According to its website the fund, called the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, excluded Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, First International Bank of Israel, Israel Discount Bank, and Mizrahi Tefahot Bank.

The pension board identified Israel and the Palestinian territories among more than a dozen “high risk” countries or regions with “a prolonged and systematic pattern of human rights abuses.” Other countries on the list include Saudi Arabia, the Central African Republic and North Korea.

The banks had been among several companies targeted by United Methodist Kairos Response, a coalition of church members who advocate for divestment from companies with business in what they consider to be the Israeli occupied territories.

The pension board’s decision came at a time when divestment is gaining momentum among liberal Protestants as a tool to pressure Israel over its policies toward Palestinians. Last year, the United Church of Christ voted to divest from companies with business in the Israeli-occupied territories. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.) took a similar vote in 2014.

On the “bright side”, the fund remains invested in 18 Israeli companies, and the total divestment from the banks equals only a few million dollars in a fund worth over 20 billion. But it’s the thought that counts, and the direction the Methodists are taking is not a positive one for Israel.

Senior officials in Israel’s Foreign Ministry said they are still examining the decision, but added that Israel will make quiet efforts to convince the leaders of the church to change or soften the measure ahead of the Methodist General Conference in May.

For further reading click here.

Swedes Again
Looks like the Swedes are at it again. Yesterday, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom called for an investigation to determine if Israel was guilty of unlawful killings of Palestinians during recent violence there.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the statements “irresponsible and delusional,” adding that Wallstrom is, “giving support to terror and thus encouraging violence.”

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog also blasted the Swedish foreign minister, accusing her of supporting terror. He wrote on his Facebook page, “It’s interesting that Sweden didn’t respond likely when Paris police killed the terrorists as needed. And it would be interesting to know if she would respond likely when the terrorists commit appalling attacks in her country. Would she demand, even then, to pet them on the head because they had a difficult childhood?”

This isn’t the first time Wallstrom has castigated Israel. After the Paris terror attack she told a TV interviewer that Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians was to blame for Islamic radicalization.

With all the refugees pouring into Sweden, perhaps she’ll get some first hand insight into the true causes of Islamic radicalization and terror, real soon.

For further reading click here.

Terrorist Buried
The body of Tel Aviv terrorist Nashat Milhelm was finally released by police to his family, who pledged to hold a quiet funeral. Forty people attended his funeral last night in his hometown of Arara. May he receive the Divine punishment he deserves.

For further reading click here.

Suspects Indicted
In October an Eritrean migrant worker was mistaken for a terrorist and lynched in the Beersheba central bus station, during a terror attack. Yesterday, four men were indicted on charges of aggravated assault, an offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The men are: IDF soldlier Yaakov Shamba, Israel Prison Service officer Ronen Cohen, Eviatar Damari and David Moyal.

For further reading click here.

Gaza Suit
Three U.S. citizens and one Belgian national filed suit against Israel in U.S. federal court in Washington on Monday. The plaintiffs are seeking compensation from Israel for injuries they sustained during the Israeli commando raid on the “Gaza Flotilla”. The flotilla unsuccessfully attempted to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza in May of 2010. Nine Turks and one American of Turkish descent were killed in the raid.

The plaintiffs were aboard the U.S.-flagged Challenger 1, which was carrying media equipment and 17 passengers and crew members. According to their attorneys, American plaintiffs David Schermerhorn, Mary Ann Wright, Huwaida Arraf, a dual U.S.-
Israeli citizen, and Belgian national Margriet Deknopper suffered injuries that included partial loss of sight when a stun grenade exploded inches from one of them and a broken nose when another was hit by a rubber bullet.

The lawsuit is unlikely to turn out successfully for the plaintiffs. Under U.S. law, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act generally bars lawsuits against foreign governments, except for certain circumstances, including terrorist acts against Americans by U.S.-designated state sponsors of terrorism. The plaintiffs are claiming that Israel breached US territory, and therefore is liable.

For further reading click here.

Jewish Apple
Israelis just got another reason to own an iPhone, and her name is Siri. Despite the Hebrew sounding name, Apple’s iPhone female voice assistant couldn’t speak Hebrew. But that’s gonna change. Siri will soon be fluent in the holy tongue. She probably won’t be considered Jewish by the rabbinical courts, but she’ll be able to help you through those tough, hands-free moments…in Hebrew. Maybe she’ll convert?