Posts

girl with Israeli flag

Israel News for April 28, 2017

/by

Population Stats
With Israel Independence Day next week, the country’s population statistics are out and looking strong. The population in Israel is currently 8,680,000, up 159,000 (1.9%) from last year. The Jewish population is 6,484,000, which is about 75% of the total population. Arabs make up just over 20% with 1.8 million people. There are close to 400,000 people classified as non-Arab Christians or members of other religions.

Within the Jewish population 44% classify themselves as non religious, 24% as traditional, 12% as “modern” religious and 11% as Haredi (ultra-orthodox).

Regarding happiness, 89% of those surveyed said they were happy with their lives in Israel, 59% were happy with their financial condition and 52% assumed that their lives would improve in the future.

There are eight cities with over 200,000 inhabitants: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rishon Letzion, Petach Tikva, Ashdod, Netanya and Bersheeva.

To read more statistics click here.

Senate Warns UN
The 100 members of the US Senate signed a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning the UN to stop picking on Israel.

The letter said, “While much good is being done and has been done by the body, many of its member states and agencies are using the UN’s privileged platform to advance an ant-Israel agenda. Too often, the UN is exploited as a vehicle for targeting Israel rather than as a forum committed to advancing the lofty goals of its founders. These actions have at time reinforced the broader courage of anti-Semitism…”

The Senators stressed, “…we are united in our desire to see the United Nations improve its treatment of Israel and to eliminate anti-Semitism in all its forms.”

The letter pointed out several specific steps the UN should take to improve the treatment of Israel including the termination of funding for agencies and committees related to the BDS movement, and the stopping of anti-Israel resolutions at UNESCO, UNRWA and UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The letter ended with a strong demand for Guterres to, “engage member states in a comprehensive effort to directly confront and root out this [anti-Israel] bias.”

To read the entire letter click here.

Trouble Up North
A Patriot anti-ballistic missile was fired from the northern Israel to destroy an drone that had penetrated into the Golan from Syria. This comes in the aftermath of a reported Israeli attack on Hezbollah weapons depot in the Damascus International Airport early Thursday morning. The weapons are regularly sent to the Assad regime by Iran.

In an unrelated event, a Lebanese citizen was arrested by police in Kiryat Shmona, just over the Lebanese border, after he was spotted by citizens at the towns central bus station. The man was found to have infiltrated from Lebanon. Police are investigating.

For further reading click here.

Bennett in Charge
Bayit Yehudi leader and Minister of Education Naftali Bennet won his party’s primary election by a landslide, consolidating his position of leadership. Bennett won a whopping 80% of the vote. He said, “The choice was not about me. Rather, the choice was about the way… the way to maintain Israel’s security without compromise, to preserve our Jewish identity, to maintain unity and to open the party’s ranks. Anyone who believes in our values, this is his home.”

For further reading click here.

Help Israel
The World Jewish Congress has launched a campaign to stop FIFA, the international soccer association, from potentially banning Israel from the organization.

The WJC has launched the #LetIsraelPlay campaign on social media to defeat the boycott movement’s attempt to kick Israel out of FIFA.

To participate:

1) Visit the FIFA Facebook page and tell them to keep politics out of football.

2) Paste this video (https://goo.gl/mdQpob) and the following message to their Facebook wall before May 11:

FIFA, one of the world’s most important sports organizations, is contemplating the world’s biggest mistake — to expel Israel from FIFA. We can not let this happen!

Israel News Rivllin US visit

Israel News for February 13, 2017

/by

Annexation Support
While addressing a pro settlement conference in Jerusalem today, President Rivlin blasted the new Regulation Bill recently passed by the Knesset which allows appropriating privately owned Palestinian land. Rivlin said that the law goes against international law. However, Rivlin made clear that he is in favor of annexing the West Bank on the condition that Palestinians living there would be giving full Israeli citizenship.

He said, “I, Rubi Rivlin, believe that Zion is entirely ours. I believe the sovereignty of the State of Israel must be in all the blocs [referring to the entire West Bank].”

He also said, “Applying sovereignty to an area gives citizenship to all those living there. There is no [separate] law for Israelis and for non-Israelis. It must be clear: If we extend sovereignty, the law must apply equally to all.”

Regarding the Regulation Law Rivlin said, “The issue of the expropriation of land must be a law [enacted] by the sovereign, correct and equal for all citizens, and not an extraterritorial law that is applied as needed. International law also applies to us.”

Rivlin himself owns land in the West Bank that he purchased from a Palestinian.

For further reading click here.

Embassy Move
Senator Bob Corker (R-TN,) the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview to Politico’s Global Podcast that Trump at one point was “ready to move the embassy at 12:01 on January 20th. Maybe even 12 and thirty seconds.” Corker added that announcing the relocation of the embassy “was going to be their first move,” but that ever since entering the White House, Trump’s team has been going through an evolution and “they get a greater sense of some of the complexities that exist.”   

Corker said that the embassy move could still happen, but that it would have to be done only after consultations with the important Arab states in the region. “I think they got to communicate to the Arab world that this isn’t doing away with the two-state-solution. There’s a lot of communication that’s got to come with it.” He also said the administration could be waiting with the move until after Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is confirmed by the Senate. Friedman’s first confirmation hearing before the committee chaired by Corker will take place on Thursday. 

Corker said, “My sense is they’re still moving there, but they’re doing some of the things that need to happen,”

For further reading click here.

UNESCO Exhibit
In the aftermath of last year’s UNESCO’s resolution which conspicuously failed to make any mention of Jewish ties to the Temple Mount, Israel will be placing a permanent exhibit at UNESCO headquarters of a replica of the seven-branched Menorah featured on the Arch of Titus in Rome. The replica will showing Jewish slaves carrying the Menorah into exile to Rome and include a written explanation in English, French, Hebrew and Arabic.

Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO, Carmel Shama Hacohen said, “The decision to place the scene from the Arch of Titus—which depicts Jews, the Menorah and other holy symbols following the destruction of the Second Temple going into exile—in UNESCO presents an objective, historical truth engraved in stone by a non-Jewish ruler 600 years before the appearance of Islam in the world.”

Hacohen added, “The exhibit and the statue are not meant to be a competition for Jerusalem or to hurt another religion’s connection to their holy place. This is just an additional step in explaining the truth that we were expelled from the Temple Mount by force to the coalition of lies of the Palestinians and Arab countries who claim we were never there and have no holy connection.”
 
For further reading click here.

North Korea Fun
An Israeli tourism company has received an exclusive franchise for issuing official tourist visas for visiting North Korea, which only a few Israelis have visited up until now. Rimon Tours group subsidiary Tarbutu will offer visits to the tyrannical and closed country starting this spring and summer.

Tarbutu program manager Haim Peres said, “North Korea is without question one of the most fascinating countries in the world today. It is a closed country cut off from the world, including its neighbors. More is unknown than known about the country.”

According to figures from Tarbutu, only 100 Israelis have visited North Korea in organized tours. Up until now, Israelis have been granted tourist visas for North Korean only through parties in China. Now, however, KISTC, the North Korean national travel agency, is accepting tourist visas for Israelis.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “There is no travel warning for North Korea, and no specific ban on traveling there. We of course recommend extreme caution, since there are no diplomatic relations with North Korea, but it is not classified as an enemy country.”

Vacation and touring packages to North Korea will run in the $3,850-4,150 range, not including personal expenses, insurance, or tourist visas to China.

Passover in North Korea??

For further reading click here.

Survey Says
A survey by InterNations, the world’s largest network for people who live and work abroad, rated 43 different aspects of life abroad on a scale of 1-7. Expats rated everything from childcare and education, to children’s health and safety. Each country had to have at least 31 respondents who are raising dependent children abroad, for the nation to be included in the index.

Out of 45 countries in the index, Israel ranked number 3, behind Finland and the Czech Republic and ahead of Austria and Sweden.

To see the complete list with explanations click here.

israel news settlements

Israel News for November 10, 2016

/by

Trump on Settlements
In an interview with Israel Army Radio today, Trump Israel advisor Jason Greenblatt said that Trump, “does not view the settlements as being an obstacle to peace. I think he would show [the expulsion of Jewish communities in Gaza, which didn’t bring peace] as proof of that. The two sides are going to have to decide how to deal with that region, but it is certainly not Mr. Trump’s view that settlement activity should be condemned and that it is an obstacle for peace – because it is not the obstacle for peace.”

Greenblatt also said that Trump would not impose a “peace process” on Israel. “He thinks that Israel is in a very tough situation and needs to [do what it has to in order] to defend itself. He is not going to impose any solution on Israel. He thinks that the peace has to come from the parties themselves.”

Regarding moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, Greenblatt said, “He said that he’s going to do it. He’s different for Israel than any recent President has been and I think that he’s a man who keeps his word. He recognizes the historical significance of the Jewish people to Jerusalem unlike, let’s say, UNESCO.”

Netanyahu and Trump spoke on the phone yesterday. Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his victory and Trump invited the PM to meet with him in the US “at the first opportunity.”

[Looks like the PM is in love]

For further reading click here.

Israeli Flag in Morocco
UN climate talks are taking place in Marrakesh, Morocco and the Israeli flag is flying high among the 195 national flags of UN members. The sight of the Israeli flag displayed in a major Arab city cause around 200 protesters to gather outside the parliament building in the capital city of Rabat and chant “Death to America, death to Israel!” while burning the Israeli flag and parading anti-Israel posters.

Morocco’s Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar responded to the protests saying, “UN meetings around the world welcome all nations” and that the fight against climate change “requires all governments to commit”.

For further reading click here.

Russian Kotel Visit
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev cocked off an official visit to Israel with a visit to the Kotel. He was accompanied by Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and the Chief Rabbi of the Kotel R. Shmuel Rabinovitz, who praised the friendly relationship between Russia and Israel and reiterated the Jewish connection to the holy place.

Medvedev referred to the recent UNESCO vote that denied a Jewish connection to the Kotel and Temple Mount and said that it was unimportant and that Russia accepts the strong Jewish connection to the both places.

For further reading click here.

Shas in Heaven
The reaction from Israeli leaders, particularly those on the Right, to Trump’s presidential victory have been extremely positive, to put it mildly. But the reaction of Shas (Sephardic Ultra Orthodox party) leader and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri takes it to the next level.

Deri said, “It is too early to discuss the possible repercussions of Trump’s election as president, but there is no doubt that we should thank God that all the desecrators of the covenant and impersonators of Judaism [referring to the leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements] who wished to take control of the Land of Israel and introduce their destructive reforms- received a significant blow.

“Their influence and threat came from their connection to the administration in America, they realize that they have lost this power and we can, God willing, continue to strengthen the traditional religion which we received from previous generations.”

“Many Jews said over the last few days that if such a miracle happens, it must be the days prior to the advent of the Messiah. We must truly be in Messianic times when everything will turn out favorably for the people of Israel.”

[ Does that make Trump the messiah? Hmm…]

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 26, 2016

/by

Soldier Wounded
IDF soldiers from the Golan brigade working on defenses on the Lebanese border near Metula were fired upon from a vehicle passing on the Lebanese side. One soldier was hit by shrapnel and lightly wounded. The soldiers returned fire.

For further reading click here.

Wedding Incitement
Back in December of 2015, a video of a wedding celebration was released which showed Jewish guests dancing with rifles, knives and fake molotov cocktails and singing songs calling for violence against Palestinians. Guests were also shown stabbing, tearing and setting fire to photos of Ali Dawabsheh, an 18-month-old baby who was murdered in an arson attack on their home in the village of Duma, and of his two parents, who were also murdered in the attack. The photos had the word “Revenge” written on them.  

The video triggered an investigation by police and arrests. Today, thirteen wedding guests, including the groom, were indicted for incitement and possession of firearms. The suspects also include the wedding singer and five minors between the ages of 14 and 17.

The indictment stated, “with their actions, defendants jointly called for an act of violence or terrorism; praise, sympathy or encouragement of an act of violence or terrorism; and support or identification with such an act. Based on the contents of the inciting actions and the circumstances in which they occurred, there is a real possibility that it will lead an act of violence and terrorism.”

An attorney for one of the defendants said, “This is a populist move by the State Attorney’s Office. I propose that before the State Attorney’s Office files an indictment concerning this wedding, they file incitements against guests at weddings in Umm al-Fahm, who actually fire their weapons and not just dance with them.”

For further reading and to see the video, click here.

 

Light Terror Sentence
Last year, on the night of Shavuot, an Arab terrorist stabbed and wounded two Breslover Hassidic yeshiva students in the Old City of Jerusalem, who were on their way to the kotel. Now a judge has sentenced the terrorist, a Christina Arab, to just nine years in prison. The prosecution was seeking 20 years.

The judge claimed that he could not label the attack as attempted murder or terror, because he felt that the attacker was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and not nationalistically motivated. This is despite the many nationalistic posts on the attacker’s Facebook page. The families of the victims angrily protested the verdict. The attacker will probably be released from prison after serving half of his sentence.

For further reading click here.

Another UNESCO Vote
Two weeks ago UNESCO passed a resolution denying any Jewish connection to the Western Wall or Temple Mount. Today UNESCO passed another resolution on the matter, but this one is a bit less harsh.

For example, the resolution refers to the Western Wall by its Jewish name, which is not in quotation marks, as it has been in previous motions. Additionally, references to the site by its Muslim name, al-Buraq plaza, have been removed. So, too, has the term “occupying” force in regards to Israel, after years of Palestinian refusal to drop the term in UNESCO resolutions on Jerusalem. The resolution however still only refers to the Temple Mount only by its Muslim name, Haram al-Sharif or Al-Aqsa Mosque.

For further reading click here.

More Cars
The bad traffic on Israeli highways is on track to get worse. Over 300,000 new cars will be purchased by Israelis this year, which is over 50,000 more than last year and over 100,000 more than in 2012. The reason for the increased car spending is thought to be record low interest rates and the easy availability of 100% financing. That means borrowers can pay just a few hundred shekels a month for their new car. The banks don’t seem worried about the risk, pointing to a default rate of just .25% compared to 1.24% to 1.5% for general purpose consumer loans.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 14, 2016

/by

UNESCO Votes
As expected, UNESCO voted in favor of a resolution which denies any Jewish connection to the Temple Mount or the Western Wall. Twenty-four countries voted in favor of the resolution, six against, 26 abstained and two were absent.

The U.S., Britain, Germany, Holland, Lithuania and Estonia voted against the resolution. None of the European countries, including France, Spain and Sweden, voted for the resolution. Neither did India and Argentina.

Israeli and Jewish leaders across the political spectrum slammed the UNESCO vote. PM Netanyahu said, “To say that Israel has no connection to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall is like saying that China has no connection to the Great Wall of China and that Egypt has no connection to the Pyramids. With this absurd decision, UNESCO lost the little legitimization it had left. But I believe that the historical truth is stronger and the truth will win.”

Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who also leads Israel’s National Commission for UNESCO, suspended all activities and participation with the organization.

For further reading click here.

Security Council
The UN Security Council will be holding an informal session today entitled, “Illegal Israeli Settlements: Obstacles to Peace and Two-State Solution.” The session, spearheaded by the Palestinians, will be co-chaired by Angola, Egypt, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela.

B’Tselem, the left wing Israeli human rights watchdog, will make a presentation at the session. B’Tselem’s executive director, Hagai El-Ad, said, “This will be one of the most important diplomatic opportunities in the history of B’Tselem, and that “the occupation is not an internal Israeli matter, and the Israeli public is not authorized to decide if it wants it to continue. It is a clear international matter.”

A press release from B’Tselem stated, “The responsibility for ending the occupation and the human rights violations that it entails lies first and foremost with Israel, yet this reality will not change as long as the international community stands idly by.”

Peace Now announced that it would not participate in the meeting, but Lara Friedman of Americans for Peace Now (which is affiliated with Peace Now) will speak.

Israel’s permanent representative to the UN, Amb. Danny Danon, criticized the meeting, saying, “The Palestinians continue to look for a way to bypass direct negotiations and are generating diplomatic terrorism against Israel. It’s sad and disappointing that precisely on days of self evaluation and prayers for the unity of the people of Israel, Israeli organizations are giving moral cover to the persecution of Israel at the UN.”

B’Teselem, in turn, attacked Danon for attacking them.

For further reading click here.

Spiritual Meeting
Jewish and Muslim religious leaders participated in a forum in Jerusalem to discuss ways of countering religious driven violence. The forum was hosted by Israeli President Reuven Revlon and included Israelis and Palestinians.

The Jewish delegation was led by Israel’s Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef. The Muslim-Palestinian delegation was led by the Palestinian Authority’s Chief Sharia Justice and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Advisor to Muslim Affairs Sheikh Mahmoud al-Habbash.

Rabbi Yosef called on Muslims and Jews to overcome the minority of extremists on both sides and to live in peace, as he claimed Muslims and Jews had done in the past (although the Muslims were always in control back then).

He also spoke out against the “genocide” in Syria saying:

“As we sit here, people not far from us, women and children in nearby Syria are being murdered with chemical weapons, biological weapons and air bombs. Millions of refugees are without a roof over their heads, hundreds of thousands of others are starving under siege. They may not be our friends, but they’re people going through a small Holocaust.”

“The people of Israel went through a terrible Holocaust 70 years ago. Millions of Jews were murdered, millions of others remained refugees without a safe haven. The Nazi beast murdered all those millions, while the world saw this and stayed silent. We, as Jews who physically paid the price for that silence, let out a cry all those years, asking how the world knew and stayed silent.”

“I want to take advantage of this stage to say that as Jews, we cannot be silent. Let the call come out of here: we cannot move on from genocide, not in Syria nor anywhere or with any people, even if they are not our friends.” He added that “we are all human beings. I call on you, leaders from all religions—lift up your voices. Let each person use their influence. If this happens, perhaps we will be able to prevent such atrocities.”

For further reading click here.

Dore Gold Resigns
Dore Gold, the American born and educated Director General of the Foreign Ministry, has resigned from his position due to personal reasons. Gold previously served as Israel’s Ambassador to the UN and as a political advisor to PM Netanyahu.

Gold was apparently not allowed to participate in talks with Turkey, Egypt, the US or the Palestinians, but was instead relegated to dealing with African leaders as well as internal budgetary matters in the Foreign Ministry. But Gold gave spending more time with his grandchildren as his main reason for resigning.

PM Netanyahu currently serves as Foreign Minister and Tzipi Hotovely as Deputy Foreign Minister.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 13, 2016

/by

Yom Kippur Riots
Israeli police clashed with violent rioters in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan yesterday, during Yom Kippur. During the riots, which lasted several hours, masked men threw rocks and molotov cocktails at police on patrol in the neighborhood. One terrorist was shot and killed. He had recently been released from prison, after serving a year and a half sentence. Silwan residents gathered at his home to praise him, and Hamas also praised him.

Police and Border Police also clashed with Palestinians in Isawiya and Jabel Mukaber yesterday. Police dispersed the rioters with no injuries on either side.

For further reading click here.

Amona Petition
As a result of threats from Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett to cause a coalition crisis, PM Netanyahu has agreed to order the State to appeal to the Supreme Court to postpone the evacuation of Amona for six months. The PM met today with Bennett, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (also from Bayit Yehudi) and Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, where they agreed to petition the court.

The current court ruling orders the evacuation to be completed by December 25th. But a plan for where to house the Amona residents has still not been finalized. Settler leaders want the residents moved to nearby land, but Palestinian claims of ownership over that land has made that legally untenable. Israeli plans to build housing units in nearby Shiloh have been condemned by the US and also been rejected by Amona leaders.

The hope is that with more time, a solution to the crisis can be discovered.

For further reading click here.

Temple Mount Resolution
The members of UNESCO, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, will vote today on a resolution which, in addition to condemning Israel on several matters related to Jerusalem, claims that the Temple Mount is only holy to Moslems and has no historical connection to Judaism.

Over the past few weeks Israeli ambassadors and diplomats have lobbied countries to vote against the resolution, or at least to abstain. A senior Foreign Ministry official said that although the resolution is expected to pass, Israel’s diplomatic efforts had achieved some results. For example, France is expected to keep its promise and abstain from voting. Spain, Sweden and Argentina are also expected to abstain and Israel hopes Slovenia will join them. The official said that even several Arab states are unhappy with the Palestinian sponsored UNESCO resolution, but as a result of public pressure they are forced to support the Palestinians.

The US has suspended it membership, and membership fees, to UNESCO.

To read the UNESCO resolution draft, click here.

New Ferry Launches
After ten years of bureaucratic battles, a new ferry between Haifa and Acre has finally been launched. The ferry will transport tourists between the coastal cities for just 55 shekels round trip (30 one way).

For further reading click here.

Gaza Crowding
On Tuesday the two millionth resident of Gaza was born. The baby boy’s father, Jihad Shaath, proclaimed, “I hope that just like we broke the barrier of two million in the Gaza Strip, we’ll also break the Israeli blockade on it. I hope that my son will become one of the soldiers of the al-Aqsa (Martyrs’ Brigade) who will bring about the liberation of the al-Aqsa Mosque.” [With the first name “Jihad”, what do you expect?]

There are 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, which is 16 times larger than Gaza.

For further reading click here.

Rare Photos
A collection of rare photos taken by Israeli photographer Dan Hadani has been made available to the public by the National Library of Israel. The collection features photos taken of Israeli leaders in the 1960’s in candid situations.

To see some of the photos click here.

Israel News for October 22, 2015

/by

< back to sign up

Soldiers Kill Jewish Man
Last night, in another tragic case of mistaken identity, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Jewish man at a bus stop in Jerusalem.

Background
According to police, two soldiers were waiting to get on the bus when a man getting off the bus asked them to show him their identification. They got suspicious and asked him for his ID. An argument ensued and he allegedly attacked them and tried to grab one of their guns. A civilian security guard in the area saw the scuffle, wrongly identified the man as a terrorist and shot at him. Then the soldiers opened fire, killing the man.

The victim was an immigrant from Russia who had served in the IDF in the Nahal Haredi (Ultra Orthodox) Brigade and had worked as a security guard in a school. He was currently studying at a yeshiva in Har Nof, Jerusalem. The rabbis at the yeshiva interviewed by Walla News couldn’t believe how something like this could have occurred. They all described the victim as a quiet, well mannered person who evidently made a bad mistake by arguing with the soldiers.

Police and IDF investigators are sorting through numerous testimonies that include very different facts. In one account the man shouted, “I am ISIS!” (could it have been like, “what, you think I’m ISIS?”). In another, a girl screamed, “Terrorist! Shoot him!”

Upshot
So many factors in this case point to a very tragic and deadly mistake. The soldiers were part of the reinforcements sent to bolster security on buses. They weren’t trained to do police work and handle this kind of situation. The security guard shot before positively identifying who he was shooting at. He probably should have let the soldiers handle the situation. Fear and hysteria took over. In a culture where arguing is commonplace and can often turn violent, this seems to be a case where mistakes were made and shots were fired when they shouldn’t have been. And a man is dead.

For further reading click here.

Terror Continues
This morning two terrorists tried to board a school bus in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. When people nearby shouted at them they got off. When police arrived they found them stabbing an 18 yr. old Haredi man. Police shot and killed one of terrorists and wounded the other. Both of the terrorists were 20 yr. olds from a village near Hebron who were working at a construction site in Beit Shemesh. They were wearing Hamas t-shirts beneath their clothing.The victim was “moderately” wounded.

A vehicle carrying five Israeli soldiers was stoned in Gush Etzion (West Bank) yesterday. When the soldiers got out they were hit by a Palestinian car. One of the soldiers was seriously wounded, 2 moderately and 2 lightly. The terrorist was shot and seriously wounded.

Earlier in the day a 20 yr. old female soldier was stabbed and seriously wounded, near the settlement of Adam. The terrorist then tried to stab another female soldier from the same unit, but she shot and killed him. Another terrorist who took part in the attack was arrested.

For further reading click here.

UNESCO Vote
We’ve got good news and bad news about yesterday’s UNESCO vote to declare Jewish holy sites to be Muslim holy sites. The good news is that the Western Wall was removed from the resolution after strong protests from UNESCO’s director general and many countries. They also removed the part about Jerusalem being the “occupied capital of Palestine.”

Here’s the bad news. They did vote to declare the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron (where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah are buried) and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem as being Muslim sites. They also condemned Israel for a bunch of things, as usual.

The resolution passed by 26 votes to 6, with 25 abstentions. The countries that voted against the resolution were the US, UK, Germany, Holland, Estonia and the Czech Republic. France was one of the countries that abstained. Hmm.

For further reading click here.

PM Backpedals
After making the outrageous statement in a speech on Tuesday that blamed the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem for giving Hitler the idea to exterminate the Jews, PM Netanyahu backpedaled, a little.

In a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the PM clarified that the mufti’s role during the Holocaust was to “call on the Nazis to prevent Jews from fleeing Europe and support the Final Solution.”

Even Merkel was taken aback by Netanyahu’s initial statement so much so that she felt compelled to place responsibility for the Holocaust squarely on Germany. She added, “We stand behind our responsibility and I don’t see any need to change our relation to history.”

So now we’re all clear on this. Hitler was responsible for killing the Jews but the Mufti certainly supported and encouraged his evil plans. Now what about all that Arab rhetoric about pushing us into the sea? Sounds like Jewish destruction to me.

For further reading click here.

Temple Mount Visits
Yesterday Walla News reported from Arab sources that Israeli diplomats told Jordan’s King Abdullah that Israel would reduce the number of Jewish and non-Muslim visitors to the Temple Mount. Both the King and PA President Abbas rejected the offer, claiming that it was insufficient.

They weren’t the only ones unsatisfied with the proposal. Knesset members from the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party called on the PM to clarify whether he instructed the diplomats to make the offer.

Education Minister and head of the Bayit Yehudi party Naftali Bennett said, “I don’t believe that the PM would offer such a proposal.” He added that if the terrorists gain concessions from their terror, then their next wave of terror will be even worse, and that in the Middle East, displays of weakness are not effective diplomacy.

The PM’s office responded that no such proposal ever existed. Good to know.

For further reading click here.

Kurdistan and Jews
Sherzad Omer Mamsani was recently appointed Jewish affairs representative for the government of the semi autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. It shouldn’t be a very taxing job, since there are no Jews in the region (also known as Kurdistan). Mamsani’s main role will be to foster relations with the 200,000 to 300,000 Kurdish Jews, most of whom live in Israel.

Kurdish officials say that there are some 200 to 300 families in Iraqi Kurdistan who outwardly converted to Islam over the last decades but who continue to secretly observe certain Jewish traditions. Mamsani is one of those who claim to have Jewish roots. He’s visited Israel several times and has written about Kurdish – Israeli ties. That cost him a hand, lost in a bombing attack against him by Muslim radicals.

His goal is to reconnect Iraqi Kurds to Jewish culture and to relatives they may have abroad. “We work with the government to reunite families, and to help those Kurds who want to find out about their Jewish roots.” Another longer term goal is to rebuild destroyed synagogues in the region.

Upshot
The Kurds seem to really like Israel. Could be because Israel reportedly purchased a large portion of Kurdish oil exports and because they’ve supplied the Kurds with military assistance, secretly of course. Maybe it’s also because there are no Jews in the country, which makes it a lot easier to be a Jew lover (although it didn’t seem to have worked in Poland).

Hey, anyone fighting ISIS is a friend.

For further reading click here.

High Rent
If you think New York City rents are high, wait until you hear what they’re charging in Tel Aviv. According to the Israeli branch of Sotheby’s International Realty, a Russian (non Israeli) just rented an apartment for $45,000 per month (that’s US dollars, not shekels).

The 3,444 sq.ft. apartment takes up a full floor at the top of the Remez Tower, a high end building in the city’s popular “old north” neighborhood. The rent doesn’t include the $1,000 per month management fee.

According to Isidora Fridman, an executive director at Sotheby’s Israel, a similar sized apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York City rents for $50,000 per month. But why would you want to live on Fifth Avenue if you could live in Tel Aviv?

For further reading click here.

Israel News for October 20, 2015

/by

< back to sign up

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.

[bctt tweet=”Get the Israel News email every morning and stay connected to #Israel.”]

[notphone]

The Israel news you need in one free daily email.

[/notphone]

[phone]

The Israel news you need in one free daily email.

[/phone]