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Israel News for September 13, 2016

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Syrian Claim Rebuffed
The Syrian army released a statement today claiming that it shot down an Israeli fighter jet with a surface to air missile. The IDF denied the report and said that the Syrians shot at the plane but missed.

For further reading click here.

Lieberman Against Settlers
The settlement “outpost” of Amona, near Ofra in Samaria (West Bank), is home to 40 families. In December of 2014 the Supreme Court ruled that it was built on private Palestinian land and ordered residents evacuated by the end of 2016.

Let night, Defense Minister Lieberman referred to the issue while addressing students at Ariel University saying, “There’s no chance to leaving Amona where it is built today because of the High Court of Justice’s ruling, because most of the houses are built on private Palestinian lands…The law enforced in Amona will apply to everyone—also on Palestinian squatters in Susya. We will respect the court’s decision as a country of law.”

The Prime Minister has also stated that he will follow the court’s ruling and evacuate the settlement. The PM’s and DM’s positions have caused consternation within the Likud party. Likud MKs Yehuda Glick, Yoav Kish, Oren Hazan and Amir Ohana, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotolevy and Judea and Samaria Council Head Avi Roeh hosted an emergency meeting with residents of Amona and Ofra yesterday to protest the scheduled demolition of their homes.

For further reading click here.

IRS in Israel
Israel’s Supreme Court yesterday upheld a law that gives US tax authorities access to Israeli bank account information. The court ruled that the Israeli law, passed as part of an arrangement with the United States Treasury Department, did not violate Israel’s Basic Laws of Human Dignity and Liberty. Petitioners had claimed the the law violated their privacy rights.

According to the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which is intended to hamper money-laundering schemes and tax evasion by US citizens, foreign banks must report all accounts held by American citizens (including dual citizens) or Green Card recipients, make all American customers sign declarations regarding their income and taxable status, and keep the US Treasury Department updated on all accounts for US citizens holding more than $50,000 on a regular basis.

For further reading click here.

Lost Soldiers
Two female soldiers driving in the West Bank mistakenly ended up in an Arab village near the Palestinian city of Tulkarm. When the two soldiers approached the Palestinian village, they called the police’s emergency response hotline. The responders advised them to continue straight ahead in order to return to Israeli territory. A plain-clothes Palestinian police officer identified them and told them to go in another direction. After ignoring his advice and choosing instead to stick with that of the police, they were eventually identified by locals, who threw stones at their vehicle.

A Palestinian police officer called Palestinian police forces, and the two soldiers were evacuated to a nearby Palestinian police station. The Palestinian forces then contacted Israeli Civil Administration officers and transferred the two IDF soldiers over to the Israeli authorities.

It’s still unclear how the soldiers ended up in the village. According to one version, they entered their destination in Waze, but the app shut down mid-journey. According to a second version, they typed in their destination as Beit Lid, which is a military base, but Waze directed them to the Arab village with the same name (Beit Lid).

The IDF prohibited soldiers from relying solely on Waze when traveling in the West Bank, after two soldiers ended up in a Palestinian refugee camp back in February as a result of using the app.

For further reading click here.

Matchmakers in Schools
Israel’s Education Ministry has decided to train and install counselors in religious high schools to help students in the “process of choosing a spouse.” The counselors will essentially serve as dating coaches and matchmakers. One of the program’s goals is to create a database of possible marriage partners, with names supplied by both the counselors and the students. Some educators don’t think that schools should get involved in matchmaking and feel that the programs budget would be better spent on teaching “personal development, healthy sexuality and relations between the sexes.”

For further reading click here.

A Light unto the nations
Speaking at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the Tali Foundation, which funds Jewish enrichment studies in secular schools, Education Minister Naftali Bennett said,“Studying Judaism and excelling in it is more important to me than studying math and sciences.”

Bennett added, “Even as a high-tech power that exports knowledge and innovations to the world, we must be a spiritual power and export spiritual knowledge to the world,” he said. “This is the next chapter in our Zionist vision. That’s how we’ll return to being a light unto the nations. From Zion shall come forth Torah and the word of God from Jerusalem.”

For further reading click here.

Israel News for September 12, 2016

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Ethnic Cleansing
On Friday PM Netanyahu published a video on his Facebook page containing a statement that has raised an uproar. In the video the PM said, “The Palestinian leadership actually demands a Palestinian state with one pre-condition: No Jews. There’s a phrase for that: It’s called ethnic cleansing. And this demand is outrageous.”

PA President Abbas reacted to the comment saying, “The government of Israel is carrying out ethnic cleansing and deliberately killing—acts that have exposed it to international criticism all over the world.”

US State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said, “We obviously strongly disagree with the characterization that those who oppose settlement activity or view it as an obstacle to peace are somehow calling for ethnic cleansing of Jews from the West Bank. We believe that using that type of terminology is inappropriate and unhelpful.” She added that the United States feels the settlement policy raises “real questions about Israel’s long-term intentions in the West Bank.”

David Friedman, the Israel advisor to Donald Trump, said, “Prime Minister Netanyahu makes exactly the right point. The Palestinians want Israel to absorb countless ‘refugees’ – people who never lived in Israel and whose ancestors were never forced to leave Israel – while their so-called ‘state’ is required to be, as the Nazis said, judenrein. It is an entirely racist and anti-Semitic position.”

He continued, “Arabs live and work side by side with Israelis in the State of Israel. They attend universities, enjoy the strongest human and civil rights (including women’s rights) in the region, and have access to world class health care. There is no better place for Arabs to live in the Middle East than in the State of Israel. With this background in mind, the Prime Minister of Israel correctly observes that the Palestinian demand to remove all Jews from their ancestral homeland in Judea and Samaria is nothing short of an attempt at ethnic cleansing. The State Department should be ashamed of their misguided reaction to Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks.”

To watch the video click here.

Shul Vandalized
Several large black crosses were spray painted on a synagogue in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gonen (Old Katamon) last night. Police are investigating.

To see a photo of the vandalism click here.

Arab Housing
Minister of Construction Yoav Galant (Kulanu) traveled to the northern Israeli Arab town of Baka al-Gharbiya to sign an agreement to build thousands of housing units for the Arab sector. According to the agreement, the Ministry of Construction will allocate 1.41 billion shekels for the project, as well as loosening restrictions relating to building on private land. The immediate goal is to facilitate the building of 30,000 housing units on private and government owned land.

For further reading click here.

Judges Reprimand on Kotel
While hearing a motion relating to the administration of the Western Wall plaza, the Supreme Court judges took the opportunity to reprimand the government for not moving to implement the compromise agreement reached several months ago that stipulated the creation of an alternate prayer space at the southern end of the Kotel that would not be under orthodox control. The Chief Justice of the Court, Miriam Naor, said, “Enough is enough.”

The government has not implemented the compromise agreement as a result of pressure from the ultra-orthodox parties, who are all members of the coalition and can potentially cause the government to collapse if they leave the coalition.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for September 6, 2016

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Building Collapse
A four-level subterranean parking lot in a building site on HaBarzel Street in the Ramat Hahayal neighborhood of Tel Aviv collapsed Monday morning. Four people were killed and over 23 injured (most of whom have already been released from hospital). Three people are still missing in the rubble and a frantic search has been underway throughout the night to locate them. One of the missing was in phone contact with the rescuers a few hours after the collapse, but rescuers have not been able to make contact with his since. The dead include a Palestinian Authority resident and a Ukrainian citizen.

Over 500 IDF soldiers from the Homefront Command are participating in the search. Prime Minister Netanyahu visited the disaster site before departed on his official visit to the Netherlands.

Africa-Israel Properties, the owner of the property, said it had a comprehensive insurance policy for the site worth NIS 122 million, and that although the incident had a tragic outcome it would not have a material financial impact on the company. The company said it was assisting in the rescue efforts and conducting an investigation into the collapse. The police is also investigating. The Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee will hold an emergency hearing on the disaster this Thursday.

For further reading click here.

Moscow Meetup
Palestinian Authority President Abbas has accepted an invitation from Russian President Putin to meet with PM Netanyahu in Moscow. Netanyahu has been calling for direct talks with Abbas, but has gotten the cold shoulder, until now. Apparently, Putin’s invitation carries some additional clout. The talks are expected to be held in October.

Meanwhile, PM Netanyahu kicked off a two day visit to the Netherlands today, where he will meet with the Prime Minister, the king and members of Parliament.

For further reading click here.

Rabbi Passes
The Chief Rabbi of Haifa, Rabbi Eliyahu Shaar Yashuv Hakohen, passed away yesterday at the age of 89. He served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the city from 1975 until 2011.

Rabbi Hakohen was the son of Rabbi David Hakohen, who was known as “the Nazir” and was one of the leading students of the great Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hakohen Kook. A Nazir is someone who refrains from eating meat, drinking wine or cutting his hair. Rabbi Shaar Yashuv Hakohen followed in his father’s footsteps and refrained from eating meat (and fish) and drinking wine for his entire life.

He fought in the underground during the British Mandate and was part of the defense of the Jewish quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem during the 1948 War of Independence and was wounded in the foot. When the quarter fell he was taken captive by the Jordanians who operated on his foot, which resulted in him limping for the rest of his life.

Following his release from captivity the Rabbi served in the IDF for seven years, eventually becoming Rabbi of Military Command and Chief Rabbi of the Israeli Air Force. He earned a Master’s degree with honors from the Hebrew University School of Law, and was deputy mayor of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War when the city was liberated. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, he volunteered and was chaplain of the brigade that crossed the Suez Canal.

Rabbi Hakohen was one of the leading figures of Religious Zionism. May his memory serve as a blessing for us all.

For further reading click here.

Trump in Samaria
The Trump campaign in Israel has opened an office in the settlement of Karnei Shomron, which is in Samaria (West Bank). The office is temporarily located in the home of Rabbi Chaim Springer, an American who moved to Israel 40 years ago. The office will be moved around to different settlements in Samaria over the next few weeks to help American citizens register to vote. According to figures provided by Republicans Overseas Israel, American citizens comprise around 25% of the Jewish population living in West Bank settlements.

This is the first time that an American campaign office has ever been opened in the West Bank, and is indicative of Trump’s stated policy to refrain from interfering in the Israeli government’s actions and policies relating to the West Bank.

Mark Zell, the American-born lawyer who serves as chair of Republican Overseas Israel, explained, “I worked along with representatives of the Trump campaign to get passed a historic amendment to the Republican Party platform, and this amendment specifically omitted any reference to Israel as an occupier and coincided with Trump’s own statements that building homes, synagogues and schools for Arabs and Jews in Judea and Samaria was an issue for the Israeli government and people to decide – not something that America should be dictating to Israel.” 

The Trump campaign already has offices in Jerusalem, Modiin and Tel Aviv, and is planning to open another three in Rehovot, Beit Shemesh and in the Gush Etzion region (also in the West Bank).

For further reading click here.

Israel News for July 25, 2016

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Olympic Shabbat
The opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Rio will take place on Friday evening, August 5th, and Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev has announced that she will not be attending because of Shabbat. Regev tried to get housing for herself and her staff within walking distance of the ceremonies, but her security detail could not guarantee her security if she walked back. So the minister, who is not personally religiously observant, decided to put Shabbat before the Olympic ceremonies, explaining, “Shabbat our national day of rest is one of the most important gifts that Jewish people have given to the culture of humanity. As the representative to the state of Israel, the sole Jewish state on the planet, I unfortunately cannot take part in the opening ceremony of the Olympics because it would require me to break the holy Shabbat.”

Regev’s decision was praised by United Torah Judaism MK Yaakov Asher, who said she deserves a medal for keeping the tradition. “Regev’s actions should set an example for other ministers for how to behave when they represent the Jewish people.”

For further reading click here.

Olympic Team
Israel will be sending its largest team ever to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil next week. The 51 qualifiers will compete in 17 sport categories, including Israel’s first Olympic competitors in golf, triathlon and mountain biking. The delegation also includes 34 coaches and about 25 support staff.

Rhythmic gymnast Neta Rivkin will lead the Israeli delegation and carry the flag in the opening ceremony. She just won a bronze medal at the International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG) World Cup Final in Rhythmic Gymnastics in Baku, Azerbaijan on Sunday. The Israeli team won the gold medal at the ribbons event, narrowly beating out the Russians.

Rivkin, along with her fellow gymnasts and the rest of the Israeli team, are hoping to bring home some Olympic medals. Go Israel!

To read more about the Israeli olympic team, click here.

Saudi Visit
A Saudi delegation led by retired general Anwar Eshki met with foreign ministry director Dore Gold at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem yesterday. During the official visit, Eshki also met with Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, head of the COGAT, the military body that coordinates Israeli activities in the West Bank and Gaza, and spoke to a group of Israeli opposition MKs in the West Bank on Friday.

While Israel and Saudi Arabia have never had diplomatic relations, there have been reports that the two countries have shared intelligence related to fighting terrorism in the region. But Eshki, who is the chairman of the Jeddah-based Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies, denied that there was any security cooperation between his country and Israel.

The Saudis are the primary sponsors of a 2002 Arab peace plan that calls for Israel to withdraw from territories captured in 1967 and to resolve the Palestinian refugee issue in exchange for peace with the Arab nations.

For further reading click here.

Cyprus Worries
The recent reconciliation in relations between Israel and Turkey have raised worries in Cyprus, which has been in conflict with Turkey for decades, since Turkey invaded Cyprus and occupied the northern third of the island (which they continue to occupy – apparently they don’t feel the need to withdraw from their occupied territories. Hey, aren’t they in NATO??).

Yesterday, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, along with his energy minister and foreign minister, paid a quick visit to Jerusalem to meet with PM Netanyahu and other government officials.

Netanyahu apparently allayed the Cypriots’ fears by committing to protecting Israeli-Cypriot interests and coordinating policies with them.

Israel will be exporting natural gas to Turkey through a pipeline that will run through Cypriot waters.

For further reading click here.

Haredi Education
The government yesterday voted to cancel the requirement for Haredi (ultra-orthodox) schools to teach core subjects such as English, math and science, in order for them to receive government funding. So now these schools will be able to receive government funding without having to teach the core subjects. The vote was the result of the coalition agreement that brought the Haredi parties into the government.

Around 430,000 pupils are currently studying in ultra-Orthodox education institutions. The new change of regulations will directly affect around 30,000 students.

The core studies requirement was meant to help prepare students for eventually getting jobs in the mainstream economy.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for May 16, 2016

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TERROR IN JERUSALEM
A terrorist stabbed a 26 year old Haredi man on Hanevi’im Street in Jerusalem this morning. The man was walking with his family near the Damascus gate of the Old City when he was attacked. He was wounded while attempting to fight off the attacker. The terrorist fled the scene but was pursued by police and arrested.

In an unrelated story, a 36 year old terrorist carrying Israeli police uniforms was arrested on Saturday at a checkpoint in the West Bank. Police received a tip off about the man, allowing them to prevent a likely terror attack.

For further reading click here.

NAKBA DAY
In the wake of Israel’s Independence Day celebrations last Thursday, Arabs on both sides of the Green Line commemorated Nakba Day on Sunday. Nakba, which means catastrophe, refers to the Arab defeat during the 1948 war, during which hundreds of thousands of Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes, many with the intention of returning after an Arab victory. Every year on May 15th, Arabs in Israel and the West Bank commemorate their defeat and displacement, and mourn the creation of the State of Israel.

At 12pm, a 68-seconds-long siren sounded in Palestinian towns and villages, marking the 68 years that have passed. Cars stopped and pedestrians stood still in the cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem during the commemoration. Following that, Palestinians rioted in several locations with clashes breaking out near the checkpoint at Rachel’s Tomb.

Arab students (subsidized by Israeli tax payers) held a ceremony to commemorate Nakba Day at Tel Aviv University on Sunday afternoon. Activists from right-wing NGO Im Tirtzu protested nearby against the ceremony, waving Israeli flags.

There apparently were no concerts or barbecues.

For further reading click here.

LONG WEEKEND
Likud MK David Amsalem and Kulanu MK Eli Cohen are proposing a bill in the Knesset to give Israeli workers one long weekend per month. Israelis currently get Fridays and Saturdays off, but Sunday is a regular work day. The hours lost during the long weekend would be spread out over the rest of the month. The proposal calls for a three year trial period, during which time the possibility for a standard four day work week would be discussed.

The average working week in Israel is 43 hours, three hours more than the EU average, but productivity is 30% lower than in the EU. The hope is that more time off will increase productivity during working hours.

Manufacturers Association of Israel president Shraga Brosh told Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) that such a bill if enacted would cost the Israeli economy at least NIS 1.5 billion annually and should only be introduced as part of a comprehensive package to raise productivity in the economy. He didn’t say what that would look like.

Don’t forget, Israeli workers also get all of the Jewish holidays off — but another day off a month can’t hurt, can it?

For further reading click here.

NEGEV TREMBLES
Early this morning, souther Israel was struck by a a 4.9-magnitude earthquake. The quake was felt throughout the Negev region, with tremors detected from Eilat to Be’er Sheva. No injuries or property damages were reported.

For further reading click here.

DRAFT DODGER
The yeshiva student arrested two weeks ago while attempting to enter an Eilat night club, wearing secular clothing, was released from jail today. The man was arrested by military police for avoiding the draft by claiming a yeshiva exemption, which they claim is fraudulent given the man’s seemingly unorthodox behavior. But his behavior didn’t seem to phase extreme Haredi elements who launched protests and demonstrations on his behalf.

After he left jail, wearing the standard yeshiva uniform, he was warmly greeted by family and rabbis and proceeded to complete a tractate of the talmud (siyum). Has he repented, or will we be seeing him around Israel’s hot night spots in the near future? Doesn’t seem like it would make much of a difference anyway, at least regarding his army service.

For further reading click here.

RABBINICAL COURT RULES
The Supreme Rabbinical Court (Bet Din) in Jerusalem has taken another step towards helping women whose husbands are refusing to grant them divorces. The court ruled that rabbinical courts in Israel have the power to prevent non Israeli citizens from leaving the country if they are found guilty of refusing to grant a divorce.

Here’s the case: an American Haredi couple with three children were living in Lakewood. About a year ago the husband left his wife and moved to New York, while refusing to grant her a Get (divorce). The man recently took a short trip to Israel. While in Israel his wife (who apparently is living in Israel) brought a claim against him in the local rabbinical court in the city where he was staying. She also asked the court to prevent him from leaving the country. The man claimed that the court has no power to against a non citizen. The court agreed with the man that the rabbinical court doesn’t have the power to prevent a non Israeli citizen from leaving the country.

The decision was then appealed to the Supreme Rabbinical Court, which ruled that they do in fact have the power to prevent a non citizen from leaving the country. Now the court will continue proceedings against the man to “persuade” him to give his wife the divorce.

Don’t mess with the Bet Din.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for April 5, 2016

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Electric Bill
Have you paid your electric bill? Well, the Palestinian Authority hasn’t paid its for a while. Israel provides electricity to the West Bank through several Palestinian distribution companies. The PA currently owes the Israel Electric Company close to $460 million. So yesterday the company cut power to Bethlehem by 50% after doing the same in Jericho a few days earlier. Last year, it briefly cut off power to parts of the West Bank several times. It has also deducted money from regular tax transfers to the Palestinians to help cover the debts.

The PA gets hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid every year in addition to the taxes it collects domestically. Now they need to pay their electric bills.

For further reading click here.

Jordanian Workers
If you’re planning a vacation in Eilat, there’s a good chance you’ll here Arabic spoken by the hotel staff. No, they won’t be Palestinians. Israel has just authorized 500 Jordanians to work in hotels in Eilat ahead of vacation season. They will join the 400 Jordanians already working there. The workers will go home to Jordan every night.

According to the Tourism Ministry the Jordanians will primarily be employed in cleaning, dishwashing and room service. The Ministry said that efforts have been made to encourage Israeli workers to fill the jobs in Eilat including giving them bonuses, free lodging and day care. But “surprisingly”, Israelis aren’t interested in the jobs.

Lucky we made peace with Jordan.

For further reading click here.

Affirmative Action
While discrimination against Sephardim is alive and well in the Ashkenazi Haredi community in Israel, there now seems to be a solution, at least for some Sephardim.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky, recognized as the premiere posek (halachic authority) in the hared community, received a question that read as follows: “Can a man whose children are not being accepted into an Ashkenazi yeshiva change his Sephardi family name to an Ashkenazi sounding name so that his kids will be accepted?”

Rav Kanievsky answered, “This is not considered trickery. The main thing is that the kids get into yeshiva.” Problem solved, as long as you don’t look Sephardi.

For further reading click here.

Meat Bust
After an investigation by the Israel Police, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Health, nine people were arrested yesterday for smuggling meat from the Palestinian territories into Israel.

Here’s how it worked. A Palestinian importer bought meat in South America that was intended for the Palestinian Authority and imported it via Haifa’s port. From Haifa the meat was stored in the Palestinian town of A-Ram outside of Jerusalem, and from there it was smuggled into Israel through various checkpoints under substandard conditions that are contrary to Ministry of Health regulations. The meat was brought to a storage area in Atarot, where it was repackaged with forgeries of kosher certifications, expiration dates and veterinary authorizations. From there it was distributed to popular restaurants and shops throughout the country.

The investigators will now try to determine whether restaurant owners were involved in the fraud.

For further reading click here.

Deja Vu
If your stomach is feeling particular strong today, you might be able to handle this story about the “kosher” restaurant in Lviv, Ukraine (formerly known as Lviv and Lemberg – depending on who ruled the city). Before WWII the Jewish population of the city numbered 110,000, which was one third of the entire population. Then the Nazis took over in 1941 and, with the enthusiastic encouragement and assistance of the local Ukrainians, murdered almost all of them. There are currently 1,200 Jews living in Lviv, but the memory of the Jews seems to still be on the minds of the locals.

One of the ways that they commemorate their city’s Jewish past is with a small restaurant called The Golden Rose, named after a 16th century synagogue that stood next door until it was blown up by the Nazis in 1943. The restaurant has Jewish art and symbols on its walls. The waiters wear Hasidic hats with peyos attached and joke about Jewish stereotypes. The menus have no prices, because Jews like to bargain. You get the picture. You can also find these types of eateries in Krakow and Kiev, and probably other places in the blood-soaked “Old Country”.

Is it politically incorrect to say that I hope they all finally get what they deserve? Oh well.

To read more about one reporters experience in this Lviv restaurant, click here.

War Against Toys
Toys R’ Us, the iconic US based toy store chain, is under attack in Jerusalem by, guess who — the Haredim. The toy store chain is implementing a global campaign to do away with gender categories of toys. In other words, no more grouping or categorizing of toys based on gender. The Jerusalem branch has come under fire from elements in the Haredi community who are threatening to boycott the store and “excommunicate” it, claiming that the new policy threatens modesty and is a bad influence on its youth. According to one boycott proponent, “Toys R Us is trying to change creation, confuse the genders, and go against human nature as God created it.”

Personally, I always found the super heroes in tights thing extremely confusing. Would making them wear pants solve this whole gender dilemma?

For further reading click here.

Israel News for March 11, 2016

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Illegal Aliens
Police arrested over 250 Palestinian workers living in Israel illegally yesterday as part of a major initiative to stop the current wave of terror. The terrorists who perpetrating stabbing attacks on the Jaffa boardwalk and in Petach Tikva on Tuesday were both illegal Palestinian workers. Most of the Palestinians arrested were currently employed in Israel.

In the wake of the Jaffa attack the government has decided to close breaks in the security fence around Jerusalem and to construct additional fencing in an area near Hebron. The government will also promote new legislation to punish those who employ or give lodgings to illegal aliens.

There are estimated to be thousands of Palestinians living and working in Israel illegally. Since the courts are usually lenient with the illegal Palestinian workers, police are cracking down harder on those employing or lodging the illegals, by shutting down building sites, restaurants and other venues that employ the Palestinians and by impounding the vehicles used to transport them.

For further reading click here.

Terrorist Shooter
The Police Internal Affairs Unit has opened an investigation into the actions of the police volunteer who shot the terrorist who stabbed 11 people, killing one, in Jaffa on Tuesday night. The civilian volunteer is suspected of continuing to fire at the terrorist after he was already neutralized.

A video of the incident shows the attacker lying on the ground while bystanders yell to shoot him in the head and congratulate the volunteers. A gunshot is then heard and one of the volunteers yells that there’s no need to shoot because the terrorist was already neutralized.

The video ends several minutes before the terrorist died so it’s unclear whether the shooter actually hit him and, if so, if it was the last shot that killed him.

To watch the video click here.

Rabbi on Shooting
In the wake of the police investigation into the shooting of the Jaffa terrorist by the civilian police volunteer, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, the Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan and a prominent leader of the Religious Zionist movement, has said that Jewish law prohibits killing a terrorist who is already neutralized.

The rabbi said, “We have to make a clear distinction here between war and civilian actions. In civilian actions, if someone comes to kill you need to prevent the killing, (as per the Torah precept) ‘don’t stand idly by your neighbor’s blood,’ but if it’s possible, do that by harming one of his (the terrorist’s) organs.”

“While sometimes a person is unable to consider things in an organized manner during a time of action – they must act spontaneously within seconds – if there is a possibility to consider and time allows, you must first wound but not kill. It is also forbidden to just kill a non-Jew if it is possible to avoid the killing and it is possible to wound – all of this is under civilian conditions.” Rabbi Ariel added that in war, killing the enemy is permissible under all circumstances.

Is terrorism akin to being at war?

For further reading click here.

BDS Victory
As a result of intense pressure from the BDS movement, cosmetics giant Ahava has decided to relocate its manufacturing plant from the settlement of Mitzvah Shalem, in the West Bank, to a site near Kibbutz Ein Gedi, which is within Israel’s pre-1967 borders. Ahava is following the example of SodaStream, which relocated last year from the West Bank industrial zone of Mishor Adumim to the Negev in the face of massive BDS pressure.

The new Ahava plant will be more advanced and will include a visitors center. All the Palestinian workers currently employed in the West Bank plant will likely lose their jobs, as was the case with the Palestinian SodaStream employees. Another BDS victory, and another defeat for Palestinian workers. On the bright side, there will be new jobs for Israeli workers.

In a related story BDS is claiming another victory after British security company G4S announced that it is selling its business in Israel. G4S provides security equipment and has contracts with Israel’s prison system. It employs 8,000 people in Israel. The company claimed that its decision is purely commercial and has nothing to do with BDS pressure.

For further reading click here.

Abbas Rejects Biden
According to a report in the Jerusalem based Al-Quds Palestinian newspaper, PA President Abbas rejected a U.S. Peace initiative presented to him by U.S. Vice President Biden at their meeting in Ramallah yesterday.

According to the source, the new American initiative to restart peace talks included designating East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state and halting settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in return for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and giving up the demand for a Palestinian right of return.

Abbas has apparently decided to play it cool and wait for a better offer.

For further reading click here.

Israel News for March 1, 2016

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Soldiers Rescued
In what could have become a tragic error, two non-combat IDF soldiers mistakenly drove into the Qalandiya refugee camp last night. They quickly came under attack by Palestinians throwing rocks and Molotov Cocktails, which set their vehicle on fire. The soldiers managed to escape the burning vehicle, but got separated. Luckily, they were able to call for help.

A huge force comprised of IDF, Shin Bet and Special Forces, supported by helicopters, surrounded and entered the camp to search for the soldiers. The troops exchanged gunfire with terrorists throughout the operation. One Palestinian was reported killed and several wounded, and five Israelis were wounded in the fighting. The soldiers were rescued.

The two soldiers will be double checking their Waze directions from now on.

For further reading click here.

PM vs. Sharon
PM Netanyahu used a special Knesset meeting in memory of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as an opportunity to criticize the late Prime Minister’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza, which he said led to the rise of new terror groups in the strip. He said, “Unfortunately, giving the responsibility for governing (Gaza) to the Palestinians not only did not put us on the path to peace, but increased the armament of terror groups.”

Netanyahu praised Sharon for his military victories in the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars, and his distinguished service as a politician and Jewish leader. He specifically highlighted Sharon’s role in supporting the building of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria.

On the other hand, opposition leader Isaac Herzog praised Sharon for the Gaza Disengagement and for standing firm against those who opposed the plan.

For further reading click here.

BDS Success
A successful BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign that forced Israeli company Soda Stream to close its manufacturing plant in the West Bank resulted in local Palestinians losing 500 jobs at the plant. The company then relocated to a location near the Bedouin town of Rahat in the northern Negev, where they hired hundreds of Israeli Bedouin. The company retained 74 of the original Palestinian workers. Now those workers were forced to leave as well, since they could not obtain the proper work permits to allow them to stay in Israel. The company fought the government for those permits, but failed.

So now, as a result of the “successful” BDS campaign, there are no Palestinians working at Soda Stream and there are a few hundred additional jobless Palestinians in the West Bank. Way to go BDS.

For further reading click here.

Surfers Denied Again
Israeli windsurfing champions Yoav Omer and Noy Drihan were denied the opportunity to defend their titles at the youth windsurfing World Championships in Langkawi, Malaysia late last year because the Malaysians prevented them from entering the country. As a result, the World Sailing organization demanded written confirmation from all venues already selected and confirmed for forthcoming competitions that they will abide by the organizations non discrimination regulations. Oman, which is hosting the 2016 competition, just couldn’t do it, so they pulled out.

The Israel Sailing Association (ISA) welcomed the news after initial concern that its representatives would be barred from future competitions in Arab countries despite World Sailing’s announcements.

So a new venue will be found and the Israelis will finally be able to win their medals.

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Wedding Crash
If you’re planning a wedding but need more guests, consider holding your event in Israel. In the latest story of Israeli friendliness, as Israeli bride and American groom were having their wedding reception at a Haifa hall. Sadly, only twenty guests showed up (the couple had lived in the U.S. for the previous few years).

When a guest from an adjacent bar mitzvah in the same building saw the empty reception and found out that the couple had come all the way to Israel just to celebrate their wedding, she decided to take action.

The woman put the word out on social media and surprise: 150 strangers showed up to celebrate. The groom, Chad, was quoted as saying, “It was fantastic, perfect.” The bride loved it too.

Israelis come through with big hearts again. Mazal Tov!

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New Book
If you’re looking for a book to help you improve your life and your relationships that’s based on traditional Jewish values and teachings, here’s one that you must check out.

In We’re Almost There: Living with Patience, Perseverance and Purpose, Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen shares his experiences and immense wisdom about living a Jewish life in the world today. Readers at all stages of life will gain a friend, a mentor, and positive can-do attitude to life. The book has glowing reviews from Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer, Rabbi Moshe Weinberger and others.

To buy the book on amazon, click here.  

To learn more go to www.rabbidovidmcohen.com
 

Israel News for February 8, 2016

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More Palestinians
Despite the recent rise in terror, the Israeli defense establishment is recommending that an additional 30,000 Palestinians be permitted to work in Israel. The security cabinet has already approved the main provisions of the plan. The plan was presented to the ministers last month by Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, coordinator of government activity in the territories.

Around 58,000 Palestinians have permits to work within Israel proper. An estimated 120,000 Palestinians in total work for Israelis, including over 30,000 who work in Israel illegally and some 27,000 who work in industrial zones in West Bank settlements.

The hope is that better economic conditions will stop the violence. This theory is prevalent in the military and security services. But it doesn’t stop there. Even Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who during the escalation has advocated getting tough with the Palestinians, yesterday expressed support for increasing the number of work permits to up to 100,000.

According to a recent poll, the number of West Bank and Gaza residents who support a third intifada dropped from 63% in November to 42% now.

But will better economic conditions stop the lone wolf attacks that have represented the overwhelming majority of recent terror attacks?

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Temple Mount
Over three months ago Israel and Jordan came to an agreement to install video surveillance cameras on the Temple Mount as a way to diffuse tensions by providing evidence that the area is not being damaged by Israel and that the “status quo” is being upheld.

Since then there have been negotiations between the Israel Police and Shin Bet and the Waqf and Jordanian intelligence to work out the technicalities. The sides haven’t reached any agreement yet. According to Israeli officials, the fundamental issue holding up an agreement is the question of who will control the cameras and who will get access to the live video feed. The Jordanians want sole control over the video, which is something that Israel cannot accept, since it would allow them to potentially edit or hide video that shows Arab violations. In addition, Israel wants cameras placed inside the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, to monitor if they are being used to store weapons. The Arabs refuse to allow the cameras inside the holy sites.

Israeli officials want to implement an agreement by Passover. One official said, “If we reach that point and there will still not be agreements then all the tensions we saw around the Jewish holidays in September can start again.”

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Hebron Homes
It seems that a better real estate lawyer could have prevented the eviction of Jewish families from the two houses that they occupied in Hebron a few weeks ago. According to the Defense Minister, it was a slew of technical issues relating to the sale of the property that caused the eviction.

In a meeting with local council leaders, the DM said that the Civil Administration is examining claims that the Palestinian who sold the houses to the settlers is only the owner of a storage unit on the site, and not the whole property. He also said the that the Palestinians who claim ownership of the property also filed a complaint with the police following the occupation of the homes, which is being examined.

So a thorough title search could have solved this entire issue? Something tells me that the real issue has nothing to do with paperwork and a lot to do with diplomacy.

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Better Deal
The security memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Israel U.S. that was signed ten years ago is set to expire in 2018. PM Netanyahu and President Obama began negotiating a new MOU in November. There have so far been three rounds of negotiations between American and Israeli teams, but no agreement has yet been reached.

The impasse is pretty simple: Israel wants a bigger aid package and the U.S. says it’s already offering Israel the largest aid package ever. Sounds like a deadlock. But it looks like the PM has come up with a solution. In a cabinet meeting yesterday, he said that if Israel doesn’t get what it believes it needs in the agreement, he just won’t sign it. Instead, he’ll wait until a new president takes office and then try for a better deal.

The U.S. is obviously not very pleased with the PM’s negotiating strong arm negotiating tactics. A senior American official said, “Israel is of course free to wait for the next administration to finalize a new MOU should it not be satisfied with such a pledge, but we would caution that the U.S. budgetary environment is unlikely to improve in the next 1-2 years and Israel will certainly not find a president more committed to Israel’s security than is President Obama.” He claims that Israel’s security is a top priority for the Obama administration, and that Israel currently already receives receives over 50% of the total foreign military aid the U.S provides around the world.

Netanyahu apparently thinks that he can negotiated a sweeter deal with the next president. Unless of course its Trump (the king of negotiations) or Sanders (you figure it out). The way the polls are looking, maybe the PM should take what he can get now.

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Hasidic Technology
The Vishnitz Hasidic sect, which is the second largest in Israel (Ger is number one), held an emergency gathering against the dangers of technology. The gathering was led by the Rabbe of Vishnitz, attended by thousands of hassidim and broadcast live to Vishnitz communities in New York, Canada, England and Belgium.

Several prominent hassidic leaders from the communities of Vishnitz, Ger and Belz railed against the evils of smartphones. The Vishnitzer Rebbe gave the keynote address. He said, “Whoever has a connection to these things, even just at work, should know that he has no connection to us and will not participate in any of our institutions.” He added that “whoever holds a smartphone holds in his hand a spiritual bomb.”

Several resolutions were instituted by the rebbe including the banning of students from Vishnitz schools whose parents have smartphones and the formation of committees to monitor smartphone usage and enforce the bans against it.

Time to sell Apple?

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A+ Rating
Israel has received another A+ from the Standard and Poor’s credit rating agency. The agency said, ‘the stable outlook reflects our expectation that the government will maintain stable public finances and that the impact of security risks on the Israeli economy will be contained’. Good news!

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Israel News for January 27, 2016

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PM Slams Ban
PM Netanyahu slammed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for Ban’s comments yesterday. Ban said that, “Palestinian frustration is growing under the weight of a half century of occupation and the paralysis of the peace process,” and that, “it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism.”

While Ban did condemn Palestinian terror, he claimed that “security measures alone will not stop the violence. They cannot address the profound sense of alienation and despair driving some Palestinians – especially young people.”

Ban warned that,”So-called facts on the ground in the occupied West Bank are steadily chipping away the viability of a Palestinian state and the ability of Palestinian people to live in dignity.” He also said he was “deeply troubled” by reports that the Israeli government had approved plans for more than 150 new homes in “illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.”

In response, the PM said, “The UN secretary general’s comments give terror a tailwind. There is no justification for terror. The Palestinian murderers do not want to build a country – they want to destroy a country, and say so openly. They want to murder Jews wherever they may be, and say so openly. They do not murder for peace and they do not murder for human rights. The UN has long lost its neutrality and moral power, these comments by the secretary general do little to improve its standing.”

On the bright side, Ban also criticized Palestinian incitement to violence, saying that “incitement has no place, and questioning the right of Israel to exist cannot be tolerated.”

For further reading click here.

Holocaust Remembrance
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. At a special ceremony at the UN General Assembly, Israel will be represented (for the first time) by a Holocaust survivor. Martha Weiss, 81, an Auschwitz survivor, was invited to address the UN by Israel’s Ambassador to the UN. Last year President Reuven Rivlin gave the address.

In another first, US President Barack Obama is expected to attend a Holocaust memorial service at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Two American nationals and two Poles will be recognized as righteous among the nations at the ceremony. This will also be the first time the honor is bestowed in the United States.

In a statement regarding the day of remembrance, PM Netanyahu said, “Preserving the memory of the Holocaust is more important today than ever, for in this period of resurgent and sometimes violent anti-Semitism, it is commemorations like this that remind us all where the oldest and most enduring hatred can lead. Around the world, Jewish communities are increasingly living in fear. We see anti-Semitism directed against individual Jews, and we also see this hatred directed against the collective Jew, against the Jewish state. Israel is targeted with the same slurs and the same libels that were leveled against the Jewish people since time immemorial.”

Netanyahu specifically reprimanded European leaders for not fighting against anti-semitism, saying, ”Even respected Western opinion leaders have become afflicted with hatred for the Jewish people and the Jewish state. The obsession with the Jews – the fixation on the Jewish state – defies any other rational explanation.”

He warned, “When a state like Iran and movements like ISIS and Hamas openly declare their goal of committing another Holocaust, we will not let it happen. But Europe and the rest of the world must stand up together with us. Not for our sake; for theirs.”
 

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Cyber Attack
National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources Minister Yuval Steinitz revealed yesterday that Israel’s Electricity Authority managed to thwart a “severe cyber attack” on its operations this week.

Steinitz said, “The virus was already identified and the right software was already prepared to neutralize it. We had to shut down many of the computers of the Israeli electricity authorities. We are handling the situation and I hope that soon, this very serious event will be over.”

Apparently, terror attacks come in many forms.

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ISIS Attack
According to the ISIS linked Amaq News Agency, two Israeli Apache helicopters, accompanied by two drones, attacked ISIS positions in the Egyptian town of Sheikh Zuweid in Northern Sinai on Monday night. Several ISIS fighters were killed in the attack. Egyptian media reported that the attack was launched by Egyptian forces. Who do you believe?

In any case, the reports agree that ISIS fighters were killed in an air attack, which is something we can all be happy about.

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Hamas Washout
The robust rainy season in Israel this year has reaped an unexpected security benefit. According to Palestinian media reports, at least 8 Hamas terrorists were killed when heavy rains caused the tunnel they were digging to collapse, northeast of Gaza City.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza spokesman denied the reports, claiming no bodies were brought to the hospital from the tunnel collapse. On Saturday, the Ministry reported that a Hamas militant was killed in a tunnel collapse in Khan Yunis.

In any case, it’s clear that Hamas is back in the terror tunnel building business. It is estimated that since the end of Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Hamas has dug dozens of tunnels of varying lengths. What a surprise.

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