A7News: Israeli Economics Ministry punishes Paraguay over embassy move

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Wednesday, Sep. 12 '18, ג' בתשרי תשע"ט



HEADLINES:
1. ISRAELI ECONOMICS MINISTRY PUNISHES PARAGUAY OVER EMBASSY MOVE
2. 'TRUMP IS DEMOLISHING THE PALESTINIAN LIE'
3. AL-QAEDA LEADER: US EMBASSY RELOCATION PROVES IT'S AN ENEMY
4. ATTACKS ON HASIDIC WOMEN CONTINUE OVER ROSH HASHANAH
5. RAPPER APPEARS IN GUSH ETZION AND APOLOGIZES FOR PAST
6. EXPLOSION NEAR JEWISH TOWN IN SAMARIA
7. 'THE PALESTINIANS WENT TOO FAR'
8. WATCH: MARK ZUCKERBERG BLOWS SHOFAR FOR ROSH HASHANAH


1. ISRAELI ECONOMICS MINISTRY PUNISHES PARAGUAY OVER EMBASSY MOVE
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Israel's Economics Ministry cancelled a planned visit to Paraguay by a delegation of Israeli economists, as part of the ongoing diplomatic dustup following Asunción's decision to relocate Paraguay's embassy in Israel from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.

In May, Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes inaugurated his country's new embassy in Jerusalem, following similar moves by the US and Guatemala.

Last week, however, Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Castiglioni announced that the embassy would be moving back to Tel Aviv, something he hoped would "contribute to an intensification of regional diplomatic efforts" towards a lasting peace agreement.

The decision to move the embassy back was reached by Paraguay's new president, Mario Abdo Benitez, following pressure from Arab leaders and Turkey, who argued that the move would help spur peace talks in the region.

In response to the announcement, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu instructed the Foreign Ministry to return the Israeli ambassador to Paraguay back to Israel for consultations, and to close the Israeli embassy in Paraguay.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Economics Minister Eli Cohen (Kulanu), had cancelled a trip by a ministry delegation to Paraguay planned for this coming December.

The delegation was intended to work towards strengthening economic ties between the two countries, and aiding Paraguay's economic development.

"The decision by the new president, President Benitez, has a heavy economic price – not just a political one," Cohen said. "His attempt to strengthen economic ties with Israel and enjoy Israeli technology while at the same time violating an agreement made between the two countries is hypocrisy, which has a price."


2. 'TRUMP IS DEMOLISHING THE PALESTINIAN LIE'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) lauded President Donald Trump Wednesday morning, saying that the decision to shutter the Palestine Liberation Organization's office in Washington DC was part of a larger effort by the US president to 'demolish the Palestinian' narrative of Israeli intransigence.

On Monday, the PLO announced that the US had ordered the closure of its Washington DC mission. The US State Department later confirmed the move, stating that the Palestinian Authority (PA) had consistently refused to engage with the US government or to support peace talks with Israel.

"We have permitted the PLO office to conduct operations that support the objective of achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between Israelis and the Palestinians since the expiration of a previous waiver in November 2017," a State Department spokesperson stated.

Since President Trump's December 6th, 2017 announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and subsequent relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv, the Palestinian Authority has snubbed senior US leaders, including Vice President Mike Pence.

The PA has also repeatedly refused to accept the White House's upcoming framework for a final status agreement, dubbed by the president the 'Deal of the Century'.

Speaking with Reshet Bet on Wednesday, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the White House's latest move was the nail in the coffin for the PA claim that Israeli intransigence was the barrier to peace in the region.

"My happiness over Trump's move is very understandable. Finally there is a leader of the world's greatest superpower who is demolishing the Palestinian lie."

Had the PA agreed to return to the negotiating table, Erdan continued, the Netanyahu government would have taken the talks seriously, despite claims by PA chief Mahmoud Abbas that Israel has refused to engage in serious final status talks with the PA.

"What if there had been official talks with the PA? I'm sure that we would have gotten together in the Likud to brainstorm in order to decide what is on the table – but today, there is no need to."


3. AL-QAEDA LEADER: US EMBASSY RELOCATION PROVES IT'S AN ENEMY
by Elad Benari

The leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization on Tuesday called on Muslims to wage war against the United States throughout the world, The Associated Press reports.

The comments by Ayman al-Zawahiri came in a 30-minute speech which was translated by the Washington-based SITE group, which monitors media material by jihadists across the world.

In the speech, Zawahiri cited Washington's relocation of its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as evidence of the fact that the US is an enemy of Islam.

"America (is) the number one enemy of Muslims ... despite of its professed secularism," Zawahiri said in the video. He listed 14 directives to fight the United States, including an appeal for Muslim unity and jihadists close ranks.

Zawahiri previously released a recording on May 14, the day on which the US relocated its embassy to Jerusalem, in which he urged Muslims to carry out jihad against the United States over the embassy move.

Al-Qaeda often releases recordings of Zawahiri, though their veracity cannot be confirmed. In one such recording, released in 2015, Zawahiri welcomed terrorist attacks in Israel and called for Muslims to work to "liberate" Jerusalem.

He has in the past called on Muslims to unite to attack Western and Russian targets.

Zawahiri took over as Al-Qaeda leader from Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in May of 2011.



4. ATTACKS ON HASIDIC WOMEN CONTINUE OVER ROSH HASHANAH
by David Rosenberg

Authorities in the central Israeli city of Rehovot have opened an investigation into a recent series of attacks on Hasidic Jews outside of a local synagogue.

Members of the Kretshnif Hasidic movement in Rehovot say have been targeted in recent weeks by unknown assailants who hurl frozen eggs at the Hasidim during the Sabbath.

Every Saturday for the past month, locals say, the same grey Hyundai drives past the local Kretshnif synagogue while men from the Kretshnif men are inside praying or meeting with the Rebbe.

As the car passes by, eggs – often times frozen eggs – are hurled at the Kretshnif women and girls as they stroll around outside of the synagogue.

"It's a terrifying sight," one witness told Kikar Hashabbat.

"A grey Hyundai drives by at high speed, approaches the women and girls who are standing in the street, and hurls frozen eggs at them. Getting hit by a cold egg is quite painful, and the women here were absolutely terrified to the point of hysteria. I hope someone will put a stop to this."

Since the attacks occur during the Sabbath, the Hasidim are unable to report the incidents to police in real time, making it more difficult to locate and apprehend the perpetrators.

During the two-day Rosh Hashanah festival this week, Kretshnif Hasidim say the attacks took place multiple times.

A member of the Kretshnif Hasidic movement filed a formal complaint with police, who have opened an investigation into the attacks.


5. RAPPER APPEARS IN GUSH ETZION AND APOLOGIZES FOR PAST
by Ido Ben Porat

Israeli singer and rapper Muki (Danny Niv) appeared in Efrat in Gush Etzion and apologized for calling for "breaking the bones of the settlers" 13 years ago.

"I spoke in a very unpleasant, hostile, and disrespectful way against an entire public. It was a mistake and I apologized for it. Since then, I've become a family head. I'm married with three sons whom I pray will be healthy. We all live here on the same little land. We're all one, we're brothers. We have to love, we have to say thank you," Muki said, and received thunderous applause.

"We need to be able to talk, even when we don't agree - to talk. Maybe you'll convince me, maybe I'll convince you. Let's talk. Let's live together, because we have nothing else," added the singer.

Thirteen years ago Muki called Judea/Samaria residents "shrews who threaten civil war" and recommended "loading them in trucks, throwing them in some corner, and shutting them up."


6. EXPLOSION NEAR JEWISH TOWN IN SAMARIA
by Ido Ben Porat

An explosive device detonated near Adei Ad, an Israeli town near Shilo in the Binyamin region of Samaria.

The explosion, which occurred during Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), did not cause any injuries.

According to an IDF spokesperson, the device was homemade. After the explosion, the IDF and Border Police acted in the Arab town of Al-Mughayyir, also in the Binyamin region, confiscating thousands of shekels in terror funds.

The spokesperson reported additional activities across Judea and Samaria involving the IDF, Border Police, Shabak (Israel Security Agency), and Israel Police. During these activities, 23 wanted terrorists were arrested, on suspicion of involvement in terror activities, "lone wolf" terror attacks, and violent disruptions of order aimed at civilians and security forces.

The arrested suspects were transferred for interrogation.



7. 'THE PALESTINIANS WENT TOO FAR'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

National Infrastructure Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud), a member of the Israeli security cabinet, applauded the decision by the White House earlier this week to shutter the Palestine Liberation Organization's mission in Washington DC over the Palestinian Authority's refusal to commit to the resumption of final status talks with Israel.

"I'm surprised the decision didn't come earlier," Steinitz said in an interview with Radio 103FM.

"The Palestinians already went too far in their very public refusal to [renew] peace talks. I can't imagine Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] telling Vladimir Putin that he wishes his home would be destroyed, the way he did to the American president," Steinitz continued, referencing Abbas' comments at a PLO Central Council meeting in Ramallah this January.

"I saw his tweet which said that 'We will not give aid to the Palestinians because they refuse to relaunch negotiations'," Abbas said in January, cursing the president in Arabic, "May your house be destroyed."

The US, Steinitz continued, "is the country that gives the most aid to the Palestinians. The [Palestinian Authority] went too far in their attempts to harm Israel; the US is totally justified in its decision [to close the PLO mission] given their refusal to take steps towards peace."

Steinitz said it was unlikely that Israel pushed the US to close the PLO mission.

"I don't think there was any need to do so. The US has a government that has decided not to turn the other cheek in the face of Abu Mazen's [Mahmoud Abbas] slaps. Abu Mazen's comments to the American president were really directed at the US as a whole, and were irresponsible and unprecedented. What other leader would talk that way towards the US? The time has come for the Palestinians to recognize that there is a price to pay for their behavior towards us and in the international arena."

On Monday, the PLO announced that the US had ordered the closure of its Washington DC mission. The US State Department later confirmed the move, stating that the Palestinian Authority (PA) had consistently refused to engage with the US government or to support peace talks with Israel.

"We have permitted the PLO office to conduct operations that support the objective of achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between Israelis and the Palestinians since the expiration of a previous waiver in November 2017," a State Department spokesperson stated.

Last November, the Trump Administration surprised the PA when then- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had determined that the PA ran afoul of a provision in a U.S. law that says the PLO mission must close if the PA tries to get the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinian Arabs.

Later, however, State Department officials said that it was decided to keep the delegation open for at least 90 days, and at the end of that period, Trump could announce that he is prolonging its activity because it is vital for supporting "meaningful" Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.


8. WATCH: MARK ZUCKERBERG BLOWS SHOFAR FOR ROSH HASHANAH
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted yesterday a demonstration of himself blowing a shofar for Rosh Hashanah, reported Yisrael Hayom. The video became popular and received many comments in short order.
Zuckerberg uploaded the video for Rosh Hashanah under the caption "Shana tova and a sweet new year!". He explained is was the Jewish New Year to a Muslim who wondered about the holiday's meaning.

Zuckerberg does not dwell on his Jewish origins, and the last time he mentioned them on his Facebook account was about a year ago, when he shared Sabbath eve experiences and photos with his folloowers. He and his daughter Max were seen next to Shabbat candles with two pictures of Shabbat challah bread baked in the home oven.

Zuckerberg told the social network that "her great-great-grandfather, Max, received the oven after our family emigrated here, and it has been handed down from generation to generation in our family ever since."




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