A7News: Danny Danon resigns as Israel's UN ambassador

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Wednesday, Dec. 26 '18, י"ח בטבת תשע"ט



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HEADLINES:
1. DANNY DANON RESIGNS AS ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR
2. ATTEMPTED TERRORIST ATTACK IN SAMARIA
3. 'HE GRABBED HIS NECK AND STABBED AGAIN AND AGAIN'
4. MK ZAHALKA WON'T BE RETURNING TO KNESSET
5. REPORT: SYRIA AIRSTRIKE TARGETED HEZBOLLAH LEADERS
6. COALITION LEADERS VOTE TO DISSOLVE KNESSET, GO TO ELECTIONS
7. FIVE FEMALE IDF OBSERVERS SENT TO JAIL
8. YOU JOINED THE HAREDI FAMILY IN THE IDF


1. DANNY DANON RESIGNS AS ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR
by David Rosenberg

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has announced that he will be resigning his position.

Danon, a former Likud MK and Science Minister who since 2015 has served as Israel's top envoy to the UN, will be returning to politics following his resignation as ambassador.

The ambassador was to have ended his term in February 2019, but following the governing coalition's decision to dissolve the Knesset and head to early elections, Danon announced plans to step down early – ahead of a run in the Likud party primaries prior to the election.

Earlier this week, the coalition voted unanimously to back early elections, pushing up the vote for the 21st Knesset from November 5th 2019 to April 9th.


2. ATTEMPTED TERRORIST ATTACK IN SAMARIA
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256728

A terrorist attempted to run down IDF soldiers in Samaria Wednesday morning, according to a report by the Israeli military.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, next to a bus stop in central Samaria when a driver was spotted speeding up as he approached a group of soldiers.

Israeli security personnel present at the scene opened fire on the terrorist and neutralized him.

There were no reports of injuries among the Israel forces.

The terrorist was evacuated to Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva for treatment. He is said to be in moderate condition.

Three other people were treated for shock, including two female residents of Samaria and a male resident of the Binyamin district of Samaria.


3. 'HE GRABBED HIS NECK AND STABBED AGAIN AND AGAIN'
by Ido Ben Porat

The military prosecution filed an indictment against the terrorist who carried out a stabbing attack in Beit Jala last month.

Betar Illit resident Aharon Heller was stabbed while visiting a local mini-market.

According to the indictment, the terrorist attacked Heller with an Exacto knife while holding him by the neck and stabbing him in the head time after time. Heller was lightly injured and taken to Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem.

The indictment submitted to the military court in Judea attributes to the terrorist the offense of intentionally attempting to cause death equivalent to a murder attempt and possessing a knife.

According to the indictment, the terrorist's family handed him over to IDF forces for fear that the forces would reach their home.

"The indictment unequivocally exposes the importance of demolishing houses of terrorists and deterrence measures against the family," said attorney Chaim Bleicher of Honenu organization that accompanies Heller. "Thanks to this deterrence, the terrorist was immediately caught and wasn't allowed to carry out his plot on other Israelis.

"The indictment correctly expresses the severity of the act as that terrorist is part of a wave of incitement and terror by terrorists who try in any way and with any means to kill Jews. We congratulate the military prosecution for the indictment. The victim will continue to be accompanied throughout the legal process by a Honenu lawyer to ensure the terrorist will be in prison for many years," Bleicher added.


4. MK ZAHALKA WON'T BE RETURNING TO KNESSET
by Mordechai Sones

MK Jamal Zahalka (Joint Arab List) will not run in elections for the next Knesset and is expected to announce officially sometime today in a speech to be delivered in the Knesset plenum.

MK Miki Zohar (Likud), who heard about Zahalka's decision, said in response, "We are all happy and joyous; and we're all pleased that you're not staying in the Knesset."

Balad party Chairman Zahalka decided to resign from politics apparently because of party statutes stating that Knesset Members may serve only four terms. Zahalka believes he will find it difficult to bypass the rules and therefore prefers announcing resignation.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256729

Zahalka frequently yells at MKs from the national camp who promote laws in favor of settling Judea and Samaria or laws that according to Zahalka could harm the Arab public.

Last month Zahalka was angered by the Muezzin Law and shouted, "You're racists and fascists, you're only looking for death." MK Moti Yogev (Jewish Home), who initiated the Muezzin Law, replied, "Hey terrorist, go to parliament in Syria."

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256729

In September 2015, Zahalka had a falling out with MK Stav Shaffir and the Labor Party: "You're the father and mother of racism. You dispossessed lands to build kibbutzim. The movement that expelled the Palestinians from their land, that robbed us much more than the Right did, who murdered tens of thousands of Palestinians, and they come to preach to us."

"Social justice woman Knesset Member Stav Shaffir who hasn't spoken to me for a long time and doesn't even say hello to me - I'm transparent to her; the Arabs don't exist. Racist, quiet racist, disregarding racist. You never spoke to me in the Knesset, 'Shalom' you wouldn't answer me. I try with all my might to say hello and you don't answer - racist," he said.


5. REPORT: SYRIA AIRSTRIKE TARGETED HEZBOLLAH LEADERS
by Elad Benari

Several leaders of the Hezbollah terrorist group were targeted in Tuesday night's airstrike on the Syrian capital of Damascus, which Syrian media blamed on Israel, Newsweek reports.

The information was given to Newsweek from a Department of Defense source with access to the information. The airstrike was conducted minutes after the leaders boarded a plane bound for Iran, according to the report.

Several Iranian ammunition supply points were also a target of the bombing, the source said. The supply points contained valuable, GPS-guided ammunition from 2017, some of the best available to the Iranian army and Hezbollah.

Israel has not confirmed or denied that it is behind the airstrike.

The IDF stated on Tuesday night that an Israeli anti-missile system was operated against an anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria.

In late November, Syria accused Israel of carrying out air strikes on Kisweh, south of Damascus. The air strikes reportedly targeted warehouses and headquarters of the Iranian militias in the area.

Israel did not comment on those reports either.

On Monday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu address the attacks in Syria and Israel's military situation, saying, "Israel is ranked eighth in the world. That is unbelievable. This happens because we are systematically developing the strength of the IDF and the strength of the security bodies - the Mossad and the Shin Bet."

"We are continuing with a firm hand to prevent Iran's military buildup in Syria. We are about to complete the dismantling of the tunnels in which Hezbollah has invested so much, just as we are about to end the disarming of tunnels in which Hamas has invested so much," Netanyahu said.

"The IDF is prepared for every scenario, and I take this opportunity to salute the commanders and IDF soldiers who guard us 24 hours a day and 365 days a year."


6. COALITION LEADERS VOTE TO DISSOLVE KNESSET, GO TO ELECTIONS
by David Rosenberg

Coalition leaders voted unanimously Monday afternoon to dissolve the Knesset and go to early elections this coming spring, a Likud spokesperson said.

During a meeting Monday afternoon in the Prime Minister's Office, leaders of the coalition's five factions agreed that the current narrow government is untenable, and that the 20th Knesset must be dissolved early and new elections held.

The faction leaders voted unanimously for early elections, which will be held on April 9th, 2019.

"In the name of budgetary and national responsibility, party leaders in the coalition agreed unanimously to dissolve the Knesset and go to new elections at the beginning of April, following a full four-year term," the spokesperson announced.

The elections for the 21st Knesset will be held just over four years after the previous vote, which was held on March 17th, 2015.

Prior to the coalition's decision Monday, the next Knesset election had been scheduled for November 5th, 2019.

The decision was reached after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu convened party leaders from his narrow ruling coalition in a last-ditch effort to chart a path forward for a crucial haredi draft bill, aimed at preserving draft deferments for full-time yeshiva students, while imposing financial sanctions on yeshivas which fail to meet enlistment quotas.

The bill, sometimes referred to as the Haredi Draft Law, would largely retain open-ended draft deferments, while pressuring the haredi sector to increase the number of haredi enlistees.

The Yisrael Beytenu and Yesh Atid parties, which had both backed the bill initially, said Monday that they would vote against it in the bill's second reading in the Knesset.

With haredi lawmakers opposed to the bill, the government was counting on support from Yisrael Beytenu and Yesh Atid to pass the law ahead of the January 15th deadline imposed by the Supreme Court.

The Netanyahu government has struggled since the departure of Yisrael Beytenu last month, following the signing of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement with the Hamas terror organization.

Yisrael Beytenu's departure left the coalition with a narrow 61-seat majority in the 120-member Knesset.


7. FIVE FEMALE IDF OBSERVERS SENT TO JAIL
by Mordechai Sones

Five female soldiers serving as lookouts on the Gaza border were sentenced Monday to 10 days' imprisonment after refusing to paint the war room where they serve.

News 2 reported five observers in the IDF combat force, one of whom was recently listed as having prevented a serious security incident.

As part of a project to improve Gaza border infrastructure, the soldiers were ordered to paint a mobile shelter adjacent to their war room and the five refused to do so, claiming that there were writings on the wall that represented the unit.

The IDF Spokesman's Office said in response: "As part of a project to improve infrastructure in the outposts on the Gaza Strip border, to promote the welfare of the individual and upgrade the existing buildings, renovations are taking place in all area outposts.

"In the case in question, a number of female soldiers blocked the painting of the wall and violated the order of their commander. After it was made clear to them that if they continued to prevent the painting it would lead to disciplinary action, the soldiers chose to continue preventing it. The female soldiers were tried and sentenced to ten days in prison. The IDF is constantly working to improve living conditions in the various bases and will continue to do so."


8. YOU JOINED THE HAREDI FAMILY IN THE IDF
by Lt. Col. Telem Hazan

Dear recruits,

I've been in the army for 22 years, during which I transferred through many positions until my current position as haredi military administration head, but to this day I remember my induction day as if it happened yesterday.

I remember the feelings - expectations and fears about entering such a significant time in the lives of each of the recruits - surrounding army service, and I cannot help but get excited again when we accompany you on your induction day.

On this day, you're going to get into big shoes. In addition to the military shoes that you will lace for the first time, you will enter one large system that bears the IDF's name, whose mission is to preserve the security of the State of Israel and to fulfill any mission for this purpose.

Just as this goal is so lofty, so it is your responsibility to grow in order to sustain it - you must strive for excellence, to give all of yourselves to serve in the best possible role. On the day of your induction, you joined the haredi family in the IDF, a unique service that writes contemporary history into the chronicles of the Jewish People.

The importance of haredi IDF service cannot be described even in words - in combat, in intelligence, in technology, and in many other fields that haredi soldiers lead today - a tremendous contribution to the State of Israel.

We are here for you - the haredi soldiers in the IDF before, during, and after your military service so that you can perform your military service in the most experiential and meaningful way. I wish you a very powerful, enriching, and unique service accompanied by a sense of mission you are fulfilling - go by this strength and save Israel!

Head of the haredi military administration,
Lt. Col. Telem Hazan