A7News: Dozens arrested as haredi protesters shut down Jerusalem roads

Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Friday, Mar. 08 '19, א' באדר ב תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. DOZENS ARRESTED AS HAREDI PROTESTERS SHUT DOWN JERUSALEM ROADS
2. DESPITE MALFUNCTIONS, ISRAELI LUNAR LANDER COMPLETES MANEUVER
3. POLICE: WOMEN OF THE WALL TO BLAME FOR WESTERN WALL CLASHES
4. ARMED GAZANS NABBED WHILE INFILTRATING INTO ISRAEL
5. EX-KKK LEADER: ILHAN OMAR THE MOST IMPORTANT MEMBER OF CONGRESS
6. HOUSE APPROVES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HATRED
7. NO SAFE ENTRY FOR JEWS - IN ISRAEL'S CAPITAL
8. RESTORING TORAH SCROLLS FOR THE ISRAELI SECURITY SERVICES


1. DOZENS ARRESTED AS HAREDI PROTESTERS SHUT DOWN JERUSALEM ROADS
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260046

More than two dozen haredi protesters were arrested in Jerusalem Thursday afternoon, after hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads in the capital to protest the recent arrest of a haredi draft dodger.

Police reported that some 500 demonstrators had converged on the intersection of Jaffa Road and Shaarei Yisrael Street near the Central Bus Station, not far from an IDF draft office.

Demonstrators gathered to protest the recent arrest of Meir Blau, a young haredi man who refused an order to appear at the IDF draft office.

According to Israel Police, 28 demonstrators have been arrested.

"Israel Police forces are working with determination against the rioters in order to keep the roads and light rail line open, and have thus far arrested 23 demonstrators," said a police spokesperson, before the number of suspects arrested rose to 28.

Some demonstrators clashed with police, cursing the officers as "Nazis". "Better to die than enlist," said some. "Go to jail, not the army," said other protesters.

The demonstration was organized by the Yerushalmi Faction, a radical haredi movement founded by the late Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach with the goal of winning blanket exemptions for the entire haredi population.

At present, haredi women are exempt from the draft, while men who learn full time in yeshivas are permitted to defer their service on an annual basis every year they remain enrolled in recognized institutions of religious higher learning.

The Yerushalmi Faction, however, has called on its supporters not to cooperate with government draft officials – even for the purposes of obtaining deferments. That policy has placed the Faction outside of the mainstream of the haredi community, and lead to numerous arrests of young men who refuse to register for deferments.

Haredi protesters in Jerusalem March 7th 2019
צילום: אברהם שרייבר/TPS



2. DESPITE MALFUNCTIONS, ISRAELI LUNAR LANDER COMPLETES MANEUVER
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The first Israeli spacecraft carried out a successful maneuver Thursday afternoon, despite early malfunctions and complications caused by a faulty star tracker navigational system.

According to a statement by SpaceIL, the private Israeli company which designed and built Beresheet, the lunar lander spacecraft successfully executed the maneuver at 3:11 p.m. Israel time – despite ongoing problems with the spacecraft's star tracker navigation system.

"Today at 3:11 p.m. (Israel time), a maneuver of the Beresheet spacecraft was successfully carried out by the ground team of SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries. The Beresheet spacecraft is on its way towards an elliptical orbit, which has a maximum distance of 270,000 kilometers (167,770 miles) from the Earth."

"The maneuver was complicated due to the need to deal with the constraints of the star trackers, but was successfully carried out according to plan. During the maneuver Beresheet's main engine was activated for 152 seconds."

"The next maneuver is planned to take place in roughly two weeks."

Launched from Cape Canaveral on February 21st, the washing machine-sized spacecraft is Israel's first lunar lander. The unmanned vehicle is expected to land on the moon in April.

Shortly after launch, however, the ground team encountered technical problems with Beresheet, including a malfunctioning star tracker, and a glitch in the computer system which caused the craft to reset itself – missing a scheduled maneuver.

Since then, however, the SpaceIL and IAI teams say the spacecraft appears to be able to complete necessary maneuvers, despite the ongoing problems with the star tracker system.


3. POLICE: WOMEN OF THE WALL TO BLAME FOR WESTERN WALL CLASHES
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260088

Israeli police contradicted claims by a feminist group Friday, saying activists from the group were to blame for clashes with Orthodox worshippers at the Western Wall after the made 'deliberate provocations'.

Some 100 activists from the Women of the Wall group marked the movement's 30th anniversary with an expanded prayer service at the Western Wall Friday morning.

The Women of the Wall, a controversial feminist movement led by activist Anat Hoffman, has held monthly non-traditional prayer services in the main Western Wall plaza for decades – despite access to a dedicated prayer space for egalitarian services.

The non-traditional prayer services in the main plaza, which violate the regulations of the local religious authority as well as Israeli law, regularly draw condemnation both from worshippers at the site, and the Western Wall's chief rabbi, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch.

On Friday, some 20,000 worshippers gathered at the Western Wall for the monthly Rosh Hodesh prayer services.

During the services, some 100 Women of the Wall activists attempted to hold a non-traditional service in the middle of the Western Wall main plaza.

Protests ensued, and police eventually escorted the Women of the Wall activists from the site.

Women of the Wall activists described the incident as a "violent attack" by "thousands of Ultra-Orthodox people".

"Thousands of ultra-Orthodox individuals surrounded the women's prayer group, screaming epithets, pushing, and hitting women in order to disturb the prayer service. Due to the police's negligence, two women were sent to receive medical treatment," the group said in a statement.

But later on Friday, Israeli police said the blamed lay with the activists, rather than the Orthodox worshippers, stating that the Women of the Wall had gone out of their way to provoke the worshippers.

"During the Rosh Hodesh prayers held Friday morning in the Western Wall Plaza, some of the Women of the Wall [activists] who came to the central prayer plaza, apparently with the intention of sparking clashes and creating provocations, in violation of the orders of ushers and police that they pray in the women's section designated for them."

Police also said that despite claims by the Women of the Wall that they were removed from the main plaza by police, the activists in fact requested a police escort to take them to the prayer space designated for egalitarian prayer.

"In response to the request of the Women of the Wall, they were escorted by officers to the [egalitarian] prayer section, where they completed their prayers without incident."

Authorities added that one haredi protester was arrested during the incident.


4. ARMED GAZANS NABBED WHILE INFILTRATING INTO ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Israeli security forces captured two Gaza Arabs attempting to infiltrate into Israel Friday morning.

The two terrorists were nabbed near the Israeli security fence along the border with southern Gaza.

According to the IDF, the two terrorists were carrying three knives on their persons at the time of their capture.

The pair were taken into custody and transferred for interrogation.

The Israeli military has increased security along the Gaza front, following calls by the Hamas terror organization which rules Gaza to escalate tensions with Israel.

Israeli security forces are also preparing for possible riots in Jerusalem, amid growing tensions on the Temple Mount, after Islamic officials called to forcibly reopen the Golden Gate annex of the Temple Mount and keep it open, despite a police order forbidding entry to the area.

Israel ordered the Golden Gate area closed in 2003, after it was found that the space was being used for terrorist activities.


5. EX-KKK LEADER: ILHAN OMAR THE MOST IMPORTANT MEMBER OF CONGRESS
by David Rosenberg

Embattled House Democrat Ilhan Omar of Minnesota won the backing of former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke Thursday evening, amid an ongoing scandal over allegations Omar repeatedly peddled in anti-Semitic tropes during dustups with fellow lawmakers.

On Thursday, Duke lauded Omar on his Thunder and Lightning webcast, calling her the "most important member of the US Congress", citing her "defiance to ZOG [Zionist Occupied Government]."

"Simply stated, she is important because the dared expose the gorilla in Congress that nobody dares speak," Duke later tweeted. "There is no salvation of our people heritage, rights and freedom until Z.O.G is overthrown!"

Duke, a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, called the criticism on Omar's comments a "big mistake for our Zio-establishment, the Jewish establishment of media and government."

Image of Omar on Duke's website, with 'heart eyes' superimposed Screenshot

"I'm elated by the huge controversy that's going on now," Duke continued, saying Omar's comments and the subsequent backlash brought into focus what he claims is Israeli influence and "the power of the Jewish elite" over the US government.

"We truly do have a…Zionist Occupied Government," said Duke, referring to the canard promoted by Duke and others that the US government has been subverted by a group of pro-Israel Jews.

In a tweet Friday, Duke again lauded Omar, touting the "bravery of a 100lb Muslim woman".

"I made this provocative statement cause the worst enemy of the USA, Europeans and the Middle East & the whole world & true peace are the Zionist tyrants who rule media and politics. Sadly, This 100lb girl has more guts than any white member of congress!"

The former KKK leader also attacked President Trump on Twitter Friday morning, suggesting his loyalties lie with Israel, rather than the US, uploading a picture of the president holding an Israeli flag, ignoring a group of Democratic lawmakers trampling the US flag.

While Duke has distanced himself from the KKK following his departure from the group, he later founded the National Association for the Advancement of White People, an organization accused of promoting white supremacy and anti-Semitism under the guise of "equal rights" for white Americans.

Duke has also been widely condemned for his Holocaust denial and conspiracy theories alleging Jewish plots to control the US government and monetary system, and to actively promote homosexuality and the ultimate destruction of the white race.

Omar, a freshman congresswoman and Somali immigrant who entered the US as a refugee, has been the center of an ongoing debate over a Democratic resolution in the House originally aimed at condemning anti-Semitism.

The Minnesota Democrat has been accused by both Republicans and Democrats of channeling classic anti-Semitic canards regarding Jewish influence and dual allegiances, after she accused a pro-Israel Jewish group of buying off Congress to back Israel, and suggesting her critics were loyal to a foreign country – Israel.

The freshman congresswoman also drew criticism over a 2012 social media post in which she accused Israel of 'hypnotizing' the world. Omar later said her choice of words was "unfortunate" but fell short of apologizing for the comment.

Following pressure from Republicans to punish Omar, the Democratic House delegation drafted a resolution condemning anti-Semitism.

On Wednesday, however, the measure, which had originally been drafted as a response to Omar's comments, was reframed as a general condemnation of bigotry, targeting not only anti-Semitism but also white supremacism and 'Islamophobia'.

Republicans ripped the House's Democratic delegation not only for diluting the resolution's original focus on anti-Semitism, but also its failure to call out Omar by name.


6. HOUSE APPROVES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HATRED
by Elad Benari

The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved by an overwhelming majority a measure broadly condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred.

The measure condemning "anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of bigotry" was passed by a vote of 407-23, with 23 Republicans opting to vote against the resolution, according to The Hill.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), the third-ranking House GOP leader, joined nearly two dozen other Republicans in voting against the measure. Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX), who also voted against it, delivered floor speeches lamenting that the language in the bill had been watered down to the point of taking away attention from Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN) anti-Semitic remarks.

Omar recently came under fire after she suggested on Twitter that Republicans were attacking her at the behest of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.

She subsequently issued a half-hearted apology before ultimately deleting the controversial tweets.

This week she caused another uproar when, at a public event, she appeared to refer to domestic support for Israel as "allegiance to a foreign country", leading the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives to work on a new resolution condemning anti-Semitism.

The vote, however, had been delayed on Wednesday as Democrats fought over what should be included in the measure, with additional tweaks to the text being made as late as Thursday afternoon, noted The Hill.

The House-passed measure did not specifically mention the Omar by name.

While critics argued Omar should have been directly named in the resolution, a number of progressives and members of key minority caucuses stood by her this week, balking at the suggestion she be singled out and calling for the language to be broadened to include the condemnation of other forms of bigotry.

The final version of the resolution "encourages all public officials to confront the reality of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of bigotry, as well as historical struggles against them, to ensure that the United States will live up to the transcendent principles of tolerance, religious freedom, and equal protection as embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the first and amendments to the Constitution."

It also includes language condemning Japanese internment camps in World War II, the century-old Dreyfus affair in France, former President John F. Kennedy being questioned over Catholicism and the white supremacist events in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017.

Democrats made a last-minute change Thursday to add Latinos, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and the LGBT community to the list of "traditionally persecuted peoples" targeted by white supremacists. The previous version unveiled earlier in the day only included "African Americans, Native Americans, and other people of color, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, immigrants, and others."


7. NO SAFE ENTRY FOR JEWS - IN ISRAEL'S CAPITAL
by Eliran Aharon

Many years have passed since the last time a municipal representative visited the neighborhood of Al Walaja in southern Jerusalem.

Jerusalem City Councilor Aryeh King has been in touch with the residents of Al Walaja and has recently received a complaint about damage caused by the rain. Arutz Sheva went with King to see what was happening in the neighborhood and what the result of the lack of sovereignty in the region was.

"The sign says 'Entering a dangerous neighborhood for Israelis. This is a Jerusalem neighborhood, one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of Jerusalem. It is quiet and pastoral. I ask why they put the sign that so many Jews are afraid of and why they do not enter the neighborhood," King wondered.

From the vantage point where we stood we could look out over northern Jerusalem and see the spot where Ori Ansbacher was murdered last month. "The residents are part of the city. The time has come for the Jerusalem municipality to come here and I intend to develop the place that Jews will also come here and feel at home. An area which has no development and no Jewish presence is fertile ground for illegal residents."

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260043

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8. RESTORING TORAH SCROLLS FOR THE ISRAELI SECURITY SERVICES
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259361

Click here for details and more

Oz Ve'Hadar is a unique project which brings to life halachically (Torah law) invalidated Torah scrolls, and presents them to Defense Ministry sites and IDF units throughout the country.

Over years of usage, Torah scrolls written decades ago, as well as Torah scrolls that are 24-7 out on the field with the Israeli soldiers, become unfit for public readings. Oz Ve'Hadar's sole mission is to bring many Torah scrolls to IDF bases and units by repairing these invalidated Torah scrolls.

Recipients of the restored Scrolls can also include Yad Le'Banim centers in most cities, which are memorial centers of local sons who were killed in active service.

The process of restoring an invalidated Torah Scroll begins with a thorough check of the Scroll to ascertain its specific flaws by meticulous proofreading and hundreds of hours of editing, including a final computerized scan to ensure accuracy. The process takes between three months to half a year.

Once the Scroll is validated it reverts back to "active service". The next step is to determine which army base or unit will receive the Scroll, and celebrate a re-dedication ceremony organized by the government's Defense Ministry in corroboration with the IDF.

This whole process is funded by donors from around the world. The Ministry and IDF permit the donor to decide in whose name the Torah Scroll will be dedicated.

Donors dedicate the Scrolls to an army unit, or Yad Le'Banim memorial center at a ceremony in the presence of the unit commanders, soldiers, rabbis, and family members of the donor.

And so, in this special project, the traditions and legacy of Torah meet the present needs of the Jewish nation's army in the Land of Israel.

Click here for details and more