A7News: IDF: Terror cell carried out two attacks in one night

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Monday, Mar. 04 '19, כ"ז באדר תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. IDF: TERROR CELL CARRIED OUT TWO ATTACKS IN ONE NIGHT
2. WATCH: PRAT RIVER FLOWS COPIOUSLY
3. 'NETANYAHU IS PLUNGING IN THE POLLS, SO HE INVENTS STORIES'
4. GENERAL RUSSO CLEARED FOR KNESSET RUN
5. 'MR. PRIME MINISTER, YOU MUST ISSUE A DEMOLITION ORDER'
6. IDF OFFICER SERIOUSLY INJURED IN TERROR ATTACK IN SAMARIA
7. POLL: NETANYAHU CAN'T FORM COALITION
8. HOUSE DEMOCRAT BLASTS ILHAN OMAR FOR 'VILE ANTI-SEMITIC SLUR'


1. IDF: TERROR CELL CARRIED OUT TWO ATTACKS IN ONE NIGHT
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259864

The terrorist cell responsible for a pre-dawn ramming attack early Monday morning was also responsible for firebomb attacks hours earlier, an IDF spokesperson said Monday.

Three terrorists driving a private vehicle ran down a squad of Israeli security personnel at the entrance of the Arab village of Kafr Nima, northwest of Ramallah in Samaria early Monday morning.

Two soldiers were injured, including an IDF officer who has since been listed in serious condition.

During the attack, two of the three terrorists were shot dead. The third terrorist was shot and lightly wounded.

According to an army spokesperson, an initial IDF investigation suggests that the terror cell involved in the ramming attack was also responsible for hurling firebombs at a crossing point near Route 443 a few hours earlier.

"Following the car-ramming attack in Kafr Ni'ma, an initial inquiry suggests that earlier in the evening, the assailants of the car ramming attack also hurled firebombs at a crossing adjacent to Route 443. Additional firebombs were later found in the vehicle that had been used in the terror attack," the IDF said.

The terror attack in Kafr Ni'ma occurred following an Israeli arrest operation in the area, which led to the capture of 11 Hamas terrorists.

"Overnight, IDF troops operated in the Ramallah District as part of a campaign targeting the Hamas terror organization. IDF and Border Police forces apprehended 11 Hamas operatives during the operation."

As the Israeli forces withdrew, a security vehicle reportedly broke down. Security personnel who had remained with the vehicle were then targeted by the terrorists as they drove into the village.

Otzma Yehudit party spokesman Tzvi Succot questioned why Israeli security forces stationed at Route 443 did not respond to the firebombing attack, suggesting that the ramming attack could have been prevented.

"At 3:30 a.m. the terrorists threw firebombs at an IDF force."

"No one fired at them [the terrorists]. Because it was 'just' a firebomb attack. The terrorists continued on their way and came upon an IDF force which was having vehicle problems and had pulled over to the side of the road. There, the terrorists decided to carry out a ramming attack, leaving two soldiers injured."

"Let's be clear, if firebombings were treated like gunfire, [the terrorists] wouldn't have had a chance to carry out the next attack."


2. WATCH: PRAT RIVER FLOWS COPIOUSLY
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259818


3. 'NETANYAHU IS PLUNGING IN THE POLLS, SO HE INVENTS STORIES'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Blue and White party chairman Benny Gantz attacked Prime Minister Netanyahu during a tour of party leaders in the north.

"All those who nosedive in the polls and begin to invent a question about going with [Ahmad] Tibi while they go with Kahanists - it's all a lie," Gantz said at a meeting with farmers at Yesod Hama'ala.

"We will call for a unity government with all the parties, [including] the Likud, to join us, along with everyone who is Zionist and sane," the former Chief of Staff said next to Yair Lapid, Moshe Ya'alon, and Gabi Ashkenazi.

"As friends and partners in the Blue and White leadership, we are very happy to arrive here in this very very beautiful and very important north," Gantz said.

"We have a long day ahead. We will be in several places, we will deal with essential matters of agriculture and the periphery and security, and we will do it with wonderful people," he added.

The Likud responded to Gantz's statement: "Lapid and Gantz have no government without including the bloc of the Arab parties. Ofer Shelah admitted that they would form a bloc with the Arab parties. Michael Biton said that they sat with them in the government. And Gantz ruled out serving in a coalition with Netanyahu. Therefore it is obvious that the election is about 'Bibi or Tibi.'"


4. GENERAL RUSSO CLEARED FOR KNESSET RUN
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit informed the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee that there is no reason not to include Major General (res.) Tal Russo on the Labor Party list.

According to the amendment to the Elections Law of 2007, the cooling-off period for senior members of the defense establishment is three years from the end of their term in office, instead of six months as was the case before the amendment was enacted.

Russo, who was placed in the number two spot on the Labor slate, had served until May 10, 2017, as IDF Major General in the reserves.

According to the attorney general, Russo's service in the reserves should not be considered permanent, according to the law's definition as a "permanent service" which must end before the cooling-off period of three years can begin.

Mandelblit wrote in his response that "reserve service under permanent conditions, as its name implies, is voluntary reserve service. This is not a service based on a permanent service obligation. From a material point of view, taking into account its various characteristics and nature, we are talking about a reserve service for all intents and purposes."

The attorney general further explained that the absence of any reference to reserve IDF duty in the law there is insufficient justification to allow Russo to run for the Knesset.


5. 'MR. PRIME MINISTER, YOU MUST ISSUE A DEMOLITION ORDER'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

New Right party chairman Naftali Bennett called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to order the immediate demolition of the homes of terrorists instead of holding press conferences.

"Remember that after the terrible murder of Ori Ansbacher, Netanyahu sent people 'to measure the house of the terrorist for demolition'? And issued a series of aggressive statements to the media? So far, Netanyahu has not issued a demolition order for the murderer's house. It's as you heard," Bennett wrote on Twitter.

"Mr. Prime Minister: Today you must issue the demolition order. We'll support you. Just act for G-d's sake, said.

Bennett said this after Netanyahu promised to "speed up the demolition of terrorist homes." In response to the morning's terrorist attack, the prime minister said that "IDF soldiers acted quickly and eliminated the terrorists who threatened to run them over. We send our best greetings for a speedy recovery for the wounded.

"We will do everything to expedite the demolition of these murderers' houses, like that of Ori Ansbacher's murderer," Netanyahu said.


6. IDF OFFICER SERIOUSLY INJURED IN TERROR ATTACK IN SAMARIA
by David Rosenberg

Two Israeli security personnel were injured in a ramming attack in Samaria early Monday morning.

The incident occurred in the village of Kafr Nimma northwest of Ramallah in the Binyamin district of Samaria, when terrorists ran down a group of Israeli soldiers at the entrance of the village.

Soldiers from the unit opened fire on the terrorists, killing two and wounding a third, an IDF spokesperson said.

"IDF soldiers who stopped on the side of the road northwest of Ramallah were run over by terrorists. In response, the troops fired towards the terrorists, neutralizing two of them and lightly wounding another. Additional troops are on the way to the scene."

One of the two soldiers injured in the attack has been listed in serious condition. The second is said to have been lightly injured in the attack.

Scene of attack
צילום: TPS
The seriously injured victim has been identified as an IDF officer, while the second victim has been identified as a Border Police officer.

"Overnight, an IDF officer was severely injured and a Border Police soldier was lightly injured as a result of a car ramming attack in Kafr Ni'ma, northwest of Ramallah," and IDF spokesperson said. "The injured soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for further medical treatment. Their families have been notified."

Army medics and MDA volunteers treated the soldiers at the scene before evacuating them to the hospital.

"When we got to the scene, we were brought to an IDF medical unit which was treating two young men who had been hit by a car," MDA paramedic Ahuva Stern said. "Both of them were fully conscious. We treated one young man in his twenties who was suffering from multi-system injuries. We provided him with life-saving medical treatment and evacuated him while continuing treatment, including anesthesia and putting him on assisted breathing. His condition is serious but stable."

MDA paramedic Yishai Rauchberger and senior MDA medic Akiva Oshri added: "We joined an IDF medical force and treated a 19-year-old in the intensive care unit. He had suffered a leg injury and told us that he had been hit by a car. We gave him medical treatment and evacuated him to the hospital. He was calm and was able to communicate with us."


7. POLL: NETANYAHU CAN'T FORM COALITION
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cannot form a coalition, a new poll published by Kan 11 shows.

The poll, conducted by TNS, shows the Likud party weakening while the leftist "Blue and White" party gains strength.

A Friday poll, the first taken after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced his decision to indict Netanyahu, showed the center-left gaining a majority for the first time.

According to the TNS poll, Blue and White receives 37 Knesset seats, while the Likud receives 29. The New Right, Ashkenazic-haredi UTJ, and Arab Hadash-Ta'al list each receive seven seats.

The poll also showed the right-wing bloc as losing seats due to three parties failing to pass the electoral threshold: Gesher, Yisrael Beytenu, and Zehut, which for the first time comes close to passing the threshold.

The Labor party, Meretz, Kulanu, United Right (Jewish Home, National Union, and Otzma Yehudit), Sephardic-haredi Shas party, and the Arab Ra'am-Balad would each receive five Knesset seats.

Approximately one-third of the public believes that Netanyahu should quit his position immediately after the recommendations are published, and another third believes he should wait until he is indicted after a hearing. Only a quarter of Israelis believe that Netanyahu should continue in his position despite the indictment.

Forty-two percent of Israelis believe Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit allowed the media and Israel's left to influence his decision.

The poll included 550 Israelis from around the country who represent the Israeli adult population. It has an error margin of 3.7%.


8. HOUSE DEMOCRAT BLASTS ILHAN OMAR FOR 'VILE ANTI-SEMITIC SLUR'
by Marcy Oster, JTA

Rep. Eliot Engel, the Jewish chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called on fellow Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar to apologize for her "vile anti-Semitic slur."

Engel's statement released on Friday evening came more than a day after Omar, of Minnesota, accused pro-Israel activists and lawmakers of "allegiance to a foreign country." Dual loyalties is a common anti-Semitic trope.

"I welcome debate in Congress based on the merits of policy, but it's unacceptable and deeply offensive to call into question the loyalty of fellow American citizens because of their political views, including support for the U.S.-Israel relationship. We all take the same oath. Worse, Representative Omar's comments leveled that charge by invoking a vile anti-Semitic slur," Engel said in a statement released by his office.

Omar said Wednesday during a town hall in Washington that "I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country."

Engel called her comments "especially disappointing" because they follow on the heels of another incident in which she evoked another anti-Semitic stereotype, that Jews pay lawmakers to support Israel.

Engel continued that her comments "were outrageous and deeply hurtful, and I ask that she retract them, apologize, and commit to making her case on policy issues without resorting to attacks that have no place in the Foreign Affairs Committee or the House of Representatives."

Earlier this month Omar posted successive tweets suggesting that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby, pays politicians to be pro-Israel. Democratic and Republican leaders condemned the tweets as echoing anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews, money and power. The allegation is also false, as AIPAC does not donate to candidates or endorse them. The freshman lawmaker apologized for the tweets a day later.