A7News: French ambassador summoned for reprimand

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Tuesday, Apr. 30 '19, כ"ה בניסן תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. FRENCH AMBASSADOR SUMMONED FOR REPRIMAND
2. NETANYAHU BRISTLES OVER HAREDI LAWMAKERS' DEMANDS
3. IT'S OFFICIAL - AMAZON.COM IS OPENING UP SHOP IN ISRAEL
4. 3 AMBASSADORS TO LEAD US DELEGATION AT MARCH OF THE LIVING
5. POWAY SHOOTING VICTIM LAID TO REST
6. HOW CHABAD RABBI SAVED HIS CONGREGATION FROM SLAUGHTER
7. 'I PUT MY HANDS UP, AND HE SHOT MY FINGERS OFF'
8. DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE FOR RESERVIST WHO HIT LEFTIST OPERATIVE


1. FRENCH AMBASSADOR SUMMONED FOR REPRIMAND
by Yoni Kempinski

French Ambassador to Israel Hélène Le Gal was summoned on Monday to Israel's Foreign Ministry for a dressing down after a outgoing French Ambassador to the United States Gerard Araud called Israel an "apartheid state."

Le Gal, who met with Rodica Radian-Gordon, was harshly reprimanded for Araud's interview with the The Atlantic, in which he criticized US President Donald Trump's "deal of the century" and said the plan allows "the more powerful [party]" to "impose terms on the weaker party."

"That's the basis of Jared Kushner's [peace plan]," he said then, adding that "it will be a proposal very close to what the Israelis want."

If Israel makes residents of the Palestinian Authority citizens of Israel or stateless, he explained, that would be "an apartheid" and "there will be officially an apartheid state. They are in fact already."

All Israeli officials have been banned from meeting Araud, who is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days.


2. NETANYAHU BRISTLES OVER HAREDI LAWMAKERS' DEMANDS
by David Rosenberg

As negotiations begin for the formation of the 35th Government of Israel, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is warning that haredi lawmakers are making "excessive demands" which cannot be realistically met, Israel Hayom reported Tuesday morning.

This week, faction leaders met with the Likud's negotiating team, kicking off talks towards the formation of the next government.

With Netanyahu expected to form a narrow coalition government with 65 MKs from the six right-wing and religious factions – Likud, Kulanu, Yisrael Beytenu, Union of Right-Wing Parties, Shas, and United Torah Judaism – each potential coalition partner, with the exception of Kulanu, will be necessary for reaching the 61-MK minimum for a majority government.

That has emboldened faction leaders to press the Likud for major concessions, either on the future government's agenda or with regard to the distribution of ministries.

The Union of Right-Wing Parties, which won just five seats, compared to the eight seats its member factions won in 2015, is pushing to retain the Education and Justice ministries – while also demanding that the government include annexation of some Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria in the coalition's agenda. During the previous Knesset, the party also held the Agriculture Ministry – but is now seeking the Housing Ministry.

Kulanu, which plummeted from 10 to four seats, has asked to retain the powerful Finance Ministry, while Yisrael Beytenu has demanded it return to the Defense Ministry, which party chairman Avidgor Liberman left last November.

But the most greatest demands have been levelled by the two haredi factions – Shas and United Torah Judaism – which have called for significantly more influence in the next government, demanding a total of seven ministries between the two parties, compared to just three held by the two factions in the previous term.

Shas, which rose from seven seats to eight, has requested three ministries and a deputy minister, while UTJ, which rose from six seats to eight, has called for a total of four ministries – though in keeping with the party's policy of not officially accepting ministerial positions, its representatives would serve as deputy ministers.

According to Israel Hayom, Prime Minister Netanyahu has balked at the demands of the two haredi factions, telling his inner circle that the terms offered by the two parties were excessive.

The two parties have also, according to Kikar Hashabbat, demanded a deputy minister for Shas and control of a number of powerful Knesset committees, including the finance committee (currently held by UTJ), and the constitution and law committee (currently held by the Jewish Home).


3. IT'S OFFICIAL - AMAZON.COM IS OPENING UP SHOP IN ISRAEL
by David Rosenberg

The online retail giant Amazon.com is poised to open operations in Israel, following years of speculation.

On Tuesday, a number of Israeli companies reported that Amazon had reached out to them, offering them to sell their goods via the Amazon.com online marketplace.

Under Amazon's local delivery program, Israeli merchants will be able to offer their products through the Amazon.com website, selling to customers in Israel.

In this arrangement, the deliveries will be fulfilled by the merchants, rather than through one of Amazon's shipping centers.

The new operation in Israel will allow customers in the Jewish state to receive items ordered from local merchants within three-to-five days by standard shipping, or two-to-three days with expedited shipping.

There is no word at this stage, however, about plans for opening an Amazon distribution center in Israel. The Seattle-based retail giant floated the idea back in 2017, engaging in talks for the possible acquisition of warehouse space needed for storing products before they're shipped to customers in Israel.

Earlier that year, Amazon announced it was opening new offices in Israel for its research and development operations.

But some experts say that while Amazon has made no official announcement, its latest moves suggest the company is likely preparing to open full-scale operations in Israel.

Odelia Orbach, co-chief executive officer of e-Community, said the latest move was a "first step" towards opening full operations in Israel, Yediot Ahronot reported.

E-Community founder Nir Zigdon said, according to Globes, that Amazon.com had in the past launched overseas operations in steps, beginning with offering local merchants an opportunity to sell on its marketplace – and ending with full-scale operations.

"Amazon always starts with shipments by the merchant in the first step. We saw this happen in Australia, India, and now in Amazon Turkey."

The next step, added Zigdon, is the opening of warehouses and logistics centers.

"Also this is a clear announcement that Amazon is making its way to Israel with giant steps, quietly but confidently, and that it is interested in the Israeli market."


4. 3 AMBASSADORS TO LEAD US DELEGATION AT MARCH OF THE LIVING
by Arutz Sheva Staff

On May 2 in Krakow, Poland, eight U.S. government officials will come together to lead, for the first time ever, an official delegation to the annual March of the Living at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. The three co-chairs of this delegation are U.S. Ambassadors to Poland, Georgette Mosbacher; to Israel David Friedman; and to Germany Richard Grenell.

"This initiative, spearheaded by the three co-chairs", US officials explain, "illustrates the U.S. government's tireless efforts to combat anti-Semitism wherever this ugly scourge may appear. Thousands of students from around the world, including almost 6,000 from the U.S. alone, will participate in the march and will learn firsthand the commitment that the U.S. government brings to the task of countering anti-Semitism".

Ambassador Friedman said: "Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest forms of hate on this planet. It's taken many shapes and sizes — the worst of it being here at Auschwitz-Birkenau — and the world can never rest even in this modern day and age in our fight against it. The U.S. government is always ready to do battle against anti-Semitism and those who peddle this vile hatred, wherever it may exist – whether at book fairs in Europe and the Middle East where you can still find copies of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and "Mein Kampf'; online where hate forums still flourish; or with people such as the shooter in Pittsburgh or most recently, the shooter at a Chabad synagogue in Poway, CA, who still seek to perpetrate violent acts against Jewish people merely because of their faith. We won't stop and we won't rest until we can shine the light in these dark corners and root it out forever. The most important thing we can do is continue to educate our young people, and help them understand why this hate is so hurtful and painful to so many people around the world. That is why we think it's so important to have these U.S. ambassadors marching with students on May 2, in solidarity and in example to them. We can't make everyone love one another, but we can try to get people to understand our differences just a little bit more, since so much of this hate is bred from ignorance and misunderstanding."

The rest of the delegation includes U.S. Ambassadors from Spain (Duke Buchan III), the Holy See (Callista Gingrich), and Switzerland (Edward McMullen, Jr.); as well as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr; and the Chairman of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad Paul Packer.

Ambassador Grenell added that,"After the synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh last year, the President said, 'It will require all of us working together to extract the hateful poison of anti-Semitism from the world.' The U.S. delegation to the March of the Living reflects that commitment. Our presence bears witness to the fact that anti-Semitism is not a relic of the past, but an evolving and continuing threat to democracy, freedom, and the Jewish people. We remain committed not only to the memory of the Holocaust in Europe, but to combating anti-Semitism in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States today."

Ambassador Mosbacher stated, "U.S. engagement in the March of the Living reflects a commitment to the legacy of Holocaust survivors and to Jewish life around the world. The United States will always be committed to the post-Holocaust imperative, "Never Again." We bear the responsibility to examine the lessons of the past and to ensure that the atrocities, which occurred during this exceptionally dark period in history, never befall us again. This assembly is a public declaration of the United States' stand against anti-Semitism. In response to escalating anti-Semitic incidents at home and abroad, this delegation demonstrates that the United States will not stand for discrimination, threats or violent acts against the Jewish people. A diverse, tolerant and inclusive society is the fabric of our nation and the foundation of the global community we strive to build, based on shared values, open dialogue, and mutual respect."


5. POWAY SHOOTING VICTIM LAID TO REST
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262449

A public funeral was held on Monday for Lori Gilbert-Kaye, the woman who was shot and killed while attending a Passover service at Chabad of Poway on Shabbat.

Kaye was standing in the lobby of the synagogue just before 11:30 a.m. when she stepped between Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein and the gunman who fired several shots from what police described as a rifle.

Her husband, Dr. Howard Kaye, told the congregation that he performed CPR on his wife and that she died quickly.

"She did not suffer," he said reassuringly, according to CBS News.

Kaye described the gunman as "lower than an animal" who was likely raised on a diet of blood and gore.

At one point, he admitted that his thoughts were coming to him so quickly he was having trouble organizing them but he wanted to share the story of a peace pole his wife had erected at their home. The pole had a message "Peace prevail on Earth" in five different languages.

"My wife was a person. Is a person who did so much good in her life. Whatever good she did always turned out. And whatever I did that might not have been good, she repaired and made me look good," he said.

Kaye's daughter, Hannah Kaye, said she chose to a pink dress of her mother because she said her mother was a rainbow, her greatest advocate and her dancing partner.

"Our story was, is and will forever continue to be nothing short of extraordinary and remarkable," she said.

"My mother gave me every opportunity I could have dreamed of. All of who I am today is a result from the experiences we had together."

A friend recalled how Kaye was a large supporter of President Donald Trump, always had a gift to give a friend or loved one and watched several cable news channels and read several newspapers.

"Lori died on Shabbat. Lori died on Passover. Lori died in a synagogue. And Lori died saving our Rabbi," her friend said, according to CBS News.

At the end of the service, Rabbi Goldstein said the congregation would continue to work to make the world a better place and will continue to hold services in the face of danger.

"We don't go down for one moment. We don't allow anyone – no terrorist, no murderer, no evil – to shut us down," he stressed.

Earlier on Monday, the shooter, John Earnest, was formally charged with murder and attempted murder, with hate crime allegations.

Prior to the attack Earnest had published an anti-Semitic screed online in which he claimed responsibility for an arson attack against a mosque in the area weeks earlier.

Police investigating the shooting attack say Earnest acted alone and was not part of any organized group.



6. HOW CHABAD RABBI SAVED HIS CONGREGATION FROM SLAUGHTER
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262368

The rabbi of the San Diego-area synagogue targeted by a gunman over the weekend managed to save his congregation and prevent a massacre, relatives say.

On Saturday, 19-year-old San Diego man John T. Earnest burst into the Chabad of Poway synagogue north of San Diego and opened fire on congregants.

Four people were wounded in the attack, one of them - 60-year-old Lori Gilbert Kaye – fatally.

Among the wounded was 57-year-old Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, the spiritual leader of the congregation.

In newly revealed details of the shooting attack, it appears that Rabbi Goldstein was instrumental in preventing Earnest from carrying out a massacre at the synagogue.

According to his sister, Rabbi Goldstein managed to hold the gunman's semiautomatic rifle at the entrance to the synagogue, preventing him from shooting directly at the congregation.

"Yisroel was coming out of the bathroom, washing his hands, getting ready for Yizkor. As he's coming out to wash his hands, he sees this maniac in the foyer. He wasn't even in the shul [synagogue] yet. He had just walked in the hall - the shooter - and Yisroel sees suddenly that this maniac just shot - he just saw this lady fall down, the one that he killed."

"Yisroel looks at him and grabs with his two hands the gun to stop him from continuing to shoot, because he was about to continue shooting in the shul [synagogue]. So Yisroel is actually a hero. He protected his shul. He grabbed the gun, holding onto it tight. The guy shot the gun, and it actually ripped off his two middle fingers. So he was in surgery for about eight hours today, and they're no longer able to do anything for his fingers - he's missing those fingers. He gave that up to protect his shul."

"When he grabbed the gun as the shooter was ready to shoot at Yisroel, the gun jammed after it shot his fingers. In that moment of the jam, whoever was standing nearby was an off-duty police officer who came to say Yizkor. He grabbed his gun and immediately started chasing the shooter out of the shul, until the shooter got into his car."

"Yisroel stopped further shootings in his shul. He happened to be there at that moment. He said it was a miracles upon miracles, because kids were running all over."

In addition to Lori Gilbert Kaye, who was fatally wounded in the attack, and Rabbi Goldstein, who lost two of his fingers, two Israeli immigrants to the US were also wounded. Neither suffered life-threatening wounds.

An online manifesto attributed to the gunman, John Earnest, praised the perpetrator of the shooting attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh attack took place exactly six months to the day before Saturday's shooting.

In the manifesto attributed to Earnest, the suspect also claimed responsibility for a recent arson at a local mosque.


7. 'I PUT MY HANDS UP, AND HE SHOT MY FINGERS OFF'
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262373

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein spoke out Sunday on the deadly attack on his synagogue in the San Diego metropolitan area which left one woman dead and three people wounded over the weekend.

Speaking with NBC News, the 57-year-old rabbi and spiritual leader of the Chabad of Poway synagogue recalled the moment he stood face to face with the gunman, John T. Earnest, before being shot and losing two of his fingers.

"As soon as I walked in through the banquet hall, I heard a large bang, a large noise, and I didn't know what it was. I thought that maybe Mrs. Lori fell or the table fell. I turned around and I was face to face with this murderer, this terrorist, who was holding the rifle and looking straight at me. As soon as he saw me he started to shoot towards me. That's when I put my hands up, and that's when my fingers got blown away. Then he continued on and just killed Lori Kaye right there on the spot."

"I turned around and saw a group of children in the banquet hall, including my granddaughter. And I just ran, herded all the kids together and got them outside…got everyone outside of the sanctuary to safety. Fortunately, there's an off-duty patrol officer during services who came in pursuit of the terrorist."

Rabbi Goldstein went on to describe Lori Kaye as a "pioneering family member" of the Chabad congregation and "an activist" who had helped build the synagogue for decades.

"She was just a kind soul. Everyone in the community knew her. She was the kind of person who was the first to be everywhere."

"She's such a dear friend. I've known her for 33 years. I'm so heartbroken and saddened by these killings."

The rabbi vowed that the congregation would not be "intimidated" by the attack, saying that terrorism "will not win".

"We will not be intimidated or deterred by this terror. Terror will not win. As Americans, we cannot cower in the face of the senseless hate in this anti-Semitism."


8. DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE FOR RESERVIST WHO HIT LEFTIST OPERATIVE
by Mordechai Sones

The IDF dishonorably discharged a reserve soldier who last year swatted a Ta'ayush Organization operative in the southern Hevron hills.

The Military Advocate General wrote to Adv. Itay Mac, representing the operative who was slapped, that the soldier "acted improperly" and that he should not be summoned for reserve service in the future.

According to the Ha'aretz report, the soldier slapped the Leftist in August 2018, escorting Arabs to harvest in their orchards near Pnei Hever, along with other Leftist operatives. In the video of the incident, taken by the Leftists themselves, the reservist was heard saying, "There's Anarchists Against Walls, there's the Gangs, there's the March of Traitors - which are you?"

After the incident, the soldier wrote on Facebook that "Some people still do reserve duty, and then there are people whose hobby is to photograph, harass, and curse soldiers on Shabbat morning. Thanks to this pair, I'm finishing my reserve duty, after I was at home on vacation at the expense of the army, while my comrades in the company were doing guard shifts and round-the-clock patrols.

"Help me isolate these people, that anyone who gives them livelihood but supports IDF soldiers won't keep them in their employ, or that he won't patronize places where they work."

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262424