A7News: Poland summons Israeli ambassador after 'racist attack'

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Wednesday, May. 15 '19, י' באייר תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. POLAND SUMMONS ISRAELI AMBASSADOR AFTER 'RACIST ATTACK'
2. MAN WHO ATTACKED POLISH AMBASSADOR: 'THEY CALLED ME A JEW-BOY'
3. LIBERMAN: HAREDI PARTIES CHOSE TO DISPARAGE AND THREATEN
4. US EVACUATING NON-ESSENTIAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN IRAQ
5. WATCH: CELEBRATING 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF US EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM
6. MAN ASKS FOR KOSHER FOOD - AND AIRLINE SAYS HE CAN'T FLY
7. JEWISH WOMAN WOUNDED IN STABBING ATTACK IN SWEDEN
8. SATMAR HASIDIM BUY PIZZA FOR IDF SOLDIERS


1. POLAND SUMMONS ISRAELI AMBASSADOR AFTER 'RACIST ATTACK'
by David Rosenberg

The Polish foreign ministry summoned Israel's ambassador to Warsaw for a reprimand Wednesday, after the Polish government demanded Israel take action following an attack on Poland's ambassador to Israel.

A 65-year-old Herzliya resident was arrested Tuesday after spitting at Polish Ambassador to Israel Marek Magierowski, who was sitting in his car near the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv.

Police said the man had approached the vehicle after the ambassador's car had honked at him. The suspect walked towards the ambassador's car while shouting, and banged on the car's roof. When the ambassador stepped out, the suspect spit at him.

The suspect told police that he had been on his way to the Polish embassy, but was rebuffed by embassy officials, who he says used anti-Semitic slurs when he tried to enter the building.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki condemned the spitting incident as a "racist attack", tweeting: "I am very worried to hear of a racist attack on @PLinIsrael ambassador @mmagierowski."

"Poland strongly condemns this xenophobic act of aggression. Violence against diplomats or any other citizens should never be tolerated."

Later on Wednesday, Poland's foreign ministry summoned Israel's ambassador in Warsaw, Anna Azari, to discuss the incident in Tel Aviv.

The diplomatic row comes following a worsening of relations between the two countries, amid Israeli criticism of Polish legislation related to the restitution property taken during the Holocaust.

On Wednesday, the Polish parliament is expected to debate a bill drafted by the right-wing Kukiz '15 party which would block the restitution of property to the relatives of Holocaust victims.

Earlier this week, Poland announced that it was cancelling a visit by Israeli officials, citing their intention to raise the issue of the restitution of Jewish properties seized during the Holocaust.

"Poland decided to cancel the visit of Israeli officials after the Israeli side made last-minute changes in the composition of the delegation suggesting that the talks would primarily focus on the issues related to property restitution," the Polish foreign ministry said.

Last year, Warsaw passed a law that made it illegal to accuse the Polish nation or state of complicity in Nazi German war crimes.

The move sparked an outcry from Israel, which saw it as an attempt to ban testimonials on Polish crimes against Jews.

In response, Warsaw amended the law to remove the possibility of fines or a prison sentence.

In February, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz drew Poland's ire by saying "Poles suckle anti-Semitism with their mothers' milk."
AFP contributed to this report.


2. MAN WHO ATTACKED POLISH AMBASSADOR: 'THEY CALLED ME A JEW-BOY'
by Nitzan Kedar

Tel Aviv's Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon released Eric Lederman, 65, to house arrest after he spat on Polish Ambassador to Israel Marek Magierowski Tuesday night.

Lederman, who lives in Herzliya, said he asked the Polish Embassy's guards to allow him to enter the building, but they refused and called him names. He also said that he did not know when he spat that his victim was an ambassador.

Investigations show that the incident occurred on the street near the Polish Embassy, near the parking lot where Lederman usually parks his car. Lederman was walking slowly in the middle of the road with his arms folded behind him when the Ambassador's car approached him and honked at him to move out of the road.

Lederman then approached the car, smacked its roof hard, and when the Ambassador pulled out his phone to photograph the incident, Lederman opened the car door and spat on him.

Lederman did not know that the man in the car was the Polish ambassador and said he had only come to discuss the issue of returning property when one of the guards refused him entry and called him a "Jew-boy."

"There is no doubt that the act of attacking and spitting on a diplomatic figure in Israel deserves every condemnation and causes citizens of the State to feel embarrassed of that person, whose only sin was that he handled the suspect in a way that the latter did not like. Despite this, we are dealing with the question of arresting a person who has no criminal background and whose arrest would not have occurred were it not for the sensitivity derived from his victim's identity. In this case, and despite the issue I noted above, I do not think this case requires arrest for the sake of interrogation," the judge wrote.

Israel's Foreign Ministry responded, "Police are investigating the incident. The Foreign Ministry expresses complete sympathy for the Polish Ambassador and shock at the incident."

Poland's Foreign Ministry summoned Israel's Ambassador Anna Azari for a meeting, and will give her an official request for Israel to tighten security around the Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted: "I am very worried to hear of a racist attack on @PLinIsrael ambassador @mmagierowski. Poland strongly condemns this xenophobic act of aggression. Violence against diplomats or any other citizens should never be tolerated."

Earlier this week, Poland canceled an Israeli delegation's trip due to concerns that it would focus on Holocaust restitution.


3. LIBERMAN: HAREDI PARTIES CHOSE TO DISPARAGE AND THREATEN
by Hezki Baruch

Yisrael Beytenu Chairman MK Avigdor Liberman responded Wednesday to the haredi parties' claim that he made an agreement with Blue and White leader Yair Lapid and is trying to torpedo a right-wing government by insisting on passing the Draft Law advanced in the previous Knesset.

In a Facebook post, Liberman wrote, "In the past two days, I've heard countless threats from haredi MKs that go like this: We'll hold new elections or create a government without Yisrael Beytenu. I'm sorry that instead of holding a practical discussion, it's specifically the haredi parties who chose to tease, disparage, and threaten. What Yisrael Beytenu believes with regards to religion and state is pretty clear: We are for a Jewish state, and we are against a religious state."

Responding to a claim that he and outgoing Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) are working together, Liberman added, "There is no coordination between Yisrael Beytenu and Kulanu. Since the elections, I have met Minister Kahlon once - at a meeting of the full Knesset - for a minute and a half."

Liberman also slammed Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for creating the situation which forced him to resign his post as Defense Minister in the previous government.

"The person who prevented the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar and Susya was not the Supreme Court," he wrote. "The one who prevented the bill to put terrorists to death from passing its second and third time was not the Supreme Court. The one who allowed millions of dollars to be transferred to terror organizations in Gaza was the current Israeli government. We want a right-wing government in actions, not in words."

He also emphasized that he does not accept the claim that he is preventing the formation of a right-wing government.

"Yisrael Beytenu represents the most ignored population in the State of Israel - the population which serves in the army, does reserve duty, works, and pays taxes. Therefore, we will not compromise on our principles. Take us seriously, and those who want to find someone to blame if we don't manage to form a right-wing coalition should look in the mirror."


4. US EVACUATING NON-ESSENTIAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN IRAQ
by Chana Roberts

The US State Department ordered all non-essential government employees to leave Iraq and issued a Level 4 travel advisory against traveling to the country.

Non-emergency US government employees in the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate in Erbil. Visa services in both Baghdad and Erbil were temporarily suspended, but the American Citizens Services in Baghdad will continue providing consular services to US citizens in Basrah.

According to the State Department's site, the decisions are "due to terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict."

"US citizens in Iraq are at high risk for violence and kidnapping. Numerous terrorist and insurgent groups are active in Iraq and regularly attack both Iraqi security forces and civilians. Anti-US sectarian militias may also threaten US citizens and Western companies throughout Iraq. Attacks by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) occur in many areas of the country, including Baghdad," the State Department wrote on its website.

"The US government's ability to provide routine and emergency services to US citizens in Iraq is extremely limited.

"US citizens should not travel through Iraq to Syria to engage in armed conflict, where they would face extreme personal risks (kidnapping, injury, or death) and legal risks (arrest, fines, and expulsion).

"Additionally, fighting on behalf of, or supporting designated terrorist organizations, is a crime that can result in penalties, including prison time and large fines in the United States."

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263187


5. WATCH: CELEBRATING 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF US EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM
by Gary Willig

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263142

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took part in a festive event Tuesday evening marking the one-year anniversary of the opening of the US embassy in Israel's capital of Jerusalem. The event was held at the David Citadel Hotel.

Ambassador Friedman said at the event: "365 days ago, about 3 hours ago, we opened up our embassy in Jerusalem on the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel - literally at exactly the day and the time when David Ben Gurion declared Israel's independence."

"In less than six months [after President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel] we opened up a beautiful embassy in a beautiful ceremony and all the predictions - even some of our own predictions - about what could happen, about the risks, the violence, the gloom, the doom, the reality is that in the entire city of Jerusalem that day, I don't think more than 20 people got up to protest," the ambassador added.

"The embassy opened, the sun rose the next morning, and off we were under this new beautiful paradigm of an American embassy in Jerusalem.

Ambassador Friedman praised the Trump Administration's steadfast support and friendship with the State of Israel, paraphrasing the 'Dayenu' prayer from the Passover Seder, when Jews acknowledge individual acts of G-d during the Exodus from Egypt. He noted President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem, relocation of the US embassy, withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and the recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, among other acts by President Trump.

The embassy was opened on May 14, 2018, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. The move fulfilled a promise by US President Donald Trump to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued an official statement that the United States would no longer sign the order suspending the transfer of the embassy to Jerusalem.

"On May 14, 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem officially opened for business. Now, as we near the first anniversary of that momentous event, I am pleased to report that I have provided my determination to Congress that the relevant elements of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 have been addressed. Accordingly, no further Presidential waiver of the funding restriction under the Act is necessary."

A senior US embassy official explained to Arutz Sheva why Trump has so far been forced to sign the order every six months: "The administration is proud to have opened the US embassy in Jerusalem on May 14. But the required definition includes the transfer of the offices of the diplomatic mission and relocation of the residence of the head of the diplomatic team - the ambassador. "


6. MAN ASKS FOR KOSHER FOOD - AND AIRLINE SAYS HE CAN'T FLY
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The Lawfare Project has announced that it has filed a new case against Kuwait Airways in Germany, over the airline's policy of anti-Semitic discrimination on its flights. The case is being brought by a Frankfurt based Israeli businessman who booked a flight from Munich to Sri Lanka in November last year, only to be denied the right to travel.

This is the second case in which The Lawfare Project has represented Israelis barred from travelling in Germany by Kuwait Airways. A previous case originally brought in 2017 involving the same discriminatory policy triggered outcry in Germany and remains under review by Germany's Constitutional High Court.

The plaintiff in the new case, known as Shmuel M, booked business class tickets from Munich to Colombo, which was the quickest flight to Sri Lanka available from that airport. When Shmuel M asked about the availability of kosher food on the flight the airline asked whether he held an Israeli passport. When he confirmed that he did, he was told that he would be unable to travel and would need to speak to the airline's lawyers for further information.

As a result, Shmuel M is suing Kuwait Airways with The Lawfare Project providing his legal representation. The case has been filed at the Landshut District Court, which has jurisdiction over Munich International Airport. Kuwait Airways is yet to reply to the claims writ. It is likely that a hearing will take place later this year.

Kuwait Airways has previously justified its discrimination by citing a decades old Kuwaiti law that bans all Kuwaiti citizens and companies from doing any business with citizens of the Jewish state.

On past occasions legal pressure by The Lawfare Project against Kuwait Airways in the US and Switzerland led to the airline cancelling its NYC-London flights, and all its inter-European flights, rather than compromise its discriminatory practices.

Brooke Goldstein, the Executive Director of The Lawfare Project, the legal think-tank and litigation fund representing the plaintiff, said: "Time and again Kuwait Airways has shown itself to be a bigoted airline with a bigoted policy that should have no place in a modern liberal democracy. An airline that kicks Israelis off planes should be kicked out of Germany."

"When a Jewish passenger is denied the right to travel after requesting a kosher meal, in Germany of all places, then anyone who respects the values of equality, fairness and the rule of law should be appalled."

Nathan Gelbart, The Lawfare Project's German counsel, said: "If Kuwait Airways wishes to continue operating in Germany then the message should be clear: carry everyone or carry no one. There can be no discrimination against Jews on German soil. As long as we permit an airline to advertise flights for everyone except Israelis it is a stain on the moral fabric of our country."


7. JEWISH WOMAN WOUNDED IN STABBING ATTACK IN SWEDEN
by David Rosenberg

A Jewish woman was wounded in a stabbing attack in Sweden Tuesday, leaving her in critical condition.

The incident took place in the city of Helsingborg roughly 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) northwest of Malmo, where the woman resides, Tuesday morning.

According to initial reports, the woman, who is said to be in her 60s, was stabbed nine times during the attack, then was left for dead.

The woman was found in critical condition.

Police have been deployed to the scene and are searching for the assailant.

Local authorities have described the attack as an attempted murder, but have not commented on the motivation behind the attack.

Security has been increased around Jewish institutions in the city.

Some reports identified the woman as the wife of the leader of the local Jewish community, though this has yet to be confirmed. A representative of a local Jewish congregation did say the woman was active with the community, however, SVT Nyheter reported.

According to the report, the victim was on her way to work when she was attacked.

This is a developing story.


8. SATMAR HASIDIM BUY PIZZA FOR IDF SOLDIERS
by Arutz Sheva Staff

A haredi IDF soldier on Monday told his friends that Satmar hasidim bought pies of pizza for a group of soldiers, Kikar Hashabbat reported.

In his post, the soldier said he was on duty near the Cave of the Patriarchs (Me'arat Hamachpelah) in Hevron when three Satmar hasidim visiting from the US came up to the jeep he and several other soldiers were sitting in.

The hasidim noticed a soldier with sidelocks and a beard sitting in the jeep and began speaking with him.

"They didn't know that there are chassidish (hasidic) eherlich (honest) people in the army," he noted.

According to Kikar Hashabbat, the haredi soldier also said he told the visiting hasidim about the IDF's activities in the city, and that there is a large number of haredi soldiers serving in the IDF. At the end of the conversation, the Satmar hasidim surprised the soldiers by buying them all pizza.

"If only we could also merit to protect the Jewish nation and the Land of Israel with our bodies," one of the hasidim told the soldiers.