A7News: United Right pushes back on New Right's unity proposal

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Wednesday, Jul. 24 '19, כ"א בתמוז תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. UNITED RIGHT PUSHES BACK ON NEW RIGHT'S UNITY PROPOSAL
2. OTZMA YEHUDIT REVEALS CONDITIONS FOR JOINING UNITED RIGHT
3. WATCH: AN UNUSUAL ARRIVAL AT BEN GURION AIRPORT
4. WARNING: FREE TOUR OF HOLY SITES - A DANGEROUS MISSIONARY RUSE
5. NEW RIGHT: OUR OFFER IS SIMPLE AND FAIR
6. THE NEW RIGHT'S PROPOSAL TO UNITE THE RIGHT
7. EUROPEAN UNION DEMANDS ISRAEL HALT DEMOLITION OF ILLEGAL HOMES
8. HAMAS TO RELEASE INFORMATION ON SOLDIERS' BODIES


1. UNITED RIGHT PUSHES BACK ON NEW RIGHT'S UNITY PROPOSAL
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The United Right party on Wednesday pushed back against the New Right's call to form an alliance based on equal representation in the Knesset, arguing that the United Right is in fact an amalgamation of two separate parties – the Jewish Home and National Union - and that a unified right-wing ticket should divide the Knesset seats up three ways.

In a statement released by the United Right Wednesday morning, the party played down polls cited by the New Right which show it leading the United Right in elections for the 22nd Knesset.

"Once again, the New Right is relying on polls and [social media] 'likes', as it did before. We would like to remind them that there is a difference between the real world and the imaginary, virtual world. In the real world, the Jewish Home-National Union has six Knesset members currently serving, while the New Right didn't pass the minimum threshold."

The United Right, which ran on a joint ticket with Otzma Yehudit, won five seats in the April elections, and received a sixth seat when MK and Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan was placed on the Likud list, as part of an agreement with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

"It makes no sense to put people no one knows on the Knesset list while pushing out incumbent Knesset members."

"There is a three-part leadership with three parties here," the United Right continued, referring to the Jewish Home, National Union, and New Right. "The fairest arrangement would be to give each one-third [of the slots on the Knesset list], a faithful representation of the three parties – despite the fact that in the New Right, only Bennett and Shaked would actually bring any votes."

"We could make a deal this afternoon already, there's no need to wait till this evening."

Earlier on Wednesday, the New Right called on the United Right to agree to a near-even split of spots on a joint Knesset list, giving the United Right an extra seat in the event that the joint list wins an odd number of seats.

We are offering the leaders of the United Right – Rabbi Peretz, Minister Smotrich, and Itamar Ben-Gvir – to create an alliance as a technical bloc based on a proposal that would actually give them an advantage."

The deal, the New Right said, including the following points:

"1) Allocating spots on the candidate list 50-50 (the 'zipper model') but with the advantage of the odd numbered seats going to the United Right, which will give them an extra seat if the party wins an odd number of seats – even though in all the polls the New Right is larger [than the United Right].

"2) The technical bloc will be led by the candidate who can bring the most seats – and that is Ayelet Shaked. It is a matter of mutual interest for both of the parties, one which will maximize the right-wing bloc's strength.

"Our offer is more than fair, and gives a significant advantage to the United Right due to our clear desire to run together on a single list. As far as we are concerned, we could reach an agreement this evening."


2. OTZMA YEHUDIT REVEALS CONDITIONS FOR JOINING UNITED RIGHT
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Otzma Yehudit candidate Itamar Ben-Gvir said his party was willing to rejoin the United Right for another Knesset run – but not under the same conditions the party agreed to for the previous election in April.

Speaking 103FM Wednesday, Ben-Gvir said Otzma had been treated unfairly during its alliance with the United Right.

Otzma was allotted the fifth and eight spots on the joint list in the April election. Prior to the vote, however, the Supreme Court barred the candidacy of former MK Michael Ben-Ari, Otzma's candidate in the fifth slot.

When the joint ticket ended up winning five seats in April, the fifth seat went to Jewish Home candidate Idit Silman, rather than the remaining Otzma candidate, Ben-Gvir, who was pushed up from eight to seventh on the list after Ben-Ari's removal.

Ben-Gvir said Wednesday that his party had brought the United Right roughly half of its voters, citing internal polls reportedly mentioned by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during his talks with United Right officials.

"This time, the rules are totally, totally different. They know all too well that in every poll, every statistical analysis, that we brought then two and a half seats. The Prime Minister…even said that's what the internal Likud polls found…that we're worth more than two and a half seats."

"With all of my disagreements with Netanyahu about policies, there's one thing that can't be denied – he's a genius when it comes to numbers."

"I think that Ayelet Shaked also understands the importance of [unity]… and she knows how much we're worth."

If the United Right runs without the New Right, said Ben-Gvir, Otzma will demand every third seat on the list – the third slot, sixth, ninth, twelfth, and so on, calling the demand "very modest".

Should the United Right run with the New Right, however, Ben-Gvir says Otzma would be willing to accept two spots in the top ten, including one in the top five. "The fourth spot and the eighth or ninth spot," Ben-Gvir said.


3. WATCH: AN UNUSUAL ARRIVAL AT BEN GURION AIRPORT
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266422


4. WARNING: FREE TOUR OF HOLY SITES - A DANGEROUS MISSIONARY RUSE
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Seemingly innocent advertisements that appeared this past weekend in a number of large communications outlets in the center of the country raised the suspicions of a religious woman living in Bat Yam. The advertisements – which suggest that people "Arise and walk the land of the forefathers," and offer free tours of Israel – sounded a bit fishy.

She called Yad L'Achim's 24-hour hotline and notified the counter-missionary organization of the advertisement, adding "the fact that the tours were offered for free raised my suspicions."

Yad L'Achim immediately looked into the situation and discovered that the advertisement was indeed part of a dangerous missionary ruse. One of its field workers signed up for the tour, posing as an innocent citizen, and got details on the time and place the next bus was to depart. Meanwhile, Yad L'Achim volunteers converged at the site at the designated time and warned participants of the missionary nature of the tour.

Shimon Abargil, a field coordinator for Yad L'Achim, described the bedlam at the site. "When we arrived, we discovered 20 people who'd assembled to join the tour. When they understood that they'd been tricked by the missionaries and enticed by a tour that was aimed at getting them to convert out of their religion, they began screaming and cursing the missionaries. Most of them backed out of the tour."

In the end, only five people boarded the bus, three of whom were non-Jews.

Information reaching Yad L'Achim later verified that the tour did indeed include stops at Christian-missionary sites, chief among them the church at Mercaz Clal in the heart of Jerusalem. There, members of the group were forced to listen to missionary sermons urging them to convert. The missionary Shlomi Abramov, from Rishon Lezion, who organized the tour, handed each participant a copy of the "New Testament."

This past Sunday morning, Yad L'Achim activists came to the police station in Bnei Brak and filed a complaint against Abramov. They claimed that the tour, which combined sight-seeing with missionary sermons, is in violation of the law that forbids offering monetary benefit to get people to convert out of their religion.

Yad L'Achim is demanding that Israel Police order an immediate halt to the tours and hold Abramov for investigation for violating the law.

"Clause 174a of the penal code states clearly that 'one who gives or promises money or something of monetary value or material benefit to entice a person to convert out of his religion or to entice someone else to convert, may be sentenced to up to five years in prison,'" a statement from the organization read.

"We have in our possession testimony proving that he engaged in such activity, and we hope that this time the police will not hasten to bury the file due to 'lack of public interest,' as it usually does. The Jewish public in Israel, in all its shades, is very interested in the subject of conversion out of our faith and there is broad consensus against Christian missionary activity."

Yad L'Achim repeats its request of the public to be aware of the mounting missionary activity at this time. "The missionaries are taking advantage of summer vacation to sermonize, including, as we see in this case, with deceitful offers of vacations and gifts. Anyone who encounters missionaries or suspicious activity, is asked to immediately contact the emergency hotline at 1800-620-640."


5. NEW RIGHT: OUR OFFER IS SIMPLE AND FAIR
by Yoni Kempinski

The New Right party called on the United Right party to accept its offer for a joint run as a technical bloc, allowing the two to split after the elections.

Officials from the New Right released details Wednesday morning of their offer to the United Right, and emphasized that their own proposal gave an 'extra' seat to the United Right, and was not a strictly 50-50 division of the Knesset slate.

Under the New Right's proposal, Ayelet Shaked, who recently took control of the party, would lead the unified ticket, followed by Jewish Home chairman and current United Right leader Rafi Peretz, National Union chief Bezalel Smotrich.

From the fourth spot onwards, the Knesset list would be evenly divided up between the New Right and United Right, with the New Right taking all even numbered seats and odd numbered seats going to the United Right.

In a statement Wednesday, the party noted that it was addressing its offer not only to the Jewish Home and National Union factions of the United Right, but also Otzma Yehudit, which split off from the United Right last month.

"We are offering the leaders of the United Right – Rabbi Peretz, Minister Smotrich, and Itamar Ben-Gvir – to create an alliance as a technical bloc based on a proposal that would actually give them an advantage."

The deal, the New Right said, including the following points:

"1) Allocating spots on the candidate list 50-50 (the 'zipper model') but with the advantage of the odd numbered seats going to the United Right, which will give them an extra seat if the party wins an odd number of seats – even though in all the polls the New Right is larger [than the United Right].

"2) The technical bloc will be led by the candidate who can bring the most seats – and that is Ayelet Shaked. It is a matter of mutual interest for both of the parties, one which will maximize the right-wing bloc's strength.

"Our offer is more than fair, and gives a significant advantage to the United Right due to our clear desire to run together on a single list. As far as we are concerned, we could reach an agreement this evening."


6. THE NEW RIGHT'S PROPOSAL TO UNITE THE RIGHT
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The leaders of the New Right party unveiled Monday an official proposal for the unification of the right-wing parties under the title, "Let's unite today!"

The Offer Details:

1. The union will be implemented as a "technical bloc". After the elections, the two parties will operate independently.
2. Full equality in the list,
3. The management of a shared election campaign.
4. At the top of the bloc will be the one who will bring the most seats: Ayelet Shaked.

The leaders of the New Right handed their proposal to the heads of the United Right and waited for an answer.

"We can close the union within 10 minutes, and we are waiting to hear from Rabbi Peretz and Bezalel Smotrich in order to close this week, in order to advance in the general election campaign," the party said.


7. EUROPEAN UNION DEMANDS ISRAEL HALT DEMOLITION OF ILLEGAL HOMES
by David Rosenberg

The European Union formally condemned the demolition of illegal Arab apartment buildings near Israel's security barrier separating Jerusalem from Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, and demanded Israel halt its enforcement of demolition orders.

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the European Union's foreign affairs department said the demolitions undermine the "viability of the two-state solution".

"Israeli authorities have proceeded with the demolition of 10 Palestinian buildings, containing some 70 apartments, in Wadi al Hummus, part of Sur Baher neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem. The majority of the buildings are located in Area A and B of the West Bank where, according to the Oslo Accords, all civil issues are under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority," the EU said.

"Israel's settlement policy, including actions taken in that context, such as forced transfers, evictions, demolitions and confiscations of homes, is illegal under international law. In line with the EU's long-standing position, we expect the Israeli authorities to immediately halt the ongoing demolitions."

"The continuation of this policy undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace and seriously jeopardizes the possibility of Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both States."

Earlier on Monday, Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan (Likud) defended the demolition of illegal Arab apartment buildings on the southeastern fringe of Jerusalem Monday morning, saying the structures were built too close to the security barrier, and could be used as a haven for terrorists.

"The demolition of the illegal and mostly uninhabited buildings which takes place today at ‎Wadi al-Hummus in the village of Sur Baher, Jerusalem, was approved by the Israeli High Court of Justice," said Erdan in a statement Monday morning, "which ruled that the illegal construction constitutes a severe security threat and can provide cover to suicide bombers and other terrorists hiding among civilian population and endanger the lives of civilians and security forces alike."

"The court also ruled unequivocally that those who built houses in the area of the security fence, knew that building in that area was prohibited, and took the law into their own hands."

Israeli forces sealed off and began demolishing ten of the over 100 illegally-built structures erected in defiance of a 2011 Israeli Civil Administration order barring construction near the security fence.

The apartment buildings were built in the Wadi al-Hummus neighborhood of Sur Baher, an Arab enclave located almost entirely in Jerusalem.

The strip of land in Wadi al-Hummus area where the illegal structures are located, however, is just outside of the municipal borders of Jerusalem, but on the Jerusalem side of the security fence.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's spokesman Ofir Gendelman said in a social media post Monday that the demolitions were ordered in light of the "hundreds" of security incidents in the area last year.

"During the last year there were hundreds of security incidents and thousands of attempts by Palestinians to infiltrate our territory, some of them to carry out terrorist operations," he tweeted.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266318

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266318


8. HAMAS TO RELEASE INFORMATION ON SOLDIERS' BODIES
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military-terrorist wing of Hamas, announced its intention to broadcast an "important speech" on Tuesday evening, which will deal with Israeli citizens held captive in the Gaza Strip.

The video's spokesman will be Abu Obeida, the official spokesman of the Al-Qassam Brigades, and the timing of the broadcast was chosen for its close proximity to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech at the memorial ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the 2014 Gaza war.

Hamas has been holding the bodies of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge.

In addition, two Israeli civilians who went missing in Gaza - Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed - are believed to be held by Hamas as well.

Hamas frequently uses the media to exert pressure on the government of Israel through its captives in order to soften its positions on a prisoner exchange deal.

Hamas also gave details of the situation of Israeli missing persons (some of them dead) prior to the release of terrorists who were released in the Schalit deal and were re-arrested by Israel.