A7News: Israel - or ISIS? Gaza Strip on edge after bombings kill 3

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Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com ------------------------------------------------ Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday Wednesday, Aug. 28 '19, כ"ז באב תשע"ט HEADLINES: 1. ISRAEL - OR ISIS? GAZA STRIP ON EDGE AFTER BOMBINGS KILL 3 2. THE IRANIAN GENERAL IN COMMAND OF THE DRONE SQUAD 3. FEIGLIN POISED TO DROP OUT OF RACE? ZEHUT CHIEF MEETS WITH PM 4. TEL AVIV, JERUSALEM, TO SEE A 14% INCREASE IN NUMBER OF STUDENTS 5. 25 FORMER ISRAELI DEFENSE OFFICIALS LOBBY AGAINST ANNEXATION 6. REPORT: ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH AGREE TO PARTIAL CEASEFIRE 7. PHILANTHROPIST EUGEN GLUCK PASSES AWAY AT 92 8. RESTAURANT OWNER: 'ASK THE WAITRESS WHY SHE DIDN'T RECORD IT' 1. ISRAEL - OR ISIS? GAZA STRIP ON EDGE AFTER BOMBINGS KILL 3 by Arutz Sheva Staff, AFP A pair of bombings in the Gaza Strip which killed three officials from the Hamas terror organization may have been carried out by an ISIS-linked Islamist terror group, despite initial claims the bombings were part of a targeted Israeli strike. Hamas said Wednesday that two overnight bombings killed three police officers in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in what witnesses called suicide attacks as the coastal enclave was placed under a heightened state of alert. Witnesses told AFP that both bombings were suicide attacks by assailants on motorbikes, but there was no official confirmation. A source familiar with the investigation said a Salafist movement in Gaza that sympathizes with the Islamic State group was suspected. Hamas's interior office confirmed the three deaths, but spoke only of two "bombings" in Gaza City without providing details. It said two of the police officers were 32 and the third was 45. Two separate police checkpoints were targeted, it said. An investigation was underway as authorities pledged to track down the "masterminds". Hamas leader Ismail Haniya sought to reassure Gazans. "We assure our people that whatever these explosions are, they will be brought under control as with every previous event, and will not be able to undermine the stability and steadfastness of our people," he said in a statement. Suicide bombings are rare in the Gaza Strip. In August 2017, a suicide bomber killed a Hamas guard in southern Gaza on the border with Egypt. Hamas, itself an Islamist movement, has run the Gaza Strip since 2007 but has been regularly criticized by more radical Salafist groups in the impoverished coastal territory. The Israeli military said it had not carried out any air raids overnight, rejecting initial Arab reports the explosions were the result of an IDF attack. 2. THE IRANIAN GENERAL IN COMMAND OF THE DRONE SQUAD by Arutz Sheva Staff General Javad Ghaffari, under the direct command of the 'Quds Force' Commander Qasem Soleimani, is the commander responsible for the drone attack on Israel over the weekend. Ghaffari, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, is one of the leaders of the 'Quds Force' - the secret force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards operating around the globe. Ghaffari currently serves as the commander of the Iranian forces in Syria and leads the Iranian entrenchment efforts in Syria. Under Ghaffari are tens of thousands of Shiites of various nations operating throughout Syria, including in Damascus, Aleppo and eastern Syria. Ghaffari recruited the activists, trained them and supervised the execution of the attack. The activists, Yasser Ahmad Daher, Hassan Youssef Zbib and two other Lebanese activists were trained to use drones in Iran, tried to launch killer drones into Israeli territory from the Arneh area on the night of 22-23/8, and were attacked on their way to make another launching attempt, on the night of 24/8. This week, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit launched its social media pages in the Farsi language. These pages were opened on the leading platforms in Iran: Twitter, Telegram and Instagram, under the name "Israel Defense Forces". For the first time, the IDF is launching official social media platforms for the Iranian public. With the opening of the Farsi accounts, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit will be operating social media accounts in six languages: Hebrew, English, Arabic, French, Spanish and Farsi. These accounts have millions of followers around the globe and they serve as important public relations tools for multiple target audiences. 3. FEIGLIN POISED TO DROP OUT OF RACE? ZEHUT CHIEF MEETS WITH PM by Arutz Sheva Staff Zehut chairman and former Likud MK Moshe Feiglin met Wednesday afternoon with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to discuss offers by the Likud to secure Zehut’s agreement to drop out of the race. The two leaders agreed on a plan to expand the availability of legal marijuana for medicinal purposes, which the Likud is expected to promote as part of an agreement with Feiglin for Zehut to drop out of the race. In addition, the Likud has offered to cover Zehut’s roughly 3-million-shekel-debt and appoint Feiglin as a minister in the next government in exchange for Zehut’s bowing out of the election. Feiglin said that the Likud and Zehut are “nearing an agreement in which” he would “give up on the race in exchange for a position in the government.” “We will open the cannabis market,” Feiglin vowed. The Zehut chairman said that the agreement would first have to pass a referendum open to all party members. “I will bring the agreement to a vote for Zehut members to decide. An unexpected opportunity has been created – to turn what appeared to be failure into a great success.” With less than three weeks left until the September 17th election, polls show Zehut with an average of 2% - well below the 3.25% necessary to enter the Knesset. Netanyahu, who hopes to win sufficient backing from the next Knesset to form a narrow right-wing government without Avidgor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu, has pushed Zehut to drop out of the race, thus reducing the number of votes going to parties unlikely to clear the threshold – and increasing the chances of a right-wing majority. 4. TEL AVIV, JERUSALEM, TO SEE A 14% INCREASE IN NUMBER OF STUDENTS by Arutz Sheva Staff Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Wednesday published statistics showing that the number of Jewish students is expected to grow between 2020-2024, while the number of students in Arab schools is expected to drop during that period. A full 1.819 million students will study in Israel's schools in the 2019-2020 school year, representing a 29% growth since last year. Over the years 2020-2024, the number of students in Israel's public school system is expected to increase by 168,000 students, for a total 1.958 million students and increase of 9.4% since 2019. During the same period of time, the number of students in the Jewish public school system is expected to increase by 857,000, or 10.7%. The number of students in the Jewish-religious public school system is expected to jump to 279,000, for a 13.2% increase in comparison to 2019. Meanwhile, the number of students enrolled in independent haredi schools is expected to increase 16.6%, to a total 384,000 students. The number of students enrolled in independent Arab schools is expected to drop by 0.5%, or approximately 2,000 students, to 437,000. The average annual difference in the Arab public school system is expected to remain static, with a 2.1% change per year, while annual change in the Jewish-religious public school system is expected to increase. In Arab and haredi schools, the annual rate of change is expected to decrease slightly. Most of the increase in the numbers of Jewish students are Central, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem districts, each of which is expected to see a 14% increase in the number of students between the years 2020-2024. 5. 25 FORMER ISRAELI DEFENSE OFFICIALS LOBBY AGAINST ANNEXATION by Marcy Oster, JTA Twenty-five former Israeli senior security and defense officials thanked Congress for passing legislation that endorsed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict while rejecting efforts to boycott the Jewish state. The letter sent Tuesday also weighed in against Israel unilaterally annexing all or part of Judea and Samaria, as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said he is considering if re-elected. “Any unilateral annexation of territory or extension of sovereignty to the West Bank will put Israel’s security and safety along with the well-being of its citizens at risk,” the letter said. It was signed by former heads of the Mossad and Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet, and three former advisers to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. They expressed their appreciation that an “overwhelming, bipartisan majority of Members of Congress” affirmed “strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states.” House Resolution 246, which passed 398-17 last month, condemned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel. Last week, 21 right-wing Israeli lawmakers in a letter to the congressmen asserted that a Palestinian state is “far more dangerous to Israel” than BDS. The more recent letter was addressed to U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider, D-Ill.; Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y.; Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.; and Ann Wagner, R-Mo., the co-sponsors of the bill and staunch supporters of Israel. It also expressed appreciation for Congress’s “clear opposition to the BDS Movement and efforts to deny Israel’s legitimacy,” and concluded that “we look forward to future bipartisan congressional initiatives that explicitly identify annexation as a threat to Israel’s security, and Jewish and democratic future.” 6. REPORT: ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH AGREE TO PARTIAL CEASEFIRE by Arutz Sheva Staff Israel and Hezbollah have reached an unwritten agreement in which both will avoid attacking Lebanese and Israeli territory due to the risk of war, the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat reported. However, according to the report, exchanges of fire in Syrian territory may still occur. On Tuesday, Israel closed roads on its northern border to military vehicles, fearing an attack by Hezbollah. On Sunday, the head of Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorist organization on Sunday denounced an alleged "drone attack" targeting the Lebanese Shiite movement's Beirut stronghold, vowing to "do everything" to thwart Israeli attacks. Also on Sunday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun denounced the reported drone attack as a "declaration of war which allows us to resort to our right to defending our sovereignty. We are a people seeking peace, not war, and we don’t accept anyone threatening us in any war." 7. PHILANTHROPIST EUGEN GLUCK PASSES AWAY AT 92 by Arutz Sheva Staff 📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/267979 Renowned philanthropist and lay leader of American Jewry Eugen Gluck passed away last night in New York at the age of 92. Gluck was a Holocaust survivor, and was later instrumental in securing the rights of the Jewish people to rebuild their lives in Judea and Samaria. Gluck was involved with multiple institutions and projects to benefit Israel and world Jewry including Shaarei Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, the Magen David Adom emergency responder organzation, and the Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem. But the bulk of Gluck's philanthropic activities were dedicated to the renewal of Jewish life in the ancient biblical town of Beit El. Upon meeting the young Yom Kippur War hero and later-to-be Knesset Member Yaakov "Ketzaleh" Katz in the 1970’s, the Glucks 'adopted' the town of Bet El as the primary recipient of their philanthropy. For four decades, the Glucks organized, sponsored and presided over the Bet El Institutions' Winter Gala, what became the largest Zionist dinner on the east coast of the United States. Guest Speakers at the annual gala included prominent political figures such as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and US National Security Advisor John Bolton. Gluck's philanthropy and organizational efforts were the driving force behind the establishment of the many educational institutions in Bet El including the Bet El Yeshiva Center for college-age men, the local Yeshiva High School for boys, and the Jeanie Gluck High School Academy for Girls. Literally thousands of students received their education at these prominent and sought-after schools, all under the sponsorship of the Gluck family. In 2002, the Glucks expanded their support even further across Israel by establishing the Gluck Israel Defense Forces Preparatory Academy in Bet El. The Gluck Prep Academy has since brought in over 1,000 youth from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds across the country, providing them with a vital year of intensive training prior to their army service. During their year at the Gluck Academy, these students undergo massive transformations, many of them moving from a life of drugs, crime, and welfare, to enlisting as some of the most dedicated soldiers in combat units, obtaining university degrees, and ultimately becoming well-adjusted and contributing members of Israeli society. The Gluck’s philanthropy did not benefit Bet El alone. Rather, their support fueled Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio Station, founded by Bet El Institutions in the late 1980’s, which became the first conservative voice on Israel’s airwaves. The radio station, along with a robust website in English and Hebrew and the nationally-distributed Hebrew weekly BeSheva, effected the political revolution which returned Israel’s nationalist camp to power, alongside massive construction to cement Israel’s sovereignty in the Judea and Samaria regions. Mr. Gluck and his late wife Jeanie were among the earliest American Jewish philanthropists to recognize the urgency and importance of extending the Jewish return to Zion into the recently liberated territories of Judea and Samaria and the eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem. In 1990, when Ketzaleh was promoted to be the senior advisor to Housing Minister Ariel Sharon in charge of building of 60,000 housing units in Judea and Samaria, it was Mr. Gluck who was on the phone with Ketzaleh several times a week to aid in whatever was needed to advance this effort. Modern day historians attribute to this period the greatest housing blitz ever in Judea and Samaria and, in effect, pushing the settlement movement to the point of no return cementing forever Israeli sovereignty over the region. "The fact that some 800,000 Jews live today over the green line in Judea and Samaria and the eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem is due in great part to this great, late leader Eugen Gluck, of blessed memory," said Ketzaleh. For decades, Mr. Gluck sponsored the central post-Sukkot holiday "Hakafot Shniyot" of the Jerusalem Municipality in the Jerusalem's Bell Park. Thousands of Jews from numerous countries and all walks of life united together for this celebration. Mr. Gluck was born on August 9, 1927 in Romania. Known by the nickname Yidel, Eugen was just a young boy when World War II broke out. After surviving the concentration camps, he moved to Antwerp, where he married Jeanie. The couple immigrated to New York in 1948. After his arrival to the United States, Mr. Gluck worked several odd jobs until he was finally able to open a bakery with his best friend. However, his yearning to accomplish more led him in 1956 to create Armitron Watches, one of the first watch brands to manufacture affordable digital watches for the masses. Armitron has since become a global brand and is ranked as one of the top 10 fine and fashion watch brands in the U.S. Mr. Gluck's close and trusted partner in building the Torah and the Land of Israel, Ketzaleh, said about his lifelong friend and mentor: "For 40 years, Mr. Gluck made the return of Jews to Judea and Samaria and numerous charities the central thrust of his life. He was a rare Jew who correctly read the map of Israel's future and contributed much to shape it. He was a primary force in changing the way the State of Israel relates to the liberated territories in Judea and Samaria. In the merit of his activism and philanthropy, this region will remain in Jewish hands forever." Mr. Gluck is survived by his three children: Sydney Gluck of Manhattan, Rosie Friedman of Forest Hills, NY, and Barbara Weichselbaum of Lawrence, NY. 8. RESTAURANT OWNER: 'ASK THE WAITRESS WHY SHE DIDN'T RECORD IT' by Orly Harari Supervisors from Israel's Tax Authority visited 92 businesses in Netanya, its industrial zone, Kfar Vitkin, and towns in the Hefer Valley, and found that a full 8% of businesses did not properly record their earnings. At one restaurant in Netanya, supervisors discovered that since 2017, the restaurant did not record its sales and business transactions properly. When asked, the owner explained: "I didn't know that I had to keep details of every transaction, and my accountant didn't mention anything about it." Entering a tobacco and hookah store, supervisors compared the credit card reports to the cash register's records, and found that some of the credit card transactions were not recorded in the cash register. There, the owner said: "There were seven credit card transactions that I didn't print out due to being overworked." At an ice cream store where a supervisor made a test purchase several days before the mass operation, supervisors found that the test purchase had not been recorded. The owner said: "I'll prove to you with the cameras that I recorded the purchase." The owner of a restaurant who did not record a test purchase from earlier the same day quickly explained that the fault was the waitress, telling the supervisors: "Let's ask the waitress why she didn't write it down." The operation was conducted as part of a widescale crackdown by the Tax Authority on tax evaders and undeclared capital, and part of a policy to increase enforcement and improve deterrence.

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