A7News: US politicians connect to Jerusalem's essence

Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Thursday, Jul. 18 '19, ט"ו בתמוז תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. US POLITICIANS CONNECT TO JERUSALEM'S ESSENCE
2. REMAINS OF ANCIENT MOSQUE DISCOVERED IN NEGEV
3. TZOMET INSTITUTE APPROVES HOT WATER ON SHABBAT IN 2 RESORTS
4. 'BRAINS' BEHIND ATTACK ON MUMBAI CHABAD HOUSE ARRESTED AGAIN
5. ARUTZ SHEVA POLL: WHO SHOULD LEAD RIGHT-WING BLOC?
6. EVACUATIONS BEGIN AS MASSIVE FIRES BREAK OUT ACROSS ISRAEL
7. METHOD FOR TRANSFER OF TERROR FUNDS REVEALED
8. ANALYSIS: ERDOGAN CREATES A NEW CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST


1. US POLITICIANS CONNECT TO JERUSALEM'S ESSENCE
by Yoni Kempinski

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266143

The National Council of Young Israel - Chovevei Zion, in collaboration with Arutz Sheva, organized a fact-finding tour of Israel for American politicians, lawmakers, and influencers.

The fact-finding mission was attended by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who noted, "In all of the discoveries and excavations throughout Israel, not one time has an archaeological discovery controverted the Biblical record."

Describing the experience of walking the same pathways and stones tread on thousands of years ago by our ancestors, trip organizer Dr. Joe Frager of Chovevei Zion said: "It's eye-opening and incredibly energizing to be here and see what's developed."

City of David Foundation International Affairs Director Ze'ev Orenstein told Arutz Sheva: "Jerusalem is significant not just to Israel and to the Jewish People, Jerusalem is significant to the foundations of America... It has its roots here in Jerusalem and of course Biblical Jerusalem is the City of David. And therefore if somebody wants to understand the significance of Jerusalem, religiously, historically, and also politically, one has to come the the City of David; this is where it all began."

Orenstein continued: "In the face of Palestinian denial of Jerusalem's heritage; in the face of the UN denial of the Jewish heritage and Christian heritage in Jerusalem, that when you come to the City of David and you see the discoveries that are being made every single day here, you see that it's not simply a matter of faith, it's a matter of fact."

US politicians conclude Israel trip
Itzik Nissim
New York State Republican Party Chairman Nick Langworthy summed up his conclusions from the trip, saying: "These are experiences I'm going to take with me forever... To see things that tie into our history and our culture and our faith, whether we're Jews or Christians - this has been a very meaningful experience for me and a transformational experience."

US politicians conclude Israel trip
Itzik Nissim
US politicians conclude Israel trip
Itzik Nissim



2. REMAINS OF ANCIENT MOSQUE DISCOVERED IN NEGEV
by Arutz Sheva Staff

An ancient rural mosque, one of the earliest known in the world, has been discovered in the town of Rahat in the Negev.

The remains of this rare building were discovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority during the preparations for building a new neighborhood in the town of Rahat, in collaboration with Bedouin residents and youth groups, and financed by the Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouins in the Negev, and the Emek Ayalon Infrastructure & Projects Management Ltd (2000).

According to Dr. Jon Seligman and Shahar Zur, directors of the excavations for the Israel Antiquities Authority, "A small rural mosque, dated to the 7th to 8th centuries C.E., is a rare finding anywhere in the world, especially in the area north of Be'er Sheva, where no similar building has previously been discovered. From this period there are large known mosques in Jerusalem and in Mecca, but here we have evidence of an ancient house of prayer, which seems to have served the farmers who lived in the area. We found remains of an open-air mosque – a rectangular building with a "Mihrab" – a prayer niche – facing south, towards Mecca. These features are evidence for the purpose for which this building was used, many hundred years ago".

During the excavations, other remains were uncovered as well: a farm from the end of the Byzantine period (6th – 7th Century C.E.), and a small settlement from the beginning of the Islamic period (7th – 8th Century B.C.), which contains remains of buildings that were divided into living rooms, open courtyards, storage space and places which were used for preparing food and include "tabbuns" (open-air fire-places used for baking). According to the directors of the excavations, "these sites were part of the agricultural structure in the Northern Negev in ancient times. The soil was suitable for growing grains, and the ground water in the perennial streams attracted settlers who wanted to cultivate the land".

According to Prof. Gideon Avni, an Israel Antiquities Authority expert on this period, "this is one of the earliest mosques known from the beginning of the arrival of Islam in Israel, after the Arab conquest of 636 C.E.. The discovery of a mosque near an agricultural settlement between Be'er Sheva and Ashkelon also indicates the processes of cultural and religious change which the country underwent during the transition from the Byzantine to the early Islamic period. The discovery of the village and the mosque in its vicinity are a significant contribution to the study of the history of the country during this turbulent period. According to historical Islamic sources, the new Islamic regime distributed plots of land to its senior officials, including Amr ibn al-'As, an Arab military commander who conquered Israel and Syria. The continuation of excavations on the site will perhaps provide answers to the questions regarding the foundation of the settlement and the nearby mosque, and its connection to the Arab conquerors of Israel."

Bedouin residents of the area, as well as youth from the local villages and towns, participated in the excavation, including youth from Meitar, Gvaot Bar and Beit Kama. This was part of the Legacy Project led by the Antiquities Authority in recent years, which opens the doors for organized youth groups to help with the excavations during the summer vacation. Thus, they earn a fair wage, get into touch with the past, and gain experiences that will last a lifetime.

Currently, the Authority for Development and Settlement of the Bedouins in the Negev and the Israel Antiquities Authority are examining possible ways in which this special finding can be integrated into the new neighborhood which is about to be built in the city.


3. TZOMET INSTITUTE APPROVES HOT WATER ON SHABBAT IN 2 RESORTS
by Mordechai Sones

At the Ramot Shapira Guest House and in the Keshet Guest House in the Golan Heights, hot water can now be used on Shabbat according to Jewish law.

Tzomet Institute engineers examined the heating system and found that the electric boilers are shut down during Shabbat and holidays by an astronomical timer programmed for decades ahead. The system works with heat exchangers that separate the heated water from the incoming water.

The incoming water is heated only by the walls and pipes of the boiler, and not directly from the fire. Therefore the water entering the system has only the status of a "second vessel" that many halakhic authorities allow to be reheated on Shabbat.

Tzomet Institute head Rabbi Menachem Perl says at hotels many people accidentally open the hot water tap on Shabbat, possibly igniting a new spark and thereby desecrating the Sabbath.

"We're pleased that after checking two guest houses that approached us, we found that according to Jewish law there is no problem opening the hot water faucets. This is good news for vacationers. As a general rule, it's appropriate that the vacationing public be aware of the meaning of spending Shabbat at a holiday resort before going so as not to get into unpleasant situations," the rabbi said.

Rabbi Menachem Perel
Spokesman



4. 'BRAINS' BEHIND ATTACK ON MUMBAI CHABAD HOUSE ARRESTED AGAIN
by Michal Levi

The Pakistani authorities announced yesterday the re-arrest of Hafiz Saeed, head of the terrorist organization that carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks a decade ago and the one considered the "brains" behind the attacks.

Saeed was arrested in the Punjab district, according to a source in his organization, on his way to the Pakistani city of Gujranwala, and the arrest warrant was linked to the funding of illegal activities.

Saeed was defined as a terrorist by the US and a $ 10 million prize was awarded for his capture.

Over the past few years Saeed has been arrested several times, but after legal proceedings was always released.

The last time he was released, about a year and a half ago, he expressed anger at the Indian government. On the other hand, Saeed's spokesman, Yahya Mujahed, called his release "the victory of truth."

During the Mumbai Chabad House attack nine years ago, terrorists murdered Chabad emissaries in the city Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife Rivka Holtzberg, Rabbi Ben Tzion Kroman, Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Teitelbaum, Yocheved Orpaz, and Norma Rabinowitz.

According to the Indian authorities, Saeed ran the Jama'at-al-Da'wah organization and was behind the deadly chain of attacks in Mumbai.


5. ARUTZ SHEVA POLL: WHO SHOULD LEAD RIGHT-WING BLOC?
by Ido Ben Porat

Former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is the best suited to lead a technical bloc of the right-wing parties in the upcoming Knesset elections, according to a poll conducted by the Dialog Institute under the supervision of Prof. Camil Fuchs for Arutz Sheva.

The poll reveals that Shaked receives 45% support among supporters of the nationalist camp who voted in the last elections for United Right, New Right or Zehut.

Former Education Minister Naftali Bennett garners 19% support, Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich 12%, while current United Right Chairman Rabbi Rafi Peretz receives only 5% support.

10% of respondents said "I don't know," 7% said that someone else should head the list, and 2% said "I won't vote."

A comprehensive poll conducted by the Dialogue Institute for Arutz Sheva showed that if elections were held today, the Likud party would win 31 Knesset seats while the Blue and White party would win 28 seats.

According to the poll, which was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Camil Fuchs, the right-wing parties would be able to form a coalition of 62 seats only if Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu would join the coalition.

The Joint Arab List would receive 11 seats. Yisrael Beytenu would win eight seats, as would the Labor party under Amir Peretz and the Shas party.

The United Torah Judaism party and the Meretz party receive seven seats each. Ehud Barak's Israel Democratic Party barely crosses the electoral threshold with four seats.

The United Right and New Right parties, running separately, would also receive four seats each, while Moshe Feiglin's Zehut party would fall far below the electoral threshold and receive only one percent of the vote.

The right-wing bloc in that case would finish with 54 seats without Yisrael Beytenu, while the left-wing bloc and the Arab parties would receive a combined 58 seats, leaving neither side able to form a coalition.

The poll was conducted by Prof. Camil Fuchs and the Dialog Institute among 600 respondents who constitute a representative sample of the adult population in Israel, and has a margin of error of 4.1%.


6. EVACUATIONS BEGIN AS MASSIVE FIRES BREAK OUT ACROSS ISRAEL
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266099

A number of major fires broke out across Israel Wednesday afternoon, forcing some evacuations and destroying a number of homes.

Five homes in the central Israeli town of Or Yehuda went up in flames after a fire broke out in the Ramat Pinhas neighborhood, forcing residents to evacuate. Firefighters have been deployed at multiple fronts around the Ramat Pinhas fire in a bid to prevent additional houses from being destroyed. Meanwhile, police have ordered residents out of the neighborhood.

In addition, residents from the town of Shavei Shomron in Samaria were also ordered to evacuate as a blaze raged out of control on the edge of town. Firefighters working to contain the blaze have been joined by police units who are overseeing the evacuation of residents.

Another fire was reported outside of the town of Aderet, near Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem. Ten firefighter teams have been deployed to bring the fire under control, with air units aiding the efforts.

Firefighters have also been deployed to the Check Post Interchange near Haifa to combat a major blaze, which forced road closures in the area.

A total of 15 firefighter teams have been dispatched to the Haifa area, and are operating on three fronts.

One apartment in the Haifa area was reportedly burned in a separate fire.

Authorities say no one was home at the time, and that the fire which damaged the apartment has been contained.

Other fires were reported outside of Modi'in, in central Israel; adjacent to Route 40, near the town of Nehalim, just south of Petah Tikva; near Kfar Aviv in the Ashdod area; near Kfar Yona, east of Netanya, and near Route 444 near Sdeh Hemed and Jaljulya.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266099


7. METHOD FOR TRANSFER OF TERROR FUNDS REVEALED
by Ido Ben Porat

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266106

Yesterday (Tuesday), an IDF operation in collaboration with Shin Bet forces, took place in order to expose a money transfer network in the area of the "Benyamin" and "Ephraim" regional brigades in Judea and Samaria.

The operation exposed a money transfer network from the Gaza Strip to Ramallah, which operated in coordination between senior Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip and their Hamas operatives in Judea and Samaria. The network was operated by a civilian traveling and passport issuing agency named "Al-Haramain", owned by the Hani brothers and Firas Blbiesi, along with a money exchanger named Mohammad Swesi, who all operate from the Gaza Strip.

The exposed network operated under the guise of a civilian organization in an attempt to conceal the money's origin and destination. The money was transferred using the "Hawwalah" method, a money transfer system implemented by offsetting debts between a number of independent money changers, while using a minimal amount of cash, and hence not requiring registration in the world banking systems. The large amounts of money transferred through this method were used for organizational terror activity and for funding the salaries of Hamas operatives.

As part of the operation, IDF troops along with Shin Bet forces apprehended three suspects who are operatives of this Hamas-run infrastructure.

Ibrahim Mzfr-A Mazari' - Al-Nubani resident, a Hamas operative and a former prisoner.

Khaled Mzfr A Mazari' (Ibrahim's brother) - Al-Nubani resident, a Hamas operative.

Mohammad Abu Salim- A Rantis resident, a Hamas operative and a former prisoner.

Following the money transfer from the Gaza Strip into Judea and Samaria, IDF and Shin Bet forces have strengthened enforcement measures against civilian companies cooperating with terror organizations in the area and in the Gaza Strip.

An officer in the Intelligence Directorate, Lt. Col. A, said.: "The methods used by Hamas for money transfer are familiar to us and we are operating to thwart and disrupt them in cooperation with the Shin Bet."

"The IDF will continue to operate in order to ensure the safety of Israeli civilians using all the measures available to us."


8. ANALYSIS: ERDOGAN CREATES A NEW CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
by Yochanan Visser

Three years after the botched coup against him, Turkey's hotheaded leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan risks a major confrontation with the West over his policies in the Middle East.

The crisis in the relationship between Turkey and the West began after Erdogan accused the CIA of being behind the botched coup which some observers think was a false flag operation to give the autocratic leader more executive powers.

In the aftermath of the botched coup Erdogan decided to seal-off the Incirlik airbase which was used by NATO warplanes in the battle against ISIS and where the US army has stored tactical nuclear weapons.

Erdogan later demanded the US extradite the Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania and who Erdogan claimed had been orchestrating the failed coup.

At about the same time, Erdogan demanded the US army in Syria end its cooperation with the Kurdish dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which controls roughly one-third of Syrian territory along the Turkish border.

The US didn't give in, however, and Erdogan then decided to improve relations with Russia after solving a crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the downing of a Russian warplane by the Turkish army.

The Turkish leader later decided to purchase the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile defense shield, a move which set him on a crash course with NATO of which Turkey is a prominent member.

As a result of the purchase of the S-400 system by its ally Turkey, the Trump Administration decided to scuttle the delivery of the Lockheed F-35 stealth fighter plane but hasn't decided yet to apply the so-called Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on Turkey.

During the recent G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Erdogan met with US President Donald J. Trump to discuss the looming crisis over the delivery of the S-400 missile shield.

The Turkish delegation reportedly pointed out to Trump that the deal with Russia was closed before Aug. 2, 2017, the day Trump signed the CAATSA legislation.

Trump seemed to show some understanding of Erdogan's position on the S-400 when he blamed the Obama administration for not selling the Patriot missile system to Turkey, but nevertheless announced he would cancel the delivery of the F-35's.

The stealth jet is considered the most advanced warplane in the world, while the S-400 system is designed to counter the threat posed by the F-35.

On July 12, Turkey received the first batch of S-400 components when three Antonov An-124 cargo planes of the Russian air force landed at the Murted Air Base in Ankara.

The first S-400 batteries will become operable in November this year and Russian military officials will train their Turkish counterparts in operating the system.

The training will allow the Russians to collect crucial intelligence on NATO's operational systems and could cost Turkey its membership in the treaty organization.

Erdogan, meanwhile, has apparently come to the conclusion that he must stave off a confrontation with Trump over the deal and is using his special relationship with the President to prevent sanctions which could exacerbate Turkey's economic crisis.

At the same time, the Turkish tyrant seems to threaten destabilizing the Middle East even further by belligerent moves in Syria, Iraq, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea where Turkey started drilling for gas near occupied Northern Cyprus.

According to media reports Turkey is amassing troops and heavy weaponry along the border with Syria in the eastern part of the war-torn country.

Turkish state-controlled media reported this week that the "huge deployment" is a preparation for an offensive in the area east of the Euphrates River, now controlled by the SDF and US Special Forces.

In Iraq, meanwhile, Turkey used for the first time a ballistic missile to attack a position of the outlawed Kurdish PKK militia while a report by the Anti-War blog revealed that Turkish soldiers are in northern Iraq to carry out missions against the PKK.

Then there is Libya, where a new offensive by the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by General Khalifa Haftar is causing a major escalation of the civil war.

Turkey has recently decided to intervene in the war on behalf of Islamist militias controlling Tripoli and which are part of the Muslim Brotherhood bloc led by Erdogan.

The Turks have delivered armored vehicles to the Libyan Islamist militias and have military advisers on the ground.

The showdown between Turkey and the LNA has recently becoming more direct after Haftar's forces arrested six Turks and shot down a Turkish drone which was on its way to attack the LNA near Mitiga International Airport in the vicinity of Tripoli.

The US initially backed the army of the officially UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), but after a phone call between Haftar and Trump seemed to have changed course.

A White House statement after the phone call on April 15 said that Trump "recognized Field Marshal Haftar's significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources."

The statement contradicted criticism issued by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who a few days prior to Trump's conversation with Haftar, demanded an immediate end to the LNA offensive against the GNA and the militias in Tripoli.

"We're going to stand tall, not to be stubborn," Erdogan said about the looming confrontation with his NATO partners on July 15 when Turkey commemorated the botched coup in 2016.

Turkish political commentators think the controversial leader is willfully creating a new crisis with the West in order to consolidate his rule after the opposition won a re-run of the municipal election in Istanbul.

"The only way for Erdogan to survive is to convince Turkey's citizens, including Kurds and other minorities that the only options in front of them are 'Tayyip or we burn the country'," the Washington-based Turkish journalist Ilhan Tanir wrote in his commentary on the new crisis.