Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Sunday, Mar. 24 '19, י"ז באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. 'I'LL TALK TO TRUMP ABOUT THE GOLAN HEIGHTS AND IRAN'
2. KINNERET RISES 3.5 CENTIMETERS OVER THE WEEKEND
3. SHAKED: UNITED RIGHT SPREADING LIES ABOUT US
4. HAMAS ACCUSES ABBAS OF 'AIDING THE OCCUPATION'
5. LOOKING AFTER BEREAVED FAMILY OF MURDERED RABBI
6. UN COUNCIL PASSES MEASURE ACCUSING ISRAEL OF WAR CRIMES
7. SHAKED: NETANYAHU 'DRINKING UP' OUR KNESSET SEATS
8. JARED KUSHNER READS MEGILLAH AT THE WHITE HOUSE
1. 'I'LL TALK TO TRUMP ABOUT THE GOLAN HEIGHTS AND IRAN'
by Yoni Kempinski
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260782
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took off for Washington on Saturday night, where he will meet US President Donald Trump and speak at the AIPAC annual policy conference.
Before taking off, Netanyahu said, "I'm going to talk to President Trump about the historical recognition of the Golan Heights and about Iran. The cooperation is unprecedented. "
Netanyahu added, "There has never been such a connection between an Israeli prime minister and an American president."
He also discussed the rare interview he gave to Channel 12 News on Saturday evening and said, "You saw that I gave a full interview and answered a lot of questions. When I do not give interviews, they ask why, and when I give an interview, they ask why," he said.
Netanyahu will meet with Trump at the White House on Monday, and the two will hold another meeting as part of a dinner on Tuesday.
Netanyahu will discuss with President Trump the Iranian aggression, Iran's attempts to establish military bases in Syria and how to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The two will also discuss strengthening security and intelligence cooperation.
Netanyahu will be hosted at the Blair House, the official guesthouse of the US president, and will address the annual AIPAC conference on Tuesday morning.
After his speech at AIPAC, Netanyahu will hold a series of political meetings on Capitol Hill, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, with the leadership of the Senate and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. There will also be meetings in the House of Representatives with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with the leadership of the House of Representatives and with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
2. KINNERET RISES 3.5 CENTIMETERS OVER THE WEEKEND
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee, continues to benefit from the bountiful rains Israel has received this season, rising 3.5 centimeters over the weekend.
The Kinneret now sits at 212 meters and 21.5 centimeters below sea level, according to the Water Authority.
The current level is 78.5 centimeters higher than the lower red line and is 3 meters and 41.5 centimeters away from being considered 'full.'
Rain is expected to return in the coming days, causing the rate of the Kinneret's rise to accelerate.
The weather today will be partly cloudy to cloudy and temperatures will drop. Local rains are expected and there may be isolated thunderstorms.
Heavy rains are expected this evening, which will gradually expand to the entire country and feature thunderstorms and hail. Snow will fall on Mount Hermon and authorities warned of possible flash floods in the Negev streams.
Tomorrow the weather will mostly be cloudy. Temperatures will fall further and will be lower than normal. Rain will continue to fall accompanied by thunderstorms and hail from the north of the country to the Negev. It will continue to snow on the Hermon. There is still fear of flooding in the eastern and southern streams. Toward the evening the rains will gradually weaken and diminish.
On Tuesday the weather will be partly cloudy with no significant change in temperatures, which will continue to be lower than usual for the season. In the north and center of the country there will still be light local rain.
On Wednesday it will be partly cloudy and there will be a slight increase in temperatures. Is expected to rain locally. There may be thunderstorms mainly in the north of the country.
3. SHAKED: UNITED RIGHT SPREADING LIES ABOUT US
by Benny Toker
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked accused the United Right of spreading lies about her and the New Right party.
In an interview with Arutz Sheva, Shaked said "I very much hope that the Jewish Home and the right-wing parties will not degenerate into these areas."
"Yesterday we sent two false messages against me in a very wide distribution. We will not sit with Benny Gantz and we will not go to the Likud, it's all a lie. I think that the election campaigns should be conducted in a way that maintains the purity of the elections," she said.
Shaked stressed that there is no war over votes between the new right and the right-wing parties, and she hopes that the two parties will together receive well over 10 mandates. "We said that we would form a party that it is half religious and half secular and that our votes would come from more liberal right-wing and religious voters who in the past voted for Yesh Atid and may vote for Gantz this time. We never said we would not turn to religious Zionism."
"Religious Zionism has never voted for the Jewish Home," she said. Religious Zionism is not eight seats, and we really succeed in bringing them in. I hope that by the elections the number of seats will grow and we will succeed in bringing in new audiences."
Shaked also criticized Zehut leader Moshe Feiglin. "This is a difficult election campaign. There are a lot of parties. Feiglin takes votes from us from the younger religious Zionist voters. That is something I feel very sorry about. He does not see himself as part of the right-wing bloc and does not promise to join a right-wing government. He also presents illusions that have no basis in reality. The youth of religious Zionism must decide whether they are giving their vote to those who have been in politics for twenty years and have not managed to achieve anything, or to politicians with real accomplishments. I very much hope that we will receive a good number of Knesset seats and that together with the United Right we will reach a significant double-digit number."
In response to claims made last week that the dismissal of Dr. Michael Ben-Ari by the High Court of Justice judges shows that her 'revolution' as the justice minister failed, Shaked replied: "Throughout the years of its rule, the Likud has not raised a finger to make changes in the judicial system. I am the only minister on the right that has changed things, and a change of [a system that has existed for] forty years is not being made in four years. The judges I appointed are young, so because of the issue of seniority, only one of them was in the expanded panel, David Mintz. This was all according to the law, In my personal opinion, Ben-Ari should not be disqualified. He was already an MK and nothing terrible happened."
Shaked dismissed criticism of a video she appeared in in which she argued that her political opponents are closer to facism than she is. "I'm a strong independent woman, I made a very cynical and ironic film about the left that attacks me frequently about being a fascist, I think it's a strong video," she said.
4. HAMAS ACCUSES ABBAS OF 'AIDING THE OCCUPATION'
by Dalit Halevy
Hamas strongly criticized Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for stating that he would be willing to negotiate with Israel.
In a meeting with American students at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, Abbas said, "We want to exercise our rights and our country in peaceful ways, that is, through negotiations."
"We will never choose another way to realize our right, but through negotiations, and we always say that we are reaching out to the Israeli government, which the Israeli people will choose, in order to negotiate under the foundations which we did not choose, but rather were dictated by international norms," Abbas said.
Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanou called Abbas' words "a scorn for the national and popular [Palestinian] position that opposes it."
Qanou also said that this statement "serves only the Zionist occupation and expresses cover for its ongoing crimes against our people."
"This reflects the state of bankruptcy that the Palestinian (supporting) team has reached in the settlement of the conflict."
5. LOOKING AFTER BEREAVED FAMILY OF MURDERED RABBI
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A fundraising drive for the future of the children of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger was launched Tuesday by friends of the Ettinger family from the town of Eli.
The initiators of the drive explained: "We invite you to be partners and look after the future of the Ettinger family. In such situations, the State thank G-d knows how to look after the present; we want to look after the future."
"We want to make sure that when Tamar wants to marry them off, she won't ask herself, 'How will I afford it?'
"Join with us in looking after all of their futures: 12 children, 12 weddings, 12 more homes in our beautiful country. Be our partners!"
For the donations page click here.
Following media reports yesterday and today, the family reported: "In light of conflicting media reports, we want to clarify: At first we refused to accept donations as was originally published."
"But after a conversation with the rabbi of the community, Rabbi Avraham Schiller, we decided to accept the public's assistance and to receive the donations that will come through a charitable and benevolent fund to ensure a strong financial future for the children of Rabbi Achiad."
6. UN COUNCIL PASSES MEASURE ACCUSING ISRAEL OF WAR CRIMES
by David Rosenberg
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday voted to adopt a report accusing Israel of human rights violations, including war crimes, for its response to violent riots and attacks on the Israeli border along the frontier with Gaza.
On Friday, the Council's 40th session voted in Geneva by a margin of 23 to 9, with 14 abstentions and one absence, to adopt the 252-page report conducted by the Commission of Inquiry on the Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The nine countries which voted against adopting the report included Brazil, Australia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Ukraine, Togo, and Fiji.
In addition, 14 countries abstained, including the UK, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, India, Japan, Argentina, the Bahamas, Croatia, the Congo, Nepal, Rwanda, Slovkia, and Uruguay.
The 23 nations that voted in favor of adopting the report included Afghanistan, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, and Tunisia.
The report adopted by the UNHRC accuses the Israeli military of targeting Arab civilians the commission claims were not involved "in hostilities" against Israel, and condemned Israel's use of live ammunition against Gaza rioters attacking Israeli forces on the border or attempting to breach the Israeli border fence.
"The commission found reasonable grounds to believe that individual members of the Israeli security forces, in the course of their response to the demonstrations, killed and gravely injured civilians who were neither directly participating in hostilities nor posing an imminent threat," the report reads in part.
Israel rejected the report on Friday, denouncing the Human Rights Council for its "absurd, hypocritical" criticism of Israel's behavior.
"The Human Rights Council repeated today its absurd, hypocritical ritual of creating a Commission of Inquiry singling out Israel, whose findings against Israel are predetermined, and then adopting them, all the while ignoring reality on the ground," the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.
"Israel notes with satisfaction that 9 countries voted against the biased resolution and that a moral majority of countries did not endorse the resolution. In effect, this is a vote of no confidence to the report. Israel will continue to exercise its right of self-defense and will protect its citizens against terror and aggression. Israel will not cooperate with the Council on the issue."
Beginning in March 2018, tens of thousands of rioters gathered on the Israeli border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, attempting to break through the border fence while hurling firebombs, stones, and flaming tires at Israeli soldiers.
Gaza-based rioters also used bombs attached to kites and balloons to target Israeli towns near the border. The riots peaked on May 14th 2018, during Israel's 70th Independence Day, coinciding with the unveiling of the US embassy in Jerusalem. Some 60 rioters were killed in clashes on the Israel-Gaza border, at least 50 of whom belonged to the Hamas terror group.
The commission claims that a total of 183 Gazans were killed during the riots, with thousands more wounded.
7. SHAKED: NETANYAHU 'DRINKING UP' OUR KNESSET SEATS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (New Right) on Saturday visited several synagogues in Petah Tikva, attacking Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
"Bibi (Netanyahu - ed.) pulled out a straw to drink our Knesset seats," Channel 13 quoted Shaked as saying. "He wants to eliminate us politically."
She also blamed Israel Hayom for publishing "complete lies" in order to "hurt the party."
When asked whether she would run for prime minister in the future, Shaked responded, "There is life after Bibi."
She noted that when Netanyahu retires, she and Education Minister Naftali Bennett (New Right) may join the Likud party.
A statement from Shaked's office said, "The Justice Minister did not mention joining Likud. Just the opposite: She clarified that it is absolutely irrelevant."
8. JARED KUSHNER READS MEGILLAH AT THE WHITE HOUSE
by Ron Kampeas, JTA
Jared Kushner read part of Megillat Esther (the Scroll of Esther) at a Purim celebration at the White House.
A White House official said US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser joined about 40 people for the reading Thursday in the White House.
Also present were Ivanka Trump, Kushner's wife and also a senior adviser to her father, Jason Greenblatt, the chief negotiator on the Israeli-Palestinian Authority (PA) peace plan team that Kushner helms, and Elan Carr, the State Department envoy monitoring anti-Semitism.
Greenblatt posted a photo of the reading on Twitter. "Blessed that I was able to hear the #Megillah and celebrate the holiday of #Purim today in the @WhiteHouse," he said. "So proud to be able to serve our incredible country."
"He was flawless in the reading, we were very impressed," Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), said of Kushner.
Shemtov said his group has helped organize Purim celebrations in the White House dating back at least to the administration of former US President George W. Bush.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
A7News: UN council passes measure accusing Israel of war crimes
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Friday, Mar. 22 '19, ט"ו באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. UN COUNCIL PASSES MEASURE ACCUSING ISRAEL OF WAR CRIMES
2. US SHOULD 'FULLY RECOGNIZE' ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY IN GOLAN HEIGHTS
3. 'GOLAN RECOGNITION WILL PLUNGE MIDDLE EAST INTO NEW CRISIS'
4. AT UNESCO, AUSTRIA SLAMS ANTI-SEMITIC BELGIAN CARNIVAL DISPLAY
5. OBSERVERS OF TRADITION? SATMAR HASSIDIM WHO LOVE ISRAEL
6. POLL: RIGHT LEADS LEFT 65 TO 55
7. WHAT WAS POLLARD DOING AT THE CONSULATE?
8. POLL: RIGHT-WING BLOC 62, LEFT-WING BLOC 58
1. UN COUNCIL PASSES MEASURE ACCUSING ISRAEL OF WAR CRIMES
by David Rosenberg
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday voted to adopt a report accusing Israel of human rights violations, including war crimes, for its response to violent riots and attacks on the Israeli border along the frontier with Gaza.
On Friday, the Council's 40th session voted in Geneva by a margin of 23 to 9, with 14 abstentions and one absence, to adopt the 252-page report conducted by the Commission of Inquiry on the Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The nine countries which voted against adopting the report included Brazil, Australia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Ukraine, Togo, and Fiji.
In addition, 14 countries abstained, including the UK, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, India, Japan, Argentina, the Bahamas, Croatia, the Congo, Nepal, Rwanda, Slovkia, and Uruguay.
The 23 nations that voted in favor of adopting the report included Afghanistan, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, and Tunisia.
The report adopted by the UNHRC accuses the Israeli military of targeting Arab civilians the commission claims were not involved "in hostilities" against Israel, and condemned Israel's use of live ammunition against Gaza rioters attacking Israeli forces on the border or attempting to breach the Israeli border fence.
"The commission found reasonable grounds to believe that individual members of the Israeli security forces, in the course of their response to the demonstrations, killed and gravely injured civilians who were neither directly participating in hostilities nor posing an imminent threat," the report reads in part.
Israel rejected the report on Friday, denouncing the Human Rights Council for its "absurd, hypocritical" criticism of Israel's behavior.
"The Human Rights Council repeated today its absurd, hypocritical ritual of creating a Commission of Inquiry singling out Israel, whose findings against Israel are predetermined, and then adopting them, all the while ignoring reality on the ground," the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.
"Israel notes with satisfaction that 9 countries voted against the biased resolution and that a moral majority of countries did not endorse the resolution. In effect, this is a vote of no confidence to the report. Israel will continue to exercise its right of self-defense and will protect its citizens against terror and aggression. Israel will not cooperate with the Council on the issue."
Beginning in March 2018, tens of thousands of rioters gathered on the Israeli border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, attempting to break through the border fence while hurling firebombs, stones, and flaming tires at Israeli soldiers.
Gaza-based rioters also used bombs attached to kites and balloons to target Israeli towns near the border. The riots peaked on May 14th 2018, during Israel's 70th Independence Day, coinciding with the unveiling of the US embassy in Jerusalem. Some 60 rioters were killed in clashes on the Israel-Gaza border.
The commission claims that a total of 183 Gazans were killed during the riots, with thousands more wounded.
2. US SHOULD 'FULLY RECOGNIZE' ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY IN GOLAN HEIGHTS
by Arutz Sheva Staff, AFP
US President Donald Trump on Thursday made an unprecedented announcement, calling for the US to officially recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
In a tweet, Trump wrote, "After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
Trump called the territory "of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
Earlier on Thursday, a report by Israel's Channel 13 claimed that senior Israeli officials believed that Trump would formally recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights next week.
The move ends a decades-long US policy of non-recognition of Israel's annexation of the strategic plateau.
Israel captured the Heights from Syria during the Six Day War in June, 1967, after the Syrian army used the strategic high ground overlooking the Galilee to attack Israeli towns and farms.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised Trump's announcement.
"At a time when Iran seeks to use Syria as a platform to destroy Israel, President Trump boldly recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights," Netanyahu wrote on his personal Twitter account. "Thank you President Trump!"
Trump will host Netanyahu at the White House next Monday and Tuesday. The Israeli leader, who is running for reelection, will be in Washington for the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) pro-Israel lobbying group.
The Golan Heights move was hinted at a week ago when the State Department changed its usual description of the area as "occupied" to "Israeli-controlled."
3. 'GOLAN RECOGNITION WILL PLUNGE MIDDLE EAST INTO NEW CRISIS'
by David Rosenberg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted President Donald Trump's decision Thursday to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, warning Friday that the move would destabilize the Middle East and lead to "a new crisis" in the region.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Friday morning, Erdogan vowed to pushed back on efforts to 'legitimize' Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, while claiming that US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over 500 square miles of the strategic plateau would lead to "more violence".
"We will never allow the occupation of Golan Heights to be made legitimate," Erdogan said in his speech at the OIC emergency meeting," adding that the OIC would not "remain silent to such a sensitive issue like this."
"The US president's unfortunate remarks on Golan Heights brought the region to the brink of new crisis, tension," Erdogan added.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, joined in the attack on Trump's decision, tweeting late Thursday night that recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan would lead to "new violence" and "pain".
"Attempts by the US to legitimize Israel's actions against international law will only lead to more violence and pain in the region. Turkey supports Syria's territorial integrity."
President Trump said Thursday the US would be ending its policy of non-recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, tweeting: "After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
The president is expected to sign an executive order formalizing US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan next week.
Israel captured the Heights from Syria during the Six Day War in June, 1967, after the Syrian army used the strategic high ground overlooking the Galilee to attack Israeli towns and farms.
While Israeli ceded part of the Golan in a deal with Syria following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, roughly two-thirds of the 700 square mile Heights remained under Israeli military rule until 1981.
In 1981, Israel passed the Golan Heights Law, applying Israeli law directly to the Golan and ending the military administration of the area, effectively annexing the territory.
The US, UN, European Union, and virtually the entire international community have refused to recognize Israel's annexation. Following Trump's announcement Thursday, the US has become the first major power to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260747
4. AT UNESCO, AUSTRIA SLAMS ANTI-SEMITIC BELGIAN CARNIVAL DISPLAY
by Cnaan Lipshiz, JTA
Austria condemned at UNESCO a Belgian carnival that featured an anti-Semitic display.
The unusual exchange about the March 3 carnival in Aalst occurred on Thursday at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The Aalst carnival, one of Europe's flashiest, was added in 2010 to the list of heritage of humanity events of UNESCO, the United Nations body on culture.
The 2019 edition featured a float whose creators said was about rising prices, with grimacing haredi Jew figures amid money bags. One figures had a puppet rat on his jacket. Dancers dressed like haredi Jews with rat puppets on their lapels danced on the float.
The display sparked an outcry. A petition urging UNESCO to delist the event has received more than 15,000 signatures. Aalst mayor defended the display. Jewish groups' complaints over alleged incitement in the display are pending.
Austria and Poland condemned the display during the meeting Wednesday by a bureau, or governing body, of UNESCO. The bureau has six rotating member states. The Colombian chairmanship of the committee was instrumental in facilitating a discussion about Aalst, according to Shimon Samuels, the Simon Wiesenthal Center's international relations director.
The Polish and Austrian delegates "oppose any attempt t sugarcoat this example of what they said was anti-Semitism pure and simple," said Samuels, whose organization is an associate partner of UNESCO.
Barring action by Belgian authorities, a draft resolution on the Aalst carnival may lead to the delisting the event during a committee meeting in Colombia in December, Samuels said.
5. OBSERVERS OF TRADITION? SATMAR HASSIDIM WHO LOVE ISRAEL
by Judy Simon
[audio:2006322]
Joel grew up in a large Hassidic family in Brooklyn. He went to a "cheider" where children learn Talmud in Yiddish until late afternoon, at which time some secular subjects are taught, such as English and math.
Though Joel's family was not strongly anti-Zionist, the messages he received from his school and his synagogue were.
Therefore, it was rather surprising when Joel became interested in Israel. Even before his bar mitzvah, Joel searched for articles in the Yiddish newspaper about Israel, praying, for example, that the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif would not take effect. In the daily prayers, he noticed that there was a longing for the Land of Israel, which Joel himself began to feel.
At the age of 18, Joel came to Israel for the first time, where he discovered Zoreach, a group of Hassidim such as himself who shared a love for Israel.
Another important activity of his is visiting communities in Judea and Samaria. He tells of the reactions of his hosts when they see his Hassidic garb for the first time, and the close relationships that ensue.
Tune in to meet a passionate young man who follows his heart, even when his path differs from that of his family.
[קישורים:12:Radio]
6. POLL: RIGHT LEADS LEFT 65 TO 55
by David Rosenberg
The center-left Blue and White party has increased its lead over the Likud, according to a new poll, even as the right-wing – religious bloc takes a ten-mandate lead over the left-wing – Arab bloc.
The new poll, released Friday by Maariv and The Jerusalem Post, was conducted by pollster Rafi Smith, and marks a significant gain for the right-wing bloc, which was tied 60-60 with the left-Arab bloc in the previous Smith poll released earlier this month.
According to the new survey, the eight right-wing and haredi factions likely to be in the 21st Knesset would win a total of 65 seats if new elections were held today.
The Likud, which currently holds 30 seats, would win 27, a decline of two compared to the Smith poll published on March 5th.
The Union of Right-Wing Parties (URP) and the New Right would win six seats each, while Moshe Feiglin's libertarian-leaning Zehut would win four mandates. The URP and New Right were also projected to win six seats apiece in the previous Smith poll, while Zehut failed to cross the threshold earlier this month.
The center-right Kulanu would win five seats if new elections were held today, compared to four seats it was projected to win earlier this month and the 10 it currently holds.
Yisrael Beytenu would win four seats, the same number it was projected to win earlier this month, but down from the six it won in 2015.
Both of the haredi factions gained one mandate over the previous poll's results, with United Torah Judaism moving up from six to seven seats (it currently has six) and Shas rising from five to six (it currently has seven).
On the left, the Blue and White party fell by one seat compared to the previous poll, sinking from 31 to 30 seats – though its lead over the Likud actually increased, due to the Likud's two-seat decline.
The Labor party rose from seven to eight seats in the most recent poll, though it remains far below its 2015 showing of 19 seats.
The far-left Meretz faction remains stable at five seats, while the Arab factions are projected to win a combined 12 seats, down from 13 in the previous poll. The two lists ran on a joint ticket in 2015, netting 13 seats.
Former Yisrael Beytenu MK Orly Levy's Gesher party failed to cross the threshold in the latest poll, falling from four seats in the prior survey to zero. The new poll shows Gesher with 2.8% of the vote, below the 3.25% minimum threshold.
A Maagar Mohot poll released Friday by Israel Hayom and i24News showed the margin between the right and left-wing blocs narrowing, with the right-wing – religious bloc falling from 66 seats in the previous poll to 62 seats on Friday, while the left-wing – Arab bloc rose from 54 seats to 58.
7. WHAT WAS POLLARD DOING AT THE CONSULATE?
by Gary Willig
Will Jonathan Pollard finally be allowed to move to Israel?
Pollard was seen twice over the last week entering the Israeli consulate in New York with his wife Esther. He was seen at the consulate on Friday and again on Monday, News 2 reported. The consulate issues Israeli passports.
Pollard, who was freed from prison three and a half years ago after serving thirty years for spying for Israel, would not be allowed to enter the Israeli consulate under his parole conditions unless he received special permission.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next week.
The Israeli government has long pushed for Pollard to be allowed to emigrate to Israel, but no administration has agreed to let Pollard go. Officials in the US remain divided over Pollard's fate, with some stating that he still represents a security threat while others say that any information he may have is over 30 years old and out of date and that the life sentence he received was disproportionate to his crime.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to ask President Trump to take several actions during his visit next week, including recognizing Israel's rights to the Golan Heights.
Israel's Consul in New York, Danny Dayan, denied that Pollard had visited the consulate.
The Prime Minister's Office stated in response to the report: "The prime minister is obligated to bring Pollard to Israel and has made efforts and worked with governments, even with the Trump government, for this purpose."
8. POLL: RIGHT-WING BLOC 62, LEFT-WING BLOC 58
by David Rosenberg
The left-wing –Arab bloc made significant gains this week on the right-wing – religious bloc, reaching near-parity, a new poll shows, despite a significant decrease in the strength of the Blue and White party.
According to the new poll, conducted by Maagar Mohot and published by i24NEWS and Israel Hayom on Friday, the center-left Blue and White party's lead over the Likud has fallen from seven mandates to just four over the past week.
Friday's poll shows that if elections were held today, the Blue and White party would likely win 30 seats, down from 33 seats according to the previous Maagar Mohot poll, released last Friday. The Likud, on the other hand, remains stable at 26 seats – though this represents a four-seat decrease from the 30 seats it won in 2015.
In a distant third place is the Labor party with 9 seats, a dramatic fall from the 19 mandates the party won in 2015 (the joint Zionist Union list won 24 total, including 5 for the Hatnuah faction). This nevertheless represents a two seat gain over last week's Maagar Mohot poll, which projected Labor winning just seven mandates.
The far-left Meretz party would win six seats if elections were held today – a decline of two mandates compared to last week's poll, but an increase of one mandate over the five Meretz won in 2015.
The Gesher party, founded by former Yisrael Beytenu MK Orly Levy – who broke away to remain in the opposition in 2016 – would win four seats if new elections were held today. This is the first poll since March 5th which shows Gesher crossing the electoral threshold, and the second poll since party lists were formally submitted on February 21st to show Gesher entering the Knesset.
The Arab parties would win a combined nine mandates – down from the 13 they won in 2015 on the united Joint List ticket, but up from the six seats they were projected to win last week. The United Arab List and Balad ticket, which failed to cross the threshold in last week's poll, inched up to four seats this week, while the Hadash – Ta'al list fell from six to five.
On the right, the Union of Right-Wing Parties – a joint ticket of the Jewish Home, National Union, and Otzma Yehudit – moved up from six seats in last week's poll to seven, while the New Right of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked fell from six to five.
Zehut, the libertarian-leaning faction of former Likud MK Moshe Feiglin, continues to gain momentum, rising from five seats in last week's poll to six, while Yisrael Beytenu and Kulanu remain with four seats apiece, the same as in last week's survey. Yisrael Beytenu won six seats in 2015, while Kulanu won 10.
Among the haredi factions, United Torah Judaism fell from seven seats in last week's poll to just six – the same number the party won in 2015 – while Shas fell from five to four mandates, compared to the seven it currently holds. Former Shas chairman Eli Yishai's Yahad party failed to receive even one-tenth of a percent of the vote in the poll.
Tzomet, the secular-right party revived by Likud MK Oren Hazan climbed upwards towards the minimum threshold in this week's poll, receiving 1.7% of the vote – roughly double what Tzomet has received in recent polls. That still leaves the party far below the 3.25% threshold, however.
The right-wing – religious bloc, including the Likud, Union of Right-Wing Parties, Shas, UTJ, Yisrael Beytenu, Kulanu, the New Right, and Zehut are projected to win a combined 62 seats, compared to 58 for the Blue and White party, Labor, Meretz, Gesher, and the Arab factions. Last week, the right-religious bloc led by a significantly wider margin - 66 to 54.
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Friday, Mar. 22 '19, ט"ו באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. UN COUNCIL PASSES MEASURE ACCUSING ISRAEL OF WAR CRIMES
2. US SHOULD 'FULLY RECOGNIZE' ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY IN GOLAN HEIGHTS
3. 'GOLAN RECOGNITION WILL PLUNGE MIDDLE EAST INTO NEW CRISIS'
4. AT UNESCO, AUSTRIA SLAMS ANTI-SEMITIC BELGIAN CARNIVAL DISPLAY
5. OBSERVERS OF TRADITION? SATMAR HASSIDIM WHO LOVE ISRAEL
6. POLL: RIGHT LEADS LEFT 65 TO 55
7. WHAT WAS POLLARD DOING AT THE CONSULATE?
8. POLL: RIGHT-WING BLOC 62, LEFT-WING BLOC 58
1. UN COUNCIL PASSES MEASURE ACCUSING ISRAEL OF WAR CRIMES
by David Rosenberg
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday voted to adopt a report accusing Israel of human rights violations, including war crimes, for its response to violent riots and attacks on the Israeli border along the frontier with Gaza.
On Friday, the Council's 40th session voted in Geneva by a margin of 23 to 9, with 14 abstentions and one absence, to adopt the 252-page report conducted by the Commission of Inquiry on the Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The nine countries which voted against adopting the report included Brazil, Australia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Ukraine, Togo, and Fiji.
In addition, 14 countries abstained, including the UK, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, India, Japan, Argentina, the Bahamas, Croatia, the Congo, Nepal, Rwanda, Slovkia, and Uruguay.
The 23 nations that voted in favor of adopting the report included Afghanistan, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, and Tunisia.
The report adopted by the UNHRC accuses the Israeli military of targeting Arab civilians the commission claims were not involved "in hostilities" against Israel, and condemned Israel's use of live ammunition against Gaza rioters attacking Israeli forces on the border or attempting to breach the Israeli border fence.
"The commission found reasonable grounds to believe that individual members of the Israeli security forces, in the course of their response to the demonstrations, killed and gravely injured civilians who were neither directly participating in hostilities nor posing an imminent threat," the report reads in part.
Israel rejected the report on Friday, denouncing the Human Rights Council for its "absurd, hypocritical" criticism of Israel's behavior.
"The Human Rights Council repeated today its absurd, hypocritical ritual of creating a Commission of Inquiry singling out Israel, whose findings against Israel are predetermined, and then adopting them, all the while ignoring reality on the ground," the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.
"Israel notes with satisfaction that 9 countries voted against the biased resolution and that a moral majority of countries did not endorse the resolution. In effect, this is a vote of no confidence to the report. Israel will continue to exercise its right of self-defense and will protect its citizens against terror and aggression. Israel will not cooperate with the Council on the issue."
Beginning in March 2018, tens of thousands of rioters gathered on the Israeli border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, attempting to break through the border fence while hurling firebombs, stones, and flaming tires at Israeli soldiers.
Gaza-based rioters also used bombs attached to kites and balloons to target Israeli towns near the border. The riots peaked on May 14th 2018, during Israel's 70th Independence Day, coinciding with the unveiling of the US embassy in Jerusalem. Some 60 rioters were killed in clashes on the Israel-Gaza border.
The commission claims that a total of 183 Gazans were killed during the riots, with thousands more wounded.
2. US SHOULD 'FULLY RECOGNIZE' ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY IN GOLAN HEIGHTS
by Arutz Sheva Staff, AFP
US President Donald Trump on Thursday made an unprecedented announcement, calling for the US to officially recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
In a tweet, Trump wrote, "After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
Trump called the territory "of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
Earlier on Thursday, a report by Israel's Channel 13 claimed that senior Israeli officials believed that Trump would formally recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights next week.
The move ends a decades-long US policy of non-recognition of Israel's annexation of the strategic plateau.
Israel captured the Heights from Syria during the Six Day War in June, 1967, after the Syrian army used the strategic high ground overlooking the Galilee to attack Israeli towns and farms.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised Trump's announcement.
"At a time when Iran seeks to use Syria as a platform to destroy Israel, President Trump boldly recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights," Netanyahu wrote on his personal Twitter account. "Thank you President Trump!"
Trump will host Netanyahu at the White House next Monday and Tuesday. The Israeli leader, who is running for reelection, will be in Washington for the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) pro-Israel lobbying group.
The Golan Heights move was hinted at a week ago when the State Department changed its usual description of the area as "occupied" to "Israeli-controlled."
3. 'GOLAN RECOGNITION WILL PLUNGE MIDDLE EAST INTO NEW CRISIS'
by David Rosenberg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted President Donald Trump's decision Thursday to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, warning Friday that the move would destabilize the Middle East and lead to "a new crisis" in the region.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Friday morning, Erdogan vowed to pushed back on efforts to 'legitimize' Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, while claiming that US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over 500 square miles of the strategic plateau would lead to "more violence".
"We will never allow the occupation of Golan Heights to be made legitimate," Erdogan said in his speech at the OIC emergency meeting," adding that the OIC would not "remain silent to such a sensitive issue like this."
"The US president's unfortunate remarks on Golan Heights brought the region to the brink of new crisis, tension," Erdogan added.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, joined in the attack on Trump's decision, tweeting late Thursday night that recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan would lead to "new violence" and "pain".
"Attempts by the US to legitimize Israel's actions against international law will only lead to more violence and pain in the region. Turkey supports Syria's territorial integrity."
President Trump said Thursday the US would be ending its policy of non-recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, tweeting: "After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!"
The president is expected to sign an executive order formalizing US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan next week.
Israel captured the Heights from Syria during the Six Day War in June, 1967, after the Syrian army used the strategic high ground overlooking the Galilee to attack Israeli towns and farms.
While Israeli ceded part of the Golan in a deal with Syria following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, roughly two-thirds of the 700 square mile Heights remained under Israeli military rule until 1981.
In 1981, Israel passed the Golan Heights Law, applying Israeli law directly to the Golan and ending the military administration of the area, effectively annexing the territory.
The US, UN, European Union, and virtually the entire international community have refused to recognize Israel's annexation. Following Trump's announcement Thursday, the US has become the first major power to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260747
4. AT UNESCO, AUSTRIA SLAMS ANTI-SEMITIC BELGIAN CARNIVAL DISPLAY
by Cnaan Lipshiz, JTA
Austria condemned at UNESCO a Belgian carnival that featured an anti-Semitic display.
The unusual exchange about the March 3 carnival in Aalst occurred on Thursday at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The Aalst carnival, one of Europe's flashiest, was added in 2010 to the list of heritage of humanity events of UNESCO, the United Nations body on culture.
The 2019 edition featured a float whose creators said was about rising prices, with grimacing haredi Jew figures amid money bags. One figures had a puppet rat on his jacket. Dancers dressed like haredi Jews with rat puppets on their lapels danced on the float.
The display sparked an outcry. A petition urging UNESCO to delist the event has received more than 15,000 signatures. Aalst mayor defended the display. Jewish groups' complaints over alleged incitement in the display are pending.
Austria and Poland condemned the display during the meeting Wednesday by a bureau, or governing body, of UNESCO. The bureau has six rotating member states. The Colombian chairmanship of the committee was instrumental in facilitating a discussion about Aalst, according to Shimon Samuels, the Simon Wiesenthal Center's international relations director.
The Polish and Austrian delegates "oppose any attempt t sugarcoat this example of what they said was anti-Semitism pure and simple," said Samuels, whose organization is an associate partner of UNESCO.
Barring action by Belgian authorities, a draft resolution on the Aalst carnival may lead to the delisting the event during a committee meeting in Colombia in December, Samuels said.
5. OBSERVERS OF TRADITION? SATMAR HASSIDIM WHO LOVE ISRAEL
by Judy Simon
[audio:2006322]
Joel grew up in a large Hassidic family in Brooklyn. He went to a "cheider" where children learn Talmud in Yiddish until late afternoon, at which time some secular subjects are taught, such as English and math.
Though Joel's family was not strongly anti-Zionist, the messages he received from his school and his synagogue were.
Therefore, it was rather surprising when Joel became interested in Israel. Even before his bar mitzvah, Joel searched for articles in the Yiddish newspaper about Israel, praying, for example, that the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif would not take effect. In the daily prayers, he noticed that there was a longing for the Land of Israel, which Joel himself began to feel.
At the age of 18, Joel came to Israel for the first time, where he discovered Zoreach, a group of Hassidim such as himself who shared a love for Israel.
Another important activity of his is visiting communities in Judea and Samaria. He tells of the reactions of his hosts when they see his Hassidic garb for the first time, and the close relationships that ensue.
Tune in to meet a passionate young man who follows his heart, even when his path differs from that of his family.
[קישורים:12:Radio]
6. POLL: RIGHT LEADS LEFT 65 TO 55
by David Rosenberg
The center-left Blue and White party has increased its lead over the Likud, according to a new poll, even as the right-wing – religious bloc takes a ten-mandate lead over the left-wing – Arab bloc.
The new poll, released Friday by Maariv and The Jerusalem Post, was conducted by pollster Rafi Smith, and marks a significant gain for the right-wing bloc, which was tied 60-60 with the left-Arab bloc in the previous Smith poll released earlier this month.
According to the new survey, the eight right-wing and haredi factions likely to be in the 21st Knesset would win a total of 65 seats if new elections were held today.
The Likud, which currently holds 30 seats, would win 27, a decline of two compared to the Smith poll published on March 5th.
The Union of Right-Wing Parties (URP) and the New Right would win six seats each, while Moshe Feiglin's libertarian-leaning Zehut would win four mandates. The URP and New Right were also projected to win six seats apiece in the previous Smith poll, while Zehut failed to cross the threshold earlier this month.
The center-right Kulanu would win five seats if new elections were held today, compared to four seats it was projected to win earlier this month and the 10 it currently holds.
Yisrael Beytenu would win four seats, the same number it was projected to win earlier this month, but down from the six it won in 2015.
Both of the haredi factions gained one mandate over the previous poll's results, with United Torah Judaism moving up from six to seven seats (it currently has six) and Shas rising from five to six (it currently has seven).
On the left, the Blue and White party fell by one seat compared to the previous poll, sinking from 31 to 30 seats – though its lead over the Likud actually increased, due to the Likud's two-seat decline.
The Labor party rose from seven to eight seats in the most recent poll, though it remains far below its 2015 showing of 19 seats.
The far-left Meretz faction remains stable at five seats, while the Arab factions are projected to win a combined 12 seats, down from 13 in the previous poll. The two lists ran on a joint ticket in 2015, netting 13 seats.
Former Yisrael Beytenu MK Orly Levy's Gesher party failed to cross the threshold in the latest poll, falling from four seats in the prior survey to zero. The new poll shows Gesher with 2.8% of the vote, below the 3.25% minimum threshold.
A Maagar Mohot poll released Friday by Israel Hayom and i24News showed the margin between the right and left-wing blocs narrowing, with the right-wing – religious bloc falling from 66 seats in the previous poll to 62 seats on Friday, while the left-wing – Arab bloc rose from 54 seats to 58.
7. WHAT WAS POLLARD DOING AT THE CONSULATE?
by Gary Willig
Will Jonathan Pollard finally be allowed to move to Israel?
Pollard was seen twice over the last week entering the Israeli consulate in New York with his wife Esther. He was seen at the consulate on Friday and again on Monday, News 2 reported. The consulate issues Israeli passports.
Pollard, who was freed from prison three and a half years ago after serving thirty years for spying for Israel, would not be allowed to enter the Israeli consulate under his parole conditions unless he received special permission.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next week.
The Israeli government has long pushed for Pollard to be allowed to emigrate to Israel, but no administration has agreed to let Pollard go. Officials in the US remain divided over Pollard's fate, with some stating that he still represents a security threat while others say that any information he may have is over 30 years old and out of date and that the life sentence he received was disproportionate to his crime.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to ask President Trump to take several actions during his visit next week, including recognizing Israel's rights to the Golan Heights.
Israel's Consul in New York, Danny Dayan, denied that Pollard had visited the consulate.
The Prime Minister's Office stated in response to the report: "The prime minister is obligated to bring Pollard to Israel and has made efforts and worked with governments, even with the Trump government, for this purpose."
8. POLL: RIGHT-WING BLOC 62, LEFT-WING BLOC 58
by David Rosenberg
The left-wing –Arab bloc made significant gains this week on the right-wing – religious bloc, reaching near-parity, a new poll shows, despite a significant decrease in the strength of the Blue and White party.
According to the new poll, conducted by Maagar Mohot and published by i24NEWS and Israel Hayom on Friday, the center-left Blue and White party's lead over the Likud has fallen from seven mandates to just four over the past week.
Friday's poll shows that if elections were held today, the Blue and White party would likely win 30 seats, down from 33 seats according to the previous Maagar Mohot poll, released last Friday. The Likud, on the other hand, remains stable at 26 seats – though this represents a four-seat decrease from the 30 seats it won in 2015.
In a distant third place is the Labor party with 9 seats, a dramatic fall from the 19 mandates the party won in 2015 (the joint Zionist Union list won 24 total, including 5 for the Hatnuah faction). This nevertheless represents a two seat gain over last week's Maagar Mohot poll, which projected Labor winning just seven mandates.
The far-left Meretz party would win six seats if elections were held today – a decline of two mandates compared to last week's poll, but an increase of one mandate over the five Meretz won in 2015.
The Gesher party, founded by former Yisrael Beytenu MK Orly Levy – who broke away to remain in the opposition in 2016 – would win four seats if new elections were held today. This is the first poll since March 5th which shows Gesher crossing the electoral threshold, and the second poll since party lists were formally submitted on February 21st to show Gesher entering the Knesset.
The Arab parties would win a combined nine mandates – down from the 13 they won in 2015 on the united Joint List ticket, but up from the six seats they were projected to win last week. The United Arab List and Balad ticket, which failed to cross the threshold in last week's poll, inched up to four seats this week, while the Hadash – Ta'al list fell from six to five.
On the right, the Union of Right-Wing Parties – a joint ticket of the Jewish Home, National Union, and Otzma Yehudit – moved up from six seats in last week's poll to seven, while the New Right of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked fell from six to five.
Zehut, the libertarian-leaning faction of former Likud MK Moshe Feiglin, continues to gain momentum, rising from five seats in last week's poll to six, while Yisrael Beytenu and Kulanu remain with four seats apiece, the same as in last week's survey. Yisrael Beytenu won six seats in 2015, while Kulanu won 10.
Among the haredi factions, United Torah Judaism fell from seven seats in last week's poll to just six – the same number the party won in 2015 – while Shas fell from five to four mandates, compared to the seven it currently holds. Former Shas chairman Eli Yishai's Yahad party failed to receive even one-tenth of a percent of the vote in the poll.
Tzomet, the secular-right party revived by Likud MK Oren Hazan climbed upwards towards the minimum threshold in this week's poll, receiving 1.7% of the vote – roughly double what Tzomet has received in recent polls. That still leaves the party far below the 3.25% threshold, however.
The right-wing – religious bloc, including the Likud, Union of Right-Wing Parties, Shas, UTJ, Yisrael Beytenu, Kulanu, the New Right, and Zehut are projected to win a combined 62 seats, compared to 58 for the Blue and White party, Labor, Meretz, Gesher, and the Arab factions. Last week, the right-religious bloc led by a significantly wider margin - 66 to 54.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
A7News: Watch: Thousands celebrate Purim in Hevron
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Thursday, Mar. 21 '19, י"ד באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. WATCH: THOUSANDS CELEBRATE PURIM IN HEVRON
2. WATCH: BETO O'ROURKE TAKES AIM AT NETANYAHU
3. POLICE INVESTIGATIONS GRILLS SOLDIER WHO KILLED ROCK-THROWER
4. POMPEO: US HAS 'MORAL OBLIGATION' TO STAND UP TO HOSTILE FORCES
5. 'US TO RECOGNIZE ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY OVER GOLAN NEXT WEEK'
6. ARIEL TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED
7. POLICE RAID YESHIVA ESTABLISHED AT SCENE OF ATTACK
8. 'GANTZ, WHAT DOES IRAN KNOW YOU ARE HIDING FROM US?'
1. WATCH: THOUSANDS CELEBRATE PURIM IN HEVRON
by Eliran Aharon, Hevron
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260693
[album:open:10978]
2. WATCH: BETO O'ROURKE TAKES AIM AT NETANYAHU
by David Rosenberg
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260694
Former Texas congressman and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke, whose 2018 Senate bid against incumbent Ted Cruz drew nationwide attention, blasted Israeli premier Binyamin Netanyahu, accusing the Israeli leader of "openly siding with racists" and using anti-Arab demagoguery in the 2015 Knesset election.
Speaking at a campaign event in Keene State College, a liberal arts school in New Hampshire, O'Rourke suggested that the Israeli premier could not serve as a negotiating partner for final status talks with the Palestinian Authority, comparing Netanyahu unfavorably with PA chief Mahmoud Abbas.
"Right now we don't have the best negotiating partners on either side," O'Rourke said during a question-and-answer session at the event.
O'Rourke referenced Netanyahu's support for a deal to bring the right-wing Otzma Yehudit party into a temporary alliance with the Jewish Home party, forging a joint list to ensure that both factions enter the Knesset.
The former congressman, who recently announced his 2020 presidential bid, also hit Netanyahu over the Prime Minister's comments during the 2015 Knesset election, in which the Netanyahu warned of heavy voter turnout for the radical anti-Zionist Arab Joint List party.
"In Israel, we have a Prime Minister who openly sided with racists, who in a previous election warned that the Arabs were coming to the polls. And on the Palestinian side you have an ineffectual leader, Mahmoud Abbas. He hasn't been very effective in bringing his side to the table either."
On election day in 2015, Netanyahu warned that his "right-wing government is in danger. Arab voters are heading to the polling stations in droves," adding that "left-wing groups" of "busing in" Arab voters to boost the Joint List faction.
3. POLICE INVESTIGATIONS GRILLS SOLDIER WHO KILLED ROCK-THROWER
by Mordechai Sones
Judea and Samaria Division Commander Brigadier General Eran Niv and Etzion Regional Brigade Commander Colonel David Shapira conducted an investigation following an incident that occurred Wednesday evening at the Efrat intersection at the entrance to the city of Bethlehem.
According to the investigation, an IDF soldier guarding a military post near the junction identified an Arab throwing rocks at vehicles and performed the procedure for arresting a suspect that ended in gunfire.
The possibility is being examined that the incident involved friction between Arabs including rock throwing.
The IDF Spokesman said the investigation of the incident continues as the Military Police Chief Investigations Division opened an investigation.
MK Betzalel Smotrich of the National Union responded, "I didn't understand what the problem was and what there is to investigate. Whoever throws rocks at Israeli vehicles is a terrorist, and it's very good that he was shot and killed."
4. POMPEO: US HAS 'MORAL OBLIGATION' TO STAND UP TO HOSTILE FORCES
by Arutz Sheva Staff
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and his wife Susan on Tuesday visited Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, where the Secretary of State laid a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance and signed the guest book.
He also visited the US Embassy in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood, accompanied by Ambassador David Friedman, and held a working meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
At the beginning of the meeting, Rivlin said, "Mike, you are a great friend of Israel and we value your strong support very much. The United States is Israel's most important strategic ally and we deeply appreciate what you do for the security of Israel and the region. Our countries are allies and I believe we see eye to eye on the challenges and the opportunities in our region."
Rivlin also asked Pompeo to send his warmest regards to US President Donald Trump and thanked him on behalf of the State of Israel for the important step of opening the American Embassy in Jerusalem.
Pompeo thanked Rivlin for the warm welcome, saying: "Mr President, I am sure that you know that Israel has no better friend than the United States. These are not just words, this is what we do on a daily basis for the benefit of us both. The United States has a moral and political obligation to prevent hostile forces eroding regional stability, and that is what we will do."
The meeting focused on the various regional challenges, particularly on Israel's northern border, on the build-up of Iranian forces in Syria and Lebanon and on Iranian support for Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Pompeo at Yad Vashem
Matty Stern/ U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with President Reuven Rivlin
Mark Neiman (GPO)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Ambassador David Friedman Matty Stern/ U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
5. 'US TO RECOGNIZE ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY OVER GOLAN NEXT WEEK'
by David Rosenberg
The White House may be preparing to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, say senior Israeli officials, suggesting that an announcement regarding recognition could come as early as next week.
According to a report Thursday morning by Israel's Channel 13, senior Israeli officials believe the Trump administration is preparing to formally recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights – ending a decades-long US policy of non-recognition of Israel's annexation of the strategic plateau.
The officials cited by the report say the US could announce plans to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan as early as next week, coinciding with Israeli premier Binyamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, during the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference.
Israel captured the Heights from Syria during the Six Day War in June, 1967, after the Syrian army used the strategic high ground overlooking the Galilee to attack Israeli towns and farms.
From 1967 to 1981, Israel administered the Golan Heights via military law, mirroring the system used in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip. Roughly two-thirds of the Golan Heights remained under Israeli control following the 1973 Yom Kippur War and creation of a demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel.
In 1981, however, the Menachem Begin government applied Israeli law directly to the Golan Heights with the Golan Heights Law, effectively annexing the territory to the State of Israel.
The United Nations and major world powers, including the US, Russia, and European Union have hitherto refused to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, however, some US lawmakers have called for the State Department to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan.
Last year, Senators Tom Cotton (R.-Arkansas) and Ted Cruz (R.-Texas) proposed a resolution endorsing recognition of the Golan as sovereign Israeli territory.
Earlier this month, the State Department signaled a change in policy towards the Golan, dropping references to the "Israeli-occupied Golan", referring to the territory instead with the more neutral phrase "Israeli-controlled".
The move drew criticism, however, from former United States Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk, who said the Golan Heights are "Syrian territory."
"Like it or not, the Golan Heights are Syrian territory."
"Israel cannot give them up now given its legitimate security concerns. But to recognize Israel's annexation of territory that is not its own is to play with fire for partisan political purposes. No Arab state will accept it," Indyk tweeted.
"It would also contravene the 1974 Israel-Syria Disengagement Agreement, which Netanyahu and Putin recently invoked to govern the resumption of Syrian government responsibilities on the Golan border with Israel."
6. ARIEL TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260608
The terrorist who murdered 2 Israelis in a shooting and stabbing attack in Samaria on Sunday has been neutralized after engaging in a shootout with security forces near Ramalllah.
Heavy fire has been reported in the area.
The Shin Bet reportedly located the building in which the terrorist, Omar Abu Lila, was hiding. A SWAT team was sent to capture Lila, who engaged the forces.
The terrorist was killed in the firefight
According to Arab media, the IDF blew up the house in which the terrorist was hiding, and that 11 Arabs were injured as a result of exchanges of fire with the terrorist.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260608
7. POLICE RAID YESHIVA ESTABLISHED AT SCENE OF ATTACK
by Yoni Kempinski
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260603
On Tuesday afternoon, large police forces raided the Beit Midrash that was built at the scene of the combined attack at Ariel Junction.
Police forces tried to detain boys who were in the area and to check others. The raid took place during Rabbi Dov Lior's shiur.
Rabbi Lior gives class at place of attack
Eitan Shiober
8. 'GANTZ, WHAT DOES IRAN KNOW YOU ARE HIDING FROM US?'
by Gary Willig
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accused Blue and White leaders Benny against and Yair Lapid of being"panicked" over Iran's hacking of Gantz's cell phone.
"[Benny Gantz],, what do the Iranian's know you are hiding?" Netanyahu asked at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The prime minister dismissed the claims of Gantz and Lapid that new developments in the Submarine Affair may implicate him.
"There is nothing new except for one thing, Lapid and Gantz's panic," Netanyahu said.
"Why are they panicked? The answer is obvious," he stated.
"The reason for their panic is because Iran hacked Gantz's phone and stole information from him," Netanyahu explained.
"Benny Gantz, what are you hiding from the Israeli people?" he asked. "Why did not you tell this to your party partners when you were updated by the Shin Bet? What would you hide from them? Did you make irresponsible use of your personal phone when you were chief of staff and the head of a cyber company ans should know that these devices are accessible to the intelligence forces of the enemy?"
"How can a prime minister stand against Iran, our greatest enemy, if Iran has personal information about him? This is not mere gossip. It's a matter of national security," he declared.
Netanyahu told Gantz to come clean about the information which was taken from his phone. "The only way you will not be subject to blackmail is to expose the public to it now."
"I say this with regret, but you have a consistent problem of lack of judgment. Where was your judgment when you participated in the shameful memorial event which grouped together both Israeli casualties and Palestinian casualties from Operation Protective Edge, including 1,000 Hamas terrorist? Where was your judgement when you supported the dangerous Iran nuclear agreement which I opposed? Where was the judgment of Yair Lapid and yourself when you said that there are good parts to the agreement, that the Iranians are rational, and that the absence of an agreement will destroy our relations with the United States?
"Citizens of Israel, if I regain your trust, I will continue to lead the country with discretion, responsibility and strength to many more tremendous achievements," Netanyahu concluded.
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Thursday, Mar. 21 '19, י"ד באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. WATCH: THOUSANDS CELEBRATE PURIM IN HEVRON
2. WATCH: BETO O'ROURKE TAKES AIM AT NETANYAHU
3. POLICE INVESTIGATIONS GRILLS SOLDIER WHO KILLED ROCK-THROWER
4. POMPEO: US HAS 'MORAL OBLIGATION' TO STAND UP TO HOSTILE FORCES
5. 'US TO RECOGNIZE ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY OVER GOLAN NEXT WEEK'
6. ARIEL TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED
7. POLICE RAID YESHIVA ESTABLISHED AT SCENE OF ATTACK
8. 'GANTZ, WHAT DOES IRAN KNOW YOU ARE HIDING FROM US?'
1. WATCH: THOUSANDS CELEBRATE PURIM IN HEVRON
by Eliran Aharon, Hevron
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260693
[album:open:10978]
2. WATCH: BETO O'ROURKE TAKES AIM AT NETANYAHU
by David Rosenberg
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260694
Former Texas congressman and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke, whose 2018 Senate bid against incumbent Ted Cruz drew nationwide attention, blasted Israeli premier Binyamin Netanyahu, accusing the Israeli leader of "openly siding with racists" and using anti-Arab demagoguery in the 2015 Knesset election.
Speaking at a campaign event in Keene State College, a liberal arts school in New Hampshire, O'Rourke suggested that the Israeli premier could not serve as a negotiating partner for final status talks with the Palestinian Authority, comparing Netanyahu unfavorably with PA chief Mahmoud Abbas.
"Right now we don't have the best negotiating partners on either side," O'Rourke said during a question-and-answer session at the event.
O'Rourke referenced Netanyahu's support for a deal to bring the right-wing Otzma Yehudit party into a temporary alliance with the Jewish Home party, forging a joint list to ensure that both factions enter the Knesset.
The former congressman, who recently announced his 2020 presidential bid, also hit Netanyahu over the Prime Minister's comments during the 2015 Knesset election, in which the Netanyahu warned of heavy voter turnout for the radical anti-Zionist Arab Joint List party.
"In Israel, we have a Prime Minister who openly sided with racists, who in a previous election warned that the Arabs were coming to the polls. And on the Palestinian side you have an ineffectual leader, Mahmoud Abbas. He hasn't been very effective in bringing his side to the table either."
On election day in 2015, Netanyahu warned that his "right-wing government is in danger. Arab voters are heading to the polling stations in droves," adding that "left-wing groups" of "busing in" Arab voters to boost the Joint List faction.
3. POLICE INVESTIGATIONS GRILLS SOLDIER WHO KILLED ROCK-THROWER
by Mordechai Sones
Judea and Samaria Division Commander Brigadier General Eran Niv and Etzion Regional Brigade Commander Colonel David Shapira conducted an investigation following an incident that occurred Wednesday evening at the Efrat intersection at the entrance to the city of Bethlehem.
According to the investigation, an IDF soldier guarding a military post near the junction identified an Arab throwing rocks at vehicles and performed the procedure for arresting a suspect that ended in gunfire.
The possibility is being examined that the incident involved friction between Arabs including rock throwing.
The IDF Spokesman said the investigation of the incident continues as the Military Police Chief Investigations Division opened an investigation.
MK Betzalel Smotrich of the National Union responded, "I didn't understand what the problem was and what there is to investigate. Whoever throws rocks at Israeli vehicles is a terrorist, and it's very good that he was shot and killed."
4. POMPEO: US HAS 'MORAL OBLIGATION' TO STAND UP TO HOSTILE FORCES
by Arutz Sheva Staff
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and his wife Susan on Tuesday visited Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, where the Secretary of State laid a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance and signed the guest book.
He also visited the US Embassy in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood, accompanied by Ambassador David Friedman, and held a working meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
At the beginning of the meeting, Rivlin said, "Mike, you are a great friend of Israel and we value your strong support very much. The United States is Israel's most important strategic ally and we deeply appreciate what you do for the security of Israel and the region. Our countries are allies and I believe we see eye to eye on the challenges and the opportunities in our region."
Rivlin also asked Pompeo to send his warmest regards to US President Donald Trump and thanked him on behalf of the State of Israel for the important step of opening the American Embassy in Jerusalem.
Pompeo thanked Rivlin for the warm welcome, saying: "Mr President, I am sure that you know that Israel has no better friend than the United States. These are not just words, this is what we do on a daily basis for the benefit of us both. The United States has a moral and political obligation to prevent hostile forces eroding regional stability, and that is what we will do."
The meeting focused on the various regional challenges, particularly on Israel's northern border, on the build-up of Iranian forces in Syria and Lebanon and on Iranian support for Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Pompeo at Yad Vashem
Matty Stern/ U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with President Reuven Rivlin
Mark Neiman (GPO)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Ambassador David Friedman Matty Stern/ U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
5. 'US TO RECOGNIZE ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY OVER GOLAN NEXT WEEK'
by David Rosenberg
The White House may be preparing to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, say senior Israeli officials, suggesting that an announcement regarding recognition could come as early as next week.
According to a report Thursday morning by Israel's Channel 13, senior Israeli officials believe the Trump administration is preparing to formally recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights – ending a decades-long US policy of non-recognition of Israel's annexation of the strategic plateau.
The officials cited by the report say the US could announce plans to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan as early as next week, coinciding with Israeli premier Binyamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, during the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference.
Israel captured the Heights from Syria during the Six Day War in June, 1967, after the Syrian army used the strategic high ground overlooking the Galilee to attack Israeli towns and farms.
From 1967 to 1981, Israel administered the Golan Heights via military law, mirroring the system used in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip. Roughly two-thirds of the Golan Heights remained under Israeli control following the 1973 Yom Kippur War and creation of a demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel.
In 1981, however, the Menachem Begin government applied Israeli law directly to the Golan Heights with the Golan Heights Law, effectively annexing the territory to the State of Israel.
The United Nations and major world powers, including the US, Russia, and European Union have hitherto refused to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, however, some US lawmakers have called for the State Department to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan.
Last year, Senators Tom Cotton (R.-Arkansas) and Ted Cruz (R.-Texas) proposed a resolution endorsing recognition of the Golan as sovereign Israeli territory.
Earlier this month, the State Department signaled a change in policy towards the Golan, dropping references to the "Israeli-occupied Golan", referring to the territory instead with the more neutral phrase "Israeli-controlled".
The move drew criticism, however, from former United States Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk, who said the Golan Heights are "Syrian territory."
"Like it or not, the Golan Heights are Syrian territory."
"Israel cannot give them up now given its legitimate security concerns. But to recognize Israel's annexation of territory that is not its own is to play with fire for partisan political purposes. No Arab state will accept it," Indyk tweeted.
"It would also contravene the 1974 Israel-Syria Disengagement Agreement, which Netanyahu and Putin recently invoked to govern the resumption of Syrian government responsibilities on the Golan border with Israel."
6. ARIEL TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260608
The terrorist who murdered 2 Israelis in a shooting and stabbing attack in Samaria on Sunday has been neutralized after engaging in a shootout with security forces near Ramalllah.
Heavy fire has been reported in the area.
The Shin Bet reportedly located the building in which the terrorist, Omar Abu Lila, was hiding. A SWAT team was sent to capture Lila, who engaged the forces.
The terrorist was killed in the firefight
According to Arab media, the IDF blew up the house in which the terrorist was hiding, and that 11 Arabs were injured as a result of exchanges of fire with the terrorist.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260608
7. POLICE RAID YESHIVA ESTABLISHED AT SCENE OF ATTACK
by Yoni Kempinski
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260603
On Tuesday afternoon, large police forces raided the Beit Midrash that was built at the scene of the combined attack at Ariel Junction.
Police forces tried to detain boys who were in the area and to check others. The raid took place during Rabbi Dov Lior's shiur.
Rabbi Lior gives class at place of attack
Eitan Shiober
8. 'GANTZ, WHAT DOES IRAN KNOW YOU ARE HIDING FROM US?'
by Gary Willig
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accused Blue and White leaders Benny against and Yair Lapid of being"panicked" over Iran's hacking of Gantz's cell phone.
"[Benny Gantz],, what do the Iranian's know you are hiding?" Netanyahu asked at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The prime minister dismissed the claims of Gantz and Lapid that new developments in the Submarine Affair may implicate him.
"There is nothing new except for one thing, Lapid and Gantz's panic," Netanyahu said.
"Why are they panicked? The answer is obvious," he stated.
"The reason for their panic is because Iran hacked Gantz's phone and stole information from him," Netanyahu explained.
"Benny Gantz, what are you hiding from the Israeli people?" he asked. "Why did not you tell this to your party partners when you were updated by the Shin Bet? What would you hide from them? Did you make irresponsible use of your personal phone when you were chief of staff and the head of a cyber company ans should know that these devices are accessible to the intelligence forces of the enemy?"
"How can a prime minister stand against Iran, our greatest enemy, if Iran has personal information about him? This is not mere gossip. It's a matter of national security," he declared.
Netanyahu told Gantz to come clean about the information which was taken from his phone. "The only way you will not be subject to blackmail is to expose the public to it now."
"I say this with regret, but you have a consistent problem of lack of judgment. Where was your judgment when you participated in the shameful memorial event which grouped together both Israeli casualties and Palestinian casualties from Operation Protective Edge, including 1,000 Hamas terrorist? Where was your judgement when you supported the dangerous Iran nuclear agreement which I opposed? Where was the judgment of Yair Lapid and yourself when you said that there are good parts to the agreement, that the Iranians are rational, and that the absence of an agreement will destroy our relations with the United States?
"Citizens of Israel, if I regain your trust, I will continue to lead the country with discretion, responsibility and strength to many more tremendous achievements," Netanyahu concluded.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
A7News: Iran: We didn't hack Zionists phones
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Wednesday, Mar. 20 '19, י"ג באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. IRAN: WE DIDN'T HACK ZIONISTS PHONES
2. POMPEO ON MIDDLE EAST TOUR TO COUNTER IRAN, BOOST NETANYAHU
3. IDF CELEBRATES PURIM WITH HEARTWARMING INDUCTION CEREMONY
4. RABBI FINKEL'S RECOMMENDATION FOR ABUNDANCE
5. LOOKING AFTER BEREAVED FAMILY OF MURDERED RABBI
6. ARIEL TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED
7. POLICE RAID YESHIVA ESTABLISHED AT SCENE OF ATTACK
8. OLD BATTERIES SPARK FIRE IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT
1. IRAN: WE DIDN'T HACK ZIONISTS PHONES
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry denied that the Iranian regime hacked Israeli officials' cellular phones, Iran's IRNA news agency reported.
IRNA quoted Bahram Qasemi as saying that the "Zionist officials" are "playing the blame game and promoting hype...out of hostility, malice and to promote Iranophobia, the Zionist regime of Israel and the US officials are after imposing most pressures against Iran by raising such claims."
The site also quoted Qasemi as calling Israel's election candidates "unprofessional" and claiming that they are "taking advantage of advertising tools" encourage hostility towards Iran, and reiterating his belief that Israel engages in "psychological warfare."
Earlier this month, a report claimed that Blue and White leader Benny Gantz's cellular phone was hacked by Iranians. The report noted that it is possible the Iranians did not break into the phone themselves but bought the information from foreign hackers who carried out the actual breakout, according to the report.
Gantz has promised that the hack "does not interfere" with his functioning, and claimed that nothing which could compromise security was discovered in the hack.
2. POMPEO ON MIDDLE EAST TOUR TO COUNTER IRAN, BOOST NETANYAHU
by AFP, Arutz Sheva Staff
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sought Wednesday to bolster a united front against Iran during a Middle East tour that will include talks with key ally Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's April 9 elections.
Pompeo kicked off his regional tour in Kuwait, where he met Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on the first stop of a trip that will also take him to Israel and Lebanon.
Pompeo told reporters on the flight from the United States that he would discuss "strategic dialogue" and the need to combat "the threat posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran" with leaders in the region.
He will also push for a greater role for the Middle East Strategic Alliance, a US-sponsored Arab NATO aimed at uniting Washington's Arab allies against Tehran.
After Kuwait Pompeo will fly to Israel where an election campaign is in its final weeks with Netanyahu locked in a close battle with centrist rivals.
While Washington insists it is not interfering in Israeli politics, his visit is seen as a sign of support for Netanyahu, who is struggling to keep his grip on power as he faces allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust ahead of the April 9 polls.
"I'm going to Israel because of the important relationship we have," Pompeo said. "Leaders will change in both countries over time. That relationship matters no matter who the leaders are."
Israel is one of the most outspoken members of the anti-Iranian grouping assembled by the US, and Iran is sure to be a central focus of Pompeo's talks in Jerusalem.
No meetings with Netanyahu's opponents are scheduled, and the secretary of state will not meet with representatives of the Palestinian Authority.
"They'd have to want to talk to us," Pompeo said of the Palestinian officials. "That'd be a good start."
Pompeo's two-day visit to Jerusalem also includes a symbolic stop at the new US embassy, which was transferred from Tel Aviv on Trump's orders last year.
Netanyahu will travel to Washington in the last week of March for the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an event sponsored by the influential lobbying group that draws thousands each year.
While a meeting has not been officially confirmed, the Israeli premier hopes to use the opportunity of his Washington visit to meet with Trump.
3. IDF CELEBRATES PURIM WITH HEARTWARMING INDUCTION CEREMONY
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260637
After a full year of volunteering for the IDF on the Palmachim Air Base in the framework of Special in Uniform, Shachak Shriki, Liron Nathan, Liel Katzav and Roi Kaufman, all of whom are youth with assorted physical and mental deficiencies, became full-fledged soldiers in the IDF.
Special in Uniform, a joint project of the IDF, Lend-a-Hand to a Special Child, and JNF-USA, integrates youth with physical disabilities into the IDF, imbuing them with pride in themselves and their abilities and enabling them to function independently and contribute positively to society.
Four adolescents with special needs received their teudat hoger (soldier identification cards) today. These young people enlisted in the IDF via the framework of Special in Uniform, a groundbreaking initiative which incorporates young people with disabilities into the military and helps them integrate long-term into society and the workforce.
A red carpet was rolled out opposite the Mesubim Gate in the Bakum, and to the sound of trumpets playing, Shachak Shriki, Liron Nathan, Liel Katzav and Roi Kaufman fell into their parents' arms, proudly showing off their very own Soldier's ID that they've yearned and worked for so long to attain. In the framework of the Special in Uniform program, members volunteer for one year in the army, train and learn important skills before they graduate to become full-fledged soldiers.
Deb Kaufman, Roi's mom, relates: "Roi is 22 years old and suffers from VCF syndrome which is often expressed in heart defects, a cleft palate, anomalies in the skull, and most obvious to all, ADD and slight retardation. He is capable of functioning normally, but he needs to be coached and trained as if he were a child of 11."
"Roi is very verbal," she adds. "He's spent the last year on Palmachim Airbase working for information systems, cleaning knives, kitchen duty, and deliveries. His lifelong dream was to be a soldier, to know that he could contribute to society like everyone else. Until last year, his life took the typical route of kids in the special educational system. He followed a very specific educational program in school and in a remedial afternoon program.
"When he graduated twelfth grade, his high school in Ness Ziona, Tomer, offered assorted options for the future, one of which was to volunteer in the army. Due to his disabilities, Roi had received an automatic exemption, but that wasn't enough to deter him. He was determined to volunteer for the army, and after a year, [his superiors], who recognized and appreciated his skills and capabilities recruited him to their ranks.
"For me, this is an awesome victory, a miracle! It's so meaningful to me that people appreciate Roi for who he is and that he is able to contribute to society like all others. Personally, I see tremendous improvement in his self-esteem and confidence; he's changed completely. He's become more diligent; he can solve much more complex problems than before he started volunteering. Yet the cherry on top is seeing his relationship with his girlfriend. The two were placed in the same army track, and now he's a regular guy!"
Special in Uniform is internationally acclaimed for its unique, experiential and effective programs in which participants undergo evaluation and assessment by a professional team, followed by a three-month course teaching life and occupational skills. One of the major goals of the project is to imbue young people with disabilities with pride in themselves and their abilities, to function independently, and contribute positively to society.
Today, the brand-new soldiers stood with shining eyes on a raised platform built especially for them. Chairman of Lend a Hand to a Special Child Lt. Col. (Res.) Gabi Ophir distributed the caps and dog tags together with the President of Special in Uniform and Afcon Chairman Israel Reif.
Another new soldier, Shachak Shriki, 18, of Kiryat Ono is on the autistic spectrum, and he's earned the title of Special in Uniform Progenitor. With shining eyes, he related his story and vividly describes his adjustment to life in the army. He laughingly recounts that he did not tell a single friend about his disability, as he was eager to start a fresh life, without any stigmas...
"That I already done!" shares Shriki. "Now I'm on my way to realizing new and more ambitious dreams!"
Yossi Kahana of JNF-USA, which co-sponsors Special in Uniform, expresses: "Purim is a time of joy, of celebration and miracles, a time when our nation was united. Special in Uniform is a phenomenal initiative, unmatched anywhere else in the world, and it highlights the exceptional unity and compassion of our nation. For all us here today, this is a very special and joyous occasion. The fact that these kids are standing here today, full-fledged soldiers in the IDF, is nothing short of a Purim miracle!"
Special soldiers join the IDF
Special in uniform
4. RABBI FINKEL'S RECOMMENDATION FOR ABUNDANCE
by Sponsored Content
Moishy* was just 13 year old when his parents passed away in a car crash. The young boy was at a friend's house when they received the news. From that point on, he became responsible for his own wellbeing, and the wellbeing of his siblings. Working whichever odd jobs he could find, Moishy began to save up. He could not dismiss, however, his late father's legacy:
The boy's father had wanted for his son to have the opportunity to learn Torah. And so, in his father's memory, Moishy spends his days in the beis midrash, and his nights in the yeshiva kitchen. Long after the rest of the bochurim have gone to bed, the young man cooks for the following day.
Recently, in a simcha tinged with sadness, Moishy became engaged. With very limited savings, and no family to help him make a wedding or establish a home, he has already begun to experience humiliation.
There is, however, some hope: Moishy and his kallah applied to the Kupat Ha'Ir orphan wedding campaign, and were approved.
If this month's campaign is successful, this hard-working chassan and others like him will have the opportunity start their married lives with some financial security.
For years, respected rabbanim such as Rav Kanievsky, Rav Shimon Galai and more have put their stamp of approval on the Kupat Ha'Ir orphan campaigns, often giving specific blessings to donors.
This month's bracha is from Rav Binyamin Finkel shlit"a, who blesses those who contribute with "spiritual and material abundance for him and his descendants.'"
The campaign's goal is to raise $1,000 for each couple, a package which would enable them to cover many basic expenses including simple wedding hall costs, and second-hand furniture. Donations are being accepted here for a limited time.
*Details do not belong to any one particular orphan - they are the amalgam of multiple cases, intended to illustrate the pain of an orphan chosson and kallah.
5. LOOKING AFTER BEREAVED FAMILY OF MURDERED RABBI
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A fundraising drive for the future of the children of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger was launched Tuesday by friends of the Ettinger family from the town of Eli.
The initiators of the drive explained: "We invite you to be partners and look after the future of the Ettinger family. In such situations, the State thank G-d knows how to look after the present; we want to look after the future."
"We want to make sure that when Tamar wants to marry them off, she won't ask herself, 'How will I afford it?'
"Join with us in looking after all of their futures: 12 children, 12 weddings, 12 more homes in our beautiful country. Be our partners!"
For the donations page click here.
Following media reports yesterday and today, the family reported: "In light of conflicting media reports, we want to clarify: At first we refused to accept donations as was originally published."
"But after a conversation with the rabbi of the community, Rabbi Avraham Schiller, we decided to accept the public's assistance and to receive the donations that will come through a charitable and benevolent fund to ensure a strong financial future for the children of Rabbi Achiad."
6. ARIEL TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260608
The terrorist who murdered 2 Israelis in a shooting and stabbing attack in Samaria on Sunday has been neutralized after engaging in a shootout with security forces near Ramalllah.
Heavy fire has been reported in the area.
The Shin Bet reportedly located the building in which the terrorist, Omar Abu Lila, was hiding. A SWAT team was sent to capture Lila, who engaged the forces.
The terrorist was killed in the firefight
According to Arab media, the IDF blew up the house in which the terrorist was hiding, and that 11 Arabs were injured as a result of exchanges of fire with the terrorist.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260608
7. POLICE RAID YESHIVA ESTABLISHED AT SCENE OF ATTACK
by Yoni Kempinski
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260603
On Tuesday afternoon, large police forces raided the Beit Midrash that was built at the scene of the combined attack at Ariel Junction.
Police forces tried to detain boys who were in the area and to check others. The raid took place during Rabbi Dov Lior's shiur.
Rabbi Lior gives class at place of attack
Eitan Shiober
8. OLD BATTERIES SPARK FIRE IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT
by Eliran Aharon
Firefighting teams were called to extinguish a fire which had broken out in a Jerusalem home early Tuesday morning.
Several teams of firefighters arrived at the team and shortly thereafter succeeded in breaking through the apartment's front door, searching for victims while working to extinguish the flames and ventilate the apartment and building.
A search of the apartment revealed that no one was present at the time of the fire.
Initial investigations revealed that the fire started due to a pile of old toys stored in bags together with a large number of old batteries and placed near the entrance to the apartment.
At some point, the tips of the batteries touched each other, causing sparks and heat and eventually sparking a fire near the door.
Fire chief Eli Edri, who commanded the operation, said, "We were called during the morning hours to the Ma'alot Dafna neighborhood, after someone reported a significant fire in an apartment in the neighborhood. We arrived at the scene and saw a thick plume of smoke rising from an apartment on the second floor of a four-story building. We were also concerned people might be trapped in the apartment."
"We broke into the apartment, and behind the door we saw a huge fire. A search of the apartment revealed that no one was trapped. Luckily, the parents and their eight children were spending the night at their grandmother's. The source of the fire was near the door and the flames blocked the entrance, so if they had not spent the night at their grandmother's, they would have been trapped in the burning apartment.
"We are happy that this fire ended with no injuries and a Purim miracle for the family."
The burned apartment Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Wednesday, Mar. 20 '19, י"ג באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. IRAN: WE DIDN'T HACK ZIONISTS PHONES
2. POMPEO ON MIDDLE EAST TOUR TO COUNTER IRAN, BOOST NETANYAHU
3. IDF CELEBRATES PURIM WITH HEARTWARMING INDUCTION CEREMONY
4. RABBI FINKEL'S RECOMMENDATION FOR ABUNDANCE
5. LOOKING AFTER BEREAVED FAMILY OF MURDERED RABBI
6. ARIEL TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED
7. POLICE RAID YESHIVA ESTABLISHED AT SCENE OF ATTACK
8. OLD BATTERIES SPARK FIRE IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT
1. IRAN: WE DIDN'T HACK ZIONISTS PHONES
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry denied that the Iranian regime hacked Israeli officials' cellular phones, Iran's IRNA news agency reported.
IRNA quoted Bahram Qasemi as saying that the "Zionist officials" are "playing the blame game and promoting hype...out of hostility, malice and to promote Iranophobia, the Zionist regime of Israel and the US officials are after imposing most pressures against Iran by raising such claims."
The site also quoted Qasemi as calling Israel's election candidates "unprofessional" and claiming that they are "taking advantage of advertising tools" encourage hostility towards Iran, and reiterating his belief that Israel engages in "psychological warfare."
Earlier this month, a report claimed that Blue and White leader Benny Gantz's cellular phone was hacked by Iranians. The report noted that it is possible the Iranians did not break into the phone themselves but bought the information from foreign hackers who carried out the actual breakout, according to the report.
Gantz has promised that the hack "does not interfere" with his functioning, and claimed that nothing which could compromise security was discovered in the hack.
2. POMPEO ON MIDDLE EAST TOUR TO COUNTER IRAN, BOOST NETANYAHU
by AFP, Arutz Sheva Staff
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sought Wednesday to bolster a united front against Iran during a Middle East tour that will include talks with key ally Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's April 9 elections.
Pompeo kicked off his regional tour in Kuwait, where he met Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on the first stop of a trip that will also take him to Israel and Lebanon.
Pompeo told reporters on the flight from the United States that he would discuss "strategic dialogue" and the need to combat "the threat posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran" with leaders in the region.
He will also push for a greater role for the Middle East Strategic Alliance, a US-sponsored Arab NATO aimed at uniting Washington's Arab allies against Tehran.
After Kuwait Pompeo will fly to Israel where an election campaign is in its final weeks with Netanyahu locked in a close battle with centrist rivals.
While Washington insists it is not interfering in Israeli politics, his visit is seen as a sign of support for Netanyahu, who is struggling to keep his grip on power as he faces allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust ahead of the April 9 polls.
"I'm going to Israel because of the important relationship we have," Pompeo said. "Leaders will change in both countries over time. That relationship matters no matter who the leaders are."
Israel is one of the most outspoken members of the anti-Iranian grouping assembled by the US, and Iran is sure to be a central focus of Pompeo's talks in Jerusalem.
No meetings with Netanyahu's opponents are scheduled, and the secretary of state will not meet with representatives of the Palestinian Authority.
"They'd have to want to talk to us," Pompeo said of the Palestinian officials. "That'd be a good start."
Pompeo's two-day visit to Jerusalem also includes a symbolic stop at the new US embassy, which was transferred from Tel Aviv on Trump's orders last year.
Netanyahu will travel to Washington in the last week of March for the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an event sponsored by the influential lobbying group that draws thousands each year.
While a meeting has not been officially confirmed, the Israeli premier hopes to use the opportunity of his Washington visit to meet with Trump.
3. IDF CELEBRATES PURIM WITH HEARTWARMING INDUCTION CEREMONY
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260637
After a full year of volunteering for the IDF on the Palmachim Air Base in the framework of Special in Uniform, Shachak Shriki, Liron Nathan, Liel Katzav and Roi Kaufman, all of whom are youth with assorted physical and mental deficiencies, became full-fledged soldiers in the IDF.
Special in Uniform, a joint project of the IDF, Lend-a-Hand to a Special Child, and JNF-USA, integrates youth with physical disabilities into the IDF, imbuing them with pride in themselves and their abilities and enabling them to function independently and contribute positively to society.
Four adolescents with special needs received their teudat hoger (soldier identification cards) today. These young people enlisted in the IDF via the framework of Special in Uniform, a groundbreaking initiative which incorporates young people with disabilities into the military and helps them integrate long-term into society and the workforce.
A red carpet was rolled out opposite the Mesubim Gate in the Bakum, and to the sound of trumpets playing, Shachak Shriki, Liron Nathan, Liel Katzav and Roi Kaufman fell into their parents' arms, proudly showing off their very own Soldier's ID that they've yearned and worked for so long to attain. In the framework of the Special in Uniform program, members volunteer for one year in the army, train and learn important skills before they graduate to become full-fledged soldiers.
Deb Kaufman, Roi's mom, relates: "Roi is 22 years old and suffers from VCF syndrome which is often expressed in heart defects, a cleft palate, anomalies in the skull, and most obvious to all, ADD and slight retardation. He is capable of functioning normally, but he needs to be coached and trained as if he were a child of 11."
"Roi is very verbal," she adds. "He's spent the last year on Palmachim Airbase working for information systems, cleaning knives, kitchen duty, and deliveries. His lifelong dream was to be a soldier, to know that he could contribute to society like everyone else. Until last year, his life took the typical route of kids in the special educational system. He followed a very specific educational program in school and in a remedial afternoon program.
"When he graduated twelfth grade, his high school in Ness Ziona, Tomer, offered assorted options for the future, one of which was to volunteer in the army. Due to his disabilities, Roi had received an automatic exemption, but that wasn't enough to deter him. He was determined to volunteer for the army, and after a year, [his superiors], who recognized and appreciated his skills and capabilities recruited him to their ranks.
"For me, this is an awesome victory, a miracle! It's so meaningful to me that people appreciate Roi for who he is and that he is able to contribute to society like all others. Personally, I see tremendous improvement in his self-esteem and confidence; he's changed completely. He's become more diligent; he can solve much more complex problems than before he started volunteering. Yet the cherry on top is seeing his relationship with his girlfriend. The two were placed in the same army track, and now he's a regular guy!"
Special in Uniform is internationally acclaimed for its unique, experiential and effective programs in which participants undergo evaluation and assessment by a professional team, followed by a three-month course teaching life and occupational skills. One of the major goals of the project is to imbue young people with disabilities with pride in themselves and their abilities, to function independently, and contribute positively to society.
Today, the brand-new soldiers stood with shining eyes on a raised platform built especially for them. Chairman of Lend a Hand to a Special Child Lt. Col. (Res.) Gabi Ophir distributed the caps and dog tags together with the President of Special in Uniform and Afcon Chairman Israel Reif.
Another new soldier, Shachak Shriki, 18, of Kiryat Ono is on the autistic spectrum, and he's earned the title of Special in Uniform Progenitor. With shining eyes, he related his story and vividly describes his adjustment to life in the army. He laughingly recounts that he did not tell a single friend about his disability, as he was eager to start a fresh life, without any stigmas...
"That I already done!" shares Shriki. "Now I'm on my way to realizing new and more ambitious dreams!"
Yossi Kahana of JNF-USA, which co-sponsors Special in Uniform, expresses: "Purim is a time of joy, of celebration and miracles, a time when our nation was united. Special in Uniform is a phenomenal initiative, unmatched anywhere else in the world, and it highlights the exceptional unity and compassion of our nation. For all us here today, this is a very special and joyous occasion. The fact that these kids are standing here today, full-fledged soldiers in the IDF, is nothing short of a Purim miracle!"
Special soldiers join the IDF
Special in uniform
4. RABBI FINKEL'S RECOMMENDATION FOR ABUNDANCE
by Sponsored Content
Moishy* was just 13 year old when his parents passed away in a car crash. The young boy was at a friend's house when they received the news. From that point on, he became responsible for his own wellbeing, and the wellbeing of his siblings. Working whichever odd jobs he could find, Moishy began to save up. He could not dismiss, however, his late father's legacy:
The boy's father had wanted for his son to have the opportunity to learn Torah. And so, in his father's memory, Moishy spends his days in the beis midrash, and his nights in the yeshiva kitchen. Long after the rest of the bochurim have gone to bed, the young man cooks for the following day.
Recently, in a simcha tinged with sadness, Moishy became engaged. With very limited savings, and no family to help him make a wedding or establish a home, he has already begun to experience humiliation.
There is, however, some hope: Moishy and his kallah applied to the Kupat Ha'Ir orphan wedding campaign, and were approved.
If this month's campaign is successful, this hard-working chassan and others like him will have the opportunity start their married lives with some financial security.
For years, respected rabbanim such as Rav Kanievsky, Rav Shimon Galai and more have put their stamp of approval on the Kupat Ha'Ir orphan campaigns, often giving specific blessings to donors.
This month's bracha is from Rav Binyamin Finkel shlit"a, who blesses those who contribute with "spiritual and material abundance for him and his descendants.'"
The campaign's goal is to raise $1,000 for each couple, a package which would enable them to cover many basic expenses including simple wedding hall costs, and second-hand furniture. Donations are being accepted here for a limited time.
*Details do not belong to any one particular orphan - they are the amalgam of multiple cases, intended to illustrate the pain of an orphan chosson and kallah.
5. LOOKING AFTER BEREAVED FAMILY OF MURDERED RABBI
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A fundraising drive for the future of the children of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger was launched Tuesday by friends of the Ettinger family from the town of Eli.
The initiators of the drive explained: "We invite you to be partners and look after the future of the Ettinger family. In such situations, the State thank G-d knows how to look after the present; we want to look after the future."
"We want to make sure that when Tamar wants to marry them off, she won't ask herself, 'How will I afford it?'
"Join with us in looking after all of their futures: 12 children, 12 weddings, 12 more homes in our beautiful country. Be our partners!"
For the donations page click here.
Following media reports yesterday and today, the family reported: "In light of conflicting media reports, we want to clarify: At first we refused to accept donations as was originally published."
"But after a conversation with the rabbi of the community, Rabbi Avraham Schiller, we decided to accept the public's assistance and to receive the donations that will come through a charitable and benevolent fund to ensure a strong financial future for the children of Rabbi Achiad."
6. ARIEL TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260608
The terrorist who murdered 2 Israelis in a shooting and stabbing attack in Samaria on Sunday has been neutralized after engaging in a shootout with security forces near Ramalllah.
Heavy fire has been reported in the area.
The Shin Bet reportedly located the building in which the terrorist, Omar Abu Lila, was hiding. A SWAT team was sent to capture Lila, who engaged the forces.
The terrorist was killed in the firefight
According to Arab media, the IDF blew up the house in which the terrorist was hiding, and that 11 Arabs were injured as a result of exchanges of fire with the terrorist.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260608
7. POLICE RAID YESHIVA ESTABLISHED AT SCENE OF ATTACK
by Yoni Kempinski
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260603
On Tuesday afternoon, large police forces raided the Beit Midrash that was built at the scene of the combined attack at Ariel Junction.
Police forces tried to detain boys who were in the area and to check others. The raid took place during Rabbi Dov Lior's shiur.
Rabbi Lior gives class at place of attack
Eitan Shiober
8. OLD BATTERIES SPARK FIRE IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT
by Eliran Aharon
Firefighting teams were called to extinguish a fire which had broken out in a Jerusalem home early Tuesday morning.
Several teams of firefighters arrived at the team and shortly thereafter succeeded in breaking through the apartment's front door, searching for victims while working to extinguish the flames and ventilate the apartment and building.
A search of the apartment revealed that no one was present at the time of the fire.
Initial investigations revealed that the fire started due to a pile of old toys stored in bags together with a large number of old batteries and placed near the entrance to the apartment.
At some point, the tips of the batteries touched each other, causing sparks and heat and eventually sparking a fire near the door.
Fire chief Eli Edri, who commanded the operation, said, "We were called during the morning hours to the Ma'alot Dafna neighborhood, after someone reported a significant fire in an apartment in the neighborhood. We arrived at the scene and saw a thick plume of smoke rising from an apartment on the second floor of a four-story building. We were also concerned people might be trapped in the apartment."
"We broke into the apartment, and behind the door we saw a huge fire. A search of the apartment revealed that no one was trapped. Luckily, the parents and their eight children were spending the night at their grandmother's. The source of the fire was near the door and the flames blocked the entrance, so if they had not spent the night at their grandmother's, they would have been trapped in the burning apartment.
"We are happy that this fire ended with no injuries and a Purim miracle for the family."
The burned apartment Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
A7News: 'Gantz and Lapid will expel thousands of Jews from their homes'
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Tuesday, Mar. 19 '19, י"ב באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. 'GANTZ AND LAPID WILL EXPEL THOUSANDS OF JEWS FROM THEIR HOMES'
2. OLD BATTERIES SPARK FIRE IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT
3. WILL MURDERED RABBI'S STUDENT BECOME KNESSET MEMBER FOR OTZMA?
4. LEBANON ARRESTS CANADIAN CITIZEN FOR 'SPYING FOR ISRAEL'
5. WILL AG OKAY DEAL RESTORING OTZMA YEHUDIT'S 'SAFE' KNESSET SEAT?
6. ARAB PARTIES IN, OTZMA YEHUDIT CANDIDATE OUT
7. RABBI SHOT DURING SAMARIA ATTACK DIES
8. 'GANTZ IS CRAWLING TO NETANYAHU LIKE HE CRAWLED TO HAMAS'
1. 'GANTZ AND LAPID WILL EXPEL THOUSANDS OF JEWS FROM THEIR HOMES'
by Ido Ben Porat
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu blasted the Blue and White party on Tuesday during a visit to the ruins of the biblical city of Shilo, warning that if the center-left party wins next month's elections, the next government will expel thousands of Jews from Judea and Samaria.
"We are in the territory of our homeland," said Netanyahu during his visit to the site of the ancient city of Shilo, near the modern Israeli town of the same name. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee joined Netanyahu at the event, which was attended by local settlement leaders.
"This speaks to us, this is in our soul, and it is reflected in our policies and the work we do together. I think there is a real danger here, however. Lapid and Gantz are still held captive to the idea that the only way to secure the future of the State of Israel is to shrink it, to uproot 80,000 to 90,000 Jews, keep our heads down, and home that the Arabs will recognize Israel."
"I'm working in exactly the opposite direction, towards strengthening Israel in terms of security, economically, and in foreign relations. We developing ties around the world, including with the Arab world. This will take time, it will be a struggle, but it is the opposite approach [to Gantz and Lapid's]. They want a future based on vulnerability, we want a future based on strength. The choice here is very clear."
During his visit to the Shilo area, roughly 20 dozen women from Shilo and nearby Israeli towns gathered to protest against the ongoing investigation of settlement security guards in connection with their response to an attack near the town of Adei Ad in January.
"The security teams are our bullet proof vest," said one sign held up by a protester. "Soldiers - not criminals", read another sign."
On Saturday, January 26th, a mob of Arab rioters attacked an Israeli man who went out for a walk near the Israeli town of Adei Ad, near Shilo. The victim was beaten and stabbed during the attack, but eventually managed to escape and call for help.
When local security guards headed to the scene of the attack in response, they were attacked by dozens of Arabs who hurled stones and pieces of metal.
After the guards opened fire in self-defense, one of the attackers, Hamdi Nasan, was killed. Nasan, a Fatah terrorist who had been jailed by Israel in 2000 for his involvement in a series of terror attacks, was granted early release in 2007 as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian Authority.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260584
2. OLD BATTERIES SPARK FIRE IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT
by Eliran Aharon
Firefighting teams were called to extinguish a fire which had broken out in a Jerusalem home early Tuesday morning.
Several teams of firefighters arrived at the team and shortly thereafter succeeded in breaking through the apartment's front door, searching for victims while working to extinguish the flames and ventilate the apartment and building.
A search of the apartment revealed that no one was present at the time of the fire.
Initial investigations revealed that the fire started due to a pile of old toys stored in bags together with a large number of old batteries and placed near the entrance to the apartment.
At some point, the tips of the batteries touched each other, causing sparks and heat and eventually sparking a fire near the door.
Fire chief Eli Edri, who commanded the operation, said, "We were called during the morning hours to the Ma'alot Dafna neighborhood, after someone reported a significant fire in an apartment in the neighborhood. We arrived at the scene and saw a thick plume of smoke rising from an apartment on the second floor of a four-story building. We were also concerned people might be trapped in the apartment."
"We broke into the apartment, and behind the door we saw a huge fire. A search of the apartment revealed that no one was trapped. Luckily, the parents and their eight children were spending the night at their grandmother's. The source of the fire was near the door and the flames blocked the entrance, so if they had not spent the night at their grandmother's, they would have been trapped in the burning apartment.
"We are happy that this fire ended with no injuries and a Purim miracle for the family."
The burned apartment Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services
3. WILL MURDERED RABBI'S STUDENT BECOME KNESSET MEMBER FOR OTZMA?
by David Rosenberg
When the Jewish Home, National Union, and Otzma Yehudit submitted a joint list for the 21st Knesset on February 21st, Yitzhak Vaserlof seemed like a token candidate.
Placed 40th on the list of a party which is averaging about seven seats in the polls, Vaserlof was the third candidate for Otzma Yehudit on the Union of Right-Wing Parties' joint slate, behind former MK Michael Ben-Ari, and attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, who were placed on the fifth and eighth slots respectively.
Following Ben-Ari's disqualification from the election, however, Vaserlof could potentially find himself in the realistic eighth slot – and possibly enter the 21st Knesset.
On Sunday, the Supreme Court overturned the Central Elections Committee's decision to permit Ben-Ari to run for the 21st Knesset – marking the first time in history the Israeli Supreme Court has disqualified a candidate who had been approved by the committee.
Citing comments made by Ben-Ari in videos shared via social media, the court accepted the petition filed by the Reform Movement and the far-left Meretz party to disqualify Ben-Ari on the grounds of incitement to racism.
In response, Otzma Yehudit has demanded that the Central Elections Committee allow the party to rearrange the joint Knesset list, bumping up its two other candidates – pushing Itamar Ben-Gvir from eighth to fifth, and Vaserlof from 40th to eighth.
On Tuesday, the committee said that it would weigh the request, and asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit for his opinion as to whether the committee may permit changes to the order of the list after the February 21st deadline.
If approved, the change would make Vaserlof a realistic, albeit not guaranteed, candidate for the 21st Knesset in next month's election.
A married father of two, Vaserlof was raised in the Old City of Jerusalem, but moved to south Tel Aviv after serving in the IDF's Golani Brigade.
If elected, at 26 years old Vaserlof would be the second youngest person ever to serve in the Knesset, after Moshe Nissim, the former Likud MK who first entered the Knesset as a member of the General Zionists party at the age of 24.
After serving in the IDF, Vaserlof, an alumnus of Maalot Yeshiva, enrolled in the Oz V'Emunah yeshiva, Srugim reported, where for the past four years he was a student of the dean – Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, who as murdered in an Arab terrorist attack this week in Samaria.
Vaserlof, who had previously served as the chairman of the National Union party's youth wing, joined the Otzma Yehudit faction after he worked with then-MK Michael Ben-Ari during Ben-Ari's term in the Knesset from 2009-2013.
"That's how I first met Michael [Ben-Ari], who is an absolutely honest guy, a straight-shooter – as opposed to all of the backroom dealings that go on in politics, and that led me to work with him," Vaserlof told Srugim.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260582
4. LEBANON ARRESTS CANADIAN CITIZEN FOR 'SPYING FOR ISRAEL'
by AFP
Lebanese intelligence said Tuesday a Lebanese-Canadian dual national had been arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel.
"In the framework of pursuing operations to combat Israeli espionage... the directorate of General Security arrested a Lebanese-Canadian (F.G)," the General Security service said in a statement.
There were no details on exactly when or where he was detained.
The statement said the 40-year-old man confessed to being recruited in 2013 by a Lebanese fugitive it said belongs to an Israeli spying network described as "unit 504".
He was ordered to recruit Lebanese agents to spy on the Hezbollah movement and collect information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad, a navigator whose plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986 and was thought to have been handed over to the Shiite group, the statement said.
Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war, with occasional skirmishes along their shared ceasefire line.
In 2006, Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah terrorist organization launched a month-long war with
the Jewish state that devastated parts of Lebanon.
Hezbollah, which holds sway over much of Lebanon's southern border region, is funded and armed by Israel's archfoe Iran.
Between April 2009 and 2014, Lebanese authorities detained more than 100 people accused of spying for Israel, most of them members of the military or telecom employees.
Such arrests have been less frequent recently.
5. WILL AG OKAY DEAL RESTORING OTZMA YEHUDIT'S 'SAFE' KNESSET SEAT?
by Ido Ben Porat
Will the Otzma Yehudit faction be permitted to make last-minute changes to its list of candidates on the Union of Right-Wing Parties joint ticket?
On Sunday, the Supreme Court made the unprecedented move of banning a Knesset candidate who had been approved by the Knesset's own Central Elections Committee, disqualifying former MK Michael Ben-Ari from running for the 21st Knesset.
The ruling, which overturned the Central Election Committee's narrow 16 to 15 decision earlier this month to permit Ben-Ari to run, deprives the Otzma Yehudit faction of its "safe" seat in the next Knesset.
Otzma Yehudit, which is led by students of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, is running on a joint ticket with the Jewish Home and National Union factions, and received the fifth and seventh slots on the joint slate.
The party is currently polling at an average of about seven seats, guaranteeing that Ben-Ari, who had been placed fifth on the ticket, would enter the Knesset. Ben-Gvir, who had been placed eight on the ticket, would likely not have made it into the Knesset, recent polls show, had the list remained as originally submitted on February 21st.
With Ben-Ari's disqualification, however, every candidate on the joint slate after Ben-Ari was automatically bumped up one place, pushing Ben-Gvir into the realistic, but still not guaranteed, seventh spot on the list.
The third Otzma candidate, Yitzhak Vaserlof, was given a largely symbolic slot on the Knesset list, placed 40th on the joint list.
Ben-Ari's removal from the list has placed the alliance between the Jewish Home, National Union, and Otzma in jeopardy, as Otzma now will not be guaranteed representation in the Knesset – a fact that could drive away its voter base.
Now, however, the Central Elections Committee is weighing the possibility of altering the order of candidates on the Union of Right-Wing Parties' list, so as to allow Ben-Gvir to take Ben-Ari's spot in the fifth slot, while Vaserlof takes Ben-Gvir's spot as the seventh candidate on the joint list.
Ordinarily, parties are prohibited from making changes to their Knesset slates after the deadline for submitting lists – which passed on February 21st.
Given the unusual circumstances, however, the chairman of the Central Elections Committeee, Justice Hanan Meltzer, has asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit whether the committee can approve the last-minute reshuffling of candidates.
6. ARAB PARTIES IN, OTZMA YEHUDIT CANDIDATE OUT
by David Rosenberg
The Israeli Supreme Court issued a ruling against Otzma Yehudit Sunday evening, barring one of its candidates, Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, from running for the 21st Knesset.
In so doing, the court overturned a decision earlier this month by the Central Elections Committee to permit Ben-Ari to participate in next month's election.
The court also ruled Sunday to overturn the Central Elections Committee's decision to bar the radical anti-Zionist Arab parties Balad and the United Arab List from running for the Knesset. The two parties, which are running on a joint ticket, had been barred by the committee for their support for terrorism and opposition to Israel as a Jewish state.
In addition, the court also moved to overturn the Central Election Committee's order that Ofer Cassif, the sole Jewish candidate on the joint list of the predominantly Arab Hadash party and the Ta'al faction be banned from the Knesset. Cassif, a Hebrew University lecturer, had been banned over comments he had made comparing the State of Israel to Nazi Germany.
Ben-Ari, 55, had been the Otzma Yehudit faction's first candidate on a joint ticket with the Jewish Home and National Union parties, receiving the fifth slot on the joint slate.
A former Knesset Member who served in the National Union part from 2009 to 2013, Ben-Ari was a student of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, who founded the Kach party and served as the party's sole Knesset Member, from 1984 to 1988.
While previous candidates have been barred from running for the Knesset – including Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was banned in 1988 – this marks the first time in the history of Israel that the court has banned a candidate over the objections of the Central Elections Committee.
The petition to bar Ben-Ari had been submitted by Meretz chief MK Tamar Zandberg, Labor MK Stav Shaffir, and representatives of the Reform Movement. Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, Otzma Yehudit's second candidate for the Knesset, was also included in the petition, but will be permitted to run.
Ben-Ari's critics had accused him of incitement to racism, pointing to a number of videos shared on Facebook in which Ben-Ari called for a tough line against terrorism. The former MK denied that he was hostile towards Arabs as Arabs, and had only spoken out against Arabs who oppose the State of Israel.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit had recommended to the Central Elections Committee to ban Ben-Ari, while permitting Ben-Gvir, the United Arab List-Balad, and Ofer Cassif.
With Ben-Ari barred from the election, the candidates below him on the joint Jewish Home – National Union – Otzma list will be bumped up one spot, pushing Itamar Ben-Gvir into the seventh slot.
The decision strips Otzma Yehudit of its "safe seat", with polls showing the party winning between six to eight seats.
7. RABBI SHOT DURING SAMARIA ATTACK DIES
by David Rosenberg
Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, one of the three Israeli victims in a pair of terror attacks in Samaria on Sunday, succumbed to his wounds on Monday.
Ettinger, 47, a resident of the Israeli town of Eli in Samaria, is survived by his wife and 12 children, ages one to 20.
A prominent educator in the national-religious sector, Rabbi Ettinger served as the dean of the Oz V'Emunah hesder yeshiva in the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of south Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, a Palestinian Arab terrorist carried out a pair of attacks in Samaria, including a combination stabbing and shooting attack at Ariel Junction in central Samaria, then a shooting attack in western Samaria at Gitai Avisar Junction.
During the first attack, at Ariel Junction, the terrorist, armed with a knife, hid in an illegal Arab shop near the junction, waiting for an opportune time to attack two IDF soldiers deployed nearby.
The terrorist managed to sneak up on the soldiers, stabbing one of them and stealing his firearm. The terrorist then shot the soldier, killing him.
The soldier was later identified as 19-year-old Gal Keidan of Beer Sheva.
After he murdered Keidan, the terrorist was shot by the commander of the IDF unit deployed at the junction, but was not seriously wounded, and managed to steal a car and flee the scene.
The terrorist later shot a second IDF soldier and Rabbi Ettinger, who had attempted to gun down the terrorist with his personal firearm.
Rabbi Ettinger was shot during the attack, suffering a head wound which left him in critical condition. Despite the efforts of doctors at Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Rabbi Ettinger succumbed to his wounds Monday morning and was declared dead.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260517
8. 'GANTZ IS CRAWLING TO NETANYAHU LIKE HE CRAWLED TO HAMAS'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The New Right party, led by Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, responded on Tuesday to the recordings a conversation in which Blue and White leader Benny Gantz can be heard contemplating sitting in a government led by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
"Gantz is crawling towards Netanyahu like he crawled towards Hamas," they said. "As we said a while ago, a moment after the elections, Gantz will crawl into Netanyahu's government, on the silver platter of US President Donald Trump's 'deal of the century.'"
"Now it's clear: Either Bennett and Shaked, with a revolution in the Supreme Court and a victory over Hamas. Or, a soft leftist government made of Bibi (Netanyahu - ed.), [MK Yair] Lapid, and [Benny] Gantz, with Lapid as Justice Minister and Gantz as Defense Minister."
Lapid and Gantz have agreed that if their Blue and White party wins the elections, they will take turns being prime minister.
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Tuesday, Mar. 19 '19, י"ב באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. 'GANTZ AND LAPID WILL EXPEL THOUSANDS OF JEWS FROM THEIR HOMES'
2. OLD BATTERIES SPARK FIRE IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT
3. WILL MURDERED RABBI'S STUDENT BECOME KNESSET MEMBER FOR OTZMA?
4. LEBANON ARRESTS CANADIAN CITIZEN FOR 'SPYING FOR ISRAEL'
5. WILL AG OKAY DEAL RESTORING OTZMA YEHUDIT'S 'SAFE' KNESSET SEAT?
6. ARAB PARTIES IN, OTZMA YEHUDIT CANDIDATE OUT
7. RABBI SHOT DURING SAMARIA ATTACK DIES
8. 'GANTZ IS CRAWLING TO NETANYAHU LIKE HE CRAWLED TO HAMAS'
1. 'GANTZ AND LAPID WILL EXPEL THOUSANDS OF JEWS FROM THEIR HOMES'
by Ido Ben Porat
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu blasted the Blue and White party on Tuesday during a visit to the ruins of the biblical city of Shilo, warning that if the center-left party wins next month's elections, the next government will expel thousands of Jews from Judea and Samaria.
"We are in the territory of our homeland," said Netanyahu during his visit to the site of the ancient city of Shilo, near the modern Israeli town of the same name. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee joined Netanyahu at the event, which was attended by local settlement leaders.
"This speaks to us, this is in our soul, and it is reflected in our policies and the work we do together. I think there is a real danger here, however. Lapid and Gantz are still held captive to the idea that the only way to secure the future of the State of Israel is to shrink it, to uproot 80,000 to 90,000 Jews, keep our heads down, and home that the Arabs will recognize Israel."
"I'm working in exactly the opposite direction, towards strengthening Israel in terms of security, economically, and in foreign relations. We developing ties around the world, including with the Arab world. This will take time, it will be a struggle, but it is the opposite approach [to Gantz and Lapid's]. They want a future based on vulnerability, we want a future based on strength. The choice here is very clear."
During his visit to the Shilo area, roughly 20 dozen women from Shilo and nearby Israeli towns gathered to protest against the ongoing investigation of settlement security guards in connection with their response to an attack near the town of Adei Ad in January.
"The security teams are our bullet proof vest," said one sign held up by a protester. "Soldiers - not criminals", read another sign."
On Saturday, January 26th, a mob of Arab rioters attacked an Israeli man who went out for a walk near the Israeli town of Adei Ad, near Shilo. The victim was beaten and stabbed during the attack, but eventually managed to escape and call for help.
When local security guards headed to the scene of the attack in response, they were attacked by dozens of Arabs who hurled stones and pieces of metal.
After the guards opened fire in self-defense, one of the attackers, Hamdi Nasan, was killed. Nasan, a Fatah terrorist who had been jailed by Israel in 2000 for his involvement in a series of terror attacks, was granted early release in 2007 as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian Authority.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260584
2. OLD BATTERIES SPARK FIRE IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT
by Eliran Aharon
Firefighting teams were called to extinguish a fire which had broken out in a Jerusalem home early Tuesday morning.
Several teams of firefighters arrived at the team and shortly thereafter succeeded in breaking through the apartment's front door, searching for victims while working to extinguish the flames and ventilate the apartment and building.
A search of the apartment revealed that no one was present at the time of the fire.
Initial investigations revealed that the fire started due to a pile of old toys stored in bags together with a large number of old batteries and placed near the entrance to the apartment.
At some point, the tips of the batteries touched each other, causing sparks and heat and eventually sparking a fire near the door.
Fire chief Eli Edri, who commanded the operation, said, "We were called during the morning hours to the Ma'alot Dafna neighborhood, after someone reported a significant fire in an apartment in the neighborhood. We arrived at the scene and saw a thick plume of smoke rising from an apartment on the second floor of a four-story building. We were also concerned people might be trapped in the apartment."
"We broke into the apartment, and behind the door we saw a huge fire. A search of the apartment revealed that no one was trapped. Luckily, the parents and their eight children were spending the night at their grandmother's. The source of the fire was near the door and the flames blocked the entrance, so if they had not spent the night at their grandmother's, they would have been trapped in the burning apartment.
"We are happy that this fire ended with no injuries and a Purim miracle for the family."
The burned apartment Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services
3. WILL MURDERED RABBI'S STUDENT BECOME KNESSET MEMBER FOR OTZMA?
by David Rosenberg
When the Jewish Home, National Union, and Otzma Yehudit submitted a joint list for the 21st Knesset on February 21st, Yitzhak Vaserlof seemed like a token candidate.
Placed 40th on the list of a party which is averaging about seven seats in the polls, Vaserlof was the third candidate for Otzma Yehudit on the Union of Right-Wing Parties' joint slate, behind former MK Michael Ben-Ari, and attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, who were placed on the fifth and eighth slots respectively.
Following Ben-Ari's disqualification from the election, however, Vaserlof could potentially find himself in the realistic eighth slot – and possibly enter the 21st Knesset.
On Sunday, the Supreme Court overturned the Central Elections Committee's decision to permit Ben-Ari to run for the 21st Knesset – marking the first time in history the Israeli Supreme Court has disqualified a candidate who had been approved by the committee.
Citing comments made by Ben-Ari in videos shared via social media, the court accepted the petition filed by the Reform Movement and the far-left Meretz party to disqualify Ben-Ari on the grounds of incitement to racism.
In response, Otzma Yehudit has demanded that the Central Elections Committee allow the party to rearrange the joint Knesset list, bumping up its two other candidates – pushing Itamar Ben-Gvir from eighth to fifth, and Vaserlof from 40th to eighth.
On Tuesday, the committee said that it would weigh the request, and asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit for his opinion as to whether the committee may permit changes to the order of the list after the February 21st deadline.
If approved, the change would make Vaserlof a realistic, albeit not guaranteed, candidate for the 21st Knesset in next month's election.
A married father of two, Vaserlof was raised in the Old City of Jerusalem, but moved to south Tel Aviv after serving in the IDF's Golani Brigade.
If elected, at 26 years old Vaserlof would be the second youngest person ever to serve in the Knesset, after Moshe Nissim, the former Likud MK who first entered the Knesset as a member of the General Zionists party at the age of 24.
After serving in the IDF, Vaserlof, an alumnus of Maalot Yeshiva, enrolled in the Oz V'Emunah yeshiva, Srugim reported, where for the past four years he was a student of the dean – Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, who as murdered in an Arab terrorist attack this week in Samaria.
Vaserlof, who had previously served as the chairman of the National Union party's youth wing, joined the Otzma Yehudit faction after he worked with then-MK Michael Ben-Ari during Ben-Ari's term in the Knesset from 2009-2013.
"That's how I first met Michael [Ben-Ari], who is an absolutely honest guy, a straight-shooter – as opposed to all of the backroom dealings that go on in politics, and that led me to work with him," Vaserlof told Srugim.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260582
4. LEBANON ARRESTS CANADIAN CITIZEN FOR 'SPYING FOR ISRAEL'
by AFP
Lebanese intelligence said Tuesday a Lebanese-Canadian dual national had been arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel.
"In the framework of pursuing operations to combat Israeli espionage... the directorate of General Security arrested a Lebanese-Canadian (F.G)," the General Security service said in a statement.
There were no details on exactly when or where he was detained.
The statement said the 40-year-old man confessed to being recruited in 2013 by a Lebanese fugitive it said belongs to an Israeli spying network described as "unit 504".
He was ordered to recruit Lebanese agents to spy on the Hezbollah movement and collect information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad, a navigator whose plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986 and was thought to have been handed over to the Shiite group, the statement said.
Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war, with occasional skirmishes along their shared ceasefire line.
In 2006, Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah terrorist organization launched a month-long war with
the Jewish state that devastated parts of Lebanon.
Hezbollah, which holds sway over much of Lebanon's southern border region, is funded and armed by Israel's archfoe Iran.
Between April 2009 and 2014, Lebanese authorities detained more than 100 people accused of spying for Israel, most of them members of the military or telecom employees.
Such arrests have been less frequent recently.
5. WILL AG OKAY DEAL RESTORING OTZMA YEHUDIT'S 'SAFE' KNESSET SEAT?
by Ido Ben Porat
Will the Otzma Yehudit faction be permitted to make last-minute changes to its list of candidates on the Union of Right-Wing Parties joint ticket?
On Sunday, the Supreme Court made the unprecedented move of banning a Knesset candidate who had been approved by the Knesset's own Central Elections Committee, disqualifying former MK Michael Ben-Ari from running for the 21st Knesset.
The ruling, which overturned the Central Election Committee's narrow 16 to 15 decision earlier this month to permit Ben-Ari to run, deprives the Otzma Yehudit faction of its "safe" seat in the next Knesset.
Otzma Yehudit, which is led by students of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, is running on a joint ticket with the Jewish Home and National Union factions, and received the fifth and seventh slots on the joint slate.
The party is currently polling at an average of about seven seats, guaranteeing that Ben-Ari, who had been placed fifth on the ticket, would enter the Knesset. Ben-Gvir, who had been placed eight on the ticket, would likely not have made it into the Knesset, recent polls show, had the list remained as originally submitted on February 21st.
With Ben-Ari's disqualification, however, every candidate on the joint slate after Ben-Ari was automatically bumped up one place, pushing Ben-Gvir into the realistic, but still not guaranteed, seventh spot on the list.
The third Otzma candidate, Yitzhak Vaserlof, was given a largely symbolic slot on the Knesset list, placed 40th on the joint list.
Ben-Ari's removal from the list has placed the alliance between the Jewish Home, National Union, and Otzma in jeopardy, as Otzma now will not be guaranteed representation in the Knesset – a fact that could drive away its voter base.
Now, however, the Central Elections Committee is weighing the possibility of altering the order of candidates on the Union of Right-Wing Parties' list, so as to allow Ben-Gvir to take Ben-Ari's spot in the fifth slot, while Vaserlof takes Ben-Gvir's spot as the seventh candidate on the joint list.
Ordinarily, parties are prohibited from making changes to their Knesset slates after the deadline for submitting lists – which passed on February 21st.
Given the unusual circumstances, however, the chairman of the Central Elections Committeee, Justice Hanan Meltzer, has asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit whether the committee can approve the last-minute reshuffling of candidates.
6. ARAB PARTIES IN, OTZMA YEHUDIT CANDIDATE OUT
by David Rosenberg
The Israeli Supreme Court issued a ruling against Otzma Yehudit Sunday evening, barring one of its candidates, Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, from running for the 21st Knesset.
In so doing, the court overturned a decision earlier this month by the Central Elections Committee to permit Ben-Ari to participate in next month's election.
The court also ruled Sunday to overturn the Central Elections Committee's decision to bar the radical anti-Zionist Arab parties Balad and the United Arab List from running for the Knesset. The two parties, which are running on a joint ticket, had been barred by the committee for their support for terrorism and opposition to Israel as a Jewish state.
In addition, the court also moved to overturn the Central Election Committee's order that Ofer Cassif, the sole Jewish candidate on the joint list of the predominantly Arab Hadash party and the Ta'al faction be banned from the Knesset. Cassif, a Hebrew University lecturer, had been banned over comments he had made comparing the State of Israel to Nazi Germany.
Ben-Ari, 55, had been the Otzma Yehudit faction's first candidate on a joint ticket with the Jewish Home and National Union parties, receiving the fifth slot on the joint slate.
A former Knesset Member who served in the National Union part from 2009 to 2013, Ben-Ari was a student of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, who founded the Kach party and served as the party's sole Knesset Member, from 1984 to 1988.
While previous candidates have been barred from running for the Knesset – including Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was banned in 1988 – this marks the first time in the history of Israel that the court has banned a candidate over the objections of the Central Elections Committee.
The petition to bar Ben-Ari had been submitted by Meretz chief MK Tamar Zandberg, Labor MK Stav Shaffir, and representatives of the Reform Movement. Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, Otzma Yehudit's second candidate for the Knesset, was also included in the petition, but will be permitted to run.
Ben-Ari's critics had accused him of incitement to racism, pointing to a number of videos shared on Facebook in which Ben-Ari called for a tough line against terrorism. The former MK denied that he was hostile towards Arabs as Arabs, and had only spoken out against Arabs who oppose the State of Israel.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit had recommended to the Central Elections Committee to ban Ben-Ari, while permitting Ben-Gvir, the United Arab List-Balad, and Ofer Cassif.
With Ben-Ari barred from the election, the candidates below him on the joint Jewish Home – National Union – Otzma list will be bumped up one spot, pushing Itamar Ben-Gvir into the seventh slot.
The decision strips Otzma Yehudit of its "safe seat", with polls showing the party winning between six to eight seats.
7. RABBI SHOT DURING SAMARIA ATTACK DIES
by David Rosenberg
Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, one of the three Israeli victims in a pair of terror attacks in Samaria on Sunday, succumbed to his wounds on Monday.
Ettinger, 47, a resident of the Israeli town of Eli in Samaria, is survived by his wife and 12 children, ages one to 20.
A prominent educator in the national-religious sector, Rabbi Ettinger served as the dean of the Oz V'Emunah hesder yeshiva in the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of south Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, a Palestinian Arab terrorist carried out a pair of attacks in Samaria, including a combination stabbing and shooting attack at Ariel Junction in central Samaria, then a shooting attack in western Samaria at Gitai Avisar Junction.
During the first attack, at Ariel Junction, the terrorist, armed with a knife, hid in an illegal Arab shop near the junction, waiting for an opportune time to attack two IDF soldiers deployed nearby.
The terrorist managed to sneak up on the soldiers, stabbing one of them and stealing his firearm. The terrorist then shot the soldier, killing him.
The soldier was later identified as 19-year-old Gal Keidan of Beer Sheva.
After he murdered Keidan, the terrorist was shot by the commander of the IDF unit deployed at the junction, but was not seriously wounded, and managed to steal a car and flee the scene.
The terrorist later shot a second IDF soldier and Rabbi Ettinger, who had attempted to gun down the terrorist with his personal firearm.
Rabbi Ettinger was shot during the attack, suffering a head wound which left him in critical condition. Despite the efforts of doctors at Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Rabbi Ettinger succumbed to his wounds Monday morning and was declared dead.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260517
8. 'GANTZ IS CRAWLING TO NETANYAHU LIKE HE CRAWLED TO HAMAS'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The New Right party, led by Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, responded on Tuesday to the recordings a conversation in which Blue and White leader Benny Gantz can be heard contemplating sitting in a government led by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
"Gantz is crawling towards Netanyahu like he crawled towards Hamas," they said. "As we said a while ago, a moment after the elections, Gantz will crawl into Netanyahu's government, on the silver platter of US President Donald Trump's 'deal of the century.'"
"Now it's clear: Either Bennett and Shaked, with a revolution in the Supreme Court and a victory over Hamas. Or, a soft leftist government made of Bibi (Netanyahu - ed.), [MK Yair] Lapid, and [Benny] Gantz, with Lapid as Justice Minister and Gantz as Defense Minister."
Lapid and Gantz have agreed that if their Blue and White party wins the elections, they will take turns being prime minister.
Monday, March 18, 2019
A7News: 'How will Tamar raise 12 children alone?'
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Monday, Mar. 18 '19, י"א באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. 'HOW WILL TAMAR RAISE 12 CHILDREN ALONE?'
2. MINISTER BENNETT EULOGIZES RABBI AHIAD ETTINGER
3. 22 YEARS FOR JERUSALEM BUS STATION TERRORIST
4. EIZENKOT: HEZBOLLAH WANTED TO SEND 5,000 TERRORISTS INTO ISRAEL
5. RABBI SHOT DURING SAMARIA ATTACK DIES
6. TERRORIST STRIKES TWICE IN SAMARIA
7. ARAB PARTIES IN, OTZMA YEHUDIT CANDIDATE OUT
8. 'HE COULD HAVE SAVED HIMSELF, BUT RETURNED TO SAVE OTHERS'
1. 'HOW WILL TAMAR RAISE 12 CHILDREN ALONE?'
by Hezki Baruch
Thousands of mourners are taking part in the funeral of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger of Eli, who was murdered in the terror attack in the Ariel area yesterday and this morning died of his wounds.
"Rabbi Achiad, you're a hero and a warrior. You're a hero and a warrior who thought about the people of Israel, you are an emissary of the Israeli nation, everyone will learn from you how to strive to contact, how heroes fall; you're a hero," said Eli Rabbi Avraham Shiller. "You are a hero in the love of Israel to strengthen good Jews who are holding out in South Tel Aviv."
"A great and bitter cry: How will Tamar raise 12 children by herself? How will she lead them to the wedding canopy alone? How does a parent loses a son after they have already lost a son-in-law. Neve Sha'ar neighborhood lost its teacher. A great and bitter cry," Rabbi Schiller added.
Rabbi Schiller said, "We are all Mordechai the Jew, a Jew who withstands trials, falls, and gets up. A Jew is that one who cries out loudly and bitterly and is that one who stands, does not tremble or flinch, does not kneel or bow down."
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260533
Education Minister Naftali Bennett eulogized Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, "In his lifetime, Rabbi Achiad gave up every moment of personal pleasure and strove to connect with the Jewish People and went to South Tel Aviv to grow Torah there and to create life there. In his death, Rabbi Achiad could easily have done what most people do and ignore it, but Rabbi Achiad strove to contact, fired shots at the intruder, and paid with his life. We've lost the present life of Rabbi Achiad, but his eternal heritage we'll uphold forever."
"It hurts; we shouldn't have had to meet him here at the cemetery," said Bennett. "Sheffi Paz, an activist from south Tel Aviv, said how much Rabbi Achiad's Torah brought to southern Tel Aviv connection between the settlement and Tel Aviv," added Bennett.
"It is true that we're strong, that from every one of the twelve children will spring a tribe and you'll continue the path of your holy father. True, the wonderful family here will wipe away the tears and continue because that's what we are doing here. But this evil that cuts down the best people must be cut down. Over your grave I declare that Jewish blood will no longer be the cheapest commodity; we'll cut off terror only after we break the cognitive and legal chains that prevent us from winning," Bennett said.
"Tamar, dear family, the community of Eli, we're with you, we're strengthening you, the people of Israel are alive, may his memory be blessed." Bennett closed his eulogy.
Yeshivat Kedumim head and rabbi of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Shachar, eulogized his student, "The devotion of Rabbi Achiad in his death continues the dedication in his life. He was always great. The same devotion continued in southern Tel Aviv, where he went on to study and teach, to head a yeshiva. Devotion to the nation, great devotion of Achiad and Tamar to the home they built, the education of the children, being considerate of their surroundings.
"We have no words to express the power of pain. We're between Shabbat Zakhor and Purim, and this terrible murder was the day after Shabbat Zakhor and we received another reminder that the seed of Amalek must be wiped out. We must learn the lessons," added Rav Ben Shachar.
Rabbi Ettinger, who served as Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Oz and Emuna in the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of south Tel Aviv, left his wife, Tamar (44) and 12 children.
The eldest daughter Moriah (21) is married to Yinon Luz, who lives in the renewed Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem and is expected to give birth soon. Efrat, 20, is a volunteer in the National Service in Tiberias. Eliashiv, 19, is serving in the IDF in an elite unit: Harel, 18, Eliasaf, 16, Yehuda, 13, Tehiya and Tzofia, twins, 11, Benia, 9, Eliav and Hadas twins.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260533
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2. MINISTER BENNETT EULOGIZES RABBI AHIAD ETTINGER
by Mordechai Sones
Education Minister and New Right Party Chairman Naftali Bennett today participated in the funeral in Eli of terror victim Rabbi Achiad Ettinger. A father to 12, Rabbi Ettinger succumbed to his wounds this morning after being shot by a Muslim at the Ariel Junction yesterday morning.
In his eulogy, Minister Bennett said, "Rabbi Achiad was a hero in his life, and in his death. The most educational thing I can do today, as Education Minister, is to ensure that every child in the State of Israel, will look at Rabbi Achiad and say, 'we should learn from his example'. In his life he'd forego every moment of personal gain. In his death, as the murderer stood not far from him, Rabbi Ettinger sprang into action and paid with his life. In this life, we have lost Rabbi Ahiad, but his everlasting legacy we will keep with us forever."
He continued "Rabbi Achiad breathed the spirit of hope, with his strong spirit and by his own hands, he changed the reality of life in south Tel Aviv. How important was Rabbi Achiad for the residents of south Tel Aviv, how much Torah and light he brought there. And what a great connection he built between the people who live there and the residents of Judea and Samaria. Rabbi Achiad built bridges between people. Who will do that now?"
The Minister said, "Rabbi Achiad, even in the last seconds of his great life, strove to do good. Instead of fleeing, he sprang into action, and paid with his life. He gave his life as a hero of Israel."
Speaking of the ongoing threat against Israeli citizens, the Minister said, "This persistent evil, which has again and again robbed us of our dearest sons and daughters, our loved ones, must be brought to an end. Standing at your grave I say, Jewish blood will no longer be considered the cheapest commodity in the Middle East. We'll be able to end terror only by removing the cognitive and legal restraints that prevent us from winning."
He concluded, "We'll always be inspired by Achiad's strong spirit, and by the generosity of his family who chose to donate his organs and keep his kindness alive, even in his death. Tamar, dear children, dear family, the wonderful community of Eli, we are with you, and we are here to offer you strength. The people of Israel lives."
3. 22 YEARS FOR JERUSALEM BUS STATION TERRORIST
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Jerusalem District Court sentenced a terrorist who stabbed a security guard at Jerusalem's Central Bus Station to 22 years in prison.
In addition to the prison sentence, the judges sentenced the terrorist to two years' probation, and he will also be required to compensate the security guard to the amount of NIS 200,000.
Yassin Abu al-Qara'a committed the attack in December 2017. His intended victim, Asher Elmaliach, testified at a sentencing hearing al Qaea'a in January.
"I came to work like any ordinary day," Elmaliach told the judges. "We received information that that guy, Yassin, was a suspect, we checked him and he had documents only for the seam line, he did not come to do a day of fun or travel, but to carry out a mass casualty attack."
"I came to look you in the eyes and say: "Mr. Yassin, you have not succeeded, I am alive and well - I stand on my feet, thank G-d,"" added Elmaliach.
Elmaliach later told of his condition and said that although he was rehabilitated and returned to work, he is not like he was before the incident. "Although I went back to work three months ago in another place, but my status was drastically damaged, I would have to walk around with a bandage on my chest to hide the scar. Every morning I see it."
4. EIZENKOT: HEZBOLLAH WANTED TO SEND 5,000 TERRORISTS INTO ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot on Monday morning received a certificate of appreciation for his contribution to the State of Israel and its security.
Speaking at the Netanya security conference about former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan, Eizenkot said, "For an entire generation of commanders, Meir was the symbol of creativity and force, of cunningness, and mostly of deep commitment to the State of Israel's security."
"The security challenges which Meir Dagan faced, from the time he enlisted in the IDF until he finished his term as Mossad chief, give a historical perspective and a peek at the future.
"Three years ago, there were many events which barely avoided leading to an escalation. Sometimes we avoided the escalation by a hair, and we had to work to foil Iran's efforts and dreams of attaining nuclear weapons and regional hegemony. A security decision was made to carry out a series of processes while keeping out of the public eye, demonstrating our superiority, and causing severe damage to the Iranians. This decision - to operate against Iran, out of the media's arena, demonstrates how Meir Dagan dealt with Hezbollah."
Eizenkot also discussed Hezbollah's plans to attack Israel.
"Hezbollah had grandiose plans to surprise Israel by bringing 5,000 !!! terrorists into Israel via underground tunnels, while firing at us," he explained. "This plan was not implemented - it was identified by us four years ago, and we dealt with it two months ago, while at the same time continuing to harm their abilities to make exact calculations."
Hezbollah, he noted, is not the only one threatening Israel.
"Today, Israel is facing four 'circles' of threats - three of them historical, and one of them new. The threat of unconventional weapons has been somewhat dulled by the agreement between Iran and the West, but there is no doubt that it is the first threat facing us. The second threat, the conventional threat which keeps the IDF busy, has dulled somewhat due to peace agreements. The third threat, which worries my generation of commanders, is a subconventional threat - guerilla warfare.
"The fourth threat is a cybersecurity threat, and it's a threat which in recent years has begun growing stronger in the State of Israel. There is no doubt that this is a significant threat which will occupy us more and more in the future.
"The unwritten way we understand security and the IDF's strategy lay the foundation of ideas for how the IDF will allow Israel to continue to develop and flourish despite the changing security threats. It's the understanding that there are psychological and other aspects which help express Israel's superiority, as well as the secret efforts of secret organizations.
"I see Israel's security challenges as a huge iceberg. The tip of the iceberg is are the challenges in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza - which every Israeli citizen sees. The hidden part is Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons and attain regional hegemony, their advanced military infrastructure and their rocket abilities."
5. RABBI SHOT DURING SAMARIA ATTACK DIES
by David Rosenberg
Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, one of the three Israeli victims in a pair of terror attacks in Samaria on Sunday, succumbed to his wounds on Monday.
Ettinger, 47, a resident of the Israeli town of Eli in Samaria, is survived by his wife and 12 children, ages one to 20.
A prominent educator in the national-religious sector, Rabbi Ettinger served as the dean of the Oz V'Emunah hesder yeshiva in the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of south Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, a Palestinian Arab terrorist carried out a pair of attacks in Samaria, including a combination stabbing and shooting attack at Ariel Junction in central Samaria, then a shooting attack in western Samaria at Gitai Avisar Junction.
During the first attack, at Ariel Junction, the terrorist, armed with a knife, hid in an illegal Arab shop near the junction, waiting for an opportune time to attack two IDF soldiers deployed nearby.
The terrorist managed to sneak up on the soldiers, stabbing one of them and stealing his firearm. The terrorist then shot the soldier, killing him.
The soldier was later identified as 19-year-old Gal Keidan of Beer Sheva.
After he murdered Keidan, the terrorist was shot by the commander of the IDF unit deployed at the junction, but was not seriously wounded, and managed to steal a car and flee the scene.
The terrorist later shot a second IDF soldier and Rabbi Ettinger, who had attempted to gun down the terrorist with his personal firearm.
Rabbi Ettinger was shot during the attack, suffering a head wound which left him in critical condition. Despite the efforts of doctors at Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Rabbi Ettinger succumbed to his wounds Monday morning and was declared dead.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260517
6. TERRORIST STRIKES TWICE IN SAMARIA
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260464
One person was killed in a double shooting attack that took place in Samaria Sunday morning.
The first attack occurred at the Ariel Junction.
Many security forces were dispatched to the site, as well as Magen David Adom paramedics, who treated the wounded.
A short time later, the attacker apparently struck again at the Gitai Avisar Junction, a few miles west of the entrance to Ariel.
Three people were wounded in the attacks. One of the victims later died of his injuries.
An initial investigation revealed that the terrorist apparently stabbed an Israeli youth, stole his weapon and shot him. He then fired from his vehicle at the Gitai Avisar junction and fled in the direction of Barkan.
A directive was issued to close the gates in all localities in central Samaria as security forces hunt for the attacker.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan said in response to the double attack: "We are reinforcing the heroic IDF soldiers, and rely on the defense establishment and the IDF to reach these despicable terrorists and liquidate them."
"We never break down, never retreat. Settlement in Samaria is part of the people of Israel and part of the State of Israel. All the residents of Samaria, together with all the citizens of the State of Israel, rely on the IDF and strengthen the heroic soldiers," Dagan said.
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7. ARAB PARTIES IN, OTZMA YEHUDIT CANDIDATE OUT
by David Rosenberg
The Israeli Supreme Court issued a ruling against Otzma Yehudit Sunday evening, barring one of its candidates, Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, from running for the 21st Knesset.
In so doing, the court overturned a decision earlier this month by the Central Elections Committee to permit Ben-Ari to participate in next month's election.
The court also ruled Sunday to overturn the Central Elections Committee's decision to bar the radical anti-Zionist Arab parties Balad and the United Arab List from running for the Knesset. The two parties, which are running on a joint ticket, had been barred by the committee for their support for terrorism and opposition to Israel as a Jewish state.
In addition, the court also moved to overturn the Central Election Committee's order that Ofer Cassif, the sole Jewish candidate on the joint list of the predominantly Arab Hadash party and the Ta'al faction be banned from the Knesset. Cassif, a Hebrew University lecturer, had been banned over comments he had made comparing the State of Israel to Nazi Germany.
Ben-Ari, 55, had been the Otzma Yehudit faction's first candidate on a joint ticket with the Jewish Home and National Union parties, receiving the fifth slot on the joint slate.
A former Knesset Member who served in the National Union part from 2009 to 2013, Ben-Ari was a student of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, who founded the Kach party and served as the party's sole Knesset Member, from 1984 to 1988.
While previous candidates have been barred from running for the Knesset – including Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was banned in 1988 – this marks the first time in the history of Israel that the court has banned a candidate over the objections of the Central Elections Committee.
The petition to bar Ben-Ari had been submitted by Meretz chief MK Tamar Zandberg, Labor MK Stav Shaffir, and representatives of the Reform Movement. Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, Otzma Yehudit's second candidate for the Knesset, was also included in the petition, but will be permitted to run.
Ben-Ari's critics had accused him of incitement to racism, pointing to a number of videos shared on Facebook in which Ben-Ari called for a tough line against terrorism. The former MK denied that he was hostile towards Arabs as Arabs, and had only spoken out against Arabs who oppose the State of Israel.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit had recommended to the Central Elections Committee to ban Ben-Ari, while permitting Ben-Gvir, the United Arab List-Balad, and Ofer Cassif.
With Ben-Ari barred from the election, the candidates below him on the joint Jewish Home – National Union – Otzma list will be bumped up one spot, pushing Itamar Ben-Gvir into the seventh slot.
The decision strips Otzma Yehudit of its "safe seat", with polls showing the party winning between six to eight seats.
8. 'HE COULD HAVE SAVED HIMSELF, BUT RETURNED TO SAVE OTHERS'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The family of Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, who was critically wounded in the terror attack in Samaria on Sunday, said that Rabbi Ettinger passed the scene and realized that a terrorist was attempting to carry out an attack. He was already a distance from the scene but turned his car around and approached the terrorist, firing four bullets in an attempt to neutralize him, until the terrorist's bullets critically wounded him.
Rabbi Ettinger's condition continues to be extremely critical. His life is in danger due to a serious head injury.
The condition of the IDF soldier who was wounded is very serious, according to a Beilinson hospital spokesperson.
IDF sergeant Gal Keidan, 19, a soldier in the IDF's 334th artillery battalion, was killed in Sunday's attack. His funeral will take place on Monday at 11:00 a.m. at the military cemetery in Be'er Sheva.
The two attacks, which took place a few miles apart in western and central Samaria, were carried out by a single terrorist cell, Israeli authorities say.
According to an initial investigation into the attacks, it appears that a terrorist who had hid in an illegally-built Arab store near the entrance to Ariel, then approached Keidan, stabbing him to death, and stealing his firearm.
At the same time, the IDF company commander who stood on the other side of the square, fired at the terrorist and wounded him lightly. The terrorist then entered a car and drove to the Gitai Avisar Junction where he shot another IDF soldier.
The IDF is continuing its investigation into the combined attack, including why the other IDF soldier who stood at the hitchhiking station didn't shoot at the terrorist, and why the soldiers failed to report the incident to the IDF soldiers at the Gitai Avisar Junction.
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Monday, Mar. 18 '19, י"א באדר ב תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. 'HOW WILL TAMAR RAISE 12 CHILDREN ALONE?'
2. MINISTER BENNETT EULOGIZES RABBI AHIAD ETTINGER
3. 22 YEARS FOR JERUSALEM BUS STATION TERRORIST
4. EIZENKOT: HEZBOLLAH WANTED TO SEND 5,000 TERRORISTS INTO ISRAEL
5. RABBI SHOT DURING SAMARIA ATTACK DIES
6. TERRORIST STRIKES TWICE IN SAMARIA
7. ARAB PARTIES IN, OTZMA YEHUDIT CANDIDATE OUT
8. 'HE COULD HAVE SAVED HIMSELF, BUT RETURNED TO SAVE OTHERS'
1. 'HOW WILL TAMAR RAISE 12 CHILDREN ALONE?'
by Hezki Baruch
Thousands of mourners are taking part in the funeral of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger of Eli, who was murdered in the terror attack in the Ariel area yesterday and this morning died of his wounds.
"Rabbi Achiad, you're a hero and a warrior. You're a hero and a warrior who thought about the people of Israel, you are an emissary of the Israeli nation, everyone will learn from you how to strive to contact, how heroes fall; you're a hero," said Eli Rabbi Avraham Shiller. "You are a hero in the love of Israel to strengthen good Jews who are holding out in South Tel Aviv."
"A great and bitter cry: How will Tamar raise 12 children by herself? How will she lead them to the wedding canopy alone? How does a parent loses a son after they have already lost a son-in-law. Neve Sha'ar neighborhood lost its teacher. A great and bitter cry," Rabbi Schiller added.
Rabbi Schiller said, "We are all Mordechai the Jew, a Jew who withstands trials, falls, and gets up. A Jew is that one who cries out loudly and bitterly and is that one who stands, does not tremble or flinch, does not kneel or bow down."
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260533
Education Minister Naftali Bennett eulogized Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, "In his lifetime, Rabbi Achiad gave up every moment of personal pleasure and strove to connect with the Jewish People and went to South Tel Aviv to grow Torah there and to create life there. In his death, Rabbi Achiad could easily have done what most people do and ignore it, but Rabbi Achiad strove to contact, fired shots at the intruder, and paid with his life. We've lost the present life of Rabbi Achiad, but his eternal heritage we'll uphold forever."
"It hurts; we shouldn't have had to meet him here at the cemetery," said Bennett. "Sheffi Paz, an activist from south Tel Aviv, said how much Rabbi Achiad's Torah brought to southern Tel Aviv connection between the settlement and Tel Aviv," added Bennett.
"It is true that we're strong, that from every one of the twelve children will spring a tribe and you'll continue the path of your holy father. True, the wonderful family here will wipe away the tears and continue because that's what we are doing here. But this evil that cuts down the best people must be cut down. Over your grave I declare that Jewish blood will no longer be the cheapest commodity; we'll cut off terror only after we break the cognitive and legal chains that prevent us from winning," Bennett said.
"Tamar, dear family, the community of Eli, we're with you, we're strengthening you, the people of Israel are alive, may his memory be blessed." Bennett closed his eulogy.
Yeshivat Kedumim head and rabbi of Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Shachar, eulogized his student, "The devotion of Rabbi Achiad in his death continues the dedication in his life. He was always great. The same devotion continued in southern Tel Aviv, where he went on to study and teach, to head a yeshiva. Devotion to the nation, great devotion of Achiad and Tamar to the home they built, the education of the children, being considerate of their surroundings.
"We have no words to express the power of pain. We're between Shabbat Zakhor and Purim, and this terrible murder was the day after Shabbat Zakhor and we received another reminder that the seed of Amalek must be wiped out. We must learn the lessons," added Rav Ben Shachar.
Rabbi Ettinger, who served as Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Oz and Emuna in the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of south Tel Aviv, left his wife, Tamar (44) and 12 children.
The eldest daughter Moriah (21) is married to Yinon Luz, who lives in the renewed Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem and is expected to give birth soon. Efrat, 20, is a volunteer in the National Service in Tiberias. Eliashiv, 19, is serving in the IDF in an elite unit: Harel, 18, Eliasaf, 16, Yehuda, 13, Tehiya and Tzofia, twins, 11, Benia, 9, Eliav and Hadas twins.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260533
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2. MINISTER BENNETT EULOGIZES RABBI AHIAD ETTINGER
by Mordechai Sones
Education Minister and New Right Party Chairman Naftali Bennett today participated in the funeral in Eli of terror victim Rabbi Achiad Ettinger. A father to 12, Rabbi Ettinger succumbed to his wounds this morning after being shot by a Muslim at the Ariel Junction yesterday morning.
In his eulogy, Minister Bennett said, "Rabbi Achiad was a hero in his life, and in his death. The most educational thing I can do today, as Education Minister, is to ensure that every child in the State of Israel, will look at Rabbi Achiad and say, 'we should learn from his example'. In his life he'd forego every moment of personal gain. In his death, as the murderer stood not far from him, Rabbi Ettinger sprang into action and paid with his life. In this life, we have lost Rabbi Ahiad, but his everlasting legacy we will keep with us forever."
He continued "Rabbi Achiad breathed the spirit of hope, with his strong spirit and by his own hands, he changed the reality of life in south Tel Aviv. How important was Rabbi Achiad for the residents of south Tel Aviv, how much Torah and light he brought there. And what a great connection he built between the people who live there and the residents of Judea and Samaria. Rabbi Achiad built bridges between people. Who will do that now?"
The Minister said, "Rabbi Achiad, even in the last seconds of his great life, strove to do good. Instead of fleeing, he sprang into action, and paid with his life. He gave his life as a hero of Israel."
Speaking of the ongoing threat against Israeli citizens, the Minister said, "This persistent evil, which has again and again robbed us of our dearest sons and daughters, our loved ones, must be brought to an end. Standing at your grave I say, Jewish blood will no longer be considered the cheapest commodity in the Middle East. We'll be able to end terror only by removing the cognitive and legal restraints that prevent us from winning."
He concluded, "We'll always be inspired by Achiad's strong spirit, and by the generosity of his family who chose to donate his organs and keep his kindness alive, even in his death. Tamar, dear children, dear family, the wonderful community of Eli, we are with you, and we are here to offer you strength. The people of Israel lives."
3. 22 YEARS FOR JERUSALEM BUS STATION TERRORIST
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Jerusalem District Court sentenced a terrorist who stabbed a security guard at Jerusalem's Central Bus Station to 22 years in prison.
In addition to the prison sentence, the judges sentenced the terrorist to two years' probation, and he will also be required to compensate the security guard to the amount of NIS 200,000.
Yassin Abu al-Qara'a committed the attack in December 2017. His intended victim, Asher Elmaliach, testified at a sentencing hearing al Qaea'a in January.
"I came to work like any ordinary day," Elmaliach told the judges. "We received information that that guy, Yassin, was a suspect, we checked him and he had documents only for the seam line, he did not come to do a day of fun or travel, but to carry out a mass casualty attack."
"I came to look you in the eyes and say: "Mr. Yassin, you have not succeeded, I am alive and well - I stand on my feet, thank G-d,"" added Elmaliach.
Elmaliach later told of his condition and said that although he was rehabilitated and returned to work, he is not like he was before the incident. "Although I went back to work three months ago in another place, but my status was drastically damaged, I would have to walk around with a bandage on my chest to hide the scar. Every morning I see it."
4. EIZENKOT: HEZBOLLAH WANTED TO SEND 5,000 TERRORISTS INTO ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot on Monday morning received a certificate of appreciation for his contribution to the State of Israel and its security.
Speaking at the Netanya security conference about former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan, Eizenkot said, "For an entire generation of commanders, Meir was the symbol of creativity and force, of cunningness, and mostly of deep commitment to the State of Israel's security."
"The security challenges which Meir Dagan faced, from the time he enlisted in the IDF until he finished his term as Mossad chief, give a historical perspective and a peek at the future.
"Three years ago, there were many events which barely avoided leading to an escalation. Sometimes we avoided the escalation by a hair, and we had to work to foil Iran's efforts and dreams of attaining nuclear weapons and regional hegemony. A security decision was made to carry out a series of processes while keeping out of the public eye, demonstrating our superiority, and causing severe damage to the Iranians. This decision - to operate against Iran, out of the media's arena, demonstrates how Meir Dagan dealt with Hezbollah."
Eizenkot also discussed Hezbollah's plans to attack Israel.
"Hezbollah had grandiose plans to surprise Israel by bringing 5,000 !!! terrorists into Israel via underground tunnels, while firing at us," he explained. "This plan was not implemented - it was identified by us four years ago, and we dealt with it two months ago, while at the same time continuing to harm their abilities to make exact calculations."
Hezbollah, he noted, is not the only one threatening Israel.
"Today, Israel is facing four 'circles' of threats - three of them historical, and one of them new. The threat of unconventional weapons has been somewhat dulled by the agreement between Iran and the West, but there is no doubt that it is the first threat facing us. The second threat, the conventional threat which keeps the IDF busy, has dulled somewhat due to peace agreements. The third threat, which worries my generation of commanders, is a subconventional threat - guerilla warfare.
"The fourth threat is a cybersecurity threat, and it's a threat which in recent years has begun growing stronger in the State of Israel. There is no doubt that this is a significant threat which will occupy us more and more in the future.
"The unwritten way we understand security and the IDF's strategy lay the foundation of ideas for how the IDF will allow Israel to continue to develop and flourish despite the changing security threats. It's the understanding that there are psychological and other aspects which help express Israel's superiority, as well as the secret efforts of secret organizations.
"I see Israel's security challenges as a huge iceberg. The tip of the iceberg is are the challenges in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza - which every Israeli citizen sees. The hidden part is Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons and attain regional hegemony, their advanced military infrastructure and their rocket abilities."
5. RABBI SHOT DURING SAMARIA ATTACK DIES
by David Rosenberg
Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, one of the three Israeli victims in a pair of terror attacks in Samaria on Sunday, succumbed to his wounds on Monday.
Ettinger, 47, a resident of the Israeli town of Eli in Samaria, is survived by his wife and 12 children, ages one to 20.
A prominent educator in the national-religious sector, Rabbi Ettinger served as the dean of the Oz V'Emunah hesder yeshiva in the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood of south Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, a Palestinian Arab terrorist carried out a pair of attacks in Samaria, including a combination stabbing and shooting attack at Ariel Junction in central Samaria, then a shooting attack in western Samaria at Gitai Avisar Junction.
During the first attack, at Ariel Junction, the terrorist, armed with a knife, hid in an illegal Arab shop near the junction, waiting for an opportune time to attack two IDF soldiers deployed nearby.
The terrorist managed to sneak up on the soldiers, stabbing one of them and stealing his firearm. The terrorist then shot the soldier, killing him.
The soldier was later identified as 19-year-old Gal Keidan of Beer Sheva.
After he murdered Keidan, the terrorist was shot by the commander of the IDF unit deployed at the junction, but was not seriously wounded, and managed to steal a car and flee the scene.
The terrorist later shot a second IDF soldier and Rabbi Ettinger, who had attempted to gun down the terrorist with his personal firearm.
Rabbi Ettinger was shot during the attack, suffering a head wound which left him in critical condition. Despite the efforts of doctors at Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Rabbi Ettinger succumbed to his wounds Monday morning and was declared dead.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260517
6. TERRORIST STRIKES TWICE IN SAMARIA
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/260464
One person was killed in a double shooting attack that took place in Samaria Sunday morning.
The first attack occurred at the Ariel Junction.
Many security forces were dispatched to the site, as well as Magen David Adom paramedics, who treated the wounded.
A short time later, the attacker apparently struck again at the Gitai Avisar Junction, a few miles west of the entrance to Ariel.
Three people were wounded in the attacks. One of the victims later died of his injuries.
An initial investigation revealed that the terrorist apparently stabbed an Israeli youth, stole his weapon and shot him. He then fired from his vehicle at the Gitai Avisar junction and fled in the direction of Barkan.
A directive was issued to close the gates in all localities in central Samaria as security forces hunt for the attacker.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan said in response to the double attack: "We are reinforcing the heroic IDF soldiers, and rely on the defense establishment and the IDF to reach these despicable terrorists and liquidate them."
"We never break down, never retreat. Settlement in Samaria is part of the people of Israel and part of the State of Israel. All the residents of Samaria, together with all the citizens of the State of Israel, rely on the IDF and strengthen the heroic soldiers," Dagan said.
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7. ARAB PARTIES IN, OTZMA YEHUDIT CANDIDATE OUT
by David Rosenberg
The Israeli Supreme Court issued a ruling against Otzma Yehudit Sunday evening, barring one of its candidates, Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, from running for the 21st Knesset.
In so doing, the court overturned a decision earlier this month by the Central Elections Committee to permit Ben-Ari to participate in next month's election.
The court also ruled Sunday to overturn the Central Elections Committee's decision to bar the radical anti-Zionist Arab parties Balad and the United Arab List from running for the Knesset. The two parties, which are running on a joint ticket, had been barred by the committee for their support for terrorism and opposition to Israel as a Jewish state.
In addition, the court also moved to overturn the Central Election Committee's order that Ofer Cassif, the sole Jewish candidate on the joint list of the predominantly Arab Hadash party and the Ta'al faction be banned from the Knesset. Cassif, a Hebrew University lecturer, had been banned over comments he had made comparing the State of Israel to Nazi Germany.
Ben-Ari, 55, had been the Otzma Yehudit faction's first candidate on a joint ticket with the Jewish Home and National Union parties, receiving the fifth slot on the joint slate.
A former Knesset Member who served in the National Union part from 2009 to 2013, Ben-Ari was a student of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, who founded the Kach party and served as the party's sole Knesset Member, from 1984 to 1988.
While previous candidates have been barred from running for the Knesset – including Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was banned in 1988 – this marks the first time in the history of Israel that the court has banned a candidate over the objections of the Central Elections Committee.
The petition to bar Ben-Ari had been submitted by Meretz chief MK Tamar Zandberg, Labor MK Stav Shaffir, and representatives of the Reform Movement. Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, Otzma Yehudit's second candidate for the Knesset, was also included in the petition, but will be permitted to run.
Ben-Ari's critics had accused him of incitement to racism, pointing to a number of videos shared on Facebook in which Ben-Ari called for a tough line against terrorism. The former MK denied that he was hostile towards Arabs as Arabs, and had only spoken out against Arabs who oppose the State of Israel.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit had recommended to the Central Elections Committee to ban Ben-Ari, while permitting Ben-Gvir, the United Arab List-Balad, and Ofer Cassif.
With Ben-Ari barred from the election, the candidates below him on the joint Jewish Home – National Union – Otzma list will be bumped up one spot, pushing Itamar Ben-Gvir into the seventh slot.
The decision strips Otzma Yehudit of its "safe seat", with polls showing the party winning between six to eight seats.
8. 'HE COULD HAVE SAVED HIMSELF, BUT RETURNED TO SAVE OTHERS'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The family of Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, who was critically wounded in the terror attack in Samaria on Sunday, said that Rabbi Ettinger passed the scene and realized that a terrorist was attempting to carry out an attack. He was already a distance from the scene but turned his car around and approached the terrorist, firing four bullets in an attempt to neutralize him, until the terrorist's bullets critically wounded him.
Rabbi Ettinger's condition continues to be extremely critical. His life is in danger due to a serious head injury.
The condition of the IDF soldier who was wounded is very serious, according to a Beilinson hospital spokesperson.
IDF sergeant Gal Keidan, 19, a soldier in the IDF's 334th artillery battalion, was killed in Sunday's attack. His funeral will take place on Monday at 11:00 a.m. at the military cemetery in Be'er Sheva.
The two attacks, which took place a few miles apart in western and central Samaria, were carried out by a single terrorist cell, Israeli authorities say.
According to an initial investigation into the attacks, it appears that a terrorist who had hid in an illegally-built Arab store near the entrance to Ariel, then approached Keidan, stabbing him to death, and stealing his firearm.
At the same time, the IDF company commander who stood on the other side of the square, fired at the terrorist and wounded him lightly. The terrorist then entered a car and drove to the Gitai Avisar Junction where he shot another IDF soldier.
The IDF is continuing its investigation into the combined attack, including why the other IDF soldier who stood at the hitchhiking station didn't shoot at the terrorist, and why the soldiers failed to report the incident to the IDF soldiers at the Gitai Avisar Junction.
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