Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Friday, Jun. 21 '19, י"ח בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. NEW POLL: LIKUD GETS 34 SEATS, BLUE AND WHITE 33
2. 'WORLD'S FIRST' FULLY-ELECTRIC PLANE UNVEILED BY ISRAELI COMPANY
3. TRUMP GIVES IRAN AN ULTIMATUM
4. REPORT: US WON'T RULE OUT MILITARY STRIKE ON IRAN
5. PENTAGON RELEASES FLIGHT PATH OF DOWNED DRONE
6. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
7. SUSPECT IN RAPE OF 7 YEAR OLD 'BURST INTO TEARS' IN COURT
8. WILL TRUMP STRIKE IRAN? 'YOU'LL FIND OUT SOON'
1. NEW POLL: LIKUD GETS 34 SEATS, BLUE AND WHITE 33
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A new survey by Maagar Mochot showed that if elections were held today, the Likud party would win the most seats.
The survey, conducted for 103FM Radio, showed that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud would win a narrow victory with 34 Knesset seats, and the center-left Blue and White party would receive 33 seats.
The Yisrael Beytenu, Shas, and UTJ parties would receive eight seats each, while the United Right and the Arab Ta'al-Hadash would each receive six.
Left-wing Meretz would barely pass the electoral threshold, receiving just five seats.
According to the poll, the right-wing bloc would receive 68 seats - 60 without Yisrael Beytenu - while the center-left bloc would receive 52.
If Netanyahu were forced to resign his position, 27% of respondents support MK Gideon Sa'ar (Likud) replacing him, while 19% would prefer either former Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) or Knesset Chairman Yuli Edelstein (Likud).
2. 'WORLD'S FIRST' FULLY-ELECTRIC PLANE UNVEILED BY ISRAELI COMPANY
by Sara Rubenstein
Eviation Aircraft Ltd., an Israeli aviation company, displayed the Eviation Alice, an entirely electric commuter plane, at the Paris Air Show this week.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264912
The Alice's unusual and modern look, which Eviation CEO Omar Bar-Yohay described as "whale-shaped," is due to its aerodynamic efficiency. The plane, which can seat nine passengers and two pilots, can fly at 273 miles per hour for up to 621 miles on one battery charge, at a cost of $200 per hour of flight. The battery comprises 65% of the plane's weight.
Eviation already has orders for a "double-digit" number of airplanes from US regional carrier Cape Air, with which Eviation signed its first deal. Each plane will carry a $4 million price tag.
"Operating at a fraction of the costs of conventional jetliners, our Alice will redefine how people travel regionally and usher in a new era of flying that is quieter, cleaner, and cost-effective," Bar-Yohay said.
The use of electric planes, especially if they "take off" and become widespread is a step in the right direction to a cleaner environment, as the high carbon emissions from standard planes have been a source of concern for environmentalists. Electric planes can also potentially decrease the high costs of plane travel due to the huge amount of oil planes require.
Bar-Yohay, speaking at a press conference at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday, said that the Alice will undergo flight-tests this year and will then be tested for certification by the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company is expecting Alice to be ready for commercial use by 2022.
3. TRUMP GIVES IRAN AN ULTIMATUM
by Arutz Sheva Staff
US President Donald Trump sent a message to Iran setting a deadline for the rogue power to initiate talks, after which the US will attack in retaliation for downing an American surveillance drone earlier this week.
Reuters quoted a source in the Iranian government which said Trump's message was passed via Oman, and emphasized that the US does not want war.
Iran responded that "Supreme Leader [Ali] Khamenei opposes talks with the US."
Air France-KLM and Qantas have announced that they will avoid flying over parts of Iran due to "precautionary measures."
Lufthansa, as well as US airlines, noted the downed drone and said they will avoid flying over the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz.
4. REPORT: US WON'T RULE OUT MILITARY STRIKE ON IRAN
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The US government has not ruled out a future military response to Iran's downing of an American surveillance drone, a senior official told The Wall Street Journal.
Iran, meanwhile, claims it has "proof" that the drone entered its airspace.
Former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told Reshet Bet that the US "needs to think two or three times before responding, in order to avoid causing an unnecessary escalation."
"Israel as well does not want a war in the north with Hezbollah. Right now no one is interested in a widescale war, other than a few of [US President Donald] Trump's advisers," he explained.
ABC reported that Trump's last-minute decision to cancel the strike on Iran came in direct contradiction to US National Security Adviser John Bolton's opinion, as well as that of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
5. PENTAGON RELEASES FLIGHT PATH OF DOWNED DRONE
by Elad Benari
The Pentagon on Thursday released an image showing the flight path for the drone that was shot down by Iran, in an effort to prove that the drone was shot down in international airspace.
"This was an unprovoked attack on a US surveillance asset that had not violated Iranian airspace at any time," said Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, the commanding general of United States Air Forces Central Command.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264898
Earlier on Thursday, Iran filed a complaint against the US, claiming the drone was on a spy mission over its territory and was shot down in Iranian airspace.
In a letter to the UN Secretary General and the Security Council, Iran's UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said a US drone entered Iranian airspace despite repeated radio warnings.
The drone, claimed the Iranian Ambassador, conducted "an overflight through the Strait of Hormuz to Chabahar port in a full stealth mode as it had turned off its identification equipment and engaged in a clear spying operation."
US officials have denied that the drone had entered Iranian airspace and stated that the drone was shot down in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday that Iran "made a very big mistake!" in shooting down the American drone.
The shooting down of the American drone comes amid heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic and the US. On Wednesday, the Pentagon said that the latest deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East, announced earlier this week, will include a Patriot missile battalion, manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft and "other deterrence capabilities."
"The United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but we are postured and ready to defend US forces and interests in the region," a Pentagon spokeswoman said in a statement.
The US deployment was announced by the Pentagon following last week's attacks on two tankers as they were passing through the Gulf of Oman.
Trump has said the twin attacks had Iran "written all over it", rejecting Tehran's vehement denial.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo similarly accused Iran of being behind the attacks in the Gulf of Oman. Iran's parliament speaker, meanwhile, hinted that Washington could be behind the tanker attacks in an attempt to pile pressure on Tehran.
6. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264801
A watchtower dating from the time of the Kingdom of Judah (8th century BCE – during the reign of King Hezekiah) was recently uncovered during archeological excavations by IDF soldiers, together with the Israel Antiquities Authority, at a paratroopers base in the south of the country.
The excavation was conducted as part of the project called "The Nature Defense Forces Project- Commanders Take Responsibility for their Environment," led by the IDF's Technology and Maintenance Corps, and was carried out in cooperation with the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The tower, whose dimensions in antiquity is estimated to have been 5 x 3.5 m, was erected at a high geographic site, and as such, was an observation point to the Hebron Mountains, the Judean plain and the Ashkelon vicinity. It was built of especially large stones, some 8 tons in weight, and its height today reaches around 2 m.
According to Sa'ar Ganor and Valdik Lifshitz, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The strategic location of the tower served as a lookout and warning point against the Philistine enemy, one of whose cities was Ashkelon. In the days of the First Temple, the Kingdom of Judah built a range of towers and fortresses as points of communication, warning and signaling, to transmit messages and field intelligence.
This tower is one of the observation points connecting the large cities in the area, located in the Beit Mirsim (Mirsham), Tel Eton and Tel Lachish sites. In ancient times, to transmit messages, beacons of smoke were lit during the day and beacons of fire at night. It is probable that the watchtower now uncovered is one of the towers that bore some of the beacons."
In the Bible, beacons, or, in the language of the Bible, "pillars" are mentioned several times. Thus, in the story of the Concubine in Gibeah, the use of pillars of smoke is described: "The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, and then the Israelites would counter attack .The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke" (Judges 20: 38-40). The prophet Jeremiah also describes the manner in which the beacons were passed: "Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction" (Jeremiah 6:1).
Evidence from another source is known from one of the ostracons (letters on clay) discovered at Tel Lachish. At the end of letter no. 4 it is written, "May God cause my lord to hear reports of good news this very day …. Then it will be known that we are watching the (fire) signals of Lachish according to the code which my lord gave us for we cannot see Azekah."
This letter shows that the existence of the beacons and the interpretation of the signals were part of the defense system and the idea of routine security, and security in times of emergency, in the Kingdom of Judea during the Iron Age.
Activity in the ancient tower, uncovered in the area of the military base, ceased on the eve of the expedition of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, to Judah in 701 BCE. Archaeological excavations revealed that the entrance to the tower was blocked, and the force stationed there apparently converged on one of the nearby fortified towns.
From biblical testimonies and archeological findings in the area, we know that Sennacherib's attack virtually destroyed Judah, including 46 cities and 2,000 villages and farms. Now, some 2700 years after Sennacherib's expedition to the Land of Judah, IDF soldiers uncovered an observation tower belonging to Judean army soldiers, similar to the watchtowers used today by the army.
Guy Saly, director of the IDF Nature Defense Forces Project states that about 150 recruits and commanders from the Paratroopers Brigade, including recruits from commando units, participated in the excavations, in an activity that lasted several months. Saly added that the project, established with the aim of leading commanders and soldiers to becoming responsible and actively involved in protecting nature, landscape and the heritage values of their surroundings, began in 2014 with eight projects, and today, as part of this project, sixty activity centers operate across the country.
"To our delight, each project creates solidarity, strengthening the connection between the soldiers and their surroundings.The IDF, a melting pot of Israel's diverse population, is a unique meeting place for people from all parts of the country, which, through environmental activities, creates between them a stronger awareness to the preservation of nature and the Israeli heritage," says Saly.
Second Lieutenant Roi Ofir, age 21, commander of the recruit team in the reconnaissance battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, from Rosh Ha'ayin, says: "The archaeological excavation was a routine break from my point of view. I saw soldiers enjoying manual labor that has added value.This is the first time I participated in excavations. The connection to the land, and the fact that there were Jewish fighters in the past, gave me a sense of mission. The fact that there was also a connection to the area where we carried out our own military maneuvers; left us with a feeling that we were giving back.
7. SUSPECT IN RAPE OF 7 YEAR OLD 'BURST INTO TEARS' IN COURT
by Ido Ben Porat
The Palestinian Arab accused of raping the 7-year-old girl was brought in Wednesday afternoon for a remand hearing, during which he burst into tears.
The military prosecution asked the court in Ofer to extend the defendant's remand by 10 days.
The defendant's lawyer, Nashef Darwish, said that during the hearing the defendant burst into tears and told police: "Why are you asking for further investigation? What have you done all these days?"
Attorney Darwish told reporters: "There is no new case as was reported, I am unable to explain why. This case will eventually turn out to be an indictment against the investigative bodies "
The prosecution requested that the defendant's remand be extended in order to carry out further investigation in the case, and in order to exhaust the investigation into suspicions regarding others involved in the rape.
Gadi Siso, head of the Police Investigations Division, and the Military Advocate General, Major General Sharon Afek, decided yesterday to order the Central Unit in the Judea and Samaria District to conduct additional investigations.
The step is unusual, coming as it does after the Military Advocate General submitted an indictment against the suspected Palestinian Arab school janitor to the Ofer Military Court on Sunday following the police investigation.
8. WILL TRUMP STRIKE IRAN? 'YOU'LL FIND OUT SOON'
by David Rosenberg
[youtube:2059541:436]
President Donald Trump spoke with journalists following a meeting with senior security officials Thursday, telling reporters they would "soon find out" if the US will attack Iran in retaliation for the downing of an American drone recently.
When asked by a reporter whether the US planned to strike Iran, the president, who is slated to meet with Canadian premier Justin Trudeau at the White House, responded by saying "You'll soon find out."
"Obviously we're not going to be talking too much about it. You're gonna find out. They made a big mistake."
Trump also said "Iran made a big mistake. This drone was in international waters, clearly. We have it all documented. They made a very bad mistake."
"I imagine someone made a mistake," Trump said, adding that he believed it was someone "loose and stupid who did it," hinting that the US response would have been different, had the aircraft been manned.
"We didn't have a man of woman in the drone. It would have made a big, big difference."
When pressed by a reporter regarding the administration's plans, Trump said: "Let's see what happens."
Earlier on Thursday, senior Trump administration officials met with the president to discuss possible responses to the shooting down Wednesday of a US unmanned aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and its allies have accused Iran of a number of recent attacks on oil tankers in the Straits of Hormuz.
Iran claimed responsibility for downing the American drone aircraft.
President Trump tweeted Thursday that Iran "made a very big mistake!"
The shooting down of the American drone comes amid heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic and the US.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon said that the latest deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East, announced earlier this week, will include a Patriot missile battalion, manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft and "other deterrence capabilities."
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264877
Friday, June 21, 2019
Thursday, June 20, 2019
A7News: Cleared: Iran tried to establish spy infrastructure in Israel
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Thursday, Jun. 20 '19, י"ז בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. CLEARED: IRAN TRIED TO ESTABLISH SPY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ISRAEL
2. NFL QUARTERBACK SPOTTED AT WESTERN WALL - AND IN SAMARIA
3. NEW ISRAEL FUND SUPPORTS US LEGISLATION AGAINST 'ANNEXATION'
4. HAMAS BLASTS BAHRAIN SUMMIT FOR 'NORMALIZING' TIES WITH ISRAEL
5. 'NO LIMIT TO THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT'
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
7. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
8. ANALYSIS: THE ESCALATING WAR BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES
1. CLEARED: IRAN TRIED TO ESTABLISH SPY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Shin Bet revealed an attempt by Iranian intelligence to set up an espionage infrastructure in Israel and arrested Taar Shafoot, a Jordanian citizen born in Hebron.
During the Shin Bet interrogation, it was revealed that Shafoot, a Jordanian businessman, had entered Israel on behalf of Iranian intelligence to carry out missions intended to promote the establishment of infrastructure in Israel and in Judea and Samaria that would serve secret activities of the Iranians.
The connection between Shafoot and Iranian intelligence began in Lebanon, where he met two Arabic-speaking handlers from Iranian intelligence, who called themselves Abu Sadek and Abu Jaafar.
Following the first meeting held in Lebanon, a number of meetings were held during the years 2018-2019 between Shafoot and his Iranian handlers, which were held in Lebanon and Syria.
2. NFL QUARTERBACK SPOTTED AT WESTERN WALL - AND IN SAMARIA
by David Rosenberg
National Football League quarterback Deshaun Watson was spotted at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Thursday, as he tours the country as part of a weeklong trip to the Jewish state.
Watson, a 23-year-old native of Gainesville, Georgia, was picked up by the Houston Texans in the 2017 draft, landed in Israel on Tuesday, along with his trainer, Quincy Avery.
The two flew to Israel under the auspices of America's Voices in Israel, which organizes trips to the Jewish state for celebrities and other prominent figures in the US, helping them learn about Israel and the Middle East conflict firsthand.
"This is a part of the world which gets a lot of attention internationally, and this is a chance for me to look beyond the headlines and learn more about the history and culture of this land," Watson said in a statement.
"I have been blessed to visit many countries around the world, but the chance to visit the Holy Land, see the sites and meet the people of this special place, truly is a special blessing and an amazing opportunity."
During his visit, Watson visited the Old City of Jerusalem Thursday, after visiting Israeli towns in Samaria on Wednesday, along with the site of the Biblical city of Shiloh. Watson met with Binyamin Regional Council Chief Yisrael Gantz during the trip to Samaria.
At the end of his visit to Samaria, Watson said he had fallen "in love with" Israel.
"In America, Israel is sometimes presented in a negative sense of fear and terror, but when you come here you realize how wrong it is, it's fun to see the beautiful country with wonderful people and amazing attitude towards us. I fell in love with you," Watson said, according to ONE.co.il.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264864
3. NEW ISRAEL FUND SUPPORTS US LEGISLATION AGAINST 'ANNEXATION'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The New Israel Fund appealed to its supporters abroad to join the legislative initiatives led by J Street in the Senate against the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
"The settler movement has a friend in the White House who is leading Israel to a dangerous future, and we join American organizations that we partner with and ask you to help the Congress say no to annexation," the NIF said in its appeal.
"On June 8, the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, spoke of Israel's" right "to annex part of the West Bank. But there is no such right.
"Annexing the West Bank is not only illegal under international law, but will also lead to the encouragement and expansion of the occupation and to the violation of the human rights of the Palestinians," the NIF added.
"The grantees of the New Israel Fund, organizations such as Breaking the Silence, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and other Israeli human rights organizations, have long been against the occupation, and the fact that extremists are in power, both in America and in Israel, is an unprecedented threat to Israeli democracy.
"We join the calls to put up a red line against the annexation, and you must turn to the senators who represent you and ask them to support Senate resolution 234 on this matter."
Btzalmo CEO Shair Glick said that the New Israel Funds's appeal "crosses a red line. The NIF always prides itself on being an Israeli organization operating inside Israel, but it now turns out that it is employing outsiders to exert external pressure against Israel."
"I call upon the government of Israel to declare the severing of any contact with this organization, which is a foreign corporation operating against the interests of citizens and the State of Israel," Glick added.
4. HAMAS BLASTS BAHRAIN SUMMIT FOR 'NORMALIZING' TIES WITH ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff, AFP
Ismail Haniya, the leader of the Gaza-based Hamas terrorist organization, said Thursday Hamas rejected next week's US-sponsored Middle East economic conference in Bahrain as it would amount to
Arab "normalization" of ties with Israel.
In a rare briefing with international journalists, Haniya also accused Israel of failing to abide by agreements meant to ensure calm in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
"We clearly express our rejection and non-acceptance of any Arab or Islamic country holding such a conference, which constitutes normalization with the occupation," Haniya said, referring to Israel.
US President Donald Trump's administration organised the conference, which is to be held on June 25 and 26 in Manama for the unveiling of the economic component of a US Israeli-Arab peace plan.
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drafting the long-awaited plan, but it has been rejected in advance by the Palestinian Authority, which accused the Trump administration of pro-Israel bias.
The political part of the conference is likely to be delayed until at least after the Israeli elections in September, and probably until November, after a new government has been formed.
The Palestinian Authority has also accused the United States of trying to use the potential offer of billions of dollars in investment to avoid dealing with political causes of their suffering, including what they called Israel's "occupation".
"We reject the Manama conference and the transformation of the Palestinian cause from a political cause to an economic cause," Haniya said.
Haniya also appealed to Bahrain's King Hamad "not to hold this workshop," vowing protests "in all the Palestinian lands and beyond".
Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008 and fears of a fourth remain.
An agreement reached in November is supposed to ensure calm in exchange for Israel easing its blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The Jewish state has never publicly confirmed the deal but has allowed Qatar to bring millions in cash and investments into the Hamas-ruled enclave since then.
In May the two sides came close to a new conflict, with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups firing hundreds of rockets from Gaza and the Israeli military striking dozens of terrorist targets in response.
Haniya accused Israel of not implementing the agreements reached.
"The understandings today are in the danger zone, due to the failure of the (Israeli) occupation to implement what was agreed upon."
He highlighted the distance Israel allows fishermen from Gaza to operate off the coast, saying Israel had pledged to allow it up to 18 nautical miles off the coast.
Last week Israel banned all fishing off the coast, though it has since resumed to six miles.
"The Israeli occupation uses this range as a form of blackmail," said Haniya.
"We are not against a just peace (with Israel) based on just rights but we are against surrender," he added.
Israel says the restrictions are necessary to isolate Hamas, saying the terror group often seeks to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.
5. 'NO LIMIT TO THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT'
by Mordechai Sones
A wave of reactions to remarks by the former Mosad head in an interview according to which Netanyahu voters are "people without knowledge, without understanding. His political base is people whose normative threshold is grass-high."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said "They called us rifraff, good-luck-charm kissers, robots, and now we're 'people lacking knowledge'. There's no limit to the arrogance of the Left when it comes to Likud voters. Our answer will arrive at the ballot box."
Knesset Member Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan (Likud) said in response that Shavit "didn't get used to the fact that the hegemony passed from the gentry to the people, and said a burst of nonsense that indicates an intelligence threshold at grass height."
MK Ofir Sofer (Jewish Home) said in response, "It's always a pleasure to be reminded each time of what the other side thinks of Right-leaning voters and those who love tradition."
MK Nir Barkat (Likud) suggested that Shavit apologize. "In my experience as mayor of Jerusalem and as a citizen of the State of Israel, I learned that when you respect people with different opinions than your own, you can live better together, despite the contrasts. Insult, slander, condescension, and contempt for others always achieve the opposite."
"You did nothing to bring people together with your words about Likud voters, including myself, people whose normative threshold is grass-high'. If you ever want to be listened to, I suggest you apologize," Barkat said.
Knesset Member Osnat Mark (Likud) also responded to the remarks. "Grass height isn't low enough compared to the miserable level of words that Shavit said about 1.5 million Israelis. His words mostly dishonor him.
"Likud voters are a huge and diverse group of good, Zionist, country-loving people, and to my joy, they're also increasing in the elections. They're probably smarter than Shavit thinks and don't allow these pitiful statements to confuse them."
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264751
A comprehensive military exercise was conducted this week by the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The exercise began on Sunday and ends tomorrow (Wednesday), and includes all the squadrons in the IAF.
A senior Air Force officer said today that "the whole Air Force is in the air."
"The exercise trains the entire force, from the techical branch to the operational staff and the commanders, and the Air Force commander himself."
"We are practicing multi-theater, fighting in several arenas together. The main focus is in the northern arena where the enemy is immediate. We are practicing at a particularly high level against a challenging, thinking and reacting enemy that has technologies beyond what exists in today's arena."
According to the senior official, "The ground forces are full partners in the exercise, and we have reached the highest levels of cooperation, generally speaking, that we have reached in the last decade."
He noted that this exercise is the first time that the Air Force is training for war with F-35 fighter jets: "Throughout the day and night. We practice uncertainty, flying in spaces of ambiguity, not knowing exactly who the enemy is and what position you are in. This allows us to get used to uncertain situations an important ability to have in the last decade.
In order to make the exercise more effective, the senior source said, forces are also simulating an enemy. "For a year we have been creating scenarios and we have capabilities in the field that simulate the enemy and move from place to place and challenge the trainees as they try to hit them."
He also referred to improving cooperation with the ground forces: "We want to reach a situation in which the soldiers in the field will converge on a target after we have hit the enemy's targets and rope him in. We build on the fact that there will be no civilians in the area so that there will be no damage to innocents. We will make sure the bomb hits the terrorists' house and not victims nearby. If there is a building with civilians, we will evacuate the civilians and then attack the house. It's an intelligence challenge [requiring] the cooperation of the ground forces."
[album:open:11172]
7. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264801
A watchtower dating from the time of the Kingdom of Judah (8th century BCE – during the reign of King Hezekiah) was recently uncovered during archeological excavations by IDF soldiers, together with the Israel Antiquities Authority, at a paratroopers base in the south of the country.
The excavation was conducted as part of the project called "The Nature Defense Forces Project- Commanders Take Responsibility for their Environment," led by the IDF's Technology and Maintenance Corps, and was carried out in cooperation with the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The tower, whose dimensions in antiquity is estimated to have been 5 x 3.5 m, was erected at a high geographic site, and as such, was an observation point to the Hebron Mountains, the Judean plain and the Ashkelon vicinity. It was built of especially large stones, some 8 tons in weight, and its height today reaches around 2 m.
According to Sa'ar Ganor and Valdik Lifshitz, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The strategic location of the tower served as a lookout and warning point against the Philistine enemy, one of whose cities was Ashkelon. In the days of the First Temple, the Kingdom of Judah built a range of towers and fortresses as points of communication, warning and signaling, to transmit messages and field intelligence.
This tower is one of the observation points connecting the large cities in the area, located in the Beit Mirsim (Mirsham), Tel Eton and Tel Lachish sites. In ancient times, to transmit messages, beacons of smoke were lit during the day and beacons of fire at night. It is probable that the watchtower now uncovered is one of the towers that bore some of the beacons."
In the Bible, beacons, or, in the language of the Bible, "pillars" are mentioned several times. Thus, in the story of the Concubine in Gibeah, the use of pillars of smoke is described: "The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, and then the Israelites would counter attack .The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke" (Judges 20: 38-40). The prophet Jeremiah also describes the manner in which the beacons were passed: "Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction" (Jeremiah 6:1).
Evidence from another source is known from one of the ostracons (letters on clay) discovered at Tel Lachish. At the end of letter no. 4 it is written, "May God cause my lord to hear reports of good news this very day …. Then it will be known that we are watching the (fire) signals of Lachish according to the code which my lord gave us for we cannot see Azekah."
This letter shows that the existence of the beacons and the interpretation of the signals were part of the defense system and the idea of routine security, and security in times of emergency, in the Kingdom of Judea during the Iron Age.
Activity in the ancient tower, uncovered in the area of the military base, ceased on the eve of the expedition of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, to Judah in 701 BCE. Archaeological excavations revealed that the entrance to the tower was blocked, and the force stationed there apparently converged on one of the nearby fortified towns.
From biblical testimonies and archeological findings in the area, we know that Sennacherib's attack virtually destroyed Judah, including 46 cities and 2,000 villages and farms. Now, some 2700 years after Sennacherib's expedition to the Land of Judah, IDF soldiers uncovered an observation tower belonging to Judean army soldiers, similar to the watchtowers used today by the army.
Guy Saly, director of the IDF Nature Defense Forces Project states that about 150 recruits and commanders from the Paratroopers Brigade, including recruits from commando units, participated in the excavations, in an activity that lasted several months. Saly added that the project, established with the aim of leading commanders and soldiers to becoming responsible and actively involved in protecting nature, landscape and the heritage values of their surroundings, began in 2014 with eight projects, and today, as part of this project, sixty activity centers operate across the country.
"To our delight, each project creates solidarity, strengthening the connection between the soldiers and their surroundings.The IDF, a melting pot of Israel's diverse population, is a unique meeting place for people from all parts of the country, which, through environmental activities, creates between them a stronger awareness to the preservation of nature and the Israeli heritage," says Saly.
Second Lieutenant Roi Ofir, age 21, commander of the recruit team in the reconnaissance battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, from Rosh Ha'ayin, says: "The archaeological excavation was a routine break from my point of view. I saw soldiers enjoying manual labor that has added value.This is the first time I participated in excavations. The connection to the land, and the fact that there were Jewish fighters in the past, gave me a sense of mission. The fact that there was also a connection to the area where we carried out our own military maneuvers; left us with a feeling that we were giving back.
8. ANALYSIS: THE ESCALATING WAR BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES
by Yochanan Visser
As I reported on May 22, the war between the United States and Iran has already begun and is now escalating.
The Islamic Republic has activated its proxies in Iraq, Yemen and Syria to strike the US and its allies in the Middle East while trying to disrupt oil transports in the Persian Gulf.
Over the past few weeks, Iran-backed militias launched rocket attacks on US-related targets in Iraq while the Ansar Allah or Houthi militia in Yemen shot down an American drone and repeatedly launched drone attacks on Saudi-Arabia.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was, furthermore, reportedly behind new attacks against oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.
The attacks on the tankers Kokuka Courageous and the Front Altair which took place in the Gulf of Oman last week caused extensive damage to the vessels while the crew of both tankers remained unharmed.
The holes in the hull of the tankers indicate that Limpet mines were used while the crew of the Front Altair initially reported that the ship was hit by a torpedo or an underwater drone.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264824
According to Sean Kido, the commander of an explosive ordinance dive and salvage task group in the Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) the mines used in the attack on the Kokuka Courageous were made in Iran.
"The limpet mine that was used in the attack is distinguishable and also strikingly bearing a resemblance to Iranian mines that have already been publicly displayed in Iranian military parades" Kido told reporters.
He added that his unit had recovered finger and hand prints from the hull of the Japanese-owned ship.
CENTCOM, the US Central Command in the Middle East, later delivered evidence that IRGC units were present in the area where the oil tankers were hit.
CENTCOM released a video depicting a glass bottom boat full with, what it claims, were members of the IRGC who removed an unexploded mine from the hull of the Kokuka Courageous.
The US Central Command also reported that the same IRGC units had unsuccessfully tried to shoot down a US MQ-9 armed drone which was monitoring the movements of the Iranians with Misagh-2 MANPADS.
On June 6th, the same type of American drone was shot down over Yemen by Ansar Allah which used an Iranian supplied SA-6 surface-to-air missile to down the UAV.
CENTCOM said in a statement that "the altitude of the engagement indicated an improvement over previous Houthi capability, which we assess was enabled by Iranian assistance."
Despite the overwhelming evidence that Iran carried out the latest attacks against unarmed oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman the regime in Tehran continues to deny any involvement in the escalating attacks.
Amir Hatami, Iran's Defense Minister, told the Iranian news agency IRNA that the evidence delivered by the US was "unsubstantiated".
"Accusations leveled against Iran's armed forces and the published film with regards to the incident (that) happened to the vessels ... are unsubstantiated and we categorically reject these accusations," Hatami claimed.
Iran is now pressuring Europe to chose sides in the escalating conflict with the U.S. and is working hard to develop its global terror network in European countries.
The Islamist regime in Tehran has given Europe an ultimatum.
Unless the Europeans help Iran getting relief from the US-led sanction regime the Iranians will breach the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers.
Whenever the Europeans don't comply with this ultimatum Iran will start enriching uranium beyond the limits set in the JCPOA starting June 27.
The Europeans, however, can do little to address the Iranian concerns and aren't able to force companies into investing in Iran's economy because those companies will be targeted by US sanctions.
The question is now what will happen next.
There have been unconfirmed reports that the Trump Administration is preparing for a tactical strike on a nuclear-related target in Iran.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo doesn't rule out military action against Iran and has made clear that the death of a single American service man or woman would trigger a military response,according to The Washington Post.
The Administration, however, does have other tools to up the pressure on Iran before retorting to military action and until now has only deployed 1,000 additional soldiers to the Middle East.
The most important step the US could take is building a global coalition against Iran including China which receives 80 percent of its oil supply via the Persian Gulf.
World powers should unite in confronting Iran over its attacks against unarmed commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and the first step that should be taken is to protect these ships while they are passing through the waterway, Iran experts think.
The US and its allies should, furthermore, up the cyber attacks on Iran's military apparatus and work together with Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries to fold terrorist plots by sharing intelligence, something that is already happening.
From its side, Iran could further escalate the attacks against US-related targets in the Middle East and beyond and further increase its involvement in the Yemenite war.
Control over Yemen, even partly, would give Iran the possibility to disrupt the flow of oil via the Bab el-Mandeb waterway even more and the possibility to increase the pressure on Saudi-Arabia.
Another option is that Iran will activate its proxies to launch an attack against Israel, Ha'aretz analyst Amos Harel reported citing Western and Israeli intelligence sources.
The Israeli government and military are aware of this scenario and are preparing for this possibility according to Harel.
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Thursday, Jun. 20 '19, י"ז בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. CLEARED: IRAN TRIED TO ESTABLISH SPY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ISRAEL
2. NFL QUARTERBACK SPOTTED AT WESTERN WALL - AND IN SAMARIA
3. NEW ISRAEL FUND SUPPORTS US LEGISLATION AGAINST 'ANNEXATION'
4. HAMAS BLASTS BAHRAIN SUMMIT FOR 'NORMALIZING' TIES WITH ISRAEL
5. 'NO LIMIT TO THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT'
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
7. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
8. ANALYSIS: THE ESCALATING WAR BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES
1. CLEARED: IRAN TRIED TO ESTABLISH SPY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Shin Bet revealed an attempt by Iranian intelligence to set up an espionage infrastructure in Israel and arrested Taar Shafoot, a Jordanian citizen born in Hebron.
During the Shin Bet interrogation, it was revealed that Shafoot, a Jordanian businessman, had entered Israel on behalf of Iranian intelligence to carry out missions intended to promote the establishment of infrastructure in Israel and in Judea and Samaria that would serve secret activities of the Iranians.
The connection between Shafoot and Iranian intelligence began in Lebanon, where he met two Arabic-speaking handlers from Iranian intelligence, who called themselves Abu Sadek and Abu Jaafar.
Following the first meeting held in Lebanon, a number of meetings were held during the years 2018-2019 between Shafoot and his Iranian handlers, which were held in Lebanon and Syria.
2. NFL QUARTERBACK SPOTTED AT WESTERN WALL - AND IN SAMARIA
by David Rosenberg
National Football League quarterback Deshaun Watson was spotted at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Thursday, as he tours the country as part of a weeklong trip to the Jewish state.
Watson, a 23-year-old native of Gainesville, Georgia, was picked up by the Houston Texans in the 2017 draft, landed in Israel on Tuesday, along with his trainer, Quincy Avery.
The two flew to Israel under the auspices of America's Voices in Israel, which organizes trips to the Jewish state for celebrities and other prominent figures in the US, helping them learn about Israel and the Middle East conflict firsthand.
"This is a part of the world which gets a lot of attention internationally, and this is a chance for me to look beyond the headlines and learn more about the history and culture of this land," Watson said in a statement.
"I have been blessed to visit many countries around the world, but the chance to visit the Holy Land, see the sites and meet the people of this special place, truly is a special blessing and an amazing opportunity."
During his visit, Watson visited the Old City of Jerusalem Thursday, after visiting Israeli towns in Samaria on Wednesday, along with the site of the Biblical city of Shiloh. Watson met with Binyamin Regional Council Chief Yisrael Gantz during the trip to Samaria.
At the end of his visit to Samaria, Watson said he had fallen "in love with" Israel.
"In America, Israel is sometimes presented in a negative sense of fear and terror, but when you come here you realize how wrong it is, it's fun to see the beautiful country with wonderful people and amazing attitude towards us. I fell in love with you," Watson said, according to ONE.co.il.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264864
3. NEW ISRAEL FUND SUPPORTS US LEGISLATION AGAINST 'ANNEXATION'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The New Israel Fund appealed to its supporters abroad to join the legislative initiatives led by J Street in the Senate against the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
"The settler movement has a friend in the White House who is leading Israel to a dangerous future, and we join American organizations that we partner with and ask you to help the Congress say no to annexation," the NIF said in its appeal.
"On June 8, the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, spoke of Israel's" right "to annex part of the West Bank. But there is no such right.
"Annexing the West Bank is not only illegal under international law, but will also lead to the encouragement and expansion of the occupation and to the violation of the human rights of the Palestinians," the NIF added.
"The grantees of the New Israel Fund, organizations such as Breaking the Silence, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and other Israeli human rights organizations, have long been against the occupation, and the fact that extremists are in power, both in America and in Israel, is an unprecedented threat to Israeli democracy.
"We join the calls to put up a red line against the annexation, and you must turn to the senators who represent you and ask them to support Senate resolution 234 on this matter."
Btzalmo CEO Shair Glick said that the New Israel Funds's appeal "crosses a red line. The NIF always prides itself on being an Israeli organization operating inside Israel, but it now turns out that it is employing outsiders to exert external pressure against Israel."
"I call upon the government of Israel to declare the severing of any contact with this organization, which is a foreign corporation operating against the interests of citizens and the State of Israel," Glick added.
4. HAMAS BLASTS BAHRAIN SUMMIT FOR 'NORMALIZING' TIES WITH ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff, AFP
Ismail Haniya, the leader of the Gaza-based Hamas terrorist organization, said Thursday Hamas rejected next week's US-sponsored Middle East economic conference in Bahrain as it would amount to
Arab "normalization" of ties with Israel.
In a rare briefing with international journalists, Haniya also accused Israel of failing to abide by agreements meant to ensure calm in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
"We clearly express our rejection and non-acceptance of any Arab or Islamic country holding such a conference, which constitutes normalization with the occupation," Haniya said, referring to Israel.
US President Donald Trump's administration organised the conference, which is to be held on June 25 and 26 in Manama for the unveiling of the economic component of a US Israeli-Arab peace plan.
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drafting the long-awaited plan, but it has been rejected in advance by the Palestinian Authority, which accused the Trump administration of pro-Israel bias.
The political part of the conference is likely to be delayed until at least after the Israeli elections in September, and probably until November, after a new government has been formed.
The Palestinian Authority has also accused the United States of trying to use the potential offer of billions of dollars in investment to avoid dealing with political causes of their suffering, including what they called Israel's "occupation".
"We reject the Manama conference and the transformation of the Palestinian cause from a political cause to an economic cause," Haniya said.
Haniya also appealed to Bahrain's King Hamad "not to hold this workshop," vowing protests "in all the Palestinian lands and beyond".
Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008 and fears of a fourth remain.
An agreement reached in November is supposed to ensure calm in exchange for Israel easing its blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The Jewish state has never publicly confirmed the deal but has allowed Qatar to bring millions in cash and investments into the Hamas-ruled enclave since then.
In May the two sides came close to a new conflict, with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups firing hundreds of rockets from Gaza and the Israeli military striking dozens of terrorist targets in response.
Haniya accused Israel of not implementing the agreements reached.
"The understandings today are in the danger zone, due to the failure of the (Israeli) occupation to implement what was agreed upon."
He highlighted the distance Israel allows fishermen from Gaza to operate off the coast, saying Israel had pledged to allow it up to 18 nautical miles off the coast.
Last week Israel banned all fishing off the coast, though it has since resumed to six miles.
"The Israeli occupation uses this range as a form of blackmail," said Haniya.
"We are not against a just peace (with Israel) based on just rights but we are against surrender," he added.
Israel says the restrictions are necessary to isolate Hamas, saying the terror group often seeks to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.
5. 'NO LIMIT TO THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT'
by Mordechai Sones
A wave of reactions to remarks by the former Mosad head in an interview according to which Netanyahu voters are "people without knowledge, without understanding. His political base is people whose normative threshold is grass-high."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said "They called us rifraff, good-luck-charm kissers, robots, and now we're 'people lacking knowledge'. There's no limit to the arrogance of the Left when it comes to Likud voters. Our answer will arrive at the ballot box."
Knesset Member Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan (Likud) said in response that Shavit "didn't get used to the fact that the hegemony passed from the gentry to the people, and said a burst of nonsense that indicates an intelligence threshold at grass height."
MK Ofir Sofer (Jewish Home) said in response, "It's always a pleasure to be reminded each time of what the other side thinks of Right-leaning voters and those who love tradition."
MK Nir Barkat (Likud) suggested that Shavit apologize. "In my experience as mayor of Jerusalem and as a citizen of the State of Israel, I learned that when you respect people with different opinions than your own, you can live better together, despite the contrasts. Insult, slander, condescension, and contempt for others always achieve the opposite."
"You did nothing to bring people together with your words about Likud voters, including myself, people whose normative threshold is grass-high'. If you ever want to be listened to, I suggest you apologize," Barkat said.
Knesset Member Osnat Mark (Likud) also responded to the remarks. "Grass height isn't low enough compared to the miserable level of words that Shavit said about 1.5 million Israelis. His words mostly dishonor him.
"Likud voters are a huge and diverse group of good, Zionist, country-loving people, and to my joy, they're also increasing in the elections. They're probably smarter than Shavit thinks and don't allow these pitiful statements to confuse them."
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264751
A comprehensive military exercise was conducted this week by the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The exercise began on Sunday and ends tomorrow (Wednesday), and includes all the squadrons in the IAF.
A senior Air Force officer said today that "the whole Air Force is in the air."
"The exercise trains the entire force, from the techical branch to the operational staff and the commanders, and the Air Force commander himself."
"We are practicing multi-theater, fighting in several arenas together. The main focus is in the northern arena where the enemy is immediate. We are practicing at a particularly high level against a challenging, thinking and reacting enemy that has technologies beyond what exists in today's arena."
According to the senior official, "The ground forces are full partners in the exercise, and we have reached the highest levels of cooperation, generally speaking, that we have reached in the last decade."
He noted that this exercise is the first time that the Air Force is training for war with F-35 fighter jets: "Throughout the day and night. We practice uncertainty, flying in spaces of ambiguity, not knowing exactly who the enemy is and what position you are in. This allows us to get used to uncertain situations an important ability to have in the last decade.
In order to make the exercise more effective, the senior source said, forces are also simulating an enemy. "For a year we have been creating scenarios and we have capabilities in the field that simulate the enemy and move from place to place and challenge the trainees as they try to hit them."
He also referred to improving cooperation with the ground forces: "We want to reach a situation in which the soldiers in the field will converge on a target after we have hit the enemy's targets and rope him in. We build on the fact that there will be no civilians in the area so that there will be no damage to innocents. We will make sure the bomb hits the terrorists' house and not victims nearby. If there is a building with civilians, we will evacuate the civilians and then attack the house. It's an intelligence challenge [requiring] the cooperation of the ground forces."
[album:open:11172]
7. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264801
A watchtower dating from the time of the Kingdom of Judah (8th century BCE – during the reign of King Hezekiah) was recently uncovered during archeological excavations by IDF soldiers, together with the Israel Antiquities Authority, at a paratroopers base in the south of the country.
The excavation was conducted as part of the project called "The Nature Defense Forces Project- Commanders Take Responsibility for their Environment," led by the IDF's Technology and Maintenance Corps, and was carried out in cooperation with the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The tower, whose dimensions in antiquity is estimated to have been 5 x 3.5 m, was erected at a high geographic site, and as such, was an observation point to the Hebron Mountains, the Judean plain and the Ashkelon vicinity. It was built of especially large stones, some 8 tons in weight, and its height today reaches around 2 m.
According to Sa'ar Ganor and Valdik Lifshitz, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The strategic location of the tower served as a lookout and warning point against the Philistine enemy, one of whose cities was Ashkelon. In the days of the First Temple, the Kingdom of Judah built a range of towers and fortresses as points of communication, warning and signaling, to transmit messages and field intelligence.
This tower is one of the observation points connecting the large cities in the area, located in the Beit Mirsim (Mirsham), Tel Eton and Tel Lachish sites. In ancient times, to transmit messages, beacons of smoke were lit during the day and beacons of fire at night. It is probable that the watchtower now uncovered is one of the towers that bore some of the beacons."
In the Bible, beacons, or, in the language of the Bible, "pillars" are mentioned several times. Thus, in the story of the Concubine in Gibeah, the use of pillars of smoke is described: "The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, and then the Israelites would counter attack .The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke" (Judges 20: 38-40). The prophet Jeremiah also describes the manner in which the beacons were passed: "Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction" (Jeremiah 6:1).
Evidence from another source is known from one of the ostracons (letters on clay) discovered at Tel Lachish. At the end of letter no. 4 it is written, "May God cause my lord to hear reports of good news this very day …. Then it will be known that we are watching the (fire) signals of Lachish according to the code which my lord gave us for we cannot see Azekah."
This letter shows that the existence of the beacons and the interpretation of the signals were part of the defense system and the idea of routine security, and security in times of emergency, in the Kingdom of Judea during the Iron Age.
Activity in the ancient tower, uncovered in the area of the military base, ceased on the eve of the expedition of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, to Judah in 701 BCE. Archaeological excavations revealed that the entrance to the tower was blocked, and the force stationed there apparently converged on one of the nearby fortified towns.
From biblical testimonies and archeological findings in the area, we know that Sennacherib's attack virtually destroyed Judah, including 46 cities and 2,000 villages and farms. Now, some 2700 years after Sennacherib's expedition to the Land of Judah, IDF soldiers uncovered an observation tower belonging to Judean army soldiers, similar to the watchtowers used today by the army.
Guy Saly, director of the IDF Nature Defense Forces Project states that about 150 recruits and commanders from the Paratroopers Brigade, including recruits from commando units, participated in the excavations, in an activity that lasted several months. Saly added that the project, established with the aim of leading commanders and soldiers to becoming responsible and actively involved in protecting nature, landscape and the heritage values of their surroundings, began in 2014 with eight projects, and today, as part of this project, sixty activity centers operate across the country.
"To our delight, each project creates solidarity, strengthening the connection between the soldiers and their surroundings.The IDF, a melting pot of Israel's diverse population, is a unique meeting place for people from all parts of the country, which, through environmental activities, creates between them a stronger awareness to the preservation of nature and the Israeli heritage," says Saly.
Second Lieutenant Roi Ofir, age 21, commander of the recruit team in the reconnaissance battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, from Rosh Ha'ayin, says: "The archaeological excavation was a routine break from my point of view. I saw soldiers enjoying manual labor that has added value.This is the first time I participated in excavations. The connection to the land, and the fact that there were Jewish fighters in the past, gave me a sense of mission. The fact that there was also a connection to the area where we carried out our own military maneuvers; left us with a feeling that we were giving back.
8. ANALYSIS: THE ESCALATING WAR BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES
by Yochanan Visser
As I reported on May 22, the war between the United States and Iran has already begun and is now escalating.
The Islamic Republic has activated its proxies in Iraq, Yemen and Syria to strike the US and its allies in the Middle East while trying to disrupt oil transports in the Persian Gulf.
Over the past few weeks, Iran-backed militias launched rocket attacks on US-related targets in Iraq while the Ansar Allah or Houthi militia in Yemen shot down an American drone and repeatedly launched drone attacks on Saudi-Arabia.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was, furthermore, reportedly behind new attacks against oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.
The attacks on the tankers Kokuka Courageous and the Front Altair which took place in the Gulf of Oman last week caused extensive damage to the vessels while the crew of both tankers remained unharmed.
The holes in the hull of the tankers indicate that Limpet mines were used while the crew of the Front Altair initially reported that the ship was hit by a torpedo or an underwater drone.
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264824
According to Sean Kido, the commander of an explosive ordinance dive and salvage task group in the Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) the mines used in the attack on the Kokuka Courageous were made in Iran.
"The limpet mine that was used in the attack is distinguishable and also strikingly bearing a resemblance to Iranian mines that have already been publicly displayed in Iranian military parades" Kido told reporters.
He added that his unit had recovered finger and hand prints from the hull of the Japanese-owned ship.
CENTCOM, the US Central Command in the Middle East, later delivered evidence that IRGC units were present in the area where the oil tankers were hit.
CENTCOM released a video depicting a glass bottom boat full with, what it claims, were members of the IRGC who removed an unexploded mine from the hull of the Kokuka Courageous.
The US Central Command also reported that the same IRGC units had unsuccessfully tried to shoot down a US MQ-9 armed drone which was monitoring the movements of the Iranians with Misagh-2 MANPADS.
On June 6th, the same type of American drone was shot down over Yemen by Ansar Allah which used an Iranian supplied SA-6 surface-to-air missile to down the UAV.
CENTCOM said in a statement that "the altitude of the engagement indicated an improvement over previous Houthi capability, which we assess was enabled by Iranian assistance."
Despite the overwhelming evidence that Iran carried out the latest attacks against unarmed oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman the regime in Tehran continues to deny any involvement in the escalating attacks.
Amir Hatami, Iran's Defense Minister, told the Iranian news agency IRNA that the evidence delivered by the US was "unsubstantiated".
"Accusations leveled against Iran's armed forces and the published film with regards to the incident (that) happened to the vessels ... are unsubstantiated and we categorically reject these accusations," Hatami claimed.
Iran is now pressuring Europe to chose sides in the escalating conflict with the U.S. and is working hard to develop its global terror network in European countries.
The Islamist regime in Tehran has given Europe an ultimatum.
Unless the Europeans help Iran getting relief from the US-led sanction regime the Iranians will breach the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers.
Whenever the Europeans don't comply with this ultimatum Iran will start enriching uranium beyond the limits set in the JCPOA starting June 27.
The Europeans, however, can do little to address the Iranian concerns and aren't able to force companies into investing in Iran's economy because those companies will be targeted by US sanctions.
The question is now what will happen next.
There have been unconfirmed reports that the Trump Administration is preparing for a tactical strike on a nuclear-related target in Iran.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo doesn't rule out military action against Iran and has made clear that the death of a single American service man or woman would trigger a military response,according to The Washington Post.
The Administration, however, does have other tools to up the pressure on Iran before retorting to military action and until now has only deployed 1,000 additional soldiers to the Middle East.
The most important step the US could take is building a global coalition against Iran including China which receives 80 percent of its oil supply via the Persian Gulf.
World powers should unite in confronting Iran over its attacks against unarmed commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and the first step that should be taken is to protect these ships while they are passing through the waterway, Iran experts think.
The US and its allies should, furthermore, up the cyber attacks on Iran's military apparatus and work together with Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries to fold terrorist plots by sharing intelligence, something that is already happening.
From its side, Iran could further escalate the attacks against US-related targets in the Middle East and beyond and further increase its involvement in the Yemenite war.
Control over Yemen, even partly, would give Iran the possibility to disrupt the flow of oil via the Bab el-Mandeb waterway even more and the possibility to increase the pressure on Saudi-Arabia.
Another option is that Iran will activate its proxies to launch an attack against Israel, Ha'aretz analyst Amos Harel reported citing Western and Israeli intelligence sources.
The Israeli government and military are aware of this scenario and are preparing for this possibility according to Harel.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
A7News: From the army of Judah - to the IDF
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Wednesday, Jun. 19 '19, ט"ז בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
2. WATCH: HUGE FIRE AT ENTRANCE TO JERUSALEM
3. 'EVERY SYNAGOGUE, EVERY JCC NEEDS GUARDS'
4. 'GIRL UNDERWENT SOMETHING, NO CONNECTION TO THE SUSPECT'
5. WILL AYELET SHAKED LEAD THE UNITED RIGHT IN NEXT ELECTION?
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
7. 'MOTHER OF 7-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE'
8. MERKEL SEEN SHAKING DURING EVENT IN BERLIN
1. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264801
A watchtower dating from the time of the Kingdom of Judah (8th century BCE – during the reign of King Hezekiah) was recently uncovered during archeological excavations by IDF soldiers, together with the Israel Antiquities Authority, at a paratroopers base in the south of the country.
The excavation was conducted as part of the project called "The Nature Defense Forces Project- Commanders Take Responsibility for their Environment," led by the IDF's Technology and Maintenance Corps, and was carried out in cooperation with the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The tower, whose dimensions in antiquity is estimated to have been 5 x 3.5 m, was erected at a high geographic site, and as such, was an observation point to the Hebron Mountains, the Judean plain and the Ashkelon vicinity. It was built of especially large stones, some 8 tons in weight, and its height today reaches around 2 m.
According to Sa'ar Ganor and Valdik Lifshitz, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The strategic location of the tower served as a lookout and warning point against the Philistine enemy, one of whose cities was Ashkelon. In the days of the First Temple, the Kingdom of Judah built a range of towers and fortresses as points of communication, warning and signaling, to transmit messages and field intelligence.
This tower is one of the observation points connecting the large cities in the area, located in the Beit Mirsim (Mirsham), Tel Eton and Tel Lachish sites. In ancient times, to transmit messages, beacons of smoke were lit during the day and beacons of fire at night. It is probable that the watchtower now uncovered is one of the towers that bore some of the beacons."
In the Bible, beacons, or, in the language of the Bible, "pillars" are mentioned several times. Thus, in the story of the Concubine in Gibeah, the use of pillars of smoke is described: "The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, and then the Israelites would counter attack .The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke" (Judges 20: 38-40). The prophet Jeremiah also describes the manner in which the beacons were passed: "Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction" (Jeremiah 6:1).
Evidence from another source is known from one of the ostracons (letters on clay) discovered at Tel Lachish. At the end of letter no. 4 it is written, "May God cause my lord to hear reports of good news this very day …. Then it will be known that we are watching the (fire) signals of Lachish according to the code which my lord gave us for we cannot see Azekah."
This letter shows that the existence of the beacons and the interpretation of the signals were part of the defense system and the idea of routine security, and security in times of emergency, in the Kingdom of Judea during the Iron Age.
Activity in the ancient tower, uncovered in the area of the military base, ceased on the eve of the expedition of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, to Judah in 701 BCE. Archaeological excavations revealed that the entrance to the tower was blocked, and the force stationed there apparently converged on one of the nearby fortified towns.
From biblical testimonies and archeological findings in the area, we know that Sennacherib's attack virtually destroyed Judah, including 46 cities and 2,000 villages and farms. Now, some 2700 years after Sennacherib's expedition to the Land of Judah, IDF soldiers uncovered an observation tower belonging to Judean army soldiers, similar to the watchtowers used today by the army.
Guy Saly, director of the IDF Nature Defense Forces Project states that about 150 recruits and commanders from the Paratroopers Brigade, including recruits from commando units, participated in the excavations, in an activity that lasted several months. Saly added that the project, established with the aim of leading commanders and soldiers to becoming responsible and actively involved in protecting nature, landscape and the heritage values of their surroundings, began in 2014 with eight projects, and today, as part of this project, sixty activity centers operate across the country.
"To our delight, each project creates solidarity, strengthening the connection between the soldiers and their surroundings.The IDF, a melting pot of Israel's diverse population, is a unique meeting place for people from all parts of the country, which, through environmental activities, creates between them a stronger awareness to the preservation of nature and the Israeli heritage," says Saly.
Second Lieutenant Roi Ofir, age 21, commander of the recruit team in the reconnaissance battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, from Rosh Ha'ayin, says: "The archaeological excavation was a routine break from my point of view. I saw soldiers enjoying manual labor that has added value.This is the first time I participated in excavations. The connection to the land, and the fact that there were Jewish fighters in the past, gave me a sense of mission. The fact that there was also a connection to the area where we carried out our own military maneuvers; left us with a feeling that we were giving back.
2. WATCH: HUGE FIRE AT ENTRANCE TO JERUSALEM
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264807
[album:open:11173]
3. 'EVERY SYNAGOGUE, EVERY JCC NEEDS GUARDS'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264805
The U.S. Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism Elan Carr warned Wednesday of the dangers caused by the rise in global anti-Semitism, including the spreading of anti-Semitism under the cover of anti-Zionism.
Carr spoke at the GC4I (Global Coalition 4 Israel) conference against BDS hosted by Minister Gilad Erdan's Ministry for Strategic Affairs in Jerusalem on Wednesday, lambasting anti-Zionism and the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) as anti-Semitic.
"Anti-Zionism is pure hatred of Jews," said Carr, warning that while the US was the most "philo-Semitic country in the world," the rise of anti-Semitism presented "a danger to the future of the Jewish community in America".
He also discussed how in the United States anti-Semitic speech is protected under the Constitution in the framework of freedom of speech, and "the answer is not censorship, but it still must be condemned".
Carr then went on to say after being asked about the rise of violent anti-Semitism throughout the world: "Any synagogue, every JCC, should have guards. God willing, may they never be needed, but they should be there."
Carr mentioned a survey conducted in Europe which found that 80 to 90 percent of European Jews see anti-Semitism as a serious problem, and a third are considering leaving their respective countries.
He remarked European leaders take the rise in anti-Semitism seriously and are "embarrassed that 75 years after the crematoriums stopped operating, Jews are afraid to leave their houses, and are afraid for the safety of their children going into the streets with their kipot. This is shame. Leaders from all levels of Europe say that this must be stopped."
4. 'GIRL UNDERWENT SOMETHING, NO CONNECTION TO THE SUSPECT'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa, 46, the Palestinian Authority Arab suspected of violently raping a 7-year-old Jewish girl in a nationalistically-motivated "terror rape," will be brought Wednesday for an extension of his arrest.
In recent days, parties involved in the investigation questioned why a smaller local police station had managed the investigation, instead of turning it over to a larger district station with more experience with serious crimes.
Despite the indictment filed, several semi-important issues have yet to be solved, one of which is the lack of clear evidence for the abduction and rape.
Though the child interrogator who dealt with the case claimed that the victim could not clearly identify her attacker, the victim later did exactly that, pointing him out to one of the teachers in her school. The exact date of the assault is also unclear: The rape was initially believed to have taken place on a certain day, but Katusa managed to find an alibi for that time, leading police to investigate a different date and making it difficult to locate his accomplices.
Israel Hayom pointed out that there is no forensic proof, such as DNA, that the attacker was correctly identified, due to the fact that the victim did not immediately undergo physical examinations. However, according to Haaretz, this is due to the fact that the police failed to send the victim's underpants for investigation. In addition, 71.4% of rape cases are closed due to lack of evidence, partially due to the fact that too many women and girls do not immediately turn to hospitals' emergency rooms or rape units.
Katusa's lawyer, meanwhile, claims that the polygraph test is not reliable and therefore does not prove his client is lying. "The girl apparently underwent something but it's not connected to Katusa," he claimed. He also complained that Katusa is "intelligent and a father of four, who was an English teacher in his home village until nine years ago."
Today, Katusa is a janitor and a construction worker.
Meanwhile, residents of the town in which the rape occurred "fear that the rapist is still walking free."
5. WILL AYELET SHAKED LEAD THE UNITED RIGHT IN NEXT ELECTION?
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The central committee of the Jewish Home party is scheduled to convene for a special meeting in the town of Nehalim, near Petah Tikva, Wednesday night to discuss the party's Knesset slate for the September 17th election.
The committee is expected to back retaining the same list of Knesset candidates the party used in the April 9th election. The committee's decisions only impact the Jewish Home faction's spots on the United Right joint ticket, which in April also included the National Union and Otzma Yehudit parties.
Once the party's Knesset slate is approved, the Jewish Home will launch negotiations with other parties for the formation of a broad right-wing alliance with the New Right, National Union, Otzma Yehudit, and Zehut parties.
The parties would run as part of a technical bloc – a temporary alliance to ensure their entry into the 22nd Knesset. Following the election, the parties would then be free to break up into their separate factions.
Over the past few days, the leaders of all of the right-wing factions in question – except for Jewish Home chief Rafi Peretz – have stated either publicly in or closed-door talks that they would waive their demand to lead the united list for the sake of forming the broadest bloc possible.
Recent polls of both the Religious Zionist sector and right-wing voters in general show former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (New Right) as the most popular candidate to lead a joint rightist ticket.
Sources involved in the effort to united the right-wing bloc say Shaked would likely bring secular right-wing voters who would be unlikely to back a ticket led by a religious candidate, adding that a broad right-wing bloc would be far more effective in shaping the next coalition than the present United Right party, which won five seats.
If Shaked did lead the United Right, she would likely be followed on the Knesset list by Jewish Home chief Rafi Peretz, National Union chief Bezalel Smotrich, with former Education Minister Naftali Bennett in fourth.
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264751
A comprehensive military exercise was conducted this week by the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The exercise began on Sunday and ends tomorrow (Wednesday), and includes all the squadrons in the IAF.
A senior Air Force officer said today that "the whole Air Force is in the air."
"The exercise trains the entire force, from the techical branch to the operational staff and the commanders, and the Air Force commander himself."
"We are practicing multi-theater, fighting in several arenas together. The main focus is in the northern arena where the enemy is immediate. We are practicing at a particularly high level against a challenging, thinking and reacting enemy that has technologies beyond what exists in today's arena."
According to the senior official, "The ground forces are full partners in the exercise, and we have reached the highest levels of cooperation, generally speaking, that we have reached in the last decade."
He noted that this exercise is the first time that the Air Force is training for war with F-35 fighter jets: "Throughout the day and night. We practice uncertainty, flying in spaces of ambiguity, not knowing exactly who the enemy is and what position you are in. This allows us to get used to uncertain situations an important ability to have in the last decade.
In order to make the exercise more effective, the senior source said, forces are also simulating an enemy. "For a year we have been creating scenarios and we have capabilities in the field that simulate the enemy and move from place to place and challenge the trainees as they try to hit them."
He also referred to improving cooperation with the ground forces: "We want to reach a situation in which the soldiers in the field will converge on a target after we have hit the enemy's targets and rope him in. We build on the fact that there will be no civilians in the area so that there will be no damage to innocents. We will make sure the bomb hits the terrorists' house and not victims nearby. If there is a building with civilians, we will evacuate the civilians and then attack the house. It's an intelligence challenge [requiring] the cooperation of the ground forces."
[album:open:11172]
7. 'MOTHER OF 7-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE'
by David Rosenberg
The suspected rapist indicted for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl in a haredi city used a local family's home he was renovating to carry out the sexual assault.
On Sunday, 46-year-old Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa was indicted at the IDF's Ofer prison outside of Jerusalem on charges of aggravated rape.
Katusa is a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Deir Qaddis, which is located next to the Israeli city of Modiin Illit.
Katusa, who is suspected of raping a seven-year-old girl after abducting her from her school, had been employed at an elementary school in a haredi city in the Modi'in area. Katusa worked in the school as a janitor and maintenance man, while also moonlighting as a construction worker.
According to the indictment filed against him, Katusa was arrested on May 1st, following a lengthy police investigation into accusations by a seven-year-old student.
Investigators say Katusa met the girl at the school, and befriended her, talking with her and giving her candies.
Once he had gained her confidence, Katusa asked the girl to leave school with him and go to a nearby house. When the girl objected, Katusa carried her off, throwing her on the ground to pacify her.
Katusa took the girl to a home near the school, where several other Arab workers were present.
"I'm going to do something fun for you," Katusa told the girl.
Aided by at least two other Arab workers present in the home at the time, Katusa removed the girl's clothes, then raped her. The other Arab workers held the girl's arms and legs, and covered her eyes, while she cried and asked to go home.
Haim Bleicher, the attorney representing the girl's family, later said that the two accomplices mocked the girl during the rape, saying she "deserved it".
Two days later, when the girl returned to her school, she told her teacher what had happened, and identified Katusa as the perpetrator. "That's him," she said, pointing him out to her teacher.
On May 1st, police arrested Katusa for the rape, while the investigation into the incident continued.
While investigators were able to gain important information from the victim, they were unable to ascertain where the rape had taken place.
Days after Katusa's arrest, a resident of the city in question appeared at the local police station, inquiring as to why Katusa had been taken into custody.
When officers asked why the local man was interested in Katusa's arrest, the man responded by saying that Katusa, who also works in construction, had been working on renovating his home.
Police later found that the home being renovated matched the victim's description of the location where the rape took place.
While Katusa is in custody and under indictment, his accomplices remain at large and are likely still employed in the town where the rape occurred, an attorney involved in the case told Kikar Hashabbat.
"To my understanding, these people [the suspected accomplices] are in regular contact, one way or another, with residents of the same city. That's why it is so important that they be caught."
The family, meanwhile, is struggling to help their daughter cope with the traumatic attack, while keeping her identity secret.
Accord to a source close to the family who spoke with Yediot Ahronot, the girl's parents have been "physically" affected by the ordeal.
"It is important to them that no one know about the incident, except for the court. They are very worried ever since the incident went public. It has really affected them physically. They are consulting with their rabbi and trying to help their daughter and rehabilitate her."
"The parents are in a terrible situation, they really cannot deal with this incident. The mother is on the verge of total collapse."
8. MERKEL SEEN SHAKING DURING EVENT IN BERLIN
by Ben Ariel
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264776
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen visibly shaking on Tuesday during an event in Berlin with new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
A military band was playing the national anthems of the two nations at an official ceremony outside the chancellery when Merkel's whole body visibly shook and she appeared to be struggling to stand up, according to Fox News.
The German leader, who is set to step down in 2021, then pursed her lips as she tried to remain steady as she stood next to Zelenskiy.
Temperatures at the time were reported to be 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celsius).
Speaking with reporters an hour later, Merkel dismissed the incident and blamed dehydration.
She smiled after a reporter asked whether her shaking was cause for concern, saying that she was fine.
"Since then I have drunk at least three glasses of water - I obviously needed that and so I'm doing very well now," replied the Chancellor.
Zelenskiy told reporters the chancellor had been secure at his side.
"She was totally safe," he said.
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Wednesday, Jun. 19 '19, ט"ז בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
2. WATCH: HUGE FIRE AT ENTRANCE TO JERUSALEM
3. 'EVERY SYNAGOGUE, EVERY JCC NEEDS GUARDS'
4. 'GIRL UNDERWENT SOMETHING, NO CONNECTION TO THE SUSPECT'
5. WILL AYELET SHAKED LEAD THE UNITED RIGHT IN NEXT ELECTION?
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
7. 'MOTHER OF 7-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE'
8. MERKEL SEEN SHAKING DURING EVENT IN BERLIN
1. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264801
A watchtower dating from the time of the Kingdom of Judah (8th century BCE – during the reign of King Hezekiah) was recently uncovered during archeological excavations by IDF soldiers, together with the Israel Antiquities Authority, at a paratroopers base in the south of the country.
The excavation was conducted as part of the project called "The Nature Defense Forces Project- Commanders Take Responsibility for their Environment," led by the IDF's Technology and Maintenance Corps, and was carried out in cooperation with the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The tower, whose dimensions in antiquity is estimated to have been 5 x 3.5 m, was erected at a high geographic site, and as such, was an observation point to the Hebron Mountains, the Judean plain and the Ashkelon vicinity. It was built of especially large stones, some 8 tons in weight, and its height today reaches around 2 m.
According to Sa'ar Ganor and Valdik Lifshitz, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The strategic location of the tower served as a lookout and warning point against the Philistine enemy, one of whose cities was Ashkelon. In the days of the First Temple, the Kingdom of Judah built a range of towers and fortresses as points of communication, warning and signaling, to transmit messages and field intelligence.
This tower is one of the observation points connecting the large cities in the area, located in the Beit Mirsim (Mirsham), Tel Eton and Tel Lachish sites. In ancient times, to transmit messages, beacons of smoke were lit during the day and beacons of fire at night. It is probable that the watchtower now uncovered is one of the towers that bore some of the beacons."
In the Bible, beacons, or, in the language of the Bible, "pillars" are mentioned several times. Thus, in the story of the Concubine in Gibeah, the use of pillars of smoke is described: "The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, and then the Israelites would counter attack .The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke" (Judges 20: 38-40). The prophet Jeremiah also describes the manner in which the beacons were passed: "Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction" (Jeremiah 6:1).
Evidence from another source is known from one of the ostracons (letters on clay) discovered at Tel Lachish. At the end of letter no. 4 it is written, "May God cause my lord to hear reports of good news this very day …. Then it will be known that we are watching the (fire) signals of Lachish according to the code which my lord gave us for we cannot see Azekah."
This letter shows that the existence of the beacons and the interpretation of the signals were part of the defense system and the idea of routine security, and security in times of emergency, in the Kingdom of Judea during the Iron Age.
Activity in the ancient tower, uncovered in the area of the military base, ceased on the eve of the expedition of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, to Judah in 701 BCE. Archaeological excavations revealed that the entrance to the tower was blocked, and the force stationed there apparently converged on one of the nearby fortified towns.
From biblical testimonies and archeological findings in the area, we know that Sennacherib's attack virtually destroyed Judah, including 46 cities and 2,000 villages and farms. Now, some 2700 years after Sennacherib's expedition to the Land of Judah, IDF soldiers uncovered an observation tower belonging to Judean army soldiers, similar to the watchtowers used today by the army.
Guy Saly, director of the IDF Nature Defense Forces Project states that about 150 recruits and commanders from the Paratroopers Brigade, including recruits from commando units, participated in the excavations, in an activity that lasted several months. Saly added that the project, established with the aim of leading commanders and soldiers to becoming responsible and actively involved in protecting nature, landscape and the heritage values of their surroundings, began in 2014 with eight projects, and today, as part of this project, sixty activity centers operate across the country.
"To our delight, each project creates solidarity, strengthening the connection between the soldiers and their surroundings.The IDF, a melting pot of Israel's diverse population, is a unique meeting place for people from all parts of the country, which, through environmental activities, creates between them a stronger awareness to the preservation of nature and the Israeli heritage," says Saly.
Second Lieutenant Roi Ofir, age 21, commander of the recruit team in the reconnaissance battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, from Rosh Ha'ayin, says: "The archaeological excavation was a routine break from my point of view. I saw soldiers enjoying manual labor that has added value.This is the first time I participated in excavations. The connection to the land, and the fact that there were Jewish fighters in the past, gave me a sense of mission. The fact that there was also a connection to the area where we carried out our own military maneuvers; left us with a feeling that we were giving back.
2. WATCH: HUGE FIRE AT ENTRANCE TO JERUSALEM
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264807
[album:open:11173]
3. 'EVERY SYNAGOGUE, EVERY JCC NEEDS GUARDS'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264805
The U.S. Special Envoy for Combating Anti-Semitism Elan Carr warned Wednesday of the dangers caused by the rise in global anti-Semitism, including the spreading of anti-Semitism under the cover of anti-Zionism.
Carr spoke at the GC4I (Global Coalition 4 Israel) conference against BDS hosted by Minister Gilad Erdan's Ministry for Strategic Affairs in Jerusalem on Wednesday, lambasting anti-Zionism and the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) as anti-Semitic.
"Anti-Zionism is pure hatred of Jews," said Carr, warning that while the US was the most "philo-Semitic country in the world," the rise of anti-Semitism presented "a danger to the future of the Jewish community in America".
He also discussed how in the United States anti-Semitic speech is protected under the Constitution in the framework of freedom of speech, and "the answer is not censorship, but it still must be condemned".
Carr then went on to say after being asked about the rise of violent anti-Semitism throughout the world: "Any synagogue, every JCC, should have guards. God willing, may they never be needed, but they should be there."
Carr mentioned a survey conducted in Europe which found that 80 to 90 percent of European Jews see anti-Semitism as a serious problem, and a third are considering leaving their respective countries.
He remarked European leaders take the rise in anti-Semitism seriously and are "embarrassed that 75 years after the crematoriums stopped operating, Jews are afraid to leave their houses, and are afraid for the safety of their children going into the streets with their kipot. This is shame. Leaders from all levels of Europe say that this must be stopped."
4. 'GIRL UNDERWENT SOMETHING, NO CONNECTION TO THE SUSPECT'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa, 46, the Palestinian Authority Arab suspected of violently raping a 7-year-old Jewish girl in a nationalistically-motivated "terror rape," will be brought Wednesday for an extension of his arrest.
In recent days, parties involved in the investigation questioned why a smaller local police station had managed the investigation, instead of turning it over to a larger district station with more experience with serious crimes.
Despite the indictment filed, several semi-important issues have yet to be solved, one of which is the lack of clear evidence for the abduction and rape.
Though the child interrogator who dealt with the case claimed that the victim could not clearly identify her attacker, the victim later did exactly that, pointing him out to one of the teachers in her school. The exact date of the assault is also unclear: The rape was initially believed to have taken place on a certain day, but Katusa managed to find an alibi for that time, leading police to investigate a different date and making it difficult to locate his accomplices.
Israel Hayom pointed out that there is no forensic proof, such as DNA, that the attacker was correctly identified, due to the fact that the victim did not immediately undergo physical examinations. However, according to Haaretz, this is due to the fact that the police failed to send the victim's underpants for investigation. In addition, 71.4% of rape cases are closed due to lack of evidence, partially due to the fact that too many women and girls do not immediately turn to hospitals' emergency rooms or rape units.
Katusa's lawyer, meanwhile, claims that the polygraph test is not reliable and therefore does not prove his client is lying. "The girl apparently underwent something but it's not connected to Katusa," he claimed. He also complained that Katusa is "intelligent and a father of four, who was an English teacher in his home village until nine years ago."
Today, Katusa is a janitor and a construction worker.
Meanwhile, residents of the town in which the rape occurred "fear that the rapist is still walking free."
5. WILL AYELET SHAKED LEAD THE UNITED RIGHT IN NEXT ELECTION?
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The central committee of the Jewish Home party is scheduled to convene for a special meeting in the town of Nehalim, near Petah Tikva, Wednesday night to discuss the party's Knesset slate for the September 17th election.
The committee is expected to back retaining the same list of Knesset candidates the party used in the April 9th election. The committee's decisions only impact the Jewish Home faction's spots on the United Right joint ticket, which in April also included the National Union and Otzma Yehudit parties.
Once the party's Knesset slate is approved, the Jewish Home will launch negotiations with other parties for the formation of a broad right-wing alliance with the New Right, National Union, Otzma Yehudit, and Zehut parties.
The parties would run as part of a technical bloc – a temporary alliance to ensure their entry into the 22nd Knesset. Following the election, the parties would then be free to break up into their separate factions.
Over the past few days, the leaders of all of the right-wing factions in question – except for Jewish Home chief Rafi Peretz – have stated either publicly in or closed-door talks that they would waive their demand to lead the united list for the sake of forming the broadest bloc possible.
Recent polls of both the Religious Zionist sector and right-wing voters in general show former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (New Right) as the most popular candidate to lead a joint rightist ticket.
Sources involved in the effort to united the right-wing bloc say Shaked would likely bring secular right-wing voters who would be unlikely to back a ticket led by a religious candidate, adding that a broad right-wing bloc would be far more effective in shaping the next coalition than the present United Right party, which won five seats.
If Shaked did lead the United Right, she would likely be followed on the Knesset list by Jewish Home chief Rafi Peretz, National Union chief Bezalel Smotrich, with former Education Minister Naftali Bennett in fourth.
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264751
A comprehensive military exercise was conducted this week by the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The exercise began on Sunday and ends tomorrow (Wednesday), and includes all the squadrons in the IAF.
A senior Air Force officer said today that "the whole Air Force is in the air."
"The exercise trains the entire force, from the techical branch to the operational staff and the commanders, and the Air Force commander himself."
"We are practicing multi-theater, fighting in several arenas together. The main focus is in the northern arena where the enemy is immediate. We are practicing at a particularly high level against a challenging, thinking and reacting enemy that has technologies beyond what exists in today's arena."
According to the senior official, "The ground forces are full partners in the exercise, and we have reached the highest levels of cooperation, generally speaking, that we have reached in the last decade."
He noted that this exercise is the first time that the Air Force is training for war with F-35 fighter jets: "Throughout the day and night. We practice uncertainty, flying in spaces of ambiguity, not knowing exactly who the enemy is and what position you are in. This allows us to get used to uncertain situations an important ability to have in the last decade.
In order to make the exercise more effective, the senior source said, forces are also simulating an enemy. "For a year we have been creating scenarios and we have capabilities in the field that simulate the enemy and move from place to place and challenge the trainees as they try to hit them."
He also referred to improving cooperation with the ground forces: "We want to reach a situation in which the soldiers in the field will converge on a target after we have hit the enemy's targets and rope him in. We build on the fact that there will be no civilians in the area so that there will be no damage to innocents. We will make sure the bomb hits the terrorists' house and not victims nearby. If there is a building with civilians, we will evacuate the civilians and then attack the house. It's an intelligence challenge [requiring] the cooperation of the ground forces."
[album:open:11172]
7. 'MOTHER OF 7-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE'
by David Rosenberg
The suspected rapist indicted for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl in a haredi city used a local family's home he was renovating to carry out the sexual assault.
On Sunday, 46-year-old Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa was indicted at the IDF's Ofer prison outside of Jerusalem on charges of aggravated rape.
Katusa is a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Deir Qaddis, which is located next to the Israeli city of Modiin Illit.
Katusa, who is suspected of raping a seven-year-old girl after abducting her from her school, had been employed at an elementary school in a haredi city in the Modi'in area. Katusa worked in the school as a janitor and maintenance man, while also moonlighting as a construction worker.
According to the indictment filed against him, Katusa was arrested on May 1st, following a lengthy police investigation into accusations by a seven-year-old student.
Investigators say Katusa met the girl at the school, and befriended her, talking with her and giving her candies.
Once he had gained her confidence, Katusa asked the girl to leave school with him and go to a nearby house. When the girl objected, Katusa carried her off, throwing her on the ground to pacify her.
Katusa took the girl to a home near the school, where several other Arab workers were present.
"I'm going to do something fun for you," Katusa told the girl.
Aided by at least two other Arab workers present in the home at the time, Katusa removed the girl's clothes, then raped her. The other Arab workers held the girl's arms and legs, and covered her eyes, while she cried and asked to go home.
Haim Bleicher, the attorney representing the girl's family, later said that the two accomplices mocked the girl during the rape, saying she "deserved it".
Two days later, when the girl returned to her school, she told her teacher what had happened, and identified Katusa as the perpetrator. "That's him," she said, pointing him out to her teacher.
On May 1st, police arrested Katusa for the rape, while the investigation into the incident continued.
While investigators were able to gain important information from the victim, they were unable to ascertain where the rape had taken place.
Days after Katusa's arrest, a resident of the city in question appeared at the local police station, inquiring as to why Katusa had been taken into custody.
When officers asked why the local man was interested in Katusa's arrest, the man responded by saying that Katusa, who also works in construction, had been working on renovating his home.
Police later found that the home being renovated matched the victim's description of the location where the rape took place.
While Katusa is in custody and under indictment, his accomplices remain at large and are likely still employed in the town where the rape occurred, an attorney involved in the case told Kikar Hashabbat.
"To my understanding, these people [the suspected accomplices] are in regular contact, one way or another, with residents of the same city. That's why it is so important that they be caught."
The family, meanwhile, is struggling to help their daughter cope with the traumatic attack, while keeping her identity secret.
Accord to a source close to the family who spoke with Yediot Ahronot, the girl's parents have been "physically" affected by the ordeal.
"It is important to them that no one know about the incident, except for the court. They are very worried ever since the incident went public. It has really affected them physically. They are consulting with their rabbi and trying to help their daughter and rehabilitate her."
"The parents are in a terrible situation, they really cannot deal with this incident. The mother is on the verge of total collapse."
8. MERKEL SEEN SHAKING DURING EVENT IN BERLIN
by Ben Ariel
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264776
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen visibly shaking on Tuesday during an event in Berlin with new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
A military band was playing the national anthems of the two nations at an official ceremony outside the chancellery when Merkel's whole body visibly shook and she appeared to be struggling to stand up, according to Fox News.
The German leader, who is set to step down in 2021, then pursed her lips as she tried to remain steady as she stood next to Zelenskiy.
Temperatures at the time were reported to be 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celsius).
Speaking with reporters an hour later, Merkel dismissed the incident and blamed dehydration.
She smiled after a reporter asked whether her shaking was cause for concern, saying that she was fine.
"Since then I have drunk at least three glasses of water - I obviously needed that and so I'm doing very well now," replied the Chancellor.
Zelenskiy told reporters the chancellor had been secure at his side.
"She was totally safe," he said.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
A7News: US pushed to delay Khan al-Ahmar demolition
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Tuesday, Jun. 18 '19, ט"ו בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. US PUSHED TO DELAY KHAN AL-AHMAR DEMOLITION
2. LABOR MK: NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT IS AFRAID OF TERRORISTS
3. SUSPECTED RAPIST'S ATTORNEY: THIS IS JUST LIKE DREYFUS AFFAIR
4. 'TRUMP'S MIDEAST PEACE PLAN ISN'T A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT DEAL'
5. ADVERTISE ON ARUTZ SHEVA – REACH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WORLDWIDE
6. ISRAEL HONORS TRUMP WITH INAUGURATION OF 'TRUMP HEIGHTS'
7. 'MOTHER OF 7-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE'
8. ISRAEL WILL NOT BE INVITED TO US-LED CONFERENCE IN BAHRAIN
1. US PUSHED TO DELAY KHAN AL-AHMAR DEMOLITION
by Hezki Baruch
Likud MK Yoav Kisch on Tuesday morning said he believes United Right's Uri Ariel, who currently serves as Agriculture Minister, will be fired in spite of promises to leave him in his current position in exchange for his party not demanding an additional portfolio.
In an interview with the Knesset Channel, Kisch said, "There is a high chance that [United Right Chairman Rabbi Rafi] Peretz will remain Education Minister in the next Knesset - a higher chance than [former Education Minister Naftali] Bennett had." However, he added,"If the Likud receives 45 seats, the Education Ministry will remain with the Likud."
Kisch himself expects to be appointed Communications Minister "when the position becomes available."
"This process is delayed a bit, until we see what happens with [Public Security Minister Gilad] Erdan, who received an offer to replace [Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny] Danon," he explained.
Regarding the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar, an illegal Arab settlement built with funds from European governments, Kisch said, "I understood that because of the transition period, the answer was that we want to wait until after the peace plan is presented. There's a lot of sensitivity right now in this area and the Americans asked that we not do anything on the subject until afterwards."
"I think it's still important to explain to them that for us this has enormous and inherent significance. It also sends a problematic message that we're not doing it, so I think it's important that we need to solve this issue with the Americans and advance the solution."
Earlier this week, the State requested that the Supreme Court extend the deadline for evacuating Khan al-Ahmar until December 16. Originally, the State had been required to respond by May 1 to the Regavim Movement's petition that the State fulfill the court's orders to demolish the illegal settlement.
On May 6, the court extended the deadline to June 17, and now the State is requesting an additional six-month extension and claiming that it cannot respond to the petition due to the upcoming elections. If granted the extension would delay the demolition not only until after September's elections, but also until after the Trump administration's "deal of the century" has been presented.
Regavim noted that the Israeli government, despite being a temporary government, continues to make important decisions and has another three months left before elections. In addition, Regavim noted, the demolition was originally slated for no later than June 2018 - a full year ago.
Director of activities at Regavim, Yachin Zik, noted, "Prime Minister [Binyamin] Netanyahu stood up a few months ago and promised that 'Khan al-Ahmar will be evacuated within the coming weeks.' We're not just talking about an illegal building that the State decided is 'strategically important to demolish,' but a test of the Israeli government's willingness to act against the Palestinian Authority's plans to take over open areas in Judea and Samaria."
First built in the 1990s, Khan al-Ahmar is now home to some 180 Bedouin squatters, who seized Israeli state land adjacent to the Israeli town of Kfar Adumim, east of Jerusalem.
Israeli courts have repeatedly upheld demolition orders issued against the illegal community, culminating in the Supreme Court's final rejection of the residents' claims in a ruling last year.
The United Nations, European Union, and International Criminal Court (ICC), on the other hand, have pressured Israel not to evacuate the illegal Bedouin settlement.
Last year, the Supreme Court ordered that Khan al-Ahmar be evacuated and demolished by no later than June 2018.
2. LABOR MK: NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT IS AFRAID OF TERRORISTS
by Hezki Baruch
MK Stav Shafir, one of the candidate for Labor party head, rejected the criticism of women's organizations and female Knesset members who failed to respond to the brutal rape of a 7-year-old girl.
On Sunday, Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa, a 46-year-old Palestinian Authority (PA) Arab, was indicted for kidnapping and raping a seven-year-old Israeli girl he met during his work at an Israeli school. At least two of the terror-rapist's friends were also present during the rape, covering the victim's eyes and holding her limbs to prevent her from moving, while laughing at her and saying she "deserves it."
"The rape of a 7-year-old girl is a shocking, horrifying, and terrifying event," Shafir told Arutz Sheva. "I haven't been able to get this story out of my head, the entire day, and I assume that the same goes for every person in Israel. The pain the family is experiencing is indescribable. There's no place for turning this issue into an argument."
Do you see this rape as a nationalistic incident?
"It's the rape of a seven-year-old girl which cannot be described in words. To try to turn it into a topic for arguments between the Right and Left and try to find which of your enemies is guilty is simply ugly. We're all Israelis, Zionists, and we're all against terror, and we're all shocked because we're all people."
What price should the rapist pay?
"We need to fight terror as much as we can. Not to be afraid of terrorists or terror, and to create a strategy which will give Israeli citizens true security. The current government is afraid and is acting without a security strategy."
The death sentence?
"As far as I know, the death sentence is legal and the army chooses not to use it. I would prefer that politicians not make populist statements, but instead do their work. Right now we have a government with no security strategy and the one protecting our security is our strong army. The army does this in an excellent fashion and it doesn't need statements from right-wing politicians right now."
3. SUSPECTED RAPIST'S ATTORNEY: THIS IS JUST LIKE DREYFUS AFFAIR
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The attorney representing an Arab worker accused of abducting and raping a seven-year-old girl from a haredi school has denied the charges against his client, claiming that 'shocking' revelations would soon turn the case "on its head".
Nashaf Darwish, an Israeli-Arab attorney representing Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa, told Channel 12 Tuesday morning that while he had not yet spoke with the accused, he believes that Katusa had been accused without a proper basis of evidence.
"After having looked into the details of the case, I can tell you that this is like the 'Dreyfus Affair', and the case will be turned on its head."
"I can say with certainty that people are going to be shocked by the results that will be coming in the next few days."
Katusa, a 46-year-old resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Deir Qaddis, next to the haredi city of Modiin Illit, was indicted Sunday of abducting and raping a seven-year-old Israeli girl from the school in a haredi city where he worked as a janitor and maintenance man.
In a separate interview with Army Radio – Galey Tzahal, Darwish acknowledged that he had not yet met Katusa, but had spoken with him over the phone, and said he was living a "normal lifestyle".
"While I haven't met him yet, I have spoken with him and with his family. I saw the indictment; there's no question regarding the seriousness of the accusations as they appear in the indictment. If they're true, it is a very serious incident."
Katusa "leads a normal lifestyle, and this case hit him and his family like an earthquake. He worked there for years, with no complaints like this ever. On the one hand you a normal person like this, on the other you see this shocking story – something isn't right here."
According to Walla!, Darwish accused the IDF prosecutor of mishandling the case.
"Dreyfus affair – I looked into the evidence and this [case] really looks like that."
"In a little while the whole thing will be flipped, and the indictment won't be against Mahmoud, but against the army prosecutor and against the army court because of the way in which the case was handled. It is scandalous."
An IDF court is expected to hold a hearing Wednesday on the prosecution's request that Katusa be held in jail until the end of his trial.
4. 'TRUMP'S MIDEAST PEACE PLAN ISN'T A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT DEAL'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264739
White House special envoy Jason Greenblatt lamented the Palestinian Authority's decision to boycott next week's economic summit – dubbed a "workshop" – in Bahrain, saying the much-anticipated US peace plan was not limited to the economic provisions set to be released at the workshop, but include a full package to address political issues as well.
Speaking with i24News, Greenblatt said the PA's decision to boycott the workshop in Bahrain led the US to decline to invite Israel, saying the presence of one side would make the event appear "political".
"Without the Palestinian Authority there, having the Israeli government there makes it more political," Greenblatt told i24News.
Greenblatt went on to say the PA's decision not to attend was a "huge missed opportunity", but added that the event would continue nevertheless, focusing on attracting investors and looking for donors to build up the PA economy.
"This is not just an economic peace. It is not about buying Palestinians off," Greenblatt continued, saying that the second portion of the peace plan would death with the myriad of political issues at the heart of the conflict.
When asked whether the Trump administration would accept significant alterations to the 'Deal of the Century' peace plan framework after its release, Greenblatt said the president would be flexible.
"There is no such thing as a take it or leave it deal."
During the interview, Greenblatt also rejected claims that the Israel-Arab conflict is the 'core' conflict fueling tensions in the Middle East, arguing instead that Iran was the root cause.
5. ADVERTISE ON ARUTZ SHEVA – REACH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WORLDWIDE
by Arutz Sheva
On the Arutz Sheva website in English, there are an average of 1.3 million unique users per month with more than 8 million page-views.
Most of our readers, 50%, are from the United States. The rest from Israel, 13%; Britain, 8%; Canada, and more.
There is an option of advertising in specific countries.
62% of the visits to the site are made from mobile devices, 28% on computers and 9% on tablets. The most popular mobile device is the Apple iPhone.
69% of our readers and viewers are men, 31% women.
Site visitor ages are diverse: In the 18-24 age group we have 4%. Ages 25-34: 17%. Ages 35-44: 17%, in the 45-54 age group we have 18%; in the 55-64 age group we have 21%, and in the 65+ age group we have 23%.
The site is active all week and is updated 24 hours a day, apart from the days of Shabbat and Jewish hoidays.
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Whether you're looking to promote your business, service, or cause, Arutz Sheva has a variety of ad choices and placements to suit your specific needs and marketing strategy.
Contact us today for special introductory offers and package rate discounts.
6. ISRAEL HONORS TRUMP WITH INAUGURATION OF 'TRUMP HEIGHTS'
by David Rosenberg
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264649
The US mission to Israel took part in a special naming ceremony in the Golan Heights Sunday afternoon, marking the formal naming of a new town in the Golan after President Donald Trump.
A sign at the entrance of the future town was unveiled during the ceremony for the yet-to-be built community of Ramat Trump, or Trump Heights.
The Israeli cabinet met Sunday in the Golan town of Kela Alon, near the site of the new community, to formally approve the establishment of Ramat Trump.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman joined Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet at the ceremony.
"This is a historic day," Netanyahu said, sitting next to Friedman. "We are about to approve construction of a new town in the Golan, something that hasn't happened in quite a long time...and we'll be honoring a great friend of Israel, President Donald Trump, who recently recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, the first foreign leader to do so."
Trump Heights sign
Matty Stern/US Embassy Jerusalem
Following Netanyahu's comments at the special cabinet meeting in the Golan, Ambassador Friedman thanked the prime minister for the decision to name a new town after the American president, calling it an "extraordinary gesture that you and the State of Israel are making to the President of the United States."
"It is well-deserved, but much appreciated. We look forward to working with you and with the Government of Israel to continue to strengthen the alliance between the United States and Israel."
Some opposition members, however, criticized the event, calling a hollow "publicity stunt".
Blue and White MK Zvi Hauser, who served as an adviser to Netanyahu in the 1990s, mocked the ceremony, saying the actual construction plan for Ramat Trump lacked any of the details necessary to build the town.
"What does a successful PR campaign look like? Exactly like this. The government will convene a festive meeting in the Golan and announce the establishment of a new community called 'Ramat Trump.' Anyone who reads the fine print in this 'historic decision' will understand that it is nothing more than a non-binding Fake policy. There is no budgeting, no planning, no location for settlement, and there is not really a binding decision to implement the project. But the main thing was that they insisted on deciding on a name for the dummy community."
7. 'MOTHER OF 7-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE'
by David Rosenberg
The suspected rapist indicted for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl in a haredi city used a local family's home he was renovating to carry out the sexual assault.
On Sunday, 46-year-old Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa was indicted at the IDF's Ofer prison outside of Jerusalem on charges of aggravated rape.
Katusa is a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Deir Qaddis, which is located next to the Israeli city of Modiin Illit.
Katusa, who is suspected of raping a seven-year-old girl after abducting her from her school, had been employed at an elementary school in a haredi city in the Modi'in area. Katusa worked in the school as a janitor and maintenance man, while also moonlighting as a construction worker.
According to the indictment filed against him, Katusa was arrested on May 1st, following a lengthy police investigation into accusations by a seven-year-old student.
Investigators say Katusa met the girl at the school, and befriended her, talking with her and giving her candies.
Once he had gained her confidence, Katusa asked the girl to leave school with him and go to a nearby house. When the girl objected, Katusa carried her off, throwing her on the ground to pacify her.
Katusa took the girl to a home near the school, where several other Arab workers were present.
"I'm going to do something fun for you," Katusa told the girl.
Aided by at least two other Arab workers present in the home at the time, Katusa removed the girl's clothes, then raped her. The other Arab workers held the girl's arms and legs, and covered her eyes, while she cried and asked to go home.
Haim Bleicher, the attorney representing the girl's family, later said that the two accomplices mocked the girl during the rape, saying she "deserved it".
Two days later, when the girl returned to her school, she told her teacher what had happened, and identified Katusa as the perpetrator. "That's him," she said, pointing him out to her teacher.
On May 1st, police arrested Katusa for the rape, while the investigation into the incident continued.
While investigators were able to gain important information from the victim, they were unable to ascertain where the rape had taken place.
Days after Katusa's arrest, a resident of the city in question appeared at the local police station, inquiring as to why Katusa had been taken into custody.
When officers asked why the local man was interested in Katusa's arrest, the man responded by saying that Katusa, who also works in construction, had been working on renovating his home.
Police later found that the home being renovated matched the victim's description of the location where the rape took place.
While Katusa is in custody and under indictment, his accomplices remain at large and are likely still employed in the town where the rape occurred, an attorney involved in the case told Kikar Hashabbat.
"To my understanding, these people [the suspected accomplices] are in regular contact, one way or another, with residents of the same city. That's why it is so important that they be caught."
The family, meanwhile, is struggling to help their daughter cope with the traumatic attack, while keeping her identity secret.
Accord to a source close to the family who spoke with Yediot Ahronot, the girl's parents have been "physically" affected by the ordeal.
"It is important to them that no one know about the incident, except for the court. They are very worried ever since the incident went public. It has really affected them physically. They are consulting with their rabbi and trying to help their daughter and rehabilitate her."
"The parents are in a terrible situation, they really cannot deal with this incident. The mother is on the verge of total collapse."
8. ISRAEL WILL NOT BE INVITED TO US-LED CONFERENCE IN BAHRAIN
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The White House has decided not to invite Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon or other Israeli government representatives to a conference in Bahrain on June 25, when the economic part of US President Donald Trump's peace plan will be presented, Channel 13 News reported.
Senior administration officials said that inviting Israel could harm the conference's purpose. "During the economic conference in Bahrain, we will present our economic vision for the Palestinian people and therefore we want to focus on the economic aspect and not on the political aspect."
The White House has reportedly updated the Prime Minister's Office about its decision. Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly accepted the decision, as he does not feel compelled to take part in the conference.
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Tuesday, Jun. 18 '19, ט"ו בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. US PUSHED TO DELAY KHAN AL-AHMAR DEMOLITION
2. LABOR MK: NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT IS AFRAID OF TERRORISTS
3. SUSPECTED RAPIST'S ATTORNEY: THIS IS JUST LIKE DREYFUS AFFAIR
4. 'TRUMP'S MIDEAST PEACE PLAN ISN'T A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT DEAL'
5. ADVERTISE ON ARUTZ SHEVA – REACH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WORLDWIDE
6. ISRAEL HONORS TRUMP WITH INAUGURATION OF 'TRUMP HEIGHTS'
7. 'MOTHER OF 7-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE'
8. ISRAEL WILL NOT BE INVITED TO US-LED CONFERENCE IN BAHRAIN
1. US PUSHED TO DELAY KHAN AL-AHMAR DEMOLITION
by Hezki Baruch
Likud MK Yoav Kisch on Tuesday morning said he believes United Right's Uri Ariel, who currently serves as Agriculture Minister, will be fired in spite of promises to leave him in his current position in exchange for his party not demanding an additional portfolio.
In an interview with the Knesset Channel, Kisch said, "There is a high chance that [United Right Chairman Rabbi Rafi] Peretz will remain Education Minister in the next Knesset - a higher chance than [former Education Minister Naftali] Bennett had." However, he added,"If the Likud receives 45 seats, the Education Ministry will remain with the Likud."
Kisch himself expects to be appointed Communications Minister "when the position becomes available."
"This process is delayed a bit, until we see what happens with [Public Security Minister Gilad] Erdan, who received an offer to replace [Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny] Danon," he explained.
Regarding the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar, an illegal Arab settlement built with funds from European governments, Kisch said, "I understood that because of the transition period, the answer was that we want to wait until after the peace plan is presented. There's a lot of sensitivity right now in this area and the Americans asked that we not do anything on the subject until afterwards."
"I think it's still important to explain to them that for us this has enormous and inherent significance. It also sends a problematic message that we're not doing it, so I think it's important that we need to solve this issue with the Americans and advance the solution."
Earlier this week, the State requested that the Supreme Court extend the deadline for evacuating Khan al-Ahmar until December 16. Originally, the State had been required to respond by May 1 to the Regavim Movement's petition that the State fulfill the court's orders to demolish the illegal settlement.
On May 6, the court extended the deadline to June 17, and now the State is requesting an additional six-month extension and claiming that it cannot respond to the petition due to the upcoming elections. If granted the extension would delay the demolition not only until after September's elections, but also until after the Trump administration's "deal of the century" has been presented.
Regavim noted that the Israeli government, despite being a temporary government, continues to make important decisions and has another three months left before elections. In addition, Regavim noted, the demolition was originally slated for no later than June 2018 - a full year ago.
Director of activities at Regavim, Yachin Zik, noted, "Prime Minister [Binyamin] Netanyahu stood up a few months ago and promised that 'Khan al-Ahmar will be evacuated within the coming weeks.' We're not just talking about an illegal building that the State decided is 'strategically important to demolish,' but a test of the Israeli government's willingness to act against the Palestinian Authority's plans to take over open areas in Judea and Samaria."
First built in the 1990s, Khan al-Ahmar is now home to some 180 Bedouin squatters, who seized Israeli state land adjacent to the Israeli town of Kfar Adumim, east of Jerusalem.
Israeli courts have repeatedly upheld demolition orders issued against the illegal community, culminating in the Supreme Court's final rejection of the residents' claims in a ruling last year.
The United Nations, European Union, and International Criminal Court (ICC), on the other hand, have pressured Israel not to evacuate the illegal Bedouin settlement.
Last year, the Supreme Court ordered that Khan al-Ahmar be evacuated and demolished by no later than June 2018.
2. LABOR MK: NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT IS AFRAID OF TERRORISTS
by Hezki Baruch
MK Stav Shafir, one of the candidate for Labor party head, rejected the criticism of women's organizations and female Knesset members who failed to respond to the brutal rape of a 7-year-old girl.
On Sunday, Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa, a 46-year-old Palestinian Authority (PA) Arab, was indicted for kidnapping and raping a seven-year-old Israeli girl he met during his work at an Israeli school. At least two of the terror-rapist's friends were also present during the rape, covering the victim's eyes and holding her limbs to prevent her from moving, while laughing at her and saying she "deserves it."
"The rape of a 7-year-old girl is a shocking, horrifying, and terrifying event," Shafir told Arutz Sheva. "I haven't been able to get this story out of my head, the entire day, and I assume that the same goes for every person in Israel. The pain the family is experiencing is indescribable. There's no place for turning this issue into an argument."
Do you see this rape as a nationalistic incident?
"It's the rape of a seven-year-old girl which cannot be described in words. To try to turn it into a topic for arguments between the Right and Left and try to find which of your enemies is guilty is simply ugly. We're all Israelis, Zionists, and we're all against terror, and we're all shocked because we're all people."
What price should the rapist pay?
"We need to fight terror as much as we can. Not to be afraid of terrorists or terror, and to create a strategy which will give Israeli citizens true security. The current government is afraid and is acting without a security strategy."
The death sentence?
"As far as I know, the death sentence is legal and the army chooses not to use it. I would prefer that politicians not make populist statements, but instead do their work. Right now we have a government with no security strategy and the one protecting our security is our strong army. The army does this in an excellent fashion and it doesn't need statements from right-wing politicians right now."
3. SUSPECTED RAPIST'S ATTORNEY: THIS IS JUST LIKE DREYFUS AFFAIR
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The attorney representing an Arab worker accused of abducting and raping a seven-year-old girl from a haredi school has denied the charges against his client, claiming that 'shocking' revelations would soon turn the case "on its head".
Nashaf Darwish, an Israeli-Arab attorney representing Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa, told Channel 12 Tuesday morning that while he had not yet spoke with the accused, he believes that Katusa had been accused without a proper basis of evidence.
"After having looked into the details of the case, I can tell you that this is like the 'Dreyfus Affair', and the case will be turned on its head."
"I can say with certainty that people are going to be shocked by the results that will be coming in the next few days."
Katusa, a 46-year-old resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Deir Qaddis, next to the haredi city of Modiin Illit, was indicted Sunday of abducting and raping a seven-year-old Israeli girl from the school in a haredi city where he worked as a janitor and maintenance man.
In a separate interview with Army Radio – Galey Tzahal, Darwish acknowledged that he had not yet met Katusa, but had spoken with him over the phone, and said he was living a "normal lifestyle".
"While I haven't met him yet, I have spoken with him and with his family. I saw the indictment; there's no question regarding the seriousness of the accusations as they appear in the indictment. If they're true, it is a very serious incident."
Katusa "leads a normal lifestyle, and this case hit him and his family like an earthquake. He worked there for years, with no complaints like this ever. On the one hand you a normal person like this, on the other you see this shocking story – something isn't right here."
According to Walla!, Darwish accused the IDF prosecutor of mishandling the case.
"Dreyfus affair – I looked into the evidence and this [case] really looks like that."
"In a little while the whole thing will be flipped, and the indictment won't be against Mahmoud, but against the army prosecutor and against the army court because of the way in which the case was handled. It is scandalous."
An IDF court is expected to hold a hearing Wednesday on the prosecution's request that Katusa be held in jail until the end of his trial.
4. 'TRUMP'S MIDEAST PEACE PLAN ISN'T A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT DEAL'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264739
White House special envoy Jason Greenblatt lamented the Palestinian Authority's decision to boycott next week's economic summit – dubbed a "workshop" – in Bahrain, saying the much-anticipated US peace plan was not limited to the economic provisions set to be released at the workshop, but include a full package to address political issues as well.
Speaking with i24News, Greenblatt said the PA's decision to boycott the workshop in Bahrain led the US to decline to invite Israel, saying the presence of one side would make the event appear "political".
"Without the Palestinian Authority there, having the Israeli government there makes it more political," Greenblatt told i24News.
Greenblatt went on to say the PA's decision not to attend was a "huge missed opportunity", but added that the event would continue nevertheless, focusing on attracting investors and looking for donors to build up the PA economy.
"This is not just an economic peace. It is not about buying Palestinians off," Greenblatt continued, saying that the second portion of the peace plan would death with the myriad of political issues at the heart of the conflict.
When asked whether the Trump administration would accept significant alterations to the 'Deal of the Century' peace plan framework after its release, Greenblatt said the president would be flexible.
"There is no such thing as a take it or leave it deal."
During the interview, Greenblatt also rejected claims that the Israel-Arab conflict is the 'core' conflict fueling tensions in the Middle East, arguing instead that Iran was the root cause.
5. ADVERTISE ON ARUTZ SHEVA – REACH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WORLDWIDE
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6. ISRAEL HONORS TRUMP WITH INAUGURATION OF 'TRUMP HEIGHTS'
by David Rosenberg
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264649
The US mission to Israel took part in a special naming ceremony in the Golan Heights Sunday afternoon, marking the formal naming of a new town in the Golan after President Donald Trump.
A sign at the entrance of the future town was unveiled during the ceremony for the yet-to-be built community of Ramat Trump, or Trump Heights.
The Israeli cabinet met Sunday in the Golan town of Kela Alon, near the site of the new community, to formally approve the establishment of Ramat Trump.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman joined Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet at the ceremony.
"This is a historic day," Netanyahu said, sitting next to Friedman. "We are about to approve construction of a new town in the Golan, something that hasn't happened in quite a long time...and we'll be honoring a great friend of Israel, President Donald Trump, who recently recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, the first foreign leader to do so."
Trump Heights sign
Matty Stern/US Embassy Jerusalem
Following Netanyahu's comments at the special cabinet meeting in the Golan, Ambassador Friedman thanked the prime minister for the decision to name a new town after the American president, calling it an "extraordinary gesture that you and the State of Israel are making to the President of the United States."
"It is well-deserved, but much appreciated. We look forward to working with you and with the Government of Israel to continue to strengthen the alliance between the United States and Israel."
Some opposition members, however, criticized the event, calling a hollow "publicity stunt".
Blue and White MK Zvi Hauser, who served as an adviser to Netanyahu in the 1990s, mocked the ceremony, saying the actual construction plan for Ramat Trump lacked any of the details necessary to build the town.
"What does a successful PR campaign look like? Exactly like this. The government will convene a festive meeting in the Golan and announce the establishment of a new community called 'Ramat Trump.' Anyone who reads the fine print in this 'historic decision' will understand that it is nothing more than a non-binding Fake policy. There is no budgeting, no planning, no location for settlement, and there is not really a binding decision to implement the project. But the main thing was that they insisted on deciding on a name for the dummy community."
7. 'MOTHER OF 7-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM ON VERGE OF TOTAL COLLAPSE'
by David Rosenberg
The suspected rapist indicted for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl in a haredi city used a local family's home he was renovating to carry out the sexual assault.
On Sunday, 46-year-old Mahmoud Nazmi Abed Alhamid Katusa was indicted at the IDF's Ofer prison outside of Jerusalem on charges of aggravated rape.
Katusa is a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Deir Qaddis, which is located next to the Israeli city of Modiin Illit.
Katusa, who is suspected of raping a seven-year-old girl after abducting her from her school, had been employed at an elementary school in a haredi city in the Modi'in area. Katusa worked in the school as a janitor and maintenance man, while also moonlighting as a construction worker.
According to the indictment filed against him, Katusa was arrested on May 1st, following a lengthy police investigation into accusations by a seven-year-old student.
Investigators say Katusa met the girl at the school, and befriended her, talking with her and giving her candies.
Once he had gained her confidence, Katusa asked the girl to leave school with him and go to a nearby house. When the girl objected, Katusa carried her off, throwing her on the ground to pacify her.
Katusa took the girl to a home near the school, where several other Arab workers were present.
"I'm going to do something fun for you," Katusa told the girl.
Aided by at least two other Arab workers present in the home at the time, Katusa removed the girl's clothes, then raped her. The other Arab workers held the girl's arms and legs, and covered her eyes, while she cried and asked to go home.
Haim Bleicher, the attorney representing the girl's family, later said that the two accomplices mocked the girl during the rape, saying she "deserved it".
Two days later, when the girl returned to her school, she told her teacher what had happened, and identified Katusa as the perpetrator. "That's him," she said, pointing him out to her teacher.
On May 1st, police arrested Katusa for the rape, while the investigation into the incident continued.
While investigators were able to gain important information from the victim, they were unable to ascertain where the rape had taken place.
Days after Katusa's arrest, a resident of the city in question appeared at the local police station, inquiring as to why Katusa had been taken into custody.
When officers asked why the local man was interested in Katusa's arrest, the man responded by saying that Katusa, who also works in construction, had been working on renovating his home.
Police later found that the home being renovated matched the victim's description of the location where the rape took place.
While Katusa is in custody and under indictment, his accomplices remain at large and are likely still employed in the town where the rape occurred, an attorney involved in the case told Kikar Hashabbat.
"To my understanding, these people [the suspected accomplices] are in regular contact, one way or another, with residents of the same city. That's why it is so important that they be caught."
The family, meanwhile, is struggling to help their daughter cope with the traumatic attack, while keeping her identity secret.
Accord to a source close to the family who spoke with Yediot Ahronot, the girl's parents have been "physically" affected by the ordeal.
"It is important to them that no one know about the incident, except for the court. They are very worried ever since the incident went public. It has really affected them physically. They are consulting with their rabbi and trying to help their daughter and rehabilitate her."
"The parents are in a terrible situation, they really cannot deal with this incident. The mother is on the verge of total collapse."
8. ISRAEL WILL NOT BE INVITED TO US-LED CONFERENCE IN BAHRAIN
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The White House has decided not to invite Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon or other Israeli government representatives to a conference in Bahrain on June 25, when the economic part of US President Donald Trump's peace plan will be presented, Channel 13 News reported.
Senior administration officials said that inviting Israel could harm the conference's purpose. "During the economic conference in Bahrain, we will present our economic vision for the Palestinian people and therefore we want to focus on the economic aspect and not on the political aspect."
The White House has reportedly updated the Prime Minister's Office about its decision. Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly accepted the decision, as he does not feel compelled to take part in the conference.
Monday, June 17, 2019
A7News: 'This is terrorism, not pedophilia'
Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Monday, Jun. 17 '19, י"ד בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. 'THIS IS TERRORISM, NOT PEDOPHILIA'
2. ARABS SET FIRE NEXT TO YITZHAR IN SAMARIA
3. MK DEMANDS SHIN BET INVESTIGATE RAPE OF 7-YEAR-OLD
4. WHERE ARE THE WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS?
5. PALESTINIAN WORKER KIDNAPPED, RAPED GIRL FROM SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
6. ISRAEL HONORS TRUMP WITH INAUGURATION OF 'TRUMP HEIGHTS'
7. OFF-DUTY OFFICER KILLS MAN WHO ATTACKED HIM AT COSTCO
8. SHAKED: NOW IS THE TIME TO ANNEX AREA C
1. 'THIS IS TERRORISM, NOT PEDOPHILIA'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Yisrael Beyteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman demanded Monday that the Arab man suspected of abducting a seven-year-old girl from her school and raping her be put to death.
"It caused me a deep shock: It's not pedophilia, it's pure terror - one of the worst I've ever heard of," Liberman said.
"This is precisely one of the cases in which I would not hesitate and demand that the court sentence the despicable terrorist to death," he added.
"It is a pity that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to torpedo the death penalty for the terrorists, despite his written and public commitment," Liberman said.
He quoted the Talmudic saying: "those who are merciful to the wicked will be cruel to the merciful in the end."
On Sunday, police revealed in a press release that a Palestinian Arab man from the town of Deir Qaddis, near Modi'in Illit, had been indicted for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl from her school in an Israeli town in Judea and Samaria.
After befriending the girl, the suspect, who worked in the girl's school as a janitor, forcibly took the a house, where he forced to the ground and raped her.
On Monday, it was revealed that at least two other Palestinian Arab workers were present during the rape and helped the suspect by holding the victim's arms and legs, preventing her from resisting or fleeing.
While the primary suspect is in custody, the two other Arab workers have not been arrested.
2. ARABS SET FIRE NEXT TO YITZHAR IN SAMARIA
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264689
Palestinian Authority (PA) Arabs on Monday set fire to an area near the Samarian town of Yitzhar.
The flames are currently spreading from the direction of the Arab town of Einabus towards Yitzhar's Tekuma, Lehava, and Mitzpeh Yitzhar neighborhoods, as well as Mitzpeh Yitzhar's Chabad yeshiva.
Local firefighting teams and volunteers are working to extinguish the fire, and firefighting planes have been called in.
Residents from Yitzhar have been evacuated from their homes.
Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan called on the government to "immediately announce the creation of a special unit which will work to identify and capture the arsonists."
"We must end this insanity," he emphasized.
On Sunday, PA Arab arsonists ignited a fire near the town of Alon Moreh. By the time firefighting teams succeeded in controlling the flames, thousands of dunams had already been scorched.
3. MK DEMANDS SHIN BET INVESTIGATE RAPE OF 7-YEAR-OLD
by Arutz Sheva Staff
MK Ofir Sofer demanded that Prime Minister Netanyahu order the Shin Bet intelligence agency to open an investigation into the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old girl.
"I am shocked by this inconceivable act - the rape of a seven-year-old girl by a monster," MO Sofer wrote on Twittewr Monday.
Given that I find it hard to believe that there were three pedophiles standing next to her, I expect the prime minister and the defense minister to order the Shin Bet to launch an investigation as soon as possible."
On Sunday, police revealed in a press release that a Palestinian Arab man from the town of Deir Qaddis, near Modi'in Illit, had been indicted for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl from her school in an Israeli town in Judea and Samaria.
After befriending the girl, the suspect, who worked in the girl's school as a janitor, forcibly took the a house, where he forced to the ground and raped her.
On Monday, it was revealed that at least two other Palestinian Arab workers were present during the rape and helped the suspect by holding the victim's arms and legs, preventing her from resisting or fleeing.
While the primary suspect is in custody, the two other Arab workers have not been arrested.
4. WHERE ARE THE WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS?
by Hezki Baruch, Chana Roberts
MK Idit Silman (United Right) on Monday slammed women's rights organizations for failing to condemn the violent rape of a 7-year-old Jewish girl.
"My colleagues, the female Knesset members, and the women's organizations, where are you when it comes to the subject which you toil for tirelessly?" Silman asked. "The country should be in shock! The squares should be filled right now with women screaming about a little girl who was ripped to pieces, whose life will never be normal again."
Though the Palestinian Authority Arab rapist has been arrested, at least two others who aided him in the rape, laughing at the girl, pinning her to the ground, and telling her she "deserves it," still walk free.
Zehut chairman Moshe Feiglin questioned: "Would the Arab who raped a seven-year-old girl from the Binyamin Region had dared to rape a girl from his own village, Deir Qaddis, in such a fashion? Of course not - and not just because his own life would be severely shortened and his family would have been forced to leave the village. It would not have happened because in a large portion of these rapes, in which an Arab rapes a Jewish girl or woman, there is another factor at risk, other than the physical temptation."
"'You deserve it' - that is what the rapist's friends said - according to reports - while they held the girl's hands and feet. When an Arab rapes a Jew, there's a nationalistic aspect to it as well. When an Arab rapes a Jew, it's not just sexual, it's not just nationalistic, it's rape because of nationalism."
United Right leader Bezalel Smotrich said, "There is no limit to the brutality and cruelty. If we could only sentence this scum of the earth to death. Nothing less. Such a monster does not deserve to breathe the air of our world."
Ayelet Lash, a right-wing activist, wrote: "Two friends of the Arab suspect were also present in the house where the 7-year-old girl was raped. They laughed at her, held her hands and feet so that she could not protest what was done. And as of now, they have not been arrested."
"Now imagine what kind of morning you would have woken up to if the rapist was a settler and the girl was a Palestinian.
"Think about the crazy raids the Shabak would have carried out in that town, if they had been Jews.
"Think about the newscasts which would have opened for two weeks on that topic.
"Think about the Prime Minister, the ministers, the MKs, from the right and left, who would have run to their microphones to condemn this.
"Think about the women's organizations, the feminist jihad.
"But a Jewish girl?
"Crickets.
"It's cheap blood.
"In a normal country, this morning, the entire village should have been castrated and an hour later put on buses and kicked out to Syria."
5. PALESTINIAN WORKER KIDNAPPED, RAPED GIRL FROM SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
by David Rosenberg
A Palestinian Arab man was indicted Sunday for the kidnapping and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl he met during his work at an Israeli school.
According to the indictment filed by prosecutors at the Ofer military prison outside of Jerusalem, the suspect, a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Deir Qaddis west of Ramallah and north of Modi'in Illit, had been employed at a school in an Israeli town in the Binyamin district of Samaria.
The suspect had worked as a janitor at the school, and met the victim while working there. He befriended the girl, the indictment claims, speaking with her and giving her candies.
One day, however, the suspect kidnapped the girl, taking her by force to a house in the area, where he forced her down and raped her.
During the rape, the young girl screamed and called for help, but was held down by several other Arab men who helped the suspect rape her.
Afterwards, the suspect let the girl return home.
Following an extensive, months-long investigation, authorities filed the indictment Sunday, charging the suspect with aggravated sexual assault and kidnapping.
Attorney Haim Bleicher from the Honenu organization, who is representing the family, said in a statement Sunday:
"This was an extremely cruel and shocking incident, during which other people were present, apparently other Palestinian workers who humiliated the girl and mocked her and helped the accused," said Bleicher, calling the accused and the other workers who took part in the assault "a group of scum who went against all human values because the victim is Jewish."
Despite their involvement, Kan journalist Carmel Dangor wrote Monday, no arrests have yet been made of the workers who aided the suspect in carrying out the rape. At least two additional suspects are believed to have taken part in the attack.
"There were friends of the Palestinian suspect present in the house while the rape of the seven-year-old girl was taking place," wrote Dangor. "They laughed at her and held her arms and legs so she couldn't fight back."
"As of now, they haven't been arrested."
"They told her 'You deserve this, and if you want to leave here, don't tell anyone'," the victim's parents revealed, according to Channel 12.
6. ISRAEL HONORS TRUMP WITH INAUGURATION OF 'TRUMP HEIGHTS'
by David Rosenberg
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264649
The US mission to Israel took part in a special naming ceremony in the Golan Heights Sunday afternoon, marking the formal naming of a new town in the Golan after President Donald Trump.
A sign at the entrance of the future town was unveiled during the ceremony for the yet-to-be built community of Ramat Trump, or Trump Heights.
The Israeli cabinet met Sunday in the Golan town of Kela Alon, near the site of the new community, to formally approve the establishment of Ramat Trump.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman joined Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet at the ceremony.
"This is a historic day," Netanyahu said, sitting next to Friedman. "We are about to approve construction of a new town in the Golan, something that hasn't happened in quite a long time...and we'll be honoring a great friend of Israel, President Donald Trump, who recently recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, the first foreign leader to do so."
Trump Heights sign
Matty Stern/US Embassy Jerusalem
Following Netanyahu's comments at the special cabinet meeting in the Golan, Ambassador Friedman thanked the prime minister for the decision to name a new town after the American president, calling it an "extraordinary gesture that you and the State of Israel are making to the President of the United States."
"It is well-deserved, but much appreciated. We look forward to working with you and with the Government of Israel to continue to strengthen the alliance between the United States and Israel."
Some opposition members, however, criticized the event, calling a hollow "publicity stunt".
Blue and White MK Zvi Hauser, who served as an adviser to Netanyahu in the 1990s, mocked the ceremony, saying the actual construction plan for Ramat Trump lacked any of the details necessary to build the town.
"What does a successful PR campaign look like? Exactly like this. The government will convene a festive meeting in the Golan and announce the establishment of a new community called 'Ramat Trump.' Anyone who reads the fine print in this 'historic decision' will understand that it is nothing more than a non-binding Fake policy. There is no budgeting, no planning, no location for settlement, and there is not really a binding decision to implement the project. But the main thing was that they insisted on deciding on a name for the dummy community."
7. OFF-DUTY OFFICER KILLS MAN WHO ATTACKED HIM AT COSTCO
by Arutz Sheva Staff
An off-duty Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer on Friday shot and killed a man who local police said "assaulted" him while he was holding his child at a southern California Costco, CNN reported.
The unidentified officer fired his weapon in the Corona store, killing 32 year old Kenneth French and injuring two of French's family members, the Corona Police Department said.
The officer suffered minor injuries and was later released from the hospital, while his child was not injured, according to the police department.
"The Department has initiated an Administrative Investigation and is working with the Corona Police Department to learn more about the incident," Los Angeles police said in a statement.
Lt. Jeff Edwards of the Corona police said he believed the incident to be the result of an argument.
"From my understanding, from some people we talked to, there was apparently an argument inside," Edwards said. "Some type of argument and ensued into a gunshot."
He added that panic broke out in the store as people believed there was an active shooter and fled the scene, leaving behind belongings - whose rightful owners Corona police are now trying to find.
8. SHAKED: NOW IS THE TIME TO ANNEX AREA C
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264656
Former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (New Right) urged the Israeli government to begin annexing Area C of Judea and Samaria, warning the country could miss a historic opportunity to do so if it pushed off annexation.
Speaking at the annual Jerusalem Post conference in the Israeli capital, Shaked said that Israel had been presented with a unique "window of opportunity" in the Trump administration, and must not miss its chance to create "facts on the ground".
While Shaked expressed support for the White House's plan to help develop the Palestinian Arab economy in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, calling it a "positive" move which would also benefit Israel, she added that Israel must not make any territorial concessions or permit the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Instead, the former Justice Minister said, the Jewish state must extend its sovereignty over Area C – the roughly 60% of Judea and Samaria which Israel retains full control over.
Turning to the upcoming elections, slated for September 17th, Shaked confirmed that she planned on running again, despite her loss in the April 9th election.
When asked by journalist Dana Weiss if she had decided to run again, Shaked responded: "Probably, yes."
The former Justice Minister also said she would not 'rule out' any possible alliance with other right-wing parties, and suggested she may run again on the New Right ticket with former Education Minister Naftali Bennett.
"Not at all!", said Shaked when asked if she had made up her mind not to run again with Bennett.
"Naftali Bennett and I are partners for many years. We are ideological partners, and I think that we did a revolution in Israeli politics. When we entered the Knesset, it was well-known that a Palestinian state would be established. Today, everyone is talking about annexation. We did some huge stuff, and I hope that we'll be able to work together in the future."
"I am not ruling out anything that can help create a big Right bloc."
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Monday, Jun. 17 '19, י"ד בסיון תשע"ט
HEADLINES:
1. 'THIS IS TERRORISM, NOT PEDOPHILIA'
2. ARABS SET FIRE NEXT TO YITZHAR IN SAMARIA
3. MK DEMANDS SHIN BET INVESTIGATE RAPE OF 7-YEAR-OLD
4. WHERE ARE THE WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS?
5. PALESTINIAN WORKER KIDNAPPED, RAPED GIRL FROM SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
6. ISRAEL HONORS TRUMP WITH INAUGURATION OF 'TRUMP HEIGHTS'
7. OFF-DUTY OFFICER KILLS MAN WHO ATTACKED HIM AT COSTCO
8. SHAKED: NOW IS THE TIME TO ANNEX AREA C
1. 'THIS IS TERRORISM, NOT PEDOPHILIA'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Yisrael Beyteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman demanded Monday that the Arab man suspected of abducting a seven-year-old girl from her school and raping her be put to death.
"It caused me a deep shock: It's not pedophilia, it's pure terror - one of the worst I've ever heard of," Liberman said.
"This is precisely one of the cases in which I would not hesitate and demand that the court sentence the despicable terrorist to death," he added.
"It is a pity that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to torpedo the death penalty for the terrorists, despite his written and public commitment," Liberman said.
He quoted the Talmudic saying: "those who are merciful to the wicked will be cruel to the merciful in the end."
On Sunday, police revealed in a press release that a Palestinian Arab man from the town of Deir Qaddis, near Modi'in Illit, had been indicted for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl from her school in an Israeli town in Judea and Samaria.
After befriending the girl, the suspect, who worked in the girl's school as a janitor, forcibly took the a house, where he forced to the ground and raped her.
On Monday, it was revealed that at least two other Palestinian Arab workers were present during the rape and helped the suspect by holding the victim's arms and legs, preventing her from resisting or fleeing.
While the primary suspect is in custody, the two other Arab workers have not been arrested.
2. ARABS SET FIRE NEXT TO YITZHAR IN SAMARIA
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264689
Palestinian Authority (PA) Arabs on Monday set fire to an area near the Samarian town of Yitzhar.
The flames are currently spreading from the direction of the Arab town of Einabus towards Yitzhar's Tekuma, Lehava, and Mitzpeh Yitzhar neighborhoods, as well as Mitzpeh Yitzhar's Chabad yeshiva.
Local firefighting teams and volunteers are working to extinguish the fire, and firefighting planes have been called in.
Residents from Yitzhar have been evacuated from their homes.
Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan called on the government to "immediately announce the creation of a special unit which will work to identify and capture the arsonists."
"We must end this insanity," he emphasized.
On Sunday, PA Arab arsonists ignited a fire near the town of Alon Moreh. By the time firefighting teams succeeded in controlling the flames, thousands of dunams had already been scorched.
3. MK DEMANDS SHIN BET INVESTIGATE RAPE OF 7-YEAR-OLD
by Arutz Sheva Staff
MK Ofir Sofer demanded that Prime Minister Netanyahu order the Shin Bet intelligence agency to open an investigation into the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old girl.
"I am shocked by this inconceivable act - the rape of a seven-year-old girl by a monster," MO Sofer wrote on Twittewr Monday.
Given that I find it hard to believe that there were three pedophiles standing next to her, I expect the prime minister and the defense minister to order the Shin Bet to launch an investigation as soon as possible."
On Sunday, police revealed in a press release that a Palestinian Arab man from the town of Deir Qaddis, near Modi'in Illit, had been indicted for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl from her school in an Israeli town in Judea and Samaria.
After befriending the girl, the suspect, who worked in the girl's school as a janitor, forcibly took the a house, where he forced to the ground and raped her.
On Monday, it was revealed that at least two other Palestinian Arab workers were present during the rape and helped the suspect by holding the victim's arms and legs, preventing her from resisting or fleeing.
While the primary suspect is in custody, the two other Arab workers have not been arrested.
4. WHERE ARE THE WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS?
by Hezki Baruch, Chana Roberts
MK Idit Silman (United Right) on Monday slammed women's rights organizations for failing to condemn the violent rape of a 7-year-old Jewish girl.
"My colleagues, the female Knesset members, and the women's organizations, where are you when it comes to the subject which you toil for tirelessly?" Silman asked. "The country should be in shock! The squares should be filled right now with women screaming about a little girl who was ripped to pieces, whose life will never be normal again."
Though the Palestinian Authority Arab rapist has been arrested, at least two others who aided him in the rape, laughing at the girl, pinning her to the ground, and telling her she "deserves it," still walk free.
Zehut chairman Moshe Feiglin questioned: "Would the Arab who raped a seven-year-old girl from the Binyamin Region had dared to rape a girl from his own village, Deir Qaddis, in such a fashion? Of course not - and not just because his own life would be severely shortened and his family would have been forced to leave the village. It would not have happened because in a large portion of these rapes, in which an Arab rapes a Jewish girl or woman, there is another factor at risk, other than the physical temptation."
"'You deserve it' - that is what the rapist's friends said - according to reports - while they held the girl's hands and feet. When an Arab rapes a Jew, there's a nationalistic aspect to it as well. When an Arab rapes a Jew, it's not just sexual, it's not just nationalistic, it's rape because of nationalism."
United Right leader Bezalel Smotrich said, "There is no limit to the brutality and cruelty. If we could only sentence this scum of the earth to death. Nothing less. Such a monster does not deserve to breathe the air of our world."
Ayelet Lash, a right-wing activist, wrote: "Two friends of the Arab suspect were also present in the house where the 7-year-old girl was raped. They laughed at her, held her hands and feet so that she could not protest what was done. And as of now, they have not been arrested."
"Now imagine what kind of morning you would have woken up to if the rapist was a settler and the girl was a Palestinian.
"Think about the crazy raids the Shabak would have carried out in that town, if they had been Jews.
"Think about the newscasts which would have opened for two weeks on that topic.
"Think about the Prime Minister, the ministers, the MKs, from the right and left, who would have run to their microphones to condemn this.
"Think about the women's organizations, the feminist jihad.
"But a Jewish girl?
"Crickets.
"It's cheap blood.
"In a normal country, this morning, the entire village should have been castrated and an hour later put on buses and kicked out to Syria."
5. PALESTINIAN WORKER KIDNAPPED, RAPED GIRL FROM SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
by David Rosenberg
A Palestinian Arab man was indicted Sunday for the kidnapping and rape of a seven-year-old Israeli girl he met during his work at an Israeli school.
According to the indictment filed by prosecutors at the Ofer military prison outside of Jerusalem, the suspect, a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Deir Qaddis west of Ramallah and north of Modi'in Illit, had been employed at a school in an Israeli town in the Binyamin district of Samaria.
The suspect had worked as a janitor at the school, and met the victim while working there. He befriended the girl, the indictment claims, speaking with her and giving her candies.
One day, however, the suspect kidnapped the girl, taking her by force to a house in the area, where he forced her down and raped her.
During the rape, the young girl screamed and called for help, but was held down by several other Arab men who helped the suspect rape her.
Afterwards, the suspect let the girl return home.
Following an extensive, months-long investigation, authorities filed the indictment Sunday, charging the suspect with aggravated sexual assault and kidnapping.
Attorney Haim Bleicher from the Honenu organization, who is representing the family, said in a statement Sunday:
"This was an extremely cruel and shocking incident, during which other people were present, apparently other Palestinian workers who humiliated the girl and mocked her and helped the accused," said Bleicher, calling the accused and the other workers who took part in the assault "a group of scum who went against all human values because the victim is Jewish."
Despite their involvement, Kan journalist Carmel Dangor wrote Monday, no arrests have yet been made of the workers who aided the suspect in carrying out the rape. At least two additional suspects are believed to have taken part in the attack.
"There were friends of the Palestinian suspect present in the house while the rape of the seven-year-old girl was taking place," wrote Dangor. "They laughed at her and held her arms and legs so she couldn't fight back."
"As of now, they haven't been arrested."
"They told her 'You deserve this, and if you want to leave here, don't tell anyone'," the victim's parents revealed, according to Channel 12.
6. ISRAEL HONORS TRUMP WITH INAUGURATION OF 'TRUMP HEIGHTS'
by David Rosenberg
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264649
The US mission to Israel took part in a special naming ceremony in the Golan Heights Sunday afternoon, marking the formal naming of a new town in the Golan after President Donald Trump.
A sign at the entrance of the future town was unveiled during the ceremony for the yet-to-be built community of Ramat Trump, or Trump Heights.
The Israeli cabinet met Sunday in the Golan town of Kela Alon, near the site of the new community, to formally approve the establishment of Ramat Trump.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman joined Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet at the ceremony.
"This is a historic day," Netanyahu said, sitting next to Friedman. "We are about to approve construction of a new town in the Golan, something that hasn't happened in quite a long time...and we'll be honoring a great friend of Israel, President Donald Trump, who recently recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, the first foreign leader to do so."
Trump Heights sign
Matty Stern/US Embassy Jerusalem
Following Netanyahu's comments at the special cabinet meeting in the Golan, Ambassador Friedman thanked the prime minister for the decision to name a new town after the American president, calling it an "extraordinary gesture that you and the State of Israel are making to the President of the United States."
"It is well-deserved, but much appreciated. We look forward to working with you and with the Government of Israel to continue to strengthen the alliance between the United States and Israel."
Some opposition members, however, criticized the event, calling a hollow "publicity stunt".
Blue and White MK Zvi Hauser, who served as an adviser to Netanyahu in the 1990s, mocked the ceremony, saying the actual construction plan for Ramat Trump lacked any of the details necessary to build the town.
"What does a successful PR campaign look like? Exactly like this. The government will convene a festive meeting in the Golan and announce the establishment of a new community called 'Ramat Trump.' Anyone who reads the fine print in this 'historic decision' will understand that it is nothing more than a non-binding Fake policy. There is no budgeting, no planning, no location for settlement, and there is not really a binding decision to implement the project. But the main thing was that they insisted on deciding on a name for the dummy community."
7. OFF-DUTY OFFICER KILLS MAN WHO ATTACKED HIM AT COSTCO
by Arutz Sheva Staff
An off-duty Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer on Friday shot and killed a man who local police said "assaulted" him while he was holding his child at a southern California Costco, CNN reported.
The unidentified officer fired his weapon in the Corona store, killing 32 year old Kenneth French and injuring two of French's family members, the Corona Police Department said.
The officer suffered minor injuries and was later released from the hospital, while his child was not injured, according to the police department.
"The Department has initiated an Administrative Investigation and is working with the Corona Police Department to learn more about the incident," Los Angeles police said in a statement.
Lt. Jeff Edwards of the Corona police said he believed the incident to be the result of an argument.
"From my understanding, from some people we talked to, there was apparently an argument inside," Edwards said. "Some type of argument and ensued into a gunshot."
He added that panic broke out in the store as people believed there was an active shooter and fled the scene, leaving behind belongings - whose rightful owners Corona police are now trying to find.
8. SHAKED: NOW IS THE TIME TO ANNEX AREA C
by Arutz Sheva Staff
📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264656
Former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (New Right) urged the Israeli government to begin annexing Area C of Judea and Samaria, warning the country could miss a historic opportunity to do so if it pushed off annexation.
Speaking at the annual Jerusalem Post conference in the Israeli capital, Shaked said that Israel had been presented with a unique "window of opportunity" in the Trump administration, and must not miss its chance to create "facts on the ground".
While Shaked expressed support for the White House's plan to help develop the Palestinian Arab economy in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, calling it a "positive" move which would also benefit Israel, she added that Israel must not make any territorial concessions or permit the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Instead, the former Justice Minister said, the Jewish state must extend its sovereignty over Area C – the roughly 60% of Judea and Samaria which Israel retains full control over.
Turning to the upcoming elections, slated for September 17th, Shaked confirmed that she planned on running again, despite her loss in the April 9th election.
When asked by journalist Dana Weiss if she had decided to run again, Shaked responded: "Probably, yes."
The former Justice Minister also said she would not 'rule out' any possible alliance with other right-wing parties, and suggested she may run again on the New Right ticket with former Education Minister Naftali Bennett.
"Not at all!", said Shaked when asked if she had made up her mind not to run again with Bennett.
"Naftali Bennett and I are partners for many years. We are ideological partners, and I think that we did a revolution in Israeli politics. When we entered the Knesset, it was well-known that a Palestinian state would be established. Today, everyone is talking about annexation. We did some huge stuff, and I hope that we'll be able to work together in the future."
"I am not ruling out anything that can help create a big Right bloc."
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