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| Sunday, Aug 11 '13, Elul 5, 5773 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. Bereaved Families Ask: 'Israelis, Where Are You?' by Maayana Miskin  Families of victims of terrorism marched through Jerusalem on Sunday in a protest against the government's plan to approve the release of 26 terrorists. They marched from the central memorial for terrorism victims, located in Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, to the Supreme Court building, where the court is to hear a petition against terrorist release filed by the Almagor organization. Gila Molko, one of the marchers, could not hold back her tears as she called on the Israeli public to come join the victims' families. "Today I march alone, but tomorrow I hope that the nation of Israel will join me. I'm begging you to come, where are you, Israel?" she asked, speaking to Arutz Sheva. "Don't you understand?" she continued, facing the camera. "Don't you understand that this is our blood, that he was part of our nation?" "It's not easy for bereaved families to come here," she added. "It's like having teeth pulled without anesthesia. We need your support." The parents of Lior Tubol, who terrorists kidnapped and murdered, expressed outrage at the plan to release their son's killers. "Twenty years out of a life sentence?! It won't happen. I won't let it happen," Lior's mother declared. "Does the United States free terrorists?" she demanded. Ron Kehrmann and Yosef Tzur both lost teenage children in a bus bombing in Haifa in 2003. They expressed hope that the Supreme Court would give them justice. "It's not moral to release our children's murderers. For the government of Israel to free terrorists is not moral or ethical," they argued. "Today we march with white flags to symbolize how the government of Israel was bullied by the Palestinians and the Americans into releasing terrorists with blood on their hands," the two said. Israel agreed to free the terrorists - including many who admitted to horrific murders - as a "good-will gesture" to the Palestinian Authority, which views the imprisoned terrorists as "freedom fighters" and national heroes. Tags: Bereaved parents ,PA Terrorism ,Protest movements ,prisoner release ,bereaved families ,Victims of Terror and Terrorism More on this topic Comment on this story 2. Mofaz: Prevent Released Terrorists from Inciting Violence by David Lev  Israel is slated to release 26 terrorists on Tuesday – and as of Sunday morning, the identities of those terrorists are still unknown. The government will announced the final list of the first group of some 100 terrorists it promised to release in return for the Palestinian Authority's agreement to negotiate Israeli surrender of territory to the PA. In statements last week, the government said that all the terrorists to be released would be those who had been serving for several decades, and would be too old to participate in further terror attacks. However, many of those terrorists have been in prison for so long with good reason – being responsible for many Israeli and Jewish deaths, some in large-scale terrorist atrocities. However, Kadima head Shaul Mofaz has pointed out that although they may be too old for terrorism, they are certainly not too old for spreading propaganda and hate – and one criteria for deciding on which terrorists should be released should include their propaganda value to the PA, he told Israel Radio Sunday. "We must condition the release of these terrorists on a commitment not to engage in hateful incitement against Israel," Mofaz said, adding that such a commitment should be signed before they were released. It was not clear how such a signed declaration would be enforced. Previous prisoner releases have required released terrorists to sign that they will not return to terrorism upon their release - only for a significant portion to do so anyway. Mofaz criticized Netanyahu for releasing the terrorists altogether, saying that it was the result of his refusal to enter into negotiations with the PA voluntarily. "This is the price we pay for being dragged into the talks," Mofaz said, adding that he did not expect any results from the upcoming nine months of negotiations. "Netanyahu's main strategic goal is to show that Israel has no peace partner," he claimed. More on this topic Comment on this story 3. 'Last Chance for Beit Shemesh' by Maayana Miskin  The upcoming city elections in Beit Shemesh "are Beit Shemesh's last chance," warned Minister of Economy and Trade Naftali Bennett of the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party. "No other [elections] battle is as significant as the fight for Beit Shemesh in the upcoming municipal elections," he declared. The city of Beit Shemesh, just 40 minutes from Jerusalem, is facing major decisions regarding its future. Hareidi-religious politicians have largely pushed for new housing for young hareidi families, while other residents of city want to see new housing for other groups, as well, along with more entertainment venues and other attractions, and an end to the extremist hareidi violence that has plagued some parts of the city. Many non-hareidi residents fear that another hareidi mayor would stifle development for the city's non-hareidi neighborhoods, ultimately leading Beit Shemesh to become a majority-hareidi city similar to Bnei Brak or Kiryat Sefer, rather than a religiously mixed city. Bennett recently met with Eli Cohen, who is the lead candidate for the "Zionist bloc" of Bayit Yehudi, Likud, Labor and Yesh Atid. The four parties agreed last week to jointly support Cohen, a move which effectively ended party support for candidate Aliza Bloch, who had been the Bayit Yehudi party's top choice. Bloch has not yet said whether she will run together with Cohen as a candidate for deputy mayor. Bennett explained that he admires Bloch and hopes she will stay in the race, but that for strategic reasons all support must go to a single candidate. "We can't have anyone who isn't hareidi voting for anyone who isn't Eli Cohen. To me, that's a top strategic goal," he stated. "In the upcoming days, we'll invest all our energy in reaching every single resident," he continued. He issued a call to Beit Shemesh residents, "We need 100 percent of you to get out and vote. Every Beit Shemesh resident must hang an Eli Cohen sign, everyone who can should make phone calls." Cohen thanked Bennett for his support during their recent meetings. "I really appreciate it. You've put Beit Shemesh first," he said. Cohen expressed hope that Bloch would join him. In the last Beit Shemesh city elections the non-hareidi vote was split, and the elections were won by Shas candidate Moshe Abutbul, the current mayor. In a recent column for Arutz Sheva, city resident Shlomo Walfish explained why he is supporting Eli Cohen. More on this topic
Comment on this story 4. Netanyahu Recovering After Emergency Surgery by Elad Benari  Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was recovering on Sunday morning after undergoing an emergency hernia operation overnight, his office said in a statement. The surgery, which took place at the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem, was successful and lasted about an hour, said the Prime Minister's Office. Netanyahu, 63, is expected to be discharged on Sunday afternoon. The doctors, who had originally planned to do the surgery under a local anesthetic, decided to perform it under general anesthesia. Until Netanyahu fully recovers from the operation, he will be replaced by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon. As a result of Netanyahu's sudden surgery, Sunday morning's weekly cabinet meeting will be postponed. However, a session of a ministerial committee expected to approve the release of a first batch of 26 terrorists ahead of another round of peace talks with the Palestinian Authority will go ahead, and will be chaired by Moshe Yaalon. Netanyahu felt pain during the day on Saturday and was examined by his personal physician Dr. Tzvi Berkowitz and by surgeon Prof. Aryeh Durst. The preliminary diagnosis, confirmed by a CT scan at the hospital, was a hernia and it was decided to have surgery overnight. More on this topic Comment on this story 5. Man Killed at Israel-Gaza Border by Kochava Rozenbaum  On Saturday evening, Israeli soldiers patrolling the Gaza Strip border with Israel killed a man whom they believed was a security threat. The troops located the man as he was digging into the ground on the Gazan side of the border fence, which drew suspicious attention from the soldiers who warned him to turn back. The man was carrying an unspecified item with him as he climbed over the fence. Soldiers then fired warning shots, which the man ignored, and then shot him dead as he continued to dig. An army spokeswoman did not reveal any further details regarding what the man was carrying. An Israeli military source said, however, that no weapons were found on him. In the past, terrorists have planted bombs targeting IDF patrols in the area, as well as mounting ambush attacks or attempting to infiltrate the border to carry out attacks in nearby Israeli communities. On occasion, Arab civilians have attempt to cross the border illegally into Israel for employment. Tags: IDF ,Gaza border More on this topic
Comment on this story 6. As Knesset Discusses Drownings, Two More Drown by David Lev  After five people drowned off Israel's shores last weekend, the Knesset called for a special discussion on how to increase safety at the shore – and ironically, two more people drowned Sunday as the discussion was taking place. A 49 year old Shfaram resident drowned at a beach in Nahariya, and was declared dead on the spot, while a fifteen year old Tel Aviv resident, who was pulled from the water at the Bograshov beach in the city, was eventually resuscitated. He was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition, although doctors said his condition could worsen. During the Knesset discussion, MKs said the problem was one of manpower; many lifeguard stations are empty throughout the day because there is no money to pay for them, said Hadash MK Dov Hanin. "I visit the beaches in Tel Aviv and see closed lifeguard stations even in areas where the 'red flag' is flying, meaning that swimming is permitted," Hanin said. "We need to find funding for lifeguards for these stations to prevent people from drowning." Many stations close down at 5 PM, Hanin said, and there is a need to staff stations until at least sundown in the summer months, since most people are at the beach in the late afternoon. One of the problems, according to Avi Afia, head of Israel's National Lifeguard Organization, is that lifeguards are overworked, often putting in 12 hour days at multiple stations. Often, he said, lifeguards were called back to duty even when they have time off, in order to deal with personnel emergencies. An Interior Ministry official speaking during the meeting said that the problem was not one of funding or personnel, but of work agreements with the lifeguards' union, which limit the hours and responsibilities of lifeguards. MKs demanded that another meeting be held, and that the Interior Minister himself attend and answer their questions. More on this topic Comment on this story 7. 50th Nefesh B'Nefesh Flight: Soldiers' Aliyah by Kochava Rozenbaum  With the cooperation of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, there will be a total of 331 new immigrants (olim) from North America landing in Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. A customary arrival ceremony will be held in their honor with the presence of many of Israel's dignitaries. This flight will mark the 50th Nefesh B'Nefesh charter flight. The group began mass aliyah flights to Israel in August 2002. Among the North American olim arriving are 125 new IDF recruits, young men and women who will be joining the ranks of fellow young Israelis serving their country. In addition, 41 families, 47 singles, and another 92 olim are also scheduled to arrive on this specially chartered Jumbo El Al flight leaving from New York. Dignitaries expected at the arrival ceremony in Ben Gurion airport include Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Director General of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, MK Penina Tamanu-Shata, Chairman of the Israel Scouts, Director of Aliyah Absorption and Special Operations Unit of The Jewish Agency for Israel, Yehuda Sharf. Also expected to attend are the Co-Founders of the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart, and Vice Chairman of Nefesh B'Nefesh, Erez Halfon. The event will be in full cooperation with the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Tzofim Garin Tzabar, Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel and the Friends of the IDF (FIDF). Pre-registration for the event is required. Family and friends from around the world will have the chance to watch a live webcast of the Olim stepping foot in their new homeland. Comment on this story 8. J Street Cancels Poorly Attended Event, Then Covers It Up by Elad Benari  J Street attempted to cover up evidence of a failed Boston event on Friday, within minutes of a Washington Free Beacon reporter mocking the group's inability to draw a crowd on Twitter. J Street was forced to cancel an event originally scheduled for June 20 in Boston due to a "lack of attendance," according to the Washington Free Beacon. After a reporter for the website noted on Twitter that J Street, which bills itself as a top "pro-Israel" group, failed to attract a crowd, evidence of the failed event's existence was removed from Facebook. The event had been named, "Drinks and Conversation with Alan Elsner, veteran Reuters wireman and J Street VP." The event was to feature "free appetizers and a cash bar," according to a cached copy of the event, which no longer can be accessed on Facebook. "Hi everyone. Unfortunately, tonight's event is cancelled due to lack of attendance," J Street member Adam Steinberg wrote to the seven disappointed activists who had signed on for the event, according to the Washington Free Beacon. "We look forward to keeping you informed of future events and opportunities in the future." Pro-Israel insiders said that this is yet another embarrassment for a group that purports to represent the will of the American Jewish community. "Even by J Street standards, trying to scrub a Facebook event page is a new, pathetic low," said one pro-Israel official. "You'd think [Elsner] would have built up a fan base somewhere." "Apparently not even the Israel haters that J Street caters to want to hear his propaganda," the official said. Another official at a Washington D.C.-based pro-Israel group offered J Street a piece of advice. "All of this could have avoided if they would have just ponied up the money for an open bar," the official said, according to the Washington Free Beacon, which noted that J Street has been soliciting its members for money in recent days. J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami blasted an email to supporters on Thursday to "ask something we've never asked before." "For just $36, you can be a Contributing Member of our movement," Ben-Ami pitched. "For $10 a month, you can be a Sustaining Member." Ben-Ami went on to claim that J Street has fundamentally altered the lobbying landscape in D.C. He provided no evidence to support this claim. "In just a short time, we've changed the voice of pro-Israel advocacy in Washington—today, America's political leaders hear loudly and clearly that achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace is essential to Israel's future, American interests and regional stability," Ben-Ami wrote. "We've changed the face of American politics—showing candidates how much support they can earn by proudly adopting pro-Israel, pro-peace policies," he claimed. While J Street prides itself as being "pro-Israel" and "pro-peace," many, if not most, Jewish constituents believe that the organization actually undermines the interests of the State of Israel and Jewish people. Numerous Jewish leaders and organizations have publicly disassociated themselves, altogether, from J Street's rhetoric and policies. J Street has endorsed terror groups and one of its co-founders has even claimed that Israel's creation was "an act that was wrong." The group has also hidden the fact that it receives hundreds of thousands of dollarsin funding from Pro-Palestinian Authority billionaire George Soros, who once said Israeli and American policies fuel anti-Semitism. A report by NGO Monitor released this past week found that Soros' philanthropy funds anti-Israel boycott campaigns. Recently J Street targeted congressmen Joe Walsh (R-IL) and Allen West (R-FL), saying they are "not pro-Israel" because they support Israeli annexation of Judea and Samaria. More on this topic
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