Israël vandaag - 26 november 2017.
(een samenvatting van 17 tot 26 november 2017)
(een samenvatting van 17 tot 26 november 2017)
AMID INCREASED TENSIONS, IRON DOME BATTERIES NOW DEPLOYED IN CENTRAL ISRAEL:
Amid increased tension on both its northern and southern borders, Israel has deployed Iron Dome batteries in the Gush Dan region in central Israel; it was published on 14 Nov. 2017. The deployment of the batteries in an area that encompasses Tel Aviv and other central Israeli cities comes amid threats from Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) after Israel destroyed one of its cross-border attack tunnels earlier this month, killing 12 terrorists who were inside. While the army has not called up reservists, the IDF also has upped its readiness along the Gaza border, forbidding farmers and other civilians from approaching close to the Hamas-controlled enclave, and closing down three tourists sites along the Strip.
Amid rising tensions between the Gaza-based terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Israel, PIJ has raised its level of readiness for conflict to the highest degree. The terror group is also closely monitoring the movements of Israeli citizens in the communities bordering Gaza, media sources reported on 14 Nov. 2017. Earlier this week, the IDF deployed Iron Dome missile defense batteries throughout central Israel and began military drills in the vicinity of Gaza. The Trump administration’s international negotiations representative, Jason Greenblatt called on the terror group to tone down its war rhetoric, tweeting, “Extremist statements & provocation vs. Israel by Islamic Jihad harm the people of Gaza & are very dangerous.” (Worthy News/Algemeiner)
ISRAELI TERROR VICTIMS VISIT WHITE HOUSE:
Michal Salomon and her five children who survived last summer’s Halamish terror attack visited the White House on Tues.14 Nov. 2017. She and her family were visiting her in-laws for Shabbat in the Halamish settlement when a Palestinian terrorist with a knife walked into their home on Friday night, killing her husband Elad, 36, her sister-in law Chaya, 46, and her father-in-law Yosef, 70. She managed to hide with her children in a room upstairs. USA special envoy Jason Greenblatt, who visited the family while they sat Shiva in their hometown of Elad, met them in the White House on Tues. 14 Nov. 2017. Her husband, sister-in-law, and father-in-law were brutally murdered by a terrorist at the Shabbat table. Michal & her children escaped certain death only because of her courage,” he wrote. The family is in Washington to seek support for the Taylor Force Act, which if passed by the House, would halt USA aid to the Palestinian Authority unless it stops its monthly payments to terrorists and their family members. (J.Post)
KNESSET SETS UP TASK FORCE TO KEEP EU FUNDS AWAY FROM TERRORISTS:
The Knesset is setting up a special task force designed to ensure that money the European Union donates to the Palestinian Authority for welfare purposes will not be funneled to terrorist elements and used against Israel, or to the families of terrorists with blood on their hands. The project is the brainchild of opposition Zionist Union MK Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, who brought in MKs from six other parties. "Every month, some 4.5 million euros in EU funds are divided among those who carried out terrorist attacks against Israel and the families of terrorists. It's hard to convince Israelis that the Palestinians want to promote the peace process as long as donations from countries throughout the world, especially Europe, are transferred to murderers rather than benefiting the Palestinian population," she said. (Israel Hayom)
IRAN ENDS QUAKE RESCUE OPERATIONS AS HUNGRY SURVIVORS BATTLE THE COLD:
Rescue operations have ended in areas of Iran hit by a powerful weekend earthquake that killed at least 450 people and injured thousands, state television reported on 14 Nov. 2017, as many survivors, in need of food and water, battled the cold. Sunday's 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck villages and towns in the mountainous area of Kermanshah province that borders Iraq while many people were at home asleep. At least 14 provinces in Iran were affected. State television said thousands were huddling in makeshift camps while many others spent a second night in the open for fear of more tremors after some 193 aftershocks. Television showed footage of rescue workers frantically combing through the rubble of dozens of villages immediately after the quake. But Iranian officials said the chances of finding any more survivors were extremely low. "The rescue operations in Kermanshah province have ended," Pir-Hossein Kolivand, head of Iran's Emergency Medical Services, said on state TV. Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offered his condolences and called on government agencies to do all they could to help. (J.Post)
NETANYAHU: WE OFFERED ASSISTANCE TO IRAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS:
PM Netanyahu revealed on 14 Nov. 2017 that Israel has offered medical assistance to victims of the earthquake in Iraq and Iran earlier this week. Netanyahu said Israel's quarrel is with the regimes, “but our humanity is greater than their hatred. We have no quarrel with the people in Iran but rather with the regime in Iran, which holds its citizens hostage and threatens to destroy Israel," the prime minister added. Following Netanyahu's remarks, an official in the Prime Minister's Office said, "As part of an ongoing strategy, PM Netanyahu communicates directly with the Iranian people and presents the difference between the Iranian public and the regime in Iran.” The official added, "Israel turned to the Red Cross with the intention of providing civilian humanitarian aid and was immediately refused, a fact which presents the true face of the Iranian regime.” More than 450 people were killed and close to 8,000 were injured in Sunday's 12 Nov. 2017, 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which was also felt in Israel. (INN)
COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER INVITES SAUDI MUFTI TO ISRAEL:
Communications Minister Ayoub Kara tweeted on 13 Nov. 2017, that he welcomed comments by Saudi Arabia’s most senior Islamic authority, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh, in which the mufti had condemned war and the killing of Jews. Kara’s tweet praised the mufti for saying that “Hamas is a terrorist organization that hurts the Palestinians and the al-Aksa Mosque protests are a form of demagoguery.” According to Daily Sabah, a Turkish newspaper, the mufti had appeared on a television program and was asked about fighting against Israel. The mufti responded that Hamas is a terrorist organization. The Mufti was also asked about the wave of protests that swept Jerusalem after the state placed metal detectors at the gates to the al-Aksa compound in July. “Also it is possible to cooperate with the IDF to eliminate Hezbollah,” Kara tweeted. “I invite the Mufti to visit Israel and be welcomed with honor.” The Mufti has been an outspoken critic of extremism and terrorism. In October 2017 he welcomed the creation of a new center in Saudi Arabia’s Medina called the King Salman Complex for the Prophet’s Hadith. It aims to “eliminate fake and extremist texts and any texts that contradict the teachings of Islam and justify the committing of crimes, murders and terrorist acts.” According to The National in the UAE, the Mufti said he hoped that people would study proper Islamic teachings, “to liberate people from the darkness of thought, the extremism and misinterpretation of the Koran.” (J.Post)
FBI ASKS FOR SENATE DOCS IN FETAL TISSUE PROBE:
The FBI has reportedly asked the Senate for unredacted documents obtained from abortion providers, which may signal an investigation into Planned Parenthood and other parties involved in the market for fetal tissue from abortions. The document request occurred recently and was directed to the Senate Judiciary Committee, The Hill reported. The chairman of that committee, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, referred Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers for criminal investigation in December 2016, following the release of the committee’s lengthy probe into the market for fetal tissue. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, said she welcomes the potential investigation into Planned Parenthood’s business practices. “Not content with their status as the nation’s largest abortion business, evidence shows Planned Parenthood sought to squeeze every last opportunity for cash from the sale of hearts, brains, lungs and livers of the unborn children whose lives they end,” Dannenfelser said in a statement. “Planned Parenthood and its associates are terrified of having their sordid business model exposed. We commend the Trump administration for holding them accountable and urge Congress to follow through on the promise to redirect the half-billion dollars in taxpayer funding the abortion giant receives each year.” (Israel Ha’yom)
Abortion is murder of the most innocent members of our society! Intercede that men and women in authority will actively present and pass laws that respect all human life from conception to natural death and that “Planned Parenthood”- abominable organization that it is – will cease to exist!
CANADA LIGHTS UP WINTER POSTAL DELIVERY WITH HANUKKAH STAMP:
Alongside the usual candles, donuts and dreidels that traditionally mark the holiday of Hanukkah, Canada Post is adding a stamp recognizing the Jewish "festival of lights" to this year's celebrations. The stamp features a geometric design representing different types of menorahs and a strong contrast between light and dark, creating the appearance of flickering candles. Hanukkah is also written "Hanoukka" on the stamp, reflecting Canada's second official language, French. Those wishing to purchase the special stamps will be able to buy online on 20 Nov. 2017, and in Canadian post offices later in the week. The Hanukkah holiday remembers the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabean Revolt over the Greeks in the second century BC. This year, the eight-day festival will begin at sunset on 20 December 2017. (J.Post)
TWO INJURED, ONE SERIOUSLY, IN JUDEA & SAMARIA CAR RAMMING:
A Palestinian terrorist rammed his car into two people, seriously injuring one of them, before getting shot while trying to stab soldiers in the central Judea & Samaria area on Friday morning, 17 Nov. 2017. The driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old who was not immediately named, rammed his car into the first victim, a 70-year-old man, who sustained a light head wound, at the Efrat South junction, medics said. He continued down the road to the nearby Gush Etzion Junction where he hit another Israeli man, 35. The hospital reported his condition was serious, with a brain injury. The army said the driver then got out of his car with a knife and tried to stab soldiers. “The soldiers responded by firing towards the attacker, resulting in his injury,” the Israel Defense Forces said. According to the hospital, the terrorist was in critical condition. There were no reports of wounded Israeli soldiers, the army said. The Gush Etzion Junction in central Judea & Samaria has been a common site for terror attacks due to its close proximity to both Israeli settlements and Palestinian villages (Times of Israel)
‘TAYLOR FORCE ACT’ PASSES LEGISLATIVE HURDLE:
The USA House Foreign Affairs Committee approved legislation that would cut off financial aid to the Palestinian Authority unless it ends its policy of paying monthly stipends to prisoners jailed in Israel and to the families of Palestinians killed in confrontations with Israeli security forces. The Taylor Force Act - named after an American who was murdered in a terror attack in Tel Aviv during the 2015-16 “Stabbing Intifada”- earned unanimous bipartisan support and will now proceed to Congress for a full vote; this, as a parallel bill has been introduced in the Senate. “With this legislation, we are forcing the PA to choose between USA assistance and these morally reprehensible policies, and I am pleased to see this measure move forward in both chambers with so much support,” committee chairman Ed Royce (R-California) wrote in a statement. Israel has long opposed the PA’s glorification of “martyrs” and believes that the payments made to terrorists provide incentive for Palestinians to perpetrate attacks. (Medialine)
PA TO TRUMP: TERROR PAYMENTS WON’T STOP:
Nabil Sha'ath, adviser to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said that the PA leadership would not give in to USA threats to stop its payments to terrorists and their families. "These are heroes and we are responsible for them and for their families," Sha'ath said, explaining the PA's approach to the security prisoners and their national commitment to them. Sha'ath said that the private bill promoted by the Israeli Knesset on the cessation of aid to the PA would have implications for Washington's role in the peace process. It should be noted that most of the Arab prisoners are serving prison sentences for committing security offenses, including terrorist attacks, the dispatch of suicide bombers, murder, attempted murder, accomplice to murder, violent assault, and more. Every Arab prisoner is entitled to receive a monthly pension from the Palestinian Authority, the amount of which is directly proportional to the sentence, granting more money to the terrorists who committed the worst crimes and killed the most Israelis. The average monthly allowance of security prisoners is higher than the average wage for security forces. Israel and the USA view assistance to the imprisoned terrorists as an expression of direct support for terrorism. (Arutz-7)
REPORT: SAUDI CROWN PRINCE WILL ‘CRUSH’ HEZBOLLAH WITH ISRAEL:
The King of Saudi Arabia plans to step down and announce his son as his successor next week, the British newspaper Daily Mail reported on 16 Nov. 2017, citing a source close to the country's royal family. The move is seen as the final step in 32-year-old Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's power grab, which began earlier this month with the arrests of more than 40 princes and government ministers in a corruption probe. The unnamed source said that King Salman will continue only as a ceremonial figurehead, handing over official leadership of the country to his son, often referred to as MBS. The high level source further said that once crowned king, the prince will shift his focus to Iran, Saudi Arabia's longtime regional rival. He will also enlist the help of the Israeli military to crush Hezbollah, Iran's proxy in Lebanon, according to the source. “MBS is convinced that he has to hit Iran and Hezbollah. MBS's plan is to start the fire in Lebanon, but he's hoping to count on Israeli military backing. He has already promised Israel billions of dollars in direct financial aid if they agree,” claimed the source. “MBS cannot confront Hezbollah in Lebanon without Israel. Plan B is to fight Hezbollah in Syria," added the source The 32-year-old crown prince portrays himself as a liberal reformer. He recently announced that the ultra-conservative kingdom would adopt a moderate and open Islam. As for Israel, there have been several recent reports that Saudi Arabia and Israel are getting closer. (Arutz-7)
IDF CHIEF OF STAFF: ISRAEL WILLING TO SHARE INTELLIGENCE WITH SAUDIS:
Gadi Eisenkot has offered to share Israeli intelligence about Iran with Saudi Arabia, in remarks published in a rare interview with a Saudi newspaper published in London. “We are ready to exchange experiences with Saudi Arabia and other moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence information to confront Iran,” Eisenkot told the Elaph newspaper, adding, “There are many shared interests between us and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian plan is to control the Middle East by means of two Shi’ite crescents,” Eisenkot told Elaph, “the first being from Iran through Iraq to Syria and Lebanon and the second across the Gulf from Bahrain to Yemen to the Red Sea. We must stop that from happening.” (Worthy News)
ISIS HAS LOST 95% OF ITS CALIPHATE:
The brutal ISIS terrorist group has lost 95% of the cross-border "caliphate" it declared three years ago in Iraq and Syria, the USA-led coalition fighting the jihadist group says. The jihadist group swept across Syria and Iraq the same year, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" in territory roughly the size of Britain and attracting thousands of foreign fighters. Since then, several military offensives, including those backed by the USA-led coalition, have since seen ISIS lose most areas it once controlled. "More than 7.5 million people have now been liberated from ISIS," McGurk said in a statement, adding that the group's finances are now "at their lowest levels to date". With the jihadists' dreams of statehood lying in tatters following the battlefield defeats, Western attention is increasingly pivoting to trying to block foreign fighters from returning home to carry out attacks. McGurk insisted that flows of foreign ISIS fighters into Syria have "nearly stopped", and that jihadists are increasingly being picked up as they cross borders. The jihadists recently suffered a series of stunningly quick defeats, including the loss of their de facto capital Raqqa in Syria. (Arutz-7)
231 IMMIGRANTS FROM TWO “LOST TRIBES” ARRIVE IN ISRAEL:
Members of two "lost tribes" - 162 people from India's Bnei Menashe and 69 from Ethiopia, reputedly descendants of the Tribe of Dan - arrived in Israel last week to reunite with family members and make new lives in the country. Some 1,700 Bnei Menashe have settled in Israel over the past 15 years, with a further 7,000 waiting to immigrate. (Times of Israel)
ISRAELI SCIENTISTS HAVE HELPED DEVELOP LIFE-SAVING CANCER DRUGS:
Israel has made disproportionately large contributions to the fight against cancer. A breakthrough in the 1980s by Israeli scientist Eli Canaani was critical to the development of Gleevec, a drug that has saved the lives of millions diagnosed with leukemia. Velcade, a drug used to treat bone marrow cancer, was based on the research of Israeli professors Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover, and their collaborator Irwin Rose, who went on to win the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2004. Israeli scientists discovered the role that mutations in the p53 gene play in causing cancerous tumors, and how a minor mutation in the RAD51 gene increases the risk of breast cancer in women with the BRCA2 gene mutation. It was scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hadassah Medical Center who contributed to the platform science that resulted in the development of Doxil, the first drug encapsulated in a microscopic fat bubble for direct delivery to a tumor site. (JTA)
ISRAEL TO SEE RAINFALL, POSSIBLE FLOODING, THROUGHOUT THE WEEK:
Providing hope for the Kinneret's (Sea of Galilee) seriously decreasing water level, Israel's weather forecast for this week includes both rainfall and possible flooding. Monday's 20 Nov. 2017, weather was cloudy, with a slight drop in temperatures. Local rains were expected along the coast and in Israel's north. On Monday evening heavier rains fell in Israel's north and center, accompanied by isolated thunderstorms. Tuesday was expected to see intermittent rainfall in Israel's north and center, as well as isolated thunderstorms with a chance of flooding along the coast, as well as in the Jordan Valley, the Judean Desert, and the Dead Sea. Temperatures will drop throughout the week and conditions will be cloudy, with a chance of light local rainfall from Israel's north to the northern Negev. Temperatures will remain lower than seasonal average. Thursday will be cloudy, with a chance of light local rains. (Arutz-7)
ISRAELI MINISTER REVEALS COVERT CONTACTS WITH SAUDI ARABIA:
An Israeli cabinet minister said on 19 Nov. 2017 that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior Israeli official of such contacts. In an interview on Army Radio, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz was asked why Israel was hiding its ties with Saudi Arabia. Steinitz replied: "We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually we are the party that is not ashamed. It's the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us there is no problem, but we respect the other side's wish, when ties are developing, whether it's with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or other Muslim countries, and there is much more ... but we keep it secret." (J.Post)
SAUDI ARABIA VOWS TO TAKE ON IRAN AMID WARNINGS REGION IN A ‘DANGEROUS ABYSS’:
Arabia has warned it will not hesitate to defend itself against Iran amid warnings the region is being pushed into a “dangerous abyss”. Fears of World War 3 have increased in recent weeks amid spiraling fallout between the Saudi monarchy and Tehran. It came following the surprise resignation of Lebanese PM Saad al-Hariri, a close ally of Riyadh. At an emergency meeting in Cairo this week, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir stepped up his rhetoric against the Islamic regime. Saudi Arabia and other Arab foreign ministers criticized Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah at the emergency meeting warning they would not stand by in the face of Iranian interference in Arab affairs. Hariri resigned on 4 Nov. 2017 accusing Iran and Hezbollah of spreading chaos in the region. Saudi Arabia also accuses Hezbollah of a role in the launch of a missile towards Riyadh from Yemen this month. This week’s emergency Arab foreign ministers' meeting was called at the request of Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait to discuss ways of confronting Iran. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told ministers that Arab nations would raise the matter with international organizations, including the UN Security Council. He said: ”Iranian threats have gone beyond all limits and pushed the region into a dangerous abyss.” (Drudge)
ARAB LEAGUE: HEZBOLLAH IS A TERROR GROUP:
Arab foreign ministers on 19 Nov. 2017 described the Lebanese Hezbollah organization as a "terrorist organization" and announced their intention to turn to the UN Security Council to discuss Iran's intervention in the region. Speaking at a press conference in Cairo following a meeting of Arab foreign ministers, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that there was a consensus among Arab states against Iranian policy in the region. "We are not declaring war on Iran at this stage and we are taking gradual steps," stressed Aboul Gheit. "I hope that the message will reach Iran and that it will change its behavior in the region." He accused Iran of being responsible for the firing of missiles from Yemen towards Saudi cities in an attempt to harm Saudi Arabia's national security, of interfering in the internal affairs of Arab countries and of spreading destruction and hatred. Sunday’s meeting of the Arab League was held at the request of Saudi Arabia, amid growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, its regional rival. The tensions increased after Lebanese PM Hariri announced his resignation citing the influence of Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah as one of the reasons for his decision. (Arutz-7)
IDF FIRES AT SYRIAN ARMY POSITION IN GOLAN:
Israeli tank units in the Golan Heights fired a warning shot at a Syrian army position inside a no-man’s land along the Israeli-Syrian frontier Sunday evening 19 Nov. 2017. The Syrian position was illegally occupied inside the slender buffer zone which separates the Israeli and Syrian-held portions of the Golan Heights. The buffer zone was created as part of the cease-fire agreement which ended the 1973 Yom Kippur War. In 1974, the two powers signed the Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria, creating a narrow slice of neutral territory where both sides were prohibited to station military forces. A United Nations force, the UN Disengagement Observer Force, was charged with monitoring the buffer zone. Following the illegal establishment of the Syrian foothold in the buffer zone, an IDF tank unit in the Golan fired at the Syrian position to deter further provocations by the Syrian government. It is unclear if any damage or casualties resulted from the IDF tank fire. “In the last few hours,” an IDF spokesperson said, “the Syrian Armed Forces violated the 1974 ceasefire by strengthening a military post in the demilitarized zone between Syria & Israel. In response, an IDF tank fired a warning shot towards the area.” (INN) \
IRAN COMPLETING ITS LAND BRIDGE TO ISRAELI BORDER:
Regime forces in eastern Syria are 2 km. from the strategic border town of Abu Kamal - the last link in the Iranian "land bridge" from the Iraq-Iran border to the Mediterranean Sea and the border with Israel - while the USA-supported, mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) remain 25 km. north of the town. Control of the border crossing at al-Qaim/Abu Kamal and of the roads leading west from it will enable the Iran-led alliance to transport fighters and weaponry in both directions. This means that in a future confrontation with Hezbollah, Israel could see its enemies reinforced by supplies and volunteers from other Iranian clients. Tehran is presently pressing forward. As the Iranians continue to solidify and extend their gains in Syria, the likelihood will grow of direct friction with Israel's enforcement of redlines. (J.Post)
USA THREATENS TO CLOSE PALESTINIAN OFFICE IN WASHINGTON:
The Trump administration put the Palestine Liberation Organization on notice over the weekend that it will close the group's office in Washington if the Palestinians don't get serious about peace talks with Israel, State Department officials said. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has determined the Palestinians violated a USA law that calls for the closure of the PLO mission if they act against Israel in the International Criminal Court. In a speech to the UN General Assembly in Sept. 2017 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ran afoul of the law when he called on the ICC to investigate and prosecute Israel for war crimes against the Palestinians. The 2015 law requires shuttering the PLO mission if the Palestinians seek to "influence a determination by the ICC to initiate a judicially authorized investigation, or to actively support such an investigation, that subjects Israeli nationals to an investigation for alleged crimes against Palestinians." (CNN)
DISABLED ISRAELIS THREATEN TO ‘SHUT DOWN’ COUNTRY IF DEAL WITH GOVERNMENT ISN’T IMPLEMENTED:
Nearly two months after signing a deal with the government to improve their living conditions, disabled Israelis warned on Sunday 19 Nov. 2017 they will "shut down the country" unless the legislation is begun by the end of Nov. 2017. "Coalition Chairmen David Bitan promised that the law will be passed by the end of November in order for it to be presented to the committee and the Knesset assembly," read a statement by representatives of the disabled community. "Not only has a memo not been issued yet, nobody seems to know where the matter stands. We will resume our protest at full power," the statement continued. "All the thousands of headquarters members, NGOs and organizations which support our cause will stand beside us. This time we will completely shut down the country." (Koenig)
‘THE SMILES HAVE BEEN WIPED OFF THE PALESTINIANS’ FACES’:
Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz responded on Mon. 20 Nov. 2017, to the Trump administration’s proposed peace plan, as reported on the weekend by Israeli media sources. Katz spoke at a conference held at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. “Less than a year ago, the United States chose not to veto an anti-Israeli resolution against the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria, and two days ago the USA administration, headed by President Trump, warned the Palestinians that it would close their embassy if they continued to act against Israel. The smiles on the Palestinians’ faces from a year ago have been erased,” said Katz. "It’s not a coincidence. President Trump sees and divides the world clearly into two main axes: the axis of evil, headed by Iran and North Korea, and the axis of friendship led by the United States, which includes its pragmatic Sunni allies and of course, Israel.
The Palestinian leadership must decide whether it chooses to be part of the axis of evil or to join the axis of friendship," he stressed. Katz noted that the Trump administration makes it clear today that any Palestinian government must comply with the conditions of the Quartet, commit to non-violence, recognize Israel and honor previous commitments and agreements, including dismantling the weapons of terrorist elements. Referring to the issue of Jerusalem, Katz said, "I expect and believe that President Trump will correct the historical distortion and move the American Embassy as soon as possible to Jerusalem - the spiritual center and eternal capital of the Jewish people. In the meantime,” he continued, “we must strengthen our position in the city, which is constantly challenged, first and foremost by establishing the Greater Jerusalem metropolitan area, and connecting Ma’aleh Adumim, Givat Ze'ev, Beitar Illit and Gush Etzion to the city.” (Arutz-7)
LEBANESE ARMY AT ‘FULL READINESS’ ON ISRAELI BORDER:
The commander of Lebanon’s military called on the army to prepare for a possible conflict with Israel on Tues. 21 Nov. 2017, ordering forces deployed near Israel’s northern border be placed on high alert. Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces Joseph Aoun, called on soldiers near the Israeli border to be on “full readiness.” Aoun said the Lebanese army must be prepared to face “threats of the Israeli enemy and its violations.” Aoun’s comments come just days after Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil threatened Israel, claiming his country would defeat the Jewish state militarily if provoked. Lebanon’s saber-rattling comes following the resignation of PM Saad Hariri, who stepped down earlier this month during a trip to Saudi Arabia, claiming in a recorded video message that his “life is being targeted”. (J.Post)
NEW SCHOOL CRITICIZED FOR HOSTING PANEL ON ANTI-SEMITISM FEATURING LINDA SARSOUR, ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST:
The New School is being criticized for hosting a panel on anti-Semitism featuring speakers known to be vocal critics of Israel and Zionism, including Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour and the executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace. Critics of the 28 Nov. 2017 event, which is titled “Anti-Semitism and the Struggle for Justice,” also say it is meant to justify anti-Zionism on the left, and not address the full range of threats facing Jews from the left and the right. The panel is being organized by several left-wing groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace, (JVP) which supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Jonathan Greenblatt, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, slammed the inclusion of Sarsour and JVP in the event, saying it was akin to “Oscar Meyer leading a panel on vegetarianism. These panelists know the issue, but unfortunately, from the perspective of fomenting it rather than fighting it,” Greenblatt wrote last week. The American Jewish Committee also objected. A petition opposing the panel organized by a pro-Israel group called Zioness had amassed over 10,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon 20 Nov. 2017. It asserts the panel is an attempt to “whitewash” anti-Zionism and “deny its unequivocally anti-Semitic nature and intent.” Sarsour, who helped organize the Women’s March on Washington, has been criticized by right-wing and centrist Jews for her vocal criticism of Israel (JTA)
EUROPEAN JEWISH CONGRESS: ‘WE OPPOSE ALL CONTACT WITH EUROPEAN FAR-RIGHT':
A delegation from the European Jewish Congress told French President Emmanuel Macron on 20 Nov. 2017 that the EJC unanimously opposes any meetings or dealings with far-right political parties in Europe. EJC President Moshe Kantor said, “Some like to use the Jewish community as a fig leaf for their racist and xenophobic agendas or try and make common ground over views on Israel. We emphatically reject all these overtures and stand in complete solidarity with all targets of their intolerance and racism.” Doctor Kantor continued, “Yesterday, Jews were the main targets and today it may be some other group. But we are under no illusions whatsoever that anti-Semitism remains a significant part of their worldview regardless of political tactics or electoral expediency.” (Arutz-7)
HALF THE WOMEN IN ISRAEL MURDERED BY THEIR SPOUSE HAD COMPLAINED TO POLICE:
Only 30 percent of the cases opened in the last decade for the attempted murder of women resulted in indictments, according to a report by the Knesset Research and Information Center to mark the International Day of Violence against Women . A number of committees will devote part of their agenda to the observance. Between the years 2016 and 2007, 35% of the women murdered by their spouses had complained to the police about domestic violence. Between 2015 and 2016, the percentage of women killed by their spouses in cases known to the police increased to almost half. (INN)
TRUMP DECLARES NORTH KOREA A STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM:
USA President Donald Trump on 20 Nov. 2017 declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, promising a rapid ramp-up of Treasury sanctions against the isolated state. "This should have happened a long time ago. Should have happened years ago," Trump declared, citing the death of a USA student who had been held in a North Korean jail and the assassination by nerve agent of the elder brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on foreign soil as reasons for the move. (Arutz-7)
RUSSIA FINDS 1,000-TIMES NORMAL RADIOACTIVE LEVEL AFTER NUCLEAR ACCIDENT CLAIMS:
Russia's meteorological service said on Tues. 21 Nov. 2017, it had measured pollution of a radioactive isotope at nearly 1,000 times normal levels in the Ural mountains, the first official Russian data supporting reports that an accident had taken place. The data appears to support a report by the French nuclear safety institute IRSN, which said on 9 Nov. 2017 that a cloud of radioactive pollution over Europe had indicated an accident had taken place at a nuclear facility either in Russia or Kazakhstan in the last week of September 2017. Neither Russia nor Kazakhstan has acknowledged any accident. (Reuters)
HEBREW UNIVERSITY GRADUATES 62ND MOST EMPLOYABLE IN THE WORLD:
A recent analysis published by Times Higher Education has ranked Hebrew University of Jerusalem students as the 62nd most employable graduates in the world, placing the school's graduates as the most employable from Israeli universities, followed by the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology at 113, and Tel Aviv University at 135. The Hebrew University moved up five places this year, while the Technion advanced nine spots and Tel Aviv University improved by four places. The global employability ranking, designed by the French human-resources consultancy Emerging, reveals which universities the recruiters at top companies think are the best at preparing students for the workforce. The survey was conducted among thousands of recruiters and managers from a range of firms and industries around the world. The top 5 ranked institutions globally were the California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge. (INN)