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1. Itamar Residents Celebrate Wedding at Joseph's Tomb
by Hillel Fendel
The army periodically allows and enables Israelis to enter the holy
site of Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) – but no previous visit was
ever as moving as the wedding there last night.
Hundreds of residents of Itamar, still reeling from the Palestinian
terrorist massacre of the Fogel family five days earlier, arrived for a
special prayer service – highlighted by the wedding ceremony of a
resident of an Itamar hilltop, Moshe Orlinsky, and his betrothed,
Natalya Zucher.
The two had planned to get married in Itamar, but decided to hold the
joyous ceremony at the holy site of Joseph’s Tomb instead – the first
wedding known to have ever taken place there. The intensity of emotion
left no eye dry.
A video from the wedding can be seen here.
The officiating rabbi was Itamar’s rabbi, Rabbi Natan Chai, and wedding
blessings were recited by Breslov leader Rabbi Shalom Arush, Rabbi
Yaakov Yosef (son of Shas leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef), Shomron Region
Chief Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Yitzhar Rabbi David Dudkevitch, and the
Kabbalist Rabbi Yaakov Deutsch.
The ketubah (marriage contract) was read aloud by IDF Shomron Brigade Rabbi Capt. David Feig.
The speeches at the ceremony emphasized the resilience of the Jewish
Nation whose faith buttresses them as they swing back and forth between
tragedy and great joy. Dozens of youths from Itamar added to the elation
with their enthusiastic singing and dancing.
Rabbi Levanon blessed the couple by first reading aloud verses from the
Book of Jeremiah, regarding the consoling prophecy of Yosef’s mother
Rachel when the Jews were driven into Exile: “A voice is heard, bitter
weeping; Rachel is crying for her children, refusing to be consoled… G-d
said: Stop your voice from weeping and your eyes from tearing… your
children will return to their borders.”
The local IDF commander, Shomron Brigade Commander Col. Nimrod Aloni,
wished the young couple a “Jewish home full of joy, faith, and warmth.”
Shomron Regional Council head Gershon Mesika noted the residents’
emotional roller-coaster of late, and said: “The prophet says, ‘With
your blood you shall live – unfortunately, we had to go through five
‘bloods’ [the five murdered Fogel family members – ed.], but in the
merit of this exalted occasion, it will strengthen all of us – the
people of Itamar, the residents of the entire Shomron, and all of
Israel; we will gather the broken pieces together and we will become
stronger.”
Yosef's Pursuit of Unity Supports the Jewish Nation
Rabbi Chai said, "We thank G-d for giving us the fortitude to carry on…
and we thank IDF Commander Nimrod Aloni, who made great efforts to
enable us to hold this chupah here … It was near this spot that Yosef
said, ‘I seek my brothers,’ and this pursuit of unity and love for
Israel is what unites us and gives us the strength; Yosef had a coat of
many colors – symbolizing that there are many aspects to the Jewish
People, and each tribe has its place, but they are all unified.”
Other blessings were offered by Yesha Council head Danny Dayan, Rabbi
Dudkevitch, and IDF Commander Maki Siboni. Musician and actor Golan
Azulai provided the music, at no charge.
2. Fast of Esther Observed on Thursday
by Elad Benari
Jews around the world will be observing the Fast of Esther (Ta’anit Esther) on Thursday.
The Fast of Esther commemorates the three-day fast observed by the
Jewish people at Esther's request as the Purim miracle unfolded. The
story can be found in the Scroll of Esther which is read out loud twice,
evening and morning, during the holiday.
The fast is usually observed on the thirteenth day of the Jewish month
of Adar, which is the day before Purim. However, when the thirteenth of
Adar falls on Shabbat, as is the case this year, the fast is moved to
the preceding Thursday, while Purim is celebrated on Sunday. Cities that
had walls in the days of Joshua, such as Jerusalem, celebrate Shushan
Purim on the 15th of Adar, which falls on a Monday this year.
The Fast of Esther is different from other fast days since it does not
commemorate a day of mourning (as do the fasts on the tenth of Tevet,
seventeenth of Tammuz, Tisha B'Av, and the Fast of Gedaliah). As such,
the observing of the Fast of Esther is more lenient than those of other
fast days.
The fast is observed from dawn until dusk on Thursday. Times are as follows:
In Israel, the fast is observed from 4:18am local time to 6:10pm local time
In New York, the fast is observed from 2:27am local time to 7:46pm local time
In Chicago, the fast is observed from 2:15am local time to 7:43pm local time
In Los Angeles, the fast is observed from 3:03am local time to 7:23pm local time
Women who are weak, pregnant and breastfeeding are exempt from fasting
on the Fast of Esther, as are older and weaker men. Those exempt from
fasting are allowed to eat only to sustain the body and are not allowed
to consume delicacies.
For further details on the Fast of Esther and the Purim holiday,
including lectures and questions and answers, visit the Beit El Yeshiva
Center’s special page for Purim at http://www.yeshiva.org.il/collection/eng/default.aspx/Purim
3. Egypt Resumes Gas Deliveries to Israel, Jordan
by Chana Ya'ar
Egypt has resumed deliveries of natural gas to Israel and Jordan, but the price of the energy commodity may soon be doubled.
Six weeks ago the supply was abruptly halted when terrorists blew up the pipeline in the Sinai Peninsula. Several attempts to repair the line were stymied at the last minute, preventing deliveries of gas not only to Israel and Jordan, but also to Syria and Lebanon.
Egypt informed Jordan two days ago that the price of the gas will jump
from $3 to $6-7 per million btu, “reflecting market prices,” the Globes
business news agency reported on Wednesday.
Israeli consumers are wondering if the Jewish State will face a similar price hike.
Eastern Mediterranean Gas (EMG), the Egyptian supplier, holds a $15
billion contract to supply natural gas to the Israel Electric
Corporation (IEC), as well as the private power company Dorad and
several smaller firms.
IEC and IC buy their gas from EMG at $4-5 per million btu.
4. Christians Speak Out Against Muslim Mistreatment in Mideast
by Chana Ya'ar
American Christians are beginning to speak out against mistreatment of
their Middle East brethren by the Muslim majority with whom they live.
The “Chicago Initiative” – a one-day conference held March 12 near
Chicago – was focused on raising media awareness of the issue.
More than a dozen organizations, including churches and Middle Eastern Christian groups in the U.S., were behind the event.
Keynote speaker Walid Phares, author of “The Coming Revolution:
Struggle for Freedom in the Middle East,” told attendees that hostility
toward Christians is “an undeniable fact of life in Muslim countries.”
Governments in the Middle East fail to protect the lives of indigenous
Christians in the region, he said, a problem ignored in the West due to a
lack of media coverage.
“I would like to see two hours on C-Span dedicated to the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt,” he said.
Violence perpetrated against Copts by Egypt's Muslim majority has been
an issue for years. Protesters in the recent upheaval that toppled the
31-year regime of former President Hosni Mubarak claimed they were
opposed to discrimination against Christians.
Other speakers described how Christians in Iraq, Iran and Egypt have been attacked by their neighbors and their governments.
Shari'a law is enshrined in the constitutions of Iraq and Egypt,
attendees were told. Juliana Taimoorazy, director of the Chicago-based
Iraqi Christian Relief Council, described the “horrific” attacks against
Christians in Iraq.
Most speakers agreed that the most effective way to protect their brethren was by getting the message out through the media.
5. Expert: 'The Supreme Court Doesn't See Israel as Jewish State"
by Elad Benari and Yoni Kempinski
A special session took place on Wednesday, as part of the 8th Jerusalem
Conference, on the Israeli Supreme Court ruling which authorized the
2005 expulsion of Jews from their homes in Gush Katif.
Following the session, Dr. Haim Shain, a lecturer in the Shaare Mishpat
College, spoke toIsrael National News TV about the Supreme Court’s
failure to stop the expulsion.
“In Israel we now have a division between two sectors: the small sector
that would like to see Israel as a state like any other, and another,
majority sector that wants to see Israel as a Jewish state,” said Dr.
Shain. “The Supreme Court in Israel, however, leads the small group that
would like to see Israel be like every other state, what they call a
"country of all its citizens". Nobody there cared about what happened
in Gush Katif. In other cases that I see, the Supreme Court keeps
getting involved of its own volition, but in the case of Gush Katif it
decided not to get involved.”
The Supreme Court Judges were asked by its residents to come to see
Gush Katif for themselves before their decision on whether the
expulsion violated citizens' rights, but they refused to do so.
Dr. Shain noted that if the expulsion had occurred in an Arab city, the Supreme Court would have been quick to stop it.
“If it was Umm al-Fahm, I can assure you that the Supreme Court would
not allow that, even if the Knesset decided on it,” he said.
The session opened with an address by Shir Lev Ran, a teen who was
expelled from his home in Gush Katif. He spoke of how difficult it was
for him and his friends to cope with the expulsion. Lev Ran burst into
tears during his talk as he recalled the emotional experience of
being expelled from his home.
Deputy Finance Minister, Yitzhak Cohen, noted during the session: “The
greatest fear is that such a thing could happen again. All the legal
systems in Israel worked together to commit this crime. Even when
illegal things took place during the disengagement, the Supreme Court
went along with the government.”
6. Israel Police Bust Major Extortion Syndicate
by Gavriel Queenann
Officers working the Central Tel Aviv Police District have arrested 24
for running an extortion ring, according to a statement released by the
Israel National Police this afternoon. The police characterized the
criminal enterprise as "one of the largest and most violent," exposed to
date on Wednesday.
The suspects will be charged with multiple counts of attempted murder,
hundreds of counts of extortion, possession of explosives and explosive
devices, arson, aggravated assault, and kidnapping. The indictments are
to be filed againt all conspirators in court Thursday.
The syndicate was an alliance of criminal gangs led by Izzat Hammad
from Jaffa, who was released from prison two years ago, along with
lieutenant David Ezra of Or Yehuda who is currently in prison, and
members of the Jaljulyia-based Hariri crime organization who were
allegedly used as additional muscle, according to police sources.
"They operated as a hierarchical organized crime organization with
defined roles, including a leader, funds people, operational people,
weapons storage people, and others. Many offenses were carried out by
the suspects," said Assistant Commander Shlomi Michael, head of the Tel
Aviv central Unit during a press conference. "Over the past two years...
the suspects terrorized residents of Tel Aviv,"
It is suspected the new syndicate "took over" the debts by purchasing
them at a discount from creditors and then collected the full amount by
force, or simply fabricated debts. They used the extorted money used to
purchase weapons, extend their own black market loans, and to underwrite
gambling operations.
The gang extorted millions of shekels through threats and violence from
businessmen, lawyers and other citizens who owed money to third
parties. One tactic attributed to the gang was to approach business
owners and inform them they had taken out a loan. When the business
owners would protest they had not done so they would be informed, "You
did now."
Other victims were Tel Aviv Hapoel footballer Aviv Omri Canada, Shelly
Narkis, formerly known as "King of the Black Market," and three lawyers.
Omri Canada was warned that if he did not pay 63,000 dollars, he "will
not play more football." Former underworld kingpin Narkis was forced to
pay 150,000 dollars. One member of the gang was also ordered killed
because of poor collections and talking out of turn , but police
intervened.
The gang's activities came to the attention of police in early 2010
when a grenade was tossed into the home of the parents of Yaniv
Ben-David, one of those being charged in the affair, by members of a
rival faction within the gang. During the course of the investigation
police were able to recruit two criminal informants, one of whom was the
number two man in the gang.
"I must tell you we can attribute serious offenses to all of the
suspects. Aggravated assault, vehicle arson, use of firearms including
explosives, attempted murders, the placing of a bomb in a car of a
woman. When it exploded her young daughter was inside," Michael said.
"Thankfully, we managed to prevent number of murders and seize an
explosive. There will be additional arrests."
7. Pressure Mounts on Netanyahu to Sack Ehud Barak
by Gavriel Queenann
Members of Likud's National Headquarters have called on Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu to immediately dismiss Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
whom they accuse of advancing policies that directly contributed to the heinous murder of the Fogel family in Itamar.
In an interview with Israel National Radio, Shevach Stern of the Likud
National Staff said the Prime Minister cannot back-peddle from his
government's positions to save Ehud Barak, "We hear this call from many
Knesset members. They say it off the record and not for attribution. But
everyone understands that Barak has taken over as head of government in
various fields, and brings the Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu a
salesman's dilemma from which he cannot break free. "
Stern argued that the evacuation of Gilad Farm, coupled with the use of
weapons against Jews, formed part of a whole continuum of actions set
in motion by Barak, which has led the spilling of Jewish blood.
"It's not just the construction freeze and removing check-points that
allowed the free passage of terrorists from place to place," Stern
insisted. "It is also actions against the settlers, selective law
enforcement and shooting the Gilad Farm settlers.
I'm certain events like Gilad Farm send the message to terrorists that
we hold our own blood cheap. Removing checkpoints in Judea and Samaria
also proves our blood is cheap - terrorists today can move around very
easily. "
Stern said the announcement of the construction of housing units in the
settlement blocs is not an adequate answer to the murderous attack, "To
my knowledge it is 500 housing units, which was the Prime Minister's
recycling of previous announcements from before the attack. It had to be
carried out - it's not new construction. Do we need more attacks to
approve more units?"
According to Stern it is Netanyahu's Likud government that bears responsibility for impeding settlement construction.
"Unfortunately, those who tie our hands the most are we ourselves! Even
the Kadima government has built more than Likud. Unfortunately,
Benjamin Netanyahu, because of his close relationship with Ehud Barak,
has stressed his government. We call to him to dismiss Barak. I think
it's a matter of time. If they are Siamese twins who can not separate,
then they must both leave politics. Eighty percent of Likud members
support the continuation of settlement today. The area is on fire and we
can not continue with the status quo. "
The close relationship between Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu is not
as surprising as some political observers might think. Netanyahu was
one of sixteen Sayeret Maktal, [the most elite commando unit,ed.]
commandos led by Ehud Barak during the successful hostage rescue raid on
Sabena Flight 571 on 9 May 1972.
The passenger flight, scheduled for Vienna to Tel Aviv, was hijacked by
members of Abu Nidal's Black September faction en route to Lod Airport
[later renamed Ben Gurion Airport] the previous day. Barak's commandos
stormed the aircraft and took control of the plane in ten minutes,
killing both male hijackers and capturing the two women. All the
passengers were rescued, though one later died of her wounds.
8. Deputy PM: Death to the Itamar Murderers
by Elad Benari and Yoni Kempinski
Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Development Minister, Silvan Shalom,
took part in the 8th Jerusalem Conference on Wednesday, where he said
that the terrorists who carried out last Friday night’s massacre of the Fogel family in Itamar should be executed.
“We need to make the decision to impose a death penalty on those
murderers,” Shalom told Israel National News TV. Referring to the
murders as “brutal” and “unacceptable”, he added: “I think that all of
us believe that those murderers should be executed.”
He noted, however, that “it doesn’t mean that we should impose a death
penalty in every case, but I think this case is so extreme, so brutal,
so inhuman, that those murderers should be executed.”
Of the Palestinian Authority’s condemnation of the murders, Shalom said
that the statements made by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “were not as
strong as they should have been. The incitement is very prevalent in
their media and in their educational system and so long as they are not
teaching their own children to move toward reconciliation, I think that
talks about moving forward with the peace process look like a joke.”
Shalom also addressed the capture of the Victoria ship,
which carried weapons destined for Hamas, by Israel’s navy on Tuesday.
“The interception of the ship shows us that protecting the sea is very
important to the safety and security of Israel,” he said. “Those who ask
us to lift the closure from Gaza are now more aware of the difficulties
we are facing and of the dangers that it might bring to the safety and
security of the State of Israel.”
He called on the West to join in the fight against Iran, whose attempts
to give weapons to Hamas and Hizbullah will ultimately affect everyone.
“Iran is trying to undermine the moderate Arab regimes,” said Shalom.
“They are trying to bring their collaborators to power. We should fight
them back, or they will take control of the entire Middle East and will
take control of the oil field reserves, which will make them a very
strong superpower and will enable them to develop their nuclear program
and to become a nuclear superpower.”
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