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1. 11-Year-Old Yoav's Legacy: 'Love Everyone”
by Chana Ya'ar
First responders who rushed into the blood-drenched bedroom of
11-year-old Yoav Fogel last Friday night were confronted with a sight
that nearly stopped them in their tracks.
A colorful little wooden plaque hung above the slain young boy's bed,
proclaiming his love for his people and a prayer for peace between all.
. 
The prayer above Yoav's bed, written originally in Hebrew, reads as follows (in English):
May it be Your will, L-rd G-d and G-d of our forefathers,
That I love every one of Israel as myself, and
To graciously perform the positive commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself.
And may it also be Your will, Lord G-d and G-d of my forefathers,
That you cause the hearts of my friends and neighbors to love me fervently, and
That I be accepted and desirable to everyone, and
That I be loving and pleasant, and
That I be gracious and merciful in the eyes of all who see me.
As water reflects face to face, so the heart of man to man.
And all for the sake of Heaven, to do Your will,
Amen
Along with his 4-year-old brother Elad and his new little baby sister,
3-month-old Hadas, Yoav and both of his parents were stabbed to death by
terrorists who murdered them as they slept.
Miraculously, two of his brothers survived, unnoticed by the terrorists
in their rush to slaughter the family. Eight-year-old Ro'i and
2-year-old Shai were both sleeping at the time.
Yoav's 12-year-old sister Tamar was not home at the time, returning about an hour after the terrorists left to find her family slaughtered.
(Israel news photos: courtesy of Fogel Family / Shomron-Samaria Regional Council)
2. King at Conference: Bibi is Dividing Jerusalem
by Hillel Fendel
Long-time Jerusalem lands activist Aryeh King told the audience at the 8th Annual Jerusalem Conference on Tuesday that eight Jerusalem neighborhoods are actually off-limits to Jews. The news, backed up by video clips showing
soldiers refusing to allow Jews to enter while Arab cars entered
freely, caused a stir not only in the audience, but also among the panel
of speakers.
The session dealt with Jerusalem, how to prevent its division, and how
to strengthen its status as the capital of the Jewish People. Speakers
included Education Minister Gideon Saar, who was praised for his
initiative in which pupils throughout Israel visit Jerusalem at least
three times during their school careers.
"Our common vision and dream, throughout the generations, to reach
Jerusalem and Zion," Saar said, "is what enabled us to exist as 'one
nation,' as Haman said in the Book of Esther that we shall soon read,
even though we were also 'scattered and separate.' ... More than we
succeeded in preserving Zion, Zion was able to watch over us."
Saar said he believes it was his first decision upon becoming Education
Minister two years ago "to ensure that pupils get to know Jerusalem. A
survey beforehand had shown that a full 50 percent of those who
graduated from our schools had never been to Jerusalem! ... So we
instituted a program, fully funded and recognized, by which students in
5th, 7th and 10th grades take official school trips to Jerusalem, where
they visit sites such as the Western Wall, the Western Wall Tunnels, the
City of David, Ammunition Hill, and more. Sites that had been all but
closed but were opened, with the cooperation of the police, as a result
of this program, which brings over a half-million students to our
capital every year."
King Attacks Netanyahu
In contrast to the positive picture painted by Saar and succeeding
speakers, King, a familiar face on the Jerusalem activism scene and head
of the Israel Land Fund, began
his talk aggressively: "Bibi [Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu] has
already divided Jerusalem! Not with words, but with actions…. There are
seven neighborhoods - and now another one has just been added, Isawiya,
very close to here – where Jews are not permitted to enter! … In
addition, 7% of Jerusalem area has been transferred to the control of
the IDF, in violation of the Basic Law: Jerusalem.
"The Israel Police do not enter these neighborhoods, while the PA
police direct traffic there! … Bibi also allows illegal Moslem burials
outside the eastern wall of the Temple Mount – something that no prime
minister before him allowed... The PA has also paved several kilometers
of roads in Jerusalem… Bibi is doing terrible things, things that Barak
in Camp David [in the late 90's, when he agreed to give 95-98% of Judea
and Samaria to the PA] never dreamed of doing."
King screened three video clips,
one that showed how soldiers did not allow a Jewish car to enter an
Arab-populated neighborhood "just 250 meters from French Hill," while
allowing Arabs to pass through unhindered.
Another member of the speakers' panel – Shlomo Attias of Shas, head of
the Jewish Quarter Development Company – acknowledged that he did not
know much of what King reported, and that it was shocking news.
Danon Agrees - Mostly
MK Danny Danon (Likud) told how he and King worked together to salvage
Jewish-owned land in Jerusalem 13 years ago: "At one point, we went to a
building in Maaleh Zeitim [Ras el-Amoud], but even though it was
totally and legally ours, we had to go at night so as not to [arouse
problems]… Arabs saw us and started attacking us with rocks. We called
the police, located at the time just 300 meters away, and they made us
wait for three hours before arriving! They did it purposely, so that we
would get scared and leave altogether – but we didn't, and finally the
police arrived and dispersed the attackers. Today, of course, dozens of
Jewish families live there, with dozens more set to move in these very
weeks…"
Danon also related that several years ago, the neighborhood of Har Homa
– now populated by close to 30,000 Jews – was the main issue of
contention: "Clinton and Albright ordered Netanyahu, who was Prime
Minister at the time, not to sign the tenders for construction, because
Arafat would never agree to have Bethlehem cut off from the Temple
Mount. But we gathered some MKs and exerted pressure and made it clear
that the government would fall on this issue – and Bibi signed the
papers."
Danon agreed that "the situation in Jerusalem is a catastrophe… Just a
few weeks ago, plans for developing some new neighborhoods were abruptly
removed from the planning committee's agenda…"
Despite this, he did not agree with Aryeh King's implied call to
replace Netanyahu, and said that it is best to be part of the government
and to struggle for change from within.
What Happened With Atarot?
King said that the solution for Jerusalem is to build large housing
projects in and around Jerusalem: "For instance, there was a plan to
build 10,000 units for the hareidi-religious public in Atarot, in
northern Jerusalem – but for some reason, Mayor Barkat shelved it. It is
projects like these that will save Jerusalem!"
Barkat had been listed to speak at the session, but canceled his
participation shortly beforehand. He recently said that he would like
the government to help the city rezone Atarot, until recently the site
of an airport, into a 200-acre industrial and hi-tech park.
3. Timeline of Axis of Evil Weapons Smuggling by Sea
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Tuesday’s seizure
of made-in-Iran weapons shipped from Syria for Hamas-controlled Gaza is
the latest in a long list of illegal attempts by the
Iran-Syria-Hizbullah-Hamas axis of evil to use the high seas to smuggle
arms for attacking Israel.
November 3, 2009: The Francop ship
was intercepted off the coast of Cyprus en route from Iran to Syria
where its weapons were to be smuggled by land to Hizbullah in Lebanon.
The ship contained 36 containers with:
500 tons of arms: 9,000 mortar bombs;
3,000 Katyusha rockets;
3,000 gun shells;
20,000 grenades; and
half a million rounds of small ammunition, all hidden behind sacks of polyethelene.
The arms smuggling was attempted without the knowledge of the crew. The
cache was loaded from the Bandar Port in Iran on an Iranian vessel and
stopped at an Egyptian port, where the cache was unloaded onto the
Francop, a German vessel. The cache was 10 times larger than the cache
seized from the Karin A in 2002 (see below).
October 12, 2009: The Hansa India,
which sailed from Iran flying a German flag, was due to unload a cargo
of eight containers in Egypt. Following warnings from the German
authorities, the vessel was not unloaded and continued to Malta where it
was seized and found to be carrying bullets and industrial material
intended for the production of weapons, seemingly bound for Syria.
May 21, 2003: The Abu Hasan was
intercepted in waters west of Haifa, sailing from Lebanon to Egypt and
carrying Hizbullah explosives bound for Gaza. The boat itself was a
fishing boat, undoubtedly used to disguise its intentions. Cargo
contained:
a radio-activation system to detonate bombs remotely;
CDs of directives on how to carry out suicide bomb terror attacks;
five boxes with rocket fuses; and
25 Katyusha rocket detonators.
The masterminds of the arms smuggling attempt were connected to Arafat's Palestinian Authority and Hizbullah.
January 7, 2003: A suspicious life raft found floating along the northern Gaza Strip coast was found to be booby-trapped with explosives.
November 23, 2002: After many
attempts to communicate with an unknown Arab fishing boat heading from
Gaza northward to Israel’s coast, the bomb-laden boat exploded near an
Israeli security patrol boat, moderately injuring three and lightly
injuring one.
August 4, 2002: IDF naval forces
identified an armed Arab terrorist wearing an oxygenated scuba diving
suit and carrying an AK-47 assault rifle, eight grenades, and four
ammunition magazines. He was on his way towards an Israeli community
from the Gaza coast.
June 8, 2002: Two Arabs were found
swimming along the north Gaza Strip shore armed with four grenades, an
AK-47, and four ammunition magazines in an attempt to infiltrate an
Israeli community.
January 3, 2002: Karin-A was
intercepted in the Red Sea, heading towards the Palestinian Authority.
It carried 80 submergible containers of 50 tons of weapons, including:
RPG-7 rockets;
RPG-18 anti-tank rocket launchers;
Iranian-made anti-tank and anti-personnel mines;
2200 kilograms of high explosive demolition blocks;
Sagger anti-tank launchers and missiles;
Rifles, including AK-47 assault rifles, and machine guns;
735 hand grenades;
700,000 rounds of small ammunition; and
diving equipment.
The submergible containers were to be dropped into the sea and then
washed ashore the Gaza coast or picked up by a smaller vessel and
delivered to Gaza.
Yasser Arafat's former confidante at the time, Fuad Shubaki, was
heavily involved in the smuggling attempt, and the crew included members
of the Palestinian Authority. Arafat eventually admitted PA involvement
in the smuggling attempt. The ship was purchased in Lebanon and sailed
to Sudan and Yemen to pick up civilian goods – watermelon seeds, sesame
seeds, rice, toys and clothes – to disguise the weapons aboard.
May 7, 2001: The Santorini was
intercepted on its way from Lebanon to Gaza. It contained a large
shipment of 40 tons of weapons, including Strela anti-aircraft missiles –
the same kind that terrorists fired at an Arkia Israeli passenger jet
taking off from Mombassa, Kenya in November 2002, and narrowly missed.
The shipment also included mortars, rifles and guns, grenades, mines and
explosive material, anti-tank RPG-7 missile-launchers, and artillery
rockets.
Three crew members aboard the Santorini were convicted for trying to
smuggle weapons from Lebanon to Gaza – the captain, a professional
weapons smuggler, and two of his relatives aboard the ships and involved
in three previous smuggling attempts backed by Hizbullah and the
PFLP-GC terrorist groups.
The Santorini ship was acquired by PFLP-GC on a small island off Syria
and registered as Syrian. During previous smuggling attempts by the
crew, arms were packed in Syria and transferred to Lebanon by a Syrian
bus. Part of the anti-tank weaponry originated in Iran.
4. Lieberman in Itamar: We're Committed to the Security of Israelis
by Elad Benari
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman visited Itamar on Tuesday, following
a request by Shomron Mayor Gershon Mesika. Lieberman’s visit was aimed
at strengthening the community of Itamar following the brutal murder on
Friday night of five members of the Fogel family.
During the visit, Lieberman was shown by Mesika the room in the Fogel
home where the terrorists entered. He then went inside the house and was
shown by Mesika the picture that hung on the living room wall of the
synagogue in Netzarim, the community from which the Fogel family was
expelled during the 2005 expulsion from Gush Katif.
Lieberman and Mesika moved from room to room in the house, seeing the
traces of blood that still remained on the floor, on the walls and on
the furniture.
“You see the sign on the door which says ‘Congratulations on the birth
of a baby,’ and then you go inside and see this pogrom,” a shocked
Lieberman told reporters after visiting the home. “Things of which we’ve
read about only in books are found right here in the heart of this
Jewish community.
“It is the state’s duty to ensure the security of Israeli residents,”
continued Lieberman. “There is no doubt that the state failed in this
case. The most important thing to be understood here is that all those
who call on the State of Israel to return to the '67 borders [1949
Armistice Lines –ed.], mean that Hamas will rule here. Exactly the same
process that happened in Gaza will happen again here in Samaria.”
He added: “I sincerely hope that the murderers will be in our hands
soon and we will bring them to justice. The failure that happened here
should not happen elsewhere. I must express my admiration for the
residents of Itamar. I do not know of any other place which had so many
victims. 22 residents of Itamar have been killed. This cannot be
repeated. We are committed to the security of Israeli citizens before
anything else.”
Lieberman also criticized the Palestinian Authority. “One who talks
about bloodshed, hatred and murder - you cannot talk to him about peace.
Even in the political sphere we need to learn the lessons from this
incident.”
He added that in his opinion the terrorists who carried out the
massacre should not be put to death. “Revenge is not the guideline by
which we want to act. We need to act in a level-headed manner and with
determination,” he said. “Israel is a nation which has laws and is one
of the best democracies in the world.”
Mesika, who also spoke, criticized the government's policy plans:
“Unfortunately all the discussions about withdrawal from lands are
detached from reality and are what caused the criminal terrorists to
carry out the massacre. The separation fence has not been completed, all
because of political reasons. The Arab trees near the partial fence
that has already been built are what hid the terrorists who had
infiltrated the community.”
Mesika said that “the government must return to the correct Zionist
values, fight terrorism and renew the building momentum throughout the
land of Israel.”
5. Two Hamas Terrorists Killed in IDF Retaliation
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The Israeli Air Force fired missiles at a Hamas terrorist base
Wednesday morning and killed two terrorists, shortly after Gaza-based
terrorists fired a rocket on the western Negev. No one was injured in
the rocket attack.
The aerial strike followed by 24 hours the Israeli Navy intercepted a weapons-laden boat bound for Hamas in Gaza.
Israel has carried out a consistent policy of retaliating for every
terrorist attack on Israeli civilians and soldiers. More than 60 mortar
shells, Kassam and Grad missiles have been fired from Hamas-controlled
Gaza since the beginning of 2011.
Meanwhile, the government will hold a special new conference for the
media and all diplomats Wednesday afternoon to display the variety of
lethal and advanced weapons that were seized Tuesday morning on the
"Victory" ship, which sailed from Syria towards Egypt. The weapons were
to be smuggled into Gaza through tunnels.
6. Unprecedented Public Protest Against Assad in Syria
by David Lev
After the successful revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, it may be
Syria's turn. On Tuesday, activists opposed to the rule of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad conducted “Day of Rage” protests, demanding
free elections and a change of government. In response, Syrian security
troops opened fire in some areas, and beat them with clubs and sticks.
Protests took place in Damascus, Aleppo, and the northern border town
of Qamishli, Syrian opposition groups operating in the West said. One
witness told the BBC that hundreds of people protested in central
Damascus and that police did not fire on protesters but did charge the
crowd, arresting six demonstrators. In Aleppo, witnesses said that
police acted violently, firing into the air and beating protesters.
A Syrian opposition activist, Suheir Attasi, told Al-Jazeera Tuesday
night that “this is the first time that Syrian citizens are calling for
freedom. The protesters are regular people who seek freedom and hope for
a result in Syria similar to those in Tunisia and Egypt.” Syrians from
all ethnic groups and religious factions were represented among the
protesters, she said. Another large protest is set to take place on
Wednesday in Damascus, she added.
Word of Tuesday's protest was spread via Facebook and other social
media sites. Tuesday's protests were the largest so far in Syria since
the beginning of December, when the current wave of protests against
Arab governments began in Tunisia.
Opposition activists say that there have been several attempts to
organize protests since then, but they did not really have a major
impact until Tuesday. Assad has been quoted as saying that there is no
reason for protests, since his government "pays attention to the needs
of Syrians."
While the spotlight has been on Bahrain and Libya in recent weeks,
while Syria seemed to be out of the picture of MIddle East upheaval, no
one expected change in Egypt either just a short while ago. It remains
to be seen if Syria's ruler goes the way of Egypt's Mubarak or decides
to take his cue from Qaddafi.
7. Ankara Forces Iranian Plane to Land for 'Routine Inspection'
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Turkey denies it forced an Iranian cargo plane because of suspicions that it carried material for nuclear weapons to Syria.
Turkey maintained that it occassionally conducts searches of Iranian
planes entering its air space and that the downing of the plane was not
unusual. However, it has not stated what the plane was carrying.
The cargo plane from Iran was ordered to land after it entered Turkish
air space. Two F-16 fighter jets escorted the cargo plane to a
southeastern Turkish airport, where it was searched for nuclear
materials, according to the Doğan news agency.
Turkey has forged close ties with the Islamic Republic and Syria the
past two years, discarding its former close relationship with Israel.
Iran has been using various means to arm Syria, Iran and Hizbullah
terrorists in Lebanon.
Syria previously has been suspected of building nuclear facilities, one
of which was bombed by Israel while under construction four years ago.
8. Jerusalem Rally to Call for Death Penalty for Terrorists
by Chana Ya'ar
More than 1,000 protesters have registered in advance, declaring that
they intend to gather next to the “Strings Bridge” at the entrance to
Jerusalem at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday to demand establishment of a death
penalty for convicted terrorists.
The massive outpouring of rage and sadness comes in the wake of last
week's terrorist attack in the Samaria Jewish community of Itamar.
A couple and three of their six children – including a 3-month-old baby
– were slashed and stabbed to death last Friday night as they slept in
their beds in a brutal killing that shocked Israelis on both ends of the
political spectrum. Two young sons were miraculously spared when
apparently the terrorists escaped without noticing their presence. A 12-year-old daughter discovered the horrifying tragedy when she returned home later in the evening.
The more than 1,000 members who have so far declared their intention to
join the march, which will start at the bridge, are members of the
Facebook Internet social networking site and did so on a special page dedicated to the event .
The program was announced by organizers on a poster that cried out in large red letters, “Jewish Blood is Not Cheap!”
The planned agenda includes the recitation of the ancient prayer for
the dead, El Maleh Rachamim, and Psalms, to be followed by a march to
Zion Square in the heart of Jerusalem for a rally.
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