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1. Gantz Warns Terrorists: Don't Test Our Strength
by Elad Benari
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz warned terrorist groups on Tuesday against attacking Israel.
Speaking at a special event marking the 35th anniversary of the IDF’s Shaldag Unit, of which he himself was a commander between 1989 and 1991, Gantz said, “Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in Gaza should know that if they harm Israeli citizens we will hit them hard and it would be a mistake on their part to test our strength.”
Gantz also praised the work of the Shaldag Unit in the fight against terror, saying, “When we look at the threats surrounding us, we need operational capabilities, courage and good people, and the Shaldag Unit has been one of our very significant pillars over the years.”
The Shaldag Unit was established in 1976 under the command of Muki Betzer. Shaldag’s mission is to deploy undetected into combat zones and hostile environments in order to conduct special reconnaissance, establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously conducting air traffic control and commando actions.
Gantz’s comments came as large security forces were spread out along Israel’s border with Egypt due to a heightened terror alert in Israel’s south.
On Tuesday, Minister for Homeland Defense Matan Vilnai warned that a terror cell with more than ten members is in the Sinai desert and will soon attempt to infiltrate into Israel.
Comment on this story
by Elad Benari
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz warned terrorist groups on Tuesday against attacking Israel.
Speaking at a special event marking the 35th anniversary of the IDF’s Shaldag Unit, of which he himself was a commander between 1989 and 1991, Gantz said, “Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in Gaza should know that if they harm Israeli citizens we will hit them hard and it would be a mistake on their part to test our strength.”
Gantz also praised the work of the Shaldag Unit in the fight against terror, saying, “When we look at the threats surrounding us, we need operational capabilities, courage and good people, and the Shaldag Unit has been one of our very significant pillars over the years.”
The Shaldag Unit was established in 1976 under the command of Muki Betzer. Shaldag’s mission is to deploy undetected into combat zones and hostile environments in order to conduct special reconnaissance, establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously conducting air traffic control and commando actions.
Gantz’s comments came as large security forces were spread out along Israel’s border with Egypt due to a heightened terror alert in Israel’s south.
On Tuesday, Minister for Homeland Defense Matan Vilnai warned that a terror cell with more than ten members is in the Sinai desert and will soon attempt to infiltrate into Israel.
Comment on this story
2. Ros-Lehtinen Moves to Block PA UN Statehood Bid, Status Upgrade
by Chana Ya'ar
Florida's Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is determined to stop the Palestinian Authority from carrying out its statehood bid in the United Nations ג€“ or at least, from discouraging most of the international community from supporting it.
The chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee announced Tuesday she has advanced a measure to block U.S. funding to any U.N. member or group that supports an upgrade to the PA's diplomatic status in the international body next month.
The proposal was folded into a larger bill of legislation being presented in the House of Representatives that will change the way the United States ג€“ the U.N.'s biggest contributor -- provides its share of the funding to the U.N. Approximately 22 percent of the U.N. budget and 25 percent of its worldwide peacekeeping costs are covered by the United States.
If passed, the bill will place new controls on American funding at the international body. Under the measure, U.S. funding would be conditional on the United States retaining the ability to choose the programs it wishes to fund at the U.N., and which ones it does not, Reuters reported.
Ros-Lehtinen added a clause opposing the Palestinian Authority's membership in the United Nations as a new country. The PA has announced its intention to seek recognition as a sovereign nation and membership in the U.N. at the international body's General Assembly gathering on September 20.
Membership in the United Nations, however, requires the unanimous approval of all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The United States, one of the Council's permanent members, has already said it would veto such a bid.
Failing that option, the PA could also seek an upgrade from its current observer status to one as a non-member state ג€“ a move that only requires a two-thirds approval of the General Assembly, and not the approval of the Security Council. The Republican lawmaker is seeking to block this second bid as well. A harsh critic on the U.N. for some time, Ros-Lehtinen said in her statement, “My bill... seeks to stop this dangerous scheme in its tracks.”
Comment on this story
by Chana Ya'ar
Florida's Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is determined to stop the Palestinian Authority from carrying out its statehood bid in the United Nations ג€“ or at least, from discouraging most of the international community from supporting it.
The chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee announced Tuesday she has advanced a measure to block U.S. funding to any U.N. member or group that supports an upgrade to the PA's diplomatic status in the international body next month.
The proposal was folded into a larger bill of legislation being presented in the House of Representatives that will change the way the United States ג€“ the U.N.'s biggest contributor -- provides its share of the funding to the U.N. Approximately 22 percent of the U.N. budget and 25 percent of its worldwide peacekeeping costs are covered by the United States.
If passed, the bill will place new controls on American funding at the international body. Under the measure, U.S. funding would be conditional on the United States retaining the ability to choose the programs it wishes to fund at the U.N., and which ones it does not, Reuters reported.
Ros-Lehtinen added a clause opposing the Palestinian Authority's membership in the United Nations as a new country. The PA has announced its intention to seek recognition as a sovereign nation and membership in the U.N. at the international body's General Assembly gathering on September 20.
Membership in the United Nations, however, requires the unanimous approval of all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The United States, one of the Council's permanent members, has already said it would veto such a bid.
Failing that option, the PA could also seek an upgrade from its current observer status to one as a non-member state ג€“ a move that only requires a two-thirds approval of the General Assembly, and not the approval of the Security Council. The Republican lawmaker is seeking to block this second bid as well. A harsh critic on the U.N. for some time, Ros-Lehtinen said in her statement, “My bill... seeks to stop this dangerous scheme in its tracks.”
Comment on this story
3. US State Dept Slams Congress Funding Block of PA at UN
by Chana Ya'ar
The U.S. State Department has slammed a Florida lawmaker for trying to block the Palestinian Authority from seeking recognition as a new country and membership in the United Nations in September.
U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced Tuesday she had advanced a measure to block U.S. funding to any U.N. member or group that supports an upgrade to the PA's diplomatic status next month.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters the Republican Congresswoman's proposed measure would “seriously undermine our international standing and dangerously weaken the U.N. as an instrument to advance U.S. national security goals.”
The measure is actually a clause folded into a larger proposed bill that would transform the U.S. portion of United Nations funding into a voluntary contribution, one conditional upon American agreement on each funding target.
“We believe in U.N. reform,” added Nuland, “[but] we just don't think that this is the right way to go about it.” The Obama administration warned long before Ros-Lehtinen submitted her proposal that the president would oppose it, according to the Reuters news agency.
The Congresswoman said her efforts were aimed not only at preventing the PA from gaining recognition as a new country, but also at stopping the entity from achieving a second option in lieu of the first – upgrading its current status from that of a U.N. observer to a non-member state.
Comment on this story
by Chana Ya'ar
The U.S. State Department has slammed a Florida lawmaker for trying to block the Palestinian Authority from seeking recognition as a new country and membership in the United Nations in September.
U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced Tuesday she had advanced a measure to block U.S. funding to any U.N. member or group that supports an upgrade to the PA's diplomatic status next month.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters the Republican Congresswoman's proposed measure would “seriously undermine our international standing and dangerously weaken the U.N. as an instrument to advance U.S. national security goals.”
The measure is actually a clause folded into a larger proposed bill that would transform the U.S. portion of United Nations funding into a voluntary contribution, one conditional upon American agreement on each funding target.
“We believe in U.N. reform,” added Nuland, “[but] we just don't think that this is the right way to go about it.” The Obama administration warned long before Ros-Lehtinen submitted her proposal that the president would oppose it, according to the Reuters news agency.
The Congresswoman said her efforts were aimed not only at preventing the PA from gaining recognition as a new country, but also at stopping the entity from achieving a second option in lieu of the first – upgrading its current status from that of a U.N. observer to a non-member state.
Comment on this story
4. Israel Deploying Warships in Red Sea - Iran Following Suit
by Gavriel Queenann
The IDF on Monday deployed two warships in the Red Sea near the border with Egypt following warnings terrorists are planning another attack on southern Israel from Egyptian soil.
Also on Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz ordered increased deployments across the entire southern command, especially near the Israel-Egypt border, increased.
The move, ostensibly due to increased terror warnings, comes concurrent to Israel's agreement to allow Egypt to deploy 1,500 more troops in areas B and C of the Sinai in order to conduct counter-terror operations on the Peninsula. Area A is the sector adjoining the Israeli-Egyptian border.
Israel's south, especially near the border, has been flooded with military forces, deployed in a manner defined by one security source as "unprecedented."
No changes in security alignments were observed on the Egyptian side of the border, but Egyptian security sources did say counter-terror raids were being staged in honor of Eid al-Fatr - the end of Ramadan - due to fears of increased holiday violence.
The IDF has also deployed advanced technology in the area - including UAVs - in order to thwart terror attacks. Military intelligence sources said earlier Tuesday a terror cell left Gaza intending to infiltrate Israel through Sinai.
The security situation in southern Israel has been particularly tense over the past few weeks, following a series of terror attacks that claimed the lives of eight Israelis in mid-August; as well as several days in which Israel's south and western Negev communities suffered heavy shelling by Gaza Strip-based terror groups.
In a provocative move certain to ratchet-up regional tensions, Iranian naval commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told the state-run agency the Islamic Republic is planning to send its 15th fleet to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Islamic Republic's 15th fleet is comprised of a submarine and a several warships.
Sayyari noted that Iran's Navy plans to have "an active presence in the high seas in line with the guidelines of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei with the purpose of serving the country's interests."
“The presence of Iran's army in the high seas will convey the message of peace and friendship to all countries,” he said.
Comment on this story
by Gavriel Queenann
The IDF on Monday deployed two warships in the Red Sea near the border with Egypt following warnings terrorists are planning another attack on southern Israel from Egyptian soil.
Also on Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz ordered increased deployments across the entire southern command, especially near the Israel-Egypt border, increased.
The move, ostensibly due to increased terror warnings, comes concurrent to Israel's agreement to allow Egypt to deploy 1,500 more troops in areas B and C of the Sinai in order to conduct counter-terror operations on the Peninsula. Area A is the sector adjoining the Israeli-Egyptian border.
Israel's south, especially near the border, has been flooded with military forces, deployed in a manner defined by one security source as "unprecedented."
No changes in security alignments were observed on the Egyptian side of the border, but Egyptian security sources did say counter-terror raids were being staged in honor of Eid al-Fatr - the end of Ramadan - due to fears of increased holiday violence.
The IDF has also deployed advanced technology in the area - including UAVs - in order to thwart terror attacks. Military intelligence sources said earlier Tuesday a terror cell left Gaza intending to infiltrate Israel through Sinai.
The security situation in southern Israel has been particularly tense over the past few weeks, following a series of terror attacks that claimed the lives of eight Israelis in mid-August; as well as several days in which Israel's south and western Negev communities suffered heavy shelling by Gaza Strip-based terror groups.
In a provocative move certain to ratchet-up regional tensions, Iranian naval commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told the state-run agency the Islamic Republic is planning to send its 15th fleet to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Islamic Republic's 15th fleet is comprised of a submarine and a several warships.
Sayyari noted that Iran's Navy plans to have "an active presence in the high seas in line with the guidelines of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei with the purpose of serving the country's interests."
“The presence of Iran's army in the high seas will convey the message of peace and friendship to all countries,” he said.
Comment on this story
5. Jordan: PA's September Plan Will Hurt 'Refugees'
by David Lev
While the impression among many Israelis is that the Arab world supports the Palestinian Authority's plan to declare an independent Arab state in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, and seek UN recognition of it, the truth is that numerous Arab countries oppose it. And the most vocal Arab country opposing the PA's “September plan” has been Jordan, which even threatened to vote against approving the PA state when the UN General Assembly votes on the matter.
A report Tuesday in a Saudi paper said Jordan reiterated its opposition to the plan, and that Jordan's King Abdullah II has communicated his stance to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas several times ג€“ to no avail, as Abbas continues to ignore Abdullah's stance on the matter, much to the latter's frustration, the report said.
Jordan contends that if the UN approves the establishment of a PA state before negotiations with Israel are complete, the descendants of Arabs who fled Israel when the state was established in 1948 will lose any chance they have to return to their family's previous homes, or receive compensation.
“The refugees are the only ones who will suffer,” Abdullah stressed to Abbas in a recent message, conveyed through diplomats of another Arab country.
Israel will refuse to negotiate on their status, claiming the PA broke the Oslo agreements, and that Israel is not under any obligation to negotiate the issue any further with the PA, Abdullah was quoted as teling Abbas in the report.
“The refugee issue is the most important one, and they will lose all their rights if the PA declares a state,” Abdullah reportedly said in the message.
In an interview with Israel Radio, Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon said that Jordan was not the only Arab country opposed to the PA's plan. “In the coming weeks I am sure we will hear about other leaders criticizing the PA,” he said. “The only way to move forward is for both sides to return to the negotiating table.”
Approximately two thirds of Jordan's population is Palestinians, outnumbering the Bedouin who make up the rest of the country and the Hashemite ruling family. The Palestinians attempted to take over Jordan in 1970, in what is known as Black September, but the monarchy dealt with them with an iron hand.
There are many voices that call for the Palestinian State to be the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which may be the reason Abdullah is afraid to lose the opportunity to rid Jordan of restless Palestinian "refugees" who might decide to overthrow him.
Comment on this story
by David Lev
While the impression among many Israelis is that the Arab world supports the Palestinian Authority's plan to declare an independent Arab state in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, and seek UN recognition of it, the truth is that numerous Arab countries oppose it. And the most vocal Arab country opposing the PA's “September plan” has been Jordan, which even threatened to vote against approving the PA state when the UN General Assembly votes on the matter.
A report Tuesday in a Saudi paper said Jordan reiterated its opposition to the plan, and that Jordan's King Abdullah II has communicated his stance to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas several times ג€“ to no avail, as Abbas continues to ignore Abdullah's stance on the matter, much to the latter's frustration, the report said.
Jordan contends that if the UN approves the establishment of a PA state before negotiations with Israel are complete, the descendants of Arabs who fled Israel when the state was established in 1948 will lose any chance they have to return to their family's previous homes, or receive compensation.
“The refugees are the only ones who will suffer,” Abdullah stressed to Abbas in a recent message, conveyed through diplomats of another Arab country.
Israel will refuse to negotiate on their status, claiming the PA broke the Oslo agreements, and that Israel is not under any obligation to negotiate the issue any further with the PA, Abdullah was quoted as teling Abbas in the report.
“The refugee issue is the most important one, and they will lose all their rights if the PA declares a state,” Abdullah reportedly said in the message.
In an interview with Israel Radio, Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon said that Jordan was not the only Arab country opposed to the PA's plan. “In the coming weeks I am sure we will hear about other leaders criticizing the PA,” he said. “The only way to move forward is for both sides to return to the negotiating table.”
Approximately two thirds of Jordan's population is Palestinians, outnumbering the Bedouin who make up the rest of the country and the Hashemite ruling family. The Palestinians attempted to take over Jordan in 1970, in what is known as Black September, but the monarchy dealt with them with an iron hand.
There are many voices that call for the Palestinian State to be the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which may be the reason Abdullah is afraid to lose the opportunity to rid Jordan of restless Palestinian "refugees" who might decide to overthrow him.
Comment on this story
6. Hamas: Gaza Not Safe for Abbas; Unity Deal Dead
by Gavriel Queenann
Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Zahar hinted Tuesday there may be attempts on Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas should he visit Gaza.
In an interview with the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi, Zahar added Abbas would not be visiting Gaza.
Zahar stressed that Hamas was not interested in jeopardizing the internal security situation in the Gaza Strip should Abbas decide to visit and cause internal Fatah violence to occur as a result of "unsettled accounts."
According to al-Quds al-Arabi, Zahar may have been referring to the ongoing conflict between the Palestinian Authority chairman and ex-Fatah official and strident Abbas critic Muhammad Dahlan.
Recently, pointing out the rampant corruption and fiscal insolvency in Ramallah, Dahlan asserted a $1 billion fund had gone missing since Abbas became president in 2005.
Dahlan's accusation – during which he called Abbas a ‘dictator and a bully’ – came just days after PA security forces raided Dahlan's Ramallah home confiscating documents, weapons, and private luxury vehicles.
Nonetheless, an internal corruption probe launched by the PA has already seen five ministers close to Abbas dismissed for embezzlement and other offenses.
Zahar dismissed attempts by Abbas to rekindle the stalled reconciliation process between Hamas and Fatah's leadership as futile, saying of the failed process: "the [reconciliation] agreement was completed [in Cairo], but it's implementation is defunct."
Zahar dismissed any sort of talks that have occurred between officials in Fatah and Hamas of being concerned simply with "peripheral matters."
Hamas’ withdrawal from the reconciliation agreement comes just weeks before the PA makes its statehood bid at the United Nations – and outs the lie to ‘Palestinian unity.’
Many analysts believe Hamas – which has said any agreement with Israel will only serve as a ‘prelude to war’ – is waiting in the wings to seize control of PA enclaves in the event the administration in Ramallah collapses or presents a weak enough target for a putsch.
Also on Tuesday, Sheikh Abu Hader Jaabar the Mukhtar of Hevron told Arutz Sheva Israel made a grave error when it decided to negotiate with the PLO instead of the local tribal leadership.
Comment on this story
by Gavriel Queenann
Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Zahar hinted Tuesday there may be attempts on Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas should he visit Gaza.
In an interview with the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi, Zahar added Abbas would not be visiting Gaza.
Zahar stressed that Hamas was not interested in jeopardizing the internal security situation in the Gaza Strip should Abbas decide to visit and cause internal Fatah violence to occur as a result of "unsettled accounts."
According to al-Quds al-Arabi, Zahar may have been referring to the ongoing conflict between the Palestinian Authority chairman and ex-Fatah official and strident Abbas critic Muhammad Dahlan.
Recently, pointing out the rampant corruption and fiscal insolvency in Ramallah, Dahlan asserted a $1 billion fund had gone missing since Abbas became president in 2005.
Dahlan's accusation – during which he called Abbas a ‘dictator and a bully’ – came just days after PA security forces raided Dahlan's Ramallah home confiscating documents, weapons, and private luxury vehicles.
Nonetheless, an internal corruption probe launched by the PA has already seen five ministers close to Abbas dismissed for embezzlement and other offenses.
Zahar dismissed attempts by Abbas to rekindle the stalled reconciliation process between Hamas and Fatah's leadership as futile, saying of the failed process: "the [reconciliation] agreement was completed [in Cairo], but it's implementation is defunct."
Zahar dismissed any sort of talks that have occurred between officials in Fatah and Hamas of being concerned simply with "peripheral matters."
Hamas’ withdrawal from the reconciliation agreement comes just weeks before the PA makes its statehood bid at the United Nations – and outs the lie to ‘Palestinian unity.’
Many analysts believe Hamas – which has said any agreement with Israel will only serve as a ‘prelude to war’ – is waiting in the wings to seize control of PA enclaves in the event the administration in Ramallah collapses or presents a weak enough target for a putsch.
Also on Tuesday, Sheikh Abu Hader Jaabar the Mukhtar of Hevron told Arutz Sheva Israel made a grave error when it decided to negotiate with the PLO instead of the local tribal leadership.
Comment on this story
7. New MRI System May mean the End of Autopsies in Israel
by David Lev
Court mandated autopsies, long a problematic and divisive issue for many religious Jews, could become a thing of the past in Israel. A new MRI device that can accurately determine cause of death without autopsies was inaugurated Tuesday afternoon at Assaf Harofeh Hospital.
The systems are in use in several places abroad, and allow doctors to conduct a “virtual autopsy,” viewing the inside of the body and observing the condition of organs and other internal components without the need to cut open the body. The systems have been around for several years, but recent technological improvements make the scans far more accurate than they were in the past – to the extent that many doctors feel that they can rely on the results produced by the MRI.
Participating in the ceremony, among others, were Deputy Health Minister Ya'akov Litzman, Deputy Finance Minister Yitachak Cohen, and Zaka chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav.
Litzman said that the installation of the MRI was a historic event, because it provided a technological solution to one of the most divisive issues in Israeli life – the insistence of police and medical authorities on conducting autopsies in cases where the cause of death is not clear, and the resistance by religious – and specifically Hareidi – communities to autopsies, resistance that in the past has resulted in large-scale demonstrations and protests, arrests, and even the removal of bodies from the Pathological Institute in Tel Aviv.
Litzman thanked Zaka for its efforts in acquiring the machine, and praised Meshi-Zahav for his determination to convince medical authorities that the MRI produced results that were at least as good, if not better, than physical autopsies, and had the added benefit of defusing what in the past has been a very divisive issue.
Meshi-Zahav said that Zaka has been working on acquiring the machine and getting approval for its use for over five years, meeting numerous times with top officials, including Chief Pathologist Yehuda Hiss. Also instrumental in providing an impetus for the acquisition of the machine was Harav Nachum Kook z”tl, who for many years worked ceaselessly to prevent autopsies whenever possible.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Benny Davidson, director of Assaf Harofeh Hospital, said that Zaka, by acquiring and getting approval for the MRI, had “performed numerous good deeds, including saving lives, ensuring the honor of the dead, bridging the gap between religious and secular Israelis, and glorifying the Name of G-d.”
Comment on this story
by David Lev
Court mandated autopsies, long a problematic and divisive issue for many religious Jews, could become a thing of the past in Israel. A new MRI device that can accurately determine cause of death without autopsies was inaugurated Tuesday afternoon at Assaf Harofeh Hospital.
The systems are in use in several places abroad, and allow doctors to conduct a “virtual autopsy,” viewing the inside of the body and observing the condition of organs and other internal components without the need to cut open the body. The systems have been around for several years, but recent technological improvements make the scans far more accurate than they were in the past – to the extent that many doctors feel that they can rely on the results produced by the MRI.
Participating in the ceremony, among others, were Deputy Health Minister Ya'akov Litzman, Deputy Finance Minister Yitachak Cohen, and Zaka chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav.
Litzman said that the installation of the MRI was a historic event, because it provided a technological solution to one of the most divisive issues in Israeli life – the insistence of police and medical authorities on conducting autopsies in cases where the cause of death is not clear, and the resistance by religious – and specifically Hareidi – communities to autopsies, resistance that in the past has resulted in large-scale demonstrations and protests, arrests, and even the removal of bodies from the Pathological Institute in Tel Aviv.
Litzman thanked Zaka for its efforts in acquiring the machine, and praised Meshi-Zahav for his determination to convince medical authorities that the MRI produced results that were at least as good, if not better, than physical autopsies, and had the added benefit of defusing what in the past has been a very divisive issue.
Meshi-Zahav said that Zaka has been working on acquiring the machine and getting approval for its use for over five years, meeting numerous times with top officials, including Chief Pathologist Yehuda Hiss. Also instrumental in providing an impetus for the acquisition of the machine was Harav Nachum Kook z”tl, who for many years worked ceaselessly to prevent autopsies whenever possible.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Benny Davidson, director of Assaf Harofeh Hospital, said that Zaka, by acquiring and getting approval for the MRI, had “performed numerous good deeds, including saving lives, ensuring the honor of the dead, bridging the gap between religious and secular Israelis, and glorifying the Name of G-d.”
Comment on this story
8. Columnist Who Justified Terrorism Fired from Jerusalem Post
by Elad Benari
The Jerusalem Post has fired radical leftist longtime columnist Larry Derfner after he published a commentary piece in which he justified Arab terrorism against Israelis and particularly the recent multiple terror attacks near Eilat.
In a column dated August 21 which he published on his blog and which was entitled “The awful, necessary truth about Palestinian terror,” Derfner wrote:
“[T]he Palestinians, like every nation living under hostile rule, have the right to fight back, that their terrorism, especially in the face of a rejectionist Israeli government, is justified... the Palestinians have the right to use terrorism against us....What’s needed very badly, ...is for Israelis to realize that ...we are compelling them (the Palestinians) to engage in terrorism, that the blood of Israeli victims is ultimately on our hands, and that it’s up to us to stop provoking our own people’s murder by ending the occupation.... [T]he Palestinians ... who killed the eight Israelis near Eilat last week, ... were justified to attack.... Israel, which rules the Palestinians harshly and unjustly, is to blame for those eight Israeli deaths – as well as for every other Israeli death that occurred when this country was offering the Palestinians no other way to freedom.”
Derfner, a veteran journalist who can hardly plead that he did not know the connotations of what he had written, deleted the blog post after many readers expressed their outrage. He later published an apology in which he wrote:
“I wrote that because of the occupation, Palestinians are “justified” in attacking, even killing Israelis, that they have the “right” to do so. Later on I stressed that I didn’t want them to kill my countrymen, and that I would do anything necessary to stop it. I meant those two points to show that I wasn’t “for” terrorism, that while I thought the occupation justified it, that didn’t mean I supported it. But I see now that the distance from “justified” to “support” is way, way too short – and I am as far away as anybody can be from supporting attacks on Israel and Israelis.”
The Jerusalem Post, employs a number of leftist columnists and often features opeds by radical leftists, but this justification of Israeli deaths went too far for the paper to ignore, especially when eight innocent Israelis had just been killed, so that it did not accept the apology and on Tuesday printed the following on its front page:
“A note to our readers: Due to a professional disagreement with Larry Derfner connected to his personal blog, he will no longer be working at The Jerusalem Post.”
Derfner, who announced his termination on his blog on Tuesday, said that the newspaper had received hundreds of cancellations of subscriptions after his post was published, a fact which he claimed prompted the newspaper to fire him.
Derfner, who made aliyah from the United States, is a resident of Modi’in. Over the years he has published many columns sympathizing with the Arab cause, criticizing the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria which he would like to see eliminated, branding the "occupation" and activities of the IDF and accusing Israel of injustice, somehow missing the Arab side of the equation.
Arutz Sheva attempted to contact Derfner on Tuesday to get his response, but upon picking up the telephone he said: “Arutz Sheva? We have nothing to talk about,” and hung up.
Comment on this story
by Elad Benari
The Jerusalem Post has fired radical leftist longtime columnist Larry Derfner after he published a commentary piece in which he justified Arab terrorism against Israelis and particularly the recent multiple terror attacks near Eilat.
In a column dated August 21 which he published on his blog and which was entitled “The awful, necessary truth about Palestinian terror,” Derfner wrote:
“[T]he Palestinians, like every nation living under hostile rule, have the right to fight back, that their terrorism, especially in the face of a rejectionist Israeli government, is justified... the Palestinians have the right to use terrorism against us....What’s needed very badly, ...is for Israelis to realize that ...we are compelling them (the Palestinians) to engage in terrorism, that the blood of Israeli victims is ultimately on our hands, and that it’s up to us to stop provoking our own people’s murder by ending the occupation.... [T]he Palestinians ... who killed the eight Israelis near Eilat last week, ... were justified to attack.... Israel, which rules the Palestinians harshly and unjustly, is to blame for those eight Israeli deaths – as well as for every other Israeli death that occurred when this country was offering the Palestinians no other way to freedom.”
Derfner, a veteran journalist who can hardly plead that he did not know the connotations of what he had written, deleted the blog post after many readers expressed their outrage. He later published an apology in which he wrote:
“I wrote that because of the occupation, Palestinians are “justified” in attacking, even killing Israelis, that they have the “right” to do so. Later on I stressed that I didn’t want them to kill my countrymen, and that I would do anything necessary to stop it. I meant those two points to show that I wasn’t “for” terrorism, that while I thought the occupation justified it, that didn’t mean I supported it. But I see now that the distance from “justified” to “support” is way, way too short – and I am as far away as anybody can be from supporting attacks on Israel and Israelis.”
The Jerusalem Post, employs a number of leftist columnists and often features opeds by radical leftists, but this justification of Israeli deaths went too far for the paper to ignore, especially when eight innocent Israelis had just been killed, so that it did not accept the apology and on Tuesday printed the following on its front page:
“A note to our readers: Due to a professional disagreement with Larry Derfner connected to his personal blog, he will no longer be working at The Jerusalem Post.”
Derfner, who announced his termination on his blog on Tuesday, said that the newspaper had received hundreds of cancellations of subscriptions after his post was published, a fact which he claimed prompted the newspaper to fire him.
Derfner, who made aliyah from the United States, is a resident of Modi’in. Over the years he has published many columns sympathizing with the Arab cause, criticizing the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria which he would like to see eliminated, branding the "occupation" and activities of the IDF and accusing Israel of injustice, somehow missing the Arab side of the equation.
Arutz Sheva attempted to contact Derfner on Tuesday to get his response, but upon picking up the telephone he said: “Arutz Sheva? We have nothing to talk about,” and hung up.
Comment on this story
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