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1. Court Orders Another Hevron Expulsion
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Six more Jewish families in Hevron face expulsion after a Jerusalem District Court ruled the purchase of their building was a forgery.
The ruling comes two weeks after the expulsion of 15 families from a building that was proven to be legally purchased, but Defense Minister Ehud Barak determined that the presence of Jews in the three-story structure was a “provocation.”
In the latest case, the Jerusalem court rejected the Tal Lebniya construction company’s declaration that it legally purchased the building from a third-party Arab.
The judge accepted the alleged Arab owner’s claims that the sale may have been forged and added that the purchaser was unable to provide enough details to prove its legality.
The building had been deserted in 2001, after the start of the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War. The Jewish families moved in four years later after Tal Lebniya, owned by Moshe Zar, said it had purchased the property.
Another expulsion is bound to add fuel to an intensive campaign among Likud ministers to pass a law that would protect residents from expulsions.
Likud Minister Gilad Erdan flatly stated Sunday morning that the government will find a legal way to prevent the planned expulsion of Jewish families from the Ulpana neighborhood in the town of Beit El, north of Jerusalem and located in Samaria.
The dispute has put Defense Minister Ehud Barak on the firing line as holding positions directly in conflict with coalition principles.
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Six more Jewish families in Hevron face expulsion after a Jerusalem District Court ruled the purchase of their building was a forgery.
The ruling comes two weeks after the expulsion of 15 families from a building that was proven to be legally purchased, but Defense Minister Ehud Barak determined that the presence of Jews in the three-story structure was a “provocation.”
In the latest case, the Jerusalem court rejected the Tal Lebniya construction company’s declaration that it legally purchased the building from a third-party Arab.
The judge accepted the alleged Arab owner’s claims that the sale may have been forged and added that the purchaser was unable to provide enough details to prove its legality.
The building had been deserted in 2001, after the start of the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War. The Jewish families moved in four years later after Tal Lebniya, owned by Moshe Zar, said it had purchased the property.
Another expulsion is bound to add fuel to an intensive campaign among Likud ministers to pass a law that would protect residents from expulsions.
Likud Minister Gilad Erdan flatly stated Sunday morning that the government will find a legal way to prevent the planned expulsion of Jewish families from the Ulpana neighborhood in the town of Beit El, north of Jerusalem and located in Samaria.
The dispute has put Defense Minister Ehud Barak on the firing line as holding positions directly in conflict with coalition principles.
More on this topic
-
Givat Ha'Ulpana Residents: We Are Not 'Chess Pieces' -
Danon: Barak Trying to Bring Down Government
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Barak Sources: Yaalon and Katz are 'Feiglinist Hardliners'
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Yaalon: Coalition Fate Tied to Beit El's Ulpana
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Minister Katz Slams Barak Over Judea and Samaria
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Barak Doesn't 'Buy' Khamenei's Anti-Nuke Fatwa
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2. Givat Ha'Ulpana Residents: We Are Not 'Chess Pieces'
by David Lev
Speaking at Sunday morning's cabinet meeting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that there was enough land in Beit El to allow residents of Givat Ha'ulpana to move into homes that had no legal questions surrounding them, as opposed to attempting to remain in homes that the High Court has declared do not belong to them.
Barak said that the High Court's ruling was not a technical matter, but an important principle of the rule of law, which the state must uphold if it is to call itself a modern democracy.
With that, Barak said that “the question of ownership of the land is still being adjudicated. If it turns out that the land is indeed private, there will be no choice but to evict the residents or to buy the land.”
The statement, observers said, indicated that Barak was willing to accept a compromise, if only to ensure that the coalition of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remains intact. Several ministers and MKs, including Science Minister Daniel Hershkowitz, have said that any attempt by the government to remove residents of the neighborhood forcefully would mean the end of the Netanyahu government.
“We found 22 dunams of land in the town which could, under certain circumstances and after plans are approved, be used to build alternative homes for residents of the neighborhood,” Barak said. “If it turns out that the land is owned by Palestinians, we would have no choice other than to abandon it or purchase it,” he added.
Barak hinted his concern over a coalition breakup – which would likely mean the end of his tenure as Defense Minister – when he added that “there is no need to panic on this matter. Part of the panic comes not from the way we are dealing with the issue but from other sources, which I would rather not mention. The Defense Ministry and Civil Administration are working on the issue, along with the Attorney General and Justice Ministry.”
Givat Ha'Ulpana residents slammed Barak for suggesting that they move to “alternate homes” in Beit El. “Residents of the neighborhood recognized Ehud Barak for the good that he did as Prime Minister, when he provided benefits for residents of Beit El, paved roads in the town, and connected residents to infrastructure.”
With that, they said, “We are not chess pieces for Ehud Barak to play with, where he builds a house in one location and demolishes one in another. Nowhere in Israel, or in the world, do they tear down thriving neighborhoods, even if it turns out an error was made,” the residents said. Barak should do likewise and acknowledge the residents' rights to remain in their homes.
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by David Lev
Speaking at Sunday morning's cabinet meeting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that there was enough land in Beit El to allow residents of Givat Ha'ulpana to move into homes that had no legal questions surrounding them, as opposed to attempting to remain in homes that the High Court has declared do not belong to them.
Barak said that the High Court's ruling was not a technical matter, but an important principle of the rule of law, which the state must uphold if it is to call itself a modern democracy.
With that, Barak said that “the question of ownership of the land is still being adjudicated. If it turns out that the land is indeed private, there will be no choice but to evict the residents or to buy the land.”
The statement, observers said, indicated that Barak was willing to accept a compromise, if only to ensure that the coalition of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remains intact. Several ministers and MKs, including Science Minister Daniel Hershkowitz, have said that any attempt by the government to remove residents of the neighborhood forcefully would mean the end of the Netanyahu government.
“We found 22 dunams of land in the town which could, under certain circumstances and after plans are approved, be used to build alternative homes for residents of the neighborhood,” Barak said. “If it turns out that the land is owned by Palestinians, we would have no choice other than to abandon it or purchase it,” he added.
Barak hinted his concern over a coalition breakup – which would likely mean the end of his tenure as Defense Minister – when he added that “there is no need to panic on this matter. Part of the panic comes not from the way we are dealing with the issue but from other sources, which I would rather not mention. The Defense Ministry and Civil Administration are working on the issue, along with the Attorney General and Justice Ministry.”
Givat Ha'Ulpana residents slammed Barak for suggesting that they move to “alternate homes” in Beit El. “Residents of the neighborhood recognized Ehud Barak for the good that he did as Prime Minister, when he provided benefits for residents of Beit El, paved roads in the town, and connected residents to infrastructure.”
With that, they said, “We are not chess pieces for Ehud Barak to play with, where he builds a house in one location and demolishes one in another. Nowhere in Israel, or in the world, do they tear down thriving neighborhoods, even if it turns out an error was made,” the residents said. Barak should do likewise and acknowledge the residents' rights to remain in their homes.
Tags: Ehud Barak ,Givat HaUlpana ,Beit El
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3. Yaalon: Coalition Fate Tied to Beit El's Ulpana
by Gabe Kahn
Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe "Bogie" Yaalon on Saturday blasted Defense Minister Ehud Barak's conduct regarding Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria saying he is pursuing a private political agenda from that of the ruling government coalition.
His remarks, which echoed those of Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz on Friday, also reiterated warnings to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu from other ministers that the destruction of more Jewish communities would result in "a dissolution of the coalition."
"We are a government that strictly observes the rule of law, and will not allow settlement on private land," Yaalon told Channel 2.
"We inherited a situation in which many communities were not approved in terms of planning and construction," he said, noting many such Jewish towns had been built on land that was not privately owned, or which had been abandoned for decades.
"The person responsible for it in Judea and Samaria is the Defense Minister – who is unfortunately carrying out private political agenda from the government," Yaalon said, referring to the government's policy of seeking to retroactively approve communities where previous private ownership cannot be proven.
Now "we suddenly have to deal with problems like Givat Assaf and the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El, where normal people are paying mortages even as the Defense Minister and State Prosecutor seek to destroy their homes," Yaalon said.
Yaalon told Channel 2, "The demolition of the Ulpana neighborhood and Givat Assaf would demand the dissolution of the government require – the coalition would collapse."
"Unfortunately, the Defense Minister has insisted on using the Border Police to evacuate Beit Hamachpela in Hevron. Its clear the Defense Minister is pursuing the interest of his Independence Party and not those of government," Yaalon said, adding "If we reach such a serious peak of events in Givat Assaf and the Ulpana neighborhood the government will collapse."
Yaalon is one of the Likud ministers who has proposed stripping the Defense Minister of his authority in Judea and Samaria – and to replace him by a special ministerial committee tasked with making decisions in his stead.
He also – along with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Minister Without Portfolio Benny Begin – negotiated the deal Barak violated to delay the Beit Hamachpela eviction until after Passover so that the legal facts of the case could fist be established.
Barak's Independence Party continues to poll beneath the threshold needed to be seated in the Knesset should elections be held today.
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by Gabe Kahn
Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe "Bogie" Yaalon on Saturday blasted Defense Minister Ehud Barak's conduct regarding Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria saying he is pursuing a private political agenda from that of the ruling government coalition.
His remarks, which echoed those of Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz on Friday, also reiterated warnings to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu from other ministers that the destruction of more Jewish communities would result in "a dissolution of the coalition."
"We are a government that strictly observes the rule of law, and will not allow settlement on private land," Yaalon told Channel 2.
"We inherited a situation in which many communities were not approved in terms of planning and construction," he said, noting many such Jewish towns had been built on land that was not privately owned, or which had been abandoned for decades.
"The person responsible for it in Judea and Samaria is the Defense Minister – who is unfortunately carrying out private political agenda from the government," Yaalon said, referring to the government's policy of seeking to retroactively approve communities where previous private ownership cannot be proven.
Now "we suddenly have to deal with problems like Givat Assaf and the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El, where normal people are paying mortages even as the Defense Minister and State Prosecutor seek to destroy their homes," Yaalon said.
Yaalon told Channel 2, "The demolition of the Ulpana neighborhood and Givat Assaf would demand the dissolution of the government require – the coalition would collapse."
"Unfortunately, the Defense Minister has insisted on using the Border Police to evacuate Beit Hamachpela in Hevron. Its clear the Defense Minister is pursuing the interest of his Independence Party and not those of government," Yaalon said, adding "If we reach such a serious peak of events in Givat Assaf and the Ulpana neighborhood the government will collapse."
Yaalon is one of the Likud ministers who has proposed stripping the Defense Minister of his authority in Judea and Samaria – and to replace him by a special ministerial committee tasked with making decisions in his stead.
He also – along with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Minister Without Portfolio Benny Begin – negotiated the deal Barak violated to delay the Beit Hamachpela eviction until after Passover so that the legal facts of the case could fist be established.
Barak's Independence Party continues to poll beneath the threshold needed to be seated in the Knesset should elections be held today.
More on this topic
Comment on this story
4. Minister Katz Slams Barak Over Judea and Samaria
by Elad Benari, Canada
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz slammed Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday, accusing him of working against the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria for political gains.
Katz made the comments during a visit to the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El, which is to be demolished by May 1 under a Supreme Court ruling. The neighborhood was built with state cooperation, but the land on which it stands is disputed.
During his visit to the neighborhood, Katz met with local residents and heard their concerns that the government will demolish their homes, in a way that is similar to the destruction of homes in Gush Katif.
At the end of the visit, Katz attacked Barak and said, “If Barak works against the government’s position, the Prime Minister must fire him. He took the Ministry of Defense and turned it into a political tool at the expense of the Jewish residents. There are other ways to gather votes.
“I came here to express a clear position that the houses should not be destroyed,” added Katz. “It is necessary to update the government's position regarding the Ulpana neighborhood.”
He announced that he was working to establish a Ministerial Committee for Settlement Affairs, and said the committee would be a formal body that will allow government ministers to express their views.
“Of course, the Defense Ministry will be part of the committee it but it will not be the sole factor that will determine policy,” said Katz.
Ministers have informed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that if the Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El is destroyed, his coalition will follow.
The warning came during a cabinet meeting in which the timetable for Judea and Samaria demolitions was revealed.
Several ministers from Netanyahu’s own Likud party have warned that they will not wait for May 1, but rather, will force a stop to demolition plans through legislation. A law is in the works that would ensure that homeowners can remain on their property if a claim to the land is made several years after purchase. The law would provide claimants with monetary compensation in place of the original property, as is the practice in other countries.
Earlier this week, Likud Cabinet ministers demanded action and not words, after Netanyahu promised “we will find a solution” for the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El and other Jewish communities threatened with expulsion.
In response to the Prime Minister’s statement that “we will find a solution”, Education Minister Gideon Saar warned that if he does not, the Knesset will take action and pass a law to legalize the communities.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
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by Elad Benari, Canada
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz slammed Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday, accusing him of working against the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria for political gains.
Katz made the comments during a visit to the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El, which is to be demolished by May 1 under a Supreme Court ruling. The neighborhood was built with state cooperation, but the land on which it stands is disputed.
During his visit to the neighborhood, Katz met with local residents and heard their concerns that the government will demolish their homes, in a way that is similar to the destruction of homes in Gush Katif.
At the end of the visit, Katz attacked Barak and said, “If Barak works against the government’s position, the Prime Minister must fire him. He took the Ministry of Defense and turned it into a political tool at the expense of the Jewish residents. There are other ways to gather votes.
“I came here to express a clear position that the houses should not be destroyed,” added Katz. “It is necessary to update the government's position regarding the Ulpana neighborhood.”
He announced that he was working to establish a Ministerial Committee for Settlement Affairs, and said the committee would be a formal body that will allow government ministers to express their views.
“Of course, the Defense Ministry will be part of the committee it but it will not be the sole factor that will determine policy,” said Katz.
Ministers have informed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that if the Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El is destroyed, his coalition will follow.
The warning came during a cabinet meeting in which the timetable for Judea and Samaria demolitions was revealed.
Several ministers from Netanyahu’s own Likud party have warned that they will not wait for May 1, but rather, will force a stop to demolition plans through legislation. A law is in the works that would ensure that homeowners can remain on their property if a claim to the land is made several years after purchase. The law would provide claimants with monetary compensation in place of the original property, as is the practice in other countries.
Earlier this week, Likud Cabinet ministers demanded action and not words, after Netanyahu promised “we will find a solution” for the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El and other Jewish communities threatened with expulsion.
In response to the Prime Minister’s statement that “we will find a solution”, Education Minister Gideon Saar warned that if he does not, the Knesset will take action and pass a law to legalize the communities.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Tags: Ulpana Neighborhood ,Beit El ,Ehud Barak ,Yisrael Katz
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5. Barak Sources: Yaalon and Katz are 'Feiglinist Hardliners'
by Gabe Kahn
Sources close to Defense Minister Ehud Barak sought to dismiss sharp criticism from Ministers Yisrael Katz and Moshe "Bogie" Yaalon on his Judea and Samaria policy by labeling them "Feiglinist hardliners."
"Katz and Yaalon are apparently Feiglinist hardliners," the sources said, adding. "Feglin's followers are not good for Israel, its security, its future, or the public in general."
The sources added, "We seek to benefit the public and the Knesset, and hope the trend of ‘Feiglinism’ is not contagious."
Moshe Feiglin, who heads the Likud's internal Manhigut Yehudit [Jewish Leadership] faction, has challenged Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for leadership of the Likud in previous elections on the premise that Netanyahu is not longer adhering to principles of the party.
Since its inception, the Likud has advocated Jewish settlement in all of Judea and Samaria and its platform negated a Palestinian state in that region. However, Netanyahu's governments have pursued a policy of "land for peace" and frequently sought to impede Jewish construction even in areas under Israeli administrative control.
Observers note that Katz and Yaalon are not a part of Feiglin's faction, nor are they in the minority in the Likud or ruling coalition. 20 of Likud's 27 lawmakers opposed Barak's private political agenda in Judea and Samaria, as have Netanyahu's fellow coalition party heads.
On Saturday, Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe "Bogie" Yaalon said Barak's "private political agenda" threatened the "dissolution of the government."
Minister of Transportation Yisrael Katz, who was a guest in Beit El's threatened Ulpana neighborhood on Friday said that "Barak is using the Defense Ministry as political tool against the settlers."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud-led coalition faces a crisis as a deadline to destroy the Ulpana neighborhood and nearby Givat Assaf looms large without resolution.
Such a policy would affect thousands of Jewish families in Judea and Samaria who bought homes many years ago on abandoned land with government help, far from any Arab community, who are now facing sudden lawsuits by Palestinian Authority residents, claiming the land on which these homes are built.
Some of the land was purchased and either the owner was afraid for his life and therefore did not go through legal channels or the owner was fraudulent, taking advantage of the similarity of Arab names and language barriers.
The Supreme Court has tended to side with PA plaintiffs in such cases even without proof of ownership.
Barak's Independent party, which broke from Labor, has little chance of entering the next Knesset, according to recent polls. His actions in Judea and Samaria are widely seen as an effort to gain Labor voter support. Trying for a place on the Likud list, chosen through primaries, does not have much hope of success for Barak. Barak's position gives him the authority to carry out outpost destruction and the Machpela House expulsion.
Comment on this story
by Gabe Kahn
Sources close to Defense Minister Ehud Barak sought to dismiss sharp criticism from Ministers Yisrael Katz and Moshe "Bogie" Yaalon on his Judea and Samaria policy by labeling them "Feiglinist hardliners."
"Katz and Yaalon are apparently Feiglinist hardliners," the sources said, adding. "Feglin's followers are not good for Israel, its security, its future, or the public in general."
The sources added, "We seek to benefit the public and the Knesset, and hope the trend of ‘Feiglinism’ is not contagious."
Moshe Feiglin, who heads the Likud's internal Manhigut Yehudit [Jewish Leadership] faction, has challenged Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for leadership of the Likud in previous elections on the premise that Netanyahu is not longer adhering to principles of the party.
Since its inception, the Likud has advocated Jewish settlement in all of Judea and Samaria and its platform negated a Palestinian state in that region. However, Netanyahu's governments have pursued a policy of "land for peace" and frequently sought to impede Jewish construction even in areas under Israeli administrative control.
Observers note that Katz and Yaalon are not a part of Feiglin's faction, nor are they in the minority in the Likud or ruling coalition. 20 of Likud's 27 lawmakers opposed Barak's private political agenda in Judea and Samaria, as have Netanyahu's fellow coalition party heads.
On Saturday, Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe "Bogie" Yaalon said Barak's "private political agenda" threatened the "dissolution of the government."
Minister of Transportation Yisrael Katz, who was a guest in Beit El's threatened Ulpana neighborhood on Friday said that "Barak is using the Defense Ministry as political tool against the settlers."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud-led coalition faces a crisis as a deadline to destroy the Ulpana neighborhood and nearby Givat Assaf looms large without resolution.
Such a policy would affect thousands of Jewish families in Judea and Samaria who bought homes many years ago on abandoned land with government help, far from any Arab community, who are now facing sudden lawsuits by Palestinian Authority residents, claiming the land on which these homes are built.
Some of the land was purchased and either the owner was afraid for his life and therefore did not go through legal channels or the owner was fraudulent, taking advantage of the similarity of Arab names and language barriers.
The Supreme Court has tended to side with PA plaintiffs in such cases even without proof of ownership.
Barak's Independent party, which broke from Labor, has little chance of entering the next Knesset, according to recent polls. His actions in Judea and Samaria are widely seen as an effort to gain Labor voter support. Trying for a place on the Likud list, chosen through primaries, does not have much hope of success for Barak. Barak's position gives him the authority to carry out outpost destruction and the Machpela House expulsion.
More on this topic
Comment on this story
6. GOP Backing $680M for Iron Dome
by Gabe Kahn
US lawmakers are considering an aid allotment of $680 million to strengthen Israel's Iron Dome short-range rocket shield.
The move by Republican lawmakers comes in the face of previous attempts by the Obama administration to prune defense aid to Israel.
Senior Republicans Howard McKeon (R-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) criticized Obama for his lack of support of a “vital defense cooperation program.”
The Obama administration earlier announced that an “appropriate” level of funding will be provided for this program, but did not request any specific sum for 2012.
The refusal to specify a funding commitment for Iron Dome – Israel’s advanced anti-rocket system – has effectively stopped Congress from allotting the funds at all.
According to IDF officials Iron Dome intercepted over 80 per cent of some 300 targets in March. Presently, Israel has three Iron Dome systems, which must be constantly redeployed based on regular threat assessments.
Defense officials want to have at least nine Iron Dome units in operation by 2013, while the IDF says it needs at least 15 to properly protect Israel's populous urban centers.
The US spent over $200 million aiding in Iron Dome deployment in 2011. However, while the US has approved $235 million to finance the lesser-known Israeli anti-missile systems “Arrow” and “Magic Wand” for 2012, the Iron Dome allotment remains undefined.
US military aid to Israel is set to be delivered as part of a $30 billion 10-year military-aid package signed by President George W. Bush administration in 2007.
From 2009 till 2018 the US is expected to grant Israel some $3 billion per year. Israel may spend 26 percent on locally-manufactured systems while the remaining 74 percent must be spent on US-manufactured systems.
The Obama administration says, like its predecesors, that it considers Israel to be "the protector of peace in the Middle East," whose "strength and superiority in the region is critical to regional stability."
"We don't just support Israel because of a long standing bond; we support Israel because it is in our national interests to do so," US assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs Andrew J. Shapiro said last November.
Comment on this story
by Gabe Kahn
US lawmakers are considering an aid allotment of $680 million to strengthen Israel's Iron Dome short-range rocket shield.
The move by Republican lawmakers comes in the face of previous attempts by the Obama administration to prune defense aid to Israel.
Senior Republicans Howard McKeon (R-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) criticized Obama for his lack of support of a “vital defense cooperation program.”
The Obama administration earlier announced that an “appropriate” level of funding will be provided for this program, but did not request any specific sum for 2012.
The refusal to specify a funding commitment for Iron Dome – Israel’s advanced anti-rocket system – has effectively stopped Congress from allotting the funds at all.
According to IDF officials Iron Dome intercepted over 80 per cent of some 300 targets in March. Presently, Israel has three Iron Dome systems, which must be constantly redeployed based on regular threat assessments.
Defense officials want to have at least nine Iron Dome units in operation by 2013, while the IDF says it needs at least 15 to properly protect Israel's populous urban centers.
The US spent over $200 million aiding in Iron Dome deployment in 2011. However, while the US has approved $235 million to finance the lesser-known Israeli anti-missile systems “Arrow” and “Magic Wand” for 2012, the Iron Dome allotment remains undefined.
US military aid to Israel is set to be delivered as part of a $30 billion 10-year military-aid package signed by President George W. Bush administration in 2007.
From 2009 till 2018 the US is expected to grant Israel some $3 billion per year. Israel may spend 26 percent on locally-manufactured systems while the remaining 74 percent must be spent on US-manufactured systems.
The Obama administration says, like its predecesors, that it considers Israel to be "the protector of peace in the Middle East," whose "strength and superiority in the region is critical to regional stability."
"We don't just support Israel because of a long standing bond; we support Israel because it is in our national interests to do so," US assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs Andrew J. Shapiro said last November.
Tags: IDF ,GOP ,US Congress ,Iron Dome
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7. Border Police Thwart Terror Attack
by Gabe Kahn
Border Police on Saturday arrested two terrorists from Shechem at the Tapuach Junction in northern Samaria.
The two young Arab men, aged 17, were carrying four pipe bombs, a makeshift firearm, ammunition, and knives.
Suspicions of Border Police officers at the junction were aroused when the two young men exited their vehicle before it could be inspected. They were ordered to stop, leading them to attempt to flee.
Border Police captured them on the scene and called in police sappers to neutralize the pipe bombs.
In addition, IDF forces uncovered an improvised bomb near the city of Jenin, also in northern Samaria. That bomb, as well, was detonated by police sappers.
Northern Samaria has increasingly become a hotbed of terrorism in the past year.
In late January, the GSS and Israel Police foiled a shooting attack planned by an Israeli Arab in collaboration with an Islamic Jihad terror cell from Tulkarem in northern Samaria.
Last August, Islamic Jihad terrorists from Gaza were involved in the deadly cross-border ambush of an Israeli civilian bus that left 8 Israelis – 7 of them civilians – dead.
Islamic Jihad leaders in Gaza – whose terror cells are heavily involved in rocket attacks on Israel's southern communities – have been targeted with airstrikes rather than arrest and detention.
Last September, the GSS cracked a Hamas terror network in Judea and Samaria which was in various stages of planning terror attacks. One of the cells uncovered was in Shechem.
The network was also behind the 23 March 2011 bombing of a Jerusalem bus stop that killed 1 and wounded scores of innocents.
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by Gabe Kahn
Border Police on Saturday arrested two terrorists from Shechem at the Tapuach Junction in northern Samaria.
The two young Arab men, aged 17, were carrying four pipe bombs, a makeshift firearm, ammunition, and knives.
Suspicions of Border Police officers at the junction were aroused when the two young men exited their vehicle before it could be inspected. They were ordered to stop, leading them to attempt to flee.
Border Police captured them on the scene and called in police sappers to neutralize the pipe bombs.
In addition, IDF forces uncovered an improvised bomb near the city of Jenin, also in northern Samaria. That bomb, as well, was detonated by police sappers.
Northern Samaria has increasingly become a hotbed of terrorism in the past year.
In late January, the GSS and Israel Police foiled a shooting attack planned by an Israeli Arab in collaboration with an Islamic Jihad terror cell from Tulkarem in northern Samaria.
Last August, Islamic Jihad terrorists from Gaza were involved in the deadly cross-border ambush of an Israeli civilian bus that left 8 Israelis – 7 of them civilians – dead.
Islamic Jihad leaders in Gaza – whose terror cells are heavily involved in rocket attacks on Israel's southern communities – have been targeted with airstrikes rather than arrest and detention.
Last September, the GSS cracked a Hamas terror network in Judea and Samaria which was in various stages of planning terror attacks. One of the cells uncovered was in Shechem.
The network was also behind the 23 March 2011 bombing of a Jerusalem bus stop that killed 1 and wounded scores of innocents.
Tags: GSS ,Border Police ,Samaria ,Shechem ,Shechem (Nablus)
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8. Lieberman Warns Netanyahu Egypt More Dangerous than Iran
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has warned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Egypt presents more of a security danger than Iran.
“We have to be prepared for all possibilities,” the Foreign Minister warned the Prime Minister. He suggested that the IDF create three or four southern divisions in the wake of a social and economic deterioration in Egypt and the increasing number of Egyptian troops in the Sinai Peninsula.
Lieberman pointed out to the Prime Minister that Egypt is the largest Arab nation that has a common border with Israel and also has a peace treaty with it.
Cairo ostensibly is trying to regain control of the Sinai from terrorist gangs, but Lieberman has said the soldiers are ineffective. If the upcoming presidential elections are followed by a revisal, if not cancellation, of the peace treaty with Israel, the Foreign Minister expects that Israel will be a natural target for the regime to target a foreign country as an enemy and draw attention away from domestic problems.
He said Egypt is likely to violate the peace treaty by sending in more troops with heavy arms, prohibited by the treaty. The Foreign Minister pointed out that last year Egypt deployed two divisions, and that Israel approved the move only after it had become a fait accompli.
Lieberman recently held a closed-door discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to the Hebrew language newspaper Maariv.
Foreign Minister Lieberman predicted four years ago that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would fall. Maariv said that when Lieberman mentioned the warning to then-U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, the American diplomat “raised his eyebrow and ignored the warning.”
The Muslim Brotherhood, since winning the parliamentary elections in Egypt, has made contradictory statements concerning the future of the peace treaty.
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has warned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Egypt presents more of a security danger than Iran.
“We have to be prepared for all possibilities,” the Foreign Minister warned the Prime Minister. He suggested that the IDF create three or four southern divisions in the wake of a social and economic deterioration in Egypt and the increasing number of Egyptian troops in the Sinai Peninsula.
Lieberman pointed out to the Prime Minister that Egypt is the largest Arab nation that has a common border with Israel and also has a peace treaty with it.
Cairo ostensibly is trying to regain control of the Sinai from terrorist gangs, but Lieberman has said the soldiers are ineffective. If the upcoming presidential elections are followed by a revisal, if not cancellation, of the peace treaty with Israel, the Foreign Minister expects that Israel will be a natural target for the regime to target a foreign country as an enemy and draw attention away from domestic problems.
He said Egypt is likely to violate the peace treaty by sending in more troops with heavy arms, prohibited by the treaty. The Foreign Minister pointed out that last year Egypt deployed two divisions, and that Israel approved the move only after it had become a fait accompli.
Lieberman recently held a closed-door discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to the Hebrew language newspaper Maariv.
Foreign Minister Lieberman predicted four years ago that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would fall. Maariv said that when Lieberman mentioned the warning to then-U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, the American diplomat “raised his eyebrow and ignored the warning.”
The Muslim Brotherhood, since winning the parliamentary elections in Egypt, has made contradictory statements concerning the future of the peace treaty.
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