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1. Netanyahu Checkmates Everyone in Ulpana Battle
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu once again has proven that it is more important for a politician to win than to be liked. His nationalist ministers fell in line on Wednesday and did not support the bill that would have prevented the fall of five homes in Beit El, where 30 families face a court-ordered expulsion.
A master chessman who once won a tie with chess expert Nathan Sharansky, he turned what 24 hours ago seemed liked a certain divorce bill from nationalists into a reconciliation based on mutual need as well as an agreed mutual distrust.
All but one of Yisrael Beytenu’s MKs either voted against the bill or left the Knesset hall, as did Shas ministers.
Nationalist ministers put up a brave and united front in the face of the Prime Minister‘s ultimatum to oppose the bill to legalize the homes or be fired from their jobs and lose their portfolios.
All of them vowed to stand on principle, and, one by one, each one fell, leaving Prime Minister Netanyahu the clear leader whose authority is not to be challenged.
The only 22 votes for the bill were from Opposition Knesset Members, specifically four from the National Union headed by Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz, and MKs without portfolios, including Likud Carmel Shama-HaCohen, Ofir Akunis, Ze’ev Elkin, Danny Danon, Tzipi Hotovely, Chaim Katz, Yariv Levin and Miri Regev.
Elkin may lose his position as coalition leader.
The outcome left a bitter taste in the mouths of nationalists, but they won some sweeteners from Prime Minister Netanyahu that in the future might be seen as a matter of “losing the battle and winning the war," albeit at the expense of more expulsin victims.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s manipulations checkmated the 30 families who will lose their homes, but he also may have paved the way for the necessity to appease nationalists in order to avoid a certain divorce from them after the next elections if he has to choose between them and the Kadima and Labor parties as coalition partners.
Prime Minister Netanyahu did not want his nationalist ministers to leave the government and more than they wanted to. He pressured each one before the vote, and the most prominent of them – Likud MK Yuli Edelstein and Jewish Home chairman Daniel Hershkowitz – explained their absenting themselves from the vote as better than standing on principle and losing practicalities.
MK Edelstein pointed out Prime Minister Netanyahu’s moves to approve dozens of more homes in Beit El, one of the most prominent and influential national religious communities in Judea and Samaria.
Possible even more significant was the Prime Minister’s move Tuesday night to establish a new ministerial committee that can authorize construction of Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria. That power until now has been in the sole hands of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who has a long record of opposing expansion of a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria.
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu once again has proven that it is more important for a politician to win than to be liked. His nationalist ministers fell in line on Wednesday and did not support the bill that would have prevented the fall of five homes in Beit El, where 30 families face a court-ordered expulsion.
A master chessman who once won a tie with chess expert Nathan Sharansky, he turned what 24 hours ago seemed liked a certain divorce bill from nationalists into a reconciliation based on mutual need as well as an agreed mutual distrust.
All but one of Yisrael Beytenu’s MKs either voted against the bill or left the Knesset hall, as did Shas ministers.
Nationalist ministers put up a brave and united front in the face of the Prime Minister‘s ultimatum to oppose the bill to legalize the homes or be fired from their jobs and lose their portfolios.
All of them vowed to stand on principle, and, one by one, each one fell, leaving Prime Minister Netanyahu the clear leader whose authority is not to be challenged.
The only 22 votes for the bill were from Opposition Knesset Members, specifically four from the National Union headed by Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz, and MKs without portfolios, including Likud Carmel Shama-HaCohen, Ofir Akunis, Ze’ev Elkin, Danny Danon, Tzipi Hotovely, Chaim Katz, Yariv Levin and Miri Regev.
Elkin may lose his position as coalition leader.
The outcome left a bitter taste in the mouths of nationalists, but they won some sweeteners from Prime Minister Netanyahu that in the future might be seen as a matter of “losing the battle and winning the war," albeit at the expense of more expulsin victims.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s manipulations checkmated the 30 families who will lose their homes, but he also may have paved the way for the necessity to appease nationalists in order to avoid a certain divorce from them after the next elections if he has to choose between them and the Kadima and Labor parties as coalition partners.
Prime Minister Netanyahu did not want his nationalist ministers to leave the government and more than they wanted to. He pressured each one before the vote, and the most prominent of them – Likud MK Yuli Edelstein and Jewish Home chairman Daniel Hershkowitz – explained their absenting themselves from the vote as better than standing on principle and losing practicalities.
MK Edelstein pointed out Prime Minister Netanyahu’s moves to approve dozens of more homes in Beit El, one of the most prominent and influential national religious communities in Judea and Samaria.
Possible even more significant was the Prime Minister’s move Tuesday night to establish a new ministerial committee that can authorize construction of Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria. That power until now has been in the sole hands of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who has a long record of opposing expansion of a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria.
More on this topic
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Ulpana Bill Falls, Nationalists in Coalition Cave In -
Demonstration Near Supreme Court to Support Regulation Law
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Likud and Nationalists Set for Divorce
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Bennett Offers 'Safety Net' for Fired Ministers
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Yisrael Beytenu, Shas Plan Absence During Vote
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‘Ulpana Law is Judgment Day’ for Likud, Say Women in Green
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2. Ulpana Bill Falls, Nationalists in Coalition Cave In
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Nationalists in the coalition caved in and abstained from the Knesset vote Wednesday afternoon that rejected a bill aimed at circumventing a court order to destroy five residential units in the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El and expel their 30 families.
The vote was 22 for the bill and 69 against. Absent from the vote were all of the ministers and deputy ministers who vowed to test Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s ultimatum to vote against the bill or be fired.
Among those who left the Knesset before the vote were Jewish Home leader Daniel Hershkowitz and Likud minister Yuli Edelstein and deputy minister Ayoub Kara.
Shas ministers also were absent from the vote on the bill, whose sponsor Knesset Member Zevulun Orlev noted that it was on the same day seven years ago that the Sharon government approved the “Disengagement” plan that resulted in the expulsion of more than 9,000 Jews from their homes in Gaza and four northern Samaria communities.
Following the expulsions, which were promoted as guaranteeing peace and quiet for southern Israel, the government ordered the demolition of houses and then withdrew all soldiers from the Gaza region.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu pressured nationalist Cabinet ministers not to vote against the Ulpana demolitions and won the day after it was clear he had a solid majority and after he made several concessions to nationalists.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has promised to build 10 new homes for every one torn down and has won legal approval from the attorney general for his plan to take down the houses, brick by brick, and rebuild them nearby on land used by the military.
He also said he will head a new committee on Jewish development in Judea and Samaria, effectively removing the authority of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who has ordered dozens of demolitions of outpost communities and has blocked Jews from living in homes that were legally purchased, most recently in Hevron.
Nationalists fear the failure to pass the bill will encourage more demolitions and expulsions at more communities, such as Migron and Givat Asaf, where left-wing groups have challenged the legality of their construction.
MK Orlev chided Prime Minister Netanyahu for offering to expand building in Beit El in return for the demolitions. “If the prime minister wants to expand building, why tie it with this destruction in the Ulpana neighborhood?” he asked.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Nationalists in the coalition caved in and abstained from the Knesset vote Wednesday afternoon that rejected a bill aimed at circumventing a court order to destroy five residential units in the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El and expel their 30 families.
The vote was 22 for the bill and 69 against. Absent from the vote were all of the ministers and deputy ministers who vowed to test Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s ultimatum to vote against the bill or be fired.
Among those who left the Knesset before the vote were Jewish Home leader Daniel Hershkowitz and Likud minister Yuli Edelstein and deputy minister Ayoub Kara.
Shas ministers also were absent from the vote on the bill, whose sponsor Knesset Member Zevulun Orlev noted that it was on the same day seven years ago that the Sharon government approved the “Disengagement” plan that resulted in the expulsion of more than 9,000 Jews from their homes in Gaza and four northern Samaria communities.
Following the expulsions, which were promoted as guaranteeing peace and quiet for southern Israel, the government ordered the demolition of houses and then withdrew all soldiers from the Gaza region.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu pressured nationalist Cabinet ministers not to vote against the Ulpana demolitions and won the day after it was clear he had a solid majority and after he made several concessions to nationalists.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has promised to build 10 new homes for every one torn down and has won legal approval from the attorney general for his plan to take down the houses, brick by brick, and rebuild them nearby on land used by the military.
He also said he will head a new committee on Jewish development in Judea and Samaria, effectively removing the authority of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who has ordered dozens of demolitions of outpost communities and has blocked Jews from living in homes that were legally purchased, most recently in Hevron.
Nationalists fear the failure to pass the bill will encourage more demolitions and expulsions at more communities, such as Migron and Givat Asaf, where left-wing groups have challenged the legality of their construction.
MK Orlev chided Prime Minister Netanyahu for offering to expand building in Beit El in return for the demolitions. “If the prime minister wants to expand building, why tie it with this destruction in the Ulpana neighborhood?” he asked.
Tags: Ulpana ,Jewish Home ,Yuli Edelstein
More on this topic
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3. Demonstration Near Supreme Court to Support Regulation Law
by Chana Ya'ar
Protesters showed their support of the Regulation Law in a demonstration near the Supreme Court shortly before a vote on the bill.
Dozens of youths and young adults blocked the road near the court house in Jerusalem before the Knesset plenum was scheduled to decide on the measure, which would retroactively legalize Beit El's Ulpana neighborhood.
The so-called Regulation Bill requires anyone claiming ownership of land upon which homes are being built to file a challenge and prove ownership within four years of the start of construction upon the property.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who arranged for the five apartment buildings in the Ulpana neighborhood to be demolished but for exact replicas to be rebuilt several hundred meters away.
He also vowed to fire any minister who voted for the bill, which would prevent similar expulsions in other threatened settlements, such as Migron, Amona and Mitzpe Assaf.
Dozens of families are set to be expelled from their homes in Beit El's Ulpana neighborhood on July 1 when their homes are destroyed in the demolition. It is not clear whether the promised new homes will be ready and waiting for them to move into either before, or even at that time – thus increasing the likelihood of traumatizing both parents and children who will be left homeless in a possible violent expulsion by government forces.
The Regulation Law, meanwhile, is not expected to pass, with the hareidi-religious United Torah Judaism party having said it would not support the measure.
MK Yisrael Eichler said Wednesday that hareidi religious Jews “do not owe the national religious public a thing.” He noted with some heat that MK Zevulun Orlev (Jewish Home), an activist in the settlement enterprise, was one of the first to visit the “sucker's tent” erected to recruit support towards drafting hareidi-religious men into the IDF.
Comment on this story
by Chana Ya'ar
Protesters showed their support of the Regulation Law in a demonstration near the Supreme Court shortly before a vote on the bill.
Dozens of youths and young adults blocked the road near the court house in Jerusalem before the Knesset plenum was scheduled to decide on the measure, which would retroactively legalize Beit El's Ulpana neighborhood.
The so-called Regulation Bill requires anyone claiming ownership of land upon which homes are being built to file a challenge and prove ownership within four years of the start of construction upon the property.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who arranged for the five apartment buildings in the Ulpana neighborhood to be demolished but for exact replicas to be rebuilt several hundred meters away.
He also vowed to fire any minister who voted for the bill, which would prevent similar expulsions in other threatened settlements, such as Migron, Amona and Mitzpe Assaf.
Dozens of families are set to be expelled from their homes in Beit El's Ulpana neighborhood on July 1 when their homes are destroyed in the demolition. It is not clear whether the promised new homes will be ready and waiting for them to move into either before, or even at that time – thus increasing the likelihood of traumatizing both parents and children who will be left homeless in a possible violent expulsion by government forces.
The Regulation Law, meanwhile, is not expected to pass, with the hareidi-religious United Torah Judaism party having said it would not support the measure.
MK Yisrael Eichler said Wednesday that hareidi religious Jews “do not owe the national religious public a thing.” He noted with some heat that MK Zevulun Orlev (Jewish Home), an activist in the settlement enterprise, was one of the first to visit the “sucker's tent” erected to recruit support towards drafting hareidi-religious men into the IDF.
Tags: Ulpana Neighborhood ,Regulation Law ,Beit El ,Migron ,Mitzpe Assaf ,Amona
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4. Why is There No Enforcement Against Illegal Arab Construction?
by Elad Benari
Jerusalem city council member Yael Antebi has sent a letter to Likud Ministers Benny Begin and Michael Eitan, asking them to act decisively against illegal Arab construction in east Jerusalem.
“In continuation of your steadfast determination to protect the rule of law in Israel, as expressed these days in honoring the court's decision regarding the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El, I wish to inform you that the in the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Shuafat and Anata, the law is not enforced in several issues,” Antebi wrote the two ministers.
Begin and Eitan have both said that the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Ulpana neighborhood must be upheld and the homes demolished. They have rejected the Regulation Law, which aims to financially compensate Arabs who can prove legal land ownership, preferring to demolish Jewish homes and evict residents.
Antebi indicated three issues related to the two Arab neighborhoods:
“Construction offenses – The Israel Police is not ensuring the safety of Jerusalem Municipality inspectors in enforcing building laws,” she wrote. “The result - dozens of structures, including multi-story buildings, are built without construction permits, unsupervised and on public lands. I was told that under the orders of the Prime Minister, the police are not helping to enforce the law.
“Environmental offenses - offenses such as noise from banquet halls, muezzin, and fireworks are not enforced.
“Illegal Aliens – there are thousands of illegal aliens who came from all over Judea and Samaria (Yehuda and Shomron) to live in the hundreds of housing units that were built without permits, causing the population of Jerusalem to grow by thousands of Arabs.”
Antebi added, “All the above results in the fact that these neighborhoods, which are under the municipal jurisdiction of Jerusalem and inside the State of Israel, are, in fact, without Israeli sovereignty.
“This causes great suffering to residents of the Jewish neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze’ev, Neve Ya'akov and the French Hill,” she wrote. “As a representative of Pisgat Ze’ev on city council, I feel every day the helplessness of the residents, who are living in anarchy and have stopped believing in the possibility of applying the rule of law in Israel.”
Antebi noted that “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed, in a cabinet meeting on October 23, 2011, the law enforcement in the Arab and minority sectors, and said that ‘there are not two countries. There is no state within a state, we live in one country - Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. I shout against the unequal enforcement, both in the positive aspects which require accessibility of police services, as well as in the negative aspect that requires more rigorous enforcement. There is a feeling among the public that the level of enforcement in these sectors is much lower. I am committed to changing that.’
“My feeling,” Antebi wrote to Eitan and Begin, “is that both the Prime Minister and you revere the rule of law only when it comes to Jews and prefer not to deal with Arabs.”
Comment on this story
by Elad Benari
Jerusalem city council member Yael Antebi has sent a letter to Likud Ministers Benny Begin and Michael Eitan, asking them to act decisively against illegal Arab construction in east Jerusalem.
“In continuation of your steadfast determination to protect the rule of law in Israel, as expressed these days in honoring the court's decision regarding the Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El, I wish to inform you that the in the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Shuafat and Anata, the law is not enforced in several issues,” Antebi wrote the two ministers.
Begin and Eitan have both said that the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Ulpana neighborhood must be upheld and the homes demolished. They have rejected the Regulation Law, which aims to financially compensate Arabs who can prove legal land ownership, preferring to demolish Jewish homes and evict residents.
Antebi indicated three issues related to the two Arab neighborhoods:
“Construction offenses – The Israel Police is not ensuring the safety of Jerusalem Municipality inspectors in enforcing building laws,” she wrote. “The result - dozens of structures, including multi-story buildings, are built without construction permits, unsupervised and on public lands. I was told that under the orders of the Prime Minister, the police are not helping to enforce the law.
“Environmental offenses - offenses such as noise from banquet halls, muezzin, and fireworks are not enforced.
“Illegal Aliens – there are thousands of illegal aliens who came from all over Judea and Samaria (Yehuda and Shomron) to live in the hundreds of housing units that were built without permits, causing the population of Jerusalem to grow by thousands of Arabs.”
Antebi added, “All the above results in the fact that these neighborhoods, which are under the municipal jurisdiction of Jerusalem and inside the State of Israel, are, in fact, without Israeli sovereignty.
“This causes great suffering to residents of the Jewish neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze’ev, Neve Ya'akov and the French Hill,” she wrote. “As a representative of Pisgat Ze’ev on city council, I feel every day the helplessness of the residents, who are living in anarchy and have stopped believing in the possibility of applying the rule of law in Israel.”
Antebi noted that “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed, in a cabinet meeting on October 23, 2011, the law enforcement in the Arab and minority sectors, and said that ‘there are not two countries. There is no state within a state, we live in one country - Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. I shout against the unequal enforcement, both in the positive aspects which require accessibility of police services, as well as in the negative aspect that requires more rigorous enforcement. There is a feeling among the public that the level of enforcement in these sectors is much lower. I am committed to changing that.’
“My feeling,” Antebi wrote to Eitan and Begin, “is that both the Prime Minister and you revere the rule of law only when it comes to Jews and prefer not to deal with Arabs.”
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5. IAF Hits Weapons Storage Sites in Gaza
by Elad Benari
IAF aircraft struck two weapons storage sites in northern and southern Gaza on Tuesday night, according to a statement by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
The statement noted that direct hits at the targets were identified. All Israeli planes returned safely to their base.
The attack came in response to high trajectory fire into Israeli territory, the statement said. Earlier on Tuesday, Gaza terrorists fired a mortar shell at a community in southern Israel. The shell hit the Eshkol region and caused a fire. No physical injuries were reported.
On Sunday, IAF aircraft struck a weapons-manufacturing site and a terror tunnel in northern Gaza, also scoring direct hits at the targets.
The attack came after terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza fired a Qassam rocket at southern Israel late Sunday night. The rocket exploded in an open area in the Eshkol Regional Council. There were no physical injuries or damage.
Last Friday morning, a shootout between IDF troops and a Gaza terrorist took place, killing 21-year-old Golani Brigade soldier Netanel Moshiashvili.
The incident occurred as the terrorist tried to infiltrate the western Negev from Gaza the predawn hours of Friday morning.
In March, terror gangs in Gaza fired over 200 rockets into Israel over a period of four days following the targeted killing of Popular Resistance Committee leader Zuhir Musa Ahmed Qaisi and his deputy, Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud Hanani.
The quiet in the south has mostly been maintained since Egypt brokered a ceasefire between the sides. However, a ‘ceasefire’ for the terrorist groups mean that they do not fire barrages of rockets, but periodically send a reminder to Israelis that they have the ability to disrupt their lives.
Comment on this story
by Elad Benari
IAF aircraft struck two weapons storage sites in northern and southern Gaza on Tuesday night, according to a statement by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
The statement noted that direct hits at the targets were identified. All Israeli planes returned safely to their base.
The attack came in response to high trajectory fire into Israeli territory, the statement said. Earlier on Tuesday, Gaza terrorists fired a mortar shell at a community in southern Israel. The shell hit the Eshkol region and caused a fire. No physical injuries were reported.
On Sunday, IAF aircraft struck a weapons-manufacturing site and a terror tunnel in northern Gaza, also scoring direct hits at the targets.
The attack came after terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza fired a Qassam rocket at southern Israel late Sunday night. The rocket exploded in an open area in the Eshkol Regional Council. There were no physical injuries or damage.
Last Friday morning, a shootout between IDF troops and a Gaza terrorist took place, killing 21-year-old Golani Brigade soldier Netanel Moshiashvili.
The incident occurred as the terrorist tried to infiltrate the western Negev from Gaza the predawn hours of Friday morning.
In March, terror gangs in Gaza fired over 200 rockets into Israel over a period of four days following the targeted killing of Popular Resistance Committee leader Zuhir Musa Ahmed Qaisi and his deputy, Mahmoud Ahmed Mahmoud Hanani.
The quiet in the south has mostly been maintained since Egypt brokered a ceasefire between the sides. However, a ‘ceasefire’ for the terrorist groups mean that they do not fire barrages of rockets, but periodically send a reminder to Israelis that they have the ability to disrupt their lives.
Tags: IAF ,IAF strike ,IAF-Gaza
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6. Belgium Leader Retracts ‘Ghetto'-Security Fence Comparison
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The prime minister of the Flanders region of Belgium has retracted his comparison of the security fence with the "ghettos during World War II.”
Kris Peeters, during his first-ever visit to Israel this week, stated, “I’m shocked by the separation wall that Israel is erecting. It reminded me of the ghettos during World War II. Strange, because the Jews were victims then.” Peeters met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during his visit.
Showing some understanding for the fence, he added: “On the other hand, we cannot imagine how it feels when a bomb could go off at any second.”
The retraction was reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which quoted Peeters' spokesman as saying, “Every wall has two sides, and the prime minister saw both. The reference to ghettos was not meant as a comparison with the Nazi ghettos. The prime minister retracts his statement.”
The Belgian Jewish community was extremely upset with Peeters, who is the leader of the Flemish independent region of Belgium, and the Flemish-Jewish weekly responded, “The walls of the Warsaw Ghetto had only one side: The wrong side.”
“Any comparison between the Holocaust and the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is totally immoral,” wrote the newspaper’s editor Michael Freilich.
During his visit, Peeters visited Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, and discussed the construction of a new Holocaust Museum in Mechelen, according to European Jewish Press. The city is located between Brussels and Antwerp, from where Jews in Belgium were deported to Auschwitz during WWII.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The prime minister of the Flanders region of Belgium has retracted his comparison of the security fence with the "ghettos during World War II.”
Kris Peeters, during his first-ever visit to Israel this week, stated, “I’m shocked by the separation wall that Israel is erecting. It reminded me of the ghettos during World War II. Strange, because the Jews were victims then.” Peeters met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during his visit.
Showing some understanding for the fence, he added: “On the other hand, we cannot imagine how it feels when a bomb could go off at any second.”
The retraction was reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which quoted Peeters' spokesman as saying, “Every wall has two sides, and the prime minister saw both. The reference to ghettos was not meant as a comparison with the Nazi ghettos. The prime minister retracts his statement.”
The Belgian Jewish community was extremely upset with Peeters, who is the leader of the Flemish independent region of Belgium, and the Flemish-Jewish weekly responded, “The walls of the Warsaw Ghetto had only one side: The wrong side.”
“Any comparison between the Holocaust and the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is totally immoral,” wrote the newspaper’s editor Michael Freilich.
During his visit, Peeters visited Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, and discussed the construction of a new Holocaust Museum in Mechelen, according to European Jewish Press. The city is located between Brussels and Antwerp, from where Jews in Belgium were deported to Auschwitz during WWII.
Tags: Belgium ,Anti-Semitism ,Holocaust
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Jews Lash Out Against Recognition of BDS as Student Forum
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TAU Cancels Wagner Concert Following Vehement Protests
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Court Rules Survivor's Family Must Return Artifact to Berlin
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Golden Dawn MPs Detained Following Attack
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TAU to Feature First Concert of Richard Wagner's Music?
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7. Mubarak’s May Die Before Death Penalty Appeal
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s health is “severely deteriorating” three days after the chief prosecutor said he will appeal his life sentence and ask for the death penalty for complicity in the murders of more than 850 protesters last year.
Sources inside the Cairo prison where he is being held said that Mubarak collapsed several times following visits on Monday by his wife Suzanne, and his sons Alaa and Gamal. It was the first family visit since the sentence. He was placed on mechanical ventilation.
The court that found Mubarak guilty acquitted his sons, but the prosecutor said he will file new indictments charging them with corruption. The acquittals and the life sentence, instead of the death penalty, set off massive protests and fueled emotions as Egypt heads into the last week before elections for Mubarak’s successor.
Egypt’s official news agency said that ”the severe deterioration in the former president’s condition” prompted prison staff to call for medical doctors. Authorities refused Alaa Mubarak’s request for his father’s personal doctor to examine him.
Mubarak has been in poor health for several years and reportedly was operated on, possibly for cancer. Since his arrest, he spent most of his time in a hospital. During his trial, he was wheeled into the court room on a stretcher, although detractors said he was staging poor health in order to win compassion.
After he was sentenced, several reports said he suffered a heart attack, but there has been no confirmation.
Before his ouster, Mubarak tried to retain power and rejected offers to move out of the country, saying, "I will die in Egypt.” Last Sunday, the Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm reported that he said that the military council that took over after his ouster had deceived him. "Egypt has sold me. They want me to die here," he reportedly said.
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s health is “severely deteriorating” three days after the chief prosecutor said he will appeal his life sentence and ask for the death penalty for complicity in the murders of more than 850 protesters last year.
Sources inside the Cairo prison where he is being held said that Mubarak collapsed several times following visits on Monday by his wife Suzanne, and his sons Alaa and Gamal. It was the first family visit since the sentence. He was placed on mechanical ventilation.
The court that found Mubarak guilty acquitted his sons, but the prosecutor said he will file new indictments charging them with corruption. The acquittals and the life sentence, instead of the death penalty, set off massive protests and fueled emotions as Egypt heads into the last week before elections for Mubarak’s successor.
Egypt’s official news agency said that ”the severe deterioration in the former president’s condition” prompted prison staff to call for medical doctors. Authorities refused Alaa Mubarak’s request for his father’s personal doctor to examine him.
Mubarak has been in poor health for several years and reportedly was operated on, possibly for cancer. Since his arrest, he spent most of his time in a hospital. During his trial, he was wheeled into the court room on a stretcher, although detractors said he was staging poor health in order to win compassion.
After he was sentenced, several reports said he suffered a heart attack, but there has been no confirmation.
Before his ouster, Mubarak tried to retain power and rejected offers to move out of the country, saying, "I will die in Egypt.” Last Sunday, the Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm reported that he said that the military council that took over after his ouster had deceived him. "Egypt has sold me. They want me to die here," he reportedly said.
Tags: Hosni Mubarak ,Cairo ,Egypt
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Mubarak Suffers Emotional Breakdown in Prison
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Egypt Bans Film 'Promoting' Normalization of Ties with Israel
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Song 'I Love Israel' Latest Craze in Egypt
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Report: Israel Intensifies Security Along Border with Egypt
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Prosecutor Appeals, Says Mubarak Deserves to Die
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Former Egyptian Pres. Mubarak Suffers Heart Attack
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8. Peres: I'll Discuss Pollard with Obama
by Gil Ronen
President Shimon Peres met a group of bereaved relatives of terror attacks Monday and promised them to talk to U.S. President Barack Obama about Jonathan Pollard. Peres will be receiving the Medal of Freedom from Obama next week.
"This is a moving meeting, and I know what suffering you bear inside you," Peres told the group, according to Maariv. "Despite the suffering you think of good deeds, mercy and justice. I will relay the depth and emotion with which you spoke to Presdient Obama, too."
"Pollard's release is an important goal after 27 years of imprisonment in which he served his sentence," he added.
The group is made up of people who lost their loved ones to terror attacks, and who recently had to see the murderers of their loved ones released in the Shalit Deal. Yet they have been lobbying Peres for some time now, not on their own behalf but for Pollard.
Esther Wachsman, whose son Nachshon was abducted and killed by terrorists, recently told Arutz Sheva that she and her husband sent a letter to Peres because they feel it is their responsibility to ensure that this opportunity to rescue Pollard is not missed.
“President Shimon Peres is about to receive the Medal of Freedom from President Obama, and we want to mention that Jonathan Pollard has had no freedom for 27 years,” she said. “He confessed and expressed remorse, and it is time that our brother Jonathan is freed and comes to the State of Israel.”
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
President Shimon Peres met a group of bereaved relatives of terror attacks Monday and promised them to talk to U.S. President Barack Obama about Jonathan Pollard. Peres will be receiving the Medal of Freedom from Obama next week.
"This is a moving meeting, and I know what suffering you bear inside you," Peres told the group, according to Maariv. "Despite the suffering you think of good deeds, mercy and justice. I will relay the depth and emotion with which you spoke to Presdient Obama, too."
"Pollard's release is an important goal after 27 years of imprisonment in which he served his sentence," he added.
The group is made up of people who lost their loved ones to terror attacks, and who recently had to see the murderers of their loved ones released in the Shalit Deal. Yet they have been lobbying Peres for some time now, not on their own behalf but for Pollard.
Esther Wachsman, whose son Nachshon was abducted and killed by terrorists, recently told Arutz Sheva that she and her husband sent a letter to Peres because they feel it is their responsibility to ensure that this opportunity to rescue Pollard is not missed.
“President Shimon Peres is about to receive the Medal of Freedom from President Obama, and we want to mention that Jonathan Pollard has had no freedom for 27 years,” she said. “He confessed and expressed remorse, and it is time that our brother Jonathan is freed and comes to the State of Israel.”
More on this topic
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U.S. Jewish Leaders: Obama, Let Pollard Go
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Danon to Appear at NY Prayer Rally for Jonathan Pollard
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German President Warns: Iran Threatens 'New Shoah'
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Bereaved Mother: U.S. is Humanitarian? If So, Release Pollard
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Peres Welcomes German President; They Tour Yad VaShem
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Bereaved Families Lobby Peres for Pollard
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