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| Friday, Jan 10 '14, Shevat 9, 5774 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. As Erakat Fumes, Poll Shows Israelis Reject Further Concessions
by Ari Yashar  Palestinian Authority (PA) chief negotiator Saeb Erekat reacted to the announcement Friday of Israeli construction tenders for over 1,800 new housing units in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Erekat claimed the plans were a message to US Secretary of State John Kerry that peace talks are over. The newly declared plans include 801 units in Judea and Samaria as well as 600 units in Jerusalem, with tenders on an additional 532 units in Jerusalem that were previously announced being re-marketed. "The new settlement construction is a message from (Prime Minister Binyamin) Netanyahu to Kerry not to come back to the region to continue his efforts in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks," Erekat told AFP. "Every time Kerry has stepped up his efforts, returning to the region (for more talks), Netanyahu has stepped up his efforts to destroy the peace process," complained Erekat. "Netanyahu is determined to destroy the two-state solution. It is high time we held Israel accountable for its crimes." In late December Erekat similarly announced that the talks had failed after Israeli opposition to Jordan Valley withdrawals, saying that the PA should unilaterally pursue statehood through the UN. Reports Friday morning indicated that Netanyahu told senior officials of his intention not to sign any framework deal that would divide Jerusalem. Meanwhile a new poll released Friday by Maariv showed 80% of Israelis believe the US backed peace talks will not succeed. 507 Jewish and Arab citizens were polled in the survey. A further 73% rejected a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Judea and Samaria under the framework of any peace deal, an Israeli withdrawal Kerry's proposals reportedly include. Another opinion poll, this time conducted among 500 Jewish citizens by Israel Hayom, found 70% of Israelis reject a withdrawal from the Jordan Valley, while 53% said Kerry was not "honest" and sincere in pushing peace talks. Those concerns seem founded given recent revelations indicating Kerry has been secretlymanipulating European boycotts as tool to pressure Israel, and may even have initiated the boycott drives himself.
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2. Esh Kodesh Spokesman Reveals Truth Of Kusra Clash
by Yoni Kempinski, Ari Yashar  Aron Katzov, spokesman of the Samarian community Esh Kodesh, spoke to Arutz Sheva Friday about the attempted lynching of 25 Jewish residents of the region by Arab residents of Kusra this Tuesday. His testimony reveals how IDF action was partially responsible for bringing about the attack.  Katzov reports that despite claims to the contrary in the media, which relied on Arab sources saying the Jews had entered Kusra to carry out "price tag" vandalism, the Jews were in fact touring the hills far from the Arab village when they were attacked. As they were near the ruins of a village built by Shimon Bar-Giora over 2,000 years ago, Katzov relates that Arabs surrounded them on trucks, and during a harrowing 2 hours attacked and chased them around the hills towards the village, trying to kill them. The version of events confirms the testimony of Pinhasi Brown, one of the men who was attacked, who said "we left at midday from Esh Kodesh to the direction of the Hayovel neighborhood in Eli, and on the way we stopped in ancient Khirba." Due to the media spin of the event, the attacked Jews have been villified as "price tag" vandals, as extreme left group Peace Now called for the demolition of Esh Kodesh following the attack. Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir previously slammed the media "slander" of the Jews. Criticism has come from the right as well. Dani Dayan, the chief foreign envoy for the Yesha Council, attacked the men for being what he called "fools" in entering Kusra, which Katzov points out they never did. The Esh Kodesh spokesmen said he had spoken to one of the right-wing leaders who criticized the group, and after explaining the event was told "if i had known what really happened I would not have said what I said." Origins of the attack - IDF destruction of Jewish land Katzov confirmed reports that the origins of the Arab attack appear to lie in the destruction of Jewish vineyards earlier in the day. "The army came and uprooted about 20 dunam, a couple hundred olive trees that were about 6 years old and gave fruit," reported Katzov, himself an officer in the IDF reserves. The destruction came despite the fact that "the army and the courts already ruled that it's not Palestinian land." The reason for the destruction is the "disruptive use order," which Katzov calls a "weird law." Only in Judea and Samaria "one person, the legal adviser of a part in the army, can decide on any part of land that belongs to Jews, and only Jews, to uproot, even if there's no one else that says it's their land," explains Katzov, adding that they weren't even informed of the decision before the destruction. Katzov reports that after every destruction emboldened Arabs come to attack Jewish property, bragging on Facebook that the army is giving them the land. Katzov recalls having to defend the fence of his vineyard from one such attack. Residents of Esh Kodesh have reported previous attacks originating in Kusra, including a mob attack in 2012 in which hundreds of Arab men surrounded the village screaming "slaughter the Jews."
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3. 801 Judea Samaria Housing Units, 600 in Jerusalem
by Ari Yashar  The Israel Land Authority and Ministry of Construction and Housing announced Friday morning the publication of tenders marketing land in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria for construction. The planned property set aside for construction in Judea and Samaria includes a total of 801 new housing units. A detailed list of the plans reveals 227 housing units are planned for Efrat, 78 units in Alfei Menashe, 86 in Karnei Shomron, 40 in Ariel, 75 in Adam, 24 in Beitar Illit, 102 in Emanuel, and 169 in Elkana. Meanwhile in Jerusalem, 600 units are planned for the neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo in the eastern part of the city. Plans for 1,500 homes in the neighborhood were similarly announced in late October, eliciting the sharp criticism of the Palestinian Authority (PA) that accused Israel of "trying to wreck peace talks." The government announcement included the re-marketing of land plots in Jerusalem that were marketed in the past but did not have offers recorded on them. These plots include 182 housing units in Pisgat Ze'ev, 294 in Ramot, and 56 in Neve Yaakov. Altogether the re-marketed land accounts for 532 units. The announcement comes as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told senior officials he will not sign any framework agreement including the division of Jerusalem, according to reports Friday. Just in late December reports indicated that Netanyahu was planning a construction freeze in Judea and Samaria.
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4. Dutch Ambassador Summoned Over Divestiture
by Ari Yashar  The Foreign Ministry summoned Dutch Ambassador Caspar Veldkamp on Friday to clarify his country's position on the recently declared divestment from Israeli banks by a major Dutch firm. The Ministry said it expected a strong stance against the decision by Holland. The firm, PGGM, is one of Holland's largest asset managers. On Wednesday the company announced it was divesting from five Israeli banks because they finance "Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories," referring to communities in Judea and Samaria. Rafi Schutz, the Foreign Ministry's deputy director-general of Europe, told Veldkamp that PGGM's decision is unacceptable and relies on empty claims. "We expect the government of Holland, in the spirit of friendly relations between Holland and Israel, to express a clear position against steps like these, that only harm the relations between the countries," emphasized Schutz. PGGM, which manages around 153 billion euros ($208 billion) in funds, announced it's divestiture from the Israeli banks due to "their involvement in financing Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories [sic]." The divestment follows a similar boycott by Holland's largest water company, Vitens, against its Israeli counterpart Mekorot. In early December the Dutch company declared it was cutting ties with Mekorot due to the company's presence over the 1949 Armistice lines. Not long thereafter Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte denounced Vitens's discriminatory move, saying it was not in accordance with Dutch policy and would not be implemented.
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5. 'Canadian Ambassador To Israel Shouldn't Be Jewish'
by Ari Yashar  Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) Anchor Evan Solomon sparked outrage in questioning the appointment of Vivian Bercovici as Canada's new ambassador to Israel, due to Bercovici being Jewish. Solomon's comments came during a live interview with Foreign Minister John Baird on Thursday. In the interview, mere hours after Bercovici was appointed to her new post, Solomon said to Baird "Vivian Bercovici is Jewish, so there are going to be some questions. Why not appoint someone who doesn’t even have the perception of any kind of bias (in favor of Israel)?“ “It is entirely inappropriate and deeply offensive for...Solomon to have raised the issue of religion," said Honest Reporting Canada (HRC) Executive Director Mike Fegelman in response, calling on Solomon to apologize. "A person’s religious or ethnic background has no bearing on one’s qualifications for a job, on top of it being illegal for an employer to ask such irrelevant and discriminatory questions of a potential employee," added Fegelman. In response to the question during the interview, Baird answered "I don't think it's a great surprise that Canada enthusiastically supports Israel." In the past, Baird has expressed his strong commitment to Israel's security. Baird said regarding Bercovici, "despite the fact she doesn't have diplomatic experience, she has 24 years of experience as a senior lawyer, allowing her to faithfully represent the Canadian government." Fegelman commented that "challenging Ms. Bercovici’s credentials, her experience, and the various positions she has taken publically on the Mideast file is fair game, but to imply that her religious background in some way makes her a poor choice as a candidate due to a supposed 'perception of bias' certainly crossed the line." The HRC Executive Director further argued that "with even some of the most rabid anti-Zionists such as Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Ilan Pape etc. all being Jewish, Solomon’s reasoning falls flat." Bercovici - experienced lawyer and columnist Bercovici, a lawyer from Toronto, received a degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and majored in Middle Eastern studies. She was a regular columnist for the Toronto Star, showing frequent support for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in her writings. "Hamas, the Palestinian Authority (PA), and essentially every country in the Middle East, don't try to hide their desires to destroy the state of Israel, viewing it as a black stain in Arab history," wrote Bercovici in an article last April. "For Israel a nuclear Iran is a clear existential threat...the Iranian regime is a cruel theocracy...I wouldn't buy snake oil from these people, and certainly I wouldn't trust them as they smile and confirm that they're enriching uranium for peaceful purposes," wrote Bercovici in other articles. Bercovici further wrote about the attacks on Israel as an "apartheid state." "The claim about the paradigm of apartheid is a huge lie...in the UN there is no more awful country breaching human rights than Israel," wrote the new ambassador cynically. "The claim of (US) President Barack Obama and British Foreign Minister William Hague that Israel is an obstacle to peace opposes logic."
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6. Serious Vandalism of Coastal Synagogues
by Ari Yashar  A volunteer arrived at a synagogue in the town of Ezer, located near the coast between Ashdod and Ashkelon, to find the house of worship broken into. Vandals had broken the Torah ark door off its hinges and torn Torah scrolls which were found thrown on the floor. The vandals also damaged other holy items, leaving them scattered on the floor as well. Similar vandalism was found in an adjacent synagogue, where Torah scrolls and objects were likewise damaged and discarded. Police forces, headed by Kiryat Malachi police commander Sammy Marciano, arrived on the scene for an examination to locate the escaped vandals. "This is a serious case, at this stage we are checking all angles of investigation to locate the suspects," reported Marciano. Southern District Police Commander Yoram Halevi commented on the incident as well, saying "the images of the Torah scrolls ripped and thrown down are very difficult to look at. This is an extremely serious case, I've given priority to the investigation so as to reach those who committed the criminal acts as soon as possible." Vandalism of synagogues is unfortunately not uncommon, even in Israel. Just last week a resident of Tel Aviv was arrested for vandalizing a local synagogue with Nazi graffiti. Meanwhile, last August a synagogue in Jerusalem was broken into by vandals who damaged Torah scrolls and threw them on the floor. During the snowstorm in December, vandals took advantage of the harsh weather to break into King David's Tomb and deface all of the site's newly donated religious holy books with a stamp bearing the name of the non-existant "Academy - King David."
Tags: Mount of Olives, synagogues, Synagogue Attack, Yoram Halevi, synagogue desecration, ezer,Sammy Marciano
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7. Watch: IAF Wipes Out Islamist Rocket Squad
by Arutz Sheva staff  The IAF released footage showing a missile fired by an Israeli aircraft wiping out a squad of Gaza islamist terrorists as it was about to launch a rocket at Israeli civilians. The strike took place Thursday morning.  IDF sources described the airstrike, noting that it had "intercepted terrorists during their final preparations to launch rockets towards Israel". From the Gaza side, Hamas-run health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP that "two Palestinians were hit and injured by an Israeli drone while they were riding on a motorbike east of Khan Yunis." The newly released IDF video appears to disprove the Hamas statement, as the terrorists can clearly be seen preparing the attack rather than enjoying a motorbike excursion. The IAF carried out a second strike against a terrorist target in southern Gaza early Thursday afternoon. Accurate hits were reported. Tensions in the region have been high as two rocket attacks hit Israel from Gaza in quick succession during late December, triggering IAF response strikes. Around the same time, the IDF deployed Iron Dome defense systems into the southern region. Meanwhile, just last Thursday Gaza terrorists test fired new long-range M-175 capable of reaching beyond Tel Aviv, thereby threatening the major Israeli population centers.
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8. Missing Son of Jewish Columnist Found in NYC
by Ari Yashar  Caleb Jacoby, the son of Jewish Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby, was found safe and sound in New York City on Thursday night. He had been missing since Monday The Brookline police department announced that they had been cooperating with other police departments, and passed information to the NYPD indicating the 16-year-old was in Times Square. At 9 p.m. on Thursday, the New York police reported that he was found. The particulars as to how he got there are as yet unknown. Caleb's father Jeff wrote on his Twitter account Friday morning: "Our prayers have been answered. We are thrilled to hear from the Brookline Police that our beloved son Caleb has been found and is safe." "Words can’t express our gratitude for the extraordinary outpouring of kindness and support that we have received from so many people," added Jacoby. "All we can think of at this moment is how wonderful it will be to see Caleb again and shower him with love." More than 200 volunteers had been searching for the youth in the Boston region, despite the record breaking cold spell pummeling the US, reports The Yeshiva World News. Jacoby, a student at Maimonides School, was described by his Hebrew teacher Efrat Lipschitz as "a very quiet boy, he's also a very good one. People really love him in school because he is a very good person."
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Everyday of Freedom is an Act of Faith for my writings ============> http://robertoscaruffi.blogspot.com for something on religions ===> http://scaruffi1.blogspot.com
Friday, 10 January 2014
PA of mafiosi.
An Egypt and Arab Secret Police branch, the PA is just part of the big game/clash between the British Empire and the US one.
"Palestinians" would have considerably more rights and welfare with Israeli citizenship.
Dissolve the PA!
Annexation to Israel of the PA
and other occupied territories!
Israeli citizenship for all the people inside its borders!
PA of mafiosi.
An Egypt and Arab Secret Police branch, the PA is just part of the big game/clash between the British Empire and the US one.
"Palestinians" would have considerably more rights and welfare with Israeli citizenship.
Dissolve the PA!
Annexation to Israel of the PA
and other occupied territories!
Israeli citizenship for all the people inside its borders!
