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Archive for February, 2010

SWI NEWS: Friday, February 26, 2010 12 Adar, 5770

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

2 Palestinians hurt in Hebron clashes

Protests over Jewish heritage sites decision continue in West Bank.

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Two Palestinian protesters were reportedly injured in clashes in Hebron Thursday, a day after the Obama administration sharply criticized Israel for designating the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb to the list of Jewish heritage sites marked for renovation and preservation. According to Palestinian reports, four demonstrators were also arrested in the violence just meters from the cave, where dozens of youths threw rocks at Border Police and IDF soldiers. The security forces fired tear gas cannisters to disperse the protesters, who had gathered to protest the Israeli decision. The government's move, announced Sunday, has drawn wide criticism, including from the United Nations. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the administration viewed the move as provocative and unhelpful to the goal of getting the two sides back to the table. Toner said US displeasure with the designations of the Cave of the Patriarchs in the flash point town of Hebron and the traditional tomb of the biblical matriarch Rachel in Bethlehem had been conveyed to senior Israeli officials by American diplomats. Also Thursday, amid the heightened tensions, Palestinians were planning a march in Hebron, to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the Baruch Goldstein massacre. On February 25, 1994, the Israeli-American physician killed 29 Muslims who were praying at the mosque that is part of the Cave of the Patriarchs complex. He wounded another 150 before being beaten to death. To highlight the importance of the cave, Hebron’s Jewish community plans to hold a special prayer service there on Thursday, to mark the Fast of Esther. Both events are being held after three days of violence in Hebron, in which Palestinians have thrown rocks and bottles at soldiers and burned tires. On Wednesday, “an illegal disturbance broke out near the Beit Hamirkahat checkpoint. Rioters burned tires and threw rocks at IDF soldiers," according to the army. The soldiers responded with “crowd dispersal means,” the statement said, adding that there had been no injuries during the incident, which had ended by midday. Tovah Lazaroff and Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report

Ateret Cohanim moves more families into Muslim Quarter

“To have Torah learning and yeshiva students on the outskirts of the Temple Mount shows that the centuries-old Zionist dream is ongoing, as is the process of redemption,” spokesman says.

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The Ateret Cohanim organization, which sponsors numerous initiatives to purchase, or “reclaim,” properties in east Jerusalem for Jewish residency, announced this week that a number of Jewish families had begun moving into a home inside the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, which had been at the center of a years-long legal dispute. According to Ateret Cohanim, the home – a five-room structure near the Temple Mount – was built between 1860 and 1875 by the Schechter and Kantor families in what was then known as the “Hebron Quarter” of the Old City. The two families, the group added, had ties to the Maharal of Prague (1520-1609) and the Vilna Gaon. “The family lived in the house until the Arab riots of 1921, when it evacuated the property for the first time out of fear of the rioters,” a statement from the group read. The family returned a year later, but fled again during the War of Independence, after which, Ateret Cohanim said, their Arab neighbors had begun living in the house. Several years ago, an American investor in Monsey, New York, began assisting Ateret Cohanim with the process of “reclaiming” the home, which included taking on legal fees and various payments to both the Arab residents of the property and the Schechter family estate. After years of legal battles between the Jewish claimants and the Arab residents, the Jerusalem District Court ruled in favor of the claimants, and a number of yeshiva students who study in the area began residing in the home with their families in recent weeks – although certain rooms that are still subject to ongoing legal proceedings have not been utilized. “There are many other houses in the immediate vicinity where today there are yeshivas, many rabbis and students, and about 20 Jewish families,” the Ateret Cohanim statement continued.“They are part of a community of close to 900 Jewish residents, primarily yeshiva and kollel students, rabbis and their families, together with over 120 young children, who are living in the Old Jewish Quarter of the Old City, thanks to the efforts of Ateret Cohanim.” The statement noted that “in the period predating the Arab riots of 1921 and 1929, the Old City had a Jewish majority.” “The Jewish population numbered about 20,000 people, who were living in all parts of the Old City,” it said. “In fact, the Muslim Quarter of today was the hub of Jewish activity, with 21 synagogues and six yeshivas. These people were forced to leave their homes with the outbreak of the bloody events surrounding the Arab riots.” Nonetheless, the move drew criticism from Ir Amim, a Jerusalem-based nonprofit organization that works toward stabilizing relationships between Israelis and Palestinians in the capital. “As far as we are concerned, any such initiative, especially when it’s ideologically inspired, makes a future conclusion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more complicated,” Orly Noy, an Ir Amim spokeswoman, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. “Additionally, such moves are usually supported by the Israeli authorities, which is very problematic in that the government is encouraging right-wing settlement in Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem, including the Old City, even though the official government stance is still dedicated to the peace process,” she continued. But Ateret Cohanim spokesman Daniel Luria responded to those sentiments, saying, “To have Torah learning and yeshiva students on the outskirts of the Temple Mount shows that the centuries-old Zionist dream is ongoing, as is the process of redemption.” Some 4,000 Jews currently live in the Old City, making up 12 percent of the area’s total population. While most of them live inside the Jewish Quarter, some 70 families and hundreds of yeshiva students live in other parts of the Old City.

America joins criticism of Israeli heritage sites Obama Admin (I call him: Obama Bin Laden. Uri-SWI). Criticizes Israeli Heritage Sites

JERUSALEM, Israel - The Obama administration expressed its extreme displeasure with Israel's inclusion of the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb in Jewish Heritage Sites, which are slated for renovation and preservation.

U.S. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said he conveyed the message to senior Israeli officials vis-à-vis American diplomats.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called it a "dangerous provocation" that could lead to "religious war," while Arabs rioted in Hevron.

The United Nations also criticized the decision.

Israelis, both religious and secular, were generally pleased with the government's decision.

Most Jews feel a deep connection with the Cave of the Patriarchs (called the Machpela in Hebrew), where Abraham, Issac and Jacob and their wives are buried, according to the Bible.

Rachel's Tomb, the traditional burial place of Jacob's second wife, is also deeply tied with the biblical history of the Jewish people.

Part of the problem stems from the sites being located in parts of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) now under Palestinian Authority control.

Joseph's Tomb in Nablus (biblical Shechem) and Tel Shiloh are other Jewish biblical sites in PA-controlled areas.

In October 2000, a month after then PA chairman Yasser Arafat launched the second intifada (armed Palestinian uprising), local Arabs pillaged Joseph's Tomb.

Israelis have worked to rebuild the tomb, where Jews are bused in from time to time to hold prayer services.

On Wednesday, Israeli President Shimon Peres addressed the issue in a meeting with Robert Serry, U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East process.

"We don't need to produce artificial conflicts," Peres said.

"Israel will continue to grant freedom of worship to every religion in every holy place," he said, before opening the meeting with the following statement.

"Israel plans to invest significant amounts in infrastructure that will increase the accessibility of holy sites to all worshipers. By doing so it aims to honor and allow freedom of worship to all, irrespective of their faith, and protect the holy sites. There is no violation of Muslim or Christian religious rights in any holy place," he said.

The president asked Serry to convey "this clear message" to the U.N. secretary-general to help quench those individuals who would like to "incite unnecessary conflict."

Aharonovich on Hevron: We're Not Frightened by Threats (IsraelNN.com) Interior Minister Yitzchak Aharonovich responded Thursday to the decision to include the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Cave of Machpelah) in a list of national heritage sites. Aharonovich dismissed threats from terrorist groups following the decision, saying “We aren't afraid of anything.” "Whoever is threatening us – they can keep threatening. I can tell you as a government minister, we have enough strength that those who are threatening us can do nothing but threaten.” The minister added that he supported Netanyahu's decision regarding the Tomb, “and I still support it.” Aharonovich's statements were made in his first-ever press conference with Arab journalists, both foreign and Israeli. A source close to the minister explained that the conference was held in order to fight a trend of disinformation in the Arab media. “There is a vacuum in the Arab media that is filled by political interest groups that consistently give inaccurate information in order to serve their own interests,” he said. Aharonovich, who oversees the Israel Police, also spoke of his efforts to recruit more Arab police officers. The police force and Prison Services currently employ thousands of non-Jewish officers, but most hail from the Druze sector and not the much larger Arab Muslim sector. In order to bring Arab officers into the force, the government has funded a preparatory program to help more Arabs pass the test to join police training, he said. The program is already running, and currently has 40 students. Aharonovich said he is also working with Arab community leaders to help increase the number of Arab policemen. On Wednesday, the Knesset discussed data gathered in 2009 which revealed that crime had risen by 8.4 percent the Arab sector, while falling in the rest of the country, and that 60% of all murders took place in the Arab sector even though the Arabs are only 22% of the population. Knesset members called on police to do more to fight crime in Arab communities. Mossad t-shirt sales soar following Dubai assassination Syria and Iran: A New Middle East without Zionists

DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar Assad welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Damascus on Wednesday.

At a joint press conference, Ahmadinejad spoke of a new Middle East void of Zionists.

"If the Zionist regime wants to repeat its past mistakes, this will bring about its demise and annihilation," he said.

"No one can damage" the close bond between Iran and Syria, Ahmadinejad told reporters. "These ties will become deeper and develop over the years."

"We are brothers. We have mutual interests, as well as common goals and enemies," Ahmadinejad said.

"The Zionists and their protectors have reached a dead end. The Zionist entity will eventually disappear," he said in what has become his mantra on the demise of the Jewish state.

"Its existential philosophy has ended. The Zionist conquerors have reached a dead end. All of their threats against the Palestinians stem from their weakness. If the Zionists repeat their past mistakes, all of the region's nations will uproot them," he said.

"With Allah's help, the new Middle East will be a Middle East without Zionists and imperialists. We hope they will recognize the rights of the region's nations, but they must realize that if they continue along their wrongful path, they have no place in our region," Ahmadinejad said.

"Today, the ties between the region's nations - between Iran, Syria and the resistance movement - are very strong. We believe that developments in the world will benefit Iran, Syria and the region's free governments," he said.

Ahmadinejad advised the U.S. to "pack their things and leave" the region.

" want to dominate the region, but they feel that Iran and Syria are preventing that," he said. "We tell them that instead of interfering in the region's affairs to pack their things and leave," he said.

Assad, for his part, claimed Israel is preparing for war.

"We believe we are facing an entity that is capable of aggression at any point, and we are preparing ourselves for any Israeli aggression, be it small or large scale," the Syrian president said.

"We must be prepared for any Israeli response, under any pretext," he said.

"Israel is directing its threats at Syria and the resistance movements. The threats are also aimed at boosting the Israeli citizens' morale after a series of defeats," Assad said.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told congressmen that the Obama administration's decision to reinstate an ambassador to Syria was not without concerns for Syria's close relationship with Iran and its support of terror groups.

The widespread belief that Israel was behind the January 20 assassination of a top Hamas operative in Dubai has led to a huge increase worldwide in the sales of t-shirts carrying the name of Israel's Mossad spy agency. Israel has refused to comment on the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, but many in the West are convinced the Mossad was behind the hit, including the international media and many Western leaders. Jewish Diaspora communities have played off this by launching campaign urging supporters of Israel to show their pride in the Jewish state and support its right to take down its enemies. Israeli manufacturers and retailers told Ynet that those campaigns have resulted in massive demand for Mossad shirts and paraphernalia. While it remains questionable whether or not Israel was involved, Jerusalem has had a tough time staving off criticism due to the assassins' use of stolen Israeli identities. Dubai police on Wednesday revealed the names of six more suspects in addition to the original 11. Three of the new suspects used forged Australian passports with the identities of Australian-Israeli immigrants. Many Israeli commentators have noted that it was highly unlikely the Mossad would use the identities of average Israelis as cover for its agents

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SWI NEWS: Thursday, February 25, 2010 11 Adar, 5770

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Palestinians to mark massacre Video http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/February/Palestinian-Riots-Ensue-Over-Heritage-Sites/ Violence follows cabinet decision to include Cave of Patriarchs on Heritage list.

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Amid heightened tensions in Hebron, Palestinians plan to march in the city on Thursday, to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the Baruch Goldstein massacre. On February 25, 1994, the Israeli American physician killed 29 Muslims who were praying at the mosque that is part of the Cave of the Patriarchs complex. He wounded another 150 before being beaten to death. The march comes after the cabinet on Sunday added the Cave of the Patriarchs to the list of Jewish heritage sites marked for renovation and preservation. To highlight the importance of the cave, Hebron’s Jewish community plans to hold a special prayer service there on Thursday, to mark the Fast of Esther. Both events are being held after three days of violence in Hebron, in which Palestinians have thrown rocks and bottles at soldiers and burned tires. The army said that on Wednesday, “an illegal disturbance broke out near the Beit Hamirkahat checkpoint. Rioters burned tires and threw rocks at IDF soldiers.” The soldiers responded with “crowd dispersal means,” the statement said, adding that there had been no injuries during the incident, which had ended by midday. The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at Glilot said an upsurge in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank had been recorded over the past week. Rock-throwers targeted army checkpoints and Israeli vehicles in recent days, the center said. On Tuesday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas warned that placing the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem on the heritage list could spark a religious war. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed disappointment with the cabinet decision when he met in New York with Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Ban said he regretted certain recent developments in the area, such as “the inclusion of holy sites in the occupied West Bank on an Israeli heritage list.” Earlier this week, Robert H. Serry, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said, “I urge Israel not to take any steps on the ground which undermine trust or could prejudice negotiations.” The cave where, according to tradition, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah are buried, is the second-holiest site for Jews, after the Temple Mount. On Wednesday, President Shimon Peres met with Serry for a working session at Beit Hanassi and said that holy sites should not be a cause for conflict. There are extremist groups with vested interests – first and foremost, Hamas – which are creating new, artificial conflicts on the ground, Peres told his guest. Explaining the cabinet recent decision with regard to the holy sites, Peres said that resources would be invested in infrastructure and in making the sites more accessible to more worshipers, and that Israel would continue with its policy of freedom of worship for all faiths. The idea was to preserve holy sites to prevent them from falling into further disrepair, without in any way offending the sensibilities of Christians and Muslims or denying them access, said Peres, who asked Serry to make this clear to Ban. Serry, who came to Jerusalem after a series of meetings with leading figures in the PA, discussed what he perceived as a growing crisis of confidence between the Palestinians and the Israelis and emphasized the importance of flexibility in order to significantly advance the diplomatic process. Nonetheless, he was optimistic that hurdles could be overcome and that talks between the sides could resume in the near future. Serry underscored UN efforts to support the resumption of meaningful negotiations. He also appealed for additional Israeli steps to enable the PA to control more of the West Bank. Peres said there was no alternative to direct talks, and that any delay by the Palestinians could only be to their detriment, since failure to reach an accord means further postponement of the establishment of a Palestinian state. He assured Serry that there is consensus in Israel for the principle of two states for two peoples existing side-by-side. Peres added that he had no doubt that the conclusion of negotiations would differ considerably from opening gambits. There was no way to determine at the outset how negotiations would end, he said, but the sooner they start, the better the outcome will be.

Palestinians threaten war over Jewish 'heritage sites'

"Moderate" Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday threatened war over Israel's decision to officially recognize the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb as national heritage sites. The Cave of the Patriarchs - the burial place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah - and Rachel's Tomb are both located in areas that are today controlled by the Palestinian Authority, namely, Hebron and Bethlehem. Speaking to European Union parliamentarians in Brussels, Abbas said that the Israeli cabinet's decision to add those sites to its list of national heritage sites is a "dangerous provocation" that will lead to "religious war." In practical terms, the decision will not effect any changes in the status of the sites, but rather will give them higher priority for refurbishment and preservation. "Rachel’s Tomb and the Tomb of the Patriarch – the burial place for more than 3,500 years of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people – are certainly worthy of being refurbished and preserved," said Israeli government spokesman Nir Hefetz in a statement released to the press. Mark Regev, another Israeli government spokesman, noted that denying the Jews their religious and historical ties to the land is not the way to make peace. "Just as Israel understands the Muslim connection to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, we are entitled to hear from the Palestinian side that they respect our connection to a site that is very important to the Jewish people," Regev was cited by The Jerusalem Post as saying. "It is disappointing to hear other messages from the Palestinian leadership." As usual, the Palestinians found an ally in the UN regarding this issue. On Monday, special UN coordinator for the Middle East, Robert Serry said he was deeply concerned by the Jewish state's audacity in officially recognizing its ties to two sites so sacred to Jews.

Civil marriage bill torpedoed by Kadima, Israel Beiteinu

Measure would have allowed weddings where one partner is Jewish.

Kadima’s attempt to put pressure on coalition member Israel Beiteinu proved costly for both sides on Wednesday, with Israel Beiteinu forced to defend itself against charges of neglecting campaign promises while Kadima once again displayed a lack of party discipline. Kadima MK Meir Sheetrit’s bill to permit civil marriage in cases in which couples could not be married by the Chief Rabbinate fell by a landslide 58-22 in its preliminary reading, with a third of Kadima MKs absent from the roll-call vote. Sheetrit’s bill is the second civil union bill to fail in the Knesset during the long winter session, with a broader Kadima-sponsored bill being defeated in October. Unlike that bill, which would have established civil union for anyone who wished an alternative to the Chief Rabbinate, Sheetrit’s more conservative legislation would have provided the option only for couples in which one or both of the members is not recognized as Jewish. The measure was designed to humiliate Israel Beiteinu, which had promised in their election platform to submit a bill permitting civil union within one year of taking office. The clock on the promise expires on March 31. MK David Rotem (Israel Beiteinu) has promised that his draft will be ready in the near future, but critics of Israel Beiteinu’s plan complained that it is too narrow, only allowing civil marriage when neither member of the couple is recognized as a Jew. Activists in the Russian-speaking community, where the problem of couples unable to marry in Israel is particularly acute, said that Rotem’s bill would provide a solution for approximately 10 percent of those seeking civil marriages. Sheetrit’s bill would have encompassed an estimated 30%. Rotem himself was absent from the floor during the vote on Sheetrit’s bill, although he was present moments before the roll-call vote, and minutes later. Israel Beiteinu chairman Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is in Brussels, and thus was also absent, as were party MKs Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon – who was present in the Knesset less than two hours later – and Anastasia Michaeli. Michaeli and Lieberman were also both absent during the vote on the earlier civil union bill as well. The rest of Israel Beiteinu’s 15-person Knesset faction voted against the bill, waiting instead for their own more limited legislation that is expected to enjoy coalition support. If no bill is passed by Israel Beiteinu, Kadima already said that it is planning to re-submit similar legislation as soon as possible. Kadima must wait six months before submitting identical legislation, but there is no mandatory waiting period before it can submit similar, but different legislation as it did this time. Israel Beiteinu was not the only faction placed in a difficult position by the legislation. Kadima itself proved to be underrepresented during the vote, with at least three MKs who were present in the Knesset building – Ya’acov Edri, Yulia Shamolov Berkovich and Majallie Whbee – absent during the critical vote. Sheetrit spoke at great length introducing his bill, to allow faction aides to enlist as many MKs as they could find to vote. Kadima MK Eli Aflalo, who has complained about a “secularizing” trend in the party, stayed clear of the Knesset. Over half of the nine absent Kadima MKs were among those seen as supporters of MK Shaul Mofaz, who also was included among those absent from the vote. Shamolov Berkovich spoke with opposition whip Dalia Itzik prior to the vote, explaining that she had “personal conflicts” with the legislation. “Unlike Kadima, which is only concerned with public relations – and which, as the governing party [from 2006 to 2009], did absolutely nothing to advance a civil union law, but rather defeated it, Israel Beiteinu anchored the law as part of its coalition agreement,” said Israel Beiteinu spokesman Tal Nachum. “It is important that the Israeli public understand what Kadima MKs are doing, who are apparently divided on this issue as well.” Nachum added that even if all of his party’s faction had supported Sheetrit’s bill, it still would have been resoundingly defeated. Labor, also a member of the government, was torn on the bill as well, with a number of MKs – who in October’s vote on civil union voted against the coalition – on Wednesday avoiding the plenum floor in anticipation of the vote. MK Einat Wilf (Labor), who is herself wed through an overseas civil marriage, said she voted against Sheetrit’s bill due to her loyalty to coalition discipline. “As far as I’m concerned, I personally support civil marriage,” she said, “but the Labor Party is committed to its obligations as part of the coalition.” Wilf did say, however, that she hopes to work within the framework of her party to seek alternatives to opposing civil union bills in the future.

London has become center of Hamas activity Purim 2010, Starring Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

JERUSALEM, Israel - This year, the festival of Purim begins just as the Sabbath ends, at sunset on Saturday, February 27. Because Jerusalem is one of Israel's "walled cities," Purim is celebrated for two days.

But whether for one or two days, the holiday symbolizes the victory of the Jewish people over anti-Semitism wherever it may be found.

Purim is a festive holiday, when children and adults dress up in all kinds of costumes and eat a triangular, fruit-filled pastry, which Israelis call oznei haman (Haman's ears) and Diaspora Jews call hamentashen.

Many Israelis observe the Fast of Esther, commemorating the fast described in chapter 4. It usually takes place the day before Purim, but this year that would fall on Shabbat (the Sabbath) so the fast will take place on Thursday.

The Book of Esther

Most biblical historians place the Book of Esther in the fourth century BCE, during the reign of King Ashasuerus, the Persian emperor, also known as Xerxes I.

The events recorded in this book have strengthened and encouraged communities of Jews throughout centuries of persecution and pogroms in the countries to which they were exiled.

The story begins with a lavish feast hosted by the king in the third year of his reign. When Queen Vashti refuses to appear before him and his guests "wearing her royal crown," Ahashuerus banishes her from her position.

Eventually, the king chooses a new queen, Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin, Mordechai. Their family had been "carried away from Jerusalem" by King Nebuchadnezzar during the Babylonian exile.

Haman Becomes Prime Minister

When Ashasuerus appoints Haman the Agagite as prime minister, he commands all his subjects to bow down before him.

Mordechai refuses, infuriating Haman, who decides to avenge himself by destroying all the Jews in the Persian Empire, which at that time stretched from India to Ethiopia.

Haman tells Ashasuerus of a people living among them whose "laws are different" and who do not keep the king's laws. The king gives him free reign to destroy them.

Though the name of God is never mentioned in the Book of Esther, His divine intervention and perfect timing is evident from start to finish. In the end, Haman's wicked plot is exposed and he is hung on the gallows he prepared for Mordechai.

"On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them." (Esther 9:1b)

A Modern-Day Haman

Today, there's another Persian ruler, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with a similar plan in mind - to wipe the State of Israel and its people off the world's map. Like Haman, Ahmadinejad speaks openly of his distain for this peculiar people. Anti-Semitic rhetoric and attacks on Jewish people are increasing dramatically in almost every nation in the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa to name a few.

That's why this year, perhaps more than ever, the story of Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai will help Israelis and Jews worldwide to trust in God's unseen hand to protect them against those seeking to hurt them.

Week Marked by Surge of Violence in Judea and Samaria (IsraelNN.com) The past week (February 17 – 23) saw an increase in the number of Israeli vehicles attacked with rocks and fire bombs in Judea and Samaria, according to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. One Israeli civilian sustained minor injuries. The Gaza front was relatively quiet, on the other hand, with no rockets hitting Israeli territory. However, on February 18 an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated against an IDF patrol, causing minor injuries to a soldier. Another IED was discovered nearby. Some of the incidents in Judea and Samaria included: Wednesday, February 17 – Rocks were thrown at three Israeli vehicles west of Bethlehem. There were no casualties and no damage was done. Rocks were also thrown at an Israeli vehicle southeast of Bethlehem, causing minor injuries to an Israeli civilian and damaging the vehicle. Rocks were thrown at Israeli automobiles southeast of Kalkilya. There were no casualties and no damage was done. A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli car west of Ramallah. There were no casualties but the vehicle was damaged. A Border Police force at a checkpoint northwest of Jenin, in Samaria, discovered four pipe bombs hidden in the tools of an Arab youth. As part of a cooperation agreement between the Palestinian Authority security forces and the IDF, the PA recently turned over to Israel a rocket which had apparently been manufactured in Judea or Samaria. It would have been launched into the center of Israel. Security forces discovered the rocket following advance information. Thursday, February 18 – A fire bomb was thrown at an Israeli bus southwest of Bethlehem. No casualties, but it was damaged. Sunday, February 21 – Rocks were hurled at an Israeli bus southwest of Bethlehem. No casualties were reported, but the bus was damaged. Monday, February 22 – An Arab arrived at a checkpoint south of Shechem armed with a gun, and threatened an Israeli civilian. IDF soldiers overcame him. Examination proved the gun to be a toy. Also, rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle southwest of Bethlehem. There were no casualties and no damage. A molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli automobile southeast of Kalkilya. There were no casualties but the vehicle was damaged. On the 22nd and 23rd, riots erupted in Hevron after the Israeli government decision to include the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb in a project for the preservation of national heritage sites. A report by Israel's Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) labels London as the new international hub of Hamas political, legal and propaganda efforts. ITIC, a non-governmental organization dedicated to uncovering the activities of Israel's enemies, wrote that Hamas today directs the bulk of its non-violent efforts against Israel via operatives and activists in the British capital. That was evidenced recently in a string of attempted indictments against Israeli leaders in British courts. According to ITIC, Hamas was behind those legal actions. Hamas has found London a perfect center for its operations due to the easily manipulated British free speech laws, an overly tolerant British legal system and the large Arab and Muslim population in the city.

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SWI NEWS: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9 Adar, 5770

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

PA Forces Discover Kassam Rocket

JERUSALEM, Israel - Palestinian Authority forces turned over a Kassam rocket discovered in an Arab village somewhere in the West Bank, Army Radio reported on Monday.

According to the report, the rocket, which had been manufactured there, was ready to be fired into central Israel.

The IDF noted increasing cooperation with PA security forces, who dismantled the rocket before it could be launched.

In a related incident on Sunday, Palestinians opened fire from a car on IDF troops responding to rocks being hurled at Israeli vehicles near the Arab village of Housan, west of Bethlehem. The driver tried unsuccessfully to run over the soldiers.

On Saturday, a similar incident occurred near Edurim close to the PA-controlled city of Hevron when a Palestinian driver opened fire and then tried to run down soldiers. The troops returned fire, injuring two Palestinians.

The soldiers were following up on a report that Palestinians were attempting to steal vehicles in the area. When the troops arrived, the would-be thieves began driving away. One of them tried to run over several soldiers.

Also on Saturday, IDF forces opened fired at Palestinian terrorists approaching the security barrier along the border with the Gaza Strip, Army Radio reported.

A day earlier, troops fired on Palestinians planting explosive devices along the fence near Kibbutz Kissufim.

On Thursday, a soldier from the Golani Brigade was wounded when Palestinians remotely detonated a bomb in the same general area.

Troops later discovered more bombs along the barrier, which IDF sappers detonated in controlled explosions.

French reconsider recognizing Palestine

Sarkozy, Kouchner stress state must be established in negotiations.

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Middle East peace talks must be restarted to avoid a “catastrophe,” French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared Monday after meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris, stepping back from the idea that the EU should recognize a Palestinian state before an agreement is signed. “If there are no talks... we take the risk, the international community, of a third intifada,” Sarkozy said at a joint news conference with Abbas. “If we do nothing it will be a catastrophe.” However, Sarkozy backed off of the notion of declaring a Palestinian state before borders with Israel are defined, as suggested over the weekend by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Kouchner himself also seemed to backtrack, co-writing an op-ed Monday in Le Monde with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos in which they said that Europe would “collectively recognize a Palestinian state” at the end of the diplomatic process. Despite US Mideast envoy George Mitchell’s efforts, the two foreign ministers wrote in the piece, which called for greater European involvement in the process, that the political process has not succeeded. “Europe needs to step in today and give guarantees of political and financial security for Israelis and Palestinians to help overcome the ‘risks of peace,’” they wrote. Kouchner and Moratinos wrote that the indirect “proximity talks” now being discussed needed to be augmented by a timeline, and a “mechanism” that would accompany the talks and “learn from the lessons of the past.” The two foreign ministers said that Europe could also advance bold “confidence-building measures” on the ground, and hold a peace conference that could stabilize and strengthen a positive dynamic. Israeli diplomatic officials said it was telling that the two foreign ministers decided to come out with their program in an op-ed, and not to include it in a statement at the end of the EU foreign ministers meeting held Monday in Brussels. They opted for this path, one official said, because it would be too difficult and cumbersome for them to reach a consensus on the matter inside the EU. Sarkozy, meanwhile, said at his press conference with Abbas, in which the two men made a strong display of solidarity, that they agreed on the ingredients needed to create a Palestinian state while guaranteeing Israeli security and border security. “Everybody knows the terms of a definitive peace accord,” Sarkozy said. These include the two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital of each, a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, land exchanges and talks on the status of Palestinian refugees. Abbas also seemed to dismiss the idea of recognition of statehood before the negotiations were concluded. “Negotiations first, proclamation of a state later,” he said, before adding that he has not excluded reaching out to the UN Security Council if talks keep stalling. Sarkozy said he would discuss Middle East peace negotiations with President Barack Obama during a state visit to Washington at the end of March. No firm date has been set.

'Support Israel at this crucial time'

In spite of differences, US Jews must defend Israelis, ambassador says.

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WASHINGTON – Ambassador to the US Michael Oren urged a gathering of American Jews to support Israel despite any reservations or differences of opinion regarding Israeli policy. “In spite of some of the differences that sometimes divide you and in spite of the differences you may have with our decisions, respect them, for they have been made by the majority of Israelis, through one of the world’s most resilient democracies,” he said Sunday night, addressing the Jewish Council for Public Affairs annual plenum in Dallas, Texas. In blunt words, he urged American Jews to support Israel while it is at a “crucial crossroads” in the peace process. “Support us, too, if we decide the peace being offered us is not a real peace and does not warrant those sacrifices and risks,” he said. “Join us in fighting for Israel’s right to defend itself, in fighting for Israel’s right to exist.” The comments, which seemed directed at the US administration’s frustration with the peace process, also come after Oren softened his view of J Street, the self-described “pro-peace, pro-Israel” lobby. The Netanyahu government has had an uneasy relationship with J Street, and this past fall Oren pointedly declined an invitation to attend the group’s kick-off policy conference in Washington. But in a February 10 interview with the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, Oren said J Street had moved “much more into the mainstream.” “The major concern with J Street was their position on security issues, not the peace process. J Street has now come and supported Congressman Berman’s Iran sanction bill; it has condemned the Goldstone Report; it has denounced the British court’s decision to try Tzipi Livni for war crimes, which puts J Street much more into the mainstream,” Oren said. The ambassador opened his talk on Sunday by discussing another speech, given on February 8 at the University of California, Irvine, where 11 students heckled him off the stage. He returned and finished his speech, and the students were later arrested. “Their goal was to undermine the freedom of expression and at the same time to delegitimize the Jewish state,” he said. “Civility, the ability to hear others’ opinions and be heard, is an essential weapon in Israel’s defense. We have a case to be made,” he said. During his talk Sunday, Oren referenced “long-simmering issues” between American and Israeli Jews. “While Israelis turned toward the center and right,” he said, “American Jews gravitated in the other direction, casting 80 percent of their ballots for Barack Obama.” Mentioning issues of conversion, he also focused on the “Women of the Wall” incident at the Kotel earlier this month, when 200 women wearing tallit were heckled and called Nazis by haredi men. “There are good solutions for the issues at the Kotel,” he said during a question-and-answer session. “It will require compromise on everyone’s behalf.”

'J'lem city wall dates back to King Solomon'

"It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel," says archeologist Eilat Mazar.

Ancient stone fortifications that were recently uncovered outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City date back some 3,000 years to the time of King Solomon and support the biblical narrative about the era, according to archeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar, who spoke to a group of reporters at the site on Monday. If the age of the wall is correct, the finding would be an indication that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government that had the resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications in the 10th century BCE. "It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel," Mazar said on Monday. "And it means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction." The section of the city wall revealed, which is 70 meters long and six meters high, is located in the area known as the Ophel, between the City of David and the southern wall of the Temple Mount. An inner gatehouse for access into the royal quarter of the city was uncovered in the city wall complex, along with a royal structure adjacent to the gatehouse and a corner tower that overlooks a substantial section of the adjacent Kidron Valley. The excavations in the Ophel area were carried out over a three-month period under the auspices of Hebrew University and with funding provided by Daniel Mintz and Meredith Berkman, a New York couple interested in biblical archeology. The excavations were carried out in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the Company for the Development of East Jerusalem. Archeology students from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as well as volunteer students from the Herbert W. Armstrong College in Edmond, Oklahoma and hired workers all participated in the excavation work. "The city wall that has been uncovered testifies to a ruling presence," Mazar said. "Its strength and form of construction indicate a high level of engineering, and the city wall is at the eastern end of the Ophel area in a high, strategic location atop the western slope of the Kidron Valley. "A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site, enable us to postulate, with a great degree of assurance, that the wall that has been revealed is that which was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem in the latter part of the tenth century BCE," she continued. "This is the first time that a structure from that time has been found that may correlate with written descriptions of Solomon's building in Jerusalem," she added. "The Bible tells us that Solomon built - with the assistance of the Phoenicians, who were outstanding builders - the Temple and his new palace and surrounded them with a city, most probably connected to the more ancient wall of the City of David." Mazar specifically cited the third chapter of Kings I, which includes the words "until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about." The six-meter-high gatehouse of the uncovered city wall complex is built in a style typical of those from the period of the First Temple, like Megiddo, Beersheba and Ashdod. It has a symmetrical plan of four identical small rooms, two on each side of the main passageway. A large, adjacent tower also stood at the site, covering an area of 24 by 18 meters, where it served as a watchtower to protect entry to the city. Today the tower is located under the nearby road and still needs to be excavated. Pottery shards discovered within the fill of the lowest floor of the royal building near the gatehouse also testify to the 10th-century-BCE dating of the complex. On the floor, excavators found remnants of large storage jars that survived destruction by fire and that were found in rooms that apparently served as storage areas on the ground floor of the building. One of the jars shows a partial inscription in ancient Hebrew indicating it belonged to a high-level government official. "The jars that were found are the largest ever found in Jerusalem," said Mazar, adding that "the inscription found on one of them shows that it belonged to a government official, apparently the person responsible for overseeing the provision of baked goods to the royal court." In addition to the pottery shards, cult figurines were also found in the area, as were seal impressions on jar handles with the word "to the king," testifying to their usage within the monarchy. Also found were seal impressions (bullae) with Hebrew names, indicating the royal nature of the structure. Nonetheless, other archeologists posit that the biblical narrative reflecting the existence of a powerful monarchy in Jerusalem is largely mythical and that there was no strong government to speak of in that era. Aren Maeir, an archeology professor at Bar Ilan University, said he has yet to see evidence that the fortifications are as old as Mazar claims. There are remains from the 10th century in Jerusalem, he said, but proof of a strong, centralized kingdom at that time remains "tenuous." While some see the biblical account of the kingdoms of David and Solomon as accurate and others reject it entirely, Maeir said the truth was likely somewhere in the middle. "There's a kernel of historicity in the story of the kingdom of David," he said. AP contributed to this report

Israel’s Newest Drone Makes Its Debut Video http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/February/Israels-Newest-Drone-Makes-Its-Debut/

TEL NOF BASE – The Israel Air Force introduced its newest UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone) on Sunday. The Heron TP, nicknamed Eitan, can fly up to 20 hours nonstop at altitudes as high as 40,000 feet, putting Iran within its range.

“The air force has marked another important milestone in the development of UAVs,” said OC Air Force Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan at the Tel Nof Air Force Base on Sunday.

IAF Brig. Gen. Amikam Norkin, head of the base from which the new drone will operate, called the Eitan “a technological and operational breakthrough.”

Manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, the huge aircraft, with a wingspan of 86 feet, is size of a Boeing 737 passenger jet.

It is powered by a 1,200 HP engine and can carry very large cargoes.

Eitan is also equipped with satellite communications capabilities.

“To my knowledge, this is the most advanced UAV of its kind in the world, and it is especially well-suited for IAF missions,” said Lt. Col Eyal, lead officer of the Eitan project.

“It can complete a very wide range of missions and adds specialized intelligence capabilities to the IAF. Very few UAVs in the world can reach its capabilities,” he said.

Arabs riot over Jewish history in Hebron

Report: Netanyahu authorized assassination of Hamas man

Arabs Begin to Blame Their Own Leaders for ’Refugee' Status (IsraelNN.com) Arabs who left Israel in the 1948 are are beginning to blame Arab countries for leaving them stateless after promising a quick return to “Palestine.” "They said, 'A week, two weeks, approximately, and you'll return to Palestine,'" Sadek Mufid, formerly of Akko (Acre) and now living in Lebanon, recently told Palestinian Authority television. His comments were translated by Palestinian Media Watch. Saudi Arabia has led an Arab world demand that normalization of ties with Israel and the establishment of the PA as a state be conditioned on Israel's allowing the immigration of approximately five million Arabs. Most of them are descendants of Arabs who claim they used to live in Israel. The United Nations has classified them as “refugees” and placed them in villages, known as “camps,” in Judea, Samaria and Gaza and Arab countries. The Arab designation of “refugees” is maintained today by the refusal of Arab countries to allow them citizenship, voting rights, or the ability to move into better housing, in order to preserve their “unique status.” Mufid’s testimony represents a new trend of Arab leaders, writers and former Israeli Arab residents who have begun to speak out and openly blame the Arab leadership for the creation of their situation. Mufid describes a mass departure to Lebanon from Israel, which led to the creation of "11 or 15 refugee camps." He does not place the blame on Israel. As Palestinian Media Watch has previously reported, other recent accounts also describe a deliberate exit from Israel under orders from Arab leaders, as the Israeli government has always claimed, which contradicts the Palestinian leadership's charge that the hundreds of thousands of Arabs who left in 1948 were expelled by Israel. Mufid, who left the village of Dir Al-Qasi near Akko in 1948, told the PA TV's weekly program Returning, "We headed first from Dir al-Qasi to Rmaich , considering what they said at the time: 'By Allah, in a week or two, you will return to Palestine.' “The Arab armies entered Palestine, along with the Arab Liberation Army. We left - we and those who fled with us - and we all headed for Lebanon. Some people came to Rmaich and others came to the villages on the border, such as Ein Ibl and also to Bnit Jibil. People scattered. And we have about 11 or 15 camps in Lebanon." In another PA television interview, an elderly Arab recalled how his family left Ein Kerem, in eastern Jerusalem. “The radio stations of the Arab regimes kept repeating to us. ‘Get away from the battle lines. It's a matter of 10 days or two weeks at the most, and we'll bring you back to Ein Kerem.’ “And we said to ourselves, 'That's a very long time. What is this? Two weeks? That's a lot!' That's what we thought . And now 50 years have gone by." Two years ago, Jordanian-based Aryan journalist Jawad Al Bashiti wrote in Al-Ayyam, “The reasons for the Palestinian Catastrophe are the same reasons that have produced and are still producing our catastrophes today... The first war between Arabs and Israel had started and the ‘Arab Salvation Army’ told the Palestinians, ‘We have come to you in order to liquidate the Zionists and their state. Leave your houses and villages, you will return to them in a few days safely. Leave them so we can fulfill our mission in the best way and so you won't be hurt.' It became clear already then, when it was too late, that the support of the Arab states was a big illusion. According to an unnamed source cited by London's Sunday Times, Israel was in fact behind last months assassination of a top Hamas operative in Dubai, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally authorized the hit. The Israeli source told the newspaper that Netanyahu visited Mossad headquarters in early January and was told of a plan to take out Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh shortly after he checked into his hotel in Dubai. According to the report, Netanyahu wished the best of luck to Mossad chief Meir Dagan and several of the agents who were to take part in the hit. A day earlier, Dubai police officials claimed they were in possession of evidence that firmly linked Israel's Mossad spy agency to the assassination, and would publicize that information shortly. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon responded by saying there was no such evidence because Israel was not involved. Dubai police have already released security camera footage and passport photos of the suspected 11-man hit squad. Nearly all of the suspects are clearly of Middle Eastern descent, though all were carrying European passports. Most of the names on the passports were of Israelis who had immigrated from those European nations years earlier. Several of those named later appeared on Israeli television shocked and confused, and clearly not the same people as those shown in the photographs. Israeli commentators continue to note that it is highly unlikely the Mossad would have stolen the identities of average Israelis as cover for is agents. More likely is that a Middle East regime that was both interested in eliminated a top Hamas operative and in smearing Israel is responsible. The top suspect for those who follow this thinking is the Palestinian Authority.

A mob of Palestinian Arabs threatened the small Jewish community living in the Judean town of Hebron on Monday in response to the Israeli government's decision a day earlier to recognize the local Cave of the Patriarchs as a national heritage site. During the disruption, the Arabs hurled stones, burning tires and firebombs at Jewish civilians and Israeli soldiers. One soldier was lightly wounded. The Cave of the Patriarchs, or Cave of Machpelah in Hebrew, is the traditional burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah. The Arabs, who claim descent from Abraham, also revere the site and have an area of the cave set apart as a mosque. The burial place of Jacob's other wife, Rachel, on the outskirts of Bethlehem also received heritage status in the government decision. The two sites were not originally on the list of newly-recognized heritage sites due to their location in Palestinian-controlled areas, but were added following heavy pressure from right-wing factions in the government. The Jews of Hebron praised the decision, and urged the government to continue to standing up to Arab and international efforts to sever the Jews' historical ties to the land.

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Archive for February, 2010

SWI NEWS: Friday, February 26, 2010 12 Adar, 5770

“To have Torah learning and yeshiva students on the outskirts of the Temple Mount shows that the centuries-old Zionist dream is ongoing, as is the process of redemption,” spokesman says.

SWI NEWS: Thursday, February 25, 2010 11 Adar, 5770

Measure would have allowed weddings where one partner is Jewish.

SWI NEWS: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9 Adar, 5770

Sarkozy, Kouchner stress state must be established in negotiations.

In spite of differences, US Jews must defend Israelis, ambassador says.

"It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel," says archeologist Eilat Mazar.

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Archive for February, 2010

SWI NEWS: Friday, February 26, 2010 12 Adar, 5770

“To have Torah learning and yeshiva students on the outskirts of the Temple Mount shows that the centuries-old Zionist dream is ongoing, as is the process of redemption,” spokesman says.

SWI NEWS: Thursday, February 25, 2010 11 Adar, 5770

Measure would have allowed weddings where one partner is Jewish.

SWI NEWS: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9 Adar, 5770

Sarkozy, Kouchner stress state must be established in negotiations.

In spite of differences, US Jews must defend Israelis, ambassador says.

"It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel," says archeologist Eilat Mazar.

Pages

***Uri's Links***

Christan Friends of Israel

Israel Blog's in English

Israel Blog's in German

SWI & Israel Shalom Blogs

SWI & Israel Shalom Service

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Meta

Categories

Uri's Links