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1. IAF Strikes Gaza Terrorists
by Hana Levi Julian
Israel Air Force fighter pilots struck a terror cell of rocket launchers in northern Gaza Friday morning after they launched a barrage of rockets at the western Negev.
A Gaza radio station reported that two of the three terrorists who were wounded in the strike were members of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, according to the Associated Press. A Gaza Health Ministry official said the strike was aimed at a Hamas police installation.
At least ten Kassam rockets were fired at Gaza Belt communities Friday morning, with seven exploding in and around the western Negev city of Sderot. Two rockets slammed into areas close to Ashkelon, further north and along the coast.
The Hamas terrorist organization which controls Gaza claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on one of the group's internet websites.
One of the homemade missiles hit a power pole next to a house in Sderot, damaging the building and traumatizing a high school student, who was treated for shock. A number of cars were damaged in the city, and property was damaged in a nearby community as well.
Magen David Adom (MDA) said that a 70-year-old woman with mild shrapnel wounds suffered a cardiac incident; she was evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Four others who suffered severe emotional shock were taken to Sderot's trauma center. Two people were treated at the scene for trauma, but refused to go to the hospital.
On Thursday Israel sent a message to Hamas through Egyptian mediators warning that although the Jewish State was interested in maintaining the temporary truce, or tahadiyeh, it would nonetheless retaliate if attacked. "Israel will not be the first to breach the lull," said a senior diplomatic source in Jerusalem quoted by Haaretz, "but as long as Hamas and the other organizations undertake actions that violate the calm, we will not hesitate to act." Hamas has accused Israel of perpetrating provocations.
Numerous intelligence reports have indicated that Hamas is planning to carry out a mass-casualty attack as well as hoping to abduct another Iisraeli soldier, either through a tunnel similar to the one used in the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit almost two and a half years ago, or by a terrorist cell infiltrating into pre-1967 Israel.
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by Hana Levi Julian
Israel Air Force fighter pilots struck a terror cell of rocket launchers in northern Gaza Friday morning after they launched a barrage of rockets at the western Negev.
A Gaza radio station reported that two of the three terrorists who were wounded in the strike were members of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, according to the Associated Press. A Gaza Health Ministry official said the strike was aimed at a Hamas police installation.
At least ten Kassam rockets were fired at Gaza Belt communities Friday morning, with seven exploding in and around the western Negev city of Sderot. Two rockets slammed into areas close to Ashkelon, further north and along the coast.
The Hamas terrorist organization which controls Gaza claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on one of the group's internet websites.
One of the homemade missiles hit a power pole next to a house in Sderot, damaging the building and traumatizing a high school student, who was treated for shock. A number of cars were damaged in the city, and property was damaged in a nearby community as well.
Magen David Adom (MDA) said that a 70-year-old woman with mild shrapnel wounds suffered a cardiac incident; she was evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Four others who suffered severe emotional shock were taken to Sderot's trauma center. Two people were treated at the scene for trauma, but refused to go to the hospital.
On Thursday Israel sent a message to Hamas through Egyptian mediators warning that although the Jewish State was interested in maintaining the temporary truce, or tahadiyeh, it would nonetheless retaliate if attacked. "Israel will not be the first to breach the lull," said a senior diplomatic source in Jerusalem quoted by Haaretz, "but as long as Hamas and the other organizations undertake actions that violate the calm, we will not hesitate to act." Hamas has accused Israel of perpetrating provocations.
Numerous intelligence reports have indicated that Hamas is planning to carry out a mass-casualty attack as well as hoping to abduct another Iisraeli soldier, either through a tunnel similar to the one used in the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit almost two and a half years ago, or by a terrorist cell infiltrating into pre-1967 Israel.
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2. Rocket Barrage on Ashkelon
by Hana Levi Julian
Gaza terrorists aimed a barrage of Kassam rockets at the coastal city of Ashkelon late Friday morning, just a few hours after attacking Jewish communities in the Gaza Belt. It is not certain if the rockets are Kassams or the longer-range Katyusha rockets.
Five rockets were fired at the port city by terrorists in the Hamas-controlled region at approximately 11:30 a.m. A number of people in the city – including children -- were treated for emotional trauma and shock.
Earlier in the day, Hamas terrorist launched a volley of ten Kassam rockets at Jewish communities in the western Negev. Seven of the homemade missiles exploded in the rocket-battered city of Sderot. Two slammed into areas close to Ashkelon, further to the north.
One 70-year-old woman suffered shrapnel wounds in the attack and was taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Four others were also evacuated to the Sderot Trauma Center suffering from emotional shock. Two people were treated for severe anxiety at the scene and refused to be evacuated.
The IDF instructed residents in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council district to stay close to bomb shelters and safe rooms until further notice. Schools were warned not to allow their students to go outside during break time.
Magen David Adom has raised its alert level in the south in the wake of the attacks, and all ambulances are on alert.
Sderot Mayor David Buskila slammed the government for its failure to effectively deal with the onslaughts, calling them “intolerable” and saying that the government was demonstrating its “powerlessness and inability” to deal with the attacks.
“It is sad to be a citizen of a country that cannot deploy its army to give an immediate response to this phenomenon,” he told reporters while standing at the site of one of the attacks in his city.
Meanwhile, Shas party chairman Eli Yishai called on the government to convene the Security Cabinet for an urgent meeting to discuss the morning’s attacks.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor told IDF Army Radio, “In practice, there is no truce, and we cannot tolerate a situation in which Sderot and Gaza Belt residents are abandoned. There is a deterioration that must be dealt with.”
More than 130 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at southern Israel since November 4th.
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by Hana Levi Julian
Gaza terrorists aimed a barrage of Kassam rockets at the coastal city of Ashkelon late Friday morning, just a few hours after attacking Jewish communities in the Gaza Belt. It is not certain if the rockets are Kassams or the longer-range Katyusha rockets.
Five rockets were fired at the port city by terrorists in the Hamas-controlled region at approximately 11:30 a.m. A number of people in the city – including children -- were treated for emotional trauma and shock.
Earlier in the day, Hamas terrorist launched a volley of ten Kassam rockets at Jewish communities in the western Negev. Seven of the homemade missiles exploded in the rocket-battered city of Sderot. Two slammed into areas close to Ashkelon, further to the north.
One 70-year-old woman suffered shrapnel wounds in the attack and was taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Four others were also evacuated to the Sderot Trauma Center suffering from emotional shock. Two people were treated for severe anxiety at the scene and refused to be evacuated.
The IDF instructed residents in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council district to stay close to bomb shelters and safe rooms until further notice. Schools were warned not to allow their students to go outside during break time.
Magen David Adom has raised its alert level in the south in the wake of the attacks, and all ambulances are on alert.
Sderot Mayor David Buskila slammed the government for its failure to effectively deal with the onslaughts, calling them “intolerable” and saying that the government was demonstrating its “powerlessness and inability” to deal with the attacks.
“It is sad to be a citizen of a country that cannot deploy its army to give an immediate response to this phenomenon,” he told reporters while standing at the site of one of the attacks in his city.
Meanwhile, Shas party chairman Eli Yishai called on the government to convene the Security Cabinet for an urgent meeting to discuss the morning’s attacks.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor told IDF Army Radio, “In practice, there is no truce, and we cannot tolerate a situation in which Sderot and Gaza Belt residents are abandoned. There is a deterioration that must be dealt with.”
More than 130 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at southern Israel since November 4th.
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3. Friedmann: Quid Pro Quo on Gaza
by Hana Levi Julian
Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann recommended on Thursday that Israel impose a new restriction on Gaza aimed at moving forward negotiations for the freedom of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Friedmann proposed that permits to enter the Hamas-controlled region be granted to foreign missions only on the condition they be allowed to visit Shalit, held captive by Hamas after his abduction near the Kerem Shalom Crossing on June 25, 2006.
“In the future, if the question comes up of letting in a humanitarian mission… it should be made conditional that the visitors meet with Gilad Shalit, check the conditions under which he is being held, and explanations provided why Hamas commits such a serious violation of international law regarding the conditions of his captivity,” Friedmann asserted.
The Justice Minister’s recommendation came in response to a Hamas protest over Israel’s refusal this week to allow a European fact-finding mission to enter Gaza. The group, which was framed in context of a humanitarian mission, expressed concern about the situation in the region after Israel shut down the crossings into Gaza.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the closures, which lasted about a week, in retaliation for dozens of rocket and mortar attacks that were fired from the region at Jewish communities in the western Negev.
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by Hana Levi Julian
Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann recommended on Thursday that Israel impose a new restriction on Gaza aimed at moving forward negotiations for the freedom of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Friedmann proposed that permits to enter the Hamas-controlled region be granted to foreign missions only on the condition they be allowed to visit Shalit, held captive by Hamas after his abduction near the Kerem Shalom Crossing on June 25, 2006.
“In the future, if the question comes up of letting in a humanitarian mission… it should be made conditional that the visitors meet with Gilad Shalit, check the conditions under which he is being held, and explanations provided why Hamas commits such a serious violation of international law regarding the conditions of his captivity,” Friedmann asserted.
The Justice Minister’s recommendation came in response to a Hamas protest over Israel’s refusal this week to allow a European fact-finding mission to enter Gaza. The group, which was framed in context of a humanitarian mission, expressed concern about the situation in the region after Israel shut down the crossings into Gaza.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the closures, which lasted about a week, in retaliation for dozens of rocket and mortar attacks that were fired from the region at Jewish communities in the western Negev.
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4. Likud Discusses Arab Israelis
by Maayana Miskin
The World Likud met Thursday to discuss the issues facing Israel. The meeting, the second of its kind, was attended by senior party activists and Members of Knesset as well as Likud supporters from the United States, Turkey, Peru, Australia and elsewhere.
The central discussion focused on the question: “Israel's Arabs—equal citizens, or a fifth column?” The issue was debated by MK Yisrael Katz, World Likud head Danny Danon, and Yariv Oppenheimer, head of the extreme-left Peace Now group.
MK Katz discussed the need for legislation that would protect Israel from those seeking to destroy it. If this legislation is not passed, he said, Arab Israelis who are hostile to the state could take advantage of its democratic nature to do harm.
Danny Danon said the main problem in the Arab community within pre-1967 Israel is its leaders. “Israeli Arab leaders are acting under various organizations in order to undermine and harm the state,” he said. “Our responsibility as Jews who established a state after 2,000 years of exile is to maintain our security, including from those who try to destroy the state from within.”
Danon, who is planning to run for a seat in the next Knesset, said, “When I'm a Member of Knesset in another few months, I'll make sure the Shin Bet investigates Israeli Arab leaders and their ties to terrorist groups and enemy states.” Danon has led a campaign to end benefits given to former MK Azmi Bishara, who fled the country after investigators revealed evidence that he gave security information to Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War.
Yariv Oppenheimer spoke of Israel's obligations to Arab citizens, who he said should be treated as equal in every way. Oppenheimer and his group have often accused Israel of discrimination against Arab citizens, who are poorer on average than the Jewish citizens.
Oppenheimer's speech was met by opposition from several audience members, some of whom called out, “You go live in Umm el-Fahm.” Umm el-Fahm is an Arab city known to be hostile to Israeli Jews, where Jewish nationalists plan to hold a march soon. Danon stepped in to quiet the crowd.
Comment on this story
by Maayana Miskin
The World Likud met Thursday to discuss the issues facing Israel. The meeting, the second of its kind, was attended by senior party activists and Members of Knesset as well as Likud supporters from the United States, Turkey, Peru, Australia and elsewhere.
The central discussion focused on the question: “Israel's Arabs—equal citizens, or a fifth column?” The issue was debated by MK Yisrael Katz, World Likud head Danny Danon, and Yariv Oppenheimer, head of the extreme-left Peace Now group.
MK Katz discussed the need for legislation that would protect Israel from those seeking to destroy it. If this legislation is not passed, he said, Arab Israelis who are hostile to the state could take advantage of its democratic nature to do harm.
Danny Danon said the main problem in the Arab community within pre-1967 Israel is its leaders. “Israeli Arab leaders are acting under various organizations in order to undermine and harm the state,” he said. “Our responsibility as Jews who established a state after 2,000 years of exile is to maintain our security, including from those who try to destroy the state from within.”
Danon, who is planning to run for a seat in the next Knesset, said, “When I'm a Member of Knesset in another few months, I'll make sure the Shin Bet investigates Israeli Arab leaders and their ties to terrorist groups and enemy states.” Danon has led a campaign to end benefits given to former MK Azmi Bishara, who fled the country after investigators revealed evidence that he gave security information to Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War.
Yariv Oppenheimer spoke of Israel's obligations to Arab citizens, who he said should be treated as equal in every way. Oppenheimer and his group have often accused Israel of discrimination against Arab citizens, who are poorer on average than the Jewish citizens.
Oppenheimer's speech was met by opposition from several audience members, some of whom called out, “You go live in Umm el-Fahm.” Umm el-Fahm is an Arab city known to be hostile to Israeli Jews, where Jewish nationalists plan to hold a march soon. Danon stepped in to quiet the crowd.
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5. Israel Intervenes to Nab Killer
by Maayana Miskin
Israeli forces entered territory policed by the Palestinian Authority this week in order to arrest a PA man accused of murdering his wife, an Israeli citizen. Israeli forces usually enter areas policed by the PA only to conduct counterterrorism operations, and leave fighting crime to the PA.
The detainee, whose name has not been released, lived with his wife Nadra Samara Badran in the PA-controlled city of Shechem until two months ago, when Nadra fled from her husband to her hometown, the Israeli Arab city of Tira.
Nadra, 29 years old and a mother to four, filed a complaint against her husband with Israeli police, accusing him of violently attacking her. Since the husband is not an Israeli citizen, police transferred the complaint to PA Police and asked them to restrain the husband.
The complaint was ineffective: On October 29, just over a month after Nadra escaped her husband, he managed to infiltrate Tira, where he found his wife working in a flower shop. He entered the shop and shot her, then fled the scene. Nadra died of her wounds before reaching a hospital.
The murderer fled to a small village near Shechem, where he was caught and arrested by PA Police. However, PA officers decided to release the killer shortly afterward without pressing charges.
Upon learning that the killer had been released, Israeli police decided to take matters into their own hands. Police officers worked with the IDF to locate the man, and conducted an undercover arrest operation on Wednesday night.
This time the killer was not handed over to PA police, and instead was taken to a police station in Ramle. Police will ask the Ramle Magistrates Court to extend the man's remand until trial.
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by Maayana Miskin
Israeli forces entered territory policed by the Palestinian Authority this week in order to arrest a PA man accused of murdering his wife, an Israeli citizen. Israeli forces usually enter areas policed by the PA only to conduct counterterrorism operations, and leave fighting crime to the PA.
The detainee, whose name has not been released, lived with his wife Nadra Samara Badran in the PA-controlled city of Shechem until two months ago, when Nadra fled from her husband to her hometown, the Israeli Arab city of Tira.
Nadra, 29 years old and a mother to four, filed a complaint against her husband with Israeli police, accusing him of violently attacking her. Since the husband is not an Israeli citizen, police transferred the complaint to PA Police and asked them to restrain the husband.
The complaint was ineffective: On October 29, just over a month after Nadra escaped her husband, he managed to infiltrate Tira, where he found his wife working in a flower shop. He entered the shop and shot her, then fled the scene. Nadra died of her wounds before reaching a hospital.
The murderer fled to a small village near Shechem, where he was caught and arrested by PA Police. However, PA officers decided to release the killer shortly afterward without pressing charges.
Upon learning that the killer had been released, Israeli police decided to take matters into their own hands. Police officers worked with the IDF to locate the man, and conducted an undercover arrest operation on Wednesday night.
This time the killer was not handed over to PA police, and instead was taken to a police station in Ramle. Police will ask the Ramle Magistrates Court to extend the man's remand until trial.
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6. Bereaved Parents vs. Kadima
by Maayana Miskin
A group of parents who lost their children in the Second Lebanon War is planning to kick off a campaign against Kadima in the near future, David Einhorn revealed Thursday. Einhorn, who lost his son Yonatan in the war, said Israel is “at the moment of truth” and must not elect Kadima a second time.
The parents' message will be “that this party, as long as it has the same leadership as it did during the Second Lebanon War, cannot — must not — be a part of the next government, and all the more so must not be allowed to lead the next government,” Einhorn explained.
Einhorn was not discouraged by recent polls showing Kadima as the second most powerful party, with an expected 28 seats to Likud's 33. Just a few days ago polls showed Kadima and Likud tied with 29 seats each, he pointed out. Kadima will continue to drop in the polls, while Likud will rise, he predicted.
"It could be that some still think [Foreign Ministe Tzipi Livni is some sort of savior for the Kadima party, but as time passes, they'll see that it's the same Kadima,” he said. Part of the parents' task will be showing the public that Livni does not represent change, he said. Livni sat in the government during the war, he said, and those senior members of Kadima she hopes to form a cabinet with were a factor in Kadima's failures. None have taken responsibility for their mistakes, he said.
Livni told then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down when the Winograd commission said he was responsible for wartime failures, Einhorn said, but then failed to follow through and remained in Olmert's government. Livni “knows how to talk, and knows how to make promises—but when it comes time for deeds, she's not able to put her words into action,” he said.
The parents are now planning their campaign, he said. They agreed to work together out of concern, he said, adding that “a state like ours” must not elect Kadima. “We can fall once — even that is dangerous — but if we fall a second time, we might not be able to rise again,” he warned.
The parents do not have the funding to buy air time on major media outlets, he admitted, but are determined to do whatever necessary to get their message to the public. Anyone who believes, as the parents do, that Kadima must not gain power a second time is welcome to join the campaign, he said. The group is not afraid of the difficulties it will face or the price it might pay, he added. “We already paid the ultimate price — our children.”
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by Maayana Miskin
A group of parents who lost their children in the Second Lebanon War is planning to kick off a campaign against Kadima in the near future, David Einhorn revealed Thursday. Einhorn, who lost his son Yonatan in the war, said Israel is “at the moment of truth” and must not elect Kadima a second time.
The parents' message will be “that this party, as long as it has the same leadership as it did during the Second Lebanon War, cannot — must not — be a part of the next government, and all the more so must not be allowed to lead the next government,” Einhorn explained.
Einhorn was not discouraged by recent polls showing Kadima as the second most powerful party, with an expected 28 seats to Likud's 33. Just a few days ago polls showed Kadima and Likud tied with 29 seats each, he pointed out. Kadima will continue to drop in the polls, while Likud will rise, he predicted.
"It could be that some still think [Foreign Ministe Tzipi Livni is some sort of savior for the Kadima party, but as time passes, they'll see that it's the same Kadima,” he said. Part of the parents' task will be showing the public that Livni does not represent change, he said. Livni sat in the government during the war, he said, and those senior members of Kadima she hopes to form a cabinet with were a factor in Kadima's failures. None have taken responsibility for their mistakes, he said.
Livni told then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down when the Winograd commission said he was responsible for wartime failures, Einhorn said, but then failed to follow through and remained in Olmert's government. Livni “knows how to talk, and knows how to make promises—but when it comes time for deeds, she's not able to put her words into action,” he said.
The parents are now planning their campaign, he said. They agreed to work together out of concern, he said, adding that “a state like ours” must not elect Kadima. “We can fall once — even that is dangerous — but if we fall a second time, we might not be able to rise again,” he warned.
The parents do not have the funding to buy air time on major media outlets, he admitted, but are determined to do whatever necessary to get their message to the public. Anyone who believes, as the parents do, that Kadima must not gain power a second time is welcome to join the campaign, he said. The group is not afraid of the difficulties it will face or the price it might pay, he added. “We already paid the ultimate price — our children.”
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7. Arabs Infiltrate Yitzhar
by Maayana Miskin
Dozens of Palestinian Authority Arabs accompanied by Israeli anarchists entered the town of Yitzhar in Samaria on Friday morning. The group said it had come to harvest olives. One member of the group was senior Kibbutz Movement official Yoel Maharshak, Yitzhar residents said.
IDF officers said they had not received a request to harvest olives in the area. Such a request would almost certainly have been rejected, residents of Yitzhar said, as the group was located within the territory of the town itself and not in an Arab-owned orchard.
Officers and police forcibly removed the group from the town. The confrontation led to the closure of the entrance to Yitzhar for a short time.
"This incident goes to show yet again how the stories about 'olive harvesting' are mainly planned provocations,” residents of Yitzhar said.
A similar incident took place approximately one month ago, when Arabs infiltrated Yitzhar and began damaging olive trees. Soldiers forced them to leave. Soldiers said the Arabs were apparently trying to make it appear as if residents of Yitzhar had cut down Arab-owned trees.
Friday's incident came just two days after the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency reported that Arab villagers in the Shechem region of Samaria planned to “take action against settler violence” by targeting Jewish towns in the region. The villagers said they would first target the Jews living in Homesh, in northern Samaria (Homesh was reduced to rubble in the 2005 Disengagement and has been repopulated by pioneers to a limited extent).
In addition, the Arabs announced plans to hold an event in the village of Asira el-Kabalia on Saturday. The village, located near Yitzhar, was the site of Jewish-Arab clashes recently after a resident of the village infiltrated Yitzhar and stabbed a nine-year-old boy.
Comment on this story
by Maayana Miskin
Dozens of Palestinian Authority Arabs accompanied by Israeli anarchists entered the town of Yitzhar in Samaria on Friday morning. The group said it had come to harvest olives. One member of the group was senior Kibbutz Movement official Yoel Maharshak, Yitzhar residents said.
IDF officers said they had not received a request to harvest olives in the area. Such a request would almost certainly have been rejected, residents of Yitzhar said, as the group was located within the territory of the town itself and not in an Arab-owned orchard.
Officers and police forcibly removed the group from the town. The confrontation led to the closure of the entrance to Yitzhar for a short time.
"This incident goes to show yet again how the stories about 'olive harvesting' are mainly planned provocations,” residents of Yitzhar said.
A similar incident took place approximately one month ago, when Arabs infiltrated Yitzhar and began damaging olive trees. Soldiers forced them to leave. Soldiers said the Arabs were apparently trying to make it appear as if residents of Yitzhar had cut down Arab-owned trees.
Friday's incident came just two days after the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency reported that Arab villagers in the Shechem region of Samaria planned to “take action against settler violence” by targeting Jewish towns in the region. The villagers said they would first target the Jews living in Homesh, in northern Samaria (Homesh was reduced to rubble in the 2005 Disengagement and has been repopulated by pioneers to a limited extent).
In addition, the Arabs announced plans to hold an event in the village of Asira el-Kabalia on Saturday. The village, located near Yitzhar, was the site of Jewish-Arab clashes recently after a resident of the village infiltrated Yitzhar and stabbed a nine-year-old boy.
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