 | ||
 |         |  |
 | ||
| MP3 Radio | Website News Briefs: | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
 |  |
1. 25,000 Expected in Hevron
by Gil Ronen
Tens of thousands of Jewish believers are expected to stream into Hevron, the City of the Patriarchs, for Shabbat Chayei Sarah. On this Sabbath, the Torah portion which is read in the synagogues relates the details of the purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs, known as Machpela, by the Biblical patriarch Abraham.
The Sabbath is likely to be an especially emotional one because of the relevance of the Torah story to current events. The government has received a green light from the High Court of Justice to evict the Jews living in Hevron's Peace House and the Minister of Public Security has announced that the eviction will take place within 30 days' time.
The atmosphere is tense, with the media circulating rumors about supposed attacks by mitnachalim ("settlers" in Hebrew) – as Jews living in Yesha are called – against the IDF and the nationalist camp claiming that the government is engaged in libel. Some nationalist spokesmen have hinted that the government may be planting agents among Hevron's Jews in order to try and goad them into wrongdoing.
25,000 Visitors Expected
About 25,000 people are expected to be in Hevron for the Sabbath. "There is a very great concern that their arrival will involve a dangerous act of provocation because of the intent to vacate the 'House of Dispute'," a "senior security source" told the Hebrew-language newspaper Ma'ariv. "We are preparing for the likelihood that the extremist elements will sneak in among the visitors and try to heat up the atmosphere," he added. A senior military source said, however, that the Jewish community has been careful to kick out people who are known to cause violent provocations.
Although the court left the timing of a possible raid on Peace House to the discretion of the government and military, the government appears intent upon carrying it out sooner rather than later, despite – and maybe because of – the upcoming elections.
People inside the building are busy barricading themselves in and welding steel bars on doors to make entry difficult for a would-be eviction force.
Judge: 'Settlers are Right'
Retired District Court Judge Uri Shtruzman said this week at a conference that Judge Ayala Procaccia "twisted the original meaning" of a ruling he made in another case – known as the Mishmar Ayalon Case – in her justification for the decision regarding Peace House. He said that if the judge had really been guided by that precedent she would have reached the opposite conclusion and allowed the Jews to remain inside Peace House until the court case is settled.
"Since the current High Court did not do so…," Shtruzman said, "it is no wonder that the settlers are crying out that the High Court was not guided by considerations of fair judgment, but [rathe by a political world view."
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
Tens of thousands of Jewish believers are expected to stream into Hevron, the City of the Patriarchs, for Shabbat Chayei Sarah. On this Sabbath, the Torah portion which is read in the synagogues relates the details of the purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs, known as Machpela, by the Biblical patriarch Abraham.
The Sabbath is likely to be an especially emotional one because of the relevance of the Torah story to current events. The government has received a green light from the High Court of Justice to evict the Jews living in Hevron's Peace House and the Minister of Public Security has announced that the eviction will take place within 30 days' time.
The atmosphere is tense, with the media circulating rumors about supposed attacks by mitnachalim ("settlers" in Hebrew) – as Jews living in Yesha are called – against the IDF and the nationalist camp claiming that the government is engaged in libel. Some nationalist spokesmen have hinted that the government may be planting agents among Hevron's Jews in order to try and goad them into wrongdoing.
25,000 Visitors Expected
About 25,000 people are expected to be in Hevron for the Sabbath. "There is a very great concern that their arrival will involve a dangerous act of provocation because of the intent to vacate the 'House of Dispute'," a "senior security source" told the Hebrew-language newspaper Ma'ariv. "We are preparing for the likelihood that the extremist elements will sneak in among the visitors and try to heat up the atmosphere," he added. A senior military source said, however, that the Jewish community has been careful to kick out people who are known to cause violent provocations.
Although the court left the timing of a possible raid on Peace House to the discretion of the government and military, the government appears intent upon carrying it out sooner rather than later, despite – and maybe because of – the upcoming elections.
People inside the building are busy barricading themselves in and welding steel bars on doors to make entry difficult for a would-be eviction force.
Judge: 'Settlers are Right'
Retired District Court Judge Uri Shtruzman said this week at a conference that Judge Ayala Procaccia "twisted the original meaning" of a ruling he made in another case – known as the Mishmar Ayalon Case – in her justification for the decision regarding Peace House. He said that if the judge had really been guided by that precedent she would have reached the opposite conclusion and allowed the Jews to remain inside Peace House until the court case is settled.
"Since the current High Court did not do so…," Shtruzman said, "it is no wonder that the settlers are crying out that the High Court was not guided by considerations of fair judgment, but [rathe by a political world view."
Comment on this story
2. Ashkenazi Aims for Global Calm
by Maayana Miskin
IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi spoke at a NATO conference in Brussels on Thursday morning on the subject of terrorism. In an address to his counterparts in foreign armies, Ashkenazi said Israel's goal is to defeat global terrorism and bring stability to the world.
"At this time, our primary goal is to defeat global terror and to bring stability and calm to the citizens of the world,” he said. The task is not simple, he explained: “Our enemies — the terrorists — are becoming more and more sophisticated, and they use every available resource in order to reach their despicable goals.”
Terrorists worldwide have much in common, Ashkenazi said: “Their activities are characterized by threats that know no bounds, attacks on the homefront and a lack of moral inhibitions.” They are also hard to spot, as "the enemy no longer wears a uniform. He's evasive, and harder to reach.”
The battlefield is now ideological and not only physical, he continued. Terrorists are “ready to kill and be killed,” Ashkenazi said. He slammed countries that sponsor terrorism, saying, “These violent states have no morality: they do not respect human rights, international law, or the life of innocents.” He called on “moderate states” to unify in the face of extremism.
Despite the difficulties ahead, there is room for hope, Ashkenazi said: “The fact that all of you are taking part in this meeting today shows that we all understand the importance of unity and that we all have the will to deal together with the threats facing the world.”
Comment on this story
by Maayana Miskin
IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi spoke at a NATO conference in Brussels on Thursday morning on the subject of terrorism. In an address to his counterparts in foreign armies, Ashkenazi said Israel's goal is to defeat global terrorism and bring stability to the world.
"At this time, our primary goal is to defeat global terror and to bring stability and calm to the citizens of the world,” he said. The task is not simple, he explained: “Our enemies — the terrorists — are becoming more and more sophisticated, and they use every available resource in order to reach their despicable goals.”
Terrorists worldwide have much in common, Ashkenazi said: “Their activities are characterized by threats that know no bounds, attacks on the homefront and a lack of moral inhibitions.” They are also hard to spot, as "the enemy no longer wears a uniform. He's evasive, and harder to reach.”
The battlefield is now ideological and not only physical, he continued. Terrorists are “ready to kill and be killed,” Ashkenazi said. He slammed countries that sponsor terrorism, saying, “These violent states have no morality: they do not respect human rights, international law, or the life of innocents.” He called on “moderate states” to unify in the face of extremism.
Despite the difficulties ahead, there is room for hope, Ashkenazi said: “The fact that all of you are taking part in this meeting today shows that we all understand the importance of unity and that we all have the will to deal together with the threats facing the world.”
Comment on this story
3. Rocket Attack on Ashkelon
by Hana Levi Julian
Palestinian Authority terrorists in northern Gaza launched a rocket attack on the southern coastal city of Ashkelon Friday morning. One Kassam rocket was fired, and exploded in the city’s industrial zone. No one was injured and no damage was reported in the attack.
Members of the Popular Resistance Committees’ Salah al-Din Brigades terrorist group also fired two mortar shells toward the Kissufim Crossing at around the same time. No one was injured and no damage was reported in this attack, which was aimed at an IDF paratroop unit that was patrolling along the security barrier in the area.
Israel has kept the crossings with Gaza closed for most of the time in the past couple of weeks, in retaliation for the constant rocket and mortar attacks on Jewish communities in the south.
In addition, IDF ground troops have carried out two limited counterterrorist operations and IAF pilots have carried out a number of targeted air strikes in response to the attacks, killing more than a dozen terrorists and wounding an undetermined number of others who launched the attacks against Jewish civilians in the Gaza Belt in recent weeks.
The Hamas terrorist organization that controls the region appears to have gotten the message and passed it along to fellow terrorist groups in the area: rocket attacks have slowed to a trickle from the more than 170 missiles and mortar shells that were fired in the past two weeks, to only one on Thursday afternoon.
In other security news, IDF soldiers arrested a PA Arab suspected of involvement in terrorist activities late Thursday night. The suspect was caught in a village south of Hevron. He was transferred to security services for questioning.
Comment on this story
by Hana Levi Julian
Palestinian Authority terrorists in northern Gaza launched a rocket attack on the southern coastal city of Ashkelon Friday morning. One Kassam rocket was fired, and exploded in the city’s industrial zone. No one was injured and no damage was reported in the attack.
Members of the Popular Resistance Committees’ Salah al-Din Brigades terrorist group also fired two mortar shells toward the Kissufim Crossing at around the same time. No one was injured and no damage was reported in this attack, which was aimed at an IDF paratroop unit that was patrolling along the security barrier in the area.
Israel has kept the crossings with Gaza closed for most of the time in the past couple of weeks, in retaliation for the constant rocket and mortar attacks on Jewish communities in the south.
In addition, IDF ground troops have carried out two limited counterterrorist operations and IAF pilots have carried out a number of targeted air strikes in response to the attacks, killing more than a dozen terrorists and wounding an undetermined number of others who launched the attacks against Jewish civilians in the Gaza Belt in recent weeks.
The Hamas terrorist organization that controls the region appears to have gotten the message and passed it along to fellow terrorist groups in the area: rocket attacks have slowed to a trickle from the more than 170 missiles and mortar shells that were fired in the past two weeks, to only one on Thursday afternoon.
In other security news, IDF soldiers arrested a PA Arab suspected of involvement in terrorist activities late Thursday night. The suspect was caught in a village south of Hevron. He was transferred to security services for questioning.
Comment on this story
Posts
