Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Tuesday, Feb. 09 '16, Shevat 30, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. TWO ATTEMPTED STABBINGS THWARTED THIS MORNING
2. WITNESS: HAREDI LOCALS FACED-OFF ASHDOD RIOTERS, WHO CURSED THEM
3. ARABS RESPONSIBLE FOR 59% OF ALL MURDERS IN ISRAEL
4. ISRAEL MARKS LOW-KEY, PC VERSION OF MOTHERS' DAY
5. FOUR MONTHS IN PRISON FOR THROWING TEA AT MK AHMED TIBI
6. SOLDIER WOUNDED IN PROTECTIVE EDGE RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL
7. TED NUGENT BLAMES JEWS FOR GUN CONTROL
8. WATCH: JEW ARRESTED FOR SINGING HATIKVAH ON TEMPLE MOUNT
1. TWO ATTEMPTED STABBINGS THWARTED THIS MORNING
by Uzi Baruch
A 16-year-old terrorist attempted to carry out a stabbing attack at Jerusalem's Damascus Gate this morning (Tuesday). Security forces successfully neutralized her before she was able to harm anyone.
Police say that a team of Border Police noticed the girl acting suspiciously. When they asked to check her bag, she pulled out a knife and tried to stab the officers. They quickly responded and were able to overpower her.
The terrorist has been taken for questioning.
Shortly before the incident, another Arab girl, aged 13, was arrested with a knife by the entrance to the community of Karmei Tzur in Gush Etzion. She has been brought in for questioning to determine whether she was attempting to carry out a terror attack.
On Sunday, an IDF soldier was stabbed near the Ashkelon central bus station. He was lightly wounded and taken to Barzilai Hospital. The terrorist, an African infiltrator, was shot at the end of a short manhunt and severely wounded.
2. WITNESS: HAREDI LOCALS FACED-OFF ASHDOD RIOTERS, WHO CURSED THEM
by Michal Levy
A violent riot by several dozen haredi extremists in Ashdod made headlines this morning, as rioters overturned a police car and attacked officers coming to detain suspected IDF draft-dodgers.
But what went largely unreported was that the rioters in question were not from the area, and that locals in fact tried to stop them, according to residents.
While Ashdod has a sizable and growing haredi community, it has been generally free of some of the more extreme, anti-Zionist elements who often clash with authorities in cities such as Jerusalem or Beit Shemesh, making the incident all the more surprising.
One local resident told Arutz Sheva that the rioters were yeshiva students who study in a local yeshiva but who are not actually from the Ashdod community.
"When it became clear that it was the military police who came to arrest a fugitive, some yeshiva students came and began to riot at the location," he recounted.
"First they overturned the vehicle and smashed the windows, and then they tried to block the second vehicle from leaving."
Watch: Haredi rioters in Ashdod:
[youtube:2012357]
The witness, who asked not to be named, described how local residents then emerged from their houses and tried to break up the crowd.
"Haredim who live in the neighborhood tried to protest against the violent protesters and asked them to disperse, but they (the yeshiva students) just responded harshly and with profanities," he said, quoting the extremists as shouting epithets such as "'You are criminals! You are secular (i.e. not religious)! You are sucking up to the secularists! We will go to the very end, until the enlistment decree is annulled!'"
The reference is to the enlistment law, which was passed by the previous government and ended the blanket exemption for haredi men from military service. The current government - at the initiative of the haredi parties - watered down that law, much to the chagrin of other MKs. But that wasn't enough for the protesters, who then moved on to loudly cursing mainstream haredi leaders including prominent rabbis such as the Rebbes (Grand Rabbis) of the Gur and Belz hassidic sects, both of whom supported the amended law, witnesses say.
But the resident who spoke to Arutz Sheva cautioned that the protesters were from a single, particularly extreme yeshiva, and do not represent the local populace.
"We're talking about one single yeshiva in the city which accepts students from all over the country and is affiliated with Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach," he said, expressing concern that the actions of a few extremists would once again paint the entire haredi public in a bad light.
"Their behavior has tarnished the entire haredi public in Israel and in the city of Ashdod in general.
"We have nothing to do with them. They profane the Name of God, and they will be held accountable for that."
3. ARABS RESPONSIBLE FOR 59% OF ALL MURDERS IN ISRAEL
by Hezki Ezra
The chief of police, Commissioner Roni Alsheikh, appeared before the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee of the Knesset to commemorate "Salute the Police" day. Among other issues, Alsheikh discussed crime in the Arab sector.
"According to the statistics that the police have, 21 percent of the Israeli population is Arab, however their involvement in criminal activities stands at 59 percent, which is an unprecedented statistic," he said.
One of the goals of the commissioner has been to increase the level of public trust in the police. "Our challenge is to erase the statement [that is often made by parents to frighten their children] 'if you don't eat this a police officer will come to get you'. Our hope is to get to the point where a father will be able to tell his daughter, 'call the police' and not where we currently are in which a father says, 'don't bother calling the police, it is a waste of time'".
The reasoning behind the day is to help build up the public's trust of the police. Alsheikh explained, "The police cannot function without public trust. It is the job of the police to serve the public each and every day. If the public does not report to the police, then they will have to continually cross to the opposite side of the street."
Currently the Israeli police force boasts some 30,000 officers, and 36,000 volunteers, who Alsheikh describes as "vital in serving the public."
4. ISRAEL MARKS LOW-KEY, PC VERSION OF MOTHERS' DAY
by Gil Ronen
Israel marked Family Day on Tuesday, the 30th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat, as it has annually since the 1990s. The day is a low-key occasion that does not have a clear theme, and is often marked by discussions about modern changes in family structure, alternative "new families" and so on. In addition, children at kindergartens and elementary schools are often encouraged to speak about their families and directed to make presents for their fathers, mothers and siblings.
This was not always the case, however. For decades, starting from 1951, Israelis marked the 30th day of Shvat as Mothers' Day.
The initiative for marking Mothers' Day, which is not a Jewish holiday but had been celebrated in the United States and Germany before it reached Israel, came from Ha'aretz Shelanu, a popular children's weekly in the 1950s. The date was chosen because it was the one on which educator and Zionist pioneer Henrietta Szold died in 1945.
Szold – who was childless – was a maternal figure for many of the orphans that came to the Land of Israel in the decades before Israel's founding. She was a founder of the Hadassah women's organization and headed the official Aliyat Hanoar ("Aliya of Youths") Zionist organization, which brought Jewish youths to the Land of Israel from various countries. She was popularly known as "the Mother of Aliyat Hanoar."
For some four decades after it was first marked, Mothers' Day served as a day on which family members express their appreciation for the selfless sacrifice and love that mothers gave. For husbands, it was a day on which one bought a gift for one's wife. Children drew pictures, wrote poems and made other presents for their beloved mommies.
In addition to changing Mothers' Day, a new holiday was into the Israeli calendar: International Women's Day, which is marked on March 8.
While the vast majority of Israeli women do not know it, International Women's Day was originally a communist holiday – initially known as International Working Women's Day – which became an official Soviet holiday immediately after the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. The day reflected the Marxist notion that women should be directed away from their homes and into "public industry." Early Soviet propaganda disseminated on International Women's Day called on women to leave the drudgery of housework and join other women in working outside the home, in factories and on collective farms.
On the days prior to Israel's version of Women's Day – which is about a month away – and on the day itself, many news and talk show programs highlight key feminist issues such as sexual harassment, rape, violence against women and the disparities in average earnings of men and women ("wage gap").
5. FOUR MONTHS IN PRISON FOR THROWING TEA AT MK AHMED TIBI
by Ido Ben-Porat
A Be'er Sheva court has sentenced a local man to four months in jail for throwing a cup of hot tea at MK Ahmed Tibi (Joint List) during a protest.
According to prosecutors, Vaknin attacked Tibi while the latter was participating in a protest near the court. Tibi claimed that he felt a burning sensation in his eyes as a result of the tea hitting his face.
The defendant, Zion Vaknin, admitted to his guilt as part of a plea bargain.
It should be noted that Vaknin insisted on representing himself throughout the proceedings, despite the court repeatedly explaining the importance and advantages in qualified legal representation.
[youtube:2012362]
6. SOLDIER WOUNDED IN PROTECTIVE EDGE RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL
by Raphael Poch
Ohad Ben-Yishai, an IDF soldier who suffered a shrapnel wound to the head during Operation Protective Edge, was released on Monday from Sheba Hospital after an 18-month long recovery period.
The rehabilitation hospital invited musicians and artists, as well as the victim's family, to come and participate in a farewell party for Ben-Yishai. The party was organized by two hospital volunteers, Anik and Sara. Among the artists that performed were Hatikva 6 and singer Kobi Aflalo. Ben-Yishai's friends from the Egoz unit also attended, many of whom are set to be finish their mandatory service on Wednesday.
Ben-Yishai's family had a hard time holding back the tears. "A year and a half ago, while we were lounging in a safe harbor, a huge tsunami blew up in our faces," Shimon Ben-Yishai described his feelings about the injury to his son. "The wave really changed the routine of our lives, it came without warning and without any preparation. In the last year-and-a-half we have weathered storms that have tossed us off of our course repeatedly. It is thanks to many wonderful people who shone a light toward us and thrown us life preservers time and again, that we are hear today."
Shimon was overcome with emotion as he ended his speech. "We are going back home and I only have one thing to say to everyone who helped us. Thank you!"
Professor Shlomo Noy, Acting Director of Sheba Hospital, praised Ohad and his family in a speech he gave to commemorate the emotional homecoming. "The significant rehabilitation that Ohad has undergone in the last year and a half is due to the incredible tenacity the he has shown together with his family, who has not left his side for even a moment. The Ben-Yishai family supported Ohad, and helped him through the most difficult times."
Noy continued to praise Ben-Yishai and his family, saying that "I am certain that Ohad's story will give hope and strength to many people. It is a privilege to have been ale to play a part in the story of Ohad's recovery. The process is not yet over, but he continues to improve substantially."
Ohad Ben-Yishai was wounded from shrapnel that entered his head while fighting terrorists in the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza City. He was quickly airlifted to the Soroka Medical Center, where he underwent surgery.
For days Ben-Yishai was sedated and on a respirator, with his family staying at his bedside and praying for a sign of life. Since he first opened his eyes and began to regain consciousness on August 5th 2014, Ohad has been in rehab and under the care of the staff and family at Sheba hospital, has been able to regain the ability to walk under his own power, talk and interact with his surroundings.
Ohad was released from Hospital on Monday and returned home, but he will need to continue to undergo rehabilitation procedures in order to regain his full capacity.
7. TED NUGENT BLAMES JEWS FOR GUN CONTROL
by Matt Wanderman
Popular rock musician and outspoken gun advocate Ted Nugent posted a picture on Facebook last night showing pro-gun control Jews with small Israeli flags.
Several of the pictures were accompanied by anti-Jewish comments, such as "Jew York City mayor Mikey Bloomberg," "Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Gave Russian Jew immigrants your tax money," and "Alan Dershowitz, Harvard professor, Legal gadfly, ISRAEL FIRSTER."
Nugent did not create the picture, but added the text "Know these punks. They hate freedom, they hate good over evil, they would deny us the basic human right to self defense & to KEEP & BEAR ARMS while many of them have tax paid hired ARMED security! Know them well. Tell every1 you know how evil they are. Let us raise maximum hell to shut them down!"
Know these punks. They hate freedom, they hate good over evil, they would deny us the basic human right to self defense ...
Posted by Ted Nugent on Monday, February 8, 2016
The Anti-Defamation League quickly responded with strong protest, saying: "Ted Nugent has a long history of being an equal opportunity offender. But his latest share on Facebook, making the outrageous suggestion that Jews are behind gun control, is nothing short of conspiratorial anti-Semitism. Regardless of one's views on gun control, this kind of scapegoating of an entire religious group is completely unacceptable and completely divorced from reality.
"It should go without saying that anti-Semitism has no place in the gun control debate. Nugent should be ashamed for promoting anti-Semitic content, and we hope that good people on both sides of the gun control debate will reject his tactics and his message. We hope that Nugent will have the good sense to remove this share immediately so that it does not spread virally across the internet."
Nugent has previously received criticism for expressing his approval of claims that Israel was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. However, he has also written articles in support of Israel's actions against Hamas.
8. WATCH: JEW ARRESTED FOR SINGING HATIKVAH ON TEMPLE MOUNT
by Ari Soffer
A Jewish activist arrested yesterday for singing the Israeli national anthem on the Temple Mount was handed a 15-day distancing order from the site Tuesday.
Avraham Fuah was violently detained by police just seconds after he began singing "Hatikvah," at the end of a brief speech in which he called on the Jewish people to "win the war" against its enemies. His arrest was caught on camera by other activists.
Watch:
[youtube:2012370]
He was held by police for more than six hours before being released overnight, and was handed the distancing order by Jerusalem District Court the next day at the request of the police.
Despite being Judaism's holiest site, Jewish visits to the Temple Mount are strictly regulated and monitored as part of Muslim demands to keep the site "Islamic." Jews are forbidden to pray or conduct any forms of worship on the site, can only visit in small groups, may only enter at certain times and under supervision of the police and Waqf Islamic guards, and are forbidden from a wide range of activities including singing, standing still for too long or drinking water from "Muslim" drinking fountains.
Jewish Temple Mount activists have long campaigned for an end to those measures - which they denounce as discriminatory and a surrender to Islamist threats and terrorism - with protests often taking the form of similar acts of defiance under the gaze of police and Waqf guards, who swiftly arrest or remove them from the site.
The Israeli government for its part argues the measures are necessary to maintain calm at the site, noting how regular riots by Muslim extremists on the Temple Mount were only recently brought under control.
Responding to his son's arrest, Avraham's father Rabbi Michael Fua - who heads the Hitzim Yeshiva High School in Itamar - called on the government to end the draconian measures and allow Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount.
"We believe that the time has come to end the disgraceful situation in which Jews are not able to be free in the holiest place for the Jewish nation," Rabbi Fua said, branding the measures "a surrender to Muslim terrorism on the Temple Mount."
"We call on the Government of Israel to stand with its head held high, to order the immediate release of our son and the return of sovereignty and freedom of movement and prayer for Jews in all places, including the Temple Mount.
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