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Monday, Feb. 15 '16, Adar 6, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. WATCH: EHUD OLMERT ENTERS PRISON
2. BUS DRIVER ARRESTED OVER FATAL CRASH - HAD CRASHED BEFORE
3. EGGED ON DEFENSIVE OVER 'RECKLESS' BUS DRIVER'S PREVIOUS CRASH
4. JUDEA-SAMARIA LEADER THANKS PEACE NOW FOR 'SETTLEMENT' REPORT
5. PA CLAIMS OWNERSHIP OF JORDAN VALLEY IN INTERNATIONAL PLOY
6. DAMASCUS GATE TERRORIST IDENTIFIED AS PALESTINIAN POLICEMAN
7. TWO MORE BUS CRASH VICTIMS IDENTIFIED
8. WHY ARE ARABS ON A KILLING SPREE? WATCH THIS CARTOON
1. WATCH: EHUD OLMERT ENTERS PRISON
by Ari Soffer
[youtube:2012557]
Disgraced former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has begun his 19-month prison term for corruption Monday, with plenty of cameras on hand to capture the ingloriously historic moment as the first Israeli PM to serve time began his sentence.
18 of those months are for bribery in connection to the so-called Holyland corruption case. His sentence was initially six years, but controversially was reduced on appeal.
He was handed a further month in prison for obstruction of justice in a separate case.
The sentences could all be increased if the prosecution opts to appeal.
Earlier Monday, Olmert had issued a final personal video pleading his innocence - but one that is unlikely to draw sympathy from most Israelis, who feel his radically-reduced sentence is unduly lenient.
While incarcerated, Olmert is expected to enjoy "luxury" conditions at Maasiyahu Prison in Ramle, central Israel. He will be segregated from other inmates - a security precaution given his high-profile status - and will have his own ensuite bathroom and shower, TV, free access to public telephones, a library, sports equipment and other benefits accorded to "VIP" prisoners.
Special block 10
Olmert has been assigned to special block 10 in Maasiyahu prison in the central city of Ramle.
Like any other prisoner, he was due on admission to be photographed, searched, given a medical examination and interviewed by various officials, including a social worker, before being assigned a cell.
Block 10 was "intended to house prisoners who for various reasons cannot be placed with the general prison population," the Israel Prison Service said.
Olmert will join four other unidentified inmates in the block, which has a maximum capacity of 18, and he will eventually have to share a cell.
"Due to his position, he is subject to various threats and is in danger," the prisons service added.
Socks and sweatshirts
Each of the six cells in block 10 has three beds, ensuite shower and toilet, a closet and a table, chairs and television.
There are public telephones in the corridor, classrooms and a block recreation room, a visiting room, two rooms for consultations with lawyers, a room used as a synagogue, a library, sports equipment, dining room and yard.
Inmates are allowed to bring from home up to 1,500 shekels ($386, 344 euros) in cash, four pairs of underpants, four pairs of socks, two towels and two sweatshirts without hoods or lining.
They can also bring with them one blanket (not a duvet), two sheets, a pillowcase, and religious books, a prayer shawl and phylacteries, as well as soap, a tooth brush and tooth paste, and an ID card.
Roll call
Each day Olmert will be woken up at 5:00 am for a roll call and will undergo a 7:30 am inspection. He is entitled to receive and send letters, which can be examined by the prison. The prisoner has to pay for the stamps and envelopes.
When leaving court for appeal hearings, Olmert will have to wear a prison uniform, but while inside, he can wear civilian clothes.
He will be able to spend up to 1,600 shekels ($412, 367 euros) a month at the prison's canteen on credit using money his family can wire to the prison.
Like the other 26,000 prisoners at Maasiyahu, Olmert will be granted leave in the case of mortal illness, a death in his immediate family, a wedding or a religious ceremony.
AFP contributed to this report.
2. BUS DRIVER ARRESTED OVER FATAL CRASH - HAD CRASHED BEFORE
by Shoshana Miskin
Following a large-scale crash on Highway 1 which killed six people, the bus driver was arrested early Monday morning after being taken in for questioning on suspicion of causing death by negligence.
The initial investigation revealed that the bus driver had been involved in a similar accident that occurred a few years ago while driving the same route, 402, in the opposite direction from Bnei Brak towards Jerusalem. In the accident he collided with a truck near the Shoresh interchange causing several injuries.
Following that accident, the Egged bus company decided the driver would not travel on intercity routes and was assigned to local routes only. However, a few weeks ago, the driver resumed to travel on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway.
The police investigation also revealed that the truck driver had to stop on the side of the road due to an oil leak. Shortly after he stopped in the shoulder, the bus traveling from Jerusalem veered off its lane and crashed into the right side of the truck.
The identities of four of the six victims have been cleared for publication: 27-year-old Ya'akov Meir Heshin, 26-year-old Yisrael Weinberg, 23-year-old Chaya Pasha Frenkel, and 17-year-old Levy Yitzhak Amdadi.
3. EGGED ON DEFENSIVE OVER 'RECKLESS' BUS DRIVER'S PREVIOUS CRASH
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A day after the tragic accident that killed six people and injured another 12, new details regarding the past of driver Haim Bitton have come to light. In spite of his past record the Egged us company came out and supported the decision to reinstate him once he fulfilled the sentence set for him by the courts.
In August of 2014 an indictment was filed against Bitton for an accident that he had caused while driving the route 402 bus near Sha'ar Hagay interchange, similar to what occurred yesterday. In the previous accident 18 people were injured. The letter of indictment cited Bitton as "a reckless driver who did not understand that the vehicle in front of his was slowing down."
Bitton was found guilty of not keeping a proper distance between his vehicle and the one in front of him, careless driving and actions that caused damage. He was sentenced to 120 hours of community service which were completed while working with the NGO Ezer Mitzion. He was also punished with a 45 day suspension of his license, and another three months of probation. He completed his punishment in September of 2015.
Following the completion of his sentence, Bitton returned to work. In a report that appeared on the Walla news site, the Egged bus company stated that since Bitton had completed his sentence he was allowed back to work. When asked by reporters how they could let a driver return to work after being found guilty of careless driving, the company responded by saying that the question was irrelevant.
Ron Retner, a spokesperson for the company, said that the company was abiding by the law. "Any driver is who is found guilty of breaking the law and has fulfilled his sentence to the court and to the company is a driver. Once he has fulfilled his sentence he receives his license once again and is cleared by the law to resume his duties of driving for public transit, therefore the question isn't really relevant.
"I have no desire to expand my answer on the issue as I do not wish to upset the police investigation which is currently taking place, and which I hold faith in."
4. JUDEA-SAMARIA LEADER THANKS PEACE NOW FOR 'SETTLEMENT' REPORT
by Gil Ronen
[youtube:2012544]
Shilo Adler, who heads the Yesha Council – the unofficial federation of Judea and Samaria local government heads – issued a tongue-in-cheek statement of gratitude to ultra-leftist NGO Peace Now on Sunday, for a report that he said places building freeze on public agenda.
"We wish to thank Peace Now once again for the report they issued," Shilo announced. "We are happy that they are placing the matter of the building stoppage in Judea and Samaria on the public agenda. It is unacceptable that we are at the jubilee year of the settlement enterprise – we've been here 50 years – yet construction is so limited and tiny, and building sites are so few and far between.
"It's unacceptable that there is no construction in Maale Adumim, in Ariel, Tapuah and Eli," he went on. "We view this report gravely. There is blatant discrimination against the Israeli populace that lives in Judea and Samaria. We call on the Israeli government to enable construction so that these areas of Judea and Samaria may flourish, and we thank Peace Now for their selfless devotion to the settlement enterprise. We will remember this for a long time to come."
According to the Peace Now report, the government initiated 40 percent less construction in Judea and Samaria in the year 2015 than in the previous year. The report listed 1,800 building initiatives having taken place during 2015, as opposed to over 3,100 in 2014.
The report also mentioned that more than 70% of the initiatives took place in distant towns and only 30 percent took place in more settled areas. All in all, 348 building permits were given. During 2015 a total of 63 public buildings such as kindergartens, synagogues and others were constructed, along with 42 industrial or agricultural buildings and 1,547 domiciles. Another 253 movable buildings were put in place over the course of the year as well.
5. PA CLAIMS OWNERSHIP OF JORDAN VALLEY IN INTERNATIONAL PLOY
by Dalit Halevi
The Palestinian Authority's (PA) Foreign Ministry is refuting what they are calling "The Israeli policy of Judaizing" in the "Palestinian Jordan Valley".
In an official statement the Ministry called upon the international community to stop Israel from actions which include the Judaization of the area and the forceful removal of local residents. Additionally they have asked the international community to take legal action in the area in order to protect the Palestinian people and to enact binding regulations in the United Nations Security Council that will prevent further establishment of Israeli settlement in the area.
The Ministry emphasized that the Jordan Valley is an integral part of the "occupied country of Palestine" and that all of the unilateral moves that Israel it taking in reclaiming state owned land are in violation of international law.
The Ministry backed up its comments with "evidence" that it bought from reports of "Israeli human rights organizations". The Ministry further accused Israel of removing evidence of Palestinian ownership of the land in area C by turning agricultural fields into training bases for the military which endanger the lives of Palestinians and causes them to lose hope of living in dignity on the land of their fathers.
6. DAMASCUS GATE TERRORIST IDENTIFIED AS PALESTINIAN POLICEMAN
by Shoshana Miskin
One of the terrorists who committed the attempted attack Sunday night at Damascus Gate has been identified as Palestinian officer Omar Mohammed Omar of Hevron.
Omar is the third Palestinian policeman involved in attacks since the beginning of the current escalated wave of terrorism.
An initial investigation revealed that the two terrorists arrived at the Damascus Gate late Sunday night, where they started shooting at security forces who were in the middle of a shift change briefing. One terrorist was shot and eliminated, and the other attempted to flee. Security forces chased him down and he was shot dead as well. No injuries were reported among the Israeli police.
The Damascus gate attack was the third attempted terror attack on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, terrorists from the village of Jilazun opened fire at homes in the nearby town of Beit El in Binyamin. No one was hurt but a home sustained damage.
Additionally, a female Arab terrorist was shot as she tried to stab a Border Police officer adjacent to Hevron's Cave of Machpelah.
7. TWO MORE BUS CRASH VICTIMS IDENTIFIED
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The names of two remaining victims from Sunday's bus crash on Highway 1 have been cleared for publication: 61-year-old Leah Malmud and 18-year-old Aharon Mordechai Cohen, both residents of Jerusalem.
Malmud was a teacher at a Haredi seminary in Jerusalem and a mother of seven.
The other four victims were 27-year-old Ya'akov Meir Heshin, 26-year-old Yisrael Weinberg, 23-year-old Chaya Pasha Frenkel, and 17-year-old Levy Yitzhak Amdadi.
The Police Traffic Department has established a special investigation team to examine the reasons that led to the collision between the 402 Egged bus, and a truck that was on the shoulder of the road. The truck driver in his forties, a resident of eastern Jerusalem, was detained for questioning.
The bus driver was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of negligent manslaughter. Police are investigating whether the accident was caused due to the driver tampering with his phone.
It was revealed that the bus driver had been involved in a similar accident in 2013 when he collided with a truck near the Shoresh interchange on his way to Jerusalem causing several injuries.
8. WHY ARE ARABS ON A KILLING SPREE? WATCH THIS CARTOON
by Gil Ronen
[youtube:2012546]
An animated video making the rounds on social media in recent days provides a prime example of the sophisticated incitement machine that has been fueling the current terror war against Israeli Jews.
It exhorts Arabs to get up from whatever they are doing, step into their cars, grab a knife or gun, and go kill Jewish soldiers wherever they may be found.
The video exhibits high-quality professional animation, which probably cost thousands of dollars to produce.
A pro-Hamas video that was uploaded to the Internet last week featured a singing troupe, an Egged bus and an enactment of a suicide bomber's mission.
[youtube:2012410]
As translated by Palestinian Media Watch, the song is rife with delicate gems of poetry such as this:
"Oh bearer of good tidings, wrap the explosive belt around your waist. The story of the Intifada will only be told when the roof of a bus goes flying.
"Oh Martyrdom-seeker, make them cry. Make the fire engulf them. Turn them into body parts, roast them, bringing joy to the hearts of the steadfast people.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office vowed in January, for the umpteenth time, to fight incitement by Palestinian Authority (PA) officials and media against Israel.
Israeli officials have warned that this incitement is the root cause for the current wave of terrorism against Israelis.
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