Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Tuesday, May. 31 '16, Iyar 23, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. BEGIN: RIGHT-WINGERS WHO SUPPORT LIBERMAN ARE FOOLS
2. ISRAEL TO ANNEX MAALE ADUMIM?
3. 'WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON LIBERMAN'
4. RAPE VICTIM WHO KILLED HIS ATTACKER GIVEN REDUCED SENTENCE
5. JEWISH COMMUNITY IN SILWAN EXPANDS
6. 'I WANTED SO BADLY TO BE JEWISH'
7. FRENCH JEWS FLEE PARIS SUBURBS OVER RISING ANTI-SEMITISM
8. DISABLED IDF VOLUNTEER RECOGNIZED AT AWARD CEREMONY
1. BEGIN: RIGHT-WINGERS WHO SUPPORT LIBERMAN ARE FOOLS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Likud MK Benny Begin on Tuesday blasted the appointment of Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman as Defense Minister, ridiculing right-wing supporters of the move as "fools".
"There are three kinds of right-wingers," said Begin, "moderate right-wingers, extreme right-wingers, and foolish right-wingers."
"Just yesterday Liberman showed us his views," said Begin, referring to Liberman's call for a two-state solution on Monday and previous statements endorsing land swaps along Israel's narrow coastal plain.
"I was surprised by those members [of the nationalist camp], some of whom live in Judea and Samaria, who remember the ideas Liberman has talked about [in the past] that the western border of that same [proposed Palestinian] state - which I see as a PLO state at the beginning that will quickly become a Hamas state – that its border needs to be along the length of Highway 6 [along Israel's central coastal plain]."
"So for residents of Samaria or members of the Likud to celebrate [the fact] that a man with views like these has been given the Defense Ministry leads me to this conclusion [that they're fools]."
Begin also criticized Liberman and Netanyahu over their recent statements in favor of the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"I heard that the Prime Minister wants to bring about the establishment of another state next to Israel in Judea and Samaria. He knows that idea isn't supported within the Likud party in the Knesset and not by the government he currently leads."
"I saw such joyous celebrations among some right-wing activists when they saw the deal was completed and [former Defense Minister] Yaalon was removed from his position. That means that a man who was totally opposed to the establishment of a PLO-Hamas state was unacceptable to them. But a man who promised to conquer Gaza, eradicate terror, and [implement] the death penalty [for terrorists] is Kosher LeMehadrin."
2. ISRAEL TO ANNEX MAALE ADUMIM?
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A wide majority of Israeli Jews, including those both on the left and right, favor full Israeli sovereignty over the city of Maale Adumim, according to a new poll conducted by the Midgam polling firm.
A whopping 78% of Israeli Jews say they support the annexation of Maale Adumim even without a final status agreement with the Palestinian Authority, along the same lines as Israel's 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights.
The vast majority of respondents favored annexation even if Israel would be pay a steep political cost for the move, with 70% of Israeli Jews saying sovereignty should be applied to Maale Adumim regardless of the consequences.
The poll also found that 88% of Israeli Jews believe that residents of Maale Adumim deserve the same rights and benefits enjoyed by other citizens of the State of Israel, and therefore Israeli law should be fully applied to the area.
The Land of Israel Lobby in the Knesset, which includes 20 MKs from various right-wing and religious parties, has pledged to draw up a bill for the annexation of Maale Adumim during the upcoming summer session.
"The consensus view in the public is that Maale Adumim is an inseparable part of Israel," a statement by the Land of Israel Lobby said, "and it has even become part of the political consensus from right to left, and it is clear that Maale Adumim will remain under Israeli control in any future status arrangement. The Land of Israel Lobby will work within the new coalition framework to advance legislation extending Israeli sovereignty over Maale Adumim."
Lobby chairman Yoav Kish (Likud) said there were precedents for the move, citing Israel's 1967 annexation of eastern Jerusalem and 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights.
"Just as the State of Israel did in the past in Jerusalem and in the Golan Heights, we must do so also today – the idea of applying sovereignty over Maale Adumim enjoys overwhelming support among the Israeli public that crosses party lines. We will work to realize the public's will."
3. 'WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON LIBERMAN'
by Ido Ben Porat
MK Shuli Mualem (Jewish Home) played down fears among the nationalist public on Tuesday, following Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's comments Monday night in favor of the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"At this point I still do not see a reason to be concerned by these kinds of declarations regarding a peace [treaty] or others by the incoming Defense Minister," said Mualem. "Even when [Tzipi] Livni was in the government, and despite her genuine desire to reach a final status agreement negotiations fell through because the Palestinians themselves didn't want it."
In Liberman's case, Mualem sees the statements regarding a two-state solution as empty promises to appease foreign leaders.
"In this case [Liberman] wants to appease the international community with meaningless declarations during the government's transition."
But, Mualem emphasized, right-wing MKs must remain vigilant and ensure that Liberman's declarations remain idle talk.
"We'll be keeping an eye on him to make sure that no such process [towards Palestinian statehood] gains traction."
4. RAPE VICTIM WHO KILLED HIS ATTACKER GIVEN REDUCED SENTENCE
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Supreme Court responded to an appeal on Tuesday by Yonatan Heilo over his 2013 murder conviction stemming from the death of Yaron Eilin in 2010. The court altered the conviction from murder to manslaughter, and reduced Heilo's sentence by 8 years, from 20 to just 12.
Heilo claimed in his defense that Eilin, whom he had met as a minor in 2006, had raped him repeatedly over the years, in addition to using threats of violence to extort money from Heilo.
When the two met one night in May, 2010, Heilo claims Eilin threatened to rape him a third time. The defendant said he acted in self-defense, strangling Eilin, then bludgeoning him to death with bricks. He later dragged the body to a nearby garbage dump before turning himself in to police.
A Lod district court rejected Heilo's argument that he had defended himself, ruling that the killing was a premeditated act of revenge for sexual abuse suffered at the hands of Eilin.
Dozens of high-profile supporters, including MKs, senior jurists, and academics chastised the lower court's decision, demanding that Heilo's "distressed background" be more fully considered in rendering a decision.
With the high court's decision Heilo's 20 year sentence has been reduced to 12 years, of which 6 have already been served. Heilo could be freed in just two years if he is approved for an early release for good behavior.
5. JEWISH COMMUNITY IN SILWAN EXPANDS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The local zoning and building committee is set to approve on Wednesday the construction of a new three-story building for the growing Jewish community in Shiloach (Silwan).
The building will be built near Beit Yonatan, a seven-story apartment building owned by the Ateret Cohanim foundation, which seeks to reclaim Jewish properties in the Old City of Jerusalem and surrounding neighborhoods.
Known in Hebrew as Shiloach, the modern day Arab neighborhood of Silwan includes Ir David – the ancient City of David, believed to be the original location of the city of Jerusalem.
The neighborhood was mostly Jewish prior to the 1930s, when Arab riots forced residents to abandon the area. Known for decades as "Harat al-Yaman", the neighborhood was inhabited primarily by Yemenite Jews until the 1936-1939 Arab revolt.
The state has endorsed the building plan, which, barring last minute intervention by the Prime Minister's Office, is expected to be approved on Wednesday.
According to a report on Army Radio, the land for the project was sold by the state to Ateret Cohanim in 2005.
The left-wing Ir-Amim NGO blasted the planned construction, calling Jewish settlement in the neighborhood a "threat" to the Arab population.
"The settlement in Silwan is entirely the work of the state, and it raises to new heights the threats against Palestinians in Jerusalem," said Aviv Tetrasky of Ir-Amim.
"In the short run the state has succeeded in transferring properties in Palestinian neighborhoods to settler groups and to undermine the social fabric in Silwan. But in the long run all of the city's residents pay the price."
6. 'I WANTED SO BADLY TO BE JEWISH'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A special event was held Monday evening at the Kotel in the Old City of Jerusalem for some 500 Jewish converts from across Israel affiliated with the Ami Ulpan network.
The event, in honor of the upcoming holiday of Shavuot, celebrated the converts' journey to Judaism. Shavuot, which marks the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people 3,000 years ago, is often referred to as "the converts' holiday".
The hundreds of converts were joined by Ami staff members and families who supported converts through the process, from Ulpan studies through the completion of the conversion process at a conversion court.
Rabbi Haim Druckman, the president of Ami who previously served as director of the state's conversion authority, spoke at the gathering.
"This is a great generation for the Jewish people that is returning home. We see the vision of Israel's prophets coming to fruition before our eyes."
Rabbi Druckman addressed the new converts directly, citing a statement from the Talmud which describes how the souls of all future converts to Judaism were present at the giving of the Torah.
"The roots of your souls were at [the giving of the Torah at] Mount Sinai with all of Israel, you too are attached to the Torah," he said, concluding his words by asking the congregation to join together in reciting "Shema Yisrael".
At the event one couple shared their story to a number of participants still in the midst of the conversion process.
Mali, originally from Ecuador, met Noam in Thailand. The two fell in love and ultimately decided to get married. In the process, Mali decided to convert to Judaism, and turned to Ami for guidance.
"I wanted so badly to be Jewish," said Mali. "The teachers just embraced me with love and helped me through the [conversion] process. When the [conversion court] judges told me they were accepting me into the Jewish people, I couldn't hold back the tears, I was crying so hard."
"This is the first time in my life I was in such a touching event," said Anna, one of the participants. "What a magic and holy atmosphere there next to Mount Moriah [the Temple Mount], it was like a holy spirit encircling you… I couldn't stop crying from the emotions [brought out] by all the things people were saying and from the sense of the holiness of the place. It was like you could breathe it. My soul was already there, buried deep within – and stays there forever."
7. FRENCH JEWS FLEE PARIS SUBURBS OVER RISING ANTI-SEMITISM
by Arutz Sheva Staff
When Alain Benhamou walked into his apartment near Paris in July 2015 and saw the words "dirty Jew" scrawled on the wall, he knew it was time to leave.
It was his second such break-in in less than three months and the 71-year-old no longer felt welcome in Bondy, a Parisian suburb he had called home for more than 40 years.
"Until the years 2000-2005, the town was nice and quiet, with 250 to 300 Jewish families and synagogues full on the Sabbath," Benhamou says.
"Now, only about a hundred Jewish families remain."
Benhamou is part of a growing number of French Jews who have effectively become internal refugees, fleeing insecurity and seeking protection in numbers in an atmosphere they say is increasingly hostile, and often expressed in relation to conflict in the Middle East.
He moved a few miles south to Villemomble, where there is a larger and more established Jewish community.
But others have fled France altogether.
A record 8,000 or so French Jews moved to Israel in 2015 alone, according to Israeli figures, in the year that a jihadist gunman linked to the Charlie Hebdo newspaper attackers killed four Jews in a kosher supermarket.
France has the largest Jewish population in Europe, estimated at 500,000 to 600,000 people.
Half of them live in the Paris region but their numbers have declined steadily over the past 15 years, researchers say.
Jerome Fourquet of polling firm IFOP says the change started around 2000 following the beginning of the Second Intifada.
With France also home to Europe's largest Muslim community, which counts around five million members, the bloodshed in the Middle East unleashed a wave of unrest, particularly in the Paris region which saw a surge in anti-Semitic acts and threats, he says.
A disappearing community
Benhamou still lives within the sprawling Seine-Saint-Denis department that sits northeast of the capital and combines run-down immigrant ghettos with trendy new gentrified business districts.
In the last 15 years, it has gone from being one of France's most densely-populated Jewish areas to what the community now considers "one of the lost territories of the Republic".
"The Jewish community is expected to disappear from here," Benhamou says.
In nearby Raincy, Rabbi Moshe Lewin shares Benhamou's pessimism, fearing he could be one of the last Jewish leaders in Seine-Saint-Denis.
"What upsets me is that in some areas of France, Jews can no longer live peacefully, and that just five minutes from my home, some are forced to hide their kippas (skullcaps) or their Star of David," he admits.
Even areas with a strong Jewish population, such as Sarcelles to the north, still have major problems.
Francois Pupponi, the Socialist mayor of Sarcelles, says many Jewish residents come to him for help with stories of being assaulted or having swastikas daubed on walls outside their homes.
Some have been caught in "extremely violent situations" that in some cases required families to be "urgently rehoused", says Pupponi.
He became aware of "a phenomenon of internal migration" about five or six years ago, which he says "is getting worse".
'Little Jerusalem'
Nonetheless, Jews from elsewhere still see Sarcelles as a relative haven. New arrivals now find "a much stronger police and institutional presence" than before and "they can live out their Judaism here in safety," says Pupponi.
Among the newcomers is Eva Sandler, the widow of Rabbi Jonathan Sandler who was killed in an Islamist shooting attack on a Jewish school in Toulouse in 2012.
Other areas have also seen an influx of new arrivals.
Many say the heart of the Jewish community is no longer Sarcelles but in Paris' western 17th district which has now taken over the moniker of "Little Jerusalem".
Now in his 60s, Robert moved there a decade ago with the northwestern neighborhood's Jewish population reflected in the wealth of eateries selling kosher foods, from specialized sweet shops to sushi bars.
"Because anti-Semitism is growing, we try and stick together to avoid it," admits Robert, who did not want to give his surname.
Community group the Consistoire Israelite has taken note of the shift in center of gravity and is currently building a Centre for European Judaism in the neighborhood which is slated to open next year.
'Becoming less visible'
But across the city in the eastern neighborhood of Saint-Mande, the wind appears to have changed.
Formerly known for its large Jewish community with two synagogues and a community day care center, the district has been badly hit by the deadly hostage-taking at the kosher supermarket in January 2015.
"There were about 12 or 13 Sainte-Mande residents among (the hostages)," recalls local mayor Patrick Beaudouin.
"It had a huge psychological impact."
He said dozens of families had since left the area, deciding it was best "to spread out, to be less visible".
For now, most French Jews have preferred to cluster in towns and neighborhoods where they know a large Jewish community already exists.
But that decision to flock together brings about its own problems.
"We are creating ghettos," Pupponi says. "We are aware of that."
The solution, he says, would be "to achieve social and ethnic integration in all neighborhoods."
"But France has been trying to achieve this for the past 30 years and it still hasn't happened."
AFP contributed to this report
8. DISABLED IDF VOLUNTEER RECOGNIZED AT AWARD CEREMONY
by Arutz Sheva Staff
[youtube:2015722]
Even though Liran Look was automatically eligible for an exemption from mandatory military service due to his disability, he volunteered to serve in the IDF. During a ceremony on Monday, Look received a special award for excellence in recognition of his contributions.
When all of his friends received their orders to enlist, he decided that in spite of the difficulties, he wanted to enlist as well, explained Look, highlighting his devotion to the IDF and the Jewish state.
"The desire to serve has been with me since childhood. Unfortunately, when I first approached an officer in the enlistment office, I was immediately told that my condition would prevent me from serving."
Liran eventually heard about the JNF's "Special in Uniform" program, and contacted Lt. Col. Ariel Almog, the head of the program, who spoke with him about opportunities to enlist as a volunteer.
Special in Uniform is a unique program, now operated in partnership with the Jewish National Fund (JNF) to integrate young people with autism and other disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and, in turn, into Israeli society. Its core belief is that everyone has a place in Israeli society, and has the right to reach his or her full potential. Special in Uniform focuses on the unique talents of each individual participant to help them find a job within the IDF that is a perfect fit for their skills and helping keep Israel safe and secure.
Liran eventually enlisted through the Special in Uniform program, and is now stationed with an emergency warehouse unit in the Home Front Command. His commanders have noted his dedication to his duties and the hard work he puts in every day to ensure that his unit will be ready when called upon.
In honor of the 68th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, Liran received special awards of excellence from Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick of Israel's Home Front Command (HFC).
The Special in Uniform program is sponsored in party by the Israeli government, though most of the funding comes from the JNF and private donations.
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