Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe/
Tuesday, May. 24 '16, Iyar 16, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. EVIDENCE INDICATES EXPLOSION ONBOARD EGYPTAIR FLIGHT
2. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY REJECTS NETANYAHU'S CALL FOR DIRECT TALKS
3. COALITION AGREEMENT 'JUST HOURS AWAY', BENNETT THREATENS TO WALK
4. COMPTROLLER: PM MAY BE CRIMINALLY LIABLE IN BIBI-TOURS SCANDAL
5. MATISYAHU TO HEADLINE ANTI-BDS EVENT AT UN
6. DEMONSTRATORS TRY TO BAR RABBI AMNON YITZHAK FROM MODIIN ILLIT
7. PRE-IDF ACADEMY LAUNCHES ISRAEL CADET TREK 2016
8. MUSEUM OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE FOCUSES ON PLURALISM
1. EVIDENCE INDICATES EXPLOSION ONBOARD EGYPTAIR FLIGHT
by David Rosenberg
Human remains retrieved from EgyptAir 804 indicate the plane suffered an explosion before crashing, Egyptian investigators said on Tuesday.
Flight MS804, which was lost over the Mediterranean last Thursday, has prompted speculation of terrorism, despite no claims of responsibility from ISIS or other known terror organizations.
All 66 on board, including 56 passengers and 10 crew members, perished in the crash.
A member of the Egyptian team investigating the crash told AP that some 80 pieces of human remains had been recovered thus far and transferred to a Cairo morgue.
The investigator noted that the pieces were all quite small in size, indicating that a sizable explosion had occurred onboard the plane.
"[T]here isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head. The logical explanation is that it was an explosion."
An investigator from the Lockerbie Bombing, Phil Giles, said that other evidence backed up the claim of an explosion prior to the crash, saying that the plane likely broke up at high altitude. He suggested that a technical failure was unlikely, and that a bomb or missile was the most likely cause.
"All the evidence so far, including the pictures, indicates that the aircraft broke up at altitude rather than when it impacted the sea," Giles told The Independent. "Aircraft do infrequently break up as a function of severe weather, however, this wasn't a factor in this accident. Modern aircraft such as the A320 don't have a habit of suffering major structural failure unless there is some external factor like a BUK missile as in the case of MH17, or an internal device."
Conflicting reports of the plane's trajectory prior to the crash have clouded investigations seeking to discover the cause of Flight MS804's demise.
According to the Greek Defense Ministry, the plane was observed taking a hard, 90-degree turn, followed by a 360-degree turn prior to the crash.
But an Egyptian aviation official denied the claim, saying investigators had no evidence to back up claims made by the Greek government.
While Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has stated that "all scenarios are possible", Egyptian aviation officials have said that terrorism appeared more likely than mechanical failure.
2. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY REJECTS NETANYAHU'S CALL FOR DIRECT TALKS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah on Tuesday dismissed an Israeli proposal for direct
negotiations instead of a French multilateral peace initiative, calling it an attempt to "buy time".
Hamdallah made the comments as he met French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who has held talks in Israel and the Palestinian Authority this week to push Paris's upcoming peace initiative.
"Time is short," Hamdallah said. "Netanyahu is trying to buy time... but this time he will not escape the international community."
Netanyahu has rejected the plan and called for direct negotiations.
Valls told Netanyahu when he met him on Monday that he would discuss his proposal with French President Francois Hollande, but he has insisted that Paris plans to stick with its approach.
The French initiative involves holding a meeting of foreign ministers from a range of countries on June 3, but without the Israelis and or representatives of the Palestinian Authority present.
An international conference would then be held in the autumn, with negotiating teams from Israel and the Palestinian Authority in attendance. The goal is to eventually relaunch negotiations that would lead to a Palestinian state.
Negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.
AFP contributed to this report
3. COALITION AGREEMENT 'JUST HOURS AWAY', BENNETT THREATENS TO WALK
by David Rosenberg
Coalition negotiating teams reported Tuesday morning that a breakthrough was imminent in talks to include Yisrael Beytenu in the government, and that a final agreement could be ready in a matter of hours.
After negotiations stalled this week over Yisrael Beytenu's demand for some 2.5 billion shekels ($650 million) to fund pension plans for elderly ex-Soviet immigrants, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman were reportedly close Tuesday morning to finalizing a compromise that would pave the way for the expansion of the coalition from 61 to 66 seats.
According to a report by Israel Radio, Kahlon, Liberman, and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin were 'hours away' from approving a coalition agreement.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett, however, threatened to oppose the deal if his demands regarding reforms to the government's security cabinet were not addressed.
Bennett has demanded that the security cabinet be provided with a military secretary to keep members properly informed when weighing crucial national security issues.
"It cannot be that the national security cabinet, which is the commander-in-chief above the IDF Chief of Staff, will remain in a fog when it is called upon to send soldiers into combat," Bennett told Israel Radio.
If his demands are not met, warned Bennett, "[the Jewish Home] will not support the Prime Minister's plans to change [and expand] the coalition."
4. COMPTROLLER: PM MAY BE CRIMINALLY LIABLE IN BIBI-TOURS SCANDAL
by Arutz Sheva Staff
State comptroller and retired judge Yosef Haim Shapira is expected to release his annual report on Tuesday, including new information on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's travel funding scandal, often referred to as 'Bibi-Tours'.
The scandal, which revolves around a series of overseas visits during Netanyahu's tenure as Finance Minister from 2003-2005, includes suspicions of double-billing for trips, acceptance of gifts in a manner barred by law for public servants, and improper use of state flight benefits for private travel.
In May and December of 2015, Shapira transferred to the Attorney General's Office new evidence which suggests then-Finance Minister Netanyahu may have committed criminal offenses.
The new evidence will not be released on Tuesday as part of the comptroller's annual report, but the document will include a special chapter dedicated to the scandal.
The report will be the first formal document released by the state comptroller's office since the scandal was first documented by the comptroller in 2010. A previous report prepared by Shapira's predecessor was never completed.
While the Justice Ministry said that it was "examining" the case, no formal charges have been levelled nor has any police investigation against the Prime Minister been opened.
5. MATISYAHU TO HEADLINE ANTI-BDS EVENT AT UN
by David Rosenberg
As international efforts to delegitimize the Jewish state and harm it economically grow in strength and number, Israel's Mission to the United Nations is looking to take on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) and raise awareness of the BDS campaign's anti-democratic and often anti-Semitic behavior.
To that end, Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, has announced an anti-BDS conference, to be held at the United Nations, entitled "Building Bridges, Not Boycotts".
Slated for May 31st, the conference is a joint effort of the Israeli Mission to the UN and a wide range of organizations including the World Jewish Congress, Keren HaYesod/United Israel Appeal, the American Center for Law and Justice, the ADL, StandWithUs, Israel Bonds, Bnai Brith International, the Hillel movement, and CAMERA.
The event, which is expected to draw some 1,500 activists, jurists, and media figures, will be headlined by Jewish reggae star Matisyahu, who will give a special performance in the UN's General Assembly Hall.
Matisyahu was himself targeted by BDS activists in 2015, with a Spanish festival initially cancelled his appearance. The Rototom Sunsplash Festival later backtracked, however, following a public outcry, with Matisyahu being ultimately allowed to perform.
Other prominent attendees of the conference will include Israeli Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein and World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder.
"The anti-Israel narrative on campuses and in diplomatic halls has spun out of control and has proven itself to be part and parcel with an anti-Semitic agenda, aimed at delegitimizing the Jewish state and its right to exist," said Lauder. "Our enemies have tried to defeat us militarily and economically, and they have failed. Now they are trying to defeat us politically, and although they may think that this time they are winning, we will not stop fighting until they fail."
6. DEMONSTRATORS TRY TO BAR RABBI AMNON YITZHAK FROM MODIIN ILLIT
by David Rosenberg
Popular 'kiruv rabbi' and speaker Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak was scheduled to address residents of the haredi town of Modi'in Illit Monday night, an event that at first blush would seem unlikely to create such a storm of controversy.
Yitzhak, a Yemenite-Israeli rabbi who has spent decades on the speaking circuit, has become a prominent fixture within the 'hozrim be'tshuva' (newly religious) community.
In recent years, however, a number of public clashes with other leading religious leaders has left the haredi world sharply divided on Yitzhak.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the late spiritual leader of the Shas movement, condemned Yitzhak for his support of a rival party in the 2013 election. In subsequent years, other rabbis – including other 'kiruv' rabbis, have also been embroiled in public tiffs with Yitzhak.
Rabbi Yossi Mizrachi, an Israeli expat living in Monsey, New York, and Rabbi Zamir Cohen have both found themselves at odds with Yitzhak in recent years in rivalries that have occasionally led to physical threats.
On Monday evening, opponents of Yitzhak gathered outside of the Nof Illit event hall in the Brachfeld neighborhood of Modi'in Illit in southwestern Samaria. Hundreds of demonstrators reportedly attempted to force their way to disrupt a lecture given by Yitzhak, but security officials succeeded in preventing their entry.
Protesters later sought to block Yitzhak's exit from the event, though the rabbi ultimately succeeded in evading the demonstrators.
Witnesses said that the demonstrators were primarily younger yeshiva students.
"It cannot be," one of the event organizers told BeHadrei Haredim, "that young yeshiva students will come to crash a successful class jam packed with participants."
7. PRE-IDF ACADEMY LAUNCHES ISRAEL CADET TREK 2016
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The pre-Israel Defense Forces Preparatory Academy in Beit El launches its Israel Cadet Trek 2016 this week in the Galilee. The cadets, alongside cyclists from the USA and Israel, will peddle through Israel's most breathtaking scenery, stopping for briefings on acts of heroism and historic battles waged by Jewish warriors from biblical to modern times.
Beit El's cadets come exclusively from Israel's traditional underclass - Sephardic, Yemenite and Ethiopian homes. The Academy staff brings them from zero motivation to serve in the IDF, to readiness to volunteer for elite combat units and to become officers.
Students at Beit El's IDF Prep Academy
The Defense Ministry views the pre-IDF Prep Academy as the brink of a societal revolution for Israel and provides matching funds of 40% for each student who delays his enlistment for a year to attend the academy. Even then, the students can't afford the remaining tuition. Funds raised on Israel Cadet Trek 2016 provide scholarships enabling these students to enlist via the academy, and helps them also when they return from their IDF service to pay their way through college.
One particularly disadvantaged cadet this year is "M" from Be'er Sheva who is fighting the system to allow him to enlist despite his past.
Cadets training for Israel Cadet Trek 2016
Four years ago, M's father committed suicide. The family fell into desperate financial straits and soon M was in court facing a criminal charge. The Juvenile Court ordered him to attend a correctional boarding high school.
"What really changed my life 180 degrees was the love and respect that I received from the staff at the IDF Prep Academy in Beit El after high school," says M. "From the first hour in Beit El, the staff totally accepted me, saw only the positive in me and imbued within me self-esteem and a vision for my future," he adds. M also began to embrace his Jewish identity at Beit El's Prep Academy.
Despite his educator's high recommendations to the contrary, the state correctional officer coldly clings to protocol which dictates that he undergo another 20 months of group therapy before being allowed to enlist.
To date, he has cooperated 100% with the correctional officer and attended 18 months of group therapy successfully.
The Dean of the IDF Prep Academy Rabbi Uri Sharabi says M is a very happy student, a positive force and popular among his peers. Rabbi Sharabi says, "Not only will M follow orders with great dedication, but he's ready to lead. Stopping him now will crush him and leave him without a framework and without his peers."
On an uphill stretcher march
Determined to aid M's struggle, the Academy, as a last resort, is taking upon itself the hiring of a leading attorney and the acquisition of recommendations from prominent psychologists to influence the court in a fateful August session to allow M to fulfill his dream and enlist with his peers.
The cost of M's battle which has good chances to succeed is 25,000 NIS ($6,500).
Donations to the Israel Cadet Trek will also finance M's struggle to realize his dream. In his family, M is the only religious member and has emerged as the leading figure of solidity and authority. On the IsraelCadetTrek.com site, supporters can make any size US Tax deductible donation.
8. MUSEUM OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE FOCUSES ON PLURALISM
by Yoni Kempinski
[youtube:2015562]
The Museum of the Jewish People (Beit Hatfutsot) in Tel Aviv is opening its new wing, featuring new and exciting exhibitions. Arutz Sheva visited the museum and spoke with CEO Dan Tadmor.
One of the new exhibitions features models of synagogues past and present, displayed in a new dedicated gallery presenting the diverse expressions of global Jewish life.
"We took Beit Hatfutsot's renowned collection of synagogue models and put them in a brand new multimedia environment," explained Tadmor.
The new wing will feature four new exhibitions, he said. In addition to the synagogue exhibit there will be a kids gallery celebrating 143 Jewish heroes – "men and women who have influenced Jewish people and human kind, from Moses to Mark Zuckerberg and everything in between."
The third exhibition is dedicated to the 75th birthday of Bob Dylan, and the fourth commemorates 30 years since Operation Moses – the airlifting of Ethiopian Jews which happened in 1984 and 1985.
Being the Museum of the Jewish People means that "we need to be a home for everyone," explained Tadmor. "Pluralism is definitely one of the core values of Beit Hatfutsot. Everyone needs to know that they are represented at the Museum of the Jewish People."
------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe/
