Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Sunday, May. 08 '16, Nissan 30, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. LONDON JEWS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FIRST-EVER MUSLIM MAYOR
2. PM BLASTS SENIOR OFFICER'S 'OUTRAGEOUS' HOLOCAUST COMMENTS
3. 'STOP DISTRIBUTING TV AND RADIO FREQUENCIES TO PALESTINIANS'
4. TERROR VICTIM'S HUSBAND SLAMS OUTGOING UN CHIEF BAN KI-MOON
5. DISGRACED EX-PRESIDENT KATSAV SUBMITS CLEMENCY REQUEST
6. SECURITY COUNCIL WEIGHS 'PROTECTION' FOR PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
7. POLICE FEAR MAFIA WAR AS HEIR TO CRIME FAMILY ASSASSINATED
8. INTERVIEW: ARE CHILDREN READY FOR HOLOCAUST BOOKS?
1. LONDON JEWS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FIRST-EVER MUSLIM MAYOR
by Ari Soffer
Despite receiving a nationwide drubbing in local elections, the UK Labour Party did claim a major scalp in the UK capital, with Sadiq Khan becoming London's first-ever Muslim Mayor, ending eight years of Conservative Party control.
But while you might expect London's Jewish community to be worried - and indeed, some Jewish leaders have expressed concern over Labour's success in spite of the anti-Semitism scandal rocking the party - Jewish Londoners are in fact heartened by their newest mayor.
The race for Mayor of London - the most powerful directly-elected office in Britain - was a dirty one, with Khan and his opponent Zac Goldsmith trading barbs and accusations of racism and extremism. Khan's own past associations with a string of Islamist figures was one of the topics of controversy, which had many British Jews particularly concerned given the ongoing Labour scandal.
Khan for his part has claimed he only associated with those figures in his capacity as a human rights lawyer - a contention some have questioned - and pointed to his liberal voting record as proof that he himself is an avowed moderate.
But his past record aside, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which officially represents the UK's roughly 270,000-strong Jewish community, enthusiastically congratulated the new Mayor of London.
Noting that "his first public engagement will be the Yom HaShoah commemoration" on Sunday, the BoD expressed "hope that this will set the tone for his mayoralty's engagement with our community."
"We look forward to working with him in his new role," it added.
The UK Zionist Federation - the country's largest pro-Israel organization - also sounded an optimistic note.
"We are hopeful that he is mayor we can work with," said ZF Chairman Paul Charney.
"He is moderate and pluralistic, he has shown a clear stance against anti-Semitism in his own party, even to the extent of distancing himself from Corbyn," Charney stated.
And there is much reason for London's Jews to feel positive about their new mayor, BoD President Jonathan Arkush told Arutz Sheva.
Indeed, rather than some of his questionable past associations, London's 170,000-strong Jewish community have been far more interested in his particularly high-profile stance against anti-Semitism in general, and Jew-hated emanating from his own party in particular.
Khan's outspokenness against anti-Semitism within Labour is not to be taken for granted. As illustrated by the disturbing popularity of anti-Semitic MPs and councilors in regions - such as Bradford - with far larger Muslim communities than Jewish ones, it may well have been more politically-expedient for Khan to avoid the issue as much as possible, rather than wading in to so strongly criticize anti-Zionist extremists within his own party. London's Muslim community is similarly far larger than its Jewish population.
Echoing the BoD's official statement, Arkush - himself a Londoner - also cited the fact that the new Mayor's first official engagement will be to participate in Holocaust commemorations, and further noted that he would be sharing the podium with the UK Chief Rabbi and Israeli Ambassador in the process - a strong snub to the hard-left within the Labour Party.
"I am hopeful about him," said Arkush. "I think that in the run up to the election, he was exceptionally friendly in his dealings with the Jewish community."
"He was one of the leaders of the charges within Labour that were very critical of Jeremy Corbyn," he continued, adding that he firmly believed Khan's sentiments towards the Jewish community were sincere.
"I don't see any of that as being purely for electoral reasons," he insisted. "On the contrary, I think Sadiq Khan's commitment to genuine middle-ground politics and friendship towards all communities - certainly including the Jewish community - are entirely genuine."
Arkush went even further, voicing hope that Khan could act as a counterweight to extremist leaders within the Muslim community, and that as Mayor he could help bridge the divide between London's Jewish and Muslim communities.
"I would like to think that if Sadiq Khan indeed develops further into a moderate, tolerant, enlightened politician from the Muslim community, that he could stand as an important role model for British Muslims, who currently lack such figures. Time will tell."
Addressing the anomalous Labour victory in the capital, against the backdrop of an otherwise terrible election day for the leading opposition party, Arkush cautioned against drawing wider conclusions about the public's perception of Labour under its current far-left leadership.
"Labour was always going to win a majority in London," he noted, though he estimated the Jewish vote for a Labour candidate had likely dropped sharply, as it did on the local level. London has always been a Labour stronghold, with Khan's predecessor Boris Johnson's success hinging to no small degree on his "pure force of character," he said.
And Arkush emphasized that, overall, the British electorate had delivered a fairly resounding message against the Labour Party's current extremist trajectory - on everything from anti-Zionism, to the economy and British national security.
"Although to the Israeli press with the Labour controversy it seems like the UK is anti-Semitic, the reality is different," he insisted.
"These people who have been suspended from Labour are not new anti-Semites. Most of them were there all along - some of them are just more emboldened now to say what they are saying."
On the contrary, he asserted, the fact that they have all been suspended - if often far too slowly - and the fact that the British media and public have reacted so negatively to extremism within Labour, bodes well for the future.
And after such a disastrous local election, Corbyn's days may well be numbered.
2. PM BLASTS SENIOR OFFICER'S 'OUTRAGEOUS' HOLOCAUST COMMENTS
by David Rosenberg
The storm over IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan's comments on Holocaust Remembrance Day continued on Sunday, when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu used his opening statement during the weekly cabinet meeting to condemn Golan's apparent comparison of Israel to pre-war Europe.
Last Wednesday night, speaking at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, Golan appeared to draw direct comparisons between Israel and pre-war Germany.
"If there is something that scares me about the memory of the Holocaust," said Golan, "it is the identification of horrifying processes that occurred in Europe in general and Germany in particular - 70, 80 and 90 years ago - and finding evidence of them here among us, today, in 2016."
Golan later backtracked, claiming that his comments were not meant to compare the present political situation in Israel to pre-Holocaust Germany.
While the controversial comments drew fire from many within the nationalist camp, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon defended Golan, arguing that criticism aimed at him was part of a larger "campaign to harm the IDF and its officers politically."
"The responsibilities of an army officer, especially a senior commander, are not limited to leading soldiers out to war, but also include charting out a path and ethical standards with the help of [his] moral compass," said Yaalon.
Hours later Netanyahu reportedly called Yaalon, sharply criticizing him for defending Golan's comments.
On Sunday, however, Netanyahu openly lambasted Golan for the comparison, a subtle jab at his Defense Minister's support for Golan.
"The comparison, which came out of the Deputy Chief of Staff's comments, to the trends that characterized Nazi Germany 80 years ago, is outrageous. They're totally baseless. They should never have been said at any time, and certainly not at the time they were made [Holocaust Remembrance Day]. They harm Israeli society and cheapen the Holocaust."
"The Deputy Chief of Staff is a fine officer with a great deal of merit, but his words in this regard are totally wrong and I utterly reject them."
3. 'STOP DISTRIBUTING TV AND RADIO FREQUENCIES TO PALESTINIANS'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Israeli NGO Shurat HaDin, the Israel Law Center, on Sunday addressed Prime Minister and Minister of Communications Binyamin Netanyahu, demanding an immediate stop to the allocation of radio and television frequencies for Palestinians, due to incitement to murder Israelis and Jews.
According to a letter sent by Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of Shurat HaDin, the Israeli government distributes said frequencies under the Oslo Accords; however, radio and television broadcasts are used by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to encourage the current wave of terrorism and incitement to murder.
Incitement to murder is a violation of the PA's commitments under the Oslo agreements, and incitement to genocide is an offense under international law. Shurat HaDin are threatening to take the government to the High Court (Supreme Court) if they do not stop allocating frequencies immediately.
The letter further stated that a significant portion of terror in the recent wave of attacks is being incited directly by official PA radio and television, with leaders encouraging such attacks. This was illustrated when Murad Bader Abdullah Adais, the 16-year-old Arab terrorist who stabbed to death Dafna Meir at her home in Otniel, admitted that he was inspired to launch his murderous attack by Palestinian TV.
"It is inconceivable that the Israeli government will continue to allocate TV and Radio frequencies for Palestinians, who advocate killing Jews. In Rwanda, heads of television and radio which called for incitement to genocide were convicted of war crimes, but the Israeli government ignores this and does not take the obvious steps to prevent this," said Darshan-Leitner.
"US and European Jewish communities successfully fought to close the Muslim propaganda broadcasts on radio and television (there), and only Israel lets it go. The government must adopt a zero tolerance policy for incitement to murder Jews and stop the allocation of frequencies immediately."
4. TERROR VICTIM'S HUSBAND SLAMS OUTGOING UN CHIEF BAN KI-MOON
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Natan Meir, husband of Dafna Meir who was stabbed to death in her home in Otniel, sent a letter to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, condemning his attitude and alienating him and his daughter, Ranana, during their visit to the UN.
The two were brought to the UN in New York by the OneFamily organization that supports terror victims and Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, who clashed with the Palestinian representative to the UN during the visit over the latter's refusal to condemn terror.
"In our presence, the Palestinian representative complained that hundreds of Palestinian children are in Israeli prisons. One of the children he talked about murdered my wife! Despite the terrible scandal of misrepresentation, nobody prevented him from continuing his speech," wrote Meir.
"Israel's UN ambassador introduced me and my daughter and told our story. Not one UN ambassador bothered to come and comfort my 17-year-old daughter. No one came to shake our hands. No one called or met with us before or after. Not one letter. Even you, Mr. Secretary General, you were sitting at the front of that meeting and you did not open your mouth nor look in the eyes of someone in who is in anguish and pain."
"I, a citizen of the world. A simple citizen who painfully asks: How can the United Nations strive to be relevant when there is not a single drop of basic human compassion? How can delegates not look directly in the eyes of a man who has all the right to condemn another person? Where is the honesty? Where is the human aspiration that was the basis of establishing the institution you lead? Can such an organization prevent hatred, animosity and inequality?" wondered Meir in his letter.
He continued, "I know my place of residence is not acceptable to you and therefore controversy exists. But you should know that many of my Arab neighbors who call themselves Palestinians sent me condolences, looked me straight in the eye and came to my house. They know and I know that we, the common people, will bring about peace."
Meir further asked for a change in perspective. "Dear Secretary-General, as the UN celebrates the rights of the Palestinians, they must also remember the Jewish national desire to reclaim their cities, which they have longed for thousands of years. Billions of people worldwide know of the Jews and their deep connection to the Biblical land of Israel. A peaceful solution must also take into account the dream of the Jewish people. "
"We have been allowed patiently to advance our shared lives for generations to come. If you still insist on helping, please help us to build bridges and connections between people without borders and fences," Meir concluded.
5. DISGRACED EX-PRESIDENT KATSAV SUBMITS CLEMENCY REQUEST
by Ari Soffer
Disgraced former Israeli President Moshe Katsav has officially submitted a new request for clemency to President Reuven Rivlin, the President's Office confirmed Sunday.
"As is the case with all requests for clemency, it will be passed on to the legal department of the President's Office for review," a statement from the President's Office said.
The confirmation follows reports that President Rivlin is seriously considering releasing Katsav early due to concerns over his rapidly declining health. A clemency will mean convicted rapist Katsav will be freed from prison on compassionate grounds, but would not annul his actual conviction.
Katsav has requested his seven-year sentence be reduced by a third on the grounds of good behavior. Critics, however, note that he has never expressed any remorse for his actions, and should therefore serve his entire term.
Last week, Israel's Channel 1 reported that Katsav's wife Gilah had met with President Rivlin twice in the past several months and, contrary to reports Rivlin is considering a release, that she believes the likelihood of her husband being freed early is extremely minimal.
6. SECURITY COUNCIL WEIGHS 'PROTECTION' FOR PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
by Dalit Halevi
Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki praised on Saturday the United Nations Security Council for its first closed-door hearing to consider "international protection" for Palestinian Arabs.
Al-Maliki claimed that the meeting was critical, given what he called the regular "violations of human rights" by Israel, which he referred to as "the occupying entity".
The Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister expressed hope that Saturday's meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the issue would be the first step towards formal UN intervention in the area and provisions for international protection.
"The time has come for the international community to intervene," said al-Maliki, "and to give protection to the Palestinian people from the ongoing and varied attacks and injuries by Israel, the occupying entity, and at the hands of its soldiers and settlers, particularly in light of its refusal to fulfill its duties as an occupying entity to protect civilians, in keeping with international law and humanitarian standards laid out by the Geneva Convention."
"The failure of the international community to investigate Israel's war crimes enables them and protects them from punishment; the failure to give the Palestinian people protection is yet another incentive for them [the Israelis] to continue to commit crimes against our helpless people."
7. POLICE FEAR MAFIA WAR AS HEIR TO CRIME FAMILY ASSASSINATED
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Shai Shirazi, one of Israel's most well-known criminals and son of mob boss Rico Shirazi, was assassinated on Saturday night in northern Tel Aviv.
Shirazi was seriously wounded from gunfire and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Another man in his 50s, presumably Shiraz's personal security guard, was shot in his lower extremities and was lightly injured.
Initial investigations indicated that the assassins followed Shirazi in his his car and waited for the opportunity to strike. When Shirazi stopped at a traffic light at the corner of Moshe Sneh and Dr Elie Tavin Street, the assassins opened fire.
Police fear retaliation is imminent from Shirazi's father, Rico, and other criminal organization he heads.
Last December, a Tel Aviv court sentenced Rico Shirazi to eight years in prison for tax offenses, holding fictitious accounts, money laundering, and threatening others.
Police continue to investigate the crime scene.
Rico Shirazi Photo: Flash 90
8. INTERVIEW: ARE CHILDREN READY FOR HOLOCAUST BOOKS?
by Yoni Kempinski
Tzipi Cohen, a Holocaust survivor who was a young girl in Budapest, Hungary at the time of World War II, spoke to Arutz Sheva on Thursday for Holocaust Remembrance Day about the unique children's book recounting her experiences during the war.
[HTML:2015007]
The book, which is entitled "The Doll's Tzipi" and is an initiative of the Shem Olam Institute, deals with heavy material, but when asked about those who might question whether children are ready for stories from the Holocaust, Cohen has no doubts.
"It's healthier for them if they start young. It's part of us, it's part of our history," she explained.
For her grandchildren, she noted that having her story in a book format makes it theirs, something they can tangibly own.
During her time in America where she lived after the Holocaust, Cohen recalls that it was a source of embarrassment to be a Holocaust survivor and different, and for many years she didn't want to share her story. As a result some of her friends didn't even know she was a survivor, even after 70 years of friendship.
Stressing that Jews have to remember what the nation of Israel went through, Cohen warned about the current global situation.
"It should never happened again. We're not in a good place today, and it's frightening. And the kids have to be strong and they cannot think that they're like every other country because they're not."
Tzipi Cohen Yoni Kempinski
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