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Thursday, Jun. 16 '16, Sivan 10, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. BRITISH MP SHOT AND STABBED
2. YA'ALON DECLARES HE'S RUNNING FOR PM
3. 'THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES AGAINST ISRAELI BDS-SUPPORTERS'
4. 'SHOOTING OF TERRORIST WAS NOT JUSTIFIED'
5. ORLANDO TERRORIST GLOATS: 'TASTE THE REVENGE OF ISIS'
6. LIBERMAN PLANS US TRIP TO ASSUAGE FEARS AFTER APPOINTMENT
7. UK TO LEAVE EU? POLLS SHOW CHANCES FOR 'BREXIT' SURGING
8. KISSINGER: AN INTERIM PEACE AGREEMENT IS THE BETTER SOLUTION
1. BRITISH MP SHOT AND STABBED
by Shoshana Miskin Perez
British MP Jo Cox of the Labour Party is in a critical condition after being shot and stabbed in Bristal on Thursday afternoon.
According to reports, the 41-year-old mother of two was campaigning with locals near the town's library when fight broke out in the street and she stepped in.
Eyewitness said that Cox wresteled with a man who then shot he twice and left her lying bleeding on the pavement "She fell between two cars and I came and saw her bleeding on the floor."
Another man in his late 40s to early 50s also suffered slight injuries. The MP was airlifted to Leeds General hospital.
The gunman allegedly shouted "Britain First" before walking away. The a 52-year-old male shooter was detained by police.
Prime Minister ‏David Cameron tweeted: "Very concerned about reports Jo Cox has been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and her family."
"Utterly shocked by the news of the attack on Jo Cox. The thoughts of the whole Labour Party are with her and her family at this time," said Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, on his twitter.
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2. YA'ALON DECLARES HE'S RUNNING FOR PM
by Yedidya Ben-Or
Former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon took advantage of his speech at the Herzliya Conference Thursday afternoon to criticize Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and announce that he intends to replace him.
"The leadership should stop scaring the citizens and give the feeling that we are on the verge of a second Holocaust," he said. "There is no existential danger to Israel, including the Iranian threat."
He declared: "I intend to run for the Israeli leadership in the coming elections. In the last few months, the gaps in outlooks between me and the prime minister have become apparent to me."
Ya'alon, who resigned less than a month ago, claimed that "thousands of Israeli citizens, and certainly Likud members" have contacted him since his recent resignation and convinced him that "the state of Israel requires a change of direction and new hope."
"There is hope, today, in the sane majority, for responsible national leadership. The state of Israel and the citizens of Israel deserve responsible national leadership," he added.
"It is unbearable that the leadership of Israel in 2016 busies itself with the inflammation of passions, scare tactics and incitement, between Jews and Arabs, right and left, in order to last in power for another month or year," Ya'alon accused. "Responsible leadership has the job of connecting between parts of society."
Likud responded to Ya'alon's speech by saying: "It is entertaining to see how quickly Ya'alon has done an about face. It was just a few months ago that he said: 'Iran is an existential threat to Israel,' and today at the Herzliya Conference, upon turning into a politician, he said that there is no existential threat to Israel. Apparently, what one sees from there, one does not see from here."
3. 'THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES AGAINST ISRAELI BDS-SUPPORTERS'
by Shoshana Miskin Perez
Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Information Gilad Erdan (Likud) announced Thursday that the government is planning a series of legislative measures against Israeli organizations and citizens that promote the boycott of the state.
"There will now be real price to pay for someone working against their own country in order to isolate it from the rest of the world," Erdan said in his speech at the 16th Institute for Policy and Strategy Conference at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.
"I set up a legal team, together with the Ministry of Justice, that will promote governmental legislation on the matter", said Erden. "If we want to convince the world that the de-legitimization of Israel is something wrong and that there should be consequences, we must start here in Israel."
Erden also welcomed Jordana Cutler, longtime senior advisor and chief of staff to Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer, for joining Facebook's Israel office as head of Policy & Communications.
"Facebook realizes that it has a responsibility to monitor its platform and remove content. I hope it will be regulated for good. If not – they will face legislation, and not only in Israel. There has been a n advance in dialogue between the State of Israel and Facebook."
Minister Erdan explained that this policy directed to the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) supporters. "We must send a deterring message for people not to be active in the BDS movement," explained Arden. "There is no intention to hurt anyone active, but anyone who harms the State of Israel must understand that there will be consequences."
"We will use legitimate democratic tools to fight this battle. We will make companies shift from being on the attack against Israel to the defense of protecting themselves."
4. 'SHOOTING OF TERRORIST WAS NOT JUSTIFIED'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Troop commander Major Tom Naaman arrived Thursday at Jaffa Military Court to testify in the trial of IDF soldier Elor Azariya, who is facing charges of manslaughter after having shot a wounded Arab terrorist in Hevron.
At the beginning of his testimony, Major Naaman explained that Azariya served under his command for eight months, and that he was a good and disciplined soldier. According to him, having Azariya become the Battalion Medic was a decision made by him based on Azariya's performance assessment.
The commander recalled that upon arriving at the scene, it was clear to him that one terrorist was dead and a second terrorist appeared to have been dead as well, since he was shot six times. However, he then saw the second terrorist moving his hand, but claimed the knife was out of his reach.
He also addressed the fact that the terrorist was wearing winter clothing on a warm day and claimed that in Hevron, it is acceptable to wear long sleeved shirts in summer weather, so therefore there was nothing suspicious about his attire.
Commander Naaman said that once he realized the terrorist was shot, he asked the Azariya why he shot him. According to Naaman, Azariya said, "the terrorist was alive - he deserved to die." According to him, Azariya never mentioned to him anything regarding the possible danger of a knife or explosive device.
The prosecutor specifically asked the commander whether Azariya's shooting of the terrorist was justified to which he replied, "No."
5. ORLANDO TERRORIST GLOATS: 'TASTE THE REVENGE OF ISIS'
by David Rosenberg
As Omar Mateen murdered dozens of people in an Orlando nightclub on Sunday, the New York-born terrorist took to social media to declare his support for the ISIS terror organization and decry the "filthy ways of the West".
"I pledge my allegiance to [ISIS chief] Abu Bakr al Baghdadi," Mateen wrote in the middle of his massacre. "May Allah accept me."
Emergency dispatchers in Orlando had earlier revealed that Mateen called 911 to publicize the attack and his support for ISIS.
FBI investigators and officials on the Senate's Homeland Security Committee compiled Mateen's social media comments posted prior to and during the deadly attack in an effort to clarify the motives behind the killings and to ascertain what details Mateen had revealed to his wife or other acquaintances about his impending attack.
"The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west," Mateen wrote in another post.
Questions remain regarding Mateen's sexuality and whether the attack may have been motivated in part by his own homosexual inclinations. Mateen's former wife, Sitora Yusufiy, claims he had "gay tendencies".
"After [the wedding] he confessed to me about his past, and how he very much enjoyed going to clubs and the nightlife."
The two divorced within months of their wedding.
Witnesses say Mateen was a regular at the nightclub targeted in the attack, an establishment that caters primarily to gays and lesbians.
In other social media posts, however, Mateen cited American military operations overseas as the reason behind his attack, writing "You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes… now taste the Islamic state vengeance."
Survivors of the attack say Mateen made similar statements during the massacre, saying he was taking revenge against the United States for its anti-terror operations in Afghanistan.
6. LIBERMAN PLANS US TRIP TO ASSUAGE FEARS AFTER APPOINTMENT
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Israel's new Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman is scheduled to visit the United States this weekend for talks with his US counterpart, his office said Thursday, after Washington raised concerns over the Yisrael Beytenu chief's appointment.
Liberman's trip will be his first abroad since being sworn in on May 30, though he is familiar to US officials from an earlier stint as Foreign Minister.
It comes with the United States and Israel in the process of negotiating a new 10-year defense aid pact, the Memorandum of Understanding, to replace the current one, which expires in 2018
and grants the Jewish state more than $3 billion per year.
Liberman leaves on Saturday and is set to meet US Defense Secretary Ashton Carton on Monday.
He will also attend a ceremony in Dallas next Wednesday marking the development of US defense firm Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet, which Israel is purchasing, and tour a factory of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
Following Liberman's nomination, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner, in a rare comment on Israeli internal politics, said the Jewish state's new ruling coalition raised "legitimate questions" over Israel's commitment to a two-state solution in its conflict with the Palestinian Authority.
Both Netanyahu and Liberman have sought to allay concerns over the appointment, saying they are committed to negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and to a two-state solution.
Netanyahu himself has also had a rocky relationship with US President Barack Obama's administration, but the two leaders have sought to move past their disagreements in recent months and negotiate the new defense deal.
AFP contributed to this report
7. UK TO LEAVE EU? POLLS SHOW CHANCES FOR 'BREXIT' SURGING
by David Rosenberg
For the first time since the UK's European Union membership referendum was announced in September 2015, polls show the "leave" camp leading the "remain" camp just a week ahead of the crucial June 23rd vote.
According to the NCP rolling average of polls cited by Bloomberg the number of Britons supporting the UK's exit from the EU moved up to 46.0%, compared to 45.4% for those favoring Britain stay in the central European governing body.
The NCP average mirrors tracking by, which shows "leave" edging past "remain" for the first time ever, favoring "leave" by a margin of 44 to 42.
Polling in June has seen significant increases for the "leave" camp, leading "remain" in most polls and topping 50% for the first time ever.
While most observers still predict the UK will vote to remain in the EU, the likelihood of a "Brexit" – or British exit from the EU – has risen significantly.
Citing NCP, Bloomberg now sees a 39% chance of a Brexit, compared to a 33% chance on Monday and 25% chance last week. Betting odds have also seen a rise in the chances for a UK exit, with an aggregate of odds from Betfair and Predict It now showing a 40.4% chance Britain will leave the EU.
The referendum has divided the UK's major political parties, splitting the ruling Conservative party between opponents of a Brexit, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, and supporters of the "leave" camp including former London Mayor Boris Johnson. Polls show a majority of Conservatives favor a Brexit, with 51% supporting the "leave" camp according to The Economist, compared to 38% who wish to see the UK stay within the EU.
Those numbers were roughly reverse for Labour, with 59% supporting "remain" to 32% favoring "leave". The smaller UKIP and Liberal Democratic parties were far more polarized, with 93% of UKIP voters endorsing a Brexit, compared to just 24% of Liberal Democrats.
Opposition to the UK's continued membership in the EU has been fueled in recent years by growing concerns over mass immigration, terrorism, and ongoing economic stagnation. Working class Britons, who disproportionately support leaving the EU, have been hardest hit by changes to the British economy.
8. KISSINGER: AN INTERIM PEACE AGREEMENT IS THE BETTER SOLUTION
by Arutz Sheva Staff
[youtube:2016255]
Former United States Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger on Wednesday said that an interim agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA) must ensure that Israel's security concerns are met but also ensure the dignity of the Palestinians.
Dr. Kissinger made the comments as he spoke to participants in the Herzliya Conference via live feed.
Discussing the option of a regional peace agreement, Dr. Kissinger expressed his doubts, saying, "I would welcome a regional peace process, theoretically it is a logical evolution. But I believe a step by step approach is better. We are not in a position to take a regional peace initiative, and it is not obvious what it can achieve. You'd assume a regional peace will include states that are no longer function as states – Syria, Iraq, Libya… If any agreement has to be more that a piece of paper, it has to have guarantees. One has to ask which countries are in position to give guarantees."
"My view remains that we will be better off with interim agreement. The problem of attaching the word 'final' to an agreement is that it makes it vulnerable to attacked. It would be easier for Arab countries to join if some parts remain blank," he added.
An interim agreement with the Palestinians, Kissinger said, "has to produce a significant increase in the ability of the Palestinian population to feel that the security arrangements are compatible with their dignity, while Israel's security concerns must continue to be protected."
He also discussed the strained relations between Israel and Western Europe and said, "I think as far as the United States is concerned, that the major leaders of both parties remain committed to the security and progress of Israel. In Western Europe it's a different situation. Israel is in a position comparable to Vietnam – it is looked as the source of all evils."
The comments come amid pressure on Israel to resume peace talks with the PA, which have been frozen since 2014.
To that end, France recently hosted a peace summit in Paris as part of its efforts to push the sides to resume talks.
As well, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, has called on Israel to accept the Arab Peace Initiative, saying it is the best solution for the Israel-PA conflict and rejecting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's demand that the initiative be "updated" to reflect the changes that have occurred in the Middle East over the past several years.
The initiative, unveiled in 2002 and re-endorsed at the 2007 Arab League summit, says that 22 Arab countries will normalize ties with Israel in return for an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.
Israel to date has rejected the plan due to the fact that it calls for Israel to accept the so-called "right of return" for millions of descendants of Arabs who fled pre-state Israel, effectively bringing an end to the Jewish state.
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