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Monday, Jul. 04 '16, Sivan 28, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. PM SPEAKS IN UGANDA TO MARK 40TH ENTEBBE ANNIVERSARY
2. UGANDAN PRESIDENT: BALFOUR WAS AN IGNORAMUS
3. ISIS IN ISRAEL? SARONA ATTACKERS INSPIRED BY ISLAMIC STATE
4. BRITISH SUMMONS OF ISRAELI MK 'ACT OF NATIONAL TERRORISM'
5. YOUNG TERROR VICTIM'S MOTHER SLAMS PEACE NOW HEAD
6. BENNETT: ARAB NEIGHBORHOODS WILL SURROUND MALHA MALL
7. 'MOM IS HOLDING OUR HANDS, SPEAKING WITH US'
8. MAN INJURED IN CENTRAL PARK EXPLOSION
1. PM SPEAKS IN UGANDA TO MARK 40TH ENTEBBE ANNIVERSARY
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu arrived at Entebbe, Uganda, this afternoon (Monday) to take part in the ceremony marking the 40-year anniversary of the famous Entebbe operation, in which the IDF rescued hostages taken from a hijacked flight by terrorists. The hijacked plane was redirected and flown to the airport in Entebbe, where the hostages were held until they were rescued. Netanyau's brother, Yonatan (often called 'Yoni"), led the daring operation, and was killed in action. The operation is now often referred to as "Operation Yonatan", in his memory.
The Prime Minister spoke of the significance of Entebbe to the Israel generally, and to him personally.
"I feel humbled standing here as the Prime Minister of Israel, I am humbled standing here in the place where IDF soldiers rescued the hostages, in the heart of Africa, thousands of Miles from Israel. I feel honored standing here with men who took part in the mission itself," Netanyahu said.
"I am honored and humbled standing here in the very spot where my brother Yoni, commander of the IDF's most elite unit, was killed while leading his men into battle to free the hostages," the Prime Minister added, "Here, in the place where the old terminal stood, members of our nation were taken hostage by cruel terrorists. It was here that our fighters pulled off a rare operation, almost unprecedented in military history."
Netanyahu then addressed the former pilots and soldiers in attendance at the event who had taken part in the operation. "Every one of you who flew here to Entebbe, those who are here today and those who aren't, flew out to the mission without knowing whether he'd return. You came on a rescue mission, but you knew that if something went wrong, no one was coming to rescue you. In spite of this, you fought for the privilege of earning a spot on the plane flying out.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the contributions of all who had been involved in orchestrating the mission from home, including the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, then Defense Minister Shimon Peres, Chief of Staff Motta Gur, the commanders of the military units involved in the operation and his brother Yoni.
"When Yoni died our world went dark," Netanyahu remembered, "There is almost no day that passes without me thinking about what would have happened had I done things differently at the time; it's possible Yoni wouldn't have joined the unit and therefore wouldn't have gone to Entebbe. Bereavement hit us hard. It has hit me, my family, the families of captured soldiers and civilians, and it continues to hit many families in Israel, and yet the power of life propels us forward, though the scars always remain, scars left not only by bereavement."
"Operation Yonatan has become a symbol of the fight against terror, it showed Israel has the power to stand up for itself and dealt a serious blow to terrorism," Netanyahu added, "we must present a united front against terror."
2. UGANDAN PRESIDENT: BALFOUR WAS AN IGNORAMUS
by Hillel Fendel
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda since 1986, delivered a warm and sometimes entertaining speech welcoming Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to his country today.
Museveni accused Lord Balfour – author of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 – of "ignorance" in calling Uganda the "national home" of the Jewish People. "How can such an ignorant man have been Foreign Minister of Great Britain?" Museveni marveled aloud.
Regrettably and uncomfortably for the Israelis in the audience, and particular Netanyahu, the president made a slight error. The Balfour Declaration stated that a national home should be established for the Jews in what was then Palestine – not Uganda. Museveni's confusion might have stemmed from the fact that some Jewish leaders of the time raised the possibility of building a temporary Jewish state in Uganda.
"Fortunately," the president continued, "the Jews did not accept Balfour's idea – which was a good thing, otherwise we would have been fighting you now." He smiled as he said this, and many in the audience chuckled in kind.
Museveni said that it is clear to him that both the Jews and the Arabs belong in the Middle East, and that he cannot tolerate the "bigotry" that states otherwise. He added that he even told as much to former Iranian President Ahmedinajad - whose name he forgot mid-speech.
"The logical solution is that there must be two states – one Arab, and one Jewish," he said. He added that though he has never been asked to mediate the conflict, he is confident that if asked, he would be able to succeed easily.
The Ugandan leader praised Netanyahu for taking the "sad" episode of the kidnapping of the Israelis 40 years ago and turning it into a link and bond between the two countries.
3. ISIS IN ISRAEL? SARONA ATTACKERS INSPIRED BY ISLAMIC STATE
by David Rosenberg
Israeli authorities investigating the Sarona Market terror shootings which left four dead filed an indictment on Monday, revealing that the two terrorists involved in the attack were inspired by the Islamic terror group ISIS.
Investigators also revealed in the indictment that the two terrorists had been planning to strike Israeli targets since January. Originally the pair had intended on attacking train passengers; to that end, the terror cell assembled information regarding the schedules of train lines and the number of passengers during peak hours.
After plans to attack an Israel Rail line were scrapped, the two killers selected the Sarona Market just before carrying out the attack.
The two terrorists, Khalid and Mahmoud Mehamara, cousins from the village of Yatta in Judea, were assisted by a third Yatta resident, Yunis Zin, who helped plan the attack and procured the firearms used in the shootings. The three have been accused of four counts of murder, 41 counts of attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.
According to the indictment, Mahmoud Mehamara became radicalized while studying in Jordan. There he developed an interest in the ISIS terror organization.
The report also revealed that the terror cell had also planned to stab Israelis, and had purchased knives and poison, which the knives were to be dipped in before use.
4. BRITISH SUMMONS OF ISRAELI MK 'ACT OF NATIONAL TERRORISM'
by Rachel Kaplan
Ron Prosor, former Ambassador of Israel to the UN and to Britain, commented Monday morning with Rosie Barkai on MK Tzipi Livni's summons by the British police. Livni was called in for questioning over possible "war crimes" in Operation Cast Lead after she landed in London yesterday, in an act Prosor labels "national terrorism."
"Democracies need to protect themselves, but what happened here is exactly the opposite - they are continuing to use national terror on the State of Israel and her leaders," explained Prosor, "Hard work is needed in order to change this universal rule, and create a situation where not every complaint leads to an order of arrest."
After she was summoned for questioning over supposed 'war crimes', an indignant Livni declared in an interview with Army Radio that "Britain has to change its policies." She added: "It is preposterous to suppose that I would give explanations on decision-making in the Israeli cabinet to the British police. They need to change their protocols; it's not logical and it's not acceptable to behave this way."
The Foreign Ministry last night attacked the actions of Britain: "We expected better behavior from such a close ally as Britain. Israel will act to protect her citizens from legal exploitation".
Livni's summons were cancelled after Israel intervened.
5. YOUNG TERROR VICTIM'S MOTHER SLAMS PEACE NOW HEAD
by Rachel Kaplan
In a passion matched only by her pain, Rena Ariel, whose daughter Hallel-Yaffa Ariel was murdered less than week ago in her bed, attacks the Secretary General and one-time spokesman for Peace Now, Yariv Oppenheimer.
In an interview with Radio Darom, Ariel ripped into Oppenheimer for his tweet that "The approved 42 new housing units are 42 more reasons for Palestinians to blow themselves up." Oppenheimer was referring to the swath of building permits approved in Kiryat Arba in response to Hallel-Yaffa's murder.
"I say this to all those who came to comfort us here: Yariv Oppenheimer is now on the line, and he claims that the 42 apartments that were approved here will bring another 42 terror attacks. So I am saying here: Yariv Oppenheimer - it isn't the 42 apartments that will bring terror attacks, it is defeatist thinking like yours, who would uproot us, that will cause the death and murder of another little girl!"
Ariel further challenged: "You are invited here, Yariv, because every Jew is welcome, and you are invited to see, and to build here, not 42 apartments, but rather 420 apartments with gardens, well-built and normal, and that is what will bring the light.
"We will not see here the view of Islam, we will see here the view of our land, a happy view," Ariel added, "Words like these, Yariv, they give [the terrorists] strength, they take their strength from us. Come here, Yariv, leave these ideas behind. Come and build the town."
6. BENNETT: ARAB NEIGHBORHOODS WILL SURROUND MALHA MALL
by Eliran Aharon
Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) attacked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's housing plan, which includes approval for the expansion of the predominantly Arab Beit Safafa neighborhood in southern Jerusalem, at the expense of the nearby Givat HaMatos area.
Speaking at the 2016 Yesha Conference on Monday, Bennett warned the expansion of Beit Safafa coupled with restrictions on Jewish construction in Givat HaMatos would leave southern neighborhoods strategically cut-off.
"Arab construction without Jewish construction will create Palestinian continuity from Bethlehem all the way to Malha, and it will divide Jerusalem," Bennett said.
"Givat HaMatos is a strategically important place for the future of Jerusalem, on it hinges the future of a united Jerusalem. The world is hoping to create Palestinian [territorial] continuity from Bethlehem through Beit Jala, through Givat HaMatos, Beit Safafa and all the way up to Malha mall. We, on the other hand, want precisely the opposite: We want to create continuity from Talpiot to Gilo to preserve the unity of Jerusalem."
The Education Minister called upon the Prime Minister to authorize plans for a large construction project in Givat HaMatos.
"Let Jews build in Jerusalem as well and prevent the division of the city. I believe the Prime Minister will approve this and won't aid the Palestinian division of the city."
7. 'MOM IS HOLDING OUR HANDS, SPEAKING WITH US'
by Rachel Kaplan
"Mom is holding our hands, speaking with us, she even opened her eyes. Who would have believed it?"
These emotional words were written by Orit Mark, whose father, Rabbi Michael Mark, was killed in a shooting attack on Friday. Her mother, Chavi, was seriously wounded and is being treated in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Yesterday, her mother Chavi Mark finally regained consciousness.
In a text message to her high school friends, Orit, who just finished 11th grade, thanked them for their prayers: "We are seeing miracles. Mom is talking, kissing, holding hands. Everything is thanks to your prayers, my loves, and thanks to my father, who must be storming Heaven."
She also thanked them for supporting her through the funeral of her father: "You have no idea how much joy you brought, girls, how much respect you brought to my righteous father. He would have been so proud of me, that these are my friends. My father was a great man...I don't want you to break, you shouldn't get depressed. That's how my father would have wanted it."
Haddasah Hospital has reported that Chavi Mark is breathing without a respirator, and has regained consciousness.
Meanwhile, the IDF continues to maintain a "moving lockdown" over the Hevron area as they hunt down the perpetrators of the attack. Sunday night saw the arrests of at least 4 Palestinians in the area, 2 from one family, and one white Hyundai was impounded.
Mark left behind 10 orphans. At his funeral, Tehillah Mark, 14, retold the story of how her father tried to save them from the attack.
"I saw you in your final moments. When I heard the shots I immediately dropped down. Pedaya and Mom too. But you were driving, and you wouldn't leave the steering wheel. You didn't protect yourself. Until your final breath, you tried to save us."
Rabbi Mark, principal of the Otniel Yeshiva, was murdered in front of his family. At around 3:00 PM on Friday, Palestinian terrorists shot more than 20 bullets from their car to the Marks' car. His wife, Chavi, was critically injured, and two of his children - Pedaya, 15, and Tehillah, 13 - were lightly wounded.
8. MAN INJURED IN CENTRAL PARK EXPLOSION
by Ben Ariel
[youtube:2016795]
Members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) bomb squad are investigating the cause of an explosion in Central Park on Sunday that nearly blew a man's leg off, police told CNN.
Preliminary investigation suggests the explosion was an "experiment with fireworks or homemade explosives," NYPD Deputy Chief John O'Connell was quoted as having said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.
"We do not have any evidence of a constructed device or commercial-grade fireworks," he said, stressing, "There are no specific or credible threats directed at New York for July Fourth."
The victim of Sunday's incident, an 18-year-old tourist from northern Virginia, and two friends jumped off a rock in the park shortly before 11:00 a.m. local time, O'Connell said. As they did, an explosion occurred, injuring one of them.
The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital in serious but stable condition for surgery. The victim and his two friends are not considered suspects, O'Connell said, according to CNN.
Forensic evidence indicates the explosive was not meant to go off from someone stepping on it, suggesting the work of an amateur hobbyist, said NYPD bomb squad commanding officer Mark Torre.
Witnesses said the sound of the blast rippled through the park like a "cannon," sending birds flying off trees.
Law enforcement sources told CNN the blast left behind some kind of homemade explosive material, which was being tested at a bomb lab.
The United States, as many other countries around the world, has been dealing with the phenomenon of radicalization, and American authorities over the past year or so have arrested and charged several people of supporting the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group.
In June, 22-year-old Nicholas Michael Teausant of California was sentenced to 12 years in prison for seeking to travel to Syria to join ISIS.
Teausant, a convert to Islam, had pleaded guilty in December to a charge of attempting to provide material support or resources to a terror group. He was arrested in March 2014 near the Canadian border, while en route to Syria to join the terror network.
He allegedly told the FBI under interrogation that he wanted to go to Syria in the hope of becoming famous and "being on every news station in the world."
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