Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Tuesday, Oct. 18 '16, ט"ז בתשרי תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. ANTI-ISRAEL UNESCO RESOLUTION PASSES AGAIN
2. WHY LIPA SCHMELTZER KEPT ONLY ONE DAY DURING HOLIDAYS
3. WATCH: ONE KILLED IN BUS ACCIDENT IN SAMARIA
4. NAZI FACEBOOK GROUP LEADS TO EXPULSIONS IN COLORADO SCHOOL
5. ANTI-ISRAEL ARAB RAP STAR TO PERFORM IN HAIFA DESPITE OUTCRY
6. YOUTUBE PUTS PRO-ISRAEL VIDEOS ON 'RESTRICTED MODE'
7. DID CLINTON STEAL STATE DEPARTMENT FURNITURE?
8. 'I DIDN'T EXPECT THE MEDIA WOULD BE SO DISHONEST'
1. ANTI-ISRAEL UNESCO RESOLUTION PASSES AGAIN
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Despite Israel's undertaking of last-ditch diplomatic efforts, the revote at UNESCO today on a controversial resolution denying the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and Western Wall yielded the same result as before.
Earlier, Mexico relieved its UNESCO representative, Andres Roemer, from his position, after he refused to vote for the anti-Israel resolution - in opposition to Mexico's official stance.
In any event, Mexico changed its mind on the issue since then and, whether due to pressure from other more Israel-friendly countries or because of internal pressure from the Mexican Jewish community, called not only to change its vote, but to hold a revote on the question altogether.
Israel stepped up its diplomatic efforts after it became known that Western countries - some of which had even voted against the resolution in the first place - were pressuring Mexico not to make precedent-setting use of "Paragraph 47," which forces a revote - but, rather, to settle for a declaration of change of vote and stance on the issue. According to assessments, those countries feared that a Mexican precedent would open the door for the rampant use of revotes on issues presumed to have already been settled.
Although Jerusalem waged intensive diplomatic efforts up until the time of the vote - despite the official break granted to Israeli diplomats today for the second day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot - the result remained the same.
2. WHY LIPA SCHMELTZER KEPT ONLY ONE DAY DURING HOLIDAYS
by Ben Shaul
Every holiday season, thousands of observant, Orthodox Jews from the Diaspora visit Israel. Unlike their Israeli peers, most keep the additional day of "Yom Tov" traditionally observed outside of Israel, even while staying in the Holy Land, as per centuries of Jewish custom.
But one of today's most popular - but controversial - haredi recording artists no longer keeps the second day of Jewish festivals while in Israel, performing in public while other Diaspora residents refrain from performing actions considered labor by Jewish tradition.
On Monday evening, after the end of the first day of Sukkot – but the beginning of the second day of Yom Tov for Diaspora residents – Schmeltzer performed at a concert in Petah Tikva, stunning audience members who were left pondering how a prominent member of the American haredi community was publicly flouting such a widely accepted tradition.
While criticism from some in the haredi world was quick to follow, Schmeltzer says he is unfazed.
"I don't deal with it [the criticism]; I only accept criticism from God," he told BeHadrei Haredim.
According to Schmeltzer, the basis of the long-standing custom of observing two days while visiting Israel no longer applies.
"I'm part of the Jewish people," he said, "and I think that if I don't appear after Yom Tov it's a contradiction, since the whole point of having two days of Yom Tov is because back then they did not know with certainty what day the new month began in Israel; but today we not only know, but we have the ability to travel to Israel and spend the holiday in the holy, pure Land of Israel."
Rabbinic authorities are familiar with that claim, of course, but have nevertheless not stopped the custom of two days for those who do not make their permanent home in Israel. There are rabbinic authorities who say that the positive commandments of the holiday should not be kept on the second day when in Israel - referring to such things as reciting blessings for the holiday - but that one must avoid going against negative commandments, such as turning on lights.
Schmeltzer added that in his opinion, "It would be an affront for me to come to Israel and then say that I need to keep two days of Yom Tov because my grandfather didn't know what the date [of the holiday was] in Israel. It is important for the public to know that I'm doing everything according to Jewish law. And I've already been here for a few holidays in Israel."
For Schmeltzer, a 38-year old New York native raised in the Skver Hasidic sect, the decision not to observe two days of Yom Tov is not the first time he has stirred controversy within the haredi world by challenging religious norms.
His eclectic musical style has in the past drawn criticism from some within the religious world, and led to a ban by some leading haredi rabbinic authorities on "The Big Event" concert scheduled for Madison Square Garden in 2008.
In 2014 Schmeltzer announced his enrollment in Columbia University, defying the traditional aversion within Skver to study in secular institutions of higher education.
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3. WATCH: ONE KILLED IN BUS ACCIDENT IN SAMARIA
by Arutz Sheva Staff
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A 60-year-old man was killed in a collision between a bus and private vehicle on Route 55 in Samaria.
Four were injured in the crash – one, a 60-year old woman, moderately and the rest lightly.
Route 55 has been blocked in both directions to traffic from Alfe Menashe until Neve Yamin. Drivers are requested to find alternate routes.
According to the initial investigation the private car attempted to execute a U-turn in the middle of Route 55 and failed to complete the turn before an approaching bus struck the car.
In a video recording of the accident, the bus is seen attempting to pull over to the left to avoid the car, but as the private car swings around to complete the U-turn the two vehicles collide.
Moshe Ran, a senior MDA paramedic who arrived at the scene described the incident.
"We saw a private car that collided with a bus. Two passengers were trapped inside the car; the driver, a roughly 60-year old man, was found with no vital signs and after he was pulled out of the car we were forced to declare him dead at the scene. In the front passenger seat a woman who appeared to be in her 60s was trapped; she was suffering from injuries to her chest and head. After she received first aid on the spot we evacuated her to Meir Hospital [in nearby Kfar Saba]; her injuries were moderate-to-light. We also treated several passengers on the bus who suffered from light injuries"
4. NAZI FACEBOOK GROUP LEADS TO EXPULSIONS IN COLORADO SCHOOL
by JTA
JTA - At least five high school students in Colorado were expelled for their participation in a Nazi-themed group on Facebook, which called for killing Jews and black people.
The students from Boulder Valley High School, as well as about 10 other students from high schools in the area, participated in the "4th Reich's Official Group Chat," Boulder Police announced last week.
The group was uncovered last month after the suicide of a member who was a student at the Boulder Preparatory charter school, who took his own life "to show his allegiance to the Nazi party and the killing of Jewish people," according to a police report cited by the local Boulder newspaper, the Daily Camera.
The group talked about "killing all Jews and niggers," and referred to "the final solution" and "white power."
Boulder Police last week decided not to press charges against any of the students, according to the newspaper, saying that there was "no evidence or documentation to support there being any credible threat," according to the police report.
5. ANTI-ISRAEL ARAB RAP STAR TO PERFORM IN HAIFA DESPITE OUTCRY
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A controversial Arab-Israeli rapper who in the past called IDF soldiers terrorists and said he "understood" the motivations of suicide bombers will perform at a concert in Haifa during the Sukkot holiday.
Nafar, a former protégé of the Jewish rapper Kobi Shimoni – better known by his stage name "Subliminal" – parted ways with Shimoni after the outbreak of the Second Intifada following comments by Nafar suggesting that he "understood the rage that" motivates suicide bombers.
A member of the DAM rap group, Nafar has referred to Israel as a "terrorist state", and in a music video entitled "Who's the Terrorist?" slammed IDF soldiers, condemning them as the true "terrorists" for taking what he called "my land." He has tried to discourage Israeli Arabs, who are exempt from the draft, from voluntarily enlisting in the IDF.
In a statement by the Haifa municipality, a performance by Tamer Nafar slated for Tuesday evening will be held as planned, despite objections by Culture Minister Miri Regev (Likud).
"The opening performance for the Neve Yosef community festival – a joint Arab-Jewish event [held for years] in Haifa – will continue as planned. We are dismayed by the rumors being spread and invite the public to come and enjoy an event promoting cooperation and dialogue," the statement reads.
On Monday, Regev called upon Haifa Mayor Yonah Yahav to cancel Nafar's performance at the event.
"It saddens me that a festival, like the Haifa Film Festival, which has gained a reputation for quality and bringing people from different cultures and countries together has chosen to give voice to an artist like Tamer Nafar, who has taken every opportunity and used every venue possible to deride the very idea of the State of Israel and its existence as the state of the Jews," said Regev.
Haifa leaders also called for Nafar's invitation to be rescinded, with Haifa Deputy Mayor Shai Abuhatzera and Haifa councilmen Uri Grinberger and Yossi Shalom appealing to Yahav to "Order the planned concert of the singer Tamer Nafar in Haifa to be cancelled."
"We believe that the concert with the singer - several of whose songs express opposition to the existence of the State of Israel and even encourage terrorism – cannot be held in a public area on a city stage."
The three councilmen noted that such a move would not constitute censorship, but merely a revocation of public support for an anti-Israel performer.
"This isn't an artist who rented out a private hall and sold tickets to his show. This is an event that is part of the city's public celebration of the Sukkot holiday, funded by taxpayers of Haifa, and held just 200 meters from the site of an attack by a suicide bomber just a few years ago. We call on you to cancel the show immediately."
The Haifa branch of the Likud youth movement also demanded the show's cancellation, and threatened to disrupt it if it continued as planned.
"We, the Likud youth of Haifa… plan to disrupt the event should the city not cancel the show. If it will not be cancelled – we will crash the show!"
6. YOUTUBE PUTS PRO-ISRAEL VIDEOS ON 'RESTRICTED MODE'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Youtube, owned by Google, has placed 21 videos of non-profit educational organization "Prager University," run by conservative talk-show host Dennis Prager, on "restricted mode." Among these are three pro-Israel videos relating to the founding of Israel, the IDF, and Palestinian refugees.
Restricted mode allows guardians to protect children from objectionable content by filtering out "restricted" videos in Youtube searches. "PragerU" videos are designed to be viewed by all ages.
One of the restricted PragerU Israel-related videos, entitled "Why are There Still Palestinian Refugees?", explains that while Jewish refugees from Arab countries were quickly absorbed into Israel, Arab countries have intentionally refrained from absorbing Palestinian refugees so as to continue to use the Palestinians as a political tool.
[youtube:2014906]
The second video, entitled "The World's Most Moral Army," features retired British general Richard Kemp explaining the uniqueness of the Israeli army in its intense care not to injure innocent civilians on the battlefield.
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The third video, entitled "Israel's Legal Founding," features world-renowned attorney Alan Dershowitz relating how Israel was was founded "step by legal step."
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7. DID CLINTON STEAL STATE DEPARTMENT FURNITURE?
by David Rosenberg
A newly-released batch of FBI documents publicized on Monday revealed that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has been accused by a former member of her security detail of stealing government-owned furniture during her tenure as Secretary of State.
A roughly 100-page set of FBI notes from the recently completed investigation into Mrs. Clinton's private email server were released on Monday, and appear to implicate Clinton and her staff in a number of possible corruption cases.
Another revelation unearthed in the documents is the accusation by a security agent assigned to Mrs. Clinton in 2009 that the then-Secretary of State stole furniture from State Department offices to furnish her private residence.
The agent told the FBI that "Early in Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State, she and her staff were observed removing lamps and furniture from the State Department which were transported to her residence in Washington, D.C."
While the State Department denies that the former Secretary stole any government-owned furniture, this is not the first time the Clintons have been accused of improperly taking state property.
At the end of President Bill Clinton's second term in January, 2011, the President and First Lady took with them nearly $200,000 worth of furniture, silverware, and other goods.
The items in question had been received by the Clintons as gifts, and included a pair of boxing gloves from actor Sylvester Stallone and a set of fine china from director Steven Spielberg.
Sitting presidents and their spouses, however, who receive gifts from dignitaries and other celebrities in their capacity as the Head of State are not entitled to keep such goods. Considered gifts to the Office of President rather than the person who happens to be occupying the position, they must be left with the White House at the end of the president's term in office.
A number of donors explicitly called the gifts donations to the White House – not to the Clintons – and the First Family ultimately returned nearly $50,000 worth of goods and reimbursed the White House for another $86,000 after a Washington Post report publicized their actions.
8. 'I DIDN'T EXPECT THE MEDIA WOULD BE SO DISHONEST'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
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The wife of Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, Melania, spoke with CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" on Monday, responding to the media onslaught against her husband for alleged lewd comments he made in private in 2005 and allegations that he had "groped" several women.
Melania noted the informal nature of the 2005 comments, dismissing the comments as "boys' talk."
"As you can see from the tape, the cameras were not on, it was only a mic. And I wonder if they even knew that the mic was on. Because [it] was kind of 'boys' talk.'"
Melania placed much of the blame for those comments on host Billy Bush, who she said had "egged on" Trump "to say dirty and bad [things]."
She also questioned the credibility of the People journalist who published allegations of sexual impropriety against Trump, and said that the media was waging a dishonest campaign against her and her husband.
"I didn't expect media would be so dishonest and so mean," she said.
Following the release of the 2005 tape, over 160 leaders of Trump's own Republican party withdrew their support for him. Trump, however, remained unfazed.
"It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to," Trump said.
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