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Wednesday, Nov. 23 '16, כ"ב בחשון תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. 'THE TIME IS NOW TO GET TRUMP ON OUR SIDE'
2. NETANYAHU: EVEN THE ARAB STATES REALIZE ISRAEL ISN'T THE PROBLEM
3. HOTOVELY: TRANSFERRING JEWS IS ETHNIC CLEANSING
4. SHAS MK: DON'T INFURIATE OUR ARAB BROTHERS
5. JERUSALEM COURT RULES TO PROTECT ARCHEOLOGISTS FROM BDS ATTACK
6. SPECTACULAR 3,800-YEAR OLD ARTIFACT FOUND IN YEHUD
7. TRUMP: I CAN BRING PEACE TO ISRAEL
8. FINAL HEARING IN SOLDIER AZARIYA'S TRIAL
1. 'THE TIME IS NOW TO GET TRUMP ON OUR SIDE'
by David Rosenberg
Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) called upon Israeli leadership to take advantage of the next two months, a period he suggests may be crucial in forming the basis for a new understanding with Israel's strongest ally.
Speaking at the Jerusalem Post Diplomacy Conference on Wednesday, Bennett said the incoming Trump administration would be far more receptive to an unorthodox approach to the Israel-Arab conflict, and could even be swayed to pursue policies radically different from past presidents.
"For so many years there have been misconceptions [regarding Israel and the prospects for peace]," said Bennett. "The first misconception was the centrality of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to the Middle East. But today, everyone knows that what's going on in Mosul, or Libya, or Egypt, has absolutely nothing to do with another house in Ofra. Everyone knows that. But there's also been another guiding line for many, many years in the United States. It's not one administration, it's been since the founding of Israel. There's been a feeling that if somehow America distances itself from Israel… [the US will gain favor] in the Arab world. But in reality, that's baseless."
"I hope that the new administration will show the same courage [as President Truman] of being the very first nation on earth that recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's united capital."
In an oblique reference to his meeting on Sunday with Trump administration officials and the subsequent backlash by the Prime Minister's Office, Bennett argued in favor of active lobbying of Trump and his inner circle.
"No government is going to be more hawkish than Israel is. So you have one chance, and it'll be over the next few weeks - do we go down the good old failed path? Or finally, do we try something new?"
"The big question over the next few weeks is when Prime Minister Netanyahu meets President-elect Trump, what will Netanyahu say. Will he continue the long-standing approach of forming a Palestinian state in the heart of Israel? Or will he take a new, fresh approach?"
"Think about it. Until now, there have always been extraordinary pressures. And here it's like a kid that grew up, he's 18-years old - it's ours to decide. I'm under an impression [from the incoming Trump administration] of extreme openness to hear what we want for ourselves. So Israel is put in a unique position to say what it wants. Do we want to establish a second Palestinian state, besides the Palestinian state in Gaza, that would inevitably become a failed and hostile Muslim state? Or try something new?"
Bennett also maligned recent comments by Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) on limitations on construction over the Green Line.
"I'm also hearing some Israeli ministers that are out there volunteering concessions without even being asked for it. This loose chatter is hurting Israel's national security."
2. NETANYAHU: EVEN THE ARAB STATES REALIZE ISRAEL ISN'T THE PROBLEM
by David Rosenberg
[youtube:2021319]
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference Wednesday morning, discussing Israel's growing soft power and the prospects for peace in the Middle East.
The status quo, said Netanyahu, was fast unravelling in the region, driven by three underlying factors, all of which present Israel with unique opportunies.
"The change that we are experiencing today is based on three things. I call them TTP," - terrorism, technology, and peace.
"The first T is terror, that is anti-terror. All countries need [anti-terror capabilities]. And Israel is helping foil terrorist attacks around the world with its capabilities."
Also in demand, the Prime Minister said, are Israel's tremendous technological innovations – from cyber security to healthcare, to renewable energy.
"Israel is a country of 8 million people; one-tenth of one percent of the world's population. This year will end with roughly 20% of the world's global private security investments [in Israel]. That means we're punching 200 times above our weight."
"If you want technology for water, for solar energy, for public health, Israel has the biggest [innovations]."
Lastly, Netanyahu cited peace, and the increasing realization by foreign leaders that Israel is a proponent of peace in the area and not an obstacle.
"As a result of [technology] and [terrorism], countries are coming to us at an unbelievable pace. Just in the last 10 days I've met the senior economic body of China... Prime Minister Medvedev of Russia, our President Reuven Rivlin is in India...Vietnam came here, Poland came here. I'm going to Khazakstan and Azeribaijan... then I'm going to Singapore."
"Everybody is coming to Israel. Why are they coming to Israel? T, T, and P [terrorism, technology, and peace]."
"Every one of these countries, after we stop talking business, after we stop talking security, and after we talk about economics and technology, [asks] 'Can we help with the Palestinians?' And I say, 'Yeah, you can help. One thing you can do to assist us is to invite Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] and me to a meeting right now in your capital. Right now. I'm willing to come. I'll change my calendar, my schedule. I'm willing to see him.'"
Israel's willingness for talks, said Netanyahu, quickly contrasts sharply with the response foreign leaders get from the Palestinian Authority.
"They get really excited, they start passing notes. They think they're on the brink of a breakthrough; the Prime Minister of Israel is willing to meet President Abbas. So immediately they pass the message to Ramallah. And what do you think is the response? Not now. Can't. Conditions. Pre-conditions."
"Everybody gets the message: Israel is ready for peace. Israel is not the obstacle to peace."
This message, the Prime Minister claims, is also increasingly penetrating the Arab world, where leaders see Israel's openness for negotiations with no strings attached – and Ramallah's constant refusals.
"Who gets that message best? The Arab states."
"I think we'll reverse the equation [for Middle East peace] that 'we'll get a breakthrough with the Palestinians and then to the Arab world'."
3. HOTOVELY: TRANSFERRING JEWS IS ETHNIC CLEANSING
by Arutz Sheva Staff
[youtube:2021319]
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) blasted proponents of a two-state solution that would include the removal of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
Speaking at the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference on Wednesday, Hotovely rejected the notion of expelling Jews from their homes, calling the move "ethnic cleansing".
"You can't transfer people, it's an abolishment of human rights," she said, "but [claim] it's okay when it comes to Jews."
"[T]ransferring Jews is an ethnic cleaning. It was very difficult for some people to hear that, but it's the truth."
Hotovely instead called for Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, and the rejection of Palestinian statehood.
"Every future solution should include Judea and Samaria under Israel's sovereignty, because this is the Jewish homeland."
The Deputy Foreign Minister said the failure of successive attempts to reach a final status agreement based on the two-state solution revealed the idea's fundamental flaws, adding that it was time to end the "myth of occupation" the push for Palestinian statehood was rooted in.
"Three American presidents, six secretaries of state made dramatic efforts to find a solution," but they "all came back with empty hands."
"The term 'occupation' is legally wrong and historically wrong.
"We need a way to start speaking of a new way of thinking of the fact that Jews should live in their homeland.
"No Jew can live in Tel Aviv if he doesn't have a connection to Judea and Samaria."
4. SHAS MK: DON'T INFURIATE OUR ARAB BROTHERS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Opponents of a bill to ban the use of loudspeakers to broadcast the five daily calls to prayer from mosques across Israel have found support from an unlikely source – a member of the haredi Shas party.
While some haredi figures had earlier objected to the so-called "Muezzin Law" in its original form, a compromise gained support from United Torah Judaism chief Yaakov Litzman. Earlier, Litzman had expressed concerns the law, if passed, could be used to prohibit the use of sirens by synagogues to signal the beginning of Shabbat.
Under the compromise, the ban on outdoor loudspeakers at houses of worship would only apply during the night, from 11:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m.
But on Wednesday MK Yigal Guetta (Shas) expressed his opposition to the bill, arguing that it constituted a needless provocation of Israel's Arab population.
"I think the law is problematic," said Guetta in an interview with Radio Kol Hai.
"On the one hand, we have to take the well-being of residents into account, and bothersome noise that interferes with people's rest must be dealt with. But at the same time we need to find a solution through dialogue, and not by agitating our Arab brothers."
Guetta added that the law seemed extraneous, arguing that existing noise laws were sufficient to solve the problem.
"We already have laws against noise, so this bill is just superfluous. It won't help a thing. We need to come to an understanding based on dialogue. A few Arab MKs turned to me and offered to reach an understanding through dialogue. At the end of the day," Guetta added, "the noise also bothers Arab children."
5. JERUSALEM COURT RULES TO PROTECT ARCHEOLOGISTS FROM BDS ATTACK
by Shlomo Vile
A Jerusalem district court on Monday rejected a Freedom of Information petition from two left-wing organizations demanding that the state reveal the names of archaeologists who are working on excavations in Judea and Samaria.
Judge Yigal Marzel accepted the State's argument that disclosing these names would expose the archaeologists to academic boycott by BDS-influenced institutions which could damage their careers. A few of the archaeologists did voluntarily consent to having their names revealed regardless.
The court also rejected the request to reveal the storage location of the artifacts that have been found for fear of theft or damage to peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. In addition, the court rejected the request for a list of where artifacts are on loan in other countries for fear of hurting relations with those nations.
However, the court ruled in favor of the petitioners' demand to receive a list of the excavations that have already been completed.
The two organizations who petitioned the court were Yesh Din and Emek Shaveh, both funded by various European governments and the EU.
6. SPECTACULAR 3,800-YEAR OLD ARTIFACT FOUND IN YEHUD
by David Rosenberg
An archaeological team working in the central Israeli city of Yehud recently made a tremendous discovery with the help of some Israeli high school students.
The team, led by Israel Antiquities Authority excavation director Gilad Itach, found evidence at the site of human habitation going back some 6,000 years. Concealed in pits and shafts scattered across the site were thousands of pottery pieces, hundreds of stone tools, animal bones, and a butter churn.
Most impressive, however, was a 3,800-year old sculpture ornamenting a ceramic jug. Itach said the find was unprecedented. Along with the jug and sculpture piece, an axe and arrowheads were also found.
Dig site in Yehud Courtesy of IAA
"It literally happened on the last day of the excavation when right in front of our eyes and those of the excited students an unusual ceramic vessel," he said.
While the jug, said Itach, "is typical of the period" the sculpture, in the shape of a man, was "unique… the likes of which have never before been discovered in previous research."
"The level of precision and attention to detail in creating this almost 4,000 year old sculpture is extremely impressive. The neck of the jug served as a base for forming the upper portion of the figure, after which the arms, legs and a face were added to the sculpture. One can see that the face of the figure seems to be resting on its hand as if in a state of reflection". Itach added, "It is unclear if the figure was made by the potter who prepared the jug or by another craftsman".
High school students participating in dig Courtesy of IAA
The dig included students from a religious girls high school, Roeh, in Ramat Gan. As part of a program by the Israel Antiquities Authority, students are able to participate in field work and get hands-on experience with archaeology.
One student present at the Yehud dig recalled the moment when the statue was found.
"Suddenly I saw many archaeologists and important people arriving who were examining and admiring something that was uncovered in the ground" said Ronnie Krisher.
"They immediately called all of us to look at the amazing statuette and explained to us that this is an extremely rare discovery and one that is not encountered every day. It is exciting to be part of an excavation whose artifacts will be displayed in the museum".
The sculpture Courtesy of IAA
7. TRUMP: I CAN BRING PEACE TO ISRAEL
by David Rosenberg
President-elect Donald Trump ran a campaign that defied convention, winning in a dramatic upset that prior to the election had been deemed unlikely if not impossible by most political insiders.
Now he's setting his sights on a goal widely considered out of reach, once again ignoring popular opinion and suggesting he may be the one to achieve that which has eluded every president since Truman: a lasting peace between Israel and her neighbors.
Speaking to The New York Times in an hour-long sit-down interview which was published late Tuesday night, Trump shared his views on a wide range of subjects, including the prospects for a Middle East peace and the role his son-in-law Jared Kushner may have in crafting that peace.
While Trump has long rejected America's role as "a nation builder", a stark contrast from the last Republican to occupy the White House, he expressed a strong desire to help make peace in the Middle East.
"I would love to be able to be the one that made peace with Israel and the Palestinians," Trump said.
The president-elect was confident that the goal was achievable, and that he may be specially equipped to succeed where so many others have failed.
"A lot of people tell me, really great people tell me, that it's impossible — you can't do it. I disagree. I think you can make peace," said Trump, adding, "I have reason to believe I can do it."
Trump also hinted that Kushner, an Orthodox Jew, may be given a special role in promoting peace in the region, saying he "could be very helpful".
Kushner, said Trump, "would be very good at it," noting that he "knows the region."
8. FINAL HEARING IN SOLDIER AZARIYA'S TRIAL
by Arutz Sheva Staff
On Wednesday, a military tribunal in Jaffa, headed by Colonel Maya Heller held the final hearing in the trial of soldier Elor Azariya for shooting a wounded terrorist. He's been accused of wrongfully killing an already neutralized terrorist.
After today's hearing, the court will recess for three weeks of deliberations before announcing a verdict in this trial that has shaken Israeli society.
The military prosecutor, attorney Nadav Weissman, in his closing arguments, said, "This law is an important test of the values of the IDF – the fundamental values that have been part of the IDF since its establishment. The IDF relies not only on its physical strength, but also on its moral strength. The IDF strives for victory, both military and moral. The IDF believes in the purity of arms."
"I have found no precedent for sanctioning the shooting of someone who has already been shot," said Weissman. "I have found no precedent for any court in Israel or in the world to sanction firing to the head without need. The accused is asking to establish a new precedent, a new law - the Azariya law. I ask your honors to establish that the accused has lied, has changed his version of events, and has falsely accused IDF officers."
The military prosecutor added, "In summarizing the case, I point to the footage of the defendant's behavior before the shooting. When asked to say at what moment did he realize that he was in mortal danger (of the terrorist detonating an explosive charge), the accused responded that he could not point to such a moment. When you see the film, you see the calm behavior of the accused, showing no sense of pressure."
[video:2021315]
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