Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe/
Monday, Dec. 26 '16, כ"ו בכסלו תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. 'OBAMA COULD HARM ISRAEL ON HIS LAST DAY IN OFFICE'
2. 'WE'RE HANDING OUT PRIZES TO CRIMINALS'
3. MEDIA COVERAGE OF LEFT-WINGERS SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY LESS INTENSIVE
4. HAREDI PARTY HEADS TO MEET WITH PM OVER MUEZZIN LAW
5. JEWISH STATE MOVEMENT PETITIONS AGAINST ALMOZ APPOINTMENT
6. ISRAELI FARMERS THANKFUL FOR WINTER STORMS
7. DUTCH LEADER TELLS ISRAEL TO 'IGNORE UN AND CONTINUE BUILDING'
8. HANUKKAH MIRACLE: JEWS & ARABS DANCING TOGETHER IN BAHRAIN
1. 'OBAMA COULD HARM ISRAEL ON HIS LAST DAY IN OFFICE'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Foreign affairs experts are warning that the diplomatic upheavals caused by US President Obama's conduct on the UN vote are not necessarily his last word on Israel.
At the cabinet meeting yesterday the experts on foreign affairs presented a scenario in which Obama could even on his last day in office cause harm to Israel.
The concern is that Obama may promote a move in the UN Security Council giving guidelines for a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel would find it hard to present an alternative model after these guidelines are set.
The experts on foreign affairs also posed another concern regarding the Paris conference which is supposed to take place during the course of February. At the conference a pro-Palestinian peace initiative may be presented and could be viewed as authoritative if it is adopted.
Left-wing elements continued to criticize Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning. Former deputy foreign minister Yossi Beilin termed his conduct "infantile and panicky" and said that he had singlehandedly caused Israel's isolation, since steps like boycotting the official ambassador of Senegal, punishing the UN and reprimanding the ambassadors of France and Britain will automatically cause Israel to be isolated.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid also criticized Netanyahu's conduct and demanded a special meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense committee. He said that "the Security Council decision requires us to initiate a practical, organized plan of action so that we can prevent damage to Israel's economy, security and international relations. What we need at present is to strengthen our foreign relations and not to weaken them."
2. 'WE'RE HANDING OUT PRIZES TO CRIMINALS'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
One of the main petitioners in the Netiv Avot land case is an Arab mechanic working illegally just north of Efrat, reported the Regavim Movement. Most of the mechanic's clients are Jewish residents of Gush Etzion.
In response to Regavim's revelation, Gush Etzion residents have decided to boycott the mechanic, who despite having no proof of ownership is working to have the Netiv Avot neighborhood of Elazar, a Gush Etzion town across the road from Efrat, destroyed.
The mechanic's own garage, which was built illegally, is also set to be destroyed.
Regavim's Oved Arad said, "This garage was built without building permits and without a business license, but the Civil Authority has not dealt with it properly. The Israeli government has requested over and over again that the Supreme Court delay the destruction of Amona, but has not even attempted to respond [against] the mechanic's petition. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is preventing the law from being enforced and preventing the garage from being destroyed. We're handing out prizes to criminals."
Gush Etzion Regional Council's Acting Head Moshe Seville said, "We're talking about something absolutely and uniquely absurd. A Palestinian Arab is fighting Netiv Avot residents, claiming they live in illegally built homes, while at the same time he proudly operates a garage which was built illegally."
Seville also said he understands the Netiv Avot residents. On the one hand, they want to live in peace with their Arab neighbors, who till their fields right near the town, but on the other hand, they will do everything necessary to protect their homes, which were built with government aid, and will fight anyone who attempts to destroy them.
"This is a completely human step to take. There's nothing more logical than helping your neighbors fight someone who is trying to harm their entire neighborhood," Seville concluded.
3. MEDIA COVERAGE OF LEFT-WINGERS SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY LESS INTENSIVE
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Attorney Kinneret Barashi admitted today in a Galei Yisrael interview held together with Arutz Sheva's Gil Ronen that Israeli feminists tend to be more stringent with right-wing public figures with regard to suspicions of sexual impropriety whereas they are more lenient with Arabs and left-wing figures.
Barashi said that "media coverage and involvement in sexual crimes from the left side of the political map is much less intensive" than its involvement with right-wing figures. She agreed with Ronen that the accusations against actor Moshe Ivgy were covered much more mutedly than they would have been if he were a right-wing figure.
Barashi added "I know the details of the Ivgy story intimately, I know a specific woman and saw the proof with my own eyes. I look outside and see him getting prizes... the media attacks people all the time but regarding Ivgy there is absolute silence. We don't need to judge him before the courts but when the media behaves in one way towards a certain suspect it should behave the same way towards others."
Barashi also agreed that most of the media ignored the meeting of the Knesset Committee for the Status of Women and Gender Equality concerning sexual harassment by Arabs towards Jews in mixed Jewish-Arab towns and described this as "shameful".
4. HAREDI PARTY HEADS TO MEET WITH PM OVER MUEZZIN LAW
by Chana Roberts
MKs Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (UTJ) and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) are scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday afternoon to discuss passing the Muezzin Law.
The Muezzin Law, which is believed to have been the Arab MKs' reason for inciting November's arson intifada, would prevent places of worship of all religions from using loudspeakers.
Deri and Litzman are expected to present to Netanyahu their issues with the law's current version, in the hope the issues can be successfully resolved and the law will be able to pass.
Despite their reservations about the Muezzin Law, Deri and Litzman have also promised not to leave the coalition over the matter. They have also said if the rest of the coalition agrees to the law, their parties would vote in favor as well, even if they do not agree.
The haredi parties' disagreement centers mainly around concerns the Muezzin Law would no longer allow "Shabbat sirens" to be sounded before Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
5. JEWISH STATE MOVEMENT PETITIONS AGAINST ALMOZ APPOINTMENT
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Jewish State movement which is dedicated to strengthening the Jewish character of the State of Israel has appealed to Defense Minister Liberman and Chief of Staff Aizenkot to cancel Motti Almoz's appointment as IDF Chief of Manpower Directorate.
Jewish State member attorney Ziv Maor wrote in his letter that while Almoz served as IDF spokesman he behave unprofessionally and in a way that alienated and insulted large sectors of Israeli society due to his extremist political agenda.
With reference to the IDF spokesman's statement after the shooting incident in which Elor Azaria was involved, attorney Maor wrote that "Just as an army paramedic would not leave a soldier in the field if he was wounded while ignoring orders, it is unthinkable that the IDF spokesman should tarnish the reputation of an IDF soldier.
With reference to Almoz's repeatedly harsh statements against rabbis with reference to issues relating to the Manpower directorate such as the right of religious soldiers to grow beards or female soldiers serving in tanks with males, Maor wrote that "The way in which Almoz chose to express his opinions demonstrated unprofessionalism. When the IDF spokesman depicts halakhic rulings issuing from the great men of the generation as "catcalls and trumpeting", this means that such crude expressions have received the imprimatur of the IDF."
The letter also referred to an article published in August in Yediot Aharonot in which transgender soldiers were interviewed and disparaged IDF Chief Rabbi, Brigadier General Eyal Karim, who was a senior officer at the time, as well as other rabbis. Among other things the soldiers said that "there will always be people saying racist things" and "not all religious people think like these rabbis." These words received the sanction of the IDF spokesman.
Maor added "it must be concluded that according to Brigadier-General Almoz's opinion the ranks held by IDF rabbis are worth less than those of other officers and if this is the opinion of the IDF spokesman it represents the opinion of the army."
The movement demanded to cancel Almoz's appointment due to his numerous "professional failures" and threatened to petition the High Court against the appointment if it wasn't cancelled, The High Court established regarding the appointment of Rabbi Karim as IDF Cheif Rabbi that the Defense Ministry must take into account the feelings of the public regarding senior appointments and Almoz's extreme statements have "hurt the feelings of a large segment of the Israeli public,." concluded Maor.
6. ISRAELI FARMERS THANKFUL FOR WINTER STORMS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Israel's recent storms have had a positive effect on the Galilee, reported the Galilee Development Company.
"The winter started off with two very dry months. It was very worrying. But now a lot of precipitation has fallen, and the situation has changed dramatically," said Galilee farmer Zamir Carmi, who also serves as Director of the Galilee Development Company.
"The rain is excellent for farming. At least something good has happened to farmers, even if it has absolutely no connection to the government. Everything connected to the Finance Minister and the Agriculture Minister has only hurt us. At least rain isn't dependent on them."
Even before the storms this past week, farmers were already reporting about 120% of average precipitation. It is estimated that approximately 300 millimeters of rain will fall by the end of the week - much more than the December average, and approximately 50% of the seasonal average.
The Kinneret Authority has also reported higher than usual amounts of water streaming into the Kinneret from Galilee streams.
Kinneret Authority Inspector Guy Kolar said, "The streams dumping into the Kinneret from the Galilee and Golan are the most significant and strong since 2012, at least. We're expecting a stormy week, so there's no telling how much precipitation we'll end up getting. If it continues to be like the last two weeks, the streams will continue spilling into the Kinneret, and the Kinneret's water level will continue to rise."
"These rains are a huge blessing, and every farmer in the Galilee is thankful for them. But we need to wait until the end of the winter. We hope it will be a rainier season than usual, and that the riverbeds will rise after three years of being low," said Galilee Development Company Vice President of Agriculture Amos Levin.
[album:open
7. DUTCH LEADER TELLS ISRAEL TO 'IGNORE UN AND CONTINUE BUILDING'
by Yoel Domb
Leading Dutch politician Geert Wilders has criticized US president Barack Obama for not vetoing the Security Council resolution against Israel on Friday and advised Israel to ignore the UN resolution.
Wilders, the founder and leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, who has dominated Dutch polls during the year of 2016, wrote on his Facebook page:"Obama betrayed Israel. Thank God for Trump. My advise to my Israeli friends: ignore the UN and keep building more and more settlements."
Wilders was voted politician of the year 2016 when 40,000 people participated in the annual public election held by Dutch tv-show 'EenVandaag'. He is known for his sharp criticism of Islam and his outspoken support for Israel.
Wilders lived in Israel for two years during his youth, working on a moshav, and has visited the country 40 times in the last 25 years.
Wilders has stated about Israel: "I have visited many interesting countries in the Middle East – from Syria to Egypt, from Tunisia to Turkey, from Cyprus to Iran – but nowhere did I have the special feeling of solidarity that I always get when I land at Ben Gurion International Airport." Wilders told audiences in Holland that "We [in the West] are all Israel". He has also said "Israel is the West's first line of defence" against what he perceives to be a threat posed by Islam and has stated that "Jordan is Palestine. Changing its name to Palestine will end the conflict in the Middle East and provide the Palestinians with an alternate homeland." He has also called on the Dutch government to refer to Jordan as Palestine and move its embassy to Jerusalem.
8. HANUKKAH MIRACLE: JEWS & ARABS DANCING TOGETHER IN BAHRAIN
by Yoel Domb
[youtube:2022458]
American Jewish millionaire Lazer Scheiner reportedly invited members of the local Arab community to light the first candle of Hanukkah with the Jewish community. A video from the event shows Bahraini Arabs singing and dancing to hasidic music at the party marking the first night of Hanukkah.
Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa held the first Chanukah celebration in the country since 1948 in 2015. Rabbi Moshe Levin, director of the Conference of European Rabbis, met with the Bahraini King, before the lighting of candles at Manama synagogue.
------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe/
