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Wednesday, Dec. 21 '16, כ"א בכסלו תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. TUNISIAN MAN IDENTIFIED AS KEY SUSPECT IN BERLIN TERROR ATTACK
2. ANTI-SEMITIC VANDALS HURL PIG'S HEAD INTO TOMB OF REBBE NACHMAN
3. JAPAN OVERCOMES XENOPHOBIA, ACCEPTS 150 REFUGEES
4. ISRAEL'S DOCTOR SHORTAGE
5. PACIFIER DECORATIONS MAY PRESENT CHOKING HAZARD
6. HAS THE WORLD FAILED SYRIA?
7. EL AL FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING IN TORONTO
8. 'POPULIST WAVE IN US, EUROPE IS GREAT FOR ISRAEL'
1. TUNISIAN MAN IDENTIFIED AS KEY SUSPECT IN BERLIN TERROR ATTACK
by David Rosenberg
Police in Germany say they are searching for a Tunisian man who may be responsible for the terror attack that left 12 dead and 48 wounded in Berlin on Monday.
A day after ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, authorities in Berlin say they may have identified the driver who smashed into a busy Christmas market, running down tens of shoppers.
Initially, police had suspected a Pakistani asylum seeker, who was detained immediately after the attack. However, authorities later said the arrest was a case of mistaken identity, and freed the man.
Now, German security officials say an ID recovered from the truck suggests the perpetrator was a Tunisian man. Police are conducting a manhunt for the suspect, who as of early Wednesday afternoon remains at large.
According to a report by Der Spiegel, the name on the identity card is Anis A., though it has been noted the man have traveled using a false name. The ID listed the man's year of birth as 1992 and his hometown as Tataouine.
2. ANTI-SEMITIC VANDALS HURL PIG'S HEAD INTO TOMB OF REBBE NACHMAN
by David Rosenberg
[youtube:2022270]
Worshippers praying by the tomb of the founder of the Breslov Hasidic sect, Rebbe Nachman, say the rabbi's resting place in the Ukrainian town of Uman was violated early Wednesday morning in a grotesque anti-Semitic attack.
Witnesses say a gang of Ukrainian vandals desecrated the tomb compound at approximately 2:00 a.m. local time, throwing a pig's head and red paint into the building. Photograph close-ups of the pig's head show a swastika was carved into the animal's forehead. The attackers sprayed tear gas and shouted anti-Semitic epithets during the assault which left Jewish visitors to the tomb shaken.
"We were saved from murder only by the grace of heaven," said of the witnesses.
"It was really frightening," said a second witness, who works at the compound. "We've suffered from anti-Semitism here in the past, but this attack crossed a line and we're all still in shock. We've started to clean the place, and the police have been called, but as far as I know, there haven't been any arrests."
Video which has emerged from the aftermath of the incident documents shows a synagogue within the compound splattered with red paint, and the animal head, which had was removed from the prayer area and placed outside after the attack.
No arrests have yet been reported in connection with the attack.
The vandals had shaved heads, witnesses claim, and appear to be connected with local neo-Nazi groups.
"A gang of anti-Semites, Nazis, came here," Rabbi Yisrael Elhadad, who helps administer the site, told Yediot Ahronot. "One of them came up and scoped the place out. We thought he wanted to pray here, since sometimes foreigners [Ukrainian non-Jews] come in to pray. But then a minute later two others came in with a bottle of red paint and started spraying tear gas on the worshippers. Two Israelis who came to visit were sent for medical treatment at the hospital."
After reports of the incident reached Israel, Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid contacted the Ukrainian ambassador to Israel and urged Ukrainian authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and ratchet up security for Israeli visitors to Uman.
"I was shocked this morning to hear about the violent, damaging, anti-Semitic incident that took place in the compound of Rebbe Nachman's tomb in Uman in the Ukraine."
Lapid said the attack was "reminiscent of the darkest days in the history of the Jewish people in Europe. I expect your government to condemn this incident and to do everything possible to capture those responsible and bring them to justice quickly."
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri also responded to the attack on Wednesday, calling it "act of barbarism".
"I was utterly horrified to hear about the terrible desecration and the act barbarism committed last night at the holy tomb of Rebbe Nachman in Uman. I will contact the Ukrainian president today [to ensure] that action is taken quickly against the attackers and to increase security at the site."
Credit: Rabbi Yisrael Elhadad
3. JAPAN OVERCOMES XENOPHOBIA, ACCEPTS 150 REFUGEES
by AFP, Chana Roberts
A Japanese program aimed at accepting a small number of refugees from war-torn Syria is under fire for implying that pregnant women are not welcome.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced in May that immigration-shy Japan, with a population of about 127 million, would accept up to 150 Syrian students over five years from 2017. However, these 150 - accepted at a rate of 30 students per year - would be treated not as refugees but as exchange students.
The plan is aimed at empowering Syrian youths to make up their lost educational opportunities. The program will be open both to youths in Syria and to those who have already fled to other countries.
The students will be selected through international organizations, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Japan will receive them through the government-sponsored exchange program, and a program from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Though Japan received 7,586 applications for refugee status in 2015, only 27 were granted. However, the Far Eastern country has worked in other ways to help stabilize Syria's volatile situation.
The country announced it would provide $1.5 billion in emergency aid for Syrian refugees in other countries, as well as $6 billion in Middle East assistance. They also plan to train 20,000 people to work in job creation, public administration, and education over the next three years. Abe also promised to send 50 JICA experts to Syrian refugee camps and host countries, in an effort to train personnel. And in In 2014, Japan gave $181.6 million to UNHCR.
However, the Japanese unit of Amnesty International has raised concerns that the exchange student program virtually excludes pregnant women.
The program is advertised as a "Japanese Initiative for the future of Syrian Refugees," and states several requirements for potential applicants.
Originally, the criteria read, "Pregnant applicants are not recommended to apply. After concerns were raised, Japan changed the wording to, "Before the application, pregnant applicants are advised to consider carefully potential risk of health and life issues of mother and fetus."
JICA said on Wednesday the program's main focus was "not to rescue the underprivileged but to educate personnel" for Syria's reconstruction.
"When a pregnant woman comes to Japan and gives birth, she will have to rest for some time," JICA spokesman Satoshi Murakami told AFP, though stressing that the programme is not meant to exclude expectant women.
"Its focus is to educate people who will contribute to the country's reconstruction and be a bridge between Japan and Syria in the future.
"This is a context different from protecting refugees."
Amnesty International objects to that stance.
"The requirement is problematic because it narrows the window for female applicants," said Kaoru Yamaguchi, adding it discourages refugees from applying.
In March British charity Oxfam assessed Japan should take in some 50,000 Syrians based on the size of its economy.
However, Abe has said he will not take refugees before he has taken care of his own citizens. Japan itself faces the challenge of a declining birthrate and an aging population.
"There are many things that we should do before accepting immigrants," he said.
Less than 2% of Japan's population was born in a foreign country, and in order to gain Japanese citizenship, both parents must be Japanese citizens.
4. ISRAEL'S DOCTOR SHORTAGE
by Shlomo Pyutrikovsky
On Monday morning, the Knesset Labor, Welfare and Heatlh Community met to discuss the growing lack of family physicians and the general state of medicine in Israel.
"This is an emergency," said Committee of Family Physicians Chairman Dr. Alexander Levin. "There are only about 70 internists per year, and we need at least 250 experts every year. In addition, family doctors spend 60% of their time dealing with bureaucracy, and only 40% of their time helping their patients."
Family Doctors' Union Chairman Professor Shlomo Winker said, "Over 40% of family doctors are over 60 years old. We don't know how we will replace them."
Family physician Dr. Michal Shani said, "There's an overwhelming amount of work, and there are less available positions. This forces me to send patients to do their tests at different places, instead of doing it all myself. There are just too many people waiting outside the door."
Health Committee Chairman MK Eli Alaluf (Kulanu) noted the average number of clients each health fund's doctors have: In Maccabi, each doctor treats 1,814 patients on average, while in Clalit each doctor treats 1,730 patients on average. The other health funds' family physicians treat over 1,000 on average.
"This is an extremely worrying situation, and it needs to be solved strategically. Proper preparations will save money in the long run. I am worried about overwhelming hospitals and the entire health care system," he said.
"We have already offered incentives for health funds to offer more positions for family doctors. We hope we will have the budget for it. We are also working to lower the demands which the Education Ministry imposes on prospective students of medicine, and on allowing hospitals to prescribe prescriptions for patients within three days of their release. All of these things together will help improve the situation and make life easier for family doctors," said the Health Ministry's Head of Medical Administration Dr. Niva Azuz.
MK Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg (Zionist Union) said, "Unfortunately, the Finance Committee will probably approve lowering Ministry budgets by over one billion NIS [$384,000,000]. And one of the ministries which will suffer is the Health Ministry."
"The best way to lower the healthcare system's costs is to strengthen community medicine, and part of that means doctors spending more time with each patient, and hiring nurses who will help. We're in a real crisis, it's not just a slogan," said Meuhedet's Family Practice Internship Head Professor Anthony Hyman.
5. PACIFIER DECORATIONS MAY PRESENT CHOKING HAZARD
by Reut Hadar
Israel Economy Ministry's Commissioner of Standards and Industry has warned the public not to give decorated pacifiers to babies.
These decorated pacifiers are sold online, as well as in brick-and-mortar stores, and are often advertised via social media. Many of them are decorated with beads or stickers, which can present a choking risk if they come loose while the pacifier is being used.
The Commissioner of Standards emphasized that according to Israel's safety standards, it is completely forbidden to add decorations, ornaments, or stickers to a pacifier.
The Economy Ministry learned about these pacifiers when the National Center for Children's Safety and Health 'Beterem' asked the to conduct a safety examination on one of the pacifiers, which they saw being sold in the Bat Yam branch of "Hallel Designs."
After testing the pacifier and finding it did not meet safety standards, the Commissioner of Standards ordered to halt the production and sales of these pacifiers, and to remove existing products from shelves.
6. HAS THE WORLD FAILED SYRIA?
by ILTV
[brightcove:2022276]
7. EL AL FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING IN TORONTO
by Dalit Halevi
[youtube:2022269]
Tuesday's El Al Flight LY30 from Toronto to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Toronto due to a right engine fire.
Passengers say they knew there was an issue when they heard an explosion on the right side of the plane.
After the fire was discovered, the plane's crew contacted Toronto's Pearson International Airport to report the emergency. The airport immediately cleared a runway, allowing the pilot to successfully execute an emergency landing.
The flight, which took off 50 minutes prior to its emergency landing, detoured through Orillia, Ontario to dump its remaining fuel.
Emergency crews met the passengers on the runway. No damage was caused to the plane during landing, and none of the passengers were harmed.
8. 'POPULIST WAVE IN US, EUROPE IS GREAT FOR ISRAEL'
by Yoni Kempinski
[youtube:2022289]
While the left has decried the rising tide of populism across the United States and Europe, claiming it is tied to racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism, the leader of one of the new wave of populist parties says the political revolutions reshaping the West are not connected to racism – and are a boon for Israel.
Speaking to Arutz Sheva at the 2nd Jerusalem Leaders Summit, Mischaël Modrikamen, founder of the Belgian People's Party, discussed the nature of the populist wave and its implications for the Jewish state.
"[There is] a clear distinction between the right-wing, neo-Nazi, fascist movements – and they are – if you look at the [Greek party] Golden Dawn, or the [Hungarian] Jobbik [party]… they are fascist, racist, and anti-Semitic," said Modrikamen.
"But then you have all these movements that are combatting the mainstream media and the mainstream parties that are made up of your citizens that are tending to the right but do not consider themselves right-wing or extremist and so on, that are rising in Europe… and they are, for many reasons, sympathetic to Israel. Because they see an example… Israel as a kind of example – if I may quote a religious word – a kind of 'light unto the nations'."
"What Israel is doing – up on its feet, fighting radical Islam, controlling its border, and being strong on its values and history and so on… is a kind of example, Israel."
With the success of Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the US, the Brexit vote in the UK, and polling suggesting populist candidates like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands winning upcoming elections, Modrikamen says Israel has reason to be optimist about the broader trend in European and American politics.
"The election of Trump, itself, of course will have influence on Europe, because the narrative is changing. But the same forces that got Trump elected in the States are also... working in Europe. Look, for example, at the elections soon in Netherlands, where [Geert] Wilders... will [likely] win the next election, will be the first party, and will be a candidate to be the Prime Minister."
"These are the kinds of forces that are at work. That's certainly good for Israel. And I think that Israel does not realize [that]... You'll find, for example, the official policy of the [Israeli] Ministry of Foreign Affairs - they are very cautious about these populist movements. They don't know if they should have contact with them or not. [But] they are today the most sympathetic allies to Israel, for many reasons."
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