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Thursday, Dec. 22 '16, כ"ב בכסלו תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. 'THE US SHOULD VETO THIS ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTION'
2. MISSING ISRAELI IN BERLIN WAS MURDERED IN TERROR ATTACK
3. AMONA RESIDENTS SUBMIT DECLARATION TO HIGH COURT
4. FEMA EXPOSED HUNDREDS TO POTENTIALLY FATAL TOXIN
5. ISRAELI TOURISTS SHOW 'RESOUNDING RESILIENCE' AFTER DISASTER
6. ROBBER MISTAKENLY FREED 90 YEARS EARLY APPEALS JAIL SENTENCE
7. TRUMP: I'VE BEEN PROVEN 100% RIGHT ON TERRORISM
8. WATCH: YOUTH ATTACK PEOPLE PRAYING IN SYNAGOGUE
1. 'THE US SHOULD VETO THIS ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTION'
by Nitzan Keidar
When Egypt submitted its proposal to the UN Security Council Wednesday evening condemning Israel for building in Judea and Samaria, eyebrows were not raised in Jerusalem. The Israeli delegation to the UN has long prepared for such a proposal and estimates that it has a good chance of passing, due to the fact that a majority of the Security Council is hostile towards Israel.
However, the final approval of the proposal, which will be tabled for vote at 10 PM Israel time on Thursday, is dependent on whether the US uses its veto power.
It is, as yet, unclear how the Americans will act in this case since their ambassador to the UN has not received a directive from President Obama concerning this issue, as Obama is presently on vacation.
The proposal was submitted by Egypt, but it was prepared by the Palestinians, who cannot submit a proposal of their own.
The proposal states that all of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are to be considered "illegal." Similarly, Israel should return to the 1967 borders and stop all construction in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem.
The proposal does not relate to Palestinian terror in particular, but only calls for a "cessation of violence on both sides."
Ratification of the proposal without a US veto would mean that the Security Council could place sanctions on Israel and that the UN Secretary-General would have to come every quarter of a year to the Security Council and report how the UN decision is being implemented. It could also lead to the opening of significant legal suits in the International Court at the Hague.
During the Security Council meeting, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, will also be speaking. Danon has spent the last few hours trying to prevent the proposal from passing.
"This is the epitome of UN absurdity and hypocrisy. This decision will not promote any peace process and will only represent a prize from the UN to the Palestinian policy of incitement and terror," said Danon.
He added that "It is crazy that, at a time when thousands are being slaughtered in Syria, the Security Council devotes time to condemning the only democracy in the Middle East. In the last few months we have been conducting a diplomatic battle with members of the Security Council and using all methods to prevent this decision from passing. We expect out greatest friend not to let this unilateral and anti-Israel proposal pass."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also called on the US to veto the proposal. "The United States should veto this anti-Israel resolution," stated Netanyahu on Twitter Thursday morning.
The last time a similar proposal was submitted to the Security Council was in 2011, and President Obama indeed placed a veto on it.
This time, with Obama's presidency drawing to a close and the concerns evident in Israel regarding this transition period, there is no certainty that a veto will be placed.
Nevertheless, an American source estimated that the US would use its veto power against the proposal since the outgoing president would not want to implement unilateral steps which would significantly change the situation between Israel and the Palestinians.
2. MISSING ISRAELI IN BERLIN WAS MURDERED IN TERROR ATTACK
by Uzi Baruch
The body of the missing Israeli woman in Berlin, Dalia Elyakim, not seen since the murderous truck terror attack in the Christmas market, was identified last night.
The Israeli embassy in Germany is working in coordination with the family to transfer the body to Israel.
Dalia's husband, Rami, is hospitalized as a result of the attack in Berlin; he is seriously injured but not in danger of his life.
German police believe that the suspect in the truck terror attack earlier this week is Anis Amri, 23, of Tunisian origin; they say he is armed and dangerous.
He has been known to use different names in the past, therefore his identity is not certain.
Yesterday, Rabbi of the Berlin Jewish community Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal presided over a memorial ceremony in Berlin for victims killed in the attack; participants also held a prayer session for the recovery of those wounded in the attack.
3. AMONA RESIDENTS SUBMIT DECLARATION TO HIGH COURT
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Amona residents submitted their declaration to the High Court this morning, stating that they are committed to evacuating their community without opposition.
"In order to remove all doubt, all the respondents who are residents of Amona see themselves as obligated by the signature of the elected leaders of the community on the agreement to evacuate and to promote the option of regulating Amona. Correspondingly, they are obligated to the arrangement with the state according to which they will evacuate without confrontation or opposition in accordance with the community's decision," said the declaration.
The announcement came in response to the High Court's demand that residents commit to the solution proposed by the state and evacuate in accordance with that arrangement.
The residents added that they are convinced the state will stand by its obligations and construct temporary buildings for the use of Amona residents as well as fulfilling the other obligations delineated in the agreement signed with Amona residents.
Yesterday last night, the High Court demanded that Amona residents commit "all as one" to evacuate their homes peacefully before it discusses the state's request for a postponement of the evacuation.
"In order to remove all doubt, all the respondents who are residents of Amona are requested to declare unequivocally that they agree and commit all as one to evacuate peacefully without any altercation or opposition in accordance with the date which the court will determine, without the matter being an expression of the court's opinion at this stage," stated the judges Wednesday evening. They stressed that the residents' declaration had to be submitted by 10 AM Thursday morning.
The Palestinians who claim ownership to the land on which Amona resides presented to the court their objections to the state's request to defer the evacuation. "This request for a delay of action [...] is the peak of the respondents' departure from any semblance of maintaining rule of law, equality, and fairness," they wrote.
4. FEMA EXPOSED HUNDREDS TO POTENTIALLY FATAL TOXIN
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has acknowledged that hundreds of Ohio emergency responders were exposed to a potentially fatal toxin while training at a FEMA facility in Alabama, according to an Associated Press report.
The federal agency released a statement Wednesday saying that they had received no reports of illness as a result of the ricin exposure.
Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans that kills cells by preventing them from creating protein. Exposure to the toxin can lead to death.
Staff at the FEMA facility mistakenly purchased high-toxicity ricin that was used in nine training sessions beginning in 2011.
FEMA officials say 121 Ohio public safety agencies and organizations have sent approximately 400 people to train at the facility in question since that time. Not all of them were exposed to the ricin.
5. ISRAELI TOURISTS SHOW 'RESOUNDING RESILIENCE' AFTER DISASTER
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Prof. Haya Itzhaky was enjoying a routine day in Nepal on April 25, 2015. She had been in the region for about three months studying the behavior of post-IDF Israeli backpackers when tragedy struck: a powerful earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale took the lives of more than 9,000 people and injured tens of thousands more.
An expert in community practice, as well as topics ranging from trauma to domestic violence, and Chair of the PhD Program at Bar-Ilan University's Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Itzhaky quickly initiated a study she hadn't planned on conducting. The study focused on how Israeli tourists cope in the immediate aftermath of a devastating earthquake. Recently published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, the study is a first of its kind to explore the experiences of tourists exposed to a natural disaster upon its conclusion.
Prof. Itzhaky had been traveling with a number of Israeli backpackers when the earthquake struck. Other backpackers were caught by the quake in different locations -- some in the Everest, Annapurna, Poonhill and Langtang regions, where the destruction of villages and roads was extensive. Some had to be rescued by helicopter. In Katmandu backpackers were only moderately exposed to the devastation.
Itzhaky conducted individual, in-depth interviews with 21 Israeli men and women, ranging in age from 21-26. All of the participants were interviewed between one week and one month following the initial earthquake, often shortly following one of its many aftershocks. All of the interviewees discussed where they were when the earthquake struck, how they felt, and how they responded.
The interview data were later analyzed by Itzhaky and her colleagues, Karni Kissil, a US-based couple and family therapist, and Shlomit Weiss-Dagan, of the Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work. Four dominant themes emerged from participants' descriptions of their experiences of the earthquake: emotional turmoil, quick recovery, springing into action, and connection to the army.
Emotional Turmoil and Quick Recovery:
Participants said that they had never been so terrified in their lives, that they could barely sleep for many nights following the quake, and that they thought they were going to die. Some described a sense of helplessness as they attempted to cope with the magnitude of the event. They noted, however, that they quickly recovered from the initial turmoil. They regained their emotional balance by being with other people in the same situation, talking themselves into having a fighting spirit, knowing that their homes weren't destroyed and they had a place to go back to, and speaking with their loved ones to let them know that they were safe.
Springing into Action:
Following the initial emotional reactions and quick recovery, the Israeli backpackers swiftly looked for ways to improve their situation and help others. "They understood that they must survive and they turned their fears into survival and took command of the situation," says Itzhaky. A community of action was created very quickly and roles were divided among members of the group. Some Israelis approached the Nepalese and built a camp together for survivors. They helped bury the dead according to local rituals, a medic helped the injured, set up a makeshift "situation room", organized a search team to locate missing Israeli backpackers, and assisted travelers from other nationalities after they were rescued by Israeli helicopters. A group visited embassies from all over the world in the capital, Katmandu, to report on those they found and where to look for others.
Connection to the Army:
Participants described how the experience of the earthquake brought back memories from their time in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). To some of them, revisiting their experiences in the army provided concrete steps they could take to solve problems in their current situation. For others, remembering what they went through in the army gave them a sense of mastery and competence, realizing that they managed to cope with difficult situations in the past. Some, however, found that comparing their current situation to their experiences in the army was unhelpful because they perceived the current situation as much worse and very different from the army and therefore they couldn't rely on their previous experience to regain a sense of control.
"I found leaders in every one of the Israelis that I met," says Itzhaky. "There were no ego trips among them. They all felt a sense of belonging to the community, a sense of togetherness. The group cohesion was a very protective factor which helped them cope. And knowing that Israel would send humanitarian assistance in their time of need comforted them and allowed them to feel that they wouldn't be alone. There was a feeling of pride in being Israeli and part of a group, and a feeling of generous spirit, kindness, generosity toward one another, and unity for the purpose of survival. In Israeli culture, people unite in difficult times, and this was very evident in Nepal."
Itzhaky and team are currently following up with the group in an effort to examine their emotional state a year-and-a-half after the quake.
6. ROBBER MISTAKENLY FREED 90 YEARS EARLY APPEALS JAIL SENTENCE
by Arutz Sheva
A robber mistakenly released from prison decades early says his jail sentence should be cancelled, according to a Sky News report.
Rene Lima-Marin, who is now back in jail, argues it is unfair to incarcerate him again after he started a family, got a job and reformed himself.
The 38-year-old was convicted in 2000 on multiple counts of robbery, kidnapping and burglary after he and another man robbed two video stores in Denver, Colorado, at gunpoint.
A judge gave him back-to-back sentences totaling 98 years.
However, a court clerk mistakenly wrote in Lima-Marin's file that the sentences should run concurrently and Lima-Marin was therefore released on parole in 2008.
He got a job as a window glazer, married and had a son before the authorities realized the error in January 2014 and officers took him back to prison to complete his sentence.
Lima-Marin's attorneys allege the case amounts to official misconduct, but First Assistant Attorney General James Quinn said it was simply an unfortunate mistake.
Judge Carlos A Samour Jr. did not immediately decide whether Lima-Marin should be released, saying he needed more time to weigh up the case.
Lima-Marin fought back tears as he told the judge he was experiencing severe emotional pain because of the time away from his wife, her son who he adopted and another son they had together.
"I'm supposed to be the head of the household, the person who's supposed to guide and lead them ... and I've been taken away from them," he said.
"I was stupid, and a dumb kid who made a mistake."
His wife Jasmine has started a petition calling for her husband's release, which has so far gained more than 280,000 signatures.
Prosecutors, however, say that Lima-Marin should not be freed because he knew about the error and never told the authorities.
7. TRUMP: I'VE BEEN PROVEN 100% RIGHT ON TERRORISM
by Yoel Domb
President-elect Donald Trump described the Berlin truck terror attack as an "attack on humanity" and said that his tough stance on terrorism had been proven "100% correct."
"What's going on is terrible," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. "It's an attack on humanity, that's what it is. It's an attack on humanity and it's got to be stopped."
Trump was asked if Monday's attack, in which a terrorist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and wounding 50, had caused him to reassess his immigration policy. Originally, during the Republican primaries, Trump had proposed a ban on the entry of Muslims to the US but later, during the general election, had shifted to a more moderate proposal of "extreme vetting" of immigrants from other nations who applied to live in the U.S.
Trump responded by saying "You've known my plans all along and I've been proven to be right, 100 percent correct. What's happening is disgraceful."
8. WATCH: YOUTH ATTACK PEOPLE PRAYING IN SYNAGOGUE
by Arutz Sheva Staff
[youtube:2022337]
Youth aged 14-16 are suspected of entering a synagogue in Jerusalem this week and stealing possessions from those praying at the synagogue. At a certain point, those praying realized what was happening and kicked the youth off the premises.
The youth then returned a short while later holding iron bars, and attacked those in the synagogue.
From security camera documentation of the incident, one can see the youth raise the bars, burst into the synagogue and strike those present while spraying pepper spray.
Those praying at the synagogue escaped the premises and alerted police, who opened a search for the perpetrators.
Six suspects have been arrested so far. All will be brought today to court for a determination of an extension of their arrests.
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