Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Friday, Dec. 02 '16, ב' בכסלו תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. WHO IS BEHIND THE BUS ADS IN ROME FOR A 'TRIP TO PALESTINE?'
2. 'OUR ROOTS ARE IN HEVRON'
3. WATCH: STUDENTS HONOR MEMORY OF THEIR TEACHER IN MUSIC VIDEO
4. 'DROP CHARGES AGAINST ISRAELIS IN MAVI MARMARA INCIDENT'
5. TENNESSEE: WILDFIRES WERE 'HUMAN-CAUSED'
6. THE POWER OF PERSISTENT PRAYER
7. OBAMA POSTPONES MOVING OF EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM
8. WATCH: POLICE RESCUE THOSE CAUGHT IN FLOOD IN KFAR CHABAD
1. WHO IS BEHIND THE BUS ADS IN ROME FOR A 'TRIP TO PALESTINE?'
by Giulio Meotti
Is the Vatican's travel agency really involved in the "Palestine trip" bus ads exposed on Arutz Sheva?
On November 23rd, I exposed the story of a bus in Rome, used by the Vatican travel agency to sponsor a trip to "Palestine" whose itinerary as advertised included visits to iconic Christian sites - except that they are in Israel's capital city of Jerusalem. Israel does not appear in the ads.
A few days later, the head of the Zionist Organization of America. Morton Klein, demanded that the Vatican end its promotion of pilgrimages to Christian sites in "Palestine" and its "erasing Israel from the picture" even though visits include those iconic sites in Jerusalem. "The ZOA regards this a sinister reiteration of Catholic replacement theology, whereby Jews and Judaism are theologically dismissed from history", the ZOA said in a statement. "We urge the Vatican to cease organizing and promoting tours to Israel that do not name the country, do not refer to its Jewish history and which shun contacts with the country of its 'elder brothers.'"
Later on, probably after receiving a response, the ZOA seemed to retract the story, writing that "it now seems that the Vatican travel office does not organize tours of Christian sites; they are operated by private contractors."
Private contractors? Those who addressed the ZOA may have relied on English speakers' lack of knowledge. Look again.
From the photos accompanying this article, readers can clearly see the yellow logo in the bus. It says "ORP". It is Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi.
This is not a "private contractor", but the Vatican pilgrimage office and the official travel organization backed by the Holy See. Readers can go on their official website and read what they say: "Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi is an office of the vicariate of Rome, an office of the Holy See, reporting directly to the Cardinal Vicar of the Pope".
The travel office's charter appears on the Vatican website. The Catholic News Agency calls it "the Vatican body that oversees all pilgrim activity".
Here is what the Wall Street Journal says: "The ORP was founded in 1934 to organize trips for Vatican officials and groups of Italian Catholics to the Holy Land and other pilgrimage sites. The office shot to prominence after the election of John Paul II in 1978. When John Paul took the papacy on the road, ORP became the primary coordinator of his entourage". The Journal calls Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi "the Pope's travel agent".
So there are only two alternatives: Either the Vatican's travel agency took the decision to call Israel "Palestine" without the Holy See's approval and its symbol was used without authorization to advertise these trips, or what I wrote is more than correct.
Tertium not datur. No third possibility is given.
ad for trip to "Palestine" INN:GM
Giulio Meotti is an internationally known journalist for Il Foglio and an Arutz Sheva columnist. His books include "J'Accuse: the Vatican Against Israel" published by Mantua Books..
2. 'OUR ROOTS ARE IN HEVRON'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Im Tirtzu's 'Hevron Project' held its first tour of the city of Hevron Thursday.
About 20 students from Bar Ilan University participated in the tour, which is meant to strengthen the connection of Jews to the city where their forefathers are buried. According to the program's organizers, about 5,000 students come to Hevron each year.
The program is expected to operate at 15 academic institutions and universities which feature Im Tirtzu chapters.
Radical leftist organizations have run their own tours of Hevron in recent years with the goal of raising international pressure on Israel. Im Tirtzu sees its program as a way to combat this trend.
During the tour, the heads of Im Tirtzu and the students met with Sheikh Abu Khader Jabari, who spoke of the relationship between the Jewish people and the land of Israel, including Hevron.
Adi Levitz, the head of Im Tirtzu's Bar Ilan chapter, said: "students came on the tour alongside adults and retirees. Israelis are fed up with the lies being spread about the city of our forefathers. Tel Romedia in Hevron is full of life, shops, and markets."
"The leftist organizations are not willing to [take tours to] observe it because it would refute their claims of Apartheid and oppression of the Arabs. This tour presents an alternative narrative based on the real truth on the ground, as opposed to the anti-Israel tours in the area."
The international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hevron, Yishai Fleischer, said that "Hevron and the Cave of the Patriarchs are the roots of the people of Israel and establish the basis for the historic rights of the State of Israel in the region."
"With our cooperation with Im Tirtzu, thousands of students will be exposed to the historical truth and be connected to the foundations of Israel, which are rooted in the soil of Hevron." he said.[video:2021659]
3. WATCH: STUDENTS HONOR MEMORY OF THEIR TEACHER IN MUSIC VIDEO
by Arutz Sheva Staff
[youtube:2021658]Rabbi Yaakov Litman and his son Netanel were murdered about a year ago as they were driving in their car near Otniel in the Hevron region.
Now, students at the school where Yaakov taught have memorialized him with a touching music video.
The teacher Ronit Arbel wrote the new words to Avraham Fried's song "How good that we met" ["Kama tov she nifgashnu"], and the children at the school performed the song.
In recent days, the children at the school have been learning about positive character traits on the basis of traits that the Litman family exhibited: kindness, honesty, modesty, love for others, and more.
The video was presented at the cultural center of Kiryat Arba, where a memorial event was held in honor of Rabbi Litman and his son.
Last night, a Torah dedication ceremony held in honor of the Rabbi Yaakov and Netanel Litman was held in Hevron. The event saw the attendance of family members, head of the regional council Malachi Levinger, rabbis, and army officials.
4. 'DROP CHARGES AGAINST ISRAELIS IN MAVI MARMARA INCIDENT'
by AFP and Arutz Sheva
A Turkish prosecutor called Friday for charges related to an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound ship to be dropped following diplomatic reconciliation between Turkey and Israel, state media reported.
The so-called "Mavi Marmara incident" in question occurred when IDF soldiers boarded the Mavi Marmara ship after Turkish Islamists posing as humanitarian aid workers refused to change their course from Gaza and dock at the Ashdod Port.
When the soldiers boarded the ship, the Islamists attacked them with clubs and knives, forcing the troops to open fire and resulting in the deaths of 10 of those on board.
Upon inspection, it was discovered that there was no humanitarian aid whatsoever aboard the Marmara.
The raid triggered a crisis in relations, with both countries withdrawing their respective ambassadors from the country capitals.
The rift came to an end in June this year after Israel offered an apology over the raid and $20 million in compensation - despite no wrongdoing on Israel's part.
Israel also agreed to allow Turkish aid to reach Gaza as part of the agreement.
Under the terms of the deal, both sides also agreed individual Israeli citizens or those acting on behalf of the Israeli government would not be held liable - either criminally or financially - for the raid.
On Friday the prosecutor told an Istanbul court that the case against the Israeli individuals should be dropped because of the agreement, state-run news agency Anadolu said.
Turkish prosecutors had been seeking life sentences for the alleged involvement of former military chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, former navy chief Eliezer Marom, former military intelligence head Amos Yadlin and former air force intelligence chief Avishai Levy, who went on trial in Turkey in absentia in 2012.
In October, families of the Islamists killed aboard the ship and lawyers told AFP they had no intention of dropping the lawsuits despite the deal.
One of the final key elements of returning to normal relations was the exchange of ambassadors, which will formally take place this month.
Israel's envoy Eitan Naeh arrived in Ankara on Thursday, and he is due to present his letter of credence to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan within days.
Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's policy advisor Kemal Okem will start work as Turkey's ambassador to Israel on December 12, Anadolu said on Friday.
5. TENNESSEE: WILDFIRES WERE 'HUMAN-CAUSED'
by Tal Polon
Fires that raged across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee for the past week which have claimed the lives of 11 may have been man-made, Reuters reported.
As of Thursday, 11 were reported dead from the fires, up from the seven reported deaths on Wednesday.
Reports also indicate that 45 people have been injured.
Although the fires have calmed down somewhat, there is still a massive reported area of 17,000 acres in which fires have not been contained.
In addition, fire commanders of the National Park Service released a statement yesterday which noted that "the wildfire was determined to be human-caused and is currently under investigation," although no other details were provided.
The announcement comes after Israel succeeded earlier this week in extinguishing the last of the more than 100 fires which blazed around the country for five days.
Many of these fires were perpetrated by Arab arsonists with terror intent.
6. THE POWER OF PERSISTENT PRAYER
by Rod Bryant
Examining the persistent prayer of Rebecca teaches us the power of prayer.
This week's reading opens with the announcement that Rebecca was barren. She then conceived following Isaac's prayers (Gen. 25:20­21).
In this Torah portion, Rebekah and Isaac have twins, the smooth-skinned Jacob, who Rebecca favors, and the hairy Esau, who Isaac favors.
After coming home from a hunting trip, Esau asks his brother for some lentil soup, but Jacob tells him he must trade him his birthright. Years later, when Isaac is old and blind, Jacob tricks his father into giving him the firstborn blessing.
Jacob leaves his home, out of fear of his brother, to find a wife at his uncle Laban's house. In this class we discuss the redemption of Esau and the age of Bnei Noach.
[audio:2021654]
Click here to download the podcast
7. OBAMA POSTPONES MOVING OF EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM
by Elad Benari
President Barack Obama on Thursday signed a waiver which prevents moving the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Congress passed a law in 1995 mandating the move of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but allowed the President to exercise a waiver delaying the move. The waiver must be renewed every six months.
"I hereby determine that it is necessary, in order to protect the national security interests of the United States, to suspend for a period of 6 months the limitations set forth in sections 3(b) and 7(b) of the Act," Obama said in a memorandum.
Thursday marked the eighth time Obama has signed the waiver, which has been signed by every President since Bill Clinton, each time citing "national security" as the reason for the delay.
However, this could be the last time the waiver is renewed – if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his campaign promises.
During the election campaign, Trump promised to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in recognition of Jerusalem being Israel's capital city.
Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Dean Heller drafted a law last year that would remove the president's authority to invoke national security as a reason to ignore Congressional resolutions on moving the embassy to Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Authority, which wants Jerusalem to be the capital of its desired future state, has expressed anger over Trump's campaign promises and vowed to "make life miserable" for the United States at the United Nations if he follows through with the move.
8. WATCH: POLICE RESCUE THOSE CAUGHT IN FLOOD IN KFAR CHABAD
by Yoni Kempinski
[youtube:2021660]
Border police and firefighters rushed to Kfar Chabad this morning in central Israel after cars got stuck in the midst of massive floods.
In total, 8 persons were extricated from the flooding, four of them children.
The rainy weather of late poses a threat to people and cars attempting to travel in areas prone to flooding and strong currents.
Israeli police have called on people to take extra care in accordance with road and weather conditions.
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