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Tuesday, Jan. 03 '17, ה' בטבת תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. EISENKOT: FREE WILL AND ARMY ORDERS DO NOT GO HAND IN HAND
2. RABBINICAL COURT JUDGE WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE IN HAIFA
3. "HOW WILL WE LIVE WITHOUT ABBA?"
4. EU PARLIAMENTARIANS VISIT FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE COMMITTEE
5. LAPID HAS CHANGE OF HEART ON GHATTAS REMOVAL
6. IF AZARIYA IS NOT ACQUITTED, HE SHOULD BE PARDONED
7. NETANYAHU QUESTIONED FOR THREE HOURS
8. WATCH: MAJOR IAF EVENTS DURING 2016
1. EISENKOT: FREE WILL AND ARMY ORDERS DO NOT GO HAND IN HAND
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot spoke Tuesday at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center(IDC) and stated that the changes made in the IDF regarding religious matters over the past year were made with the goal of unifying and strengthening solidarity within the IDF.
Eisenkot stated that the goal of the military is to "protect the country, ensure its existence and to win wars. All other aspects are designed to support the main goal. The matter of the "people's army" [an army comprised of different types of people from diverse religious and social backgrounds] has occupied me considerably.
"For this reason a number of decisions were taken which were not intended to harm any part of Israeli society but rather to strengthen the army and unify it. The standing orders regarding regulation of mixed-gender units were meant to maintain the common denominator- to enable religious soldiers not to serve in mixed units as well as enabling officers and career soldiers to opt out of these units [for religious reasons]. The new orders establish rules of what may or may not be done in mixed-gender units. On the one hand we want to maintain [gender] equality and on the other hand we want to maintain the requirements of all the various sectors which serve in the IDF."
Eisenkot claimed that the transfer of the Jewish Identity department from the IDF chief rabbinate to the Manpower department was not intended to create competition or harm religious feelings.
With regard to the new directives concerning shaving beards in the IDF, the Chief of Staff insisted that what was needed was order and discipline. "Free will and army [directives] do not go hand in hand. The IDF is not a democratic organization but it implements orders which vary for different social groups wisely and intelligently. If we wish to preserve the army, we must preserve this. To my great distress the public debate which developed [ over this issue] had no place and even caused damage to the army."
Eisenkot also referred to the trial of soldier Elor Azariya in advance of tomorrow's ruling. [Azaria is accused of shooting a terrorist after he had been neutralized] Eisenkot stated that "I demand of officers to follow the rule of 'think first, act later' and act intelligently, with determination and sensitivity. Even if the public or analysts do not understand this, there are courts which are not influenced [by public opinion] and base themselves on the rules of justice. They are not influenced by me or by the public and act according to what they understand."
Eisenkot stressed that there is a difference between a regular 18-year-old boy or girl and the "child of all of us" [a reference to the public demand to pardon Azariya because he is "the child of all of us"] and people who ignore this difference are harming the IDF's values. "We must be stringent if we want to maintain an army which knows how to achieve its objectives. On the one hand we must be warm and caring towards soldiers, but on the other hand recruits to the IDF are required to perform duties and endanger their lives, to protect civilians and attack our enemies."
He added that he believed that IDF orders are legal and correct but if an order would be absolutely illegal it would be incumbent on soldiers not to fulfill it.
Eisenkot also referred to enlistment data and stated that just 67% of those eligible for conscription actually enlist in the IDF. 33% or 1 in 3 of 18-year-olds eligible for conscription do not enlist.
However Eisenkot stated that there is a significant growth in haredi enlistment. "In the past year we have conscripted 3200 haredim. The moment the political rhetoric dies down there is a clear rise in conscription."
2. RABBINICAL COURT JUDGE WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE IN HAIFA
by Uzi Baruch
[video:2022765]
A 45-year-old man was shot dead on Hagiborim Street in Haifa Tuesday morning. Roz Diamand, the MDA paramedic who treated the wounded man said: "When we got there we saw a man of about 45 lying on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to the upper body. He had no pulse and no breathing, and we immediately started to give him CPR, but unfortunately the injury was very severe and we had to pronounce him dead."
A few minutes earlier, 40-year-old man was shot and moderately wounded on Atzma'ut Street, about 4 km away. The wounded man was evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa. The suspect fled the scene and police are combing the area. They are also investigating whether there is a connection between the two shootings.
The dead person has been identified as a member of Haifa's religious services personnel, while the wounded man is a senior rabbinical court judge who served on a conversion court in Haifa.
Circumstances of the incident are not yet clear. Police are examining the possibility that the incident was racially motivated.
3. "HOW WILL WE LIVE WITHOUT ABBA?"
[youtube:2022747]
"How will we live without Abba?"
These are the cries I heard coming from the room of my 7 children after my husband passed away last week.
For a year, my husband grew more and more sick. I watched him suffer tremendously, and waste away. Finally last week he was spared from his pain. He was too young to leave this world. He was a talmid chacham, who brought so much light into the world through his limud Torah.
But now he is gone. We are sitting shiva this week. And while my mind should be completely in grieving the loss of the father of my children, I am filled instead with fear for the future -- How will we live? We have seven beautiful children, and live very modestly as is. I see the pain in their eyes, and it is devastating.
PLEASE HELP US
Their cries are all too familiar -- I remember weeping myself, just as they do now, when I lost my parents. Yes, I am an orphan too. There are no parents for us to turn to for support at this time.
There is only me, one woman, left in this time of grieving, to keep my sweet children alive and to find a way to move on. There is also you. If you are reading this, you have the power to help us begin again. Please, I have almost no family left in this world. But you, Am Yisrael, can be my family.
And with your help, my family can stand up from shiva with new hope for the future. Please, I am begging you, give what you can.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL CAMPAIGN
4. EU PARLIAMENTARIANS VISIT FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE COMMITTEE
by Yoni Kempinski
[youtube:2022773]
Nine EU Parliamentarians from the EU Foreign Affairs committe headed by committee head Elmar Brok visited the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday morning.
The head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs committee, Avi Dichter, emphasized that "It is now clear that the last six years in the Middle East have nothing to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflicts in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt and even in Sinai had nothing to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However the Arabs even when they fight among themselves will always define Israel, the European countries and the entire Western world as strangers."
Elmar Brok responded by saying that there is a change in the global terror environment. "Terror used to be concentrated in certain countries such as the IRA in Ireland and the Basque terrorists in Spain. However at present we have global terror which we saw in Ankara, Paris, Tunisia, Egypt and Berlin, all stemming partially from the same origin and we must develop a global anti-terrorist strategy to combat it. We wish to hear from you, the Israelis, because we believe that you can give us some insights which might be helpful for us on this issue."
5. LAPID HAS CHANGE OF HEART ON GHATTAS REMOVAL
by Elad Benari
Yesh Atid chairman MK Yair Lapid has had a change of heart with regards to implementing the MK Removal Law to MK Basel Ghattas (Joint List), who is suspected of smuggling in cellular devices to jailed Hamas terrorists, enabling them to continue their activities from behind bars.
Two weeks ago Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin (Likud) called on MKs to sign his initiative for the MK Removal Law to be implemented in the case of Ghattas. Elkin would need the signatures of 70 MKs in order for the move to go through. Lapid refused to sign, however, saying at the time "that would be an idiotic procedure."
But on Monday, according to the Walla! Hebrew-language news website, Yesh Atid said it would be willing to back the initiative, if Ghattas is indicted.
"If an indictment is filed against MK Ghattas, Yesh Atid law will support the Removal Law," said a statement from the party. The statement further claimed that Yesh Atid has expressed this position in the past, contradicting Lapid's refusal to sign Elkin's initiative just last week.
Yesh Atid's statement came hours after the Knesset Ethics Committee approved a measure banning Ghattas from entering the Knesset building for the next six months as police continue their investigation.
While Ghattas initially denied the claims, he later confessed to aiding the prisoners, but insisted the content of the messages transmitted was not terror related. Israeli police have rejected this claim in statements to the press.
Despite being barred from entering the Knesset building, Ghattas retains his status as an MK, though he surrendered his parliamentary immunity. Ghattas continues to receive a salary and other stipends provided to MKs.
6. IF AZARIYA IS NOT ACQUITTED, HE SHOULD BE PARDONED
by Arutz Sheva
Chairman of the Jewish Home Party, Minister Naftali Bennett, affirmed the words of Chief of Staff Eizenkot, calling for a pardon of Elor Azariya, if he is found guilty.
Bennett spoke Tuesday with Erel Segal and Chaim Levinson of Army Radio. "IDF soldiers are soldiers. They are not small children. They are charged with defending the citizens of Israel, and there is sometimes confusion in Israel about who is supposed to protect who. I hope he is acquitted, but if not I believe he should be pardoned immediately and not have to sit in prison."
In his speech at a conference in memory of former Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak at the Interdisciplinary Centery in Herzliya, the current Chief of Staff, Gadi Eizenkot referred to Azariya's trial. "There are some courts that have little influence," said Eizenkot. "They try to make justice and to dictate legal norms, but their rulings do not affect me or make justice. We have a deep confusion about the different roles played by different authorities."
Eizenkot added that "An 18-year-old who enlists in the IDF is a soldier and a son of all of us, and he risks his life in order to save us."
7. NETANYAHU QUESTIONED FOR THREE HOURS
by Ben Ariel
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Monday evening released a statement with regards to the questioning of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
The statement was released shortly after Netanyahu's questioning by investigators from the National Fraud Unit concluded after three hours.
In the statement, Mandelblit officially declared that the probe against Netanyahu has turned into an official questioning, but did not provide new details about the allegations or actions attributed to Netanyahu.
"The claims that led at the end of the day to the decision to question [the Prime Minister] under caution, came up during the probe and, since then, the Israel Police have worked hard to find out the nature [of these claims] and evidence to support them. In the last month evidence was gathered that changed the situation in this regard," the statement said. "In this context, the results of the probe formed an evidentiary basis that justifies the questioning of the Prime Minister under warning."
While not going into details on the allegations against Netanyahu, the statement did note several cases which the police had probed and in which they found no reason to open an investigation against the Prime Minister.
These include claims about alleged prohibited funding for the 2009 elections, claims of falsifying the results of the Likud primaries that year, claims of receiving benefits overseas and the financing of flights by wealthy individuals residing abroad and claims of double billing of flights abroad.
"As noted, the opinions presented to the Attorney General [on these issues], which he adopted, indicate that the findings on these issues at this stage cannot justify the opening of a criminal investigation," said Mandelblit's statement.
The allegations against Netanyahu have been described by Israeli media outlets as extremely serious.
Authorities, however, have volunteered little information on the investigation, and some have suggested the Israeli media is actively seeking to play up the inquiry in an effort to unseat the Prime Minister.
Prominent American Jewish jurist Alan Dershowitz told Israel Hayom in an interview published Sunday that Netanyahu should be granted temporary immunity from such investigations, to prevent the Israeli left and media from hobbling the government at such a critical time.
8. WATCH: MAJOR IAF EVENTS DURING 2016
by Yoni Kempinski
[youtube:2022764]
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