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Tuesday, Jan. 24 '17, כ"ו בטבת תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. 'IMAGINE AN ISRAEL WITHOUT CHECKPOINTS FROM JENIN TO JERUSALEM'
2. ISRAELI MAN FIGHTING ISIS TERRORISTS INDICTED FOR MURDER
3. 'MOVING EMBASSY WOULD BE DECLARATION OF WAR ON ISLAM'
4. WATCH: FIREBOMBS THROWN, SUSPECTS APPREHENDED BY IDF
5. SEXUAL ASSAULT OF JEWISH WOMAN RECOGNIZED AS TERROR ATTACK
6. POLICE PROBE AGAINST NETANYAHU WIDENS
7. ISIS LEADER 'CRITICALLY' WOUNDED IN IRAQ AIR STRIKES
8. MINISTER GILA GAMLIEL COUNTERS BDS IN EU PARLIAMENT
1. 'IMAGINE AN ISRAEL WITHOUT CHECKPOINTS FROM JENIN TO JERUSALEM'
by Yoni Kempinski
[youtube:2023619]
Speaking at a strategic affairs conference on Tuesday, Education Minister Naftali Bennett presented his vision for the future of Judea and Samaria, advocating partial annexation of the area, along with expanded autonomy for the Palestinian Authority and massive investment over the Green Line.
Bennett addressed a gathering organized by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an independent think tank at Tel Aviv University, slamming the two-state solution while presenting details for an alternative arrangement.
‏"‏First point," said Bennett, "a Palestine exists," referring to the Hamas regime in Gaza.
"‏Granted, it's a terror state. It terrorizes its own population and attacks Israeli schools and hospitals using rockets and attack tunnels."
"‏This leads to the second point: Apply Israeli law in Area C, the Israeli controlled areas."
"We will not annex the land, because one can only annex something foreign. ‏This is the Land of Israel, to which Jews have been connected for thousands of years. ‏It is where 450,000 Israelis live."
Area C, which is under full Israeli control, constitutes roughly 60% of Judea and Samaria. All Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria are located in Area C, while only 4-5% of Palestinian Arabs live there. The remaining 95% live in Area A, under autonomous Palestinian Authority control and in Area B, also under PA control except for security because of its geographic proximity to Israeli communities. The three areas were designated in the Oslo Accords.
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‏"There are also some 80,000 Arabs living in Area C. They'll be offered Israeli citizenship or residency; it'll be up to them."
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In addition to annexing most of Judea and Samaria, Bennett reiterated his support for expanded autonomy for the Palestinian Authority in those areas not annexed by Israel.
‏"My third point: Autonomy on steroids in Areas A and B, the Palestinian controlled areas. ‏The rest of Judea and Samaria, will be a Palestinian Autonomy. ‏The PA will change: from Palestinian Authority, to Palestinian Autonomy. ‏It will be less than a state."
‏"A state manages its taxes, postal service and hospitals. It holds elections, has a flag and provides education. ‏The Palestinian Autonomy will do this, and more, but it will not be a state.
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"There are two things it won't do: ‏Firstly, it will not allow millions of descendants of Palestinian immigrants to enter. ‏They would end up marching towards Haifa and Tel Aviv. Second, the PA will never have an army.
"‏So the Palestinians will not have a state, but they will have a strong autonomy."
Beyond strengthening the Palestinian Authority, Bennett advocated what he dubbed a "Marshall Plan for Judea and Samaria" referring to the successful United States post WWII plan, named for then US Secretary of State George Marshall, for rebuilding Western Europe's economy.
"‏Developing Judea and Samaria will improve the lives of everyone living there. It will reduce violence and build co-existence," Bennett said, calling to "drastically increase the amount of entry points from the P.A. to Israel, and the number of work permits for Palestinians."
Bennett also called for major infrastructure upgrades in the area, including the revamping of Route 60, the primary north-south road in Judea and Samaria. He also advocated creating a "free tourism zone" which would permit travel from Judea and Samaria into pre-1967 Israel without security checkpoints.
"‏Turn Route 60 into an actual highway. ‏Build a Palestinian land port in Jenin. ‏Establish a free tourism zone. ‏Imagine Christian pilgrims traveling from Nazareth to Nablus. From there they would go to Jerusalem and Bethlehem – without stopping at checkpoints. ‏Imagine the jobs a revamped tourism industry would create. ‏These actions and others would give everyone a better life."
2. ISRAELI MAN FIGHTING ISIS TERRORISTS INDICTED FOR MURDER
by Hezki Baruch
A 22-year old Israeli man who traveled abroad to fight ISIS terrorists has been indicted on murder charges.
Military censors have not cleared the name of the country where the man has been charged, stating only that it is a state that does not presently have diplomatic relations with Israel.
The man is currently being held without bail in a prison abroad.
The case was initially revealed by Minister Ayoub Kara (Likud), before a publication ban was put in place by the army censor.
The young man was arrested in June 2015 in the undisclosed country and charged with murder. He is expected to be released in the near future as part of a compromise agreement between himself and the family of the alleged victim.
A statement released by the Israeli Foreign Ministry read in part: "The safety and security of the Israeli citizen is our top priority. Therefore, the Foreign Ministry has been in contact for an extended period with his family. We hope that the efforts of [the man's] father and family will bear fruit and that their son will be freed soon."
3. 'MOVING EMBASSY WOULD BE DECLARATION OF WAR ON ISLAM'
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the Israeli capital, Jerusalem, would be a declaration of war on Islam, influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said Tuesday.
"Transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem would be a public and more-explicit-than-ever declaration of war against Islam," he said in a statement.
Al-Sadr responded to reports by the White House that deliberations on the possible move had begun.
On Sunday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer acknowledged the Trump administration was examining the issue, but emphasized deliberations had only just begun on the matter.
"We are at the very beginning stages of even discussing this subject."
On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump pledged to relocate the US embassy
from Tel Aviv to the Israeli capital, implementing a law passed by congress in 1995.
Over the past two decades, presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama have used security waivers to defer transfer of the embassy from Tel Aviv.
Sadr, a firebrand Shiite cleric whose militia once fought US occupation forces in Iraq, called for the "formation of a special division to liberate Jerusalem were the decision to be implemented."
Sadr said the Cairo-based Arab League as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the world's main pan-Islamic body, should take a decisive stand on the issue or dissolve themselves.
The Najaf-based cleric also called "for the immediate closure of the US embassy in Iraq" should Washington go ahead with its promised embassy transfer in Israel.
Sadr supporters protesting against the lack of services and widespread corruption in the Iraqi state stormed the so-called "Green Zone" in Baghdad twice last year.
The protesters entered the parliament buildings and the Prime Minister's office but did not threaten the US embassy there, which is Washington's largest foreign mission.
AFP contributed to this report
4. WATCH: FIREBOMBS THROWN, SUSPECTS APPREHENDED BY IDF
by Kobi Finkler
A Palestinian-owned vehicle crashed through a checkpoint near the community of Ofra near Binyamin Tuesday and shot bullets in the air. There were no injuries and no damage was reported.
IDF forces chased after the vehicle and caught two Arabs inside with an improvised weapon. The two suspects were transferred to police for further investigation.
The IDF also released a video in which Arabs are shown throwing firebombs at the gate of the Migdal Oz community in the Etzion Bloc nine days ago.
[video:2023568]
The Arabs came in a car, got out and threw the firebombs at the gate. Through swift intelligence work by the IDF and local police, three Arab suspects were arrested in recent days.
During the course of the operations, the car in which the suspects arrived and escaped was also located and confiscated. The suspects were transferred to the investigations department of the Judea and Samaria police.
The video documents the firebombing and the subsequent arrests by the Tzabar battalion of the Givati Brigade.
5. SEXUAL ASSAULT OF JEWISH WOMAN RECOGNIZED AS TERROR ATTACK
by Ido Ben Porat
The Defense Ministry has ruled in favor of an appeal by a victim of sexual assault, recognizing her as a terror victim seven years after the assault.
The incident in question took place in 2008, when the victim, a Jewish woman in her mid-20s, was attacked violently by a gang of Arab youths outside the Old City of Jerusalem.
The gang surrounded her, grabbing her and stealing her possessions. The attackers then proceeded to commit sexual acts on her while beating her.
In addition to the sexual acts performed on her, the woman suffered a broken nose and multiple bruises.
Hitherto, the woman was denied government help and benefits as she was not recognized as a terror victim, which is defined as anyone suffering from a "violent attack whose primary purpose is to harm the person due to their national-ethnic background, so long as it is related to the Arab-Israeli conflict."
6. POLICE PROBE AGAINST NETANYAHU WIDENS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Police have widened a probe into Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is already under investigation for gifts allegedly received from a friend and talks with the publisher of one of Israel's largest newspapers.
Investigators are now looking into two other matters related to Netanyahu, Channel
10 television reported on Monday night.
One of the matters appears to involve a deal for Israel to purchase German submarines, while the second affair remained unclear, according to the reports.
It was unclear whether the new probes were preliminary inquiries or if they had been elevated to full-fledged investigations.
Police declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
Netanyahu's cousin, family lawyer and confidant David Shimron was reportedly been involved in the deal to purchase Dolphin submarines from Germany's ThyssenKrupp.
Media reports have alleged a conflict of interest over the role played by Shimron, who has also represented ThyssenKrupp's Israeli agent. However, the deal is between heads of governments and the manufacture of these craft is limited.
The premier is already under investigation over suspicions of unlawfully receiving gifts from wealthy supporters.
A parallel investigation is examining talks about a possible quid pro quo between Netanyahu and Arnon "Noni" Mozes, publisher of the Yediot Aharonot newspaper, in which Mozes offered that the paper's anti-Netanyahu stance would be toned down in return for helping reduce Yediot's competition, the free Israel Hayom.
Netanyahu has flatly denied any wrongdoing, accusing Israeli media of "pursuing an unprecedented campaign against me in order to bring down (my) Likud government" by publishing leaks from the investigations.
"The campaign is aimed at putting pressure on the attorney general so that he would convict me," Netanyahu said.
AFP contributed to this report
7. ISIS LEADER 'CRITICALLY' WOUNDED IN IRAQ AIR STRIKES
by Uzi Baruch
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been 'critically injured' in air strikes in northern Iraq, it has been claimed.
The terror mastermind is said to have been wounded after a bombing raid in Al-Ba'aj, it has been reported locally.
However, it is not the first time claims have emerged that al-Baghdadi has been either hurt or killed and there has yet to be official confirmation.
Local sources could not confirm whether the raid was carried out by the Iraqi air-force or by the US-led coalition.
Al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed 'Caliph' of the Islamic State, is one of the most wanted men in the world. On December 16, 2016, the US increased the reward for information leading to his capture or death to $25 million.
Al-Baghdadi was reportedly mortally wounded wounded in another bombing raid in Al-Ba'aj on March 18, 2015. However, the rumors of his death were quickly dispelled. He was also reportedly injured and killed by multiple airstrikes in June, 2016. However, the US Pentagon stated that it believed that he was still alive.
He has kept a low profile in recent years to avoid being targeted by government and coalition forces fighting to retake control of Iraqi territory from ISIS.
8. MINISTER GILA GAMLIEL COUNTERS BDS IN EU PARLIAMENT
by Yoni Kempinski
MK Gila Gamliel, Minister for Social Equality, spoke at the EIPA (Europe Israel Public Affairs) Conference in the EU Parliament entitled "Israel: Include. Invest. Involve. 3 I's to counter B, D and S". The conference took place in cooperation with EJA and the Israeli mission to the EU.
[youtube:2023615]
Text of the minister's speech:
Dear Friends,
Shalom and good afternoon.
I am delighted to be with you as Israel's first ever Minister for Social Equality, a ministry established to enhance Israel's effort to combat social inequality. I strongly believe that helping create a more equal society in Israel will make a stronger, better country for us all.
Since its founding, Israel has been committed to a vision of a society of equal opportunity. Our Declaration of Independence guarantees equal rights for all citizens – regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion.
In a region of instability and violence, I am so proud to stand here as a woman, as a mother of two young daughters, as the daughter myself of immigrants [to Israel] from Libya and Yemen, representing the State of Israel!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Over the last decade, we have been witnessing a notorious global campaign against the State of Israel, known as BDS. It is but the newest weapon in a decades-old effort to eliminate Israel, and deny the Jewish people their right to self-determination.
For years, those who wanted to destroy Israel first tried wars, and failed.They tried terrorism, and failed. And now they are trying another method which was also used in the past: anti-Israel boycotts. The Nazis used boycotts of Jewish goods in the 1930s. For decades, starting in the 1950s, Arab countries boycotted Israel. Any company that sold products to Israel could not sell products to Arab states.So this is not new. We thought these demons of the past were gone.
Let me be clear: the aim of this movement is not the two-state solution or any peaceful solution.
It seeks the return of Palestinian refugees -- not to a future Palestinian State -- but to Israel: to Haifa, to Jaffa, to Jerusalem. In this way, it seeks to undermine Israel's right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish people. That's what this conflict has been about since Israel was created in 1948. And that is what it remains about today.
The method has changed: instead of only fighting the Israeli army on the battlefield or killing civilians through acts of terror, the BDS movement seeks to destroy Israel's image in the eyes of the world.If you say a lie enough times people will believe it.Yet, as hundreds of thousands of people are being killed in Syria, including some by chemical attack, as Yemen is being ripped apart by outside forces – these self-styled advocates of human rights are silent.We don't see movements to boycott parties to these conflicts.
But Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, is singled out for boycotting! The leaders of the BDS movement do not care that their boycott actually hurts Palestinians. This is simply of no interest to them and their supporters. For the head of the BDS, attacking Israel supersedes everything, even
their own people.
The voices of BDS are the voices of hatred and bigotry. These are the voices of demonization.
They echo the voices of demons of the past. This discriminatory campaign may have a new name but is the same old poison of the past.
Make no mistake: Every country has its faults. It is legitimate to disagree with some of Israel's policies. But to single out Israel and to hold it to a different standard than any other nation in the world – is anti-Semitic. It is anti-human rights and anti-peace.
So let us be honest and call out the BDS movement for what it is: the latest evolution of the effort to wipe Israel off the map.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Just as the conflict will not be resolved by the decades-old tactic of boycotting Israel, lasting peace will only be achieved through education. Everything begins with education towards peace.
Shalom -- or peace – is the first word our children learn in school. Tragically, all too often, Palestinian children are incited to hatred, to violence and to murder.
It is well known that Hamas incites to kill. But this incitement all too often is coming not just from Hamas but from the Palestinian Authority. Most Europeans are unaware – or intentionally blind themselves to --the extent of Palestinian incitement to violence, and where it is coming from.
It is not on the news in Europe. It is not in newspapers here. It doesn't receive coverage on TV.
It simply isn't PC –politically correct -- to say that the PA – yes the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas -- names streets, names squares after the worst Palestinian killers of Jewish men women and children. They give money to the families of suicide bombers.
This is incitement to kill; pure and simple. Just as we will not achieve a resolution to the conflict through an immoral boycott, we will never get to peace without education towards peace.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are living in difficult times. The threat of radical Islamic terrorism should unite – must unite --
the Western World.The same terrorism that brought death to the streets of Israel for year is now targeting the streets of Europe. Just like there should be no double standard in singling out one
country for boycotting and taking no action in the face of genocide taking place in neighboring countries, there must be no double standard when it comes to terrorism.
The killing of civilians is terrorism. Period. There can be no excuses. Period. As I told the UN Security Council, the world all too often loses its voice when it comes to terrorism against Israel! We must say in a loud clear voice: we condemn and will fight against terrorism everywhere, anywhere. There is no difference between the targeting of innocents, whether here in Brussels, Paris, Istanbul or Jerusalem.
In conclusion, as Minister for Social Equality, I believe that women are powerful agents of moderation, particularly in the face of extremism. As leaders and decision makers we can be a stabilizing force. Especially in this region of the world, women are an untapped potential for more peaceful societies. It is an honor to be part of a society where we champion the empowerment of women and gender equality: where we have a woman, Golda Meir, who served as Prime Minister; where a woman is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for the second time now; where women serve in top business roles, and where an Arab parliamentarian is the Chairperson of the Committee for the Advancement of Status of Women in the Knesset.
This is my Israel.
Thank you very much
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