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Monday, Jan. 02 '17, ד' בטבת תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. NETANYAHU MIGHT BE TOPPLED – BUT JUDEA/SAMARIA WILL BE SAVED
2. 'EVEN PUTIN KNOWS OUR STRENGTH COMES FROM THE MITZVOT'
3. REPORT: HALF OF ISRAELI HIGH SCHOOLERS DRINK ALCOHOL REGULARLY
4. KINNERET STAYS LOW DESPITE WINTER RAINS
5. POLICE: MOTHER STRANGLED HER DAUGHTERS BEFORE BURNING APARTMENT
6. 5 DEAD IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT FIRE
7. OP-ED: THIS IS HOW THEY CAN NOW TRY TO STRANGLE ISRAEL
8. PRANKSTERS DEFACE ICONIC HOLLYWOOD SIGN
1. NETANYAHU MIGHT BE TOPPLED – BUT JUDEA/SAMARIA WILL BE SAVED
by Hillel Fendel
The police investigation against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that is scheduled to begin today "appears to be more serious" than previous suspicions, but even if it actually leads Netanyahu to resign, it is likely not to happen before he saves Judea and Samaria.
So writes Mordechai Karpel, editor of the monthly magazine Nekudah and a co-founder, with Moshe Feiglin, of the Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) organization.
Karpel notes that even as Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing, "he could soon find himself in a very unpleasant situation." The two previous prime ministers who were investigated for wrongdoing – Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert – responded to the pressure-filled situation by entering into, or trying to enter into, very fateful diplomatic processes "in order to appease the left-wing in the hope of being coddled. In Sharon's case, he succeeded."
However, Karpel writes, it might very well be that Netanyahu - if the suspicions against him are accurate - will take a different approach. Until now, he has been known to be a good goalie, Karpel explains: Good at blocking harmful diplomatic processes such as Oslo, but unable to go on the offensive and take initiatives.
"Now that Netanyahu is facing this investigation," Karpel writes, "the picture has changed. It could be that he will understand that his time is limited. If so, it will force him to initiate and quickly make decisions. He understands better than all of us how the international geopolitical situation has changed, providing a one-time opportunity that he knows must not be missed – assuming that his intention was truly not only to stop Oslo but also to actually defeat the 'Palestinians.'"
Most specifically, Karpel writes, "It could be that he will realize it's now or never for the annexation of Area C – the Jewishly-populated areas of Judea and Samaria."
Karpel hopes that Netanyahu will wish to leave behind not only a legacy, but also "irreversible facts – a revolutionary change in the history of the Jewish return to Zion."
"This will also be his chance not only to avenge the obsessive persecution against him by the left and the media, but also to turn the unprecedented personal humiliation that they are planning against him, into an historic victory that will change Israeli history and render him a national hero – currently only for a large portion of the Israeli public, but in the future – for the majority."
2. 'EVEN PUTIN KNOWS OUR STRENGTH COMES FROM THE MITZVOT'
by Yedidya Ben-Or
Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef addressed a gathering of teachers from Israel's largest conversion network, Ami – Yeshivat Bnei Akiva, on Monday to discuss what has become an increasingly politicized issue in Israel.
Led by Rabbi Haim Druckman, the Ami – Yeshivat Bnei Akiva network is affiliated with the national-religious stream of Orthodoxy. In recent years, tensions have mounted between the national-religious and haredi rabbinic courts over the validity of some conversions performed by the Chief Rabbinate in Israel, as well as by Orthodox rabbis abroad.
Monday's gathering took place in Beit Meir, west of Jerusalem, and included Rabbi Druckman, Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz, Ami director-general Naftali Kandler, network director Carmi Ronen, as well as 'veteran' converts of Ami who assist new converts and those seeking to complete the conversion process.
During his speech, Rabbi Yosef sharply criticized attempts to convert or encourage conversions without acceptance of the commandments.
"My father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, signed a letter affirming that without acceptance of the commandments, there is no conversion, and that a conversion should only be approved when it is clear that the convert intends to keep the commandments after the conversion."
As an aside, Rabbi Yosef pointed out that even Russian President Vladimir Putin had reflected on the importance of Torah observance in preserving the Jewish people.
"Even Putin told me that he understands that the strength of the Jewish people comes from observance of the Torah and commandments."
The Russian leader made similar statements in a meeting with Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, who told Rabbi Lazar that "The Jewish people survived [the exile] because of the commitment to true Judaism."
3. REPORT: HALF OF ISRAELI HIGH SCHOOLERS DRINK ALCOHOL REGULARLY
by Uzi Baruch
Roughly half of Israeli high school students drink alcohol regularly, a new study shows, while one in eight smokes cigarettes.
The Health Ministry publicized the survey of alcohol consumption and smoking among Israeli youth at a hearing of the Knesset Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse on Monday, revealing the worrisome statistics.
According to the study, 5.0% of boys in junior high school regularly smoke tobacco products, while 2.3% of girls do the same. Broken down by type, 2.3% of male students say they regularly smoke cigarettes, while 3.6% say they regularly use nargilas.
Among female students, 1.0% say they regularly smoke cigarettes, while 1.8% use nargilas.
In Israeli high schools, the problem is far more severe, with 23.3% of male students smoking tobacco, compared to 10.6% of female students. Thirteen percent of male high schoolers say they regularly smoke cigarettes, while 17.1% say they use nargilas. Among female students, 5.0% say they smoke cigarettes, while 8.4% reported using nargilas on a regular basis.
The most worrying figures, however, related to the consumption of alcohol, with 65% of male Jewish high school students reporting that they drink, along with 47% of female Jewish high school students.
It should be noted that unlike in most states in the US, in Israel the legal age for purchasing and consuming alcohol is 18. Additionally, while high school typically spans four years in the US, from grades 9-12, in many areas in Israel, only grades 10 through 12 are included in high school, with 9th grade being part of junior high school.
4. KINNERET STAYS LOW DESPITE WINTER RAINS
by Shlomo Pyutrikovsky
Even though December 2016 was the wettest month since 1992, the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) is the lowest it's been since January 2012. Currently, the Kinneret needs another 60 centimeters of rainfall until it reaches the lower red line.
During the month of December, the Kinneret rose 24 centimeters. While this was certainly significant, it was not an unusually high amount. Most of the water came from rivers which overflowed and ran into the Kinneret, from the northern lakes as well as from the northern coastline. As stated, the amount of water dumping into the Kinneret was the highest recorded since 1992.
In total, Israel receivd 113% of its annual rains during the months of September-December 2016. However, that is not enough.
The Kinneret's current level is -213.60 meters, which is 60 centimeters below the lower red line. It needs another 4.80 meters until it fills the lake entirely and reaches the upper red line.
In addition, the Dead Sea's level has dropped 13 centimeters, measuring at -413.07 meters. During the same period last year, the Dead Sea dropped 16 centimeters.
5. POLICE: MOTHER STRANGLED HER DAUGHTERS BEFORE BURNING APARTMENT
by Shlomo Pyotrovsky
The four young girls found dead during a fire in their Jerusalem apartment may have been murdered beforehand by their mother, local police say, in what appears to have been a murder-suicide.
Jerusalem district police commander Yoram Levy spoke with Army Radio Monday morning regarding the ongoing investigation into the incident, describing the scene of the grisly murders.
"No one can get used to seeing something like that. We often see difficult things, but this was something else," said Levy. "Speaking as someone who reached the scene and who saw the figures, the bodies, it was a very difficult sight even for the most hardened professionals."
Levy said that the first report to authorities of the incident came from neighbors in the building.
"The neighbors smelled smoke and tried to open the door, they went to their [the family's] porch and saw the initial scene. At that point they called MDA, the fire department, and police, who broke into the apartment."
Based on the initial investigation, Levy added, at least some of the girls killed on Sunday were murdered before the fire was lit – strangled by their mother before she set their home ablaze and hanged herself.
"The fire was in a small room with no oxygen," said Levy, "a fire which burned for hours, creating intense heat and choking [those in the apartment]. The initial findings of the investigation show that some of the girls were already dead before the fire was lit. We are, of course, requesting that autopsies be performed, [but] no permission has been granted, so we have turned to the court, which is set to rule soon."
"The court needs to decide whether to [permit] autopsies, and it is a difficult decision. We will continue with the investigation with experts from the fire department who can conduct a forensic analysis of scenes like this."
Levy also responded to questions regarding whether there were any warning signs prior to the ghastly murders, and if the incident could have been prevented.
"Like all parents, many people are asking the question of how something like this could happen, and we don't have an answer. We know that the mother was being treated by medical services, and there is evidence from the scene that she was taking medication."
The mother and her four daughters were found dead Sunday evening after a fire was reported in their sixth-floor Derech Hevron apartment. The father was seriously injured by the fire.
The couple immigrated to Israel from France 13 years ago, and had four daughters, ages 11, 9, 4, and 11 months.
6. 5 DEAD IN JERUSALEM APARTMENT FIRE
by David Rosenberg
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A woman, roughly 30 years of age, and her four daughters were killed in a fire in their Jerusalem apartment Sunday evening.
MDA emergency response teams were called to the scene after the fire was reported, and are currently providing first aid.
The fire broke out in an apartment unit located on Derech Hebron Street in southern Jerusalem.
All five victims of the fire were declared dead at the scene, including the mother, two girls roughly 12 years old, a younger daughter approximately 7 years old, and a two-year old toddler.
A United Hatzalah spokesperson reports that the incident may have been an act of murder-suicide by the mother.
Members of a United Hatzalah psychotrauma unit are working to stabilize the condition of the father, who was also injured in the fire that killed his wife and daughters.
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7. OP-ED: THIS IS HOW THEY CAN NOW TRY TO STRANGLE ISRAEL
by Giulio Meotti
Giulio Meotti is an Italian journalist with Il Foglio and author of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims and of "J'Accuse: the Vatican Against Israel." His latest book, not yet translated from the Italian, is "The End of Europe: New Mosques and Abandoned Churches."
UN Resolution number 2334, which condemned as "illegal" all Jewish life in Judea and Samaria thanks to the shameful abstention of the United States, can have serious consequences for the Jewish State.
It begins at the Hague Court: any Israeli, civilian or military, involved in the "settlements", will be liable to judgment for violating the Geneva Convention. The Israeli army, which administers areas B and C, may be indicted if demolishes the homes of terrorists, if it expropriates the land for reasons of "security", if it plans new Israeli homes. The decision is now in the hands of the Hague prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, who has already opened an investigation about the "Israeli settlements," believing they constitute a "war crime." Israeli military personnel and politicians could be subject to warrants if they land in London, as occurred with Tzipi Livni.
The UN resolution is a spectacular victory for the BDS, the boycott of Israel, which already has garnered successes in Europe and is now galvanized by the vote at the UN. Companies involved in the construction of the anti-terrorism fence may be subject to lawsuits in many European countries, such as the Netherlands and England.
The resolution asks the UN Secretary General to report every three months with respect to the resolution, meaning Israel is under special surveillance. The resolution separates Israel from the land occupied by Jordan from 1948 to 1967 (including the Old City of Jerusalem), paving the way for sanctions against Israel, on the mendacious model of apartheid, treating Israel as if it is like the once racist South Africa.
A year ago the European Union approved the labeling of Israeli products beyond the Green Line, and now Israel fears a new wave of measures from Brussels. Banks, oil companies, shopping centers, high tech companies and telephone providers that operate in the so-called Territories can be subject to sanctions.
The next steps are already under review by the European Commission: Israeli banks offering mortgages to homeowners in Judea and Samaria will be exposed to repercussions; the retail chains that have stores in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria may be excluded from the European market; manufacturers using parts made in Israeli factories will be subject to special markings; Israelis living in those communities may lose the privilege that allows today to Israeli citizens to travel to Europe without a visa; Israeli universities in the territories, such as Ariel, can be deprived of the recognition of Brussels.
The European Council on Foreign Relations, whose proposals come on the table of European legislators, has suggested to put sanction some Israeli banks. It is already happening: Deutsche Bank included the Israeli Bank Hapoalim in a list of companies about which investments raise "ethical issues". So did the largest Danish bank, Danske Bank, while the Swedish Nordea has put under scrutiny Israeli Leumi, and Mizrahi-Tefahot. The largest Dutch pension fund, PGGM, withdrew investments from five Israeli institutions. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al Hussein, is already working on a "black list" of companies.
It is the grand finale of 2016. The West removed the sanctions on Iran to place them on the only open society from Marrakech to Islamabad: the beautiful State of Israel.
8. PRANKSTERS DEFACE ICONIC HOLLYWOOD SIGN
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The iconic hillside sign overlooking Southern California's Hollywood was defaced overnight Saturday, Reuters reports.
Residents awoke on Sunday to find "Hollyweed" staring down at them in four-story, white letters from Los Angeles' Mount Lee.
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City surveillance cameras captured footage of someone dressed in black about 3:00 a.m. local time whom police believe was behind the prank, Sgt. Robert Payan of the Los Angeles Police Department told Reuters in a phone interview.
Material similar to a tarp was placed over the two O's to make them appear as E's, and park rangers were assessing how to remove them, he added.
There were no suspects, but the person if caught could be charged with misdemeanor trespassing, said Payan.
The prank comes two months after a ballot measure to make recreational marijuana legal for adults was easily approved by California voters on November 8. It remains unclear whether the prank was related.
The Hollywood sign remains a popular spot for hikers and tourists, who used to be able to walk up to the sign and take a picture. Now, a fence blocks people, and accessing the sign is difficult, noted Reuters.
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