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Sunday, Feb. 05 '17, ט' בשבט תשע"ז
HEADLINES:
1. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPEALS OVERTURN OF TRAVEL BAN
2. FRENCH POLITICIAN: WE NEED TO BAN KIPPAS TO FIGHT ISLAM
3. ISRAELI ATTORNEY: DOUBLE NUMBER OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
4. SHAKED AND LEVIN'S LEGISLATIVE REVOLUTION
5. NORDSTROM: WE WON'T CARRY IVANKA TRUMP'S PRODUCTS
6. US SENDS ARMORED SUV'S TO ANTI-ISIS FIGHTERS
7. REPORTER COVERING AMONA FINDS OWN CHILDREN PROTESTING EXPULSION
8. ANTI-SEMITE VANDALIZES CHICAGO LOOP SYNAGOGUE
1. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPEALS OVERTURN OF TRAVEL BAN
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Justice Department on Saturday night appealed a decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that stopped enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order banning travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries and suspending refugee entry to the U.S., CNN reports.
On Friday, a Seattle federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting the executive order.
Judge James Robart, appointed by former President George Bush in 2003, ruled the executive order would be stopped nationwide, effective immediately.
Hours later, on Saturday morning, the Department of Homeland Security announced it had suspended all actions to implement the immigration order and would resume standard inspections of travelers as it did prior to the signing of the travel ban.
At the same time, it urged the Justice Department to challenge the ruling "at the earliest possible time", according to CNN.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump blasted Robart for overturning his ban.
"What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.?" Trump tweeted.
"Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision," he added.
2. FRENCH POLITICIAN: WE NEED TO BAN KIPPAS TO FIGHT ISLAM
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Right-wing French politician and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is the only politician who has spoken up front about fighting extremist Islam.
Le Pen also called on France to leave the EU, not admit any more refugees, and fight terror with new tactics and a heavy hand.
"I think that patriotism is never racism. To love your country and to want to preserve its culture and identity, to want to protect American interests in America, French interests in France, and Israeli interests in Israel, is perfectly legitimate.
"I call on leaders to act as homeowners and not as renters or infiltrators who have no rights. The most important part of having a country is owning your own policies, so that they can stay free and give you security."
Speaking about Trump's recent ban on the citizens of seven countries entering the US, Le Pen said, "I completely disagree with the claim that this is an attack against Muslims. That's a lie - because there are tens of Muslim countries in the world which are not on this list."
"I see that this ban is working everyone up. But on the other hand, there are fifteen countries that do not allow Israeli citizens entry, and no one bats an eye."
The Jewish community remains unimpressed, though, since Le Pen four months ago pushed to ban all religious clothing in public areas.
"Since I believe all French citizens should receive equal treatment, I support the ban on wearing a kippa (yarmulka, skullcap) in public areas. Honestly, I think the situation is dangerous enough that those Jews who wear a kippa in public are the minority. They're scared. But mostly, I think that the fight against radical Islam needs to be a joint battle, and we need to be able to say that we're sacrificing something.
"Maybe they'll just wear hats, but at least it will be a step in eradicating extremist Islam in France," she concluded.
3. ISRAELI ATTORNEY: DOUBLE NUMBER OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
by Yedidya Ben-Or
Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) to "change the rules of the game" and double the number of Supreme Court justices.
This weekend, the Makor Rishon Hebrew newspaper pointed out that the one Supreme Court justice who lives in the Judea and Samaria region, Judge Noam Solberg of Gush Etzion, was chosen only three times to be one of the three justices manning the panels sitting on the tens of cases dealing with Judea and Samaria - and of those three cases, two were minor. The courts responded, telling the newspaper that the choice of justices for a specific case is random.
Responding to Shaked's appearance on Channel 2's "Meet the Israeli Press" program, Ben-Gvir said, "It's time we understood that it's not about this Regulation Law or that one, and it's not about making laws which limit the Supreme Court's power.
"The Supreme Court will insist their justices avoid dealing with these laws. After all, they can simply say the laws are unconstitutional, and any right-wing attempts to change the status quo will be shot down.
"A small change which can easily be approved by the Knesset's Constitution Law and Justice Committee can easily change the number of justices in Israel's Supreme Court. The Justice Minister can raise the number of justices even to thirty.
"This committee has a right-wing majority even without the Kulanu party. A change in the number of justices, along with a change in the 'Gideon Sa'ar Law' which allows the Supreme Court to veto the appointment of justices, will allow Justice Minister Shaked to appoint 15 new Supreme Court justices who will completely change the court's makeup.
"I very much admire Shaked, and regardless of our ideological differences, I think she's a very talented minister. She has good intentions and she appoints good people to Israel's courts. But she needs to understand that we've reached the point where we need to make some decisions.
"We can't continue doing what we've been doing. Most of the Supreme Court justices have the same background and same world views, and they also have the same very clear agenda.
"Today we have a situation in which the Justice Minister has to fight to appoint a single right-wing judge whom she has the right to appoint. Even if she succeeds, it's only one candidate, and there are four who need to appointed. We need think out of the box and use this golden opportunity to completely change the Supreme Court's makeup. Otherwise, we'll continue playing the same game over and over."
Ben-Gvir also emphasized the practical benefits of appointing more justices to the Supreme Court.
"Today there are many petitions and discussions in the Supreme Court," he said. "Without a doubt, it is one of the busiest courts in the world. Adding more justices will allow the court to function more efficiently and lessen the burden on each individual justice.
"It's the right thing to do, and more importantly, it's the best step for the Justice Minister to take right now," he concluded.
4. SHAKED AND LEVIN'S LEGISLATIVE REVOLUTION
by Hezki Baruch
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin are currently initiating a revolution that will change the face of Knesset parliamentary work.
According to details of the initiative published this morning (Sunday), the number of private bills allowed to be submitted by any Knesset member will be limited to 5 per year, a limit that does not exist today.
At the same time the Ministerial Legislation Committee will consider only 15 private members' bills per week, instead of 35-40 bills today.
The number of Knesset votes on private bills to be brought for a preliminary reading on a proposal would be limited to 250 per year instead of the 750 bills that currently come up for vote, most of which end up rejected.
In return for cutting the volume of legislation, MKs will be given additional tools in this area. For example, an MK whose bill failed in the Ministerial Legislation Committee will be allowed to personally explain the appeal to the Minister rejecting the bill.
Furthermore, an MK could ask for "prejudgment" on complex private legislation dealing with regulation, similar to the existing process for government bills, which analyzes their implications. Thus, Knesset members introducing the bill can understand the ministry's views in advance and better prepare for discussion before the Minister's Committee to improve the bill. This will be subject to the discretion of the initiating MK.
In addition, Knesset supervisory powers over the government will be expanded. The measures include expanding the authority of Knesset committees to subpoena public servants, establishing hearings before Knesset committees in a series of senior appointments, and building a mechanism for monitoring government budget implementation during the financial year.
5. NORDSTROM: WE WON'T CARRY IVANKA TRUMP'S PRODUCTS
by Chana Roberts
The Seattle-based Nordstrom department store announced on Thursday evening their decision not to order Ivanka Trump fashion for the new season, claiming in a statement that the brand was not selling well.
"We've said all along we make buying decisions based on performance. We've got thousands of brands – more than 2,000 offered on the site alone," Nordstrom's statement says. "Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business.
"Each year we cut about 10% and refresh our assortment with about the same amount. In this case, based on the brand's performance we've decided not to buy it for this season."
An Ivanka Trump spokesperson denied the report, claiming Nordstrom "did order both shoes and apparel for spring." However, the spokesperson declined to comment on whether Nordstrom had scaled back or the company had been affected by other boycotts.
Ivanka Trump Senior Director of Marketing said in a statement, "The women behind the brand represent a diverse group of professionals, and we are proud to say the Ivanka Trump brand continues to embody the principles upon which it was founded. It is a company built to inspire women with solution-oriented offerings, created to celebrate and service the many aspects of their lives."
In October 2016, activist Sharon Coulter started the "Grab Your Wallet" campaign to protest US President Donald Trump's comments about women.
Among other things, the campaign targeted Ivanka Trump's fashion line, and both physical and virtual stores began to remove Ivanka's products from their selections. In fact, a November 2016 survey showed 57% of women had chosen to boycott Ivanka's products.
Last week, Coulter admitted to Blloomberg that she was "absolutely thrilled" by Nordstrom's decision.
6. US SENDS ARMORED SUV'S TO ANTI-ISIS FIGHTERS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
[twittervideo:2024114]
7. REPORTER COVERING AMONA FINDS OWN CHILDREN PROTESTING EXPULSION
by Mordechai Sones
Shabtai Bendt, reporter for Walla!, went up the mountain to cover the Amona expulsion - and was surprised to find his own two children Rachel and Yehuda fighting against the destruction of the village.
In a personal column Bendt shares with his readers the conflicting feelings between his journalistic work on the mountain and concern for the safety of his children. "I girded myself with the journalistic regalia, complete with the headphone and microphone, and began to work - all the while the constant grating at the back of my thoughts: 'What's happening with the children?' To my great relief, out of the corner of my eye I saw Rachel walking around the outpost quite a bit, so I felt a little in control, but as for Yehuda - neither she nor I had any idea what was going on with him. After the forces arrived and entered the outpost, the loudspeaker announced for everyone to enter their homes and barricade themselves, and I was looking for a house to enter and cover from the inside.
"But then, to my surprise, I found Yehuda in the house among the dozens of protesters. We exchanged glances, but it was important for me to give him space and not pester him with questions and arguments and such. At first they just sat and sang, but when the troops approached, I noticed that he and the young man next to him had handcuffed themselves to each other. I panicked, but probably due to the fact that I was busy all the time reporting - I succeeded in not get getting too stressed out.
"After half an hour the forces began banging on the door and within minutes they burst into the building. In all the chaos occurring inside, and because of the pressure I was under, I went on describing what was happening as the photographer focused on the evacuation rather than turning the camera on me. This helped me to continue to cover the event but also to sneak glances at my son every few seconds when I could, to follow him closely.
"Soon the police began to pull the protesters out one-by-one and remove them from the area. Yehuda was deep inside the house, and I figured it would not end soon. Despite my desire to stay inside until the end, it was not possible. In the middle of the eviction the media were removed from the house. Every so often I looked in the window to broadcast a description of what was happening inside, and to check on him.
"Afterwards I was asked to move to a different house and fortunately, he was close to it. I found myself transmitting briefly on the events next door and running over every few minutes to check on his situation. Most of the time the police would not let me near the window, but when finally it was possible, I could barely hold back my tears: Yehuda was lying on the floor with one hand cuffed to his comrade-in-protest and with the other hand holding a book of Psalms, shouting verses and crying inconsolably. I tried to call out to him, to tell him I was nearby, but it didn't work because the police wouldn't let me get close.
"I went running between our transmission post and the window where he'd barricaded himself in the house and when his cries became overwhelming, and I felt he was falling apart, I managed to slip over to the window nearest him, and I called him and gave him my hand in hopes that he would be strengthened at least slightly from that, until I was hustled away from the window again.
"Meanwhile, the control team continued calling for me in my headset; they wanted to come back to me in the broadcast so I went on with work. The next time I slipped over toward the house Yehuda was lying on the ground outside the house, with five or six police officers standing over him and trying to make him get up. Something inside me told me that if I didn't get involved, he'd end up getting arrested. I explained to Control that I need a two-minute break, tuned out and ran toward him. I turned to the female officer who was next to him, introduced myself and asked: 'Please give me two minutes, I'll try to convince him to get up and leave,' adding incoherently, 'This is my son'.
Her expression did not change for the better in light of the strange information I'd presented before her, but after a few seconds she asked the police to move back a little. I hugged him and tried to envelop him with my arms, and convince him to get up and leave:
"You've fought according to your faith, you've done what you can; what a shame it would be for you to get arrested now. It certainly will not help you or the struggle in which you believe," I said. But he, with a cry of genuine pain, insisted. "I cannot leave of my own volition," he declared, and I realized that I had to let go.
".... After another long hug - during which I told him I loved him and I begged him to calm down and be proud of himself, that he went with what he believed in to the end - I returned to the broadcasting post."
Bendt concluded: "Most importantly, my dear children, I want to say: I'm proud of you, I'm proud that you're choosing your way and are willing to fight for it while maintaining clear boundaries for your struggle. I promise I will always be by your side even if we do not always agree and think the same thing".
8. ANTI-SEMITE VANDALIZES CHICAGO LOOP SYNAGOGUE
by Chana Roberts
[youtube:2024111]
Chicago Police are investigating an attack on the Chicago Loop Synagogue.
The synagogue's surveillance cameras show a dark-clothed man wearing a mask exit a dark vehicle, plaster swastika stickers on the synagogue's front door, smash the synagogue's front windows with a metal object, then run back to his car.
Construction workers working nearby noticed the man and called the police.
Loop Synagogue President Lee Zoldan said, "I was stunned. I was not prepared for any of this. We have a lot of contingency plans for what happens religiously, or what happens financially, but not for this.
"We serve all the Jews in the Loop, which is a lot of Jews. We intend to continue to be here and continue serving our community.
"It's not going to take us down. We're going to remain strong."
American Jewish Committee's Chicago Director Amy Stoken condemned the attack and said, "The Chicago Jewish community will not be intimidated by anti-Semitic attacks on a house of worship.
"The right of all religious groups to practice their faith without fear is a fundamental American value. Chicagoans must speak together clearly that the hatred behind this destructive behavior will never be accepted."
The police are classifying the incident as a hate crime. No suspects have been arrested.
[youtube:2024113]
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