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 י"ב באלול תשע"ז / Sunday, Sep. 03 '17 Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report -http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe Headlines
1. Cabinet approves budget for Amichaiby Hezki Baruch The government approved this morning, Sunday, at the weekly cabinet meeting the resolution to transfer to the Interior Ministry the required budget - 60 million shekels - for infrastructure work for the establishment of the community of Amichai. The budget will be transferred to the Binyamin Regional Council, which will use the funds to renew work on establishing the community, intended for the evictees of Amona. In response to the decision, Chairman of the Amona Staff Avichai Buaron said, “After many long weeks in which work for establishing the community was not advancing, and after a very hard roller-coaster-of-a-week pending the approval of the decision, we cautiously praise the decision which, in practice, will lead to a renewal of construction.” He added, “We bless the prime minister and entire cabinet on the advancement of the decision - the prime minister proved that he is committed to the people of Amona, but that commitment will only be actualized completely when we ascend to a new community.” “Worthy of special praise is Interior Minister Aryeh Deri who, last week, rose to the challenge and worked tirelessly in light of the situation of Amona evictees, while he and his entire office staff took responsibility for the budgetary dilemma and worked to bring about a successful solution despite the many difficulties. The people of Amona very much value the Interior Minister for this. We also bless the defense minister and the justice minister who worked for the success of the process,” he added. [video:2032367] 2. Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz passes awayby Arutz Sheva Staff New York State Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz of Queens passed away on Saturday at around 45 years of age, after struggling with an illness for several years. Simanowitz was known by his community as a powerful voice for the Jewish people. “I’m still in shock learning this terribly sad news just after Shabbos,” said New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind told Yeshiva World News. “Michael was a friend and an outstanding colleague; a proud Jew who loved his family, loved his community, and loved the Jewish people. He was as good as G-d makes people, a star, a real mensch. I will miss him very much. May his family be comforted with the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.” Chaskel Bennett, a member of Agudath Israel Board of Trustees told Yeshiva World News that he and Simanowitz were childhood friends, having attended Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe in Queens together as elementary school students. “Michael was always a protector”, Bennett said. “He just had a natural instinct to protect the most vulnerable among us. His passing creates a void that will be extremely difficult to fill. His voice, his tenacity and his willingness to stand up on behalf of our community and yeshiva children will be extraordinarily hard to replace. I am heartbroken.” US Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) today issued the following statement about Simanowitz. Meng's Congressional district encompasses most of Simanowitz's Assembly district . "I am shocked and devastated over the sudden passing of Assemblyman Mike Simanowitz who was taken from us at such a young age. “Mike was a dedicated public servant who worked tirelessly to improve his community, both as an elected official and as a staff member to his predecessor. He was also a constituent and a great friend. “But more importantly, Mike was a wonderful human being. He had a heart of gold and was among the warmest, friendliest and most down-to-earth individuals I have known. “His passing is a terrible loss for me personally as well as for our borough, city and state. I will miss him enormously. “But his service and advocacy will never be forgotten, and I will always cherish the times we spent together. “At this difficult time, I send my deepest condolences to Mike's wife and children, his parents, and all of his friends, colleagues and constituents. I ask all New Yorkers to keep Mike’s family in their thoughts and prayers." 3. President Clinton on North Koreaby Mordechai Sones [twittervideo:2032364] "Before I take your questions, I'd like to say just a word about the framework with North Korea that Ambassador Delucci signed this morning. This is a good deal for the United States. North Korea will freeze and then dismantle its nuclear program. South Korea and our other allies will be better protected. The entire world will be safer as we slow the spread of nuclear weapons." In 1994, North Korea blocked international inspectors from verifying the regime's adherence to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The Clinton administration believed that the North Koreans were processing plutonium from a reactor to build two atomic bombs, reported The National Interest. President Clinton was later quoted as saying that “I was determined to prevent North Korea from developing a nuclear arsenal, even at the risk of war.” Richard Perle, then chairman of the Defense Policy Board, a civilian Pentagon advisory group, was highly critical of the Clinton administration's approach to North Korea; in a 2003 interview, he equated the 1994 Framework Agreement to which Clinton refers in the above video as extortion: "The basic structure of the relationship implied in the Framework Agreement," he said, "is a relationship between a blackmailer and one who pays a blackmailer." Addressing Clinton during the interview Perle said, "You called the Agreed Framework a bad deal. The St. Petersburg Times quotes you as saying in December 1993, 'We're being jerked around by North Korea, and we're appeasing them through feckless diplomacy.' What did you mean? "It is the policy of the government of North Korea, in my judgment, to use its capacity to do harm to elicit support from those who might be harmed by actions they would agree not to take. That's blackmail, and it's going to continue. The shape of it, the timing of it, the form of it will change; but the basic structure of the relationship, implied in the Framework Agreement, is a relationship between a blackmailer and one who pays a blackmailer," said Perle. 4. Police nab man who ran over West Hempstead rabbiby Tzvi Lev Police have arrested the man who seriously injured a prominent American rabbi in a hit-and-run attack back in December. Nassau Police arrested Benitez Rodolfo, 46, of Far Rockaway, Queens, Friday night, and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with physical evidence. Benitez allegedly struck Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer, 71, with his Dodge Ram truck in December before fleeing the scene. Kelemer was thrown 35 feet, and sustained a serious head injury, horrifying the community which he has served for 34 years as the head of the Young Israel of West Hempstead Synagogue. Police told Long Island Newsday that the arrest was the result of a 10-month investigation but declined to provide any details. 5. US returns Saddam Hussein’s stolen chess setby Mordechai Sones The United States yesterday, Saturday, returned to the Iraqi embassy in Baghdad a stolen, antique chess board that belonged to late president Saddam Hussein, reports Iraqi News. “A stolen Iraqi artifact was returned to the Government of Iraq! Yesterday the U.S. Embassy met with the Deputy Minister of Culture for Antiquities & Heritage Affairs Qais Rasheed to return an antique chess set, owned by Saddam Hussein, stolen in 2003 and recovered by the FBI,” the embassy statement read. “The U.S. is committed to helping return stolen Iraqi artifacts,” it added. Following the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, numerous Iraqi antiquities were stolen, including belongings of the late leader. Theft and archaeological site destruction continued with the emergence of ISIS in 2014. Last Sunday, Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry said it had handed over 44 ancient coins to the Iraqi ambassadors in Cairo. The ministry said they dated back to the era of kings Faisal I, Faisal II, and Ghazi I of Iraq. [twittervideo:2032362] 6. Police deploy drone fleet, pledge not to invade privacyby Mordechai Sones Last week, 20 drones were distributed to police stations around the country for use against criminal activity. In the foreseeable future, every police station is to be equipped with a drone. Police claim operators have been given explicit instructions regarding privacy protection. Whatever is captured by the camera and not considered relevant to the investigation "will be forbidden for use", reports Israel Hayom. The new system was established several months ago after three years of staff work to assist field units in a variety of areas, including law enforcement, "security activity", and maintaining public order. The machines, operated by the police aerial unit, complement other police helicopter activity. The 20 drones handed to police in various field positions were deployed after the officers were authorized to fly them, receiving a special flight permit from the Civil Aviation Authority. Over 30 operators were trained to handle the more than 50 drones of the Lahav variety that were purchased. At this stage, 14 drones were transferred to 14 police stations and units, ranging from the Yarden station in the north to the Eilat area in the south. Face recognition technology iStock In an operational experiment conducted by the police for eight months and led by the air force, the drones' capabilities were tested in a variety of tasks, including searches, documentation and scanning. Chief Superintendent Gadi Wiener of the drone division told Israel Hayom that in the foreseeable future, every unit and police station will have independent aerial capability. Drones will be operated independently at the discretion of police station and field unit commanders utilizing the knowledge and training of the pilots, in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority. Drone in operation Flash 90 "The drone is able to give an independent aerial view to the station commander or unit in everything related to the documentation of an area, missing person search, drowning, burglary and escapes, public order, demonstrations, and accidents," said Chief Superintendent Wiener. "The move is intended to improve outlying unit's capabilities in an optimal and rapid manner." The array of drone deployment adds to a series of moves, operations, and reinforcements that the police Operations Branch has led in recent months. During the last few weeks, among other improvements, the municipal policing system was expanded, new patrol units were established and patrol cars were upgraded. 7. North Korea confirms hydrogren bomb testby Arutz Sheva Staff North Korean state television announced the country has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, CNN reported. The news came after an earthquake was recorded Sunday morning in North Korea near the country’s nuclear test site, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said, citing South Korean military officials. The US Geological Survey recorded the magnitude of the earthquake at 6.3. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff claimed that the earthquake was “artificial,” and was “presumed” to be due to North Korea’s sixth nuclear test. An announcement in China similarly said that an explosion was suspected to have occurred. “The power is 10 or 20 times or even more than previous ones,” said Kune Y. Suh, a nuclear engineering professor at Seoul National University, according to Reuters. “That scale is to the level where anyone can say a hydrogen bomb test.” Similarly, a representative of the Japan Meteorological Agency said according to Reuters that the tremors were "at least ten times as powerful" as Pyongyang's last atomic explosion a year ago. Following the earthquake, South Korea’s internal National Security Council immediately convened a meeting on the issue. It is not yet known if damage was caused as a result of the reported earthquake. The reports come after North Korea claimed on Saturday it has developed a hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) which can be loaded into the country's new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), AFP reported, citing the official Korean Central News Agency. Questions remain over whether Pyongyang has successfully miniaturized its weapons, and whether it has a working H-bomb, but KCNA said that leader Kim Jong-Un had inspected such a device at the Nuclear Weapons Institute. It was a "thermonuclear weapon with super explosive power made by our own efforts and technology", KCNA cited Kim as saying, and adding that "all components of the H-bomb were 100 percent domestically made". Pictures showed Kim in black suit examining a metal casing with two bulges. 8. Timelapse Captures Dramatic Flooding in Houstonby Arutz Sheva Staff [youtube:2032378] Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe | |
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