Thursday, October 19, 2017

A7News: US in line with Israel on PA-Hamas reconciliation

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כ"ט בתשרי תשע"ח / Thursday, Oct. 19 '17

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Headlines

  1. US in line with Israel on PA-Hamas reconciliation
  2. 'Army education in the hands of the Rabbinate? Absurd.'
  3. Hero security guard from Las Vegas shooting breaks silence
  4. 'US understands Israel's decision not to negotiate with PA'
  5. Anti-draft demostrators: We'd rather die than enlist
  6. Security forces nab head of Samaria car theft ring
  7. Woman who died in riding accident saves her father's life
  8. Watch: Firefighting planes battle Petah Tikva blazes


1. US in line with Israel on PA-Hamas reconciliation

by Uzi Baruch

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt on Wednesday issued a statement regarding the Palestinian Authority's (PA) recent reconciliation agreement with the Hamas terror group.

"All parties agree that it is essential that the Palestinian Authority be able to assume full, genuine, and unhindered civil and security responsibilities in Gaza and that we work together to improve the humanitarian situation for Palestinians living there," Greenblatt said.

"The United States reiterates the importance of adherence to the Quartet principles: any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognize the State of Israel, accept previous agreements and obligations between the parties – including to disarm terrorists – and commit to peaceful negotiations.

"If Hamas is to play any role in a Palestinian government, it must accept these basic requirements."

Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) said, "I thank Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt and the US government for their clear message: A Palestinian government must disarm all terror organizations and recognize the State of Israel."

"I emphasize our government's stance: The State of Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government dependent on the Hamas terror organization, until Hamas disarms, recognizes Israel, and returns to Israel captured citizens and the bodies of fallen Israeli soldiers."

Israel's Diplomatic-Security Cabinet on Tuesday decided that it will not negotiate with a PA-Hamas unity government should it be established, and will not maintain contact with a PA government which rests on Hamas support.

In an announcement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, a number of Israeli conditions necessary for negotiations with a PA resting on Hamas were outlined, including adherence to the Quartet conditions.

Additional conditions included the return of soldiers’ bodies and civilians being held in Gaza to Israel, complete security control of the PA over Gaza, and the prevention of smuggling and Hamas terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria.

The cabinet also demanded that Hamas cut ties with Iran, and announced that it will allow the flow of humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza only through the PA and the bodies established for this purpose.



2. 'Army education in the hands of the Rabbinate? Absurd.'

by Avishai Greentzeig

"If you told someone in the State of Israel that education was in the hands of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, he would look at you as if you had fallen from the moon. Why should education be in the hands of the Religion Ministry rather than the Education Ministry? Only in the IDF is education via the Religion Ministry [The Military Rabbinate, ed.] Not only does the Religion Ministry give religious education, but it educates the whole IDF. It sounds absurd. "

These remarks, published for the first time in Arutz Sheva, were said by incoming Chief Education Officer, Brigadier General Tzvika Fairaizen, during a talk in the community of Karnei Shomron on the night of the Hoshana Raba holiday.

It is a rare public statement by the new Chief Education Officer, who took office in July this year after he was elected before the civil forum more than a year ago. The decision to appoint Brigadier General Fairaizen, an officer in a knitted kippa who served in a number of senior positions in the air force, was published in the midst of the tension between the military rabbinate and the Education Corps after the Jewish Identity branch was transferred from the hands of the military rabbinate. The choice of Fairaizen was interpreted as a conciliatory step by the Chief of Staff meant to calm unrest in the Religious Zionist public, against the backdrop of various measures that created a sense of erosion in the IDF's consideration of the needs of religious soldiers and commanders.

The appointment was indeed welcomed by Religious Zionism. Rabbi Ze'ev Karov, who taught Fairaizen at the hesder yeshiva in Karnei Shomron before joining the IDF and is still in contact with him, welcomed the decision in an interview with Arutz Sheva. He assumed that the choice of a religious officer who does not hide his faith is a message from the Chief of Staff to stop the Jewish infighting: "Enough with the wars, and it is enough to see two bodies here [the Military Rabbinate and the Education Corps - ed.] who seem to be fighting each other."

The statements made by Brigadier General Fairaizen in Karnei Shomron provide an interesting insight into his perception of the IDF's place within the Israeli governmental system, the role of the Education Corps, and the role of the national-religious public within the IDF. They can shed light on where he intends to lead the Education Corps and his future relations with IDF units in general and with the Military Rabbinate in particular.



3. Hero security guard from Las Vegas shooting breaks silence

by Guy Cohen

Jesus Campos, the security guard who first responded to the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay resort during the deadly shooting which saw the murder of 58 on October 1, gave his first interview since the incident.

Speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Campos said that he was sent to check on a door on the 32nd floor when he heard “drilling sounds.”

"As I was walking down, I heard rapid fire." Campos said. "And at first I took cover. I felt a burning sensation. I went to go lift my pant leg up and I saw the blood. That's when I called it in on my radio that shots have been fired."

The shooter, Stephen Paddock, shot through the door, wounding Campos in the thigh.

"And I was going to say that I was hit, but I got off my cell just to clear the radio traffic so they could coordinate the rest of the call,” he explained.

While hiding in a doorway, Campos alerted a hotel building engineer who was called to check on the door and a woman who came out of another room.

A short while after the murders, authorities had claimed that Campos had acted heroically, distracting the shooter and causing him to stop shooting on the crowd at the country western music concert below. However, last week authorities claimed that Campos had been shot six minutes before the shooting on the crowd began. Later, the MGM hotel chain, which owns Mandalay Bay, asserted that not more than 40 seconds had elapsed between the shooting of Campus and the start of the shots fired on the crowd.

Campus was supposed to have been interviewed on several TV stations last week but cancelled the interviews at the last minute, and for several days was reported to have "disappeared."



4. 'US understands Israel's decision not to negotiate with PA'

by Shimon Cohen

The Security Cabinet made the dramatic decision to freeze diplomatic contact with the Palestinian Authority following the signing of a reconciliation between the Fatah and Hamas organizations.

Arutz Sheva spoke to Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) about the ramifications of this decision.

During the conversation, the deputy foreign minister was asked what the contacts that were cut off consisted of, since there are no ongoing negotiations.

She replied: "It is clear that over the years of discussion on the PA's union with Hamas, thoughts on future negotiations have dealt with the fact that the PA represents only some of the Palestinians and that it is separate from Hamas. This has changed, and therefore the government made a decision that we will not allow the Palestinians to continue telling the world on the one hand that they want peace, while on the other hand they conduct a political campaign against Israel and embrace a terrorist organization, We're not willing to play this game anymore. The Israeli government has made a value-based statement here with broad implications - for when we sit with the Americans and talk about the future of the region and what our expectations are."

"It is no secret that the Americans hoped that a regional agreement could be reached and there is no doubt that this undermines the ability of the Americans to force the Palestinians to come to the negotiating table as a result of a situation in which they have tied themselves to Hamas terrorists. Therefore, this is a breakthrough in Israeli perception, showing that the two-faced game cannot continue."

"I think this is one of the most important decisions [Israel has made in] the last few years. For too long we have allowed the international community to make a distinction between Fatah and Hamas, and today we see where [the two organizations are headed," she said.

Arutz Sheva asked if the Cabinet's decision did not accomplish the opposite and draw a clear distinction between Fatah and Hamas, as all of the Cabinet's demands were on Hamas. Does the lack of demands on Fatah - while Hamas is called upon to disarm, recognize Israel, release all Israeli hostages, and abide by past agreements - show that Israel is happy with Fatah outside of the reconciliation agreement?

According to Hotovely, "Throughout the years, at least since Netanyahu returned to power, we have demanded that the Palestinians stop the incitement to terrorism and that the Palestinian Authority stop financing the families of terrorists. We have engaged in this campaign, and some European countries responded to our request to reduce the amount of funds they transfer to the PA, which receives more foreign aid per capita than anywhere else in the world. Also on the issue of recognition of the State of Israel, this has always been the case [that we have demanded it] in our dialogue and negotiations with the Palestinians. Our basic expectation is that they recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, that we have a historical right here and not only that there happens to be an entity with that name on a map. Our demands are on the PA as well, not just on Hamas."

Hotovely stated that the signals coming from the White House indicate that the Trump Administration understands the Israeli position, even if this is not explicitly stated. According to her, the main focus of US-Israeli cooperation is on the Iranian threat, and not on the Palestinian Authority.

"There are red lines for every country when it wants to negotiate, and in any normalization negotiations, red lines must be drawn. This embrace and partnership with Hamas, which is more than just a political partnership, is just such a red line. Israel cannot remain silent about, and the Americans understand this. We have not heard any reactions in the US against this move. [Instead] we see support from the US, and the most important issue that concerns us at this time is the Iranian issue," said Hotovely.



5. Anti-draft demostrators: We'd rather die than enlist

by Arutz Sheva Staff

Demonstrators from the “Yerushalmi Faction” blocked this morning, Thursday, the road near the Shilat Junction next to the city of Modiin, within the context of protests against the draft of yeshiva students and the arrest of draft-dodgers.

The demonstrators, who announced today as a “day of rage,” shouted, “We'll die before we enlist,” and “To jail, not to the army.”

Last night, 6 who tried to prevent a prison vehicle from transferring draft-dodgers to military police were arrested in Jerusalem, while 3 protesters in Maale Adumim who refused a police request to clear the road were arrested.

On Tuesday, 40 demonstrators from the Yerushalmi Faction were arrested in Bnei Brak after some of them attacked police and rioted in the street.

Simultaneously, a demonstration took place in Jerusalem, where some 100 protesters blocked the Sarei Yisrael-Yafo Street junction. 17 were arrested.



6. Security forces nab head of Samaria car theft ring

by Tal Polon

Last night, Israeli security forces successfully arrested the head of the car theft ring operating in the Samaria region, 0404 reported.

According to the report, forces arrested the suspect in the Arab city of Qalqilya in northwestern Samaria. The suspect has been transferred for interrogation.

More arrests of those involved in the ring are expected to follow, 0404 said.

The report explained that the car theft ring operates on roads, staging accidents so that passing cars will stop. When one does, the driver is pulled from his vehicle by force and his vehicle stolen.

In other cases, vehicles are stolen when a driver exits his vehicle to assist the presumed car accident victim. Below is documentation of one such occurrence:

[youtube:2034034]



7. Woman who died in riding accident saves her father's life

by JTA, Arutz Sheva Staff

An Israeli man received a kidney transplant from his daughter who died in an accident while vacationing abroad.

Moshe Shimnoni, 66, came out of surgery on Tuesday for the kidney transplant as his daughter, Orit Gur, 44, was being buried in Israel, the Israeli Hebrew-language daily newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported Wednesday.

Shimnoni suffered kidney failure and had waited three years for a transplant.

A 27-year-old man received her other kidney, a 49-year-old man received her heart, and 55-year-old woman received her liver.

Gur, who died in a horseback riding accident in Georgia, is survived by a husband and children ages 20 and 16. She was flown back to Israel after the accident for treatment but died while in the hospital. Hundreds attended her funeral.

She had signed an organ donor card, called an Adi card, seven years ago, according to reports.

“We promised each other a few years ago that if something happened to one of us, we’d donate our organs. Orit, you did exactly as you’d wanted, giving life to other people,” her husband, Lior, said in his eulogy, the Times of Israel reported.



8. Watch: Firefighting planes battle Petah Tikva blazes

by Arutz Sheva Staff

[youtube:2034035]

Firefighters on Wednesday battled two large fires in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva.

Preschools and community centers near one fire were evacuated, together with residents of nearby streets.

The other fire caused the evacuation of several nearby factories.

Firefighting planes and eleven teams of firefighters worked for hours before successfully gaining control of the spreading flames.

Residents were permitted to return to their homes after the fire was under control.



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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

A7News: 'Iran can either have an economy, or pursue nuclear weapons'

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כ"ח בתשרי תשע"ח / Wednesday, Oct. 18 '17

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Headlines

  1. 'Iran can either have an economy, or pursue nuclear weapons'
  2. Meretz MK to quit Knesset
  3. Ignorance, thy name is Merav Michaeli
  4. Attempted stabbing attack in Gush Etzion
  5. 'Our mission is to fight lies'
  6. Neo-Nazi leader comes out of two closets at once
  7. Congress resolution defends Israel, condemns UNESCO
  8. Final approval for first new Samaria town in over two decades


1. 'Iran can either have an economy, or pursue nuclear weapons'

by Mordechai Sones

[youtube:2034006]

Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) educated rapt listeners at the Christian Media Summit that took place in Jerusalem today (Wednesday). He spoke about the relative threats emanating from North Korea and Iran, and offered his vision how to neutralize the threat.

"North Korea has a certain nuclear arsenal, not huge, and North Korea's not a very powerful nation. Iran is huge. And it's based, by the way on a great amazing nation of Persians," Bennett said. "If only the regime would walk away, we'd have an amazing relationship with an ancient nation. But these guys are strong."

"The last point I want to make is the current deal, the President Trump now announced that he's not certifying, is bad in the following sense, it's a false paradise. It gives you a false sense of security because everyone says they're not enriching uranium.

"I just want to leave you with this analogy: There's building a nuclear weapon manually, imagine, before the industrial revolution - and then there's building a huge machine that can produce dozens and dozes of nuclear weapons. Iran's goal is not to acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran's goal is, within the box of this agreement to build a huge factory, if you will, that the moment you press the button, it'll produce very quickly an arsenal of dozens of nuclear weapons within a month.

"The current agreement does not allow them to press the button. It allows them, in fact it encourages them, if you will, to build that machine. Now, their goal though, is to build that machine legitimately, and then they have just one month of breakout, and they'll wait for an opportune moment, press the button.

"So the fact that right now they're not building one nuclear bomb is not 'good'. It's bad because they're building a machine that will turn them into a mega-superpower. We cannot allow them to build that machine. And that's what President Trump did, and I certainly applaud him for that. It's the beginning.

"We have to force Iran into a very clear decision: Either you pursue your nuclear plan, or you have a viable economy. You can't have both."



2. Meretz MK to quit Knesset

by Hezki Baruch

Meretz MK Zehava Galon spoke to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) a short time ago and announced her intention to submit a letter of resignation from the Knesset.

Galon will be replaced by former MK Mossi Raz.

In a letter to her party members, Galon wrote that "Meretz cannot continue to exist as an elite club which ignores its voters and supporters, and blocks others from taking part in our battle to reinvigorate Israel's left."

"I love the Knesset, but I love Meretz more, and I know that if Meretz does not open up, Meretz will cease to exist. The left has a large supporting, much larger than the number of those who voted for Meretz. In order to realize this potential, Meretz must change.

"I am convinced that my resignation from the Knesset will allow me, as Meretz's party leader, to concentrate on advancing 'open primaries' and turning Meretz into a large and accepting home for all those who believe in our values."

Zionist Union MK Shelly Yachimovich said Galon's resignation was "a great loss to the Knesset and the Israeli public. Galon was an amazing parliamentarian and a brave leader. On a personal level, Galon is dear and beloved, and her resignation saddens me very much."



3. Ignorance, thy name is Merav Michaeli

by David Rosenberg

“Virtually no idea is too ridiculous to be accepted, even by very intelligent and highly educated people, if it provides a way for them to feel special and important. Some confuse that feeling with idealism.”

- Thomas Sowell

With social norms in the West changing so rapidly in recent years, it’s easy to become desensitized to audacious claims, even ones made in clear defiance of all available evidence.

Yet even today, some public figures manage to take their own moral exhibitionism to such a ludicrous extreme that it is able to stun even the most dispassionate observer with its sheer contempt for facts.

As economist and sociologist Thomas Sowell wrote, “no idea is too ridiculous” if it helps those uttering it to “feel special”.

On Tuesday, one such case of rhetorical absurdity sparked a public outcry in Israel, after a month-old recording featuring comments by a left-wing Israeli Knesset Member came to light.

The video in question is recording of the broadcast of a panel discussion on Australia’s Q&A television program, and features a somewhat lively debate between the Knesset Member, and a conservative (or Liberal, as they’re called Down Under) lawmaker.

Reveling in the Absurd

In one sense, the comments should come as no surprise. The speaker, Zionist Union MK Merav Michaeli, has a long history of backing radical social views so far to the left, that had she been in the US, she would likely find herself on the outermost fringes of the Democratic Party.

Michaeli has in the past advocated both for the abolition of the institution of marriage and the extension of that institution to include homosexual relationships.

During the course of the panel discussion, Michaeli decried the traditional or nuclear family – the “core family” as she called it – blaming it for domestic abuse and insisting that marriage is a vestige of patriarchy which hobbles women economically and leaves them vulnerable to abuse.

Such views have become standard fare in the cultural bubble inhabited by some on the far-left - it is Michaeli’s astounding use of rhetoric to hold her own in a debate with Australian Senator Zed Seselja that is noteworthy.

Equivocation, a form of linguistic prestidigitation whereby one word or phrase is innocuously slipped in even as a wholly different one is being discussed, is a powerful rhetorical tool, one which Michaeli takes full advantage of in her assault on what remains a popular institution – marriage.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

“[Marriage] was created back at the time when we women were commodities, as were children,” said Michaeli in her tirade against marriage, “as were men without property and of other colors. This is not something that we should maintain in a world when we realize that all of us are human beings. It is not about love… love has got nothing to do with this institution.”

“The core family, as we know it, unfortunately, is the least safe place for children,” claimed Michaeli. “Not [just] in Australia, but in the Western world and in traditional societies, even more so. The data speaks about every fifth child that goes through some sort of abuse; either sexual, physical, emotional. And the core family is the place which parental rights…and this total custody that we have in this structure of marriage still gives me domination – complete domination – over their children and, too often, over their women.”

In place of the traditional family, Michaeli suggested society - and the government - encourage a plethora of alternatives.

"A child can have more than two parents, they don't have to be their biological parents. The person who takes responsibility for the child should be obligated to fulfill certain kinds of criteria that the state should decide on."

When Seselja made a feeble effort to rebut Michaeli’s claim, the MK smirked “those are the facts”.

No, Merav, those are not the facts. Those are fallacies.

While arguing against the traditional nuclear or “core” family, Michaeli equivocates, citing statistics pertaining to child abuse generally.

When the debate moderator chimes in, noting that abuse is rarely done by total strangers, Michaeli nods approvingly, as if that validates her claim against the nuclear family.

“The data does show that when it comes to abuse of children, in the clear majority of cases it is someone known to the child or in the family circle. I don’t think you can argue with that.”

What the Data Actually Shows

Are traditional nuclear families, in which the child’s biological mother and father are married to each other really the “least safe place for children”?

What is breathtaking is not so much that Michaeli is wrong, but that she is exactly 180 degrees from the truth, and is nevertheless attempting to prove her point with facts that actually suggest the very opposite.

Growing up in a traditional two-parent family with one's biological parents is the safest arrangement on average. By far. As Michaeli would say, “those are the facts”.

A 2009 macro-study of child abuse in 22 countries does show high levels of sexual abuse – averaging about 19-20% for girls by the age of 18, in line with Michaeli’s “every fifth child” claim (so long as boys are excluded from the calculation). And, in fact, most children are abused by someone they already know – usually someone in their household.

Neither fact, however, does anything to prove Michaeli’s point – and a deeper examination of the facts actually contradict her argument.

According to a 2010 report to Congress produced by the Department of Health and Human Services under the Obama administration, of all the living arrangements studied, children were safest when “living with two married biological parents” – in other words, the very traditional “core family” Michaeli decried as the “least safe place for children”.

Children are most likely to be abused if they are living with a single parent who has a cohabiting partner.

These patterns, the report noted, are true regarding every form of abuse studied.

“Children living with their married biological parents universally had the lowest rate, whereas those living with a single parent who had a cohabiting partner in the household had the highest rate in all maltreatment categories.”

The study also showed that abuse rates were increasing for children living with only one of their parents, but decreasing among children living with two parents.

Some opponents of traditional marriage cite figures showing that more children are abused by their biological parents than by other adults living in the same household. This, however, is yet another fallacy, confusing the rate with raw number of occurrences. If there one million family cars in a given city, and ten thousand motorcycles you could have a theoretical annual accident rate of 50% for motorcycles but only 1% for family cars and still have significantly more accidents involving family cars simply because they’re more prevalent.

When broken down by rate of abuse, the distinction between family arrangements becomes even clearer.

Children living with a single parent and that parent’s cohabiting partner are a whopping 20 times more likely to be victims of sexual abuse than children who are being raised by their married biological parents.

Nor is a lower rate of child abuse the only “benefit” enjoyed by children raised by their married biological parents over children in other family arrangements. A whole host of life outcomes, including suicide rates, employment rates, criminality and rates of imprisonment all correlate with family arrangements, and show significant advantages for children raised by their married biological parents.

Real Life Consequences

There is no shame in being wrong, and were Michaeli merely a private citizen expressing her (uneducated) opinion, her comments could be excused as simply ignorance.

But MK Michaeli is not simply a private citizen sharing her opinion, she is a member of the second largest party in Israel; a party which was a viable challenger to the ruling Likud party and which could have potentially formed a governing coalition, empowering both Michaeli and her agenda.

A popular figure on the far-left, Michaeli could easily retain her seat in the next election cycle, and could in the future enter the government, perhaps even with a cabinet position.

As the issue of child abuse shows, family arrangements and social norms regarding them are not mere academic abstractions. They’re real life issues with serious, sometimes even fatal consequences.

If Michaeli had her way, and the traditional family was dismantled, how many more children would be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused that would not have been had their biological parents been living together married? Based on the statistics cited above, the answer is hundreds of thousands of children in Israel and millions in the US.

As an unmarried woman with no children of her own, Michaeli may not have the personal experience to teach her what most parents intuitively know and what the data proves – that traditional, nuclear families with both biological parents married to each other is the most successful family arrangement, and the safest place to raise children.

With such statistics readily available, however, a person in such a position of power should at the very least take the time to examine what the data says, rather than simply engage in moral preening and indulge in righteous indignation.

[youtube:2033948]



4. Attempted stabbing attack in Gush Etzion

by Arutz Sheva Staff

An Arab terrorist armed with a knife rushed at IDF soldiers near the Gush Etzion Junction.

The soldiers fired shots at the terrorists and arrested him.

The terrorist suffered severe injuries and was taken to an Israeli hospital for treatement.

None of the soldiers were reported harmed.

Two Jewish residents of the Old City were nearly lynched on Monday night near their homes not far from the Lions’ Gate. Police arrested some of the attackers, who are now being interrogated at the Merchav David police station in Jerusalem.

On Tuesday night, the IDF arrested two men suspected of incitement, as well as 18 wanted terrorists. 15 of the terrorists were arrested on suspicion of involvement in "lone wolf" terror activity, disruption of order, and violence towards civilians and security personnel.



5. 'Our mission is to fight lies'

by Mordechai Sones

[youtube:2034003]



6. Neo-Nazi leader comes out of two closets at once

by Mordechai Sones

[youtube:2033997]

Kevin Wilshaw (59) was for decades a leading leader of a neo-Nazi movement in Britain who recently decided to change direction. Drastically.

For many years, he was considered the face of the National Front, a neo-Nazi movement whose goal was immigrants and Jews and whose members believed in white supremacy. Since the 1980's he has organized hundreds of demonstrations and activities. But recently he suddenly left the movement and yesterday, in an interview with British Channel 4, dropped a bomb.

Wilshaw said his mother was half-Jewish and that her maiden name was Benjamin. But his Jewish background did not prevent Wilshaw from becoming a Nazi Jew-hater, as in his youth he was a lonely boy and wanted to belong to a meaningful group. "I didn't have many friends at school, and I thought that getting involved in that sort of thing would be like comradeship, that sort of thing, you know?" The interviewer asked Wilshaw, "Did it give you that in the end?", to which Wilshaw answered, "Yes, it did, unfortunately. You do have a sense of comradeship in that you're a member of a group that's been attacked by all the people," he explained.

Being a member of the movement did not spare him trouble. When his friends suspected him of having same-sex attraction, he himself fell victim to attacks. "It's a terribly selfish thing to say but it's true; I saw people being abused, shouted at, spat at in the street - It's not until it's directed at you that you suddenly realize that what you're doing is wrong," he admitted.

Wilshaw himself was arrested twice in the past - in the 1990s he was arrested when he vandalized a mosque and in March he was arrested on suspicion of hate crimes on Internet sites. He admits that he often felt that "it turned my stomach" when he saw his friends attacking blacks or minorities, but only recently decided to retire with the help of a movement that extricates people from hate organizations.

"I feel appallingly guilty as well, I really do feel guilty" he said. "Not only that, I think that this is a barrier between me and having a relationship with my own family, and I just want to jettison and get rid of it; it's too much of a weight." About Judaism he says: "The term 'Jews' is a faceless, impersonal, global expression, precisely the generalization that led to the deliberate murder of six million people."



7. Congress resolution defends Israel, condemns UNESCO

by Arutz Sheva Staff

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today announced he will introduce the Senate companion to H.Res.570, a resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), reaffirming the deep historical connection between the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem. The resolution also expresses support for the Israeli government’s protection of religious freedom for all faiths, and condemns the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the anti-Israel resolutions it has passed in recent years.

The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that the U.S. would be leaving UNESCO because of its “anti-Israel bias.” Binyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, called the decision “brave and moral,” and indicated that Israel is planning to withdraw from UNESCO as well. The U.S., however, will remain an “observer state” in UNESCO. Sen. Cruz’s and Rep. Gaetz’s resolution urges the U.S., regardless of its UNESCO membership, to work with its allies and prevent future anti-Israeli resolutions from being adopted.

“The Trump Administration has demonstrated strong moral clarity in deciding to withdraw and continuing to withhold U.S. taxpayer dollars from UNESCO as a result of its relentless hostility towards our close ally Israel,” Sen. Cruz said. “I am proud to have worked with Rep. Matt Gaetz on this bicameral resolution that formally rejects UNESCO’s shameful and absurd attempts to deliberately erase the history of Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital. This resolution reaffirms the profound historical connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem that has existed for thousands of years, describes archaeological excavations at the City of David that have revealed incontrovertible, physical evidence of the Jewish, as well as Christian ties to Jerusalem, and denounces efforts at UNESCO to delegitimize Israel and deny historical truth.”

“The Jewish people, and the people of Israel, have a deep and ancient connection to the holy city of Jerusalem. Yet the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is actively trying to rewrite history. UNESCO has not been silent in their condemnations of Israel. Each year brings new horrors. Their cruelty, their attempts to erase history, and their anti-Semitism cannot be tolerated any longer,” Rep. Gaetz said.



8. Final approval for first new Samaria town in over two decades

by Arutz Sheva Staff

[video:2029768]

Plans for Amichai, the new town promised to the families evicted from Amona, were approved on Monday morning by the Civil Administration's Planning Committee.

The plan includes 102 housing units, intended for those evacuated earlier this year from Amona and Ofra.

Amona Spokesperson Avichai Boaron said, "The decision today to found the town of Amichai is nothing less than historical. After dozens of years during which not a single new town was build in Judea and Samaria, we are returning to our Zionist ethos."

"This is a significant change in direction, and it occurred because of the ideological battle waged by Amona's residents. Both this decision and the Regulation Law blunt the pain caused by destroying Amona and its residents' homes. However, there is still a way to go before the families move into their new homes, and there will be obstacles.

"We expect the State of Israel and our Prime Minister to do everything possible to allow us to leave the dormitory we are currently living in and allow us to move into our new homes in Amichai."

Last December, residents of Amona signed a deal offered by the government to evacuate their homes in exchange for new housing in Samaria.

The Civil Administration in June authorized the new town, making Amichai the first new officially sanctioned Jewish town in Judea and Samaria in a quarter century, since the Rabin government imposed a freeze on new towns in 1992.



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Tuesday, October 17, 2017

A7News: Marketing of 300 housing units in Beit El approved

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כ"ז בתשרי תשע"ח / Tuesday, Oct. 17 '17

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Headlines

  1. Marketing of 300 housing units in Beit El approved
  2. Israeli lotto pulls out of Umm al-Fahm
  3. MK: The nuclear family is unsafe for children
  4. 'Only one without children could say that'
  5. 'Attack on religious reminiscent of Nazi propaganda'
  6. 'Nazi Grandma' convicted in Berlin of Holocaust denial
  7. Kosher winery damaged in California fires partially reopens
  8. Netanyahu to Russian Defense Min: Iran has to know our red lines


1. Marketing of 300 housing units in Beit El approved

by Mordechai Sones

The Supreme Planning Council approved this afternoon (Tuesday) marketing 300 housing units in Beit El, a promise the Prime Minister made to residents five years ago.

Shai Alon, head of the Beit El Council, said, "A few months ago, we decided, together with the residents, to embark on a protracted struggle over beginning construction in council territory, for ten years there was not even one housing unit built here. To our delight, and after the struggle on which we set out, the Government of Israel agreed to ratify the marketing of 300 housing units in Beit El.

"This is a needed breath of air for the hundreds of young couples who want to come and live within the boundaries of the council, but they are prevented from doing so. In recent years, Beit El has developed in every field, education, tourism, business, and more. Only in the field of construction did we stand in place, and we hope that these 300 units are the opening for additional housing units. As they build in Rishon Letzion, Kfar Saba, and Ra'anana, so should we build in Beit El, Ofra, and Efrat," Alon said.



2. Israeli lotto pulls out of Umm al-Fahm

by Arutz Sheva Staff

The national Israeli lottery has decided to temporarily stop all money transfers to the Umm al-Fahm municipality, Shai Glick, the CEO of the "Bzalmo" organization told Ynet Monday.

The decision was made following the use of a community sports hall - funded by the Education Ministry and renovated with funding from the National Lottery - for an event in support of Sheikh Raed Salah, the anti-Israel leader of the outlawed northern branch of the Islamic Movement and a resident of Umm al-Fahm.

A letter sent from the office of the lottery chairman to Glick stated, among other things: "This is a community sports hall which was built in the 1990s by the Education Ministry and transferred to the Umm al-Fahm municipality. A few years ago, the hall was renovated through an allocation of NIS 400,000 from the Israeli lottery association."

"The national lottery had no prior knowledge of this event or its content," the letter continued. "We view the existence of a political event in the lottery building with utmost severity, as it is in clear contradiction to the lottery's agreement with the local authorities."

Glick also said that "the national lottery is asking the mayor to clarify the matter. The authority will clearly clarify the manner in which it handled the event's approval, and how it intends to prevent similar events in the future. Until the investigation is completed, all the money transfers to Umm al-Fahm are suspended."

Umm al-Fahm has come under scrutiny for extremism and support for terrorism. The three terrorists who carried out the murderous terror attack at the Temple Mount in June in which two Druze police officers were killed came from Umm al-Fahm. Thousands attended the funerals of the terrorists in Umm al-Fahm, after news of the murders had been greeted with celebrations and cries of joy at their success in killing Israeli security personnel.

Last month, the Shin Bet and the police foiled a second planned attack at the Temple Mount by residents of Umm al-Fahm.



3. MK: The nuclear family is unsafe for children

by Tzvi Lev

MK Merav Michaeli (Zionist Union) has claimed that children be raised not by their biological parents, but by strangers chosen by the government.

Speaking on Australian television in September, Michaeli argued that "the core family as we know it is one of the least safe place for children - not just in Australia but in the entire western world." Michaeli went on to cite different studies she contended proved that the core family was detrimental to children's health and added that "marriage and parental rights hurts children".

Michaeli also said that children should not be automatically raised by their parents, but by the government. "A child can have more than two parents, they don't have to be their biological parents. The person who takes responsibility for the child should be obligated to fulfill certain kinds of criteria that the State should decide on," Michaeli argued, saying that the government should decide what values children need to be taught.

Michaeli is renowned for her progressive views on family issues. On Monday, Michaeli tweeted support for an article published in Yediot Aharonot that called for the government to take control over children's education from their parents.

"Children are our future, and the future of our society and country," Michaeli tweeted. "They are not a private issue."

"Enough with the neglect! It's time the government invest in our children accordingly. I have already proposed several laws regarding equal parental leave of one year after a baby is born. I have already pushed for a longer school day. The proposal to protect children and their parents is on its way. This is our most important investment."

The law Michaeli referred to is an amendment to the Mandatory Education Law submitted in 2015. The amendment, if passed, would mandate free education for all children over the age of three months.

Michaeli is also a fierce opponent of the institution of marriage and has advocated for its abolishment. In 2012, she gave a TED talk on the issue, where she told the audience that marriage was responsible for the abuse of women. "We must cancel marriage," said Michaeli. "Not only religious marriage, marriage is not an issue of religion. Also civil marriage. I want all secular states to totally eliminate all registration and regulation of marriage. I want to cancel the very concept of marriage."

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4. 'Only one without children could say that'

by Tzvi Lev

Condemnations poured in after MK Merav Michaeli (Zionist Union) suggested that the government should raise children, and not their biological parents.

A video recently surfaced of Michaeli telling a panel in Australia in September that "the core family as we know it is one of the least safe place for children - not just in Australia but in the entire western world." Michaeli went on to cite different studies she contended proved that the core family was detrimental to children's health and added that "marriage and parental rights hurts children".

Michaeli also said that children should not be automatically raised by their parents, but by the government.

"This is incomprehensible," tweeted MK Bezalel Smotrich (Jewish Home). Pointing out that Michaeli is childless, Smotrich said that Michaeli's words "could only come from someone who never experienced parenthood and a family".

MK Yehuda Glick (Likud) concurred. "It seems that something really obvious needs to be said. A warm family is the best place for a young child" tweeted Glick.

Journalist Erez Tadmor also harshly criticized Michaeli. "It should frighten everyone to think that this Marxist might one day be Welfare Minister," he said. "For years, the Left has been whining about a danger to democracy but they will never be able to copy what this madwoman Michaeli is doing. She wants the government to decide whether you can raise your children."

"She would have your children seized because you didn't meet the criteria written by a committee of disturbed politico's like herself."

Michaeli is renowned for her progressive views on family issues. On Monday, Michaeli tweeted support for an article published in Yediot Aharonot that called for the government to take control over children's education from their parents.

"Children are our future, and the future of our society and country," Michaeli tweeted. "They are not a private issue."

"Enough with the neglect! It's time the government invest in our children accordingly. I have already proposed several laws regarding equal parental leave of one year after a baby is born. I have already pushed for a longer school day. The proposal to protect children and their parents is on its way. This is our most important investment."

The law Michaeli referred to is an amendment to the Mandatory Education Law submitted in 2015. The amendment, if passed, would mandate free education for all children over the age of three months.

Michaeli is also a fierce opponent of the institution of marriage and has advocated for its abolishment. In 2012, she gave a TED talk on the issue, where she told the audience that marriage was responsible for the abuse of women. "We must cancel marriage," said Michaeli. "Not only religious marriage, marriage is not an issue of religion. Also civil marriage. I want all secular states to totally eliminate all registration and regulation of marriage. I want to cancel the very concept of marriage."



5. 'Attack on religious reminiscent of Nazi propaganda'

by Mordechai Sones

An unprecedented attack by a secular cultural icon was leveled against people organized to fight the "Rashit" Torah core group in Ramat Hasharon.

In an interview given to Ma'ariv last week, Yehoram Gaon, himself a resident of Ramat Hasharon, chose to sharply attack the activity, comparing their publications to Der Sturmer, a weekly that was a centerpiece of Nazi propaganda.

"There are people here who hate Israel, and when they see one of them (a man with a religious appearance) they are appalled," Gaon said, adding, "So they threaten him to get out of here. I have already received text messages about all kinds of strange characters, who are moving around Ramat Hasharon in order to change the character of the place and to get rid of them, and when I read it, it reminded me of the old anti-Semitic Der Sturmer.

The Rashit community says that "Yehoram Gaon represents the majority of the city's residents who renounce the activity of the extremist and political minority that engages in incitement and hatred of the other, and believe in mutual respect and unconditional love."

In the past year a small group of secular activists called "Ramat Hasharon Free" has fought the Torah core group in Ramat Hasharon.

On its Facebook page, the movement notes that the Torah core group of the city is "messianic, whose declared goal is to bring all the residents to do teshuva (returning to G-d). Their rabbis openly speak out against other streams of society, such as the Reform and the LGBT community. All with the knowledge of the municipality, which closes its eyes and allows this takeover to deepen in the city ... Slowly and surely the Torah core in Ramat Hasharon usurps power and authority for themselves in the city."



6. 'Nazi Grandma' convicted in Berlin of Holocaust denial

by JTA

JTA - Ursula Haverbeck, a well-known historical revisionist and neo-Nazi, was again convicted of Holocaust denial.

Haverbeck, 88, was convicted in a Berlin district court on Monday and sentenced to six months in prison, Deutsche Welle reported.

The conviction was for saying at an event in the city in January 2016 that the Holocaust did not occur and that there were no gas chambers at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, which she said was a labor camp. Haverbeck said she will appeal the conviction.

Holocaust denial is illegal in Germany.

She is scheduled to go on trial in the western German town of Detmold for the third time, after twice being convicted of incitement to hatred there for denying a genocide of the Jews during World War II.

In November 2016, Haverbeck was convicted by a court in Verden on the basis of numerous articles she had published in the local newspaper Stimme des Reiches, or “Voice of the Reich,” in which she denied that the Holocaust occurred. The previous month, a court in Bad Oeynhausen sentenced Haverbeck to 11 months in jail for incitement to hate. In September 2016, the court in Detmold sentenced her to 8 months in prison. And the previous year, a court in Hamburg sentenced her to ten months in jail. She has appealed all of these decisions as well and has not spent any time in jail on the convictions.

German media call her the “Nazi grandma,” according to DW.



7. Kosher winery damaged in California fires partially reopens

by JTA

Hagafen Cellars, the only kosher winery in the Napa Valley and Sonoma, partially opened despite sustaining heavy damage in the wildfires racing through the area.

The winery’s tasting room reopened on Monday morning, and “We’re waiting now for our first tourist,” owner and winemaker Ernie Weir told J. The Jewish News of Northern California.

Several buildings and virtually all of the winery’s agricultural equipment were destroyed in the fire. And while one of the winery’s 12 acres of vineyards was burned, the grapes already had been harvested. The inventory remained intact as well.

There are hundreds of wineries in the region and most were forced to close in the first days of the fires, which have been burning for more than a week. Some of the wineries burned to the ground, according to J.

There have been at least 41 deaths reported from the northern California wildfires and more than 80 people remain missing. The fires have burned over 217,000 acres and destroyed more than 5,700 homes and other structures. Damage estimates have topped $3 billion.

As of Monday night some 60 percent of the fires were reported contained, with rain in the forecast for later in the week.

The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties reported that as of Monday evening the nine local synagogues in the path of the fires were unharmed, as well as the JCC of Sonoma County.

At least 21 local Jewish families have lost their homes in the fires, and are currently sheltering in one of the synagogues, with the others working to help provide the families with meals. IsraAid is also on the scene, providing supplies and grief counseling, according to the Federation. In addition, representatives from Sonoma County Chabad Jewish Center and Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma have been visiting emergency centers and providing support, as well as meals via Oakland Kosher.



8. Netanyahu to Russian Defense Min: Iran has to know our red lines

by David Rosenberg

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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu in Jerusalem on Tuesday, days after President Donald Trump refused to recertify Iranian compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, and a day after Israeli fighter jets hit a surface-to-air missile battery in Syria, a client state of the Kremlin.

According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting focused primarily on Iran’s military buildup in Syria.

Netanyahu reportedly told Shoygu that an Iranian presence near Israel’s northern border would not be tolerated.

“Iran must understand that Israel will not permit this,” the Prime Minister said.

The leaders also discussed Iran’s nuclear program, and the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal.

The future of the JCPOA was thrown into doubt last Friday when President Trump announced he would not recertify Iranian compliance with the deal. Under US law, the president must certify Iran’s compliance every 90 days. Failure to do so forces Congress to either reimpose sanctions lifted under the JCPOA, or vote to alter the sanctions regime.

The deadline for recertification passed on Sunday, with the President declining to certify Iranian compliance.

While congressional Democrats have backed the JCPOA and earlier called on Trump to recertify, many Republicans in both the House and Senate have argued the agreement must be radically altered – or scrapped. The president echoed this sentiment, calling to “fix it – or nix it”.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu warned the Russian Defense Minister that without serious alterations to the deal, Iran will be able to manufacture its own nuclear arsenal within 8 to 10 years.

A day earlier, Israeli security officials contacted their Russian counterparts to notify them of an impending Israeli airstrike on a surface-to-air missile battery in Syria. Syria, a client state of Russia, had opened fire on the Israeli aircraft as they conducted routine reconnaissance operations over southern Lebanon, forcing the planes to return fire.



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Monday, October 16, 2017

A7News: IAF hits Syria after missile attack on Israeli aircraft

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כ"ו בתשרי תשע"ח / Monday, Oct. 16 '17

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Headlines

  1. IAF hits Syria after missile attack on Israeli aircraft
  2. 31 new homes approved for Hevron Jewish community
  3. 'Trump made a historic, bold decision on Iran'
  4. 'Children belong to the government, it's not a private matter'
  5. Archaeologists discover lost portions of Western Wall Tunnels
  6. Decibel wars: Drums vs mosque muezzin
  7. Haredim arrested for draft dodging at routine traffic stop
  8. Watch: Terror stabbing inside prison


1. IAF hits Syria after missile attack on Israeli aircraft

by David Rosenberg

A Syrian surface-to-air missile battery opened fire on Israeli aircraft flying over southern Lebanon, an IDF spokesperson reported.

In response to the attack, Israeli Air Force planes returned fire, destroying the surface-to-air missile battery which had attacked them. According to a report by Yediot Ahronot, Israeli fighters dropped four bombs on the SA-5 missile battery

According to the IDF, the Syrian missile battery opened fire on the IAF planes while they on a routine reconnaissance mission over southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials say the IDF notified the Russian military regarding the air operation and engagement with the missile battery before IAF planes opened fire.

No Israeli casualties were reported, and no IAF planes were damaged.

"We hold the Syrian regime responsible for the anti-aircraft fire and any attack originating from Syria," said IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus.

The IDF added that it views the IAF response as an isolated incident following the Syrian provocation, and that Israel is not seeking to escalate tensions with the Assad regime.

"We're prepared for any possibility," said IDF spokesman Ronen Manelis. "This was a Syrian provocation, and we will not allow it. On the other hand, we have no intention of escalating."



2. 31 new homes approved for Hevron Jewish community

by Hezki Baruch

The Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration issued 31 building permits Monday for a planned housing project in the Jewish community of Hevron, the first permits for new Israeli construction in the ancient city in decades.

The Civil Administration’s licensing subcommittee issued the permits for a planned neighborhood dubbed the ‘Hezekiah quarter’ of Hevron.

Despite the issuing of the permits, the new housing project still faces a number of hurdles before construction may begin.

Last week, the Palestinian Authority municipality of Hevron declared it would petition the Supreme Court against the housing project, claiming that it has full authority over all construction projects and land allocation in the city. This despite a recent decision by the Defense Ministry to separate the Jewish community in Hevron from the municipality. A subsequent determination by the Justice Ministry found that the city’s claims over property owned by the community were null and void.

The Civil Administration is expected to issue additional permits over the next two days for hundreds of other housing units in Israeli towns across Judea and Samaria, including 296 in Beit El.



3. 'Trump made a historic, bold decision on Iran'

by David Rosenberg

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Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu lauded President Donald Trump’s announcement Friday that he would not recertify Iran’s compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal.

On Sunday, Netanyahu told Fox News that Trump had taken a “historic and bold” step towards preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons; part of what he called the broader challenge presented by the Tehran regime.

"Iran is the foremost terrorist state of our time,” said Netanyahu.

“It hangs gays, jails journalists, subjugates women, foments terrorism throughout the world. To have a regime like this, whose economy is 30 times the size of North Korea - to have a rogue regime like that acquire an arsenal of nuclear weapons in 10 years’ time, which is what the Iran agreement now provides for Iran to do, is a terrible folly.”

“So I commend the president for taking an historic and bold decision to avert this danger in time. He could have kicked the can down the road; he could have said 'it’s not going to happen on my watch, so I'll just let it go'. But he didn't, and he faced up to this danger."

Quoting President Trump, Netanyahu called upon the signatories of the JCPOA to “fix it – or nix it, because it could be very, very, dangerous if it just went through.”

While Prime Minister Netanyahu was a staunch opponent of the JCPOA prior to its passage two years ago, he suggested he would be satisfied with alterations to the deal.

“I’m focused on the goal. The goal is to prevent Iran from ever acquiring nuclear weapons. And you can achieve it either by fixing this bad deal or by nixing it. I don’t particularly care which one.”

The Prime Minister then laid out his criteria for an acceptable nuclear deal with Tehran.

“There are several key things that you want to make sure. One is that you don’t remove restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program just by changing the calendar. You want to see a real change in Iran’s behavior – that’s eliminated the so-called automatic ‘sunset clause’ on restrictions. The second thing is prevent Iran from developing intercontinental ballistic missiles that are only useful for nuclear weapons – and you can do that. And the third thing is... to have real inspections. Right now, Iran doesn’t allow you to inspect military sites. It lets you inspect everywhere else – but where do you think they’re going to hide these things?”

Speaking with CBS on Sunday, Netanyahu noted the wide consensus in the region, in a rare example of Arab-Israel unity, for tougher conditions on Iran aimed at blunting its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.

“I mean, it's not just Israel that is supporting the president. It's key Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. And I suggest that, you know, when Israel and the key Arab states agree on something, you know, you should pay attention. We're close with our ears to the ground. We live right here next to Iran. We see what it's doing. And I think that what the president has done is created now space to prevent a very bad deal from materializing and to fix it. Everybody should join forces in doing just that.”

On Friday, President Trump declared that he would not recertify Iran’s compliance with the deal, yet refrained from pledging to unilaterally withdraw from the agreement, instead passing the issue to Congress.

In his speech, Trump slammed the 2015 Iran deal for what he called its lack of enforcement and for permitting Iran to make the move for a nuclear weapon after ten years. "In just a few years, as key restrictions disappear, Iran can sprint towards nuclear weapons breakout. What is the purpose of a deal that only, at best, delays Iran?" Trump asked.

"As I have said many times, the Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into,” he said, later accusing Iran of “not living up to the spirit of the deal.”

"Iran will never, ever, get a nuclear weapon," Trump concluded.



4. 'Children belong to the government, it's not a private matter'

by Gil Ronen

Israeli feminist organizations this week proposed a new law which would turn Israel back into the kibbutz society of 80 years ago, where children grew up in children's homes instead of with their parents.

The proposal was put forth as an article in the leftist newspaper Yediot Aharonot, in cooperation with the Israel Women's Network (IWN) and the New Israel Fund.

IWN member Yaara Man recently published a report on early education.

The article's title read, "The state says your children aren't ours." According to the author, the current policy encourages a high birth rate and even subsidizes fertility treatments, but only provides aid "until the children are born."

The article argues that the Israeli government should treat daycare for children as young as three months old in the same manner as primary and secondary school education, with full state funding for both extended maternity and paternity leave, as well as greater subsidies for daycare centers.

"The IWN report concentrates on early education, but that's just the first step," Man explained, describing the bureaucratic process she and her colleagues envision. "We need to ensure that the longer school days will really happen, will really be long, and will apply to everyone. We need to supervise early childhood education. We need to build an education system which provides a more comprehensive solution."

"The other side of this equation is the job market. We need to reduce the number of hours we work, and give parents more vacation days.

"If parents currently pay 80% of the cost of childcare, and the government pays 20%, at the very least those proportions should be switched. We pay huge sums of money. It's not just about the financial cost of the afternoon programs, which are basically babysitters with no educational content.

"The government is responsible for the education, security, and health of the children it encourages us to bring into this world. These are the basics. We will apply public pressure. This report will be given to the Knesset and the government, and based on it, we will initiate discussions in the Knesset, and meet the relevant professionals. Without public pressure, without the public's insistence, nothing will change."

MK Merav Michaeli (Zionist Union) hurried to embrace both the report and the article.

"Children are our future, and the future of our society and country," Michaeli tweeted. "They are not a private issue."

"Enough with the neglect! It's time the government invest in our children accordingly. I have already proposed several laws regarding equal parental leave of one year after a baby is born. I have already pushed for a longer school day. The proposal to protect children and their parents is on its way. This is our most important investment."

The law Michaeli is referring to is an amendment to the Mandatory Education Law submitted in 2015. The amendment, if passed, would mandate free education for all children over the age of three months.

Aside from funding day care attendance for children three months and up, the proposal also requires all children from the age of three months to three years to attend daycare.



5. Archaeologists discover lost portions of Western Wall Tunnels

by Arutz Sheva Staff

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Excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), with the participation of volunteers, have uncovered large portions of courses of the Western Wall that have been hidden for 1,700 years. In addition, an ancient Roman theater-like structure was exposed for the first time.

The stone courses and the amazing remnants of the theater were presented at a press conference held Monday morning beneath the Tunnels' Wilson’s Arch. The press conference was conducted with the participation of Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, IAA Director Israel Hasson, Western Wall Heritage Foundation Director Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, IAA District Archaeologist Dr. Yuval Baruch, and the excavation's directors.

Eight stone courses of the Western Wall buried under an 8-meter layer of earth were recently uncovered in the Western Wall Tunnels thanks to excavations conducted by the IAA. These stone courses, completely preserved, are built of massive stones and are outstanding in the quality of their construction.

After the soil was removed, archaeologists were surprised to discover that it covered remnants of an extraordinary theater-like structure from the Roman period, confirming the historical writings that describe a theater near the Temple Mount.

Apparently, a great deal was invested in the construction of the theater which contained approximately 200 seats.

Since archaeological research began in Jerusalem over 150 years ago, scholars have been seeking the public buildings mentioned in the historical sources, especially the often-mentioned theaters and theater-like structures. Descriptions of these buildings are found in written sources from the Second Temple period (such as Josephus Flavius), and in sources from the period following the destruction of the Second Temple, when Jerusalem became the Roman colony of Aelia Capitolina. Many theories were advanced as to the location of these complexes, but until now, they were without archaeological foundation.

Wilson’s Arch is in fact the only intact, visible structure remaining from the Temple Mount compound of the Second Temple period. The arch, built of enormous stones, is the last of a series of such arches that once constituted a gigantic bridge leading to the Temple Mount from the west.

The arch stands high above the foundations of the Western Wall, and it served, among other purposes, as a passageway for people entering the Temple Mount compound and the Temple. A huge aqueduct also passed over the arch.

Site excavators Dr. Joe Uziel, Tehillah Lieberman and Dr. Avi Solomon said that “from a research perspective, this is a sensational find. The discovery was a real surprise. When we started excavating, our goal was to date Wilson’s Arch. We did not imagine that a window would open for us onto the mystery of Jerusalem’s lost theater.”

“Like much of archaeological research, the expectation is that a certain thing will be found, but at the end of the process other findings, surprising and thought-provoking, are unearthed. There is no doubt that the exposure of the courses of the Western Wall and the components of Wilson’s Arch are thrilling discoveries that contribute to our understanding of Jerusalem. But the discovery of the theater-like structure is the real drama.

“This is a relatively small structure compared to known Roman theaters (such as at Caesarea, Bet She’an and Bet Guvrin). This fact, in addition to its location under a roofed space – in this case under Wilson’s Arch – leads us to suggest that this is a theater-like structure of the type known in the Roman world as an odeon.

“In most cases, such structures were used for acoustic performances. Alternatively, this may have been a structure known as a bouleuterion – the building where the city council met, in this case the council of the roman colony of Aelia Capitolina – Roman Jerusalem.”

Interestingly, the archaeologists believe the theater was never used. A number of findings at the site indicate this – among them a staircase that was never completely hewn. It is clear that great effort was invested in the building’s construction but oddly, it was abandoned before it was put to use.

The reasons for this are unknown, but they may have been connected to a significant historical event, perhaps the Bar Kokhba Revolt; construction of the building may have been started, but abandoned when the revolt broke out. Additional evidence of unfinished buildings from this period has been uncovered in the past in the excavations of the Eastern Cardo in the Western Wall Plaza.

Numerous findings have been unearthed in the excavations beneath Wilson’s Arch, some of which are unique, including pottery vessels, coins, architectural and architectural elements, and more. Advanced research methods from various fields were employed to uncover remains invisible to the naked eye, but only viewable through a microscope. This enables conclusions to be drawn at a level of precision that would have been impossible in the past, transforming the study of the findings at Wilson’s Arch into pioneering, cutting-edge micro-archaeological research.

“Time after time the amazing archaeological findings allow our generation to actually touch the ancient history of our people and Jewish heritage and its deep connection to Jerusalem,” Rabinovitch said. “Each finding thrills me to new and powerful heights. We have a great deal of archaeological work ahead and I am certain that the deeper we dig, the earlier the periods we will reach, further anchoring the profound connection of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and to Jerusalem.”

According to Hasson, he IAA is “working toward advancing a national project to unveil ancient Jerusalem. The project was approved by the government in its meeting marking 50 years of the unification of Jerusalem.”

“The exciting finds from the excavations beneath Wilson's Arch enhance the importance of expanding the archaeological excavations in this region, and I hope that these finds will help push forward the general plan, so that we each get to see and be awed by Jerusalem's glorious past.

“We hope to complete the excavations in Wilson's Arch and all around ancient Jerusalem with the help of high school seniors, as part of the program "I have a stone from Jerusalem.”

“The exposure of finds beneath Wilson's Arch began as a joint venture between the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and the IAA, in an interest to create a new tourist path in the Western Wall Tunnels,” Yuval said. “This would provide the visitor with a new perspective and exposure to the grandiose finds of recent years.”

“The findings include portions of a magnificent structure from the Second Temple period, ritual baths and now the truly exceptional finds beneath WIlson's Arch. Upon completing the excavations, the IAA and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation will begin planning the preservation and presentation of the findings."

According to Eliav, “This is indeed one of the most important findings in all my 30 years at the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. This discovery joins many other findings uncovered in the area of the Western Wall Plaza, which together create a living historical mosaic of Jerusalem and the Western Wall for which the generations longed so powerfully.”

“There is no doubt as to the immeasurably rich scientific value of the discoveries in this area. The findings symbolize the guests from past empires that were here over the years, as opposed to the Jewish people, who held fast to this place some 3,000 years ago and have been here ever since and always. The uncovering, for the first time after some 1,700 years, of these stones from lower courses of the Western Wall is very exciting.

“The Western Wall, a remnant of our Temple, and the abundant findings surrounding it, reveal thousands of years of our presence here and are a lodestone for the hundreds of thousands of people, and more, who visit the site, as we witnessed recently during the High Holy Days and Sukkot.”

The dramatic discoveries will be presented to the public for the first time at the conference titled “New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Environs,” to be held this week in at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. The conference will mark 50 years of archaeological research since the city's reunification.

Eight courses of the Western Wall were discovered in the excavation.
Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority
Excavations at Wilson's Arch Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority



6. Decibel wars: Drums vs mosque muezzin

by Shimon Cohen

The residents of Maon in the southern Hevron hills, having reached their tolerance limit for the constant blaring of the muezzin loudspeaker at a nearby mosque, have embarked on a 'decibel war'.

Maon residents recently set up drums in the middle of the night near the nearby Arab town in which the mosque with the blaring muezzin is located and began singing and dancing. The group was led by the rabbi of the settlement, Rabbi Moshe Cohen, who spoke to Arutz Sheva.

"From the beginning of the year, we have experienced this noise repeating itself every day, five times a day, from 4:30 AM onward, 24 hours a day," Rabbi Cohen said, explaining the desperation which led the residents to take up drums.

"They added speakers aimed at our community," he said. "This is an Arab village located in Area C, which means we're allowed to enter it." The village in question, says Rabbi Cohen, is located about 1000 feet from the edge of Maon.

The suffering caused by the muezzin became even more intense over the Sukkot holiday, when sleep became almost impossible, he said. The residents of Maon submitted requests and complaints to the residents of the Arab village and to the relevant authorities, but to no avail.

"We turned to the police dozens of times, and the response was that they do not deal with the Palestinian Arabs and will pass the problem on to the IDF [which does deal with them], only we have no way of communicating with the IDF. This is a problem that exists throughout Judea and Samaria. We approached the brigade commander through the security officer and various intermediaries. We were promised that action would be taken and the matter would be dealt with, but nothing has been done since the beginning of the year. On Hoshana Rabbah we tried asking them to lower the volume, and they lowered it twice that day, but [the unbearable noise] returned later. We tried to talk to the village mukhtar," he said of the residents' many peaceful attempts to restore quiet to their town.

"We contacted the chairman of the local secretariat and tried to find out where the officers' and brigade commanders' [promises to us] stood, and they replied that they were amazed that this was still continuing and would work to change the situation. These were promises we had heard for over a month without anything happening. Together with the secretariat and the residents, we thought that this was an insult to Israel's honor, an attempt to humiliate the Israeli residents. I consider what is happening here a desecration of G-d's name, so we decided to go out and do something. At 11-12 at night we stood in a spot by the village and about forty people sang and danced with drums so the Arab residents would experience what we go through,

The villagers were woken up by the music and singing and responded quickly. Stones were thrown at the residents of Maon. IDF forces arrived and responded with stun grenades, which only added to the noise.

"The goal was to send the message to the army that we will not be silent. We waited for over a month for the authorities to do their jobs, but since the disgraceful situation continues and we are expected to grovel and accept it, it could not be tolerated any longer."

Rabbi Cohen said that if the muezzin's decibel level is not lowered, the residents will hold a meeting to decide on additional steps. "The goal is to resolve the matter, to clarify who is in charge and who is sovereign here."



7. Haredim arrested for draft dodging at routine traffic stop

by Tzvi Lev

A pair of haredi men were arrested for draft dodging after police pulled them over for driving dangerously, Kikar Hashabbat reported.

Police had ordered the men to pull over after noticing them weaving in and out of traffic near the Dead Sea. After checking their licenses, police found that the two were wanted for draft dodging, as both had refused to report to the IDF recruitment center to receive their deferments. Police arrested them immediately and handed them over to the military police.

As both men are associated with the radical Yerushalmi Faction, some fear that the arrests will set off a new wave of anti-IDF demonstrations. The once-common violent protests by the Yerushalmi Faction have dwindled to a near halt in recent months, which some ascribe to quiet understandings reached between the IDF and the Yerushalmi Faction.

Last week Colonel Yossi Matzliach, the IDF officer in charge of haredi enlistment, refused to rule out the possibility that the IDF was negotiating with the Jerusalem Faction in an interview with the haredi online website Behadrei Haredim, cryptically responding "do you want me to out them?" when asked if such an agreement existed.

The Yerushalmi Faction, which is connected with Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, has been locked in a power struggle with the mainstream haredi community ever since the death of Torah Sage Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv in 2012.

The Yerushalmi Faction considered Bnei Brak-based Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman to be an illegitimate leader, and revolted against his authority, splitting the hierarchical haredi world.

One of the main points of contention between the Yerushalmi Faction and Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman is the attitude towards the IDF. While Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman is considered relatively moderate on the issue, reportedly quietly backing the formation of Nahal Haredi, Rabbi Auerbach instructs his followers not to even report to the draft office to receive a deferment.

In early October, the government decided to yank all taxpayer-funded advertising from the Jerusalem Faction's Hapeles newspaper in response to a wave of anti-IDF incitement.



8. Watch: Terror stabbing inside prison

by David Rosenberg

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An Arab terrorist affiliated with the Hamas terror organization stabbed an Israeli prison guard with a screwdriver he had concealed under his clothes earlier this year.

The terrorist, who is being held at the Nafha Prison in southern Israel, was caught on camera by closed circuit TV attacking the guard this February.

During the attack, the terrorist drew the screwdriver and stabbed the guard, lightly wounding him.

On Sunday, Arab media outlets reported that an army court had sentenced the terrorist to two additional years in prison for the stabbing attack.



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