If you cannot see this email properly, please click here | |
 כ"ו בתשרי תשע"ח / Monday, Oct. 16 '17 Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report -http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe Headlines
1. IAF hits Syria after missile attack on Israeli aircraftby 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 communityby 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 [youtube:2033874] 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 Tunnelsby Arutz Sheva Staff [youtube:2033908] 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." “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 muezzinby 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 stopby 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 prisonby David Rosenberg [youtube:2033878] 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. Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe | |
|
