Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Wednesday, Feb. 24 '16, Adar 15, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. ISRAELI KILLED BY 'FRIENDLY FIRE' IN GUSH ETZION STABBING
2. SHOCKER: LEFTISTS HELP ARABS STEAL JEWISH LAND
3. WHY IS JERUSALEM BEING ABANDONED BY JEWS?
4. 'GOVERNMENT'S WARPED APPROACH TO TERROR IS KILLING US'
5. CHECK-IN LUGGAGE: CLOTHES, TOOTHBRUSH, AND A HAND GRENADE
6. 'WE HEARD EXPLOSIONS AND HAMAS BATTLE CRIES'
7. JEWISH HOME MINISTER CALLS FOR HAMAS SEAPORT
8. TRUMP TAKES NEVADA
1. ISRAELI KILLED BY 'FRIENDLY FIRE' IN GUSH ETZION STABBING
by Ari Yashar
One 23-year-old Israeli victim was critically wounded by errant gunfire during a stabbing attack attempt by an Arab terrorist on Wednesday in the Gush Etzion region of Judea.
The victim later succumbed to his wounds and died. He was identified by the Gush Etzion Regional Council as Eliyav Gelman, an IDF officer in reserves and a resident of Karmei Tzur. The date of the funeral has yet to be determined.
The terrorist was shot and neutralized by IDF forces, and was hospitalized in moderate condition.
Gunfire intended for the terrorist hit the victim instead, according to an army appraisal of the incident.
The victim suffered gunshot wounds to the upper body after being attacked at a hitchhiking station at Gush Etzion Junction, which has been the site of lethal attacks in the past.
[video:2012837]
Credit: Rafi Kapah Achi
Magen David Adom (MDA) teams were called up to the scene and began providing medical treatment before evacuating the unconscious victim to Shaare Tzedek Hospital's trauma unit in Jerusalem.
The Arab terrorist was likewise evacuated to the hospital's trauma unit.
Video from the scene of the attack was uploaded to Facebook by the Arab Shehab News Agency, and can be viewed by clicking the image below.
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2. SHOCKER: LEFTISTS HELP ARABS STEAL JEWISH LAND
by Gil Ronen
[video:2012834]
Leftists from the NGO Ta'ayush, which operates in close cooperation with Rabbis for Human Rights, regularly prod and instruct Arabs on how to steal Jewish land, a new exposé revealed Wednesday.
The video, available only in Hebrew at the moment, is the latest in a series of exposés by nationalist group Ad Kan, which infiltrated leftist groups over a three-year period and which – since mid-January – has been releasing videos based on hidden camera footage it obtained during that time.
It shows a sophisticated method for preventing the state from reclaiming land that was allocated, in the past, to some of the Arabs in Judea and Samaria for cultivation purposes only. The land does not belong to these Arabs, and reverts to full state ownership if they fail to cultivate the land for several years. Ta'ayush seeks to transfer these plots to full Arab ownership.
Prof. Amiel Vardi, Head of the Classical Studies Department in Hebrew University and one of the heads of Ta'ayush, explained on hidden camera how the system works.
At first, he says, Ta'ayush's activists find the plots of land that they wish to "work" on. They then consult the legal department of Rabbis for Human Rights, which tells them what legal documents they need to obtain in order to claim the land.
The extreme leftists then persuade and pressure Arabs to file lawsuits in order to receive ownership of the land. In some cases, the Arab insists that he has already sold the land. Ta'ayush's Ezra Nawi is seen telling one to "forget the word sale."
"If you sold it, nobody knows," he says.
If the land can easily be proven to be state land that was never cultivated, the next option for reclaiming it is to say that the reason the Arabs did not cultivate it is that the IDF prevented them from having access to the land.
The video shows that Ta'ayush achieves this by holding provocations on the land. When the IDF moves in to push them out, they capture the event on video and use it to "prove" that the IDF prevented access to the land.
3. WHY IS JERUSALEM BEING ABANDONED BY JEWS?
by Ari Yashar
Jerusalem Councilman Arieh King explained on Tuesday night the figures published earlier in the day, according to which Jerusalem is leading the nation is negative migration as Jewish residents leave the city in far greater numbers than they are moving to it.
The figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics showed that in 2014, long before the current Arab terror wave that has plagued the capital, the city lost a total of 6,740 residents. Particularly troubling was the fact that the majority of those leaving were young.
Writing on Facebook on Tuesday night, King said, "if someone truly wants to understand how it happens that there is negative migration of Jews from our capital city...the answer is stuck very deep in the halls of the Prime Minister's Office."
According to the councilman and founder of the Israel Land Fund (ILF), those responsible for the phenomenon are "first of all the Prime Minister and his ministers in the last two terms, a Prime Minister and ministers who freeze construction for Jews/Israelis simply because of their religion and race - they are the first who are guilty for the current situation of the worsening demographic balance of Jerusalem."
"The second factor responsible for this warped situation is the Jerusalem city council that I am a member of," wrote King.
"And in the city council, first and foremost is the Mayor who didn't fight with the government of Israel enough for construction in Jerusalem on the one hand, and on the other didn't fight the lack of law enforcement against the Arab building criminals in the east of the city."
Number crunching
He began listing some figures explaining why Jews, and particularly young couples are leaving, noting "an average price for an apartment in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood in north Jerusalem is 1.5 million shekels, and in the adjacent Arab neighborhood it's only 600,000 shekels."
"An average price of an apartment in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood in south Jerusalem is around 1.4 million shekels, and in adjacent Jabel Mukaber and Sur Baher it's only 700,000 shekels," he added.
"Every year in recent years they demolish more housing units for Jews than they demolish for Arabs, even though there are around 42,000 illegal housing units under Arab ownership and just around 4,000 belonging to Jews."
"In 2014 the Jerusalem municipality demolished five synagogues (out of nine total illegal ones in the entire city), but did not demolish a single mosque (out of the 57 or so illegal mosques in the entire city)."
Further demonstrating the lack of law enforcement against illegal Arab building, he added that "there was a drop of 45% in putting out demolition orders in the east of the city in 2015."
Bennett-Bibi-Barkat
Having presented the unfair housing situation in the capital, King wrote that "those guilty for the cost of living and housing (for Jews only!!!) in Jerusalem are the Prime Minister, government ministers (yes, also former Housing Ministers and Jerusalem Affairs Ministers and more...from Jewish Home), the Mayor (Nir Barkat - ed.), and members of the Jerusalem city council (yes, I'm included in this black list!)."
King's comment refers to how Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett was Jerusalem Affairs Minister in the last government, and Uri Ariel, the head of Jewish Home's Tekuma faction, was the Housing Minister.
"The time has come for the public to recognize the warped reality according to which the Likud - the ruling party in recent years - together with its partner the Jewish Home-Tekuma faction, advance the division of Jerusalem in practice."
Using Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's nickname, he added, "against Bibi-Barkat (and Bennett) and against the policies of the Prime Minister and the Mayor, unfortunately I stand alone."
"The day will come, and God willing it will be soon, when Bennett-Bibi-Barkat are a minority and those who love Jerusalem and build Jerusalem will be in power and will build the Holy City, as expected from a nation that aspires to build its capital and its historical and future center, as expected from a nation that the Creator of the universe chose for Himself from all nations to build for Him in the center of their capital the dwelling place of the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings."
4. 'GOVERNMENT'S WARPED APPROACH TO TERROR IS KILLING US'
by Eliran Aharon
Gush Etzion Regional Council head Davidi Perl spoke to Arutz Sheva on Wednesday at Gush Etzion Junction, where just a short time earlier an Arab terrorist tried to stab an Israeli aged in his 20s, and IDF gunfire intended for the terrorist accidentally hit and seriously wounded the victim.
The terrorist was also shot and moderately wounded, and both were evacuated to Shaare Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem. Shortly afterwards the victim died of his wounds.
Perl described the attack as another "attempt to murder a Jew here at the junction by a terrorist who apparently arrived from Dura."
"He came from the south, approached the junction, the soldiers identified him and began to shoot in his direction. He continued towards the Israeli citizen who was also wounded, and afterwards the terrorist was neutralized."
The regional head called the attack the result of the government's "wrong and warped outlook" on the Arab terror wave that has been plaguing Israel since last September.
"We don't understand - how long do we have to wait, how many have to die before they understand that this is a battle here by an enemy that is trying to expel us from here, and we have to fight them with all our tools, and they are not using all of the tools."
Perl said the government's attempts to improve the efforts against terror have come "too slowly and too late."
Enumerating the tools that can be used to fight the terror wave, he said, "the family of a murderer like this, the whole hamula (Arab familial tribe - ed.) this very day - expel them, unequivocally."
"Houses - demolish them, the same day without going to court for two months or four or even after that. Fighting the incitement - all the media networks and internet systems, bring them down immediately. All of the imams in the mosques who incite, expel them from the state of Israel."
"In that way there will be quiet. If you use kid gloves and wait for the jurists, they will continue to kill us here every day," concluded Perl.
5. CHECK-IN LUGGAGE: CLOTHES, TOOTHBRUSH, AND A HAND GRENADE
by Ido Ben-Porat
Security personnel at the Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning seized weapons including a hand grenade, ammunition magazines and dozens of assault rifle bullets in the luggage of a female passenger.
The passenger, an Israeli resident of Eilat who arrived for the morning flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat, was asked about the contents of her luggage as is standard protocol. She claimed that her baggage did not contain any forbidden objects.
However, during the scanning of her suitcase the inspectors were surprised to find the lethal weapons there among her belongings.
Due to the discovery of the grenade the airport launched its security protocol to evacuate the luggage until a police bomb squad member arrived.
The passenger was transferred to police investigators for questioning, and claimed to them that the suitcase belonged to a family member.
Following the incident, the airport authority has called on passengers on domestic and international flights to thoroughly check the contents of their luggage.
6. 'WE HEARD EXPLOSIONS AND HAMAS BATTLE CRIES'
by Ari Yashar
Residents of the Gaza Belt region have reported and even recorded the sounds of Hamas terrorists conducting a massive training drill just over the border, in apparent preparation for the organization's fourth terror war against Israel.
The testimony and recordings were published on Wednesday by Yedioth Aharonoth, ahead of a meeting by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu later in the day with the heads of regional councils in the area.
"For a quarter of an hour we heard the sounds of huge blasts and explosions, and afterwards complete silence - and then calls in Arabic, that sounded like the war calls of fighters," said one of the Gaza Belt residents on Tuesday.
The sounds were heard and recorded by residents coming from a Hamas post over the border in northern Gaza just a few days ago.
"It was really frightening, it's clear that it is part of their intensive training," said the resident to the paper.
The sounds of training come in addition to the sounds of tunnel digging residents have reported hearing from underground beneath their homes, with many reporting the digging has even caused their homes to shake. The government has confirmed that Hamas is rebuilding its terror tunnel network.
The IDF estimates Hamas is focusing its efforts on one major terror tunnel breaching far under the security barrier, with roughly 1,000 terrorists said to be working on the tunnel meant to enable a surprise attack deep inside Israeli territory; the tunnel has yet to be located.
Demanding an explanation
Aside from the tunnels and the training drills, residents have recently reported seeing Hamas showing other new signs of military buildup right on the security barrier.
New antennas have been spotted by the residents at Hamas posts just over the border, located mere meters away from sovereign Israeli territory.
Cameras and various technological means that are anticipated to be used by the terrorist organization in its next war against Israel have also been spotted near the border, in an effort by Hamas to increase its technological capabilities against the IDF.
Netanyahu is to meet with regional council heads on Wednesday, with the tunnel threat set to be a key topic of discussion, as well as Hamas' rearming and the Israeli preparations ahead of the inevitable next conflict with the terror enclave of Gaza.
The regional heads are to ask Netanyahu for an explanation of his government's policy regarding the palpable threats from Gaza as Hamas continues to advance its terror tunnel system.
Also to be raised in the meeting is the establishment of a new security barrier along the Gaza border, which is to include technological means to detect disturbances in an effort to confront the Hamas threats. The development of the Gaza Belt region and budgets for the residents are likewise to be discussed.
Hof Ashkelon Regional Council head Yair Farjoun said Tuesday that "we will demand that the Prime Minister launch a process of removing the obstructions to the budgets and projects to advance the settlement in the Gaza Belt."
7. JEWISH HOME MINISTER CALLS FOR HAMAS SEAPORT
by Hezki Ezra
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, head of the Jewish Home party's Tekuma faction, said Wednesday that he would support the establishment of a seaport in the Hamas terror enclave of Gaza if such a proposal was brought before the government.
The topic has been raised in earnest recently as it is one of the demands of Turkey, a staunch ally of Hamas, in its rapprochement talks with Israel. Ankara is already planning a $5 billion project to rebuild Gaza, with a central part of the plan to be a seaport.
Israel has firmly refused the demand due to the blatant threat of Hamas using the seaport to smuggle in weapons, as the group has constantly been attempting to do even without the port.
But Ariel wrote on his Twitter account: "If the security arrangements were approved by the IDF, I would support the establishment of a sea port in the (Gaza) Strip."
"Zionism and settlement go together with economic and regional development," he wrote.
This is in fact not the first time Ariel has voiced his surprising support for a sea port in the Hamas enclave, as last December he likewise called to build a seaport in Gaza saying Israel should "only rule in terms of security."
Ariel's comments Wednesday came in response to a report in Haaretz, according to which the political and military echelons in Israel have restarted the discussion on a Gaza seaport due to the increasingly severe economic condition in the region under Hamas rule.
The new debate on the issue apparently stems from a desire to reach a more stable situation, on the assumption that a better economic standing in Gaza would prevent Hamas from attacking again.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) have firmly opposed the notion of a Gaza seaport, leaving its chances of being implemented low.
8. TRUMP TAKES NEVADA
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Donald Trump is predicted to have handily defeated his opponents again on Tuesday night local time, taking the Nevada Republican Caucus in his third straight victory in the Republican presidential race.
[youtube:2012831]
It remains unclear who came in second, with Senator Marco Rubio shown as enjoying a slight advantage over Senator Ted Cruz, although not enough results have come in to say for sure.
At 17% of the precincts having been counted, Fox News reported that Trump led with 46%, followed by Rubio at 24% and Cruz at 20%.
Trump spoke before a crowd of supporters in Las Vegas, saying, "now we're winning, winning, winning. Soon, the country is going to start winning, winning, winning."
The Nevada victory builds momentum for the real estate mogul, who earlier in the month also took South Carolina and New Hampshire, after losing out to Cruz in Iowa.
That momentum may be crucial going into Super Tuesday next week when over a dozen states hold primaries the same day, determining nearly 600 delegates, which is over four times the number awarded in the first four states combined.
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