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Thursday, Mar. 24 '16, Adar Bet 14, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. REPORT: ISRAEL WARNED BELGIUM ABOUT AIRPORT ATTACK
2. SOLDIER STABBED IN HEVRON, TWO TERRORISTS KILLED
3. PURIM GIFTS FROM THE FIRST COUPLE
4. STUDENT THREATENS MASS MURDER IF OHIO UNI DOESN'T SUPPORT BDS
5. THE ATLANTIC BRAND DENIES ISRAEL FACES TERROR ATTACKS
6. WOMAN RIPS UP ISRAELI FLAG AT BRUSSELS MEMORIAL
7. US SECRETLY GAVE IRAN $1.7 BILLION IN 'RANSOM PAYMENT'
8. WATCH: READING MEGILLAH AT YEHOSHUA BIN NUN'S GRAVE
1. REPORT: ISRAEL WARNED BELGIUM ABOUT AIRPORT ATTACK
by Ben Ariel
Israel was among those who warned Belgium ahead of the terrorist attack at the Zaventem airport in Brussels, Channel 2 News reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, Israel provided Belgium with concrete information on security breaches at the airport, where the first of two attacks on the Belgian capital took place on Tuesday, and claimed that "there are serious security deficiencies at the airport in Brussels".
The warnings reportedly came from Israeli security officials who are responsible to check airports across Europe in which flights to and from Israel depart and land. Those officials identified the security-related issues at the Zaventem airport and updated the Belgians about them.
The Channel 2 News follows a report in Haaretz earlier which said that Belgian intelligence services received specific warnings ahead of Tuesday's attacks but failed to properly investigate them.
According to Haaretz, the intelligence centers in Brussels, as well as in other Western countries, knew that terrorists would strike the Zaventem airport and, probably, the city's railway in the near future.
However, the newspaper said, they did not properly appreciate the imminent threat and the limited follow-up investigation was insufficient to avoid the tragedy.
Also on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had warned Belgium about Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of the two suicide bombers at the airport, but Belgium failed to act on the warnings.
2. SOLDIER STABBED IN HEVRON, TWO TERRORISTS KILLED
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Two terrorists attacked an IDF soldier by Tel Romeda, in Hevron. An early investigation has found that they approached a checkpoint, then fell upon a soldier guarding the site.
The soldier, who is about 20 years old, was wounded, while nearby forces killed the terrorists.
MDA first responders provided the soldier with medical aid and evacuated him to Jerusalem's Sha'arei Tzedek Hospital. He is suffering from stab wounds to his upper body, though he is conscious and stable. Doctors say that he is moderately wounded.
Tachi Yahav, an MDA paramedic, said: "When we arrived we saw a young man, about 20 years old and fully conscious, walking around. He suffered from stab wounds in his shoulder and hand.
"We put him in an ambulance and evacuated him to a hospital, while providing medical treatment that included stopping the bleeding, providing fluids and treating his pain. He was fully conscious and spoke with us during the treatment and evacuated. His condition has been declared moderate and stable."
3. PURIM GIFTS FROM THE FIRST COUPLE
by Uzi Baruch
A group of young roommates opened their door Thursday morning to find their neighbors, President Reuven Rivlin and First Lady Nechama, holding mishlochei manot.
The First Couple decided that they would pay visits to the people living on their street and to fulfill the Purim commandment of delivering packages of food.
Those neighbors included 32-year-old Amir Shapira, an industrial engineer, and his roommates: 29-year-old David Lev-Ari, 32-year-old Avi Shweki. The three, who met while serving together in an IDF armored unit, quickly called over 30-year-old Moriya Natan from the next apartment.
"Wow, Nechama," President Rivlin told his wife, "it feels like we returned to our student apartment, even though you've all finished university."
"I studied biology and our labs were in Van Leer. That was a long time ago. Jerusalem was lovely," Nechama explained. Reuven then asked, "Is it hard for you to live across from us?"
"No," answered the group. "It's fun. It's all in good spirit."
"We just don't want to bother you. We very much appreciate your patience," Nechama continued, as the neighbors told how they watched the welcome ceremony for Romanian President Klaus Iohannis from above.
The President asked the four how they plan to celebrate the holiday, adding: "Although the holiday only starts in the evening for Jerusalem, we decided to advance the mitzvah so we wouldn't bother the Friday rest."
The couple left their neighbors with nice gifts, including wine, candies, cookies and chocolate. Before leaving, President Rivlin said, "We hope to see one of you in the President's Residence one day. Maybe you, Moriya, because it's time [for a female president]." Moriya responded: "It is time. Maybe I'll be the first."
The President and his wife wished their new friends a happy Purim, and crossed back to their residence.
Mark Neiman/GPO
Mark Neiman/GPO
4. STUDENT THREATENS MASS MURDER IF OHIO UNI DOESN'T SUPPORT BDS
by Matt Wanderman
Only hours after ISIS terrorists killed 34 people in Brussels, an Ohio State University student threatened to murder every person on his campus if the college does not join the BDS movement.
Cailin Pitt posted on his twitter account:"Yo if USG messes this up tomorrow I'm coming for everyone's life tomorrow. Every one. Every single, blessed life. Every one."
He deleted the tweet, but not before the blogs SJP Uncovered and Elder of Ziyon shared the post.
The university's student government voted against a motion to support BDS on Wednesday, with nine in favor, 21 opposed and 15 abstaining.
Police have received complaints about Pitt's threats, though it is not known whether they will treat them as credible.
5. THE ATLANTIC BRAND DENIES ISRAEL FACES TERROR ATTACKS
by Arutz Sheva Staff
CityLab, which belongs to the popular magazine The Atlantic, published an article in response to Tuesday's Brussels attack entitled "Beyond Brussels: 8 Other Cities Were Attacked by Terrorists in March."
Despite the author's declared intention of showing concern for all terror victims around the world, she pointedly ignores all attacks that occurred in Israel and downplayed the choice of Israeli targets.
The list includes attacks in Mali, Istanbul, Nigeria, Ankara, Ivory Coast, and two in Pakistan.
During the same period of time Israel has suffered 13 separate attacks, while many more attempted attacks were foiled by security forces at the last minute. Even though tiny Israel witnessed more terror attacks than the rest of the list combined, CityLab chose not to acknowledge any of them.
Even within its selective list, the author turned a blind eye towards Israeli suffering. Turkish media reported that Saturday's bomber in Istanbul targeted Israelis, who made up three of the five dead. He followed them from their hotel, then approached them before setting off his bomb.
6. WOMAN RIPS UP ISRAELI FLAG AT BRUSSELS MEMORIAL
by Arutz Sheva Staff
A woman at a memorial for the victims of the ISIS attack in Brussels ripped up an Israeli flag on live television.
The French TV station RTL was filming visitors gathered at Brussels' Place de la Bourse Square, which was filled with flags from around the world in an expression of solidarity.
One woman, however, preferred to take the opportunity to express her hatred for Israel, rather than her empathy for Belgium.
She lifted an Israeli flag, ripped it up, and hid the remains under a nearby sign. She was not identified, but was seen wearing a hijad and a black-and-white keffiyeh and carrying a Palestinian flag.
7. US SECRETLY GAVE IRAN $1.7 BILLION IN 'RANSOM PAYMENT'
by Matt Wanderman
The United States government has given Iran almost $2 billion in what is being called a "ransom payment," the Washington Free Beacon reports.
The payments came following three years of secret discussions with the Islamic Republic, and more payments are still expected to be added. Both the discussions and the payments are separate from last year's nuclear deal, which ended with Iran receiving $150 billion in frozen assets from the US.
The transfer was agreed upon in January, but only came to light after Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS) called for an inquiry into a $1.7 billion payment to Iran. He suggested that the money was given to encourage Iran to release hostages.
An assistant secretary for legislative affairs has now provided the Administration's answer to the charges. She claims that the talks focus on clearing up Iranian legal claims against the US, and have been ongoing since 2014. She added that concluding the issues is worth billions of dollars in public money.
The legal issues deal with a large arms deal between the two countries that was signed before the 1979 Iranian revolution. After terrorists besieged the US embassy and took officials hostage, the US canceled the deal. The case is still under review at the Iran-US Claims Tribunal at the Hague.
Iran's "fact-intensive claims involve over 1,000 separate contracts between Iran and the United States," the assistant secretary explained.
There has been no answer to Pompeo's question of whether the payments were intended to convince Tehran to free a group of American prisoners, which it did shortly after the US agreed to hand over the money.
"It would not be in the interest of the United States to discuss further details of the settlement of these claims in an unclassified letter due to the ongoing litigation at the Tribunal," the State Department told Pompeo.
An inside source warned the Free Beacon, "When Iran releases American hostages, and then, on that same day, President Obama announces he is paying Iran $1.7 billion, Congress of course has to ask the hard questions. And when the Obama administration admits that over $1 billion in taxpayer money is going to the Iranian regime, Congress is obligated to respond. The State Department has ducked and dodged–providing a history lesson on international tribunals, focused on actions decades ago, instead of addressing dangerous misdeeds that were potentially just committed. That is suspicious."
"We are confident that this was a good settlement for the American taxpayer," the State Department insists.
8. WATCH: READING MEGILLAH AT YEHOSHUA BIN NUN'S GRAVE
by Orli Harari
[youtube:2013813]
Dozens of Samaria residents entered Yehoshua bin Nun's grave, located in Kifl Hares, early Thursday morning. While there, they prayed the morning prayers and read the Megillah.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan told the worshipers, "Precisely at this time, when the whole world is being attacked by the Arab world, we have come here on the holiday of Purim to be strengthened by Queen Esther's courage and the leader and commander Yehoshua bin Nun's resolution.
"The two figures represent the fighting Jew that picks himself up and fights for his future. We hope that our leaders will also learn from their examples. They should pick up their heads and not give in to every rustle of unease from Europe, which itself doesn't know how to handle the challenges it faces."
Ariel Mayor Eli Shaviro added that "Our strength is in our unity," and thanked the IDF soldiers for their efforts on behalf of the citizens of Israel.
Brigadier General Lior Carmeli, the head of the army's Judea and Samaria Divison, praised the attendees. "I am glad to be here with the residents who are, themselves, strong people as well as happy people. The IDF's role is to be strong on the outside, and yours is to be strong from the inside."
Deputy Regional Council head Davidi ben-Tzion also took part in the event. He said, "Yehoshua bin Nun was the first settler and the first Israeli Chief of Staff, and we are proud to follow in his path. Chaim Weizmann used to say that the State of Israel does not rely on miracles but definitely takes them into account. Reading Megillat Esther at Yehoshua bin Nun's grave is a holy combination of natural leadership and expecting a miracle.
The worshipers entered with the support of the Regional Council and accompanied by the IDF.
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