Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday
Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe/
Tuesday, May. 17 '16, Iyar 9, 5776
HEADLINES:
1. 'DETAILS OF IRAN'S TREATMENT OF SAILORS WILL SHOCK THE NATION'
2. HUGE GAINS FOR BENNETT, LIBERMAN AS HERZOG PLUMMETS IN POLL
3. CHEMICAL SPILL IN JERUSALEM, RESIDENTS TOLD TO REMAIN INDOORS
4. WILL KERRY GO? FRENCH MIDEAST SUMMIT POSTPONED AS US DITHERS
5. REPORT: HERZOG DEMANDED JUSTICE AND CULTURE PORTFOLIOS
6. SWEDISH JOURNALIST-TURNED-POLITICAN DEFENDS ISRAEL IN EU
7. ILLEGAL ARAB HOUSES DEMOLISHED IN CITY OF DAVID
8. A LOOK INSIDE BEN GURION AIRPORT'S SPECIAL EMERGENCY EXERCISE
1. 'DETAILS OF IRAN'S TREATMENT OF SAILORS WILL SHOCK THE NATION'
by Ben Ariel
The classified details behind Iran's treatment of several American sailors who were captured by the country in January are likely to shock the nation, Rep. Randy Forbes, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told the Washington Free Beacon on Monday.
Forbes (R-VA) told the news website that the Obama administration is still keeping details of the maritime incident under wraps, and it could be a year or longer before the American public receives a full accounting of the incident, in which several U.S. sailors were abducted at gunpoint by the Iranian military.
"I've had a full classified briefing" from military officials, Forbes told the Free Beacon. "It could be as long as a year before we actually get that released."
Details of the abduction are likely to start an uproar in the nation and call into question the Obama administration's handling of the incident, which many experts say violated international and maritime law, he added.
"I think that when the details actually come out, most Americans are going to be kind of taken aback by the entire incident, both how Iran handled it and how we handled it," Forbes disclosed. "I think that's going to be huge cause for concern for most Americans. That's why I've encouraged members of Congress to get that briefing so they do know exactly what did take place."
In the incident in January, 10 sailors were captured and briefly detained by Iran, which released them a day later, claiming the U.S. "apologized" for the incident, as per Tehran's demands.
Iran took advantage of the incident to publicly humiliate the United States, publishing embarrassing photos of the American soldiers in tears while in captivity.
Forbes suggested to the Free Beacon that Iran's treatment of the U.S. sailors may have been much worse than what has been publicly reported.
"I think clearly there were violations of international and maritime law that took place here," he told the news website. "We [the United States] did almost nothing in response, in fact, to have Secretary [of State John] Kerry actually thank them for releasing our sailors after the way they captured them, I think was a slap in the sailors' face."
Forbes is pushing a new measure that would increase sanctions on Tehran for its treatment of the U.S. sailors in order to hold Iran accountable for its aggressive behavior, he said.
The measure outlines a range of Iranian aggressions against U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region.
Forbes' comments come a week after the Navy officer who oversaw the 10 sailors who were captured was relieved of his duties due to what was described as "loss of confidence" in his ability.
Congress must take action to hold Iran accountable for its aggressive military behavior, Forbes said.
"These kind of actions undermine stability in the Gulf," he told the Free Beacon. "And they raise the danger of inadvertent escalation."
"I think it goes without saying that if that's the case and they won't stop that activity, all of that should at least be considered and debated as part of any Iran sanctions bill that may come up in the future."
2. HUGE GAINS FOR BENNETT, LIBERMAN AS HERZOG PLUMMETS IN POLL
by David Rosenberg
A new poll published Tuesday is bad news for Zionist Union chief Isaac Herzog – and very good news for Israel's nationalist camp.
According to the poll, which was conducted by Panels Politics on behalf of Maariv, the Zionist Union party – a joint ticket of the Labor and HaTnua factions – would plummet from the 24 seats it current holds to a mere 13 if new elections were held today.
The Likud dips slightly, falling from its current 30 seats to 26.
The haredi Shas party would remain stable at 7 seats, while the United Torah Judaism party would inch upwards from 6 to 7 seats. The leftwing Meretz party would also gain slightly, moving up to 7 seats from 5.
But the big winners are the Jewish Home and Yisrael Beytenu parties. Naftali Bennett's Jewish Home list would rise from the 8 seats it won in 2015 to 14, while Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu would nearly double, surging from 6 seats at present to 11.
As a whole, the rightwing-religious bloc – including Likud, Jewish Home, Yisrael Beytenu, Shas, and UTJ – would rise from 57 seats at present to 65.
Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party also appears poised for a comeback, rising from 11 seats to 18. Much of Lapid's rise can be attributed to the decline of the Knesset's other centrist party, Moshe Kachlon's Kulanu, which declines from 10 seats to 6.
The predominately Arab Joint List party, an amalgamation of several small anti-Zionist Arab factions, would fall from 13 seats to 11.
The Maariv poll also explores a number of possible scenarios involving Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon.
Yaalon's recent spat with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over the right of army officers to speak out on hot-button political issues has led to speculation that the Defense Minister could be aiming for control of the Likud, or the formation of a new center or center-right party.
Despite his popularity among the Israeli public, however, Yaalon has little electoral appeal.
As head of the Likud, Yaalon would underperform Netanyahu by 7 points, winning just 19 seats compared to Netanyahu's 26. Under Yaalon's leadership, the Likud would hemorrhage voters to the Jewish Home, Yisrael Beytenu, Shas, and Kulanu parties.
In a hypothetical scenario where the Defense Minister bolted from the Likud and won control of the Zionist Union, he would do little better than current party chief Isaac Herzog, winning just 17 seats, compared to 13 for Herzog and 24 seats which the party currently holds.
Even atop a new center-right faction bringing together Moshe Kahlon and former Likud minister Gideon Saar, Yaalon would come in a distant second to Netanyahu. The center-right "dream-team" party would net 17 compared to 26 for the Likud.
3. CHEMICAL SPILL IN JERUSALEM, RESIDENTS TOLD TO REMAIN INDOORS
by Eliran Aharon
A truck carrying chemicals for industrial use dumped what appears to be a potent disinfectant used in the poultry industry onto the streets of a northern Jerusalem neighborhood on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Moshe Dayan Boulevard, the main thoroughfare in the Pisgat Zeev neighborhood in northeastern Jerusalem. Home to more than 50,000 residents, Pisgat Zeev is the capital's largest neighborhood.
Units from the Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services arrived on the scene to contain and clean the chemical spill. Officials warned residents to remain indoors until the cleaning operation was completed.
Residents reported suffering from vomiting and severe burning in the eyes following the spill.
Police shut down a large section of Moshe Dayan Boulevard near the Pisgat Zeev Mall.
Because of the spill's proximity to the light rail, train service from Ammunition Hill to Pisgat Zeev has been temporarily suspended.
Road blocked after chemical spill in Pisgat Zeev Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson
4. WILL KERRY GO? FRENCH MIDEAST SUMMIT POSTPONED AS US DITHERS
by David Rosenberg
A planned Middle East peace summit hosted by the French government has US Secretary of State John Kerry in a bind, pitting the Obama administration's hopes that the meeting will rekindle stalled talks against the State Department's long standing support for bilateral negotiations.
While Kerry has suggested that scheduling issues could prevent his attendance, France has stated the summit will be postponed to fit with the Secretary's other commitments.
The peace summit, organized by the French Foreign Ministry and originally scheduled for later this month, has won the enthusiastic backing of the Palestinian Authority, who see the event as an opportunity to evade direct one-on-one negotiations with Israel and apply acute pressure on the Jewish state to make concessions.
Israel has rejected the proposed summit, stating that it negates the principle of bilateral negotiations without preconditions or external interference.
The summit was initially framed as an ultimatum, threatening that should Israel fail to attend, or if the two sides should fail to reach an agreement by the end of the summit, France would unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood.
The French Foreign Ministry later walked back that claim, stating that recognition of a Palestinian state "would not be automatic".
The upcoming summit has left the US State Department torn between hopes that the event could spark momentum on the diplomatic front, and its own commitment to the resumption direct bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
American and foreign officials have given mixed messages regarding whether Secretary of State John Kerry will attend the summit.
While Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat claimed that Kerry assured PA President Mahmoud Abbas that he would indeed attend, on Tuesday State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the Secretary was not available for the May 30th summit.
US officials noted that the original date of the summit coincided with Memorial Day.
Shortly thereafter, however, French President Francois Hollande announced that the peace summit would be postponed, so as to enable the Secretary of State to attend.
"John Kerry cannot come on May 30, so it has been delayed. It will take place in the summer," Hollande told French radio.
Hollande insisted that the summit was of paramount importance, saying that France must lead with "a strong initiative", AFP reported.
"If not... what will happen? Settlement building, attacks," he said. "We are going to work will all the actors, the big countries and neighboring nations, to create the parameters that will allow the Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table."
Despite France's willingness to reschedule the conference, however, State Department officials refused to commit, saying that Kerry's agenda was "jammed".
5. REPORT: HERZOG DEMANDED JUSTICE AND CULTURE PORTFOLIOS
by Ben Ariel
More details are emerging about Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Zionist Union chairman Yitzhak Herzog's meeting on Sunday night on the possible formation of a unity government.
According to Haaretz, despite the fact that Herzog's associates claimed that the talks hadn't made progress, Netanyahu, in various conversations he had on Monday, expressed optimism about being able to wrap up the process in the near future.
The meeting, which was first reported by Channel 2, was long and came after weeks during which the two hadn't met face to face, according to the newspaper.
Herzog reportedly asked for a significant improvement in the offers that had been made so far so that he could persuade party colleagues to join him.
"We're not talking only about ideological issues, but also about jobs. Herzog isn't happy with the portfolios he's meant to get and is asking that his party get either justice, communications, or culture," a coalition source told Haaretz on Monday night, adding, "The ministers holding these positions are considered red flags from the left's perspective and removing Ayelet Shaked, Miri Regev or Netanyahu himself from these portfolios would be considered a significant achievement."
At the same time, the source stressed that he "didn't get the impression that Netanyahu plans to give in on this."
Education Minister Naftali Bennett has made it clear that the Jewish Home party would leave the coalition if Shaked would lose the justice portfolio to Zionist Union.
Herzog, meanwhile, has also demanded to be involved in drawing up the natural gas framework and that a series of controversial bills be taken off the agenda.
The report about Herzog's latest demands follows a Channel 10 report on Sunday which said that Herzog and Netanyahu had been drafting an announcement on a construction freeze in Judea and Samaria, which was reportedly one of Herzog's main demands.
Such an announcement would not mean much, however, since there already is a de facto construction freeze in Judea and Samaria, and would merely serve as a "headline" to help the Labor Central Committee approve a motion to join the coalition.
Meanwhile, polls released on Monday evening found that the Zionist Union would lose seats in the next election if it joins Netanyahu's coalition. The polls also found that the majority of Israelis are opposed to a unity government.
Following the release of those polls, Zionist Union MKs, already against a unity government, called on Herzog to immediately stop his talks with Netanyahu.
6. SWEDISH JOURNALIST-TURNED-POLITICAN DEFENDS ISRAEL IN EU
by David Rosenberg
At first blush, Lars Adaktusson hardly seems like a likely Israel supporter. A former journalist and Swedish politician serving as a Member of the European Parliament, Adaktusson's curriculum vitae make him unique among Israel's defenders abroad.
Indeed, Adaktusson, a member of the Christian Democrats, often finds himself at odds with his own government, particularly on the issue of Israel.
Sweden's Foreign Minister, Margot Wallstrom, has earned a reputation for her harsh criticism of Israel and often baseless claims. In December, for example, Wallstrom suggested that Israel was systematically "executing" Arab terrorists. Earlier last year, Wallstrom blamed the Paris terror attacks in November on "Palestinian frustration" with Israel.
Speaking to Yediot Ahronot on Tuesday, Adaktusson offered his view on why so many in Sweden – and Europe generally – have such a dim view of the Jewish state.
"It's [part] of a long process," he said. "We've had a problem with biased media reports, and we have a strong leftist movement – both in the Social Democrats Party and in other leftist parties – whose hostility towards Israel is very strong. We need to deal with this basic hostility in Sweden, and it's a problem."
Adaktusson expressed hope that as Europeans struggle with the rising threat of terrorism at home, they will be better able to understand the difficulties Israelis face every day.
"I hope that people understand what Israel has to deal with – the stabbings, the various continuing attacks by Hamas. The facts speak for themselves."
Regarding the future of relations between Israel and the European Union, however, Adaktusson argued that both sides had room for improvement.
"As far as diplomatic relations, we're talking about something that's two-sided. We need to be more open to and more willing to have good relations with Israel on a variety of levels, and to strengthen our ties and relations [between us]. But that also will require from the Israeli side a willingness to listen to Europe and also listen to criticism."
7. ILLEGAL ARAB HOUSES DEMOLISHED IN CITY OF DAVID
by Arutz Sheva Staff
Two illegal Arab houses built in the Jerusalem Walls National Park in 2002 were demolished on Tuesday morning by the Israel Parks Authority and Jerusalem district police.
The park is located in the historic City of David near the Old City of Jerusalem.
The houses were originally scheduled to be destroyed prior to the Passover holiday in April, but hours ahead of the planned operation the demolition order was delayed by the Prime Minister's Office.
Following weeks of pressure to enforce the orders against the two buildings, Jerusalem district police arrived Tuesday morning with demolition workers and leveled the structures.
Two months ago a Jerusalem court rejected an appeal by the residents of the illegal houses, ruling that there was no basis for any further delays of the existing demolition orders.
The Regavim organization, a watchdog group which monitors illegal construction throughout Israel, praised Israeli police and the Parks Authority for enforcing the orders against the homes.
"These are homes that were built inside of a very important national park [nearly] 15 years ago. We've been in a legal war of attrition for so long until the problems were fixed and the situation restored to its original state. That's why it's so important to strengthen the national parks in Jerusalem and to enable immediate enforcement against any new incursion."
8. A LOOK INSIDE BEN GURION AIRPORT'S SPECIAL EMERGENCY EXERCISE
by Yoni Kempinski
[youtube:2015375]
Ben Gurion Airport conducted a massive training exercise on Tuesday, preparing a new runway ahead of what is anticipated to be the busiest travel season in Israel's history.
A huge deployment of emergency units from the Israel Airports Authority, local fire departments, and other organizations participated in the exercise, which simulated a crash by an Airbus civilian jetliner carrying 178 passengers.
In the exercise, a plane, carrying some 13,500 tons of fuel, took off at 10:00 a.m. local time on a flight to Amsterdam. During takeoff, the flight crew felt abnormal vibrations in the cockpit. A crew member sitting in the cabin also reported feeling tremors.
At the same time, the airport's foreign object detection system (FOD) picks up pieces of the jetliner's tire on one of the runways.
Fifteen minutes into the flight, the plane's crew have detected a drop in hydraulic oil pressure, leading the control tower at Ben Gurion to suggest that the plane return immediately to the airport and land. At this point, some 20 minutes before the plane actually lands, an emergency situation is declared.
While attempting to land the plane crashes on the runway. Emergency fire and rescue forces rush to the scene. Large numbers of wounded passengers are taken off of the plane and evacuated by MDA ambulances. At the same time a family treatment center is opened to deal with the emergency. Dozens of actors were brought in to help simulate the disaster.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) spoke on Tuesday about the importance of airport preparation ahead of the busy summer travel season.
"Ben Gurion Airport functions at an extremely high level of operational alertness. The airport's infrastructure was also designed to provide a very high level of safety, including the new control tower building, the latest safety measures, and upgraded runways."
"Our safety infrastructure allows us to implement the 'Open Skies' policy and to receive a greater number of flights. We're about to begin the busiest summer travel season ever as far as Ben Gurion Airport is concerned, and this exercise highlights the airport's preparations for our busiest travel season ever."
MDA
Israel Airport Authority
------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to this Daily Israel Report:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Subscribe/
