Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Tuesday, Sep. 13 '16, י' באלול תשע"ו
HEADLINES:
1. IS CLINTON PHYSICALLY FIT TO SERVE?
2. IDF DENIES SYRIA DOWNED ISRAELI PLANES
3. 'IF THE GROOM HAS A SMART PHONE, CANCEL THE WEDDING'
4. IS 9-1-1 PROTECTED AGAINST CYBER-ATTACK?
5. ISIS CALLS ON TERRORISTS IN EUROPE TO INCREASE PACE OF ATTACKS
6. 'I'VE GOT A BULLET FOR YOU, NETANYAHU'
7. COURT APPROVES LAW TARGETING AMERICANS LIVING IN ISRAEL
8. 'OUR SON DIED DURING YOUR CEASEFIRE - TAKE RESPONSIBILITY'
1. IS CLINTON PHYSICALLY FIT TO SERVE?
by Benny Toker
Chairman of the Republican Party in Israel, attorney Marc Zell, on Tuesday called upon the Clinton campaign to release the Democratic nominee's medical records – particularly those concerning her current condition.
"We wish her a complete recovery," Zell told Arutz Sheva, "but we think that given the medical developments [of Hillary Clinton], the American people deserve to know and see whether she is [physically] up to the task."
On Sunday Hillary Clinton was abruptly removed from a 9/11 memorial service in Manhattan after she suffered what was described by witnesses as a "medical episode" or "fainting".
Mrs. Clinton was filmed stumbling as she attempted to leave the scene, and was carried by two aides into a waiting van, which took her to her daughter Chelsea's apartment, where she recuperated.
The incident, and the roughly 30-minute news blackout, during which Clinton campaign officials refused to disclose the former Secretary of State's location or condition, created a media frenzy, reigniting speculation regarding Mrs. Clinton's health – an issue she's long struggled to put to rest.
A Clinton spokesperson later claimed the Democratic presidential nominee had become "overheated" during the 9/11 memorial service, though the campaign further clarified that Mrs. Clinton had been suffering from pneumonia, and had become dehydrated.
But the campaign's handling of the incident and efforts to play down the "medical episode" only added fuel to rumors Clinton is concealing a larger physical ailment – a claim her personal physician has denied.
"I'm not a doctor," Zell added, "but I also can't tell if that was really pneumonia or something else."
"Even before this week's incident, for months there has been a great deal of speculation regarding her physical condition, with no connection to her recent fainting. So the public deserves to know what her condition is, whether it is something temporary or something more serious."
Her campaign's efforts to hide or play down the incident have only further reduced the public's trust in her, Zell said. "The attempt to hide what happened this week adds to a serious trust problem. Even David Axelrod, one of Barack Obama's closest aides, said he couldn't understand why [her campaign] hid Hillary's story and what her physical condition is," Zell continued.
"When you feel that people are lying to you, it's very damaging, and we already see Donald Trump beginning to lead in some national polls."
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2. IDF DENIES SYRIA DOWNED ISRAELI PLANES
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The Syrian military said it shot down two Israeli military aircraft, including a drone, Tuesday morning, alleging they attacked a government-held position in the country's south.
"Our air defenses blocked the attack and shot down the military aircraft in (the southern province of) Quneitra and a drone" in the Golan area said the statement carried by state news agency SANA.
Shortly thereafter, however, an IDF spokesperson denied the claims, saying that no manned Israeli aircraft or drones had been downed. The IDF said that missiles had been fired at the Israeli planes, but had caused no damage.
"Two surface-to-air missiles were fired from Syria overnight after an IDF strike in response to weapons fire [from Syria] last night," the IDF spokesperson said.
"Israeli aircraft were not close to the source of the fire, and the missiles never threatened their targets [the Israeli] aircraft."
AFP contributed to this report
3. 'IF THE GROOM HAS A SMART PHONE, CANCEL THE WEDDING'
by Haim Lev
A statement attributed to Rabbi Haim Kanievsky, one of the leading rabbinic figures in the haredi world, was recently published, calling upon a bride-to-be to cancel her planned marriage after it was learned her fiancé owned a non-Kosher cellular device.
According to a report Tuesday morning in the Kikar HaShabbat website, Rabbi Kanievsky explained his decision, saying that a person within the haredi community who ignored the directives not to possess such a device would not raise children devoted to the faith.
Such a person, the rabbi warned "would not have generations of kosher descendants."
Rabbi Kanievsky has been at the forefront of efforts within the haredi community to ban cellular devices with internet and text message capability, as well as unfiltered internet connections.
Last week it was announced that visitors carrying non-kosher cellular phones were barred from entering the rabbi's home, with a sign warning visitors not to bring such devices onto the premises.
4. IS 9-1-1 PROTECTED AGAINST CYBER-ATTACK?
by Arutz Sheva Staff
The 911 emergency phone lines are critical to national security, and their infrastructure is considered one of the 16 most critical systems in the nation, with the government investing resources in it accordingly.
In the modern era, a successful cyber-attack against it could be crippling. For the sake of illustration, Imagine being unable to reach the police in crime ridden Baltimore (currently suffering from considerable unrest). Alternatively, picture the day of an otherwise minor terror attack, yet a call to 911 produces nothing more than the triplicate beeps of a busy line.
Three researchers in Ben-Gurion University recently published a paper describing the vulnerabilities of the system (and others like it worldwide). The researchers informed the Department of Homeland Defense prior to publication; while the findings were published last Saturday in both the printed and online versions of the Washington Post.
The researchers posited an attack carried out by uploading bots to cellphones, which would then dial the local centers without their owners' knowledge. In North Carolina, for example, just 6000 phones would be sufficient to completely deny service, and just 200 thousand would suffice for the entire country. Worse, all phones are hardwired so that they are able to access emergency call centers even without proper recognition by a local cellphone service. Hence, in the event of an attack, service providers could not even block infected phones from the network.
According to NENA (the national authority responsible for supervising the call centers) they have been aware of the threat for some time and actually informed the DHS about the threat four years ago. Further, according to them, the report actually understates the threat.
5. ISIS CALLS ON TERRORISTS IN EUROPE TO INCREASE PACE OF ATTACKS
by Hillel Fendel
In the wake of the killing of leading ISIS official and spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, ISIS has called on its operatives in Europe to "hurry up to carry out your [terrorist] acts."
ISIS made the call just over a week ago to its cells in Europe in encrypted messages over social media. The Turkish news outlet NTV reported that the Islamic State sent the message via the ISIS-affiliated "Nasir Foundation" to members and sympathizers in Europe.
"Our brothers and sisters in Europe and especially in France, hurry up to carry out your acts," ordered the terrorist group. "Also, be careful and cautious. We hear that many of our brothers get arrested before carrying out their acts. We suggest you delete all the information and messages in your devices relating to the Islamic State, including photos, videos and applications. We also suggest you carry out your acts before it is too late."
Terror attacks are being stopped behind the scenes "all of the time," U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told Fox News this past Friday. Similarly, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said recently that "Every day intelligence services, police, foil attacks, dismantle networks, track terrorists."
The Clarion Project adds that the reported ISIS message was apparently issued following the killing of Ad-Adnani – for which both the U.S. and Russia have taken credit. Calls to avenge his death have been issued by jihadist elements.
More specifically, ISIS declared in its new English-language magazine named Rumiyah (Rome) that it will conquer both Istanbul and Rome. ISIS has explained the name of the publication as rooted in Muhammed's vision that Islam would conquer Rome in the end-times.
In fact, the conquest of Rome has always been a goal of Islam. Clarion quotes journalist Dale Hurd of CBN News as writing, "Muslim scholars say Muhammed prophesied that the two great Roman cities would be conquered: Constantinople and Rome… The Islamic State reveals part of its plan in its publication 'Black Flags From Rome.' It will use sleeper cells, and expects to get help from Muslims serving in European armies and from non-Muslim sympathizers. It also wants to fire missiles into Italy."
Muslim jihadist armies have targeted European and other territories since the inception of Islam some 1,400 years ago – and, unlike Christian movements, continue to do so even today. The Islamic State and many other Islamist groups openly declare that they are still dedicated to their goal of world domination. They seek to do so via violent jihad, but also "peacefully" via an influx of Muslims into local populations and by demanding Islamist privileges such as parallel sharia courts.
6. 'I'VE GOT A BULLET FOR YOU, NETANYAHU'
by Hezki Baruch
A 25-year old man from the predominantly Arab town of Nazareth in northern Israel was arrested Tuesday after he threatened to shoot Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
The suspect allegedly sent a message to the Prime Minister's Office reading: "Look, I've pulled out my gun and put in an iron bullet; I'm going to use it to play Russian roulette with the Binyamin Netanyahu's head."
The Prime Minister's Office informed the police of the threatening message. The suspect was then located and brought into custody. A local court in Nazareth extended his arrested Tuesday morning.
7. COURT APPROVES LAW TARGETING AMERICANS LIVING IN ISRAEL
by David Rosenberg
On Monday the Israeli Supreme Court upheld a law giving US tax authorities access to Israeli bank account information, rejecting claims by petitioners that the law violated personal privacy rights.
The court ruled that the Israeli law, passed as part of an arrangement with the United States Treasury Department, did not violate Israel's Basic Laws of Human Dignity and Liberty.
"Privacy in modern life is very limited," said Justice Menahem Mazuz, one of three judges who ruled on the matter. "This is nothing new, the only change is that the regulations have now been codified into law."
The petitioners included Rinat Schreiber, a dual-citizen with an Israeli bank account, who claimed the law infringed upon her right to privacy.
Earlier this month, the court had placed a temporary injunction against the implementation of the law, which is scheduled to go in effect by September 20th.
On August 1st of this year, the Knesset gave final approval for legislation complying with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), an American law passed during President Obama's first term in office.
Two years earlier, the Israeli government signed an intergovernmental agreement with the US, pledging to comply with the FATCA, requiring Israeli banks to adhere to American Treasury Department regulations regarding the gathering and reporting of information on customers holding American citizenship.
The FATCA, intended to hamper money-laundering schemes and tax evasion by US citizens, has drawn heavy criticism for its broad reach, as well as its application of US authority in sovereign countries.
Banks not in compliance with the FATCA face massive withholding taxes, something opponents of the law say effectively compels countries to consent to the law.
The Economist blasted the law as "extraterritoriality stunning even by Washington's standards… using threats to outsource its financial policing."
The law requires foreign banks to report all accounts held by American citizens – including dual citizens – or Green Card recipients, to oblige all American customers to sign declarations regarding their income and taxable status, and keep the US Treasury Department updated on all accounts for US citizens holding more than $50,000 on a regular basis.
Banks in FATCA-compliant countries like Israel are also required to verify that new customers – regardless of their citizenship – are not Americans or Green Card holders.
American citizens living in Israel have also suffered secondary effects of FATCA, with some banks – such as Bank Leumi – refusing to open new accounts to US citizens, and even closing down existing accounts for customers with less than $50,000 in their accounts.
Even some American citizens in full compliance with the new regulations say after the 2014 intergovernmental agreement, bureaucratic problems left them unable to access their bank accounts, with only small withdrawals permitted, and then only after waiting hours for bank tellers to receive authorization.
Employers, too, have become wary of the compliance costs related to FATCA and the corresponding Israeli law, which creates a strong disincentive to hiring dual US-Israeli citizens.
Justice Hanan Meltzer in part justified the law by noting its acceptance by the United States, saying this created a presumption of constitutionality.
"As long as the US law is in force, there is a presumption of constitutionality in regards to its purposes."
8. 'OUR SON DIED DURING YOUR CEASEFIRE - TAKE RESPONSIBILITY'
by Yoni Kempinski
[youtube:2019109]
As the bereaved parents of Hadar Goldin, an IDF soldier killed by Hamas terrorists in 2014, set off for the United Nations, they reiterated their call for the international community to assist in their effort to recover their son's body for burial.
"The basic message is that Hadar was killed two hours after a ceasefire was declared. Hamas ambushed the Israelis while they were not shooting because they were under the ceasefire protocol."
"We expect that the UN and United States, who brokered the ceasefire, to take responsibility for the return of Hadar and Oron for burial in their homeland."
The bodies of both Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who was also killed by Hamas in 2014, have been held by the terror group in Gaza.
Given Gaza's dependence on humanitarian aid and the Hamas regime's demands for increased support from abroad, the Goldin's are optimistic foreign pressure could lead to the release of the bodies for burial in Israel.
"The whole world is struggling now to rebuild Gaza, and we keep saying that the return of Hadar and Oron is the basic humanitarian value according to all religions, including Islam. We're looking to find the linkage between our basic humanitarian value to the world issue of humanitarian aid, and by creating this linkage, make it clear that there are no free meals. If you want the world to assist you, then you have to adhere to our basic values and not violate them."
"Hadar used to say when he was asked by soldiers why are we doing this and that, he would say 'Because Am Yisrael needs you to do that.' And now we are approaching Am Yisrael to bring Hadar [back home]."
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