Israel Report Is a Student Publication Of
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
To provide greater exposure to primary Israeli news sources and opinions in order to become better informed on the issues, and to gain a better understanding of the wide range of perspectives that exist in Israeli society and politics. Issue 989 • January 15, 2016 • 4 Shevat 5776 LIKUD CANCELS ONE-MAN PRIMARIES, DECLARES NETANYAHU close proximity to Israel's border with Gaza. VICTOR (Times of Israel 1/13/16) The Likud party on Wednesday called off much-criticized leadership UNUSUAL ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE TARGETS TERROR CELL NEAR GAZA primaries, declaring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the winner without BORDER (Ha’aretz 1/13/16) the formality of having him run as the sole candidate. The Israel Air Force struck a cell that was planting explosives in the northern Voting had been scheduled for February 23 but the party’s internal court Gaza Strip, near the border fence, on Wednesday morning. Officials in Gaza accepted a petition from the Likud’s comptroller against holding the elections reported that one person was killed and three were wounded in the attack. due to cost. By canceling the primaries, the party is estimated to have saved Media in Gaza identified the man killed in the strike as Moussa Zeitar, 23. about NIS 4 million ($1 million). This is an unusual operation, considering the Israel Defense Forces normally Earlier this week the Likud Central Committee unanimously agreed to go carries out air strikes only in response to rocket fire. Following the attack, the ahead with the vote next month, even after no challengers to Netanyahu IDF instructed farmers in the area to stay away from the border fence. announced their candidacy by the Sunday deadline. Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil said that the attack was "playing with fire" Some 100,000 voters would have been eligible to either cast a ballot for on Israel's part. He said Israel miscalculated by striking Gaza and added the Netanyahu, or a blank white slip, which would be considered the same as a attack was another crime by Israel against the Palestinian people. non vote, guaranteeing the prime minister a unanimous win in the poll. In October, a Palestinian was killed and three others were wounded by IDF The party had come under criticism for deciding to go ahead with the vote, gunfire in clashes near the border fence. A senior Israeli officer said that the which was derided as a North Korea-style farce and waste of money. Gazan who was killed was a member of a sniper cell that was attacked by In December 2015, the party’s powerful central committee voted to approve security forces. Netanyahu’s request to move up the leadership primaries to February, which the prime minister argued would stabilize the governing coalition and its GAZA COURT SENTENCES 4 TO DEATH FOR “SPYING FOR ISRAEL” razor-thin Knesset majority. (Times of Israel 1/13/16) Opponents had argued that bringing forward the primaries instead of holding A court in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Wednesday sentenced four them closer to the next general elections could stymie attempts by potential Palestinians to death on charges of spying for Israel, court sources said. competitors to run against the prime minister. The court said in a brief statement that a 23-year-old man from the Zeitoun A year ago, facing a shaky coalition, Netanyahu brought the leadership area south of Gaza City had been sentenced to death on espionage charges. primaries forward; in that instance, the aim was to prevent rival Gideon Sa’ar It did not provide his name. Three other men who “fled from justice” were from mounting a successful counterbid for the leadership. Sa’ar subsequently also found guilty in absentia, it said. pulled out of the race. A court source told AFP the four were convicted on “charges of spying for the Likud lawmakers Oren Hazan and Avi Dichter mulled runs against Netanyahu occupation”, including “surveillance” and providing information about cars and in the 2016 leadership primaries, but both declined to challenge him in the end. Israel Report is a Student Publication of REPORT: HAMAS TERROR NETWORK TUNNEL ALMOST REBUILT Yair Knoller, Editor-in-Chief Zev Jarashow, Yosef Segal, Daniel Zolty, and Yonatan Kurtz, Editors (Arutz-7 INN.com 1/13/16) We are proud to be distributed by these institutions, though they do not necessarily support or condone The Hamas terrorist organization in investing great efforts and funds into any of the material published: rebuilding its terror tunnel network that was destroyed during Operation Anshei Chesed Cong., Boynton Beach, FL Hillel at California State University - Long Beach Bergen County High School of Jewish Studies Hillel at Columbia University Protective Edge, according to Haaretz, and the number of reconstructed Boca Raton Synagogue, FL Hillel at Johns Hopkins University tunnels is nearing the amount of tunnels connecting Gaza and Israel prior to Carmel School, Hong Kong Hillel at Yale University Chabad of Oak Park, CA Hillel High School, Deal NJ the 2014 operation. Cong. Agudath Achim, Bradley Beach, NJ Jewish Center of Teaneck, NJ Thirty-two out of 49 “terror tunnels” were identified and destroyed by IDF Cong. Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, NJ Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi, Cedarhurst, NY Cong. Ahavath Achim, Fairfield, CT Kemp Mill Synagogue, Silver Spring, MD forces during Operation Protective Edge. Roughly one-third of the tunnels Cong. Anshe Shalom, Jamaica Estates, NY Mizrachi Shul, Johannesburg, SA were dug east of the security fence; on Israeli soil. Cong. Beth Aaron, Teaneck, NJ North Shore Hebrew Academy HS, NY Cong. Beth Shalom, Monroe Twp, NJ Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, NJ Citing Haaretz, i24 news reported Tuesday that while it is unclear how many Cong. Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, NJ The Learning Shul, Columbia, SC tunnels were rebuilt and how many were newly dug, the number of currently Cong. Ohr Torah, Edison, NJ Woodsburgh, NY Minyan existing tunnels most likely is similar to their number before Protective Edge. Cong. Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, NJ Young Israel Bet Tefilah of Aberdeen, NJ Cong. Sons of Israel, Allentown, PA Young Israel of Brookline, MA Reports that Hamas has been restoring its “terror tunnel” network are not Cong. Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck, NJ Young Israel of East Brunswick, NJ news to the Israeli government. MK Omer Bar-Lev (Zionist Union) said as Cong. Zichron R. M. Feinstein, Brooklyn, NY Young Israel of Fort Lee, NJ Delray Orthodox Synagogue, Delray Beach, FL Young Israel of Hancock Park, CA early as May of 2015 that Hamas "has returned to digging tunnels and one or East Denver Orthodox Synagogue, CO Young Israel of Holliswood, NY more of them have crossed the border fence, attacking the sovereignty of the Flatbush Park Jewish Center, Mill Basin, NY Young Israel of Houston, TX Harvard University Library Young Israel of New Hyde Park, NY State of Israel." Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, NY Young Israel of North Woodmere, NY In August of last year, the IDF revealed that Israeli security forces had Hillel at Baruch College Young Israel of New Rochelle, NY Hillel at Brandeis University Young Israel of Sharon, MA arrested a Hamas terrorist for actively planning tunnel terror attacks from YI Shomrai Emunah, Silver Spring, MD within the Gaza Strip. We encourage our readers to subscribe to our sources on the internet. For more information or to Gaza Division officers also reported seeing construction work and digging in subscribe by e-mail, reach us at [email protected] 2 homes to help Israel plan alleged assassinations. information via email lists. The suspects also created a telephone hotline Hamas, a terror group sworn to Israel’s destruction, took over the Gaza Strip which they termed “The line of Defense” which people were able to call in to in 2007 after a battle with Fatah, which runs the Palestinian Authority. Eighty and receive the information regarding the enlisting men. Last night during a death sentences have been given in Gaza since that date. raid, police garnered evidence and seized documents and computers that The Islamist group has previously carried out executions against those link the suspects to these crimes. accused of dealing with Israelis, with the killings sometimes taking place in Local Jerusalem court extended their detention for an extra five days and public squares. Under Palestinian law, collaborators, murderers and drug placed a publicity ban on the names of the accused. Following their arrest, traffickers can face the death penalty. tens of haredi extremists protested outside the Jerusalem court on Wednesday morning, blocking the street that lead to the court. GERMANY TO LEASE ISRAELI DRONES FOR 580 MILLION EUROS Five haredi men were arrested for disturbing the peace and attacking an (Israel Hayom 1/13/16) officer during the protest. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday announced plans for the army to lease Heron TP drones from Israel Aerospace ISRAELI STUDY USES GOLD PARTICLES TO “SEEK AND DESTROY Industries rather than buy Predator B drones from U.S. defense contractor ARTERY BLOCKAGES (Times of Israel 1/13/16) General Atomics. Israeli researchers are developing a novel method to treat life-threatening Inspector General Volker Wieker, chief of staff of the Germany armed forces, blockages in arteries, using gold nanoparticles to “color” potential problem favors the Israeli drones which like the Predator B can be armed, government areas, and possibly even to treat them. sources said, adding that Germany planned to lease between three and five A recent study by scientists at Bar-Ilan University examines the use of gold drones from 2018. The unmanned aerial vehicles are to be stationed in Israel nanorods to help treat atherosclerosis — a vascular disease in which artery and will cost about 580 million euros ($630 million).