Israel Report Is a Student Publication of Resources, Dealing with the Housing Crisis, Reducing the Cost of Living, Encouraging Growth and Improving Productivity

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Israel Report Is a Student Publication of Resources, Dealing with the Housing Crisis, Reducing the Cost of Living, Encouraging Growth and Improving Productivity 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 1036 • December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 STATE ASKS HIGH COURT TO POSTPONE AMONA EVICTION BY 45 duty when they do so, Haaretz has learned. DAYS (Israel Hayom 12/21/16) The new policy is expected to take effect in early 2017. The State Attorney's Office on Tuesday asked the High Court of Justice to Current orders call to court martial any soldier caught possessing any postpone the eviction of the Samaria outpost of Amona by 45 days. The narcotics, marijuana included, even in a civilian setting. outpost is slated to be evicted by Dec. 25. The revised policy would still permit a soldier to be charged for smoking In an agreement with the government reached earlier this week, the residents marijuana or hashish even off duty, but provides an easy loophole to get the were set to be relocated to a nearby plot of land known as Parcel 38, case closed or the charges dropped. The accused soldier would have to registered as abandoned property. However, on Monday, the Yesh Din provide urine samples once a month under a year's probationary period, human rights organization claimed that 90% of the plot belongs to a exhibit motivation for rehabilitation and commit to completing their term of Palestinian man. The organization supported its claim with aerial service with a clean record, and showing they are "back on the right path." photographs apparently showing that the land had been cultivated until 1997. The IDF also intends to alter its policy toward refusal to provide a urinary In a continuance motion, the state argued that as the ownership claim of the sample, and submit such offenders to a disciplinary rather than a criminal new site must be resolved, it is impossible to find an alternative solution for proceeding. The policy change may not necessarily bring more lenient Amona's residents by the Dec. 25 court-ordered deadline. sentences for this infraction, as currently the penalty for rejecting a narcotics "This short continuance is necessary to complete the efforts to find temporary exam is usually brief incarceration, while disciplinary action decided by a housing solutions for the residents of Amona. The government has made it commander can be harsher. clear that it will not motion for a second continuance and that the time frame The army intends to take a similar approach toward other less-serious in question is final," the state argued. It added that some arrangements are offenses, such as minor property theft and falsely calling in sick. already being made to accommodate Amona's residents in the nearby The new directives will apply only to soldiers in compulsory service, not to community of Ofra. officers or non-commissioned officers (NCOs). A ban on smoking marijuana or partaking of any other drugs while on the base will remain in force. KNESSET APPROVES 2017-2018 BUDGET (Arutz-7 INN.com 12/22/16) IDF policy calls for no leniency to be shown any soldier convicted of using The Knesset on Wednesday night approved the state budget and economic narcotics, even for a single offense. Soldiers suspected of pushing narcotics plan for 2017-2018 by a majority of 60 to 48. would also continue to be prosecuted. On Tuesday, the 2017-2018 budget was approved by the Knesset’s Finance The Military Prosecutor’s office says that the harsher policy pursued for Committee, which then sent it to the Knesset for its final two readings. decades has not proven effective and that resources would be better spent The budget for 2017 will be 359.7 billion shekels, and in 2018 the budget will rehabilitating soldiers using the substance occasionally rather than having stand at 376.7 billion shekels. them spend a month in a military prison. The deficit ceiling in 2017-2018 will be 2.9% of GDP. The budget is based on the principles of equitable distribution of national Israel Report is a Student Publication of resources, dealing with the housing crisis, reducing the cost of living, encouraging growth and improving productivity. Daniel Zolty, Editor-in-Chief Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) welcomed the approval of the Yonatan Kurz, Moshe Davis, Alex Ostrin and Yoav Zolty, Editors We are proud to be distributed by these institutions, though they do not necessarily support or condone budget. any of the material published: "The budget approved today is a social one. It’s a budget which provides aid Anshei Chesed Cong., Boynton Beach, FL Hillel at Brandeis University and assistance to all sectors of the population. This budget is for all the Bergen County High School of Jewish Studies Hillel at California State University - Long Beach Boca Raton Synagogue, FL Hillel at Columbia University citizens. No right, left or center. It’s a social budget that addresses all aspects Carmel School, Hong Kong Hillel at Johns Hopkins University of our lives. It is a budget for growth, reducing social gaps, increasing public Cong. Agudath Achim, Bradley Beach, NJ Hillel at Yale University Cong. Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, NJ Hillel High School, Deal NJ spending, tax cuts and continued momentum of all the government ministries Cong. Ahavath Achim, Fairfield, CT Jewish Center of Teaneck, NJ with an emphasis on the social ministries,” he said. Cong. Anshe Shalom, Jamaica Estates, NY Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi, Cedarhurst, NY Cong. Anshe Sholom, New Rochelle, NY Kemp Mill Synagogue, Silver Spring, MD Opposition leader MK Yitzhak Herzog (Zionist Union) attacked the budget Cong. Beth Aaron, Teaneck, NJ Mizrachi Shul, Johannesburg, SA and described it as "boring, with no new message to the people of Israel, a Cong. Beth Shalom, Monroe Twp, NJ North Shore Hebrew Academy HS, NY Cong. Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, NJ Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, NJ budget which totally missed its purpose. A budget without hope and without Cong. Etz Ahaim, Highland Park, NJ The Learning Shul, Columbia, SC solutions to the daily economic distresses of the citizens of Israel." Cong. Ohr Torah, Edison, NJ Woodsburgh, NY Minyan Herzog accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his coalition of Cong. Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, NJ Young Israel Bet Tefilah of Aberdeen, NJ Cong. Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, NJ Young Israel of Brookline, MA being "disconnected from the public, imposing a hidden tax on citizens, Cong. Sons of Israel, Allentown, PA Young Israel of East Brunswick, NJ spending huge sums of money and dividing the money according to narrow Cong. Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck, NJ Young Israel of Fort Lee, NJ Cong. Zichron R. M. Feinstein, Brooklyn, NY Young Israel of Hancock Park, CA interests, to anyone who threatens you, to your cronies and for purposed of Delray Orthodox Synagogue, Delray Beach, FL Young Israel of Holliswood, NY political bribery.” East Denver Orthodox Synagogue, CO Young Israel of Houston, TX Flatbush Park Jewish Center, Mill Basin, NY Young Israel of New Hyde Park, NY Harvard University Library Young Israel of North Woodmere, NY ISRAELI ARMY TO ALLOW OFF-DUTY SOLDIERS TO SMOKE Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, NY Young Israel of New Rochelle, NY Hillel at Baruch College Young Israel of Sharon, MA MARIJUANA UP TO FIVE TIMES (Ha’aretz 12/21/16) YI Shomrai Emunah, Silver Spring, MD Israel's Military Prosecutor plans to revise its policy on marijuana use, and We encourage our readers to subscribe to our sources on the internet. For more information or to permit IDF soldiers to smoke weed up to five times, as long as they're off- subscribe by e-mail, reach us at [email protected] 2 An estimated 40-50 percent of military police intelligence resources is spent continuous manner, and will open this abscess to courageously arrive at the on investigating drug-related crimes in the military, more than any other type truth. It's important to promote DNA testing that can help reveal things we of infraction. cannot find by the protocols." The army hopes the new policy will make it possible to reduce the dropout Hanegbi said: "As someone who has read the minutes and is familiar with the rate, since sentencing soldiers to time at the stockade often leads to the end issue since youth as a member of the Yemenite community -- and as a health of their military service. minister who used his position to start a pilot study to exhume graves for The IDF Spokesperson has confirmed the details of these planned revisions. DNA verification in 1996 -- it's difficult for me to accept the state investigation commission's explanations, which are organizational and bureaucratic. ISRAEL'S ENVOY TO ANKARA RECEIVED LETTER FROM RUSSIAN "The explanations look disingenuous. The heart of the establishment was AMBASSADOR DAY AFTER ASSASSINATION (JPost 12/21/16) hard toward the immigrants, and the behavior did not reflect the values of the Eitan Na’eh, Israel’s new ambassador to Turkey, opened a letter on Tuesday Jewish people. The step we just took through the government and Knesset morning from one of his colleagues in Ankara welcoming him to his job. will enable anyone who chooses to investigate. “I look forward with great pleasure in entering both into official and personal "It will be possible to obtain information on the state archives website. relations with you and avail myself of this opportunity to assure you of my Material from state investigation commissions has never been published in sincere desire to maintain and strengthen the excellent relations which so Israel, except for the protocols.
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