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| Sunday, Apr 21 '13, Iyar 11, 5773 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. US-Israel Arms Deal Sends ‘Clear Signal’ to Iran, Says Hagel
by Chana Ya'ar  A multi-billion dollar arms deal with Israel is designed to send a “clear message” to Iran, says U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. A major U.S. defense contract with Israel sends a “very clear signal” to Iran that military action remains an option on the table, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters on Sunday just before his arrival in Israel for a two-day visit. The American official was asked if the multi-billion dollar arms package with Israel is intended to convey the message that the U.S. is willing to consider a military strike to stop from completing its nuclear military goals. Prior to landing at Ben Gurion International Airport, Hagel told journalists, “I don’t think there’s any question that’s another very clear signal to Iran,” AFP reported. The arms deal would provide Israel with missiles for its fighter aircraft, V-22 Osprey transport planes and KC-135 refueling planes that could be used in a long-range strike against a nation like Iran. Hagel said the United States and Israel see “exactly the same” threat from Iran, although the two differ on the time line for the need to intervene with military action. The defense secretary underscored his view that as a sovereign nation, Israel has the right to decide for itself whether and when to pre-empt any attack from Iran. “Israel will make the decision that Israel must make to protect itself, to defend itself,” Hagel said while still on the plane prior to his arrival in Israel. But although the two allies may differ on their view of the timing, he said there is “no daylight at all” between Israel and the U.S. on the primary goal of preventing Iran from completing its goal of creating an atomic weapon of mass destruction. “In dealing with Iran, every option must be on the table,” he said.
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2. Peace Now’s ‘Here’s the Money’ Video Ridiculed
by Maayana Miskin  Peace Now’s latest criticism of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria (Shomron) is a classic example of shooting first and then drawing the target, community leaders accused Sunday. The far-left group released a new video targeting Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who used the phrase, “Where’s the money” as a slogan during the latest elections campaign. The video included a clip of Lapid accusing the government of financing Israel communities in Judea and Samaria – including those which, he said, are unlikely to remain Israeli in the long term – at the expense of the middle class. It then listed several items included in the government budget that relate to spending in the region, giving the impression of a government that spends billions on settlement. In reality, said acting Samaria Regional Council chief Yossi Dagan, Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria not only do not get more funding than their counterparts west of the 1949 armistice line, but actually are given less funding than comparable communities. “This is one of the most absurd documents that I have seen in several years,” he said. “Peace Now fired the arrow called ‘the money is going to settlement,’ and now they are trying to draw a target around it.” For example, he said, “The video clip includes the cost of building and developing educational institutions in Judea and Samaria. For instance, if 400,000 residents of Judea and Samaria were living in northern Tel Aviv, the Education Ministry wouldn’t have to build schools or daycare centers for their children.” Another example is Peace Now’s citation of the government subsidy for bus tickets in the region, he said. “Peace Now forgot to mention that the subsidy was promoted by the defense establishment, in order to encourage young people to travel on buses with reinforced windows instead of hitchhiking,” Dagan said. The group also “forgot” that government money went to provide extra security on buses in the region “following the failed diplomatic agreements of which Peace Now was one of the loudest and most vocal supporters,” he said, adding, “By the way, the need to encourage people to travel on buses stems from the discrimination against [Judea and Samaria] regarding the frequency of buses and the number of lines running in comparison to Galilee communities.” In general, he said, Peace Now is comparing communities in Judea and Samaria to Israeli communities that do not face the challenge of being a frequent target for terrorists, he said. “The truth is that communities in Judea and Samaria are worse off in terms of budget than the kibbutz or moshav communities on the front lines, like those in the Gaza belt region,” he explained. He blasted Peace Now for suggesting that the extra money needed for security should be blamed on “settlement,” saying, “At this rate, Peace Now will come out with a report blaming the Gush Katif expellees for getting compensation for their homes, Fatah will put out a report blaming victims of terrorism for getting [extra] medical care, and abusive husbands will accuse their wives of creating a need to fund shelters for battered women.” Dagan expressed concern over what he termed the media’s “passion” for publicizing Peace Now’s claims. “If a video clip like this came from the political right, it would get a tiny blurb at best,” he said.
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3. Netanyahu Vows to Retaliate for Eilat Attack
by Chana Ya'ar  Israel will “extract a price” from those who launched the terror attack against the Red Sea resort town of Eilat last week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Sunday. The statement made it clear that Israel has decided to draw a line in the sand for terrorists from Gaza – and elsewhere -- operating against the Jewish State from the Sinai Peninsula. Last Wednesday, the Mujahedeen Shura Council, a Salafi jihadist group claimed responsibility for firing two Grad Katyusha missiles at Eilat from the Sinai Peninsula and triggering activation of the Color Red rocket alert system in the city. One of the missiles landed in a building site, the other in the backyard of a private home. No one was physically injured, and no property damage was reported. A senior member of an unnamed Salafi terror group in Gaza was quoted by the London-based Arabic daily A-Sharq al-Awsat on Friday as saying that rocket fire aimed at Eilat is part of the Islamic concept of jihad (holy war) and will not stop. Salafi Muslim groups, he said, are not obligated by the Egyptian-brokered cease fire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist rulers of Gaza following last November’s IDF Pillar of Defense counter terror operation. Likud Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon toured Eilat just hours after the Grad attack on the city, visiting the neighborhood struck by one of the missiles and speaking to the residents. Although the Iron Dome anti-missile system correctly identified the missiles as they approached the city, Danon said, the battery did not activate. The minister added that the matter was under investigation. Home Front Command has announced that it will hold a five-day defense exercise in Eilat beginning on Sunday, to include the opening of public bomb shelters and implementation of rescue operations. Israeli planes departing from the Red Sea resort town will soon be armed with anti-missile systems, according to a report broadcast last week on Israeli television’s Channel 2. Israel is installing the equipment on civilian aircraft to counter the threat of shoulder-carried anti-aircraft missiles that could be fired from the Sinai Peninsula, according to the report. Speaking at the opening of the regular weekly government cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, “Israel will extract a price from what would appear to be Gaza terrorists operating from the Sinai who are responsible for the rocket attack on Eilat.” Late last night Gaza terrorists again launched a rocket attack against southern Israel, striking the Eshkol Regional Council district. The Color Red air raid siren activated prior to the attack, waking parents an hour after midnight and forcing them to drag children from their beds with a window of 15 seconds to race for shelter before the rocket landed. No one was physically injured, and no property damaged was reported. Two similar attacks occurred Thursday at about 11:00 p.m., but residents did not have the benefit of any warning at all, as the Color Red rocket alert warning system failed to activate for some reason. Miraculously, no one was injured and no damage was reported.
Tags: Rocket attacks ,Eilat ,Netanyahu ,Grad Katyushas ,Color Red ,Grad attack ,Mujahedeen Shura Council
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4. Rabbi: ‘Ha'aretz’ Wants Israelis to Dislike Judaism
by Maayana Miskin  The Ha'aretz newspaper has an anti-Judaism bias, and deliberately presents the Jewish religion in a bad light, Rabbi Avichai Ronsky has accused, speaking to Arutz Sheva. Rabbi Ronsky, the former Chief Rabbi of the IDF, criticized Ha'aretz following its publication of an article accusing IDF rabbis of racism. While Rabbi Ronsky had harsh criticism for Ha'aretz, he also took rabbis to task for not being sufficiently cautious with their presentation of halakha (Jewish law). A recent Ha'aretz article quoted a booklet on the subject of mezuzas in which rabbis allegedly said that non-Jews do not have equal rights in Israel under Torah law. The article also noted that rabbis said it is preferable for men, not women, to affix a mezuzah to each doorpost. The quote relating to non-Jews was taken out of context, Rabbi Ronsky said. The quote was part of a discussion over whether military buildings in Israel are considered Jewish-owned, or held in joint ownership by both Jews and non-Jews, he said – a question that could affect the need to affix a mezuzah scroll to each doorpost. IDF rabbis concluded that the buildings are considered Jewish-owned because non-Jewish citizens are not considered to be the primary owners under Jewish law. “[Ha'aretz] wants to create ‘a state of all its citizens,’ and to prevent the state from being a Jewish state,” Rabbi Ronsky accused. “They use every means to achieve that end.” However, while he defended the booklet as not having said what Ha'aretz implied it did, Rabbi Ronsky said the booklet should not have contained the offending passages. Rabbis must take caution with their phrasing, and avoid publishing material which could be seen as racist without careful explanation, he said. “Just as it is a mitzvah to say things that people will listen to, so too it is a mitzvah not to say things that will not be listened to,” he cautioned. Rabbi Ronsky was mentioned in the Ha'aretz report as the rabbi who brought in Rabbi Eyal Karim, who wrote the pamphlet in question. He noted that he, personally, has been criticized by Ha'aretz since before he served as chief IDF rabbi. He was first condemned by the paper over an article on the halakhic issue of whether or not to treat a wounded terrorist on the Sabbath. While Rabbi Ronsky ultimately concluded that medical staff must help wounded terrorists even on the Sabbath, Ha'aretz quoted only the parts of the article in which he explained the opposing viewpoint, he said, giving the impression that he was against giving terrorists medical treatment on the Sabbath. Rabbi Ronsky added that given his latest project – a group promoting the teaching of Jewish identity through the Education Ministry – he expects to be the target of further media criticism in the future.
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5. Lebanon Struck by Syrian Shelling
by Chana Ya'ar  Residents in eastern Lebanon raced for cover on Saturday as the border town of Hermel was hit by shelling from Syria. One of the mortar shells exploded in the Hizbullah stronghold – the first time Syrian ordnance has struck the town, a Lebanese security source told AFP. Five other shells landed in various areas on Lebanese soil as well, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog organization. No one was injured in the shelling, the Observatory reported. However, it was not immediately clear who had fired the shells. Although in the past cross-border shelling has emanated from Syrian artillery, recently the opposition forces have also been shelling Hermel’s countryside in retaliation for Hizbullah intervention in what they insist is a Syrian-only affair. The rebels have threatened further attacks if Lebanon-based Hizbullah terrorists – generously funded, trained and equipped by Iran, a strong patron of Syria – do not remove themselves from the conflict. Hizbullah fighters have been providing support to Syrian government forces in their war against anti-Assad opposition factions. Lebanon itself is sharply divided over the affair, with Shi’ite Muslim Hizbullah terror organization and its allies backing Assad while the Sunni-led March 14 Movement” supports the opposition Syrian National Council. At least 90 people died in the conflict in Syria on Saturday alone. Israel is closely monitoring the situation due to the proximity of the fighting to Israel's northern border, particularly in the Golan Heights.
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6. Is the State Hiding a Major Bible Era Find?
by Gil Ronen  For unknown reasons, Israeli authorities are keeping lid on an archaeological find that may turn out to be a royal castle from David's time, reports Makor Rishon newspaper. The newspaper did not give any details that might identify the exact location of the find. According to the paper, the site was identified by Binyamin Tropper, of the Kfar Etzion Field School. As he descended into a cave in the area of southern Jerusalem, he identified what professionals know as "a proto-aeolic capital" connected to a column. The capital – which is the decorated stone at the head of an ancient column – dates back to the Biblical era, according to Field School Director Yaron Rosental. Only 30 such capitals have been found in Israel so far, and only five of them were found in areas in which Biblical-era kings lived. Unlike all of the other proto-aeolic capitals found in Israel – this one is not separate from the column but connected to it. The weight of the column and capital are estimated to be about five tons. "For reasons that are not completely clear," the newspaper writes, "several authorities in Israel have decided to silence the find, which may mark a breakthrough in the perception of the period of King David and his son, Shlomo [Solomon], and of the entire Judean kingdom." The capital "apparently indicates that an entire temple of castle is buried beneath it," the newspaper adds. However, when Rosental contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority to inform them of the find, the person he spoke to simply said – "Yaron, good for you. You found it, but we already are aware of it. Now forget about the whole thing and keep your mouth shut." Rosental said that he later found out that the IAA had known about the side for 18 months. He said that no digging has taken place since then, and that even steps like cordoning off the area to prevent damage to the rare find, have not been taken. Rosental calls this "a scandal" but says that no less worrisome is that the state appears to have plans to move the separation fence between Israel and the PA in a way that will leave the site in the PA's hands. However, there is still time to alter the route of the fence by 100 yards and leave the cave in Israeli hands. He expressed the wish that the authorities cordon off the site and keep it in Israeli hands until it has been thoroughly excavated, whereas he would not mind Palestinian Arabs running the site later on and profitting from the fees charged to visit it. According to Rosental, excavation of the site has potential for uncovering a complete castle and possibly an entire neighborhood from the Judean kings' period, for the first time ever. "We appear to have a complete castle here," he said. "Those who lived here after it did not know of its existence and thus, instead of using its stones to build a new building as was the usual practice, left it intact." The details found inside could be "amazing." The IAA confirmed to Makor Rishon that the find is an important one that appears to date to the period of Judean kings. However, the IAA added, the subject is "sensitive" and "requires serious and responsible handing." They added that they hope to be able to explore the findings. The IDF said that it offered the IAA "the full assistance needed" in order to remove the capital and column from the site.
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7. New York: Muslim Teen Arrested After Harrassing Jew on Subway
by Arutz Sheva Staff  New York Police arrested last week a Muslim teen on suspicion of yelling out anti-Semitic slurs at a Jewish man on the subway in Brooklyn. The incident began when the teen called out towards the Jew, "They should have killed all of you." He then tried to resist arrest when police were called to the scene. Chaos ensued when onlookers swarmed the officers who tried to arrest the Muslim. A 22-year-old man who tried to intervene on behalf of the attacker was arrested as well on charges of obstructing governmental administration. The attacker was arrested and taken to the local police station. He is charged with eight counts including grand larceny, which was charged as a hate crime, resisting arrest and harassment.
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8. Ben Gurion: Israeli Companies Cancel Flights
by Maayana Miskin  Israeli airlines are on strike Sunday morning over a planned “open skies” agreement with the European Union. Airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia began cancelling or changing flights at 5 a.m. The airlines pushed several flights back to allow them to leave before the strike began. The three companies have demanded changes to the proposed agreement. They fear that opening the airline industry to competition with Europe will significantly lower prices, leading to their collapse. Airline workers’ unions have argued that Israeli airlines are a vital industry worthy of government support, particularly as they continue to fly in times of crisis. The deal would allow all EU airlines to operate direct flights to Israel, and all Israeli airlines to operate direct flights to EU airports. Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz announced prior to the strike that he is not planning any changes to the “open skies” deal, and will bring it before the government as it is. He argues that the reform will help Israelis by lowering prices. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has the option of declining to bring the proposal before the government at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting. Until then, those who were planning to fly Sunday can get updates on the strike through Israeli airlines’ websites.
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