Arab Ambush of Children’s Bus in Jerusalem

First person report: A bus full of children ages 3 to 13 is pelted by rocks and cinder blocks by Arab teens in the Abu Tur neighborhood.

A bus filled with children ages 3 to 13 was suddenly pelted with rocks and concrete cinder blocks hurled by Arab teens in Jerusalem’s mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood of Abu Tur.

Rivka and Eilat, two eighth-grade students living in the area who were on the bus at the time, told Arutz Sheva about the experience.

The incident started when the bus reached Naomi Street. Large rocks began flying at the bus, cracking the windows and breaking the front door completely. Continue Reading »

Fischer: Social protest contributed to recession

Bank of Israel governor says protest was contributing factor in drop in growth as Israeli consumer ‘did not want to spend too much money’

The social protest contributed to the recession and the drop in growth, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer said Wednesday. “The Israeli consumer did not want to spend too much money,” he added.

Speaking at the Knesset’s Finance Committee, Fischer also addressed the crisis in Europe. “We are preparing for the possibility that the Euro zone will collapse but I don’t see this risk as very likely,” he said.

The Bank of Israel governor explained that the real estate market is still in bad shape, as more apartments become available but are not being sold. Continue Reading »

Japan urges Israel to show restraint on Iran

 Foreign minister, visiting Jerusalem, asks for time to allow international sanctions to work

Japan urged Israel to be patient with Iran and allow time for international sanctions to take effect, Israel Radio reported Wednesday.

During his current visit to Jerusalem, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba met with his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Liberman, telling him an Israeli strike on Iran would not only cause turmoil and chaos in the region, but would also give the regime in Tehran an excuse to continue pushing its program forward. The international sanctions and leverage against Iran are unprecedented, he said, stressing that Japan shared Israel’s fear of a nuclear-armed Iran. Continue Reading »

Haniyeh Calls for Another Intifada to Support Prisoners

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called for another Intifada, aimed at supporting Arab prisoners on hunger-strike against administrate detention.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called for another Intifada on Monday, this time aimed at supporting Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, who initiated a mass hunger strike two weeks ago, the Ma’an news agency reported.

The hunger strike is the Palestinian Authority’s latest ploy to garner international sympathy in an attempt to bypass negotiations with Israel and win UN recognition as an independent state.

At a rally in Gaza City, Haniyeh urged Arab and Islamic nations to intervene and support detainees.

He called on ‘human rights groups’ to “break their silence” to free all ‘Palestinians’ jailed in Israel. Continue Reading »

Desmond Tutu urges divestment from Israel

Ahead of vote on policy, archbishop urges United Methodist Church to divest from three companies doing business with Israel.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu urged the United Methodist Church to divest from Israel Tuesday ahead of a church conference vote on the policy.

Desmond Tutu - Photo by REUTERS

Desmond Tutu - Photo by REUTERS

The quadrennial General Conference of the United Methodist Church, being held in Tampa, Florida, is considering divesting from three companies doing business with Israel. The vote is scheduled for this week and could have come as early as Tuesday depending how much debate occurs on different measures.

Tutu wrote in the Tampa Bay Times that the “harsh reality endured by millions of Palestinians requires people and organizations of conscience to divest from those companies – in this instance, from Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions and Hewlett Packard – profiting from the occupation and subjugation of Palestinians.”

Continue Reading »

What about UN crimes?

Op-ed: IDF actions pale in comparison to crimes committed by UN peacekeeping forces

 

The YouTube video of Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Shalom Eisner hitting a Danish provocateur “peace activist” with the butt of his gun has become world news. To get a better perspective on the true importance of this “affair,” one should compare it with the conduct of soldiers elsewhere in the world.

UN peacekeepers (archives) Photo: AP/Kyodo news

UN peacekeepers (archives) - Photo AP/Kyodo news

The best point of reference is the Peacekeeping Forces of the United Nations. This organization issued the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the non-initiated would expect its soldiers to be “a light unto the nations.” Continue Reading »

Meshal loses control of Hamas military wing as authority moves to Gaza leadership

Hamas denies Haaretz report on results of a secret election but senior officials confirm Ismail Haniyeh won by significant margin; Khaled Meshal expected to keep post but lose control of budget, military.

Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshal, who now resides in Qatar, is expected to keep his post after an internal vote by the organization’s leadership later this month. But sources have told Haaretz that Hamas leaders have decided to transfer some of Meshal’s critical areas of authority to the leadership in the Gaza Strip, including control of the organization’s budget and of its military wing.

Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshal

Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshal - Photo by AP

Meshal’s sole control of Hamas’ purse strings has effectively given him control over Iz al-Din al-Qassam, the Gaza-based military wing of Hamas.

Continue Reading »

IAF Strikes Terror Tunnel in Northern Gaza

IAF aircraft strike a terror tunnel in northern Gaza, after terrorists fire Qassam rockets at southern Israel.

IAF aircraft struck a terror tunnel in northern Gaza on Tuesday night, according to a statement by the IDF Spokesman.

The statement said that direct hits were identified and that all aircraft safely returned to their bases.

The attack came in response to recent rocket fire from Gaza at Israeli territory. Earlier on Tuesday, Gaza-based terrorists fired a Qassam rocket at southern Israel. The rocket exploded in an open area in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.

There were no reports of physical injuries or damages. Continue Reading »

Reports: Iran plot to kill Saudi envoy in Cairo foiled

Saudi embassy official Egypt security services arrested Iranians planning to assassinate the ambassador. Tehran: Absolutely incorrect

Egyptian security services foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Cairo several months ago, the legal advisor of the kingdom’s embassy said in local dailies on Tuesday.

Iran's Ahmadinejad Photo: AFP

Iran's Ahmadinejad - Photo: AFP

Egypt “arrested three Iranians planning to assassinate the ambassador, Ahmed Qattan,” Al-Hayat quoted Sami Jamal as saying.

“Egyptian authorities informed concerned parties at the Saudi foreign ministry of the details of the plot, but the Saudi side opted to keep silent on the matter,” Jamal said. The arrests were made three months ago. Continue Reading »

IDF closes probe into Israeli air strike that killed 21 members of Gaza family

Military prosecution says will take no legal steps against those responsible for deaths of Samouni family, killed in their home during Operation Cast Lead.

 

Israel’s military prosecution announced Tuesday that no legal steps will be taken against those responsible for the killing of 21 members of the Samouni family during the 2009 Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.

A letter was received by the human rights group B’Tselem from Major Dorit Tuval, Deputy Military Advocate for Operational Matters. Tuval said that the case has been closed after the investigation has found that the attack on the civilians, “who did not take part in the fighting,” and their killing were not done knowingly and directly, or out of haste and negligence “in a manner that would indicate criminal responsibility.”

Continue Reading »

Ex-Birthright Guide Says Non-Jews Infiltrate

“Birthright” says it free trips to Israel are only for Jews, but a former guide says non-Jews join. Birthright: There are only a few.

The Birthright-Taglit program, partially funded by Israel, restricts free trips to Israel to Jews, but a former guide says that non-Jews have no problem joining.

Birthright group arrives in Israel

Birthright group arrives in Israel - Israel news photo: Birthright PR

Birthright responded that “the process is involved,” the number of non-Jews discovered on the program is “minimal” and every one of them “is flown back home immediately.”

The organization’s policy states, “Taglit-Birthright Israel gift is open to all Jewish young adults, ages 18 to 26, post high-school, who have neither traveled to Israel before on a peer educational trip or study program nor have lived in Israel past the age of 12.” Continue Reading »

Backlash builds over ‘60 Minutes’ hatchet job on Israel

Backlash from Jews & Christians alike over ‘60 Minutes’ inaccurate reporting on Israel

The “60 Minutes” hit piece on Israel, about which I reported Monday, has unleashed a firestorm of protest from pro-Israel groups and Middle East experts. CBS now denies there was anything wrong with the report.

Right Turn logo by Jennifer Rubin

Right Turn logo by Jennifer Rubin

I asked CBS spokesmen a series of questions on the number of complaints received, the failure to accurately identify “pro-Christians” for the piece, the lack of balance in its depiction of Christians’ treatment in Israel and whether their would be an internal review. I was provided instead with this statement from “60 Minutes”:

We received an organized negative email campaign of the type we don’t count because all of them were duplicates of the same letter sent from the same organization, Christians United for Israel, which apparently wrote the letter and urged others to resend it to CBS News.

Continue Reading »

First full artificial heart transplant in Israel

Doctors at Beilinson give 63-year-old man who suffered from severe cardiac insufficiency and developed organ failure artificial heart.

 

For the first time in Israel, an artificial heart has been permanently implanted into the chest of a cardiac patient; until now, mechanical hearts of plastic and metal had been used here to boost pumping action of faulty hearts.
Dr. Benny Medallion with the heart patient - Photo by Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus
Dr. Benny Medallion with the heart patient – Photo by Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus

The operation was reported on Sunday by the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva. The recipient is a 63-year-old man who suffered from severe cardiac insufficiency and developed organ failure.

Continue Reading »

IRS ramps up audits of taxpayers in Israel

Accountants warn financial reviews by U.S. authority here are at an all-time high.

 

Americans filing their tax returns from Israel are being audited by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service with a frequency that industry professionals have never seen before, according to several certified public accountants.

While some of the accountants who spoke with Haaretz are not convinced Americans living in Israel are being singled out for audits more than other Americans living abroad, some maintain that the IRS has given indications it will pay more attention to Israel, Hong Kong and Singapore.

All are cautioning filers to take note of a new “vigilance” among U.S. Continue Reading »

Israel says inclusion on UN list ‘absurd’

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Foreign Ministry has criticized a U.N. statement that places the country on a list of nations it says are moving to further restrict advocacy and rights groups.

Spokesman Yigal Palmer on Monday called Israel’s inclusion on the list “absurd.”

Yigal Palmor - Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman and Director of Press Department · Jerusalem, Israel

Yigal Palmor - Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman and Director of Press Department · Jerusalem, Israel

The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the statement last week.

It criticized an Israeli law requiring groups to report more rigorously on funding from foreign governments.

The law’s supporters say Israel has a right to know who funds groups that oppose its policies. Continue Reading »