Strong-arm manipulation of Israel’s caretaker government: As a result of a pressure campaign by Joint Arab List MKs, Knesset Finance Committee Chairman MK Moshe Gafni will convene a hearing to deliberate the suspension of Amendment 116 to Israel’s Planning and Building Code, otherwise known as the Kaminetz Law.

The Kaminetz Law was passed to combat the scourge of illegal construction throughout Israel, a phenomenon classified by Israel’s Supreme Court as a national epidemic.

The hearing is essentially another stage in the maneuver carried out by the Arab MKs in the late-night hearing that dissolved the outgoing Knesset and rescheduled the next round of elections. Taking advantage of the looming deadline and the necessity to legislate an alternative date for elections, MK Ahmed Tibi and other Arab MKs threatened to cast the necessary votes only on condition that the Kaminetz Law is repealed or suspended indefinitely. After representatives of Regavim rushed to the Knesset in the middle of the night to head off the Arab parties’ attempt to overthrow the government, right-wing MKs formulated a temporary fix: Only if the Justice Minister calls for amendments to the Kaminetz Law, a hearing will be held in the Knesset Finance Committee, and not the Interior Committee, which was disbanded with the dissolution of the Knesset.

We are troubled by this news and can only say that with no official government in place for Israel, these are the kinds of things that will happen. It is our fervent hope that with the next round of elections in March 2020 that there will be a coalition formed – one that has Israel’s best interests at the top of the list.

Source
Bowing to Joint Arab List demands, Knesset Committee to debate suspending Kaminetz Law, by Mordechai Sones. Arutz Sheva – December 30, 2019

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett has signed an order to prevent convicted terrorists with Israeli citizenship, and their families, from receiving payments from the Palestinian Authority.

In what’s known as “pay-for-slay” payments, the PA guarantees financial support to Palestinians and Arab-Israelis who carry out attacks against Israeli citizens and are convicted or killed.

“We’ve moved to facts. This is another step in the campaign against terrorists, we are working so that Jewish blood will no longer be financially lucrative,” Bennett said in a statement. He pledged to employ all the legal tools available to prevent terrorists to receive financial support.

According to the statement, this is the first time that Israel is implementing such a measure. Although this will apply only to Israeli Arabs serving time in Israeli prisons, we think this will have much more impact than the previous system of withholding funds from the PA because in the past the PA could use other funds to pay the terrorists. It should not PAY TO SLAY Jews anywhere!

Source:
Bennett signs order preventing Israeli terrorists receiving ‘pay-for-slay’ money, Jerusalem Post Staff. Jerusalem Post – December 25, 2019

The inter-ministerial Committee to Promote Sovereignty in the Jordan Valley will convene in a week-and-a-half at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Committee is preparing the plan for annexing the Jordan Valley and Northern Dead Sea to the State of Israel, in accordance with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s promise on the eve of the last election.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that “Netanyahu has made it clear that he will promote with full force the plan for applying Sovereignty in the Valley and the northern Dead Sea and will continue to do so.”

Source:
Committee to Promote Jordan Valley Sovereignty to convene, by Hezki Baruch. Arutz Sheva – December 24, 2019

IDF fighter jets and helicopters attacked several Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including the organization’s military complexes, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Thursday. The attack was in response to rocket fire from Gaza at Israel on Wednesday night. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding an event in Ashkelon as the rocket sirens went off.

The IDF stressed that “Hamas is responsible for everything occurring in and out of the Gaza Strip and it will bear the consequences for actions against Israeli citizens.”

Source:
IAF strikes Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after rocket forces PM offstage, by Tzvi Joffre. Jerusalem Post – December 26, 2019 

The Shin Bet announced last week that it arrested approximately 50 members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), ending the investigation into the August 23 terror attack that killed 17-year-old Rina Shnerb. This operation also revealed the organization’s ties to the BDS movement.

A statement issued by NGO Monitor named multiple PFLP leaders who were linked to non-governmental organizations, several of which receive direct funding from the United Nations and taxpayer funding from Europe and other nations. Several of the alleged terrorists have worked as financial directors, accountants or fundraising directors for many of these organizations.

Source
Palestinian NGO employees arrested as a part of Shin Bet crackdown of PFLP, By Zachary Keyser. Jerusalem Post – December 22, 2019

“To win the elections and secure the work he has devoted his life to, Netanyahu needs to start treating the forces seeking his destruction as Trump does the forces arrayed against him.” ~Caroline Glick

In her recent article, Caroline Glick lays out a comparison between US President Donald Trump and PM Benjamin Netanyahu and the forces within their respective countries that seek the destruction and removal of each of them. The similarities Glick points out are frightening real and ultimately threaten US and Israeli democracies.

The major difference between them is that President Trump realized “almost from the outset, …that the game against him was rigged.” One can also clearly see how Trump has fought back for the truth. With Netanyahu, it begs us to ask who is really in control of Israel’s government. Does Netanyahu need to emulate the ways of Donald Trump in order to protect Israeli democracy and the truth?

Source
Israel’s establishment elites rise to stop Netanyahu, Caroline Glick. World Israel News – December 22, 2019

A joint statement was released by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice regarding the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s decision not to dismiss the Palestinian case that calls for a criminal investigation of Israelis. They stated the ICC decision is “…unfounded and outrageous. It has turned the ICC into a political weapon waging political war against the Jewish state.”

Full Statement Here:
Joint statement by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice regarding the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s decision. Official Statement released December 21, 2019

More than 150 residents of Kedumim in Samaria wrote to Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, “We, the residents of Kedum, have experienced almost a decade of rioting on the part of Kedum. We are strengthening the security forces, the military and the police, and ask that they take unequivocal action to curb these (weekly) riots which are supported and funded by radical leftist organizations, endanger soldiers and those who live in many neighborhoods in Kedum, polluting the air with tire smoke and tear gas and damaging the quality of life. When will the IDF win in Samaria? Enough of the riots, and enough of this containment.”

We hope that New Right party leader in the next elections, Naftali Bennett, will show strength and commitment as he fulfills his current role of Defense Minister. We believe it is vital that the IDF be ordered to protect the citizens of Israel who live in Samaria.

Source:
Residents to Bennett: When will IDF win in Samaria, by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva – December 18, 2019

A months long joint operation by Israel’s Shin Bet and the IDF has exposed an extensive terrorist network that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine had established throughout Judea and Samaria.

The Judea and Samaria network operated under the leadership of senior PFLP members who directed the attacks that the various cells carried out.

Members of the PFLP are responsible for the terrorist bombing that killed Rina Shnerb this past August and left her father and brother seriously wounded.

The operation exposed the real and current danger posed by the PFLP. Had this operation not been successful, many Israeli lives would have been lost. This is an attempt that was stopped and reported on. Many attacks by various terror organizations have been planned and stopped through this type of vitally important cooperation. We, of course wish this was not necessary, but as it is we are thankful to the skilled men and women who are protecting Am Yisrael.

Source:
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestinian terror network exposed in Judea and Samaria, by Israel Hayom Staff. Israel Hayom – December 18, 2019

Adele Raemer, a resident of Kibbutz Nirim, is the first Israeli from near the Gaza border to address the United Nations Security Council. Raemer did so at the invitation of US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft, president of the Security Council this month.

“Have you ever had to run for your life?” Raemer asked. “When I hear the red alert early warning system for rockets, I have five to ten seconds to get somewhere safe… If it catches me in the shower, I’m out of luck.” Ramer also pointed out that peace can only come to Israel’s south once Hamas allows Gazans to thrive instead of perpetually investing in terrorism.

Photo above shows Ambassador Danny Danon with Adele Raemer.

Source:
Israel Gaza border resident to UN: Peace will come when Hamas stops terror, by Lahav Harkov. Jerusalem Post – December 18, 2019