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

Americans For A Safe Israel is pleased to report that both England and Austria are set to declare that the Boycott Divestment Sanctions Movement (BDS) targeted at harming Israel is anti-Semitic.

With last week’s landslide win of England’s Conservative party leader Boris Johnson over Labour party’s leader – anti-Semite and foe of Israel – Jeremy Corbyn, rejection of BDS is on the agenda. England’s newly elected Conservative government is set to pass a law banning public bodies in Britain from engaging with the anti-Israel BDS movement.

Similarly, all of the major parties represented in the Austrian Parliament have agreed to support a resolution condemning the anti-Israel BDS movement as anti-Semitic.

The goal of the BDS movement is to destroy Israel and with that said, full rejection of BDS is the right thing to do for all civi and democratic loving nations. In the days to come, and certainly in the forthcoming New Year 2020, AFSI looks forward to hearing more countries reject any and all alliances with BDS.

With President Donald Trump’s Executive Order to combat anti-Semitism signed last week and France’s recent historic decision declaring that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, could it be that at last the truth about Israel is coming into vogue? We’ll be watching.

Sources:
British government to pass anti-BDS law, senior Conservative says, by Yaniv Halily. Ynet News – December 16, 2019

Austrian Parliament to Declare BDS Movement as Anti-Semitic, by Soeren Kern. Gatestone Institute – December 16, 2019

“The vile, hate-filled poison of anti-Semitism must be condemned and confronted everywhere and anywhere it appears.” ~President Donald J. Trump

President Trump signed an Executive Order on Wednesday that calls on government departments enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.

The order is targeted at federally funded universities and colleges. It will require the Department of Education, when reviewing whether there has been a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to consider the widely accepted definition of anti-Semitism as part of its assessment of whether an incident or activity may be anti-Semitic.

The IHRA defines anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities…Manifestations might include the targeting of the State of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic.”

With this official directive now in effect, it makes it very clear that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated. AFSI welcomes much stronger protection for Jewish students on American college campuses. With the disturbing rise of discrimination, intimidation and harassment against Jews, we trust there will be a significant shift in the anti-Semitic narratives hurled at Israel as well. It is our hope that the dual standards and false narratives that target Israel will now be considered anti-Semitic. Lastly, we would like to see the many members of Congress held accountable for shamefully including anti-Semitism in their politics.

We express a huge debt of gratitude to President Trump.Thank you President Trump for speaking the truth about the Jews.

Sources
President Donald J. Trump Is Committed to Combating the Rise of Anti-Semitism, Official White House Brief Issued on December 11, 2019

Trump announces executive order to fight antisemitism on US campuses, by Omri Nahmias, Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman. Jerusalem Post – December 11, 2019

The Knesset missed its deadline to nominate a candidate for prime minister, officially launching a third election in less than a year.

Debate in the Knesset continued on a bill that would have the election held on March 2 instead of the automatic date, March 10.

The 21-day period in which the Knesset had the mandate to choose someone to form a government ended at midnight Wednesday.

Almost no negotiations took place during the day, with last-ditch efforts to form a government abandoned earlier in the week, but MKs took the time to blame one another for the situation.

As the bickering continues and refusal to come together eludes them, the Jewish Nation State remains in limbo with no fully formed government. And that is dangerous.

One must wonder how a third election will effect the outcome.

Source
Israel going to third election in one year, by Lahav Harkov. Jerusalem Post – December 10, 2019

On Monday, Likud and Blue and White took a break from their ongoing fight over who is at fault for a potential third election. March 2 is the tentative date at the moment.

The two parties were set to begin on Monday to advance legislation required to set the election date.

But Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein stopped them, saying that more time should first be given to prevent an election and that if necessary, the bill to set the election date could be passed in to law on Wednesday.

Source:
Likud’s, Blue and White’s blame game begins before the March 2 elections, by Gil Hoffman. Jerusalem Post – December 9, 2019

Early Sunday, Israel’s military successfully struck a number of Hamas targets in the northern Gaza Strip in response to three rockets that were fired into Sderot hours earlier. No casualties were reported.

This latest attack on Israel comes as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders are currently in Egypt in talks with officials about reaching a ceasefire with Israel in return for economic benefits.

Source:
Israel strikes Hamas targets in Gaza after three rockets fired at Israel, by JNS Brief. Jewish News Syndicate – December 8, 2019

Senior leaders of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria praised a report by Haaretz that Defense Minister Naftali Bennett threatened the Palestinian Authority-run Hevron municipality not to oppose the construction of a new Jewish neighborhood in Hevron.

“Defense Minister Bennett is the first to speak Arabic,” the officials said euphemistically, noting the change in Israeli policy towards threats to the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

Sources:
Yesha leaders: “Bennett is the first Defense Minister to ‘speak’ Arabic”, by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva – December 8, 2019

Of the 3 recent House Resolutions on the 2-state illusion, the first two resulted in shockingly high levels of support for this dangerous illusion – a difference of 200-plus or 300-plus congressmen, between supporters and opponents of Israel’s nemesis.

HR 326, which DID PASS on Friday had a discrepancy between support and opposition of a mere 38 congressmen – less than 10%. The number of TSS (TWO STATE SOLUTION) supporters used to be horrifically high, in the mid- or high- 300’s. Currently only slightly more than 200 congressmen supported this dangerous illusion, all but a tiny handful being from one side of the aisle – making it difficult to present TSS as being bi-partisan from now on. Also, in terms of opposition, whereas up to now opposition was well below 100 (less than one-quarter), the opposition this time jumped to almost 200 (almost half).

It is important to note that the number of Republican sponsors for the 2-state illusion, which was 100 or more in the 2 previous resolutions, is now down to zero, again making it difficult to present TSS as being bi-partisan from now on.

AFSI will continue working until ALL congressmen in BOTH parties understand that supporting Israel means rejecting the dangerous 2-state illusion which would result in a new terrorist failed state just a bike-ride away from Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv and Ben Gurion airport.

AFSI will continue to educate Americans; emphasizing that NEITHER of Israel’s large parties support the 2-state illusion, nor does it appear in Israel’s Government Guidelines.

PM Netanyahu told the New York Times months ago, that “A Palestinian state…. will endanger our existence.” Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely, just a few days ago, stated again that Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and herself, in all political meetings abroad, “reiterate that the idea of ​​the Palestinian state is an idea that the State of Israel is completely opposed to”, adding that “Anyone who supports the establishment of a Palestinian state is unquestionably acting against the Israeli interest”.

We will continue to insist that the USA must not coerce its ally Israel to assume a risk that the Government of Israel does not want its population to assume.

We are hopeful that AIPAC which previously took an extremely controversial stance to support the 2-state illusion, will increase the small step back it appears to have taken. If AIPAC truly does walk back its unilateral decision to support the 2-state illusion, it may regain some of its relevancy by working to finally rid congress of this delusional TSS thinking entirely. We call on AIPAC and all the organizations that are true friends of Israel to support Israel and return to the consensus approach, removing TSS language the in future so that all resolutions on Israel will once again enjoy 2/3 majorities as usual.