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Gantz’s Warning: Is He Kidding?

Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) has warned that Jewish Israel may soon be limited to the center of the country only, Israel Hayom reported.

In a closed meeting with his party last week, Gantz read aloud a WhatsApp containing threats from unnamed Arab sources, warning that they would take over Israel. “Continue to curse, you have no chance against Allah. Slowly we are eating away at your country. We have land in the Negev that is the size of Gush Dan (central Israel -ed.), which is filled with tin shacks with little Bedouin children. This is Palestinian land, essentially, and the moment a single tractor comes – we will use the leftist organizations….to issue a cease and desist order. We will send children and youths to throw stones and barricade themselves at the scene until you run like mice from the area.”

Gantz responded to the WhatsApp with a warning that in light of what is happening on the ground, “The future of the country is in danger.” Yes, it is, especially when the coalition doesn’t stop their appeasement of Arab Islamists and continues to ignore the needs of Israeli citizens. How can the Israeli government accept this comment from Gantz – the defense minister? And at the same time they are entertaining King Abdullah’s demands regarding ceding control of the Temple Mount to the Wakf (Jordanian enforcers). Where is Bennett’s spine, where is the government’s spine?? What are we missing here?

Source:
Defense Min.: ‘Jewish Israel may be limited to the center of the country only’ ~Israel National News, May 16, 2022

 

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Elkana Residents Reject Bennett’s Visit

For the first time since he took office as prime minister, Naftali Bennett will visit the Israeli community of Elkana. The PM has restricted his visits in Judea and Samaria to IDF bases. His visit on Tuesday in the north-western Samarian marks Elkana’s 45th anniversary.

Not everybody in Elkana is happy with the invite. More than 500 Israeli citizens (not necessarily Elkana residents) have already signed a petition calling on council head Assaf Minzer to cancel Bennett’s visit. “We see the very visit as a useless attempt to cynically exploit the residents of Elkana and gain political capital,” the petition reads, noting that the cynical stuff is taking place “while Mr. Bennett’s government violates the Jewish and Zionist values of the state on a daily basis.”

The petition by the Elkana residents and other Israeli citizens is a declaration of their disgust with Bennett’s leadership.

Source:
Samaria Settlement Rejects Bennett’s Visit on Its Anniversary, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 16, 2022

 

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They Just Can’t Face the Truth, Can They?

Ahem…what? Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people.*

Yes, it will need to come with an asterisk of sorts, according to the United Nations, but even that can be seen as a hard-fought win for Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan.

According to a diplomatic source, the United Nations has relented and will allow Israel to display an exhibit on Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, at the organization’s headquarters in New York. The UN had been conditioning its permissions on Israel agreeing to the removal of some content, including references to Jerusalem as the country’s capital. Erdan fought back, and instead, an agreement has been reached whereby all content within the display that was objected to will remain, and the Israeli mission will add a disclaimer noting the objections.

The exhibit titled “The Knesset Celebrates 70—Parliament Shaping Israeli Society,” marks the parliament’s 70th anniversary. The display will go up on May 19 in New York City.

While we are grateful to Ambassador Erdan for this small victory, a united Jerusalem does not come with conditions. Shame on the UN for its continued bias against Israel.

Source:
UN to allow display of Knesset, including references to Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, by Mike Wagenheim/JNS, May 13, 2022

 

 

 

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Spirit of Cooperation

Knesset members in Yamina and New Hope expressed discomfort on Thursday with the coalition’s cooperation with the Joint List to help the coalition defeat the Likud’s no-confidence motion on Monday. Coalition officials said more cooperation with the Joint List is on the way.

Showing signs of allegiance to Israel, the coalition has agreed to start passing some bills from the opposition. One that was advanced in a preliminary reading on Wednesday would prohibit spying for the Palestinian Authority’s security services.

The bill, initiated by former Shin Bet chief MK Avi Dichter (Likud), and based on information supplied by Ad Kan, led by Gilad Ach, seeks to ban contact between Israeli organizations and citizens, and security and intelligence agencies of foreign entities that are not states (it is already banned with states) including the PA and European Union. The bill passed with the support of the government by a vote of 23-2.

(Photo above L to R: Gilad Ach and MK Avi Dichter)

Source:
Coalition MKs upset about cooperating with Joint List in Knesset, by Gil Hoffman/Jerusalem Post, May 12, 2022

 

 

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Netanyahu to Bennett: “Go Home.” But wait…Ra’am Gives Bennett Another Chance

Earlier this week, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Knesset plenum over the conduct of his government during the current wave of terrorism.

Netanyahu said, “The government of weakness and fraud fails to provide security and peace. There is no deterrence – there is weakness. There is no strength – there is softness. There is no determination – there is lawlessness. Terrorist organizations must be severely harmed like they were under my leadership.”

While earlier reports indicated the end of Bennett’s leadership could happen sooner than we think, updated reports now tell a different story. The Likud party yesterday pulled its bill to dissolve the Knesset after Ra’am chief Mansour Abbas announced that his party will return to the coalition and fulfill its related obligations. With Ra’am’s four MKs, the coalition is back to a 60-60 seat parity with the Likud-led opposition, foiling the opposition’s bid to pass a preliminary reading on Wednesday of a bill to dissolve the Knesset and force elections. Had the opposition brought the measure and failed, it would have been unable to bring a similar bill to a vote again for six months.

Abbas has been meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. His only interest is the destruction of the Jewish State. Recent polls show that 75% of Israeli Arabs believe that Israel has no right to exist.

With the help of a terrorist party in the government that will give Bennett another chance, Bennett is once again dependent upon Arab support to keep him in place as prime minister. Although he is calling for the formation of a “National Guard”, Bennett is not fighting the string of terror threatening Israel and so the defense of the country is compromised. There is no strength and determination coming from him. Sadly, Bennett’s capability to lead Israel has proven a failure. It’s time for him to do the right thing and step down without delay. If Bennett does not do a complete turnaround, make good on his campaign promises and do what he was voted in to do, a new election will certainly be the path forward. From our viewpoint a collapse of this government at some point is inevitable.

Sources:
Netanyahu: Naftali, it’s over, by Israel National News, May 9, 2022

Report: Bennett preparing for new elections, by Israel National News, May 9, 2022

Likud pulls bill to dissolve Knesset after Ra’am gives coalition another chance, by Carrie-Keller Lynn/Times of Israel, May 11, 2022

Abbas Saves Bennett’s Hide: We’ll Give the Coalition Another Chance, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 11, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From Joy to Terror. How Long Can Israelis Live This Way?

Three people were killed and four others injured in a terrorist attack in the Israeli city of Elad near Petah Tikva towards the end of Yom Ha’Atzmaut last week.

All three victims were men in their 40s. They are Yonatan Habakkuk, a father of five, Boaz Gol, a father of five, and Oren Ben Yiftach, a father of six from Lod.

Some have described the aftermath of the scene of the terrorist attack as eerily similar to the dark days of Israel’s history.

A deadly terror attack was stopped Sunday night when a terrorist was shot after he attempted to infiltrate the Gush Etzion town of Tekoa. The terrorist was armed with a knife but shot and killed by a member of the community’s local security force.

A gunfight between terrorists and the IDF took the life of an Al Jazeera reporter. Gantz has asserted that the fatal shot was fired by an Arab, but who knows what is being reported in the world press. One thing is certain, the fight was initiated by terrorists.

Would things be different, could they be different if all Jews were armed to defend themselves? We may never know. One thing we do know is certain – Israel’s leadership has weakened terribly and its failures are at the expense of the Israeli people. The shedding of Jewish blood must stop!

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and we pray for the recovery of those wounded. May the families and all of Israel know no more sorrow and be returned to normalcy in their daily lives.

Sources:
3 dead, 4 injured in terror attack in Elad in central Israel, by Anna Ahronheim/Jerusalem Post, May 5, 2022

US condemns killing of Al Jazeera journalist, by Israel National News, May 11, 2022

Terror Attack Foiled in Tekoa, Gush Etzion, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, May 8, 2022

 

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Are Temple Mount Tensions Too Much For Ra’am?

Officials in the Shura Council, the Ra’am party’s religious advisory body, are promoting a resolution to force Ra’am to immediately resign from the coalition. This is while party chairman MK Mansour Abbas is abroad.

According to the report, the move is being promoted following remarks by Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked and MKs Nir Orbach and Yomtob Kalfon regarding the ascension of Jews to the Temple Mount during Independence Day. Additionally, clashes that broke out there this morning between Muslims and the police also caused parts of the council to intensify their demand to withdraw from the coalition.

A party that sits in the Israeli government and is connected to terrorists that instigate violence when Jews ascend the Temple Mount and ultimately seeks the destruction of Israel, should not be there at all. We would welcome to exit of the Ra’am party from the government’s coalition.

Source:
Shura council demands Ra’am leave coalition over Jewish visits to Temple Mount, by Israel National News, May 5, 2022

 

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Unanimous Decision Backs Israel’s Army

Israel’s High Court ruled late Wednesday night that the Israeli army could evict around 1,300 Palestinians living in eight villages in the South Hebron Hills, after a legal battle lasting more than 20 years.

In a unanimous decision, Justice David Mintz wrote that the Palestinian petitioners had not successfully proved they had lived in the villages as permanent residents before the army declared the Area A training zone in the area in the early 1980s.

No legal rights to the land means no legal rights to the land. The truth and the law about the land was adhered to. We applaud Justice Mintz for his decision effectively ending this 20-year saga. We won’t hold our breath, however, until the decision is enforced.

Source:
High Court greenlights expulsion of 1,300 Palestinians from army firing zone, by Aaron Boxerman/Times of Israel, May 5, 2022

 

 

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Silent Freeze

With the councils in Judea and Samara talking about the government having a policy of a silent freeze on building, Josh Hasten, International Spokesman for Gush Etzion, tells Israel National News that the situation is very serious.

Hasten blames this silent freeze on American pressure and/or internal pressure on the Israeli government which has coalition members from Meretz and Ra’am who are against building.

Source:
‘Silent freeze’ jeopardizing next generation of building projects in Gush Etzion, by Yoni Kempinksi/Israel National News, May 3, 2022

 

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Will Temple Mount Tensions Force Bennett to Cave Again?

A number of lawmakers from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party have expressed opposition to demands leveled by the United Arab List in exchange for its full return to the coalition.

Several Yamina MKs are opposing the UAL’s demands and stated, “As far as we are concerned, the UAL party can leave, we won’t tolerate their threats and their irrational demands for them to stay in the coalition. If they want to continue to help the Arab sector, great. If they want more than that, they have no place here.”

Sources reported that Bennett and UAL party chairman Mansour Abbas had reached a compromise under which UAL will end its self-imposed suspension from the government, restoring the 60-60 balance in the Knesset. As part of the deal, Bennett reportedly agreed to some of Abbas’ demands. One condition for the UAL’s return is that Israel consult with Jordan regarding any changes to policy on the Temple Mount.

If Bennett bows to Abbas’ demands it speaks disturbingly of Bennett’s continued willingness to appease the Arabs. Will violence on the Temple Mount cease totally if Abbas gets what he wants? Highly unlikely. This is truly a government in crisis that is not asserting it’s legal right to the Temple Mount. With Bennett’s leadership we could potentially see yet another piece of Israel being dangerously compromised.

Source:
‘United Arab List can leave, we don’t need their threats’, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, May 2, 2022

MKs say coalition could fall over Islamic party’s Temple Mount demands, by Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, ay 2, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

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