Author: AFSI Staff

Israel’s Justice Minister threatened to topple the government if it fails to pass a bill extending the term of enforcement of Israeli civil law in Judea and Samaria. He recently warned coalition partners that a vote against the Judea and Samaria Law would be tantamount to dissolving their own government.

“Coalition members who vote against this law are basically saying ‘I don’t want this government to exist’,” Sa’ar said.

The Judea and Samaria Law, renewed every five years by the Knesset, is a temporary measure which applies Israeli civil law to Area C – the territories under full Israeli control – in Judea and Samaria, without establishing Israeli sovereignty over the area. Again the Arabs are showing their muscle – no Israeli government should succumb to its blackmail although it appears that several factions are making outlandish offers to procure their votes.

We can’t say it enough times – apply sovereignty now! ENOUGH!! Do the right thing and let Israel exercise her legal right to the land.

Source:
‘Vote against Judea and Samaria Law, and this government is done’, by Israel National News, May 31, 2022

 

 

 

The Biden administration has settled on a series of steps aimed at boosting its diplomatic ties to the Palestinians in lieu of reopening the US Consulate in Jerusalem.

According to two sources, Joe Biden will elevate Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr to the role of special envoy to the Palestinians.

Any plans the US considers in order to bolster ties with the Palestinians must include a reality check. We need to face up to the fact that the PA still calls for Israel to be wiped off the map. We also need to acknowledge the horrific and continual terrorism Israel must continue to defend itself against. Without recognizing and conducting affairs in sync with these truths, the US should scrap its plans to befriend the Palestinians. We’re not holding our breath in the hopes that this administration will ever get it right.

Source:
US readies steps to boost ties with Palestinians after freezing consulate reopening, by Jacob Magid/Times of Israel, May 29, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stands behind his decision to approve the Flag March for Jerusalem Day. The annual event successfully passed through the Damascus Gate in accordance with the route that has existed for decades.

Bennett said, “We decided that the Flag March would go along its traditional route, and so it was. This year we broke records with over 50,000 participants who painted the city with the colors of our flag. It is moving and joyful to see all the people of Israel celebrating together. Am Yisrael Chai.”

MK Simcha Rothman from the Religious Zionist faction offered praise for the government, writing: “When they deserve it, they deserve it. Hats off to the Israeli government, the Public Security Minister, the Prime Minister and the Alternate Prime Minister, the commissioner, and anyone who had a hand in the decision not to fold in the face of threats.”

The success of the 2022 Flag March just goes to show that all can go well and in Israel’s favor when the right decision is made. Israel must continue to not cave in to threats or bow to outside pressure. She must continue to exercise her legal and sovereign rights.

Source:
Bennett: We broke records with over 50,000 participants in the Flag March, by Orli Harari/Israel National News, May 29, 2022

 

 

 

 

The Ra’am party celebrated Tuesday the authorization of over NIS700 million to the Arab sector, the majority of which will go towards construction. However, the Homesh community in Samaria was threatened once again with destruction this week.

Can we take comfort in the fact that dedicated Zionists, such as MK Ayelet Shaked, are fighting tooth and nail to save Homesh while MK Benny Gantz continues on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s train wreck of appeasing the Arabs? Gantz has stated that Homesh will be evacuated since “Israeli law requires it.”

On a Jerusalem Day event, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett responded to a student’s question about the evacuation of Homesh: “Common sense should be exercised in terms of whether, when, and how.” He couldn’t be more vague and non-committal in his response, which should have been words that reflect the Zionist commitment to Homesh being the lawful land of Israel not to be demolished. Bennett should define what “common sense” means. It is clear now (as it was to most of us) the entire disengagement was against common sense. What makes sense is to restore full sovereignty of everything that possibly can be restored to the State of Israel. That certainly includes Homesh. Our readers will not be mollified with a murky decision that many expect whereby the government decides that Homesh should be evacuated and without setting a date for carrying out the decision. Too many political games!

Today the state is expected to submit its answer regarding the proposed evacuation of Homesh. We pray for a miracle.

Sources:
Shaked to do ‘everything’ to prevent evacuation of illegal West Bank outpost Homesh, by Carrie Keller-Lynn/Times of Israel, May 25, 2022

Homesh community to be destroyed, Gantz says; Arabs get millions for construction, by Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, May 25, 2022

Bennett on Homesh evacuation: We need to act with common sense, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, May 24, 2022

 

 

The U.S. administration today appealed to Israeli officials to express their concern over what they see as the “controversial right-wing” flag march this weekend and its route through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Sderot will deploy mobile bomb shelters amid concerns Palestinian terrorists could fire rockets toward Israel during this joyous march in the Old City on Sunday.

Israelis will proudly march through the route of concern to the US. Not one Israeli will incite violence with stone throwing, setting fires or shooting rockets. AFSI Chizuk missions have watched and joined in this joyous celebration numerous times throughout the years. As always, this will be a peaceful celebration while the threat of terror forces Israelis to increase security in the event of an attack. Hamas is already urging their followers to disrupt the flag march. The US needs to face the truth and express their concerns to the people who are the real problem. By not doing so, they enable the problem they wish did not exist.

Sources:
Hamas urges crowds at Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day: ‘Thwart the occupation’s plans’, by TOI Staff, May 26, 2022

Americans urge Israel to avoid Muslim Quarter in controversial flag march, by Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews.com, May 26, 2022

 

 

On Monday, for the first time, the Knesset Education Committee chaired by MK Sharren Haskel (New Hope) debated freedom of expression, incitement to terrorism, and violence on Israel’s campuses. She said: “When students turn to this committee and say they are afraid to enter the campus, and they ask to study on Zoom, fearing for their safety, something here is not working.”

During the illegal Nakba demonstration of Arab students on the grounds of state universities (May 15, 2022 photo above), Jewish students who protested this malevolent expression of hate toward Zionism were attacked physically, with scant police intervention. This is but a small sample of what Jewish students on campus contend with.

“Since Operation Guardian of the Walls, we are seeing a distinct upturn in incitement against Jewish students. Unfortunately, the educational institutions are not offering a clear way to prevent these phenomena.” ~Im Tirtzu’s National Coordinator Shai Rosengarten

MK Galit Distel Atbaryan (Likud) said she doesn’t blame the Arab students who hurt Jews on campus “…but the lecturer who called waving the national flag a sickness.”

To make matters worse, many Israelis are outraged over the recent decision by Open University staff to give more weight to the Palestinian narrative in courses on Israel Studies. Such a narrative has the potential to be in direct conflict with the positive view of the state’s history and culture taught in the Israel Studies track.

A Jewish student should not be afraid to go to classes. Educational institutions should be a place of learning and discovery with a healthy exchange of ideas and respectful debate. Rage, hatred, false claims and propaganda against Israel should not be given a forum of any kind. Each person teaching, rather, spewing this vitriol, has a sickness within and it’s time they figured out why they need to channel so much hatred toward Israel – for many, a place they call home. The real lesson they need to learn is that their sickness incites Arabs to commit more terrorism against Israel.

Matan Peleg of Im Tirtzu summed it up best, “It simply cannot be that Israeli academia will pave the way for the elimination of the State of Israel from within.”

Sources:
Finally: Knesset Education Committee Debates Arab Violence & Incitement to Terrorism on Israeli Campuses, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 24, 2022

‘DISGRACE’: Israeli University to promote Palestinian narrative in new curriculum, by Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, May 24, 2022

 

 

News from Israel over the last few days leaves us to wonder if Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government will actually survive or eventually collapse altogether.

Tal Gan-Zvi, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s chief of staff, will be stepping down soon. HIs request comes less than two weeks after another top adviser, Shimrit Meir, announced she would leave June 1. Gan-Zvi’s resignation is seen as a further sign of instability in the government.

Meretz Knesset Member Ghaida Rinawi-Zoabi has reversed course three days after her announcement that she was resigning from the government coalition. This brings the coalition back up to 60 seats in the Knesset and removes the threat of snap elections. With that said, we fear we will see Bennett continue his appeasement of Arabs more while continuing to ignore Israel’s defense and sovereignty.

On Sunday a court ruled that Jews do not commit a crime when they say Shema Yisrael and bow on the Temple Mount. Honenu, who petitioned the court on behalf of the three minors involved in this case, hailed the ruling as a victory in support of Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount. Attorney Nati Rom said he welcomed the court’s “clear statement” in support of Jewish prayer, noting that it was time that the police stopped their “racist treatment” of Jews who wanted to execute their right to freedom of worship at The Temple Mount. (Just today, two Jewish men were barred from praying at the Temple Mount. One was detained by police for bowing down there, a day after the court approved this activity.)

Bennett’s representatives announced the state would challenge the Temple Mount decision. This effectively does away with whatever remains of Bennett’s credibility with his national-religious voters. Could this be the final straw that brings down his coalition?

Sources:
Bennett’s chief of staff quits, in latest sign of discord in PM’s office, by Lazar Berman and Carrie Keller-Lynn/Times of Israel, May 23, 2022

Bennett’s Chief of Staff’s Resignation Marks Next Phase in Government’s Collapse, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 23, 2022

Two Jews prevented from praying on Temple Mount, a day after court ruling, by TOI Staff, May 23, 2022

Meretz MK Backpedals on Resignation, Returns to Coalition, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, May 22, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated that the Homesh Yeshiva must be demolished. This was just three days before the State is to submit its position on the status of the yeshiva to the Supreme Court.

“Homesh will be evacuated,” Gantz said …”This Disengagement Law requires this.” Foreign Minister Yair Lapid also called for Homesh Yeshiva’s demolition and stated, “there should be no illegal places.”

This Wednesday, a bill canceling the Disengagement is due to come up for a Knesset vote. With this in mind, ten MKs from the Land of Israel Lobby made their visit to Homesh yesterday. Ten Knesset members from the Land of Israel Lobby visited the community. The lobby is headed by MKs Orit Strook (Religious Zionism) and Yoav Kish (Likud) and was also accompanied by MK Idit Silman (Yamina), as well as Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.

“We came here today – a large group of MKs who represent a majority of our lawmakers – in order to embrace and identify with the pioneers of the Homesh yeshiva, headed by Rabbi Elishama Cohen,” Dagan continued. “We are here to make a clear statement that the expulsion must be rectified. We are united in this demand, that the government take its hands off the Homesh yeshiva and that the community be rebuilt.”

Sources:
Gantz: Disengagement Law requires Homesh Yeshiva be demolished, by Israel National News, May 23, 2022

Land of Israel Lobby MKs in Homesh: ‘This govt has no mandate to expel the yeshiva’, by Israel National News, May 22, 2022

 

 

MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi (Meretz) penned a letter to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) Thursday afternoon, informing him that she plans on leaving the coalition, and will not be serving as consul-general to Shanghai.

She called the past month “insufferable,” citing recent clashes between Palestinians and police on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the death of an Al Jazeera reporter during a firefight between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli troops in Jenin. Zoabi stated that she cannot be a part of a government “…that in this shameful manner harasses the society I come from.”

We find her reasons for exiting the coalition a denial of truth and her need to save face. If Zoabi was really concerned for her people she would stay in the coalition and work to make things better. That is, of course, unless she is unable to face the truth about who is to blame for all the recent events that she cited.

Zoabi’s resignation from the coalition is the latest blow to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government. With her departure, the Bennett government will have only 59 seats in the Knesset, giving the Opposition an absolute majority. The Opposition is slated to bring a bill dissolving the Knesset to a vote next Wednesday. Bennett’s government has only been in office less than a year.

We said that the collapse of this coalition was inevitable, although of course we realize that she may still vote with the coalition which further complicates matters. In any event, this ongoing political challenge leaves the country’s ability to move forward hanging in the balance. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Israeli people as they continue to work toward overcoming this tremendous political deadlock. If a new election must be held it is our hope that the right candidate wins this time. Someone who will not sell-out the country. Someone who can not only reverse the damage done by this coalition but finally brings about long-awaited progress toward applying Sovereignty throughout Judea and Samaria.

Sources:
Opposition celebrates as coalition becomes minority: ‘No right to exist’, by TOI Staff, May 19, 2022

Meretz rebel said to indicate she doesn’t plan to bring down government, by TOI Staff, May 19, 2022

 

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday welcomed a recent decision to expand Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

Bennett stated: “In the face of enemy violence, the Zionist answer has always been settlement, security, and immigration,” Bennett said. “Last week we approved here in Elkana, to my understanding, the largest volume of construction at once, since the establishment of the town. I have no doubt that this will be an answer for the younger generation.”

We agree with Bennett’s response and his words speak truth. However, his ongoing appeasement of the enemy is in direct conflict with his comments stated in Elkana. We miss the Naftali Bennett we once knew.

Source:
Bennett: Everyone is invited to this government, no one is excluded, by Israel National News, May 17, 2022