Category: Articles

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed a gathering of hundreds of Likud activists gathered at the Tel Aviv Expo Center Sunday night for an ‘emergency conference’ called to protest the possible establishment of a left-wing government without majority backing in the Knesset.

“We are at a crucial moment for the State of Israel. The leaders of Blue and White – Benny Gantz, Gabi Ashkenazi, and Boogie Yaalon – have decided to form a minority government that will be dependent on members of the Joint Arab List,” Netanyahu claimed.

Did Gantz forget who struck Israel for nearly three straight days last week with an endless barrage of rocket attacks?

Where was Gantz on Saturday morning when two more rockets were launched into Beersheva post ‘ceasefire.’ Did he not hear about this?

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz’s latest attempt to form a coalition is not only outrageous – it puts Israel in grave danger. Allowing terrorist supporters into any part of the Israeli government is unacceptable! Gantz has clearly forgotten his roots as an IDF leader. HE IS OUT OF HIS MIND.

We fail to see where Gantz has the security and safety of Israel in mind, hence, AFSI labels him the enemy from within.

Agreements between Liberman and Gantz revealed ~Arutz Sheva Staff

A newly filed $90 million US lawsuit has charged a Palestinian human rights group with financing hundreds of acts of environmental terrorism along Israel’s southern border with Gaza. KKL-JNF and American citizens living in Israel are plaintiffs in the lawsuit which seeks to hold an American 501(c)3 liable for conspiring to finance this agricultural terrorism.

This lawsuit exposes an alleged conspiracy between the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR, also known as Education for a Just Peace in the Middle East) and Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other designated terrorist organizations. In addition to ILF, the plaintiffs are represented by Washington-based lawfirm Heideman, Nudelman & Kalik PC.

Yasher koach to AFSI colleague Yifa Segal of the International Legal Forum, who stated, “This landmark case exposes a shocking and multi-layered planned conspiracy and campaign aimed at manipulating the public.”

Related reading: State indicts Gazans for incendiary kites,attacking IDF soldiers ~Yonah Jeremy Bob

Baha Abu Al-Ata, a senior commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was planning a new horrendous attack on Israel that would have caused death or harm to too many Israelis to even contemplate.

The IDF and Shin Bet were aware of the very credible threat this mastermind of hundreds of terror attacks in the past posed, and that the attack was imminent.

Working together, Shin Bet and the IDF conducted a precision strike on Al-Ata’s home, which targeted him in his bedroom.

In violent retaliation, Islamic Jihad, which is of course supported by Iran, has fired as of this writing, at least 400 rockets indiscriminately into Israel. They have primarily landed in the South, and Iron Dome has been able to intercept many of them, but they have caused serious damage and injury to Israel’s civilian population.

In self defense, Israel reacted by taking out weapons manufacturing facilities and at least one terror tunnel in Gaza.

There have been, as of midday yesterday, 24 deaths in Gaza – 20 of them were Islamic Jihad terrorists.

Hamas is now being goaded to get into the action which could escalate things dramatically.

Life in Israel was disrupted this week, from the South all the way to Tel Aviv, with schools and businesses closed. The rocket attacks began Tuesday morning in the South and continued through yesterday – all night and day – reaching not only the Gaza envelope but further North into Israel. Though a ceasefire was reached yesterday, Red Alerts are still registering. Israelis have endured damage not only to property but to people’s physical well-being. The emotional trauma this has caused Israeli adults and their children cannot be measured.

Early this morning, an Egyptian source reported a ceasefire agreement had been reached between Israel and the Islamic Jihad and that it took effect as of 5:30 am. There is no official confirmation yet. In this morning’s post “ceasefire” rocket attack, the head of a rocket fired by Gazan terrorists landed in a nursery school in Netivot. And yes, there were kids there at the time.

The fact that no Israelis have been killed over the course of this latest attack is a miracle and we are grateful. The restraint shown by the Israelis is a marvel and we continue to support their absolute right, in fact their obligation, to defend their land and their people.

Americans For A Safe Israel rejects this week’s ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which only serves as a tool in the political campaign against Israel.

The ECJ ruled that under EU rules on food labelling, products must be clearly defined where they are from — particularly if they come from Israeli towns outside of the pre-1967 ‘Green Line’.

The ruling’s entire objective singles out and perpetuates an ongoing double standard against Israel. There are over 200 ongoing territorial disputes worldwide, yet the ECJ has not rendered a single ruling related to labeling products originating from those territories.

This ruling is political and discriminates against Israel. 

Gabriel Groisman is an attorney who is on the legal team representing Israel’s Psagot Winery, which is at the center of this battle. Groisman is adamant that EU law does not require what he calls discriminatory labeling against Israeli products. He also agrees that EU member states are not free to set their own labeling laws, as France has tried to do.

AFSI views this ruling as nothing more than a concerted effort to delegitimize Israel and its lawful claim to the land of Judea/Samaria. We suggest the EU take a refresher course in the facts on the truth about Israel.

This fight will continue.

Suggested reading: The European Union Labels Itself Biased ~Amb. Alan Baker

Early this morning, Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu Al-Ata was assassinated by Israel in the Gaza Strip in a targeted killing operation carried out jointly by the IDF and the Shin Bet.

An immediate threat to Israel, Abu Al-Ata, chief of Islamic Jihad’s Al Quds Brigades’ Gaza Strip branch, was considered one of the most radical terrorists in Gaza – even within Islamic Jihad. He was seen as a rising force within Gaza, due in part to his close ties with Tehran.

Approximately 190 rockets have been launched at Israel since the removal of Al-Ata. Interception rate by Iron Dome is 90% at this time.

As of this writing, 39 people in total have been treated for injuries a as a result of the rocket attacks. Among them: a 35-year-old man was lightly injured by rocket fire; an 8-year old girl is in serious condition in Holon after she lost consciousness suddenly during the 8 am rocket attack. A rocket struck a home in Netivot causing damage to the building but no injuries.

For the first time since 2014’s Operation Protective Edge, the IDF ordered a closure of schools and businesses in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

Hamas seen limiting response to Abu al-Ata killing ~Dan Zaken

Read the Jerusalem Post’s timeline of Red Alerts and rocket interceptions HERE.

#israelunderfire #jihadenough

The absence of a functioning government in Israel and ongoing news of Iran’s capability to enrich its uranium leaves Israel – and us – on edge.

A recent report from Reuters says a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) stated, “Iran has the capacity to enrich uranium up to 60%.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed what could be a nightmare scenario for Israel. The estimate of Israeli intelligence that was published a year ago, predicted that the Iranians will violate the agreement gradually and grow until they reach a range from which they could break through to a military nuclear program within a few months.

The deadline is fast approaching: Blue and White leader Benny Gantz has until November 20 to form a coalition.

Gantz said yesterday that his party would be willing to consider compromising on some of its positions in the interest of forming a broad unity government alongside Likud and Yisrael Beytenu.

Naftali Bennett, leader of the New Right party, was appointed Defense Minister yesterday, replacing Netanyahu who had been in the post since Leiberman’s resignation. He was sworn in (in a bunker) today.

A recent poll among voters shows a disturbing statistic: 52% of Blue and White Voters in Favor of Coalition with Arab Parties ~Alon Einhorn. We find this unthinkable.

We think all (except perhaps the Arab list) of Am Yisroel are in agreement that political differences must be put aside for the moment and attention turned outward to defending Israel (and the West) against Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

The title of today’s lead article is the main point stressed in the second of two excellent videos that accompany today’s Artuz Sheva article by Mordechai Sones. It’s a must read and we ask that you forward this to your contacts to view the videos, which give clear and concise explanations as to “why” Israel must have defensible borders.

In recent days, Sovereignty Movement heads Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar sent letters to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz calling on them to include Jordan Valley sovereignty in the fundamental principles of the unity government that the two and their staffs are negotiating.

“Israeli sovereignty in the Jordan Valley is a course of action capable of uniting the citizens of Israel: Right, Zionist Left, and Center, around the Zionist value of enhancing control of the Land of Israel. …even if it is not the full and comprehensive step of applying Israeli Sovereignty over all the expanses of the Land of Israel, it is an additional, significant step toward realization of the Zionist vision of Israeli Sovereignty in its land.” stated Katsover and Matar in their letter.

Saudi strategic expert Muhammad Al-Qabiban says Israel has a right to defend itself and its borders from Iranian ‘lackeys’ like Hezbollah.

Report: Blue&White Ready for Sovereignty in Jordan Valley ~David Israel

Please view the below videos and keep in mind that they are dated.

Clearly AFSI believes in a whole Israel and does not envision a future with any Palestinian State within its borders,whether or not demilitarized. See video “Why Israel Must Have Defensible Borders.”

The need for Sovereignty in the Jordan Valley as a barrier is clear, as is the need for Sovereignty in all of Judea and Samaria. It is stating the obvious that Israel cannot rely on any United Nations actors as we’ve seen in every arena of their involvement – including “peacekeeping.” UNEF, UNIFIL,UNDO and others have all been failures. See video “Sovereignty in the Jordan Valley: A MUST.“

Chairman of the Jordan Valley Council, David Elhayani, was elected earlier this week as the new Yesha Council Chairman. Elhayani sat down for an interview with Arutz Sheva.

Speaking in his first phone call since the election, Elhayani’s priority was to call for Sovereignty, around which all heads of authorities and Yesha Council leadership should unite.

Elhayani said about sovereignty, “…Anyone who doesn’t live in Judea and Samaria and doesn’t live the daily life in Judea and Samaria doesn’t understand that there’s no other option.” Even Arabs who work in the Jordan Valley want Sovereignty “…because they know that the PA is corrupt and that their rights are preserved, they know that under Israeli Sovereignty they will enjoy the fruits of democracy.”

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement yesterday about the recently published findings of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) investigation into UNRWA and calls for the full and transparent release of all findings of the investigation.

The recent resignation of UNRWA’s Commisioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl is only a first step in a long process that is needed to eliminate corruption, increase transparency, and prevent further politicization of the agency.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz stated: “UNRWA’s conduct illustrates that the agency is part of the problem, and not part of the solution. The agency perpetuates the refugee issue in a political manner, and in doing so distances any possibility for a future resolution. The international community needs to find a new model that will provide humanitarian assistance to those who truly need it, and must remove from the agenda the futile idea of the return of the refugees.”