Category: Articles

An IDF spokesman stated today that since the beginning of Operation Shield and Arrow, about 600 rockets were launched from Gaza towards Israel, of which nearly 400 entered Israeli territory.

Despite ongoing ceasefire talks, the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization continues to fire rocket barrages at Israel.

A rocket fired by terrorists from the Gaza Strip struck a residential building in Rehovot this evening. One person was killed and five people were injured.

Around nine o’clock Wednesday evening a heavy volley of rockets was fired at the communities of the Gaza envelope. A rocket directly hit a house in Ashkelon and caused heavy damage (photo above). There were no injuries as the members of the house were staying in a protected area during the barrage. In Sderot, a rocket exploded in the garden of a private house and one person was treated for anxiety.

During a televised press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a stern warning to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad: “Our forces are currently hitting targets in the Gaza Strip with great force and the terrorist organizations are paying a heavy price. Anyone who harms us will pay the price.”

Let’s be reminded that Israelis also continue to pay a heavy price repeatedly surviving and suffering through terror attacks. The word “ceasefire” has become meaningless to Israelis and the terrorists see it as nothing more than a chance to refuel and find another excuse to chip away at their goal of destroying Israel. What kind of retaliation or offensive operation will it take to put a stop to the intentional perpetuation of terror attacks that violate Israel’s sovereign rights? We’re still waiting for the solution.

Source:
1 killed, 5 hurt as rocket hits residential building in Rehovot, by Israel National News, May 11, 2023

IDF: 550 rockets fired at Israel this week, by Israel National News, May 11, 2023

Homes in Ashkelon, Sderot, struck in rocket barrage, by Israel National News, May 10, 2023

Ashkelon, Sderot homes damaged as Gaza rockets refuse to abate, by Itamar Eichner, Elisha Ben Kimon, Adaum Kutub, Yossi Yehoshua/Ynetnews, May 10, 2023

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday foiled Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s attempt to host an event at the Capitol with anti-Israel groups that decry the founding of the Jewish state as a “catastrophe.”

“This event in the US Capitol is canceled,” McCarthy announced in a tweet on Tuesday. “Instead, I will host a bipartisan discussion to honor the 75th anniversary of the US-Israel relationship.”

“It’s wrong for members of Congress to traffic in anti-Semitic tropes about Israel…As long as I’m speaker, we are going to support Israel’s right to self-determination and self-defense, unequivocally and in a bipartisan fashion.”

Thank you, Speaker McCarthy, for taking the correct action doing and for speaking the truth about Israel. Next on your agenda: Rep. Tlaib should be removed from every House Committee she sits on. Don’t let this bigoted hater of American values and demonic destroyer of Israel’s right to exist go any further than she already has.

Source:
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy blocks Rep. Rashida Tlaib from hosting anti-Israel event, by Victor Nava/New York Post, May 10, 2023

The rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has deepened, according to a report by Ma’ariv Monday morning, prompting the prime minister to attempt a rapprochement.

“It is difficult to assess where this is heading,” officials cited by the report said. “There is currently a rift between the prime minister and Ben-Gvir. We hope they will meet or at least talk before the Knesset plenum convenes on Wednesday and find a way to end this.”

The sources emphasized that Ben-Gvir “has no interest in breaking up the government, but he also has no interest in remaining in a government that is right-wing in name only. Ben-Gvir has a list of more than demands, all election promises, not only those made by Otzma Yehudit, but also by the Likud and the entire Right. They should fulfill 2-3 things out of everything promised to the public.”

One key issue Ben Gvir is pressuring Netanyahu on is the implementation of a powerful and offensive security policy. Since Netanyahu took office terror attacks against Jews have only increased, from both within and outside Israel, and security should be the government’s top priority. It’s people like Ben Gvir who seek to shake up the status quo and for good reason. He is a reminder to Netanyahu, the government, and the Israeli people that “free” and “sovereign” are not words that can be used to define Israel when its enemies continue – and are practically enabled – to chip away at its very rightful and legal existence.

Source:
Report: Netanyahu trying to defuse coalition crisis with Itamar Ben-Gvir, by Israel National News, May 8, 2023

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan praised the Saturday elimination of the terrorists who carried out a shooting attack near Avnei Hefetz earlier this week.

Terrorists Hamza Qaryush and Samar al-Shafi are affiliated with Islamic Jihad, and it is suspected that they were planning to conduct additional terror attacks in the near future. “A terror attack which ends with an eliminated terrorist – that is the correct ending,” Dagan said. “However, let us not make a mistake: Capturing terrorists after the act does not stop terror. The top IDF officials and the government must change the paradigm. Repeating the same action over and over, with no result, is not helpful.”

Better protection is needed everywhere. Alon Davidi, mayor of Sderot, is also calling on the government to have a stronger response to terror. The government needs to deter terror regardless of the signals they get from the White House. It’s time to take Dagan’s words seriously, and yes, change is good. A shift in how security is implemented must happen. Without it, Israel remains a country under the reality of constant terror attacks and that’s no change at all.

Source:
Samaria leader: ‘Eliminate the Palestinian Authority’s terror infrastructure’, by Israel National News, May 6, 2023

The High Court of Justice upheld its ruling that the illegal Bedouin herding village of Khan al-Ahmar could be evacuated, but that it was up to the state to decide whether to move forward on the matter. It accepted the state’s argument made at a May 1 hearing that no action could be taken against the village at this time due to security and foreign relations concerns.

The Supreme Court on Sunday rejected Regavim’s petition demanding the immediate fulfillment of past court decisions by the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar.

“Our opinion is that these reasons are related to security matters and the country’s foreign relations,” stated Judge Alex Stein. “Under these circumstances, the petition before us has exhausted itself. All we can give the petitioner is a declaration that the outpost was built illegally and therefore should be evacuated and demolished. With regard to the State’s respondents’ latest decision regarding law enforcement against the outpost and its residents, we cannot interfere at this time.”

Regavim responded: The state’s capitulation to international pressure, and today’s High Court of Justice decision granting that capitulation a seal of approval, are leading the State of Israel to the brink of anarchy: The ground rules for Israeli retreat have been laid, and foreign concerns now have official confirmation that the Israeli government will back down from its own stated policies and national interests when pressure is applied.

The current terminology for today’s decision is, “Shame!” – shame on the government of Israel and shame on the High Court of Justice.

Source:
Supreme Court rejects petition for demolition of Khan al-Ahmar, by Israel National News, May 7, 2023

The IDF confirmed Tuesday evening that terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched six mortars at Israel, hours after a barrage of 22 rockets left three people wounded in Sderot.

Two rockets struck Sderot, four were intercepted by the Iron Dome, and 16 rockets landed in open areas.Three foreign workers were wounded when a rocket struck a construction site in Sderot, one who was seriously injured.

Earlier in the day, Sderot resident Bezalel Eliyahu Atias said that his wife miraculously avoided being killed by rocket fire. Atias commented that the rocket strike was “…during the time when the children are coming home from school.”

Another miracle was told by Efrat Amram. A Sderot resident, her home and car were severely damaged by the rockets but thankfully her entire family was unharmed.

Rockets continued to be fired at Israel overnight Tuesday. According to IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, 104 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the current round.

Sderot mayor Alon Davidi said, “I call on the government and the army, stop the platitudes. There are two terrorist organizations that control the Strip, and they shoot whenever they want to. They need to be eliminated. We are paying a price. We need to initiate an operation and do it wisely.”

Though the IDF responded with attacks against several terrorist facilities, many residents strongly voiced that the actions taken were not significant enough. How long will the current ceasefire last? Life for Israelis will go on as usual and once again, they’ve shown tremendous courage and resilience. Living like this has become a rollercoaster for Israelis who never know when the next Red Alert Siren emergency will force them to run to a shelter for safety. Without a guarantee that the terrorist problem has been eliminated from its root cause, the reality of terrorism will repeat itself. This is unacceptable and is no way to live in a free and sovereign country.

Sources:
IDF Hits 16 Hamas, Jihad Targets in Gaza, Iron Dome Performance Re-Evaluated, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 3, 2023

Sderot Mayor after rocket attacks: Govt. must destroy Gaza terror groups, by Israel National News, May 2, 2023

1 seriously injured in rocket barrage from Gaza, by Israel National News, May 2, 2023

Miracle in Sderot: ‘Our car was hit as my wife was heading to it’, by Israel National News, May 2, 2023

Relations between the Israeli government and the Judea Samaria Regional Councils are “back to normal.” Israel’s previous government had refused to meet with community heads.

Judea and Samaria community officials met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his office in Jerusalem on April 27 to discuss matters of “crucial importance.” “From our point of view, the meeting between the heads of these communities and the prime minister signifies a return to normal,” said Shlomo Neeman, who is also the mayor of the Gush Etzion Regional Council.

Yesha leaders expressed confidence that Prime Minister Netanyahu will fulfill his campaign promises and allow development in Judea and Samaria to continue. They demanded that a harsh stand be taken “against terrorism and its perpetrators, and prioritize the handling of the Palestinian Authority’s illegal control of Area C.” Additionally, they requested that the government continue construction and infrastructure development throughout Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley.

We cannot calculate how much time was lost and wasted with these critical matters being ignored due to the prior government’s refusal to meet with Yesha leaders. Now that Yesha-goverment relations are back to normal, we eagerly wait for many long overdue issues to be resolved. We hope the wait is not too long.

Source:
Yesha Council heads hail ‘return to normalcy’ after Netanyahu meeting, by JNS, May 1, 2023

Squad member Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib got slammed by Twitter’s “Community Notes” fact-check feature, after she spread lies about Israel and US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Tlaib tweeted, “Speaker McCarthy wants to rewrite history, but the apartheid state of Israel was born out of violence and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. 75 years later, the Nakba continues to this day.”

Under Twitter’s new policy, readers are allowed to add “Community Notes” and the ones listed in the photo above clearly convey the truth that combat the vicious lies Cong. Tlaib spewed against Israel.

Tsk, tsk Cong. Tlaib. What will you do now? Spew your lies elsewhere? We doubt Twitter will post any Community Notes that support the garbage that you tweet.

Source:
Antisemite Tlaib’s Anti-Israel Tweet Gets SHREDDED by Twitter’s Community Notes, by Yaakov M/VINnews, May 3, 2023

The Knesset opened its summer session today convening for the first time since the Passover recess.

Topping the Knesset’s agenda is passage of the state budget. If the budget does not pass by May 29, the Knesset will automatically dissolve, and snap elections will be called.

Today the Knesset held a festive ceremony during which United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy spoke.

The “March of the Million” took place last Thursday evening near the Knesset and is a clear demonstration that Israelis WANT judicial reforms. The turnout, in the hundreds of thousands, succeeded in putting to bed opposition claims that Israelis are united against judicial reform. This is what the people of Israel want, and judicial reforms must be realized as soon as possible. Negotiations continue under President Herzog with wide differences of opinion. The “Million March” participants chanted loudly against compromise. We hope their voices were heard and that reform legislation will resume soon.

Sources:
Judicial reform not on the agenda as Knesset opens summer session, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, May 1, 2023

March of the Million’ shatters opposition claim nation opposes judicial reform, by David Isaac/JNS, April 28, 2023

On Monday morning, the High Court of Justice heard arguments in yet another round of Regavim’s petition demanding the implementation of demolition orders issued by the state in 2009 to evacuate an illegal outpost on Route 1, in an area under full Israeli jurisdiction.

At the hearing, the state’s representative claimed that the state has no objection to the implementation of the orders but demands that it be given full discretion as to the timing and way in which they are to be implemented, due to the political and security considerations involved.

Attorney Avi Segal, representing Regavim in this petition, explained: “Although in principle it is true that the court should not interfere in political issues, in the event that the state refuses to enforce the law for 15 years and under the auspices of this situation the Palestinian Authority and the residents of the compound continue to take over territory, there is no alternative: the High Court of Justice must put an end to this saga and allocate a reasonable timetable for the state to enforce the law.”

Source:
Following Stormy Debate, High Court Again Postpones Its Khan Al Ahmar Ruling, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 1, 2023