Category: Articles

Natan Sharansky, the former prisoner of Zion, human rights activist, Israeli government minister and Jewish Agency chief, urged Israel to take “a clear moral stand” against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine.

Sharansky, who was born in what is now Donetsk, Ukraine, called Putin’s attack a challenge to “all the basic principles of the free world.” He also found himself “in a minority of one” when expressing similar sentiments in several Hebrew media appearances: “Others have put it to me that Israel’s prime moral obligation is to protect our citizens, and that if that means staying silent or not irritating Vladimir Putin, so be it — a case of realpolitik overriding moral clarity.”

And the fact is, he stressed, “it’s not cowardice for Israel to seek to avoid irritating Putin. We are in a situation where, because of the weakness of the West, Putin holds the keys to the skies in our area. To protect ourselves from Iran, from the military bases Iran would establish [directly across Israel’s borders], we need good ties with Russia.”

Based on what Sharansky said it is important for Israel to take a position on the crisis in Ukraine and must maintain peaceful ties with Russia for the sake of deterring Iran. Israel has been taking in scores of Ukranian refugees and so many of us have Ukraninan roots. As President Donald Trump always said, “peace through strength.” No good can come of being enemies with Russia.

Source:
Sharansky: Israel must take ‘a clear moral stand’ against Putin over Ukraine, by David Horovitz/Times of Israel, February 28, 2022

The Ministry of Justice held a crucial discussion yesterday on connecting electricity infrastructure to the “young communities” of Judea and Samaria.

At the meeting, agreements were reached on the wording of the order that will allow Minister of Defense Benny Gantz to connect at least thirty localities and sections in Judea and Samaria.

Yesterday, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked visited the young community of Avigayil. Shaked said that “the community of Avigayil is a community that I have personally accompanied for many, many years.” Authorizing electricity is “…the basic condition, and also to authorize the entire community and prevent Palestinian takeover in Area C.”

Residents in Area C having been needlessly waiting a long time to be connected to the basic service of electricity. We trust this development will be the start of a domino effect throughout the rest of Area C.

Source:
At least 30 communities in Judea and Samaria may be connected to electricity, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, February 23, 2022

A lead rabbi in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Thursday said dozens of people were sheltering in his synagogue, where he and his wife had stockpiled tons of food, fuel and mattresses in expectation of the Russian invasion that finally came overnight.

Rabbi Jonathan Markovitch and his wife Inna said hundreds of Jews still remained in Kyiv, mostly those who lacked the means to escape the city before the attacks started early Thursday morning. Those who did not leave before 6:30 a.m. were now stuck inside the city as the roads around it had become completely clogged with civilians trying to flee the fighting, they said.

Read the statement issued by The Jewish Agency For Israel on the steps they are taking to address various needs due to the escalation in Ukraine.

Source:
Kyiv rabbi opens synagogue as a refuge: ‘No bomb shelter, but we can be together’, by Judah Ari Gross/Times of Israel, February 24, 2022

Ambassador Gilad Erdan slammed Palestinian claims about Israeli “apartheid” at a United Nations Security Council meeting Wednesday. He wondered aloud how the international body could ignore real human rights violations, including the current Ukrainian crisis.

In a special debate devoted to the Middle East conflict, the Palestinian representative accused Israel of apartheid several times and even wore a mask with the words “Stop Apartheid.”

Erdan responded sharply, saying, “Can anyone honestly look me in the eye and tell me that Israel, a country that protects the social and political equality of all of its citizens, is guilty of systematic injustice? A country in which Arab doctors, Arab members of parliament and Arab ministers serve alongside their Jewish counterparts?”

With the Ukranian crisis at the forefront of the news today, the world is an absolute mess. When will the United Nations do a serious turnaround and tackle the real threats in the world? How about condemning the many nations who sit on the UN “Human Rights” Council and are the worst offenders of human rights? The UN needs to get off their obsessive condemn Israel bandwagon and deal with legitimate issues threatening world peace. Israel is not an apartheid state. Never was, never will be.

Source:
Erdan slams Security Council’s focus on Israel ‘apartheid,’ not on ‘real threat’, By Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, February 24, 2022

Nuclear negotiations may soon end with a deal that is insufficiently tough on Iran, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned at the opening of Sunday’s cabinet meeting. “The talks between Iran and the [world] powers on a return to the Iran deal are very advanced. It may be that we will see an agreement in a short time.
The apparent new deal is shorter and weaker than the previous one,” he added.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed in 2015, was for 10 years, Returning to it means a deal in which most of its restrictions on Iran’s uranium enrichment will expire in only two and a half years. Since 2015, Iran has advanced their enrichment capabilities significantly. Very soon, Iran will be able and entitled to develop and install advanced centrifuges, without restrictions; stadiums full of centrifuges, according to the agreement.

Yair Lapid stated, “Let me be clear: we aren’t subject to this agreement. Israel will defend itself, by itself. We have a strong Army, we have the Mossad, we have a determined government, and we won’t hesitate to act in order to prevent Iran from achieving its goal.”

As the US refuses to face the truth about the disastrous Iran deal, Israel must do everything in its power to speak out and oppose any deal. More than this, they must remain on high alert for the sake of the country’s self-defense.

Sources:
Lapid: Israel not bound by nuclear deal with Iran, by Israel National News, February 21, 2022

Bennett: Shorter, weaker Iran deal may be coming soon, by Lahav Harkov, Anna Ahronheim, Reuters/Jerusalem Post, February 20, 2022

An Arab woman and four children were seen on security cameras late Monday afternoon working hard. They ripped out trees that were planted in a new park under a development outside the fence surrounding the Dagan neighborhood in Efrat.

Last Friday residents of Efrat planted 50 citrus fruit trees and 30 more trees of different types, said a spokesperson for the Dagan Slopes Project. Over the past six weeks a total of 150 to 200 trees have been planted in the area. The project began three months ago in response to the increasing encroachment on Israeli land by surrounding Arabs.

The more Jews plant and build up the land of Israel the less of an opportunity Arabs will have to claim it. The ongoing problem is to prevent Arabs from ripping up what Jews plant in the first place. This recent incident is another example of how critical the application of Sovereignty is.

Source:
WATCH: Arab Woman & Kids Rip Out Fruit Trees Planted by Efrat Residents, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, February 21, 2022

Seventeen suspected hilltop youths, including one minor, were arrested overnight Wednesday. This follows the end of an undercover investigation of an assault incident that took place in the village of Huwara where it is alleged that they caused damage to property in January.

Petty politics and verbal assaults against Jews living on legally owned State land is a disgrace. Shame on you MK Benny Gantz and Internal Security Minister Omer Barlev. Your “leadership” is stripping Jews of their right to self-defense. You have betrayed your own people. The source of violence in Judea and Samaria is the multiple terror attacks by Arabs. In order to reduce tensions and violence in this area, we suggest you face up to the truth about where the problem originates.

Sources:
Barlev & Gantz Make Good on their Threats with Mass Arrests of Hilltop Youths, by David Israel/Jewish Press, February 16, 2022

The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed down a preliminary injunction requiring the government to submit, within 60 days, a defense of its continued enforcement of Jordanian Law #40. This law prohibits the sale of land in Judea and Samaria to Jews. Passed in the 1950s during the Jordanian occupation, it remains in force to this very day.

The Regavim Movement welcomed the news of the newly-issued order. Attorney Boaz Arzi said, “Our petition asked an obvious question: How is it possible in Judea and Samaria, of all the places in the world, a racist law still prohibits Jews from buying property?”

Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that he does not intend to repeal Law #40 – despite the recommendations of Ministry of Defense professionals and his predecessors. A preliminary order against Gantz was issued Tuesday that requires him to present his arguments against the repeal of the law. Now that Gantz will be confronted, he has a lot of explaining to do. There can be no justification to keep Jews from purchasing land that Israel legally owns via a decades old law. Jordanian law #40 does not apply anymore and must be repealed immediately. We will be following all developments closely.

Source:
Court orders Gantz to explain why Jordanian law banning land sales to Jews not repealed, by Israel National News, February 15, 2022

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett departed to Bahrain today in the first visit of its kind by an Israeli leader to the Gulf kingdom.

Bennett will meet King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and with Crown Prince/Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Speaking to reporters before take-off, Bennett said he hoped the visit would be a “message of goodwill … and a shared stance against common threats.”

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Bennett and his counterpart will talk about ways to build on the normalization deal and on “the importance of peace, development and prosperity in the region, particularly in advancing economic and diplomatic matters, with a focus on technology and innovation.”

Bahrain and Israel agreed to normalize relations as part of the Abraham Accords in September 2020. Bennett’s historic visit to Bahrain is another building block on the path toward peace with Israel’s Arab neighbors. We are grateful to the Trump administration for initiating a lasting legacy that clearly is moving forward in developing positive relations for Israel and the Middle East.

Source:
Bennett embarks on historic visit to Bahrain, says two nations ‘shared stance against common threats’, by ILH Staff and Ariel Kahana/Israel Hayom, February 14, 2022

During the Likud faction meeting today, Opposition leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the police violence against MK Itamar Ben-Gvir in the Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood of Jerusalem. He called on the police to protect the Jews living in the neighborhood.

“I strongly condemn the act of violence against MK Itamar Ben-Gvir,” Netanyahu said. “This is not ‘Sheikh Jarrah’ – this is Jerusalem, this is our capital. “We are united in our demand from the police to maintain order and security for the residents of the Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood, just as we demand that peace and security be maintained everywhere in the State of Israel.”

This is particularly egregious as eyewitness accounts by reliable sources from Shimon Hatzadik (Sheikh Jarrah) and Lod confirm that the police stood by and took no action to protect the Jews during the May riots. Another instance of selective enforcement against Jews?

Source:
Netanyahu: It’s not Sheikh Jarrah, it’s our capital Jerusalem, by Israel national News, February 14, 2022