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Last weekend, the chairman of the Knesset House Committee, MK Nir Orbach (Yamina), passed a list of demands to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and said that would he agree to remain in the coalition only if those demands are fulfilled. “Without a solution to these issues, I will not be able to remain in the coalition,” Orbach clarified to Bennett.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz confirmed that the Supreme Planning Council will meet immediately after Passover to approve housing units for construction in Judea and Samaria.

Following Idit Silman’s resignation from the coalition, Bennett-Lapid officials have asked lawyers to formulate agreements with the Joint Arab List, according to Channel 13 News correspondent Ayala Hasson. The Joint List would not join the government but would vote in favor of a number of legislative proposals and the next state budget, ensuring that the current 60-60 tie between the coalition and opposition does not kill the government’s legislative agenda and that a failure to pass the budget which would trigger new elections does not occur.

With that said, we have reason to be very concerned and can say with certainty that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is a threat to the State of Israel. MK Miki Zohar from the Likud responded on his Twitter account: “Coalition with the Joint List? Apparently Bennett has lost it.”

Sources:
Yamina officials to INN: Gantz will approve Judea and Samaria construction after Passover, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, April 11, 2022

Bennett’s new partners – The Joint List?, by Israel National News, April 10, 2022

 

 

 

 

Joseph’s Tomb, a holy place for the Jewish people, was vandalized over the weekend by Arab extremists.

An outpouring of condemnation by Israeli officials followed… shock, horror, and how this latest terror attack strikes at the very heart of “…deeply-held feelings of the Jewish people.” Jonathan Pollard in a statement zeroed in on the real problem as to why this happened: “I am absolutely disgusted at how our government first abandoned the Kever years ago and has left it vulnerable to repeated acts of vandalism by PA inspired mobs over the years. Enough!”

Pollard went on to say, “Both the Kever and a wide access route to it must be immediately secured by the IDF and formally annexed by Israel.” That means there is an urgent need to apply Sovereignty. Without it, Israel’s heritage remains threatened.

Source:
Israel Condemns ‘Shocking’ Vandalism of Joseph’s Tomb as Palestinian Rioters Torch Holy Site, by Sharon Wrobel/The Algemeiner, April 10, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, members of Israel’s high-level security cabinet unanimously approved a plan submitted by Defense Minister Benny Gantz to build the additional 25-mile segment of the security barrier.

However, not everyone approves of this. Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi stated, “Instead of addressing the problem that is developing in northern Samaria, they are trying to hide it behind a wall.” MK Bezalel Smotrich harshly criticized the plan and Bennett, saying Bennett is building the new border that he had so strongly fought against in the past, and returning Israel to the Oslo years.”

The gap in the security fence must be repaired to prevent unwanted entry into Israel. However, given that Bennett’s decision illustrates that he’s done another about face on his campaign promise, we remain concerned about what the true long-term goal is.

Sources:
Israel Adding 25 Miles to Separation Barrier Following Wave of Terror, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, April 10, 2022

Right warns Bennett reviving Oslo by rebuilding West Bank barrier, by Tovah Lazaroff/Jerusalem Post, April 11, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right-wing lawmakers lauded former coalition whip, Idit Silman (Yamina) Wednesday morning, after her Tuesday night announcement of plans to resign from the Bennett government and push for the formation of a new coalition.

Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement, “I was excited to hear the news of Idit Silman’s decision, and I bless you in the name of many people in Israel who waited for this moment.”

According to reports, she is set to join Likud in the opposition, giving the Likud party two main potential paths to return to power. The first option would be for it to pass a law to dissolve the Knesset and this would require the support of at least 61 of the 120 members of Knesset. Recent polls done by Channel 14, Israel’s version of Fox News, show that in an election, the right wing would get 62 seats and Yamina would not pass the threshold. We hope this kind of news encourages more defections from the Yamina party, which has right wing origins.

Israel cannot afford another bout of governmental paralysis with the Israeli people paying the price. From our viewpoint a collapse of the government at some point was inevitable. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s tenure has been deeply troubled from the start with his flip-flop on campaign promises. He appeased the Islamist Arabs in his coalition, ignored the pressing needs of Jews in Judea and Samaria (i.e., increased construction, electricity via the national grid) and has done nothing to apply Sovereignty there. He’s dragged his feet on actions that could bolster Israel’s safety and security throughout the country and preserve its Jewish Zionist identity. With all the damage he and his coalition have done, we pray the outcome restores to Israel all that has been ignored, undermined and threatened under Bennett’s leadership. We are watching closely for developments.

Sources:
Bennett’s government in crisis as whip Silman quits, stripping coalition of majority, by TOI Staff, April 6, 2022

Rightist MKs laud coalition chair for bolting government, by Israel National News, April 6, 2022

 

This afternoon a Palestinian man broke into the Ramat Migron community in the Binyamin region of Samaria, and violently attacked a Jewish resident until a bystander managed to subdue him.

A Jewish member of the community noticed unfamiliar Arab man lingering near a residence where a woman and child were home alone. After being asked repeatedly to identify himself, the Arab jumped on the Jew, punching him repeatedly. He wrestled the Jewish man to the ground and then began to “strangle” him. Fortunately a bystander intervened and helped the victim subdue the attacker. The two Jewish men kept the attacker on the ground until security forces arrived and arrested him.

“This is an incident that could easily have ended in injury to a woman and children who are now at home during the Passover holiday,” attorney Haim Bleicher, who serves in the NGO Honenu’s Department of Victims of Terrorism, said in a statement.

This attack comes after a wave of deadly Arab terror attacks in Israel during the last week of March. As Ramadan observance approaches it is critical for the IDF, COGAT and other police and intelligence units to increase security to Jewish communities throughout the country.

Source:
‘Mentally ill’ Arab attacks Jew in Samaria, subdued by bystander, by World Israel News Staff, April 7, 2022

Visiting the Shin Bet security agency’s northern headquarters, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday that Israel is entering a period of “vigilant routine” as security forces work to prevent further terror attacks.

Bennett stated, “Terrorists have all kinds of ideas, so we are on high alert, both the Shin Bet and the Israel Police, to identify any hint of an idea or plan for an attack, and thwart it in advance.” He also said the Israel Defense Forces are also on high alert along a security barrier, after a gap in the fence was utilized by a Palestinian who killed five people in a shooting attack in Bnei Brak last week.

As Israel now enters what Bennett calls “…a period of ‘vigilant routine,'” we pray that all of Israel’s security and defense agencies protect her people. May all of Israel’s law-abiding citizens, Jewish Christian and Muslim, soon feel confident returning to normalcy in their daily lives.

Source:
Visiting West Bank, Bennett says Israel on lookout for any ‘hint’ of attack, by Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel, April 3, 2022

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan threatened to petition the High Court of Justice if the holes in the security fence were not immediately sealed.

Dagan issued the demand in a letter sent over the weekend after a terrorist from the village of Ya’bad near Jenin crossed through a hole in the fence in northern Samaria to carry out a terrorist attack in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak. Five people were killed in that attack.

“Despite many warnings about the holes, the defense system you are tasked with has not taken any action to prevent the entry, either through temporary solutions to prevent the uninterrupted entry or the serious failure to permanently repair breaches in the fence. For years, Israel has neglected the separation fence under a ‘humanitarian’ excuse and dug its head in the sand in the face of a clear and real threat,” Dagan said.

This security fence has been broken for years and there is no excuse for ignoring the need to repair it. With the wave of terror that struck Israel last week, there is a pressing need to fix it. As Bennett stated in our earlier article about Israel being in a period of “vigilant routine” regarding security, we urge him to see the writing on the wall and make good on his word. He must take action and stop overlooking the urgently needed repair of this broken security fence.

Source:
‘50,000 Palestinians enter Israel illegally daily through holes in security fence’, by Efrat Forsher and Eyal Levi/Israel Hayom, April 4, 2022

 

 

 

After approaching the Israeli government, the Kohelet Policy Forum (KPF) today revealed that the Israeli government may be indirectly funding terror by transferring funds to the Palestinian Authority. They indicated that Defense Minister Benny Gantz may have acted outside of the boundaries of the law by providing the PA with “advance payments” and “loans.”

As Gantz has repeatedly engaged in appeasement efforts towards the PA, including reportedly telling PA president Mahmoud Abbas that he strives to be the “next Rabin” and transferring large sums of money to the Authority, some of which occurred ahead of schedule, the KPF’s Litigation Department raised concerns about the non-transparency of these transactions.

“We call upon the government to explain how Gantz could transfer funds to the Palestinians while they continue pay for slay. One of Israel’s greatest diplomatic achievements was the United States passing of the Taylor Force Act. When Israel breaks its own law to the same effect, it undermines this pillar of American support for Israel,” said Professor Eugene Kontorovich.

Source:
‘Hush money’ – Does Gantz indirectly support Palestinian terror funding?, by World Israel News Staff, April 4, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We are currently dealing with a new wave of terrorism,” said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a statement issued in response to the horrific attack in Bnei Brak.

Within the last week, Israel has experienced one of the worst waves of terror attacks in quite some time. In the last 7 days 11 have been murdered (Jews, Druze and an Arab Christian). This illustrates a disturbing trend of terror carried out in cities with mixed residents as well as communities populated only by Jews.

MK Itamar Ben Gvir delivered a fierce message: “The enemy recognizes weakness. This wave of terrorism is reminiscent of the bloody days of Oslo, and the writing on the wall is inscribed in the name of Internal Security Minister Omer Barlev and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, the most failed people in charge in the history of the State of Israel.”

Yesterday, two suspected terrorists were arrested at Jerusalem’s Shuk Machane Yehuda after civilians in the area identified them to police. The police approached the suspects, asked them for ID, and were brutally attacked by the suspects.

Just this morning a 28 year old Israeli man was seriously wounded in a terror stabbing near Neve Daniel. He received lifesaving surgery and is out of danger. Three others were treated at the scene for anxiety. The terrorist was shot dead on the bus by an armed passenger. We hope this hero will not receive the rude and dismissive treatment by investigators the way last week’s hero in Beersheva did.

After a situational assessment among top security officials and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, the Defense Ministry issued a list of immediate steps to be taken in response to the wave of terrorist violence.

Prime Minister Bennett thinks he knows exactly what needs to be done – but will he do it? It should be very clear to him now that he must 1) put any and all political pressures aside to stop appeasement of Arabs and 2) fully enable all of Israel’s security and defense forces to dig deep to eradicate this new wave of terror and stop it dead in its tracks.

As for the United States…thank you for your swift condolences. However, if we really want to be a friend to Israel we need to wake up and stop your delirious position on a two-state solution, which would only add to the terror as it would surely be ruled by Hamas, an Iranian proxy. We must also with an immediate cancellation to the Iran nuclear “deal” and cessation of sanctions.

AFSI is deeply saddened by these recent heinous attacks and mourns the loss of all of the victims. We also pray for the speedy recovery of those who are injured, along with a return to normalcy for all residents.

Sources:
More Security Everywhere: Defense Minister Issues New Directives following Assessment Meeting, by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 30, 2022

Bennett: We are dealing with a new wave of terrorism, by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett/Israel National News, March 30, 2022

Bennett Calls Terrorism Cyclical as Israel Is Hammered and Intelligence Fails, by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 30, 2022

Chase and Shooting at Jerusalem’s Shuk Machane Yehuda, by Jewish Press Desk, March 30, 2022

Israeli seriously wounded in terror stabbing near West Bank settlement, by Emanuel Fabian and Aaron Boxerman/Times of Israel, March 31, 2022

Dr. Mordechai Kedar has an important article in which he discusses how Israel must prepare for the next battle.

What Israel needs to do is to expand Jerusalem’s municipal jurisdiction to all of the Jordan Valley, incidentally, applying these basic laws and Israeli sovereignty to it. The world will rant and rave but will not do much else, just as it did nothing with regard to Jerusalem as it is today.

Source:
How Israel should respond to the Iranian nuclear deal, by Dr. Mordechai Kedar/Israel National News, March 29, 2022