Category: Articles

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday commemorated a landmark but contentious 2001 anti-racism conference that was accused of being anti-Semitic over its attitude towards Israel.

Israel and dozens of other nations boycotted the 20th anniversary commemoration event of the contentious Durban Conference in South Africa, amid worries that it would also feature attacks on the Jewish state. However, reports from the event indicated that Israel was not mentioned.

The UN pledged to redouble efforts to combat racism around the world. We’ve heard it before and are still waiting to see this happen. Words mean nothing without action.

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan lambasted “the radical antisemitism” of the 2001 Durban Conference in remarks at a competing, virtual meeting organized by a professor at Touro College in New York.

At least 32 nations skipped the assembly’s event on Wednesday, by Israel’s count. AFSI thanks those 32 brave nations for standing side by side with Israel and for sending a clear message about the truth.

Source:
UN commemorates controversial Durban summit with no apparent mention of Israel, by AP and TOI Staff, September 23, 2021

 

 

 

 

What’s going on in Area C? That was the question posed to Gilad Ach, director of the Ad Kan non-profit organization, and the answer received was shocking.

According to Ach, while Jewish construction in Area C has been severely curtailed if not outright frozen during recent years, Palestinian construction under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority is going right ahead, funded by member countries of the European Union.

Area C is under effective (not very effective) Israeli control and in the horrifying event of a future “peace (pieces) deal” must be included within Israel’s sovereign borders. This hasn’t stopped countries like Germany and Great Britain from transferring huge sums of money to the PA to be used for Palestinian construction in Area C. The latest installment of a hundred million Euros comes from Germany, and on the Israeli side, no one is doing anything about it whatsoever.

Ach asks the burning question: “And what about the current Israeli government? Will the ‘government of change’ make changes here?” We wonder the same thing.

Source:
Palestinian State in process, funded by 3b Euros from the European Union, by Shimon Cohen/Arutz Sheva, September 19, 2021

 

 

 

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is “at it again,” according to former NY State Assemblyman Dov Hikind. Hikind claims that AOC “would like to see Israel defenseless the next time Hamas or Hezbollah rain thousands of rockets on Israel.” She seems to be only interested in the demise of Israel and becoming a social butterfly at the Met Gala. (A $30,000 ticket to the Gala which was gifted to her far exceeds allowable gift levels for a member of the United States Congress. Add the dress, limos, hotels, etc. and her dress which read “Tax the Rich” (another target) should have had Hypocrite scrawled across it instead.)

What prompted Hikind’s lengthy tweet was Ocasio-Cortez’s recent introduction of legislation to stop arms sales – to Israel. Not to Saudi Arabia, “who is engaged against Iran in a bloody and costly proxy war that’s ravaging Yemen on a massive scale.”

Responding to the congresswoman’s tweet, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. and the UN, Gilad Erdan, shot back: “I would expect a Congressperson to understand that Israel is defending its citizens against Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. Your amendment further legitimizes their heinous attacks against innocent civilians, as well as antisemitic lies.”

Sources:
AOC ‘at it again,’ calling for arms embargo on Israel, by Arutz Sheva Staff, September 19, 2021

AOC seeks to block US arms sales to Israel, ‘legitimizing Hamas and anti-Semitism’, by Donna Rachel Edmunds/World Israel News, September 19, 2021

Israeli aircraft struck a series of targets in the Gaza Strip early Monday in response to a series of rocket launches out of the Hamas-ruled territory. It was the third consecutive night of fighting between the enemies.

On Sunday, A man and a boy were lightly wounded while running to a bomb shelter in Sderot. A 53-year-old man was evacuated to hospital with light injuries. On Saturday night, a 29-year-old man suffered injuries while running for shelter.

Tensions have been heightened following last week’s escape from an Israeli prison by six Palestinian inmates, as well as struggling efforts by Egypt (with its Islamist leadership) to broker a long-term cease-fire following 11 days of consecutive terror attacks back in May.

The Israeli military reported three separate rocket launches late Sunday and early Monday above several localities near the Gaza Strip. According to the IDF, at least two of the launches were intercepted by its Iron Dome rocket defense system.

In response, the IDF said it attacked a number of Hamas targets, including several outposts, as well as a warehouse where the military said the terrorist group used to store weapons, ammunition and which served as a gateway for a tunnel into Israeli territory.

A member of the military Spokesperson Unit said in a statement, “The IDF will not accept a situation in which terrorist organizations act against the Israeli home front. The military will continue to respond strongly to terrorist acts from the Gaza Strip and considers Hamas responsible for everything that happens in the Strip.”

Egyptian negotiators passed a message from Israel to Gaza, warning that continued rocket fire would trigger a “very violent” response that may lead to a military operation in Gaza, Lebanon’s Al Akhbar newspaper reported.

Sources:
Israel hits Hamas targets in Gaza after rockets fired for 3rd day in row, by Associated Press via Ynetnews.com, September 13, 2021

Report: Egypt warned Hamas of ‘very violent’ reaction to continued rocket fire, by Arutz Sheva Staff, September 13, 2021

IDF attacks Hamas outposts, Iron Dome intercepts rocket, by Elad Benari/Arutz Sheva, September 13, 2021

 

 

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid presented on Sunday what he called a “new vision” for Israel’s relations with the Gaza Strip. He proposes that Israel “must move toward a multi-year process in Gaza of economy in return for security.” Lapid said that the aim of such a move is “to create stability on both sides of the border. This is not a proposal for negotiations with Hamas. Israel will not award prizes to a terrorist organization and weaken the [Palestinian] Authority (terrorists too) that works with us on a regular basis,” Lapid said. (Does “working with us” mean that Israel lends them money and they take it and continue their “Pay for Slay”)

Shortly after Lapid’s speech at a conference at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism Policy of Reichman University, a rocket was fired by Gaza terrorists toward Israeli communities for the third straight night. Thankfully it was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.

What guarantee does Lapid have that changing Gaza’s current economic reality and employing international investment will bring diplomatic progress toward peace? Has he forgotten that many EU nations consistently fund illegal communities built on legally owned Jewish land? Could involving the international community end up backfiring on Israel? Strict terms to not interfere with Israel’s Sovereignty would be mandatory as we see it. How will his plan stop terrorists from launching rockets or arson balloons at Israeli communities? Until the good people in Gaza can rise up freely and work peacefully with Israel – and the Arab terrorists and haters of Israel are pushed back totally- we don’t see how his plan can accomplish anything.

Source:
Lapid proposes ‘new vision’ for Gaza, promises economic steps for Hamas quiet, by Aaron Boxerman/Times of Israel, September 12, 2021

 

 

 

 

Right before Rosh Hashanah, the American Federation of Teachers in San Diego, Local 1931, issued an anti-Israel statement.

This statement is worth reading in full, because not only does it say that Jews have no right to self-determination, but it relies on lies in nearly every sentence to make that point.

Teachers who teach bigotry and lies are supremely unqualified to be teachers.

This AFT statement is an outrageous litany of lies, supported by people who are supposed to care about the truth. It is full of bigotry while written by those who are supposed to teach children to treat people equally. It is hypocrisy in its purest sense.

The kindest thing that can be said about these teachers is that they are uneducated on the truth about Israel. More likely, they are blatantly anti-Semitic. Fire them now.

Read the Elder of Ziyon’s blog for the full statement.

Source:
American Federation of Teachers – San Diego issues an anti-Israel statement filled with antisemitism and lies, by Elder of Ziyon, September 13, 2021

 

 

 

 

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met today with the heads of the Yesha Council.

The meeting dealt with issues related to the development of the communities in Judea and Samaria and the strengthening of local authorities in the area. It was agreed to continue working together to advance the issues.

The meeting was attended by Yesha Council Chairman David Elhayani, Secretary General Amana CEO Zeev Hever, Yesha Council CEO Yigal Dilmoni and Yesha Council Deputy Chairman Matanya Shapira.

This is the first official meeting between Bennett and the leaders of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria since the inauguration of the new government. Bennett promised that construction in Judea and Samaria would not stop but would continue at the same pace as in recent years. “I am committed to the settlements,” the prime minister clarified. “There will be no construction freeze, but there will also be no annexation.”

That Bennett is committed to the continuity of new construction in Judea and Samaria
(which was proceeding at a trickle) is something. However, to fail to apply Sovereignty avoids the truth about Israel’s legal rights to the land. Similarly, we are still shaking our heads at Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s meeting last week with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his subsequent agreement to lend the PA NIS 500 million – UNCONDITIONALLY. Who is Bennett’s priority when it comes to ensuring a safe and secure Israel – Jews or Arabs? He can’t have it both ways.

Source:
Bennett: I told the Americans we would not stop building, by Arutz Sheva Staff, September 9 2021

 

 

 

 

A guard tower overlooking the entrance to the tunnel used in the escape of six security prisoners from Gilboa Prison earlier this week was unmanned at the time of the prison break.

With the tunnel’s exit just a few meters away from the guard tower, initial reports had suggested the guard had fallen asleep on the job while the group escaped. But citing guards from the prison facility, the Ynet news site said that there was in fact nobody at the guard post at all.

The report said that the reason for the post being unmanned was unclear, and that a camera was pointed at the tunnel’s opening, but nobody was looking at the video feed.

Another news outlet reported that the tower had been vacant for over a month at the orders of the prison commander Freddy Ben Shitrit due to a manpower shortage.

This crack in Israel’s security is obviously disturbing and puts the country’s safety at risk. How did this security measure fall through the cracks? We will watch for an answer and trust that the problem will be addressed immediately.

Sources:
Guards say tower overlooking tunnel used in prison break was unmanned, by TOI Staff, September 9, 2021

Questions plague Israeli security forces after jailbreak, by AFP via Ynetnews, September 8, 2021

“I’m not going to put a date on it but we are getting closer to the point at which a strict return to compliance with the JCPOA does not reproduce the benefits that that agreement achieved.” That statement was by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken who told reporters Wednesday, sending out a warning to the Islamic Republic following a scathing report by the IAEA.

The nuclear watchdog said it had been “seriously undermined” after a number of inspections were banned by local authorities.

We pray the United States comes to the full realization that Iran is not serious about abiding by any agreement and should never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. No amount of US diplomacy can change a terrorist mentality with the goal of wiping Israel off of the map. Sanctions imposed by the Trump administration MUST stay in place!

Memo to Secretary Blinken: Time to wake up and face reality. This means no Iran “deal” of any kind – ever. That should be obvious to you now.

Source:
Blinken warns: U.S. close to giving up on Iran deal, by Eitan Divinsky/Arutz Sheva, September 8, 2021

What Is the Iran Nuclear Deal?, by Kali Robinson/Council on Foreign Relations, August 18, 2021

 

 

The Israeli government on Sunday requested yet another six-month delay from the Supreme Court, hoping to push off the implementation of a court order requiring the eviction of dozens of Bedouin squatters from an illegal encampment east of Jerusalem.

The Regavim Movement slammed the Bennett government over the state’s response in the Khan al Ahmar case, which was submitted to the High Court Sunday evening.

The government requested an additional six month delay of the deadline to submit its official position to the court in the matter of the illegal outpost on Route 1, slated for demolition over a decade ago. WHY? During this additional half-year period, the state intends to submit a confidential document to the court detailing all the considerations that impact the enforcement of demolition orders at the site.

Meir Deutsch, Director General of Regavim, sharply criticized the state’s response, and the conduct of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. “From the first day of the current government’s term, we have stressed that deeds, not words, are what count. Today it has become clear that contrary to its oft-repeated declarations, this government is continuing along the dangerous trajectory set by its predecessor, conducting its law enforcement system according to the whims of foreign governments.”

The Bedouin encampment built in Khan al Ahmar is illegal and continues to exist on legally owned Jewish land in Judea and Samaria. Israel should no longer delay in exercising her Sovereign rights to remove this illegal outpost. Sovereignty should not take a back seat nor be beholden to other nations who demand that Israel act according to their wishes.

Source:
‘The Bennett government is continuing on a dangerous trajectory’, by Arutz Sheva Staff, September 5, 2021