Category: Articles

Thanks to your vote earlier this year, Zionist right-wing organizations came in ahead of the left-wing with a very strong showing in the elections. I was pleased to be elected to represent Americans For A Safe Israel and serve as your delegate in the 2020 World Zionist Congress that took place this week.

Seven hundred twenty delegates and observers from over 30 countries participated in the three-day virtual conference. Among the current issues on the world Jewish agenda that were deliberated at the Congress: the battle against antisemitism; the Coronavirus pandemic’s effects on Jewish communities worldwide; preparation for a wave of immigration to Israel as a result of this worldwide crisis; reaching Diaspora youth with good educational materials, development in Judea and Samaria, and more.

On Tuesday, a coalition of Jewish groups including Hadassah and B’nai B’rith International tried to temporarily block a plan by Orthodox and right-wing parties to take over top positions throughout the World Zionist Congress, the Jewish National Fund and other crucial groups that spend $1 billion annually on international Jewish causes.

Several left-wing groups stepped in to delay the vote on the right-wing plan until Thursday to renegotiate how the professional leadership will be selected. Until now, the top positions have been filled in consultation with all constituent bodies, allowing liberal groups a say on spending related to religious pluralism in Israel, minority communities in the country and activity in Judea and Samaria.

Last night, coalition chairman Miki Zohar told The Jerusalem Post that he still intended to try to push through an agreement he reached with right-wing parties and Orthodox groups, despite the opposition of centrist and left-wing parties, non-Orthodox religious streams and Jewish organizations.

The World Zionist Congress was scheduled to conclude this evening in Israel with elections for the leadership positions of the National Institutions – the World Zionist Organization, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel (Jewish National Fund-JNF), and Keren Hayesod. The official program did finish off with the presentation of awards and a clever concluding film, and closing ceremony, featuring remarks from the incoming slate of officers.

We have word that a final agreement has been hammered out between the parties, however, as of right now, it has not been voted on by the Congress. (See chart below, which is in Hebrew.) One thing appears to be definite: Yaakov Hagoel will be the new Chairman of the World Zionist Organization. Voting to confirm the rest of the agreement is scheduled to start before 6pm EDT.

To all of AFSI’s like-minded Zionist supporters of Israel, you can be assured that our voice is now stronger than ever in support of a Whole, Sovereign, Safe and Strong Israel.

Judy Freedman Kadish
Executive Director
Americans For A Safe Israel

Sources:
Hadassah and other groups block right-wing takeover of World Zionist Congress positions, by Ron Kampeas. Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 20, 2020

Zionist Congress headed for showdown over top jobs, by Gil Hoffman. Jerusalem Post, October 21, 2020

The director general of the Regavim movement, Meir Deutsch, led a a tour of the Eretz Israel lobby of Members of Knesset in Gush Etzion. He addressed the challenge of preserving state lands and expanding Jewish communities.

During an interview with Arutz Sheva, Deutsch described the PA’s methods of usurping large swaths of land in Judea and Samaria, noting that Israeli settlement covers only about one percent of the territory.

In the wake of the government’s recent approval of the construction of thousands of housing units in Judea and Samaria, Deutsch argued that the approach should be changed expanding Jewish communities instead of adding new housing.

“Over the last decade, the government of Israel has not added one inch of land to the already-existing Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria. We need reassess our focus,” he added.

Special guest, Attorney Marc Zell, Director of “Republicans Overseas – Israel,” greeted the crowd out in the field, and reiterated the policy shift initiated by US President Trump, Vice-President Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo, recognizing the rights of the Jewish People throughout the Land of Israel.

Source:
Regavim head: Take control of land – not new housing units, by Hezki Baruch. Arutz Sheva, October 22, 2020

The IDF has identified a terrorist attack tunnel which infiltrated into Israeli territory from the southern Gaza Strip, the military announced Tuesday evening.

An IDF spokesperson said that the tunnel was located and exposed in the Khan Yunis area. The route was located as part of the ongoing effort to locate and neutralize terrorist tunnels. It was found thanks to the technological and collection capabilities of the barrier on the Gaza Strip border. The tunnel did not cross the underground barrier and did not pose a threat to localities in the area yet.

Hours after the announcement, a rocket fired from Gaza was intercepted by Israeli missile defenses. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

On Wednesday, military chief Aviv Kohavi described the tunnel as a “highly significant asset” to terror groups in the Strip. Thank Gd it was found before it became a real threat!

Sources:
Army chief: Uncovered Gaza attack tunnel was ‘major asset’ to the enemy, by Judah Ari Gross. Times of Israel, October 21, 2020

IDF uncovers Gaza terror tunnel, by Gary Willig. Arutz Sheva, October 20, 2020

Rocket fired on Israel after IDF exposes terrorist tunnel, by  AP and ILH Staff. Israel Hayom, October 20, 2020

The American position is that Judea and Samaria communities should remain in place permanently and Israel should apply Sovereignty to them at a later date, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said on Wednesday.

“The position of the United States is that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria will never be evacuated. We will never ask any community in Judea and Samaria to ever disband,” Friedman said in a Kohelet Policy Forum conference on the Abraham Accords, conducted online. “We believe in long run, it is in Israel’s interest and America’s interest to extend [Israeli] Sovereignty over these communities.”

AFSI, too, believes it is in Israel’s and America’s interest to apply Sovereignty. The difference here is that AFSI believes that Sovereignty should be applied sooner rather than later.

Source:
Friedman: US position is never evacuate settlements, by Lahav Harkov. Jerusalem Post, October 21, 2020

Americans For a Safe Israel extends a hearty MAZEL TOV to our friend and colleague, Rabbi Elie Abadie.

As announced on Friday, Rabbi Abadie was appointed Senior Rabbi of the small but growing Jewish community of Dubai. The Jewish Council of the Emirates (JCE) confirmed that Rabbi Abadie will be the second full-time rabbi in one of two Orthodox congregations in the country. The JCE is the country’s oldest congregation and the only one recognized by local authorities.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Rabbi Abadie is a prominent rabbi and scholar of Sephardic Judaism currently living in New York City. He will relocate to the Gulf metropolis.

Rabbi Abadie holds by the same principles and mission when it comes to a safe and Sovereign Israel. He has generously hosted AFSI events on many an occasion in his congregation’s former space.

AFSI wishes Rabbi Abadie and his family the very best as he embarks on his new position. We have no doubt that his service to his new community will certainly increase the ties between the Jewish communities of different parts of the world.

By the way… you never know…maybe when AFSI resumes its Chizuk Missions to Israel, a visit to Rabbi Abadie will be on the itinerary.

Source:
Small but growing, UAE’s Jewish community to get second full-time rabbi from NY, by Raphael Ahren. Times of Israel, October 16, 2020

Yesterday, Bezeq Israel Telecom was awarded its first license to operate in Israel’s Area C. This will allow it to provide uniform high-speed internet services to settlements and along roads and public areas.

Bezeq has operated in the area without a license for 36 years in a limited capacity, but its coverage has been patchy and Jewish residents there have long complained that there were black spots in some stretches of the territory. This created a safety hazard, particularly because they could be vulnerable to attack from Palestinians and would not be able to call for help.

Yesha Council head David Elhayani welcomed the granting of Bezeq’s license and he took the opportunity to call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to authorize some 100 Jewish communities in Area C.

Source:
Bezeq operating license for Area C formalized after 36 years ~Tovah Lazaroff. Jerusalem Post, October 18, 2020

Israel and Bahrain on Sunday formally declared that they have made peace and established formal diplomatic relations, only the fourth such agreement between the Jewish state and an Arab country, and the second in weeks.

At a solemn ceremony in Manama, officials from both nations signed eight bilateral agreements, including a “Joint Communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic, peaceful, and friendly relations.”

So far, we now know that this new agreement DOES NOT mention anything related to Sovereignty over Judea and Samaria or put the two-state solution back on the table for discussion although it does mention the quest for a resolution of the “conflict”. This still appears to be a win for Israel. That’s always a good thing!

Source:
‘From friends to family’: Israel and Bahrain establish diplomatic relations, by Raphael Ahren. Times of Israel, October 18, 2020

The 65 year-old Palestinian chief negotiator, Saeeb Erekat, is deteriorating so badly from Covid-19 that he was been rushed from his home in the “West Bank” to Hadassah hospital in Israel.

That fact is presumably deeply unpalatable to Erekat’s comrades in the Palestine Liberation Organization. In a statement on Sunday, the PLO said: Following his contraction of Covid-19, and due to the chronic health problems he faces in the respiratory system, Dr Erekat’s condition now requires medical attention in a hospital. He is currently being transferred to a hospital in Tel Aviv.

The Times of Israel reported that the PLO couldn’t even bring itself to say he was being admitted to a hospital in Israel, but said he was being transferred to a hospital in the 1948 areas.

How the hypocrisy never ends! We certainly hope the bill for the services he is being provided is paid for by the PLO, perhaps lessening the PA ability to “pay for slay”.

Sources:
Israeli doctors battle to save Saeeb Erekat’s life – If only hateful hypocrisy were a curable disease, by Melanie Phillips, October 19, 2020

Top Palestinian official Erekat, now critical, put on ventilator in Jerusalem, by Times of Israel Staff. Times of Israel Staff, October 19, 2020

 

Israel green-lighted Wednesday over 2,000 new housing units for Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria, ending an eight-month de facto freeze on approval for new homes.

The Civil Administration’s Higher Planning Committee approved on Wednesday 2,166 new housing units in Judea and Samaria, with the committee expected to meet again Thursday to approve close to 3,000 additional housing units, for a total of roughly 5,000 units.

This is the first time since February that the Higher Planning Committee approved new housing units in Judea and Samaria. Also of note is that after 20 years, Pnei Kedem in Gush Etzion, will be officially recognized on the Land Registry.

Shlomo Ne’eman, Gush Etzion Regional Council head, lauded the decision: “Sovereignty is about more and more Jews who establish their homes in the land of their ancestors for now and forever. And for that, a big thank you and congratulations are due to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who despite being busy with his intense involvement in current issues, is also advancing strategic plans to strengthen our hold on Judea and Samaria.”

AFSI is pleased to see another level of development on the road to applying full Sovereignty being implemented.

Sources:
Israel approves Judea and Samaria homes, ending de facto freeze, by David Rosenberg. Arutz Sheva, October 14, 2020

After 20 years Pnei Kedem officially recognized in Land Registry, by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva, October 15, 2020

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan announced that he will lead a campaign to expose the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) illegitimacy and its detrimental effect on peace in the Middle East.

Erdan, who began his tenure at the UN week ago, participated in a discussion with UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini and demanded that he “end the incitement and anti-Semitism in UNRWA schools and publicly pledge to eliminate any terrorist infrastructure in its buildings.”

UNRWA staff has been embroiled in anti-Semitism scandals while its facilities have repeatedly been found to be used as weapons caches by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.

“I will lead a campaign in the UN to show UNRWA’s donor countries and the entire world the real reason there is no political process: Palestinian incitement denying the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel while demanding the Big Lie of the return of Palestinian ‘refugees,’” Erdan stated Tuesday.

Separately at the UN, Erdan slammed the election of several countries with poor rights records to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

“Today’s Human Rights Council elections prove once again that this council has nothing to do with protecting human rights and everything to do with violating them. Since 2006, the council has adopted 90 resolutions condemning Israel, more than all the resolutions against Syria, North Korea and Iran, combined,” he said in a statement.

“The obsessive focus on Israel, along with its protection of oppressive, dictatorial regimes, shows that the Human Rights Council is in the business of white-washing the crimes of these countries,” continued Erdan. “I call on all democracies that are still members of the council to immediately resign from this shameful and anti-Semitic body.”

Sources:
‘The Big Lie’: Israeli Envoy Launches Campaign Against UNRWA, by Aryeh Savir/TPS. The Jewish Link, October 14, 2020

Erdan slams UNHRC after election of countries with poor rights records, by JNS Brief. Jewish News Syndicate, October 13, 2020