The Implications and Consequences of Expulsion for the Jewish People
Top Rabbis Send Personal Plea to President Bush for Pollard,
by Hillel Fendel (Israel National News)
Excerpts:
Two of world Jewry’s most renowned Torah Sages, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv of Jerusalem and Rabbi Aaron Leib Shteinman of Bnei Brak, have signed a historically unprecedented letter to U.S. President George Bush, calling for the release of Jonathan Pollard.
It is reportedly the first time that these Torah Sages have ever addressed a foreign head of state about any matter.
Say ‘Yes’ to Jordan and ‘No’ to Hamas, By Evelyn Gordon (Jerusalem Post)
For related reports, click here and here.
“What makes Israel’s refusal truly absurd… is the foreign relations dimension of the case. Standard foreign policy goals usually include trying to make other countries into friends rather than enemies. But this requires demonstrating that friendship pays better dividends than enmity: If the reverse were true, any rational country would prefer enmity.”
Israelis Who Aided Suicide Bomber Convicted of Murder
Full Text;
In a landmark ruling, the Tel Aviv District Court convicted three Israelis of murder who drove a suicide bomber on his way to carry out a terror attack in Netanya on July 12, 2005.
The attack at the Sharon mall left five people dead and 30 wounded.
Kfir Levi, 26, from Ramat Gan, Sif Azam, 35, from Taibeh and Abed Abu-Mouch, 26, from Baka al-Gharbiya each received NIS 1,000 for driving the terrorist to his destination.
The judges said in their ruling that the plaintiffs had “shut their eyes” to things that should have aroused their suspicion, such as the large bag the terrorist was carrying, and the fact that he did not speak for the length of the journey.
Peretz Orders Closure of West Bank, Gaza for Purim
IDF Troops Attacked Near Gaza; No Casualties
Palestinians Fire at IDF Troops in Nablus [Shechem]
Related Report: Palestinians Report 5 Wounded in Clash With IDF
Kassam Damages Greenhouses North of Gaza Strip
Kassam Lands South of Ashkelon; None Wounded
Israeli Wounded in Drive-by Shooting Near Kalkilya
IDF Troops Searching for Fugitives in Nablus [Shechem]
Circumvent Old Media-Go for the Blogosphere, by Michael Freund (Jerusalem Post)
Commentary;
But who said that the government of Israel is at all principled or competent — at any level? Instead of repeatedly being made to look like bumbling fools with face in hand for shame over false accusations made by MSM (mainstream media), Israel’s friends in blogosphere root out and expose the truth.
Below Michael Freund’s article are just a few cases where blogosphere beat msm to a pulp in getting at the truth. A government truly interested in Hasbara; in national security and unity, rather than preoccupied with the promotion and exploitation of prejudice, hate and divisiveness between population sectors in order to solidify and perpetuate their agenda and their hold on power; such a truly hasbara-oriented government would rely heavily on blogosphere in the media war for perception. This media war appears every bit as important as the physical battlefield. MB
Gush Etzion: Arab Rock Throwers Damage Israeli Vehicles
Dead Body of 35-Year-Old Found in Upper Galilee
IDF Soldier Wounded in Nablus Operation
Explosives Thrown at Troops in Nablus [Shechem]; No Wounded
5 Kassams Fired From Gaza; No Wounded
Shin Bet: New System Will Ease Checks of Arabs at Airport
Excerpt;
“Once the new technology has been introduced, identical checks will be conducted for Arab and Jewish passengers and will no longer include body searches for Arabs.”
Peretz: Hamas is Using the Gaza Cease-Fire to Stockpile Weapons
MK Gafni: No Referendum on Golan, by Hillel Fendel (Israel National News)
For previous related posts click here, here and here.
Commentary:
MK Gafni’s attempt to nix a mandated by law referendum vote should the regime act to “dis-engage” from the Golan, yet another part of Eretz Yisrael, brings streaming back all of the pain of the Gush Katif expulsion. This author feels too much pain to write now about this case of lessons unlearned by Gimmel — again and again and again.
Strategy and Action (Jerusalem Post Editorial)
“The truth is Israel is not helpless. The problem is that our government leaders seem to be too preoccupied with the stability of their coalition and the next day’s headlines to develop and follow a national security strategy.”
“What is missing is an Israeli commitment to take effective measures against such smuggling…”
Full Text:
The picture painted by our intelligence agencies of the year ahead, in a presentation to the cabinet on Sunday, was not a pretty one. Such semi-public assessments, by their nature, attempt to straddle the line between sounding the alarm and not being too alarmist. Yet the underlying realities that were highlighted cannot be ignored, and it is far from clear that sensible and necessary steps are being taken to address current threats.
Three-Day March for Pollard, by Hillel Fendel (Israel National News)
Full Text;
Israel’s youth is increasingly leading the struggle to free Jonathan Pollard – and now, a yeshiva high school class in Tiberias is planning a three-day march to Jerusalem calling for his release.
Rabbi Avichai Golan, the projects director of the ORT Yeshiva High School in Tiberias, explained to Arutz-7 how the idea came about: “Every year, the 11th grade sets out on a long trek – but this year, with Pollard in jail for his 22nd year, the students decided that they want it to be on behalf of Pollard. We’ll be starting out on the first day of the month of redemption – Nissan – for there is no reason that Pollard should not be home in time for the holiday of redemption, Passover, which falls in the middle of Nissan. The students feel that in this way, they can wake up the country to demand that our government submit an official request to the US for his release.”
Palestinian Arrested After Fight with Settler
Explosives Seized Near Palestinian Refugee Camp
Excerpt;
“Authorities have confiscated 31 sets of highly sophisticated explosive devices near a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon.”
Shots Fired at IDF Outpost in West Bank [Judea and Samaria]; No Wounded
Israeli Lightly Wounded by Rocks Near Ramallah
PA Arab Gunfire Aimed at Israeli Car, No Injuries
Firebomb Attack Near Kalkilya, No Injuries
Molotov Cocktail Thrown at Israeli Vehicle in West Bank [Judea and Samaria]; No Injuries