Police Crack Down on Arab Israeli Party on Fraud Suspicions

Israel

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September 19, 2016

Police Crack Down on Arab Israeli Party on Fraud Suspicions

Written by Michael Bachner/TPS on September 18, 2016

Israel Police raided the homes and offices of dozens of activists for the Israeli-Arab Knesset party Balad Sunday morning. Senior Balad figures and activists, lawyers and accountants, were arrested for suspected involvement in a series of offenses involving money that was received and used to fund the party. Party documents and other materials were seized, and suspects’ assets and bank accounts were frozen.

No Balad Knesset members were arrested.

Police spokespersons said that an investigation that has been going on for several years revealed the systematic misrepresentation of the origin of millions of shekels (at least hundreds of thousands of USD), defrauding Israeli authorities and the state comptroller.

While Balad reported the money to be donated from hundreds of donors in Israel, the police suspects the funds were in fact received from other sources in Israel and around the world. Police have not provided further details on the origin of the money.

Balad Party members allegedly committed a series of financial offenses, including money laundering, false reporting, forgery, receiving an object by deception under aggravated circumstances and numerous violations of the Political Parties Financing Law.

Balad is part of the Joint List faction in the Israeli parliament, a conglomeration of three Arab-majority parties. Balad describes itself as a “national party for the Palestinian citizens of Israel,” and is more nationalistic compared to the dovish and socialist Hadash party and the Islamic religious United Arab List.

The party released a statement on Sunday morning, rejecting the allegations and condemning the arrests as “political persecution.”

“This is a dangerous escalation and another stage in the campaign of political persecution against the Arab minority and its political movements,” read the statement by Balad. “The real purpose is to silence Balad and harm its role as spearhead in the struggle against oppression and discrimination. Like in the past, this attempt will fail and the mountain will turn out to be a mouse.”

Balad is known for supporting the Palestinians and fiercely opposing the Israeli government, and is often referred to as extremist by mainstream Israeli politicians and figures. Party member Hanin Zoabi participated in the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza which was raided and stopped by IDF forces, and was recently criticized for calling Israeli soldiers “murderers” in the Knesset plenum.

In February, Zoabi and fellow Balad MKs Jamal Zahalka and Basel Ghattas were suspended for four months from all Knesset deliberations for meeting with and honoring families of Palestinian terrorists.

The current investigation was initiated several years ago following a report by State Comptroller Joseph Shapira. It was authorized by the previous attorney general Yehuda Weinstein, in accordance with the state attorney’s recommendation. The covert investigation was closely monitored by the state attorney’s office.

IDF Soldier Wounded in Stabbing in Efrat

Israel

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September 19, 2016

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IDF Soldier Wounded in Stabbing in Efrat

Written by Andrew Friedman/TPS on September 18, 2016

Efrat (TPS) – An IDF soldier was stabbed in the ribs early Sunday by a Palestinian in Efrat. Security forces shot the terrorist and administered first aid to both the soldier and assailant. Both were evacuated from the scene, treated at the Efrat Emergency Medical Center, and moved to Jerusalem hospitals. The soldier has been listed in moderate condition, and the attacker in serious condition.

The incident began when the Efrat situation room detected a breach in the security fence in the northern neighborhood of Zayit, adjacent to Bethlehem.

“I received an initial call when the security cameras detected someone coming up from the wadi,” said Josh Adler, a resident of Zayit and a member of the local security detail. “That was at 1:53. From then, till about 4-4:30, there were a lot of army and security forces searching the entire neighborhood, every garden, every alleyway, but they didn’t find anything.

“The search party finally disbanded, leaving a smaller force here, that was probably at about 5. About an hour later, I heard yelling. I looked out my window and saw a struggle going on in the wadi. A few seconds later I heard someone yell in pain – I guess the terrorist came out of hiding, they had some kind of struggle, and the scream turned out to be the soldier,” Adler told Tazpit Press Service (TPS).

IDF officials have not released the name of the wounded soldier, but the soldier’s mother said via WhatsApp that he will apparently require additional treatment to stop internal bleeding.

“We thank God for this miracle and we are very proud of our son, who defended Efrat residents with his body. We hope the IDF will put an end to this wave of terror very quickly.

Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi told TPS that he was thankful that the community’s security apparatus proved effective in real time, but added that the town would continue to remain on alert for attacks.

“This attack indicated an increase in Palestinian attacks, especially in the daring nature of the attacks,” Revivi said.

Multiple Terror Attacks Over Shabbat

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September 19, 2016

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Multiple Terror Attacks Over Shabbat

Written by Andrew Friedman/TPS on September 17, 2016

The wave of terror attacks that began on Friday continued in earnest over Shabbat.

Saturday morning, a Palestinian stabbed an IDF soldier in the face adjacent to the Tel Rumeida section of Hebron after being asked for his ID card. The assailant drew a knife and managed to stab the soldier before being shot and killed.

In the north, Iron Dome batteries downed two missiles that were headed from Syria towards the Golan Heights, the sixth consecutive day that rockets from the civil war in Syria have strayed into Israel. No injuries or property damage were reported. It was the first time the missile defense system has been activated in the Golan Heights.

In Jerusalem, a 15-year-old Palestinian was arrested in the Isawiyya neighborhood after throwing stones in at Israeli cars on the Jerusalem-Jericho road.

URGENT: LA Eruv Shutdown Planned For The End Of September

Los Angeles

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September 9, 2016

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URGENT: LA Eruv Shutdown Planned For The End Of September

The LA ERUV has exhausted its funds for management and maintenance of the
citywide eruv. The LA ERUV is planning to shut the eruv down at the end of this
month until we solidify ongoing funding and replenish our reserve accounts.

The LA ERUV needs your support. We are looking for families willing to take
personal responsibility for supporting the LA ERUV on an ongoing basis. The
time to offer your support for the LA ERUV is NOW. Please consider one of
the following methods:

Send a check to LA ERUV at 8950 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 179, Beverly Hills,
CA 90211;
Donate –one time or monthly -by credit card or PayPal at our website
LAERUV.com ; or Email info@laeruv.com to arrange a donation personally.

We need over 100 families to take financial responsibility and invest in
this important and trusted community resource that will be there for you in
case of need. Please stand up to keep the LA ERUV Up! We need:

10 families to commit $10,000 per year
30 families to commit $2,000 per year
30 families to commit $1,000 per year
60 families to commit $500 per year

Israeli Teenagers Discover 1,500-Year-Old Stable in Negev Desert

Israel

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September 8, 2016

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Israeli Teenagers Discover 1,500-Year-Old Stable in Negev Desert

Written by Michael Bachner/TPS on September 08, 2016

Avdat (TPS) – An Israeli-American excavation team has uncovered a Byzantine Era stable in southern Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Thursday. Israeli archaeologists, visiting colleagues from DePaul University in Chicago and a group of Israeli teenagers said the findings left “no room for doubt” that donkeys, sheep and goats inhabited Israel in ancient times.”

The excavation was directed by DePaul Professor Scott Bucking and Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini of the Israel Antiquities Authority, with funding provided by a Fulbright grant.

“The identification of the site as a stable was corroborated by an almost one-meter-thick layer of organic matter – donkey, sheep and goat manure – on the floor of the building,” said Prof. Bucking and Dr. Erickson-Gini after the discovery. “It seems that the place was destroyed by an earthquake that decimated the city of Avdat in the early seventh century CE.”

The stable was discovered in a rock-hewn cave on the mountainside, and had apparently been used as a service structure by local residents who were apparently monks. The structure was divided into several stone-built rooms, with the walls adorned with painted decorations of crosses. Stone basins were also discovered, apparently for storing food and water for the animals.

The teens who participated in the dig are students at the Har Hanegev Field School. Under the guidance of Daniel Fox, an archaeobotanist at Bar Ilan University, the students sifted through hundreds of buckets of organic matter and collected seeds and various organic remains that could shed further light on the use of the building. The artifacts could also lead to answers on a host of questions, including the foods that local inhabitants consumed and what the environment was like in ancient times.

Among the students’ findings were grape seeds which were well-preserved because of the dry conditions in the Negev. Researchers now say they will try to extract DNA samples from the seeds in order to identify some of the species that were grown in the area.

According to Dr. Erickson-Gini, “The youngsters did an excellent job. They displayed great interest in the research and the project, after receiving explanations on how archeologists works and being taken on a guided tour of the site. We enjoyed working with them, and I know that they also enjoyed it, too.”

Newly Found KGB Document Names PA President Abbas as a Soviet Spy

Israel

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September 8, 2016

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Newly Found KGB Document Names PA President Abbas as a Soviet Spy

Written by Michael Zeff/TPS on September 08, 2016

The Hebrew University researcher who unearthed evidence that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas served as an agent for the Soviet Union during the 1980s says that this should not derail Russia’s current attempt re-ignite Israel-Palestinian peace talks. But at least one senior MK said the revelation is serious enough to give Israel pause before agreeing to Russian mediation.

The list was retrieved from the Mitrokhin Archive by Hebrew University scholars Dr. Isabella Ginor and Gideon Remez and includes all the informants, agents and resources of the Soviet Union’s intelligence organization who were in Damascus in 1983.

“The list is titled ‘People cultivated by KGB in Damascus in 1983,’’ Dr. Isabella Ginor told Tazpit Press Service (TPS). “The relevant line unequivocally names the Palestinian Authority president as a full pledged agent, under the codename ‘Krotov’ derived from the Russian word for Mole.”

According to Ginor, the list reads in Russian: “Krotov” – Abbas Mahmoud, birth year: 1935. Birthplace: Palestine. Memberships: Fatah Executive Board and Palestinian Liberation organization in Damascus. Designation: agent.

The Mitrokhin Archive is a collection of recently declassified KGB documents copied by hand over 30 years by former KGB archivist and analyst, Vasili Nikitich Mitrokhin, who defected to the United Kingdom with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and took these documents with him.

According to Ginor, the Archive is considered to be very reliable and the Hebrew University researchers went over it with a fine comb. “I have retrieved several original KGB documents from Moscow whose handwritten copies eventually turned up in the Mitrokhin Archive. Additionally, the Russian intelligence community considers this Archive to be reliable, so this should tell you something,” Ginor told TPS.

Now, this seemingly innocuous curiosity from the bygone age of the Cold War might have very contemporary implications on Israeli Palestinian negotiations and Russia’s new role as a potential mediator.

The current Russian deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, is currently working on organizing a Russian lead summit between Abbas and Israeli Prime minister Netanyahu. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, in 1983, the same year as Abbas was allegedly an active KGB agent, Bogdanov was stationed in Damascus as an envoy of the Soviet Union.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Abbas was a messenger of Putin and the KGB on various matters in the region,” MK Motti Yogev, a colonel in the IDF reserves and senior member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee told TPS. “Russia’s recent efforts [to convene peace talks in Moscow] show that Russia is trying once again to expand its influence in the Middle East, as it had Soviet days.”

“This is understandable, but they should have given Israel full disclosure. They should have said from the beginning that Abbas was a Russian spy and the man responsible for the current round of mediation [Russian deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov] worked with him or was his handler.”

However, Dr. Isabella Ginor, who is an expert on the historical role of the USSR in the Arab-Israeli conflict at The Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, told TPS that the timing of those positions is “coincidence.” She added that to the best of her knowledge, Bogdanov was never involved in Soviet security or intelligence work. “Of course, suspicions are impossible to prove or disprove academically, but I have never seen any signs to indicate that Bogdanov was involved with espionage.”

“Bogdanov is a career diplomat and a professional orientalist,” Dr. Ginor explained. “He was also ambassador to Israel, he spent many years in the Middle East. Bogdanov is definitely the most qualified Russian official to work on facilitating the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.”

Senior Palestinian officials have dismissed the report as “Israeli lies and propaganda.” Abbas has yet to comment on the matter.

LIMMUD FSU CANADA TO GATHER OVER 400 RUSSIAN-SPEAKING JEWS

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September 7, 2016

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LIMMUD FSU CANADA TO GATHER OVER 400 RUSSIAN-SPEAKING JEWS

Ceremony for global terror victims to open Sept. 11 conference in Vaughan, Ontario

TORONTO, Sept. 7 – Some 400 people are expected to gather Sept. 11 for Limmud FSU Canada, a special event for young Russian-speaking Jews, at the Schwartz Reisman Centre in the Toronto Jewish suburb of Vaughan. Limmud FSU Canad will feature an array of world-class programs and speakers from around the world and include an opening Sept. 11 ceremony for victims of terrorism worldwide.

Limmud FSU Canada, a dynamic and pluralistic Jewish festival of culture, creativity and learning, promises to be one of the most significant local Jewish gatherings in recent years. This one-day event – only the third Limmud FSU Canada ever – will feature more than 30 inspiring speakers and 40 panels, workshops and discussions on subjects ranging from art, to Jewish culture and tradition, history, politics, academics, business and lifestyles.

Limmud FSU Canada, sponsored by the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, will explore a diverse array of topics including Jewish views of organ transplants, Jewish relationships, countering terrorism and challenges of Russian-speaking Jewish communities. That last topic is especially critical, with Canada among the most active centers of Soviet and Russian-Jewish immigration over the past four decades. Young Russian-speaking Canadian Jewish adults are growing increasingly interested in Jewish life, activism and volunteerism as an expression of Jewish identity.

Among the featured presenters will be Alexander Okun, a leading Israeli journalist, writer and artist; popular Toronto Rabbi Rafi Lipner; UJA Federation of Greater Toronto CEO Adam Minsky; head of Russian Jewry for the Jewish Agency Roman Polonsky; Canadian media personality Ezra Levant; business consultant Julia Pronin;Toronto comedian Ronen Geisler; Limmud FSU Canada Volunteer Committee Chair Irene Vacksman of Toronto; and many others.

“The Canadian Russian-Jewish community is experiencing a remarkable renaissance and we’re thrilled that Limmud FSU Canada can be a part of it,” said Limmud FSU Founder Chaim Chesler and Co-Founder Sandy Cahn. “We look forward to an inspiring gathering that will contribute to the tremendous vitality of Russian-Jewish life in Canada.”

Cahn, of New York, will also be among those speaking during an opening event memorial ceremony for victims of terrorism around the world.

“Although this is the third year of Limmud FSU in Canada, we are already seeing the fruits of our work. Our community has become more interconnected, we see increased interest in Jewish learning and traditions, and most importantly more people want stay in touch and contribute to community projects and initiatives. I think we are doing something right,” said Leon Martynenko, the Limmud FSU Canada organizing committee chair.

About Limmud FSU:

Limmud FSU is a nonprofit founded 10 years ago by Chaim Chesler, former treasurer of the Jewish Agency, and Sandra Cahn, a philanthropist from New York. Since its inaugural conference in Moscow in 2006, Limmud FSU has created an independent educational and communal network of annual conferences and festivals, attracting more than 35,000 participants in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Russian Far East and the Volga-Ural region), Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Israel, North America (Greater New York, the West Coast, and Canada), and Australia. Limmud FSU engages young Russian-Jewish adults, empowering them to take ownership of their identity and to connect with their communities through pluralistic, egalitarian volunteer-driven conferences of Jewish learning and culture. In this way, Limmud FSU strives to foster the next generation of young Russian-speaking Jewish leadership and so revitalize Jewish communities in the countries of the former Soviet Union, and in countries with Russian-Jewish communities, wherever they may be. Key partners include the Claims Conference, JDC, philanthropist Matthew Bronfman, Aaron Frenkel, Michal Grayevsky, Ronald Lauder, Diane Wohl, the Jewish National Fund (KKL), UJA-Federation of New York, Israel Bonds, the Jewish Agency, and others. For additional details:www.limmudfsu.org.

HISTORIC HOUSE OF PRAYER UNITING CHRISTIANS, JEWS AND MUSLIMS OPENS IN JERUSALEM

Israel

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September 7, 2016

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HISTORIC HOUSE OF PRAYER UNITING CHRISTIANS, JEWS AND MUSLIMS OPENS IN JERUSALEM

‘Amen’ initiative part of Mekudeshet 2016 festival, Sept. 4-23, to harness Holy City’s spiritual power, connect people of all faiths amid troubling times

JERUSALEM, Sept. 6 – Christians, Jews and Muslims are uniting in an unprecedented and potentially historic interfaith prayer and spiritual gathering in the Holy City called “Amen – A House of Prayer For All Believers.” Amen will be open through Sept. 11.

Intended to create a single home for the world’s three major religions, “Amen” is playing a featured part in the 2016 Mekudeshet Festival from Sept. 4-23 that is harnessing the city’s ancient powers to inspire artists,musicians and cultural figures from around the world to redefine their art and traditions and connect amid troubling times.

Amen seeks to bring together Christians, Jews and Muslims who share a belief in one God and a boundless love for Jerusalem to dialogue, study, sing and pray together in one temporary house of worship. Amenis creating both a physical and metaphysical space that encourages commonality rather than sanctifying age-old divisions, say Mekudeshet organizers.

“We will study, argue – yes, this is also allowed – and pray – together and alone. We will see if it is possible, despite all the corporeal difficulties and earthly obstacles, to create a new reality,” said MekudeshetArtistic Director Itay Mautner.

Amen culminates a months-long series of discussions among representatives of the three religions, who cooperated to design the shared house of prayer. The venue, the Alpert Youth Music Center of Jerusalem in the Hinnom Valley, is open from morning to night, with meetings and preparations for prayer taking place at 10 a.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. daily throughout the week in Arabic, Hebrew and Coptic.

“It is nothing short of a miracle that between four walls, we will inaugurate a temporary home for the three religions that share Jerusalem and for all those who wish to dwell under the wings of the Almighty,” saidMautner.

The nearly month-long Mekudeshet (Hebrew for “holy” or “sanctified”) is being presented by The Jerusalem Season of Culture (JSOC). Mekudeshet is featuring scores of artists, actors, musicians and mediafigures from around the world and thousands of participants.

About The Jerusalem Season of Culture (JSOC):

Throughout 3,000 years of history, Jerusalem served as a source of inspiration to poets, musicians and other creative spirits. Each summer since 2010, the Jerusalem Season of Culture (JSOC) has summoned the ancient muse to create a schedule of original, city-specific productions that traverse artistic disciplines, unfold in breathtaking locations, draw inspiration from the city’s landscapes, stories and people, and create moments that could happen only in Jerusalem. JSOC is targeted to culture lovers of all ages and backgrounds from Jerusalem, Israel and the world. This September, JSOC will produce Mekudeshet, a festival of original, contemporary art that stretches the boundaries of culture, identity and sacredness in Jerusalem.

Yaakov Shwekey & Hanan Ben-Ari Live in TEL AVIV (Video)

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September 7, 2016

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Yaakov Shwekey & Hanan Ben-Ari Live in TEL AVIV (Video)

Production: Sharon Daniel Pro

Musical management: Rafi Grady

Lighting design: Jonathan Cole

Multimedia Director: Izeek Daniel

Sound: Moshik Tzabri

Tell Aviv Parking Lot Collapse; Three Dead, Three Still Missing

Israel

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September 6, 2016

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Tell Aviv Parking Lot Collapse; Three Dead, Three Still Missing

Three Dead in Tel Aviv Collapse; Three Still Missing

Written by Ilana Messika/TPS on September 05, 2016

Tel Aviv (TPS) – Two people were confirmed dead Tuesday following Monday’s collapse of a Tel Aviv parking structure, bringing the number of deaths to three. As of this writing, three people are still missing.

Some 500 officers and soldiers from the rescue and training brigade of the National Rescue Unit, in cooperation with civilian rescue organizations are still working to rescue and provide medical care to those trapped and injured in the incident. Rescue teams are using a wide range of advanced tools, including medical and logistics rescue equipment.

“Many forces continue the search and rescue effort, and we are assisted by advanced technological search and rescue means. We will act until we have removed all those trapped in the rubble.”said National Rescue Unit Commander, Colonel (Ret) Dudi Mizrahi.

In light of numerous accidents and of the collapse of the parking lot, Labor and Welfare Minister Haim Katz called an emergency session of the Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee Tuesday morning, to be attended by health and occupational safety managers, to discuss the issue of oversight in construction sites and safety measures in the construction industry.

According to a report issued by the Health and Occupational Safety direction of the Ministry of Labor and Welfare in mid-August, 28 people died in work-related accidents in the first half of 2016, a spike from 17 work deaths during the same period of 2015. The report also said that there were approximately 6800 inspection and enforcement reviews, including 660 safety orders and 1,194 improvement orders. The report did not specify the number of criminal investigations opened with regards to fatal accidents, nor the number of indictements filed.

“What is especially terrible is the fact that this disaster was predictable,” wrote MK Dov Chenin (Joint Arab List) on Facebook. “Dozens of workers have been killed in work-related accidents since the beginning of the year, which is not suprising considering there is only one inspector for every 700 construction sites.”

In explaining why decision makers often have trouble enforcing the worker safety regulations, Chenin cited Ministy of Finance officials: “If there is a choice to be made between acting against a factory that endangers its employees and harming stock prices – there will be considerable hesitation.

“So we have a serious problem of strictness in power. The government has systematically ignored all references, did not address any of the dead, evaded answering queries on the subject, and never appeared before the Knesset to respond to offers to arrange we raised. We need to establish a state commission to investigate legal violations in the construction sector.” he concluded.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled plans to attend the Israel-Italy soccer game Monday evening in order visit the site. “The forces here are working as quickly and as professionally as possible to try to rescue those trapped. The main goal at present remains to save lives,” Netanyahu said in an official statement. “Our forces are operating according to a system that has been implemented around the world, however this is the first time our methods have been used in a building collapse scenario. That could also happen in other circumstances, such as missile attacks or earthquakes.”

The construction site of the collapsed parking lot belongs to the Danya Cebus company, which is a subsidiary of Africa Israel Investment Group. The company has been investigated three times in the past year for negligent safety standards on their construction sites and several of the company’s head are under criminal investigation. Danya Cebus maintains it is a law abiding company and that it will assist in any and all search and rescue efforts.