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| Monday, Oct 26 '09, Cheshvan 8, 5770 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. 'Moderate' Fatah Leader Barghouti Calls to Resume Terror by INN staff  Palestinian Authority convicted terrorist murderer Marwan Barghouti, often touted by Israel's left as a “moderate” PA leader, has called for a resumption of PA support for terrorist attacks on Israelis. His comments were printed last week in Al-Quds. The PA should support terrorists in its midst who launch attacks on Israel, Barghouti explained, because it has been proven that the PA cannot achieve its goals by negotiations alone. He called to continue talks as well, and to pursue both peace talks and terrorism simultaneously. Barghouti compared Israel to Nazi Germany, saying, “The occupier's defeat is certain, its fate will be no different than the fate of Nazism or fascism.” Barghouti is serving five life sentences in prison in Israel for the murder of five Israelis in terror attacks. He was acquitted for lack of evidence of having arranged 33 other attacks. In August, he was elected in absentia to the top spot on the Fatah terror group's central council. His new position led to renewed calls from Israel's political left to free him and allow him to take part in leading the PA. Israel should release Barghouti “in order to create a strong and moderate political leadership among the Palestinians,” Minister Avishai Braverman of Labor said. MK Gideon Ezra of Kadima said Barghouti should be freed because “Israel needs a strong man who can negotiate.” Comment on this story 2. Monetary Prize for Parents of 'Protest' Soldiers by Hillel Fendel  Two soldiers who publicly protested against being used to evict settlers from Homesh are in jail for 20 days – and their parents will receive an "educational" monetary award for having raised such "wonderful" sons. The prize amounts to 1,100 shekels ($300) for each night that the soldiers spend in military prison. It is being given by the Task Force to Save the Nation and the Land, a pro-Land of Israel and nationalist organization based in Tzfat (Safed). Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpe, director of the organization, said the intention is to recognize and reward "parents who merited to raise and educate such wonderful sons as these, and to raise the spirits of these families who are suffering because of this grave decision to jail their sons." An official of the organization told Israel National News that another group "apparently likes our idea and is planning to give a prize of its own to the parents as well. It will be given at the same occasion as our award – sometime next week in Jerusalem." The two Shimshon Battalion soldiers, who have already begun their sentence in a military prison, were sentenced on Sunday after they held up signs at their swearing-in ceremony on Thursday at the Western Wall. The signs read, "Shimshon Battalion soldiers do not carry out evictions at Homesh." In addition to the jail sentences, the soldiers have also been permanently ousted from the Shimshon Battalion – a combat unit stationed permanently in Judea and Samaria. One observer said that the latter punishment alone would have been a sufficiently severe punishment for the highly-motivated soldiers. A brother of one of the two said they knew in advance that they were likely to pay a heavy price but were not deterred. He explained that many of the Shimshon soldiers "have been demoralized for a long time: IDF officers incite them against their brothers in Shomron (Samaria) and forbid them from being guests in their homes and dining there on Sabbaths." He said that they "enlisted in order to fight the Arab enemy; instead, they are taken on actions against Jews throughout Shomron.” Officers, Soldiers Agree IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said he views the protest "with gravity," and said that IDF soldiers should not be used for outside interests. IDF Central District Commander Gen. Avi Mizrachi, only a few days in his position, said the army "should not be dragged into political discourse, causing division in the nation's army." The protestors apparently agree whole-heartedly with those sentiments. Activists have been persistent in their attempts to return to Homesh since it was razed in the 2005 Disengagement, despite repeated and sometimes violent army evictions, some of which have taken place on the Sabbath. Comment on this story  3. Netanyahu: Jewish Minds, Come Home! by Hillel Fendel  Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the opening session of the Jewish Agency convention in Jerusalem on Sunday. Calling for a reversal of the "brain drain" from Israel, Netanyahu noted that Israel has the highest rate of per-capita Nobel Prize winners. [weJe "We are also producing more patents, with our 7 million people, than the 2.5 billion people of Russia, China, and India combined," he added. Natan Sharansky addressed the body for the first time in his new capacity as Jewish Agency Chairman, explaining that Netanyahu had been a great help to his wife Avital when she worked tirelessly to secure her husband Natan's release from Soviet prison - as well as a great inspiration to Jews around the world with his speeches in the United Nations as Israel's Ambassador to the UN. "The future of the Jewish nation lies right here, in the State of Israel," Sharansky said. "We have the ability to overcome the problems, of which we have many..." Speaking of the international difficulties of hunger, water, and the like, Netanyahu said, "Our job is not only to reverse the brain drain, but also to bring the finest Jewish minds to here - so that they can contribute to solving not only our own problems, but also those of the entire world." "In the coming weeks and months," Netanyahu said, "I wish to work with you on how to bring the best Jewish minds to Israel for the benefit of the world. This is just a promo." Comment on this story 4. Knesset Bans Peace Now Chairman by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu  The Knesset has banned Peace Now chairman Yariv Oppenheimer after he ordered three activists to pose as students while interviewing Knesset Members. The ban follows a demand by National Union Knesset Member Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, who complained to the Speaker of the legislature about the false identities. Oppenheimer stood behind sending the three activists, posing as students, to interview MK Ben-Ari. The Peace Now chairman said the ban is "undemocratic."  Yariv Oppenheimer (Photo: Flash 90)"Oppenheimer not only does not deny sending them but also ran to the media to brag that he is behind the incident,” said Ben-Ari, which he described as very serious. He added, “The three 'students' managed to speak with several Knesset Members, using the same disguise, which is a criminal offense." The three activists said they wanted to film MK Ben-Ari as part of a supposed student project on democracy. The “students” aroused the suspicion of the legislator, who noticed that one of them was wearing a “kippa” (skullcap) in an awkward way. During the interview, they showed other signs of being fakes, and one of the activists admitted that he was using a false name. All three of them eventually confessed that their mission was under Oppenheimer’s orders and was to obtain material to be used against the Knesset Member. Comment on this story  5. 'Nakba Law' is Back in Knesset Committee by Hana Levi Julian  The "Nakba Law," which would prevent schools from teaching the nation's Arab children that the birth of the State of Israel was a tragedy for the Arab population living here in 1948, is scheduled to go to the Knesset Constitutional Committee on Monday. The committee discussion precedes the bill's second and then third and final reading in the Knesset plenum. Funding anti-Zionism According to MK Alex Miller (Israel Our Home), who proposed the measure, "the main purpose of the law is to prevent a dangerous situation that could evolve in which Israeli taxpayers would be forced to pay for materials that damage the institutions of the State, anti-Zionist propaganda, and activities that often border on cooperation with terrorism." The law as presented earlier this year was aimed at preventing state funds from being spent on ceremonies to mark "Nakba Day" - a day on which many Israeli-Arabs mourn the establishment of the modern State of Israel as a nakba, or disaster, in Arabic. The bill would prevent public entities or government-funded groups from using public money to fund such ceremonies. It would also ensure that government-funded groups refrain from incitement to racism, undermining the democratic nature of the State, or harming public symbols such as the Israeli flag. The original measure would have made the observance of "Nakba Day" a criminal offense punishable by up to three years' imprisonment, and would have applied to any citizen who mourned the creation of the State in any public ceremony. Arabs angry Despite its toning-down, Arab MKs have expressed deep anger over the bill and vowed that Israel's Arab community would continue to mark "Nakba Day" regardless of the consequences. Education Minister Gideon Saar had already issued instructions over the summer preventing new textbooks in the Arab sector from including "Nakba" as an integral part of the curriculum. Saar noted that the order to remove the concept of "Nakba" from the Arab textbooks was a decision that had been made by the Knesset Education Committee during the tenure of the previous legislature. Comment on this story 6. Creeping Disinformation: Judea and Samaria 'Not Part of Israel' by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu  Day-to-day workers, encouraged by mainstream media and senior business, political and military leaders, often spread misinformation to the public, believing that Judea and Samaria have no legal standing in Israel. Two recent incidents occurred at a rental car agency and a gas station. A resident of a community in central Israel was shocked to discover that he could not rent a car because he wanted to visit Samaria. Eitan Zinger told Arutz-7 that shortly before he was to sign the papers prior to his to receiving the keys and begin his trip, the Cal Auto rental car agency clerk asked if he intended to travel in Judea and Samaria. “I expected an answer that so long as I did not drive in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority [Area A, where Jews are forbidden to ente, there is no problem," he reported. "However, it turned out that Cal Auto has determined new borders for Israel, and the clerk told me that the insurance does not apply outside of the 1949-1967 Armistice Lines," now known as the Green Line. The clerk, making sure there was no misunderstanding, confidently added, “The trip is only for travel within Israel. Land beyond the Green Line is not part of Israel and you cannot drive there.” Zinger rented a car from another company that does not try to redefine Israel’s borders, and Cal Auto official Rena Woronkov apologized for the incident, saying that that the clerk misunderstood company policy. She told Arutz-7 that the company will take measures to make sure that other customers do not run into the same problem. Another case of misinformation occurred in Be’er Sheva, the “capital of the Negev.” A gas station attendant, recently released from the army, asked a customer where he lived. When she heard that the driver is a resident of Judea and Samaria, she replied, “It is illegal to live there. That is what I was told when I was in the army.” The driver assured the surprised worker that the government actually encouraged people to live in communities in Judea and Samaria. Comment on this story 7. Israel ‘Full of Energy’ for Shanghai World Expo by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu  Israel is building its own unique egg-shaped pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai to show off innovations to improve the quality of life. The event is scheduled to open on May 1st and will be the first time that Israel has built its own pavilion for a World Expo. Israel hopes to walk away from the Expo, with millions of dollars in orders for innovative and environmental-friendly projects after an expected 70 million from around the world pass through the Expo's doors. It also expects closer relations with China, which is looking to Israel for solutions for migration from rural to urban areas as well as for help with its agriculture. The unusual pavilion is a combination of traditional Chinese philosophy and modern Israeli design, according to Yaffa Ben-Ari, Israel's Deputy Commissioner-General to the Shanghai Expo. Israeli vegetation will be displayed inside an ‘Enlighten Garden” orchard inside the pavilion, with irrigation systems that were pioneered in Israel. The agricultural part of the pavilion is dubbed the "Whispering Garden, which also will feature a Hall of Light showing off achievements on a 15-meter-high screen. A “Hall of Innovation” will include a special audio-visual show that allows visitors to “talk” with Israeli children and professionals via hundreds of screens. More than 100 Israeli companies, headed by global leader Ormat, are involved in alternative and renewable energy, which is one of the highlights of the Expo. 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Everyday of Freedom is an Act of Faith for my writings ============> http://robertoscaruffi.blogspot.com for something on religions ===> http://scaruffi1.blogspot.com
Monday 26 October 2009
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